Chapter 27 Chapter 26: Exploring the Valley

An Mi arranged for Luo Fei and the others to stay in a room next to her own.The house is divided into two rooms, inside and outside. Originally, the four attendants lived separately, but now Luo Fei and others sleep in one, and the attendants sleep in one.Although it was a bit crowded, it was better than sleeping in the jungle the previous two days. At Luo Fei's request, they lived in the back room, so that the four followers separated them from the outside world, and in a sense played the role of guards. Luo Fei stood by the rear window for a long time, cold raindrops hit his face from time to time by the wind.But he didn't dodge it, because his brain maintained a sharp thinking ability when he felt this way, and now, he really had too many things to analyze in detail.

After going through many dangers, they finally arrived at this valley, the center where all strange things originated.The answer seems to be in sight, but more and more mysteries are emerging one after another at this time.It is no exaggeration to describe the day that has just passed as thrilling.The mysterious "devil" who has been looming since Mi Hong's village finally appeared, "he" killed Zhao Liwen, stunned Zhou Liwei, and the very cunning Bai Jian'e was also scared out of his wits by "he".In that jungle, "he" really seemed to have some kind of unstoppable power.

And I also experienced a terrible experience that I had never had in my life.The horror that engulfed everything is still lingering in my heart when I think about it now.Is this the legendary "devil's power"?It appeared in Li Dingguo's army hundreds of years ago, and now it is not only revived in the area of ​​Uncanny Valley, but also has its footprints across thousands of miles to Longzhou. What is it? It seems that some clues can be glimpsed from Suo Turan's narration at the banquet, but Luo Fei still hopes to get a more authoritative explanation. "Teacher Zhou, what do you think of the so-called 'Gu Technique'?" Luo Fei turned around and asked.

At this moment, Zhou Liwei was sitting on the bed in a daze like the other two, seemingly having their own concerns.Hearing Luo Fei's question, he obviously hadn't gotten out of his thoughts for a while, and muttered absently: "Gu art? Gu art..." "Yes." Luo Fei turned up the volume and took two steps closer, until Zhou Liwei raised his head and looked at him, then continued, "When you were in Longzhou, you gave me a class on 'phobia' Today, I heard Suo Turan mentioned the Gu technique, and I immediately connected the two. Maybe we are going to uncover the truth of the Longzhou case, and this is the key point."

Zhou Liwei pondered for a moment: "You mean, those patients with phobias are actually victims of some kind of voodoo technique?" "It's very possible! Li Dingguo used this kind of Gu technique to control his army back then. Now I want to know, what is this Gu technique? What kind of means can control a person's spirit? I hope you can Give me some answers from a professional point of view." Luo Fei's eyes were shining brightly. "Then I'll start with the word 'Gu'." Zhou Liwei added his lips and started talking, "'Gu', the word 'worm' on it, and the word 'vessel' on the bottom. It is a typical knowing word, which means the worms kept in the container. The ancients believed that Gu has mysterious properties and great toxicity, so it is also called poison Gu, which can enter the human body through diet and cause diseases. Patients are like being confused by ghosts. Confused. The legendary method of making poisonous insects is to put a variety of highly poisonous insects, such as snakes and scorpions, into the same utensil, and make them bite and kill each other. In the end, the only surviving poisonous insect is It's Gu."

"So, 'gu' is actually closely connected with 'poison'?" Luo Fei said thoughtfully, "then, is it possible for Gu poison to cause mental illness in people, for example, after extreme fear? Category." At this time, Yue Dongbei was also attracted by the conversation between the two, and looked at Zhou Liwei without blinking. After all, the experience at noon also had an unforgettable effect on him. Zhou Liwei nodded: "Of course it is possible. 'Poison', from a scientific point of view, is a chemical substance that the human body is not used to. When I was in Longzhou, I told you that any mental illness is ultimately caused by the chemical secretion in the human body. It is caused by an imbalance. Therefore, through specific chemical toxins, it can completely cause the effect of scaring people. This is real science and has nothing to do with witchcraft or ghosts."

"Is that the case?" It was Yue Dongbei who spoke, shaking his huge round head, "Chemical toxins sound reasonable." Luo Fei gave Yue Dongbei a strange look, Yue Dongbei understood what he meant, and grinned: "All my research has a principle, which is based on facts, and I will never cling to anything that is beneficial to my school. Don’t let go of your point of view. On the question just now, I agree with Professor Zhou’s statement. And this does not mean that you have overturned my academics. It makes perfect sense for the devil to do evil by poisoning with voodoo. Otherwise, the voodoo technique It has disappeared for more than 300 years, why did it reappear with the rupture of the blood bottle? How to explain the mysterious signs related to Li Dingguo and the death of Zhao Liwen and others along the way?"

Luo Fei bowed his head and remained silent.Indeed, these issues are still puzzling.They were originally to investigate the mysterious disease that appeared in Longzhou, and they just got some clues, but they involved a bigger crisis and mystery. "Could it be that person's Gu? Starting from Longzhou..." Luo Fei said softly, as if talking to himself, then he shook his head again, and after another moment of silence, he threw out the biggest question in his heart, "Who is he?" "That person" obviously refers to the mysterious phantom that appeared at noon.Hearing Luo Fei mention "him", everyone's expressions changed, each recalling their own experience.

"Master Bai, maybe you can answer this question." Zhou Liwei suddenly said coldly, "Among all the people, only you have had contact with 'him' while awake." Luo Fei also focused his eyes on Bai Jian'e. He actually wanted to ask this question a long time ago, but after An Mi and others suddenly appeared, he never found a suitable opportunity. Bai Jian'an smiled wryly: "I've already said that, I only see 'his' eyes, and I can't tell 'his' appearance at all." "Then why did you let 'him' go so easily?" Zhou Liwei asked.

"I can't stop 'him'. You don't understand how terrifying 'him' is." Bai Jian'e's voice was trembling, not like the master of a powerful village at all, "The power of 'him', the power of 'him' All the hatred is burning in the eyes of 'him', no one will dare to confront 'him'." Luo Fei looked at Bai Jian'e coldly. This person's face was full of an expression of being on the verge of despair, but occasionally his eyes flickered, revealing a trace of luck still remaining in his heart. "Why didn't he kill you?" Zhou Liwei was very dissatisfied with Bai Jian'e's answer, and pressed him step by step, "All your subordinates are dead, and they are just working for you!"

Bai Jian'e was at a loss for words for a moment, not knowing how to answer this question. Yue Dongbei suddenly laughed twice: "This is indeed an interesting phenomenon. But think about it, in the jihad described by Suo Turan, the person Li Dingguo hated most should be Bai Wenxuan who betrayed him." ? He had put the sword on Bai Wenxuan's neck at that time, but he didn't kill him in the end. So the reborn 'demon' would not kill Baizhaizhu. The reason for this is hard to say." Bai Jian'e looked at Yue Dongbei and nodded, as if he was very grateful that the other party helped him out of the siege.Then he said to Zhou Liwei: "That person acts so strangely, he comes and goes without a trace, who knows what 'he' wants to do?" "Weird?" Yue Dongbei shook his head, "I think 'his' purpose is very clear, it is for revenge. The subordinates who defected to the enemy, the Hamo people, are all 'his' enemies. Otherwise, why would your men Dead, but the three of us are safe and sound? 'He' just frightened us, and didn't mean to kill us. This is 'he' showing that terrible power, maybe it's a small warning .” Luo Fei suddenly asked: "How should the victims in Longzhou City explain it?" Yue Dongbei stretched out his hands and scratched his head, and after holding back for a while with his face flushed, he muttered embarrassingly: "This... this... still needs to be verified and studied..." "Okay, let's discuss some practical things." Luo Fei waved his hands, then turned to look at Zhou Liwei, "If it's a Gu technique, then it must be poisoned through food and drink?" "Basically so, but not absolutely. It may also penetrate through the skin, or even inhale through the mouth and nose, etc. But there must be some kind of contact, that's for sure." Zhou Liwei's answer is simple and clear. From this point it shows that Out of his good qualities as a professor. Luo Fei let out a "hmm" and continued to ask: "Then how do you think Mr. Yue and I got poisoned at noon today?" "You?" Zhou Liwei first showed a surprised expression, and then seemed to realize it all at once, and cried out, "Could it be that you were hit by a Gu technique at noon?" Luo Fei looked serious: "Besides this, I can't think of any other explanation. At that time, I felt great fear and had some hallucinations. This should be the effect caused by the legendary mysterious Gu technique. Mr. Yue, you It was pretty much the same as mine at the time.” Yue Dongbei grinned, and said rather fearfully: "Awesome, indeed, if it lasts for a few minutes, I'm afraid I will be the same as those lunatics locked in the water prison now." "Yes, before I ran into the jungle, you were indeed a little abnormal." Zhou Liwei patted his head lightly, recalling the situation at that time, "I was knocked out afterwards. When I woke up, you were all fine. Ah. Then how did you recover?" "I was going to ask you this question too. In fact, we didn't do anything. It was like a nightmare. After waking up, everything was normal again. If you analyze it from a professional point of view, what would it be? reason?" Zhou Liwei pondered for a long time, and finally shook his head helplessly: "I don't know... Could it be that the effect of this poison is divided into long-term and short-term effects? I haven't seen the materials for making the poison, so I don't know its pathogenicity. Principles, these are also impossible to analyze.” Luo Fei nodded understandingly: "Yeah. You are a scientist, so it's really hard for you to imagine it out of thin air... Let's go to Uncanny Valley tomorrow to investigate, hoping to find something." Yue Dongbei slapped his hands: "Yes, yes, yes, according to the legends of the Hamo people, most of the materials for making Gu poison are in the 'uncanny valley'. Hehe, Professor Zhou, if you can figure out the secret, then in In medicine, it is not a small achievement." Zhou Liwei snorted, and retorted ungratefully: "This is a tropical jungle, and there are countless strange animals and plants. How can it be so easy?" Luo Fei frowned, knowing that what Zhou Liwei said was indeed a difficult problem.But today, I got tricked out of nowhere, and it would be a little scary not to figure out the whole story.Thinking of this, he suddenly felt moved, recalled another thing, and said to Zhou Liwei: "Professor Zhou, when you were in Longzhou, you once researched some medicines, which are specially used to treat that kind of phobia. You brought this medicine with you." No?" Zhou Liwei understood that the other party was worried about being hit by a Gu technique again, and wanted to use those medicines to defend himself.He spread his hands and made a regretful expression: "That drug hasn't been tested yet, I just synthesized a bottle based on the principle, and it was lost later..." "Lost it?" Luo Fei asked curiously, "How did you lose it?" Zhou Liwei made a wry smile: "I don't know, anyway, it disappeared before this departure. The section in Longzhou was very busy, and many things were a little messy." Luo Fei shook his head and sighed, unable to conceal the disappointment in his heart, then he looked at the crowd and said, "Okay, everyone, get some rest early. Tomorrow, you must be fully refreshed when you go to the 'Valley of Uncanny'." I haven't had a good rest for two days in a row.You should be able to sleep peacefully tonight, right? Although the four of them had their own concerns, they were exhausted physically and mentally due to the constant shock and fatigue along the way.After lying down on the bed, they soon fell asleep. Nothing happened overnight, only the rain became heavier and heavier.Everyone slept until it was bright the next day before getting up.Not long after, an attendant brought breakfast.Luo Fei secretly praised in his heart: The Hamo people are indeed warm and hospitable. Compared with this, the behavior of Li Dingguo and that "Zhou" is even more contemptible. After the meal, Soturan and Dirga arrived as scheduled.An Mi's four followers were also ordered by the leader, and two people were specially assigned to accompany them on the trip to the "Valley of Fear".It was raining hard outside, and everyone put on raincoats made by the Hamo tribe before setting off.This raincoat is made of layered layers of leaves with shiny surfaces. It is comfortable and light to wear, and the waterproof effect is also very good. After everything was ready, Dilga led the way first, and the group plunged into the rain.They walked through the village for a while, and passed by the mountain pool again in time.But Suo Turan stopped at this moment, looking at the surface of the pool not far away, with a rather worried expression. "What's the matter, is there something wrong?" Luo Fei noticed his abnormality and asked in time.The others also stopped one after another, and turned their faces around. "The water is rising very fast." Soturan said softly, "If this continues, the houses on the bank will be flooded in less than two days." Luo Fei and the others walked this road yesterday when they entered the village, and still had some vague impressions.Hearing Suo Turan's words, he also saw it immediately: Sure enough, the water level was much higher than yesterday evening, and the most obvious sign was that some trees that originally grew by the pool had their roots submerged by the pool water. Everyone was looking at the mountain pool in the rain and sighing, when they heard a "plop", a black object shot down from the branch and fell into the water.The thing was not big, but it castrated very quickly, making a splash of water. "What's that?" Luo Fei asked curiously, and at the same time glanced at the branch.I saw four or five things with similar descriptions hanging on the branches. Looking vaguely in the rain, the clusters looked like big black peppers. Everyone in Hamo has long been familiar with the strangeness.Soturan smiled lightly and replied, "That's fish." "Fish?" The three of Luo Fei almost yelled in unison, full of surprise in their hearts, how could this "fish" grow on a tree? "This is a special fish in the mountains of Yunnan." Bai Jian'e explained from the side, "We Han people call it 'big head fish'. This kind of fish usually lives in the crevices of rocks in shallow water, and sucks on the stones with the suction cup on its chest. , so there are also called 'stone posts'. When it rains heavily and the water overflows the trees, they will climb up the trunk and hang on the branches. If they are disturbed, they will immediately bounce back into the water." "Oh, that's interesting." Yue Dongbei became curious, and walked under the tree by the pool. After looking carefully for a while, he made a new discovery, "Hey, here is a Climbing up!" Luo Fei also took a few steps forward, and sure enough, on the tree closest to the shore, there was a "big-headed fish" attached to the height of half a person.Looking at it from a close distance, this fish is about the same size, with a black back and yellow chest, a big head and a small tail, and a long and broad dorsal fin.The body is round and full of strength. Yue Dongbei stretched out his chubby palm and slowly approached the fish, obviously wanting to catch it.But the fish was very sensitive, suddenly he bowed his body, and then shot out like a compressed spring, Yue Dongbei hurriedly waved his hand to catch it, but the palm of his hand just brushed past the fish.The fish got into the water at once and disappeared without a trace. "Almost, almost." Yue Dongbei shook his head regretfully, regretted at first, and then yelled "Ah", "Ouch, my hand!" Luo Fei was taken aback by him, and staring over, it turned out that there was a wound in the middle of his index finger, as if cut by a sharp instrument, and blood had already oozes out. The others also gathered around at this time, seeing Yue Dongbei's distress, Bai Jian smiled evilly: "The dorsal fin of this fish is sharp, like a knife, you have to be careful." Yue Dongbei glared at him dissatisfied, obviously thinking that he spoke too late, and now he is gloating again.Fortunately, the wound was not too deep. After being pressed for a while, the blood gradually solidified, but it was not a serious problem. This appears to be just an insignificant blip.Everyone didn't pay much attention, and set off on the journey again.Only Yue Dongbeishang muttered a few words, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he quickly forgot about it. After leaving the village, the group headed southwest.Not far away, the terrain gradually became steeper, and the trees and forests became denser.Luo Fei had seen the landforms of this area before, and knew that he had climbed the short hill next to the stockade, and the other side of the short hill was the legendary "Uncanny Valley" full of mystery. Although this section of the road is also rough and difficult, compared with the mountain they climbed when they first left Mi Hongzhai two days ago, it feels a bit insignificant.Not only is the slope much slower, but there are obvious paths to follow in the jungle. "This road seems to be often walked by people?" Because the road was not strenuous, Luo Fei had the time to ask questions while walking. Among the Hamo people who were traveling with him, only Soturan was proficient in Chinese. Naturally, he could only answer the question: "Our people live by fishing and hunting. There are many birds and animals in the 'Valley of Uncanny', so people from the tribe often go there. Go hunting in the woods. It’s just that half a year ago, one after another people were frightened insane in the ‘Uncanny Valley’, and fewer people went there.” "How long has this been going on? I mean there have been incidents of people getting freaked out." "It took three or four days for the accident to happen. Afterwards, Master An Mi made a notice in the village, and almost no one dared to run there." "Didn't Master An Mi go to inspect the valley?" Luo Fei believed that all these strange things were caused by man-made disasters, and with An Mi's character, he shouldn't shrink back when his clansmen were hurt. Sure enough, Suo Turan's answer confirmed his guess: "Of course I have been there, and more than once. I also participated in the search for Sandirga several times, but I didn't find any clues. Although Lord Anmi is a great warrior , There is nothing we can do about this situation. Afterwards, the search for the mountain stopped. It’s just that Lord Anmi specially appointed Dierga as a guard, and when anyone is going to the 'Valley of Uncanny', he must be accompanied by him." Oh, no wonder Dirga is leading the way today.While thinking, Luo Fei looked at Dierga's tiger-like back not far away.Obviously, this is not a good job and requires extraordinary courage. Suo Turan seemed to see what Luo Fei was thinking, and said: "Dirga is a rare warrior in our clan. He volunteered to accept this task at the beginning. And with him accompanying him, no one was really scared crazy anymore. Master An Mi admires him very much, and often says: It seems that even demons are afraid of his power." Luo Fei had already noticed Anmi's love for Dirga last night.The strange thing was that Soturan didn't seem to be interested in this warrior. Even now, while he was saying words of praise, his face sank like water, and there was no corresponding expression of appreciation. Dirga just kept his head buried in the road and turned a deaf ear to the conversation behind him. It seemed that he could not understand any Chinese either. "High Priest, your Chinese is really good. Not only is your pronunciation pure, but your diction and sentences are also exquisite. I'm afraid many Han people can't compare to you." Luo Fei's thoughts came to this point, and he praised Suo Turan by the way. A few words. "To become a priest, you must know Chinese. This is an unwritten rule that has been handed down since the holy war." "Oh?" Luo Feirao asked with interest, "Why?" "Because according to the family rules, the saint must learn Chinese from the priests. In fact, after being selected, the successor of the saint must first be sent to the priests to learn. Only those who have mastered Chinese proficiently After reading and writing, you can return to the previous saintess to complete the saintess inheritance ceremony." "The saintess must master Chinese?" Luo Fei pondered, "I remember you said yesterday that the guards of the saintess are strictly forbidden to learn Chinese. Your family rules are very interesting." "These are the rules handed down by the first saint Herai. She is the daughter of the old leader, and her status in the clan was higher than Aliya at that time. So there are many things that people don't understand, but From generation to generation, no one has ever disobeyed, and on this point, even the tribal leaders are no exception." Mentioning the names of the two jihad heroes, Soturan looked solemn and his tone was very respectful. "You are so fluent in Chinese, you should also often deal with Han people?" Zhou Liwei also interrupted the conversation between the two at this time, but the person who answered next was Bai Jian'e: "The High Priest of Suotulan is our A frequent visitor to Mi Hong Village. Not long ago, he passed by the village and went outside." Soturan nodded: "Our clansmen seldom go out. Dealing with the outside world is usually done by the priests." But Luo Fei asked again: "Then why did the High Priest go out this time?" Soturan sighed heavily: "I'm looking for some people who have left the tribe." "The people who left?" Luo Fei suddenly remembered what the landlord Lao Wang in Mi Hong's village had said, and blurted out, "Is it the clansmen who were scared away by the 'demon'?" "You also know these things?" Suo Turan looked at Luo Fei in surprise, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Yes, the news of the loss of the holy relic spread, and people were frightened mad one after another. ran out." Luo Fei saw that the other party was shying away, so he didn't pursue it further.Everyone changed some irrelevant topics and chatted along the way, until Dilga in front of him suddenly stopped. When everyone looked up, they realized that they had reached the top of the short mountain before they knew it. The uncanny valley should be in sight!Everyone climbed on a high place and looked towards the southwest direction of the mountain. They saw that the slope of the dwarf mountain on this side was very gentle, not like a mountainous area, but rather a hilly area. "Li Dingguo's army used to be stationed here." Suo Turan pointed forward, "They cut down trees and turned the entire hillside into a large barracks. This forest should have grown again after the holy war." Sure enough, although the forest on the hillside is dense, there are few towering trees, and it seems that the trees are not very old.Luo Fei swept his gaze, looking down at the entire forest.I saw that this gentle hillside stretches for a long time, until it is several miles away, it meets the two steep peaks in the west direction. It looks like a natural valley gate. Luo Fei couldn't help feeling secretly in his heart: Li Dingguo is indeed well versed in the art of war. The barracks are set up here, backed by the village of the Hamo people, and in front of them occupying a natural barrier. No wonder the Qing and Burmese troops fought hard for three years, and finally relied on the Hamo people Only by attacking back and forth can it be defeated. Soturan turned around again at this moment, stood facing the southeast direction, raised his hand and pointed far away: "Look, there is a hanging lake on the cliff over there. After a night of heavy rain, the lake must be full again now. From the waterfall You can see the momentum of the water." When Luo Fei and the others were listening to the jihad legend last night, they already knew the important role Xuanhu played in that period of history.Looking from here, although you can't see the lake on the top of the cliff, the Yiwang Waterfall runs straight down from the steep and high cliff, and the momentum is very compelling. Because the cliff is staggered in front and back, the waterfall has also formed double-folded upper and lower sections. The lake water in the upper section is still close to the wall, but in the lower section, the water is so violent that it has formed an obvious parabola, flying nearly 100 meters out of thin air. After that, it hit the northeast slope of the dwarf mountain, and finally merged into the pool water at the foot of the mountain. Luo Fei had seen the power of mountain torrents in Mi Hong Village.It is conceivable that if the upper cliff is blown away and the whole lake is poured down, Mi Hongzhai can be washed away without a trace.He shook his head lightly, and said to himself: "Flooding the cottage, this move is indeed very vicious." "Li Dingguo is familiar with the nature of water, that's why he came up with such a trick." Yue Dongbei found an opportunity, and then boasted from the sidelines, "When Li Dingguo was in charge of the army in Yunnan in the early years, he specialized in water conservancy and knew water very well. Hehe, otherwise, the villagers in Mi Hong Village would not respect him as the 'God of Rain' for generations." Luo Fei's heart skipped a beat: This sounds true. Li Dingguo was able to accurately predict the rain hundreds of years ago, and he should have done a lot of research on "water". Bai Jian'e frowned, obviously unwilling to talk about the "Rain God", he coughed lightly, and then diverted the topic away: "Let's go to the forest below to have a look." Soturan nodded, and said something in Hamo language to Dilga.Dilga obeyed his orders and led the crowd into the jungle in the "Valley of Uncanny".The forest here is very dense, like a pair of giant umbrellas that are opened, not only blocking the rain, but also covering the already dark sky.The light in the woods was weak, as if the night had just fallen. After we groped and adjusted for a while, our eyesight recovered, and we could barely see the surrounding scenery within a few meters. The atmosphere is so gloomy, and it is the uncanny valley where the legendary "demon" haunts.Everyone's nerves were tense, and the two followers sent by An Mi pressed their hands on the handles of their knives, maintaining a state of vigilance as if they were facing an enemy. It seems that the rampage of the "demon" half a year ago is still alive today. There is a certain shadow in their hearts. Everyone walked slowly through the woods.Apart from the flourishing vegetation along the way, there was nothing special to discover.So far away, unconsciously, has reached the depths of the forest.Just when everyone's spirits were a little relaxed, Dierga, who was walking in the front, stopped suddenly, and silently and quickly drew out the scimitar with his right hand. The rest of the people immediately froze their figures, but their heartbeats accelerated uncontrollably. They followed Dierga's line of sight, and they didn't know what was unusual. Dirga put his left hand behind his back, bent his middle finger and index finger, raised his thumb, ring finger and little finger, and then shook it lightly twice. Suo Turan's expression changed, and he whispered to Luo Fei: "There are enemies hiding in front." Luo Fei's right hand was already on the gun, upon hearing this, he immediately released the safety.The last two warriors understood Dierga's sign language, and they also drew out their shining scimitars.Yue Dongbei, Zhou Liwei, and Bai Jian'e held their breaths and frowned, looking confused and nervous. The raindrops hit the leaves rustlingly, making a restless sound.In addition, all sounds disappeared in an instant, and even the air seemed to freeze. However, the silence was so short. After only a moment, accompanied by a "cracking" sound, the bushes not far in front suddenly became disturbed. Luo Fei's heart tightened: Sure enough, someone is there!At this moment, Dierga turned from stillness, and rushed towards the disturbed bushes like a rabbit.With the lessons learned from Zhao Liwen's tragic death, Luo Fei didn't dare to neglect, drew out his gun and followed Dierga's pace closely, but when he heard the sound of chaotic footsteps behind him, it was expected that everyone else followed. Ahead, there was a continuous clattering sound in the bushes, as if someone was running fast among them.Due to the dense branches and leaves, the figure of the runner is always hard to find.Everyone chased after him closely, and after running for a while, the difference in foot strength gradually appeared.Yue Dongbei was out of breath, and his speed was the slowest.Soturan was older and not much better than him.However, the last ones were the two Hamo warriors. They followed An Mi's instructions, and no matter what, they strictly carried out the task of guarding.Zhou Liwei and Bai Jian'e walked side by side, in the middle.Luo Fei and Dierjia each held weapons and ran at the forefront of the group. Unfortunately, compared with the target being tracked, their speed was still a little slower. The disturbance that appeared in the jungle spread forward incomparably swiftly, constantly breaking the silence deep in the forest.The runner always easily distances himself from the pursuer, but "he" seems unwilling to completely throw the opponent away.Sometimes, "he" would obviously slow down, as if he was waiting for Luo Fei and others. After doing this two or three times, Luo Fei became alert: No, "he" is deliberately leading us forward!Thinking of this, Luo Fei couldn't help but slow down.He wanted to tell Dirga about his worries, but he couldn't understand the language. When he was a little anxious, Dirga stopped by himself. Showing a look of surprise. This time, the runners in front did not stop, and the noisy bushes gradually receded. When Zhou Liwei, Suo Tulan and others arrived one after another, "he" had already disappeared from everyone's sight, and the forest became dead again. General silence. "What...what's going on? That... that..." Yue Dongbei was the first to lose his composure and asked anxiously.But he was so tired that he could only breathe before he finished speaking. Luo Fei already understood what he meant, pointed forward and replied: "Run in that direction." "Why...why, no...stop chasing?" Yue Dongbei rolled his eyes rather dissatisfied. Luo Fei said in a low voice but solemnly: "If the enemy is dark, we will be clear, don't rush in. Let's go forward together, everyone follow me, don't disperse." After finishing speaking, Luo Fei had already snatched up to Dierga, and when he was about to continue to walk further into the bushes, he suddenly heard Suo Turan behind him saying: "Luo, please wait a moment." Luo Fei turned his head, and saw that all the Hamo people looked solemn, and the atmosphere seemed a little strange.This made him frowned uncontrollably, and asked anxiously, "High Priest, what's wrong?" "Go on, ahead..." Soturan squinted his eyes, paused for a moment, and then said word by word, very solemnly, "It's time to go to the ancient cemetery." "Ancient cemetery?" Although no one had mentioned this place before, when Luo Fei heard the name, he understood it vaguely. Suo Turan's next explanation coincided with Luo Fei's conjecture: "That is the place where Li Dingguo buried his fallen soldiers. Thousands of victims are resting there. We should not disturb them lightly." Although the ancients paid attention to the custom of returning corpses to their hometowns, Li Dingguo was trapped in the valley back then, so naturally he didn't care too much. It is rare to be able to give the dead a handful of loess.Therefore, the formation of a centralized large cemetery in this place is also a matter of cleaning. No wonder Dierga stopped, it turned out that he had some concerns.Luo Fei thought to himself, he knew that the Hamo tribe always respected the dead. After hesitating for a moment, he thought about the words in his mind, and then said: "Death is something that happened, and it can't be changed now. The evil that still exists That is what we should care about. We are here to destroy evil, and the dead will not shelter those sadistic demons." Suo Turan was obviously moved by Luo Fei's words, and he nodded firmly: "Luo, you are right. If the devil really ran into the cemetery, then we have to chase after it without hesitation. This place, let Let me lead the way." Soturan walked forward while talking.Seeing his intentions, Dierga stretched out his hand and pulled down his sleeve, and then said something in Hamo language, with an anxious and worried tone, obviously trying to prevent the other party from entering the cemetery. Soturan glanced at Dierga blankly, not angry but arrogant.Dilga retreated resentfully, and followed behind Soturan. Soturan turned around and said to Luo Fei and the others in an apologetic tone: "Please forgive Dierga for his impoliteness and cowardice. According to the folk songs of the Hamo tribe, this land was a place where demons fought each other a long time ago. , full of evil and terrible power." "Oh?" Luo Fei was very interested, and immediately asked, "What does the folk song say?" Soturan sang the ballad in Chinese: "The demons fought here, leaving a hellish ruin. Thick smoke rose from the cracks in the ground, and the blood of fiery demons flowed on the land." "Interesting. Let's go and see this land for ourselves." "Please come with me." Soturan put his right hand on his chest, and walked slowly towards the cemetery in front of him. Every two steps, he would give a slight salute, and at the same time, he muttered words, praying for those souls who have not returned to their hometown so far.Under his leadership, the group of people did not go far, then suddenly walked out of the jungle and came to an open land. Luo Fei was taken aback for a moment, and he even blinked his eyes vigorously in surprise, because a completely different small world appeared in front of his eyes. This open space is about tens of acres wide, surrounded by dense jungles, but there is not a single tall tree in the open space.Among the sparse shrubs, there is a kind of plant that takes root everywhere and grows extremely prosperously, as if it has become the most dominant species on this land. It was a herbaceous plant, less than one meter high, with straight stems and few branches.在每株植物主干的最高处，都长出一朵花儿来。花朵的叶瓣，形态也很简单，但色彩却非常扎眼：那是一种极为浓重的暗红，隐隐透出些黑色的光芒。 现在似乎正是这种植物的开花期，空地上一株紧挨着一株，所有的花儿都盛怒地开放着，在雨水的滋润下，闪烁着一片黑红的诡异色彩。 不知为何，罗飞心中突然产生一种很不舒服的感觉，他皱起眉头，问索图兰：“这些是什么花？” “亡灵的血液。”索图兰幽幽地说了一句。 罗飞咧了咧嘴：“亡灵的血液？” “是的，翻译成你们汉族人的语言，就是这个名字。”索图兰略顿了顿，又补充说，“群山无比广袤，但只有这个地方，才能生长出这样的花朵。” 罗飞轻轻吁了口气，他知道自己不舒服的感觉是从何而起了。的确，那种红中发黑的颜色，像极了死者陈腐的，混杂着泥土的血液。而眼前大量的花儿连成了一片，空气中又弥漫着一种淡淡的腐腥味，众人就像是身处在一个巨大的血池中一般。 “亡灵的血液。有意思，有意思……”岳东北似乎对这个诡异的名字产生了浓厚的兴趣，他俯下身，轻轻抚摩着眼前一朵盛开的花儿，然后又举目四眺，若有所思的自语，“古墓场，死人地上生出的花朵……难道这里就是所有恐怖力量的源头吗？” 他这句话一出，罗飞、周立玮和白剑恶三人同时有了反应。根据他们昨晚对“蛊术”的那番讨论，这突然出现的神秘而又独特的植物确实是太可疑了。 罗飞转过头，用询问的目光看着周立玮。周立玮明白对方的意思，沉吟片刻后，他摇了摇头：“现在没法说，要带回去化验分析才行。” “嘿嘿，那我们就不好意思，要做一次采花贼了。”岳东北一边开着玩笑，一边握住了花干的下部，手上发力，想把那植物连株拔起来。但尝试了几下之后，那植物附近的泥土却毫无松动的迹象，看来它枝干虽不粗壮，但根却扎得甚牢。 “拔不行，得用刀。”周立玮冲身边的一个哈摩勇士借过弯刀，上前两步，手起刀落，将那株植物从枝干根部齐齐地切了下来。 罗飞在一旁说道：“多砍几株吧。我也要送一些到我们局里的鉴定中心去做分析。” 周立玮点点头，又一气砍下四五株来，分送给罗飞和岳东北，自己也留下一株，拿在手中仔细端详。 那花儿的花瓣不多，但每一片都很宽阔厚实，罗飞伸手在花瓣上搓了搓，立刻有汁液渗了出来，将他的食指和拇指染成了暗红色。 罗飞把手指头凑到鼻子下面，轻轻地嗅了一下，味道很淡，是一种说不上来的植物气息，和空气中弥漫着的腥腐味截然不同。 那这腥腐味又是从哪里来的呢？ 罗飞躬着身体，像猎犬一般抽吸着自己的鼻子，同时锐利的目光亦四下扫动，很快，他的眉头一跳，似乎有了什么发现。他横跨出一步，伸手轻轻拨开一片杂草腐叶，从中翻拣出一块灰白色的东西来。 其他人此时也凑上前，关注着罗飞手中的物事。那是一块弧形的骨骼，中间列着一排颗粒物，很明显能够看出正是人类的牙齿。 罗飞把骨骼稍稍举高，让大雨冲刷掉表面的浮土，一边看一边说：“人类的下骸骨，死者为男性，年龄在三十岁左右。死亡时间……至少在百年以上。” “这些应该是当年李清之战时死难者的遗骨。死者既然入土，灵魂便已经安息，他们不应该受到这样的打扰。”索图兰微微欠着身体，用肃穆的眼神看着罗飞，语气中颇有劝慰之意。 “死者……”罗飞轻叹一声，摇了摇头，“他们的故事已经结束了。而我们，却正处于一个漩涡中。有些事情的答案，也许还需要死者来告诉我们。” 说到这里，罗飞略停顿了一下，有些话似乎欲言又止，然后他把骨骼递到周立玮手中：“周老师，你来看看。”他自己则歪过脑袋，开始思索什么。 周立玮将骨骼翻转了两圈，冲罗飞微微一笑：“罗警官，你虽然不是专业学医的，但你的判断非常的准确。” 罗飞却有些失望地瞥了周立玮一眼：“这骨骼有个比较奇怪的地方，你没发现吗？” “奇怪的地方？”周立玮凝目再看。罗飞用手在骨骼某处一指，提示道：“这个印痕是我刚刚用指甲划上去的。” “哦？”周立玮也用指甲在骨骼上用力划了一下，然后恍然道，“硬度，硬度有问题！” “不错。”罗飞点点头，“我在警校学习以及多年的刑警生涯中，也接触了许多死者的骨骼。每一块骨骼都像是一本书，我学会了与它们交谈。” “交谈？”岳东北嗤地一笑，“它们会说话吗？” “不是用嘴巴，而是用眼睛，用你的心灵。”罗飞严肃地看了岳东北一眼，“它会告诉你很多关于死者的事情，有些是生前的，有些则是死后的。没有一件事是可以被忽略的，因为对于我们警察来说，这可能就是打开血案秘密的钥匙。” 岳东北在罗飞的目光下有些发怵，他挠挠头，给自己找了个圆场：“好吧，那这块骨头，它告诉了你什么？” “它的质地明显比正常的骨骼要软了很多，这是典型的钙质不足的表现。我开始以为是死者生前患有'软骨病'一类的症状，但这个想法随即被我自己否定了。首先，李定国觉不会让一个软骨病人加入到他的军队中，因为这种病人毫无战斗力可言；其次，死者的牙齿形状非常齐整，这与缺钙的软骨病人的症状是相互矛盾的。所以我换了一个思路，这骨骼中钙质缺乏应该是由于在死后产生了流失。” “死后钙质流失？”岳东北有些茫然地看着罗飞。周立玮也凝起目光，静待罗飞的下文。 “是的，土壤夺走了骨骼中的钙质。”罗飞从指甲缝里剔出一些刚刚嵌进去的土壤微粒，轻轻搓成粉末，让雨水将其冲走，“正是因为这样的土壤，这片土地上的生物群落才会如此与众不同，高大的乔木无法生长，成了这'亡灵血液'的乐园。” “哦！”岳东北这下明白了过来，用手一拍脑门，“你的意思是：这里的土壤是带有酸性的？” “不错。”罗飞看着手中那红黑色的花儿，“所以只有极度耐酸的植物才能在这块土地上存活。这样极端的生存环境，必然会孕育出一些独特的物种来。” 周立玮俯下身，搓起一撮泥土，端详片刻后，叹服一声：“精彩。原来不需要进实验室，我们就可以知道这些土壤的属性。” “当然，这只是我根据一块骨骼，以及生物群态做出的推断，要进一步验证它，我们还需要更多的证据。”罗飞一边说，一边用目光四下搜寻，“这里，应该还可以找到更多的骨骼吧。” “这还不好办。”岳东北大咧咧地钻入了花丛中，伸手在地面上翻找。不一会儿，他就有所发现了。 “看，我又找到一块，这应该是人的大腿骨吧？”岳东北举着一根长长的棒骨，咋咋呼呼地说道，“有好多骨骼都散落在地上呢，看来这李定国对战死的部下并没有好好掩埋啊。” “来，给我看看。”罗飞从岳东北手中接过那根腿骨，用指甲划了划，然后满意地点点头，“质地仍然很软。” “现在基本可以肯定，这是一片酸性很强的土地了？”岳东北心中仍有一些疑问没有解答，“为什么这一大片山林中，只有这一块土地是这样的呢？” 罗飞笑了笑：“这就要从索图兰大祭司刚才唱过的那首民谣中寻找答案了。” 刚才罗飞等人讨论骨骼钙质和土壤的时候，索图兰一直插不上嘴。此时听见罗飞突然又提及了自己，他讶异地张大了嘴，问道：“你是说，恶魔的战争？” 罗飞摇摇头：“和恶魔无关，你们族中的先人只是目睹了一次小型的地热爆发，然后加入自己的想象，将其编成了民谣而已。” 索图兰对罗飞所言并不太理解，但周立玮和岳东北二人却立刻明白了过来。 “对！对！浓烟从地缝中冒出，炽热的恶魔之血在土地上流淌……这的确是地热活动的迹象。”周立玮连声说道，“一点都不错，这个猜想非常的合理。” “所谓'炽热的恶魔之血'，指的应该就是温泉。”罗飞进一步做着解释，“有些温泉自身的酸性是很强的，这就是使得这片土壤酸化的原因。” “原来如此。”岳东北此时也由衷地赞道，“能从民谣传说中寻找到如此重要的线索。你俱备了成为一个杰出历史学家的素质。不过你是一个警官，可惜了，可惜了……” 罗飞没有理睬对方的这番感慨，他此时正入神地看着手中的那根腿骨，似乎正在思考着什么。片刻之后，他才抬起头说道：“岳先生，你之前说过的话，现在看起来，也是有问题的。” “之前？什么话？”岳东北茫然地挠着脑门，要跟上罗飞敏捷跳跃的思维，对他来说显然是有些吃力了。 “这些骨骼散落在地面上，并不是李定国没有认真掩埋死去的部下。而是因为后来有人把这些骨骼挖了出来。” 白剑恶已许久没有说话，听到这里，他似乎也压制不住心中的好奇，插口问了一句：“这，你又是怎么知道的？” 罗飞举起腿骨，向众人展示：“你们看，骨骼上有被砸碰的痕迹，在这里。这应该是铁锹一类的挖掘工具留下的。当然，在战争中，士兵的骨骼受伤也是常事。不过如果是生前被利器击中，由于那时骨骼坚硬，损伤时一定会有碎裂产生。而这根骨头只是出现一道深深的印痕，并且在印痕部位发生了弯曲形变，这只有在钙质流失，骨质变软的情况下才有可能。还有，你们闻不到骨骼上浓重的腐腥味吗？这说明这些骨骼暴露在空气中的时间并不长。” “的确是，我刚才也闻到了，只是没想那么多。”岳东北晃晃脑袋，“这么说，骨骼是近期才被挖出来的？” 罗飞略一沉吟：“也不会很近，至少是在今年开春之前。因为这批'血花'群落完整，并没有遭到挖掘破坏的痕迹。” “那是谁挖的？他又为什么要挖这些骨骼？”岳东北一眨不眨地看着罗飞，期盼他能解开所有的迷惑。 不过罗飞也只是一个凡人而已，这次他想了很久，最终还是摇了摇头：“现在，我还回答不了这些问题。” “不管是谁做的，这都是对死者极大的不敬和亵渎。”索图兰郑重其事地说道，“罗，如果我们要追赶的人并不在这里，那还是……” 大祭司的话刚说了一半，突然停了下来。他抬起头，脸上挂满了惊愕。不光是他，罗飞等人也是神色大变，纷纷调转目光，看向远处的山坡高处。 一声凄惨的悲嗥正从那个方向传过来！ 那悲嗥充满了绝望仇恨和痛楚的情绪，和着连绵冷雨，在山谷间回荡着，良久之后，方才慢慢止歇。听了这声嗥叫，众人的心口如同被利爪抓挠过一般，刺疼刺疼地极不舒服。 正惶恐之时，迪尔加忽然抬起手，口中叽哩呱啦地叫嚷着。紧接着，白剑恶面颊上的肌肉也抽动起来，颤着声音说道：“是他，他在那里！” 大家顺着迪尔加所指的方向看去，只见在大约四五百米开外，接近山坡顶部的地方，一个身穿黑衣的男子正矗立在风雨中，刚才的那声嗥叫，应该就是从他口中发出的吧？ 罗飞心中一凛，记忆中某个模糊的片断被唤醒，虽然相距甚远，雨势又大，那人的具体相貌看不分明，但他还是强烈地感觉到：这正是曾出现在自己恐怖幻境中的那个神秘黑影！ 岳东北显然也有相同的感受，他愣在原地，口中喃喃自语：“是他，他在看着我们，他想干什么？” 片刻的沉寂之后，白剑恶突然“嘿嘿嘿”地发出一阵绝望的笑声，然后他阴森而又无奈地说道：“他在欣赏猎物。我们全都是他的猎物！就像现在的形势，一切都在他的掌控之中。” 黑影所站的位置，正是高处一块向外凸起的土阶上，所以他可以俯瞰整个山谷，形成一种居高临下的迫人气势。而在墓场中的众人，也全都因此感受到了一种某名的压力。 还是罗飞最先恢复了思维能力，他手指那块土阶，对索图兰说道：“大祭司，请赶快把我们带到那个地方！” 索图兰也正有此意，他对迪尔加说了句什么。迪尔加咬咬牙，挥舞着手中的弯刀，率先冲了出去。 众人紧紧跟随，很快出了墓场，又进入了丛林之中。此时由于树木的遮蔽，已无法看见山坡上方的情形。大家由熟悉地形的迪尔加带领，向着那土阶处快步赶去。 这一段路途虽不算很长，地势也不陡峭，但在密林中穿行，还是需要费些气力的。约十分钟后，众人终于来到了目的地，那块凸出的土阶上。 可是此时，这里早已是空荡荡的，刚才的黑影又不知遁向何处去了。 迪尔加见此情形，却不停留，一转身，向着与土阶凸起相反的方向走去。索图兰一边移步相随，一边对罗飞等人说道：“那边有一个山洞，我们过去看看。” 果然，走出十多步远，一个三米来宽的山洞出现在众人眼前，那洞口被茂密的树枝灌木遮蔽的大半，不走近了，还真是难以发现。 “这山洞是当年李定国开凿的。与清兵交战时，这里就是他的指挥部。”索图兰对这山洞的来历做了简短的解释。而罗飞此时则更关心另外一些事情，他拉住正想往洞内闯的迪尔加，然后伸手指了指洞口处地面附近的一些藤蔓。那些藤蔓枝叶凌乱，有被践踏过的痕迹，显然是有人刚刚从洞口进出过。 迪尔加提高警惕，放缓了脚步。罗飞紧随着他身后，相互间形成护卫的姿态。就在最后的两个哈摩勇士也想跟着大家进入山洞时，索图兰却对他们吩咐道：“你们在外面守候，不要进来了。” 两人应了一声，各自持刀，分立在洞口两旁。 由于这并非天然形成的岩石洞穴。所以洞内的地面仍是土壤结构，踩在脚下时，颇有松软潮湿的感觉。刚走进三两步，原本就微弱的林光便已完全消失，洞内只见黑乎乎的一片。好在罗飞等人随身都带有便携式的手电，此时正好派上的用场。 随着电筒的光芒亮起，众人终于可以一窥洞中的情形。洞并不大，纵深只有五六米的样子，一眼便看了个干干净净：这里现在并没有其他人存在。 罗飞忽然想到什么，招呼了一声：“大家先不要走动。”然后他把手电压低，照向身前的地面，一些脚印呈现了出来。 脚印虽然杂乱，但看得出是由一人所留，罗飞蹲下身，乍开手粗略地量了下脚印的大小，说道：“这是个健壮的男子，他的身高应该在一米八以上。” 洞内空荡荡的，实在没有什么可看的东西。周立玮和岳东北此时也把手电的光柱扫向了地面，很快，一些异常的情况出现在了光圈中。 在离众人两三米远的地方，地面上出现了一个大坑，坑周围的泥土蓬松杂乱，显然是刚刚被挖开的。 迪尔加一声惊呼，似乎受到了不小的惊吓。罗飞警觉地抬起头，目光刚刚离开那片脚印，便看到了前方不远处的土坑。 “这是怎么回事？”罗飞诧异地问了一句，同时回过头来看向身后的索图兰。 索图兰面沉似水，神色极为凝重。罗飞还从未见他有过如此表现，可见这土坑的出现一定是意味着发生了某种极不寻常的事情。 “怎么了？”罗飞加重语气，又问了一次。 半晌之后，索图兰终于缓缓开口：“这个地方，原本应该是一座坟墓。” 经他这么一说，罗飞等人再看那土坑时，心中都是一紧。这土坑的形状隐隐看出，正与一个人的身形相吻合。这，会意味着什么呢？ “坟墓？这是谁的坟墓？”罗飞的思维急速转动，立刻抓到了问题的关键所在。 索图兰苦笑了一下：“哈摩族人都知道，这个山洞中埋葬的，正是当年的'恶魔'李定国。” “李定国？”罗飞等人同时惊讶地叫了起来。 索图兰点点头：“当时大祭司封存了李定国的血液后，特意把他的尸体单独埋葬在这个山洞中，并且也下了相应的诅咒。” “各类史料中，对李定国最后葬在哪里，从未有过记载。没想到今天竟让我有了如此重大的发现！”岳东北兴奋的撮着手，可随即又露出遗憾的表情，“那李定国的尸骨怎么会不见了？” 的确，这个坟墓现在被挖开了，只留下一个空空的土坑。 “他带走了洞里的死人？他到底想干什么？”罗飞紧锁起眉头，像是在自言自语。 索图兰深深叹了口气，向着洞外走去，迪尔加紧跟在他的身后。过了不久，周立玮和岳东北也厌烦了洞内幽暗阴森的环境，先后出去了。只有罗飞仍在洞中，一点一点地细细搜索，希望能发现一些有价值的线索。 他甚至徒手把坑旁边新堆积的土壤都翻动了一遍。可是除了脚印，他在这个山洞中，没有任何其它的收获。 当罗飞带着一身泥土走出洞外的时候，索图兰正盘腿端坐在一株大树下，他的双眼紧盯着前方的不远处，仿佛入定了一般。 罗飞走上前，顺着对方的目光看过去，只见在灌草中横卧着一段枯败的死树残躯，正是这个吸引了哈摩族的大祭司。 “大祭司，你在想什么？”见索图兰的表情如此庄重，罗飞非常小心地轻声问道。 索图兰的眼睛微微闪动了一下，似乎是中断了沉思的状态，然后他探过身，从枯树上密密麻麻生长着的菌菇中采下一只来，递到了罗飞的手中。 “罗，死亡绝不意味意味着结束。相反，它是另一段轮回的开始。”半晌之后，他迎着罗飞诧异的目光，幽幽说道。