Zhao Jun's complexion was not good as he stared blankly at the sleeping bag containing his brother's body. I contemplated approaching to offer a few words of comfort, yet I was unsure of what to say. Unexpectedly, the old soldier, who seemed sincere, turned ruthless when he took action. I speculate that if Zhao Shuai hadn't gone out to distract him, we might have ended up buried inside.
Concerned that the old soldier might sneak over during the night, we planned to take turns keeping watch. Big Head suggested letting Zhao Jun rest if he didn't look well, but Zhao Jun insisted on staying alert. With a stern face, he declared that if he encountered that old thing again, he would skin it alive.
Feeling pain in my ribs and experiencing some fatigue at the bottom of the pit, I lay down early. In a frontal confrontation, disregarding surprise attacks, both Zhao Jun and Big Head could defeat the old soldier. Moreover, the burial pit we discovered today was undoubtedly related to the tomb of Fox-Beard King. According to Second Master's notes, this canyon, with a vague intertwining of ox-horn-like terrain, possessed a beneficial convergence of spiritual energy—undoubtedly an excellent choice for burial. Therefore, I concluded that the tomb of Fox-Beard King must be in this valley. With this realization, I felt somewhat reassured and relaxed, drifting into a deep sleep.
After a full night's sleep following extreme fatigue, I woke up uncertain of the time. Glancing at the watch, it was past 2 AM. Despite some lingering soreness, my mind was considerably clear. Hansheng's medicine wine had been effective; the pain in my ribs had subsided.
Lifting the tent flap to fetch water, I noticed the campfire was almost extinguished. Big Head, the night watchman, was dozing against a rock. Initially, I thought of waking him up, but the memory of him carrying me up the steps during the day made me hesitate. Considering that I had already slept for five or six hours, I decided to wake him and suggest swapping shifts. However, when I looked up, I saw an unusually tall figure on the opposite slope.
The figure was exceptionally tall, shoulders drooping on both sides as if boneless. My scalp tingled, resembling the posture of a hanged person. I felt as if he had noticed me observing him; his head tilted gradually, reaching ninety degrees, as if scrutinizing me.
Startled, I shivered and quickly averted my gaze. Due to the ground illumination, I couldn't see clearly. Summoning courage, I peeked again, finding the figure gone.
My heart thumped; was it the old soldier? No, the old soldier didn't have that physique. I recalled Hansheng's fear in the burial pit. Besides the creature encountered then, there might be something else down there. Could it be that the thing had emerged?
I hurriedly went to wake up Big Head. He opened his eyes drowsily, insisting, "I wasn't asleep, nothing happened." Rolling my eyes, I explained what I had seen, describing the shape. Dismissing it, he joked about my vivid imagination, but upon insistence, he acknowledged the possibility of something strange. "Maybe your comrade knew something; he went down not just to save me but seemed deliberately avoiding us."
This sparked a thought; Han Sheng's behavior was indeed peculiar. I suspected he might have explored the center of the burial pit on his own. This idea, suggested by Big Head, woke me up. Perhaps Han Sheng had some prior knowledge about the central area of the burial pit; otherwise, how could he have found the exit so quickly?
After contemplating, I decided to feign ignorance for the time being. I told Big Head about Han Sheng's peculiar actions, hinting that he might have encountered something more terrifying. Big Head commented on Han Sheng being a "Qin Uncle Bao" left by the previous Second Master, and we both chuckled at the irony.
As we discussed what to do tonight, Big Head suggested observing silently for a while before revealing our findings. Our conversation was speculative, lacking concrete evidence.
After some casual talk, I felt a bit tired and returned to the tent for another nap. I slept until dawn.
Refreshed from a good night's sleep, we packed our belongings and discussed how to handle Zhao Shuai's body. Unable to take it back, we decided to bury it on the spot. With the funeral concluded around 10 AM, we officially set out into the valley.
Surrounded by mountains, the air was stagnant, humid, and thick with mist as we progressed. The vegetation grew denser, and the landscape seemed to have transitioned through two seasons. We had hardly rested during our journey, and the unpleasant climate led us to a decision to rest, eat, and replenish our energy before continuing.
However, Old Wan jokingly remarked, "You can rest; the rest of us will continue." We halted, prepared a smokeless stove to cook noodles, and had a warm meal. Despite my attempt to boost morale, I examined the compass Second Master left, revealing a grim fact—we were in an independent ecological system shrouded in mist, making it challenging to discern the terrain. Our supplies were limited, and the delay of the past two nights reduced our remaining provisions to last only three to five days.
Encouraging the group, I urged everyone to stay focused, expressing hope that we might find the tomb soon. Venturing deeper into the valley, the atmosphere grew hotter and more humid. Droplets of sweat dripped down my neck. Although not as terrifying as a rainforest, this densely vegetated and humid environment required us to cover exposed skin to avoid insects and mosquitoes.
As we continued, we dug dozens of holes, but unfortunately, none revealed the location of Fox-Beard King's tomb. Despair began to set in as the vastness of the primitive forest made it impossible to perceive the specific terrain. The methods left by Second Master were proving ineffective, and we resorted to manual excavation.
After another two hours of slow progress, Zhao Jun suddenly stopped, looking down at his feet. "Not good," he uttered.
Big Head rushed over, exclaiming, "This is bad." Zhao Jun was standing on an exploratory pit. My expression turned grim; getting lost in the forest was the most terrifying scenario, and being trapped here was a real possibility.
Covering his forehead, Old Wan inquired, "What happened? We shouldn't have turned; how did we end up back here?"
Examining the surroundings, Big Head coughed and suggested, "Is it because someone is sabotaging us?"
I understood his reference and responded, "Unlikely, it's broad daylight. The dense fog here can easily lead us astray without us noticing."
Hansheng proposed changing direction and marking trees along the way. However, after a short distance, we were halted by Zhao Min, who pointed out a pre-existing mark on a tree. It wasn't ours.