Uncanny Valley - Chapter 32
Shui Yidi unfolded the note with his left hand, while his right hand held the curved knife close to Luo Fei's neck. While keeping an eye on his opponent, he began to read the contents of the note.
“Shui Yi Die: Saintess Yakuma is dead. I am her twin sister and the new Saintess. I have many questions for you regarding the cause of Yakuma's death and the truth behind the 'demon's' rampage. I had some misunderstandings about you before, but today at the sacrificial site, I have witnessed your loyalty and courage. Please return to help me and fulfill the mission you should undertake as the Saintess's guardian. I will guarantee your safety. Luo is my friend; he will bring you to my side.”
Shui Yidi's body trembled slightly, tears welling up in her eyes: "Respected Holy Maiden... Yakuma, is she... is she really dead?"
Luo Fei reached out and placed a hand on Shui Yidi's shoulder. The latter looked up and met Luo Fei's gaze. Although Luo Fei didn't say anything, his eyes contained many things that couldn't be expressed in words: comfort, trust, and the courage to share a common enemy.
This is truly a strange man; his eyes seem to possess some kind of magic, capable of directly communicating with the souls of others. Thinking this, Shui Yiyi slowly relaxed her grip on the knife.
The two men stared at each other in this state. After a moment, Luo Fei broke the silence, saying in the Hamo language, "We need your help."
Luo Fei had learned this phrase from Xu Xiaowen before his departure. He spoke it slowly, and his pronunciation wasn't perfect, but it carried an undeniable sincerity. Shui Yiyi was completely moved by these words. He sheathed his scimitar and nodded to Luo Fei.
Luo Fei nodded in return, then strode towards the village to the northeast. Shui Yidie followed closely behind him; they had come together to fight a common enemy. The Hamo warrior, who had recently escaped death, entrusted his fate to a complete stranger, thus sealing his destiny as the protagonist of a new chapter in this cycle of fate.
When the village at the foot of the mountain reappeared before them, it was past midnight. At that moment, something unusual happened at the entrance to the village.
Dozens of torches illuminated the silent night. Anmi, Suotulan, Zhou Liwei, Yue Dongbei, Bai Jian'e, and Xu Xiaowen stood on the only path leading to the village, seemingly waiting for something. Behind them was a group of skilled Hamo warriors wielding swords.
Upon seeing this formation from afar, Shui Yidi couldn't help but feel some doubt. He slowly stopped and reached out to pull Luo Fei back.
Luo Fei was also somewhat bewildered. According to their prior agreement, Xu Xiaowen shouldn't have told anyone about her trip to find Shui Yi Die. How did things turn out this way?
After considering for a moment, Luo Fei gestured to Shui Yidi, indicating that he should wait where he was for the time being. Then he walked alone towards the brightly lit entrance of the village.
Under the watchful eyes of dozens of people, Luo Fei emerged from the forest. An Mi's expression changed, and with a wave of his right hand, the warriors behind him immediately swarmed forward, surrounding Luo Fei.
Luo Fei remained calm and composed. After An Mi and the others arrived in the circle, he said solemnly, "The Holy Maiden has already pardoned Shui Yi Die. You have no right to harm him again."
“Shui Yi Die?” An Mi frowned. “Have you found him?”
Luo Fei turned around and pointed to the dark jungle: "He's watching us, but I believe you can't catch him."
Upon hearing this, Anmi immediately took two steps toward the forest and then shouted loudly in Hamo: "Shuiyi, the Holy Maiden has pardoned you, and you have regained your status as the Holy Maiden's Guardian. None of us can control you. Come out of the forest, and stop hiding!"
The words reached Shui Yidi's ears, and he was overjoyed. He knew that although Anmi held many prejudices against him, she was a man of great integrity. Since she had said these words in front of so many people, she would definitely not go back on her word. Without further hesitation, he sheathed his scimitar, straightened his clothes, and strode out of the jungle. Soon, he arrived before the crowd.
The warriors with swords remained in a tight circle, not daring to relax their guard. Shui Yidi bowed to Anmi and said, "Lord Anmi, there are no enemies here now. Please have them put away their swords."
Anmi glanced coldly at Shui Yidi: "These matters are none of your concern. Please fulfill your duties, Holy Maiden Guard!"
Shui Yidi bowed and stepped back, then he came to Xu Xiaowen's side and knelt down on one knee.
Xu Xiaowen quickly helped the other person up, saying, "No need for such formalities." Then she took Shui Yidi's left hand with concern. The severed index finger was covered in mud, and the wound had not fully healed, with blood still seeping out.
Xu Xiaowen used her clean white sleeve to wipe the wound clean, then tore off a strip of cloth and carefully bandaged it for the other person, saying, "Let's leave it like this for now. We'll find some herbs to treat your wound properly when we get back. We all trust your loyalty, so please don't do anything like this again."
Shui Yidi felt a surge of warmth in her heart and choked out, "Respected Holy Maiden... Shui Yidi will be your most loyal guardian for the rest of my life."
Xu Xiaowen smiled slightly and stopped talking. Then she turned her head and looked at Luo Fei not far away, her face showing a worried expression.
Luo Fei also sensed that something was wrong. He looked around and saw that not only Xu Xiaowen, but also Suo Tulan, Zhou Liwei, Yue Dongbei, Bai Jian'e and others were looking at him. Their expressions were different, some were wary, some were surprised, and some were suspicious.
Luo Fei felt a chill run down his spine and suddenly realized: Could it be that these Hamo warriors with knives were targeting him?
Sure enough, Anmi walked up to Luo Fei. With a stern face, he took out a soft object from his pocket, unfolded it, and asked, "Luo, can you tell me what this is?"
Luo Fei stared intently at it and saw that it was a yellowish-white leather-like object. He had seen something similar in Mi Hong Village not long ago, so he immediately blurted out, "A sheepskin map?"
“To be more precise, it’s a parchment map of the Valley of the Uncanny,” Anmi said, spreading the map out in her hand so Luo Fei could see it clearly. The map indeed depicted the mountainous terrain of the Valley of the Uncanny, with some important locations marked. In the blank spaces, there were many strange numbers and symbols, densely packed together, their meanings unclear to Luo Fei at first glance.
"What do these things mean?" Luo Fei couldn't help but ask curiously.
"You don't know?" Anmi stared intently into Luo Fei's eyes. "Didn't you bring this map?"
"What did I bring?" Even if Luo Fei was very clever, he couldn't help but feel a little confused at this moment.
Anmi was silent for a moment, then took out another item and handed it to Luo Fei: "Take a look at this again, do you recognize it?"
A sharp knife, over twenty centimeters long. Luo Fei recognized it immediately; it was the one he had bought at an outdoor gear store before leaving Longzhou.
"This is my mountaineering knife," Luo Fei said in a deep voice, a chill running through him.
The blade was covered in bloodstains that had not yet completely dried, and under the flickering torchlight, it emitted an eerie and cold light.
“Dilga is dead.” Anmi’s eyes flashed with fury. “Someone cut the blood vessels in his neck and stuck this knife in his throat.”
"You think I killed him?" Luo Fei asked calmly. "But you all saw it. I just came back from the Valley of Terror."
“While you were talking to the Holy Maiden, Dilga came to report to me. I had him secretly follow you, but after he followed you out of the mountain stronghold, he never returned. I sent two more men out to search for him, and an hour ago, they found Dilga's body on a mountain path not far from here. The murderer even covered his body with this map.” Anmi stared intently at Luo Fei and said coldly, “At first, I just thought you were meddling in things that weren't your business, but now it seems the situation is much more serious than I imagined.”
As a criminal investigator, Luo Fei was well aware of how unfavorable the situation was for him. However, since arriving at Hamo Mountain Village, the knife had been kept in his backpack. Who had taken it out?
Someone was deliberately trying to frame him, resorting to despicable tactics to pin the blame! Too many weak explanations would only have the opposite effect, so Luo Fei met An Mi's gaze and said frankly, "I only have two things to say: I didn't kill Dirga; what are you going to do now?"
The other person's calm demeanor clearly affected Anmi, and his hostility subsided slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I will lock you in the water dungeon until I find out who killed Dilga—it may be you, it may not be you. Until then, you will not be harmed, but you will also lose your freedom of movement."
Luo Fei nodded. He knew that what An Mi had said was irreversible.
“No, Lord Anmi, you can’t do this,” Xu Xiaowen pleaded for Luo Fei. “Please believe me, he is a friend of our Hamo people.”
“Holy Maiden,” Anmi said expressionlessly, “you can decide the life or death of Shui Yidi, but you have no right to stop me from dealing with this person. I am the leader of the Hamo tribe, and I must be responsible for the safety of all my people.”
Xu Xiaowen bit her lip, wanting to say something more, but Luo Fei stopped her with a look. The latter then looked at An Mi and smiled with relief: "Lord An Mi, although I know I'm innocent, I won't be angry because of your decision. In fact, if I were in your position, I would have taken the same measures—before you send me to the water dungeon, I'd like to say a few words to my friends, is that alright?"
Anmi nodded in agreement, but then added, "You can't step out of this circle."
Luo Fei slowly walked up to Zhou Liwei and the others. The three Han Chinese who had entered Hamo Village with him all looked somewhat unnatural at this moment.
Yue Dongbei's fat face twitched, and he forced an awkward smile: "Officer Luo... how, how could this happen?"
Bai Jian'e sighed softly: "I believe you didn't kill Dirga."
Zhou Liwei didn't speak, but just stared intently at Luo Fei, as if waiting for the other to say something first.
Luo Fei's gaze swept across the three faces one by one, and then he said, word by word, "One of you framed me."
Yue Dongbei waved his hands repeatedly: "No, it definitely wasn't me."
"I want to know, after returning from the sacrificial site, which of you left alone?"
“I visited a few friends,” Bai Jian’e said calmly, “but I did not leave the village, as my friends can attest.”
“That doesn’t guarantee you’ll spend all your time with your friends.” Yue Dongbei glanced at Bai Jian’e, then turned to glare at Zhou Liwei. “You left the room later too. What did you do?”
“I just went out for a stroll.” Zhou Liwei snorted rudely. “To be honest, I just didn’t want to stay in the house with you. Besides, I didn’t go far. I even came back once, and you weren’t in the house then.”
"I... I only went to the toilet once, and that's all I did!" Yue Dongbei said somewhat awkwardly in his defense.
"So, the three of you won't be together anymore?" Luo Fei frowned, not expecting the situation to be so complicated. After pondering for a moment, he said solemnly, "The three of you can't stay together anymore."
"What?" Zhou Liwei and the others looked at each other, clearly not understanding what Luo Fei meant.
“I’m referring to when you’re sleeping at night,” Luo Fei explained. “Otherwise, some of you might be in mortal danger.”
Zhou Liwei narrowed his eyes warily: "You mean, the person who framed you will also harm others?"
Luo Fei nodded: "Actually, after discovering Liu Yun's body, I was already certain that there was a dangerous element among us. Because Liu Yun wanted to tell me something before he died, but he insisted on arranging for me to meet him alone. So after that, I remained 100% vigilant, preventing the other party from making a move. But I will soon be locked in the water dungeon, which is probably the effect they wanted to achieve?"
The meaning behind Luo Fei's words was very clear. Zhou Liwei and the other two remained silent for a moment, exchanging surprised and uncertain glances.
"Then we shouldn't separate, right?" Yue Dongbei suddenly said. "Separating would only leave him isolated. Does he think he can handle two people at the same time?"
Luo Fei was silent for a moment, then shook his head: "No, it's better to separate. Be careful on your own."
"Why?" Zhou Liwei asked, puzzled.
"Now that things have come to this, I will no longer hold back my words." Luo Fei suddenly turned his piercing gaze to Bai Jian'e. "Chief Bai, if there is any misunderstanding or offense, I hope you will not mind."
Bai Jian'e's brow twitched slightly: "Officer Luo, please speak frankly."
"Liu Yun's problem deserves deeper consideration. Why was he so hesitant in Mi Hong Village?" Luo Fei glanced at Zhou Liwei and Yue Dongbei. "Even if one of you had a problem, he could have publicly confronted you. Why did he have to secretly arrange a private meeting with me? After thinking it over, I can only come up with one explanation: the secret he knows might touch upon an even more powerful force, at least that's how it was in Mi Hong Village."
Bai Jian'e was stunned for a moment, then let out a cold laugh: "Officer Luo, are you doubting me?"
“It was just a suspicion, so I haven’t brought it up. But now, I have to say it. If this has nothing to do with you, I will sincerely apologize to you later. But—” Luo Fei’s tone changed, “If my guess is correct, then the three of you absolutely cannot stay together.”
The reason is very simple: the only innocent person is facing two dangerous enemies!
"Alright, that's all I have to say. You'd better watch yourselves!" Luo Fei's gaze swept over the three faces once more. His tone was a mix of soft and hard, serving as both a reminder to the innocent people in danger and a warning to the lurking dangerous individuals.
He had made it very clear that if Zhou Liwei and someone else from Yue Dongbei were to meet with misfortune, then the murderer would have essentially revealed his identity.
After saying this, he turned around and said, "Lord Anmi, please do as you say. I will not put up any futile resistance."
Anmi waved his hand, and four attendants carrying ropes approached Luo Fei.
Luo Fei couldn't help but smile bitterly. He never imagined that after more than ten years as a policeman, he would now have to experience the taste of imprisonment.
Chapter Thirty: Clues Emerge
As dawn broke and most of the villagers were still asleep, one man quietly slipped out of the village and headed towards the mountain path leading to the "Valley of Terror." This tall, thin man with thick eyebrows and piercing eyes was none other than Bai Jian'e, a descendant of the village chief Mi Hong and Bai Wenxuan. He strode forward, each step long, as if he were in a hurry to reach somewhere. In the tranquil morning light, he quickly found the spot from the previous day: a severed tree stump lay across the ground—the coded signal he had agreed upon with the mysterious figure.
Bai Jian'e placed the two large earthenware jars he was carrying on the ground and waited quietly. Before long, the dark figure appeared in front of him.
"Are all the things I asked for... ready?" The shadowy figure asked menacingly, staring at the two earthenware jars.
Bai Jian'e respectfully stepped aside: "Yes."
The dark figure opened the seal of the pottery jar, examined it, and then nodded with satisfaction: "Very good. Since you are so loyal, perhaps... I will consider pardoning the crimes committed by your Bai family."
Bai Jian'e felt deeply grateful and prostrated himself on the cold, damp ground. After a long while, when he raised his head again, the shadowy figure and the pottery jar had vanished.
"Let all this damn thing end soon. I don't want anything anymore. I just want to get through this safely. I'd be happy to be an ordinary mountain dweller for the rest of my life." He thought to himself as he got up and started walking down the mountain.
Over three hundred years of waiting ultimately turned into a nightmarish cycle, a truly disheartening outcome. According to ancestral teachings, the Bai family had lain dormant in these deep mountains for generations, seeking the mysterious "demon power," a power said to manipulate souls and grant its possessor unparalleled power and wealth. Now, the source of this power had finally been deciphered; the efforts of over a dozen generations had yielded an answer in Bai Jian'e's hands. Yet, all of this was rendered meaningless by "his" appearance.
Bai Jian'e was unwilling to explain these issues with the word "coincidence." He preferred to believe that this was a cycle of reincarnation. More than three hundred years ago, when his ancestor Bai Wenxuan personally unveiled the prelude to the feud, the foreshadowing that would determine the ending of the story had already been deeply buried.
Let's end it here. Whatever else "he" wants to do, let him finish it.
Unfortunately, one can never know where fate will lead them. Bai Jian'e never even imagined he would encounter Zhou Liwei on the mountain path.
Zhou Liwei stood with his hands behind his back on the only road leading to the village, his expression stern. When Bai Jian'e walked up to him, he coldly asked, "What are you doing in the mountains?"
“I went to see ‘him’.” After a moment of silence, Bai Jian’e answered truthfully, “I must do as ‘he’ says.”
"You've completely submitted to 'him'?" Zhou Liwei couldn't hide his anger. "Are you stupid? This will ruin everything we have! You should be on my side, and we'll find a way to get rid of 'him'!"
"Kill 'him'?" Bai Jian'e chuckled. "The jungle is his kingdom. Can the two of us do it? He has fallen into a terrible hell, but miraculously he has been reborn. This is the will of heaven. It is the heavens that sent him back to take revenge. It is a story that has lasted for more than three hundred years. The heavens also want to see the ending! Listen to me, the wisest thing you can do now is to stay quietly on the side and let all of this have nothing to do with you."
"None of my business? How could that be!" Zhou Liwei sighed heavily. "That Luo Fei, he has an amazing sense of smell and insight. He will follow the clues left by 'him' to discover all the secrets. Will he think that all of this has nothing to do with me?"
“What can someone who’s already been imprisoned in a water dungeon do?” Bai Jian’e looked at Zhou Liwei. “Besides, do you think killing ‘him’ will cover up those secrets? The truth is quite the opposite.”
Zhou Liwei's eyes twitched twice: "What do you mean by that?"
“He has already written down what he knows, and if anything happens to him, those documents will be made public,” Bai Jian’e said solemnly. “Therefore, our only choice is to help him fulfill his wish in the hope of winning his pity.”