Chapter 70: Strange Happenings in the Mountains, Part 3

Chapter 70: Strange Happenings in the Mountains, Part 3

Just as he drifted in and out of sleep, Zhang Sanlu suddenly sensed a series of rustling sounds coming from the distant undergrowth. His eyes snapped open, and he realized the others had heard it too.

Everyone's attention shifted to the darkness of the forest, and they faintly sensed something lurking in the shadows, slowly moving toward them.

A creeping fear of the unknown began to spread. Several men instinctively raised their axes and machetes, and Zhang Sanlu felt his heart clench. The rustling grew clearer and closer, seeming to inch steadily toward their position.

It was very close now!

Zhang Sanlu grabbed a machete at his feet and silently edged toward the noise. When he reached the shrubs, he glanced at the others forming a circle, then suddenly thrust his blade into the thicket.

A dark shape shot out from the brush, clamping down hard on the machete with a sharp snap. The creature was strong—Zhang Sanlu swung his arm twice but couldn't shake it off.

"Damn it!" Zhang Sanlu cursed, then smashed the blade against a tree with force.

A piercing shriek rang out as the creature dropped to the ground. Zhang Sanlu immediately brought down his blade, and after a brief struggle, it lay motionless. Still unsettled, Zhang Sanlu used his blade to lift the beast's corpse.

Only then did the others gather around for a closer look. What they saw resembled a rabbit, but it was enormous—about the size of a mongrel dog. Its entire body was hairless, covered only in a dark, rubbery, elastic skin that shimmered with a purplish sheen in the firelight.

What caught Zhang Sanlu's attention most were its claws, tipped with several-centimeter-long sharp nails.

"What is this thing?" Zhang Sanlu suspected it might be a unique local species and turned to ask the villagers.

"Master Daoist, we've never seen anything like this. Looks like a giant rabbit to me."

"Where could you find a rabbit this size? Maybe it's a fox?"

"A bái! This must be one of those 'bái' the elders talk about!"

Zhang Sanlu studied the creature carefully, but none of their guesses seemed quite right. The beast was a true oddity, its claws oddly reminiscent of elongated human fingernails.

He couldn't figure it out—perhaps it was just a freak or a mutated species. But mutated to such a terrifying extent, it was a first for Zhang Sanlu.

Li Guangli, the team leader, clearly had fewer concerns. Smacking his lips at the sight of the beast, he grinned broadly. "Tsk, tsk, I've never seen such a fat rabbit before. Fang Ping, tonight we're counting on you."

"Alright, alright, I'll show you what I can do tonight, Master Daoist. I'll make something good," replied a wiry man with a smile.

He reached out, took the rabbit from Zhang Sanlu, and began preparing it near the edge of the fire. Zhang Sanlu, curious about the creature, sat on a nearby rock to watch the man work. As he was skinning the rabbit, the man suddenly exclaimed, "Hey—!"

"What is it?" Zhang Sanlu asked warily, gripping his machete.

"It's nothing, Master Daoist. I just noticed this rabbit must've been chased by some large beast and ran here in a panic." As he spoke, he held up the half-skinned rabbit to show Zhang Sanlu. Sure enough, there were two deep rows of bite marks at its throat.

"Was it bitten by some wild animal?" Zhang Sanlu asked, examining the wound as a few of the other men gathered around.

"Judging by the teeth marks, I'd say it was a fox or a lynx," one of the villagers replied. Living off the land, they were well-acquainted with the bite marks of mountain predators.

Zhang Sanlu nodded and was about to hand the rabbit back when he suddenly thought he saw its eyes move. He frowned, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But in the next moment, the half-skinned rabbit let out a terrifying wail, like the cry of an infant, and began to convulse in his hands. The half-peeled skin sloughed off, revealing dark, decaying flesh beneath. Its cloudy eyes glared fixedly at Zhang Sanlu as it opened its enormous bloody maw and lunged at his face.

Startled, Zhang Sanlu tried to fling it away, but it launched itself off the ground, jaws wide, lunging once more at his face!

In that instant, Zhang Sanlu saw that its gaping mouth, stretched nearly to the back of its head, was filled with rows of sharp, canine-like teeth. As it leapt, he gripped its body tightly, but its strength was astonishing. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't restrain it, and could only watch helplessly as its snarling jaws hurtled toward his face.

"Master Daoist! Master Daoist!"

Zhang Sanlu jolted awake, finding himself sitting on the ground, several men gazing at him in bewilderment.

"Master Daoist, what happened just now?"

"You suddenly sat down on the ground holding that rabbit. We thought something had happened to you."

Brow furrowed, Zhang Sanlu stared at the lifeless, skinned rabbit on the ground, a strange feeling creeping over him.

Another attack? Another hallucination?

But the experience had felt far too real to dismiss as an illusion. A lingering unease gnawed at him. Soon the wiry man finished preparing the rabbit, roasting it over the fire until savory aromas filled the air.

But Zhang Sanlu, recalling what had just happened, felt nauseated and couldn't eat a bite. He made do with two dry biscuits he had brought along. The men from Lijiazhuang, however, had no such qualms. Grease ran down their chins as they devoured the rabbit, cleaning every bone in no time at all.

After their meal, they gathered more firewood for the blaze. Watching the firelight dance, Zhang Sanlu felt a rare sense of peace. Though he couldn't sleep, he found a quiet corner, lay down, and closed his eyes. The crackling of the campfire, the distant howls of wild beasts, and the mysterious calls of night birds filled his ears.

Such sounds might have been frightening under other circumstances, but to Zhang Sanlu, they became a strange lullaby. His breathing slowed, his heartbeat calmed, and it seemed as if the entire world was gradually falling silent.