Chapter 10: The Mysterious Black Bamboo Gorge

  "Yes, I do have some understanding. I've heard that this place is very mysterious, and the local Yi and Han people call it 'Si Huo', which means 'Valley of Death'. There have also been some missing persons cases, such as during the early days of liberation when a remnant force of over 30 people led by Hu Zongnan entered but never came out. I've also heard that three reconnaissance soldiers from the Liberation Army who entered Heizigou from Ganluo County only had one survivor. And then there was the case in 1995 where two soldiers from a mapping unit of the Liberation Army went missing while buying supplies on their way through Heizigou, and later only their weapons were found."

  In 1976, three members of the Sichuan Forest Police Team went missing in Heizigou, and a search was launched involving the entire county. Three months later, only three skeletons were found.

  On the evening of June 24, 1991, the mysterious Heizhugou suddenly became overcast with thick clouds and rolling fog, as if it was going to engulf everything. Seven members of the design engineering team from the Sichuan Forestry Bureau and seventeen local workers collectively disappeared in Heizhugou. Fortunately, due to the early discovery and timely search, these twenty-four surveyors only spent twenty hours in the deep valley of Heizhugou as "mountain tigers" and went through hardships without any casualties, so it was called the 'Devil's Triangle'. I've roughly recounted what I saw according to my knowledge.

  Pei Zi nodded and smiled, "Not bad, you've investigated a lot, but what you said isn't entirely correct. Although the thick fog can indeed cause people to lose their direction, it's not as terrifying as the rumors say."

  "Of course, I might know a safer route to that place you mentioned." Pei Zi said with a smile.

  "Are you saying that even if a thick fog appears after we enter, there won't be much danger?" I still believed this because in the nearly half month since we entered, we hadn't encountered any thick fog, just a thin mist.

  "It can be understood this way, but the danger will still exist. We just need to be more careful." Pei Zi glanced at Wu Ma You and then smiled: "Fortunately, Old Wu was afraid and didn't take you deeper, otherwise you would have rushed in without understanding anything, and the consequences wouldn't have been as simple as getting lost!"

  No wonder we couldn't find the ancient tomb, it turns out this dead kid has been leading us around in circles on the outskirts all along! I glared at Wuma You, and saw him awkwardly scratch his head without refuting me. I turned to Pei Zi and asked: "Alright, then what exactly do we need to prepare?"

  "Weapons and food are a must, the other old witches should have already prepared them for you, so if you want to go, we can set off at any time……" Pei Zi was about to finish speaking when Su Dai asked: "Have you been to that most mysterious, most dangerous, and treasure-filled ancient tomb?"

  Pei Zi shook his head and said honestly, "How can that place be easily visited? It's possible to lose one's life. To be honest, even if ordinary people gave me more money, I wouldn't agree. But since Lao Wu has already taken your job and wasted a lot of your time, I must take you there no matter how dangerous it is! Besides, I said I know a safe route."

  I nodded in understanding, if they had agreed immediately I would have been even more suspicious. At this time, I also heard Song Ah ask: "Since you've never been there, how do you know where that place is?"

  "It's probably hard for you to believe, but I remember about two months ago, a group of people like you came to Heizhugou. That time left a deep impression on me. At first, they found a guide, which was me. I thought they would just find an ordinary ancient tomb and be done with it. After all, those who can be buried in the mountains aren't simple characters. Unfortunately, that group of people kept going deeper and deeper, and I think the place they wanted to go must have been extraordinary. If they hadn't forced me with threats and bribes, I wouldn't have continued on.

  Pei Zi's expression was somewhat regretful as he spoke about this matter, and he continued: "After going through countless hardships, they finally found that tomb, but I...I escaped. This is probably the most cowardly thing I've done in my life..."

  Hearing this, I almost couldn't wait to ask him: "Were there any foreigners among that group of people?"

  "How did you know?" Pei Zi asked in surprise, looking at me.

  "That's the place we're going to find!" Suppressing the excitement in my heart, I looked at Song Ah and Su Dai, and saw that their eyes also lit up, although it was almost a month late, but who knows if they could really catch up with them this time!

  "This time you won't regret meeting me!" Wu Ma You exclaimed, and then he started to show off again.

  "Yes, this is the only good thing that has happened since I met you!" Su Dai said without giving face, but from her tone, it could be heard that she was very happy at this moment.

  Fortunately, Pei Zi still remembered the route from the beginning, so we chatted for a while and agreed to set off early tomorrow. Now it's almost dark, and we're not in a hurry for tonight. After all, this night can also let Pei Zi and others have a good rest, only then can they be energetic and rush on the road tomorrow!

  After dinner, I went back to my room and took a bath. Feeling comfortable, I lay down on the bed, knowing that tonight might be the only day I could enjoy in the next period of time. Reopening the human skin blood book that I had unintentionally obtained, my scalp felt a bit numb. This was human skin! Thinking about the bloody scene where the human skin was peeled off, my hands trembled slightly.

  The bloodstain above has also turned dark purple, and the cat's eye stone bracelet is a bit blurry, but it was my first clue about longevity and the cat's eye stone bracelet, so I'll keep it for now. Who would have thought that this time I really got lucky and accidentally found the destination of Dad and his friends? It seems that heaven is not too cruel to me, Feng Zi!

  The next morning, we finished breakfast and set off on our journey.

  Because Pei Zi said that when he went there at first, it took more than ten days to arrive, plus the return time and the time spent in the tomb, we bought a lot of compressed biscuits and beef, although we can hunt wild game on the road, but bringing some more is always right.

  In the Heizigou area, within a hundred miles, the highest elevation is 4288 meters and the lowest point is only 1233 meters. The terrain has a huge difference in height, and we are now roughly in the middle section. Since it's summer now, even in such a mountainous area, it's just right, not cold or hot. I finally understand why Pei Zi said that it would take a lot of time - this deep valley is crisscrossed with gullies and ravines, and shrubs are dense. Although the fragrance of wildflowers now lingers around our noses, I dare not relax in the slightest, because thin fog has emerged, and the quiet mountain forest seems to have no life, giving people a sense of inexplicable oppression.

  "A thick fog is coming, everyone be careful." Pei Zi reminded us.