The foul stench by the latrine had yet to dissipate. Ignoring the blood and filth on his face, Chen Mo first grabbed the cotton-padded jacket and long spear that had fallen to the ground. Confirming that Liu Dazhuang, though covered in filth and bleeding from the forehead, could at least crawl out of the pit and dry heave, he shouted toward the dormitory at the top of his lungs.
"Platoon Leader, we're over here!"
Before long, Platoon Leader Yang arrived, following the sound, trailed by a group of rangers with panicked expressions. The dim yellow glow of the hurricane lamp swept back and forth across Chen Mo and Liu Dazhuang. Seeing their wretched state, everyone looked grave.
Although Liu Dazhuang had thrashed around in the manure twice, his face looked relatively normal. Chen Mo, on the other hand, had his clothes torn to shreds by the bites and scratches of that Jin Ni (a mythical lion-like beast). Covered in blood and filth, his face was deathly pale, causing everyone's hearts to skip a beat.
"Don't worry, it's all that beast's blood. I just have some minor surface injuries." Chen Mo forced a smile and pointed at the two beast carcasses not far away.
Hearing this, the tension on Platoon Leader Yang's face eased a little.
"How are the others?" Chen Mo wiped his face.
Yang Tiezhu said, "They're all fine, though two of the female traveling students were frightened a bit."
"Brother Chen, you wouldn't believe it. There were a few Shan Zhi (wild boar) and a Hei Xiazi (black bear) over there just now. Man, that bear was covered in fat. When it stood up, it was nearly two meters tall and didn't make a sound. Scared the life out of us. Pity it got away in the end."
Wu Fang and the others had also come over, holding axes and shovels, poking their heads out from the crowd.
Yang Tiezhu frowned deeply. "Logically speaking, that Hei Xiazi should have fattened up and be preparing for hibernation. Why would it come to the forestry farm? Shanni, how was it on your side?"
Under the pale moonlight, the young woman who had been walking the mountains with the female students stepped forward from the crowd. "Brother Yang, I found a few old wolves on my side. I killed them all."
"This is downright evil. It's the first time I've seen so many beasts jumping around together, as if someone were commanding them, coming and going without a sound..." Yang Tiezhu grabbed a lamp and scrutinized everyone again. Suddenly, a look of shock appeared on his face. "Where is Third Master Xie?"
"I'm here."
As soon as the words fell, a gaunt old man was seen limping out of the shadows.
"Third Master Xie, are you injured?"
Third Master Xie's face was pale. He shook his head and said, "It's nothing. Got scratched by a snow leopard."
Chen Mo had originally wanted to step closer, but his gaze underwent a subtle change the moment Third Master Xie emerged from the shadows.
Having lived a second life, after all, he had seen plenty of movies and TV shows in his past life where people wore tight night clothes and prowled around in the dead of night.
No matter how you sliced it, Chen Mo just felt that this old man's figure was somewhat similar to the mysterious person who retreated earlier.
"Could this old geezer be from that blasted White Lotus Society (a secret religious society)? Did he injure himself intentionally to cover his tracks?"
Chen Mo's mind raced as he secretly recalled Third Master Xie's every move during the day. Thinking about how the other man could come and go freely in this primeval forest, with agility and physical skills surpassing those of young men, his gaze grew dark and unreadable.
Is this person hiding his light under a bushel? Does he know martial arts?
Then what was all this about tonight?
Qushou Mishu (secret art of driving beasts)?
White Lotus Society?
For a moment, Chen Mo's thoughts were in turmoil, filled with doubt.
Unexpectedly, Third Master Xie suddenly looked at him and smiled warmly. "You alright, kid? You dared to risk your life against such a big Jin Ni. Truly, newborn calves don't fear the tiger."
Chen Mo still had his suspicions, but hearing this sent a chill down the back of his neck.
This person is definitely problematic.
If one hadn't seen it with their own eyes, who would know he was fighting for his life against a Jin Ni, especially with a snow leopard involved too.
Just then, Platoon Leader Yang began giving orders. "Alright, you all head back to your dorms first. You two, go to the kitchen, heat some water to wash up, and apply some medicine. Make sure the wounds don't get infected. The few of us won't sleep tonight; we'll take turns keeping watch. We'll wait until daybreak to deal with anything else."
Having been wandering around the forestry farm late at night, on edge and frozen stiff with numb hands and feet, the group felt a huge sense of relief upon hearing they could return to their dorms. They turned and scattered.
Once most of the traveling students had left, Chen Mo and Liu Dazhuang followed Platoon Leader Yang to the kitchen.
With its big pots and stoves, the water heated up quickly.
Braving the cold wind, the two stripped naked and sat in two large galvanized iron bathtubs.
Chen Mo was fine; after washing the blood and filth off twice, he applied ointment, changed his clothes, and returned to the dorm. Liu Dazhuang was less fortunate. After begging Platoon Leader Yang, they changed the water four or five times, but he still couldn't wash that strange smell off his body.
In the dorm, Wu Fang and the others were already snoring.
Chen Mo lay on the Kang (a heated brick bed), tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
Now, every time he closed his eyes, he saw the mountain guardian old man's figure, fast as a ghost and moving like the wind. Especially the scene where he had killed the vicious beast with a single palm strike—it gave him an unprecedented sense of shock.
That world, unreachable by ordinary people...
No, perhaps it was unreachable for others, but for him, it was not far away.
Chen Mo's eyes flickered, as if emitting a strange light.
He already held the key; weren't those two Canjuan (remnant scroll) the stepping stones? He only needed to master them to open the door to that world.
"I want to succeed."
Without a sliver of hesitation, the heart that once held doubts was now firm. Then, Chen Mo made a decision that would change his life forever.
That surging feeling, that soul-stirring palpitation—he felt as if his soul were trembling, and the blood in his body seemed to heat up uncontrollably.
He was living a second life, but if this life were only for the pursuit of fame, fortune, and stability, what meaning would there be?
He had already lived that kind of life in his past existence.
Moreover, if he hadn't seen that world, it would have been fine. He could have been like everyone else, content to run around for his career and family, get married, have children, be filial to his parents, and spend his remaining years in peace.
But now he had seen it. He had seen a world invisible to ordinary people, and it was within reach, right before his eyes.
Chen Mo gazed at the dark ceiling and subconsciously extended his right hand, slowly clenching it into a fist.
In an instant, he seemed to realize many things and feel many things.
Most people merely exist in this world, passing from birth to extinction, leaving no trace behind the wind.
But he wanted to live truly and vividly. To live as he pleased, not existing for the sake of a specific person or event.
Humans possess curiosity, and they possess a thirst for knowledge.
Chen Mo used to have many thoughts, but now he discovered that he didn't seem to want anything anymore. He only wanted to set foot in that world and see what kind of unique scenery it held.
Life is short. Why not get drunk on a dream of chivalry.
...
That night, Chen Mo had a dream. He dreamed that he stood alone on a mountain peak, commanding the wind and rain, vying for supremacy against the heroes of the world.