“There’s one more thing I need to mention!”
Seeing that Wang Pangzi had finished the phone call, Shirley Yang remained silent for a moment, organizing her thoughts.
“We need to go to the Kunlun Mountains!”
“What? You’re going to the Kunlun Mountains? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Hearing that they were going to the Kunlun Mountains, Lao Hu was the first to object.
“Lao Hu, what’s wrong with you?”
Wang Pangzi was puzzled by Lao Hu’s reaction. He was not a cowardly person, so why was he reacting so strongly to the mention of the Kunlun Mountains?
“Shut up, this is none of your business!”
“I served in the Kunlun Mountains, and some things happened then, things I still can’t figure out.”
Lao Hu clutched his head, in pain.
“Alright, Pangzi, let him calm down!”
Grabbing Wang Pangzi’s hand, Bai Tian Yu motioned him to stop talking. He walked over to Lao Hu and offered him a cigarette.
Watching Lao Hu lean against the pillar, smoking, Bai Tian Yu was silent. Sometimes, men didn’t need many words. A cigarette, a bottle of alcohol, was all the comfort needed. He knew this was a mental burden for Lao Hu, especially his reluctance to pay respects to his fallen comrades, because of what happened back then.
The Darpu Ghost Worm was certainly a nuisance, but the Limitless Industry Fire feared water, and the Exhausted Ghost Ice feared ginger juice. As long as they prepared well, the Darpu Ghost Worm wouldn’t be a problem.
After a few puffs, Lao Hu had calmed down. Seeing everyone looking at him with concern, he shook his head to indicate he was fine. He then said, “I served in the Kunlun Mountains. Back then, I was a platoon leader, and we were transporting supplies with my comrades.”
“Our truck broke down on the way, even though we had checked it before we set out.”
“What happened next is something I can’t forget to this day!”
As Lao Hu spoke, Wang Pangzi and Da Jin Ya finally understood why he reacted so strongly to the mention of the Kunlun Mountains. The death of his comrade had been a constant burden on Lao Hu’s mind, especially since the Kunlun Mountains were so eerie. It was only natural that Lao Hu wouldn’t want them to go there and die!
“One of the soldiers fired his gun, which triggered an avalanche. In the end, I was the only one who survived.”
“I don’t know why you want to go to the Kunlun Mountains, but I want to say that I won’t go under any circumstances!”
He crushed his cigarette and spoke resolutely.
“Wait, Lao Hu, are the bugs you saw like this?”
After hearing Lao Hu’s account, Shirley Yang took a book out of her backpack. She flipped through the pages for a while and pointed to a picture.
“That’s it!”
Even though the picture didn’t show any blue flames, Lao Hu immediately recognized the bug he had encountered.
“This kind of bug is called a Fire Ladybug. It only appears in the chronicles of legendary adventurers. In the eyes of many, it is a mere legend.”
“I didn’t expect you to encounter it in the Kunlun Mountains, Lao Hu!”
Shirley Yang was surprised. She had assumed Lao Hu was just a fledgling tomb robber, but he had actually served in the Kunlun Mountains and encountered the Fire Ladybug, no less.
“I know what that thing is!”
While everyone was silent, Bai Tian Yu spoke up.
“Really, Lao Bai? Don’t talk nonsense! What if you get it wrong?”
Wang Pangzi gave Bai Tian Yu a wink, telling him not to say anything foolish.
“It’s fine. Your master is a senior figure. Since he knows the secrets of the Mountain Moving Taoist, then it’s likely that he knows the origin of that kind of bug!”
Lao Hu had completely calmed down.
“You’re right. The Darpu Ghost Worm is indeed connected to the Mountain Moving Taoist, but they are opposites.”
Hearing Lao Hu mention the Mountain Moving Taoist, Bai Tian Yu smiled.
“What do you mean? I don’t know!”
Even Shirley Yang was confused now. The Mountain Moving Taoist and the Fire Ladybug were connected? What was going on?
“You have to understand the origin of the Mountain Moving Taoist.”
“The Mountain Moving Taoists all descended from the same race: the Zagalama clan. You should already know this, Miss Yang.”
Shirley Yang nodded. She had learned this from Partridge Whistle’s notes.
“There is a place called the Devil Kingdom in the Kunlun Mountains. You should know this, Lao Hu.”
Lao Hu’s eyes widened, realizing something.
“Are you saying that those Fire Ladybugs are… the so-called Demon Slaves that the Kunlun Devil Kingdom raises?”
Lao Hu had a friend in Kunlun called Iron Rod Lama, a divinely-gifted singer. They were very close. So, Lao Hu knew many of the legends about the Kunlun Devil Kingdom, which was why he was so surprised when Bai Tian Yu mentioned it.
“The Devil Kingdom was the first inhabitants of the Zagalama Mountain Range. They later moved to Kunlun and established a brutal kingdom, the Devil Kingdom.”
“And the Devil Kingdom’s highest worship is the Eye, which is the Drizzle Dust Pearl!”
Bai Tian Yu stopped there, because he had already said too much.
“You’re saying that the Kunlun Devil Kingdom once possessed the Drizzle Dust Pearl?”
Now Shirley Yang finally understood. No wonder the Mountain Moving Taoist and the Kunlun Devil Kingdom were opposites.
“That’s right. If you delve deeper, you’ll know that the highest worship of the Kunlun Devil Kingdom is the Eye!”
He glanced at Shirley Yang’s shoulder, his expression meaningful.
Shirley Yang instinctively covered her right shoulder. She understood what he meant.
“Wait a minute. You’ve been talking for ages, but you haven’t said how to deal with those blue-flamed bugs!”
Wang Pangzi was getting sleepy, bored to the point where he was munching on sunflower seeds, listening like he was at a story-telling session.
“Everything in the world has its own countermeasure. How could there not be a way to deal with them?”
“The Darmo Ghost Worm takes two forms. One is the Limitless Industry Fire, which is what Lao Hu encountered. Its weakness is water.”
“The other is the Exhausted Ghost Ice, and its weakness is ginger juice.”
“Lao Hu, are you afraid now?”
Bai Tian Yu finished speaking, his eyes on Lao Hu, who was still looking surprised.
“No way, really? Is that true?”
“How about this? Iron Rod Lama must know about the Darpu Ghost Worm. We’ll split up. You go find Iron Rod Lama and ask him about it.”
“The other group will go to the vicinity of the Kunlun Mountains and wait for you, what do you think?”
Seeing that Lao Hu was still worried, Bai Tian Yu suggested.
“Good idea. I’ve been staying at home for too long, my muscles are getting stiff!”
Wang Pangzi agreed.
“Ring ring ring!”