Chapter 364: The Mysterious Dog in the Mountains
Chapter 364: The Mysterious Dog in the Mountains
Along the way, the group chatted and laughed, accompanied by a donkey and a horse, making the journey less tedious. As the sun set and the stars emerged, they had already reached the outskirts of Guozhou Tongxian's Hollow Ridge.
Previously, when Hu Ma traveled to Anzhou, the journey took a whole month due to the long distance. However, he never expected that it would take them a full seven to eight days to reach the Blood Feast Mine, as the road was rugged and they had to climb mountains and ford rivers, crossing ridges and traversing valleys.
By now, they had ventured deep into Guozhou's territory, surrounded by nameless wild mountains. The forest was dense, and strange rocks protruded everywhere.
No wonder Xu Xiangzhu had the ability to override everyone's opinions and assign such a lucrative task as managing the Blood Feast Mine to a novice like himself, who had only been a treasurer for two years.
Just by looking at the location, one could tell it wasn't a friendly place. Therefore, the other treasurers might not have been as eager to take over this position, and he had conveniently taken advantage of the situation.
However, Hu Ma didn't mind the distance. It was better to be farther away, as long as there was enough blood feast to sustain them.
"Finally, we've arrived..."
He took out a map and studied the surrounding mountain ranges. Old Abacus patted his own waist and said, "According to this map, after crossing this mountain ridge, we should reach the mine. Everyone, stay alert. We're here to take over their food supply, and they might not be willing to give it up easily."
Zhou Datong spoke up, "What do you mean? Do they dare to take action against us?"
"The guards at the Blood Feast Mine are mostly family men. They wouldn't dare to go too far, as they know that if they run away, our gang might seek revenge on their families," Old Abacus explained.
"But in this world, there's no greater grudge than taking away someone's livelihood. We're here to do just that, so don't expect them to be polite. Even if they don't dare to kill us openly, they'll surely resort to all sorts of petty tricks," Old Abacus added.
"In any case, if we can smoothly take over this Blood Feast Mine, it'll be a great opportunity for us to get rich. We can't afford to miss this chance."
"..."
"We understand!"
Hu Ma realized that Old Abacus was intentionally reminding them, so he smiled and said, "If they're reasonable, we won't be rude."
"But if it comes to a fight, we'll have to draw blood."
"..."
Old Abacus's words were blunt, as he was concerned that the younger members might get carried away with their youthful enthusiasm and argue with the other party. Hu Ma, on the other hand, needed to remind Zhou Datong and the others might not be here for a leisurely stroll.
While they didn't have to confront the other party directly, it was essential to be prepared for any potential conflict.
As they continued forward, they ventured deeper into the mountains. From a distance, the landscape ahead was filled with overlapping mountain ranges, and they could only guess their location within the vast forest. They relied on the map to navigate the barely discernible mountain path beneath their feet, slowly making their way forward.
Every year, the Blood Feast Mine transported blood feast out, so there was a road, but the forest seemed unusually lush. The roadside was overgrown with weeds, and the path was almost indistinguishable, exuding an eerie aura of the deep forest.
Gradually, they began to question if they were still on the original mountain path. They constantly swung their knives to cut through the obstructing vines, preventing them from tripping over the donkey's hooves or the cart's wheels.
The journey was exhausting, and as they neared the Blood Feast Mine, their laughter diminished, and the atmosphere became more somber.
Logically, they should have reached their destination after crossing one mountain ridge, but they had been walking through the forest since noon. As the sky darkened, all they could see were towering ancient trees, and the mountain path beneath their feet had become completely obscured.
"Could it be..."
Hu Ma furrowed his brows and glanced at Old Abacus, who was also studying the map, flipping it over and examining it closely.
Just then, they heard a sudden "Woof" from the side of the road.
The unexpected sound startled everyone, and they turned to look. It was a large yellow dog hiding behind a tree, its head half-exposed, eyes dark red, and a menacing gaze fixed on them. After a single bark, it quietly retreated into the forest.
The group froze, feeling a chill in the air. They stared at the direction where the yellow dog had disappeared, each with an inexplicable sense of unease in their hearts.
"This..."
After a long silence, Zhou Datong broke the awkwardness with a forced laugh, "Whose dog is this? It scared us for a moment..."
"In the wilderness, where did a dog come from?"
Zhou Liang, standing nearby, spoke up in a low voice, "I think we should be cautious."
Zhou Datong immediately argued, "It's just a wild dog. What's so strange about a dog appearing in the wilderness?"
Zhou Liang replied, "Dogs belong in places where people live. In the mountains, they're called wolves."
Zhou Datong was momentarily speechless, looking at Hu Ma and Old Abacus. However, neither of them said anything, silently continuing their journey. The group, which had been chatting and laughing upon entering the mountain, now fell into an even deeper silence.
Initially, they thought they would reach their destination after crossing one mountain ridge, but now it felt like they had been walking for several hours, and all they could see were dense forests and towering trees. A misty fog drifted from the woods, and the dusk deepened, leaving only the dry sound of the cart's wheels rolling over the vines on the ground.
The group of young men from Dasyang Village had grown up in the forest, but even they felt a strange heaviness in their hearts. Instinctively, they kept glancing deeper into the forest, but couldn't see anything.
"Don't be afraid, Brother Datong. Stop staring into the woods..." Zhao Zhu, walking alongside the donkey cart, couldn't help but remind him, "Second Uncle once said that when walking in the woods, you shouldn't look around randomly. Suddenly, if you see something in the woods waving at you, you'll be lured over."
"Who's afraid?" Datong Zhou's voice was defiant. "I'm just scouting ahead..."
As he spoke, he moved closer to the donkey cart, but his voice lacked conviction. The old abacus on the cart also lifted his head and chuckled softly, saying, "It's right to be careful. We're heading to the Blood Feast Mine."
"Where there's meat, there are evil spirits. It's all calculated. Perhaps this forest is also filled with evil!"
"..."
At this, Datong Zhou shuddered, as if his tail had curled up in fear. But they were getting closer to Hu Ma.
As they spoke, the group noticed the deepening dusk and hurried to reach the Blood Feast Mine. They wanted to boil some hot soup and drink it. Their footsteps through the dry grass made a rustling sound.
Just as the sounds seemed to be swallowed by the forest, they suddenly heard a fierce bark from the roadside:
"Woof!"
The bark wasn't very loud, but the surroundings were too quiet, and it startled everyone, making the hair on their bodies stand on end.
For a moment, it felt like their souls might fly out of their bodies.
For a few moments, everyone stood still, speechless. Then, they snapped out of their daze and turned their heads to see a dog.
It was slowly retreating into the woods, its eyes fixed on them.
This time, they saw clearly that the dog had yellow fur and a white patch between its eyebrows. It was the same one that had barked at them earlier.
A sudden, inexplicable unease filled their hearts, and the swirling mountain breeze around them seemed to turn colder.
Hu Ma signaled to the old abacus on the cart, but the latter just shook his head slightly.
Hu Ma remained still, but Datong Zhou couldn't help himself. He clenched his teeth, grabbed a knife, and charged towards the spot where the dog had appeared among the vines. He slashed a few times, but there was nothing there. It was as if the dog's bark they had heard was just an illusion.
"It ran away. Let's keep going!"
Seeing that everyone was unsettled, Hu Ma whispered to reassure them. Then he turned and patted the donkey's rear, signaling to continue.
Whether it was Datong Zhou, Zhou Liang, or Zhao Zhu, the donkey pulling the cart, or the horse following slowly behind, they all continued on their way. But an invisible shadow seemed to cloud their minds.
What was that strange dog? It had barked twice, and there was nothing else. Yet, it had startled them. Their minds were unsettled.
Moreover, it was the same dog both times. Could it be that it had been following them all along? This thought made them want to turn back and look, but the intertwining branches behind them had sealed their path, making it impossible to see clearly. The more they looked, the more they felt an ominous atmosphere.
As they continued forward, they remained vigilant. Their voices quieted, and their eyes focused on the rugged path and vines beneath their feet, but their minds were alert to the surroundings.
However, just as they had passed through a large clump of tangled thorns, everyone suddenly stopped.
Hu Ma saw it first and halted. Soon, Datong Zhou and the others also noticed and curiously looked up, staring in surprise.
At that moment, they all felt a bright light before their eyes.
Twilight was approaching, and the forest was enveloped in darkness. But in this open space, a dim, golden light from the setting sun shone down, illuminating several towering trees nearby.
On one of the trees in front of them, a girl in a blue skirt with silver ornaments in her hair was climbing.
Her skin, illuminated by the forest's dusk light, had an eerie paleness. She appeared to be around ten years old, with an attractive figure. She carried a bamboo basket on her back, resembling a herb gatherer.
At that moment, she was resting her bare feet and arms on the tree trunk, her sleeves and pants rolled up to her elbows, revealing her fair skin. Her posture was somewhat comical as she stretched her head to look down from the tree.
Both parties noticed each other and were curious, with the girl's big eyes meeting several pairs of eyes.
"Isn't this girl dressed like a foreigner? Is she a sorcerer?"
Hu Ma hadn't expected to encounter such a young girl and curiously examined her. Suddenly, he felt a slight shock and warned, "Be careful."
After activating his extraordinary vision, his eyesight surpassed ordinary people, and he immediately noticed a strange snake with a green body and a triangular head slowly emerging from the foliage above the girl's head. Its body rubbed against the tree trunk as it moved.
The snake's head was just a few inches away from the girl's head.
(End of Chapter)
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