Chapter 715: Meeting Acquaintances

Ignoring Village Chief Song’s worries, they left Snow Village and entered a nearby forest. Red Boy carried Fangzheng up into the sky and circled around all the locked down areas before entering Ganfanpen.

Meanwhile, while Village Chief Song was reeling in anxiety, a huge bus charged into the village.

A group of people of all ages and genders alighted. However, all of them circled around an elder with white hair. Clearly, he was the core of the group of people.

Village Chief Song didn’t know him, but he recognized the county head beside the elder. He hurriedly ran forward to ask about the situation. The moment the introductions were made, Village Chief Song had tears streaming down his face. He cried out, “After waiting for so long, the experts are finally here. Something important has happened to our village!”

Village Chief Song briefed them on the situation, and Old Fifth Gao was woken up. He recounted his past experiences once again.

At this moment, Bao Yuluo had run back. As she was a victim herself, she was also questioned about the situation.

“Just listening to all of you isn’t enough. I need to visit Ganfanpen myself. That is the source of everything. Only by understanding it can the root of the problem be cured,” said the elder.

The moment that was said, Village Chief Song and company immediately waved their hands and shook their heads. “Esteemed expert, don’t do that. Ganfanpen has caused countless deaths. Even machines don’t work inside. Compasses give wrong information, and it’s confusing, making you walk in circles. It’s too dangerous!”

The county head also advised against it, but the elder was firm. “Without any investigations, I won’t have any authority to speak on this matter. What can I learn from simply listening to your testimonies? Since the government hired me, I’m responsible for this matter. Regardless, I’ll have to visit Ganfanpen. If the problem inside isn’t resolved, such incidents will only increase.”

“But it’s dangerous inside,” Village Chief Song said.

The elder laughed. “Dangerous? If there was no danger, why would us scientists be needed? We have studied and researched our entire lives. Wasn’t all that precisely to resolve such problems? Alright, speak no further. I have made my mind. I’ll set off now!”

“What? Teacher, you were on the bus for more than twenty hours without any rest. You are entering the mountains now? Will your body be able to handle it?” a bespectacled woman beside him asked in worry.

Elder Wang shook his head. “The body only turns more energetic if you use it. Alright, speak no more. Make the preparations and bring the equipment. Follow me into the mountains!”

“This…” The woman was somewhat exasperated.

Regardless, Elder Wang was firm. Eventually, the team set off, but this time, to ensure the experts’ safety, Bao Yuluo, Officers Li and Zhao were sent to lead the way. After all, they were the ones who had been in Snow Village the longest, and they knew the situation better. Furthermore, with Old Fifth Gao, who was deemed immune to the demonic auras because of his strong virility and righteousness, as well as a few expedition bodyguards decked out in gear protecting them, everyone felt a little relieved.

“Master, is this Ganfanpen? Doesn’t seem much. Isn’t the fog just a little heavy?” As they went below the clouds, they looked down from the sky. Indeed, apart from looking pretty, Ganfanpen did not seem anything special.

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“Descend,” Fangzheng said.

The two immediately descended and landed in the forest. The moment they did, it was a completely different feeling. Surrounding them were towering ancient trees. They were so large that they were about ten or even more armspans wide. The roots of these ancient trees were covered by leaves, and the trees blocked out the sunlight. There wasn’t much vegetation beneath the trees and since it was already late autumn, there was little moss.

“It doesn’t look like much above the sky, but it’s different once you enter the forest. Look around. All the trees look about the same, but that doesn’t seem obvious from the sky. Did you notice? The surrounding mountains look almost the same too. With such geological features, it would be easy for outsiders to get lost in here,” Fangzheng said.

Red Boy curled his lips. “Is that a problem? Just carve a mark on the trees and do this the entire path. Would one get lost if they do so?”

Fangzheng thought about it, and it did seem logical. Even if one couldn’t carve, breaking a tree branch or making a label would be sufficient. Or one could do like what the villagers of One Finger Village did—use red cloth and mark the entire trail. That prevented everyone from getting lost.

The logic was simple, but Fangzheng refused to believe that people who entered ended up getting lost because of this.

Shaking his head, Fangzheng chose a direction and headed forward. From what he had seen from the sky, this direction led to a lake. There were tiny lakes by the side of the big lake, each connected to the other. It was like the legends described; the lakes were connected as one.

Fangzheng and Red Boy were extremely fast. Having chosen their direction, they proceeded ahead. Apart from encountering some peculiar flowers and plants, they didn’t encounter anything special. Furthermore, they didn’t discover anything dangerous. If there was anything that was different, it was that there weren’t any wild animals. There were no rabbits or deer.

Thinking back to the poultry in Snow Village and the cats that had climbed up the walls, as well as the over two meter tall Old Fifth Gao…

Fangzheng had some guesses, but he couldn’t be certain.

Fangzheng wasn’t in a rush to head for the lake; although he wasn’t an expert, he knew a little bit about the forest. Such inhabited primeval forests often had fallen leaves on the ground which stacked upon each other. The lowest layer of leaves and animal corpses would rot and emit poisonous fumes. With flying bugs gathering and flying in the sky, it would look like a sinister wind. This was also the foul aura that Southerners often described. Foul aura wasn’t really poisonous, but it brought all sorts of flies with various viruses in a kind of mass. When humans and animals passed by, they would be bitten by mosquitoes and end up sick, resulting in their deaths. However, people in ancient times didn’t know any of this. They thought that it was some aura; therefore, they called it the foul aura.

However, such a foul aura often appeared in humid tropical rainforests in the south. It was uncommon to hear of foul auras in the north.

Fangzheng attempted to dig, but indeed, there wasn’t any smell. In late autumn, most bugs were gone. There was no way to form any foul aura.

Fangzheng and Red Boy were in no rush. They prepared to search from outside in as they swept the area. Just as they were circling the area, they suddenly heard someone ahead shout, “There’s actually people in here!”

Fangzheng looked over when he heard that, only to see a huge group of people run over. Fangzheng frowned as he did not recognize anyone.

At that moment, a tall man appeared from behind the crowd as he shouted in excitement, “Abbot Fangzheng? Why are you here too?”

“Fangzheng?” Following that, familiar voices sounded. Bao Yuluo had run out from the crowd. When she saw Fangzheng, she said angrily, “Are you mad? This is Ganfanpen. Why did you bring a child in here? Aren’t you afraid you won’t be able to leave?”

Fangzheng could sense the concern that hid within Bao Yuluo’s anger. Hence, he wasn’t angry at her. He pressed his palms together and said, “Amitabha. Patron, do not worry. This Penniless Monk can naturally leave if he can come in.”