Chapter 209 It's here!
October 21, cloudy.
When I was little, I saw a quote somewhere that said one must surpass oneself, both in action and thought. Actually, my dream back then was to climb Kunshan. It was a sacred mountain of my dreams; only those who dared to climb it could enjoy the joy of success. So, with this belief, today, dear Kunshan, I'm coming!
October 25th, sunny.
After a full week of preparation, we finally had all the necessary equipment and supplies ready. We traveled over a thousand kilometers and finally arrived in Kunshan Town. Looking at the majestic snow-covered landscape, I was incredibly excited, as were Tao and the others. We stayed overnight at a villager's home and received a warm welcome, which made me feel very good.
October 26, sunny.
First day of hiking. Today went well, although tiring, but nothing serious happened. The weather was also nice, and we successfully completed our first day's plan. Everyone was very friendly and looked after each other. The only thing is that Xiao Zhang has a bit of a cold, but he insisted on continuing, which worried me a little.
October 28, heavy snow.
Today is the third day. We didn't expect to encounter heavy snow. Everyone was caught off guard and had to take a break. However, there was no place to stand nearby, and the visibility was also poor. So we found a slightly flat area to set up camp.
Because of the cold weather and the inability to make a fire in the heavy snow, everyone first gathered together to warm up and listen to Brother Tao tell stories. Brother Tao has a wealth of experiences, and everyone likes to listen to him tell all sorts of strange and wonderful stories. However, a few friends stayed in their own tents.
A little later, everyone returned to their own tents, but two people who hadn't stayed in their tents were missing. One of them was Xiao Zhang, who had a cold. Everyone was worried about where he could have gone in such heavy snow. Although it was dangerous outside and easy to lose one's bearings, Tao and Lao Li decided to go out and look for him. To help them find their way back to their camp, Tao hung a conspicuous red rope on top of the tent.
We told them not to go too far, and they agreed. So Tao and Lao Yao took flashlights and went to look for the two men. After a while, they came back carrying someone on their backs—it was Xiao Zhang. Xiao Zhang seemed to be in bad shape, so we quickly put him in the tent and wrapped him in thick clothes. He felt a little better after that.
Moreover, his face was flushed, his forehead was burning hot, and he had a high fever. We gave him fever-reducing medicine and asked him what was wrong and where his companion was.
Xiao Zhang said, "My companion wanted to borrow medicine from you, but as soon as she stepped out of the tent, we heard her scream. Your tent was a bit far away, and it was a snowy day, so you probably didn't hear it. I heard it, so I quickly opened the tent and looked outside, only to see my companion being dragged away by a huge monster."
“I panicked and quickly followed them, but they were going in the opposite direction. I don’t know what happened to me, but in my panic I couldn’t make a sound and couldn’t call for help.”
"I chased after it without thinking and grabbed my companion's foot, but the monster kicked me and I flew out. I was in pain all over when I fell. When I finally got up, I could no longer see my companion or the giant beast."
"I injured my leg and can barely walk. If you hadn't found me, I might have—"
At this point, tears streamed down Xiao Zhang's face. "That beast was too big. You were no match for it at all. Your companions might—"
Everyone was at a loss for what to do, and given the terrible weather, they had no choice but to give up and wait until dawn.
【October 29 sunny
The weather is great today, and the heavy snow has stopped. It seems that all evil has been covered up by the snow.
Xiao Zhang's companion was still nowhere to be found, and Xiao Zhang's illness was getting worse, with recurring fevers and a broken leg.
When Brother Tao asked for everyone's opinion, they split into two factions: one wanted to continue forward, and the other wanted to take Xiao Zhang down the mountain. This was because if they delayed any longer, Xiao Zhang might die, and the giant beast was also a shadow.
After discussing it, everyone decided to continue looking for Xiao Zhang's companions today. If they couldn't find them today, those who didn't want to stay would take Xiao Zhang down the mountain, while those who wanted to continue climbing would proceed as planned.
After we finished breakfast, one person stayed behind to take care of Xiao Zhang, while the rest of us went out to search. We split into four teams and headed in four different directions.
Tao, another person, and I formed a group of three and headed south. At first, we didn't find anything, nor did we see any trace of Xiao Zhang's companion. Later, I saw a very huge footprint, about the size of my buttocks. Although it was half covered by snow, it was still recognizable.
I asked Brother Tao if it was possible that these footprints were left by the giant beast that Xiao Zhang had mentioned. Brother Tao looked at the footprints and nodded solemnly.
We followed the footsteps, and Brother Tao told us to be careful, not to make any rash moves or noise. So we went into the cave and found many remains, some of animals and some of humans. Xiao Zhang's companion was also lying there, his fate unknown.
Just then, we heard heavy footsteps. It must be the giant beast returning. We quickly ran out of the cave and hid. During this time, we waited for the beast to come out so I could rescue my companions. We waited a long time, until the afternoon, when the sun was moving westward, and finally we saw the giant beast emerge from the cave and leave.
We could only see the back of the giant beast. It was covered in brown fur and looked like a large bear, but several times larger than an ordinary bear. It looked very frightening.
So I stood guard outside while the two of them went in to rescue the man. A short while later, they came out carrying him. By the time they reached the camp, it was already dark, and their companion was unconscious. We gave him hot water, and he slowly woke up, but he still couldn't speak.
So we decided to stay overnight and abandon our original plan first thing tomorrow morning, and all of us would go down the mountain, because that giant beast was just too terrifying, and there was almost no chance of survival if we encountered it.
However, I was very uneasy about having to stay here for another night.
That's basically it, except for a few very messy words at the very bottom: "It's here, it's here!"
Upon seeing this, Yu Xiaoluo fell into deep thought. It was very likely that the giant beast mentioned in the diary attacked their camp on the last night, either killing them or dragging them, like that companion, into that cave to be eaten later.
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