Mount Mengzi

"Xiao Xiao, hurry up!" Zhang Bo waved his arms and shouted back.

Although Zhang Bo had a refined-sounding name, he was built like a bear, tall and burly—a real bruiser. Surprisingly, he also had a bit of a soft, artsy side. This time, he had invited his college roommates to visit his hometown, Zichuan, during the long National Day holiday.

They were climbing Mount Mengzi.

Mount Mengzi was dotted with scenic sites and had a long history. According to the inscriptions on the mountain: "The halls and pavilions atop the mountain were grand and imposing, and the houses stretched one after another. Some were pavilions, some towers, some corridors, and some halls..." "The southern hall had two bays, with one side room and two kitchen rooms." "The vacant ground before the temple was converted into a great hall, where an image was placed alongside those in the other halls, so that more people could pay their respects and demonstrate their reverence."

In the past, incense had burned without interruption on Mount Mengzi. Streams of visitors had come to offer incense and pay their respects, making for a bustling scene.

Though Mount Mengzi no longer drew the crowds it once had, on holidays one could still catch a glimpse of its former splendor.

The young man lagging behind stared at Zhang Bo with an expressionless face and a sharp gaze. Only when Zhang Bo's overly cheerful expression began to stiffen and twitch did he finally speak. "My name is Xiao-Xiao! The first tone!"

"Isn't that just Xiao Xiao?" Zhang Bo muttered, loudly enough for his voice to echo along the quiet mountain path.

"All right, all right, Third Brother. You know Eldest Brother's the classic example of all brawn and no brains, so don't hold it against him." Zhuge Yun draped an arm over Xiao Xiao's shoulder like they were old pals and gave him a mischievous wink.

Xiao Xiao felt his temple twitch. He shrugged off Zhuge Yun's overly familiar arm without a hint of politeness, then said with a fake smile, "Second Brother, call me Third Brother or use my name!"

"Then don't call me Second Brother!"

"Who started it?"

"Ugh..." Zhao Luzheng, the youngest, watched the immature, scatterbrained guys ahead of him and sighed with a hint of melancholy.

Then he looked around. The mountain path was rugged, and the trees blotted out the sky, letting only scattered shafts of sunlight through. A chill lingered in the air. In the sweltering heat, the coolness should have been comforting, but the unnatural quiet made him feel uneasy.

"Quit fooling around. Eldest Brother, where are we? Do you still know the way?" Zhao Luzheng hurried a few steps to catch up with Zhang Bo.

They had come to Mount Mengzi for a visit, but there were too many tourists, and they couldn't stand squeezing through the crowds. Zhang Bo had thumped his chest and declared that this was his home turf and he knew it like the back of his hand. So they had kept heading wherever there were fewer people, until they ended up in this remote place.

"Yeah, why isn't there a single person around?" Zhuge Yun pushed his glasses up his nose, looking puzzled. They had been trying to avoid the crowds, sure, but how could there be a place in a scenic area with absolutely no one?

"Huh?" Zhang Bo had grown up here, but he wasn't a mountain native who knew every trail. This place was unfamiliar to him too. He scratched his head. "How about we go back the way we came? We'll find our way out eventually."

The other three all rolled their eyes at him. What an unreliable guy.

Zhang Bo chuckled sheepishly. "Come on, let's go back. I'll treat you all to a big meal."

It was almost eleven. They had arrived at Mount Mengzi at eight, and nearly three hours had passed without them noticing. They were getting hungry.

Xiao Xiao trailed at the back, feeling that something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. In the end, he could only shake his head and ignore the vague unease inside him.

"Third Brother, keep up!"

"Coming."

Their hopes were high, but reality was cruel.

After walking for a while, they realized they were completely lost.

It was hard enough to find one's way in the mountains, and the scenery all around looked much the same. Trees, trees, and more trees—how could they remember which way they had come?

Only then did Xiao Xiao and the others start to panic.

They were in the mountains, and there was barely any signal.

Getting stranded here was no joke.

"Eldest Brother, you've really gotten us into trouble. Some local expert you are." Zhuge Yun complained without holding back, rubbing his aching legs. They had been walking mountain trails all morning, and the stress of what had happened only made them feel more exhausted.

"Eldest Brother, what do we do now?" Zhao Luzheng leaned against a tree, growing anxious.

"Let me see, let me see." Zhang Bo was even more tormented. Everyone had trusted him, and now they were stuck in this awkward situation. Besides, he had grown up here, so he ought to have an easier time finding a way out than they did.

"Eldest Brother, don't panic." Xiao Xiao patted him on the shoulder. "Let's rest for a bit first."

Xiao Xiao was a bit of a neat freak, so he didn't lean against a tree. He simply stood there, slowly calming his labored breathing.

Suddenly, he raised his head and listened closely, then walked around in several directions.

"Third Brother, what are you doing?" Zhuge Yun asked, puzzled by Xiao Xiao's strange behavior.

The others looked at him questioningly too.

Xiao Xiao ignored them. After circling around a few times, he finally spoke. "I'd felt there was something strange about this place, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Now I know."

"Hmm? Something strange?"

"What is it?"

"What's strange?"

"Don't you think it's too quiet here?" Xiao Xiao got straight to the point instead of keeping them in suspense.

"Oh, that's all? Isn't it normal for the mountains to be quiet?" Zhuge An said, a little disappointed. He had thought there might be some spooky mountain tale, and he'd gotten his hopes up for nothing.

"Sure, it's normal for the mountains to be quiet. But listen—there aren't even any birds. There's no sound at all. Don't you think that's strange?" Xiao Xiao furrowed his brow.

Normally, wild animals—dangerous creatures, at least—might not be found in a pristine forest like this, since the area had been designated a scenic site and visitor safety had to be ensured. But surely there should be wild birds, right?

But he had listened carefully. There wasn't so much as a birdcall or an insect chirp. The entire forest was eerily quiet.

"Uh..." After hearing Xiao Xiao explain it, the others began to understand.

He was right. They hadn't paid attention before, but now they realized it was so quiet around them that they could clearly hear their own heavy breathing.

A chill crept up their backs.

"Heh, maybe the hunters shot all the birds?" Zhuge Yun gave a dry laugh.

No one answered him.

The mood grew tense.

"Let's go." Xiao Xiao set off first. Sitting around and doing nothing wouldn't help. Maybe he was just worrying over nothing. Perhaps if they kept walking, they'd run into other tourists.

"Yeah." The others quickly followed. Better to keep moving than stay here and scare themselves. Maybe they'd find a way out after all.

Along the way, the only sounds in Xiao Xiao and the others' ears were the dull thuds of their footsteps on the dirt and the occasional rustle as they stepped on fallen leaves. The trees blotted out the sun, and shadows filled the forest. They had the unnerving feeling that they were about to be swallowed whole.

Before long, they were walking faster and faster, their faces pale.

"Wait!" The sudden shout nearly made the others stumble.

"Third Brother, you scared me half to death!"

"My heart nearly stopped!"

"Do you know people can die of fright?"

Faced with the three of them all taking him to task, Xiao Xiao was speechless. Was that really necessary? Especially Eldest Brother—what was the point of being so big if he was that easy to scare?

"Sorry. I didn't know you were such cowards." Seeing the three about to explode, Xiao Xiao quickly got to the point. "Look, there seems to be water over there."

While the three of them had been charging ahead with their heads down, Xiao Xiao had still been keeping an eye on his surroundings.

So he naturally caught the glint out of the corner of his eye, though the trees obscured it and he couldn't make out exactly what it was.

Whatever it was, it was probably a water source.

"Oh, really? Let's go check it out!"

"I hope it's a river."

Most people knew that if you got lost in the mountains and found a river, following it downstream was the best way to survive.

So Zhang Bo and the others broke into a run, pushing through the shrubs. Their faces were lit with excitement, but the moment they saw what lay ahead, their expressions stiffened and fell.

"What the heck? It's just a lake."

"Got our hopes up for nothing."

Xiao Xiao arrived right after them. Sure enough, it was a vast lake.

The water was still and clear, reflecting the sky and clouds.

"Ah, the water's so clear, but why aren't there any fish?"

"Yeah, really. Could it be stagnant?"

"But it doesn't smell bad."

Zhang Bo and the others murmured among themselves. They were disappointed not to have found a river, but after seeing nothing but the same old trees for so long, the sudden sight of a stretch of blue water was still refreshing. It even eased some of the tension and restlessness inside them.

"Hm? But there are fish, aren't there?" Breathing in the crisp scent of the water, Xiao Xiao felt refreshed. When he lowered his head to look, he saw dark shapes weaving back and forth beneath the surface, quite clearly visible. He couldn't help asking.