Uncanny Valley

Chapter 18

Zhou Liwei also squatted down. He first examined the wound, then pried open the deceased's mouth and nose to take a look, and said, "The knife wound is not fatal. There is mud and sand in the deceased's mouth and nose, so the cause of death is still drowning."

"Attack? Drowning?" Yue Dongbei tilted his head back to the sky again, pondering how this person's death could be connected to the "Legend of the Demon." However, this time he seemed to have no clue. After a moment of confusion, he shook his head, his face full of frustration.

Luo Fei didn't express any opinion for the time being. He narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping over the deceased. After a moment, a detail caught his attention again.

The deceased's clothes were all neatly arranged, except for his left arm, which was rolled up high. This was clearly a deliberate act, because the cuffs of the raincoat were tightly bound, and even after being swept away by the current for a long distance in the river, it would be impossible for them to move so much on their own.

Luo Fei reached out and lifted the deceased's exposed forearm. On the outside of the forearm, he made a strange discovery.

There were also several sharp object scratches there, but these wounds were much shallower than those on the cheek, and they formed three letters: "d," "a," and "n." The wounds were very fresh, and could certainly have been made shortly before death.

The others also noticed this strange phenomenon and crowded around, looking puzzled.

"What is this? Could it be a mark left by the person who attacked him?" Zhou Liwei wondered.

Luo Fei shook his head: "No, since it has been determined that the deceased ultimately drowned, this mark could not have been made by the attacker."

"Could he have carved it himself?" Zhou Liwei clicked his tongue in disbelief. "What was he trying to express? Was it information about the attacker? 'Dan'? Chief Bai, are there any people with the surname 'Dan' in Mi Hong Village?"

Bai Jian'e was taken aback: "People with the surname 'dan'..."

“It has nothing to do with the surname 'dan'.” Luo Fei decisively shook his head to prevent Bai Jian from engaging in useless speculation. “This is not pinyin, it should be English. Look at this 'd', the stroke ends with a deliberate curve, while in Chinese pinyin, the vertical stroke is straight.”

"English?" Yue Dongbei joined the discussion. "But there isn't such a word in English."

Luo Fei thought for a while and had an answer in his mind, but out of habit, he did not say it immediately.

“This may not be a complete word. If the deceased left this mark during the attack, he may only have had time to complete half of it.” Luo Fei guided the group’s thinking step by step.

"Danger!" Yue Dongbei exclaimed suddenly, his mind racing. "He's issuing a warning: Danger!"

“That’s right, it means danger. Now, we can connect the points we just discussed one by one and guess what happened to the deceased. Let me share my thoughts first, and you can listen and see if there are any inconsistencies.” Luo Fei paused briefly to organize his thoughts, and then said, “That night, the deceased asked me to meet him at the entrance of the village. But on his way there, he was attacked. Judging from the knife on his cheek, the attacker clearly intended to kill him. In his hasty escape, he used a small knife or something similar to carve half an English word on his arm. Then, he was swallowed by the flood—either by accident or by the attacker. He only managed to complete the letters 'd,' 'a,' and 'n.' In English, common words starting with 'dan' are 'dance' and 'danger.' In that situation, 'danger' undoubtedly had a more practical meaning. Of course, he certainly didn’t need to describe that he was in danger; he left the word ‘danger’ in the hope that if he died, this signal would be passed on to the living. I believe that person is me, or rather, us.”

Everyone listened quietly as Luo Fei finished speaking, without offering any objections. Considering all the clues, this speculation was indeed irrefutable.

"So when he asked you to meet, he actually wanted to give you some warnings about the danger, right?" Yue Dongbei thought about it more deeply.

Luo Fei nodded solemnly: "Very likely."

Zhou Liwei followed this line of thought: "He probably knows something we don't yet know. That's why the attackers wanted to kill him."

"Is he trying to persuade us not to go to 'Terror Valley'? Did he foresee something terrible happening along the way?" Yue Dongbei shrugged and looked at Bai Jian'e with a sympathetic gaze.

"He finally issued the warning. Although it came a little late." Luo Fei stared intently at the deceased's pale face and said softly, his words filled with gratitude.

Liu Yun could no longer understand Luo Fei's feelings. This young man, who came in search of a secret, finally got his wish and grasped a great secret, but he would never have the chance to tell it.

Fortunately, Luo Fei had already communicated well with the deceased in his own way. In fact, he was thinking about a question that hadn't been mentioned earlier.

No one noticed that a fine layer of sweat was seeping from Luo Fei's forehead.

Although the question remains unanswered, it has already sent chills down Luo Fei's spine!

Danger is imminent!

Chapter Twenty: The Demon Appears

Now that Liu Yun's body had been discovered, everyone naturally had a duty to bury it. However, unlike Wu Qun, burying Liu Yun in the mountains was only a temporary measure; his family would surely come looking for the body later. Luo Fei looked around, hoping to find an easily identifiable spot. Soon, he had a target: on the edge of the jungle not far from the riverbank, a large tree stood tall, about seventy or eighty meters high, with a diameter of about two meters; the dense jungle could not conceal its majestic form.

Upon inquiry, Luo Fei learned that this tree is a Class I protected plant in China, found only in the river valleys and slopes of Yunnan. Because it towers above all other trees, it has earned a rather imposing name: the Sky-Gazing Tree. Judging from its shape, it must be at least a thousand years old.

The Hopea tree! Even if it can't see the sky, it must have seen everything that happens in this jungle, right? Unfortunately, it can't speak. Although it knows the joys and sorrows of thousands of years, it can only keep it buried forever like a secret.

Liu Yun's body was temporarily buried at its foot. A mountain breeze swept by, causing the branches and leaves to rustle, making a sound like weeping or sighing.

Why does the tragedy that happened hundreds of years ago still not end today?

After disposing of Liu Yun's body, it was completely dark. The group sat around the campfire, waiting to spend their second night in the mountains.

Having experienced the previous night, everyone's feelings were complex. The flickering firelight reflected their solemn expressions, creating an atmosphere that was both heavy and eerie.

Is that terrifying "demon" lurking in some dark corner, watching them? In his eyes, are these people as weak and helpless as lambs to the slaughter?

"All indications, including some facts that have already occurred, suggest that we are in a dangerous situation." After a long silence, Luo Fei broke the oppressive silence. "Therefore, vigilance is essential tonight."

"Don't worry," Bai Jian'e said, pointing at Zhao Liwen. "The two of us will take turns keeping watch at night."

"No! Night watch must be done in pairs, and everyone must participate!" Luo Fei said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Two people on night duty? Is that really necessary?" Yue Dongbei grinned, seemingly very unwilling to participate in this arduous task.

Luo Fei immediately focused his gaze on Yue Dongbei. His eyes were like two sharp swords, radiating an irresistible sharpness.

Unable to meet that gaze, Yue Dongbei lowered his head and mumbled timidly, "...Fine, if it has to be this way, then I'll do it your way..."

“From now on, everyone must follow my instructions. I am a police officer, and in this critical moment, I must be responsible for everyone's safety.” Luo Fei's gaze shifted from Yue Dongbei to the others present. “Does anyone have any objections to this?”

No one spoke. In this situation, they truly couldn't find any reason to refute Luo Fei's suggestion.

“Since no one objects, let me first arrange the night watch order for tonight.” Luo Fei had already made arrangements in his mind, and now he said methodically, “Bai Zhaizhu and I will be on the first shift, from 10 pm to 12:30 am; then Zhao Liwen and I will be on the third shift, from 12:30 am to 3 am tomorrow; Teacher Zhou and Mr. Yue will be on the third shift, from 3 am to 5:30 am. This way, each of you will be on one shift and will have five hours of sleep. I will be on two shifts, so I will only have two or three hours of sleep. Therefore, I will take a nap before 10 pm, and you cannot go to sleep before then.”

Everyone was stunned by Luo Fei's arrangement. Yue Dongbei and Zhou Liwei, in particular, exchanged an awkward glance.

Yue Dongbei gave an awkward, wry smile and said to Luo Fei, "Officer Luo, what do you think... could we switch? How about I work the first shift with you?"

“We can’t adjust it. What time is it now? You two should put aside your personal disagreements for now and not let things get out of hand internally.” Luo Fei’s gaze swept over everyone’s faces again, then he reached to his waist and pulled out a pistol.

This is a black Type 54 7.62mm pistol. Although Luo Fei always carries it with him, he rarely takes it out to use.

In the fight against crime, intelligence is far more important than brute force. This was the first thing Luo Fei heard from his teacher in his first class after entering the police academy. For more than a decade, this has remained the rule he has always adhered to when handling cases.

But today, Luo Fei has brought out this partner who is both familiar and unfamiliar. What kind of crisis will he face?

The gun gleamed coldly. Luo Fei removed the magazine, ejected the bullets one by one, checked them all, and then loaded them back in, one by one. Then he solemnly said, "Those on night duty must remain extremely vigilant. If anything unusual happens, the first thing to do is to sound the alarm. If anyone becomes negligent, the consequences will be unimaginable. Please, you must trust me!"

Everyone sensed the weight in Luo Fei's tone, and even Yue Dongbei became solemn.

"I've already loaded this gun, and I'll hold it in my hand even when I'm sleeping," Luo Fei said, carrying the pistol towards the tent. "Alright, I'm going to rest for a while now. Wake me up at ten o'clock."

The night grew deeper. Bai Jian'e, Zhao Liwen, Zhou Liwei, and Yue Dongbei kept watch together until ten o'clock. Then Luo Fei got up, Zhou Liwei and Yue Dongbei went back to their tents to sleep, Zhao Liwen rested on the spot, and Bai Jian'e and Luo Fei began their first round of night watch.

The night was silent, yet the darkness seemed to conceal endless dangers.

At 12:30, Luo Fei and Zhao Liwen took charge of the second round of night duty, followed by the third round... Everything proceeded according to the plan designed by Luo Fei.

Luo Fei wasn't lying. Even after he finished his night watch and crawled into his sleeping bag, his right hand still gripped the pistol tightly, as if he were always ready to deal with any sudden change.

In an atmosphere of unease, the group finally passed their second night in the mountains safely. When the morning light illuminated the camp again, Luo Fei woke up from his sleep and let out a long sigh of relief.

Nothing happened. Does this mean that my plan has worked?

The others seemed much more relaxed. After tidying up the campsite and having a simple breakfast, they began another day's journey.

The entire morning was spent traversing "One Arrow Gorge." It's named "One Arrow Gorge" because of its treacherous terrain; the gap between the two mountains is only about the width of an arrow. The river meanders through the gorge, and in some extremely narrow sections, the group had to wade through the water.

However, the scenery in the canyon was quite unique. Majestic green mountains stood on both sides, and a babbling river flowed beside them. Wild animals frequently came down into the valley to drink water, and when they saw the group approaching, they would retreat into the forest warily, but they did not go far, only quietly watching these unfamiliar uninvited guests.

Around noon, the group finally reached the end of the canyon. The terrain ahead became flatter, but the overall downward trend was still noticeable.

"This is Qingfengkou," Bai Jian'e introduced the location to everyone. "Let's take a break and have lunch."

"Are we getting close to our destination?" Luo Fei remembered that "Qingfengkou" was the last place name marked on the map.

"It's about a two-hour journey. Just follow this river down, then turn south, and you'll arrive. Terror Valley..." Bai Jian'e stared ahead in silence, lost in thought. After a moment, he turned to Luo Fei and said quietly, "If nothing unexpected happens, we should reach the Hamo tribe's village today."

The group found a dry spot between the jungle and the river to rest, took out their rations, and ate. After a morning of arduous trekking, everyone's water bottles were almost empty. Zhao Liwen dug a small water pit by the riverbank, and soon it was filled with clear water seeping from the river.

"Go and fill everyone's kettles," Bai Jian'e instructed Zhao Liwen.

Zhao Liwen agreed and walked over to pick up everyone's water bottles one by one. Just as he was about to leave, Luo Fei suddenly said, "Wait."

Zhao Liwen stopped in his tracks, puzzled.

Luo Fei smiled and said, "Put down the three of our water bottles. We'll each fetch our own."

Zhou Liwei, quick-witted, immediately understood Luo Fei's intention. His expression changed, and he looked at everyone in turn with a hint of surprise and doubt.

Zhao Liwen stood frozen, looking at Bai Jian'e questioningly. Bai Jian'e, his face grim, asked in a sinister tone, "Officer Luo, what do you mean by this?"

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Yue Dongbei gave an embarrassed laugh, trying to smooth things over: "Hehe, although we have Wu Qun's experience to learn from, Officer Luo, aren't you being a little too cautious..."

"Given the current situation, we can't be too careful." After some assessment, Zhou Liwei sided with Luo Fei. "Everyone should follow Officer Luo's instructions. Chief Bai, don't take it to heart."

Bai Jian'e sneered: "Alright, then everyone take your own water bottles and each of you fetch your own."

Zhao Liwen threw down the water bottles belonging to Luo Fei and the other two, and walked towards the riverbank. Although he didn't say a word, his expression and behavior showed great dissatisfaction.

Zhou Liwei stepped forward, picked up the water bottles, and handed them to Luo Fei and the other man, saying, "Let's go too." With that, he turned and walked ahead.

Luo Fei and Yue Dongbei also got up one after the other and followed. When they arrived at the water pit, they saw Zhao Liwen fill his and Bai Jian'e's water bottles first, then glared at Luo Fei unfriendly and turned to leave.

After he walked away, Zhou Liwei lowered his voice and asked, "Officer Luo, do you think there's something wrong with those two?"

Luo Fei pondered for a moment before replying, "I'm not deliberately suspecting anyone, but in these extraordinary times, it's best if each of us doesn't leave any oversights in our actions."

Zhou Liwei nodded silently, indicating that he understood Luo Fei's meaning. Then he squatted down, dipped his water bottle into the pit, and filled it with clean water.

Yue Dongbei grinned disdainfully, muttering to himself, "How could Wu Qun's death lead to suspicion about the two of them? Nonsense, utter nonsense."

Luo Fei had no interest in wasting time arguing with him at this point. He simply smiled faintly, fetched some water, and turned to leave.

Yue Dongbei watched Luo Fei's retreating figure, shaking his head with a hint of helplessness, muttering to himself, "Too vigilant, an occupational hazard, an occupational hazard..."

This little incident created a somewhat subtle tension in the relationships among the group. During the break that followed, everyone ate and drank with their heads down, no one wanting to say anything more in the atmosphere.

Bai Jian'e maintained a somber expression, his emotions seemingly the most complex. The "Valley of Uncanny Beauty" was now within reach, and his guiding mission would soon be complete. But would that mysterious "demon power" simply let him go?

After everyone had finished eating and drinking, Bai Jian'e stood up first: "There's only one more leg of the journey left. Let's hurry up and set off. We can rest properly when we reach the Hamo people's village."

Luo Fei nodded and was about to call everyone to set off when a strange feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

The feeling seemed to arise from the deepest part of one's heart. At first, it was faint, but it quickly spread and permeated the whole body!

A terrifying feeling!

Luo Fei looked around blankly. Just then, he heard a burst of laughter.

The eerie laughter, dry and hoarse, pierced the eardrums. Though it was laughter, it contained a multitude of chilling emotions: sorrow, hatred, despair, fear, and grotesque cruelty…

In short, the feeling this laughter evoked was far more miserable and terrifying than any crying Luo Fei had ever heard!

Everyone stared in astonishment at the jungle not far away.

The laughter came from that place.

Zhao Liwen gritted his teeth, drew his sword with a "whoosh," and strode toward the source of the laughter.

Bai Jian'e shouted, "Wait, let's go together!" With that, he drew his sword and rushed to Zhao Liwen's side in a few steps.