Coo coo!

Coo coo!

On the dark forest path, Shozo Ohta walked in front with a hunting rifle, and Makoto Sakaki followed behind with Hongshu. Like most people who go into the mountains, Shozo Ohta chose the safest path. In his words, this might take a little detour, but it is safer.

Having only received half of the deposit, he of course hoped to get Sakaki Makoto and the other two out of the forest safely, so he was very cautious along the way.

As night fell, cold winds began to blow in the forest, blowing through the gaps between sleeves. From time to time, the calls of some birds could be heard from all around. Hongshu, carrying his luggage, kept looking around with his eyes wide open. He shone the flashlight everywhere and looked a little uneasy.

"What bird is that calling?"

Hong Shu was a little scared and simply asked:

“Is it a cuckoo?”

"It's a wild pigeon."

Ohta Shozo in front said without turning his head:

"These birds are everywhere and they don't hurt anyone."

"What are feral pigeons?"

Hongshu looked confused, as he didn't understand the local names for the animals, so he could only ask Sakaki Makoto.

"The wild pigeon, scientifically known as the spotted dove, is about 30 centimeters long, about the same size as a pigeon. It is brown all over, with dense white spots around its neck, which looks like pearls, so it is called the spotted dove."

Sakaki Makoto is relatively familiar with these creatures, and explained to Hongshu:

"This bird is commonly found in cities, villages, and surrounding open fields and woodlands. It likes to eat plant seeds and fruits. It is monogamous and breeds 2-3 times a year. The breeding season is usually from April to November depending on the region. The short and continuous cooing sound you just heard is the sound they make when calling for courtship, just like a peacock spreading its tail."

"It turns out to be a spotted dove..."

Hongshu was familiar with these animals and knew that they would not hurt people, so he felt much more at ease.

This was his first time to "travel" into the mountains since he was a child, and he was curious about everything he saw. However, the proprietress's remarks lingered in his mind, and every time he thought of them, he felt an inexplicable sense of fear.

Compared to Hongshu, Sakaki Makoto seemed much calmer. He really couldn't think of any danger in the forest close to the village. Most wild animals would not approach areas where humans frequently moved around, and even if there were, they would have been hunted down by the villagers long ago.

As for the legend told by the proprietress that there was a ghost haunting the back mountain, it was even more nonsense. If ghosts really existed in the world, why didn't he see the Yin-Yang Master?

Compared to the speculative monster, Ohta Shozo who was walking in front of him made him more curious.

It is not difficult to see from what happened before that Shozo Ohta was very poor and loved gambling, which led to him being driven out by his family and people often came to collect debts.

Such a person may seem dangerous, but he is actually the easiest to deal with. He is no match for Makoto Sakaki at all. In addition, he is very brave, so he is the most suitable person to be a guide into the mountains.

"You are going to the back mountain. Are you looking for the group that entered the mountain this morning?"

As they were walking, Ohta Shozo suddenly asked:

"They are the ones who solved last night's murder case. There were two children involved."

"Are you interested in them?"

"Don't get me wrong, I just want to remind you, boss, that they might have met with an accident now."

Ohta Shozo stopped and turned around, looking very serious:

"You are new here and don't know the situation in the village. The rumors about the Nephilim are actually just rumors used to scare tourists. Of course, some locals believe them, but they can't fool me."

Hearing this, Sakaki Makoto narrowed his eyes and said:

"It seems that there is something strange in Fujimi Village. You didn't dare to say these things in the village, and only dared to tell us after you got to the mountain."

"Hey, you're a smart guy."

Ohta Shozo grinned and stamped his feet:

"There's a cliff behind the mountain we're standing on. If you want to enter the mountain, you have to pass through Fujimi Village. To put it bluntly, this place is like a prison. If you want to visit the prisoners in the mountain, you have to pass by the guards in front. Do you understand?"

"prison?"

Hongshu looked around and asked in confusion:

"This is clearly a forest. People can come and go as they please. How can this be a place to hold prisoners?"

"Alas, you don't know that there is only one road up and down this mountain. The rest of the way is rugged and steep. Even the most experienced hunters in the village would not easily set foot on it, let alone ordinary people."

Ota Shozo sighed:

"Another point, do you know why Fujimi Village was suddenly planned as a tourist village two years ago?"

"As a typical inland prefecture, Saitama Prefecture is certainly not as developed as coastal cities like Tokyo. Its most abundant resources are land and forests, and it is an industrial area. But just because the city dwellers live well doesn't mean the villagers live well. If Fujimi Village wants to develop, it can only ask the Maebashi City Government for funding to improve the environment and use forest resources to develop tourism. But in addition to Fujimi Village, there are many other villages around that also want funding. Why did it choose Fujimi Village?"

After hearing this, Sakaki Makoto finally understood everything.

Ohta Shozo's words were full of hidden meanings. He had been hinting that Fujimi Village had a background, and the move of joining forces with Boss to place the mother and son in Gunma Prefecture seemed to make the situation clear at a glance.

If Sakaki Makoto guessed correctly...

Fujimi Village must have reached a secret agreement with the Boss. There must be spies from the other side in the village. As long as anyone wants to go up the mountain, the Boss will get the news immediately.

"You are also from Fujimi Village, why are you telling us this?"

Hongshu tilted his head, a little confused:

"Isn't this betraying one's own people?"

"Our own people? Who are they?"

Ota Shozo sneered:

"Ever since I lost money gambling, they have looked down on me and never looked at me straight in the eye. I have not received any of the benefits that the villagers should have received in the process of transforming the tourist village. Can I be considered one of their own?"

"I'm telling you this because you're the only ones who have looked at me squarely and given me a chance over the years, so I don't want to watch you die!"

"A group of strangers came to the village this afternoon. There were more than a dozen of them. I could tell at a glance that they were carrying guns. They were definitely not good people. Your companions have probably been killed by now... There is a small path down the mountain nearby that leads directly to the village entrance. Follow me down the mountain from there and leave quickly. You can still survive. Otherwise, you will be left dead in the wilderness and no one can save you!"

Hongshu's face tightened and he subconsciously grabbed Sakaki Makoto's sleeve. He felt that the surroundings were even more eerie and terrifying, as if several people would jump out at any time.

"Thanks for the reminder."

Seeing that Ohta Shozou didn't seem to be lying and was sincere, Sakaki took out his wallet, paid the remaining 50,000 yen, and said:

"But I still want you to lead us into the mountains."

"Are you sure?"

Rubbing the banknotes in his hand, Ota Shozo frowned:

"I've said everything I need to say."

"Of course I am sure."