Zhuang Rui took out his water bottle and drank a few sips. He looked at Peng Fei suspiciously. He could tell that Peng Fei was in much better shape than he was. After all, Peng Fei didn't have any spiritual energy to regulate his body.
“Look at these trees, something seems off…”
Peng Fei gestured to Zhuang Rui to look ahead.
"There's nothing wrong with it, it's just that it's grown a little crooked..."
Zhuang Rui looked at them for a long time and found that the trees were not very tall and were somewhat tilted. However, this is quite normal in the forest. Trees that are intertwined and shaped like the Duke of Zhou in a ritualistic manner have been photographed before.
"No, those are traces left from an explosion..."
Peng Fei's eyes sharpened, even though the explosion may have happened more than half a century ago. He could still discern some clues from the trees. The reason he stopped was that he was afraid there might be landmines ahead, and if he accidentally stepped on one, no amount of life would be enough to save him.
Although this possibility is not high, because countless animals must have passed through this area in the past half-century, and even if there were landmines, they would probably have been detonated long ago, Peng Fei had to be cautious because it concerned his life and property.
The Savage Mountain was originally part of Yunnan Province, China. However, the British intervened and ceded it to Myanmar. The name Savage Mountain comes from the fact that the area is mountainous and densely forested, and plagued by miasma. It is said that wild men once roamed there, so this uninhabited area spanning hundreds of miles was called "Savage Mountain".
In Burmese, the Savage Mountain means "the place where demons dwell." Deep within the Savage Mountain, the mountains overlap, the forests are vast and the marshes are endless. The valleys are large and the forests are dense. Wild beasts roam freely, and malaria and other diseases are rampant. Both Myanmar and China regard this place as an extremely dangerous place.
The Hukawng Valley only became known to the world recently after a television program commemorating the Chinese Expeditionary Force's battles in Myanmar was broadcast.
Back then, the 5th Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force, with 15,000 men, crossed the Hukawng Valley. After reaching India, only 3,000 to 4,000 men remained, less than a fraction of the original number. Of the more than 40 women who retreated with the army, only 4 survived.
Of the 100,000 troops of the Chinese Expeditionary Force who went to Burma to fight, about 10,000 Chinese soldiers died in battle, but 50,000 of them died in the Hukawng Valley.
The Savage Mountain not only buried tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers, but the Japanese army also suffered a loss there. Three Japanese divisions, totaling 40,000 men, disappeared there and never returned.
It can be said that this mountain range, spanning hundreds of miles, is littered with bones, where nearly 100,000 people have perished. Therefore, Peng Fei dared not let his guard down for a moment.
In fact, landmines were not widely used during World War II. Those defeated soldiers didn't care about laying landmines to hinder the pursuers. They were all desperately trying to get into the deep mountains. Well, it might be more accurate to say they were going to their deaths. Du Yuming's decision directly led to the loss of tens of thousands of soldiers.
"It's alright, let's go, Brother Zhuang. I didn't realize you were such a long-distance running champion..."
After checking the area, Peng Fei relaxed and started joking with Zhuang Rui, half-jokingly, though he genuinely admired Zhuang Rui.
You have to understand that Peng Fei had used almost all his strength during that forced march. In those 40 minutes, he had covered six or seven kilometers. Although it was only on the edge of the Savage Mountain and the terrain wasn't particularly difficult, Zhuang Rui's ability to keep up with him step by step still impressed Peng Fei.
Knowing that Zhuang Rui's stamina was no less than his own, Peng Fei slowed down his pace noticeably. This was because they had truly entered the Savage Mountain, a place that had probably not been visited for half a century. The towering trees made the dense forest extremely dark.
As the two continued on their way, Peng Fei took out a long tree branch and used it to probe the path ahead from time to time. He was worried that the accumulated dead branches might form a deep swamp, and it also served to alert any potential predators.
Zhuang Rui saw several times that, with Peng Fei's branches poking at them, several snakes covered in patterns slithered into the depths of the dense forest.
Due to the dense trees blocking the way, the air quality in the forest became very poor. After walking another two or three kilometers, Peng Fei took out a bottle from his camouflage uniform pocket, poured out two pills, swallowed one himself, and then handed it to Zhuang Rui.
Chapter 500 Savage Mountain (4)
"What kind of medicine is this?"
After Zhuang Rui put the pale yellow pill in his mouth, he asked Peng Fei. The pill tasted bitter, so Zhuang Rui quickly picked up the water bottle and took a sip.
"Quinine tablets..."
Peng Fei answered casually, and seeing Zhuang Rui's puzzled look, he added, "It's also called quinine, and it's used to prevent malignant malaria. It also has some effect on these miasmas..."
In the jungle in front of Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei, a faint mist lingered, and because it was covered by the dense trees, the miasma never dissipated.
However, things are still relatively good now. If it were the rainy season, the heavy rains would wash out all that decaying matter, and there would be no way for it to stay in the rainforest.
"Approximately how far have we walked?"
Zhuang Rui looked around. Apart from the trees seeming to be a bit denser, the jungle seemed no different from when he first entered it, let alone be able to distinguish east from west.
"There should still be about 12 or 13 kilometers left, but it's definitely going to be difficult from here on out, Brother Zhuang. Are you sure you want to continue?"
Peng Fei took out a map of Hpakant and looked at it for a while. His expression was very serious because he found that the compass had stopped working here. If they went any further, they would have to rely on the sun, which was blocked by trees, to determine their direction.
"Go, why don't you go? You're already here..."
Zhuang Rui had been trekking through the jungle for over two hours. Apart from a few snakes, he hadn't seen a single jackal, tiger, or leopard. There seemed to be no danger, which greatly boosted Zhuang Rui's confidence. Moreover, judging from the way he had traveled, this place was definitely deserted, and perhaps the batch of gold really was still there.
Zhuang Rui's adventurous spirit was also ignited. Having grown up reading Robinson Crusoe, how could he possibly pass up such a great opportunity for a jungle adventure? Danger? It seemed that hadn't appeared yet.
There are quite a few wealthy people in this world who love adventure. Not to mention the Chinese real estate tycoon who climbed Mount Everest several times, even the billionaire scientist who was the first in the world to successfully reproduce a single cell often sails his yacht alone into the ocean.
Adventure has now become a game for the rich. For one thing, the equipment alone is beyond the reach of the average hiker. Take that real estate tycoon from Shenzhen, for example. The cost of climbing Mount Everest once is calculated in millions of dollars.
"Alright, Brother Zhuang, be careful on the road ahead..."
Seeing that Zhuang Rui was determined to go on, Peng Fei didn't say anything more. Instead, he took out two simple gas masks from his backpack, handed them to Zhuang Rui, and taught him how to put them on.
The extent of this miasma zone is unknown, and relying solely on quinine pills is definitely insufficient. Fortunately, Peng Fei was prepared, and he brought four of these gas masks that can provide sustenance for half an hour.
"Crack..."
Just as Zhuang Rui took a step, he suddenly stepped on something, slipped, and almost fell to the ground.
"What the hell?"
Zhuang Rui poked at it with a twig, and after seeing the object clearly, he was so frightened that he took several steps back.
It was a human skull, the jawbone was missing, leaving only the top of the head and two dark eye sockets, which looked extremely eerie in this dark environment.
A snake with a triangular head and body covered in red, black, yellow, and white markings, about the thickness of a thumb, emerged from its eye socket. Seemingly displeased that Zhuang Rui had disturbed its dwelling, it raised its head, hissed at Zhuang Rui, and then disappeared back into the thick layer of dead leaves.
"Damn, it's not biting people but just scaring them..."
Zhuang Rui felt his heart pounding. Luckily, he retreated quickly, otherwise he might have lost his life if he hadn't been bitten. Who knows if spiritual energy has any therapeutic effect on toxins?
However, since he had spoken too confidently, Zhuang Rui cautiously followed behind Peng Fei, heading deeper into the Savage Mountain.
As they went further, their pace slowed down as the mountain became steeper and the number of snakes and insects suddenly increased. Every now and then, a brightly colored venomous snake could be seen hanging from the low treetops. Several times, if Peng Fei hadn't been quick-witted, he would have been bitten while scouting ahead.
As for the bones of the dead, Zhuang Rui saw quite a few. Corpses could be seen lying dead in the grass from time to time. Their clothes had long since decayed, and it was impossible to identify them. He didn't know if they were soldiers of the expeditionary force from back then or Japanese devils who went missing in the Savage Mountain.
As they journeyed, Zhuang Rui finally came to believe the claim that 100,000 people were buried in the Savage Mountain. There were several places filled with miasma, and without gas masks, it would have been very difficult to pass through. He was certain that the defeated troops from back then were not as well-equipped as the two of them.
"Brother Zhuang, take a break..."
Peng Fei glanced at his watch. It was already 1 p.m. They had been walking for more than four hours, and they should not be far from the treasure location. There were still about two or three kilometers to go, but it looked like it would take them more than an hour to walk those two or three kilometers.
This trip to the Savage Mountain was far from as smooth as I had imagined, and I might have to spend the night in the mountains.
However, Peng Fei really didn't expect that Zhuang Rui's physical fitness was so good. Judging from his current appearance, he was even more relaxed than himself. Moreover, when scouting the way, Zhuang Rui also carried the seven or eight-pound food bag on his shoulder. Considering the submachine gun and bullet clip, Zhuang Rui's load had exceeded 20 pounds.
"Okay. Let's eat something..."
Zhuang Rui looked around. It was a mountain hollow, about two or three hundred square meters in size, with a pool of water about forty or fifty square meters in the middle. There were steep rock walls on both sides, and only a narrow path leading to the unknown ahead.
"Da...da da..."
Suddenly, Peng Fei raised his gun and fired at a large tree forty or fifty meters away, startling Zhuang Rui, who was just about to sit down, into jumping up.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, it's just a lynx..."
Peng Fei ran to the big tree, picked up a dead large cat from the ground, and threw it onto the pond's edge. He said, "This thing is very aggressive; even an ordinary leopard couldn't beat it. If we don't kill it or scare it away, it'll definitely attack us when we pass by..."
Zhuang Rui saw that the lynx weighed about 30 to 40 pounds and was about the same size as the leopards he had seen on TV. However, its body was covered with gray stripes and fur, and it did not have the golden fur of a leopard. Instead, it was somewhat similar in color to the trees.
There were three bullet holes in the lynx's body, one of which hit its head, ripping open its skull. Zhuang Rui felt nauseous at the sight and quickly retreated.
"Brother Zhuang, have something to eat first. We don't have time today. Otherwise, don't be fooled by the sour taste of this cat meat. If you catch a snake and cook it together, it tastes pretty good. The main ingredient in the 'Dragon Tiger Fight' dish is not as good as this lynx..."
Peng Fei found a spot near the rock wall, cleared away the surrounding weeds, and then invited Zhuang Rui to sit down. In order to save time, they hadn't eaten anything since morning, and now they were exhausted and needed to replenish their energy.
The food was simple: steamed glutinous rice balls and dried radish. Both of them were starving, and each ate three or four glutinous rice balls and drank some water before their spirits slowly returned.
Although Zhuang Rui wasn't physically tired, his mind was constantly on edge. This trip had certainly broadened his horizons. He had seen more than a dozen kinds of venomous snakes, and also a group of monkeys covered in black fur that didn't look like gorillas.
Zhuang Rui was unaware that this was a black snub-nosed monkey unique to Myanmar, as rare as the golden snub-nosed monkey in China. Many people in Myanmar risk entering the Savage Mountain to capture these monkeys and then sell them to China for a high price.
Of course, the so-called "large price" is just the Burmese people's understanding. For these Burmese people whose average monthly salary is equivalent to 300 RMB, a sum of 10,000 or 20,000 REM is a lot of money.
"Hehe, we brought all this stuff with us. I'm afraid Brother Zhang and the others don't even have anything to eat right now..."
After Zhuang Rui finished eating, he stood up, patted his stomach comfortably, and said smugly to Peng Fei. However, he could guess that Zhang Guojun and the others had no appetite at this moment and were searching for the two of them all over the place.
Although he felt guilty, Zhuang Rui had no choice. He couldn't exactly spread the news of the treasure map all over the world. At most, he could say a few good words about Hu Rong when he got back.
"Brother Zhuang, shh..."
Peng Fei, who had been sitting on the ground drinking water, suddenly tensed up, grabbed a submachine gun from beside him, and rushed in front of Zhuang Rui. ...
"Brother Hu, that's what happened. It was my fault for letting Brother Zhuang and Brother Peng get lost. I'll go back and look for them right away..."
Zhang Guojun, who is nearly 190 centimeters tall, stood with his head down in front of the slender Hu Rong, looking ashamed. The row of people standing behind him also had unnatural expressions on their faces.
Upon seeing Hu Rong looking at him, Ma Liu couldn't help but move the several dead birds with colorful feathers behind his back, avoiding Hu Rong's gaze.
Today, Zhang Guojun and his team had quite a good haul. They not only shot seven or eight birds, but also a small wild boar weighing over 40 kilograms. They had cornered it in the ravine with a water source that morning, but unfortunately, the adult wild boar escaped.
However, these spoils did not bring joy to Zhang Guojun and his men, because they waited in the ravine for nearly two hours without seeing Zhuang Rui and his companion.
Chapter 501 Savage Mountain (5)
From where Zhuang Rui and the others were resting, it should have been a journey of at most an hour to the mountain pass where they were hunting. However, Zhang Guojun and the others waited for nearly two hours without seeing any sign of Zhuang Rui and the other person, and they began to get anxious.
Originally, the little wild boar was left in the ravine for Zhuang Rui to hunt, but Zhang Guojun didn't care about leaving any prey for Zhuang Rui. After shooting it down, he carried it back along the same route to find Zhuang Rui.
When they arrived at their resting place in the morning, there was no sign of Zhuang Rui and the other person. Zhang Guojun searched around for a while but still couldn't find them. The mountains were full of dead leaves, and no footprints were left when stepped on.
In the end, Ma Liu suggested going back to the camp to check, since maybe one or two people couldn't find their way and had already gone back.
Zhang Guojun then led the group back to the mine. They asked the patrolling team members around the mine, but none of them had seen Zhuang Rui and the others. This frightened Zhang Guojun greatly, and he immediately notified Hu Rong, who was searching for mineral veins on the mountain.
It would normally take more than an hour to get back to the mine from the edge of the Savage Mountain. Adding the time they spent in the forest, it's already afternoon, meaning Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei have been missing for more than four hours.
"Gather everyone and head into the Savage Mountain!"
After pondering for a moment with a gloomy face, Hu Rong gave the order. He knew that if Zhuang Ruizhen were to suffer any mishap on his turf, he would not only be reprimanded by Qin Haoran, but would also likely face some pressure within China.
Hu Rong is now filled with regret. If only he had accompanied Zhuang Rui on the hunting trip himself, they would never have gotten lost.
Having grown up in the Hpakant region, no one knows the Savage Mountain better than Hu Rong. Even the most experienced hunters dare not venture deep into it. If Zhuang Rui were to go the wrong way and enter the Savage Mountain, Hu Rong could hardly imagine the consequences.
Now was not the time to blame Zhang Guojun and the others. After gathering forty or fifty people, Hu Rong left only three to guard the mine, taking the rest to the Savage Mountain to search for Zhuang Peng and his companion.
"Peng Fei, what's wrong? Why are you so nervous? What's wrong...?"