The peaks of southern Xinjiang are vastly different from those in the central plains, with less elegance and serenity, but more majesty and danger.

  Under the night sky, a range of mountains stood towering and majestic, crisscrossing each other. From afar, it seemed to exude an aura of solemnity and sternness.

  The demon stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the sky. Beyond two lower mountain peaks and a relatively flat expanse of wilderness, four towering peaks suddenly rose from the earth, encircling a valley. Behind these four great mountains, under the vast night sky, lay countless shadows - the endless Ten Thousand Great Mountains on the southern border.

  And in the front four peaks, there is the famous Phoenix Fragrance Valley.

  This evening, the night was deep and dark, with a lonely moon hanging high in the sky. At the horizon, there were still a few stars twinkling with faint light. Under the cold and clear radiance, it seemed that there was mist hiding in the distant valley, floating lightly, looking like a thin veil of fog, mysterious and beautiful.

  The ghost frowned and withdrew his gaze.

  It's already the third day, since that night three days ago, he and Jinpinger of the Demon Cult suddenly discovered that Fengxiang Valley was secretly colluding with the Nanman barbarians in the southern border of the Ten Thousand Great Mountains. They decided to secretly investigate Fengxiang Valley. The three words "Fengxiang Valley" were naturally well-known in the southern border, and the two easily found out where it was located. However, when they actually tried to sneak in, they discovered that things were quite troublesome.

  The Burning Incense Valley covers a vast area, and it should not be difficult to sneak in. Indeed, the two of them relied on their own abilities and easily evaded the ordinary disciples of the Burning Incense Valley who were patrolling outside day and night. However, every time they reached a deeper part of the valley, no matter how well they hid their figures, a sudden, mysterious, and crisp bell sound would ring out nearby, instantly attracting countless Burning Incense Valley disciples to search carefully, among whom were extraordinary experts.

  Gui Li and Jin Ping'er were both vigilant people, they had seen the opportunity to retreat early several times, but no matter how careful they were, they couldn't avoid this mysterious bell sound. For several days, they still couldn't get in deep, but inside Fengxiang Valley, there seemed to be a sense of alertness, and more personnel had been dispatched for day and night patrols.

  Gui Lie thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure out how Fengxiang Valley had known their whereabouts in advance. It seemed that among the three major orthodox sects of the world, Fengxiang Valley was indeed hiding dragons and crouching tigers.

  Just then, Xiao Hui, who had been quietly lying on his shoulder, suddenly moved and a low, soft sigh came from behind him.

  "Ah!"

  The ghost turned around, and in a small clearing between the trees, there was a fire burning. Jin Ping'er sat at the front, holding a wooden stick with a wild rabbit skewered on it, roasting over the flames. At this moment, she furrowed her eyebrows, staring at the wooden stick in her hand, looking rather disheartened.

  The ghost walked past.

  For the past three days, he and Jin Bao'er had repeatedly attempted to sneak into Huo Xiang Gu, but all ended in failure. The relationship between the two was also quite subtle, seemingly harmonious on the surface, but secretly vigilant, each knowing that the other was cunning and ruthless, and neither knew if the other would suddenly strike a deadly blow.

  As he walked closer to the bonfire, the little grey creature on his shoulder let out a "squeak" and jumped down. Guǐ Lì looked at Jin Ping'er, who was staring at the wooden stick in her hand with a helpless expression, where a wild rabbit was skewered, one of its legs charred from being roasted.

  The two of them wandered around the outskirts of Huixiang Valley for several days. In such a desolate place, there were naturally no villages or inns nearby. After eating dry rations for several days, Gui Li was fine, but Jinping'er was getting a bit unbearable. That night, they happened to see a wild rabbit running by and caught it on the spot. They started a fire to change up their flavor a bit. Anyway, where they were staying was quite far from Huixiang Valley, so they weren't afraid of being discovered.

  Now it seems that Jinpinger's Tao is high, but in the past, there was no experience of outdoor barbecue. After a few times, the technique was not mastered, and the food was actually roasted to be charred. This time, seeing Gui Li standing in front, Xiao Hui half squatting on the ground, four eyes of one person and one monkey fell on the only charred rabbit leg. Jinpinger's face turned red, slowly pulling back the wooden stick, leaving the fire pit.

  "Squeak, squeak... " Suddenly, a strange noise came from the monkey Xiao Hui, who was lying on the ground with his tail standing upright and shaking back and forth. His right hand was clenched into a fist, pounding the ground repeatedly, as if he couldn't bear it anymore. He made a bizarre movement that was beyond comprehension.

  Jin Ping'er and Gui Li were both stunned for a moment, then they came back to their senses. Jin Ping'er was shocked and her face showed a hint of anger, while Gui Li didn't know that the monkey had been following him and couldn't understand where it had learned this strange ability to tell jokes. He glanced at Jin Ping'er, coughed, lifted his left foot, and kicked out the gray-haired monkey that was still pounding on the ground.

  Xiao Hui rolled away like a calabaza, but the "squeak squeak squeak" sound still came from far away.

  Gui Li and Jin Ping'er exchanged a glance, the atmosphere in the field became somewhat awkward. Gui Li glanced at the wooden stick in Jin Ping'er's hand, then moved a stone from beside him to sit on it, saying: "Give it to me."

  Jin Bier heard this and was stunned, seeing the ghost's face pale, he stretched out his hand to take over the wooden stick from Jin Bier's hand, first tearing off the burnt part, then putting it back on the fire, slowly turning and roasting. This time, the ghost's method of roasting was naturally very different from Jin Bier's, with flames licking at the stick, the wood lightly turning, and before long, a faint scent wafted out.

  Jin Ping'er raised her eyes and stared at Gui Yi fiercely, only to see that under the illumination of the flames, his usually pale face had also become rosy, and in his deep black eyes, two small flames were reflected, still burning.

  A man concentrating on grilling for himself...

  In the air, it suddenly fell silent, and no one spoke again. Jin pinger slowly withdrew her gaze, picked up a few withered branches from her side, put them into the fire heap, and the flames gradually burned up, drowning the withered branches, occasionally transmitting the "crackling" sound of the withered branches bursting.

  In the distance, the treetops seem to be blown by a gentle night breeze, carrying the soft rustling sound of leaves, falling on my heart.

  Xiao Hui didn't know when she ran back, with a few more wild fruits in her hand, apparently picked from the forest earlier. She walked to the fire pit, looked around, and sat down beside Gui Li with a plop, bringing the wild fruit to her mouth and starting to chew loudly. At the same time, her long tail swished back and forth, finally gently wrapping itself around Gui Li's leg.

  After a long time in silence, the fragrance in the air grew thicker and the wild rabbit on the fire gradually oozed out oil, dripping slowly, shining with oil light, making one's mouth water at a glance. Jin Ping Er couldn't help but take a few more glances.

  After a moment, Gui Li carefully measured the rabbit again, put away the wooden stick, and reached into his waist with one hand. After a while, he pulled out several small bottles and jars, and sprinkled some powder-like substance onto the rabbit's body.

  Jin Bier was taken aback and asked: "What is this?"

  Guilei smiled wryly, and Jinping'er saw it in his eyes, but for some reason, he felt that Guilei had a hint of bitterness. He only heard Guilei say lightly: "It's just some salt and seasonings, an old habit, wherever I go, I bring them with me." After speaking, he handed the wooden stick in his hand to Jinping'er.

  Jin Bier hesitated for a moment, but did not reach out to take it.

  The ghost's eyes flashed with a fierce gaze, and he smiled calmly, reaching out to tear off a piece of rabbit meat and putting it in his mouth to eat.

  Jin Ping'er's face flushed slightly, but in the firelight, a hint of charm flashed between her eyebrows and eyes, captivating the heart. After a moment, she reached out to take the wooden stick, saying softly, "Thank you, young master."

  The ghost turned his head away, took a wild fruit from Xiaohui's hand and put it to his mouth, slowly biting into it.

  "Ah!"

  Suddenly, Jin Bier's side was another soft cry, seemingly still with a bit of pain. Gui Li and the little monkey Xiao Hui simultaneously lifted their heads to look at her, only to see Jin Bier's pale hand covering her mouth, her eyebrows slightly furrowed, with a hint of suffering on her face. But she suddenly discovered that Gui Li and Xiao Hui were both looking over, her face turned red, and after a moment, she muttered: "I wasn't careful, I got burned..." Her voice gradually became smaller towards the end.

  Gui Li listened, his mouth twitched slightly, but his facial expression didn't change much. However, the little grey creature by his feet suddenly made a sound, "Squeak squeak", and opened its mouth to smile. The wild fruit that was half-eaten in his right hand fell to the ground, and he clenched his fist to punch the ground, seemingly wanting to do that strange gesture again.

  Jin Ping'er's eyes narrowed, her heart filled with shame and anger. Before she could react, or before Little Gray's hands hit the ground, Gui Li had already kicked out with one foot, sending Little Gray rolling away like a gourd.

  After a while, he heard the ghost say faintly: "You don't understand things, don't be surprised."

  Jin Bier looked at him, composed herself, nodded and smiled slightly, then gently blew on the roasted rabbit beside her hand before using her white onion-like fingers to tear off a small piece of meat from the top and started chewing.

  At this entrance, Jin Bao'er suddenly felt a surge of energy, and in an instant, he only felt that the fragrance seemed to have a spiritual quality, spreading throughout his body, making him feel lighter, with a mouthful of saliva. The flavor was unprecedentedly delicious. The outer layer of skin was crispy but not burnt, thin and fragrant; the inner meat was smooth and tender, and the seasoning was somehow mixed in, creating a beauty that seemed to penetrate the heart and spleen. This one bite was so good that he couldn't help but lose himself, and he never expected that this delicious flavor would be created by the man in front of him.

  Although Jinpinger's Taoist practice was quite profound and her will was firm, at this moment she also had a big appetite. She tore off piece after piece, and in just a short while, she had already eaten one rabbit leg. Only then did she feel somewhat full and stopped. Immediately afterwards, she smiled and looked at Gui Li, saying: "Young master, you have great culinary skills! An ordinary rabbit can actually be roasted to be so delicious by you!"

  At this time, the little monkey Xiao Hui had already run back and was lying beside Gui Li, his extremely agile monkey eyes darting back and forth, looking at Gui Li one moment and then glancing over at Jin Ping'er the next.

  The demon sneered faintly: "A minor skill, I'm afraid it's laughable in front of you, miss."

  Jin Bier's face lit up with a smile, her eyebrows and eyes showing a charming and captivating beauty. Her eyes sparkled like water as she said in a soft voice: "In this lifetime, I've never had rabbit that tastes so good!"

  The ghost's face was pale and calm with a faint smile, just about to say something, but his body suddenly shook violently, and his eyes were filled with confusion.

  This sentence, this voice, this smile, suddenly surged up in his mind. The night was dark and the wind was cold, but his heart suddenly ached, like a turbulent wave crashing against the shore.

  When was it that I myself had also heard these words?

  That was a memory of years ago, sealed in dust, but it suddenly surged into my mind.

  A clear brook, rippling waves, a smiling face, gentle breeze...

  Kong Sang Mountain, behind the cliff, two people who had just escaped from death, surrounded by a bonfire, were also roasting.

  That smiling figure in green clothes suddenly overwhelmed him, occupying all the gaps in his heart, and he actually trembled uncontrollably.

  Bì Yáo...

  "It's delicious! The best thing I've ever eaten in my life is this rabbit you're roasting right now."

  Those words from that year echoed in my mind, slowly turning into thorns, into needles, piercing my heart.

  ……

  "Master, Master?" A faintly surprised voice echoed in his ear, pulling Gui Li back to reality.

  Jin Bao'er unknowingly stood up, her left hand still holding the wooden stick, but her right hand somehow retracted into her sleeve.

  His eyes gleamed with a fierce light, he took a deep breath, calmed his mind and immediately said: "I'm fine."

  Jin Bier looked at him deeply, her eyes changing color, and said softly: "Young master, why is your face so pale, what's wrong?"

  The ghost stared at her with a fierce gaze, then suddenly smiled slightly and said, "What could I possibly want?"

  Jin Bier looked at him, the faint glint in her eyes slowly withdrew, and the charming color between her eyebrows and eyes floated out again. She smiled and said, "It's good that the young master is fine."

  A chill ran through Gui Li's heart, but his face didn't show it. Just as he was about to say something, the quiet little grey beside him suddenly moved and turned around.

  Gui Li and Jin Ping'er simultaneously felt something, stood up, and looked south. In the southern sky, above the tranquil valley of incense surrounded by mountains, a loud whistle suddenly came from afar, a red light shot into the sky, illuminating a piece of the horizon before slowly falling down.

  Gui Li and Jin Bao'er's eyes lit up at the same time.

  ※※※

  In the valley of incense, the originally extinguished lights due to the deep night all lit up one by one.

  The sound of people's voices, mixed with a few low and angry curses that had been disturbed from sleep, gradually rose up. But in this growing din, the angry shouts were mixed with strange beast-like howls, which came from the entrance of Burning Incense Valley.

  After a moment, the sound of fighting had already spread over, and at the same time, the clear bell and the alarm clock echoed in the valley. At this late hour, it turned out that an external enemy had forcibly invaded Fengxiang Valley.

  They arrived stealthily and hid on another mountain, Gu Jie and Jin Ping'er gazed at the lights at the entrance of Fengxiang Valley, as well as the figures that occasionally rushed to the entrance from within the valley, both were secretly shocked in their hearts.

  What kind of person would dare to openly offend the prestigious Burning Incense Valley, one of the leaders of the righteous path? Even if they were among the top young masters of the two demonic sects, when facing the powerful masters hidden within Burning Incense Valley, they would only consider whether they could secretly infiltrate.

  At that moment when they had just arrived here, Jin Bao'er couldn't help but ask in a low voice: "Could it be that you are the Ghost King Sect?"

  Guilian naturally denied it, but he himself thought about it and couldn't think of any other force that was so arrogant and bold under the sky today except for the Demon Sect.

  Seeing the night color in the valley, people's voices were noisy. After a while, there were still figures constantly going towards the entrance of the mountain valley. Looking at this situation, the situation there not only did not subside but also had a worsening trend.

  Guī Lì and Jīn Píng'ér both slightly furrowed their brows, but after all, this was a rare opportunity. Guī Lì immediately whispered to Jīn Píng'ér beside him: "Let's go in."

  Jin Ping'er nodded slightly, but after glancing at Gui Li, she said: "I'm very interested in what's going on at the entrance of the mountain valley. Why don't we take advantage of the chaos and go take a look first?"

  The ghost hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "You go, I'll go deeper into the Incense Valley to take a look."

  Jin Bier seemed to be stunned in the darkness for a moment, then said: "Alright, you be careful."

  The ghost felt a sense of unease, and suddenly the words "be careful" came out of Jin Ping'er's mouth, which seemed strange. However, Jin Ping'er smiled sweetly at him, and her body suddenly transformed into a faint glow, silently sliding down from the mountain ridge and disappearing into the darkness in an instant.

  The ghost's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and a hint of sharpness flashed in his eyes.

  ※※※

  The history of the Burning Incense Valley may not be as long as that of the Qingyun Gate and the Demon Sect, but it has been operating for over 800 years. Ghostly Ji slipped quietly into the shadows of the night, where he was met with a series of intricately arranged halls and pavilions. The architectural style seemed similar to that of the Central Plains, but upon closer inspection, there were subtle differences, such as the carvings of ferocious beasts on the windowsills and eaves, which were not found in the Central Plains. It was clear that over the past 800 years, the Burning Incense Valley had also been influenced by the rough and rustic customs of the southern border regions.

  At the entrance of the valley, it was still bustling with noise. The alarm bell that usually made Gui Li and Jin Ping'er most annoyed was also ringing non-stop. He was currently hiding in the shadow behind a large stone at the foot of the mountain. Last time he sneaked in, it was just here, a few steps forward, when that mysterious clear bell sound suddenly rang out.

  At this moment, only the sound of the bell can be heard in the distance, and a large stone is three feet away from the empty space. Then there is an ordinary house, which seems to be the residence of the disciples of Fengxiang Valley.

  The ghost took a deep breath, stood up straight in the shadows, and looked around. The surrounding area was quiet, and compared to the distant noise, it was even more silent. As for the incense valley disciples in that house, they seemed to have been summoned to the entrance of the mountain valley as well.

  Under this somewhat inexplicably eerie calmness, Gui Li slowly walked forward.

  One step, two steps...

  He walked very slowly, taking five steps, with everything around him remaining as usual.

  But Gu Lie's expression was even more solemn, because the last time he was here, it was when he stepped out of the sixth step and was discovered by that strange bell sound.

  A glint of light gradually lit up in his eyes, and he slowly swept around, but still saw no changes nearby.

  A moment later, he slowly took his sixth step.

  "Ding Dong……"

  Just as his foot touched the ground, a crisp bell suddenly rang out in front of him, echoing far and wide in the silence.

  His body stiffened with fear, his heart filled with shock and anger. The Ghost Gate Path in the Valley of Burning Incense was so formidable, yet he couldn't find it no matter what, it was really strange.

  But tonight the situation is naturally different from the previous days. Although Gui Li touched some invisible mechanism and triggered an alarm bell, the distant noise and fighting sounds are even more intense, but in a short while, they will drown out the bell sound.

  The ghost was swift and decisive, sweeping in all directions, and immediately flew up, sticking to the ground and rushing to the back of the house in front, only the bell sound around still ringing non-stop, really making people's heads ache.

  At this moment, the monkey Xiao Hui, who had been quietly crouching on Gui Li's shoulder, suddenly called out in a low voice. Gui Li was startled and turned his head to look at Xiao Hui on his shoulder.

  A faint moonlight shone in the dark night, and a low "click" sound suddenly came from Xiao Hui's body in front of Gui Li's eyes, after which the gray mark on its forehead seemed to deepen.

  Before Gui Li could react, Xiao Hui suddenly turned his head, and a pair of monkey eyes gradually lit up with an eerie and compelling golden light. However, behind that golden glow, there was also a hint of sinister redness mixed in.

  "Squeak, squeak."

  Xiao Hui's monkey hand suddenly pointed to a remote corner of the foundation in that room.

  Gui Li picked up Xiao Hui and examined him carefully, saying in a low voice, "What's wrong, Xiao Hui?"

  "Squeak, squeak!"

  Xiao Hui's mouth was softly calling out, her hand still pointing in that direction, while the golden light in her eyes slowly faded away.

  The ghost frowned and nodded immediately, putting it on his shoulder, and his body floated over instantly.

  In the dark corner of the foundation wall, a faint scent of moss was emitted. Under the meticulous search of the ghost, a discovery was made soon. A small hole about the size of an inch was hidden at the base.

  A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and he stretched out his hand to swiftly probe into the cave entrance like a flash of lightning. A moment later, a low growl suddenly came from inside the cave, followed by an immediate silence. Almost at the same time, the incessant ringing sounds around him also stopped abruptly.

  The ghost's mouth corner revealed a hint of a smile, and he slowly pulled out his hand. After a moment, in the palm of his hand, there was a strange wild beast, which struggled for two seconds before becoming motionless.

  This monster has a gray skin all over its body, about three feet long, but its body is in an unusual "bow" shape, with its back high and its head and tail low. A pair of small black bean-like eyes are embedded on its head. But the most unusual place is that this beast has an extremely long nose, about half a foot long, almost one-third of its body length, with two large nostrils at the tip of its nose, looking similar to pigs raised by farmers.

  The demon's expression changed slightly, and he let out a low hum, saying in a soft voice: "No wonder I said it was impossible to avoid, it turns out there is such a 'gray pig' after all."

  ※※※

  Note 1: In "Records of the Strange - Spirits and Demons, Volume on Spiritual Beasts", it is written that the Huī Tún (Gray Pig) has a long snout and large ears, no neck and a long tail. It eats ants, insects and grass roots, hiding during the day and emerging at night. Also known as the Tuǔ Tún (Earth Pig).

  Note: Modern Animals · Aardvark: Mammal, also known as African Ant Eater, with a sturdy body, approximately 140 cm in length, without incisors and canines, using its long tongue to eat termites like an anteater. Found in southern and central Africa, inhabiting hills or semi-grasslands, skilled at digging burrows, resting during the day and foraging at night. Timid, with extremely sensitive hearing, relying on smell to find food, with a sense of smell over ten times more sensitive than that of dogs.