Volume Two: The Secret Burial in the Ravine Chapter 100: Mount Zhuyang

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Thinking this over, I called my third uncle to ask about the exact location of Nanliu Village. He said it was in a mountainous area on the border between Guangxi and Guangdong, near a mountain called Zhuyang Mountain. Nanliu Village was not far from there.

I was taken aback and asked, “How did it end up on the border of Guangxi and Guangdong? Isn’t it supposed to be in our city?”

My uncle replied, “Which ear of yours heard it was in the city? I remember they said several cases happened, but they never said those cases occurred in our city.”

Suddenly it all made sense. Irritated, I said, “Damn it. If it’s not in the city, what the hell is Chu Liuyan managing? His jurisdiction is way too broad, isn’t it?”

My uncle said, “You don’t know jack. That guy’s making waves in the police force now, solving a lot of supernatural cases. The whole system knows his name. Many difficult cases have been sent to him because of his reputation. He’s arrogant and takes on cases anywhere, but he got himself stuck with the Nanliu Village case. Now he’s stuck in limbo, dragging me down with him. No money earned, damn, and he even lost his life over it. Totally not worth it...”

I hung up the phone, unwilling to listen to my uncle’s endless complaining. It seemed not only had he lost his life, but my own was now also in jeopardy.

I pounded my head hard, still feeling dazed and confused about how I had stupidly agreed to wade into this mess.

Time was pressing, so I glanced at the clock. It was still early before dark, so I hurried out, bought two bottles of good wine, some cooked food and fruit, then hailed a taxi to visit the eccentric Professor Ma Su.

Old Ma Su, besides his scholarly research, liked to drink a little wine. He wasn’t a heavy drinker—he got drunk quickly but always wanted another drink after sobering up. Yet, according to him, he always drank in moderation and never let drinking interfere with his work.

Carrying the two bottles, I arrived at the entrance of the Paleontology Institute and immediately saw Ma Su. He wore a loose vest and brightly patterned shorts, carrying a lunchbox as he headed to the canteen.

I knew Ma Su lived alone. He had a dorm at the institute but preferred to stay in the lab, keeping company with specimens and all kinds of strange flora and fauna, hence the nickname “Eccentric Professor.”

“Old Ma,” I called out.

He turned and saw me. I raised the bottles in greeting.

His face lit up with a wide smile, and he led me into his office.

Ma Su pushed the clutter on his desk aside, took the bottles from me, and placed them on the table, muttering, “You kid still have some conscience, unlike your third uncle. You thought of coming to see me—that’s rare these days...”

He then pulled out two cups from somewhere, opened a bottle, and poured two glasses. He raised his glass, inhaled the aroma, and showed a look of delight.

I shook my head. “Old Ma, last time I saw you, you weren’t so fond of this wine. You weren’t exactly a picture of neatness then, but you didn’t dress like this either—this vest and those loud shorts don’t look very professor-like.”

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Ma Su took a sip and said, “Nonsense. We weren’t close back then, so I had to maintain the professor image. You didn’t even give me a heads-up this time, so I couldn’t change into something decent.”

I waved my hand. “Forget it, you look fine like this.”

Ma Su grabbed a roasted chicken, tore off a drumstick, and asked between bites, “Did you solve that reincarnated cat thing you asked me about last time?”

His manner reminded me somewhat of my uncle, making him feel even more approachable. Although we hadn’t spent much time together, there was no awkwardness.

I nodded. “You were right. That black cat really was a reincarnated cat. My uncle and I went through a lot to sort it out. He asked me to pass on his thanks.”

Ma Su spat out a chicken bone with disdain. “Your uncle thank me? Can he even spit out ivory? Pfft. Don’t give me that crap, kid. Just tell me straight—have you run into more trouble?”

I was caught off guard and felt a bit embarrassed.

He continued, “Come on, spill it. We get along well—you and I, not your uncle.”

I nodded and got straight to the point. “Have you ever heard of Nanliu Village?”

Ma Su chewed on chicken meat, blinked, and shook his head, “Nanliu Village? Never heard of it, and I’ve never been there.”

I knew Ma Su’s memory was excellent. Places he’d been to, names he’d known, books he’d read—all etched clearly in his mind. So if he said he hadn’t heard of it, it was certain.

I felt a little disappointed. Ma Su then asked why I brought up that place.

I hung my head and told him everything that had happened over the last two days, with no omissions.

He listened quietly and didn’t comment for a long time.

I asked, “Old Ma, do you think such a place exists in the world? One place with two different locations—one visible, one hidden—each existing in different spaces?”

Ma Su nodded. “From what I know, there are theories about this. For example, somewhere in the world, if someone crosses a certain barrier and enters that space, time might revert centuries back, or they might be transported hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away to another place. It’s a theory about time and space transformation. Unfortunately, my research in this area isn’t very deep. That’s about all I can say on the matter.”

I was astonished. According to old Ma, this was essentially a kind of time travel. I’d only ever seen this in fiction—did it really exist in reality? It seemed wildly fantastical, like anything could happen.

At that moment, Ma Su asked again, “Where exactly did you say Nanliu Village was?”

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“According to my uncle, it’s on the border between Guangdong and Guangxi, near a place called Zhuyang Mountain.”

“Where?” Ma Su still had half a mouthful of chicken, nearly spraying it all over me.

“Old Ma, what’s wrong with you? That’s gross!”

He quickly chewed and swallowed, choking and rolling his eyes.

After catching his breath, he asked again, “Where did you say Nanliu Village was?”

“Zhuyang Mountain, on the Guangdong-Guangxi border. Do you know that place?”

Ma Su rolled his eyes and thought for a moment, then turned to his lab. After a while, he returned carrying a map, which he spread out on the table.

He quickly found the spot and pointed, saying, “It should be right here.”

The print on the map was tiny. I leaned in to look but couldn’t find the characters for Zhuyang Mountain anywhere.

I asked suspiciously, “Am I just seeing things, or is there no Zhuyang Mountain here?”

“No, that’s right. Zhuyang Mountain isn’t the current name. It’s recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. It’s an ancient mountain range. I once led a team to that area.”

At this, Ma Su’s expression suddenly changed.

(End of chapter)

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