Chapter 8, The Mysteriously Disappeared Person

After walking for about half an hour in the interwoven mountains filled with flowers, grass, and trees, I felt that the visibility was decreasing. At first, I could still see the mountain peaks, but now I could only see the large trees not far in front of me. Suddenly, Afu, who was at the front, shouted, "Everyone, get down!"

My head feels like it's boiling, making a constant noise, which is quite bizarre. Someone who has been missing for half a year in this desolate place actually managed to go to Shandong to have tea and chat with me. This is even more difficult to uncover than the content of "Exploration and Discovery"! I stood there lost in thought, pondering one misunderstanding after another. Meanwhile, Ah Fu prepared food and water for Qing Shan using a bamboo basket to prevent any mishaps; he even tied one of his arms to a support beam to restrict his range of movement. At this point, the day had brightened, and Da Kai came in to greet us, getting ready to set off.

I saw everyone full of spirit and ready to set off, while I was troubled by countless mysteries, feeling as if I lacked vitality. Thus, our group embarked on the journey, with Afu leading the way, followed by Daku and Dakai, while Siye and I walked in the middle. Afu often glanced back longingly towards his home. Along the way, I learned that the locals refer to this mountain as Tenglong Mountain, because it is said to have been the sacrificial mountain of the Serpent King, who would arrive riding a dragon during the sacrificial ceremonies. Due to the treacherous terrain and the abundance of venomous creatures, only a few people have ventured to the mountainside to gather herbs, and almost no one has crossed this mountain.

The burly man shouted at m.hetushu.com.com, "Bah! Do you believe I can make you unable to have descendants right now?" Da Kai had already brought a bamboo chair for the Fourth Master to sit down, and the bald man immediately took the hint and lit a cigarette for the Fourth Master. The Fourth Master took a puff of the cigarette and slowly exhaled, asking, "Kid, tell me why you want to harm us?"

I then asked, "Afu, can you be certain that there is only one way out of the mountain here? Are there really no other paths? Have those three people truly not come out?"

"They also wanted me to lead them into the mountains. After they learned that I already had work, they offered me double the money to find a way to delay you. They said that as long as they could kill you, they could save our Qingshan." At this point, Ah Fu, weeping, glanced at the already terrified Qingshan and continued, "Actually, Qingshan wasn't like this before. About six months ago, three people similarly sought someone to guide them into the mountains. It was during the process of leading them that Qingshan had an accident." As he spoke, Ah Fu unexpectedly broke down in tears and slowly lifted Qingshan's tattered but tightly wrapped clothing.

"Damn!" the burly man cursed loudly, startling himself into retreat, only to trip over a stone and tumble backward, rolling until he crashed into a large tree. This provoked a burst of laughter from those around. Fourth Master wore a serious expression: "Useless fool! Da Kai, go see what happened."

Only the green mountains returned by themselves. Moreover, the very next day, they could no longer stand up, and they never spoke or communicated again. Gradually, people transformed into what they are now. This is the inevitable path of leaving the mountains; I have not seen those three individuals emerge from the mountains again after that time.

"Rest assured, as long as you successfully lead us out of the mountains, I will find a way to cure this child's strange illness." This statement from the Fourth Master startled everyone. I noticed that, apart from the dried chicken, everyone turned their gaze towards the Fourth Master. Ah Fu looked at the Fourth Master with a foolish expression, hesitantly saying, "You... you... do you really have... a way to cure my family's Qingshan's illness?"

If you do not believe me, I will bury both you and your son right here and end it all. If you do believe me, do your utmost to take us to the destination we need to go. Once I am out, I will not only cure your child's illness but also give him the opportunity to see the world outside.

Afu looked on with a somewhat dazed expression and said, "It was they who asked Qingshan to lead them into the mountains; it’s all my fault, I am the one who harmed Qingshan." As he spoke, he began to cry again. This was truly remarkable! Afu said that those who entered the mountains did not come out, but why did that old man not only come out but also invite me for a cup of tea?

I do not wish to harm you; I only want to steal some valuable goods from the wealthy

Afu said seriously: "I assure the mountain god that this is the only road to enter and exit the mountain, and there is no other way! Those three people have not come out; I have gone in to search multiple times and have found nothing."

It is a group of approximately twenty outsiders, seemingly soldiers. They are all wearing camouflage uniforms and carrying gun holsters

Da Kai walked up and shone a flashlight on Qing Shan. This was clearly visible to everyone present, causing them to collectively gasp in shock. They saw that the area of skin exposed by A Fu was covered in dark blue-black scales! Seeing that we all understood the situation, A Fu, in extreme panic, stammered: "Qing... Qing... Qing Shan said he was bitten by a dragon... dragon... dragon..."

"Wang Qiang, go and cut off that little rabbit's tongue for me!" Fourth Master calmly said to the big man. "Alright, Fourth Master, just watch!" The big man said as he drew out a dagger and grabbed Qingshan's jaw, ready to act. "Someone asked me to harm you. They said that as long as I agreed to their conditions, they could help me cure Qingshan's illness," Afu shouted. It must be said that experience is invaluable! Fourth Master easily saw through Afu's lies. "Someone asked me to harm you. They said that as long as I agreed to their conditions, they could help me cure Qingshan's illness," Afu shouted. It must be said that experience is invaluable! Fourth Master easily saw through Afu's lies. This old hand in the game truly lives up to his reputation; no wonder he has been able to navigate through many years of struggle and quickly achieve success in an industry he had never ventured into before. In contrast, I, this little greenhorn, seem as naive as a Teletubby.

I can't believe it! A whole group of them! And they are soldiers! Even before we officially set out, we were already being watched by others in our own territory. They even had the intent to kill, what is going on? I cursed silently in my heart. This is truly like being on a pirate ship.

Wang Qiang, do not act yet; let him continue speaking. Who instructed you to harm us? When you mention 'they,' which few people are you referring to?" Fourth Master waved his hand to signal the big man to stop.

I looked at Uncle Si again and saw that he remained calm,淡淡的说: "Why did they find you to harm us? What strange illness has your child contracted?"

Afu, upon hearing these words, immediately expressed his gratitude by bowing several times to the Fourth Master, crying as he said: "Thank you, hero, thank you, hero"

When Ah Fu mentioned the word "dragon," his voice trembled noticeably, and his gaze remained fixed on the green mountains. No one spoke a word. Thus, they lingered in silence within the darkness. After about half a minute, Fourth Master was the first to break the deathly stillness. "Where did those who entered the mountains with him go?"

My astonishment is beyond words. Could it be that some old man has also been here? Fourth Master mentioned he came to invite the deity, and on the way, we encountered people who intended to assassinate us. Coincidentally, a mysterious old man has also appeared here. Could this series of events have some hidden connection? I had no time to think further and quickly walked into the building, where I saw Ah Fu packing his luggage, a gleaming long knife strapped to his waist. Upon seeing me, he hurriedly said, "Little hero, feel free to give your orders." I handed him the photo and asked, "What are these three people doing?"

After speaking, Da Kai spat and began to vigilantly survey the surroundings. Out of curiosity, I looked at the picture in the book and found it to be a photograph featuring Qingshan, A Fu, and three other individuals. In the photo, everyone was smiling broadly, except for the person on the edge, who appeared to be frowning as if feeling wronged, which was somewhat amusing. However, this amusement instantly transformed into profound astonishment! Upon closer inspection, I realized that the frowning person was none other than the elder who had come to inquire about the situation with the soldiers that day!

The Fourth Master ignored Afu, closing his eyes as if contemplating something, and said to everyone: "Tonight has been enough of a hassle. Wang Qiang and Da Kai, you two will take turns keeping watch. We will set off early tomorrow morning." Feng Ganji continued to huddle beside a large tree, observing the surroundings. Afu carried Qingshan into the village, while the bald man began to clean his gun. Everyone, except for the Fourth Master, seemed to be on high alert. After all that had happened, I had no desire to sleep. If someone had told me before that there was a dragon, I would have certainly thought they were foolish. Now, I found myself to be the most naive person. What exactly was that floating object in the photo the old man showed me? Had Qingshan really been bitten by a dragon? The sun gradually began to rise in the east, and I stretched lazily, deciding not to think about anything and allowing myself to relax. At that moment, Da Kai approached, holding something the size of a palm, and handed it to me, saying: "This fell out just now when that bastard was holding his disabled son. Young Master, you should return it to him later. If it weren't for your Fourth Master stopping me, I would have really wanted to take them out!"