In this vast jungle, the most pleasant time of day is undoubtedly early morning. The cool breeze drives away the stifling heat, carrying with it the earthy scent of soil and the fragrance of unknown plants. Accompanying the wind are the melodic calls of birds. Although the four of them dared not let their guard down even for a moment, they couldn't help but close their eyes briefly, savoring the comfort of nature. Zhang Li had taken over steering the raft, while the other three either sat or reclined, enjoying the scenery. At this moment, they had resigned themselves to fate: whatever was destined to happen would happen, and there was no escaping it. Weapons in hand, they were prepared for the worst—a tough fight, if necessary.
A sentinel of the howler monkey clan let out a warning cry. A porcupine dashed straight out, startling a herd of vicuñas, which scattered in all directions. The forest warblers fell silent, and a plover flapped its wings and soared high. The waist-deep river shimmered in the sunlight, its sandy bottom visible grain by grain. Occasionally, a water hyacinth floated by, while aquatic grasses lay quietly at the riverbed, resembling a maiden's long hair gently combed by the river's maternal hands. Schools of sunfish and angelfish swam gracefully in unison, while rose cichlids and glass cichlids competed vibrantly, neither willing to be outshone.
Leaning over the edge of the raft, Yue Yang stirred the gentle ripples, almost as if he could touch the fish beneath. That familiar sunny smile appeared on his face once again. This moment of harmony and serenity was, to him, a profound joy. Basang lay on his back, his Steyr rifle resting above his head. As a wisp of cloud floated across the sky, he caught sight of it and thought to himself, "The forces are still gathering. When they converge, the power unleashed will be unimaginable." Meanwhile, Tashi Danba tightly gripped his rifle, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any potential threats. He was determined not to let a repeat of yesterday's events occur—he sincerely hoped it wouldn't.
Their journey went surprisingly smoothly—so smoothly that they began to feel uneasy. Compared to yesterday's harrowing experience, today felt more like being on a sightseeing tour. Just as this thought crossed their minds, Tashi Danba suddenly issued a warning: "Someone's coming!"
The four of them moved with incredible speed and coordination. Almost simultaneously, they plunged into the water, waded to the riverbank, and quickly pulled the raft into the forest, hiding themselves and readying their weapons. To avoid being spotted from afar, they had earlier camouflaged their clothes with vines and leaves and painted their faces with camouflage patterns. Hidden in the forest, their concealment was impressively professional.
The sound of voices grew nearer. Three small canoes came into view, paddling upstream. Similar to their own raft, these were long, narrow dugout boats, each carrying three to five people. The passengers were a mix of blondes and brunettes, speaking in various languages. Their expressions were serious, their vigilance high. Some even appeared to be scouting the forest on both sides of the river. However, none of them seemed to be armed.
Following Tashi Danba's hand signals, the group understood that the identities of the newcomers were unclear—whether friend or foe—so it was best not to disturb them. They decided to let the canoes pass. Just as the boats were about to leave their line of sight, a sudden cry rang out. Though faint, it was unmistakably human, and in the stillness of the morning jungle, it was impossible to miss.
The canoes reacted immediately. Someone shouted loudly, and the others began looking around nervously. Tashi Danba and the others didn't understand the language—it was likely a local dialect. They turned their gazes toward the source of the sound: Zhang Li, who wore an embarrassed expression as he pointed to a large, hairy spider mere inches from his face. The spider, about ten centimeters long, was jet-black and covered in fur. Its sudden appearance would startle anyone.
With their cover blown, there was no choice but to act first. Seeing that the newcomers lacked firearms, the four emerged with guns drawn. On one of the boats, a tanned man with a simple, honest demeanor began explaining anxiously.
As soon as the four armed figures stepped out, the man—who looked like a guide—spoke even more frantically, gesturing wildly. The passengers, seemingly well-trained, instinctively raised their hands without needing instructions.
Tashi Danba gestured toward Zhang Li. "Ask them what they're saying."
"How am I supposed to ask?" Zhang Li replied awkwardly. Yue Yang noticed the diverse ethnicities among the group and speculated, "Could this really be a sightseeing group?" Switching to English, he asked, "Does anyone here speak English?"
His question immediately elicited responses:
"Don't shoot! We're just a tour group."
"We're passing through. We don't know anything!"
"Please don't shoot. We'll cooperate fully."
"I'm Kutu. I'm a friend of Captain Sanlison. Which squad are you from?"
The overlapping voices made it impossible to make out any clear information. Basang roared, "Quiet! One person speaks at a time!"
The method worked. The passengers fell silent, and someone from the middle canoe called out hesitantly, "Officer, may I stand up to speak?"
"Step forward," Tashi Danba instructed, noting the man's strained tone.
A man rose to his feet, towering over the others. He stood well over 1.8 meters tall, with silver hair, chiseled features, and deep blue eyes. His clean, white hands and impeccable attire—a white hat, short-sleeved shirt, shorts, socks, and leather shoes—gave the impression of a refined and educated gentleman.
He adjusted his white hat, a gesture that seemed to signify respect in his culture, and introduced himself in a charming Irish accent. "My name is Sean. We're a self-organized expedition group with members from various professions and countries. We're here to study the flora and fauna of the Putumayo province. Ah, that spider—it's a Red Rose Tarantula. Isn't it adorable? Pardon me, may I take a photo of it?"
Sean's calm and orderly explanation disarmed the group. He succinctly explained their purpose, itinerary, and number of participants. The four listened carefully, finding his voice surprisingly reassuring. However, when Sean mentioned the Putumayo province, Yue Yang nearly jumped up in shock. "What? Putumayo? Does that mean we've been in Colombia all along?"
As it turned out, the group was a self-organized, internet-based travel team, or a self-funded outdoor adventure group. They referred to themselves as "backpackers" and were reportedly organized by an Asian man named Qite. The team consisted of 15 people: four Asians, seven Europeans, two Americans, and two Africans. They had started their journey in Central America, landing on the Yucatán Peninsula and following the traces of Mayan culture through Honduras, Mexico, and Guatemala. Eventually, they arrived in Colombia, intending to explore the Putumayo province by canoe and conduct an expedition into the untouched jungle. The man who had been speaking earlier was their hired jungle guide, Mark, who spoke both Spanish and English.
Yue Yang asked, "You said there are 15 of you? Then why are there only 12 people on the boats?"
Sean explained that aside from Mark, four members, including their leader Qite, were in another boat. Earlier, while traveling upriver, they had been ambushed by armed forces, causing the group to scatter. Thanks to Mark's familiarity with the guerrillas, they narrowly escaped. He admitted that the dangers of this jungle far exceeded their expectations. The untouched state of the jungle, which had drawn them here, was maintained by such perilous circumstances. Sean vowed they wouldn't make such a mistake again.
Tashi Danba and the others held a brief discussion. Sean seemed honest and sincere in his speech, making it unlikely he was lying. They considered letting the group go but hesitated, fearing betrayal—especially from Mark, who constantly shot them suspicious glances. At that moment, Sean suddenly exclaimed, "Ah, you wouldn't happen to be… those four people, would you?"
Basang grabbed Sean, who was much taller than him, and snarled, "What four people? What do you know?"
Sean raised his hands in a gesture of peace. "Don't, please don't misunderstand. On the main river route, we encountered several checkpoints. The guerrillas are searching for four armed Asians. We've been stopped three times already, and they even set up a temporary blockade. I can assure you, we would never reveal your whereabouts." His sincere blue eyes were so piercing that it was difficult to meet his gaze. It was as if Sean could read their thoughts, his near-solemn vow reinforcing his promise.
"What do we do now?" the group whispered among themselves. Tashi Danba pointed to Mark. "You all can leave, but that one has to stay."
Sean frowned deeply and stammered, "But if our only guide stays with you, none of us will be able to negotiate with the guerrillas in the jungle. Why don't you come with us instead?" Sean's words and his earnest gaze put the group in a dilemma. If they traveled together, they risked endangering the tourists. If they took Mark, the group would struggle to navigate guerrilla-controlled territory. According to Sean, the group included animal behaviorists, botanists, and hydrologists—talented experts from various fields. Leaving them in peril was something Tashi Danba's group, apart from Basang, couldn't reconcile with their consciences.
Ultimately, following Sean's suggestion, Mark swore a sacred local oath that he wouldn't betray them. With this assurance, the travelers were released unharmed. Yet, for Tashi Danba's group, it felt as though they had planted a ticking time bomb.
Using the intel Sean provided, they carefully avoided guerrilla patrols and river checkpoints, navigating through the jungle. Another loud whirring noise came from the sky as they ducked for cover. A black dragonfly darted overhead, but this time, they didn't feel as safe as before. When the helicopter finally passed, Basang muttered grimly, "We should've confiscated their communication devices, tied them up in the jungle, and left. By the time someone finds them, we'd be far enough away."
Zhang Li disagreed. "But in a jungle like this, they'd probably die before anyone found them."
Basang responded coldly, "Our current situation isn't much better. If Mark treats his oath like air or if even one of them says the wrong thing, we'll all be dead soon enough."
Tashi Danba interrupted, "Enough. What's done is done; there's no point arguing. By the way, Sean—he's Irish, right? From his speech, he seems very learned."
As they swung from tree to tree, advancing quickly, they discussed Sean. Though the interaction had been brief, Sean's elegance and silver hair left a deep impression on them. Meanwhile, the gray figure trailing behind them mulled over the same encounter. "That silver-haired man… His silhouette seems so familiar. Strange, why can't I place him?"
Two hours after parting ways with the peculiar self-funded tour group, the four had traveled approximately five kilometers eastward, crossing three rivers and navigating through two forested areas. Upon entering the third forest, something felt off. This jungle was significantly larger than the previous ones. The deeper they ventured, the more it seemed endless. It became impossible to tell if they were approaching its center. The humid, oppressive weather and the dense canopy blocking sunlight made the terrain difficult to traverse. Without sunlight filtering through the leaves, they had no choice but to use lamps. The rhythmic calls of nocturnal birds, "Coo-coo… coo-coo-coo…" added an air of mystery to the dark forest.
Yue Yang took out his compass to check their direction. "We should be heading in the right direction. But why are we still in Colombia? No wonder so many guerrillas are chasing us—we're in their territory."
Zhang Li guessed, "Maybe we crossed the border during the first chase."
Yue Yang shook his head. "Unlikely. Rivers originating from the Andes generally flow west to southeast. We shouldn't have turned north. If anything went wrong, it must've happened during our on-foot trek through the jungle." Despite the initial shock of realizing they were in Colombia, the group had felt oddly fortunate. They had been following an incorrect map but somehow managed to exit the jungle. It seemed the water systems and forest layouts were so similar that a map was almost unnecessary.
After climbing and swinging for another half hour, fatigue began to take its toll. The group stopped to rest on a clearing. Yue Yang slid down from a thirty-meter tree and said, "This forest is massive. I still can't see the edge."
Basang replied solemnly, "This isn't good."
The others understood his meaning. The previous forests were too small to support large predators. But if this one was large and sparsely traveled, the odds of encountering dangerous animals increased. Whether it was jaguars, cougars, a herd of wild boars, kinkajous, lurking caimans, or a sudden pit viper, any of these could cause serious trouble.
From a treetop overlooking the riverbank, Sories scanned the vast green expanse. Shaking his head, he muttered, "So deep into the jungle… Do these guys have any survival experience? And it's obvious there's already something set up inside…"
The four sat in a circle, replenishing their water and resting. Above them, rustling branches occasionally revealed fleeting black figures darting across the treetops. The shapes were too distant and fast to identify—perhaps pygmy marmosets or even chimpanzees. As they analyzed possible escape routes, a "plop" broke the silence. A small frog leaped from a tree and landed directly on their map.
As Yue Yang reached to grab it, Tashi Danba kicked both the map and the frog away with a swift motion. His heavy breathing betrayed how close Yue Yang had come to another brush with death. Poisonous creatures were ever-present in this jungle, but Yue Yang's expression turned pale as recognition dawned. The golden skin with black markings—this was no ordinary frog. It was one of South America's deadliest, a dart frog. Its striking colors—gold, crimson, sapphire blue—were nature's warning to predators. These small frogs, no longer than ten centimeters, thrived in the dark heart of the jungle, climbing trees and secreting lethal toxins. Indigenous hunters used their venom to coat arrows for hunting.
"These frogs rarely live alone," Zhang Li observed. Looking up, they noticed the trees were teeming with dazzling colors—emerald green, crimson red, golden yellow, and sapphire blue. The sight was breathtakingly beautiful, their gem-like appearances tempting one to reach out and hold them. Yet these creatures were lethally poisonous. Of particular concern were Colombia's dart frogs, which produced toxins so potent that just 0.0003 grams could kill a human.
Tashi Danba carefully avoided trees where the frogs resided and ordered the group to maintain formation. "It seems we've wandered into their resting area. We'd better find another route before they give us a… warm welcome…" Just as he finished speaking, something landed on his head with a plop.
Expressionless, Tashi Danba turned to the others and asked, "What… what is it?"
"Golden, with black spots. Quite pretty," Yue Yang replied.
"Lower your head; it'll jump off on its own," Zhang Li suggested.
Basang, however, raised his gun. "Don't move. Trust me."
Tashi Danba retorted, "Trust you? Not a chance. Lowering my head is safer." But as he did so, the golden dart frog clung tightly to his hair, its webbed feet gripping his scalp as if determined to stay. Even Tashi Danba, with his impressive composure, couldn't suppress his unease. "Hurry up and get it off me."
Instead of helping, Zhang Li took a step back. "Danba… Sir, it's staring at me. I'd rather keep some distance."
"It won't secrete toxins unless provoked. I'll do it," Yue Yang offered, using the barrel of his M4 to prod the frog. Unfazed, the frog held its ground, as if declaring the spot its territory. After two pokes, it raised its head defiantly, poised to leap. Yue Yang quickly retreated, muttering, "Danba—"
Before he could finish, a snapping sound echoed, and Yue Yang felt his ankle snagged by a vine. In a flash, he was hoisted several meters into the air, dangling upside down.