Volume Two: The Hidden Burial in the Ravine Chapter 101: The Earth Dragon

I noticed that Ma Su’s reaction was somewhat off and quickly asked, “Old Ma, what’s wrong... is there something strange about this mountain?”

Ma Su looked at me and said, “Li Yang, if that Nanliu Village really is on Zhuoyang Mountain, I advise you not to go there. Don’t ask me why.”

His expression was peculiar; I suspected he must have been to Zhuoyang Mountain before and experienced something there. Otherwise, why would his demeanor change so drastically the moment I mentioned the mountain?

Since accompanying my third uncle on several haunted house expeditions, although I hadn’t learned much in terms of skills, my resilience had notably improved. Ma Su’s words didn’t scare me; in fact, they only fueled my curiosity.

I poured Ma Su a full glass of wine and pulled him to sit by the map. “Old Ma, you can’t just drop hints like that. What exactly is going on with Zhuoyang Mountain? You have to tell me. I’m already deeply involved, thanks to my third uncle. There’s no turning back now. I’m counting on you to give me some guidance.”

Ma Su took a sip from his cup, smacked his lips, and cursed, “Your third uncle is just an old fool. If he wanted to die, that’s his business, but pushing his own nephew into the firepit? I bet you’ll end up dead by his hands one day. I don’t even want to talk about him.”

I hastened to agree, “Exactly! I’ve suspected for a long time that Li Dagang isn’t really from our Li family. Maybe he was adopted—or maybe I was. There’s definitely no blood relation between us.”

The professor and I sat down, sharing a couple of drinks as we vented about my third uncle. Then Ma Su’s expression turned serious once more. He spoke earnestly: “Yangzi, I have been to Zhuoyang Mountain. Back then, I led a small team on a mission to find a certain unusual creature said to exist only on Zhuoyang Mountain.”

“What kind of creature? Is it some rare animal?” I asked.

The professor stood and retrieved an illustrated book from a nearby shelf. He flipped through a few pages and pointed to one.

On that page was a drawing—not printed, but hand-painted—of a strange creature. Next to it was a blurry photograph full of foliage.

The creature looked bizarre, like a combination of a snake and a centipede. It had a round, snake-like head and a slender tail, but its body was segmented with numerous tiny legs densely covering it. Its appearance was terrifying.

Above the image were two characters: “Di Jiao.”

I asked, “Old Ma, is this creature called Di Jiao?”

Ma Su nodded. “I gave it that name. I don’t know its real name. We went looking for this creature. The photo was provided by a local villager, but it’s very unclear. Take a closer look; see if you can make anything out.”

I stared intently at the photo, my eyes blurring from the effort. Finally, I spotted a faint outline of the creature hiding among the grass. Its shape was similar to the drawing, but the details were impossible to discern.

I asked, “Is Zhuoyang Mountain dangerous because of this creature? Is it poisonous?”

Ma Su shook his head. “No, that’s not it. We often go into the mountains. Even if it were poisonous, we wouldn’t be afraid—we carry the best antidotes and protective gear. I say Zhuoyang Mountain is dangerous because…”

He wiped his brow, unexpectedly breaking into a cold sweat.

He poured himself another half glass of white liquor and downed it in one gulp. Ma Su wasn’t a good drinker, and after several large sips, he was already gasping for breath.

I quickly stopped him. “Old Ma, that’s enough. Don’t drink any more.”

He nodded, a flush rising on his face, and his complexion seemed a bit better.

He sat down and began recounting their expedition to Zhuoyang Mountain.

For clarity, I’ll relay it in Ma Su’s voice:

About three years ago, our school received a project to study this unnamed creature. It is likely a relic from prehistoric times that has survived until today. There had been sightings in the Zhuoyang Mountain region, but no concrete data existed. The school took it seriously and formed an investigative team with me as the leader.

Because this research hadn’t yet been officially reported to the state, the team had to be small and discreet. We settled on four members: myself as the leader, my assistant Xing Mo, and two graduate students—Zhou Zheng and Wen Youyou, who were also a couple. After preparation, we set off for Zhuoyang Mountain.

Looking back, our preparations were insufficient, and we hadn’t fully considered the dangers. Our team had been to many places across the country and even the world, achieving good results, so we assumed this would be straightforward.

We had only a rough sketch map marking the approximate range where the creature might appear; everything else was unknown.

We traveled by train, then by car, and finally by horse-drawn carriage, spending an entire day reaching the Zhuoyang Mountain area.

Using the scant information we had, we sketched the creature—the same image in the illustrated book—and for convenience, I named it Di Jiao. We showed the picture to the local villagers; some claimed to have seen the creature, but most said they hadn’t. Upon hearing that we intended to enter Zhuoyang Mountain, they unanimously warned us against it but refused to explain why.

Whenever they mentioned Zhuoyang Mountain, their expressions darkened, as if it were a hellish place, a den of ghosts.

But we had a mission and couldn’t turn back without even entering the mountain. I knew Zhuoyang Mountain wasn’t very high or geographically complex, so the danger wasn’t likely environmental. The villagers’ fear probably stemmed from tales of mountain spirits or ghosts.

However, except for me, no one on the team believed in such supernatural things. After brief discussion, we resolutely entered the mountain.

My assistant Xing Mo was an outdoor sports expert, well-trained in wilderness survival, so entering the mountain was no problem for him. Zhou Zheng and Wen Youyou were my students and a couple; they had accompanied me many times before and were also experienced.

Inside the mountain, the scenery was enchanting. Since the area remained undeveloped, many natural sights were breathtaking.

We traveled for a long time, and I couldn’t help but be moved by the mountain’s beauty.

Unbeknownst to us, danger was closing in...

(End of chapter)