The fat guy found my suggestion quite mysterious, but he also acknowledged that it was the only reasonable possibility for the event. As an enthusiastic participant in the one-day trip to Yangjiao Mountain, he naturally agreed wholeheartedly when I mentioned going there.

Next, we discussed some specific matters. Since this trip was for tourism, we hadn’t brought any equipment, which made things a bit tricky. If we encountered something like opening a coffin or digging a grave that required tools, we would be left staring blankly. The location was remote, and it wouldn’t be possible to buy ready-made equipment there. The fat guy said that some items were unnecessary, and we could buy some substitutes. Although they wouldn’t be as handy, this time we were relatively close to the village, so the quality requirements didn’t have to be too high.

He was talking about outdoor survival gear. Hunters have their own set of tools, so we definitely didn’t need to carry solid fuel and smokeless stoves. However, having witnessed the ferocity of wild beasts, I felt that we should still prepare some weapons.

We called Agui to discuss these matters. Agui himself hunts and has three shotguns, all of which are old guns that have been modified and whose names are unknown. The three guns are from different eras; the oldest one was taken from a chicken coop by Agui. Although the barrel is in decent condition, the chamber is completely rusted, and no one dares to use it. There’s also no way to find gunpowder. The other two guns fire bullets and are clearly relics from wartime.

A few years ago, gun ownership was banned, but the people here rely on hunting for their livelihood, so they certainly wouldn’t hand over their means of making a living. The authorities are aware of the situation and turn a blind eye. However, it’s currently difficult to obtain bullets. Agui said that village officials have to go to the county to get approval to buy them.

Agui’s hunting is more of a hobby now, so he doesn’t have many bullets stored at home. The fat guy checked the two guns and said, “Agui’s gun is definitely fine. The other one hasn’t been used in a long time, but it’s been maintained well. We need to fire a shot to see if it still works.”

At the exorbitant price of fifty yuan per round, we bought fifty rounds of ammunition from a few neighbors next to Agui. I could tell from the brass cylindrical bullets that they were handmade in a small workshop, and it pained me to spend fifty yuan on them. The fat guy said not to be so petty; that fifty yuan might just save your life, and it’s definitely worth it.

Agui already had a machete at home, and he specifically went to sharpen it. For the other items, we wrote a note for him to see if there were any substitutes in the village. Without climbing ropes, we could use hemp rope from the well; without a high-powered flashlight, we could tie a few flashlights together; and without a dagger, we could use a sickle.

Agui advised us that since it’s been raining a lot, there are many mosquitoes and venomous ants in the mountains, especially by the lakes, where the mosquitoes are as big as wasps. We needed to bring mosquito repellent and mosquito nets, throwing the repellent into the campfire; otherwise, we city folks would definitely struggle. I thought to myself that with the presence of the muffled oil bottle, this wasn’t something to worry about.

Once everything was arranged, Agui said that those items would take a day or two to prepare. Anyway, the hunters hadn’t returned, so he would set off once he was ready.

In the meantime, the fat guy suggested we find a way to use the sulfuric acid he brought back to see what was wrapped inside the iron block. This required precise operation, and we needed to choose a better location for it.

I recalled the description of the iron block and felt it was inappropriate. This piece of iron emitted a certain smell, and the scent gradually faded over time, indicating that there was some volatile substance inside. Who knows if this substance might be harmful to the human body? I felt that the time to dissolve this thing had not yet come. It would be more reliable to wait until we got there, gathered some clues, and then decided whether to take the risk.

The fat guy’s curiosity was burning, but I made absolute sense, and the silent oil bottle agreed with my view. Thinking that it might implicate others, he had to give up.

During the following time, the fat guy was in high spirits. First, he firmly believed in his ancient tomb, and second, he hadn’t hunted in a long time, which made him feel restless. All night long, despite his face swelling up like it had been kicked by a horse, he kept chatting about his past hunting experiences. I couldn’t sleep either, but my mind was preoccupied with thoughts about the lakeside. The silent oil bottle hadn’t spoken; I noticed he was staring blankly at the building next to A Gui’s, gazing at that window.

I remembered seeing a shadow in that building the night before, but now the window was pitch black, and nothing could be seen. A Gui’s son seemed reluctant to see anyone and kept to himself. I suspected he might be ill, which was why he stayed home. Such things often happen in rural areas.

After a sleepless night and a day of intense thinking, I quickly became dazed and couldn’t hear what the fat guy was saying. The silent oil bottle leaned against a wall and dozed off. It was much cooler outside than inside the house, and with not a single bug around, we lay down and fell asleep, waking up to the next day’s noon.

On that day, we prepared separately, and by the third day, we were ready. A Gui led us out.

What frustrated me was that I didn’t see the legendary guide; it turned out to be A Gui himself and Yun Cai who set off with us.

I asked what was going on. “A Gui, didn’t you say you hadn’t been there before? Why are you taking us yourself?”

A Gui replied that the hunters had entered the mountains but hadn’t returned, possibly encountering some obstacles. No one else had been there, and the only person he could find was his daughter, Yun Cai. Yun Cai had gone there a few times with her grandfather and knew the way. He said with Yun Cai guiding us and with a dog, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Otherwise, with our language barrier, we might run into trouble.

I thought to myself, this is bad; it seems I offered too high a price, and A Gui didn’t want to let anyone else profit from this. The fat guy immediately protested, saying it wouldn’t do. “We’re going to do serious work; bringing a little girl along is no joke! If she gets hurt, you, as her father, won’t feel sorry, but I will!”

A Gui insisted it was fine, saying that girls around here start handling guns at five or six years old. In the mountains, she would be more useful than us, and she was familiar with the area, so there was no need to worry.

As he spoke, Yun Cai came out of the house. When the fat guy and I saw her, our eyes went wide. Yun Cai looked completely transformed, dressed in the hunting attire of the Yao ethnic group, with a hunting knife strapped to her lower back and carrying a small short hunting gun. Yao girls already have good figures, and in this outfit, her calves and body lines were accentuated, making her look stunning. Combined with her spirited demeanor and playful expression, she exuded an irresistible charm typical of a girl around seventeen or eighteen, instantly captivating the fat guy.

She walked up to us, staring at us challengingly, and said, “Hey, bosses, do you look down on people?”
“No, no! Not at all!” the fat guy immediately replied. “Big sister, don’t misunderstand. Your chubby brother here is mainly worried about you working too hard. In our hearts, you are definitely the best candidate.”
I immediately frowned, kicked the fat guy, and whispered angrily, “Why are you changing your tune so quickly? What’s the matter? At your age, do you still want to be an old cow eating tender grass?”
“What’s wrong with my age? I’m in my prime, a strong bull, not an old cow,” he whispered back. “You let Panzi go find a wife, so why can’t I?”
I didn’t know if he was truly smitten or just trying to flirt, but I warned him about Miao Yao’s family; the women there were formidable. He should be careful, or they might actually fall in love and use witchcraft on him. Then he’d have to go to their house and farm for the rest of his life. If he changed his mind and tried to run away, the consequences would be dire—a swarm of insects could pierce his heart, and he’d end up feeding the witchcraft bugs for the rest of his life.
The fat guy, clearly well-informed, shrugged it off and said, “Better to die under a peony than to live as a ghost, and it would be great if all the beauties in Yao Village cast spells on me. Then I could stay here and be the village chief.”
Amid the laughter, I had to accept the situation. Looking at Yun Cai’s demeanor, I felt that what A Gui said was right, and this time there probably wouldn’t be too much danger.
The only thing that bothered me was that when we were packing our things, the fat guy kept teasing Yun Cai, making her laugh heartily. But I could see that she occasionally stole glances at the silent oil bottle, being very careful. She would look quickly and then turn her gaze away, but in those clear eyes, I could sense something.
We set off on the same route we took to find Old Man Panma. I had a bit of understanding about this path, and it was much easier than searching for Old Man Panma at night. The fat guy was completely enchanted, circling around Yun Cai, almost ready to lie down and let her ride him. Yun Cai was indeed adorable, bouncing around.
She asked what we were doing, clearly not believing we were tour guides—what tour guide would come to a place like this? The fat guy pretended to be mysterious, saying we were important figures on a secret mission, and if she would give him a kiss, he would tell her secretly.
I was genuinely worried that Yun Cai might kiss him; that would be such a waste. Fortunately, Yun Cai still had aesthetic judgment and firmly refused to fall for it. However, the silent oil bottle remained unaffected by our atmosphere; his expression didn’t change at all. In the relaxed mood, he was still shrouded in clouds of gloom.
That night, we arrived at the ancient tomb at the mountain pass. We ventured in for about one or two kilometers and took a short rest. After daybreak, we continued on, and it took us two days to walk through the mountains before we finally reached the lakeside.
From a distance, I spotted the lake from the ridge. Probably due to the continuous heavy rain, the lake was larger than I had imagined. As Panma said, it was surrounded by rocks; the lake was encircled by towering, steep mountains, with immense peaks stretching endlessly into the clouds. It didn’t resemble hills at all, but rather treacherous mountains and waters. The vegetation in the mountains was very dense; even the cliffs were a deep green. The Ten Thousand Great Mountains truly lived up to their name. I couldn’t help but feel relieved that this place wasn’t too far from the village. The deeper we went, the more dangerous the heart of the mountains would likely be, probably even more perilous than Tamutuo.

After traversing a mountain path that was completely covered by vegetation and invisible, we arrived at the lakeshore, where there were no traces left of past habitation. The lake water was crystal clear, beautifully reflecting the clouds in the sky. Shedding our bags, we waded into the water to wash our faces; the water was cool, indicating that there was an underground river flowing beneath. On a scorching summer day, the icy lake water was refreshing and invigorating.

After washing my face, I looked around. The lake mirrored the sky and the surrounding mountains, and suddenly I felt a sense of familiarity, as if I had been here before. I glanced at my companion, who also wore a puzzled expression.