After leaving the creek, I was still in shock and dared not to pause, almost running for my life with all I had. Perhaps it was the threat to my life that caused my frail body to burst out with surprising strength. I rushed through two or three miles without catching breath, like a gust of wind, and before I knew it, I had reached the entrance of the village and could see the villagers of Dingtao.
Perhaps it was the sight of living people that finally relaxed me, and my pace slowed down. Only then did I feel the discomfort in my lungs following the hard running, and the burning in my throat. But I couldn't afford to stop; I gradually slowed down and, while adjusting my breathing, walked towards my home.
The village chief's house was not far from the village entrance, and it took me about ten minutes to get there. However, when I saw the person standing at the door of the village chief's house, I was stunned!
Is that... isn't that Zhang Jinya, who was just by the creek outside the village!?
"Finally found you, lad!"
The moment Zhang Jinya saw me, he grabbed me and started to walk hastily: "Follow me if you don't want to die!"
I was completely confused at this point and certainly wasn't willing to just go with him inexplicably. I shook off his hand and asked: "Weren't you just at the creek outside the village? How did you get back here in the blink of an eye?"
I wasn't sure if I saw it wrong, but Zhang Jinya's face twitched, and he slapped me hard on the head: "Are you stupid? Would I come back if it wasn't for you?"
I frowned: "Impossible, I left first, how could you have come back before me?"
"At least I train every day, can't I be faster than you? Don't you know your own body?"
Zhang Jinya scolded me without end: "Enough, there's no time to talk nonsense now. You have to follow me, that thing has become strong and vicious, it can't be stopped, it's coming for you, if you don't want to die, just follow me. This village probably won't last, with such a thing unleashed, nobody can stop it!"
After saying that, Zhang Jinya dragged me towards the other end of the village. His strength was so great that it hurt my wrist, and I could not resist him as he pulled me along!
Something is wrong!!
This Zhang Jinya is not right!
The Zhang Jinya I know, although rowdy and not the best in character, has never forced me to do anything besides that time at the chaotic cemetery when he tried to find me a ghostly wife!
I vaguely felt there was something wrong, my thoughts were disordered, it felt like I grasped some critical point, but I couldn't recall what it was.
Just then, a mad barking erupted from the yard of the village chief's house.
It's Heizi barking!
Could it be that Heizi and Zhou Jing are also in trouble? My heart was in urgency, but Zhang Jinya's grip was too strong, I simply couldn't get away, and had no choice but to keep running with him.
His escape route was peculiar, not the same way that I had entered the village, but in the opposite direction. I remember when I stayed at the old village chief's house, he told me – behind Dingtao Village there is a large mountain, mostly undeveloped, with all kinds of wild animals in the mountains. In recent years, it has been much better, and the wild animals seldom come down the mountain. But 20 or 30 years ago, there were many wolves in the mountains, and children were often taken away by them, even leopards from the mountains would come into the village to forage when they were hungry. Therefore, in the village, there is a saying: "Dingtao's dogs are leopard's feed", meaning if a wolf comes down from the mountain, the village's dogs are not afraid and would dare to bite the wolf. But if a leopard comes down, the family dogs dare not resist, nor even make a sound. They lie down and let themselves be taken, just like they're prepared dry food for leopards!
At that time, the old village chief always warned me, no matter what happened, never go into the back mountain, although the animals in the mountain don't come out, entering the mountains is still likely dangerous. Zhang Jinya also heard this, and he even joked about it, saying that only a fool would go to such a place. He was not afraid of ghosts, not afraid of the big rice dumplings, but he was afraid of tigers.
Right now, isn't Zhang Jinya taking me towards the back mountain?
I had already noticed that there was something wrong, despite having no choice but to follow Zhang Jinya who gripped me like iron tongs toward the back mountain. After running almost eight or nine miles, we basically entered the back mountain. In the primitive dense forest, the trees were tall and blocked out the sky, it was gloomy among the bushes, and Zhang Jinya finally began to slow down. However, he did not let go of my hand.
I forced a smile on my face, without needing a mirror, I knew how ugly I was smiling, constantly reminding myself to stay calm, took a deep breath, and then asked: "Can you tell me where we are going?"
"Of course, to a safe place."
Zhang Jinya said while leading the way: "You'll know when we get there, this place is not safe yet!"
It doesn't seem so safe with you either!
I cursed silently in my heart, after all, I had experienced many such bizarre incidents, I was able to stay calm at this point, for safety's sake, I decided to test the other person: "Isn't it just a ghost thing? Why are you panicking like that? Could it be worse than the big rice dumpling we encountered during our tomb raiding back then?"
"It's worse, much worse!"
Zhang Jinya responded casually while walking ahead: "It's much stronger than the dumpling we encountered back then. If we don't hide far away, both of us would have to pay the price there!"
That confirmed it – the person in front of me was definitely not Zhang Jinya!
Even though I did not know what it was, it was certainly not Zhang Jinya!!
Because I never tomb-raided with Zhang Jinya, I only mentioned it just now to test if this guy was him, because its appearance and various actions were too abnormal. I've been suspicious from the start, but I've been dragged along this whole time, with no chance to resist.
In fact, I couldn't resist!
I knew this time I was probably doomed, being dragged by this ghost thing into this wild mountain, I really can't think of any reason I'd survive, but strangely, I felt unusually calm at that moment, and with my other free hand, I reached into my pocket, took out my phone, and wanted to shine the phone screen on this thing, to see what exactly it was. Even if it was doomed today, at least I would die with my eyes open!
This is also a simple and direct method recorded in "Fa Qiu's Secret Arts". If you encounter something and don't know if it's a human or a ghost, just shine a mirror on it, and you will be able to distinguish it. Whatever the thing is, it cannot escape the mirror's reflection, it will reveal its true form!
Crack!
At this moment, "Zhang Jinya" suddenly stopped. He didn't turn around, but his voice took on a strange tone: "Do you want to see what I really am?"
I was startled.
"Then, I'll let you see."
"Zhang Jinya" suddenly let go of my hand, turned around, and looked at me expressionlessly.
I don't know why, but that expressionless look gave me a sense of familiarity. I instinctively looked down at the phone screen, and my hair stood on end!
The reflection of "Zhang Jinya" on the phone screen was smiling!
Smiling in a particularly eerie manner!!
His mouth corners reached his ears, his full set of teeth were bared as if his mouth had been slashed sideways, indescribably strange!
Gaga gaga gaga...
A hair-raising, spooky laughter suddenly echoed in the dense forest.
I felt like I'd been struck by lightning, I was frozen in shock!!
I know this creature too well - it's the Smiling Corpse!!
That thing that wouldn't let me live in peace, it had actually followed me here!!
"Gaga gaga gaga gaga gaga..."
The unnerving laughter rang out again and again, the Smiling Corpse that had taken the shape of Zhang Jinya said four words to me: "Give me your life!"
After saying that, it lunged at me!
At this moment, although I was afraid, I didn't have much choice left, I had to fight for my life, brandished the hundred-barrier sword and went straight for the Smiling Corpse's head. But it was futile; I was just a mortal, how could I deal with such a notoriously fierce ghost? My strike missed, and the next thing I felt was a heavy impact on my chest. For a moment, it was like a storm had erupted in my stomach, and I felt light as I was sent flying backwards. A sweet sensation rose from my throat, and a strong metallic taste filled my mouth. I opened my mouth and spat out a mouthful of black blood, my consciousness blurred, my eyelids leaden as if they were too heavy to open. In my haze, I saw a slender figure standing in front of me, with her back towards me, I could not see her face clearly, but it felt like I had seen this person somewhere.
And then, I really couldn't bear the pain any longer, my eyes rolled back and my consciousness sunk into darkness...