Chapter 001: The Bandit Master (Part One)

I just leaned forward a bit and stepped into a puddle of mud with a squelch. Looking down, I saw a pool of black water on the ground. The water seemed to be seeping out from a grave, carrying a foul odor that nearly made me gag

When I looked at her again, the woman somehow ended up right in front of me, her forehead almost touching my stomach. I was so startled that I quickly took a step back

It is unclear what the old walnut was thinking; not only did he dig a hole behind the grave mound, but he also made a hole in the coffin inside, allowing one to see the skull of the deceased through the coffin. Strangely, the old walnut even placed three slabs of blue stone over the hole, making it look as if he had opened a back door to the grave mound

My first reaction was to run back. To my surprise, as soon as I turned around, I saw that woman had come up behind me. She had her arms crossed over her chest, her head lowered, squatting in the middle of the path, completely blocking the mountain road.

We have a custom here that for children who have passed away prematurely, two circles of blush must be applied to their faces, making them resemble paper effigies of young boys and girls. This is done in hopes that they will find an "old immortal" to serve them first, and when their parents eventually pass away, they can be reunited; otherwise, if the little spirits enter the river of mothers and children in the underworld, they will never be able to return.

After a loud "bang" from the grave, I heard the wailing and howling of ghosts coming from within. I couldn't make out what was being shouted, but it was definitely not the sound of a human. No matter how loudly a person shouts, they cannot produce such a piercing sound

Originally, I thought this matter would just pass by with the books. Unexpectedly, just a few days after Gao Datou moved the grave, someone came knocking at the door

At that time, I was not very old, yet my temper was quite fiery. I never considered how water could flow out of a grave; the fire in my heart suddenly flared up. If I had a hoe in my hand, I would have been able to dig up the grave right then and there

I was raised by an old walnut, and from the moment I became aware, I felt that he was quite peculiar

This matter was originally unrelated to us, but unexpectedly, Old Walnut burst into laughter: "JB's Black Dragon Treasure Cave! If someone dares to bury a person there, it would be strange if nothing happened!"

That is a person! It is a woman dressed in white, squatting on the ground! ... I mistook her hair for something black and cloth-like ...? ... But who would be squatting in the wilderness at such a late hour?

Gao Daotou was so delighted that he almost knelt down, quickly rushing to hand a red envelope to Master Ge.

Old Walnut paid no attention to my thoughts and walked down the mountain with his hands behind his back. As I walked, I kept looking back, fearing that someone would catch up to me. Among the group of Tall Head, there was indeed someone who was unwilling to back down; the person who originally wanted to beat up Old Walnut was desperately trying to hold him back, not allowing him to come over. Eventually, when they could no longer hold him, they shouted, "Are you looking for death? That old man is Old Hu!"

I shone the flashlight around a few times and saw a pile of white objects in the distance. At first, I thought I had illuminated a snow mound covered with black cloth. However, upon closer reflection, I realized that it couldn't be right! It is the middle of summer, where could snow possibly come from?

Although I do not have any items from m.hetushu.com, I do have a small fortune in my pocket

As soon as I heard it, I thought, this is just asking for a fight, right? To my surprise, that person’s eyes lit up: "Brother, I’ve run into some trouble, you’ve got to lend me a hand..."

The old walnut did not show any respect to the other party: "What is the significance of the heavenly beam?"

I lit a cigarette stolen from Old Walnut, aimed it at the Ma Lei Zi, and tossed it into the grave pit.

Old Walnut spoke softly, but among the crowd, there were those with sharp ears, and someone immediately pointed at Old Walnut and scolded: "What are you babbling about?"

Since I was young, I have loved running up the mountains, and I have almost explored all the ravines and paths near Lijia Gou. However, I have never been to this place before

Old Walnut shot a glance at the other party without saying a word. Instead, that person became more energized and walked straight towards Old Walnut. At that time, I was only eleven years old, half a head shorter than that person, but I couldn't just stand by and watch Old Walnut suffer, so I immediately picked up a stone from the ground and stood in front of Old Walnut: "What do you want to do?"

Old Walnut sneered: "What year is it, and you're still playing this? Just spit it out already!"

Later, an incident occurred that made me realize that the old walnut was indeed uncanny

The old walnut is already in his seventies or eighties, yet he still spends his days rubbing two walnuts and running into the mountains. Sometimes he is gone for several days and nights without a trace. When I asked him what he was doing in the mountains, he said he was looking for someone to chat with

I instinctively shone the flashlight to the sides a few times, hoping to see if I could change to a different path along the books. However, both sides of the mountain road were pitch black, and the beam of the flashlight only illuminated a narrow white path, making it impossible to see anything clearly. The woman in front of me, without the need for a flashlight, could see everything quite clearly.

The old walnut turned to me and said: "Kid, go out and get a pot of wine. I want to have a couple of drinks with this brother."

I am wearing new shoes! Since I bought them, I have been polishing them every day. I feel distressed even if they get a little muddy, let alone when they get something that looks like feces on them!

At that time, I thought he must have been possessed. The villagers probably thought the same; otherwise, why would they all avoid him? I was adopted by him, and there was no way for me to escape; otherwise, I would have kept my distance.

Gao Datou pointed to a piece of vacant land not far from me and said, "Last year, I personally witnessed a snake as thick as an arm fighting with a large wild chicken over territory. After the snake won, it swiftly slithered into that burrow..."

I thought at that moment: Surely, the iron walnut cannot be crushed by him? That thing is so tough that even hitting it with a hammer is a struggle!

I was still pondering when Old Walnut patted me on the shoulder from behind and said, "It's time to go. If someone is willing to seek their own demise, we cannot stop them."

Despite his mysterious comings and goings, he has imposed two rules on me: first, I am not allowed to go up the mountain, and second, I am not allowed to go down to the river. Are there any rural children who do not go up the mountain or down to the river? I cannot help but join the other children to play, yet he always manages to catch me and keeps a close watch on me

I originally intended to run straight home, but as I was running, I lost track of where I was going, ending up at m.hetushu.com. All I knew was that I was in the woods, completely unable to distinguish between east, south, west, and north. When I finally managed to reach a more open area, I was utterly bewildered—I had no idea where I was.

I was also taken aback after hearing this; the bearded man is indeed a bandit from Northeast China. If we calculate backwards according to Old Walnut's age, during the most tumultuous times of banditry before the founding of the nation, he would have been in his thirties, and it is quite possible that he truly was a bandit.

Before long, the old man approached us holding a compass. The person leading him was someone I recognized, the well-known boss Gao Datou from the village. Usually, he looked down on others with his nostrils pointed to the sky, but in front of the old man, he was more respectful than a grandson: "Master Ge, I was referring to that place..."

If you don't want to listen, then don't! I can't hear it, can I not see it either?

It was only then that I realized my fear and I ran down the mountain as fast as I could

That woman is carrying a burial garment for the child; what else could it be but a dead child

On the mountain, apart from a beard grave that holds the remains of dozens of people, there are no households within a radius of more than ten miles. Is he going to chat with those dead people?

Master Ge suddenly took two quick steps, clapping his hands and exclaiming: "The Black Dragon's treasure cave, the Black Dragon's treasure cave! After so many years of studying feng shui, I have never seen a burial site that can compare to this one!"

At this moment, I noticed that the old walnut's clothing had somehow become unbuttoned, revealing half of the thunderous eagle tattooed on his chest; the two iron walnuts that were originally in his hands seemed to have disappeared, yet his fingertips were stained with walnut shells

"Are you trying to scare me with * pictures * and books? Have you grown up yet..." The person stopped speaking halfway through.

The woman suddenly lifted a child wrapped in a burial garment from her bosom. The child's face was deathly pale, with only the cheeks appearing as if stained with red paper, marked by two round red patches.

However, I did not inquire about this matter when I returned. That old walnut of a person is just like that; if he does not want to talk about something, no matter how much you nag him for a few days, he will remain silent.

dead child

That day, I was playing chess with the old walnut on the hillside when I saw several cars arriving at the village entrance. A group of people got out of the cars, as if they were inviting an ancestor, and helped an old man out.

Those who venture into the mountains generally carry firecrackers or similar items. In case of an emergency on the mountain, they can light them and throw them, which serves two purposes: first, to scare off the other party, and second, to create a commotion to attract nearby individuals for assistance

The person who came is quite old, and upon seeing the old walnut, he clasped his hands and said: "Mushroom, I miss my family, so I came to see my nephew."

Then the old man is not angry: "Is the old brother a support beam of heaven?"

I was too far from the old walnut tree to see clearly what he was fiddling with behind it. It was only after he left that I slowly approached, shining my flashlight on the mound of earth.

That person was quite perceptive, directly stuffing the money for the drinks into my pocket. I knew that the two of them were discussing something and did not want me to overhear.

When Old Walnut went out in the evening, I quietly followed him out the door. I saw Old Walnut walking towards the Gao Family Cemetery. After arriving at the new grave of the Gao family, he hid behind the grave and reached out to take something. Before long, he had piled up a mound of dirt beside him.