Chapter 5, Earth Beasts

Ding, ding, ding...

Do not come over

Although I was curious in my heart, I did not dare to ask out loud. The fat man, seeing that the other party was ignoring Wang Jianjun, walked up and continued to say: "Fellow townsman, I apologize for what just happened."

Wang Jianjun muttered a few words

Muttering nonsense, his hand unconsciously grasped the talisman inserted at his waist

What appeared before me and the fat man was actually a living person

In my heart, I was filled with anxiety, and I did not know where the courage came from, but I took the initiative to jump outside and shout. The figure across from me was clearly taken aback and actually stopped in their tracks. Even the sound of the bell ceased!

At this moment, amidst the sound of rain, a strange noise suddenly mixed in and came from afar

I saw him panting heavily, filled with confusion, and asked, "What happened to you? Did you encounter a tiger while relieving yourself?"

The fat man loves to sleep, and upon hearing that he also has to keep watch, he showed great reluctance. However, since everyone agreed, he could only give me a glare and remain silent

A crowd sat around the campfire, eating. Outside, the rain grew heavier, yet the house was very quiet; perhaps everyone was tired, as they soon showed signs of fatigue after sitting for a while

I made a bold assumption; at this moment, the distant bell sounded even more pronounced. The stout man hurriedly woke the other three people in the house and then asked, "Aren't ghosts unable to come out during the day?"

I held the shovel and continued to shout: "No matter what kind of monster or ghost you are, hurry up and leave, we... we have Daba here!"

I had no idea how to respond to the fat man's words, my heart was tense, my palms were cold, and although it was quite chilly around, a dense layer of sweat broke out on my forehead

Ding ... ... Ding ... ...

After waiting for quite a while without seeing the chubby man return, I began to feel that something was amiss. Moments later, I saw him rushing in from outside, flustered and out of breath, exclaiming: "Oh my goodness, you scared me to death!"

Five pairs of eyes were fixed intently on the darkness outside the house, and I felt a tightness in my throat; I had never been this nervous, even when speaking in front of a thousand people at school

When I am alone, I cannot help but think about those footprints I just saw. Such large footprints must have been left by a big dog. When I was a child, my father's old leader brought in two Tibetan mastiffs, and even their large paw prints were only about the size of half my palm. The forests in Yunnan and Guizhou are dense, and it is not unusual to have wild animals nearby. I just hope that it is not something that preys on humans.

The two individuals, upon discussion, seemed to conclude that what the overweight person saw was likely the shadow lingering by Li Qian's window

It is a fellow townsman, my apologies...

Upon hearing these words, I was immediately stirred in my heart and took the opportunity to mention the matter regarding Li Qian that had occurred earlier

Recently, many strange occurrences have taken place, and I cannot help but feel a sense of worry; this night is likely to be unsettled

I see that everyone is tired, so let's divide the night watch. The fat man and I will take the second half of the night

Is it possible that two things are the same?

I don't know, but it is possible that I have heard a rumor in the past. It is said that in the places where the dense forests and fields of Yunnan meet, there are often some empty houses. These houses are built not for people to live in, but for passing spirits or earth beasts to take shelter from the rain. With these houses, the earth beasts will not intrude into the homes of people. Among these spirits, there are also clever ones who can light lamps, which is not surprising. We are probably not in one of these houses, have we intruded into the dwelling of some earth beast

The sound of the bell grew closer, and I turned to glance at the fat man. Despite his robust appearance, he was not very brave; at that moment, his hand gripping the shovel was trembling slightly

At this moment, in the dark fields under the heavy rain, a shadow appeared against the backdrop of a massive mountain peak. The figure was slender and elongated, yet not tall, with a large head, resembling a monster, though its face was not clearly visible

Around 1:00 AM, it was time for the fat guy and me to switch shifts. This fellow, I don't know what he ate, woke up and not long after started having stomach issues, running to the back of the house to relieve himself, leaving me alone at the front door to keep watch.

The sound continued in a rhythmic manner, much like a monk striking a bell. At this moment, the stout man walked over from behind the house, his expression somewhat grim as he said: "I heard the sound of the bell, what is going on?"

I can't believe it, it's actually a person! You scared me to death!

The stout man is quite familiar with the local customs of this area. The several folk sects he mentioned earlier were very accurate. At this moment, as he brings it up, I naturally find some truth in it, and a few strands of seriousness appear between my brows.

When I returned to the house, Fatty and Wang Jianjun had already come back from outside. On the ground lay a bundle of relatively dry firewood and two short-handled shovels

I was just joking, but he suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Damn it, just a moment ago I was squatting under the awning to relieve myself, and unexpectedly, after a while, I heard some mumbling sounds nearby. I glanced in the direction of the sound, and my goodness, it startled me! I saw a dark shadow swaying back and forth in the rain, moving at quite a speed!"

Start a fire. I see that this rain is going to last all night, and the shovel will serve as a weapon for self-defense. In the wilderness, one cannot know if they will encounter any bad people

Wang Jianjun stepped forward, smiled and nodded, hurriedly apologizing, while Li Qian still shrank back a little

Ding, ding, ding...

The sound of the bell awakened the three deep in slumber. Wang Jianjun and Xiao Liu walked up behind us, while Li Qian, though frightened, was also forcing herself to remain silent at that moment

I shouted several times in succession, determined to drive away the creature that resembled "Cthulhu." However, to my surprise, it remained unfazed and continued to approach us slowly. I retreated back inside the door, and just as my heart felt like it was about to leap out of my chest, the shadow across from me emerged from the heavy rain and stood under the eaves.

I initially intended to share my recent discovery, but upon seeing Li Qian's pale face, I ultimately chose to hold back my words

The fat man whispered from behind: "It resembles 'Cakul', I heard that 'Cakul' has a particularly large head, like a disc!"

I don't know, it seems to be coming from outside. I can hear it quite clearly... I hesitated, gripping the short-handled shovel, while the stout man stood beside me, one hand holding the shovel and the other clutching his iron lunchbox

The other party set down the cloth bag in their hand, turned their head and glanced at us with a sidelong look, and then spoke softly, saying: "This room is mine"

I inquired

The sound mixed with the rain grew closer, as if someone were ringing a bell. I became alert, straightened my posture, and listened intently towards the outside.

I was just babbling about all sorts of monsters and demons, and now I feel a wave of shame in my heart, my entire face has turned red, it is truly a tremendous embarrassment

The sound of the bell grew closer, and even the torrential rain could not obscure its eerie resonance. The stout man whispered in my ear: "I have heard from several friends in Yunnan that there is a nocturnal spirit in local mythology called 'Cakuer', which means a wandering monster. They carry a bell in their hands, ringing it as they walk, searching for those who are lost in the wilderness, to take away their souls. We can't be this unfortunate, encountering not only a female ghost but also 'Cakuer', can we? They carry a bell in their hands, ringing it as they walk, searching for those who are lost in the wilderness, to take away their souls. We can't be this unfortunate, encountering not only a female ghost but also 'Cakuer', can we? This house, could it be the lair of 'Cakuer'..."

The other party removed their hat, revealing a bald head. Their face resembled that of a weasel, with a hint of cunning. A black mole was present on their chin, and their eyes were narrow and elongated. They appeared to be in their forties, holding a bell in their left hand

The fat man let out a loud shout, yet his face revealed an expression of relief.

A middle-aged man dressed in a tattered black jacket, wearing a large straw hat, and carrying a cloth bag stood before us. The hat obscured his face, and his figure appeared quite thin, resembling that of a local farmer

He looks like a farmer, but the bell in his hand is somewhat strange. It's late at night and it's pouring rain; why is he out here ringing a bell instead of staying at home?

Hearing what the fat man said, I also felt there was a possibility. I spoke up, saying: "If this room is indeed what you referred to as 'Sakur', then it might have been here before we arrived, and it even lit the candles. After hearing our voices, it extinguished the candles and hid away. It could be secretly observing Li Xi, and when it is convenient for you, it might also be hiding at a distance! Even the one that damaged our tractor could possibly be this thing!"

I stood behind the overweight person, and at the moment he opened his mouth, I saw that he had a mouthful of black teeth! Unaccountably, a chill ran through my body.