Chapter 50: Viper

After a chaotic ordeal that lasted until four in the morning, weighed down by heavy, drooping eyelids, he collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep. Waking up in the afternoon, Liu Jun nudged Fatty awake to grab a bite to eat, and then they headed straight for the shop. After practicing for a while and reading some books, though without any major breakthroughs, he at least mastered a few more Daoist arts.

Such peaceful days continued for two days until a phone call disrupted the tranquility.

"The boundless horizon is my love, flowers are blooming at the foot of the rolling green mountains. What kind of rhythm is the most swinging, what kind of singing is the most joyful—"

Liu Jun pulled out his phone and checked the caller ID: it was his eldest aunt. Due to certain family reasons and differences in temperament, Liu Jun rarely interacted with his relatives. Yet, when he was a child, his eldest aunt had indeed taken good care of him.

"Hello, what's wrong, Aunt?"

"Xiao Jun, your Second Grandpa has passed away. He didn't have any close relatives over there, and it's inconvenient for me to go. Could you make a trip, sign the paperwork, and bring his ashes back?" His aunt's voice carried a hint of sorrow; after all, an elder of the family had passed away.

Liu Jun fell silent for a moment. He knew about his Second Grandpa, though they had never been very close. Over the past twenty-odd years since childhood, they had only met a few times. He only knew that his Second Grandpa had worked as a forest ranger in the Greater Khingan Mountains, had no children, and had lived out his life alone as a bachelor.

His Second Grandpa used to be a formidable hunter, frequently carrying a hunting rifle and returning from the mountains with a plentiful harvest every time. Later, upon becoming a forest ranger with a steady source of income, he stopped hunting and turned in his hunting rifle. Memories surfaced in his mind of his Second Grandpa occasionally returning to visit during his childhood, holding him with joy and wearing that kind, gentle smile. His mood grew somewhat heavy and restless.

Liu Jun agreed to his aunt, got the address from her, and briefed Fatty. The two of them packed their things and prepared to set off for Heilongjiang Province.

First, they went to the shop to get some human-transformation pills from Brother Gou, intended for the little fox. There was no helping it; the little fox wouldn't be able to pass security at the checkpoint, so she had to transform into a little girl first.

Along the journey, Liu Jun remained mostly silent because of his Second Grandpa, and Fatty did not joke around as he usually did, remaining as gloomy as Liu Jun. Meanwhile, the little fox spent the entire trip snacking all the way until they got off the vehicle.

Upon arriving in Heilongjiang, they did not take a long-distance bus again, but instead hailed a taxi directly, agreeing on a fare of four hundred yuan. The driver possessed the typical local conversational nature and was extremely talkative. Learning that they were heading toward the outskirts of the mountains, he chatted animatedly the entire way about various local folklore and strange tales from the region.

After driving for about three hours, they finally arrived at the funeral parlor. Second Grandpa's body had not yet been cremated because a relative's signature was required.

Once the set of procedures was completed, Liu Jun finally laid eyes on Second Grandpa. With his eyes tightly closed, he lay there quietly. Liu Jun walked over, stood in complete silence for a long while without uttering a single word.

Just as Liu Jun was about to leave, he suddenly frowned, walked quickly to Second Grandpa's side, and looked at his tightly clenched hands. Liu Jun reached out and gently pried them open, afraid of hurting Second Grandpa. He cupped his hands underneath to catch whatever was grasped tightly in Second Grandpa's grip: a piece of ginseng root.

Liu Jun picked it up and sniffed it. There was a demonic aura present; it was the root of a ginseng that had attained sentience and become a spirit. Without disturbing Second Grandpa further, he walked out, signed the papers, consented to the cremation, and arranged for the ashes to be temporarily stored in the columbarium.

"Brother Liu, what's going on?" Fatty asked, looking confused when Liu Jun walked out empty-handed.

"Second Grandpa's death might be related to a spirit. Let's go to the place where Second Grandpa lived before he passed away."

Without waiting for Fatty to ask further, Liu Jun waved down a taxi and they both boarded it, heading toward the forest ranger station. Second Grandpa had not lived at the station itself; the place where he stayed was a wooden cabin deep inside the mountains. The reason they had to go to the ranger station first was simply because they needed to find out where the cabin was located.

Arriving at the forest ranger station, they got out of the car and found the station chief. The station chief had the surname Wang, was named Wang Youshun, and wore a full set of camouflage gear.

"Hello, I am the grandson of Liu Yuming. I'm here to inquire about something." Liu Yuming was the name of Liu Jun's Second Grandpa.

Hearing Liu Jun's words, Station Chief Wang warmly invited them inside to sit, poured them some tea, and began chatting with them.

"Brother Liu was usually as fit and tough as could be, but then he suddenly collapsed. Xiao Lin, the other forest ranger who stayed with him, tried to wake Brother Liu up in the morning, but couldn't rouse him, and only then discovered that Brother Liu had passed on. Don't be too sad; Brother Liu passed away very peacefully, and no doubt he has merely gone to another world to enjoy bliss," Station Chief Wang said with a sorrowful expression.

"Station Chief, would it be possible for me to stay at my Second Grandpa's former ranger post for a few days?"

"It's possible, but there are quite a few fierce beasts in these big mountains, and you're even bringing this child along. It's not safe," Station Chief Wang said, casting a glance at the little fox.

"Don't worry, Station Chief, we promise to be careful." After much persuasion by Liu Jun, Station Chief Wang finally agreed to let them enter the mountain. He also handed them a large firewood-chopping blade for self-defense and provided a map to prevent them from getting lost, noting that each forest ranger cabin was marked on it.

The air here was exceptionally fresh, and just standing there made one feel invigorated. Stretch after stretch of forest stood before them, with towering trees growing lush and green. After walking a short distance, not only did they not feel hot, but they even sensed a refreshing coolness.

The little fox reverted to her fox form, darting about to chase butterflies one moment, teasing small birds in the canopy the next, playing with unbridled joy, and occasionally bringing back a few wild fruits for them.

The wooden cabin where Second Grandpa had served as a ranger was quite far indeed; after walking for a long time, they still had not reached it. Consequently, they sat down to rest for a while and took some snacks out of their backpacks to eat.

"Brother Liu, did you hear a sound?" Fatty stopped chewing and looked around vigilantly.

Hearing Fatty, Liu Jun stopped eating and quietly listened to his surroundings. A rustling sound drifted over, and Liu Jun looked at the bushes behind him. The vegetation stirred slightly, as if something was moving inside.

Turning to listen to the sound in the bushes, it resembled something crawling. Liu Jun picked up the chopping blade and cautiously groped his way toward the source of the noise. After searching around for a good while, he discovered that the sound had vanished, and whatever crawling creature it was had disappeared without a trace.

"Brother Liu, let me ask you something. What do venomous snakes look like?" Fatty's voice carried a hint of nervousness, seemingly quite frightened.

"Generally, they have triangular heads, and some have brightly colored patterns all over their bodies. Most of those are venomous too," Liu Jun replied offhandedly while continuing to scan the surroundings.

"Brother, I think... I hit the jackpot. Save me quickly, but walk over slowly." Fatty's voice was practically on the verge of crying. Liu Jun finally sensed that something was amiss and slowly shuffled toward Fatty.

There, coiled and staring intently at Fatty, was a venomous snake about the thickness of a thumb and roughly two feet long, covered in brilliantly colored scales, holding up a triangular head and flicking its forked tongue. This snake appeared to possess no small amount of venom.

Paralyzed by terror, Fatty did not dare move a muscle, sweat streaming down the sides of his face in torrents. He had often mentioned before that he feared reptilian creatures like snakes the most. To be honest, while he wasn't intimidated by zombies or ghosts, this creature genuinely terrified him.

Sensing Liu Jun's approach, the snake turned its high-raised triangular head toward him. Liu Jun's heart began to beat wildly.

"Master Snake, the two of us mean no harm; we merely intruded upon you by accident. Seeing as you are magnanimous, how about letting us slide this time?" Liu Jun spoke in as soft a whisper as possible, terrified that a louder voice might provoke the viper into biting him or Fatty. Deep in these mountains, getting bitten by a venomous snake meant virtually zero chance of survival.

Just at that moment, the little fox strolled back. She glanced at the tense Liu Jun and Fatty, then fixed her gaze on the viper. Dropping the fruit she had been holding in her mouth, she walked right up to the venomous snake and bared her teeth in a fierce posture.

When the viper had first spotted Liu Jun and Fatty, it had been poised and eager to attack. However, once the little fox approached, the snake seemed to lose its nerve. It slowly edged horizontally to the right, attempting to slip out of the little fox's line of sight.

After moving a short distance and seeing that the little fox did not pursue, the snake abruptly turned and darted deep into the underbrush. With the speed of a swimming fish, it vanished into the foliage in the blink of an eye.

The little fox turned back to look at Liu Jun, seemingly expecting praise. Liu Jun reached out to stroke the little fox's head and scooped her up into his arms. This place was far too terrifying; there was no way they dared to continue resting here. He hauled up the rubber-legged Fatty and hurried away.