“I am willing to accompany Mr. Bloomer with my disciple to explore the mysterious Whispering Valley and see what kind of demons and monsters are inside.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Master. With your help, it couldn’t be better,” Leo said, pleased to have assistance.
Kakumei smiled and asked, “When shall we set off?”
Leo thought for a moment and replied, “How about tomorrow afternoon? I need to prepare in the morning.”
Kakumei nodded, “No problem, it’s good to be well-prepared.”
“Alright then,” Leo stood up, “You must be tired from your long journey. Chief Newman, please prepare a separate room for Master Kakumei and his disciple to rest well and gather their strength for tomorrow.”
“No problem,” Harold patted his chest, “This way, please.”
Kakumei was grateful for Leo’s thoughtfulness and quickly stood up to bow, “Thank you both. We will take our leave for now.”
“You’re welcome, Master. Please,” Leo responded with a smile.
In the vast forests of Grand Mountain, the scene was one of natural harmony and tranquility, with lush greenery everywhere and the pleasant sound of birdsong echoing through the air.
Leo and Kakumei, along with his disciple Zephyr, were trudging along a rugged mountain path, cutting through thorns and brambles as they pressed forward.
Finally, when the three were somewhat exhausted, the mysterious Whispering Valley described by the villagers appeared before them.
It was a very narrow entrance, only about two to three meters wide, resembling the legendary “One Line Sky.”
Kakumei glanced at the valley entrance and his face grew serious, “Such heavy Yin energy! Perhaps we have indeed come to the right place.”
Leo nodded, “Master, shall we go in and take a look?”
Kakumei raised his Hossu and smiled fearlessly, “No problem.”
Zephyr joked, “Master, Mr. Bloomer, I’m here too. Let’s go in together and beat those monsters black and blue.”
Leo and Kakumei burst into laughter, “Exactly, let’s go!”
The three of them stepped forward steadily and entered the narrow valley entrance with calm determination.
Immediately, a faint mist wafted from the depths, bringing a damp and cold sensation that made them shiver involuntarily.
Leo looked up again; the cliffs on both sides were towering and seemed to be leaning inward slightly, creating a strong sense of oppression.
He couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a perilous place.”
Kakumei nodded, “Indeed, it’s like a natural fortress. The wonders of creation are sometimes truly miraculous.”
As they spoke, the mist in front of them thickened rapidly, making visibility beyond twenty steps quite blurry.
Kakumei became alert and reminded them, “The mist is getting thicker. The path ahead is unclear. To avoid any accidents, everyone must be careful.”
Leo and Zephyr nodded and heightened their vigilance.
Slowly, as they ventured deeper, the mist grew denser.
Soon, visibility was reduced to less than ten steps.
After a while, the terrain suddenly opened up before them; they had passed through the valley entrance and officially entered inside.
Leo stopped to survey their surroundings. The mist was so thick that visibility was reduced to just seven or eight steps.
Zephyr exclaimed in surprise, “Such dense fog! It’s unbelievable; it’s noon! Is it like this all year round?”
Kakumei remained calm, “Judging by the situation, it must be. In a valley like this, fog is not unusual if it’s damp. But for it to be this thick at noon is rare. It shows how heavy the Yin energy is here.”
Leo nodded, bent down to grab some wet soil from the ground, smelled it at his nose, and then tasted it slightly with his tongue.
Zephyr was shocked by this action, “Mr. Bloomer, what are you doing? Can you eat soil?”
Leo smiled but before he could speak, Kakumei explained with a resigned look, “Silly disciple, Mr. Bloomer is testing the acidity of the soil.”
“Yes,” Leo spat out the soil residue and continued, “I am checking the soil’s acidity. As expected, it is acidic. This means that this place has heavy Yin energy and high humidity. The soil being acidic makes it a natural The Boneyard.”
“I see,” Zephyr understood and scratched his head with an embarrassed smile.
At that moment, a terrifying howl echoed faintly from deep within the valley. It was neither human nor wolf-like but sent chills down their spines.
“Zombies!” Kakumei and Leo were startled.
They were all too familiar with this sound and exchanged serious looks.
“It seems we have indeed come to the right place,” Leo’s eyes gleamed with determination. “This is where those zombies are nesting.”
Kakumei snorted coldly, “That’s good. It saves us from running around looking for them. Today we will wipe them out once and for all.”
Leo nodded in agreement, “Exactly. However, the thick fog here puts us at a disadvantage.”
Zephyr added, “Yes, with such dense fog, we might not notice zombies until they’re right in front of us. It could catch us off guard.”
Kakumei thought for a moment and said, “I have a method that might disperse this fog. I’m not sure if it will work.”
With that, Kakumei took out a small bronze bell from his waist and chanted, “By the power of the ancient sages within me, let this golden bell ring and drive away all evil!”
As soon as he finished speaking, Kakumei shook the Hossu with the bronze bell attached. The bell rang loudly and emitted countless rays of golden light.
Instantly, where the golden light passed, large swathes of dense fog miraculously dissipated. They could now see green trees and red flowers dozens of steps away.
But then the bell’s ringing suddenly stopped and the golden light vanished abruptly.
The fog hadn’t completely cleared; it still shrouded the valley but seemed much thinner.
Kakumei smiled wryly, “I’m sorry. I’ve done my best. This valley is too large; this is as much as I can disperse the fog.”
Leo replied, “It’s alright. At least we can now see forty or fifty meters ahead.”
Zephyr also said, “Master, you’ve done great. Let’s not waste any more time and move on.”
Kakumei regained his spirits, “Alright!”
The three of them strode forward into the depths of Whispering Valley.
After walking about a hundred steps, they were taken aback by what they saw.
In the nearby thickets lay numerous bones-some animal and some human. As the wind blew through them intermittently visible and hidden-it was terrifying.
Zephyr couldn’t help but feel creeped out, “My goodness! This is so scary; it feels like we’ve entered hell.”
Leo shook his head, “This is certainly not hell. I think these bones must be from people and animals who accidentally entered this valley before.”