Chapter 22: There’s Something Sinister About the Greater Khingan Range

Hurry, hurry!

Old Chen was pulling me along, sprinting through the dense, ancient forest. My feet stumbled, sometimes sinking into the soft earth, sometimes catching on roots.

"Old Chen... Master Chen!"

I wanted to say something, but the tree branches were like razor-sharp blades, constantly slashing across my face. At first, I didn't feel much, but suddenly, I felt a dampness on my skin. I reached up and touched it.

Blood!

I don't know how long we ran before Old Chen pulled me down and hid us in a trench.

"Master Chen, what is going on..."

Before I could finish my question, he clamped his hand firmly over my mouth and shook his head slightly. Then, whispering almost directly into my ear, he murmured, "Someone... is here!"

My eyes widened. Someone?

As soon as he said those words, a rustling sound echoed through the surroundings.

It was faint, but I heard it clearly. Of course! I realized it in a flash. That shrine cabin had vanished, and the area had been covered with artificial turf. This was obviously done by human hands!

If it was people, who could it be?

Could it be the people hunting us? Damn it! Did they think they couldn't trap us to death in the Greater Khingan Mountains, so they came here to finish us off themselves?

Just as my mind was racing, suddenly, a fair arm reached out in front of me, and a light, clear voice rang out near our ears.

"Are you... alright?"

Hearing that voice, Old Chen and I both shuddered. It was a woman?

I slowly raised my head and saw a girl in her early twenties, wearing a yellow windbreaker and a red sun hat, with a hiking backpack on her back. She was smiling at me.

I exchanged a glance with Old Chen, and we slowly stood up.

Only then did I notice that behind the young woman followed a man in his early thirties. He had a small goatee and a calm expression. He was also carrying a large backpack and was dressed similarly to the girl.

Upon seeing us, he merely gave a cold, indifferent nod.

"Who are you..." I asked instinctively.

"Kid! Shouldn't I be the one asking you that first? Who are you? Is this man your father?" The girl, who seemed quite talkative, said with a smile.

Old Chen frowned at the girl, then glanced up at the man, but said nothing.

"Kid, come on up! We were just about to call out to you, but you kept running and running! Look at your face, it's all cut up."

...

As the four of us sat together, I learned through our conversation that this couple had been studying abroad and had come back to the Greater Khingan Mountains to see something unique.

While we were chatting, the girl took off her backpack, pulled out some iodine and bandages, and said to me, "Kid, your face is covered in bloody cuts. You should hurry and clean them with this iodine!"

Hearing her keep calling me "kid," I felt a bit annoyed. "Miss, I'm seventeen. I'm not a kid!"

She giggled. "Alright, alright, not a kid. Here, clean it yourself!"

Seeing the kindness on her face, I was just about to take them, but Old Chen stopped me.

He said calmly, "No need! We're fine."

With that, Old Chen pulled two herbs from the grass nearby, chewed them a few times in his mouth, and slapped them directly onto my face.

I felt a sharp stinging sensation, and a pungent odor filled my nostrils.

"Hey! What kind of father are you? You have to treat the wounds on this kid's face properly, or they'll get infected and leave scars! If it gets bad enough, it could be fatal. I'm starting to wonder if you're even his real father!" The girl looked genuinely angry, pointing at Old Chen.

But Old Chen just gave her a cold glance. "If you have nothing else to do, get out of here! There's nothing 'unique' in these old woods! Because even if you do find something unique, you'll likely be close to losing your lives!"

Without waiting for their reaction, he grabbed me and walked away.

"What is wrong with you? I was trying to be kind and help you, how can you curse us like that?" The girl stood up, speechless and indignant.

Old Chen ignored her completely.

Just then, I heard the man beside her say softly, "Forget it. In my opinion, these two are just putting on a show. Look at how they're dressed—it's hilarious. Saying that if we see something 'unique' we'll die! Back when I was a soldier in Europe, I traveled through forests in South America and Europe; what haven't I seen? Can they scare me? Don't be afraid..."

I didn't catch the rest of what he said, but I had gathered enough information from his words.

We walked for another half hour, and only when those two were nowhere to be seen did I whisper, "Master Chen, do you suspect those two were the ones who moved the shrine and covered it with artificial turf? Are they... the people hunting us?"

"No."

Old Chen shook his head. "From their appearance, they are indeed outsiders who know nothing about the Khingan Mountains. It seems as if they really did stumble in here by mistake. But Sanqi, you must know that the people in these deep woods are the best actors! So, whoever they are, it has nothing to do with us."

"I understand," I nodded.

I agreed with what Old Chen said. Because human nature is always the most terrifying thing in these deep woods.

I said, "Master Chen, why do you think the people who moved the shrine cabin did it? And why go to the extra trouble of covering it with artificial turf?"

"Hmph! Who knows!" Old Chen was silent for a moment before saying coldly.

He handed me a cigarette.

After I lit it and skillfully exhaled a ring of smoke, I said to him, "That girl seemed nice enough! It was just that man who was a bit arrogant. Listening to his tone, it sounds like he was a soldier abroad and has been to many deep forests!"

Hearing me say this, the corners of Old Chen's mouth curled up slightly.

He said mockingly, "A soldier abroad? Traveled to many deep forests? I tell you, that's nothing! Do you think those woods abroad count as 'deep forests'? Sanqi, just you wait! If that man doesn't show some respect for the Greater Khingan Mountains, in the end, the mountains will teach him a lesson!"

After saying this, Old Chen seemed to be muttering to himself, or perhaps warning me.

He added a light, airy sentence: "The Greater Khingan Mountains... there's something sinister about this place!"

...

Now, many years later, after I have experienced so many things, I finally know that what Old Chen said back then was no lie.

The sinister nature of the Greater Khingan Mountains—let alone humans, I doubt even gods could handle it!

Because that place is truly not a place for people to stay.