Volume Two: The Secret Burial in the Ravine Chapter 102: The Spirit Banner

We all know that entering the mountains, especially those primal forests, is manageable during the day but becomes most challenging at night.

Our original plan was to enter the mountain to scout the path and then retreat before dark, so we could devise a detailed plan for a second exploration. However, once inside, we seemed to lose track of time. By the time we thought about turning back, night was fast approaching.

After confirming our coordinates, it was clear we wouldn't make it out before nightfall. So, we decided to camp on the spot and search for the earth dragon at dawn.

After some searching, we found a flat area to pitch our tents and began setting up camp.

We were accustomed to camping outdoors, so setting up was no trouble. After some preparation, we quickly established a small campsite. In the center, we lit a bonfire and assigned night watch duties. Xing Mo was on duty for the first half of the night, and Zhou Zheng was to take over the latter half. Wen Youyou and I seized the opportunity to rest.

Given my age, I ate something and soon fell asleep.

At some unknown time, I was suddenly awakened by Wen Youyou. Opening my eyes, I saw it was nearly one o'clock in the morning.

Puzzled, I asked, "Wasn’t Zhou Zheng supposed to be on watch? Why aren't you asleep?"

Wen Youyou’s face was anxious as she replied, "Zhou Zheng is missing."

A chill ran through me. Getting lost in these woods could be perilous. Though Mount Tuoyang wasn’t a dense primeval forest, wild animals still roamed.

Hurriedly, I followed Wen Youyou outside and saw Xing Mo shining a flashlight around.

The bonfire was still blazing, but Zhou Zheng was nowhere to be found.

This was unprecedented. On outdoor watches, the person on duty must remain alert, keep the fire alive, and promptly alert the group if anything unusual occurs.

I asked Xing Mo, "What’s going on?"

He shook his head. "Around eleven-thirty, before the shift change, Zhou Zheng came out saying he couldn’t sleep and wanted to take my watch early. I added some wood to the fire and went into the tent. After a short while, Youyou alerted me that Zhou Zheng was gone."

We were all anxious. Zhou Zheng was cautious by nature and would never abandon his post during duty.

We searched around the campsite and found no signs of wild animals, which eased us slightly. But we did find a pair of footprints leading away from the camp.

Upon checking, they matched Zhou Zheng’s.

Youyou was worried he might be in danger, so we followed the footprints with our flashlights, leaving the camp.

An ominous feeling crept over me, compounded by villagers’ earlier warnings. A cold sweat broke out.

---

After leaving the camp, Zhou Zheng’s footprints became faint. We relied on experience to widen our search beyond the immediate area. Two hours later, we heard the sound of flowing water. Youyou spotted his footprints again.

Following them, we soon reached a pool.

Moonlight reflected off the water's surface, making the area brighter than the surrounding forest. We saw a figure by the pool’s edge, seemingly doing something. From the back, it was Zhou Zheng.

We rushed over to call him but witnessed a strange sight.

Zhou Zheng was crouched by the pool in an odd posture, tilting his head back to gaze at the moon. His mouth was wide open, emitting strange, heavy breathing sounds.

He was intensely focused. Despite our loud footsteps and Youyou’s calls, he remained oblivious, holding the same pose.

Youyou tried to grab him forward, but Zhou Zheng suddenly lowered his head and plunged it into the pool.

Bubbles surfaced rapidly.

Fearing he might drown, we scrambled to pull him out.

His eyes were vacant, and his mouth full of water plants. He struggled fiercely.

Luckily, with the three of us, we managed to restrain him.

I knew something was wrong and hurriedly dragged him back to camp without hesitation.

Using a compass, we navigated back. I realized the camp wasn’t far from the pool—only a dense thicket between them. Our roundabout search had wasted precious time.

Back at camp, Zhou Zheng’s resistance suddenly ceased.

He lay limp and soaked on the ground, his swollen belly hard to the touch.

We didn’t know how much of whatever was in that pool he had swallowed during our absence.

I quickly administered an emetic.

After a short while, Zhou Zheng began violently vomiting. The expelled liquid was mostly black water, mixed with water plants and small fish and shrimp. The stench was nauseating.

After half an hour, his belly’s swelling subsided, and his breathing steadied.

---

We stayed by his side until dawn, when Zhou Zheng finally awoke.

Youyou, who had been crying inconsolably, breathed a sigh of relief.

We all asked him what happened last night.

As I had suspected, Zhou Zheng knew nothing of the events. He only remembered sitting by the bonfire on watch. After about an hour, feeling bored and a bit sleepy since he was alone, he worried about dozing off and getting into trouble.

He stood and began patrolling around the camp.

That’s when he noticed a pole standing in the nearby grass, tied with a white silk ribbon fluttering in the night breeze.

It hadn’t been there when we set up camp, so it caught his curiosity. He shone his flashlight at it, and the pole seemed to be held by something, moving slowly away.

The grass was waist-high, obscuring the lower part, but he sensed a human figure dressed in dazzling white.

Zhou Zheng took a few quick steps to chase after it but suddenly felt his head grow heavy and dizzy.

His memory ended there, and he recalled nothing until he woke this morning.

At that moment, Xing Mo suddenly said, "Last night by the pool, I shone my light on the center of the water. There really seemed to be something floating there, similar to what Zhou Zheng described. But I was too worried about him to look closely."

Hearing this, Zhou Zheng asked Xing Mo, "You saw it too? What do you think it looked like?"

Xing Mo’s expression darkened. After a moment’s thought, he looked sharply at Zhou Zheng.

They exchanged glances and said in unison, "Like... a spirit banner..."

(The End of this Chapter)

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