Chapter 45: The Parchment Scroll

Squinting at the object, a wave of curiosity washed over me.

What on earth could this be?

How could it be important enough for those two foxes to bury it so carefully in this remote place?

Reaching out, I pulled out the red plastic bag. Feeling it with my fingers, it was soft, reminding me of some kind of hide.

This only deepened my confusion. What on earth were those foxes up to?

Tearing open the plastic bag with my hands, I quickly discovered... the hide inside was actually a rolled-up piece of sheepskin.

Unfolding it, rows of blurred text appeared before my eyes. Under the dim moonlight, I could not read the characters clearly, but an instinct deep within me whispered:

This thing.

Must be something precious.

It was sheepskin parchment, after all!

Whatever was recorded on it, I could be certain it was no ordinary item.

Fingering the parchment, I brought it up to the tip of my nose and took a sniff. I could tell with absolute certainty that this parchment was definitely not a modern product.

First of all, there was no chemical smell at all; instead, it carried the profound scent of time itself. Modern parchment is notoriously difficult to rid of its raw, fishy odor unless heavily treated with various additives to mask it.

Yet doing so leaves behind a pungent, unpleasant chemical stench. If no additives are used, a faint, raw gamey odor persists.

That natural odor cannot be completely eradicated without decades of aging.

Therefore... from the moment my fingers brushed this parchment roll to the moment I inhaled its scent, I knew for a fact that this was an ancient artifact.

Without a moment of hesitation.

I shoved the parchment roll straight into my pocket. After hastily refilling the pit, I did not leave immediately. Instead, I walked over to the nearby stream and splashed water around the area.

On one hand, it would look as though the parchment had been washed away by the stream; on the other hand, I wanted the running water to wash away my own scent.

For I could sense that those two foxes were unusually cunning. If they eventually found out that I was the one who had taken the parchment, there might be... no end of trouble.

Fortunately, a light drizzle was still falling. I estimated that within half an hour, any trace of my scent here would be washed completely clean.

Just as I finished doing all this, Dahan’s formidable silhouette suddenly appeared in the night sky.

A sharp falcon cry pierced the air.

I raised my head and saw Dahan sweeping swiftly across the sky under the bright moonlight.

Whistling the falcon call, I leaped into the stream and charged forward in the direction Dahan was guiding me.

My foot had been throbbing with dull pain, but the moment I jumped into the water, the icy stream numbed my foot entirely.

...

Passing from one stretch of primeval forest into another along the winding stream.

In a place like the Greater Khingan Mountains, there is virtually nothing except trees and mountains. Even if you manage to climb to a peak, as far as the eye can see, there are still only more mountains!

It was as if an endless expanse of mountains had imprisoned everyone who ever dared to conquer this land.

Following Dahan’s guidance, I walked through the old forest for I knew not how long—was it an hour?

Or perhaps two?

My head felt dizzy, and spots occasionally danced before my eyes.

Suddenly, as I paused by a massive tree to catch my breath and rest, I faintly heard some strange sounds drifting through the woods.

"Mmm... ahh... deeper..."

"Hoh, hoh, hoh..."

The heavy, ragged breathing of a man intertwined with the soft, seductive moans of a woman echoed in my ears.

At that moment, I instantly snapped wide awake.

I had heard plenty of these sounds back at the logging camp; those hunters acted as though they would die if they went three days without a woman.

Old Chen, in particular, sought out at least three different women almost every single day.

Yet hearing such sounds at a time like this was entirely wrong!

Deep in the Greater Khingan Mountains at night, who on earth had the audacity to engage in this kind of activity without a single care in the world?

After pondering for a moment, I glanced left and right, then quickly traced the sound toward a massive tree not far away...

The tree was colossal, easily requiring more than a dozen people holding hands to encircle its trunk. At the lower right side of the tree, there was a hollow.

These feminine moans and cries were spilling out from within that very tree trunk...

Shifting to a different angle, I could see a man pressing down on top of a woman, engaged in a certain primal rhythm...

A wave of admiration washed over me—this guy was an absolute legend! Coming all the way to a primitive jungle to perform primitive rituals; it was truly an eye-opener.

Yet a sudden thought struck me.

Wait a minute!

Could that man inside... be Old Chen?

My mind began to race with rationalizations: perhaps Old Chen had indeed rescued that woman who had screamed earlier, and subsequently, driven by unbridled lust, had initiated this intimate exercise with her.

The more I thought about it.

The more plausible it seemed.

Any lingering desire I had to step closer for a better look vanished instantly.

In my heart, I began to curse.

Damn it.

I was out here worrying sick about Old Chen, and what was he doing? He was here humping a woman in the woods!

Sighing, I sat down beneath a nearby tree, placed my hunting rifle aside, and prepared to wait for Old Chen to finish.

Just as I subconsciously reached into my pocket to pull out the sheepskin scroll and take a look, my ears caught a faint rustling sound.

The sound was not loud, but I heard it with crystal clarity.

I lifted my head and scanned my surroundings.

I quickly noticed several "chicken-neck" vipers slithering toward the entrance of the tree hollow, preparing to crawl inside.

Crap!

A jolt of terror struck my heart.

If those vipers crawled in, the two people currently caught in the throes of passion were dead beyond a doubt!

Without another thought, I shoved the sheepskin scroll back into my bosom, sprang to my feet, and opened my mouth to shout a warning to Old Chen and the woman.

However, just as I stood up and parted my lips, before a single sound could escape, a pair of powerful, iron-like arms clamped around my neck from behind, while another hand slammed firmly over my mouth.

Panic and dread gripped my heart simultaneously.

Damn it! I hadn't even noticed anyone sneaking up behind me. My body began to thrash wildly; one hand clawed frantically at the arm choking my neck, while the other groped for the dagger at my waist.

Right at that instant, Old Chen’s raspy voice sounded right by my ear: "Sanqi! Don't move! It's me."

The moment I heard his voice.

I froze.

Turning my head slightly, I caught sight of Old Chen’s pale, ashen face. The corners of his mouth were twitching, and he looked utterly, bone-weary exhausted!

"Sanqi, don't make a sound! Whatever you do, don't make a sound!"

Old Chen offered me a bitter, strained smile, whispering urgently right into my ear.

I blinked rapidly to signal that I understood and would remain silent.

Immediately afterward, Old Chen gently released me. The two of us stumbled unsteadily a short distance away, and before I could even utter a word, Old Chen leaped directly into a shallow trench in the ground, gesturing for me to follow.

Once I jumped in, I realized the hollow was roughly the size and shape of a military trench.

Just as I opened my mouth to demand an explanation from Old Chen about what on earth was going on,

Old Chen cut me off, gasping heavily for breath: "Got any liquor, Sanqi?"