Ghost Pot - Chapter 25
Shen Caihua kept looking back, hoping that Dudu would return soon. He knew that the parrot was very agile and could fly, so it should be safe unless it encountered a huge Himalayan eagle.
After running for more than an hour, a cool breeze finally blew in from ahead, sweeping away the damp heat of the rainforest. The sound of gurgling water filled their ears, which invigorated them.
A turbulent river blocked their way; the Enmai River had arrived.
The Nmai River originates in southeastern Tibet, China. It is known as the Dulong River as it flows through Yunnan Province before flowing south into Myanmar. North of Myitkyina, it merges with the Myitkyina River, becoming the true source of the Irrawaddy River. The river is 480 kilometers long, characterized by high mountains, deep valleys, steep slopes, and rapid currents, making it inaccessible by boat. Crossing the river is only possible via iron chain bridges or bamboo rafts.
“Master, this place is sparsely populated, and we can’t see any iron chain bridges or bamboo rafts,” the Dharma Protector said to Elder Anxi after looking around.
“We will drift down the Nmai River, and we will be safe when we reach the Irrawaddy River. You all go and build the bamboo rafts,” the Parthian elder instructed.
Elder Peng and his two protectors walked to the riverbank, broke off clumps of bamboo growing on the shore, and then pulled some finger-thick vines from the forest. They quickly tied together a large bamboo raft and pushed it into the river.
"Xiaoxiao, let's go." Elder Anxi called to Caihua to board the bamboo raft.
“No, I want to wait for Dudu to come back,” Shen Caihua said firmly.
Elder Anxi smiled slightly and comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, Xiaoxiao, Dudu will catch up along the Enmai River."
“No, I’m going to wait for it here,” Shen Caihua said stubbornly.
Elder Peng stepped forward and gently advised, "Xiao Xiao, the pursuers are almost here. They are all locals and very familiar with the rainforest. If we don't leave now, we will all be in danger."
"You can leave by yourselves." Shen Caihua plopped down on the ground and refused to get up no matter what anyone said.
Finally, Elder Peng shook his head and said, "Xiaoxiao, we can't leave you alone. It's too dangerous." With that, he stretched out his finger and lightly pressed the child's Jugu acupoint... This acupoint is located in the bone gap where the shoulder bone and upper arm bone meet, belonging to the Hand Yangming Large Intestine Meridian, and is known in the martial arts world as the "Big Hemp Acupoint".
Shen Caihua's body immediately went limp and numb. Elder Peng picked him up with both hands, boarded the bamboo raft, and the two guardians each held a bamboo pole. They pushed off the shore and drifted downstream with the current.
Although Shen Caihua's body was limp and unable to move, he was still conscious. He didn't understand why Elder Peng was treating him this way. Dudu was his closest person, and he couldn't abandon her no matter what.
"Da da da..." The sound of submachine guns firing continuously rang out from the shore. Soldiers rushed out of the rainforest and chased after the enemy along the rugged riverbank, firing as they went.
The bullets fell into the river, splashing water everywhere. The right protector was shot in the shoulder, his clothes stained with blood, and the bamboo pole fell into the fast-flowing river.
Elder Peng put down Shen Caihua and quickly helped him stop the bleeding and bandage his wounds. The Left Protector, covered in sweat, used another bamboo pole to try to avoid the exposed reefs in the river.
Old Ao appeared, his white hair and long beard fluttering as he stood tall on the riverbank, holding a large blue-and-white macaw in his hand. Dudu's wings and feet were wrapped in tape, and his huge curved beak was also covered with white medical tape...
Chapter 34, Part 2
"Dudu..." In Shen Caihua's vision, he saw Ao Lao's raised hand, and Dudu, whose whole body was bound with white tape. He even saw the parrot's eyes filled with tears of humiliation...
As the bamboo raft drifted further and further away, the bullets from the Type 56 submachine gun could no longer reach it, landing with a "plop" in the river water more than ten meters behind them. Elder Anxi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Rat-a-tat-tat..." Suddenly, a dense burst of bullets whistled past them; the Type 62 light machine gun had opened fire.
The Left Protector was shot in the chest and collapsed onto the bamboo raft, blood gushing from the bullet hole. "Master..." he groaned as he called out.
Elder Anxi gently helped the Left Protector up, and with swift, rapid taps of his fingers, he sealed off the three energy channels in the middle, left, and right. Then, he placed his palm on the Left Protector's heart chakra, and slowly channeled a stream of true energy into it, protecting the Left Protector's heart meridian.
The esoteric Buddhist theory of meridians differs from that of the Central Plains. It is summarized as three channels and seven chakras. The central channel is blue, the left channel is red and the right channel is white. The seven chakras are the crown chakra, third eye chakra, throat chakra, heart chakra, navel chakra, root chakra and sclera chakra, each with its own wonderful function and extremely profound.
"Elder Peng, bring the 'Returning Soul Water' to Master," Elder Anxi said.
Elder Peng obeyed and removed the small, yellowish-brown bone bottle with the swastika symbol engraved on its neck, handing it to his master.
Elder Anxi pried open the bottle seal with his fingers and placed the bottle opening into the Left Protector's mouth. The liquid inside slowly flowed into his throat... After a while, the Left Protector's eyes slowly closed, and he peacefully fell asleep.
"Da da da..." Another string of bullets flew over their heads.
With a loud "bang," the out-of-control bamboo raft crashed into a high, protruding rock in the river. One side of the raft suddenly tilted up, and everyone on board fell into the water.
Elder Anxi grabbed the left protector, and Elder Peng pulled the right protector. When they emerged from the surging river, they discovered that Xiao Xiao and the old beggar were nowhere to be seen...
The two quickly pushed their two protectors onto the bamboo raft, then held their breath and dived into the river to search for the child and the old beggar. Unfortunately, the river was turbulent and muddy in spring, and visibility was poor underwater, so they could not find them... The gunshots on the shore gradually faded away, and they had already drifted far away downstream.
"Amitabha, it was this old monk who harmed Xiaoxiao and the old beggar..." Climbing onto the bamboo raft, Elder Anxi looked at the turbulent river and shed tears of regret.
"Master, this is a calamity. Don't blame yourself too much. Perhaps they are lucky and won't necessarily perish in the Enmai River." Elder Peng comforted them, leaning on the bamboo raft and immersing himself in the river water.
The elder Anxi sighed deeply.
Upon falling into the water, the old beggar Huang Jianguo choked on some water. In his dazed state, he instinctively began to paddle with his hands. Suddenly, a current surged in, pushing him onto the rocks and trapping him tightly in a crevice.
After a while, Huang Jianguo struggled to surface from underwater, gripping the cracks in the rocks as he slowly crawled out. He then continued along the stone ridge, gradually making his way to the shore. Finally, he reached the bank, swaying as he stood up, soaked to the bone like a drowned rat.
"Halt!" With the clanging of gun bolts, a group of armed soldiers appeared in front of them.
"Haha, I've finally caught this strange man." Old Ao stood in front of Huang Jianguo, a victorious smile on his face.
Chapter 34, Part 3
Shen Caihua sank into the river with his eyes open. He tried to move his arms and legs to swim, but his body was numb and limp and he couldn't move. Then his clothes got caught on a tree branch in the silt at the bottom of the river. He felt that he couldn't hold his breath any longer, and thin streams of water began to seep into his nostrils, feeling cool and itchy.
Just then, something wriggled in his shirt pocket, and the chubby, blind little spirit child poked its head out. It then quickly climbed onto Shen Caihua's face and stuffed its two chubby little feet into his nostrils, blocking the flow of water into his lungs.
Shen Cai slowly opened his mouth, and the icy, murky river water began to flow into it. He tried to close his mouth, but it was already stuck. He gulped down the water, and gradually, he finally lost consciousness...
The little spirit fetus kicked at Shen Caihua's nostrils while stretching out its two chubby little hands to grab his lips, trying to close them. However, its strength was limited, and it gave up halfway. Watching as the little Caihua's abdomen gradually swelled up... In the end, the water stopped flowing in, and his belly was full.
The spirit fetus retracted its two legs, sat on Shen Caihua's nose, and seemed to be meditating. After a moment, it jumped down on its own, crawled under Caihua, and vigorously shook the tree branch in the mud. However, seeing that it had no effect, it opened its small mouth and began to gnaw and tear at the hanging clothes. Soon, the clothes were torn to shreds by the spirit fetus, and Shen Caihua was swaying as he was swept away by the current. The spirit fetus then crawled back into his pocket.
Night fell, and the tropical rainforest on both sides of the river was pitch black. Faintly visible in the forest were tiny green fluorescent lights moving about, which were fireflies flying out to forage for food.
A lonely crescent moon hung silently in the sky, its cool light reflected in the river. A hazy mist slowly rose, making the canyon exceptionally tranquil.
Under the moonlight, Shen Caihua, heavily pregnant, floated on the river, drifting downstream with the current.
The river gradually widened and the current slowed down. This is the delta area where the Nmai Hka and Mairi Hka rivers flow into the Irrawaddy River. The banks are covered with aquatic plants, making it a paradise for fish, turtles, shrimp, and crabs.
Under the moonlight, several ferocious Siamese man-eating crocodiles were lurking in the reeds on the bank, foraging for food. Their eyes, which were above water, spotted the sunflower floating downstream in the distance. These cruel and violent amphibious reptiles not only attack and devour humans and livestock, but also enjoy feeding on carrion. They quickly swam towards their target in the middle of the river.
Siamese crocodiles silently approached Shen Caihua, mistaking him for a rotting corpse. Due to the constant warfare in the northern Myanmar plateau, human and animal carcasses are often washed down the river upstream and become their food.
When they were still more than ten meters away from their target, they impatiently opened their blood-red mouths, leaped out of the water, and viciously pounced on Shen Caihua...
At this critical moment, a grayish-white, mat-like object suddenly rose from beneath the water, unfolded, tightly wrapped around Chen Caihua, and then quickly sank to the bottom of the river...
Chapter 35, Part 1
Under the hazy moonlight, on the grassy bank, the suction cup shook off the water droplets and slowly stretched out, revealing its grayish-white belly. Shen Caihua lay on the white suction cup, his stomach already deflated. The suction cup had sucked out the river water that filled his abdomen, saving Caihua's life. At the same time, the suction cup also opened up his large intestine meridian, relieving the numbness in his acupoints.
Shen Caihua slowly woke up and gently opened his eyes.
Under the moonlight, two big, round eyes were looking at him with surprise and delight...
"Sucker!" Shen Caihua shouted, sitting up abruptly. He pounded Sucker's soft belly with his fists, tears streaming down his face.
The sucker's fat body trembled violently with excitement, and even its suction cups began to dance.
“Hum hum hum…” Shen Caihua murmured unconsciously.
Upon hearing this, the sucker trembled repeatedly, expelling the moisture from its cavity. In a moment, its body curled into a sucker tube, and its two eyes came together, carefully examining the now-grown ghost baby.
Shen Caihua happily hugged it tightly, his little mouth kissing around its eyes incessantly. The sucker's big, round eyes were watery. Six years had passed, and they had finally reunited on the banks of the Enmei River...
"Have the bite marks from the Siamese big cat healed yet?" Shen Caihua murmured, gently stroking the lush green fur on the back of the cat.
The suction tube blinked, indicating that it had recovered.
The crescent moon hung silently in the night sky, its bright light gently bathing him. Shen Caihua sat motionless, clutching the suction cup.
After a long while, Chen Cai finally spoke, "Xizi, do you remember Dudu? That silly big parrot, it's been captured by bad guys, I'm going to rescue it..."
The suction cup blinked.
"Would you like to come with me? But it's very dangerous..." Shen Caihua said softly.
The suction cup blinked hard, and Little Talent knew in its heart that it was willing.
“Jiji juzi…” Shen Caihua touched his abdomen, feeling his belly was empty and he wanted to eat something. So he blurted out a few strange notes that even he didn’t understand. He didn’t know that this was a long-lost incantation from the martial arts world.
The art of incantation originated in ancient times. Our ancestors once enjoyed a harmonious coexistence with animals in nature. Through long-term interaction, animals learned to understand certain human sounds and body language. With evolution, humans and animals gradually drifted apart, and their offspring slowly lost the ability to communicate. Ancient sages incorporated these strange musical notes into incantations and spells, hence the saying, "In ancient times, spirits were transformed and energy was transferred; humans, animals, and spirits communicated, only through incantation..." This is precisely the reason. Even today, in the Central Plains, there is a saying that dogs understand human nature, which offers a glimpse into this phenomenon.
The sucker is a creature left over from ancient times. Its ability to understand incantations is a genetic instinct. At this moment, upon hearing Xiao Caihua's incantation, it knew that he was hungry, so it blinked its eyes, rolled over, and sank into the river.
A moment later, with a splash, the sucker leaped back onto the shore, its belly twitching, and some small fish, large prawns, and two plump river crabs fell out.
Shen Caihua scratched his head. These were all raw; how could he possibly eat them? Desperate with hunger, he grabbed a large, green prawn, peeled off its shell, and put it in his mouth. After chewing a few times, he surprisingly found it sweet and delicious, not at all unpleasant. He then ate seven or eight more prawns until he was almost full.
"Xizi, we can set off now," Chen Caihua said to Xizi, rubbing his belly.
In the hazy moonlight, on the wide expanse of water, Xiao Caihua sat on the back of the suction cup, holding onto the two large suction cups at the front, traveling through the misty fog as if riding on clouds, heading straight for the upper reaches of the Eunmae River.
Chapter 35, Part 2
Late at night, in a corner of Kokang Old Street in northern Myanmar, a stilted bamboo house sits in a dimly lit mango grove. Under the dim light of an oil lamp, Old Man Ao sits on a bamboo chair, drinking wine with great interest. The rich aroma of soy sauce floats in the air, making one's mouth water.
Since the 8.19 department began refining smuggled heroin, they have become increasingly well-funded. They bring back truckloads of Moutai liquor from Guizhou, China, from the border. If the revolutionary war hadn't been ongoing, they would have been living a very comfortable life.
The grotesque, ugly-looking man was tied to a pillar in the room. He was asleep with his head drooping, and he smelled of sweat, as if he hadn't taken a bath in a long time.
Standing in front of Old Man Ao was the large blue-feathered parrot, its feathers drooping, looking listless and dejected. The tape sealing its beak had been torn off, but its feet and wings were still bound to prevent it from escaping.
"Big parrot, are you hungry? I'll ask you a question, and if you answer, I'll feed you a hazelnut. If you're nice, I'll even give you a walnut. How about it?" Old Ao reached out and grabbed a handful of hazelnuts from the table, making a rustling sound as he squeezed them in his hand.
Dudu the parrot swallowed hard. The series of events—the fierce battle with the falcon at noon, the afternoon's reconnaissance of the enemy, and its hasty capture in the rainforest at night—had left it exhausted and deeply regretful, blaming itself for its ambition and carelessness. Now, its stomach was empty, and a delicious feast of nuts was laid out before it, making it hard to resist… Dudu persisted until the very end, finally nodding in agreement.
"Do you have a name?" Elder Ao began to ask.
“…Yes.” Dudu immediately opened her mouth wide after saying that.
"What's your name?" Elder Ao then asked.
Dudu stared at the nuts on the table and stammered, "I...I've already answered one...one sentence."
Old Ao thought to himself, "This guy is quite cunning. That's right, our Party needs such quick-witted talents." So he tossed a hazelnut over.
With a "crunch," Dudu's large, curved beak caught the hazelnut in mid-air, then it crushed it and quickly swallowed the kernel, spitting the shell at Ao Lao's feet.
"My name is Dudu." The big parrot then opened its curved beak once again.
Helpless, Old Man Ao had no choice but to throw another one over.
“Alright, Dudu, where are you from… no, you bird,” Old Man Ao thought for a moment and then corrected himself, “I mean, where are you from?”
“South America…the Amazon rainforest,” Dudu replied, and received another hazelnut.
Old Ao nodded, then asked, "Where did you learn Mandarin Chinese?"