Tried to trick me into raising a cat again

The Tianxing Mountains stretch from east to west, passing through the north of Jiaoshi, with a large terrain drop, many canyons, and waterfalls and turbulent flows can be seen almost everywhere.

In Jiaoshi in October, the temperature has dropped below ten degrees, and they have to go into the mountains.What we have to face is not only the problem of low temperature, but also the slippery road brought by the low temperature, which makes it difficult to travel.

At this time, the benefits of having locals came to the fore. The landlord of the Zhang family did his best. Knowing that they were going to enter the mountain, all the materials for entering the mountain were prepared, and ten well-trained veterans were also arranged. The soldiers went in together.

Zhang's father is getting older, and he is more cautious in doing things. He is worried that the young people will think that they are too burdensome, so he persuaded him earnestly: "They will go with you, and they will follow on the periphery, so there will be a response."

The leader of the four was Xie Qi, and the others subconsciously looked at him.

"Take it, maybe it will come in handy." Xie Qi nodded, agreeing very readily.

"Is the guide ready?" he asked again.

"I've found it, and there's one more surprise." Zhang Ren answered, and he turned his head and told the people behind him, "Bring him up."

The bodyguard left in response, and soon dragged a dark man in.

Before the person came in, there was a stench in the room. Qu Yanning wrinkled his nose in disgust, and looked at the person curiously.

The person who was dragged in was wrapped in tattered cloth, with disheveled hair, like a beggar found on the roadside.

Father Zhang was puzzled, "This is?"

Xie Qi raised his eyebrows, and said lightly: "I was able to follow and find it."

"I found it outside, and I've been sneaking around outside for a long time." Zhang Ren asked, "Didn't Mr. Qu Xiao say that a strange person came here last time, is it this?"

The bodyguard pulled the man's hair to make him lift his face. Familiar facial features could be vaguely recognized on the dirty face, especially the pair of sinister triangular eyes that were particularly impressive.

"It's him." Qu Yanning nodded, hesitantly said: "But he looks ten years older."

"When we caught him, he was outside looking at a porcelain doll in a godlike manner, and he looked like he had believed in some kind of magic." Zhang Ren handed the porcelain doll to Xie Qi to see.

Xie Qi glanced at it, turned away from it with disgust, and handed a piece of talisman paper to Zhang Ren, "It's not a clean thing, burn it."

The person who was paralyzed on the ground as dead as before suddenly struggled crazily, and he roared hoarsely, "You will be punished by heaven if you dare to disrespect the gods!"

Zhang Ren sneered, and lit the talisman paper. The porcelain doll, which should not be able to burn, turned into ashes in the bright yellow flame like a piece of paper.

The man's eyes widened in astonishment, as if he had been sentenced to death, he murmured, "The gods will not let you go..."

"Get ready and set off tomorrow." Xie Qi glanced at the people on the ground in disgust, and said coldly.

The material guides are all complete, and the group is ready to go up the mountain early the next morning.

Chu Zhou, who had been resting in the room, also showed up. The man who was escorted by the bodyguard and followed at the end saw him, a cluster of flames suddenly ignited in his lifeless eyes, and murmured in a low voice: "Holy boy, God, I found the holy boy!" Well, I don't have to die..."

Chu Zhouruo turned his head feeling something, but only saw the bodyguard kicking the man's leg and urging him to move forward with a vicious voice.

Zhang's father has been sending them to the foot of the mountain, and the guide has been waiting for them at the foot of the mountain in advance.The guide Zhang Ren was looking for was a dark-skinned middle-aged man in his early forties, with a simple and honest appearance. When he saw them coming, he greeted them not very enthusiastically, and then led them in silently.

Zhang Ren said in a low voice, this is the best guide in Jiaoshi, and he is the only one who can lead people in and out of this winding natural mountain.

The road into the mountain is relatively easy to walk. Although the temperature has been low these days, it hasn’t rained. The road on the mountain is very dry, so the walk will not be too strenuous.

Ten veterans, five in the front and five in the back, surrounded the four of them, and a group of them walked slowly up the mountain in a long strip.

The first place they were going to was at Patio Hill.

Based on the remaining memory, Chu Zhou vaguely drew a map, plus what they asked from the man, combined with the guide, there were only two places that met the conditions.One is Tianjing Mountain and the other is Qibugou.

Tianjing Mountain is in a straight line with Qibugou, and Tianjing Mountain is closer. If Tianjing Mountain is not the destination they are looking for, if they go further in, it will be the way to Qibugou.

Qu Yanning was wearing a padded jacket and gloves, and walked beside Xie Qi with a trekking pole in his hand. It was already winter in the pepper market, and the temperature in the mountains was even lower. He breathed out his white breath, and looked around curiously while walking.

The trees on the mountain had lost all their leaves, and they were pointing at the sky. Apart from being desolate and desolate, it wasn't really a landscape, but he still looked at it with great interest.

Xie Qi was afraid that he would fall, so he carefully trailed him by half a step to protect him.

Chu Zhou and Zhang Ren walked behind them side by side. Zhang Ren was used to this kind of climate, so he wore a coat that wasn't too thick, and inside was a tight-fitting work vest. The bulging muscles made the vest stand out clearly.

"Can you still walk?" Zhang Ren carefully supported Chu Zhou and asked in a low voice.

Chu Zhou took a breath, his face was already flushed, he walked hard step by step with his trekking pole, he shook his head when he heard Zhang Ren's words, and said, "I can still persist, this is just the beginning."

Zhang Ren had no choice but to forcibly carry the only backpack on his body and put it on his back.

Chu Zhou looked back at him, bent his lips, and said thank you.

After walking hard for more than three hours, the guide stopped in an open area with few trees. "Just rest here."

The team stopped, and the veterans tacitly surrounded the outside as a defense, and the four of them and the guide rested inside the encirclement.

Looking for dry firewood to light a fire, Zhang Ren boiled a pot of boiling water, and then poured the instant meal he brought into it. The compressed vegetables floated up and down in the hot water and stretched out, soon emitting a hot aroma.

Zhang Ren first filled a bowl for Chu Zhou to warm his hands, and then filled two bowls for Xie Qi and the others.

Xie Qi turned his head and stuffed the hot soup bowl into Qu Yanning's hands, "You drink first."

Qu Yanning held the bowl and whispered thank you.

Drinking the hot soup into the stomach aroused a burst of warmth, and after drinking a bowl of hot soup, beads of sweat appeared on the tip of the nose.

Xie Qi handed him a paper towel and told him to wipe off his sweat and be careful not to catch a cold.

After lunch and rest for a while, the team set off again.

The road on the mountain became steeper and narrower, and the group of people walked forward with difficulty. They didn't find a place to rest until night fell in the evening.

The terrain on the mountain was much steeper, and a few dead trees were cut down to barely create an open space to set up a tent.

The space is limited, and only two people can live in one tent. Zhang Ren followed the veterans to set up the tent, and then hugged Chu Zhou into the tent.

The further he walked into the mountain, the worse Chu Zhou's spirit became. At the last stretch of the road, it was almost Zhang Ren who carried him up the road.When he got here, he was almost too weak to walk.

Zhang Ren put the man into the tent, and hurriedly boiled hot water and brought it over for him to hold, then he prepared dinner together and arranged the night watch.

Qu Yanning also went to help. He didn't know how to set up a tent, but he was good at cooking. He brought enough people and enough food. When Zhang Ren and the others set up the temporary stove, Qu Yanning volunteered to cook.

In the mountains, you can’t pay too much attention to it. Bacon vermicelli and cabbage are stewed in a big pot. The firewood below is burning, and the big pot above is bubbling.

The veteran who had finished his work squatted by the pot and watched eagerly.Qu Yanning filled a bowl with a bowl and served it to Xie Qi next to him, and then he squatted next to the pot and ate with chopsticks.

Xie Qishi ate without taste, his eyes fell on Qu Yanning's cheerful back, and he pursed his lips unhappily.

After eating, the sky was already dark, there was no moon or stars, and the mountains were almost invisible. There was a bonfire burning in the middle of the open space, and two veterans sat by the fire to watch the night.

Qu Yanning dawdled into the tent.

Xie Qi was sitting inside, his eyelashes drooping, and his fingers were slowly moving the beads. Even the simple tent did not reduce his dusty temperament. Qu Yanning scratched his face, afraid of disturbing him, carefully Get in lightly, and then lightly get into the sleeping bag and lie down.

"Enough playing outside?" Xie Qi looked at him, the faint look in his eyes somehow made Qu Yanning feel embarrassed.

He was like a heartbroken man who was caught by his wife after going out for fooling around, stammering, "Enough playing, enough playing."

Xie Qi glanced at him in the dim light, his voice softened, and said, "Go to sleep."

It was very warm in the sleeping bag. Qu Yanning curled up his body, and his whole body was tucked into the sleeping bag. After a while, there was the sound of steady breathing.

Xie Qi waited patiently for him to fall asleep, then changed back to his original shape, slipped in through the gap on the side, nestled on his neck and fell asleep.

When he woke up the next day, Qu Yanning stretched his arms and kicked his legs, and talked to Xie Qi, "Did the second master sleep well last night?"

Xie Qi said it was very good, and gave him a half-smile.

Qu Yanning was wearing a thick cotton-padded coat and was struggling to expand his chest. He said that he had dreamed of Guaibao last night. He sighed and said that he really wanted to be Guaibao, but he didn't know that Guaibao would come back when he went back. Will you be mad at him?

"..." Xie Qi pursed his lips, his ears were a little red, and said that Guaibao was fine at home, "He won't be angry with you."

Qu Yanning smirked twice, thinking of something for some reason, saying that Guaibao is stupid, and when they go back, Guaibao may have forgotten it long ago.

Xie Qi: "..."

Xie Qi remained silent and did not answer.

After breakfast, the guide walked around twice, and the group set off again.

The terrain of Tianjing Mountain is not high, so it got its name because four adjacent peaks form a courtyard.

It was after two o'clock in the afternoon when the group arrived at Tianjing Mountain.

The four mountain peaks stood majestically, with no passing roads, only the gaps where people could barely walk in. An older veteran passed through the gaps nimbly, and turned back after a while.

"There is no village, just a pool in the middle."

Chu Zhou was supported by Zhang Ren and walked to the front of the team. He looked at it for a while, shook his head and said, "It's not here."

"Bring people up," Zhang Ren said to the last veteran.

The man who had been pressed and followed at the end was pressed up. His clothes were torn, and rotten sores were exposed. Before he reached the front, the stench had already hit.

Zhang Ren frowned and helped Chu Zhou to Qu Yanning's side, let him take care of him, and went to ask questions by himself.

The man's expression was a little crazy, and he muttered some words they couldn't understand, and then said that the gods would not let you go, and he seemed to be crazy.

Zhang Ren kicked him impatiently, and directly pulled out the dagger in his boots and put it on his neck, "Don't pretend to be crazy, the two places you mentioned, now Tianjingshan has been ruled out, the next Qibugou, if not, You don't have to wait for the gods to punish you, I can kill you now to feed the wolves."

The man stared at the sharp dagger in horror, shaking like a sieve, "The gods... the gods won't let you in, even if I take you there, you won't find it."

Zhang Ren narrowed his eyes, and the dagger drew a bloodstain on his neck, "Where is the entrance?"

The man broke down and cried, "Don't kill me, don't kill me, it's in Qibugou, the only way to get in there."

Zhang Ren withdrew his dagger, motioning to drag him down.

"Then go to Qibugou," guide Zhang Ren communicated in dialect for a while, beckoning everyone to turn around and continue walking.

Qibugou has penetrated deep into the Daotianxing Mountains. Not only is the mountain road difficult to walk, but it may also encounter wild animals that are short of food in winter.

After finding a suitable open place to rest and reorganize, they cheered up and went to Qibugou again.

No matter how Chu Zhou objected this time, Zhang Ren insisted on carrying him behind his back and did not let him go by himself.

After another day and night of trekking, they finally arrived near Qibugou. The guide waved everyone to stop, and spoke to Zhang Ren in broken Mandarin, "Qibugou is ahead, but we can't go any further."

Zhang Ren said, "We have to go in. How far is it?"

The guide estimated the distance, said a number, and said in disapproval: "We passed it down by the old people who went into the mountain. There are unclean things over there. Once people go in, they can't get out."

Qibugou Qibugou is actually a nickname given by the older generation, which means that you can’t go to that place, and those who enter it can’t get out after walking seven steps.

Zhang Ren looked firm, "We must go in."

The guide looked a little shy, and he insisted: "I can take you there, but I won't go in."

Zhang Ren didn't make things difficult for him, and agreed, and the guide felt relieved.

The group continued to set off.

Chu Zhou was already in a semi-conscious state, lying on Zhang Ren's back, breathing so lightly that he couldn't feel it.

After walking a little further, you can already see a narrow valley in front of you. The entrance seems to be only two or three meters wide, and the inside is dark.

The guide said: "This is Qibugou."

The man behind the line was dragged out again, before Zhang Ren could ask any questions, he said, "This is here, go in, it's the village."

Zhang Ren discussed with Xie Qi and decided to keep the veterans and guides outside.

Xie Qi said that there are things in the valley, and it is inconvenient to carry too many people.

The veterans and guides were resting on the spot, ready to meet them.The man went in with them with his hands tied.

Bringing the necessary luggage, several people walked into the valley with strong flashlights.

The valley was very narrow, with damp moss growing on the mountain walls, the man was forced to lead the way, Zhang Ren followed with Chu Zhou on his back, Qu Yanning and Xie Qi walked at the end side by side.

It was quiet inside, there was no sound, and the pitch-dark environment made people feel even more panicked. Qu Yanning shrank his shoulders, and leaned against Xie Qi unconsciously.

"Hold me. Don't get separated later." Xie Qi noticed his small movements and stretched out his hand towards him.

Qu Yanning was a little embarrassed, but the surrounding environment was too intrusive. After hesitating for a while, he gently held Xie Qi's finger.

The hand held was a little wet, Xie Qi looked at him sideways, and held him backhand.

The warmth came from the clasped palms, Qu Yanning's tension eased a little, and he walked forward with Xie Qi.

I don't know how long I walked in the dark, the narrow valley gradually became wider, the sunlight leaked through the cracks above, and the dim light became brighter.

Qu Yanning unzipped the jacket and muttered, "Why is it so hot? Second Master, are you hot?"

Xie Qi carefully felt the temperature change and said, "The temperature is rising, there may be a hot spring in front."

Chu Zhou, who had been sleeping on Zhang Ren's back, also woke up. He raised his head and looked forward. There was a lush forest at the end of the valley. The tall trees pointed straight to the sky, and the green leaves swayed in the breeze, making rustling sounds.

Exactly the same as the memory of ten years ago.

"Here it is..." he murmured.

The man in front stood at the end of the valley with a terrified expression. He whispered that it was impossible, that it was impossible for the gods to let outsiders in.

Zhang Ren kicked him, "Go on."

The man wailed, but huddled tightly in the valley and refused to go out, "Without the protection of the gods, once you enter the ghost forest, you will not be able to get out."

Zhang Ren sneered, "Where are the gods?"

The man said: "The gods were burned by you."

Zhang Ren: "..." He remembered the porcelain doll that was burned.

"Second Lord?" He turned his head and looked at Xie Qi inquiringly.

"Let's go," Xie Qi led Qu Yanning forward, "There are some things, but it's okay, follow me closely."

Zhang Ren followed closely behind Chu Zhou with his back on his back.

The man huddled at the mouth of the valley breathed a sigh of relief. He clung firmly to the wall, staring at the woods outside the valley as if looking at a man-eating ghost. He swallowed, cursed that he deserved it, and staggered He walked back, but unexpectedly, there was a child's laughter in the woods not far away. The man was startled, and before he could turn around, he was quickly dragged into the woods by a thick and long vine.

Qu Yanning vaguely heard a scream, and wanted to turn around but was pulled by Xie Qi, "What do you see over there?"

Qu Yanning looked along his fingers, but only saw a small red flower swaying in the breeze.

Xie Qi said calmly, "I've never seen this kind of flower before."

Qu Yanning: "...Oh, I haven't seen it either."

The movement behind them calmed down, and they continued walking, and they could vaguely see a huge stone through the woods, with Fenghu Village written in big red characters on it.

Zhang Ren turned Chu Zhou upside down, "It's almost here."

Xie Qi hummed and said, let's go quickly.

They speeded up, the grass and woods they passed made rustling noises, and the immature voices of children sounded behind them.

"He's back."

"Mother must be very happy."

"Yes, he is as beautiful as when he was a child."

A child's clear laughter sounded in the quiet woods, Qu Yanning moved his ears, but when he looked back, he saw nothing.