I just became the Pirate King, and you're telling me I also time-traveled at the same time.

Chapter 1055 Not Human

It was as if it had been sealed for a long time; as soon as it came out, it opened its mouth wildly and emitted a sharp, piercing whistling sound.

The white dragon horse and the white donkey were startled at the same time.

The white donkey, in particular, almost kicked over a rock on the side.

Su Wanwan's heart tightened, and just as she was about to raise her hand to cover her ears, Sun Wukong had already slammed the strange bird's head into the crack in the rock.

"Stop yelling like that." He said with disdain.

The strange bird flapped its wings wildly, making the wind even more chaotic.

Chu Yang looked at it for a moment and said, "It's a wind-eating owl."

"What the hell?" Su Wanwan was still covering half of her ear.

"It grows by eating the wind," Chu Yang said. "Being trapped in a place like this makes it easy for it to become a spirit, but it also makes it easy for it to go crazy. Someone sealed it here with a talisman, probably because they thought it was too noisy."

Sun Wukong grabbed the bird by the neck and shook it: "So what do we do now?"

"Throw it further away," Chu Yang said. "Don't let it keep causing trouble here."

Sun Wukong chuckled and flung the strange bird out of the ravine.

All that could be heard in the distance was a series of increasingly faint screams carried on the wind, and no one knew where they eventually flew off to.

Su Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Sun Wukong: "Brother Monkey, you're quick."

Sun Wukong shouldered his golden cudgel: "Of course. Any slower and you donkey will turn around in fright."

The white donkey seemed to understand and spit out a breath at him.

After finally getting through the Wind-Returning Ravine, the group emerged from the other side, all looking rather disheveled from the wind.

Su Wanwan's hairband was crooked, and her sideburns were messy and tangled.

Chu Yang glanced at her: "Looks like you just got into a fight with someone."

"This isn't your fault." Su Wanwan raised her hand to smooth her hair. "You insisted on asking me if I knew where the fox demon senior was. Otherwise, I might still be walking the main road to the west right now."

"So you regret it?"

Su Wanwan paused, then snorted, "No."

"That settles it."

After the wind returned to the ravine, the road became a bit smoother.

After walking for another half day, by evening they finally saw the outline of the north on a high slope.

It was an extremely long mountain shadow.

Dusk had fallen on the horizon, and the distant mountains should have been nothing but gray and black, but this area was different. The mountain ridges seemed to be covered with a very faint layer of silver, as if it were not the afterglow of the sunset, nor the moonlight, but something that shone through the mountains themselves.

Su Wanwan stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw the layer of silver.

Sun Wukong followed her gaze and asked, "Is that Qiyue Ridge?"

"Maybe," Su Wanwan said softly.

"possible?"

"I've never been here either, but it looks similar," she said. "I heard that when it gets dark at Qiyue Ridge, a layer of moon-like light rises on the mountain. It doesn't happen every night, but sometimes you can see it from a great distance."

Chu Yang looked up for a moment before saying, "Then it's probably true."

Tang Sanzang put his hands together and softly recited a Buddhist chant.

Su Wanwan stood on the slope, the wind blowing her clothes and hair. She looked at the mountain shadow, her eyes first brightening, but then a hint of indescribable tension slowly surfaced.

Chu Yang turned his head to look at her: "What's wrong? Getting nervous again at the last minute?"

"Nonsense," Su Wanwan said in a low voice, "We've come this far, it's no wonder I'm nervous."

"Are you afraid there's nothing inside?"

"I'm scared," she said honestly. "I'm also afraid that there's anything inside."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong chuckled, "This isn't a good thing. Being afraid of both sides shows that you're really concerned."

"Your way of comforting people is becoming more and more like Chu Yang's," Su Wanwan said irritably.

"One who stays near ink gets stained black."

"You still have the nerve to say you're dark-skinned."

They didn't rush any further, but rested on a slope some distance from Qiyue Ridge.

That night, everyone was quieter than the previous two days.

Sun Wukong stopped using wild mushrooms and mountain fruits to cause trouble. He simply sat cross-legged on a rock at the top of the slope, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the faint silver layer of light and shadow floating in the distance.

Tang Sanzang chanted sutras by the fire for half the night, it's unclear for whom he was trying to calm their minds.

Su Wanwan originally wanted to pretend to be indifferent, but in the end, she felt she couldn't keep up the act anymore, so she simply sat by the fire with her knees drawn up to her chest, staring blankly at the flames.

Chu Yang handed over a small wine pouch from the side.

She looked up: "For me?"

"It's not strong liquor," Chu Yang said, "it's fruit wine, sweet."

"When did you get this again?"

I bought it on a whim when I passed through the village earlier.

Su Wanwan took the sip and found it sweet, with a faint plum fragrance that wasn't overpowering. She took another sip before saying, "It's as if you knew all along I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight."

"It's not just similar," Chu Yang said, "it's just that I know it."

"Is that amazing?"

"It's written all over your face."

Su Wanwan glared at him: "What do I have written on my face?"

"It says, 'I really want to know what's inside, but I'm afraid of going in and finding nothing. It would be best if no one bothered me, but I also hope someone is sitting next to me,'" Chu Yang said slowly.

After listening, Su Wanwan remained silent for a long time.

Finally, she raised her hand to cover her face: "Can you please stop saying what people are thinking?"

"Why not?" Chu Yang said. "You'll feel more at ease if you say it out loud."

"That would be so embarrassing."

"What's embarrassing about it?" Chu Yang added fuel to the fire. "Being nervous isn't embarrassing. It's when you're not nervous that you seem unreliable."

Holding the wine flask, Su Wanwan muttered under her breath, "You..."

What's wrong with me?

"Your words are still unpleasant," she said, "but at least this one is somewhat acceptable."

Chu Yang smiled and didn't answer.

The wind blew down from the hilltop, the night deepened, and the pale silver of Qiyue Ridge in the distance became clearer. It was as if a moon was truly hidden in the mountains, its light seeping out vaguely through layers of tree shadows and rocky peaks.

Su Wanwan gazed at the mountain for a long time, then suddenly whispered, "Chu Yang."

"Um?"

"If there's really nothing inside, wouldn't you feel like you've wasted your trip?"

"No," Chu Yang said.

Why?

"Because we're already here." Chu Yang looked at the fire. "And even if there really is nothing there, you'll have seen it for yourself and given up. It's better than keeping thinking about it."

Su Wanwan held the wine flask and softly hummed in agreement.

She thought for a moment, then asked, "What if there's something inside, but they won't give it to me?"

"Then let's talk about reason."

"What if it doesn't make sense?"

"Then let's put it another way."

"What statement?"

Chu Yang turned his head to look at her, his eyes blazing with fire, a smirk playing on his lips: "Aren't you already quite skilled? First call for backup, then issue a warning. If that doesn't work, have Monkey King bring out the stick, and I'll do the hand-to-hand combat."

Su Wanwan was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but laugh.

"You really do follow the same pattern no matter where you go."

"As long as it works."

"What if he really is some kind of senior fox demon, with a very high seniority and strict rules? He might look down on me, a mere stray fox, and then say something like, 'You're not from my lineage, so I won't teach you—'"

"Then let him finish speaking first," Chu Yang said.

"And then?"

"Listen to him and see if what he says makes sense," Chu Yang said. "If it makes sense, we'll go somewhere else; if it doesn't, we'll go to him."

Su Wanwan was stunned for a moment: "...What do you mean by replacing him?"

Sun Wukong had somehow tumbled down from the rock at the top of the slope and overheard this. He grinned broadly and said, "It means that if that old fox refuses to teach, we'll drag him out and make him change his mind on the spot."

Tang Sanzang, on the other side, finally lost his patience and sighed, "You haven't even seen the person yet, and you're already thinking about how to force them to agree? Isn't that a bit much—"

"Master," Chu Yang said, "we call this preparing two backup plans."

Sun Wukong immediately nodded: "That's right, if you can't succeed in literature, you have to succeed in martial arts, you have to succeed in something."

Tang Sanzang closed his eyes and finally said, "I hope that senior is a reasonable person."

Su Wanwan held the wine flask and looked at the group of them, and suddenly she felt less tense.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, they set off for Qiyue Ridge.

The closer you get, the stranger the mountain seems.

From afar, it appears as if the mountains are shrouded in a silvery mist, but upon closer inspection, one discovers that the trees within are not particularly dense, but rather filled with rocks. The rocks are extremely light in color, many bearing natural white veins, which, when illuminated by sunlight, resemble a layer of frost. At the foot of the mountain, near the entrance, grow patches of low shrubs with slender, soft branches and small, round leaves, the undersides of which subtly gleam with silver.

Su Wanwan slowed her pace as soon as she saw the leaves.

"What's wrong?" Chu Yang asked.

"This is called the Moon-Shining Branch." She squatted down, reached out and flipped the leaves over. "Hu San Niang said that it can only grow in places where the moon's energy has been concentrated for a long time. It seems... I really didn't go to the wrong place."

Sun Wukong, standing beside her, noticed her expression and suddenly stopped joking, saying in a low voice, "Then let's go in."

Unlike other mountain gates, the entrance to Qiyue Ridge doesn't have a monument or plaque. Instead, there are two extremely tall natural standing stones, one on the left and one on the right, forming a path like door panels. The path is narrow, and the ground is covered with light white fine sand that makes a soft rustling sound when you step on it.

As you step between the two standing stones, the atmosphere around you subtly changes.

Outside, the morning breeze was still crisp and clear, but inside, everything suddenly became quiet. Not deathly still, but a soft stillness, as if some sound had been absorbed into it. The birdsong faded, and the wind softened. Even the white dragon horse and the white donkey, upon entering, unconsciously slowed down a bit.

A few steps further in, a very thin layer of fog suddenly rose ahead.

The fog was not thick, like freshly washed gauze, floating half a foot above the ground, moving slowly.

Su Wanwan even softened her breathing.

Chu Yang walked beside her, glanced around, and whispered, "There's a formation."

"I know," Su Wanwan said. "Hu Sanniang once said that the first thing people see at Qiyue Ridge is not the door, but the fog."

"How do we break this?"

"It's not broken," she shook her head, "it's acknowledged."

"Recognize what?"

"Identify the fox."

After she finished speaking, she seemed a little unsure herself, paused for a moment, and then slowly continued walking forward.

The thin mist seemed to be able to distinguish who was coming. As Su Wanwan stepped in, the mist gently dispersed to both sides. But as soon as Chu Yang and Sun Wukong approached, the mist immediately gathered back, not to the point of attack, but clearly with a hint of obstruction.

Sun Wukong blinked: "Hey, they really pick and choose their people."

Chu Yang raised his hand and gently touched the edge of the mist with his fingertips.

The fog trembled silently, as if somewhat frightened, and shrank back a little.

Seeing this, Su Wanwan quickly said, "Don't touch it."

Chu Yang looked at her.

"Hu San Niang said that the fog outside Qiyue Ridge is most troublesome when you try to force it," Su Wanwan said. "The more you try to suppress it, the less it will let you pass. Well... I'll try it first."

"How do we try?" Sun Wukong asked.

Su Wanwan pursed her lips, as if she herself was a little unsure.

But we've come this far, we have no choice but to try.

She took a deep breath, slowly closed her eyes, and her aura gradually subsided. After a moment, a very faint fox shadow suddenly appeared beside her ear, like a tail, or perhaps just a glimmer of light in the wind. She didn't fully reveal her true form, but instead made her fox demon nature as clear as possible.

"My name is Su Wanwan," she said softly. "I am a wandering fox, without any lineage or sect. I have come here today seeking a path to cultivation."

A gentle breeze blew out from the mist, brushing against the stray hairs on her forehead.

It remained quiet all around.

Even Sun Wukong couldn't help but hold his breath.

After a moment, the thin mist actually dispersed to both sides, revealing a deeper line inside.

Su Wanwan's eyes lit up slightly.

But just then, a voice suddenly rang out from the fog.

Not tall, even a bit lazy, like someone who had just woken up, or like someone who just asked casually.

"Scattered fox?"

"Who brought you here?"

Su Wanwan froze.

Sun Wukong's eyes lit up instantly.

The voice in the fog was neither loud nor soft, as if someone was leaning against a rock, speaking out of boredom.

Su Wanwan froze on the spot, the fox shadow on the tip of her ear swaying, almost causing her to lose her balance.

"Who brought you here?" the voice asked again, its tone still lazy, but with an indescribable meaning, as if it were scrutinizing you or confirming something.

Su Wanwan opened her mouth, but no sound came out at first. She swallowed and then said, "I... I came by myself."

There was a moment of silence in the fog.

Then came a very soft laugh.

The laugh wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either. It was more like someone had heard something unbelievable, but was too lazy to expose it, so they just gave a perfunctory indication that they had heard it.

"He came on his own." The voice repeated slowly, "A scattered fox, without any sect or lineage, found Qiyue Ridge on his own and walked in by himself. That's not easy."

Su Wanwan sensed the hidden meaning in those words and was about to say something when the fog suddenly moved.

It didn't disperse, but rather receded further to both sides, as if someone had lifted a curtain from the inside. As the mist swirled, a small stone platform was revealed behind it. At the end of the platform was a bluish-gray stone wall, and at the foot of the wall was a naturally protruding flat stone, covered with some dry grass and an old mattress, looking like a simple couch.

A person was leaning against the tatami mat.

No, it's not a person.

The first thing Su Wanwan noticed was the other person's hand. The hand rested on her knee, with long, slender fingers, the fingertips tinged with a very faint white, as if it had never seen sunlight for years. Following the hand upwards, she saw a narrow-sleeved blue robe. The robe wasn't made of high-quality material, but it was very clean. A very thin silver vine was embroidered at the collar, winding from the collar to the shoulder and then to the cuff, as if it were alive.

Above that is a face whose age is hard to guess.

She appeared young, yet there was an inexplicable somberness in her eyes; though she seemed old, her skin and features clearly possessed the innate refinement and softness of the fox clan. Her hair was loose and flowing, as black as ink, with only a small braid at her temple, the end of which was adorned with a tiny silver bead the size of a grain of rice.

What's most striking about her is her eyes.

His pupils were extremely light, almost transparent, like two moonstones that had been soaking in water for a long time. Those eyes were currently half-open, half-closed, looking at Su Wanwan with a gaze that was neither sharp nor gentle, just a very flat, appraising look. (End of Chapter)