The origin of the tale of the tiger's servant ghosts showed that human hearts had not changed much throughout the ages. Human civilization had become ever more dazzling and advanced, yet that had nothing to do with moral character... Every era was the same. Some shone so brilliantly that people admired them through tears, while others wallowed in a storm of spit and still felt smugly pleased with themselves.
Qin Luming was somewhat annoyed, but that was all. He had long since passed the age when seeing something unpleasant would make him indignant, unable to calm down without arguing over right and wrong.
He did not particularly favor pork. Compared with other meats, he would agree that pork was an excellent ingredient, but the flesh of these pigs before him gave off the stench of cured meat gone bad.
Qin Luming tightened his grip on the entrenching shovel's handle. Judging from his attack on the two white pigs just now, these pigs had stronger stamina and tougher hides, but they were not especially difficult to deal with. They were roughly as thick-skinned and tough as wild boar kings found in frigid regions.
They were even larger than wild boar kings, but they had ultimately been transformed from humans. They lacked the combat experience and hardening that came from growing up in the wilderness, and they were less ferocious, less ruthless, and even less driven to fight.
He glanced at the two white pigs he had smacked twice with his shovel. Blood seeped from their snouts; he might even have knocked out several of their teeth.
The other three black pigs snorted and grunted as they circled Qin Luming restlessly, though their encirclement was far looser than when they had surrounded Che Yun.
Qin Luming suspected that these pigs feared him more. Also, they had wanted to capture Che Yun and turn her into a sow to serve the Big Black Pig. The Big Black Pig surely preferred a sturdy, durable Che Yun, rather than one that had been trampled by pigs.
The Big Black Pig's sexual orientation seemed normal, so Qin Luming had no hope of becoming its favorite pig. That meant the pigs surrounding him could free up some room and attack him even more wantonly.
The Big White Pig that might have been Yang Xiaoyan seemed to be standing behind the Big Black Pig with an air of lofty status. Qin Luming could see a hint of satisfaction in its eyes, as though it had decided that Qin Luming, this straight-man chauvinist, would also become a pig.
Even beasts had organization, division of labor, and class distinctions. Qin Luming thought of capturing the ringleader first; taking down the leader would surely make the other pigs wary. But the Big Black Pig wore rainbow gemstone golden armor, a golden helmet crowned with green pearl tassels, and dark-gold leg guards on all four limbs. It looked like some divine beast, clearly not something to provoke. Qin Luming decided to go after the Big White Pig first.
The troublesome part was controlling his strength. If he did not hit hard enough, its thick hide would shrug it off. But what if he hit too hard and killed it?
It was not that Qin Luming still felt pity at a time like this. He had just seen too many TV dramas and movies where, after killing the other party under such circumstances, they reverted to their original form. What if he killed the Big White Pig, only for Yang Xiaoyan's corpse to appear before him?
What was he supposed to do then?
He was no good at disposing of bodies... If it were an actual pig, though, he could find a way to bring it back and see what wild boar king tasted like.
"Retreat first."
A voice full of age and deep richness rang out.
Qin Luming hurriedly looked around, then finally fixed his gaze on the Big Black Pig. The massive pig spoke again in human language. "I bear you no ill will. I'll come find you tonight, and we can discuss you joining us."
The entrenching shovel fell to the ground.
Qin Luming shuddered himself back to his senses, only to see that the Big Black Pig, which possessed absolute authority over the herd, had already turned and run off.
The other six pigs, three black and three white, snorted and grunted as they followed behind the Big Black Pig. They even looked back at Qin Luming several times, seemingly unwilling to leave.
Coming back from his shock, Qin Luming picked up the shovel he had dropped and stared dumbfoundedly in the direction where the herd had vanished.
Qin Luming was not Marshal Tian Peng. Who the hell wanted to join them?
Until just now, Qin Luming had only been guessing. He had not had sufficient evidence to support his belief that this herd of pigs was Yang Xiaoyan's group, but now he could be completely certain... Yang Xiaoyan and the others had joined the Big Black Pig's ranks by becoming pigs.
As for whether Yang Xiaoyan and the others had done so voluntarily or under coercion, the answer was obvious. Even someone as fascinated by strange events as Qin Luming would never become a pig just to chase a novel experience.
The Big Black Pig claimed it bore Qin Luming no ill will, yet it undoubtedly wanted to turn him into a pig as well.
That was supposed to be no ill will? Its malice could fill a reservoir that had not been full in decades behind a dam!
That pig could speak human language, too.
Still, Qin Luming cared more about his own safety. Only after learning that a pig was trying to turn him into a pig did he begin trying to accept the fact that the pig could speak human language.
Human vocalization and the formation of language were determined by a combination of factors: human vocal structures, nasal cavities, mouths, throats, breathing habits, and so on.
Other animals could also communicate through sounds, and their vocalizations were likewise determined by their own physiological factors.
By Qin Luming's understanding, even if a pig possessed extremely high intelligence and wanted to communicate with humans, it should still express its intentions with snorts and grunts.
Wait... Qin Luming stopped himself. Humans could turn into pigs, and a pig had already spoken before him. What was he even thinking about this for?
It was as pointless as readers and authors arguing over a story's settings.
That pig was coming to find him tonight? Was he going to turn into a pig tonight?
Should he run far away while he still could?
Qin Luming thought about it and decided there was no need to flee immediately.
The Big Black Pig obviously could not turn him into a pig without his noticing... Otherwise, he would already be a pig.
That meant he had a chance to refuse. Yang Xiaoyan and the others had been completely powerless before the Big Black Pig, transformed into pigs one by one.
Qin Luming would not give the Big Black Pig such an opportunity.
He swung the entrenching shovel in his hand, then looked at the sun, which had nearly reached the mountaintops. Turning around, he pulled Che Yun out of the tent.
Flipping the shovel around, Qin Luming pressed the sharp spike at the end of the handle against Che Yun's philtrum. She cried out in pain and opened her eyes.
"Mom..."
Che Yun wailed, tears immediately streaming down both cheeks as she threw herself toward Qin Luming's arms.
Qin Luming dodged with lightning speed.
Che Yun fell to the ground. She truly had not expected Qin Luming to dodge. After freezing for a moment, the lingering terror from having just regained consciousness was somewhat dispersed.
"Qin, are you even human?" Che Yun stared at Qin Luming in disbelief as he wore an expression that said, "Good thing I was quick."
"Say a man you have absolutely no interest in, one who looks ordinary and has slightly sleazy intentions, comes sobbing and sniffling at you. Wouldn't you dodge?" Qin Luming held the entrenching shovel as he calmly reasoned with her.
If it had been certain people surnamed Liu, he would have smacked her with the entrenching shovel already.
Che Yun wiped her tears. For a moment, she truly had no reply. It was not that she thought Qin Luming was right; her mentality had simply collapsed. Why was she so unlucky? She had come camping only to run into all this, and the only man around had no grace or broad-mindedness whatsoever. He could not offer Che Yun even the slightest comfort.
Che Yun silently shrugged, then finally burst into loud sobs again.
After thinking it over, Qin Luming still decided to call the police.
Calling the police had originally seemed meaningless. Whether they learned about it early or late made no difference. But Che Yun knew the full sequence of events and could prove that Qin Luming had realized Yang Xiaoyan's group was missing and had gone looking for them. If he did not report it promptly now, someone might later cause trouble for him by claiming he had delayed the search and rescue effort by failing to call the police in time.
This should not have had anything to do with Qin Luming, but given the current climate of public opinion, the moment there was something people could use to enjoy themselves from a position of moral superiority, their spit would fall like snowflakes from the lofty skies of moral righteousness.
There were plenty of people who could distinguish right from wrong, but they usually did not speak up constantly, nor did they have the energy to argue with others. So it was always those who hammered their keyboards the loudest who had the strongest presence.
Qin Luming ignored Che Yun's continual sobbing, but when he called the police, her crying clearly added a little urgency to the situation.
A missing adult case would only be formally opened after twenty-four hours. Missing minors were not subject to that rule and could be investigated at any time.
Opening a case was one thing; filing a report was another. A report could be filed at any time.
Even if a case was not formally opened immediately after a report, investigations and search-and-rescue efforts would be organized according to the circumstances.
Hearing Qin Luming call the police, Che Yun finally stopped crying. She looked at him with hopeful eyes, wishing he would say something to her.
Qin Luming truly had nothing to say. Should he tell Che Yun that her friends had all turned into pigs, and that once they became pigs, they had immediately wanted her to become one too? That he was the hero who had saved her?
Che Yun remained seated where she had fallen, not obstructing Qin Luming's movement in and out of the tent, so he ignored her and began preparing food.
Before long, he received a message summoning search-and-rescue team members. He entered the rescue team's group chat and reported that he was already at the scene.
City A's search-and-rescue team consisted entirely of volunteers. Aside from thirty frontline members who served as the main rescue force, there were nearly two hundred second-line members. Qin Luming was one of those second-line members who could not guarantee being available for rescue work at all times.
Qin Luming sighed. He knew there was no helping it. The rescue team would definitely mobilize, and he could not say in the group chat that it was too dangerous and call on everyone not to come... When the time came, he would take the lead.
He did not care whether Yang Xiaoyan's group lived or died, but he would certainly provide whatever help he could to a search-and-rescue team made entirely of volunteers.
After finishing the food, he waited until night had fallen. Qin Luming sat on a ground mat outside the tent, slowly drinking a pot of instant bird's nest porridge, when the rescue team's advance party, police officers, and a guide who had once worked at the dam and knew the surrounding area well arrived at the mountaintop with flashlights.
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