The night was as dark as ink, the outline of Qingxu Temple's back mountain appearing exceptionally deep and tranquil under the dim moonlight.
Tang Xiao Qi, relying on the sparse starlight, carefully made his way upward along a path half-buried by weeds. During the day, the jade pendant worn close to his chest had once again transmitted an unusual warmth, faintly pointing toward the depths of the back mountain, approaching the direction of the rumored abandoned forbidden zone. This wasn't the first time. Ever since he had accidentally activated the pendant in that hidden abandoned medicine garden and revived the Clearheart Grass, it had often"guided"him this way. Curiosity wrapped around him like vines. Moreover, after his cultivation breakthrough to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, his courage had swelled somewhat. After several moments of hesitation, he ultimately couldn't restrain himself and decided to take advantage of the deep night's silence to investigate.
He tightened the black, unremarkable yet exceptionally sturdy flat-bottomed wok on his back—this had become his most trusted"companion"and self-defense tool since descending the mountain and entering the temple. The deeper he went, the denser the forest became, branches and leaves intertwining, nearly blotting out the already weak moonlight. All around, only the rustling of wind through leaves and the faint chirping of unknown insects remained, adding a touch of eeriness. Xiao Qi took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the timidity born from his surroundings, relying entirely on the continuous warmth transmitted from the jade pendant at his chest to keep moving forward. Just as he pushed aside a dense thicket of bushes, preparing to continue upward, a sudden, rapid rustling sound came from near his feet. A familiar white shadow shot out like lightning, accurately biting onto his pant leg with such force that he staggered, nearly falling."Ouch!"Xiao Qi exclaimed softly, looking down to see it was none other than the rabbit spirit he had been friends with for so long. At this moment, this usually agile and cunning little creature had completely lost its leisurely demeanor. Its snow-white fur was slightly bristled, its ruby-like eyes filled with unprecedented anxiety and alarm. Its two long ears stood erect nervously, constantly rotating to capture any unusual sound in the surroundings. It held tightly to Xiao Qi's pant leg, throat emitting a low, warning"whimper,"desperately tugging backward to prevent him from taking another step forward."Brother Rabbit? What are you doing here?"Xiao Qi first expressed surprise, then tried to soothe it."Let go, let go quickly. These pants won't withstand biting."He bent down, attempting to pry open the rabbit spirit's mouth. But the rabbit spirit not only refused to let go, it pulled even harder, shaking its head vigorously, dragging him back toward the path he had come from.
Its anxious appearance suggested that ahead was not serene mountain forest, but a dragon's pool and tiger's den that devours people at will. Xiao Qi, having spent much time with it, knew full well that this rabbit spirit possessed extraordinary spiritual awareness and had an unusually keen perception of danger. It was this creature that had originally led him to find the abandoned medicine garden, and it had given multiple warnings, helping him avoid some irritable low-level demon beasts in the back mountain. Seeing it so abnormal now, Xiao Qi's heart couldn't help but tighten."Ahead... is there danger?"Xiao Qi stopped his actions, crouched down, and asked in a lowered voice, trying to gain confirmation from the rabbit spirit's reaction. The rabbit spirit, seeing he had finally stopped, released his pant leg but didn't relax its vigilance. It stood upright on its hind legs, front paws waving urgently, pointing in the direction Xiao Qi had originally intended to go, then swiftly pointing toward the downhill path, its small head shaking like a rattle drum, red eyes filled with fear, even carrying a hint of pleading.
Xiao Qi followed its pointing direction and looked ahead. Before him lay an even denser black pine forest, resembling a crouching beast in the night, bottomless. The night wind blew through, the pine forest emitting low moans. Faintly, it seemed there was also an extremely subtle, elusive fishy scent carried on the wind, completely different from the mountain vegetation freshness he usually smelled. This scent gave him an inexplicable palpitation, and even the spiritual energy that had just stabilized within his body produced a barely detectable sluggishness. He looked at the rabbit spirit again. The little creature was continuously rubbing its moist nose against the back of his hand, emitting faint, pleading squeaks, as if saying:"Leave quickly, get away from here!"Reason told Xiao Qi the rabbit spirit's warning was no baseless alarm. Even his master had explicitly warned against deep exploration of this back mountain area recently, stating there might be external enemies watching.
Relying on some fortunate encounters and his newly elevated cultivation level to rashly explore at night was indeed somewhat presumptuous. However, the warmth transmitted from the jade pendant at his chest grew increasingly clear, as if something deep within constantly called to him. It was an attraction originating from the depths of his bloodline, mingled with longing for the mysteries of his origins, making it difficult for him to simply give up. Perhaps, going just a little further, he could find clues about Xu Lan Villa, about his parents, about this jade pendant and flat-bottomed wok? Two trains of thought clashed fiercely in his mind. He hesitated, standing in place, gaze shifting back and forth between the deep pine forest and the anxiously restless rabbit spirit. The rabbit spirit, seeing his hesitation, grew even more anxious. It actually stood upright completely, using its two front paws to tightly embrace his calf, hanging its entire body from it, attempting to use its insignificant weight to stop him.
The sight was both pitiful and amusing, yet it also made the impulse born from curiosity in Xiao Qi's heart gradually replaced by stronger vigilance. He recalled his master's warnings, remembered how his own meager cultivation would likely prove overwhelmed in the face of real danger. If due to his own recklessness he not only lost his life but might also implicate this spiritually aware little creature, even bring trouble to Qingxu Temple, that would truly be a crime beyond redemption. Finally, Xiao Qi took a deep breath as if having made a decision. He gently patted the rabbit spirit's small paws tightly holding his leg and said softly,"Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. Let's not go. We'll head back."The rabbit spirit seemed to understand his words. The fear in its red eyes slightly receded, but it still didn't completely relax, continuing to cling tightly to him. Xiao Qi took one last look at the black pine forest that resembled an abyss entrance, forcibly suppressing the warmth transmitted by the jade pendant and the unwillingness in his heart.
He bent down and picked up the still slightly trembling rabbit spirit, holding it in his arms. The little creature's warm body gently quivered within his embrace. He could feel its rapidly beating heart, showing just how terrified it had been."Let's go, we're heading back,"Xiao Qi said in a low voice, holding the rabbit spirit, turning without hesitation, and quickly descending the mountain along the path he had come. This time, his pace was much faster than when he had come up, and also more resolute. The downhill path seemed smoother, but Xiao Qi's heart was not completely calm. The rabbit spirit's abnormal warning, that elusive fishy scent in the forest, and the jade pendant's continuous stirring all weighed on his heart like stones. He faintly sensed that Qingxu Temple's back mountain likely truly hid some unknown secret, or rather... danger. And that he could retreat safely today relied entirely on this seemingly weak rabbit spirit's timely warning.
Returning to the relatively safe mountainside, when he could already see Qingxu Temple's scattered lights from afar, the rabbit spirit in his arms finally completely relaxed, no longer trembling, but still refusing to leave his embrace, merely rubbing its head against his chest, emitting faint, contented purring sounds. Xiao Qi looked down at it, heart filled with gratitude and lingering fear. He gently stroked the rabbit spirit's soft, warm fur and whispered,"This time, I owe it all to you, Brother Rabbit. In the future... I'll definitely find more delicious spirit fruits for you."Under the moonlight, the figures of one human and one rabbit gradually merged into the shadows of the temple walls, while behind them, that deep mountain forest continued silently in the night, as if nothing had happened, yet as if hiding endless turbulence.