Chapter 5, On the Way to Xiangxi

"The items are still here," a driver said somewhat unhappily

Hmph, it is not so easy for you two to capture me

Only when the car started moving did my heart finally relax. However, as I thought about how far I was getting from home, about the promise I made to Cai Xiaoyuan, about Zhe Bingrui's arrogant demeanor, and about Master Ma Yan's expression, while looking at myself sleeping in a pigsty, tears involuntarily streamed down my face

Fortunately, I often play in this forest, so I know where the trees grow and where the pits are. I jump from one pit to another, weaving through the saplings, and after a small hillside, I have already left them behind.

The thin man said: "The old fellow is not the issue; the issue is that he has adopted a freak... This is of great help to the boss's treasure theft plan... I heard from the townspeople that he lives in this dilapidated temple..."

My cat is behind the statue, listening to their conversation

My heart races, referring to my master

The big black uncle slapped twice and scolded, "Get lost, I'm in a good mood today"

This old fellow's house has been completely smashed to pieces... I don't know where the person has gone...'' This voice came from the fat man

This statement is undoubtedly about me, I am indeed an oddity. What treasure theft plan could possibly be related to me

The big black uncle laughed heartily and said, "So do you have any money? Lend me some money."

I have seen this talisman paper before; the Taoist priest in town who performs rituals for the deceased uses this.

Following the national highway southward, I lost track of time until just before dawn. I came upon a small town, right in front of an inn, where I heard a cacophony of sounds from a truck transporting piglets

I increasingly feel that it is dangerous, and I definitely cannot go out

It was already 10 o'clock... The stout man rolled up his sleeve and shone a flashlight to check the time. My eyes lit up; there was a tattoo on his wrist, and it was a hungry tiger.

At first, I thought he was wearing a pair of black rubber shoes, but I quickly dismissed that idea. This was because I saw five toes still moving; this person was barefoot

A road leads to the distance, and before dawn breaks, I walk in the darkness

Having crossed this small forested hill, it was already midnight. Following this road, I continued to head south, eager to leave this place as quickly as possible to evade the two men in black, one stout and the other thin.

"You go ahead first." The person's voice was very kind.

I hid behind the truck, pulled up a burlap sack to cover myself, and waited for a long time. When the sun rose, the truck driver came out and fed some carrots to the piglets, poking the other side of the truck with a long stick

I crawled over and touched the person's nose with my hand, feeling that there was still a breath.

I was momentarily speechless, shrugged my shoulders and said: "I only have 10 yuan left..." After saying this, I added, "But I won't lend it to you..."

At that moment, the burly black man descended from the sky, jumped twice from the vehicle, and tore off the two talismans from his chest. He lifted the two cowardly drivers and shouted, "Where are you two bastards planning to sell them?"

I hurriedly dodged away

Behind the temple lies a dense forest, and I ran into it recklessly, knowing that if I slowed down even slightly, I would be caught by them

I said, hello to you all, I am going to the south, a place I do not know, will you take me along with you

The driver was very fierce, and two slaps came my way

I said warily, "Yes"

The master once said that this is the soul of a person who died in a car accident. Every night, it emits strange cries, a sound that is very seductive, luring night drivers into a trap to take the place of the deceased in the cycle of reincarnation

For me, this sound cannot enchant me. In my heart, I still remember my master, thinking of that home, I kept looking back, gazing in the direction of home. Finally, gritting my teeth, I vowed never to look back again. It was only when I made this resolution that I realized tears were streaming down my face

The person sat up, staring at me with wide eyes, signaling me to remain silent

As soon as I hid, I saw two men in black enter, holding a flashlight in their hands

One of the drivers cursed, "You little bastard... what should I do if my pig gets scared..." The other replied, "Alright, alright, children don’t understand things." Then he turned to me and asked, "Do you have any money on you?"

"Heavens, are you not dead?" The driver trembled with fear, "San Gou, are we seeing things?"

Black spots are quite normal and not illegal

I secretly regretted that when I was putting out the fire earlier, I stepped on the black ash, leaving my black footprints on the ground

"Hurry up, it's so ugly," another complained

The black uncle said, "I am also going to Hunan, would you like to go together?"

"Er Mao, do not send the corpse lying in the mountains to... the old snake from Guangdong, who specializes in the business of collecting corpses..." San Gou's voice trembled, and his pants were already soaked through

The black uncle looked at me with great anticipation

I feel physically exhausted and have started thinking about the plans ahead. I believe that hiding among the piglets is a good idea.

"That kid is behind..."

I have been staring at the tattoo, until I will never forget this tattoo.

I took a deep breath, the car continued to move forward, I slowly walked over and quietly lifted the burlap sack, first seeing a dark leg, and then another dark leg.

I stood by and observed, quickly understanding the reasons behind it

Two people are shining flashlights around, yet their faces remain unseen

I know that the master has mentioned that Xiangxi is located to the west of Hunan. I am currently in Hubei, and to go to Hunan, I naturally need to head in that direction

I simply want to go to Hunan, but I have no money

"Run!" I jumped down from the car, but still two drivers noticed.

The black uncle had died before and was treated as a mummified corpse. However, Er Mao and San Gou are not in the piglet business; they specialize in the trade of mummified corpses, intending to sell these corpses to a person named Old Snake

Of course, if they call my name, I will definitely not respond

Holding his breath, he slowly took out a small knife and untied the ropes binding the person

I am a friend of your master

Both legs and both hands are bound

I couldn't help but be startled and let out a loud cry: "Ah!" After that exclamation, I quickly stopped, for if I were to be discovered, it would not be good

This person's eyes are moving, and their mouth is stuffed with a piece of black cloth

The piglet completely does not understand my feelings at this moment. The vehicle has been running for an hour, and I noticed something inside the truck that seemed to be moving. At first, I thought it was the piglet moving, but then I saw a large foot.

I understand, there is a person hidden in this place, definitely not a pig

The large foot revealed five toes, barely discernible. However, this large foot is somewhat peculiar, as it is black in color

Upon arriving at the county town, the vehicle stopped at a hotel

After the last spark of Mars was extinguished, I immediately hid behind the statue

I thought for a moment and said: "No."

However, this black uncle is living well, completely a living person

It is unclear whether these words had an effect, or if it was because they wanted to continue sleeping, but after a brief period of noise, they quickly fell silent.

"Xiao Guan, I am a friend of your master..." one of them spoke

I nimbly climbed into the back of the truck, disregarding the pungent smell of urine.

The big black uncle drove away Er Mao and San Gou, then turned to me and said: "Are you going to Hunan, alone?"

The fat man and the thin man are not fools; sensing the commotion, they chased after it in one breath

I knew they had discovered me. I jumped down from behind the statue and ran towards the back of the dilapidated temple. The temple was not large, and there was a wall behind the courtyard, which had collapsed more than half. I rushed out in one breath. If the wall had been a bit higher, I would have definitely been caught by them

Dozens of piglets are looking at me, making a noisy sound

As I walk, I ponder what kind of place Xiangxi Chahua Cave is, and whether my master has gone somewhere

I quietly approached and discovered that the person was bound with a rope and had two yellow talisman papers affixed to their body

The road is very dark, and there are strange sounds along the way

"The ground is hot... someone has made a fire here..." said the thin man. He looked down at the ground, where there were several black footprints.

It is a strange person with black feet

I stared blankly and discovered two individuals, one fat and one thin, with shifty eyes and wearing a cap. It was evident that they were not of good character