If indeed there were business dealings, that would be splendid—they could probably just mention it to the Gu Master and get a pass to leave this place.
Mr. Dan He’s eyes brimmed with hope.
How could these old men be such fibbers?
"My matter is personal, not public."
A hint of disappointment flashed in Mr. Dan He’s eyes— it seemed the young girl might have to serve this old man for a lifetime.
"Girl, what on earth gave you the courage to venture into Witch Ancestor Mountain alone?"
Upon hearing Bai Junjun’s purpose, Mr. Dan He and the older men reacted almost identically, none of them optimistic.
Bai Junjun helplessly said, "Please don’t worry about what I’ve eaten. Quickly tell me about Witch Ancestor Mountain before dawn breaks so I can readjust my plans."
Having said this, Bai Junjun left the two old men no choice but to cooperate.
"What do you want to know?"
"I’d like to know about Wu Nuan, and her current whereabouts."
"Wu Nuan, ah..." Mr. Dan He did not disappoint Bai Junjun, and as he stroked his non-existent beard, he said, "Wu Nuan hasn’t been doing well."
"Recently her uncle died, leaving Wu Nuan without her last support. Once thriving, her backers have significantly dwindled.
Moreover, with the Gu Master in seclusion, her teacher’s uncle found a fault of hers two days ago, and now she’s detained at Reflection Cliff waiting for the Gu Master to exit seclusion and deal with her."
"Reflection Cliff?" Bai Junjun raised an eyebrow. "What place is that?"
Apparently, Shopkeeper Qiao hadn’t expected Wu Nuan to be at Reflection Cliff and hadn’t mentioned any information about the place.
Bai Junjun looked confused as Mr. Dan He pointed upwards, "Reflection Cliff is up there."
"?" Bai Junjun didn’t understand.
Seeing his disciple looking bewildered, Mr. Dan He drew a mountain on the ground: "We are at the mountain base, the Divine Temple mid-way up, and beyond that, the Insect Forest, which leads up to Reflection Cliff."
Bai Junjun nodded in understanding: "Can one simply go to Reflection Cliff?"
"If you have the ability to get through the Insect Forest, then you can reach it," Mr. Dan He replied confidently. "However... you might want to give up. The area is full of wild poisonous worms, which even the locals struggle to cope with, let alone outsiders."
Bai Junjun was helpless—her trip here was all for a rescue mission; regardless if Wu Nuan was at Reflection Cliff or even in heaven, she would need to find a way to reach there.
Seeing his disciple’s resolve remained unchanged, Mr. Dan He couldn’t help but shake his head: "11, have you lost your mind? This isn’t the Imperial Capital; showing your trump card here won’t work."
Who was 11? And what was her trump card? Did her nominal teacher know something?
Unaware he had accidentally used the nickname he had secretly given Bai Junjun, Mr. Dan He continued earnestly: "There’s a Saintess competition going on, and with Witch Ancestor Mountain preparing for full mobilization – not to mention, the Gu Dueling has started. Nowadays, the Insect Forest is filled with Gu Rearing Pools, going there now would only make you appear as an intruder. They wouldn’t bother questioning but would directly throw you into a Gu Rearing Pool."
Here, people were not lured by money nor intimidated by external power or status. Her identity alone wouldn’t help.
However, Bai Junjun wasn’t crushed by difficulties; she latched onto a vital piece of information... Gu Dueling.
Shopkeeper Qiao had mentioned that Gu Dueling was an event sporadically held on Witch Ancestor Mountain. Once it began, the entire mountain turned into an Asura Field.
During this time, people would place the Gu they had raised into the Gu Pool, letting them fight each other to death, with the survivors taken by the victors for refinement.