Dao Qi Wu Zang Guan Guan: I became a Daoist Master in the 1990s

Chapter 188 The Journey Home at Dawn

The morning at Niubei Mountain is slowly unveiled by a thin, damp, and cold veil.

The forest ranger station stands alone halfway up the mountain, like a forgotten sentinel.

Night dew dripped from the dilapidated eaves, tapping against the fern leaves growing below, producing a monotonous yet clear "tap, tap" sound.

The distant mountains were shrouded in milky white mist, and only their dark green, undulating outlines could be vaguely seen.

The air in the forest was crisp and pungent, mixed with pine needles, decaying soil, and an indescribable, chilling scent emanating from the earth. Even as the golden edge of the rising sun quietly gilded the eastern mountain ridge, this chill lingered, seeping into one's very bones.

Inside the forest ranger station, the lighting was dim, with only a few emergency lights and instrument screens providing a weak light source.

The air was filled with a mixture of disinfectant, sweat, and the smell of blood.

The members of Liu Lan's team lay on the bed, their faces ashen, with IV drips inserted into the backs of their hands, and clear liquid was slowly being injected into their nearly exhausted bodies.

Their eyes were vacant, and their bodies trembled slightly from nightmares, while they unconsciously murmured broken words.

"Water...so much water..."

"Shadow...grabbing my feet..."

"Captain...run..."

Their voices were weak and terrified, as if their souls were still trapped in that dark, cold underwater tomb, reliving that desperate nightmare.

Team leader Liu Lanze remains in a deep coma.

Her breathing was weak but steady, and her face was no longer as frighteningly transparent as before, but had regained some color. However, her brows were tightly furrowed with an inescapable weariness and fear.

Lin Wei squatted down beside her, occasionally moistening her chapped lips with a damp cotton swab, her eyes filled with worry.

Outside the station, Song Wan sat alone on an abandoned ammunition box, wearing a slightly oversized 749 Bureau uniform jacket.

Her left arm was outstretched and rested on her knee, with an IV drip inserted into the back of her hand, and the IV bag hung on a crooked wooden stake next to her.

She could barely feel the coolness of the medicine flowing into her veins; all her attention was focused on the valley shrouded in thick fog before her.

Her eyes were fixed on the swirling mist, as if trying to see through it; her anxiety and worry were almost tangible.

Footsteps sounded from behind, and Zhang Guisheng walked over. His face was covered in exhaustion, but his eyes were still sharp.

He stopped beside Song Wan, followed her gaze to the valley, and deliberately kept his voice steady: "Old Jin used a compass to measure it several times. The earth veins are stable. That lingering yin energy suddenly exploded before, and then, like the receding tide, it dissipated completely."

The mountains are... quiet now.

He paused, his tone growing increasingly certain: "It was Abbot Qi's doing. He must have completely resolved the trouble inside. Trust him, he'll be out soon."

Upon hearing this, Song Wan nodded slowly, her voice slightly hoarse: "Thank you, Captain Zhang!"

Her gaze, however, remained fixed on the depths of the mist.

Seeing her like this, Zhang Guisheng knew that words would be futile, so he said nothing more. He simply stood silently at the door, like a silent stone statue, gazing and waiting with Song Wan.

The other awake people in the station also subconsciously moved more quietly, and an atmosphere mixed with anticipation and tension permeated the chilly morning air.

Suddenly, Zhang Guisheng's pupils contracted sharply, his body tensed instantly, and he shouted in a low voice, "Something's wrong! Be on alert!"

As soon as he spoke, everyone in the station tensed up.

Lei Bao grabbed the submachine gun leaning against the wall and glared fiercely out the window; Lin Wei quickly shielded Liu Lan behind her; Xiao Zhou rushed to the monitoring equipment and stared intently at the screen. Although most of the equipment had long since malfunctioned deep inside the ancient tomb, he was still trying to catch any external disturbances.

Two blurry black figures slowly emerged from the thick, impenetrable blue mist at the mountain pass ahead, moving steadily and rapidly toward the forest ranger station.

Everyone's heart instantly rose to their throat.

The sound of the bolt being gently pulled back was exceptionally clear in the deathly silent station.

The morning sun had now fully risen above the mountain ridge, casting thousands of golden rays down. The mountain mist, as if stirred by an invisible hand, began to flow rapidly and thin out. The suspended water droplets refracted a dazzling golden halo, mesmerizing and radiant.

The two dark figures moved with incredible speed, quickly piercing through the layers of thinning mist, their outlines becoming increasingly clear. Finally, under the almost breathless gaze of the crowd, they emerged completely from the last wisp of fog, their figures bathed in the clear morning light.

Leading the way was Qi Yun, dressed in a dark blue Taoist robe and carrying an ancient sword!

His face was calm, his steps were steady, and although his aura was restrained, he had a clear and refreshing air after being cleansed of filth, as if he had not returned from a dangerous ancient tomb, but had just returned from climbing the mountain to practice his qi at dawn.

Beside him stood a figure whose steps were slightly unsteady yet who persevered tenaciously.

"dad?!"

Song Wan suddenly stood up from the wooden box, her voice trembling with shock and excitement, her eyes instantly reddening, and without thinking, she reached for the IV in her arm.

"Don't move!" Zhang Guisheng acted swiftly, grabbing her wrist and speaking in an unquestionable tone, "The injection isn't finished yet! You're extremely weak right now. Your return is a great joy, don't cause any more trouble!"

At this moment, Qi Yun and Song Dingqian walked to the open space in front of the forest ranger station.

The people inside the station could hardly believe their eyes and exclaimed in surprise, "Captain Song?! You...you're still alive?!"

They knew the condition of the ancient tomb, and in their hearts, the chances of Song Dingqian surviving were practically zero.

Song Dingqian raised his head, his face covered in dirt and sweat, looking haggard, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. He looked at his daughter, trying to force a comforting smile, but first he coughed violently.

Qi Yun glanced around, his gaze lingering for a moment on Song Wan's sling arm, before nodding slightly to Zhang Guisheng: "Captain Zhang, the matter is settled."

His voice was calm, yet carried immense weight.

"Master!" Song Wan's voice choked with emotion, a mixture of excitement, relief, and lingering fear. "You're alright...that's wonderful...my dad..."

"Wanwan..." Song Dingqian caught his breath, his voice terribly hoarse, "Thanks... thanks to Abbot Qi... otherwise, this time... I really would have..."

Zhang Guisheng strode forward and shook Qi Yun's hand firmly, everything understood without words. He then looked at Song Dingqian and patted him hard on the shoulder: "Old Song, it's good to be back! It's good to be back!" His tone was full of the sigh of a comrade who had survived a disaster.

Master Yuncheng, who was standing nearby, also hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Qi Yun: "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings! Abbot Qi's supernatural powers are immeasurable, and he has saved all living beings. This humble Taoist is deeply grateful!"

Qi Yun waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for formalities, and then said succinctly to Zhang Guisheng: "The evil cultivators from overseas in the tomb have all been executed."

During that time, I also helped the ghosts and vengeful spirits to be reborn in a better realm.

Captain Song was trapped deep inside the mountain by a trap. When I found him, he was already unconscious.

Fortunately, they found a lifeline in an underground river, and after bringing him out, they trekked for half the night before returning.

The crowd was deeply moved by what they heard; though it was only a few words, they could imagine the extraordinary difficulties involved.

The words "deep inside the mountain" and "already unconscious" in particular made Song Wan feel extremely frightened, and her gaze towards Qi Yun was filled with endless gratitude.

Zhang Guisheng's expression turned serious, and he replied, "Master, the identities of those evil cultivators have been preliminarily ascertained. They entered the country illegally using false identities."

It is currently unclear whether they have accomplices within the country providing support; headquarters is conducting a full investigation.

He turned to look at Xiao Zhou, "Xiao Zhou has already drawn their facial portraits based on his memory."

Xiao Zhou quickly handed over several sheets of sketch paper. Although the portraits on them were slightly rough, the features were captured very accurately, especially the sinister temperament of the old man in the Tang suit, which was vividly portrayed on the paper.

Qi Yun took the portrait, glanced at it, and nodded, saying, "It should be from Hong Kong."

Master Jiusong of Qingyang Palace and his disciple, Daoist Gongyang, are currently in Hong Kong Island.

These portraits could be sent over; perhaps this clue could be used to investigate the family's roots in Hong Kong Island, just in case.

Zhang Guisheng's eyes lit up: "What the abbot says is absolutely right!"

I'll contact headquarters and Hong Kong immediately!

He acted swiftly, turning around and walking towards the still-functioning communication device, his steps becoming lighter.

The fog dissipated, the crisis was averted, comrades returned, and a new direction for the investigation emerged. The gloom that had shrouded Niubei Mountain seemed to have finally been completely dispelled by the rising sun at this moment.

(End of this chapter)