While I hesitated, he asked coldly, “Or do you want, to wade across? The middle of this stream, is very deep, and prone to gathering negative energy.”
“A giant baby[mfn]It’s gathering negative energy, it has the same pronunciation but a different meaning[/mfn]?” I didn’t understand the meaning of those three words, but I gladly accepted the invitation. I grabbed his wrist and was pondering how to climb onto the wolf’s back. However, he pulled me forward, and with a tight grip around my waist, he lifted me and laid me horizontally between the wolf’s neck and his own body.
I was shocked at how Tunshe Nalin had the strength to lift a 1.80-meter-tall man like me with one hand. I tried to turn my head to look at him but ended up twisting my neck, so I had to lie down obediently.
“Hiss, Tunshe Nalin… is there anyone who treats the injured like you? I was injured for you…” The wolf’s body shook and hit my lower abdomen, and I gasped in pain.
He ignored me, holding the wolf’s head with one hand and pressing the other on my back, and drove the wolf slowly into the stream. After a few steps, the wolf’s body sank below the water surface, and the water flow became turbulent, forming small whirlpools. The middle part of the stream was indeed quite deep.
“Tunshe Nalin, don’t you want to know why those bad guys wanted to capture me and Saibang?” It was understandable that he didn’t ask because the situation was urgent before, but I was a little surprised that he still didn’t ask now. It’s okay for me as a stranger, but Saibang is his fellow tribesman after all.
“Why?”
“They seem to be looking for your village.” I hesitated, reluctant to mention that they were also looking for me—an outsider who might bring trouble. It might be better for me to be driven away than for them to rescue or protect me. But if I didn’t mention it, I would feel guilty. If they brought some kind of disaster to the entire tribe because of me, that would truly be my fault. After much hesitation, I finally spoke, “Also, those people are looking for me… but I swear, I really don’t know them, and I’ve never had any interaction with them. I don’t know why they want to capture me. They’re desperate men, armed with guns, and their influence seems considerable. If they trace us to the village, all of you will be in danger. So, once we get back to the village, we need to notify the chief and call the authorities.”
“I understand.”
Seeing his calm tone, not seeming like he wanted to drive me away, I let out a sigh of relief.
After a moment of silence, he asked, “Can’t you think of, any reason why they’re, after you?”
As I pondered deeply, I suddenly caught sight of something colorful drifting with the water’s current from the corner of my eye. The shifting tree shadows and glistening reflections on the surface made it difficult to distinguish. It resembled a slender fish or serpent, yet at the same time, it appeared to be a string of vibrant stone bracelets.
This thing… this thing… why does it look a bit like…
I wondered if I was dreaming, but unable to resist the urge, I reached out to grasp the slender object. Just before I could touch it, a cold, strong hand suddenly seized my wrist, startled me greatly.
“If you don’t want to die, don’t pick up random things.”
“That looked like a bracelet…”
I stared at the slender shadow drifting not too far nor too close along the water, wanting to reach out and grab it to confirm my wild guess.
Before I could grab it, with a swoosh, a vulture swooped over the water and snatched the colorful object, disappearing into the forest. Tunshe Nalin pinched the back of my neck, effortlessly lifting me up, flipping me over, and making me sit sideways on the wolf’s back. My upper body was supported by one of his hands. His cold voice sounded in my ear: “If you want to pick it up, I’ll, throw you down.”
“Why?” I was startled, grabbing his arm and glancing at him sideways.
As I turned, our faces were so close that we were nearly nose to nose. His hair brushed against my cheek, tickling me. After holding that position for so long, my eyes felt strained, and the sudden shock made them well up with tears. I blinked, and a single tear slipped from the corner of my eye.
His five fingers on my back tightened slightly.
“That’s a snake.”
Was it really a snake? Oh… was he worried about me?
I stared at him. At such a close distance, even though he had his eyes covered, I could almost feel his gaze lingering on my face, as if it were a tangible presence, subtly burning with intensity.
A sensitive nerve in me twitched, and a previous thought resurfaced in my mind. I ran my tongue over my canine teeth and cautiously leaned closer to him. To my surprise, Tunshe Nalin seemed momentarily distracted by my appearance, frozen in place. He didn’t move and allowed me to tilt my head up and press my lips against his.
The moment our lips met, it was like an electric current coursing through my veins, sending a shiver down my spine. The sensation was unlike anything I had ever felt—intense, thrilling, and utterly intoxicating. The tranquil sound of the flowing water, the deep shadows of the trees, and the surreal feeling of kissing my muse on the back of a wolf. Could there be anything more romantic than this?
As I thought, Tunshe Nalin’s lips are indeed very kissable…
Is this his first kiss?
He wasn’t breathing. I guess he, like me, was also feeling nervous.
I couldn’t help but grip the back of his neck, part his lips, and lightly run my tongue along the seam of his lips. Before I could deepen the tentative kiss, my chin was suddenly seized.
The back of my head hit the wolf’s neck. My breathing trembled and my whole body softened. I lowered my eyes and looked at the beauty who was holding my chin. His lips were tightly pressed, and his expression darkened, as if I had overstepped my bounds.
I must be crazy. It hasn’t even been three days since we met, yet I couldn’t resist kissing him—kissing my muse. But the expression on his face only made my desire to conquer him grow stronger. Are you angry? Then why didn’t you stop me when you were lost in thought and let me kiss you?
Tunshe Nalin, this face of mine really does resemble your old lover’s, doesn’t it?
Looking at my face, does it make it hard for you to control yourself?
I pressed my tongue against my canine tooth yet looked at him with an innocent expression. “I’m sorry… just now, I… was in a moment of madness and mistook you for someone else. I acted on impulse and offended you.”
Tunshe Nalin’s hand didn’t loosen its grip on my chin; instead, it tightened slightly. “Who, did you mistake me for?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Of course, I mistook you for my… old lover.”
Aren’t you the same? I didn’t say the second half of the sentence, as if doing so could somehow turn the tide. But deep down, I knew all too well that it was useless—facing someone like Tunshe Nalin, my impulsive move to kiss him had already put me at a disadvantage.
“Then you truly are, out of your mind.” He emphasized the last four words before finally loosening his grip.
I coughed awkwardly, turning to wrap my arms around the wolf’s neck, fearing he might toss me into the stream in his anger. But instead, I felt him straighten his waist, urging the wolf to run. It swiftly crossed the deep section of the stream and climbed up the bank.
Recalling the familiar-looking bracelet, a sense of unease crept over me. I cast another glance at the stream and, to my surprise, spotted a shadow on the water’s surface—one that eerily resembled the upper half of a person.
A chill ran down my spine, and when I blinked again, the shadow was gone. In the next moment, my view was obstructed by the crisscrossing branches and leaves.
The wolf, carrying two men, ran incredibly fast. Its muscles were firm and rigid, and I was jolted so much that my backside hurt. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Tunshe Nalin, ah, slow down, it hurts!”
The jostling beneath me eased, and the pace stabilized.
I rubbed my sore tailbone and glanced at Tunshe Nalin. He rode the wolf forward at a slow pace, his expression unreadable. The sight of his broad shoulders and narrow waist, rising and falling with the wolf’s movements, unexpectedly stirred something inside me, and my ears suddenly burned with heat.
Qin Ran, what are you thinking? How could you have such impure thoughts about your own muse?
I cursed myself inwardly and shook my head, trying to shake off these chaotic thoughts. Just then, I suddenly heard a clinking sound. Turning toward the noise, I spotted two figures not far away in the woods, crouching behind a rock as if they were chiseling something.
“Tunshe Nalin, are those people from your village?” I raised my hand and pointed in their direction.
The wolf let out a howl. Upon hearing the sound, the two figures looked up, and one of them let out a sharp scream before quickly retreating behind the rock to hide.
“Hey! Are you from the Nashe tribe? Don’t be afraid, this wolf won’t bite.” Assuming they were frightened by the wolf, I spoke in the Jiangsu mountain dialect.
Before I could finish speaking, the two figures crawled out from behind the rock. No exaggeration, they were completely pressed their heads to the ground, crawling on their knees as they emerged.
I was stunned, frozen in place, as I watched them crawl all the way up to us. Without daring to slacken for a moment, they began bowing continuously in our direction, chanting, “Corpse-Corpse-Corpse God Lord…”
Corpse God Lord?
The title suddenly reminded me of the puppet that had frightened me into falling off the cliff that stormy night. A chill ran down my back. Slowly, I turned to look at Tunshe Nalin. “Tunshe Nalin… why are they calling you ‘Corpse God Lord’?”
The shadow at the corner of Tunshe Nalin’s lips deepened, as if he were quietly mocking me. But the smile faded so quickly that I doubted I had seen it at all. In an instant, his expression returned to its usual calm. He said, “Because, I am the shaman of my tribe, capable of summoning the deity to descend upon me.”
A shaman? Able to summon a deity, really?
When the two of them slowly stood up, I realized that one of them was the painter named “Tai Wu” whom I had seen before. The other was a young man I hadn’t seen before. Both of them didn’t dare to lift their eyelids, trembling like leaves in the wind, clearly so scared that their souls seemed to have fled. Is it really necessary to be this terrified? Could it be that Tunshe Nalin truly practices sorcery?
If he’s such a terrifying existence, then why is he revered as the tribe’s god?
“The shaman, yes, you are the shaman,” Tai Wu kept nodding, his voice trembling. “Lord Shaman.”
Noticing the beautiful cyan-blue powder on his hands, my eyes lit up. I jumped down from the wolf’s back and half-knelt down. “Master Taiwu, are you mining for pigment stones?”
Tai Wu seemed unable to bring himself to look at me, yet couldn’t help but glance in my direction. His lips trembled as he nodded.
“You… you were chosen by God Lord…” The young man’s trembling voice came from beside me. Before he could finish, Tai Wu suddenly covered his mouth with his hand. “It’s Lord Shaman.”
I couldn’t quite catch what the young man had said, nor did I care much for their superstitions and customs. My mind was entirely focused on the pigment powder on Tai Wu’s fingers. I wiped a bit off and squinted to examine it closely. “This… is it azurite? What a great color! Is it from over there?”
Tai Wu looked at me with wide eyes, then glanced nervously behind me. He lowered his eyelids and nodded again.
“Tunshe Nalin,” I turned back and smiled at him, “I’ll go get some good pigments and come find you.”
Without hesitation, I grabbed Tai Wu’s hand. “Master Taiwu, can you take me mining with you and teach me how to make pigments? I want to repaint a painting for your shaman.”
Tai Wu trembled even more than before, as if I had said something terribly frightening.
“Master Taiwu!” I raised my voice in concern, worried he might faint. “Your shaman is pretty good, there’s no need to be so afraid of him! He doesn’t eat people!”
Tai Wu’s eyes rolled back, and he really fainted.
I was stunned as I turned to look at the young man. Though he was strong and burly, even he didn’t dare lift his gaze. In a rush, he picked up Tai Wu, pressed on his pressure point, and called out anxiously, “Master! Master!”
I sighed helplessly and glanced behind me, only to find that Tunshe Nalin was already gone. In his place was only the faint morning light filtering through the leaves and the thin mist of dawn. I felt a sense of loss, then remembered him saying that his eyes were sensitive to light. I guessed he must have returned to the cave.
It doesn’t matter. After all, this person can’t escape… he’s certainly a prize in my bag.
