Passerby: Secret Image of Ancient Scrolls

A touch of sadness appeared between Ao Luya's brows upon hearing this, and she explained, "That's roughly the idea, but it's much heavier than an ordinary stone tablet. This array's core was built by the first shaman using his own spiritual power as a guide, combined with the earth's spiritual energy. It's the main pillar of the Yin-Yang barrier; if the pillar is destroyed, the whole structure collapses. That's why Su Jin is fixated on these array cores; he wants to destroy the foundation and completely shatter the Yin-Yang boundary."

The two young men nodded repeatedly, their faces full of shock, and their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at the crowd.

"As for the evil spirit you mentioned, it's not like the legend says."

Ao Luya's eyes dimmed further, and she remained silent.

The team members exchanged glances, sensed something was off, and didn't press the matter further.

Lu Ye glanced at the two of them, then gestured with his chin toward Old Gu: "Quickly find two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and serve two bowls of mutton soup to warm yourselves up. You'll be on shift for the rest of the night, so you need to get some rest."

The two quickly agreed and hurried to the folding table to get bowls and chopsticks. Old Gu took them and filled each of them with a full bowl of piping hot mutton soup, sprinkled it with chopped green onions, and handed it to them.

The two held their soup bowls, the warmth spreading through their veins as they sat in a corner by the fire, drinking their soup.

Old Gu set up an iron mesh next to the stove and put the sliced ​​steamed buns on it to bake. In no time, they were baked to a golden brown and crispy, and the aroma of wheat mixed with the smell of charcoal filled the air.

He gave everyone two pieces, took one for himself and chewed it, looking at the crowd gathered around the stove, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

For thirty years, he had lived like a rootless man. Now, finally knowing the truth about Xiulian back then, knowing what she wanted to protect, and able to follow these young people to complete what she hadn't finished, the stone that had weighed on his heart for thirty years finally loosened a little.

Bai Wuchang poked his head out of the furnace, his small face flushed red by the firelight, a puff of white smoke rising from his twin ponytails. His figure was elusive, but his voice was still soft and sweet: "Shen Xun, there is still a very faint evil aura deep in the riverbed, shrinking and motionless. And that cold aura from before has completely disappeared. I searched for a long time and confirmed that it is gone."

Shen Xun gave a bitter smile, said nothing, his gaze fixed on the flickering fire, but his mind remained clear.

That cold yet familiar powerful aura, and the black stone at the core of the array, which had been thoroughly eroded, felt like two thorns piercing his senses.

He had reincarnated for hundreds of years, guarding the path of reincarnation and the boundary between Yin and Yang for his entire life, but he never imagined that the foundation of the protective array's core had been eroded to this extent.

He knew very well that the tranquility under the sky was just a brief respite before the storm.

The key point of the formation at the bottom of the river has been damaged, and Su Jin will never let it go. That unknown force hidden in the shadows is still like a knife hanging over her head, and she doesn't know when it will fall.

As the night deepened, the wind and snow outside gradually subsided, but it was still bitterly cold.

The sentries on the riverbank and at the camp had been rotated. The walkie-talkies occasionally crackled with reports of the guards' safety, the clear static adding a touch of reassurance to the quiet night.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone gathered around the fire and naturally started talking about the next steps, eventually drifting to the deep mountains of the Greater Khingan Range.

"I know Xishan'ao. It's an uninhabited area with no existing roads. Our car should have no problem driving to the old site of the forest ranger station at the foot of the mountain. But we don't know how far we can drive on the remaining ten or so kilometers of mountain road. We might have to hike."

Old Gu put down his chopsticks and bowl, his tone first steady and then somber.

"In my early years, I used to haul goods in the forest area and passed through that area. I remember the shape of the mountains and the place names. Back then, I heard from the locals that the mountains there were rugged and full of snowdrifts, and it was very eerie. Ordinary people had never been there. But I only passed through the outer area and never went inside. Thirty years ago, Xiulian only told me that she was going into the mountains to find something, but she didn't say what it was or where it was. I was worried and insisted on going with her, but she refused, saying that the place was dangerous and she wouldn't let me get involved."

His eyes reddened, and his tone suddenly became firm: "No matter how dangerous the road is, I must go. Even if I can't find her, I must do what she didn't finish back then. I can't let Su Jin destroy what she desperately wanted to protect."

"Bai Lu and I can also help." Ao Luya sat up straight, her eyes serious. "Xishan Pass is a forbidden area for our tribe. Our people never set foot there easily. This is a rule passed down from our ancestors, and I have never forgotten it. But things are different now. Su Jin wants to destroy the protective array's core. Once the core is destroyed, the boundary between Yin and Yang will collapse, and the evil spirits in the deep mountains will spread to the entire tribe. The homeland that our people have protected for generations will be destroyed in an instant."

She paused, her fingertips gently tracing the direction of the bear-scaled barrier, her tone filled with determination and responsibility: "When I was little, I was wild and secretly followed my grandmother into the mountains, so I know the way in. When I was converting Aunt Oru, she said she buried something important in the western mountain valley, and I must find it. The white deer can sense the spiritual energy of the array's core and detect the evil spirits, ferocious beasts, and traps in the mountains in advance. There might be a secret hidden there at the Yin-Yang node, and I must go with her."

Shen Xun unconsciously stroked the snake pattern on the peach wood staff with his fingertips, and a sense of unease suddenly swept through his heart: the strange aura he had sensed in Xishan Ao earlier was somewhat resonant with the sinister aura that Su Jin exuded when she controlled the evil spirits.

Is it simply a matter of shared evil origins, or has Su Jin already ventured into that forbidden area? What makes him ponder even more is that Su Jin's strange spells, which bewitch the mind and generate obsessions, are vaguely similar to the way the shadow body in the Chaos Realm erodes the soul.

They all exploit the weaknesses in people's hearts, turning invisible obsessions into weapons that hurt others.

But is this similarity a coincidence, or is there a deeper connection behind it? He subconsciously pressed the Samsara Well mark on his left chest. The mark was slightly warm, as if responding to his doubts, but ultimately it could not provide an answer.

The assassins who were chasing them were ruthless and decisive, and they carried the aura of Su Jin's Xuanwen. But if Su Jin was really related to the Chaos Shadow Body, how could these close-combat executors not have any mixed aura of the Chaos Realm?

As if sensing his thoughts, Bai Wuchang peeked out from behind Shen Xun's clothes and whispered, "I didn't sense any chaotic aura on those assassins. They're not the same kind of beings as the shadow bodies from my hometown."

Ye Zhuo wiped the dagger in his hand, the blade gleaming coldly in the lamplight, and said in a deep voice, "I'll be in charge of scouting ahead and guarding the perimeter. I'm familiar with survival skills in the mountains and can ensure the team's safety along the way."

Lin Jian nodded vigorously, gripping the Polaroid camera in his hand tightly: "I'll stick with everyone and I definitely won't hold anyone back."

White Impermanence raised his little hand and nodded vigorously: "I can help too! Nothing evil can escape my eyes!"

Shen Xun turned his gaze to Lu Ye and asked in a deep voice, "What are your plans?"

Lu Ye lightly tapped the map of the route into the mountains with his fingertip, his tone crisp and decisive: "I've left enough men to guard the magic array and monitoring points on the riverbank in shifts, synchronizing the data in real time. But Su Jin's assassins have attacked repeatedly, and they are ruthless. The journey to Xishan'ao is treacherous, and they will not give up easily. I'll take a few elite team members with me into the mountains to provide support at any time."

Shen Xun nodded slightly, his tone resolute: "Very well. Your geological knowledge and familiarity with the mountainous and forested environment of Northeast China are exactly what we lack."

Ye Zhuo immediately responded, his tactical thinking clear and concise: "We can have Lu Ye's team follow a little further behind us, maintaining a safe distance. If we encounter an ambush ahead, the rear guard can immediately flank from both sides, cutting off the enemy's retreat and forming a pincer attack."

Lu Ye added, "I was originally planning to take this time to thoroughly reinforce 2045 as well. Our entire convoy has undergone enhanced protection, which significantly improves its defensive capabilities. But now it seems the situation is urgent, so we can only wait until we get back to do it."

He paused, then said in a measured and steady tone, "First thing tomorrow morning, I'll hand over the pistol to the relevant department for registration as required. Once the formalities are completed, we'll set off into the mountains immediately."

Shen Xun's gaze swept over the crowd, taking in the determination in each person's eyes, before finally looking towards the darkness shrouded in wind and snow.

"Everyone should rest and recharge tonight." He finally spoke, his voice steady and firm, carrying an unquestionable determination. "Lu Ye, as you just said, have your men stand guard along the riverbank for the time being, and keep in touch immediately in case of any emergencies. We'll set off for Xishan'ao early tomorrow morning."

Everyone responded without objection.

From the murder case of a man falling from a building in an old alley in Hangzhou to the life-or-death struggle on the banks of the Mohe River, they stumbled and fell side by side, with no way out.

Only by venturing into those vast, deep mountains can we uncover the truth of events from thirty years ago, stop Su Jin's conspiracy, and safeguard the boundary between life and death in this world.

The lights in the sky were still on, the fire crackled, and occasionally a few hushed conversations could be heard.

The wind and snow outside have stopped, and the frozen river is quiet, with only the occasional sound of the river wind blowing through the ice.

The river surface appears calm at this moment, but the cracks at the bottom have long been permeated with evil spirits. The unknown power that can easily suppress overwhelming malevolent energy is still hidden in the shadows where no one knows.

Having suffered two losses, Su Jin will certainly not give up. Her hidden schemes have probably already been laid deep in the vast Greater Khingan Mountains.

Ao Luya hugged her knees, looked at the fire in the stove and spoke softly, her tone gentle but heavy: "My grandmother said that we Evenki people have guarded the mountains and forests for generations, and even more so, we have guarded the protective array points in the mountains."

She looked up at the opening in the sky, her gaze seemingly piercing through the deep darkness and the swirling snow, landing on the distant, endless forest.

"Xishan'ao is a forbidden area for the tribe, and it holds countless secrets. Do you want to hear the story of the Greater Khingan Mountains?"

Snowstorms swept across the frozen Heilongjiang River and the vast Greater Khingan Mountains, enveloping the world in a pure white chill.

The story from Hangzhou to Mohe finally came to an end in this warm tent on a cold night in Mohe.

But the snow and wind in the deep mountains, the truth about the key to the formation, about the past, about this situation spanning hundreds of years, is only just beginning to unfold.