The border between Echizen and Omi, near Kanesaki.

This is a challenging terrain formed by dense forests and towering mountains, with rugged and steep mountains and fields, where only the Beast Dao can prove the existence of people coming and going here.

On this particular night, the moon appeared and disappeared behind dark clouds. Under the cover of darkness, three uninvited guests broke into this mountain forest.

"Did the old man go missing here?" Riding a tall, strong black steed, soothing the horse with gentle strokes, Gu Mo gazed into the dense forest ahead. The deeper he ventured, the more he sensed the gloom and oppression.

The mountain ranges were the boundary between the human world and the Monster World. This rarely-trodden wilderness was a completely undeveloped wild land. Its rugged geographical environment formed a natural barrier, making the presence of beasts commonplace; large creatures being even more so.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, even the horses beneath them began to show visible signs of unease.

Animals have a keener perception than the average human. The faint Demon Qi weaving through the forest made the horse tremble with fear, almost reluctant to proceed.

"It's said that father didn't want to alert Echizen and secretly entered the mountain from this path..."

The second young lady spoke with a face full of fatigue. She originally thought her father was doing well in Lushan City but unexpectedly learned he couldn't stay idle. Somehow, he had directly come to this wilderness and then disappeared without a trace.

By the time information reached Rice Leaf Mountain City, some time had already passed.

Hidechika also wore a worried expression, and the atmosphere was particularly heavy throughout the journey.

"Let's search along the way. According to the divination results, the situation isn't that dire yet..." Gu Mo reassured calmly, though he felt a bit speechless inside.

The old man should just live his retirement peacefully; why be so stubborn?

He could roughly guess what's going on. Before coming to Mino, he had inquired about the whereabouts of the former Demon Exterminator organization from Saito Dosan. Because the plot regarding the contemporary "Wuming" hadn't been triggered, he hadn't met anyone in the blacksmith's village near Tabei Mountain.

However, the sword blade of Chuye Shiwan happened to be in that woman's hands.

So Gu Mo wondered if the old man's predecessor "Wuming" could somehow contact the Chuye Yashou.

It turned out naturally to be impossible. The old man had lost contact with the former Demon Exterminator organization for decades and couldn't offer much help... This matter was supposed to end here, and Gu Mo thought he would find another chance in the future.

But unexpectedly, not knowing whether he was simply unwilling to give up or due to reminiscing past events, the old man had set out for this place directly.

Gazing at the dense forest ahead, with the steep mountains in the distance resembling colossal beasts lying across the land under the night sky, he sighed inwardly. He actually knew something about this place; the village of the past Chuye Yashou did indeed lie deep within these mountains but had long been abandoned.

The old man's information was even less accurate than his own...

He just headed there impulsively and ended up getting caught...

As they continued forward, the mountain road became more rugged and winding as snake-like paths stretched onward. On one side, a deep gorge enveloped in clouds resembled a dark abyss under the moonlight, with unknown depths; on the other side, a dense forest with broken thick trees lay fallen by the roadside.

Uncertain what had crashed into them, the traces left were extremely alarming. Surely it must have been a massive, heavy entity.

"Let's dismount; we can't ride any further."

Seeing the road ahead, Gu Mo slowed his horse and dismounted. Even if the horses weren't startled by the increasingly thick Demon Qi, the road had become quite hazardous.

Falling from such a height isn't a joke; the horse would be killed...

However, people would be fine in this world, whereas only horses get hurt.

The two silent young girls also dismounted, tying their horses to nearby trees as he did. The three tall, strong steeds neighed and stomped nervously, unsettled by the dark surroundings.

From his sleeve, Gu Mo pulled out three Spirit Talismans, gently tossing them.

The normally light talismans flew like sharp darts, whizzing into three directions of darkness. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Nothing unusual occurred, though Gu Mo merely created a temporary defensive position. After the Spirit Talismans, he took out a prepared paper doll, casually hanging it on a nearby branch before clapping his hands: "Alright, let's enter the mountain."

The twin-like girls exchanged a glance, silently following.

......

...

The night deepened.

Especially within this mountain forest, it somehow seemed completely isolated from the world, an utter dark realm. The phrase "not seeing one's fingers" wasn't an exaggeration; the moonlight seemed unable to penetrate the dense forest canopy, leaving not a single ray of light.