TSMITB Chapter4

The small boat stirred up ripples on the water, spreading out like wings with distinct feathers extending toward the stern.

The sky slowly darkened, shrouded in a thin mist, and the visible distance gradually shrank.

The boat speed had been set to the slowest possible, minimizing noise to avoid attracting creatures such as brown bears again, which would unnecessarily increase danger.

Shen Que stood up and hung a rechargeable small lamp at the bow of the boat.

The cool, clear lamplight swayed on the water surface, casting shimmering ripples.

A fine, dense mist settled on his cheeks, merging with body heat into tiny droplets that traced the contours of his face down to his chin, dripping gently.

The long, dense eyelashes were also dotted with tiny, transparent beads of condensed water vapor, making the pair of fox-like eyes appear soft and glistening.

Ripples fanned out behind the boat, while a long, dark shadow moved silently beneath the river’s surface, trailing them all the way.

Only when the small boat reached the shore did the black shadow take advantage of the tree shadows, submerging into the deeper water and disappearing without a trace.

The thruster fell silent, and the few people got off the small boat one after another.

The ground near the water remained slightly damp, dotted with sparse weeds. Each step sank a little, leaving shallow impressions.

Half of the small boat was pulled onto the shore and secured, while the other half remained in the water for the convenience of setting off again.

The few people did not go deep into the dense forest but only found a suitable spot near the bank to pitch camp and rest.

Though they called it pitching camp, they didn’t even have a proper tent, the tents had all been left behind in the car. They only gathered a lot of dead branches and fallen leaves nearby and lit a fire for warmth and illumination.

The sky had turned completely dark, a dense black mass looming overhead, with not a trace of the moon in sight.

Old Qiu and Shen Que placed four or five infrared alarm systems around the “campsite,” which would immediately sound an alarm if anything approached.

In such a short time, Gang Zi and Ah Chao returned carrying two fish.

After being used, the simple fishing rod they had just made was quickly sharpened by Gang Zi and used to skewer the cleaned fish, which were then placed over the fire to roast.

Gang Zi shook his head and bragged, “How is it? Are you impressed with your Brother Gang yet? I caught two five-jin fish in ten minutes, I must properly publicize this glorious deed when we leave.”

Ah Chao honestly clarified, “Actually, it should be less than three jin.”

Old Qiu squeezed out an ambiguous single syllable from his nostrils, but his hand movements were swift. He sliced a few cuts on the fish, pulled out a bottle of powdered seasoning from the bag by his feet, and sprinkled it on.

The aroma instantly filled their entire nasal cavity.

“Such a familiar smell.” Shen Que murmured.

“En,” Old Qiu nodded, “I specially bought instant noodle seasoning packets, it smells good even on a shoe sole.”

“……”

Shen Que sat by the fire, leaning back in his portable chair. The night wind drifted gently past, stirring a sudden wave of emotion within him.

It seemed like these people, aside from being unreliable in serious matters, each had their own strengths in other aspects.

Just like that, Shen Que unwrapped a piece of compressed bread and ate it with milk, filling his stomach about seven or eight-tenths full in just a few bites.

Shen Que was always quite particular about proper food. He could not bring himself to eat the fish that was of unknown origin, not properly treated, and then roasted over the fire.

Everyone obviously knew this and naturally did not unnecessarily ask.

Gang Zi sat across from Shen Que. The tension that had been held all day could finally be released at this moment, so he started his annoying provocation again: “Aiya, Young Master Shen, aren’t there fish here? Why are you still eating dry rations?”

Shen Que pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, and upon hearing the question, he replied with an “Oh,” before calmly saying, “That green tea act[mfn]Green tea act here refers to green tea bitch which is a sarcastic to call someone who pretends to be pure or innocent but in reality is not.[/mfn] is too much, I don’t like it. When did you switch to selling Biluochun?”

Gang Zi chuckled, feeling completely satisfied.

Shen Que ignored him as he leaned back in the chair to rest his eyes.

The crackle of burning wood echoed in his ears, faintly mingled with the rustle of wind through silver bells; yet, when he focused, the sound of the bells vanished.

After they finished eating and chatted briefly, their spirits gradually flagged.

Shen Que stood up and stretched his limbs. “I’ll take the night watch tonight.”

“No.” Old Qiu refused without even thinking. “We don’t know what the situation will be like later. If you don’t sleep tonight…”

“Precisely because of this, you all need to rest well and conserve your energy. If danger arises, won’t you guys have to step up? Are you guys expecting me to rush to the front to protect you all?”

Although it was true, Old Qiu stared for a long while, unable to find the words to argue back.

“Let’s just listen to Young Master Shen. Old Qiu, you and Ah Chao sleep first. I’m too full to sleep, so I’ll keep watch with Young Master Shen for a while.”

Gang Zi waved his hand then pulled Old Qiu and shoved him into the sleeping bag. “Hurry up and sleep, then wake up and take our shift. Anyway, you are old and need less sleep, you probably won’t sleep for long…”

Snoring soon began, especially noticeable in the silent mountain forest.

Shen Que turned on his phone; there was no signal at all.

His eyes glazed over as he stared into the vast, unknown darkness.

He couldn’t tell whether the current situation counted as having hope.

A moment later, Shen Que blinked and withdrew his gaze, kicking those negative thoughts out of his head.

Gang Zi, who said he would keep watch with him, had also fallen asleep while leaning to one side at some unknown point.

The fog was visibly thicker, while the wind carried a chilling coolness.

Shen Que tightened his collar, moved closer to the campfire, and added firewood from time to time.

Time passed silently. The flame suddenly shot up extremely high at one instant, startling Shen Que to lean back.

This lean back, just across the flames, caused him to meet a pair of cold, vertical pupils.

Shen Que froze, feeling as if an invisible giant hand had gripped his throat, nearly cutting off his breath.

A giant python lay just a few steps from the sleeping group. Its head, larger even than Gang Zi’s famously big head, loomed above them, while its massive body coiled into the darkness, slithering toward the deeper gloom. The snake’s head was slightly raised, still dripping wet, indicating it must have come from the river.

The dense fog provided an extra layer of cover for it, so it was not discovered immediately.

Shen Que fixed his gaze on the giant python, slowly bent down, and searched through the pile of firewood at his feet for a suitably thick branch, gripping it tightly in his hand. The moment he stood up, he slammed the dead wood fiercely at the snake’s head.

The giant python recoiled from the blow, its head tilting to one side and the deadly glint in its eyes sharpening. Shen Que turned and sprinted toward the forest behind him, shouting the names of the sleeping group as he ran.

Detecting a fast-moving object, the infrared alarm system let out a sharp, piercing sound at the right moment. However, the few people, who were all light sleepers, could not be woken up no matter what.

A relentless rustling followed him from behind. In his panicked flight, Shen Que missed a step, twisted his ankle, and tumbled to the ground. His ankle slammed against a jagged rock jutting from the soil, sending a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.

“Damn it.” Shen Que heavily pounded the ground. With this fall, there was no need to think about how to run or hide anymore; it was more practical to think of a final testament.

Shen Que silently closed his eyes, but suddenly there was no movement behind him.

Shen Que propped himself up on his knees, clutching the cloth tightly. A creeping sense of dread began to fill his chest. All he could do was hope the snake wasn’t the type to give up halfway. If it turned back after the chase, what would happen to Old Qiu and the others…

A cold wind then swept by, carrying a faint, strange scent that brushed against his nose.

Shen Que no longer hesitated, straightened up, and slowly turned his head. In the next instant, an extremely cold breath carrying an earthy, fishy smell sprayed onto his face.

The giant python coiled low, tilting its head as it fixed its gaze on its prey. Its unusual vertical pupils reflected a face drained of all color, and utterly pale. As its gaping jaws opened, Shen Que’s breath caught, and he collapsed backward onto the ground with his trembling lashes snapping shut.

A black-and-white film played in his mind, quickly showing the twenty-three years of his life up to this moment. His regret was leaving too hastily, without having prepared a will…

However, the expected pain did not arrive.

After an unknown amount of time, Shen Que tentatively opened his eyes. He watched as the giant python abandoned its haughty posture, lowered its head, lashed its tail violently, and fled as if in a panic, vanishing swiftly into the vast darkness of the night.

With the giant python no longer blocking his view, his sight immediately widened. Through the dense fog, he could vaguely see the warm light of the fire burning fiercely at the temporary “campsite.”

The stinging pain in his ankle became clear again. Shen Que braced himself against a tree trunk, gritting his teeth as he stood, refusing to look back at whatever creature lurked in the mist—one that had even driven a giant python to flee.

Having broken out in a sweat, the night wind made him uncomfortably cold. All he wanted now was to get warm by the fire.

Shen Que couldn’t help but turn his head while limping and slowly dragging his body.

In the dark, pitch-black dense forest, a figure stood tall. The air was hazy with fog, which coiled around him like white smoke, tinged with a faint purple—the only bright color in the forest.

It was that bewitching illusion again. Shen Que was speechless for a moment, shook his head, then ignored it.

As he got close to the campsite, the alarm dutifully started working again, the sharp sound finally pulling the deeply sleeping people out of their dreams.

“Young Master Shen, why did you go so far to pee?” Gang Zi wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, his vision still a little blurry. He tried to stand but wobbled and fell back, scratching his head awkwardly as he said, “My leg fell asleep.”

Old Qiu immediately noticed Shen Que’s abnormality—his pants were so wrinkled they could be salted and used as pickles, his weight was almost entirely on one leg, and he dared not put any pressure on his right foot at all.

Old Qiu and Ah Chao exchanged glances, quickly stepping forward to help him back before settling him on a chair.

He rolled up his pant leg to reveal a severely swollen ankle and calf. The jagged tip of the broken rock had pierced deep, and the wound was still bleeding.

The few people simultaneously looked at Gang Zi.

Gang Zi immediately understood, skillfully pulled out the small first-aid kit, and carefully cleaned the wound. After examining it multiple times and determining that the bone was likely unharmed, he sprayed medicine, applied gauze, and bandaged it up.

Shen Que retrieved his cigarette case, tapped out a cigarette, lit it, and placed it between his lips. He then slowly recounted the recent events, carefully leaving out the part about seeing the illusion again, he didn’t want Old Qiu to start nagging again.

“Did the big snake see something? Why would it suddenly let go of the plump prey right in its mouth?” Ah Chao asked in puzzlement.

Shen Que shook his head. “Maybe it thought I didn’t taste very good.”

“It’s likely there’s really something in that forest.” Old Qiu’s eyes were dark and uncertain. “Remember those bears this afternoon?”

Gang Zi nodded thoughtfully. “They were clearly about to catch up but suddenly stopped chasing.”

They had initially thought the bears ran out of energy and were forced to give up, but now it seemed there might be another hidden reason.

If the brown bears gave up the chase because they knew there was a giant python in the water, then what in the forest caused the giant python to suddenly stop?

That illusion?

Shen Que turned to look at the location where he remembered the illusion stood, but there was only a patch of deep blackness there.

Not dwelling on the issue any longer, Ah Chao turned and asked Gang Zi, “Didn’t you say you weren’t sleepy and would keep watch with Young Master Shen for a while? How did you fall asleep too?”

Gang Zi scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. “I really wasn’t tired at the time. I don’t know how I lost consciousness. If I hadn’t suddenly woken up, I wouldn’t have known I had been asleep…”

“And just now, Young Master Shen said he was calling our names, and the alarm was also ringing. We should have woken up somehow, but instead…”

Old Qiu used a wooden stick to poke the fish bone, which had been burning in the fire for a long time yet still mostly retained its shape. “After this, let’s stick to eating dry rations. We can’t casually eat things from this area anymore.”