Uncanny Valley - Chapter 17
Everyone was puzzled and turned their questioning gazes toward them.
Yue Dongbei looked at Bai Jian'e solemnly: "Indeed, your situation is very dangerous. But running back to Ni Hong Village will not solve the problem—wasn't Xue Mingfei killed in Ni Hong Village? The 'power of the devil' has been resurrected, and this power must be sealed away again before you can have a chance to be saved. And the only ones who can do this are the priests of the Hamo tribe who have been passed down through generations."
"You mean we have to find the priest of the Hamo tribe and seek his help?" Bai Jian'e asked in a low, deliberate tone, his mood seemingly quite heavy.
Yue Dongbei shook his head slightly: "It's not as simple as him helping you; you must unite. The Hamo tribe has lost the blood vial and must be in a state of panic. The 'demon' will not let them go. However, if you can work together and with my guidance, you may have a chance of victory. After all, the 'demon's power' was subdued by the Hamo warriors more than three hundred years ago. Since history has happened before, it is possible for it to repeat itself."
Bai Jian'e frowned and fell into deep thought.
"I don't agree with you going back either," Zhou Liwei said, surprisingly helping Yue Dongbei persuade the other side. "No matter what happened, running away will only make you more passive. You have to stay. Since the problem has arisen in the jungle, it should be solved in the jungle! The longer it drags on, the bigger the trouble will be!"
Zhou Liwei's words seemed to have a profound impact on Bai Jian'e. He suddenly looked up, and the two briefly locked eyes. Zhou Liwei's gaze was firm and unwavering, and ultimately, it made Bai Jian'e make a certain decision.
Bai Jian'e didn't say anything more. He nodded firmly and then glanced at Zhao Liwen beside him.
"I will avenge Xue Mingfei and Wu Qun!" Zhao Liwen said, meeting Bai Jian'e's gaze. Although his voice was not loud, his tone revealed a ruthless edge that was frightening.
Bai Jian felt a sense of relief amidst his disgust. Of his close associates, Xue Mingfei was the most loyal, but when it came to being capable and reliable, Zhao Liwen was undoubtedly the best. Although the current situation was perilous, with such a subordinate, it might not be impossible to turn things around.
With the agreement reached, everyone packed up the campsite and began preparations to continue their journey. Wu Qun's body, of course, couldn't be taken with them, so everyone worked together to dig a simple grave by the roadside and temporarily bury the body. The residents of Mi Hong Village deeply respected nature, and for them, being buried in the mountains after death was a fitting end.
With everything settled, it was nearly 10 a.m. when they set off again. Without Wu Qun, Bai Jian'e had to lead the way alone. The group continued onward, heading downhill. Compared to when they set off yesterday, the group was missing one person, and everyone's mood had changed considerably. Very few people chatted during the journey; apart from Yue Dongbei, who seemed quite excited, everyone else appeared preoccupied.
However, going downhill was easier than climbing uphill yesterday, and there were no unexpected situations along the way. By around 5 p.m., everyone had successfully arrived at the foot of Mopan Mountain.
"We should reach One Arrow Gorge soon. Let's hold on a little longer, and we'll settle down at the gorge entrance," Bai Jian'e said, turning back to the others.
"Don't worry. I'm in great shape today." Yue Dongbei felt that Bai Jian'e was worried about his stamina, so he quickly replied, "I can walk for another two or three hours without any problem."
Bai Jian'e shook his head: "We can't go any further once we reach Yijian Gorge. In this kind of weather, it's very dangerous to camp in the gorge at night."
After traveling east for another ten minutes, the faint sound of a rushing river could be heard. Luo Fei's heart skipped a beat; he knew they were about to encounter the river. Sure enough, the group followed Bai Jian'e through a dense forest, and suddenly their vision opened up before them.
At this point, the group had officially crossed Mopan Mountain and arrived outside the jungle. A river flowed from the southwest, curving along the mountainside a short distance ahead and flowing eastward. The group was now standing on the riverbank.
Luo Fei knew this was the small river in Mi Hong Village. As they traveled eastward and crossed Mopan Mountain, the river made a bend at the foot of the southern side of the mountain, finally reuniting with them on the eastern side of Mopan Mountain.
After its long journey, the river had grown much larger. At this point, the river's span was more than thirty meters, but the current was slower than when it was in Ni Hong Village.
The group walked eastward along the riverbank. The path was not only easy to walk, but also offered beautiful scenery nestled against the mountains and beside the water. Their long-standing depressed mood seemed to improve as a result.
After walking about two or three miles, two mountain peaks suddenly rose abruptly in the distance, forming a valley between them. This valley was not only narrow but also winding and long, its end unpredictable. The river meandered along the valley, and from a distance, it looked like a giant snake burrowing into a crevice in the rocks.
Bai Jian'e stopped and pointed to the mountain pass, saying, "One Arrow Gorge is just ahead. Let's stop here and rest on the riverbank."
Without Bai Jian'e needing to explain further, Luo Fei understood immediately from the terrain ahead why they couldn't stay in the canyon at night. The mountains in the canyon were extremely narrow, only about fifty meters wide. Within those fifty meters, the riverbed occupied most of it, leaving very little open space on either side. If they camped there and the water level rose overnight, they would have nowhere to hide and could very likely be swallowed by the flood.
“If the rain hadn’t stopped yesterday, the river would have filled the canyon, and we would have been stuck here.” Bai Jian’e looked at Zhou Liwei and said again.
Zhou Liwei smiled and said, "Finally, things went as planned and our schedule wasn't delayed."
The group immediately divided up their tasks and began setting up camp. It was still early, so no one was in a rush. Luo Fei and his two companions pitched their tents, while Bai Jian'e and Zhao Liwen went for a walk in the woods and brought back a considerable amount of firewood.
Besides firewood, Zhao Liwen also chopped a two-meter-long green bamboo. While everyone else started eating dinner, he wasn't in a hurry. He sat down and began fiddling with the bamboo. He used the tip of his knife to carve a hole at one end of the bamboo, then took out a ring of grayish-black thread from his bag and firmly tied it into the hole.
"Hey, aren't you eating? What are you doing over there?" Yue Dongbei couldn't contain his curiosity and asked loudly.
Zhao Liwen kept his head down and didn't answer, but Bai Jian'e offered a brief explanation: "He wants to eat something special."
"Are you fishing?" Luo Fei noticed the float on the "gray line" and the sharp hook about the size of a thumb at one end, and made this guess.
Sure enough, Zhao Liwen hooked a small piece of dough onto the hook, then went to the riverbank, flicked his wrist, and the hook, dragging the fishing line, fell into the river.
"Are there many fish in this river?" Zhou Liwei couldn't help but ask when he saw this.
Bai Jian'e replied simply: "Anti-Wave Fish".
"That name is a bit strange. Is it a species unique to this area?" Luo Fei always maintained a great deal of curiosity about fresh food.
Bai Jian'e nodded: "This fish is very fierce and strong. It always likes to swim upstream, hence its name."
"Oh?" This introduction only increased Luo Fei's interest. He squinted and stared intently at the fishing line in the water.
Not long after, the float suddenly moved, and the slack fishing line was immediately taut.
Zhao Liwen's spirits lifted, he held the green bamboo in his left hand, and with his right hand he pulled out a cleaver from his waist.
Luo Fei was taken aback: "Why would you use a knife while fishing?"
"It must be a wave-resistant fish. Look how tight the fishing line is. Without some special method, the fish would tear its lips to try and escape."
Bai Jian's words were vague and ambiguous. While Luo Fei was pondering what this "special method" meant, Zhao Liwen had already provided the answer with his actions. He flicked his wrist, placing the back of his knife on the fishing line, and then moved it back and forth like playing a violin, the back of the knife scraping against the line producing a piercing "buzzing" sound. The fishing line sounded like it was made of something like beef tendon.
Although the sound wasn't loud, it was extremely penetrating, making Luo Fei and the others irritable and restless. The fish in the water, their heads still attached to the fishing line, were in a terrible state. After four or five rounds, the fishing line finally slacked off.
Zhao Liwen leisurely pulled the fishing line, dragging the hooked fish out of the water. The fish was in a semi-conscious state. It was slender and not very big. Just by looking at its appearance, it was hard to imagine that it had such great strength in the water.
There seemed to be quite a few anti-wave fish in the river. A few minutes later, Zhao Liwen caught another one. He then put his fishing rod on the riverbank, took his catch back to the camp, skewered the two fish with thin sticks, and roasted them over the campfire.
Before long, the fish began to emit an enticing aroma. Although Yue Dongbei had already eaten the dried meat and flatbread, he was still tempted. Seeing that Zhao Liwen had no intention of sharing with others, he chuckled and said, "I'll give it a try too." As he spoke, he walked to the campfire and reached out to touch the machete that Zhao Liwen had placed on the ground.
Zhao Liwen suddenly became alert, his right hand shot out like lightning, snatched the cleaver, and then, in a flash, the blade was already pressing down on Yue Dongbei's chubby arm.
Yue Dongbei's face changed color in horror: "What...what are you doing?"
"Xiao Zhao, aren't you being too nervous? Mr. Yue just wants to borrow your knife for a bit," Zhou Liwei said, frowning.
Zhao Liwen remained silent, only staring warily at Yue Dongbei.
“He’s a knife addict. If Mr. Yue wants to go fishing, he should take my knife.” Bai Jian’e threw his machete on the ground and gave Zhao Liwen a disapproving look.
Yue Dongbei took two steps back, picked up the machete that Bai Jian'e had thrown down, muttered complaints under his breath, and then headed towards the riverbank.
Luo Fei watched the scene unfold without showing any emotion, feeling a bit strange himself. The camp was full of their own people; Zhao Liwen's reaction was indeed a bit too sensitive. Could it be that beneath his fierce exterior, he was actually filled with fear of that "mysterious power"?
Yue Dongbei strolled to the riverbank, picked up his fishing rod, hung the prepared flatbread on the hook, and then, imitating Zhao Liwen's earlier actions, swung his arm and cast the fishing line into the water. Luo Fei, seeing his clumsy movements, chuckled and shook his head, clearly indicating that this person was unfamiliar with the art.
After a long time, still no fish took the bait. Yue Dongbei grew anxious and reeled in the line to check. The dough was still properly hooked, with nothing unusual about it. Yue Dongbei walked back and forth along the bank several times, chose a new spot, and then cast the line back into the water.
This time, the casting motion was much more coordinated than before. The hook flew high into the air, tracing an arc before sinking into the depths of the river with a soft "plop."
Yue Dongbei tried to lift the fishing rod slightly, but as soon as he raised his hand, he felt a sudden weight on his wrist and the fishing line became taut.
"Haha, a fish has taken the bait!" Yue Dongbei laughed triumphantly, quickly raising his machete and using the back of the blade to pull back and forth on the fishing line.
"How could it be so fast?" Luo Fei muttered in surprise. Looking around, he saw that Bai Jian'e and the others also looked puzzled, clearly sensing that something was amiss.
Yue Dongbei, however, remained enthusiastic and eagerly pulled the fishing rod back. The bamboo, under the force, had already bent into a deep arc.
"Hehe, this fish of mine is quite big!" Yue Dongbei turned around and called out, "Someone come and help me!"
"The fishing line is just taut, but there's no movement at all. It's definitely not a fish; it's probably just hooked on some weeds at the bottom of the river," Zhou Liwei analyzed with a slightly sarcastic tone.
Bai Jian'e nodded slightly, seemingly agreeing with his point of view.
Seeing Yue Dongbei frantically reeling in his line and pulling back the rod, looking flustered and overwhelmed, but to no avail, Luo Fei stood up with a smile: "I'll go help him; it would be a shame if he broke the fishing rod."
After saying that, Luo Fei quickly walked a few steps to Yue Dongbei's side. He helped hold the fishing rod with both hands, saying, "Don't pull too hard, you have to control the force!"
Guided by Luo Fei, the two of them pulled the fishing rod together, changing the angle several times. Finally, the fishing line, which was submerged in the water, trembled slightly and slowly emerged towards the surface of the water.
Seeing that the fishing line was loose, but the strength in his hand did not decrease at all, Luo Fei had a sudden thought: this was not water plants, but rather something heavy in the river that had been hooked.
After several days of heavy rain, the river water wasn't very clear. Luo Fei and his companion pulled the fishing line back two or three meters, and then saw a dark, indistinct object slowly rise to the surface, dragged by the hook.
"Hey, this isn't a fish, what is this?" Yue Dongbei muttered in surprise.
Luo Fei's hands moved without stopping, his eyes fixed intently on the water's surface. The object drew closer and closer, gradually revealing its true form. Luo Fei's heart skipped a beat, and his expression changed drastically: it was a corpse dressed in black!
Yue Dongbei saw it clearly at this moment and shouted in disbelief, "A dead man! How could it be a dead man?!"
Bai Jian'e and the others were sitting comfortably in the camp watching the excitement when they suddenly heard Yue Dongbei shout those words. They all jumped up and hurried towards the riverbank.
When the three arrived, Luo Fei and Yue Dongbei had already pulled the body out of the river. The deceased was lying face down on the riverbank. He was bloated and wet, and judging from his figure, he should be a man.
The turn of events was so sudden that Bai Jian'e and Zhao Liwen stood frozen in place, their expressions somewhat dazed. Zhou Liwei was also speechless, appearing extremely surprised. Luo Fei, on the other hand, frowned deeply, his mind racing. Only Yue Dongbei seemed to have discovered something, shouting excitedly, "Look at the clothes he's wearing! This is the person we met at Mi Hong Village!"
Indeed, the deceased was wearing a black hooded raincoat, dressed exactly like the man Luo Fei and his companions had encountered in the rain. Only now, his hood was draped loosely to one side, revealing a head of messy, wet hair.
Luo Fei turned to look at Zhou Liwei, who understood his meaning and nodded in agreement with Yue Dongbei's judgment.
"Is this the guest who appeared in the village a couple of days ago? How could he have died here?" Bai Jian'e asked, looking astonished.
This is precisely the question Luo Fei is pondering. However, the more meaningful action now should be to first examine the true face of the deceased.
Luo Fei stepped forward and squatted down beside the body. He gently removed the fishhook from the deceased's clothes and then turned the body over.
Due to prolonged immersion in water, the deceased's skin had turned pale, his face was swollen, and signs of decomposition had appeared. Even so, it was still quite clear that the deceased was a young man in his twenties.
Luo Fei stared at the deceased's face for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?" He looked up at Zhou Liwei and said, "Teacher Zhou, who does this person look like?"
Zhou Liwei stroked his chin, pondered for a long time, and then said, "He looks somewhat familiar, but I can't remember who he is."
Luo Fei nodded: "It's normal that you can't remember, after all, you've only met him once."
Yue Dongbei scratched his bald head: "Do you guys know this person? Who is he?"
Zhou Liwei and the others focused their gazes on Luo Fei, seemingly waiting for an answer.
"Do you remember the first time I went to your office? There was a young man with me and the forensic doctor Zhang that day. I thought he was your student." Luo Fei used his words to steer Zhou Liwei's thoughts back to Longzhou City a few weeks ago.
"A reporter! It's that reporter from that website!" Zhou Liwei seemed to suddenly remember, "He's the one who leaked the details of the Longzhou case to the public!"
"Liu Yun." Luo Fei announced the deceased's name, and then briefly recounted the relevant information about this person to the others.
"Oh, so the article I read online was written by him?" Yue Dongbei exclaimed after listening to Luo Fei's story. "So, if it weren't for him, none of us would have had the chance to come together!"
"Why did he come here too? And since you know him, why doesn't he contact you?" Bai Jian'e asked, very puzzled.
Luo Fei knew that Bai Jian'e had a hard time understanding the way online social reporters operated, and he was too lazy to explain. He looked at Zhou Yue and the other man, and said with a wry smile, "He must have followed the three of us all the way here, trying to find out some inside information that could attract attention."
“He is indeed a thoughtful person.” Yue Dongbei showed a rare solemn expression. “Although we came here for very different reasons, his fearless spirit of exploration is admirable. As a reporter, he has performed very professionally.”
Zhou Liwei ignored the inappropriate comment and frowned, saying, "The question now is, how did he die here? Did he cross Mopan Mountain alone and then encounter some accident, or—was he attacked in some way?"
"No!" Luo Fei categorically denied Zhou Liwei's guess. "We just experienced the road conditions on Mopan Mountain. Without a guide, he absolutely could not have made it. Moreover, judging from the condition of the body, he had been dead for at least a day or two."
Zhou Liwei thought for a moment: "It's also possible that he didn't die here, but his body was washed over by the river—if that's the case, he most likely fell into the water in Ni Hong Village."
This idea is quite reasonable. Even Yue Dongbei clapped his hands and chimed in, "That's right, that makes perfect sense. Didn't he ask you to meet him at the village entrance on the night of the heavy rain? But he didn't show up. And there happened to be a flash flood that day. I think he drowned in the flash flood."
Luo Fei had initially thought the same thing, but certain details on the corpse caught his attention. He leaned closer, examined it carefully, and then solemnly shook his head: "His cause of death is probably not that simple."
"What do you mean?" Zhou Liwei caught the hidden meaning in Luo Fei's words and immediately asked.
“Look here.” Luo Fei picked up the dead man’s hair and pointed to the left side of his face, saying, “This is a knife scar. He was attacked before he died.”
Sure enough, there was a gash on the deceased's cheek, running from the eyebrow to the ear. Although the blood had long since dried in the river, it was clear that the gash had been made by a sharp object and was quite severe.