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墨書 Inktalez
The voice of Seven was somewhat chilling. Behind him, Wang Er Gou, holding a flashlight, felt his stomach churn at what Seven had discovered and couldn't help but cover his mouth.
Second also stepped forward, asking, "What happened?" Seven crouched down; the wooden stick he had been using was now extinguished. He poked at the mass with the stick and whispered, "It's shredded meat."
As Second's flashlight illuminated the pile of grass where the meat lay, they could see that the flesh and bones were still connected but torn apart in ragged sections, hanging limply from the grass.
"This must be the flesh of the deceased," Seven stated.
"To think it was dismembered," Second couldn't help but respond.
Wang Er Gou could no longer bear it and had already retreated to a distance.
Second swallowed hard. Seven stood up. "Let's bury them," Second suggested.
Seven nodded and called for Wang Er Gou. The three of them got to work, burying the remains before cutting a branch to mark the spot, fearing they might lose track of it. If they were later questioned about where the bodies had gone, they would have an explanation.
Second brushed off the dirt from his hands with a sigh. The three of them offered a simple bow at the grave. "Alright, let's go check on that group of people," Second said.
"Third hasn't returned yet; do you think something happened?" Seven asked.
Second replied firmly, "There’s definitely nothing wrong." Wang Er Gou covered his mouth again and began to gag. Second patted him on the back.
The three of them walked back toward where the archaeological team was gathered, flashlights in hand.
The group's emotions were still unsettled as they huddled around the fire for warmth. The evening wind felt particularly chilly, creating an eerie atmosphere. Fear was etched on everyone's faces to varying degrees.
Second felt compelled to comfort them, so he stepped forward and said, "That was just an accident; there's no need for excessive worry."
The wind made the fire crackle loudly; as it flared up, sparks flew into the air intermittently.
The flickering flames cast an ominous glow on everyone’s faces. After Second spoke, no one responded.
Suddenly, a girl stood up, crying loudly, and shouted, "Where did you put his body?" Her voice was choked with sobs, and she struggled to speak.
The two girls beside her pulled her back down into her seat. Second replied, "We buried him."
The girl continued to cry, lamenting how they would explain this to his parents. At this point, Second was at a loss for words.
The others looked uneasy.
At that moment, Wang Er Gou stepped forward and said, "When a person dies, they return to the earth. I believe his parents will understand and won't blame us."
Seven was too preoccupied to care about the conversation; he was focused on fiddling with his roasted bird eggs. They should be done by now, he thought.
Each egg was covered in dirt. Third found a thin stick and carefully dug them out of the fire one by one.
Then he took out a dagger and knocked off the layer of dirt covering the eggshells, causing the shells to fall away with the mud.
A fragrant aroma wafted through the air. Meanwhile, the girl continued to sob.
Without hesitation, Seven popped one into his mouth and immediately went for a second. When he cracked it open, steam rose from it.
Although everyone was engulfed in sorrow, their bodies couldn't resist their natural instincts. After all, they had mostly been living on rations. Hot food was an irresistible temptation.
Third couldn't help but swallow hard, secretly cursing Seven in his mind.
After Wang Er Gou spoke, the girl's cries softened into quiet sobs.
Seeing that she had calmed down, Second hurried over and gave Seven a light smack on the head, saying, "What are you doing?"
Seven chewed on his food and mumbled indistinctly, "It's going to rain, and mothers are getting married. What can I do? He's already dead."
Second shot him a glare but had no retort. He picked up some bird eggs from the ground and walked away. Seeing this, Seven called out, "Second, leave me a few!"
Second didn't even look back, directly distributing the food to the members of the archaeological team.
As he handed out the food, he occasionally heard that the deceased was the partner of the girl who had been crying loudly, the same person who had shouted at His Second Uncle this morning.
The identity of another deceased person had yet to be confirmed. Some people were still intermittently discussing whether it was truly the manifestation of the Mountain Deity.
The young man who had previously urged everyone to step back stood up and scolded those discussing it, saying, "Stop talking nonsense and disturbing everyone's peace."
The two people discussing looked at him disdainfully and replied, "Liu Kou, how does our conversation bother you?"
Liu Kou was clearly not very articulate, and he was left speechless by their words. The two continued, "If you don't like it, just go somewhere else."
Liu Kou waved his hand in frustration and walked away angrily. The two laughed mockingly as they watched Liu Kou leave.
Now the entire archaeological team was in a state of panic; someone had died. Everyone felt uneasy. Moreover, the team leader had gone missing, and His Second Uncle kept muttering about the Mountain Deity. The deceased had just cursed the Mountain Deity earlier that day before dying. Was it a coincidence? Everyone tried to convince themselves that it was just a coincidence. But another part of them leaned towards believing that it was indeed the Mountain Deity manifesting.
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On another side, Third was carefully following the trail with a flashlight. Bloodstains appeared at intervals, and Third dared not let his guard down for a moment.
The smell of blood seemed to grow stronger.
Third felt his heart tighten but did not turn off the flashlight. Instead, he covered it with his hand, allowing the light to scatter through his fingers. It illuminated a shorter distance but still made it possible to see the path beneath his feet.
He could sense that the smell of blood was becoming more intense, and an inexplicable chill crept into his heart, making his heartbeat feel unnaturally paused for a second.
All around him were trees; on the ground were newly sprouted plants, lush greenery, withered plants, and dead ones. There were also dry branches that had fallen from the trees.
Third stepped cautiously on uneven ground as he ventured deeper into the mountains.
The further he walked, the taller and thicker the vegetation became. The wind blew towards him, brushing against Third.
The night was as dark as ink, with two scattered stars in the sky winking at Third. Third had already confirmed that the killer was right in front of him. He couldn't help but quicken his pace, taking three steps at a time until he brushed aside the last clump of wild grass.
What lay before Third was almost unbelievable—a person was gnawing on a corpse, clutching a handful of flesh and intestines that looked like Heart.
The overwhelming stench of blood combined with the scene before him nearly made Third vomit; the food he had eaten threatened to rise from his stomach. He steadied himself. Just then, the 'person' feasting on the body noticed Third.
Third turned off his flashlight, hoping to use the darkness for cover.
The figure stood up and swallowed the chunk of meat whole. Upon seeing Third, he seemed excited and strode toward him with large steps.
His speed was astonishing. Third fired a shot at him, but he deftly dodged it.
Third noticed that his eyes were glowing. Night vision—turning off the flashlight was a disadvantage. He switched it back on; the beam was powerful, specially designed for their archaeological team.
When the light hit him, he instinctively shielded his eyes with his arm. His agitation was evident as he began to roar, blood still lingering at the corners of his mouth. His face appeared to be covered in long hair, making it difficult to discern his features.
Yet, strangely enough, Third felt a flicker of familiarity.
He feared the light, Third deduced. As the beam illuminated him, his speed noticeably slowed, and he kept his arm over his eyes.
Realizing this weakness, Third kept the flashlight trained on him. The figure continued to approach, unwilling to part with the fresh meal before him.
He roared incoherently, as if shouting at Third while waving his other hand. In the light, Third could see that hair also covered his hands, which ended in sharp claws.
Third wanted to see his face clearly before firing but felt an intense tension in his chest.
The figure drew closer under the light, and Third could even see the cold mist escaping from his mouth.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned and hurriedly retreated, grabbing the half-eaten corpse and sprinting away.
Third was momentarily stunned by this sudden turn of events; by the time he regained his senses, all he could see was the figure's retreating back.
Third took a deep breath and set off in pursuit.
Just as he left, Xin Shui Su arrived at the scene. She caught a glimpse of Third's departing figure but didn't have time to call out to him; instead, she sighed at the night sky.
She didn't have a flashlight, but the darkness seemed to pose no obstacle to her progress. She stepped lightly and followed after him.
Third was weaving through the trees and underbrush, but by the time he reached a more open area, his target had already vanished without a trace.
Standing still, Third sniffed the air, but all he could detect was a strong fragrance that completely masked the earlier scent of blood. It felt like there was nothing left to track.
His gaze wandered in all directions until he noticed movement behind him. Turning around, he saw Xin Shui Su land gracefully.
Their eyes met for a moment before she glanced ahead and said, "You should head back." With that, she continued her pursuit.
Third smiled wryly, wanting to follow her, but he could no longer see her figure. She was so fast! He couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
This woman had a mysterious identity.
Pulling his thoughts back together, Third paused to observe his surroundings. The light fell upon a patch of flowers, vibrant and colorful, suggesting that the sweet scent came from them. One thing was certain: the person he had just seen was definitely familiar with the terrain of this mountain range.
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