Last Bus of Route 13 - Chapter 92 - A Turn of Events

The thought of Red Leaf Valley lingered in my mind for just a moment. Old Liu had mentioned that the poplar leaves at the valley entrance only turned red at four in the afternoon, marking the path into the valley. These red leaves around me couldn’t be the same thing.

With the surroundings pitch black and my mobile phone out of signal range, I couldn’t contact Bai Fan. I didn’t dare wander aimlessly, so I decided to wait until daylight. I wrapped myself tightly in my coat and curled up at the base of a large tree to rest.

Before dawn, the chirping of early birds in the grove woke me. The night had been restless, and the quality of sleep was poor. I brushed off the leaves sticking to me and realized I needed to find Old Liu and Bai Fan quickly.

But everywhere I looked, all I saw were identical poplar trees, making it impossible to discern any direction. I cursed myself for running so far last night. In hindsight, why did I run?

Even though I overheard Old Zhang and Xiao Zhou discussing their quest to catch a chicken in Red Leaf Valley, it didn’t conflict with our goal. We were looking for someone, and they were looking for a chicken-perhaps the very chicken raised by the person we were seeking. We could have talked things over calmly!

Perhaps the many dangers I’ve faced have left me terrified, making me instinctively run when pursued.

Staying put wasn’t an option. Now that it was daylight, I needed to move. I picked a random direction and started walking, shouting Old Liu and Bai Fan’s names as I went.

The forest of Changbai Mountain was vast. Once separated, finding someone was incredibly difficult. I walked and shouted all morning without any response.

Panic set in as I recalled the middle-aged man who had given me a newspaper days ago. Had he gotten separated from his group and perished in the forest?

I had fled without my belongings, leaving me without water or food. If I couldn’t find the others, I was in real danger.

I quickened my pace, desperately trying to retrace my steps from the previous night. The farther I walked, the more I lost my sense of direction.

I wandered the grove for two days and nights, walking in the dark and daylight, without seeing a soul. Eventually, I was so exhausted I couldn’t move. My lips were cracked, my stomach was empty, and I lay hopelessly on the ground.

Just when I thought I was done for, a park worker in a yellow uniform found me.

The woman, around forty, looked vibrant and energetic. She struggled to drag me out of the grove and into a small car by the roadside.

I drifted in and out of consciousness, and when I finally came to, I found myself lying in a room on a bed. There was food and water on the table, which I devoured before falling asleep again.

When I woke, it was half past five in the afternoon. My strength had returned somewhat, and I realized I was in an employee dormitory at Changbai Mountain.

Before I could get out of bed, the kind woman who had saved me entered with a tray.

Seeing I was in good spirits, she smiled and placed the tray on the table, urging me to eat.

I didn’t hesitate, thanked her, and began to eat ravenously.

As I ate, I chatted with her, saying: “Sister, I really appreciate you saving my life. Otherwise, I would have died in the grove.”

Sister took a seat opposite me, watching me eat with a smile and said, “No worries, it’s all fate. Are you here for a trip to Changbai Mountain? How did you end up in the grove behind the mountain? That’s not part of the tourist area.”

Having been saved by Sister, I felt there was no need to hide anything from her, so I replied, “Sister, I’m not going to lie to you. I’m not here for sightseeing. I sneaked into the back mountain looking for Red Leaf Valley.”

“Red Leaf Valley?”

Seeing Sister’s reaction to the mention of Red Leaf Valley, I smiled and said, “Sister, the Red Leaf Valley I’m looking for isn’t for tourists. It’s in the Poplar Forest behind the mountain.”

Sister nodded and asked, “I know, but why are so many people going to the back mountain looking for this Red Leaf Valley? I wonder where this rumor started. Is there really a Red Leaf Valley back there?”

Sister’s kind face suggested she was a straightforward person, so it wasn’t surprising she didn’t believe in these mysterious tales. I chuckled and said, “Haha, Sister, are you a staff member at the scenic area? What do you do? Are you a forestry worker?”

“I’m not a forestry worker. Honestly, I’m just a garbage collector. With so many tourists, there’s a lot of littering. I pick up the trash they leave behind along the paths. Some of it gets blown into the grove by the wind, and that’s how I found you.”

As she spoke, Sister poured me a cup of hot water and handed it to me.

“Sister, I have two friends still in the grove. It’s been so long, I’m worried they might be in danger. Do you have any way to help me find them?”

Sister paused at my words and asked, “Two more?”

“Yes, two more-a old man and a young woman.”

Sister chuckled and said, “An old man and a woman? What kind of group are you? Alright, I’ll talk to the Forestry Team later and have them go in and look for them.”

After a brief pause, Sister continued, “By the way, did you see a cabin in the grove? One of our forestry workers lives there.”

The cabin immediately reminded me of the man with the bushy beard, and I asked, “I know the cabin. We came across it on the way.”

Sister’s expression turned tense at once. “Passing by the cabin, did you see the forestry worker living there? He has a bushy beard.”

Sensing something was off, I nodded and said, “We saw him. We stayed there overnight. He mentioned he would contact a helicopter to get us out in the morning, but we never saw him after dawn. What’s wrong, Sister?”

Sister’s brow furrowed even more as she slowly said, “So, when you arrived, he was still alive. Sigh, I don’t know what happened, but he’s dead now.”

“Dead? How did he die?” I paused, putting down my chopsticks and asked.

Sister sighed and said, “The Forestry Team couldn’t reach him, so they sent someone to check nearby. They found him dead, his head was… gone. It was pretty tragic.”

As Sister finished speaking, my heart skipped a beat. I had guessed it right-Old Zhang must have killed that man to get the blood for soaking the White Bones. I couldn’t help but feel a chill for us. If we hadn’t encountered that meddlesome man, Old Zhang might have targeted one of us instead.

Seeing me lost in thought, Sister said, “What’s on your mind? Changbai Mountain is a treasure trove with plenty of wild animals in the grove, but don’t worry. The Forestry Team will definitely find your two friends.”

I nodded with a smile and quickly finished my meal. Sister cleared the dishes and advised me to rest well before heading out.

Saying I wasn’t worried would be a lie. Although Old Liu had the skills to protect Bai Fan, he couldn’t go without food and water forever. It had been three days since we got separated, and their supplies must be running low. If they hadn’t found Red Leaf Valley yet, they were in real danger.

I sighed, thinking that if the Forestry Team didn’t find them tonight, I would definitely join them in the grove tomorrow.

Feeling restless, I went outside for a walk and happened to see Sister picking up trash with a plastic bag and broom by the roadside. I hurried over and asked, “Sister, it’s so late, and you’re still working?”

She laughed, “This is the busy time. Fewer tourists in the scenic area means it’s the perfect time to work.”

I joined in, helping her pick up trash from the roadside bushes. As we worked, we chatted, and Sister asked, “By the way, why are you and that lost old man and girl looking for Red Leaf Valley?”

I picked up a food wrapper and tossed it into her trash bag, saying, “To find someone to save my life.”

“Find someone? Not looking for the Spiritual Chicken?”

Her words caught me off guard. I had only heard about the Spiritual Chicken in Red Leaf Valley from Old Zhang, yet Sister knew about it too!

Surprised, I asked, “Sister, how do you know there’s a Spiritual Chicken in Red Leaf Valley? Didn’t you say there wasn’t one?”

She waved her hand dismissively, “That’s a long story. Who are you looking for in Red Leaf Valley?”

I gave a wry smile and replied, “Sister, I’ve gotten myself into some bizarre stuff. A friend told me to find someone named Meng E there.”

As soon as I said that, Sister froze mid-bend, puzzled, “Meng E? That’s me. Why are you looking for me?”

“You are Meng E???” I was stunned, eyes wide in disbelief as I looked her over again. Meng E was supposed to be a master recommended by Semi-Immortal Xu, someone with an air of mystery and wisdom. How could it be this cleaning lady in a work uniform?

Seeing my dumbfounded expression, Sister continued, “Meng E is a nickname given to me, not many people know it. Who sent you?”

I gathered myself, half-doubting, “Sister, are you really Meng E? Could it be a coincidence? It was Semi-Immortal Xu who sent me.”

At the mention of Semi-Immortal Xu, Sister waved her hand with a sigh, “That old fellow, always sending people my way when there’s trouble. So you’ve already met Semi-Immortal Xu, then?”

Hearing her refer to Semi-Immortal Xu as “that old fellow,” it was clear they had an unusual relationship. Could this ordinary-looking Sister really be the Meng E I had been desperately searching for? I quickly nodded and said, “Yes, I met him. Semi-Immortal Xu said that only you could save me. Sister, if you truly are Meng E, please, I beg you to save my life.”

Sister smiled and said, “Well, it seems fate has brought us together. Let’s go inside and talk about what you need my help with.” With that, she tied up the garbage bag and tossed it into a nearby bin before leading me back inside.

Overjoyed, I rushed into the house and recounted all the strange incidents I had encountered while driving, including meeting Mr. He and what Semi-Immortal Xu had said about the mix of spirits and humans. Sister listened intently and, much like Semi-Immortal Xu, asked, “You met Mr. He? What did he tell you?”

It was peculiar. I knew Mr. He was a top figure in their circle, but why did they all care so much about what he had told me? Reluctantly, I repeated to her what Mr. He had said, but just like with Semi-Immortal Xu, I only shared one sentence, leaving the other unsaid.

Meng E pondered for a while and then slowly said, “No worries. I understand the situation with your car. Since Semi-Immortal Xu sent you, I’ll definitely help you out. Don’t worry, I can handle this. It’s not a big problem.”

Hearing Meng E say it wasn’t a big issue, I was overjoyed. I quickly pulled out the small red paper man and knelt down with a thud. “Sister, I know I’m being thick-skinned, but could you do me another favor? I know you’re skilled in Paper Cutting Spirit Infusion. Could you turn this paper man back into a little girl? Please, even if it’s just for a day, I want to take her to see the city.”

Meng E hurriedly helped me up and took the red paper man, examining it for a long time with a furrowed brow before sighing deeply. My heart tightened, and just as I was about to ask, there was a sudden knock on the door.

“Sister, are you in there? Two bodies were found in the grove. Could you come and see if they’re the ones you’re looking for?”

Two bodies found? The words sent a shock through me, nearly causing me to collapse in fear!