Tie Niu's heart leaped into his throat. He gasped for breath as he followed behind Du Jianshan, his feet slipping on the wet, fallen leaves, and he almost fell over.
"Brother Du, where are we going?" Tie Niu shouted, his voice trembling.
"Let's go up the mountain first. There's an old pine forest over there. Let's hide there first." Du Jianshan's hand was still holding the musket, his eyes fixed on the forest.
"But... was that sound... a person?" Tie Niu pointed to the pool of blood at his feet, his voice as low as the wind blowing through the grass.
“A person? No way!” Du Jianshan frowned, lowering his voice even further. “Look at the bloodstains, they’re green! We’ve been hunting in these mountains for so many years, and we’ve never seen anything like this.”
Tie Niu swallowed hard, a bad feeling creeping into his heart: "But...you heard the sound of bones too, didn't you?"
Du Jianshan paused for a moment and slowly nodded: "I see it. But we can't stop here. Tie Niu, remember, if anything happens, run first, don't worry about me."
Tie Niu tightened his collar and gritted his teeth: "Brother Du, do you think I can get away with this?"
"Let's run first, whether we fall or not!" Du Jianshan shouted in a low voice, almost pulling Tie Niu along, running along the ridge, stepping on withered branches and broken leaves.
They ran for about ten minutes before reaching a dense forest. Moonlight dappled through the trees, and the old pine trees stood silently like guards. Du Jianshan slowed his pace, leaning against a tree trunk, panting, his musket still clutched in his hand.
Tie Niu slumped to the ground, clutching his chest: "Brother Du... I mean, where did your courage go when you're hunting? This time... I almost peed my pants."
Du Jianshan tapped the musket lightly, staring at the shadowy figures in the distance: "Tie Niu, remember, no matter what it is, don't move rashly when we see it, stay calm. After so many years of hunting, we've learned that some things in the mountains are more dangerous than people."
Tie Niu rubbed his head: "But... Brother Du, that bone-crunching sound... that green light... I've never seen anything like it before... Do you think it's a human, a demon, or..."
Du Jianshan shook his head, his face grave: "Demon? Tie Niu, don't talk nonsense. I don't believe in these things. But someone is definitely doing something strange in these mountains, we have to be careful."
The two were silent for a few seconds when suddenly a rustling sound came from afar, like someone walking in the woods, making a soft rustling sound as they stepped on the fallen leaves.
Tie Niu swallowed hard: "Brother Du, do you hear... someone?"
Du Jianshan raised his hand to signal him to shut up, then pressed his ear against the wind to listen carefully. Sure enough, the sound was getting closer and closer, rhythmic, as if it were deliberately drawing near.
"Don't move!" Du Jianshan whispered. He crouched down and slowly moved behind a thick pine tree, his musket ready to fire at any moment.
Tie Niu gripped Du Jianshan's arm nervously: "Brother Du, what do you think... what should we do? Hide or..."
"Hide." Du Jianshan gritted his teeth. "Hide first. We'll talk after we see clearly."
The noise grew closer, and Tie Niu's heart nearly leaped out of his chest. Just then, a dark shadow suddenly flashed out from behind the tree, moving with the speed of lightning.
"Ah—!" Tie Niu screamed, almost falling over.
Du Jianshan immediately pulled the trigger, but the bullet grazed the shadowy figure in mid-air and missed. The shadowy figure paused for a moment, then disappeared into the forest again.
"He...he ran away?" Tie Niu gasped, still shaken.
Du Jianshan frowned, his gaze sweeping through the woods: "They haven't gone far. Tie Niu, we need to follow the ridge and avoid this forest. We can't afford to be watched."
"Brother Du, do you think... this person... could be a poacher from the mountains?" Tie Niu's voice trembled slightly.
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