Uncanny Valley

Chapter 13

Luo Fei pressed on, "When did he leave?"

"Last night," Old Sun replied hastily, seemingly a little impatient.

Last night? Such heavy rain? Luo Feishang was deep in thought when Old Sun urged him from the side, "Is there anything else? I'm still busy in the fields."

"Oh, you go ahead and do your thing." Luo Fei pursed his lips helplessly. Although he had many questions, there was no way to delve into them now, so he could only put them aside for the time being.

He turned and headed towards Bai Jian'e. When he arrived at his destination, he found that Bai Jian'e, Wu Qun, Zhao Liwen, Zhou Liwei, and Yue Dongbei had all gathered around a square table, some sitting and some standing, seemingly waiting for him.

"You're here." Bai Jian'e waved to Luo Fei and greeted him. "Let's begin."

Luo Fei walked to the square table and, like everyone else, looked at Bai Jian'e, waiting for him to continue.

Bai Jian'e shifted his gaze to the sky outside the window, stared intently for a while, and then said, "Perhaps we should change our plans and postpone our departure."

"Why?" Yue Dongbei asked in surprise, as he was the most eager to set off.

"It's been raining for the past two days, and Arrow Gorge is very likely to be flooded. It's a necessary route to Uncanny Valley. So I suggest you wait until the rain stops before setting off."

“Once the plan is made, it should be carried out. Changing the plan is just a sign of incompetence.” Zhou Liwei said coldly to Bai Jian’e. “We must set off on time. Even if the place you mentioned is really flooded, you have to come up with another solution.”

Bai Jian'e shrugged helplessly: "This is a matter of fate, what can I do?"

"If that's the case, you shouldn't have set a departure date in the first place. Setting it and then changing it is the kind of thing I hate the most."

Zhou Liwei refused to back down, leaving Bai Jian'e speechless for a moment, creating an awkward situation.

"Will Yijian Gorge be open once the rain stops?" Luo Fei interjected.

"At this rate of rainfall, it will take at least a day for the floodwaters in the canyon to recede."

Luo Fei then asked, "How long will it take us to get to One Arrow Gorge?"

"If we leave early tomorrow morning, we should be able to arrive around the afternoon of the day after tomorrow."

Luo Fei thought for a moment and said, "Then let's proceed as planned. If the rain doesn't let up tomorrow, we'll postpone it; if the rain stops before tomorrow morning, then we'll set off."

Bai Jian'e nodded: "That's exactly what I meant."

Although Zhou Liwei was still somewhat dissatisfied, Luo Fei had already expressed his opinion, so he couldn't say anything more. He just snorted and said, "Then please continue, Chief Bai."

“I’ve prepared food and water; one portion for each person when we set off. The three of us will carry a little extra. The distance from here to Terror Valley is about a hundred miles. It’s all through jungle, with no existing roads, so the journey will be very difficult. You need to be mentally prepared for that.” As he said this, Bai Jian’e glanced at Yue Dongbei, seemingly quite pessimistic about his prospects.

Yue Dongbei naturally understood what the other party meant. He raised his head and said proudly, "Don't worry, even if I work myself to death, I won't hold you back."

"How long do you estimate it will take to get there?" Luo Fei asked Bai Jian'e.

"If we go by ourselves, two days will be enough. With the three of you, it will take three to four days."

What else do we need to prepare ourselves?

Instead of answering, Bai Jian'e asked, "What do you have now?"

"Yes. Each of us brought a waterproof jacket, hiking boots, a backpack, a water bottle, a compass, and some food." Luo Fei listed them off in detail, "The larger items are a tent and three sleeping bags."

"That's enough. We'll prepare the rest." After saying that, Bai Jian'e turned around and waved to Wu Qun. "Go and get the map."

Wu Qun agreed and turned to leave the house. Bai Jian'e then explained to Luo Fei and the other two, "Although we will be leading the way the whole way, you still need to have a general understanding of the terrain so that you can respond to any unexpected events."

“That’s good.” Luo Fei nodded in agreement. He had the same idea, and now that the other party had taken the initiative to bring it up, it couldn’t be better.

Not long after, Wu Qun returned to the house, carrying a rectangular box about half a foot long.

The box looked heavy, its grayish-white color suggesting it was made of pure silver. Its exterior had an antique design, and it was inlaid with gold wire depicting terracotta warriors and horses.

"This box contains the Yunnan military and topographical map that Li Dingguo used back then," Bai Jian'e explained with a smile when he saw the surprised expressions on Luo Fei and the others' faces.

"Oh?" Yue Dongbei, who hadn't been interested in looking at maps before, immediately perked up. "Those are extremely valuable cultural relics. Let us see them!"

Wu Qun placed the box on the table, then gently lifted the lid, took out a large roll of fur-like material, and handed it to Bai Jian'e.

“This is…” Yue Dongbei’s eyes followed closely, then suddenly lit up, “Sheepskin! That’s right, that’s right! Ancient battle maps were drawn on sheepskin for waterproofing and durability!”

Bai Jian'e didn't reply. He opened the roll of fur, rummaged through it briefly, then pulled out a piece and spread it on the table.

It was indeed a white sheepskin. Although the leather had turned noticeably yellow due to its age, the map drawn in vermilion ink on the inside of the sheepskin was still clearly visible.

“Come and take a look, this is the topographical map of the route from Ni Hong Village to Terror Valley.”

Before Bai Jian'e could even call out, Luo Fei and his two companions had already gathered in front of the map. Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen, however, remained unmoved, still standing in their original positions, presumably already familiar with the map.

"This is Mi Hong Village, and this is our destination—the Valley of Terror," Bai Jian'e explained to Luo Fei and the others, pointing to two clearly marked red dots on the map.

"Hmm." Luo Fei looked at the directional markers in the corner of the map and judged, "Judging from the map, the Valley of Terror should be located a little over ten degrees south of due east of Mi Hong Village."

“To be precise, it’s 11.5 degrees.” Bai Jian’e gave Luo Fei an approving look, then continued to point on the map. “If we follow this road, we will pass through Mopan Mountain, Yijian Gorge, and Qingfeng Pass in that order.”

The three place names Bai Jian'e just mentioned were clearly marked on the map in small seal script, while Mi Hong Village and Terror Valley were not shown. However, this is logical. "Terror Valley" was a name given by later generations based on the legend of Li Dingguo, and "Mi Hong Village" was supported by the remnants of Li Dingguo's army. These two place names obviously could not appear on the military maps used by Li Dingguo.

"What does this mean?" Luo Fei noticed a thick solid line on the map. This line first bypassed Mopan Mountain, then met the path leading to Terror Valley at Yijian Gorge, and finally passed through Qingfeng Pass to reach Terror Valley, continuing eastward.

“This is the downstream section of the river in the village,” Bai Jian’e explained. “It will eventually flow into the Lancang River.”

Luo Fei nodded thoughtfully: "So, in terms of altitude, Terror Valley is lower than Mi Hong Village?"

“That’s right. Actually, the simplest way to get to the Valley of the Uncanny is to go downstream along the river. But that would be too roundabout, mainly because of Millstone Mountain in between. So we first need to go east over Millstone Mountain and then go downstream.”

"Looking at it this way, Mount Mopan seems to be a natural barrier standing in front of the Valley of Terror," Luo Fei said with a sense of insight as he looked at the map.

"Impressive, impressive!" Yue Dongbei suddenly clapped his hands and gave Luo Fei a thumbs up. "Back then, Li Dingguo used the strategic advantage of Mopan Mountain to engage in the last large-scale head-on battle with Wu Sangui's pursuers! If it weren't for that villain leaking military secrets, Wu Sangui would probably have been buried in the bushes of Mopan Mountain."

"Really?" Luo Fei suddenly became interested. "Please tell me more, Mr. Yue."

Yue Dongbei, naturally, wouldn't miss such an opportunity to show off his knowledge. He cleared his throat and began his eloquent speech: "That was February of 1659, the sixteenth year of the Shunzhi Emperor's reign. Li Dingguo led his remaining troops in a rout towards the southwestern border, while Wu Sangui's Qing army pressed forward relentlessly. Li Dingguo anticipated that the Qing army, after their repeated victories, would become arrogant and complacent, so he decided to set up an ambush in the thickets of Mopan Mountain. The first ambush was led by Dou Mingwang, the Earl of Tai'an; the second by Gao Wengui, the Marquis of Guangchang; and the third by Wang Guoxi, the Marquis of Wujing. The deployment was complete, and the Qing army, as expected, became arrogant and entered the ambush area with ease. Just at this crucial moment, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices of the Ming Dynasty..." Qing Lu Guisheng betrayed the Ming army and defected to the enemy, revealing to Wu Sangui the secret ambush plan laid by Li Dingguo. Wu Sangui was greatly alarmed and immediately ordered the Qing vanguard, which had already entered the second ambush area, to retreat and search for and kill the ambush troops hidden in the roadside bushes. The Ming troops, not daring to engage without orders, suffered heavy casualties. Dou Mingwang was forced to order the cannons to fire; the troops at the second and third ambush areas responded in kind, charging into the enemy ranks. A fierce and terrifying battle ensued, in which Qing general Gushan Ezhen Shalibu and others were killed, as were Ming generals Dou Mingwang and others. Li Dingguo, stationed atop a hill, heard the incorrect cannon firing sequence and realized the situation had changed. He dispatched reinforcements from the rear, finally repelling the Qing army.

After saying that, he glanced at Bai Jian'e triumphantly and said, "Well, Chief Bai, did I make any mistakes?"

“Indeed, Mr. Yue is indeed very knowledgeable.” Bai Jian’e seemed somewhat surprised. It’s not surprising that people interested in history know about the Battle of Mopan Mountain, but it’s truly impressive that Yue Dongbei can describe the commanders of both sides so accurately.

Luo Fei imagined the thrilling and dramatic battle from back then, and couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. He couldn't help but ask again, "So, in that battle, did Li Dingguo's side win or lose?"

"It's really hard to define," Yue Dongbei hesitated for a moment. "Perhaps the word 'pyrrhic victory' would be more appropriate."

"A Pyrrhic victory? What do you mean?"

"First, Li Dingguo repelled the Qing army's pursuit, which, from a strategic perspective, should have achieved its objective. Furthermore, the Ming army dealt a heavy blow to the Qing army, which held a clear advantage, in this battle. The Qing court was furious at its losses and, after a meeting of princes and ministers, punished several commanding generals the following June: Prince Duoni of the Dorok-Shin Commandery was fined 5,000 taels of silver; Prince Luo Keduo of the Dorok-Ping Commandery was fined 4,000 taels of silver; Prince Dulan of the Dorok-Beile Commandery was fined 2,000 taels of silver; and General Zhao Butai, the General Who Conquers the South, was dismissed from his post and reduced to commoner status. The extent of the Qing army's losses is evident. However," Yue Dongbei shook his head regretfully, "due to a leak of military secrets, the original ambush turned into hand-to-hand combat, resulting in significant losses for the Ming army itself. This attrition was undoubtedly devastating for Li Dingguo, whose forces were already at their limit, hence the term 'Pyrrhic victory'!"

"Alright, let's stop talking about these unrelated things." Zhou Liwei seemed uninterested in these matters and waved his hand. "Let's discuss the arrangements for tomorrow's departure."

Luo Fei smiled understandingly, asked no more questions, and turned his gaze to Bai Jian'e.

“Yes, this is the terrain along the way. You just need to get a general idea.” Bai Jian’e turned to Wu Qun and said, “You can put these maps away.”

Wu Qun stepped forward, put the sheepskin on the table into the stack of maps, and was about to roll up the stack of sheepskins when a piece of paper suddenly floated out from it.

The piece of paper fluttered gently and landed right on the table in front of Yue Dongbei. Yue Dongbei reached out and picked it up. It was a piece of Xuan paper, yellowish in color, with some decay at the edges, looking quite old.

There were a few lines of text written on one side of the paper. Yue Dongbei stared at it for a moment, then exclaimed excitedly, "Wow, Chief Bai, I didn't expect you to have so many treasures here!"

Bai Jian'e frowned but remained silent, a look of confusion in his eyes.

Luo Fei leaned closer curiously: "What is this?"

"If my judgment is correct, these should be notes written by Li Dingguo himself back then! This is extremely valuable to my research!" Yue Dongbei's eyes gleamed, and he looked at Bai Jian'e eagerly, "Chief Bai, how many more of these do you have? Bring them all here so I can see them!"

Bai Jian'e's reaction was somewhat unexpected. He turned to Wu Qun, put on a stern face, and asked, "What's going on? Where did this come from?"

Wu Qun looked completely bewildered: "I...I don't know either."

Luo Fei sensed something was amiss and asked Bai Jian'e, "What? Isn't this piece of paper yours?"

Bai Jian'e shook his head: "The three of us looked at these maps yesterday, how could this piece of paper suddenly appear?"

Zhao Liwen rarely spoke in front of the chieftain, but at this moment he couldn't help but interject, "Could it be hidden in sheep's clothing that we haven't discovered all this time?"

Bai Jian'e was silent for a moment, then shook his head noncommittally and asked Yue Dongbei, "What is written on this paper?"

"The so-called notes are actually what we now call diaries. We were just discussing the Battle of Mopan Mountain, and coincidentally, this note seems to have been written on the night of the battle. Let me read it to you." Yue Dongbei shook his head and began to recite the words on the Xuan paper, "In the Battle of Mopan Mountain, I planned for a long time, exhausting my efforts. Today, I finally got the opportunity, with the three periods of intense heat in order, and buried mines in the valley. If the enemy entered, the first period of heat would be activated; the second and third periods of heat would be activated. We would strike from both ends, and the enemy would be wiped out! Unexpectedly, Xiao Xiao leaked the secret, and the whole operation failed. The three armies were shed blood, and my heart is filled with pain! The only consolation is that I went into the enemy ranks alone, killed dozens of cavalrymen, suffered seven wounds, and finally captured the traitor Lu on the battlefield! Tomorrow at dawn, I will, in accordance with military law, execute the punishment of having his tongue pulled out, to inform the spirits of the fallen soldiers."

Since it was all written in classical Chinese, Luo Fei and the others didn't quite understand. Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen stared at each other blankly, completely bewildered. Bai Jian'e chuckled and said, "Mr. Yue, stop showing off your literary skills. We're all roughnecks, just explain what it means."

Yue Dongbei said smugly, "Alright, then I'll translate it for you. The first half of this passage is Li Dingguo's account of the events surrounding the Battle of Mopan Mountain, which is roughly the same as what I've described before. The second half is a bit interesting. Apparently, Li Dingguo risked his life to charge into Wu Sangui's army, killing dozens of enemies and sustaining seven wounds himself, finally capturing Lu Guisheng, who had leaked military intelligence. He planned to execute this guy by pulling out his tongue the next morning!"

"He killed dozens of riders and wounded himself in seven places... This Li Dingguo is truly exceptionally brave." Luo Fei exclaimed in admiration, then asked, "The punishment of pulling out the tongue is a bit strange; I've never heard of it before."

"Hehe." Yue Dongbei chuckled sinisterly. "This is a punishment created by Li Dingguo. Anyone who colludes with the enemy or leaks secrets will be executed by having their tongue ripped out while they are still alive."

A brief silence fell over the room as everyone imagined the horrific state of the tortured victim, sending chills down their spines.

Zhou Liwei was the first to sigh, "The leaker is certainly despicable, but such punishment is far too cruel."

Yue Dongbei chuckled: "You only know the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Li Dingguo's cruelty. If he weren't cruel, how could he have earned the reputation of a demon? If he weren't cruel, why would the Hamo tribe hate him like a monster, even after his death, they would still curse him with the most vicious curses? Hehe, now that the blood vial has been broken, I really want to see how the Hamo tribe trembles in fear in the face of a resurrected demon."

Yue Dongbei's words seemed to offend everyone present. Luo Fei spoke up, saying in a serious tone, "Mr. Yue, regardless of whether your theory is absurd or not, it is somewhat inappropriate to simply define 'Li Dingguo' as a 'demon.' I don't know much about history, but it seems that even if Li Dingguo had an evil and tyrannical side to his character, his wit and bravery cannot be denied. Moreover, from the perspective of national righteousness, he should be considered a hero of our Han people."

Yue Dongbei, however, did not back down. He shook his fat head and said, "National righteousness? We're not talking about national righteousness now. Officer Luo, have you forgotten? We came here to uncover the devil's secrets. But one good thing is that at least you've started to show interest in Li Dingguo. I believe you'll play a greater role in the investigation later."

"Please give me back the paper in your hand." Bai Jian'e coldly interrupted Yue Dongbei. "Our ancestors were all subordinates of General Li Dingguo. You seem to have said too much today."

Sure enough, Wu Qun and Zhao Liwen were glaring angrily at Yue Dongbei. The latter suddenly recalled the scene of Yue Dongbei brandishing his knife in front of the Dragon King Temple, which made him feel uneasy. He stopped talking and reluctantly handed the note to Bai Jian'e.

"Put it away first." Bai Jian'e handed the notes to Wu Qun. "Go back and examine it carefully to see if there are any other things hidden in the sheepskin."

Then he looked at Luo Fei and the other two and said, "That's enough for today. If the rain stops, we'll meet at the Dragon King Temple at 8:00 AM sharp tomorrow and set off as planned!"

(Note to this chapter: Historical records indicate that Lu Guisheng, who betrayed the enemy and leaked secrets during the Battle of Mopan Mountain, was not captured alive by Li Dingguo, but was instead rewarded by the Qing court with the official position of Military Commissioner of Linyuan, Yunnan. In addition, the actual location of Mopan Mountain is not Mengla, but Tengchong, Yunnan. Due to the needs of the plot, the novel has dared to make some alterations. I hope that friends who are familiar with history will not take it too seriously.)

Chapter Sixteen: Deep into the Jungle

That night, the three-day downpour finally stopped. This was undoubtedly good news for Luo Fei and his companions. To conserve their energy for the arduous journey ahead, they packed up early and went to bed. Knowing the three were leaving, Old Wang specially boiled extra eggs the next day, preparing a hearty breakfast. When settling the bill, Old Wang couldn't help but repeatedly give them some instructions. It was clear that even with the village chief's personal accompaniment, this kind man was still filled with worry about Luo Fei and his group's trip to the "Valley of Terror."

Luo Fei and his companions were naturally even more unsettled. From Kunming to Longzhou, and then from Longzhou to Mi Hongzhai, a series of bizarre events unfolded, yet the truth remained shrouded in mystery, difficult to discern. Phobia—prophecy—demon—blood vial—curse—these elements in the events were like a whirlwind; even approaching its outer edge, one could already sense the mysterious power within, filled with terrifying aura.

Now, the group is finally heading towards the heart of the whirlwind—the "Valley of Uncanny Terror."

What happened in the past, what happened recently, and what will happen in the future in that almost isolated jungle?

Does anyone know all the answers?

On the way to the Dragon King Temple, the three of them remained silent, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

Luo Fei thought of the man who had mysteriously appeared and then mysteriously disappeared. Who was he? Where did he come from? Where had he gone now? Was he just an ordinary tourist?

He seemed to want to contact me, so why did he ultimately avoid me? Could he have also gone to the Valley of the Uncanny? If so, with such heavy rain, why did he set off overnight—was he trying to get ahead of me?

The fact that he didn't hire a guide suggests that he knows the path to the Valley of Uncannyness.

There are too many questions that remain unanswered.