Chapter Five: The Soul Appears at Ten Mile Slope

  We turned from detectives to tourists in an instant, and in this scenic area of Vietnam, the most common thing is motorcycles. We each rode a motorcycle, vrooming around everywhere.

  Thirteen people arrived at the ancient cave of Lusi, three caves and one river, the ticket price was sixty per person, but if you knew someone it would be forty, what a bargain, if we were in our hometown... you know.

  As I walked in, I deeply felt the wonder of nature's creation. The scenery of the cave has the characteristics of being ancient, strange and precipitous. There is a spring outside the cave, a cave within the cave, sky inside the cave, river below the cave, as well as various stone peaks, stalactites, stone pillars, stone screens, stone sickles, stone waterfalls, and stone flowers, with thousands of postures and all kinds of forms, displaying the infinite joy of nature's vitality.

  Lin Ruoyin was delighted to be touring this place: "Do you know that Xu Xiake, a famous traveler of the Ming Dynasty, was once enchanted by this place? He entered the cave twice to investigate and left behind the famous sentence: 'The water of Luoyang rushes out from the lower hole, and the caves of Luoyang gather on the cliff.'"

  "Haha ~ haha ~" Companions were stunned with a silly smile, and they really couldn't keep up with this talented 'girl's' thinking.

  I saw no one responding, so I didn't want to embarrass the girl and casually opened my mouth: "I heard that in 2006, this Guanyin Buddha statue presented a miraculous Buddhist light, which caused a sensation at the time."

  "It's not just that!" Jiang Yu came over and said: "The mysterious Buddha light of the 'cave' in Leshan Giant Buddha has appeared many times. In the Qing dynasty, poet Tan Zhongyue wrote a poem saying: 'Neither clouds nor fog rise to the sky, strange colors and lights are different, try looking from the high stone platform, everyone is in the Buddha light.' This kind of Buddha light has been witnessed throughout history, but science has continued to this day and still can't explain such a strange phenomenon."

  Another poem!

  Everyone looked at me with a teasing gaze, as if saying, "Come on, kid, catch it!"

  I'm not particular, smiling: "It's said that the earliest recorded Buddha light in Lushi Ancient Cave was in 1481 AD. At that time, there were also poetic records, saying 'clouds and mist scatter, lotus flowers bloom, jade-like peaks, four seasons of flowers and trees competing for beauty, ancient caves merge with green moss, a clear fairyland not spread by rumors'."

  "He was the first Han Chinese prefect of Guangxi Prefecture, He Xun, haha!" As she said that, Jiang Yi subconsciously pulled on my arm, as if she had found a kindred spirit.

  "You're not only beautiful but also knowledgeable and talented. Let's go appreciate it together." I almost stopped there, lest the people behind me go crazy.

  "Alright ~ let's go together." As she said that, Jiang Yu pulled my wrist and ran in.

  After leaving, several people behind him had a silly look on their faces: "Damn, if you want to pick up chicks, you still have to learn knowledge!"

  We arrived at the location of the Great Buddha, and a group of gods and experts studied it left and right. They all agreed with one sentence: The glow of the ancient 'Dong' Buddha belongs to an extremely special optical phenomenon of physical light, and there is no other explanation.

  We visited the Luduan Cave, Jade Column Cave, Bishan Cave and Jade Bamboo River in one breath, and took many photos. Luo Sansi reminded me in a low voice behind my back: "Don't upload to Moments before solving the case ~"

  While we were touring, a tour guide led more than 20 tourists passing by, which made me curious. The 'female' tour guide had an unpleasant face and was arrogant, while the tourists behind her looked frightened and fearful.

  "Let me tell you, no one is allowed to run away, once caught, don't even think about going back!" The female tour guide said viciously, her tone extremely fierce.

  We were speechless, more than 20 people, and a 'female' tour guide was scared like this, what's the point?

  They're all Chinese, I went over and casually asked: "Brother, are you here to travel or to see the color of people's faces?"

  That bald big brother had a gloomy face: "People, just can't be greedy for small advantages. We saw that the travel agency was cheap and signed up, who knew that there would be forced consumption halfway through, I spent more than 4,000 yuan, otherwise those stinky old ladies would scold people loudly."

  "I'm just here to have fun, old man, not to get annoyed. If I'm not happy, I'll leave, why look at her face?" I was very puzzled.

  "Bald big brother sighed: "This is not the first time we go abroad, we worry that when we return, they will detain us at the border, so we endured. There were two who didn't care and ran to the toilet halfway, sigh... From now on, I'll never join a tour group again."

  As for our country's laws and regulations in this regard, they are as lenient as those for corruption, I am truly helpless.

  "I don't know if they ran away or got lost." At this time, the bald big brother muttered again: "Those two little lovers were still discussing on the bus, in order to save the ticket back, said that they would endure even if they died, but when they walked to the forest at Shili Slope, they ran away with a swish of their skirts."

  A fat aunt on the side took over: "It seems not, I just heard that little boy say, there is a monkey with a golden pimple on its body, and the two of them went to catch the monkey."

  Shilipo, monkeys and golden pustules?

  My eyes widened in shock as I watched the commotion, and after taking a few deep breaths, I quickly turned around and rushed back.

  "What's wrong, Chuan Jie? Are you okay? Weren't you fine just now?" Everyone asked with a puzzled expression.

  Until it was quiet all around, I then said in a low voice: "Just now I heard some news..."

  Without saying another word, we collectively quickened our pace and left the ancient cave of Lusi Alu, driving motorcycles to follow Aliyo hastily to Shili Slope.

  We are all skilled detectives in this line, after arriving, judging and identifying directions from footprints and various traces, chasing along the way, collecting all kinds of clues.

  Thirteen people in a row, with incredible speed, especially Cheng Long and Wu Mingkai, who are both seasoned kings of jungle activities. They quickly found the footprints of the young couple and chased after them rapidly, not wasting a single second.

  After the motorcycle passed through a forest, there was a group of climbing rocks in front. Zhao Yong immediately ordered to divide into two groups. He led Cheng Long and Wu Mingkai's seven-man team, nine people rushed forward quickly, while I and Lao Luo, as well as two 'girls' stayed on the spot to guard the motorcycle and stood high to observe the surroundings.

  Lao Gui held high ground, surveying all around, while we three young ones couldn't stay still, making a small-scale search of this ten-li slope.

  "Hey, watch out for dog poop." Lin Ruoyin's sarcastic remark hit the mark. I was lucky, having a "dog poop" fortune.

  I immediately shot back: "Luck is also part of strength, let me tell you, in this haunted Ten Mile Slope, you'd better be careful, as a descendant of a military family, after the Vietnam War, there are landmines everywhere in the woods, don't step on them."

  "No way." Jiang Yu hastily said: "Chuan Jie, don't talk nonsense. Your words are so accurate, what if Xiao Yin steps on a landmine? At her young age, it would be all because of you."

  "It's nothing, this landmine is commonly known as a 'dud', at most it'll just blow off a big white leg." I said with a mischievous tone, my sly eyes still scanning Lin Ruo Yin's small cowboy shorts with malice.

  Thinking of my divine crow's mouth, Lin Ruoyin temporarily stopped arguing with me. Following in my footsteps, she stepped where I stepped, not differing by half a point.

  It's really frustrating that we didn't find anything in this wilderness forest, and in the end it was just a wait and wait.

  Waited till dark, no one was seen, Luo Lao Gui walked to where and ate to where. He, who was in a superior position, actually caught a big grey rabbit in the forest. What's even more maddening is that Old Luo not only brought small bottles of oil and salt, but also thirteen spices!

  Anyway, it's dark now, and we're not afraid of the forestry bureau or anything coming to catch us. We set up a bonfire and started roasting, with some sparks flying around, which can also help Zhao Yong and others find their way back.

  "You guys are in luck, you know that I have a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast's roast ingredients here, haha~" In this dark and gloomy forest, Luo San thought was excited and delighted, as if as long as there was food, he would ignore even the apocalypse.

  Jiang Yu felt a little wronged: "Old Luo, we don't know whether Yong Ge and the others are safe or not, shouldn't we go look for them?"

  "What's going on?" Luo Sansi curled his lips: "Following Zhao Team to handle the case, the most important thing is to keep a level head. He usually takes charge of everything and gets into trouble too. We just need to hold our ground."

  Lin Ruo Yin kept touching her white legs back and forth: "Damn mosquitoes, I should have worn more clothes."

  My vigilant eyes scanned the surroundings, but my tone turned playful: "Are you tired from 'feeling' around? Otherwise, I can help you 'feel' it for you?"

  Whoosh! A snow-white, big, white 'leg' appeared before my eyes three inches away. Lin Ruo Yin played a trick: "Come on, touch it, do you have the guts?"

  "Hmph, they're all darkened like charred electric poles, who cares?"

  If I touched it, I'd be dead; if I didn't touch it, I'd still be dead. Then I started fighting with Lin Ruoyin and we rolled around on the ground together.

  "Xiao Yin, refuel! Xiao Yin, refuel!" Jiang Yi shouted from the side, dispelling the eerie and terrifying atmosphere around them.

  "Stop messing around! The roasted rabbit is done, if you're slow, the two 'fat' sisters will finish off the rabbit legs." Lao Luo helplessly acts as a mediator to intervene.

  "Don't compete with me and Da Mei Ren for rabbit legs, or you'll be in trouble." Lin Ruo Yin finally jumped up, called a truce, and ate first.

  "You'd better not eat it, or you'll become a big rabbit leg, all grey and plump. This leg of meat is still mine... uh~" I sat up and rubbed my eyes, saying: "Comrade Lao Luo, where's your roasted rabbit?"

  "This isn't just... " Luo Sansi turned his head around, only to see that on the fire rack - there was nothing!

  At that moment, the four of us gasped in unison, drew out our pistols, formed a quadrangular wall and crouched down, assuming shooting postures while scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes.

  "Don't shoot!" At this time, Zhao Yong led a group of pursuers back, but the route they took seemed to be 200 meters away, what about just now?

  After everyone returned, Cheng Long was the first to say: "We've all been lurking around here for half a day, and we saw that thing that's neither human nor ghost hovering around you guys. After a whole day, it seems she wants to eat Lao Luo's roasted rabbit."

  "What! What!" The four of us were naturally frightened out of our wits.

  Lu Sansi was puzzled: "You're talking about that wild woman in the surveillance video. She was just around us, so why didn't you catch her?"

  "Hey!" Zhao Yong raised his hand to interrupt Wu Mingkai, and said: "Some things we'll discuss when we get back, for now let's just send these two tourists back to a safe location."

  I had noticed earlier that two unfamiliar young men and women in their early twenties were holding hands, looking worried and hesitant, with a mix of reluctance and entanglement.

  In that case, let's go back first...