Uncanny Valley - Chapter 25
Luo Fei watched Anmi and Shui Yidi's confrontation from the sidelines, and learned the content of their conversation from Sotulan. Then he asked with some curiosity, "Has the Holy Maiden never come to ask him any questions?"
Sotulan paused for a moment, his expression suddenly becoming somewhat awkward. Before he could speak, Anmi interrupted, "After the sacred object was lost, the Holy Maiden fell ill and has been bedridden for nearly half a year. She has only just begun to recover these past two days."
"So that's how it is." Luo Fei nodded, then looked at Shui Yidi in the cell. "It seems that some of the secrets involved can only be unraveled by the Holy Maiden."
“The Holy Maiden will appear tomorrow night.” Anmi understood the meaning behind Luo Fei’s words. “Our people have not seen the Holy Maiden for far too long. At that time, I will bring Shui Yi Di here and let him face the Holy Maiden’s judgment.”
"That's great." Luo Fei showed a satisfied expression, after all, a day's wait wasn't too long.
A cold mountain wind swept by, and the rain suddenly intensified. Raindrops fell on the surrounding wooden rooftops, making a series of rapid, rhythmic sounds.
Anmi looked up at the sky, his expression somewhat lost. He must have been recalling the terrible plot that the "demon" had nearly succeeded in during the torrential rain hundreds of years ago.
Shui Yidi also raised his head, his eyes wide. His head was uncovered, and soon he was soaked to the bone.
Sotulan coughed lightly and said to Anmi, "My lord, let's go back."
Anmi nodded, then looked at Luo Fei and the others: "I will arrange accommodations for you. What are your plans now?"
Luo Fei already had an idea in mind, and now he said it: "We want to go and see 'Terror Valley' tomorrow. We hope that Lord Anmi can find us a guide who is familiar with the route."
“Go to ‘Valley of Terror’? There’s no one more suitable than Dilga.” Anmi pondered for a moment, then added, “High Priest Sotulan, take two more warriors with you. Since the demons are nearby, it’s better to be careful going there now.”
Sotulan bowed deeply, saying, "As you command, sir."
Anmi stopped speaking and led the way out of the water prison, with the others following behind. Dirga bowed but did not accompany them. Due to the heavy rain, the group walked quickly and soon reached the edge of the mountain pool, leaving the dark and gloomy prison behind in the wind and rain.
Suddenly, a series of hoarse shouts came from the water prison, which could be vaguely identified as Shui Yidi's voice.
Anmi stopped in his tracks, as if taken aback, but he only glanced back once before continuing on his way.
"Shui Yi Die? What is he talking about?" Luo Fei asked curiously.
Sotulan silently shook his head, followed by Anmi, without answering.
“He wants Anmi to release him so he can protect the Holy Maiden and fight against the demons.” Bai Jian’e came to Luo Fei’s side and answered his question. Then, looking at Anmi and Sotulan’s backs, he said meaningfully, “But now, it’s clear that no one believes him anymore.”
Chapter Twenty-Six: Exploring the Valley
Anmi arranged for Luo Fei and the others to stay in a room next to his own quarters. The room had two sections, an inner and an outer one. Originally, the four attendants had been sleeping in separate rooms, but now Luo Fei and the others slept in one room, while the attendants slept in the other. Although it was a bit crowded, it was much better than sleeping in the jungle for the past two days. At Luo Fei's request, they stayed in the inner room, which separated them from the outside world, effectively acting as their protectors.
Luo Fei stood by the back window for a long time, cold raindrops occasionally lashing his face with the wind. He didn't flinch, because this sensation kept his mind sharp; he indeed had too many things to analyze carefully.
After overcoming numerous dangers, they finally arrived at the valley, the very heart of all the strange occurrences. The answer seemed within reach, yet more and more mysteries began to surface. The past day could only be described as breathtaking. The enigmatic "demon" that had lurked since the beginning of Mi Hong Village finally revealed itself. "He" killed Zhao Liwen, knocked Zhou Liwei unconscious, and even the cunning Bai Jian'e was terrified. In that jungle, "he" truly seemed to possess some kind of unstoppable power.
And I experienced something terrifying I'd never felt before in my life. The overwhelming terror still sends shivers down my spine when I think back on it. Was this the legendary "power of the devil"? It appeared in Li Dingguo's army hundreds of years ago, and now it's not only resurrected in the Valley of Terror, but its reach has even extended thousands of miles to Longzhou. What exactly is it?
Some clues could be gleaned from Sotulan's account at the banquet, but Luo Fei still hoped for a more authoritative explanation.
"Teacher Zhou, what's your opinion on that so-called 'Gu technique'?" Luo Fei turned around and asked.
Zhou Liwei, like the other two, was sitting on the bed, lost in thought, each seemingly preoccupied with their own problems. Hearing Luo Fei's question, he was clearly still lost in his own thoughts, muttering absentmindedly, "Gu techniques? Gu techniques..."
“Yes.” Luo Fei raised his voice and took two steps forward until Zhou Liwei looked up at him before continuing, “Back in Longzhou, you gave me a lecture on ‘phobias.’ Today, when I heard Sotulan mention Gu magic, I immediately connected the two. Perhaps the key to uncovering the truth of the Longzhou case lies here.”
Zhou Liwei pondered for a moment: "You mean, those patients with phobias are actually victims of some kind of witchcraft?"
“Very likely! Li Dingguo used this kind of Gu technique to control his army back then. Now I want to know, what exactly is this Gu technique? What methods can be used to control a person's mind? I hope you can give me some answers from a professional perspective.” Luo Fei’s eyes gleamed.
“Then I’ll start with the character ‘蛊’ (gu),” Zhou Liwei said, licking his lips as he began to explain. “‘蛊’ is composed of the character for ‘insect’ on top and the character for ‘vessel’ below. It’s a typical ideographic character, representing an insect kept in a container. The ancients believed that ‘蛊’ possessed mysterious and unpredictable properties and was extremely toxic, hence it was also called ‘poisonous gu’. It could enter the human body through food and cause illness. The patient would be bewitched as if by a ghost, their mind confused. The legendary method of creating poisonous gu was to put various highly venomous insects, such as snakes, scorpions, and lizards, into the same container, causing them to devour and kill each other. The only surviving insect at the end was the ‘蛊’.”
"So, 'Gu' is actually closely related to 'poison'?" Luo Fei said thoughtfully. "Then, is it possible for Gu poison to cause mental illnesses, such as extreme fear?"
Yue Dongbei was also drawn to the conversation between the two, staring intently at Zhou Liwei. After all, the experience at noon had left a deep impression on him.
Zhou Liwei nodded: "Of course it's possible. 'Poison,' scientifically speaking, is a chemical substance that the human body cannot tolerate. Back in Longzhou, I explained that any mental illness is ultimately caused by an imbalance in the body's chemical secretions. Therefore, it is entirely possible to drive a person crazy through specific chemical toxins. This is solid science and has nothing to do with witchcraft or ghost stories."
"Is that what happened?" It was Yue Dongbei who spoke, shaking his large, round head. "Chemical toxins, that does sound somewhat reasonable."
Luo Fei glanced at Yue Dongbei with a hint of surprise. Yue Dongbei understood his meaning and grinned, "All my research follows one principle: it must be based on facts. I will never cling to views that benefit my own school of thought. On the issue just now, I agree with Professor Zhou's statement. And this does not mean that you have overturned my scholarship. It is entirely plausible that the devil would commit evil by using Gu poison. Otherwise, why would Gu magic, which disappeared for over three hundred years, reappear with the breaking of the blood bottle? And how do you explain the various mysterious omens related to Li Dingguo and the deaths of Zhao Liwen and others along the way?"
Luo Fei lowered his head and remained silent. Indeed, these questions remained shrouded in mystery. They had originally come to investigate the mysterious illness that had appeared in Longzhou, and had just made some progress, but this had unearthed an even greater crisis and enigma.
"Could it be that person's curse? Starting from Longzhou..." Luo Fei murmured, as if talking to himself. Then he shook his head, and after a moment of silence, he posed the biggest question in his mind, "Who exactly is he?"
"That person" clearly refers to the mysterious demonic figure that appeared at noon. Upon hearing Luo Fei mention "him," everyone's expression changed, and they each recalled their own experiences.
“Chief Bai, perhaps you can answer this question,” Zhou Liwei suddenly said coldly. “Of all the people, only you had contact with ‘him’ while you were conscious.”
Luo Fei also focused his gaze on Bai Jian'e. He had actually wanted to ask this question for a long time, but he hadn't found a suitable opportunity since An Mi and the others suddenly appeared.
Bai Jian gave a wry smile: "I've already said that I can only see 'his' eyes and can't make out 'his' face at all."
"Then why did you let 'him' go so easily?" Zhou Liwei pressed.
“I can’t stop him. You have no idea how terrifying he is.” Bai Jian’e’s voice trembled, completely unlike that of a powerful chieftain. “His power and his hatred are all burning in his eyes. No one will dare to oppose him.”
Luo Fei coldly sized up Bai Jian'e. The man's face was full of expressions of being on the verge of despair, but occasionally his eyes would flash, revealing a trace of hope that still remained in his heart.
"Why didn't he kill you?" Zhou Liwei was very dissatisfied with Bai Jian'e's answer and pressed on, "But all your men are dead, and they were just working for you!"
Bai Jian'e was speechless for a moment, unsure how to answer the question.
Yue Dongbei suddenly chuckled twice: "That is indeed an interesting phenomenon. But think about it, in the holy war described by Sotulan, the person Li Dingguo hated most was Bai Wenxuan, who betrayed him, right? He had already put his sword to Bai Wenxuan's neck, but in the end he didn't kill him. So the reborn 'demon' also won't kill Chief Bai. As for the reason, that's hard to say."
Bai Jian'e nodded at Yue Dongbei, seemingly grateful that the other had gotten him out of a tight spot. Then he said to Zhou Liwei, "That person acts so strangely, appearing and disappearing without a trace. Who knows what 'he' is up to?"
“Strange?” Yue Dongbei shook his head. “I think ‘his’ purpose is very clear: he’s here for revenge. His former subordinates who defected to the enemy, the Hamo people, are all ‘his’ enemies. Otherwise, why are all your men dead, while the three of us are unharmed? ‘He’s’ just intimidating us; he didn’t intend to kill us. This is ‘his’ display of that terrifying power, perhaps a small warning.”
Luo Fei suddenly chimed in, "How do you explain the victims in Longzhou City?"
Yue Dongbei scratched his head, his face flushed, and after a moment of awkward silence, muttered, "This...this...still needs further verification and research..."
"Alright, let's talk about something practical." Luo Fei waved his hand, then turned to Zhou Liwei, "If it's Gu magic, then it definitely needs to be poisoned through food, right?"
"That's basically it, but not absolutely. It could also be through skin penetration, or even inhalation through the mouth or nose. But there must be some kind of contact, that's for sure." Zhou Liwei's answer was simple and clear, demonstrating his excellent qualities as a professor.
Luo Fei hummed in agreement and continued, "So, how do you think Mr. Yue and I were poisoned this afternoon?"
"You guys?" Zhou Liwei first looked surprised, then seemed to realize something and exclaimed, "Were you under a spell at noon?"
Luo Fei's expression was serious: "Besides that, I can't think of any other explanation. At the time, I felt immense fear and experienced some hallucinations. This must be the effect of that legendary mysterious Gu technique. Mr. Yue, your experience was similar to mine, wasn't it?"
Yue Dongbei grinned, and said with lingering fear, "Impressive, truly impressive. If it had lasted a few more minutes, I'm afraid I would be just like those madmen locked in the water dungeon now."
“Yes, you guys were acting a bit strange before I ran into the jungle.” Zhou Liwei gently patted his head, recalling the situation. “Later I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up, you were all fine. So how did you recover?”
"That's exactly the question I was about to ask you. In fact, we didn't do anything. It's like a nightmare; after waking up, everything is normal again. From a professional perspective, what could be the reason for this?"
Zhou Liwei pondered for a long time, and finally shook his head helplessly: "I don't know... Is the effect of this Gu poison divided into long-term and short-term effects? I haven't seen the materials used to make the Gu poison, I don't know its pathogenic mechanism, and I can't analyze any of these."
Luo Fei nodded understandingly: "Yes. You're a scientist, it's really asking too much of you to imagine things out of thin air... We'll go to the Valley of Uncanny Things tomorrow and hopefully make some discoveries."
Yue Dongbei clapped his hands: "Yes, yes, yes! Judging from the legends of the Hamo people, the materials for making Gu poison are mostly in the 'Valley of Uncanny'. Hehe, Professor Zhou, if you can figure out the secret, it would be quite an achievement in medicine."
Zhou Liwei snorted and retorted ungratefully, "This is a tropical rainforest, full of strange and unusual plants and animals. How could it be so easy?"
Luo Fei frowned, knowing that Zhou Liwei's situation was indeed a thorny problem. He had inexplicably fallen into this trap today, and it was truly unsettling not to find out the reason behind it. Thinking of this, a thought suddenly struck him, and he recalled something else, saying to Zhou Liwei, "Professor Zhou, when you were in Longzhou, you developed some drugs specifically for treating that kind of phobia. Did you bring those drugs with you?"
Zhou Liwei understood that the other party was worried about being poisoned by the Gu technique again and wanted to use those drugs for self-defense. He shrugged and made a regretful expression: "That drug hasn't been tested yet. I only synthesized a bottle based on the principle, and then it was lost..."
"Lost?" Luo Fei asked, somewhat puzzled. "How did it get lost?"
Zhou Liwei gave a wry smile: "I don't know either. Anyway, they disappeared before we even set off. The time in Longzhou was particularly busy, and things were all a bit chaotic."
Luo Fei shook his head and sighed, unable to hide his disappointment. Then he looked at everyone and said, "Alright, everyone, get some rest. We'll have to be fully prepared for tomorrow's 'Valley of Terror'."
I haven't had a proper rest for two days in a row. Tonight, I should be able to get a good night's sleep, right?
Although the four of them had their own worries, they were exhausted both physically and mentally from the journey. After lying down on their beds, they quickly fell asleep.
Nothing happened that night, except the rain grew heavier. Everyone slept until dawn the next day. Soon after, servants brought breakfast. Luo Fei thought to himself: The Hamo people are indeed warm and hospitable; compared to this, Li Dingguo and that "Zhou's" behavior seemed all the more despicable.
After the meal, Sotulan and Dirga arrived as promised. Anmi's four close followers, having received instructions from their chief, also assigned two to accompany them on the trip to the "Valley of Terror." Outside, the rain was pouring down, and before setting off, everyone donned raincoats made by the Hamo people themselves. These raincoats were crafted from layers of glossy, shiny leaves, making them comfortable, lightweight, and highly waterproof.
With everything prepared, Dilga led the way, and the group plunged into the rain. They walked through the village for a while, and soon passed by the mountain pond again. There, they saw Sotulan stop, gazing at the pond in the distance with a worried expression.
"What's wrong? Is something the problem?" Luo Fei noticed his unusual behavior and asked promptly. The others also stopped and turned their faces towards him.
“The water is rising very fast,” Sotulan said softly. “At this rate, the houses on the shore will be flooded in less than two days.”
Luo Fei and the others had walked this road when they entered the village yesterday, and they still had a vague impression of it. After hearing what Suotulan said, he immediately noticed it: sure enough, the water level was much higher than yesterday evening, and the most obvious sign was that some trees that used to grow by the pond were now submerged at the roots.
As everyone gazed at the mountain pond in the rain and sighed, suddenly a "plop" was heard, and a dark object shot down from a tree branch and landed in the water. The object was small, but it moved with great speed, splashing water everywhere.
"What's that?" Luo Fei asked curiously, glancing at the branch. There were four or five similar-looking things hanging on the branch; in the rain, they appeared blurry, like strings of large black chili peppers.
The Hamo people were already used to it. Sotulan smiled faintly and replied, "That's a fish."
"Fish?" Luo Fei and the other two exclaimed almost in unison, their hearts filled with astonishment. How could a "fish" grow on a tree?
“This is a type of fish native to the mountains of Yunnan,” Bai Jian’e explained from the side. “We Han Chinese call it ‘big-headed fish.’ This fish usually lives in shallow water in the crevices of rocks, using suckers on its chest to attach itself to the rocks, so it is also called ‘stone sticky fish.’ When it rains heavily and the water level rises above the trees, they will climb up the trunks and hang from the branches. If disturbed, they will immediately spring back into the water.”
"Heh, this is interesting." Yue Dongbei's curiosity was piqued, and he walked over to the tree by the pond. After looking carefully for a while, he made a new discovery: "Hey, there's a thing climbing up here!"
Luo Fei took a few steps forward, and sure enough, on the tree closest to the shore, there was a "big-headed fish" clinging to a height of about half a person. Upon closer inspection, the fish was about an inch long, with a black back and yellow chest, a large head and a small tail, and a long and broad dorsal fin. Its body was rounded, giving it a powerful appearance.
Yue Dongbei stretched out his chubby hand and slowly approached the fish, clearly intending to catch it. However, the fish was very agile; suddenly, it arched its body and shot out like a compressed spring. Yue Dongbei quickly swung his hand to scoop it up, but his palm only grazed the fish. The fish instantly disappeared into the water.
"So close, so close." Yue Dongbei shook his head regretfully, first expressing his disappointment, then exclaiming, "Ouch, my hand!"
Luo Fei was startled and stared at him. He saw that there was a wound on the middle of his index finger, as if it had been cut by a sharp instrument, and blood was already seeping out.
The others gathered around, and seeing Yue Dongbei's disheveled appearance, Bai Jian grinned maliciously: "This fish has a sharp dorsal fin, just like a knife, so you'd better be careful."
Yue Dongbei glared at him, clearly annoyed that he'd spoken too late and was now gloating. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep; after applying pressure for a while, the blood gradually congealed, and there was nothing seriously wrong.
This seemed to be just a trivial incident. The group didn't pay much attention and continued on their journey. Only Yue Dongbei muttered a few words, but seeing that no one paid him any attention, he quickly forgot about it.
After leaving the village, the group headed southwest. They hadn't gone far when the terrain gradually became steeper, and the trees and forests grew denser. Luo Fei had previously surveyed the area and knew they had climbed the low hill beside the village; on the other side of the hill lay the legendary, mysterious "Valley of Terror."
Although this path was also rugged and difficult, it paled in comparison to the mountain peak they had crossed just two days earlier when they left Mi Hong Village. Not only was the slope much gentler, but there were also clear paths to follow in the jungle.
"This road seems to be frequently used?" Since the journey wasn't strenuous, Luo Fei had the leisure to ask this question as he walked.
Of the Hamos traveling with us, only Sotulan was fluent in Chinese, so naturally only he could answer the question: “Our people live by fishing and hunting. There are many birds and animals in the ‘Terror Valley’ area, so our people often go there to hunt. But about half a year ago, one after another, people went crazy from fright in the ‘Terror Valley’, so fewer people went there.”
"How long has this situation lasted? I mean, there have been incidents where people have gone insane from fright."
"The real trouble only lasted three or four days. After that, Lord Anmi posted notices in the village, and almost no one dared to go there anymore."
"Didn't Lord Anmi go to inspect the valley?" Luo Fei was convinced that all these strange events were caused by human error, and given Anmi's character, he shouldn't have hesitated to step forward when his people were harmed.
Sure enough, Sotulan's answer confirmed his guess: "Of course I've been there, and more than once. Dilga participated in those searches of the mountain, but we didn't find any clues. Lord Anmi, though a great warrior, was helpless in this situation. So the search of the mountain stopped. However, Lord Anmi specifically appointed Dilga as his guard, and he had to accompany anyone who wanted to go to 'Terror Valley'."
"Oh, no wonder Dilga is leading the way today." Luo Fei pondered, glancing at Dilga's imposing figure in the distance. Clearly, this wasn't an easy task; it required extraordinary courage.
Sotulan seemed to see through Luo Fei's thoughts and said, "Dilga is a rare warrior in our tribe. He volunteered for this mission. And with him by our side, no one was scared into madness afterward. Lord Anmi admires him very much and often says: It seems that even demons fear his power."