Uncanny Valley

Chapter 33

“Is that so…” Zhou Liwei’s face turned deathly pale. “'He’… 'he' already knows about our relationship?”

"You don't need to be so nervous." Bai Jian'e looked at Zhou Liwei's desperate expression and seemed to find it somewhat amusing. He patted the other's shoulder and comforted him, "Think about it, if 'he' already knew, would 'he' have let you go at Qingfengkou?"

"That's good..." Zhou Liwei's expression relaxed slightly, and then he gave Bai Jian'e a grateful smile.

...

Meanwhile, Luo Fei was being held in the same water dungeon where he had been imprisoned in Shuiyi. As we've mentioned before, it might not be quite a cell; calling it a "cage" would be more accurate.

The roof and sides were made of wooden stakes, offering no protection from wind or rain. With his hands bound, Luo Fei lay on the cold floor. When he opened his eyes, he could see the branches of the large trees on the shore swaying gently outside the cage above his head.

Under such circumstances, Luo Fei had already suffered greatly after just one night. One can imagine the immense physical and mental torment that Shui Yidi endured during his six months of imprisonment here. His courage and perseverance in persevering and seizing the opportunity to escape are truly admirable.

To Luo Fei's slight relief, although he had no freedom of movement and his body was suffering from various pains, his mind remained clear and his thinking ability was not affected in any way.

He had just woken from a restless sleep, and now he was focusing his mind and organizing his thoughts.

Since entering the "uncanny valley," numerous clues and threads have emerged, from the past to the present... history, legends, reality... You seem to have been able to discern one or two threads among them, but unfortunately, when you observe from a holistic perspective, you cannot find a unified and logical explanation.

There is still one missing link, a crucial link, with which all the chaotic branches can be woven into a meticulous net that will tightly bind those absurd rumors, allowing people to glimpse the truth within.

Luo Fei had already spotted the link, but it was shrouded in a thick fog, making it impossible for him to discern anything. Countless times, he had closed his eyes, trying to relive that hazy memory from Qingfengkou. His gaze pierced through the black fog, meeting those bloodshot eyes; he wanted to see the other person's face clearly.

Who is "he"? What does "he" want to do?

This is the link! And it's the focus of all the current confusion.

Luo Fei had a vague feeling that something truly significant was about to happen. At this crucial moment, being imprisoned in a water dungeon was undoubtedly a very embarrassing and unexpected turn of events.

Admittedly, this was due to his underestimation of the adversaries lurking among him. Yes, he had already sensed their outlines, and uncovering their true forms seemed only a matter of time, so he relaxed, hoping his relaxation would lull them into a false sense of security, thus revealing their true nature more clearly. Unexpectedly, they suddenly launched a counterattack.

Before being taken to the water dungeon, Luo Fei received Anmi's permission to conduct a preliminary examination of Dirga's body. The deceased's head was slightly tilted to the left, and the fatal wound was on the right side of his neck.

One can imagine that as Dilga followed him into the forest, the murderer crept up from behind, hooked his left arm around the victim's head, covered his mouth and nose with his hand, and swiftly slashed with the sharp blade in his right hand. The movement was clean, sharp, and accurate, killing the victim instantly, without even giving him a chance to scream.

Dirga is one of the most formidable warriors of the Hamo tribe, so doing this to him wouldn't be an easy task. Of the three, it seems only Bai Jian'e possesses this ability?

Yes, based on his whereabouts yesterday, Bai Jian'e is indeed the most suspicious. Before and after meeting the Holy Maiden at the sacrificial site, he claimed he was going to "visit a few friends," a claim that is clearly not very convincing. So, what exactly did he do there?

Luo Fei pondered these questions repeatedly in his mind until Xu Xiaowen and Shui Yidi's arrival interrupted his thoughts around noon.

Anmi's two close attendants were in charge of guarding the water prison. One of them was still injured. When they saw Shui Yidi, they couldn't help but feel resentful and embarrassed. However, since she had regained her identity as a Holy Maiden's Guard, she was someone they couldn't afford to offend.

Shui Yidi, however, was very magnanimous. He took the lead in bowing and said in a friendly manner, "The two warriors have endured great hardships for the safety of their people. On behalf of the Holy Maiden, I thank you."

His words were very sincere, as if he had completely forgotten the scene of the other party trying to take his life last night. This action undoubtedly gave the other party enough face, and the expressions of the two attendants immediately softened a lot. They returned the greeting and then said respectfully to Xu Xiaowen, "Your Excellency, we are here to guard the prisoners on the orders of Lord Anmi, and we must not make any mistakes."

“Luo is our friend, he is innocent, and Lord Anmi will release him sooner or later.” Xu Xiaowen glanced at the two of them and said calmly, “But I will not make things difficult for you. I am just here to bring him some food.”

The two attendants breathed a sigh of relief and stepped aside, but their eyes remained fixed on the basket in Shui Yidi's hand, remaining extremely vigilant.

Hearing the conversation outside, Luo Fei shakily stood up, walked to the fence, and said with relief, "You've come."

“I brought you some food.” Xu Xiaowen switched to Mandarin, and her voice became much softer. “I should have come earlier, but this morning, something happened in the village—one of your friends died.”

"Who?" Luo Fei's heart clenched. He had made his intentions so clear to the three men before he went to prison, so how could someone still have met with misfortune?

Xu Xiaowen softly uttered three words: "Bai Jian'e".

Luo Fei was taken aback at first, then quickly realized what he meant. Yes, yes, this was exactly the effect of his words. Bai Jian'e had begun to expose himself, so the other guy killed him to silence him. He had planned everything meticulously, only thinking of protecting the sole innocent victim, but he couldn't prevent internal strife from brewing.

Luo Fei shook his head helplessly, then asked, "Where is the scene? Have you gone to see it? What's the situation?"

Xu Xiaowen nodded and hummed in agreement, then glanced at Shui Yidi beside her. The latter understood, and took out an earthenware bowl from the basket. The bowl was filled with freshly stewed meat, still steaming and emitting a fragrant aroma. Luo Fei hadn't eaten since last night and immediately felt ravenously hungry.

Xu Xiaowen took the earthen bowl, then looked at Luo Fei with bright, sparkling eyes: "Officer Luo, please forgive me for not being able to untie the ropes binding your hands. Then... may I feed you?"

Luo Fei's heart skipped a beat, and he unconsciously avoided the other person's gaze. However, given the situation, there was no other way, so he could only nod.

Xu Xiaowen smiled brightly, picked up a piece of meat with her right hand, and stretched it through the gap in the fence. At the same time, she said, "I will tell you the details. You don't need to say much, just listen. Your task now is to eat more. Only when you are full and have energy can you get out of this predicament and help us deal with those bad guys."

Her words and expression were full of sincere care and trust. In his situation, these words undoubtedly touched the softest parts of Luo Fei's heart, and a wonderful warmth welled up and spread throughout his body.

Luo Fei opened his mouth and took the piece of meat offered to him, his lips and teeth inevitably making slight contact with the other woman's soft, white fingers. In that instant, both of them clearly reacted instinctively. Xu Xiaowen blushed slightly, withdrawing her hand as she said, "Bai Jian'e... Bai Jian'e's body was found on a mountain path not far from the village. He had been stabbed near his heart, but the stab didn't kill him immediately. He ran several dozen meters into the mountains, splattering blood everywhere along the way."

Although Xu Xiaowen's words seemed like a deliberate attempt to distract him, Luo Fei immediately focused his attention and listened attentively to her story. When he took the piece of meat from her plate again, it was a completely subconscious action, and there was no awkwardness between them.

But Xu Xiaowen continued, "Many clansmen reported that after the sacrificial ceremony last night, Bai Jian'e went to their homes and asked for some lamp oil at each household."

"Lamp oil?" Luo Fei mumbled the two words, having just put a piece of meat in his mouth and not yet having had time to chew it slowly.

"Yes, all this lamp oil is put together, and there's quite a lot of it." Xu Xiaowen tilted her head slightly. "I wonder what he needs so much lamp oil for?"

Luo Fei quickly chewed a few times, swallowed the piece of meat halfway down, and then asked, "Didn't you go to his place to check?"

Xu Xiaowen took a teapot from Shui Yidi and held it into the cell, feeding Luo Fei water as she answered, "Anmi and the others searched carefully but couldn't find the lamp oil. This morning, some tribesmen saw Bai Jian'e carrying two pottery jars out of the village, and he later died on the mountain road. Could it be that he took the lamp oil into the jungle?"

"Have you found those two pottery jars in the woods?"

“There’s nothing near the body, at least. Anmi is still leading people to search the area. I wonder if they’ll find anything.” Xu Xiaowen took turns serving Luo Fei water and pieces of meat, carefully tending to his meals.

"Could it have been taken by 'him'?" Luo Fei muttered to himself after a moment of contemplation.

Xu Xiaowen didn't understand who Luo Fei meant by "he". She blinked and asked according to her own train of thought, "Could the person who took away the lamp oil be the same person who killed Bai Jian'e?"

"The only wound was near his heart—the assassin knew him and struck when he was off guard; the stab wasn't immediately fatal—the killer's method wasn't very skilled; Bai Jian'e fled into the depths of the mountains after being wounded—the killer must have come from the direction of the mountain stronghold..." Luo Fei analyzed point by point, "Judging from these circumstances, it shouldn't have been that guy who did it, it seems more like..."

Who is it?

Luo Fei shook his head and stopped speaking. Although he had a general idea of the answer, he wasn't used to speaking hastily until he was absolutely certain.

Seeing his reaction, Xu Xiaowen didn't press him further. After Luo Fei finished the bowl of meat, she wiped her hands with a handkerchief, then took out a slip of paper from her pocket and handed it through the fence, saying, "This is something I found in the table drawer when I was cleaning the wooden house on the day I arrived at the village. I didn't think much of it at first, but after hearing Shui Yidi talk about the origin of this slip of paper today, I find it a bit strange."

Luo Fei glanced at the note, and his brows twitched immediately. Although the note was old, the eight Chinese characters written on it were still clearly visible: "Among the Hundred Family Surnames, Zhou ranks first."

This is exactly what the young man in the mental hospital always said when introducing himself.

"What's the strange origin of this note?" Luo Fei asked impatiently.

"According to Shui Yidi, the situation is like this: The person who took the blood vial had been mingling in the village for nearly half a year and was quite familiar with many people, but he had never seen the Holy Maiden Yakuma. This was because my sister usually kept to herself and rarely went out; even ordinary villagers rarely saw her, let alone men from other tribes. Half a year ago, this person suddenly came to request an audience with the Holy Maiden, but my sister refused him. So he wrote this note and asked Shui Yidi to deliver it. Strangely, after my sister saw this note, her attitude changed drastically, and she immediately had Shui Yidi bring this person to the wooden house. It was because of this that a series of events occurred afterward."

Hearing Xu Xiaowen's story, Luo Fei's heart pounded. "Among the Hundred Family Surnames, Zhou is the first in the family," a young person using these eight characters to introduce themselves always sounded a little strange. Luo Fei had noticed this issue more than once, but had never really thought about it deeply before. Now it seemed that these eight characters clearly contained a profound hidden meaning, enough to so deeply move the usually aloof and pure-hearted Yakuma.

Luo Fei stared intently at the note, silently reciting its contents to himself. His mind raced, and suddenly, it seemed as if a ray of light shone from the distant horizon, instantly dispelling the thick fog that had shrouded him for days.

He almost couldn't help but shout with excitement!

The bond! He finally saw the true nature of that bond.

Xu Xiaowen noticed the change in Luo Fei's expression and asked with wide eyes, "What's wrong? Did you find something?"

"It's him! It was him all along!" Luo Fei tried to use this connection to weave together the tangled threads of thought, and many questions were answered. He nodded firmly, "Yes, it must be him!"

"Who is it?" Xu Xiaowen wished she could crawl into Luo Fei's brain and see what he was thinking.

"Who would be so interested in the legend of Li Dingguo, venturing deep into the jungle for so long to understand that past? Who would go to such lengths not only to steal the blood vial but also to dig up the grave and take Li Dingguo's remains? Who knows the secret of the Rain God statue and wields an authority that Bai Jian'e cannot resist? Who could preserve Li Dingguo's relics, even personal items like his manuscripts? And who would relentlessly haunt him, becoming an inescapable shadow over Mi Hong Village and the Hamo tribe?" After posing this series of questions, Luo Fei gestured towards the note, "All the answers lie in these eight words."

"You mean that young man?" Xu Xiaowen took the note back to her face and looked at it intently for a while. "Is his surname Zhou?...Could it be...that he has some connection with that Zhou Liwei?"

“No.” Luo Fei shook his head. “His surname isn’t Zhou. He’s a clever fellow. He played a word game, concealing his identity while allowing those with ulterior motives to discern the truth.”

“Among the Hundred Family Surnames, Zhou ranks first…” Xu Xiaowen pondered for a moment, then helplessly pursed her lips and glared at Luo Fei with pleading eyes, seemingly having given up completely.

"If it's just the surname Zhou, why say 'ranking Zhou'? The key to this sentence lies in the word 'ranking'... Think about it, in the Hundred Family Surnames, what is the ranking of 'Zhou'?"

"The ranking of the surnames in the Hundred Family Surnames?" Xu Xiaowen frowned slightly and began to list the surnames one by one, "Zhao, Qian, Sun, Li, Zhou, Wu, Zheng, Wang... 'Zhou' is ranked after 'Li', it's fifth..."

Luo Fei's eyes suddenly flickered, and Xu Xiaowen stopped speaking, savoring what she had just said. She quickly realized that the answer was in there!

"Empress Li?" Xu Xiaowen couldn't contain her shock and exclaimed excitedly, "My God, he's a descendant of Li Dingguo?!"

Shui Yidi and his two attendants, who were not far away, were startled by her shout and stared at her in surprise. Xu Xiaowen quickly pretended to be nonchalant. Fortunately, none of them understood Chinese, so this huge secret would not be revealed.

“Yes.” Luo Fei nodded approvingly. “The eight characters ‘ranked as Zhou in the Hundred Family Surnames’ actually mean ‘descendants of the Li family’.”

"Could it all be his doing? Is he seeking revenge for his ancestors? Then why was he the first to be driven mad by fear? Moreover, he's already mentally unstable and is currently locked up in a hospital in Kunming. How could the events that followed be related to him?" Xu Xiaowen had a flood of questions, which she poured out all at once.

There were some issues that Luo Fei couldn't fully grasp. After a moment of contemplation, he hesitated and said, "Now that his identity has been confirmed, focusing on him after what happened is undoubtedly the most rational and logical approach... When we met in Kunming, he was a madman, but that doesn't prove he's still a madman now; just because he was imprisoned then doesn't prove he's still imprisoned now... At least, we know that this condition isn't absolutely incurable."

“Yes, Zhou Liwei had the medicine that could cure the disease.” Xu Xiaowen recalled the situation at the Kunming Mental Hospital. “But at the time, he was firmly against using the medicine on that patient, saying it would violate professional ethics or something.”

Indeed, it was under these circumstances that Luo Fei thought of using the internet to find the patient's family so that the experimental treatment could be implemented. Unexpectedly, the internet attracted Yue Dongbei, which led to everyone's trip to the Yunnan border.

“Zhou Liwei definitely didn’t treat that patient. I maintained close contact with him during that time. However… the bottle of medicine he always carried with him is missing. Could it have been lost in Kunming?” Luo Fei thought for a moment, then pulled his thoughts back to some more important questions. “Alright, let’s not talk about that now. You still haven’t told me what happened after that descendant of Li Dingguo met with Yakuma.”

“Yes, I heard all this from Shui Yidi. However, I believe he wouldn’t lie to me.” As Xu Xiaowen spoke, she turned her head to look at her side. Her guards stood there straight, not tall, but with an imposing presence, and their faces were full of loyalty.

Luo Fei's gaze swept over Shui Yidi, then he nodded, acknowledging Xu Xiaowen's trust. Xu Xiaowen smiled smugly like a child and began to recount the events of six months ago: "After the young man was brought into the Holy Maiden's wooden house, Yakuma had Shui Yidi wait outside while she herself had a long conversation with him. They talked from night until dawn. Although Shui Yidi didn't know the content of the conversation, he sensed from certain details that this was no ordinary meeting."

"Tell me more about the details?" In Luo Fei's view, details are often the things that best reveal the essence of a matter.

"When the young man came out of the wooden house, he looked very serious and deep in thought. Before leaving, he bowed deeply to the wooden house, his expression full of respect and gratitude, and his eyes even glistened with tears. Shui Yidi himself said that he and that person got along quite well, and he had never seen this person behave like this before."

"Hmm." Luo Fei pondered for a moment, "And then?"

After the young man left, Yakuma called Shuiyi Di into the house and told him to prepare for a trip to the Valley of Terror the next night.

"Are we going to that cave, the cave where Li Dingguo's tomb is located?" Luo Fei asked, squinting his eyes.

“Absolutely right.” Xu Xiaowen looked at Luo Fei with admiration. “You probably guessed it too, that young man went with them. They waited until late at night before quietly setting off, seemingly unwilling to let anyone else know about it. After arriving at the cave, Yakuma still had Shui Yidi wait outside, while she and the young man went inside and stayed there for a whole night. As dawn approached, Yakuma came out alone, while the young man remained inside. Then Yakuma and Shui Yidi returned to the village before the tribespeople woke up. For the rest of the day, Yakuma seemed somewhat restless; she kept looking out the window with a hint of anxiety, as if waiting for something.”

"Is she waiting for that person to come back?" Luo Fei guessed.

“Shui Yidi and I thought so too,” Xu Xiaowen nodded and said. “But that young man still hasn’t shown up. In the afternoon, some tribesmen went hunting in the ‘Terror Valley’ area and brought back some bad rumors. The rumors said that a large pit appeared in Li Dingguo’s tomb, but the remains inside were nowhere to be found.”

"Oh, it rained that day, didn't it?"

"It's raining? How did you know that?" Xu Xiaowen seemed very surprised. "Shui Yiyi didn't tell me this much detail."

Luo Fei chuckled, "This isn't something I deduced. I just heard that the hunter entered the cave to take shelter from the rain, which is how he discovered the secret of the tomb being dug up. Alright, continue."

Xu Xiaowen gave a relieved look and continued the previous topic, saying, "After hearing this rumor, Yakuma seemed very anxious, even somewhat at a loss. Later, she finally couldn't help but ask Shui Yidi, 'I heard that you and that young man are acquainted. What do you think of him?' Shui Yidi replied, 'He is a brave and honest man. If he promises you something, he will definitely do it.' Although Shui Yidi's words were meant to comfort his master, they were truly from the bottom of his heart."

"That's a very high compliment," Luo Fei said, glancing at Shui Yidi with a hint of surprise.

Xu Xiaowen sighed softly: "Maybe he mistook someone for someone else... because my sister never got to see that person. That evening, Anmi brought Dirga to the cabin and asked Yakuma about the whereabouts of the sacred object."

"Just who is this Dirga in the tribe? It seems Anmi values him highly?"

"He once competed with Shui Yidi for the position of Holy Maiden's Guardian. Although he failed, he was always resentful. Shui Yidi believed that it was this guy who betrayed Yakuma that time, thereby gaining Anmi's trust."

"Betrayal, what do you mean?"

“Think about it, Yakuma’s meeting with that young man, including the trip to ‘Valley of Terror,’ was all done in secrecy. Even if the problem with Li Dingguo’s tomb was discovered, there’s no reason to suspect the Holy Maiden. But that day, as soon as Anmi entered the room, she immediately asked to examine the sacred objects. Someone must have leaked some information. Shui Yidi believes that this is most likely the work of Dilga.”

Luo Fei nodded, thinking to himself: No wonder Shui Yiyi's eyes turned red the moment he saw Dierga last night at the sacrificial site, and he attacked without any mercy. Then he asked, "Did Yakuma already hand over the sacred object to that young man at that time?"

“That should be it.” A hint of sadness appeared in Xu Xiaowen’s eyes. “Because when my sister faced Anmi’s questioning, she couldn’t produce the sacred object. Later, she had no choice but to take Anmi and Dierga back to that cave. This time, she left Shuiyi Die in the village and entrusted him with some things.”