Chapter 3, Mountain Goblins, Xiangqian Dwarfs.

Of course, these are merely legends. When I was in high school, I lived in the school dormitory, and each student had a plethora of such stories.

I gave him some gifts, including wine and cigarettes, and he happily accepted them

Gradually, I began to read with great interest

In many dialects, the term "short mule" is considered derogatory. For instance, in Taiwan, it refers to a small hoodlum. However, in my hometown, or in the regions of Xiang and Qian, it is solely used to express one meaning: a mountain goblin or wild creature

Their forest guardhouse is a lime-washed brick house, which is quite different from the wooden houses I have seen along the way. It is not large, just two rooms: one kitchen and one bedroom. In the kitchen, a pot of meat is already cooking, and a fragrant aroma wafts from afar. Inside, there is a person, a thin man in his thirties, who grins at me, revealing a set of smoke-stained yellow teeth.

I stayed in the forest cabin for two days, spending my days accompanying the forest ranger and reading at night. The humidity in the mountains is high, with a proliferation of mosquitoes and a significant presence of snakes; the conditions are indeed quite harsh. However, I did not mind it, as I had endured much worse when I went south for work, having slept in bridge underpasses, parks, and unfinished buildings. Here, I have a bed and a mosquito net, which is already quite sufficient. Life in the mountains is rather dull without a television, leaving only reading as an option.

The forest ranger was on a small hill, and after walking a few hundred meters, my uncle shared some amusing stories from his time as a ranger. In fact, this job is quite monotonous, involving daily walks on foot, being cautious and vigilant, and it is very tiring. However, he recounted an interesting tale about a nearby village: the closest village to here is called Sege. Sege is located deep in the mountains, with fields consisting of terraced slopes, and the forest is a state-owned timberland, making it very poor—extremely poor, in fact—so much so that some people who went out to work never returned. In the village, there is an old bachelor who, due to having an elderly mother, never left. He toils in the fields and, at 38 years old, has yet to find a woman willing to be with him. One day, he suddenly ran to a gold shop in the county town to sell gold, a substantial amount, worth hundreds of thousands. Last year, the gold price was 240 per gram, and his gold weighed over three jin. Later, the shopkeeper pressured him to sell at 200, and he ended up selling it for nearly 300,000.

Staying in the mountains, accompanied only by two companions, when not speaking, there is a profound silence, with only the insects in the forest outside singing. As the heart calms down, holding a book and reading becomes effortless.

I studied that wretched book all day long, and during dinner in the evening, I told my parents that I was planning to take a trip to Qingshanjie—whether it is a blessing or a curse, one cannot escape from a curse. To be honest, I still have lingering fears about the pain that struck me on the night of the first day of the lunar month. That pain was simply beyond what a human can endure; at one point, I even contemplated death.

The red straw hats they wear are made from dragon fern grass, a type of grass that is said to date back to the age of dinosaurs, millions of years ago

My uncle is a formal employee of the county forestry bureau, working year-round in remote forest areas to guard the forests and prevent forest fires. Qingshanjie is a region to the west of the county seat, characterized by high mountains and steep ridges, where birds and beasts find it difficult to fly; it is a rarely visited primeval forest. The county forestry bureau has a station there, and my uncle is on duty in the forest guardhouse located deep within.

We sat down to eat, and in the pot was rabbit meat, with two whole rabbits cooked, both hunted a few days ago. The job of guarding the old forest is quite monotonous, so my uncle and the others often use air guns to hunt some wild game, secretly, and no one cares. The vegetables were freshly picked from the nearby garden. I opened the wine I had bought and chatted with them while drinking. My uncle already knew my intentions and, emboldened by the wine, scolded my grandmother: "She is just an old beggar, always messing with bugs and superstition. Now that she is about to die, she is still causing you trouble!" The vegetables were freshly picked from the nearby garden. I opened the wine I had bought and chatted with them while drinking. My uncle already knew my intentions and, emboldened by the wine, scolded my grandmother: "She is just an old beggar, always messing with bugs and superstition. Now that she is about to die, she is still causing you trouble!"

I cannot see colors; I can only discern these shadows, which are approximately 30 centimeters tall, through the dim moonlight. They walk upright, and on their heads, there are chaotic horizontal lines—those are the outlines of straw hats.

That night, my father called my uncle, and the next morning I set off

The night was deep, the crescent moon hung low in the west, and in the stillness of the night, there was nothing but the sound of insects chirping, chirp chirp. My uncle, being older, could hardly last an hour before he became too weary and I sent him back to sleep. The humidity in the mountains was heavy, and the night was as cool as water. Listening to the insects hum, I felt an unusual calmness in my heart, as if I had some premonition, quietly waiting. Starting from nine o'clock in the evening, I waited for seven hours, until just past four in the morning, when a shadow finally appeared on the slope where the traps were set. The humidity in the mountains was heavy, and the night was as cool as water. Listening to the insects hum, I felt an unusual calmness in my heart, as if I had some premonition, quietly waiting. Starting from nine o'clock in the evening, I waited for seven hours, until just past four in the morning, when a shadow finally appeared on the slope where the traps were set

However, when I looked closely, I discovered it was a plump mountain mouse resembling a kitten. The mouse was burrowing on the slope, occasionally nibbling on pine nuts, then chewing on sweet potato vines, and also using its hind legs to dig in the soil

The more I read, the more I realize that "The Twelve Methods of Suppressing Mountains" is not merely a book of witchcraft and shamanism. Instead, it is a hodgepodge that blends various esoteric traditions, including Taoist practices, primitive sorcery, Buddhist teachings, and hoodoo, along with anecdotes and historical tales. The author is known as Shan Ge Lao, and it contains numerous notes contributed by someone presumably named Luo Shiba.

I wondered how such a judgment could be made; surely, during the inspection, it was genuine gold and silver. Otherwise, with someone as shrewd as Huang Laoya, would he have paid? My uncle chuckled and said that Huang Laoya has an uncle in a high position. He pointed to the sky, shook his head, and smiled, without saying much more. I watched as the light in the forest gradually dimmed and said, "It's too dark; let's go back"

Mother gazed silently at Grandma's portrait on the altar, sighing and shedding tears. Father then said that my uncle was at the Qingshanjie Forest Farm, and I should go find the short mule, so I went to look for my uncle. He was at the forest cabin, and it would be good for the two of us to look out for each other

In the mountains, there are wild creatures. My uncle is worried about me; he could have returned to the county to rest for ten days. However, after hearing about a murder and dismemberment case in Qingshanjie, he became uneasy and switched shifts with someone else to keep me company in the darkness. The mosquitoes in the mountains are numerous and fierce, but we dare not move recklessly. My uncle applied a layer of dark herbal residue on me, claiming it could ward off insects. I waited quietly, feeling that I was fully aware of everything in the clearing. I have mentioned before that I have worked in many factories. When I worked at a circuit board factory, I spent my days inspecting boards for defects, which strained my eyes and led to a slight nearsightedness, making distant objects appear blurry. However, now at night, I can clearly see minute details ten meters away, despite the bright moonlight. My body has also changed; it has become stronger and more powerful, full of energy, and my thoughts are clear. Yet, now at night, I can clearly see minute details ten meters away, despite the bright moonlight. My body has also changed; it has become stronger and more powerful, full of energy, and my thoughts are clear.

After a while, several dark figures emerged from the thicket, making rustling sounds.

It was indeed Li Decai who glanced at me, his expression hesitant. I asked him if he had seen it, and he replied that he had not.

I remained still, taking the newly mixed glutinous rice with the beaten egg whites out of the bag. My stomach was hurting; it wasn't serious, but it felt like diarrhea, and I couldn't help but let out silent, foul-smelling gas, which was even more unpleasant. The stench was so strong that it drove away even the mosquitoes that had been buzzing around me.

The appearance of that shadow immediately put my nerves on edge

There are numerous rumors about the mountain demon in various regions, each more peculiar than the last, and I shall not elaborate on them one by one

That night, the moonlight was particularly bright. I scattered pine nuts and sweet potato vines on the slope not far from the forest guardhouse, and then quietly crouched down to wait.

As I progressed in my reading, I began to enter a completely new world, feeling as if my usual life had been entirely overturned. There are many things that seem obviously false, but there are also some that appear to have a semblance of reason. However, the content regarding raising spirits, casting spells, nurturing small ghosts, and creating zombies is utterly nauseating.

Throughout his life, he has been in the deep mountains and forests, protecting the woods from fire, apprehending wood thieves and book thieves. If he believed in such things, he would have been terrified long ago

I gradually came to believe the words my grandmother spoke at her deathbed: she left me an inheritance, but in order to inherit it, I must undergo a trial. If I succeed, all will be well; if I fail, I will only face death

After finishing the meal, I took the initiative to clean up, but my uncle wouldn't allow it. He said that while it was still light outside, he would take me for a walk. As we stepped outside, the sky was slightly darkening, and from the low part of the forest, we could not see the sunset; we only saw the evening glow reflecting on the opposite mountain, a brilliant golden scene. We walked slowly along the mountain path covered with fallen leaves, twigs, and grass, while my uncle coughed intermittently. He is a heavy smoker, but he does not dare to smoke while patrolling in the woods; he just coughs. We walked slowly along the mountain path covered with fallen leaves, twigs, and grass, while my uncle coughed intermittently. He is a heavy smoker, but he does not dare to smoke while patrolling in the woods; he just coughs.

Li Decai has a dark complexion, rough skin, and a scar on his left cheek. He has a fierce appearance, yet he is quite amiable.

My uncle introduced me to his colleague, named Li Decai, and asked me to call him Uncle Li. Li Decai quickly declined, saying it would be better to call him Brother. He mentioned that he had seen me at my uncle's house before, and what a good young man I was. It has been eight or nine years since then, and at that time, he was still a young man who hadn't even married yet. Now, his children are running around with snotty noses.

Regarding the mountain goblin, it is also recorded. This is a type of small being that can freely traverse between the spiritual realm and the real world. They are inherently cunning, yet not vicious, enjoying to play tricks on people, holding grudges, and favoring the consumption of pine cones and sweet potato vines. They only appear in remote and deep mountain forests, occasionally visiting the homes of mountain dwellers to tease humans

I said good luck, I wonder where this man found it

At that time, I had already developed a certain fear of these things, and since she was my grandmother, I did not continue the conversation. Instead, Li Decai casually cursed a few times. After eating meat and drinking wine, we talked about the matter of the short mule. I asked my uncle if he had ever seen one. My uncle laughed heartily and said that he had lived for nearly fifty years and had never seen one, as it was all just hearsay and fabrications from others.

Thus, we made our way back, stepping deeply at times and lightly at others

My uncle said, yes, everyone says he is lucky, that his ancestral grave is smoking. After he returned, he planned to start a small business in town. However, fortune often conceals misfortune, and one should not become too complacent. Later, that Huang Laoya brought a group of people to confront him, claiming that the gold nugget he had given them turned into cow dung in the safe that very night, demanding that he return the money—how could gold possibly turn into cow dung? Clearly, they were bullying the old bachelor. As a result, a bunch of people could not reach an agreement, and Huang Laoya ended up beating the old bachelor. They later went to court, and somehow, the court ruled that the old bachelor was suspected of fraud, and he was only released this year.

It cannot be definitively said to be true or false, but it is the students from the village on the west side of the Green Mountain region who speak the most about it

The creature I refer to as the "dwarf mule" is a type of mountain spirit rumored in the mountains of my hometown. They are only a few dozen centimeters tall, always wearing red straw hats, with skin that is green or purple, and some say red. They are furry and often appear in groups of three to five, delighting in playing tricks on people. For instance, they might turn a farmer's lunch into stone, or defecate in the cooking pots of those who have offended them. Additionally, in some mountain villages, people who go to eat mud in the fields at midnight return home feeling very full—this is the result of being bewitched by the dwarf mules.

I set off in the morning, transferring from the county town to the countryside, then changing vehicles again to reach the forest farm, and finally walking along the mountain path all the way to the forest guard station. After quite a bit of effort, I arrived at five o'clock in the afternoon. It was summer at that time, and the sky was still bright. However, deep in the mountains and forests, there was no mobile phone signal. Fortunately, there were telephone lines laid in earlier years, so my uncle received the notification and was waiting for me at the slope early on.

I stayed for two days without seeing the legendary dwarf mule. On the third day, I returned to the county town with my uncle; he went to handle some matters while I purchased several pounds of pine cones, a basket of sweet potato vines, incense candles, free-range eggs, red thread, new glutinous rice, a hunting knife, ropes, and a net. After that, I went home and selected a few painted yellow talismans from my grandmother's belongings. Once I was prepared, I returned to the forest ranger's cabin in the deep mountains on the fourth day.