The next morning, Luo Zi took Yu Fei and others to his hometown in the countryside.
Luo Zi's hometown and Yu Fei's hometown are actually separated by a few hills, but Luo Zi, like Yu Fei, was also a child who grew up in the county town and did not stay here for long.
The third uncle originally thought that they were just talking, but now he saw that these city kids were really going up the mountain, and he immediately became serious: "This mountain is not a joke, not to mention that there may be tigers, even if there are not
Tiger, if you just walk in like this, if you get lost inside, you will be in big trouble.
However, the third uncle couldn't resist them, and finally had no choice but to say: "Since you insist on going into the mountain, I have to help you find an experienced guide."
The third uncle led them to the tallest house in the village. There was a middle-aged man with a beard sitting in the yard, weaving a bamboo basket. As soon as he saw the third uncle, he said hello: "
Third brother is here."
The third uncle pulled Luo Zi forward, pointed to his beard and said to him: "This is Quan Wuye. He used to be the best hunter in our village. He once killed a leopard with his bare hands." He turned to him again.
Quan Wuye said: "This is the son of Brother Hong from the county seat. He and his friends said they wanted to go to the mountains, so you can help be a guide. You are the most familiar with the roads in the mountains."
Quan Wuye had a look of surprise on his face. People in the village had been avoiding running to the mountains recently, but these city kids actually wanted to wander around the mountains at this juncture. He glanced at the third uncle and said: "
Third brother, please stop flattering me blindly. I don’t even have a blunderbuss, so how can I be a hunter? Besides, it’s probably not appropriate to go into the mountains at this time."
The third uncle thought for a moment and said, "These kids just want to shoot tigers. Let's do this. I'll help you borrow the guns from the village. You go and prepare them first, and then we'll take them into the mountains later."
With that said, the third uncle turned around and walked down the mountain.
Quan Wuye had no choice but to put down what he was doing, wipe his hands on his clothes a few times, and said to Luo Zi: "Nephew, you and your friends wait for me here first." After saying that, he turned around and entered the house.
After a while, Quan Wuye came out of the house carrying a few woodchopping knives and a bamboo basket on his back. The bamboo basket contained several bamboo tubes filled with water and several rice dumpling leaves.
Wrapped glutinous rice balls.
After waiting for a while, the third uncle came up carrying a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle. This rifle is the only gun in the village. It is usually kept at the village committee. It is only used when wild boars come.
It would only be taken out when food was wasted in the village or when someone wanted to enter the dense forest.
The third uncle handed the rifle to Quan Wuye, and repeatedly warned him that if he encountered a tiger or leopard, he must not shoot at it, but could only shoot into the sky to drive it away. Quan Wuye agreed while
He took the gun and put it on his shoulder, then handed two woodcutter knives to Luo Zi and Yu Fei respectively, then whistled towards the yard, and a big black dog sprang out from nowhere. The big black dog
He ran ahead and led everyone up the mountain.
On the way, Luo Zi asked Quan Wu Ye about what happened a few days ago: "Fifth Master, what do you think dragged the cow away?"
Quan Wuye said with a serious face: "This matter is really strange to say. My old black man has been following me for more than ten years. He has followed me in the mountains and encountered leopards, old bears, and wild boars.
Wait, it always rushes to the front, but that day I took it to the pond, and it was shaking all over, whining and looking at me, lying on its stomach and not daring to leave. I have never seen it so scared.
Pass."
"Could it be that the tiger took the cow away?" asked the beast.
"I don't think this possibility is very high. Although Lao Hei has never encountered a tiger, he has smelled the tiger's scent and has never seen it so scared. And the two buffaloes are about six or seven years old.
Weighing a hundred kilograms, although tigers are ferocious, they generally would not dare to attack adult buffaloes, let alone two big buffaloes. Besides, even if the tiger really killed both cows, how could it drag them away in the blink of an eye?
?”
"Could it be that the buffalo discovered the tiger, broke free from the rope and escaped on its own?" Luo Zi analyzed.
"This possibility is possible, but generally speaking, the buffalo should have escaped back home. Of course, it is also possible that it was too frightened and ran into the mountains."
Just as they were talking, everyone came to a mountain pond. Master Quan Wu pointed his hand and said, "The two cows disappeared here."
Looking at it, the mountain pond is not big, only covering an area of three or four acres. It is formed by a stream flowing down from the mountain. The middle part of the mountain pond is dark green and looks quite deep.
Quan Wuye took them to a big tree as big as a bowl, pointed to the two broken hemp ropes tied to the tree and said: "These are the ropes that tied the two cows. Look at this
The fracture seems to be torn apart."
Everyone looked in the direction that Quan Wuye pointed, and saw that the two hemp ropes were as thick as an adult's thumb. It would take a lot of force to tear them off. And on the tree trunk, which was as thick as the mouth of a bowl,
There were also two strangulation marks left. Yu Fei thought in his mind: "If I break the rope, I'm afraid the cow's nose will also be swollen."
At this time, Quan Wuye said to himself again: "The smell here is much better today. When I came here on the day the cow disappeared, I didn't know what was going on. There was a strong fishy smell everywhere."
The speaker had no intention of listening, so Yu Fei suddenly became excited and asked hurriedly: "Fifth Master, are you saying that there was still a fishy smell here that day?"
"Yes, there is a very strong smell, like the smell of dead fish. It smells terrible."
"Has this mountain pond dried up before?" Yu Fei quickly asked again.
"No, never! It's strange to say that one year there was no rain for more than half a year. This mountain spring almost stopped flowing, and many other mountain ponds were also dried up. However, the water in this mountain pond was not reduced at all.
.”
Quan Wuye's answer made Yu Fei think deeply: "The fishy smell, the never-drying pool, this scene is so similar. By the way, Blackwater Pool! It's Blackwater Pool!"
Yu Fei couldn't help but be startled. Could it be that there was an underground river connected to the bottom of this mountain pond? Could it be that the fishy smell came from... Yu Fei didn't dare to think any more. Looking at this mysterious mountain pond, Yu Fei shuddered and asked
He took a few steps back.
After leaving the mountain pond, everyone continued to walk up the mountain. The further they went, the narrower the mountain road became. Gradually, the road was almost invisible under their feet. Quan Wuye and Luo Zi were walking in front.
Holding a woodcutter in his hand, he chopped off the weeds and thorns blocking the road. The beast following behind took pictures everywhere with his SLR, while the monkey looked around nervously, as if afraid that one would jump out of the grass next to it.
The big tiger is coming. Since Tang Yan has just recovered and is a girl, her physical strength is not very good. She stopped and walked along the way. Yu Fei walked with her at the back and gradually distanced herself from the four of them.