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墨書 Inktalez
After finishing their rations, the group packed up and set off again.
"Wang Er Gou said, "Once we finish this wide road, we'll have to walk." Everyone nodded in agreement; it was a minor inconvenience for them all.
The horses, having just eaten, were now running wild.
When Wang Er Gou dismounted again, his calves trembled uncontrollably, unable to support him.
Second steadied Wang Er Gou as the sky gradually darkened.
Now they were walking along a narrow mountain path. The horses could not enter the mountains, so they had been left outside without being tied up.
They had no idea how many days they would be inside.
Tonight, the moon was bright and full, casting a light layer of illumination over the ground. With the evening breeze, the group felt refreshed as they continued on their way.
Wang Er Gou remarked, "If we walk a bit further, we'll reach my old house. Let's rest there tonight and head up the mountain tomorrow."
Everyone agreed with Wang Er Gou's suggestion.
The path in the mountains was difficult to navigate, especially at night. The surroundings were filled with forests and overgrown grass. The wind rustled through the weeds, creating eerie sounds that echoed like mournful wails. Their footsteps crunched on the dead branches and fallen autumn leaves, producing a soft rustling noise. Occasionally, the cawing of a crow pierced through the night, adding to an unsettling atmosphere.
Wang Er Gou hadn't returned here in several years. Although he had come back a few times during that period to search for clues, he had never returned to his village.
Now, coming back again after more than a decade felt significant. Wang Er Gou's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
If I hadn't rescued my master from the mountain back then, I would still be living here with my family. Although we are poor, at least we are together.
"Wang Er Gou said, "Our family has lived at the foot of this mountain for generations and has never moved away. Since my generation came down from the mountain, I never expected to encounter such terrible news."
"Don't be too sad, Er Gou," Second comforted Wang Er Gou.
Suddenly, Third made a gesture for silence, listening intently before saying, "There are people."
Everyone suppressed their emotions. Second suggested, "Could it be someone from the village?"
They couldn't dismiss this guess, but they couldn't be sure either. Wang Er Gou replied, "It's unlikely. People in the mountains usually go to bed early because there are no electric lights; we rely on oil lamps, so we generally rest early."
"Better to be cautious," Seven advised.
"Find a place to hide," Third said.
The group quickly slipped into the forest. The footsteps behind them grew closer, and these people showed no signs of concealment.
The four hid behind interwoven trees, using the moonlight to observe the mountain path.
They all focused intently, not daring to make a sound.
"They're coming," Third reminded them. Just as Third had predicted, soon figures came into view—first one, then several more followed.
As the last person walked by, Seven remarked, "There are a total of twenty people."
"These individuals are moving quickly and with purpose," Third noted. "They are definitely not locals."
Their attire and gear suggested they were not ordinary people.
"I'm afraid their destination is the same as ours," Second added.
Wang Er Gou, however, wore a look of terror. Just moments ago, he had seen someone tightly wrapped in clothing, obscuring their face. It couldn't be that person from years ago.
But during that disaster, only he and that boy had escaped. How could it be… was it possible that he hadn’t died?
Nothing is impossible, Wang Er Gou had learned this truth after all he had experienced over the years.
Wang Er Gou took a deep breath and calmly said to Second, "That was the group from back then."
Seven replied, "Ergou Master, didn't you say that group was wiped out?"
Wang Er Gou's voice grew urgent as he responded, "If I could survive, how could he possibly be dead?"
Suddenly, Third recalled a name mentioned by Li the Old Man: Wang Sanguan. They might have been sent by Wang Sanguan.
"It’s not wise to return to the village now," Third said.
"Why?" asked Second.
"It would alert them," replied Third. However, Wang Er Gou said, "They probably won't come into the village."
Third still felt uneasy and said, "It's better to be cautious."
As night deepened, they stealthily approached the village.
To their surprise, a bonfire was lit in the village. Wang Er Gou explained, "This is a custom of our mountain people to welcome guests from afar." Just as he finished speaking, he murmured, "Could it be that they really entered the village?"
Third said, "You all stay here; I'll go take a look."
Before anyone could respond, Third slipped away with a few quick movements and vanished into the shadows.
The bonfire blazed brightly, and soon the sound of singing filled the air. However, Third couldn't understand what they were singing.
Quickly, Third made his way deeper into the mountains. The layout of the villages in Eastern Pass and South Town was quite similar; due to the hilly terrain, mountain villages were generally scattered. This was in contrast to the west and North Gate, where the open landscape allowed urban areas to cluster together. Another reason for this difference was that the population in Eastern Pass and South Town was denser, while there were fewer people west of North Gate, leading to such a situation.
As the saying goes: "A region's landscape nurtures its people."
Third stealthily entered the village and hid behind a house to observe the situation.
The group that had just entered the village was being led by villagers who were singing and dancing joyfully together.
Suddenly, someone tapped Third from behind. Third quickly reacted, their hand almost reaching for the person's neck, but they quickly withdrew it.
It was a Mountain Girl. The girl was momentarily stunned by Third's movement, but she quickly regained her composure and enthusiastically said, "You’re part of the archaeological team too, right?" She spoke in the local dialect, which Third didn't fully understand but got the gist of it. They nodded, their previously stern expression softening.
The Mountain Girl continued, "What are you doing here? Why aren’t you dancing?"
Third replied with a more relaxed tone, "I don’t like crowds; I’m fine just watching them dance."
The Mountain Girl insisted, "Dancing is really fun! Come on, I’ll take you," and she reached out to grab Third's hand.
Third subtly pulled their hand back and said, "I’d rather not."
The Mountain Girl, still enthusiastic, tried to grab Third's hand again. In a sudden movement, Third shook their hand away forcefully and accidentally bumped into the Mountain Girl.
She lost her balance and fell to the ground. Third paused for a moment and instinctively reached out to help her.
The girl sat on the ground with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry," Third said. The Mountain Girl swatted away Third's hand angrily and retorted, "If you don’t want to go, then just say so! No need to be so fierce."
People from the mountains were straightforward like that—warm-hearted towards others but quick to express their displeasure.
Third was at a loss for words as the Mountain Girl swiftly stood up, dusted herself off, and said, "You really don’t know how to appreciate good intentions."
Third remained silent.
Perhaps it was the commotion that drew attention, as soon several people arrived quickly. Third was caught off guard by the sudden situation, standing frozen in place, forgetting to retreat.
One person, speaking with a strong mountain accent, asked, “Sister Three, what’s wrong?”
Mountain Girl replied, “It’s nothing.”
The person seemed to notice another individual nearby and stepped closer, continuing, “Sister Three, you tell me: did he bully you? If you say yes, I’ll take care of him right now.”
Mountain Girl blinked her large eyes at Third, then glanced back at the approaching person and said, “No, it’s not your concern.”
The person clearly disagreed, saying, “Kid, I can’t just ignore it. Whether you’re from the city or not, if you’ve bullied my Sister Three, I’m going to teach you a lesson.”
Mountain Girl retorted, “Who’s your Sister Three! Don’t call me that randomly.”
The person softened his tone and said, “Sister Three, my dad has already proposed to your family. Your father agreed to our marriage; how can you say you’re not my Sister Three?”
Mountain Girl stubbornly replied, “That was your dad’s agreement with mine; don’t expect me to marry you!”
The person was momentarily taken aback by her response and rushed over to confront Third, shouting, “Sister Three, tell me—do you like this city boy? If you say yes, I’ll break his legs!”
A blush crept onto Mountain Girl’s face at his words, though the night concealed it. Still flustered, she hurriedly scolded him, “Rice, don’t talk nonsense.”
The man's tone finally softened as he said, "Sister Three, I knew you wouldn't like the people from this town. Ever since they came to our village, there hasn't been a single peaceful day. If it weren't for the village chief protecting them, I would have taught them a lesson one by one."
At that moment, Third couldn't help but interject, "So you're saying these people have been here for several days already?"
Rice couldn't help but laugh, "Look at him, he's so foolish that he even forgot they've been here for three days."
Mountain Girl glanced at Third. Third thought to herself, "Could it be that those people never actually entered the village?"
Rice was too lazy to pay attention to this town person and pulled Mountain Girl along, shouting, "Sister Three, come on, let's go dance!"
Mountain Girl shook off Rice's hand and said, "I don't need you to pull me."
Mountain Girl was a stubborn person; being rejected when inviting someone to dance left her feeling quite displeased. She thought to herself: I will definitely drag you to dance today.
Seizing the moment when Third was momentarily distracted, Mountain Girl grabbed Third's hand and without waiting for any reaction from her, pulled her onto a wide stone slab where a bonfire was blazing. Even from a distance, one could feel the warmth radiating from it.
As Third realized what was happening and was about to shake off Mountain Girl's hand, she suddenly spotted a familiar face and thought to herself, "What is she doing here?"
By the time she regained her senses, she had already been brought to the side of the bonfire.
Only then did Mountain Girl release Third's hand. Under the flickering firelight, Third finally got a good look at Mountain Girl's face; she was quite cute with rosy cheeks.
Third thought Mountain Girl was glaring at her in anger, but when their eyes met, she discovered that Mountain Girl's gaze was so clear and pure. The glow of the firelight slightly mesmerized Third.
"Mountain Girl" suddenly spoke to "Third," saying, "You look really good; you're the most handsome person I've ever seen."
"Third's" face flushed, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Mountain Girl" continued, "Come on, let's go dance!"
The night was dim, and the crowd was noisy; no one paid attention to "Third."
To his surprise, "Third" instinctively agreed to "Mountain Girl's" request to dance.
In fact, the dance was quite simple. Everyone held hands, formed a circle, and sang mountain songs while spinning around.
"Xing Shui Su" sat nearby without joining in. The firelight illuminated her face, making her appear calm and graceful.
As soon as "Third" appeared, she noticed him. Watching as he was inexplicably pulled into the dance, a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
"Third" found himself dancing in the circle without understanding how he got there.
"Rice" saw "Third" holding "Mountain Girl's" hand and looked at him with discontent. Since the village chief was present, he didn't dare confront "Third," so he could only threaten him with his eyes.
In response, "Third" looked back at "Rice" with a peaceful smile.
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