I Have a Date with a Thousand-year-old Female Corpse
Chapter 317: Entering the Mountain at Midnight (Part 1)

Chapter 317: Chapter 317: Entering the Mountain at Midnight (Part 1)

Xian Qianzhong came over with a grin, patting you on the shoulder while winking at Xian Qianling.

Regarding this clingy presence, you couldn’t be bothered to explain, and just acknowledged him with a faint smile.

Wu Chao’s wedding was grand, starting at ten in the morning, and didn’t wrap up until about ten at night.

Most people had been drinking, and those who had drivers were sent home, while the rest were invited to stay in guest rooms that had been prepared in advance.

The five of you had quite a bit to drink as well and couldn’t possibly head back, so Wu Chao arranged three rooms for you, with you in one alone. Interestingly, Xian Qianling’s room was right next to yours.

Speaking of guest rooms, it’s worth mentioning that according to what Wu Chao said, these rooms were specially constructed using 3D printing technology on short notice and could be recycled after the wedding.

Although the guest rooms couldn’t be described as luxurious, they had everything you could need.

Even though your body had been altered by the Star Stealing Life-changing Talisman and had grown resistant to many things, for some reason, your tolerance to alcohol didn’t seem to increase much. You hadn’t drunk much, but you still felt dizzy and fell asleep on the bed without even taking off your clothes.

After god knows how long, you, deep in a groggy sleep, got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and suddenly thought you heard some kind of drumming and gong-banging sounds.

That’s not right, it was nighttime, and the wedding had long since ended. Where were those drumming noises coming from?

Listening carefully again, huh? There really was a sound!

At that moment, you snapped to full alertness.

Exiting your room, you found yourself in a corridor. These temporary rooms, similar to a hotel setup, had hallways with homes typical of a Nong family on the outside and were backed by a mountain.

You turned to look at the mountains enveloped by the night, your brow furrowing slightly.

"Hey, Mr. Li, you’re still awake?"

Wu Chao’s voice happened to drift up from the flatland below.

You looked down and saw Wu Chao with three others. Each held a flashlight, apparently searching for someone.

Checking your digital watch, you saw it was past midnight and couldn’t help asking Wu Chao, "Where are you guys heading?"

"Ah, don’t even mention it. Deng Ping has lost his mind or something. After the wedding, he took these three girls out claiming they were going to have some outdoor fun, and they haven’t come back since. I’m worried something happened to him, so we’re going out to look for him," Wu Chao said with a light sigh, wrapping his down jacket tighter around himself, ready to leave.

"Hold on," you called out urgently to Wu Chao.

Wu Chao turned to look at you, asking, "What’s up?"

"Shh, don’t talk, just listen carefully," you said.

At your behest, everyone fell silent.

As Wu Chao and the others quieted down, they naturally heard the drumming and gong-banging.

"Huh? Who’s playing wedding drums and gongs in the middle of the night?" one of the middle-aged men said with great surprise.

Looking at the middle-aged man, you asked, "Uncle, are you sure it’s just wedding instruments?"

"Of course, I’ve been in this business for some thirty years now."

"Ah—what are you all fussing about, staying up so late without sleeping?" Zong Wangyue came out from the next room wrapped in a quilt, with Jin Qi already dressed, walking to your side and whispering, "President, were you also awakened by the sound of the drums and gongs?"

You nodded slightly, about to speak, when several other doors nearby opened one after another. Xian Qianling walked out looking like she hadn’t slept well, with dark circles under her eyes.

"What’s going on? Not sleeping in the middle of the night—are you guys planning to cause some trouble?" Like Zong Wangyue, Xian Qianzhong wrapped in a quilt, came out of his room.

"I think I smelled something strange; it seems something happened tonight." Zhang Zhaoyuan and Qi Gaojie, already fully dressed, with Zhang Zhaoyuan holding a DV and Qi Gaojie carrying a Wolf’s eye flashlight. Both were brimming with excitement, ready to dive into action.

"Brother, that guy Deng Ping has disappeared with three models." Upon seeing Xian Qianzhong emerge from his room, Wu Chao looked up and addressed Xian Qianzhong.

Xian Qianzhong frowned and asked, "When did he leave, and how long has he been missing?"

"Almost three hours now."

"Could they be spending the night outside?"

You rejected Xian Qianling’s suggestion with a light sigh, "This matter is probably not that simple. Since we all heard the sound of the drums and gongs, let’s go check that place out first."

Soon, your group was ready to set out. Before leaving, you distributed a Cinnabar Talisman folded into a Thousand Paper Cranes to everyone except Zong Wangyue and Jin Qi.

Xian Qianzhong looked at the Thousand Paper Cranes in his palm and asked, "Brother-in-law, what is this for?"

Before you could speak, Xian Qianling grabbed the Thousand Paper Cranes from Xian Qianzhong’s palm, stuffed it into his pocket, and glared at him, "It’s for saving your life at a critical moment!"

"Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?"

Xian Qianzhong chuckled, but it seemed like no one else wanted to speak further, treating it with a kind of wary silence.

With your natural night vision ability, you took the lead, following the sound of the drums and gongs. Before long, you had left the village and headed towards the back mountain.

During the day, the back mountain paths were still trafficked, so although rugged, it was better than nothing.

Twenty minutes into the lead, you suddenly stopped and asked the middle-aged man next to Wu Chao, "Uncle, does anyone walk on the back mountain normally?"

"Decades ago, our elders’ generation would often labor on the mountain, but as living conditions improved, the number of visitors dwindled. It’s different during the day, but at night, there are always strange noises. Since we were kids, our parents warned us: as soon as it gets dark, we must come down the mountain and absolutely not linger there."

After the middle-aged man’s explanation, everyone quieted down again, and the sound of the suona and drums became even clearer.

"Let’s go back, shall we? If someone has disappeared, it’s better to call the police."

"Yes, indeed, we’re neither particularly tall nor strong; it would be bad to run into any trouble."

"I am a police officer. If anyone is too scared, then they should head back immediately." Xian Qianling said coldly.

The other two middle-aged men exchanged looks, glancing back at the path they had come from—a dark and deep nothingness that made them even less inclined to turn back.

"Come on, the road ahead isn’t as dangerous as you think. Just follow behind and treat it as if you’re sightseeing," you said.

Continuing forward, you followed the sound for a few more minutes before stopping again.

"Why have we stopped?" Xian Qianling asked.