Prologue, Tiger's Mouth

After this statement was made, no one opposed it any longer, and the four individuals simultaneously looked downwards

This area belongs to a branch of the Qinling Mountains, and it is now summer. The undulating mountains are adorned with a richly layered green satin, dyed by the lush summer vegetation. ... Fresh green, tender green, deep green ... . ... Layer upon layer, under the illumination of the setting sun, this green satin is further tinged with a layer of golden glow, evoking a profound appreciation for the majestic beauty of nature

Just now, they... heard a deep, echoing roar.

Uncle Er extinguished the cigarette butt and gritted his teeth

What are you doing? The house is a mud-brick structure, with yellow earthen walls clearly showing signs of cracking. The wooden door frame is filled with the wear of time. A plump woman, dissatisfied, emerged from another room holding a child, frowning and saying: "The baby has been awakened by your noise..."

Boom! Another thunderclap echoed, and the enormous creature trembled all over, then retreated into the darkness without looking back

What are you looking at?! Second Uncle's voice became sharp as he grabbed the rope. However, his strength was unable to hold it! The rope continued to descend rapidly!

He wore an unmistakable expression of fear on his face: "For generations, it has been said that one must not enter this cave. Moreover, it is about to rain..."

Very large... At least over 3 meters, covered all over with silver fur—whether it was due to the lightning or its own color, they were uncertain. Its eyes were bright red. In its wide-open mouth, filled with blood, sharp teeth like blades could be clearly seen.

Usually, he did not feel this way, but now he only feels that the scattered lights in the village are so warm. As he ran wildly, his second uncle only felt the fierce wind rushing past his ears, and his mind was completely blank. After desperately running back home, he slammed the door shut and with a thud, he dropped the bolt. Only then did his body go soft, and he squatted down like a pile of mud

Uncle Er shot a glare at Uncle San, just about to speak. Suddenly, both of them froze for a moment, and then abruptly looked down.

"The package is here!" Before the words had left his mouth, Uncle Er stood up. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Down!"

Only the increasingly dense thunder in the sky and the violent sounds of trees raging from all directions. After a full five seconds, Uncle San suddenly raised his head and said in a trembling voice: "Mountain Demon ... ... "

Boom ... At this moment, the first rumble of thunder echoed in the sky, illuminating the area below. ... A pitch-black hole!

Suddenly, with a "bang," the rope snapped abruptly. Accompanied by two exclamations of surprise, both Uncle Er and Uncle San fell to the ground on the grass

The hole is approximately twenty meters in size, surrounded by dense clover. Below, the bottom of the pit, which is also covered in grass, can be faintly seen, about seven to eight meters high. A narrow winding path spirals down from the edge of the hole.

"Damn it!" Uncle Er shouted angrily, immediately getting up and rushing to the edge of the pit to look down. Uncle San quickly followed, his heart burning with anxiety

I am quite familiar with this mountain range, yet I have never seen such a creature! Its size is almost comparable to that of a tiger! ... Moreover ...? ... How does it live in a cave?

Because of this sound, they have never heard it before

As if to validate his words, the brightness of the sky diminished further. Several dark clouds, seemingly appearing from nowhere, quietly spread over the towering mountains. The night sky, usually filled with countless stars, revealed not a single star today

However, before the words had left their mouths, they simultaneously gasped, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets

Er Ganzi is a person of quick temper. He has just descended into the cave and, relying on the rope, has already walked to a place where the light does not reach. However, just now, the rope tied to Er Ganzi is desperately being let down!

Uncle Er's temples bulged high, his teeth clenched tightly. Suddenly, he shouted loudly: "Help!"

In the pupils, which had constricted due to extreme terror, was reflected a scene that sent chills down one's spine: a monstrous creature of indeterminate size was at the bottom of the pit, staring intently at them

Running too fast, to the point of exhaustion, now his calves are twitching uncontrollably. He crosses his hands, trembling slightly, with his fists pressed against his forehead. The only thing in his mind is what he just saw

Before his words had finished, he suddenly stood up and ran towards the village like a madman

Mountain demon! This is a mountain demon!

Everyone turned to look at him. He grabbed a thick rope beside him—about the thickness of three fingers—one end already wrapped around a tree, while the other end was thrown down in front. Gritting his teeth, he said to the few others with him, "What are you afraid of? If Er Ganzi is to marry a wife, he can only rely on this little bit of property. Our elders will help if they can. It will rain soon, let's hurry!"

Moreover, they dare to bet that this is undoubtedly the sound made by a large beast! It is impossible for small animals to produce such a loud roar

Thunder rumbled loudly! At the same time, the sky was filled with the sound of thunder, as if some malevolent spirit were about to emerge!

His square face was deeply furrowed, and he turned to a young man in his twenties, who had a bald head and was bare-chested, and asked him.

Uncle Er shuddered slightly and immediately followed without saying a word

In 2016, Xijing Province, Xingyuan City. Fengping County, Mendao Niu Village

Mendao Niu Village is located on the border between Xingyuan City and Chang'an City. It is far removed from the bustling city. The villagers lead a life that is almost isolated from the world. It is hard to imagine that there is no online shopping and no large-scale gaming here. There is not a single car in the entire village, and among the ten or so households, there are only two tractors. The bus runs only once a day, departing at 8 AM and returning at 6 PM—this is the only means of communication between the entire village and the outside world. Because almost no one here uses mobile phones, it is not that there is no signal, but rather that the signal is still at 3G speed. The bus runs only once a day, departing at 8 AM and returning at 6 PM—this is the only means of communication between the entire village and the outside world. Because almost no one here uses mobile phones, it is not that there is no signal, but rather that the signal is still at 3G speed.

Silence

He then rushed to the phone like a madman and dialed 110

The palm of his hand was rubbed raw, yet Uncle Er did not dare to let go of the rope; he was even more afraid to think about what Er Ganzi might be encountering below. With a loud shout, he squatted into a horse stance, desperately pulling on the rope. However, his body unexpectedly began to slowly move towards the mouth of the hole as well

Finally, this sound... is coming from the hole

The things that come down are not the same as those that have come up before

"The tiger's mouth... what a creature!" Uncle San lowered his voice and said through clenched teeth: "Something happened down there... Er Ganzi is a reckless fool, and you are following along with him?"

The evening breeze is growing stronger, rustling the layers of leaves in the forest, resembling the waves of the sea, urging everyone to hurry home

So what exactly is it

It is a genuine sheep path, only one and a half feet wide, which is certainly not wide enough for a person to walk through. However, it poses no problem for sheep, as clover is undoubtedly one of their favorite types of grass

Third Uncle! The voice of Er Ganzi was tinged with a hint of choking: "Our family is counting on them..."

Thunder rumbled ... Outside, the heavy rain finally poured down. The silver threads of heaven and earth enveloped everything in darkness

"You dare!" Uncle San's hair stood on end as he immediately shouted downwards: "Run back!"

What a mistake! The young man stood up anxiously and said in a low voice: "The hoof prints are right here! Second uncle, one sheep costs several hundred!"

The sky remains dark late into the summer evenings, with some daylight lingering around 7 o'clock. Just over fifty meters from the village, on the hillside, three lamps quietly illuminated.

This is emitted from the cave

"Damn it..." The muscles on the arms of the two farmers bulged, making it hard to imagine how strong that thing was. They could only desperately hold onto this rope that represented life

Ah—!!! A scream echoed from below, and the terrified voice of Er Ganzi rang out: "Pull! Pull... Pull!!!"

"Call the police..." Before he could finish speaking, my second uncle's trembling voice emerged from his throat, and then immediately grew louder: "Call the police... Call the police immediately!"

Uncle San, as if awakening from a dream, hurriedly rushed forward and grabbed the rope. The combined strength of the two barely managed to stop the rope from being lowered any further. However, at this moment, more than twenty meters of rope had already been completely let down... and... it was taut!

"Er Gan Zi, why did your sheep really come down here?" The speaker was a middle-aged man with a dark complexion, tinged with a hint of purple, wearing a white cloth towel on his head and dressed in a black, buttoned short jacket.

"Er Gan Zi ... ... " Before he could finish his sentence, another thin middle-aged man took a puff of his cigarette and said softly: "This is the tiger's mouth ... ... "

However, this glance rendered both individuals speechless

Even breathing has come to a halt

Below ... ! ... there is something that is competing for the body of Er Gan Zi with them

Er Ganzi gritted his teeth and was the first to grab the rope and swing down. Just after he went down, San Shu pressed his lips tightly together and looked at Er Shu: "Are you really going down?"

It is like a quiet girl quietly residing in the deep mountains. She lives by herding and farming, leading a hard yet serene life away from the world

Relying on the mountains for sustenance, they not only farmed but also occasionally hunted mountain goods to sell for money. However, at this moment, a cold sweat quickly spread across their backs, and their hands gripping the rope trembled.