Uncanny Valley

Chapter 7

“There are two reasons for this,” Zhu Xiaohua explained. “First, the ‘blood vial’ is very difficult to make, and the method is passed down from generation to generation among priests of certain ethnic minorities. Second, this curse is strictly forbidden because it is too evil. It can only be used in very extreme circumstances with the permission of the tribal chief.”

"For example, the extreme hatred that an entire tribe has for one person?"

"That's one situation; another is extreme fear of someone."

"Extreme fear?" Luo Fei frowned, seemingly puzzled.

"These ethnic groups believe in fatalism. They believe that people are bound by a cycle of gratitude and retribution in their next life. If someone is very vicious in life, people will fear that he will continue to cause harm in his next life, and they may even curse him after his death."

"Hmm." Luo Fei nodded. Zhu Xiaohua had helped him uncover many mysteries related to the "blood bottle," but he still had a crucial question that needed an answer: "Whose blood is in this bottle?"

Zhu Xiaohua pursed her lips and chuckled helplessly, "I can't answer that for you. You only sent over this bottle; there are no other clues."

Luo Fei realized that his question was a bit too much for him. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Do you know anyone named Li Dingguo?"

"Li Dingguo?" Zhu Xiaohua was taken aback. "I know him, he was a general who resisted the Qing Dynasty at the end of the Ming Dynasty, right?"

"Some people believe that this blood vial may be related to Li Dingguo."

"Who said that?" This was Zhu Xiaohua's first concern.

Luo Fei found it difficult to find the right words when it came to Yue Dongbei. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "A... person who specializes in the study of history."

“I have also studied a lot of history, how come I have never made a similar discovery?” Zhu Xiaohua immediately raised a question.

“He claims to have studied Burmese history books,” Zhou Liwei finally couldn’t help but say. “But I think he’s just a charlatan.”

Faced with Zhu Xiaohua's questioning gaze, Luo Fei relayed Yue Dongbei's theory from not long ago in its entirety.

“Absurd, utter nonsense!” Zhu Xiaohua shook his head repeatedly. Then, as if he had thought of something, he asked in surprise, “Officer Luo, how can you agree with such a statement? Professor Zhou, I’ve had my doubts about you for a long time. You study psychiatry, so why are you here with me?”

Luo Fei gave a wry smile and recounted the strange medical cases that had occurred in Longzhou City over the past few days to Zhu Xiaohua.

Zhu Xiaohua, usually busy with his research and with little contact with the outside world, was hearing about this incident for the first time. He gaped in astonishment, remained silent for a long time, and then suddenly said, "This must all be a deliberate conspiracy! That Yue Dongbei, I think he's extremely suspicious!"

Zhou Liwei turned his head and looked at Luo Fei with narrowed eyes. Clearly, he strongly agreed with Zhu Xiaohua's point of view.

Chapter Nine: The Power of the Devil

Zhu Xiaohua's office was quiet. The two scholars, both renowned in their respective fields, watched Luo Fei in silence. This detective possessed an indescribable aura, especially his eyes, which often shone with a penetrating light. Faced with such a bizarre and mysterious event, perhaps only someone like him could unravel the layers of mystery and bring the truth into the light.

But in that instant, a deep sense of bewilderment appeared in Luo Fei's eyes. He stared at the blood vial on the table, his thoughts traversing an exceptionally vast expanse of time and space: Yunnan during the Southern Ming Dynasty, Longzhou in August, generals from hundreds of years ago, mysterious men, arrogant metaphysicians… These seemingly unrelated elements were now connected by this small, suddenly appearing blood vial. Luo Fei tried to piece together a clearer picture, to organize these chaotic thoughts into a coherent thread, but this task was incredibly difficult. After a long while, he finally shook his head, seemingly giving up for the time being.

Then he looked up, his eyes brightening again, indicating that his thoughts had returned to reality.

"I'll call Yue Dongbei," Luo Fei said, taking out his phone.

The call was answered quickly.

“This is Luo Fei… We’ve found the blood vial… We’re at the cultural relics appraisal center now.” Luo Fei’s call with the other party was very brief. After hanging up, he looked at Zhu Xiaohua and Zhou Liwei and said in a meaningful tone, “He’ll be here soon. He sounded very excited.”

Sure enough, less than half an hour later, Yue Dongbei appeared at the office door. He didn't even bother to greet them before rushing in, his large pregnant belly protruding. Seeing his appearance, Zhu Xiaohua and Zhou Liwei finally understood what "extremely excited" truly meant.

The short, stout man's bald head had turned completely purplish-red. His eyes were wide open, and he was breathing heavily through his mouth and nose. He had clearly just finished strenuous exercise, as large beads of sweat covered his face. Although he had reached his destination, he made no attempt to wipe them away.

"Blood vial! Where's the blood vial?" Yue Dongbei shouted rudely, his voice trembling slightly. Before the three people in the room could react, his gaze had already locked onto the target on the table. Then, his obese body burst forth with astonishing speed; almost instantly, he leaped to the table and grabbed the glass box in his hand.

Zhu Xiaohua stared at Yue Dongbei, quite displeased with his disregard for the owner's presence. Yue Dongbei, however, seemed oblivious. He gazed at the blood vial in the box with near-obsessive eyes, his chest heaving, so excited he could barely breathe. After a moment, he calmed down slightly, gently stroking the glass box with his chubby fingers, and exclaimed, "A blood vial! It really is a blood vial! My years of research have finally been confirmed by a physical object!"

After saying this, he raised his head and looked around at Luo Fei and the others, his face full of vicissitudes and emotion, and even tears welled up in the corners of his eyes.

Luo Fei was suddenly taken aback; the other party's behavior was somewhat unexpected. Zhou Liwei and Zhu Xiaohua also showed surprised expressions, and their hostility dissipated considerably.

"It really is broken. So it was in Longzhou! No wonder the demon appeared in Longzhou! But what was originally inside?" Yue Dongbei's excitement turned into deep confusion and regret as he said the last sentence.

Zhu Xiaohua glanced at Luo Fei, unsure whether she should share her research findings with him.

Yue Dongbei noticed this detail and immediately exclaimed with delight, "You know the answer! Please tell me quickly!"

Seeing Zhu Xiaohua still frowning and hesitating, Yue Dongbei put on a stern face and said emphatically, "You should tell me! We are both scholars, and we are working together to unravel a secret. At this moment, you should not hide anything from me!"

Zhu Xiaohua chuckled softly, clearly disapproving of Yue Dongbei's "scholar" status.

For some reason, Luo Fei nodded to Zhu Xiaohua, who then told Yue Dongbei about the secrets related to the blood bottle.

Yue Dongbei listened intently with wide eyes, then excitedly exclaimed, "Yes! That's right! It makes perfect sense! It doesn't conflict with any of the information I have. No wonder the Burmese records call it 'blood bottle'; there's almost no more fitting name!"

He rubbed his hands together several times, then turned to look at Luo Fei: "Then why did this blood vial appear in Longzhou? Officer Luo, you're probably the one who should answer that question."

Luo Fei nodded calmly and began to recount the events surrounding the appearance of the blood vial. Throughout this process, he kept his eyes fixed on Yue Dongbei, not letting any subtle psychological fluctuation escape his keen gaze.

Yue Dongbei stared directly at Luo Fei without any hesitation, his eyes blazing with pure excitement. Luo Fei had barely finished his explanation when he eagerly began to offer his opinion: "Yes, that makes everything clear. You must be very confused now, right? Haha, I can answer all your questions!"

Seeing his arrogant demeanor, Zhou Liwei and Zhu Xiaohua both frowned, but Luo Fei just smiled faintly: "Then please tell me."

Even without Luo Fei's invitation, Yue Dongbei couldn't stop talking.

"The matter is quite clear. Back then, the Hamo tribe, the Qing soldiers, and the Burmese conspired to kill Li Dingguo. Fearing Li Dingguo's terrifying demonic power, the Hamo priests sealed his blood in a blood vial, preventing him from ever ascending to immortality. And that young man, with my guidance, found that vial and sold it to Longzhou. And the one who broke the vial was actually you, Officer Luo! This is truly beyond my expectations. You certainly didn't realize what you had done at the time; you opened Pandora's bottle! You released the demon! The evil power sealed for many years has been resurrected, and Longzhou has suffered a calamity because of it! Haha, how interesting, you're still investigating the murderer, but the instigator is yourself!" Yue Dongbei finished speaking in one breath, and at the end, he even let out a smug, sinister laugh.

Luo Fei watched the other party's performance expressionlessly; those unrestrained words seemed to have no effect on him. Zhou and Zhu, on the other hand, had already been giving Yue Dongbei a cold look.

"You don't believe me, do you?" Yue Dongbei was used to such cold treatment, but today, he had every reason to retaliate. He coughed twice, feigning seriousness, and raised his voice, "You consider yourselves scientists, so of course you're unwilling to accept my views. But can you offer a better explanation? About the strange events in Longzhou, about that blood vial! Haha, you're completely clueless! The facts are verifying my theory step by step. If you people disdained to accept my views before, now you dare not accept them. Because you've already been defeated by me. How laughable, you who claim to defend the truth, yet you don't even have the courage to face the facts."

"The truth? I think it's more like a scam deliberately orchestrated by someone, or rather, a conspiracy," Zhou Liwei finally couldn't hold back and refuted seriously.

"Are you saying I'm faking it?" Yue Dongbei seemed enraged, veins bulging on his forehead. "I'm a scholar, and I have a rigorous academic attitude! Every word I say is based on historical materials or facts. What you're saying is a personal attack on me! Deception? Conspiracy? These are probably disgusting tactics that only people like you who unconditionally believe in science would use, right?"

"Alright, now is not the time for mutual attacks." Luo Fei waved his hand, decisively pausing the tense situation, and then steered the topic back to what he was concerned about: "That young man who went to find the blood vial, what is his identity, and what is his purpose?"

“I’ve already said it once, I don’t know him at all. We only met online.” Yue Dongbei pursed his lips, as if it wasn’t an important issue. “He believes in my theories, has excellent jungle survival skills, and is full of curiosity about the secrets of the blood vials. That’s enough for me. As for his identity, I guess he’s an explorer? And his purpose, it seems, is just money.”

"Didn't he even leave his name?"

"I did ask him about that, and his answer was rather strange." Yue Dongbei scratched his bald head as if remembering something.

Luo Fei immediately pressed, "What was his answer?"

"He said eight words: 'Among the Hundred Family Surnames, Zhou is the first in line.'" At this point, Yue Dongbei looked up at Zhou Liwei and said with ill intent, "Professor Zhou, he is actually from the same clan as you."

Zhou Liwei was suddenly taken aback: "He said he also has the surname Zhou?" Yue Dongbei's provocation seemed to have had an effect, and he looked quite confused.

Luo Fei frowned slightly and pondered in a low voice, "'In the Hundred Family Surnames, the Zhou is the first in line'?" This sentence sounded a bit strange. He tried to figure out the speaker's mindset and hidden meaning at the time, but he couldn't figure it out for the time being, so he continued to ask, "Is it just this sentence? Is there no other context?"

“No.” Yue Dongbei shook his round head. “Actually, we’ve only met once in real life. And most of the time we were discussing research on Li Dingguo. We got along very well and didn’t have time to worry about other boring topics.”

"Discussion?" Luo Fei keenly caught the key word. "Does that mean he originally also studied Li Dingguo?"

“Yes. But his previous research was basically superficial.” When talking about this topic, Yue Dongbei couldn’t hide his pride. “You can imagine how shocked he must have felt when he saw my profound and secretive theories online! So he contacted me immediately.”

"Do you really believe your theory?" Luo Fei didn't hide his skepticism. Even with all the inexplicable events that had occurred, Yue Dongbei's words still sounded absurd. So, had anyone already accepted his claims about "demons" before this?

"Of course!" Yue Dongbei's eyes widened. "He even took one of my academic papers with him when he left."

"Oh? An academic paper? May I take a look?" Luo Fei looked at Yue Dongbei with some curiosity. Given his personality, he should have already shown off something like this.

Yue Dongbei hesitated for a moment, then took out a simply bound book from his bag and handed it to Luo Fei: "This is it, take a look."

All the content was on a stack of A4 paper, about twenty or thirty pages thick. The first page featured a simple cover in large font, with the article's main and subtitles written on it:

"Unveiling the Power of Evil: An Analysis of Li Dingguo, a Figure from the Late Ming Dynasty"

"The power of a demon?" Luo Fei murmured softly, raising his hand to turn the cover page.

The second page contains an introduction, the content of which is as follows:

Li Dingguo, a native of Yulin, Shaanxi, was a famous Han Chinese general during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. His courtesy name was Ningyu, or Hongyuan.

Historical records state that Li Dingguo was a man of both literary and military talent, renowned for his bravery. In 1630, at the age of ten, he joined Zhang Xianzhong's uprising. Zhang Xianzhong favored him greatly and adopted him as his son. In 1637, at the age of seventeen, Li Dingguo led 20,000 troops into Sichuan and Hubei, killing the Ming general Zhang Ling. On February 21, 1641, Li Dingguo, with 28 horsemen, used a captured military tally to trick his way into opening the city gates and capturing Xiangyang. He then captured and killed the Prince of Xiangyang, Zhu Yiming, and forced Yang Sichang, a Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty, to commit suicide. From then on, he was known as "the one who can defeat ten thousand men" and "Little Yuchi."

After the Qing army entered the pass, Zhang Xianzhong was defeated, and Li Dingguo led the remaining troops to support Yongli, the last emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty.

On July 1, 1652, Li Dingguo fought a major battle at Yan Pass against Kong Youde, the Prince of Dingnan (one of the most famous of the Three Feudatories in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties). The two sides fought a bloody battle in the rain. In the terrifying atmosphere of thunder and lightning, the Qing army was finally defeated and fled. Li Dingguo led his troops to pursue and kill them, all the way to the Rongjiang River, where blood flowed like a river and corpses littered the ground.

Kong Youde retreated to Guilin. On July 2nd, Li Dingguo launched a relentless attack on Guilin, day and night. On the 4th, Li Dingguo's forces captured Guilin, and Kong Youde, with nowhere to escape, committed suicide by throwing himself into the fire. Li Dingguo then captured Liuzhou, Wuzhou, and other places, occupying the entire Guangxi region. He then captured Yongzhou, Hengyang, and Changsha in Hunan, with his vanguard advancing to Yuezhou (present-day Yueyang). At the same time, he divided his forces and advanced eastward, reaching as far as Ji'an in Jiangxi. In just six months, Li Dingguo had captured two prefectures and twelve counties, expanding his territory by three thousand li, and his army was almost unstoppable.

In November 1652, the Qing government dispatched Prince Jingjin, Nikan, with 100,000 elite troops to launch a counterattack against Li Dingguo. The two armies engaged in fierce fighting in Hengyang. After four days and nights of bloody battle, Li Dingguo personally killed Prince Jingjin, Nikan, in the midst of the battle. The Qing army was routed, and all 100,000 troops were wiped out.

While historical records document Li Dingguo's glorious military achievements, they have failed to fully reveal the secrets behind them. Based on my years of dedicated research, I believe Li Dingguo once possessed 'demonic power'.

As early as the Battle of Yan Pass, there were rumors among the surviving Qing soldiers that Li Dingguo's army used a terrifying and mysterious force in this battle, which was said to have originated from the Yunnan border.

Some even claim that Li Dingguo was the embodiment of evil. He was ruthless and cruel, having perpetrated the Sichuan massacre while serving under Zhang Xianzhong. Later, during the resistance against the Qing, he treated prisoners with unparalleled cruelty. Qing officials universally regarded Li Dingguo as a demon and a monster, as evidenced by the following examples:

Wang Yipin, the Qing Dynasty's governor of Guangxi, returned to Beijing due to illness, thus avoiding the calamity in Guilin. In the eleventh year of the Shunzhi Emperor's reign, he had recovered, and the Ministry of Personnel still recommended him to resume his post as governor of Guangxi. Wang Yipin felt as if he were facing an abyss and avoided the position, bribing someone to help him get out of trouble. After this was discovered, he was executed by hanging by the Qing court.

It's understandable that the Qing army feared Li Dingguo. What's strange is that Li Dingguo's sworn brother, Sun Kewang, the de facto ruler of the Southern Ming dynasty at the time, also harbored resentment towards Li Dingguo. At a time when the resistance against the Qing was going very well, Sun Kewang cut off his support for Li Dingguo. Li Dingguo's subsequent campaigns in Guangdong and Guangxi, seeking an alliance with Zheng Chenggong, were also met with indifference. The reasons behind this are intriguing.

In 1656, Sun Kewang, under the pretext of "slaying the demons," raised an army of 160,000 to attack Li Dingguo, but he too suffered a crushing defeat. The strength of the Southern Ming Dynasty was thus greatly weakened. In February 1658, the Qing government seized the opportunity, appointing Duoni as commander-in-chief, and launched a three-pronged attack on Guizhou and Yunnan. The northern route was led by Wu Sangui, the Prince of Pingxi; the southern route by Zhuobutai; and the central route by Hong Chengchou. In April, Wang Ziqi, a former subordinate of Sun Kewang of the Southern Ming, rebelled against Li in Yongchang. Beset by internal and external troubles, Li Dingguo was defeated and fled into the jungles of the Yunnan-Myanmar border.

Li Dingguo's defeated army numbered only ten thousand, yet they unleashed astonishing fighting power in the jungle. They remained undefeated for three years, and the place where they resided was later named "Terror Valley," supposedly the source of "demonic power."

In 1662, the seemingly invincible Li Dingguo was suddenly wiped out by a combined force of the Qing army, Burmese, and the local Hamo people. The 'power of the devil' was also sealed away and never appeared again for hundreds of years. However, legends about the devil circulated in the border area and were recorded in Burmese historical records.

What exactly is the 'power of the devil'? What secrets lie behind Li Dingguo's glorious military history and his inexplicable defeat? These are the questions this article will explore.

After reading the introduction, Luo Fei paused briefly to organize his thoughts, then asked a question: "How did the Burmese get involved in this? Wasn't the Yongli Emperor hiding in Burma at the time?"

"The Burmese had effectively placed Emperor Yongli under house arrest. They were cowards, fearing the strength of the Qing army, and even attempted to take advantage of the situation to seize Li Dingguo's troops. Enraged, Li Dingguo reorganized his forces and ordered a counterattack. According to historical records, the main Burmese army numbered 'hundreds of thousands,' arrayed on the opposite bank of the river, ready to meet the attack. Li Dingguo's army crossed the river and attacked, routing the Burmese army with just a hundred cavalrymen, then launching a counterattack, killing and wounding over ten thousand Burmese soldiers. Only after the Burmese officials invoked Emperor Yongli's name were they forced to withdraw. After this battle, the Burmese feared Li Dingguo like a demon; it is said that even Burmese children dared not cry loudly upon hearing his name. And given Li Dingguo's ruthless nature, the Burmese naturally considered him a major threat. You just mentioned that the person who bought the blood vials was Burmese, right? He must be a descendant of the border natives, fearing that the blood vials would break and the demon would be resurrected. It's clear that the fear Li Dingguo instilled in them has not yet subsided!"

Zhu Xiaohua, who also had some knowledge of history, nodded slightly in agreement. The fact that Li Dingguo defeated the Burmese army is indeed recorded in official history.

As Luo Fei listened to Yue Dongbei's explanation, he flipped through the manuscript. However, he quickly discovered that these twenty-odd pages were merely an elaboration of the introduction. Disappointed, he closed the manuscript and gently patted the cover: "The two questions you raised at the end of the introduction don't seem to have been answered."

"Because I don't know the answer right now." Yue Dongbei seemed a little embarrassed. "As a scholar, this kind of thing is indeed a bit embarrassing to present..."

"I think the problem is, will there even be an answer to something like this?" Zhou Liwei said indifferently.

"Of course there is!" Yue Dongbei answered loudly without backing down, "and some people already know the answer!"

Luo Fei immediately understood what Yue Dongbei meant: "You mean that young man?"

Yue Dongbei nodded, his expression suddenly turning dejected: "It's a pity that the demon has already taken control of him, and he can no longer reveal what he knows."

Luo Fei gently stroked his chin. He hadn't shaved for several days since getting involved in this strange incident. The thick stubble prickled his fingertips, creating a slight, sharp sensation that Luo Fei felt seemed to help sharpen his thinking.

"Who exactly is he? What happened to him after entering the jungle?" Luo Fei murmured to himself. Although the whole incident remained shrouded in mystery, the young man's actions undoubtedly served as a trigger. In fact, Luo Fei had already focused his investigation on this mysterious patient. It was precisely to find out his identity that he had Liu Yun post related reports and photos online, and Yue Dongbei arrived subsequently, throwing out a whole host of astonishing theories. After going in circles, everything seemed to have returned to where it all started yesterday.

"This is a question we all care about." Yue Dongbei's eyes widened, gleaming with an unusual excitement. "The truth, the truth is hidden within, and we must pursue it to the end. Officer Luo, your goal is to uncover the hidden secret; as for me, I can complete this academic work; and as for you two scientists, hehe, you actually benefit the most, because this will help you rebuild a correct view of truth."

"Pursue to the end?" Luo Fei sensed something from his expression and immediately looked up at him. "What plan do you already have?"

“Yes. The plan! I had a plan the moment you told me the blood vial appeared in Longzhou!” Yue Dongbei rubbed his hands together triumphantly. “I will enter the jungle and retrace the path that young man took. I know his every step perfectly, because he followed my guidance. You can imagine how difficult, even dangerous, this journey will be for me, but it is absolutely worth it! The young man's tragic situation has already proven the correctness of my theory! Now, all the secrets are hidden in that jungle, waiting for me to unravel them.”

Luo Fei looked at him in surprise, never expecting that this fat man, who was even out of breath when walking, would be determined to embark on such a difficult jungle journey. And what the latter said next was even more unexpected by Luo Fei.

“Officer Luo, scientists. I now invite you to join me on this interesting journey.” Yue Dongbei’s bright eyes swept over the three of them in turn.

The invitation was so sudden that Luo Fei and his companions were momentarily stunned. Then Luo Fei laughed and asked, "Why did you invite us?"