The next morning, Qu Yanning stretched his arms and legs and spoke to Xie Qi. “Second Master Xie, did you sleep well last night?”
Xie Qi replied he slept well, giving Qu Yanning a look that was half smile, half not.
Bundled up in thick cotton clothes, Qu Yanning did some awkward stretching, saying he’d even dreamed of Guaibao last night.
He sighed, saying he really missed Guaibao and wondered if Guaibao would still be mad at him when they got back.
“……” Xie Qi pursed his lips, the tips of his ears a little red, and said Guaibao was doing well at home. “He won’t be mad at you.”
Qu Yanning chuckled foolishly a couple of times, as if remembering something, and said Guaibao was so silly that by the time they got back, Guaibao would probably have forgotten everything.
Xie Qi: “……”
Xie Qi fell silent and didn’t reply.
After breakfast, the Guide circled the area twice, and the group set off again.
The terrain of Jing Well Mountain wasn’t too bad. It got its name because four adjacent peaks formed a well shape.
They arrived at Jing Well Mountain at just after two in the afternoon.
The four peaks stood tall, with no proper paths, only narrow gaps barely wide enough to squeeze through. An older Retired Soldier nimbly slipped through one of the gaps, returning after a while.
“There’s no village, just a pond in the middle.”
Supported by Zhang Ren, Chu Zhou moved to the front of the group. He looked for a while, then shook his head. “It’s not here.”
“Bring him up,” Zhang Ren said to the Retired Soldiers at the rear.
The man who had been forced to follow at the very end was brought forward. His clothes were in tatters, revealing festering sores, and the stench hit them before he even arrived.
Zhang Ren frowned and helped Chu Zhou over to Qu Yanning, asking him to watch over Chu Zhou, then went over to question the man.
The man’s expression was already somewhat crazed. Sometimes he muttered things they couldn’t understand, sometimes he repeated that the Shen Ling wouldn’t let them go, seeming completely unhinged.
Zhang Ren, losing patience, kicked him and drew a knife from his boot, pressing it to the man’s neck. “Stop pretending to be crazy. You mentioned two places— Jing Well Mountain is out. If Seven Steps Ravine isn’t it either, you won’t have to wait for the Shen Ling to punish you. I’ll feed you to the wolves myself.”
The man stared in terror at the sharp knife, shaking like a leaf. “The Shen Ling… the Shen Ling won’t let you pass. Even if I take you there, you won’t find it.”
Zhang Ren narrowed his eyes and drew a thin line of blood on the man’s neck. “Where’s the entrance?”
The man broke down, crying, “Don’t kill me, don’t kill me. It’s at Seven Steps Ravine. Only from there can you get in.”
Zhang Ren withdrew the knife, signaling for the man to be dragged away.
“We’ll head for Seven Steps Ravine,” Zhang Ren said, exchanging a few words in dialect with the Guide, then waved for everyone to turn back and continue on.
Seven Steps Ravine was deep within the Tianxing Mountains. Not only was the road difficult, but they might also encounter wild animals that ran out of food in winter.
After resting at a suitable clearing, they gathered their spirits and pressed on toward Seven Steps Ravine.
This time, no matter how much Chu Zhou protested, Zhang Ren insisted on carrying him and wouldn’t let him walk himself.
After another day and night of trekking, they finally reached the vicinity of Seven Steps Ravine.
The Guide waved for everyone to stop, and in awkward Mandarin, said to Zhang Ren, “Ahead is Seven Steps Ravine, but we can’t go any further.”
Zhang Ren said, “We have to go. How much farther?”
The Guide estimated the distance, gave a number, and said with disapproval, “Our mountain elders passed it down— there are unclean things ahead. People who go in don’t come out.”
Seven Steps Ravine was an old nickname, meaning the place was forbidden. Anyone who entered and took seven steps would never return.
Zhang Ren’s expression was firm. “We have to go.”
The Guide looked uneasy but insisted, “I can take you to the entrance, but I won’t go in.”
Zhang Ren didn’t force him and agreed, so the Guide relaxed.
The group set off again.
Chu Zhou was nearly unconscious, slumped on Zhang Ren’s back, breathing so lightly it was barely noticeable.
After walking a while, they could see the narrow gorge ahead, the entrance only two or three meters wide, pitch-black inside.
The Guide said, “This is Seven Steps Ravine.”
The man from the back of the group was dragged forward again. Before Zhang Ren could ask, he said himself, “It’s here. Go in, and you’ll reach the village.”
Zhang Ren and Xie Qi discussed and decided to leave the Retired Soldiers and the Guide outside.
Xie Qi said there was something in the gorge, and too many people would make things difficult.
So the Retired Soldiers and the Guide stayed behind to rest and prepare to support them if needed. The man was bound at the wrists and taken in with them.
With only the necessary supplies, they entered the gorge with powerful flashlights.
The gorge was narrow, its walls covered in damp moss. The man was forced to take the lead, Zhang Ren carrying Chu Zhou behind, with Qu Yanning and Xie Qi walking side by side at the rear.
Inside was eerily silent, not a sound to be heard. The darkness made everyone uneasy. Qu Yanning hunched his shoulders and unconsciously moved closer to Xie Qi.
“Hold my hand. Don’t get separated,” Xie Qi noticed his little movement and reached out.
Qu Yanning felt embarrassed, but the creepy surroundings left him no choice. After a moment’s hesitation, he gently grasped Xie Qi’s fingers.
The hand he held was a bit damp. Xie Qi glanced at him, then turned his hand to grip Qu Yanning’s firmly.
The warmth of their clasped hands eased Qu Yanning’s tension a little, and he followed Xie Qi forward.
No one knew how long they walked in the darkness. The narrow gorge gradually widened, and sunlight filtered in through cracks above, making the dim light brighter.
Qu Yanning unzipped his cotton jacket, muttering, “Why is it so hot? Second Master Xie, are you hot?”
Xie Qi carefully sensed the temperature change. “It’s getting warmer. There might be hot springs ahead.”
On Zhang Ren’s back, Chu Zhou, who had been sleeping, woke up. He lifted his head and looked ahead. At the end of the gorge was a lush forest, huge trees pointing straight to the sky, their emerald leaves trembling in the breeze and rustling softly.
It was exactly the same as his memory from over a decade ago.
“This is the place…” he murmured.
The man at the end of the gorge stood trembling, horror on his face. He muttered in disbelief that the Shen Ling would never let outsiders in.
Zhang Ren kicked him. “Keep moving.”
The man wailed but clung to the wall, refusing to leave the gorge. “Without the Shen Ling’s protection, once you enter the Ghost Forest, you’ll never get out.”
Zhang Ren sneered, “Where is the Shen Ling?”
The man said, “You burned the Shen Ling.”
Zhang Ren: “……” He remembered the Porcelain Doll that had been burned.
“Second Master?” He turned to ask Xie Qi.
“Let’s go,” Xie Qi, holding Qu Yanning’s hand, said, “There’s something here, but it’s nothing serious. Stay close to me.”
Zhang Ren, carrying Chu Zhou, followed close behind.
The man slumped at the mouth of the gorge let out a sigh of relief.
He clung to the wall, staring at the woods outside the gorge with eyes like a hungry ghost, gulped, cursed them for getting what they deserved, and staggered away. B
ut suddenly, from the forest ahead, a child’s laughter sounded. The man shuddered, and before he could turn, a thick vine whipped out and dragged him into the woods.
Qu Yanning vaguely heard a scream and wanted to look back, but Xie Qi tugged him. “What do you see over there?”
Qu Yanning followed his finger and only saw a red Little Flower swaying in the breeze.
Xie Qi said calmly, “Never seen this kind of flower before.”
Qu Yanning replied, “…Oh, I haven’t either.”
Things quieted down behind them. Moving on, they could already glimpse through the trees a huge stone with bold red characters reading Wind Household Village.
Zhang Ren jostled Chu Zhou on his back. “We’re almost there.”
Xie Qi gave a soft “Mm,” and said, “Let’s hurry.”
They quickened their pace. The grass and trees rustled underfoot, and childish voices sounded behind them.
“He’s back.”
“Mother will be so happy.”
“Yes, he’s just as beautiful as when he was a child.”
Children’s clear laughter rang out in the quiet woods. Qu Yanning twitched his ears, turned back, but saw nothing behind him.