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墨書 Inktalez
The pharmacy in the village was small, funded by the Production Team. Inside, there was only an elderly doctor who usually prescribed medicine for colds and fevers or administered glucose injections; he couldn't handle more serious illnesses.
At that moment, in the cramped pharmacy, forensic doctor Liu Wei sat in the infusion room with her back to the door, perched on the edge of a bed.
“Liu Wei?” I called out her name.
Liu Wei turned her face towards us, and both Huzi and I were startled, instinctively stepping back.
Just yesterday, she had been youthful and vibrant, her eyes sparkling with life. Now, however, she appeared somewhat aged and weary, her expression blank as if paralyzed.
I glanced at Liu Wei's waist; she wore a half piece of black obsidian that resembled a Pixiu from its carved mold. In the center of the obsidian was a hollowed-out hole stuffed with a half-burned yellow paper, resembling a yellow talisman.
It seemed that Liu Wei had managed to escape death because she carried something gifted to her by a powerful individual; otherwise, her fate would surely have been grim.
“Don't come over! Don't come over!” Liu Wei suddenly screamed in a fit of panic, huddling in the corner of the infusion room and flailing wildly.
By afternoon, the bodies of the eight victims from the Investigation Team were taken away by an ambulance from the county, including the now-mad Liu Wei.
As the ambulance departed, I spotted Guo the Blind standing not far away in the trees, watching us.
Guo the Blind noticed me too but did not approach; instead, he turned and walked away.
The captain of the Investigation Team, Chen Jixian, watched as his comrades' bodies were taken away. With a somber tone, he asked, “Do you have a cigarette?”
“I do,” Huzi replied as he pulled out a pack from his pocket. Chen Jixian took the entire pack and sat down on a pile of stones at the entrance of the Production Team's building, smoking one cigarette after another.
"Boss, aren't we leaving?" asked the two remaining young team members.
Chen Jixian extinguished the cigarette he had pinched between his fingers and replied in a low voice, "I need to stay and investigate what’s going on in this cursed place, and also bring Jiang Cheng back. If you want to leave, go ahead."
Jiang Cheng was the young man in the Investigation Team who wore black-rimmed glasses and appeared quite scholarly. Out of the thirteen members of the Investigation Team, ten had entered the forbidden area, nine had come out, and Jiang Cheng's fate remained unknown.
The two team members exchanged glances, fear evident in their eyes. It was clear that the back mountain of Futu Ridge was beyond their current equipment and capabilities to explore, but in the end, they decided to stay.
After lunch, Chen Jixian locked himself inside the RV for a long time. I heard him seemingly on the phone with someone. Later, he took a short nap until Liu Quan woke him up.
The hospital in the county called; Liu Wei had committed suicide.
Huzi and I accompanied Chen Jixian to the county hospital. In one of the patient rooms, Liu Wei lay on the bed with her eyes wide open. Her pupils were dilated, as if she had seen something terrifying before her death.
There was a mark around Liu Wei's neck. After the doctor performed an EEG on her, they arranged for her to have a room with dedicated nursing staff. However, when the nurse stepped out for just a few minutes and returned, she found Liu Wei had hanged herself with the bed sheets.
Chen Jixian gently closed Liu Wei's eyelids. He noticed a piece of paper sticking out from her tightly clenched right hand.
As he opened his fist, he saw that the note contained only one word.
Snake.
Both Huzi and I changed color upon seeing the word "snake." It suddenly reminded us of the Snake Goddess incident decades ago, where that deranged County Leader kept repeating "snake."
Could it be that there really is a Snake Goddess in Futu Ridge's forbidden area?
In folklore, foxes, weasels, hedgehogs, snakes, and mice are collectively referred to as the Five Great Immortals: fox for foxes, yellow for weasels, white for hedgehogs, willow for snakes, and gray for mice.
Faith Demon There are many ethnic groups that worship animal deities, and while there is no evidence of faith in hedgehogs and mice, foxes and weasels have always been feared. There are numerous mythical tales surrounding these two creatures, known for their cunning and spirit, capable of retaliating against humans. However, what truly instills fear is the snake.
Futu Ridge In the early days of the Snake Goddess incident, no one knew that the woman who appeared in dreams to the Migrant Workers was the Snake Goddess. It was only later, due to the madness of a County Leader, that the association with the snake emerged.
Before killing, the Snake Goddess would send dreams as warnings, which was already a great mercy for humanity.
Among the many rumors about Futu Ridge, several involve snakes. During the Great Leap Forward, a single Radish could be larger than an ox cart, and a grain of rice could feed a family of four for five or six meals. Consequently, tales about snakes became increasingly exaggerated. Some claimed to have seen a rat snake as thick as a bucket that strangled a cow, while others recounted during the Xinhai Revolution how their ancestral spirits witnessed a massive Dragon Snake descending from above. It did not harm anyone but instead hid in a forbidden area to cultivate.
However, the forbidden area in Futu Ridge has existed for more than a few hundred years. Aside from some modern-day unrealistic rumors, no one knows the mysteries within.
Our group decided to investigate the surviving leader from the Snake Goddess incident in Futu Ridge.
But when we inquired about the old leader's whereabouts at the nursing home, we learned that he had passed away two years ago without leaving any instructions before his death.
I watched as Chen Jixian, once sharp and capable, became confused and helpless. Throughout it all, I didn’t offer any words of comfort. By evening, Chen Jixian decided to stay at a hotel in the county town instead of returning to Futu Ridge. He understood that it would be better to wait until his companions could drive us back.
We disagreed and took a stroll around the county town, bought some clothes, had dinner, and then rented a car back to Futu Ridge.
News of the Investigation Team arriving in Futu Ridge spread quickly. The villagers from ten miles around were quite resentful of our presence; everyone wanted to know what lay within the forbidden area on the back mountain of Futu Ridge, but generations of tales warned that those who entered never returned. The forbidden area could potentially bring disaster to Futu Ridge.
In these deep mountains, strange occurrences abound; whether it be hauntings or encounters with evil spirits, such things are not uncommon. For those living in these mountains, peaceful and stable days are far more important than uncovering truths.
The next morning, only three members of the Investigation Team arrived as scheduled in Futu Ridge. Accompanying us was an elderly man with gray hair who appeared to be over fifty. His pupils were somewhat different from ordinary eyes; they seemed covered by a white film resembling cataracts.
Some villagers were not welcoming towards the Investigation Team, including Liu Quan, who wanted nothing to do with this matter. No one wished to bring disaster upon their village. After all, we were just a few outsiders; they weren’t familiar with us. One moment we were sharing a meal together, and the next someone could die on their territory—just thinking about it made them feel nauseous.
Seeing that only I and Huzi still regarded them favorably, Chen Jixian introduced us: “This is Mr. Chang, a metaphysics master from Guangdong and a friend of mine.”
"Hello, Mr. Chang. My name is Yang Hao, and this is my friend Li Hu. We are both villagers from this area." I extended my hand to shake with Mr. Chang.
"You both are quite impressive, young and promising!" Mr. Chang said politely.
After exchanging pleasantries for a few minutes, I got straight to the point and asked, "So, Mr. Chang and Captain Chen are both planning to enter the forbidden area of Futu Ridge?"
Mr. Chang replied, "That's right. After hearing about the events that happened here, I booked a flight immediately."
"Knowing about the deaths that occurred in the Investigation Team, do you really have confidence that you can enter the forbidden area and come back alive?" I inquired.
Mr. Chang said, "If I were afraid of death, I wouldn't have come. I've studied the I Ching and metaphysics for half my life and know a few true masters. I've always wanted to personally explore the ancient secrets hidden within the Chinese Mountains and Rivers; this is also a way to fulfill a long-held wish of mine."
"May I ask if you understand Daoist Arts, Mr. Chang?" I questioned.
Guangdong is a gathering place for metaphysicians. During the Ten-Year Catastrophe, many masters from Daoist sects hid there to escape the turmoil and lived ordinary lives. Later, as the political situation stabilized and times became peaceful, many elders sought disciples to pass on their skills before they died, fearing that their knowledge would be lost. However, some were afraid of future chaos; true skills are not acquired overnight. For most people, earning a living was more practical, so they only passed on basic Daoist theories—fortune-telling, geomancy, naming, and calculating birth dates—so they could still make a living when times were tough.
Mr. Chang replied, "I don't understand Daoist Arts; do you know about them?"
Huzi said, "We've had a few extraordinary individuals come to our mountain before, each possessing Daoist Arts. They all came for the forbidden area of Futu Ridge but ultimately returned empty-handed. One of them was called Old Scholar; I wonder if you've heard of him, Mr. Chang."
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