Xishuangbanna Valley of Horrors

Chapter 7

1. Twelve-hour system

If I'm not mistaken, Shen and You are both ancient units of time. In ancient China, a day was divided into twelve two-hour periods. This twelve-hour system was already in use during the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the Han Dynasty, they were named: Midnight, Cockcrow, Dawn, Sunrise, Breakfast Time, Mid-morning, Noon, Afternoon, Late Afternoon, Sunset, Dusk, and Nightfall. Starting at 11 PM, they are represented by the twelve Earthly Branches, corresponding to the twelve Chinese zodiac animals: Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si, Wu, Wei, Shen, You, Xu, Hai. According to the Five Elements theory, they are—

The wood of Yin and Mao generates the fire of Si and Wu; the fire of Si and Wu generates the earth of Chen, Chou, Xu, and Wei; the earth of Chen and Chou generates the metal of Shen and You (Chen and Chou contain water, which is wet earth and can generate metal; Xu and Wei contain fire, which is dry earth and can brittle metal); the metal of Shen and You generates the water of Hai and Zi; the water of Hai and Zi generates the wood of Yin and Mao.

Section 56: The Hump Bridge (2)

In addition to the twelve-hour system, other timekeeping systems existed in ancient times, such as the twenty-four-hour system after the Song Dynasty, the ten-hour system that appeared in the pre-Qin period, the five-hour system, and the hundred-ke system. The hundred-ke system is still used in modern times. In ancient times, a day and night were divided into twelve hours, which were further divided into one hundred ke, with one ke being approximately fifteen minutes. Ancient timekeeping did not necessarily have a strict meaning, and many related terms were common and frequently used. For example, the method of calculating one ke as fifteen minutes is still in use today.

The place we are in is a historical and cultural heritage site, so it is understandable that they use the timetable of their era. However, I still feel a little uneasy. The iron gate and the disgusting river behind it are beyond the comprehension of normal people. I guess that the compass might be a damaged sundial, and there is more to it than meets the eye.

The animals and reasons associated with the ancient Chinese time periods are quite interesting. Legend has it that Zi (子) is from 11 PM to 1 AM, associated with the rat, which is most active during this time; Chou (丑) is from 1 AM to 3 AM, associated with the ox, which finishes grazing and prepares for plowing; Yin (寅) is from 3 AM to 5 AM, associated with the tiger, which is most ferocious at this time; Mao (卯) is from 5 AM to 7 AM, associated with the rabbit, and the moon, also known as the Jade Rabbit, is still in the sky during this period; Chen (辰) is from 7 AM to 9 AM, associated with the dragon, traditionally believed to be the time when "dragons bring rain"; Si (巳) is from 9 AM to 11 AM, associated with the snake, which hides in the grass at this time; Wu (午) is... From 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, Wu (午) represents the Horse, when the sun is at its strongest. Legend has it that Yang energy reaches its limit and Yin energy will begin to emerge, and the Horse is a Yin animal. From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Wei (未) represents the Sheep, and sheep graze during this time. From 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Shen (申) represents the Monkey, and monkeys like to call out at this time. From 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, You (酉) represents the Rooster, and chickens begin to return to their roosts in the evening. From 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, Xu (戌) represents the Dog, and dogs begin to guard the door at this time. From 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Hai (亥) represents the Pig, and pigs are fast asleep late at night.

I glanced at my watch on my wrist. It was 3:35 a.m., which should be the hour of Yin (3-5 AM).

But the most urgent thing now is to cross this river and reach the other side safely. The thought of safely reaching the other side made me inexplicably nervous again. We wouldn't die now, but who could guarantee the other side was definitely safe? Who could foresee what we might encounter next? Nobody was sure. Having already covered most of the distance, my palms were sweating. Although the hair of these dead bodies seemed unusually strong, we were still apprehensive and filled with anxiety. I knew it was just psychological suggestion at work.

Section 57: The Hump Bridge (3)

Psychological suggestion is like a weight on a scale. A simple example: when you look in the mirror in the morning and find your complexion unpleasant, your positive or negative self-perception at that moment will trigger psychological suggestion, thus influencing your mood for the entire day. Those who understand this principle know it themselves; this weight exerts a very extreme influence.

After Ye Min spoke, we remained silent. They were probably moving cautiously as well. I don't know what they were thinking at that moment; perhaps the same as me, perhaps not, who knows? I once read in a book that the distance between people's hearts is like the distance between planets in this vast universe—equally distant and unfamiliar. I don't know when it started, but I've gradually come to agree with this statement. So often, between parents and children, siblings, lovers and friends, misunderstanding and distrust are everywhere.

When faced with unknown dangers, do you also have wild thoughts like I do?

2. Things on the bridge

Sweat quickly soaked through his clothes.

Just then, in the dark, still waterway, we heard something slide down into the water above us, creating a splashing sound. Horse Face tensed up and hesitated to move forward. Ye Min and I knew in our hearts that we were pretty much right about what had fallen into the water, but we only dared to gasp for breath and didn't dare to confirm it. We could only urge Horse Face on while speeding up.

With enough effort, even an iron rod can be ground into a needle. After years of hardship, we're finally nearing the end. I vaguely glimpsed signs of land ahead; it seemed we were on the other side. Excited like a child, I cheered on the two behind me, "I see the shore! I see the shore!" Bad news is like a hammer, repeatedly striking hard; good news is like dawn in the darkness, giving boundless hope. This shout, much like Cao Cao's attempt to quench his thirst by looking at plums, indeed increased the rustling sound of hair tangling and rubbing behind me.

After climbing several hands, land finally appeared. Out of caution, I peered through the horse-faced man's glasses to make sure there was no danger before hooking my feet ashore. The moment my feet touched the ground, I collapsed; I'd reached my limit. I suddenly realized that athletes really are something else. My hands ached, and looking down, I saw that my palms were already scraped raw, covered in blood, and incredibly painful. While resting, panting heavily, I looked back at the path I'd come from; the lingering fear had left my head throbbing with pain.

The path across the river surprised me; it was almost identical to the one I'd come by, except there were no stone steps leading up or down. Staring at the identical iron gate, I was a little dumbfounded. Had I gone back to where I started? As I thought about it, I could almost feel the old woman behind the iron gate, rapidly muttering and pursing her lips, quietly waiting for us rabbits to open the door and deliver our meat.

Section 58: The Hump Bridge (4)

Mwah! (Yunnan dialect: Oh my god!)

I didn't move, and Ye Min didn't dare to move much either. I guessed that Horse Face hadn't noticed these problems at all. He finished panting, got up, and yanked the iron gate open in one swift motion, before I could stop him. As the cool night breeze swept over us, he turned to look at me with a puzzled expression, clearly asking: Is something wrong?

This old man is really adorably naive.

I breathed a long sigh of relief. Perhaps I was too nervous; there was no corridor outside the iron gate, and certainly no ghostly old woman. It seemed we were out of danger. A gust of wind blew past, and I shivered, but we were still underground.

As I helped Ye Min step out of the river, I couldn't help but look back at the hair clinging to the riverbank. The wind blew in, making a "whooshing" sound, like many women weeping softly at the same time, so pitiful and tragic. Suddenly, I wasn't so afraid anymore; instead, I felt sorrow.

Ye Min noticed my melancholy and tugged at my sleeve. I looked away and closed the iron gate again. Knocking on the door before entering and closing it behind you is a matter of politeness.

The group remained silent.

Having finally crossed the river, everyone was exhausted. We rested for a while in front of the iron gate. Horse Face was silent; I wanted to ask him about him and Fatty Lin, but then decided against it. Horse Face had been silent ever since we crossed the "river," and I think I understand, but I didn't know how to comfort him. Ye Min was the same, so we could only feign a sense of shared sorrow. During the rest period, Ye Min spoke to me, raising a question that I realized we had been neglecting all along.

After we entered those two narrow walls, everything started going inexplicably, and the situation spiraled out of control. We didn't bother to think about why; we just kept running. Speaking of running, I suddenly remembered the other two people who were still missing—

Su Yan and Lü Fang.

Oh right, and what about them? In such a big place, the four of us—Ye Min, Ma Lian, and Lin Pang—have all gotten into trouble. I'm guessing they're probably in grave danger too. Suddenly, I thought of Lü Fang with Su Yan. If Lü Fang can't even protect a woman, I'd definitely slap him twice if I saw him.

I thought for a moment and told Ye Min, "Every day, many strange and bizarre things happen in this world. For example, you might be genuinely kind to someone, but they secretly badmouth you behind your back; you might want to help someone, but they mistake you for a bad person; someone who claims to love you might always sleep next to someone else; someone's salary might always be taken by another person every month, and so on. The list goes on and on. Sometimes, even life itself, and even one's entire existence, can be strange. Perhaps what we're experiencing now is even stranger, but it's okay. Every seemingly illogical thing has a reason. Don't worry, no matter how high the waves, they're still under the boat; no matter how high the mountain, it's still beneath your feet."

Section 59: The Hump Bridge (5)

Indeed, every strange event has a reason, but it's unknown whether everyone who experiences them will have the chance to find the truth. At this point, to avoid panicking, I could only offer her this consolation; in truth, even I myself didn't know if I could escape alive.

I initially thought she was genuinely terrified, but I later learned that wasn't the case.

During breaks, I didn't miss any opportunity to observe every blade of grass and every tree. Nervousness can lead to excessive caution, which isn't a bad thing for me. Across the river, outside the entrance, was another small piece of land, similar in nature, except that it no longer connected to the dark river filled with dead people's hair. Instead, there was a seemingly ordinary-looking arched camel-hump bridge.

Camel-hump Bridge? Could this be the "Bridge of Helplessness" from Buddhist legend? Upon closer inspection, it doesn't resemble the description in the book; it's plain white with no patterns or special embellishments.

I'm somewhat numb now, too lazy to even think about why this bridge would be superfluously erected on this perfectly open road. As the saying goes, strength comes from pressure, and courage from fear. I feel like I've reached a new level of resilience; I'm immune to minor troubles. As long as I don't have to cross the river with my disgusting hair hanging down, I'm not afraid of anything that comes my way.

Horse Face took his glasses back and just stared at the bridge. Ye Min looked at it and asked me, "Why is there a bridge here when there's no waterway?" I patted her shoulder and said, "The bridge that was on the river was moved here. It's okay, we can just walk across it."

As I was about to pull Ye Min onto the bridge, Horse Face grabbed Ye Min's other hand and said, "This bridge is definitely problematic. Since there's a road, we should walk. There's no need to cross the bridge." He sounded unusually cold and composed when he said this. Seeing that I was still stunned, he added something that made me furious: "Don't think this is a suggestion."

What kind of time is this? He's still putting on airs! I wanted to explode, but I held back. The bigger picture is more important. If I argue with him now, neither of us will benefit. But then I thought of his domineering attitude at the company… So I cleared my throat, put on a patient and earnest face, and mimicked Lu Fang's patient explanation: "First of all, this bridge isn't just here for your enjoyment. It might actually serve another purpose. Bridges aren't only built over water; there are countless streams between mountains. Secondly, intuitively, I think it's safer to walk on the bridge. I can't be sure what I'll encounter on the ground. What do you think?" I really wanted to reason with him, but then I realized it wasn't necessary. At worst, we'd break off all ties. He can go his way, and I'll go mine. Let's see who regrets it in the end.

Section 60: The Hump Bridge (6)

Horse Face's expression darkened upon hearing this. I guessed that throughout history, every bourgeoisie probably reacted the same way when faced with the proletariat daring to contradict them. He tried to argue with me again, but I didn't give him the chance and decisively changed the subject, saying, "Alright, how about this? We're both gentlemen, so let the lady make the decision, and we'll obey, okay?" I admit I didn't have good intentions. The gentlemanly suggestion probably provoked him; he couldn't come up with a good idea after racking his brains for a while, so he could only nod. At that moment, our gazes both fell on Ye Min, who seemed a little distracted.

"Uh..." Ye Min was a little speechless. She didn't know what to do. She looked at me and then at the horse face. I didn't say anything and just stared at her without blinking. She should understand.

Typically, conflicts between two men are sparked by women, and objectively speaking, such conflicts are very attractive because the victor experiences a great sense of accomplishment. Men, after all, have a serious problem with saving face.

After a few seconds of stalemate, Ye Min swallowed hard and then whispered, "I...I also think...it would be better to walk across the bridge..." As she said this, I saw the tall, imposing figure of the horse-faced man seem to shrink in an instant. I was secretly pleased, but I also showed a helpless expression. I patted Ye Min's shoulder, as if she understood: a good man would not let his beloved woman suffer even the slightest injury, and a good woman would not let her beloved man lose even the slightest face.

The horse-faced man remained silent and had no choice but to comply. The three of us then walked onto the arched camel hump bridge.

When you're young, you're often impulsive and fearless in your dealings with others, which often leads to offending people. In fact, the most terrifying thing in this world is offending a petty person.

It wasn't the Bridge of Helplessness, so there was no need to worry about Meng Po selling soup on it. The bridge was quite long, and although we walked cautiously, we felt much more relaxed. However, because someone had been injured, and injured so badly, a trace of sadness and fear still lingered in the air. We ran along in the dark, but after only ten minutes of peace, I cried out and fell to the ground.

I don't know what I tripped over, there was something on the ground.

Ignoring the pain, I rushed to see what had tripped me, and at first glance, I was a little surprised. The horse-faced man leaned over and reached out to pull the object off the ground, asking as he did so, "What are you doing here?"

Section 61: Mysterious Disappearance (1)

Chapter Eight: Mysterious Disappearance

He thought he had noticed everything. As he dawdled, a breeze picked up in the yard. He didn't feel cold, but his teeth were chattering uncontrollably—strangely enough. Just as Lü Fang rallied his spirits and pressed on, two dark objects on the beam above his head were swaying slowly back and forth in the wind—

That was the noose that Horse Face and Fatty Lin used to hang themselves.

1. A girl whose whereabouts are unknown

2 An Unsuitable Encounter

Chapter Eight: Mysterious Disappearance

1. A girl whose whereabouts are unknown

The air was thick with a chilling atmosphere.

Seeing the menacing cavalry about to charge, before Lü Fang could even process what was happening, he grabbed Su Yan and turned to run back. There was nowhere else to go but the hut.

Unexpectedly, after stumbling, the two were shocked to find that they were not standing inside a house, but somewhere on the street corner they had seen from outside the door. They had now moved from being in front of the crowd to being in the middle of it.

Lu Fang immediately covered Su Yan's mouth, certain she would scream. From their left front, Lu Fang could clearly see the house they had entered and exited just seconds before. He thought he understood what was going on, but couldn't explain it. For a moment, he didn't know how to comfort her or himself, so he simply covered Su Yan's mouth with one hand and gestured for her to be quiet with the other.

With teary eyes and a bare face, she looked at Lü Fang and then at the nearly frenzied cavalry. Her mind was blank; she had never seen such a scene before. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground. In the midst of the crowd, such a movement should have been insignificant, but unfortunately, it still attracted "their" attention.

The general carrying the banner and Lü Fang stared at each other. Lü Fang stared blankly at him, the general's face hidden in the darkness.

Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back. The general pulled on the reins, and his iron horse neighed loudly, crashing into the two men! Lu Fang was terrified; before he could think, he saw two hooves plunging straight down, and then everything went black as he lost consciousness.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a piercing pain struck, and he woke up. His body felt like it was falling apart; he had no strength left. It took him a while to struggle to his feet. His vision was blurry; he reached out and found a wall, so he groped his way towards it. He gasped for breath, but his vision remained blurry. He rubbed and wiped the floor with his hands for a while, but it didn't help. Then he seemed to remember something, but in his blindness, he dared not act rashly. He could only whisper, "Su Yan… Su Yan…"

Section 62: Mysterious Disappearance (2)

The surroundings were eerily quiet.

He didn't want to imagine any other possibilities; he preferred to believe that she, like him, had simply fainted on the ground, perhaps somewhere nearby. Thinking this, Lü Fang immediately lay down on the ground and began groping around.

The surroundings were unusually empty.

Lu Fang paused, a feeling of something flowing from his feet to his head, but he still seemed unwilling to give up. He simply kept touching his eyes and calling out, but still received no response from Su Yan. At this moment, his vision slowly improved, and he could vaguely make out the outlines of his surroundings, but his eyes were still in excruciating pain. He composed himself, reached into his pocket for a while, pulled out a handkerchief, and carefully began to wipe his stinging eyes.

He could finally make out everything again. His handkerchief was covered in blood, and he realized he was injured. He quickly checked himself and found numerous scratches all over his forehead, shoulders, and arms. Fortunately, he hadn't broken any bones or injured any vital parts. He grimaced and quickly began to survey his surroundings.

The blazing sun was gone, the streets were gone, the cavalry that once galloped across the battlefield were gone, the densely packed "Lu Fangs" were gone... nothing was left, as if nothing had ever happened. Everything returned to normal, and he was still standing in the courtyard where he had first arrived. Night had fallen, and moonlight peeked through the gaps in the clouds, casting shadows on the ground; the uneven eaves of distant houses appeared and disappeared in the darkness; trees rustled somewhere; a chilly night wind swept from east to west, carrying with it the chirping of various unknown insects. The scene was unmistakably a spring night.

Everything was correct, except for Su Yan. Lu Fang searched the surrounding area for a long time but couldn't find her. Recalling their last meeting, a chill ran down his spine. He was convinced that those abrupt events weren't illusions; the wounds on his body and Su Yan's disappearance were irrefutable proof. But what was happening now? Had something happened to Su Yan? Where was she? What should he do?

Suddenly, he remembered his company's boss, Mr. Ma, and several other employees. They had gone into the large house on the left side of the yard before he and Su Yan entered the house. He realized that he couldn't just keep waiting like this; he had to go find them, tell them what had happened, and ask them to help him find Su Yan, because he was really at his wit's end.

Section 63: Mysterious Disappearance (3)

2 An Unsuitable Encounter

Stumbling and groping his way to the large room on the left, he was shocked to find that the room had no door. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it wasn't that there was no door, but rather that the door had fallen inside the room. How could this be...? He looked around; it was extremely dark, without even a trace of a mouse, let alone anyone. Lu Fang thought his eyes were playing tricks on him again, and hurriedly retreated from the large room back to the strange little house where he had been enjoying intimate moments with Su Yan just minutes before.

He needs to go back and get something.

He rushed to the door, then hesitated. Everything had started going wrong after he entered this house; returning to the hut had magically exposed them to the street; returning to the hut had resulted in his injury and the loss of his natural beauty. Thinking of this, his raised hand trembled. The unique texture of the mahogany against the door felt real. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

"Creak—squeak—yikes—" The door opened with a creak. The draft from the open door made the unburnt candle flame on the table flicker, plunging the room into darkness. Seeing that nothing was amiss, Lü Fang breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at the bed, but Su Yan wasn't there as he'd expected, rubbing her eyes and asking what was wrong. A sense of disappointment washed over him. After a deep sigh, he lowered his head and went into the room to rummage through the suitcase in the corner.

After searching for a while, he found what he wanted: a spare pair of glasses, a delicate mini flashlight, and a Swiss Army knife. His previous pair of glasses had been kicked to smithereens by the ghostly hooves; thankfully, he had brought a spare, otherwise he would have been practically half-blind. A flashlight was essential, without a doubt. As for the Swiss Army knife, even Lü Fang himself didn't understand why he carried it, but if anything happened again, having a weapon was always better than being empty-handed.

He put on his glasses, turned on his flashlight, and gripped his Swiss Army knife tightly, suppressing his wildly beating heart as he approached the empty house once more. He had a premonition that there was some kind of intrinsic, subtle, even unspeakable connection between them and his girlfriend's disappearance. The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became, and his pace quickened.

He stood in the house on the left side of the courtyard again.

The detached door lay silently on the floor. Lü Fang noticed some simple, broken furniture in the main room; it was clear they had been moved. Luggage was scattered on the coffee table, and a crushed mineral water bottle lay on the floor, the ground around it damp. Everything in the room looked chaotic. What had happened to them? Or had a fight broken out? Lü Fang looked at the mess, his mind racing.

Section 64: Mysterious Disappearance (4)

After looking around for a while, he was surprised to find that the back of the house wasn't a hidden wall, but a small door connecting to another room. However, that door wasn't much better than the one on the ground behind him. Staring at the small door in the corner, he hesitated again: to go in or not to go in? Judging from the current situation, they must have rushed into the house due to some unexpected event, because he saw a series of footprints across the threshold of the small door. The footprints were somewhat messy and not very dry.

Someone must have knocked over a mineral water bottle, then stepped on it in the chaos, leaving wet shoe prints as they hurriedly passed through the small door.

He seemed quite satisfied with his reasoning. After finishing, he turned his gaze back to the empty little door. The beam of the mini flashlight was so tiny it was almost nonexistent; the beam swept around but couldn't reveal anything behind the door. The faint light disappeared into the deep darkness behind it.

Lu Fang suddenly felt uneasy. Staring at the area behind the hidden door, he felt it resembled the empty eye sockets of a dead person's skeleton, a thought that sent a chill down his spine. He adjusted his glasses, raised his flashlight, and slowly…slowly…approached the eye sockets. He finally decided to go in. In this environment, being alone was definitely not a good thing, so no matter what, he had to find others first before making any further plans.

He thought he had noticed everything. As he dawdled, a breeze picked up in the yard. He didn't feel cold, but his teeth were chattering uncontrollably—strangely enough. Just as Lü Fang rallied his spirits and pressed on, two dark objects on the beam above his head were swaying slowly back and forth in the wind—

That was the noose that Horse Face and Fatty Lin used to hang themselves.

"Bang!" A voice, neither loud nor soft, suddenly rang out behind him. The surroundings were so quiet that you could hear a pin drop, let alone this sound, which was much louder than that. Startled, Lü Fang held his breath and frantically looked left and right in an extremely cautious posture, his hand tightly gripping his Swiss Army knife.

There was nothing unusual about it, whether viewed from the front, back, left, right, up, or down.

Only then did he realize that the sound was actually from the empty bottle on the ground that had been stepped on and then bounced back. Realizing it was a false alarm, he nervously opened his mouth, wanting to laugh, but no sound came out. As his heartbeat gradually calmed down, he tightened his grip on the military knife and flashlight once more, and continued moving towards the small door.

Section 65: The Extraordinary Lin Yong (1)

A few steps later, he floated inside like a ghost.

The room behind the dark wall was even more rudimentary than the outer room. He found that the bare walls had no windows, and there wasn't even any furniture inside. The scattered straw mats on the floor filled him with extreme disappointment. However, after the weak flashlight swayed a few times, his breathing became heavy again, and the beam of the flashlight stopped in the corner at the foot of the east wall.

The beam of the mini flashlight wasn't strong, but it wasn't pitch black either. He saw it clearly, and this clarity was astounding; his blood rushed to his head. In the illuminated corner, there was a person crouching against the wall!