At dawn, when the sky was only faintly light, everyone was packed and ready to go. Huo Ang handed each person a radio and a vital-sign monitoring wristband. Once everyone had put on the wristbands, the laptop from the briefcase he carried displayed each person’s satellite location, heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing frequency.
These people really had come prepared. The equipment they carried was extremely advanced. Jiang Ye marveled at it while feeling into the depths of his own body. The tracker had been in there long enough that he no longer felt much physically, but psychologically, he still could not accept it. Even the way he walked had become awkward.
Bai Nianci asked, “Little Ye, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?”
Jiang Ye stiffened and said dryly, “I’m fine.”
Jin Feize smiled. “It’s fine. I’ll take care of him.”
Bai Nianci patted both of their shoulders and shouldered his hiking pack. Jiang Ye shot Jin Feize a cold glance, followed behind Bai Nianci, and walked toward the dense forest behind the mountain slope. They climbed northward all the way, and towering sal trees could be seen everywhere. The sun had not fully risen yet. The forest was pitch-black, wrapped in a thick layer of fog, with extremely poor visibility. Jiang Ye raised his flashlight and followed the glow of the flashlights ahead.
Jin Feize walked behind him and asked, “How is it? Are you all right?”
Jiang Ye ignored him.
The deeper they went, the more often they saw old, broken wooden shrines standing beneath some of the trees. Strangely, there was nothing inside the shrines, neither statue nor portrait, only an incense burner placed in front. For some reason, Jiang Ye felt that the fog around the shrines was especially thick. It was probably an illusion. The old hunter told everyone not to look at those shrines, saying they had all been left behind by people who had gone to Taisui Village before.
“Gods of nothingness,” Bai Nianci said quietly to Jiang Ye. “The Western Yunnan faith your mother mentioned really does exist.”
He photographed all of the shrines. The old hunter kept objecting, but Bai Nianci was stubborn and did not listen to him.
By midday, the fog still had not dispersed. They reached a small creek. According to the old hunter, it was Southwater Creek, which flowed down from the mountain. The water was cool enough to freeze the hand. Jiang Ye said he needed to relieve himself, walked a little way off, and went alone to the downstream side. He took off his pants, removed the tracker, washed it clean in the creek, and put it into his pocket.
He stood up and pulled his pants back on, then suddenly saw Liu Bei’s rotting, ruined figure appear on the opposite bank. She seemed to be gesturing at him, but the fog was too thick for him to see clearly. He moved a little closer and saw her raise a finger to her lips.
What did that mean?
He was just about to ask when Jin Feize’s voice came from behind him. “Why are you taking so long?”
Liu Bei vanished instantly.
Jin Feize walked over to him and asked with a smile, “You took it out? Don’t throw it away. This place is more dangerous than you imagine. Only if I can track your movements at all times will you be safe.”
Jiang Ye shot him a cold glance and still ignored him. He turned, climbed up the rocks, and returned upstream. Huo Ang and Yilale were looking at a map. The old hunter was pointing out Taisui Village’s approximate location to them on it. Bai Nianci was eating compressed biscuits while flipping through the shrine photos he had taken today.
As they were resting, a dark shadow suddenly floated down from upstream. The shadow emerged from the thick fog and drifted downward with the creek. Huo Ang told Bai Nianci, Jiang Ye, and the others to stay away from the creek, his right hand pressed against the back of his waist, his expression wary. Jiang Ye was certain there was a gun behind his waist.
The shadow floated down. Yilale shouted, “It’s a living person!”
He rolled up his pants, waded into the creek, and dragged the person ashore.
“Thank you… thank you…” the person said, trembling.
Huo Ang asked, “Who are you? How did you end up here?”
Jiang Ye stepped forward for a look and froze in shock.
That person saw Jiang Ye as well and said in astonishment, “Student Jiang Ye, why are you here?”
Jiang Ye’s brows drew together. “Xiao Liu.”
A chill crept through Jiang Ye’s heart. He clearly remembered that Xiao Liu had turned into a monster that made strange heh-heh cries.
Xiao Liu introduced themself to Huo Ang and the others, then said, “Teacher Shen and the others disappeared. I also got separated from the colleague traveling with me. Student Jiang Ye, you remember, right? Xiao He. Xiao He looked after you before too. Xiao He was attacked by a beast. The body is upstream.”
“A beast?” Huo Ang and Yilale exchanged a look.
The old hunter muttered in confusion, “This old man’s lived around here for decades. There aren’t any beasts in these woods.”
“There are! I saw Xiao He’s corpse with my own eyes. There were several claw wounds on it.” Xiao Liu clutched the canteen, trembling all over, face deathly pale. “And I kept feeling like Xiao He was following me. I hid here and there, then lost my way. I’ve been walking for almost a week. Thank heavens I finally met you. Please take me out!”
Jiang Ye observed Xiao Liu without revealing anything, and the more he looked, the more alarmed he became. He did not know whether the others had noticed, but this person’s eyes did not move. Xiao Liu always moved the neck and head together and never shifted the eyeballs alone. Most likely, it was because Xiao Liu was already dead. The eyes had stiffened and could no longer move.
Jiang Ye circled behind Xiao Liu, wanting to see whether there were any clues on the back.
As he observed, Jiang Ye asked, “Xiao Liu, when was the last time you contacted Teacher Shen?”
Xiao Liu slowly twisted the head around, looked at Jiang Ye, and said, “I forgot. I forgot… Take me home. I want to go home.”
At that moment, everyone was stunned.
Xiao Liu’s body had not moved. Only the neck and head had turned a full hundred and eighty degrees, that deathly pale face staring straight at Jiang Ye. The old hunter pointed at Xiao Liu with trembling fingers, horror on his face. Huo Ang quickly covered his mouth and brought him farther away.
“Student Jiang Ye, why are you looking at me like that?” Xiao Liu’s expression grew more and more hideous. Jiang Ye remembered Liu Bei’s gesture of raising a finger to her lips. Had she been warning him to keep quiet and not tell a ghost it was already dead?
“Nothing,” Jiang Ye said flatly. “I just think your body is especially flexible. If you ever stop being an investigator, you could dance ballet.”
That hideous face froze for an instant, then returned to normal.
“All right… all right… Student Jiang Ye, what you said makes sense.”
Now that a ghost had joined the group, everyone lost their appetite at once. The old hunter was terrified and said, “I suddenly remembered I left water boiling at home. I need to go back. You can keep going on your own. I’ll be leaving first.”
Huo Ang grabbed him by the collar. “You took our money and now you want to run?”
Yilale dropped the act, pulled the gun from behind his waist, chambered a round, and smiled as gently as flowing water. “I would advise you to think carefully.”
“You people!” The old hunter was about to go mad. He lowered his voice and asked, “Do you not want to live?”
“Double the price. Take us to Taisui Village.” Bai Nianci adjusted his glasses, his expression calm.
The old hunter hesitated. “Three… three times. This is life-risking work. You have to add more money.”
“Deal,” Bai Nianci said generously. “The money we paid before counts as the deposit. Once we reach Taisui Village, the rest will be transferred to your account.”
“Madness. You’re all mad!” the old hunter muttered, then sat down far away, keeping a great distance from Xiao Liu.
No one had any mind to eat. They barely took a few bites, then continued on their way. For some reason, Xiao Liu stuck to Jiang Ye. Wherever Jiang Ye went, Xiao Liu followed. Jiang Ye had a terrible headache over it. The others cast him sympathetic looks, but none of them had any solution.
Jiang Ye saw Huo Ang and Yilale communicating in sign language, so he deliberately led Xiao Liu to the front to keep Xiao Liu from seeing them discuss things. Once Huo Ang and Yilale finished discussing, Huo Ang passed Jiang Ye and bumped his shoulder. Jiang Ye received a note. He lowered his head and quietly checked it. It said they planned to make their move after everyone was asleep tonight.
“Xiao Liu,” Jin Feize suddenly called.
The atmosphere went silent at once. No one had expected this man to take the initiative to talk to the ghost. The old hunter kept gesturing at Jin Feize, telling him to shut up.
“What do you want to say?” Xiao Liu whipped around, the face instantly turning hideous.
“What are you, and why do you keep following Jiang Ye?” Jin Feize asked with a beaming smile.
“What do you say I am?”
Under everyone’s astonished gazes, Xiao Liu’s face slowly revealed its original rotting appearance. The neck lengthened too, drawing close to Jin Feize’s face.
Xiao Liu repeated hoarsely, “What do you say I am?”
Yilale raised the gun and aimed at Xiao Liu’s head. The old hunter was about to die of fright and desperately gestured at Jin Feize.
As if he could not see any of it, Jin Feize tilted his head and studied Xiao Liu’s strange face. “Did your hemorrhoids grow onto your face? How pitiful. Did no one ever tell you all these years? You actually don’t know you’re an ugly thing.”
Xiao Liu froze, the hideous face stiff in midair.
“Mr. Ugly Thing,” Jin Feize said with a warm smile, “stay away from me and Jiang Ye, or I’ll use an electric drill to give you cosmetic surgery.”
That strange face suddenly halted three steps away from Jin Feize, then stiffly retreated.
That expression was practically as if Xiao Liu had seen a ghost, even though Xiao Liu was clearly a ghost. A miracle happened. Xiao Liu really stopped clinging to Jiang Ye and trailed behind the group all alone, as if Xiao Liu had truly realized how ugly that face was and no longer wanted anyone else to see it.
Huo Ang’s face was full of astonishment. “Fuck, that actually works?”
Yilale slowly lowered the gun, and the way he looked at Jin Feize changed slightly.
Jiang Ye frowned faintly, his gaze grave as he stared at Jin Feize. Only he knew that Xiao Liu had not backed away because Xiao Liu realized that face was ugly, but because Xiao Liu was afraid of Jin Feize. Xiao Liu was the same as Liu Bei. Both feared Jin Feize.
Jiang Ye could not help falling into thought. What ability did Jin Feize have that could make even ghosts afraid of him? Could it be that once someone was insane to a certain degree, even ghosts trembled at the smell of madness?
At night, Huo Ang and Yilale started setting up tents. Huo Ang asked Jin Feize beside him, “Young man, come give us a hand?”
Jin Feize smiled and said, “I don’t know how.”
“I’ll teach you,” Huo Ang said. “I have other things to do. Learn a little and set up your own tent.”
Jin Feize said, “I can’t learn.”
Huo Ang’s temper was about to flare, and he was just about to say something when Yilale, crouching in the distance, advised him, “Forget it.”
“…” Jiang Ye walked over. “I’ll do it.”
Jiang Ye had brought one tent, and Huo Ang’s group had brought two. There were four tents altogether. They assigned the tents. Jiang Ye and Jin Feize would share one, Bai Nianci and the old hunter would share one, Yilale and Huo Ang would share one, and the remaining one would be given to Xiao Liu.
Jiang Ye was unwilling to share with Jin Feize, but Huo Ang and Yilale were also unwilling to share with Jin Feize. Because Jin Feize had deliberately provoked Xiao Liu during the day, the old hunter felt he was unsafe and refused as well. Jiang Ye had no choice but to keep staying with Jin Feize.
They deliberately set Xiao Liu’s tent slightly farther away from everyone else so it would be easier to tell apart late at night. Huo Ang’s original plan had been to burn the tent, but Yilale vetoed it. This was a primeval forest. If they burned a tent, the flames would be hard to control and could easily start a mountain fire. They had no choice but to carry out plan two: use going out to pee as an excuse to dig a pit, then once everyone had gotten into their sleeping bags at night, he and Yilale would seal Xiao Liu inside the sleeping bag, throw it into the pit, and bury it.
Huo Ang said to Jiang Ye and Jin Feize, “You two don’t need to move. Stay obediently in the tent and don’t come out.”
Jiang Ye nodded. “Sorry to trouble you.”
They left, leaving Jiang Ye and Jin Feize in the tent. Jiang Ye could tell Jin Feize had a pampered temper. After walking an entire day, the number of times he had sat down could be counted on one hand, probably because he thought the forest was dirty. That bastard crouched there inspecting his sleeping bag for a very long time, as if he would refuse to sleep if he found so much as a speck of dust.
Jiang Ye pressed his lips together. He wanted to say thank you. After all, if Xiao Liu had kept sticking to him today, he might have ended up sharing a tent with Xiao Liu. But when he thought of what had happened last night, Jiang Ye no longer wanted to speak. He was afraid Jin Feize would go mad and torment him again, so he lay down and zipped his sleeping bag shut without leaving the slightest gap.
Jin Feize looked at his sleeping bag and said, “You ignored me all day today.”
Jiang Ye remained silent.
Jin Feize smiled and said slowly, “Baby, sooner or later, you’ll come to me on your own.”
Jin Feize took sleeping pills from his bag, swallowed them with water, turned off the light, and lay down inside his sleeping bag.
The lights in every tent went out, and everything around them sank into a silence like black water. Jiang Ye closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.
He did not know how long he had slept before someone breathed against his neck. What strange thing was Jin Feize doing now? Jiang Ye opened his eyes. Before him was pitch-blackness—the sleeping bag. His neck was tingling and itching; cold hair had fallen onto his shoulder.
The one breathing on him was not Jin Feize, but Liu Bei.
Liu Bei was calling him to wake up.
He wanted to get up, only to abruptly discover that he had been bound tightly together with the sleeping bag and was being moved. Then he was thrown outside and slammed onto the hard-packed earth. Jiang Ye hit the ground headfirst and was knocked dizzy.
Huo Ang’s voice came faintly from outside. “Fuck, this thing’s heavy.”
Jiang Ye was horrified. What were these people doing? Had they not realized they were carrying the wrong person?
He wanted to shout for them to stop, but when he opened his mouth, what came out was, “Heh-heh…”
Jiang Ye was stunned.
Huo Ang said, “This monster is still heh-heh-heh-ing. What is it, an old hen?”
Yilale urged, “Dig quickly. Don’t cause more trouble.”
Their movements sped up, and Jiang Ye heard the sound of them digging. No matter how he tried to call for help, all he could make was that strange “heh-heh-heh” sound, as if his throat had been cut. Jiang Ye realized he had been tricked by Xiao Liu. Perhaps ghosts and monsters all had some kind of illusion spell. That thing had made Huo Ang and Yilale mistake the tent, carry the wrong sleeping bag, and rendered Jiang Ye unable to speak.
Huo Ang and Yilale began pouring dirt over him. He felt the soil on his body grow heavier and heavier.
Think of a way. He had to think of something quickly.
He worked hard to reach into his pants pocket and find the tracker. Damn it. He truly did not want to touch this thing again, and even less did he want to ask that bastard Jin Feize for help, but he had no other choice. He clenched it hard, crushing its rubber casing. The device inside cracked as well, shattering to pieces with a snap.
Inside the tent, the phone lost Jiang Ye’s satellite location, and the alarm began to beep. Jin Feize opened his eyes instantly. Beside him, both Jiang Ye and his sleeping bag had vanished without a trace.
He took out a flashlight and was just about to open the tent when he suddenly saw a figure crouching eerily in front of his tent. Jin Feize calmly took the nail gun from Jiang Ye’s backpack, unzipped the tent, and disappeared into the darkness.
“Heh-heh-heh.”
“Fuck, still making that sound.” Huo Ang cursed under his breath.
The thing on the ground made his scalp crawl. Unable to bear it anymore, he pulled out his gun and aimed at the sleeping bag’s head, planning to disable its mouth first before burying it.
“Wait,” Yilale said, his expression changing. “It’s not coming from the bag. It’s coming from the woods.”