The old man sighed deeply and shook his head slowly, "I warned you. Everyone who comes here either dies or goes mad. I told you not to come to Lianhua Village, but you wouldn't listen. Why didn't you heed the warning?"
Standing before me was none other than the old Wang I had encountered in the county's records office. I couldn't believe that he was involved in all of this.
At that moment, I heard a rustling noise from the forest behind us. I wanted to get up, but my body felt utterly exhausted, as if all my strength had been drained. To make matters worse, the sturdy Liu Captain was still lying heavily on top of me, unconscious.
By the time I managed to muster enough strength to push him off me, several masked men had already surrounded us. Sharp, gleaming knives were pressed against my throat.
"Take them away," Li Dapeng ordered coldly. The next thing I felt was a heavy blow to my neck, and everything went black.
When I came to, it was because I felt myself falling, like plummeting from a great height. With a thud, I landed in a patch of soft, muddy ground. As I tried to get up, my feet sank into the mire.
I quickly realized what was happening. Not far away, I could see the faint beams of flashlights receding into the distance. Clearly, those bastards had thrown us into the swamp.
"Li Dapeng, you son of a bitch! You'll die a horrible death!" I screamed towards the fading lights.
"Save your strength," came Liu Captain's urgent voice from a few meters to my right. "The more you struggle, the faster you'll sink."
"Liu Captain, are you okay?" I shouted back. "What do we do now?"
"First, tell me your situation," Liu Captain replied, his tone remarkably calm despite the circumstances.
"My legs are stuck in the mud. I can't pull them out. It feels like there's a strong suction pulling me down," I said anxiously.
"Brother, stop moving," Liu Captain instructed. "Try to relax your body completely. The key is not to struggle. Lie flat to spread your weight over a larger area; it might slow your sinking."
I followed his advice, lying flat on the swampy surface. The water was about ten centimeters deep, and I had to tilt my head back to breathe.
"What's that noise?" I heard water splashing nearby.
"Liu Captain, you told me not to move. Why are you moving?" I asked.
Liu Captain didn't respond. The splashing continued, and soon he called out, "Brother, grab this!"
A splash beside me was followed by something hitting the water. I reached out, my hand finding a cloth strap.
"Liu Captain, you're amazing!" I exclaimed, grabbing the strap tightly.
"Stop flattering me. Just hold on tight, and I'll pull you out," Liu Captain said firmly.
With a mighty heave, Liu Captain pulled, and I felt my legs emerge from the mire.
"Liu Captain, I'm out! Thank you!" I laughed, relieved.
However, Liu Captain's next words chilled me, "Brother, I have a daughter. If you can, take care of her for me. I trust you."
"Liu Captain, what do you mean?" I asked, a bad feeling rising within me.
"I've sunk too deep. We can't both survive. Just remember to take care of my daughter," Liu Captain said, his voice calm but resolute.
"No! Liu Captain, grab the strap! I'll pull you out!" I shouted, desperate.
"It's no use. The ground here is too soft. If you come over, you'll get stuck again. Don't let my sacrifice be in vain," Liu Captain coughed.
"Liu Captain! Liu Zhichang!" I screamed, tugging on the strap, but it came back limp. He had let go to prevent me from sinking again.
"Liu Captain..." I called out, but there was no response. All I could hear was the gurgling of the mire.
I crawled a bit closer, but the mud grew deeper, and I couldn't reach him. His words echoed in my mind: "Don't come over; you'll just get stuck again."
Tears streamed down my face. I had never felt such helplessness and sorrow. Watching a comrade die, especially one who sacrificed himself to save me, was unbearable.
I lay back in the mud, tears falling into the muck. Memories of Liu Captain's words and deeds played in my mind, each one cutting like a knife.
Suddenly, I rose from the water. Realizing my lower body was sinking again, I lay back and began rolling towards what I hoped was the shore.
I had no sense of direction, rolling blindly, hoping to escape the mire. I bumped my head against something hard, causing a dizzying pain. Reflexively, I rolled back and inhaled a mouthful of filthy water. Coughing and choking, I realized my legs were stuck again.
Panicking, I flailed my arms, trying to grab something, but there was nothing. Remembering Liu Captain's advice, I stopped moving, but the mud continued to swallow me.
Soon, it reached my neck. "Liu Captain, forgive me. I failed to take care of your daughter. Mom, I'm sorry..." I whispered, taking one last breath before my mouth was submerged.
As the mud covered my head, I felt my raised arms sinking. With no oxygen, my mind began to fog, and I knew unconsciousness would come soon.
Suddenly, a slick hand grabbed mine, pulling me up. I felt my head emerge from the mud and heard Zhang Yihan's frantic cries.
"Hang on! Pull him up!"
"Officer Lin, wake up!"
It seemed too real to be a dream, but as I was laid on solid ground, I felt Zhang Yihan's familiar scent. She was giving me mouth-to-mouth, pressing on my chest and shouting my name.
In a confused state, I involuntarily stuck out my tongue, brushing against her lips.
"Ah!" she screamed, slapping me hard.
The pain snapped me awake. I sat up, seeing a group of men holding flashlights. Zhang Yihan looked furious.
Realizing I wasn't dreaming, I felt embarrassed but grateful. Zhang Yihan asked about Liu Captain, and we quickly set off down the mountain.
Zhang Yihan remained silent, her face pale and sweaty. I wanted to apologize for earlier but didn't dare speak.
Halfway down, she suddenly grabbed my arm, whispering urgently, "Tie me up! Use their ropes! I can't control it... I want to bite someone!"