Last Bus of Route 13 - Chapter 88 - Camping in the Mountains

The old man’s words caught me off guard. Why did so many people take shots at Old Liu along the way? Even if Old Liu were a ghost, I’d still be happy to have him as a friend across generations.

I quickly regained my composure and joked, “Oh, old man, you figured it out! You better keep your distance then. This old fellow has been a ghost for ages and has quite a temper.”

The old man in the mountaineering suit didn’t take the bait, just smiled and said, “I need to use the restroom. Care to join?”

I snorted and pushed the door open to leave. Back at my seat, Old Liu asked, “What did you go out for?”

“Nothing much, just saw that old man staring at you endlessly, so I went to ask.”

Old Liu responded nonchalantly, “And what did you find out?”

“Not much, maybe he’s never seen such a handsome old guy like you.”

Despite Old Liu’s aloofness, we’ve been through so much together that we often engage in such banter.

Old Liu didn’t say anything, just closed his eyes to rest.

“Old Liu, isn’t Changbai Mountain a tourist spot? Does Meng E live at the foot of the mountain?”

Old Liu leaned his head against the seatback, shook his head without opening his eyes, and said, “She lives in Red Leaf Valley on the mountain. Just follow me when the time comes.”

Seeing Old Liu wanted to rest, I stopped talking and watched a movie with Bai Fan.

By around six in the evening, we finally got off the train, took a minibus, and then a taxi, and eventually reached the foot of Changbai Mountain after much hassle.

After settling down in an inn, we started planning the next day’s journey. According to Old Liu, Red Leaf Valley was within Changbai Mountain, but the main path to it was blocked by the scenic area. We’d have to sneak in from the back of the mountain.

When Old Liu talked about Red Leaf Valley, he became quite chatty. The valley was remote, and the trees at its entrance weren’t maples but ordinary poplars. The poplar leaves should be green, but every day at four in the afternoon, they turned fiery red. Only then could the path into the valley be seen.

I asked Old Liu, “Have you been there before?”

Old Liu shook his head and pulled a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket. When he spread it out, I saw it was a simple map with some mountains and paths sketched on it.

Old Liu valued the map greatly. Even though I wanted to borrow it for a look, he wouldn’t let me.

“You’ve all heard of the Changbai Mountain water monster, but the most formidable thing isn’t in the water; it’s on the mountain. So, stick close to me and don’t wander off.”

After saying this, Old Liu put away the map.

Bai Fan, hearing about the poplar leaves that turned red and the water monster, was thrilled, treating this trip to Changbai Mountain like a vacation, nodding excitedly.

After discussing our plans, we each returned to our rooms to sleep.

To avoid crowds, we set out before dawn, looking for a spot at the foot of Changbai Mountain to sneak into the mountain.

We walked along the mountain’s base for a long time before finally finding a place to enter. Supporting each other, the three of us began our ascent.

Though Changbai Mountain wasn’t very tall, its midsection was vast. Without Old Liu’s map, finding Red Leaf Valley would have been challenging.

We climbed under the morning light, and by noon, we still hadn’t seen a single red leaf.

As I sat down to catch my breath, I asked, “Old Liu, we’ve been climbing all morning and haven’t seen a trace of anything. Are you sure you understood that ragged map? Let me have a look.”

Old Liu didn’t respond. Instead, he gestured towards the mountain below. I turned to look and, to my surprise, saw two people climbing up not far from us. They were the same old man and robust fellow who had been eyeing Old Liu on the train.

I couldn’t help but grumble, “That old man, he was all shifty-eyed on the train, and now he’s following us off it?”

Old Liu shook his head as he sat on a rock and said, “It’s no big deal. Wait for them; maybe they’re headed the same way.”

“The same way? They’re looking for Red Leaf Valley too?”

Before long, the old man in the mountaineering suit, supported by the strong man, caught up with us. Upon seeing us, the old man nodded at me and said with a smile, “What a coincidence, meeting here in such a vast place like Changbai Mountain.”

I replied, not too kindly, “Old man, at your age, why not buy a ticket to see Heavenly Lake from the main entrance? Why climb over the back mountain?”

The old man chuckled and shook his head, “I’m not here for Heavenly Lake. I’m looking for something. I suspect you folks are too?”

Old Liu finally spoke, “What is the old brother searching for in the wilderness of Changbai Mountain?”

The old man in the mountaineering suit laughed and said, “Since we’ve met here, let’s not beat around the bush. What I’m looking for is in Red Leaf Valley. What about you folks?”

Old Liu didn’t seem surprised, just nodded.

The old man seemed to have guessed and said, “Red Leaf Valley is very hidden. Even with a map, it’s quite challenging to find. If you don’t mind, shall we join forces?”

The old man appeared quite amiable, but for some reason, I found him rather annoying. Before I could refuse, Bai Fan cheerfully agreed.

Seeing Old Liu nodding along, I couldn’t very well say anything against it.

Thus, the five of us began our search through Changbai Mountain.

Along the way, the old man even offered his map. Interestingly, his map differed from Old Liu’s in two key places, both at crucial junctions.

Of course, I still trusted Old Liu’s map. Bai Fan, noticing the old man’s lack of stamina, supported him and offered him water, earning his repeated praise.

We trekked through the endless mountains all day. By around six in the evening, the sky was beginning to darken.

It seemed we’d have to spend the night in the mountains. We found a relatively flat spot while there was still daylight, set up our tent, and sat together to eat and chat.

During the conversation, we learned that the old man was named Zhang, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, and the man accompanying him was his disciple. According to him, they were going to Red Leaf Valley to find a medicinal herb for treating someone.

Old Liu was cautious and told them we were going to Red Leaf Valley for scenic photography.

The old man smiled, but it was unclear whether he believed us. He changed the subject, saying, “Changbai Mountain is a treasure trove, rich in spiritual energy, and naturally, there are quite a few creatures. We should take turns keeping watch while we sleep tonight.”

I chuckled at this and teased:

“Old man, we’ve got five people here-two old men, a woman, and just us two young guys. You might as well just say you want us to keep watch, instead of beating around the bush, right?”

The old man chuckled and said, “Yes, yes, I’ll have to trouble you two to keep watch. Just remember, no matter what noises you hear around, stay in the camp and don’t go out.”

I nodded and asked, “Old man, you seem quite familiar with Changbai Mountain. Have you ever seen the water monster in the Heavenly Lake?”

The old man took a sip of water and slowly replied, “Not just the water monster, I’ve seen all kinds of creatures in Changbai Mountain-mountain monsters, wild beasts, ghosts. This is my eighth time coming to find Red Leaf Valley.”

“Eighth time?”

His words genuinely shocked me, and Bai Fan was also intrigued, softly asking, “Old man, you’ve been coming here for eight times at your age. Has it been over many years?”

The old man smiled and said, “I’m sixty-five now. I started coming here when I was twenty-five, every five years. It’s been forty years.”

“Forty years, and you’ve never found it once?”

He nodded, saying, “Never found it, not even once. Came twice without a map, and six times with one, but still no luck.”

His words seemed sincere, and it didn’t look like he was lying. The sturdy man beside him added, “Five years ago, when I came with my master, we almost lost our lives. This Red Leaf Valley in Changbai Mountain isn’t as easy to find as you might think.”

Old Liu sighed, “Yes, Red Leaf Valley is something everyone talks about, but very few have actually been there.”

Bai Fan chimed in, “Since you haven’t found it with the map, maybe the map’s wrong. This time, let’s follow Old Liu’s map.”

Old Liu replied coldly, “My map isn’t necessarily accurate either. We’ll have to see and adapt to the road conditions.”

The old man’s tale in the mountaineering suit hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew finding Red Leaf Valley in these vast mountains wouldn’t be easy, but I hadn’t imagined it would be this difficult. The old man spent forty years and eight trips with no success. What are the chances we’ll find it this time?

We chatted a bit more, and soon it was completely dark. I discussed with the sturdy man; he’d take the first half of the night, and I’d take the second half for the watch.

Once everything was settled, everyone went into their tents to sleep. I lay in my tent, took out the red paper man, and sighed. From getting the information to climbing Changbai Mountain, I thought everything would go smoothly. Who knew Red Leaf Valley would be so elusive?

But no matter what, even if I have to walk every path on both old men’s maps, I have to try. I whispered goodnight to the paper man and drifted off to sleep.

Around one in the morning, the man woke me up for my shift. Although the night was clear with a high moon, the mountain winds were strong and biting cold.

I wrapped my clothes tighter, carefully scanning the surroundings. Once I was sure everything was fine, I cautiously sat by the tent and lit a cigarette.

The man had only stayed up for the first half of the night, and it had worn him out. As soon as he got into the tent, he started snoring.

After finishing my cigarette, I stood up to stretch my arms and legs. Just as I was busy with that, I suddenly heard a rustling sound from the nearby bushes.

A shiver ran down my spine as I nervously looked over. In these deep mountains, you never know what kind of wild animal might jump out from the bushes!

But after a while, everything went quiet again.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief, but in the blink of an eye, the bushes rustled again.

“Damn, could it be a Siberian tiger?”

I tensed up, grabbing a piece of wood from the ground. I wanted to go over and check, but then I remembered the old man’s warning-no matter what, don’t go looking.

I was debating whether to wake everyone up for safety when the noise from the bushes grew louder.

My heart pounded wildly. I couldn’t wait any longer; I had to wake everyone up. I was closest to the old man’s tent, so I carefully lifted the tent flap.

“Old…”

Before I could finish saying “man,” I was almost scared out of my skin by what I saw inside the tent. There was no old man, just a stark white skeleton lying under the blankets!