When Xue Dong came here to scout during the day, he had already thoroughly explored the terrain of the mountain. After the border guards left, he led us, under the cover of the rocks, to make an arc and proceed along the valley below the watchtower.
The valley was relatively flat, but it was filled with garbage and excrement, clearly being used as a public toilet for the training ground.
We seized the opportunity to avoid the military camp's training grounds and quickly headed up the mountain.
Only when a hill completely blocked our view of the training ground did everyone relax. Jiang Man asked me, "Where should we go next?"
As the last rays of the setting sun shone, I observed the summit of the mountain and gestured with my hands: "The auspicious spot on this mountain is at the highest point. If we can find a way to climb to the top, we can determine whether the token is here or not. The terrain where we are now is too steep. We need to go around the mountainside and find a flat area."
"Young Master Duan, take a rest."
Seeing that I was about to take another step, the monkey plopped down on the ground and said, "I'm so hungry that I'm dizzy and don't even have the strength to speak. If I keep going, I'll be exhausted to death."
Not only the monkey, but I was also feeling exhausted. Looking at the mountain peak that was so close, I helped him up: "Even if we rest, we won't have any food to replenish our strength. Hang in there a little longer, and once we find the token, you can rest as much as you want."
Jiang Man also cheered: "That's right, everyone, cheer up! As long as we find the second token, we can go back! Then we can eat our fill of delicacies and sleep comfortably in bed for three days!"
Whether it was Jiang Man's attempt to quench thirst by imagining plums that worked, or everyone realized that dragging it out was pointless, they eventually mustered their spirits and followed behind me.
Just as I predicted, the terrain becomes steeper as you go up the mountain, and the military camp with only a hundred or so men below has not been developed.
By the time we circled around to the other side of the hillside, the sun had already disappeared below the horizon, leaving only a wisp of afterglow on the sky.
Compared to the direction we were climbing, the terrain here is much gentler.
I looked at the gentle slope to the left and the cliff below it, and said, "The terrain here is steep. If anyone falls, they're dead! We need to return the way we came after we get the token. There's no need for everyone to risk going up. You guys stay here and wait. I'll go up myself and return the way we came after we get the item!"
"No! It's too dangerous for you to go up the mountain alone! What if there's a section that requires two people to climb? Are you going to turn back and call for help?"
The monkey immediately rejected my plan: "I'll go up the mountain with you. That way, even if we encounter any danger, we can look out for each other."
"I'm going too!"
Manjing chimed in, "I'm the strongest, so I can help with any physical labor."
Seeing that the monkey looked exhausted, I decided to let him stay and accompany Jiang Man, while I took only Manjing up the mountain.
Among us, Manjing is the most taciturn. Besides being very strong, his greatest virtue is that he is obedient.
When I was chatting with Lin Que before, he told me that Manjing's family was very poor. When he was a child, he had a serious illness and had a fever for seven days. Although he survived, he was never very bright.
The two of us walked along the mountain path for about a hundred meters when I suddenly stopped.
Seeing this, Manjing, who was beside me, took my arm and said, "Brother, are you tired? How about I carry you up?"
“This hillside is full of loose rocks. If you carry me up the mountain and you accidentally step into a hole, we’ll both be dead.”
I waved to Manjing and fixed my gaze on the mountain road ahead.
After years of rain erosion, the path we took up the mountain has suffered severe soil erosion; it's all bare rocks, with no soil at all.
At this moment, a few pebbles were scattered at my feet. About a meter ahead, the original spot of these pebbles was still visible, with the damp marks clearly visible.
That's exactly why I stopped.
These scattered stones were originally stuck in a groove. Under the influence of gravity, it would have been impossible for them to fall into that spot. Moreover, the groove was originally wet, indicating that they hadn't been scattered for very long.
Without external force, these stones would never have fallen.
Did someone get up the mountain before us?
There is only one road leading up the mountain, and it was guarded by border guards all day long. How did these people manage to sneak in?
After thinking about it for a moment, I figured the chances of anyone being there were extremely slim. I figured the rock was probably knocked down by some small animal, so I waved and continued climbing up the mountain with Manjing.
The mountains here are exceptionally steep, and I nearly fell off the cliff several times during my climb.
After crossing the steepest part of the ridge, the mountaintop finally flattens out, revealing a low-lying valley.
The depression was overgrown with weeds that were half a person tall, and in the very center, there was a tree.
The tree in the center of the depression looked quite old, about seven or eight meters tall. Although it was far away from me, I could tell at a glance that it was planted by humans, and it was probably a lychee tree.
This method of planting lychee trees on the dragon's spine is called "dragon turning back," which is similar to the finishing touch in painting a dragon.
Generally speaking, once the tree dies naturally, it is considered to have absorbed the dragon's energy, and at that time, the place can be used as a burial site.
However, in such a place where the dragon veins intertwine, this can only be considered an auspicious burial site for ordinary people.
Based on my estimation, this tree was planted during the Republic of China or the Qing Dynasty. I estimate that at that time, this area was probably still Chinese territory.
The location of the lychee tree has already pointed out the auspicious location of the burial site for us. I was about to go and check it out when I noticed a clear mark in the grass.
Now we are on high ground, and we can see the entire depression. On a large expanse of grass, there is a long shadow.
These are the marks left after the weeds were trampled down, and they spread all the way to the direction of the lychee tree.
Seeing this mark, I lowered my voice and said to Manjing, "Someone got to this mountain before us. Be careful."
Manjing gripped his spear tightly: "Brother, isn't it allowed to steal things in this competition? Why don't we just stay here and guard them, and if they come back, we'll steal from them!"
"It's getting darker and darker. We don't know if they'll turn back the way they came. We need to go down and check."
As I spoke, I had already hurried down the hillside toward the depression.
Upon inspecting the trampled weeds, they were all lying in one direction, indicating that people only passed through this path but did not turn back.
I adjusted my breathing, gripped the spear, and silently disappeared into the dense grass.
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