Chapter 90 A Chance Encounter
When Bourbon woke up, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. He sensed someone beside him and turned his head, a startling feeling washing over him:
He was an old man with a dignified and solemn demeanor, and piercing eyes. He looked at least 70 years old, and his face, weathered by wind and sun, was deeply lined with wrinkles, like parched land.
"Don't be nervous, I don't bite." The old man's voice was deep and powerful, and his wrinkles deepened when he laughed.
Bourbon was a little embarrassed by these words. He struggled to sit up in bed and said sincerely, "Thank you for saving me."
"Let's eat first."
Bourbon's stomach was already empty; he was so hungry he was seeing stars. The food smelled delicious, so he picked up the bowl and started shoveling food into his mouth, eating in a truly pitiful manner.
"Eat slowly, there's more if you're not full," the old man said calmly.
The Golden Retriever, who had been wolfing down its food, slowed down, regaining some strength, and was filled with questions it wanted answered. Unfortunately, just then, someone outside knocked on the window and whispered, "Morey!"
The old man went to open the window, and the person outside whispered a few words in his ear. Then the old man said to Bourbon, "Excuse me, I have to go out for a bit. If you need anything, just ask Little Rust; he'll take care of you."
Bourbon nodded, somewhat bewildered, and watched the old man leave. A question lingered in his mind: Where am I? And who is Little Rust Spot?
After finishing his meal, Bourbon's first action was to let his partner, Jingguang, know he was safe. However, while looking for his phone, he was surprised to find that the clothes he had thrown into the swamp had been washed and neatly folded. Moreover, the tooth necklace that had been in his pocket was now hanging around his neck, and the old lanyard had been replaced with a new one.
"I've really met some kind people!"
Bourbon was secretly relieved, but soon received bad news: Kagemitsu had sent Gil to Gaton, while Conan was left alone in Maitai's village. The three of them were now separated in three different places, a situation that no one had expected.
"It's okay, we'll see each other soon," Jingguang comforted him.
However, the time it took for their next reunion was also unexpected.
Bourbon checked the time; it was already the afternoon of the second day. He estimated that he had slept for at least 15 hours.
"It was truly a brush with death."
The old man named Morey hadn't returned yet, so Bourbon decided to go find Little Rusty to inquire about the situation.
As soon as he stepped outside, Bourbon bumped into a lean, dark-skinned young man.
“Hello, my name is Innislig. May I ask who Little Rusty is?” Bourbon asked politely, causing several people around to burst into laughter. Bourbon realized he had made a fool of himself: this must be the person he was looking for.
But Little Rust wasn't annoyed. Instead, he was very warm and caring, asking after her: "You're finally awake! I was so worried! But now it's all right. If anything happens, just tell me. I've got your back, so don't be afraid!"
The man was no more than 20 years old, but he spoke like an older brother, and at an extremely fast pace. Bourbon barely understood him and asked somewhat bewilderedly, "Thank you. Did you save me yesterday? I don't speak much Spanish, could you speak a little slower?"
“Yes, I was the first to find you. The situation was very dangerous. You’re incredibly lucky to have survived!” Little Rusty slowed his speech, patted Bourbon on the shoulder, and said earnestly, “Innis, you must be under 20 years old, right? Aren’t your family worried about you being out alone at such a young age?”
"Uh... I'm sorry, I'm a bit bigger than you think."
Everyone laughed even harder: "Little Rust Spot, stop pretending to be the big brother here, he's older than you!"
"Shut up, you old geezers!"
Bourbon observed that the people were all quite old; apart from Rusty, the youngest was around forty. He seemed to understand why Old Man Morrill had arranged for Rusty to take care of him, and he also understood Rusty's enthusiasm for him: the two of them were roughly the same age, while the others had a clear generation gap with them.
"Let's go! Innis, I'm taking you out to have some fun, don't mind these old guys!" Little Rusty grumbled and dragged Bourbon away.
"Little Rusty, don't run around! This child has just woken up!" someone shouted from behind.
"You don't need to remind me, I know what I'm doing!"
Bourbon had no idea where Little Rusty's sense of propriety lay; he only felt that this young man was excessively lively. Not only did he speak very fast, but he did everything very quickly, making it a little difficult for Bourbon to keep up.
"Oh dear, are you tired? Why don't you rest here for a bit?"
"Thank you." The two sat down under the rubber tree. Before Bourbon could ask anything, Little Rusty started babbling on: "This tree is very old. When I came here, it was already this tall." He even measured it as he spoke.
"You can tell these trees apart?" Bourbon asked in surprise.
"What's so difficult about that? I know every single tree within a hundred miles! Not just trees, I know everything. Most people would get lost here, but I definitely won't." Little Rusty Spot's excitement made him speak faster again. Later, Bourbon joked with Jingguang that this person was my best Spanish teacher.
Have you been here long?
“It’s been 15 years! I was only 5 years old then, just a tiny little thing. That’s why the old crocodile gave me the nickname Little Rusty.”
"The rusty-spotted cat is the smallest cat species in the world. What an interesting name!"
Bourbon wondered, then asked, "Who is Old Man Crocodile?"
"Huh? Didn't you see him? I clearly saw him come out of your room."
"So that old man was the Crocodile Grandpa!"
Bourbon belatedly realized: Morrell was referring to the Mexican alligator!
"So, Kemen is a crocodile too..."
Bourbon subconsciously touched the teeth hanging around his neck.
"Hey, you have one too? Did Old Man Crocodile give it to you?" Little Rusty Spot leaned closer for a look, then quickly denied it, "No, this one's really old, looks older than me. But it's definitely Old Manu's work, no doubt about it. Where did you get this?"
“These are my father’s belongings,” Bourbon answered honestly. “Who is old Manu?”
“He’s a doctor, he’s the one who cured you.” Little Rusty Spot looked at the other person and muttered to himself, “Could it be that your father and Old Manu are acquainted? But you should be a foreigner, right? How strange. Why don’t I take you to him? Old Manu has a very good memory, he’ll definitely remember where it came from!”
"Does old Manu live far from here?" Bourbon pressed his pounding heart; he felt very close to the truth. But he was also afraid, fearing that the answer might not be what he wanted.
"Old Manu prefers quiet, so he lives in a rather remote area. We'll take a shortcut and get there quickly!"
Bourbon, led by Little Rust, arrived at a small wooden house.
When Bourbon thought of doctors, his first image was that of Elena Miyano: wearing a white coat, treating patients in a bright, spotless hospital. However, the wooden house in front of him was far from his imagination.
“Old Manu is a renowned witch doctor,” Little Rusty explained. “He’s very old and has a strange temper, but he’s not a bad person.”
Bourbon, his heart pounding, followed Little Rusty inside. Although he thought he was mentally prepared, the scene inside was still far beyond his expectations.
Bourbon felt as if he had stepped into the secret chamber of a medieval alchemist. The golden retriever moved with extreme caution, as if afraid of breaking some taboo.
He saw a piece of dead wood leaning against the table, its bark cracked and covered with mushrooms and moss. What was even more bizarre was that it was still moving!
Terrified, Bourbon then realized that it was not a tree, but an old witch doctor dressed in a robe and hat.
"Old Manu, look who's here?"
"Quiet down, little Rust. You're too noisy. I heard you when you passed the laurel tree outside the door." The voice coming from under the mushroom was so old it didn't seem to come from a throat at all, but rather like a few breaths gathering and dispersing.
Bourbon felt inexplicably nervous, even a little afraid. He said timidly, "Hello, my name is Innislig. Thank you for saving me yesterday. I'm sorry to have troubled you."
“Welcome back to the human world. I know why you’ve come,” the old witch doctor said, standing up and walking towards Bourbon. The dog was intimidated by the eerie aura and instinctively took two steps back.
“Young man, do not be afraid! No one here can harm you.” The old witch doctor gently stroked Bourbon’s forehead with his rough, cracked hand, like tree bark. “I knew you would come; fate brought us together again. After darkness, new life will emerge from the ashes. Do not be lost, do not be afraid; you will find a path brighter than your father’s. This is my advice to you. Go, son of Black Kaimen! Find your own path.”
Bourbon was still reeling from the shock when Little Rusty exclaimed excitedly, "My God! Your father is Black Kymen?!"
"Who is Black Kaimen?" Bourbon asked, looking completely bewildered.
“Little Rust, you’re too noisy,” the old witch doctor said, returning to the table with displeasure.
"Okay, okay, I'm off right away!" Little Rusty Spot grabbed Bourbon and ran out like the wind. "Come with me, I'll take you somewhere!"
Bourbon's mind was in turmoil, and he let the other man pull him away. He kept pondering the old witch doctor's words, uneasy thoughts churning in his mind: Did finding a brighter path than his father's mean that his father ultimately failed to find it?
Little Rusty took Boburn to a small attic, where he found a roll of parchment in a dusty, locked cabinet.
“This place is called Crocodile Bay, but there are actually no crocodiles. It’s named after five people.” Little Rusty opened the parchment and pointed to a totem-like pattern on it. “These five crocodiles represent those five people. Prouss, Barinas, Cuvier, Morrere—that is, Old Crocodile. And the last one is: Black Kaimen, your father.”
Bourbon remained silent, still in a state of extreme shock.
Little Rusty Spot, his face full of admiration, kept talking: "You know what? I grew up listening to your father's legends and stories! I never imagined you were Black Kymen's son!"
Bourbon regained some of his composure and asked, "You've been here for 15 years, and all you've heard of are the legends?"
Little Rusty replied apologetically, "Yes, when I came here, only Old Man Crocodile was left. The other four predecessors are gone."
"That means Dad has been dead for a long time."
Bourbon thought with a heavy heart that although he had never expected to be reunited with his father, it was still very painful to hear the news of his father's death.
"If you want to be alone for a while, I can go out first."
Bourbon nodded gratefully at the small rust spot.
He flipped through the parchment scrolls alone, but much of it was written in a script he couldn't read. He could only barely understand a little bit. He roughly understood Little Rusty's admiration for his father: his father was one of the founders, pioneering the way through hardships to open up the mountains and forests. He couldn't imagine the hardships that had been endured.
Unfamiliar land, unfamiliar language, unfamiliar people...
What kind of belief led Dad to leave his hometown and come here?
Bourbon sighed and put the parchment away. He walked out heavily, but Little Rusty Spot exclaimed happily, "Uncle, let's go back for dinner!"
"What did you call me?!"
"Uncle! Look, Old Crocodile adopted me as his grandson, so he's like my grandfather. And Old Crocodile and your father are sworn brothers. So you're my uncle!"
Bourbon was both amused and exasperated. He hadn't seen his father but had inexplicably gained a lot of relatives. He had received far too many surprises today: "Just call me by my name. Calling me 'uncle' is too strange."
“That’s right, Innis is easier to pronounce!” Little Rusty said, his expression suddenly changing. “Quick, quick, they’re back, come with me!”
Bourbon thought an enemy was approaching and quickly ran after them. Little Rusty said softly and rapidly, "Hurry! Walk quietly, don't disturb them!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Little Rusty scurried up the tree, and Bourbon had no choice but to bite the bullet and climb up as well.
However, Bourbon did not see any enemy. Little Rust Spot parted the dense foliage and whispered, "Look!"
Bourbon looked in the direction the finger was pointing and was stunned by the sight before him: a large flock of brightly colored birds fluttered back to their nests. Bathed in the setting sun, their bright yellow feathers shimmered like jewels adorning the forest.
“Those are golden conures. Their chicks can’t fly yet! It’s getting late, and the adult birds have all gone home,” Little Rusty explained. “Welcome home.”
"Thank you, little rust spot."
Bourbon was mesmerized by the breathtaking scene: the setting sun in the distance seemed to melt into the wide river, where water and sky merged into one, and the sunset drifted away with the eastward flowing water. Weary birds returned to their nests, their graceful shadows floating on the water.
“I have never seen such breathtaking scenery,” Bourbon later told Kagemitsu.
Bourbon and Rusty returned quite late, and Old Crocodile looked very unhappy. But the old man didn't lash out at Bourbon; he simply said gently, "Go eat."
Little Rusty Spot made a face at him and whispered in his ear, "Old Crocodile must know who you are, otherwise he wouldn't be giving you such a friendly look!"
Little Rust Spot wasn't so lucky, though, and received a good scolding. Bourbon, feeling a little guilty, stepped forward and said, "Um, actually it was me..."
"I told you to go eat!"
Little Rusty gave him a wink, and the Golden Retriever had no choice but to obediently leave.
After having dinner indoors, Bourbon couldn't wait to share his experiences of the day with his childhood friend. He was so excited he didn't know where to begin!
While sending messages, Bourbon saw a familiar figure outside the window: it was Old Man Crocodile!
Bourbon strode over and greeted him: "Senior Morrell, I have a few questions I'd like to ask..."
“Perfect timing, I also have a few questions for you,” the old man said seriously.
“Eh? Then you go first.” Bourbon thought the other party would ask him about his background, but to his surprise, the old crocodile asked directly, “Then I’ll just get straight to the point. Rumor has it that yesterday Ap sent a woman to Gadon, which is quite unusual. I’ve known Ap for a long time, and this isn’t like him. And coincidentally, you were tied up and thrown into the swamp yesterday, which is Ap’s territory. So, are these two things related?”
“Ah, this…” Bourbon hadn’t prepared a response at all, and his reaction had already given away the truth. “That woman, uh… I guess she was my companion.”
"Consider it?" The old crocodile was more perceptive than Bourbon had imagined.
Bourbon forced a change of topic: "She's innocent, I want to save her."
"You're barely keeping your own life in danger, yet you're thinking about saving others?"
Bourbon was speechless after being confronted, and argued quietly, "It really was an accident."
The old crocodile snorted angrily, "Just like your father!"
"What kind of person was my father? Why did he come here? How... how did he die?" The big golden retriever's eyes looked heartbreaking. The old man patted his shoulder and said, "It's too late today, go to sleep."
"Please, please tell me! This is very important to me!"
The old man sighed helplessly: "I've known him for many years, it's not something that can be told in a few minutes. If you don't make me angry tomorrow, I'll tell you."
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