"Xiaoshan, if Qin Qianqiu can't handle this big guy, what should we do?"
Neither the fat man nor I had expected Qin Qianqiu to be defeated so quickly. In our plan, he should have at least had a mutual defeat with the stone giant, and then we would take advantage of the situation.
I hadn't expected this giant to be so powerful!
"Bang! Bang!"
Several crossbow bolts shot out from the dense fog, but when they hit the stone giant, they were immediately deflected, and the giant slowly continued to advance, swinging his big hand. Through the dense fog, I saw three faces filled with extreme terror!
At that moment, someone suddenly tapped on my shoulder. I was already nervous and didn't react in time. I took a few steps back and drew the beast bone dagger.
"Who's there!"
I called out softly, but to my surprise, it was Ling Qian's face that I saw.
"How did you come over?" Fatty asked, taken aback and embarrassed.
"This is an opportunity," Ling Qian said with a serious expression, a statement that both Fatty and I did not comprehend.
"What opportunity?" Fatty asked, hesitating with a frown.
"It's a great opportunity to kill Qin Qianqiu!" Ling Qian blurted out, shocking both Fatty and me.
"If Qin Qianqiu doesn't die, he'll soon find help. Then our business is doomed. In our line of work, it's common to turn against each other, and most people here have no ties. This is the deep mountains and old forests, even if we die, no one will know. We'll just burn everything, but if we don't act, it might be us who end up dead in the end!" Ling Qian's words carried a fierce determination, something Fatty and I had never considered.
"Do you even know what you're saying? You want us to go and kill someone? All for a few thousand bucks!" Fatty asked solemnly, his face cold.
Qin Qianqiu and the Pale-Faced Creature aren't the same. The Pale-Faced Creature is more like a monster, while Qin Qianqiu is a living person with flesh and blood. Despite the conflicts between us, neither I nor Fatty could bring ourselves to pick up weapons and take a life.
"You didn't mishear me. In our line of work, sooner or later, you have to spill blood. You might see me as about your age, but my hands have long been stained with blood. That's how society is. If you don't kill, you'll be killed. If you don't have this awareness, don't go spouting big words with a straight face," Ling Qian painted the circle of trafficking ghosts and selling demons as cruel as a jungle. Behind me, Fatty pulled me, shouting, "Xiaoshan, we can't be muddled! Killing and doing business are two different things. If Qin Qianqiu comes after you and your parents, I'll give myself up to get rid of him. But he hasn't done much to us. Even if there's a conflict, it hasn't escalated to the level of class enmity. If doing business means killing, then I'm out."
Suddenly, I found myself squeezed between two people, like an angel and a demon standing by my side. This description wasn't an exaggeration at all. Ling Qian was born in this environment, she might not be lying; this woman's hands might have long claimed a life. But Fatty wasn't wrong, we didn't have a deep-seated grudge with Qin Qianqiu. I'm not a saint, but I'm not a beast who stabs others in the back either.
"If you're not brave enough, then quit sooner or later!" Ling Qian drew a short knife from her waist, her eyes filled with the intent to kill. A girl with a delicate appearance, yet a face full of murderous intent, was truly fearsome to behold.
Fatty pulled me from behind. I kept my head down. Everyone has their bottom line, and mine was crystal clear if someone doesn't provoke me, I won't provoke them. But if they do, I will strike back.
"My brother's right. We're here to do business, not be assassins. I won't go..." I declared firmly, when Fatty laughed heartily from behind me. "He's truly my brother."
"Humph, I knew you'd be like this. So naive, you're not going to achieve much in the future," Ling Qian said, grasping the knife and charging straight towards Qin Qianqiu. At that moment, Qin Qianqiu was lying on the ground, showing signs of regaining consciousness, attempting to support his body with a slight sway of his head.
"I'll take your life," Ling Qian exclaimed as she reached Qin Qianqiu and lifted the dagger to stab him in the neck without hesitation. She was truly ruthless, not giving Qin Qianqiu a chance to react, who was still recovering from a fight with the stone giant.
At this critical juncture, someone viciously tripped Ling Qian from behind, causing her to lose balance and fall heavily to the ground.
"Who!"
She suddenly turned around, but all she saw was my face.
"Ba Xiaoshan, what are you doing!"
I didn't answer her, and suddenly pounced on her. One hand grabbed her wrist holding the knife, and the other hand pressed down on her neck, using the weight of my body to restrain Ling Qian.
"One cannot kill indiscriminately, otherwise, it'll be no different from a wild animal. Forget it, no one can be reasoned with using big words. Fatty, take the people and go!"
I shouted, and the fatty had already rushed to the side of Qin Qianqiu, carrying him on his back and sprinting towards the other side of the forest.
"Both of you are so daring, going against me, think about the consequences!"
Ling Qian, although capable, was no match for my pure strength. When I had her pinned down, her face turned red, and she angrily reprimanded.
I sighed and shook my head. At this point, the stone giant had already released the ghost tiger and black-horned bull, leaving the three young men in a dire situation. The ferocious ghost tiger roared incessantly, tearing one of the young men in half in just a few moments. The situation took a sudden turn, and I looked at Ling Qian and said, "If I let go, don't come after me. Let's split up and escape. Otherwise, we'll both die here!"
Despite being angry, Ling Qian wasn't stupid. Continuing to resist with me here would only result in being killed by the frenzied wild animals. So although she was unwilling, she eventually nodded.
I slowly let go, but at that moment, she suddenly pushed me away. I fell to the ground, and Ling Qian raised the dagger in her hand and fiercely stabbed it towards my head.
Death was very close to me at this moment, and the scene in front of me suddenly slowed down. Old people always say that when a person is dying, they will see a carousel of images, as if watching a movie of their own life. I thought, maybe my carousel had already begun...
Ling Qian was determined to kill me, and no matter what, I couldn't dodge the dagger she was about to stab. A ridiculous thought even surfaced in my mind - would my actions be considered martyrdom?
However, just as the dagger in her hand was about to touch my forehead, her expression suddenly changed drastically, and she was inexplicably sent flying by a mysterious force. I was equally shocked, shouting loudly and feeling a throbbing pain in my head. I only saw Ling Qian holding the dagger, lying three or four meters away from me.
A drop of blood ran down my eyes, and I touched my forehead. Her dagger had indeed pierced my skin, but inexplicably flew away in the end. Death was so close to me, but in the end, I still couldn't die!
"Damn it!"
I cursed, and the ghost tiger roared and looked over. The skirmish between Ling Qian and me had already caught its attention. If I didn't run now, chances are I wouldn't get away.
Hastily getting up from the ground, I turned and plunged into the forest. Gradually, the tiger's roar became faint. Judging from the sound, the ghost tiger hadn't caught up yet. It was only when I couldn't hear the roar at all that I stopped and leaned against a big tree to catch my breath.
"Nearly, nearly died..."
Sitting against the large tree, I slowly sat on the ground. The wound on my forehead had stopped bleeding, and when I touched it, there was a slight sensation. The wound wasn't deep.
What exactly happened just now? How did she suddenly get thrown away? I had always thought that it was due to my practice of the "Wudang Five Elements Technique".
But since I couldn't figure it out, I decided not to dwell on it and looked around. I had been running so hurriedly that I didn't know where I was. The trees around me all looked the same. Each path seemed almost identical. I tried shouting a few times, but didn't want to shout too loudly in case the ghost tiger or Ling Qian heard me.
"Fatty... Fatty..."
Unfortunately, there was no response at all. I looked up at the sky, and it was gradually getting darker. I didn't have any assurance of spending the night alone in such an old forest. The forest at night was much scarier than during the day. The wild animals lurking in the dark, the venomous creatures, all liked to act at night. And I, didn't want to associate with them.
The forest at night is actually not quiet at all, with the noise constantly coming from all around. The insects hidden in the soil and the venomous snakes lurking among the fallen leaves make one's heart filled with fear as if they could emerge and bite at any moment.
To be honest, even today, I am still very cautious when wandering in the dark forest at night. If you don't maintain a vigilant heart, the entire forest could potentially swallow you.
I made a simple torch with dry branches and some easily ignitable dry firewood. Lost in the forest, I had no idea where I was. I walked slowly, keeping my eyes and ears on high alert, not only paying attention to the ground but also to any unusual sounds.
In this situation, Lingqian is definitely not going to give up on me, and those three earth beasts could still hold a grudge, especially the ghost tiger, with one of its teeth broken. We humans have become its mortal enemies.
"Hoot...Hoot..."
Suddenly, a strange call echoed through the forest. It sounded like some kind of bird. I quickly stopped and looked around. It was pitch black, the torchlight was limited. Suddenly, a dark shadow flew in from a distance, flapping its wings vigorously as it swooped over my head. Startled, I crouched down in fear, almost burning my own head with the torch.
The dark shadow landed on a tree branch not far behind me. I turned around and held up the torch to take a look. It turned out to be a bird resembling an owl, just passing by. It stared straight ahead, its eyes fixed, while making the same "hoot" call I had just heard.
The old people say that hearing the call of an owl at night is not a good sign. I don't know how there could be an owl in the mountains, but since I've seen it, I can't help feeling uneasy.
If you get lost in the forest, having a compass would be ideal, as you can walk in one direction and eventually find your way out. But if you don't have such tools, you can determine your direction by looking at the position of the stars in the sky. I looked up and could vaguely see the flickering North Star through the dense foliage. I chuckled and thought to myself, "It's not all that bad, at least I can see the stars."
I lifted my feet and continued walking in the direction of the North Star for about ten minutes. Either I felt I had gone wrong or there was a change in the forest, as the surrounding temperature seemed to be continuously dropping.
I tightened my clothes, as they were a bit thin for the current situation and the cold was becoming unbearable. Unfortunately, that wasn't the only unfortunate thing. The torch in my hand seemed to be on the verge of giving out, with the flames flickering vigorously. Most of the torch had already turned into charred black, big chunks falling off. If I lost the fire, the dark night would become even more unbearable.
I quickened my pace, determined to find a place to settle before the flames went out. With no time to build a camp, I looked around and settled on a sturdy tree, at least three people wide at the base. There was a large branch visible from where I stood, one that could possibly help me get through the night.
As the night grew darker, I lay between the intertwining branches, the torch long extinguished. I tried to curl up, finding it difficult to fall asleep in such an environment. I had no idea what time it was; there was no sign of light in the sky. Perhaps it was around one in the morning, or even later. In a daze, I seemed to sense that something was not right. The chirping of insects around me was getting lighter, with only the sound of the night wind sweeping through the leaves. I suddenly woke up from my sleep, opening my eyes and looking around. It was still pitch black, but something felt off.
Perhaps it's due to the practice of the "Wudang Five Elements Techniques," but I had a sense of the roaming energy around me. If the energy was off, then something was off.
Squinting, I looked ahead, but I couldn't see anything in the forest. However, my heart was on edge. Something wasn't right. I felt as though something was approaching. The cold wind blew again, and I shivered, then noticed something moving on the ground.
It was like a small mound of dirt rising up, inconspicuous at first, but I took notice as it crushed fallen leaves and twigs, making a rustling sound. The mound slowly expanded, taking on a rectangular shape, as I looked down from above, it almost looked like a person's outline.
How could such a strange occurrence happen in the forest in the middle of the night? Could I have encountered some kind of earth creature?
I couldn't provide a clear answer in my heart as I focused intently on the scene.
After the mound of dirt had risen for a while, it quieted down. Countless green lights suddenly floated from all directions of the forest. At first, they seemed to be shades of green, and I thought they were flying insects' eyes or some kind of wild animals. However, as the green lights approached, I realized that these were all flames. They were green balls of fire!
In the past, I had heard about ghostly fires, the legend being that these were the restless spirits wandering in the netherworld. After coming to the mortal realm without a physical body to settle in, they were left floating in the air. I had always taken it as a joke before, but today, I actually encountered them!
I dared not speak, and even tried to minimize my breathing. I had heard that if these spirits sensed a living person, they would gather and attack. I didn't want to be in that unfortunate position.
The ghostly fires came from all directions, converging as if heading to the same place. To my surprise, they all gathered around the mound of dirt under the tree, floating around it. I became even more curious, wondering what could be hidden within the dirt mound.
The gathering of the ghostly fires grew increasingly intense, illuminating the previously pitch-black forest. I huddled my body, trying my best not to expose myself.
At that moment, one of the ghostly fires drifted lightly and landed above the mound of dirt. It spun for a few rounds, and suddenly a hand reached out from the dirt, grabbed the floating ghostly fire, which seemed to cause it excruciating pain. A terrifying and agonizing scream echoed through the forest, sounding somewhat like a child's voice.
"Ah...Ah..."
The sound of crying, accompanied by painful wailing, made the atmosphere in the entire forest suddenly become gloomy and terrifying. Hiding in the trees, I could almost be certain that the dreadful cry came from the will-o'-the-wisp below. If these will-o'-the-wisps really transformed from small ghosts, then what on earth was bold enough to catch them in the first place?
The surrounding will-o'-the-wisps seemed to be startled and hastily retreated. The will-o'-the-wisp being caught was continuously squeezed by a large hand, and eventually, a bright light appeared, with flames wildly flickering in all directions, scattering all over before gradually extinguishing in the cold wind.
"Achoo..."
A hoarse and eerie laughter came from inside the soil mound. A large amount of mud scattered to the sides, as if something was trying to crawl out from the ground. In my mind, I cursed "Damn, couldn’t I just have a peaceful night? What on earth is this thing!"
Something black emerged from the soil mound. Upon closer inspection, the black thing seemed to be clothing, and it seemed there was an entire person buried under the soil mound.
I instantly recalled the concept of corpse colliding, as mentioned by Zhu before! There were also records of zombies in the "Mountain Wilderness Tales." Zombies were not only present in the western Hunan, but anywhere with a heavy Yin energy could potentially harbor a zombie. Any deceased creature, spirit, and of course, a person, all had the possibility of turning into a zombie. Zombies couldn't withstand the sun; if they were exposed to Yang energy, they would perish. Therefore, if there was no place to hide during the day, they would dig a hole and seek refuge in a place with a sufficient Yin energy. When I first entered this forest, I felt a chilling atmosphere. Perhaps this place had a considerable amount of Yin energy, and it was highly possible that there was a zombie buried in the soil mound. And now, in the quiet of the night, it might be emerging!
However, do zombies laugh? At least in the old version of the movie recorded tape, zombies were not known for being intelligent, let alone laughing.
The laughter in the forest lasted for about ten seconds. The dark shadow on the ground suddenly stood upright, and a large amount of dust shook off from its body. I furrowed my brows tightly; I had no idea how to deal with a zombie. Zhu once said that even people with a certain level of cultivation would fall victim to zombies. Fortunately, I was still up in the tree. If I had been on the ground, I might not have escaped tonight.
The standing dark shadow had long hair that almost covered its entire face. The black clothing it was wearing looked somewhat like a funeral shroud, but what shocked me the most was its nails. They were black and long, and under the light of the will-o'-the-wisps, they even emitted a faint glow!