Mantra

Chapter 54

The current situation is beyond my expectation.

The only three of us do not understand why Wang Hou and Xian Hongye disappeared, let alone what happened to the pickup in just a few tens of seconds.

But there is one thing I believe, and I have to believe...Wang Hou and Xian Hongye absolutely did not turn into stones on their seats.I simply can't believe they're turning to stone!
But where did they go?In the dazed dark night, I was caught blind.

Looking around, I can only see some blurred images of bushes on both sides of Laoqi Road, and further away, there are some blurred, tall stones like stone statues.

These things can only block the vision, but they didn't give me any hints about the two of them, and in the dark night, I can't even tell the direction, let alone go out to find people!

At this time, Little Ah Si suddenly pulled down my trouser legs, and eagerly reminded me: "Chasing there, they went there."

While speaking, Ah Si stretched out his hand and pointed to a direction among the roadside bushes and thorns.

At first glance, that direction is nothing special from other places, but if you look carefully, you can find some differences.

I suddenly discovered that all the weeds there were fallen, obviously just been stepped on.

In my panic, I couldn't make up my mind, so I turned around and asked Ah Si again: "Are you sure?"

Little Ah Si still pointed in that direction and said: "Sure! The dog is barking there! It must be there. I have been bitten by these beasts before, and I know their temper."

What Ah Si said made sense, and it woke me up completely.

We have dogs, and the black dog "Tootoo" has also experienced what just happened in the pickup.Follow the direction where it roars, and you should be able to find where Wang Hou and Hongye are.

As soon as I thought about it, I immediately turned around and shouted at Zhao Hong: "Zhao Hong! Take the dog with you, and let's go find Wang Hou."

But Zhao Hong did not act, nor did he answer me immediately.On the contrary, he lit a cigarette first, and smoked heavily in his hand.While relieving the mental tension, the dignified and pessimistic face became more and more.

Looking at his slightly trembling fingers, I immediately felt his anxiety and fear.

"Tian Buer!" Zhao Hong said to me very formally: "I don't think it's that simple. Yimeng Mountain has long had a legend of Yin soldiers. It is not accidental that people can turn into stones, and you just said... ..."

Before Zhao Hong finished speaking, I immediately interrupted him.

"Old Zhao!" I shouted to remind him, "Now is not the time to discuss this."

In fact, I knew in my heart that Zhao Hong wanted to tell me something that I didn't understand.I'm afraid he also wants to tell me a lot of "truths" that I don't know yet.

But I really didn't care to listen to him at the time.

The lives and deaths of Wang Hou and Xian Hongye are uncertain.I didn't have the heart to listen to these at all, and as time passed, the variables they faced became greater and greater, and the accidents also increased.

In this case, finding someone is the first priority, and I can't rest assured, let alone listen to his explanation.

So, I pointed my finger in the direction of the dog barking, and said first: "Let's go to Wang Hou! If you have anything to say, we'll talk about it later... Time waits for no one."

Zhao Hong opened his mouth, but he didn't say anything after all. He nodded, expressing his understanding of my thoughts.

In the silence, Zhao Hong got into the car and went to lead the dog.And I stood under the car, looking at his fat body, feeling sincerely sorry.

I didn't want Zhao Hong to get involved in our problems, but I didn't expect the development of things to go in this uncontrollable direction.

I know that this search will never be peaceful, but I have to take Zhao Hong with me, otherwise, I can't feel at ease even if he guards the pickup truck alone.

Things have come to this point, we can't go away anymore.

In this way, the three of us led the black dog "Dudu" and rushed into the messy bushes, rushing from left to right, looking for traces of Wang Hou and Xian Hongye.

I have to say that Zhao Hong's second uncle's black dog is very good. Although it is a crossbreed dog, it is very spiritual. The one-man-sized dog has a dark body and is almost integrated with the dark night. The two egg-sized black eyes are also glaring. In the moonlit night, there is a cyan gleam.

The difference from us is that the dog was fearless and excited. Just as Zhao Hong helped it break free from the pickup truck, the beast rushed out like a howling arrow, and the slightly deformed chain around its neck pulled Zhao Hong to the ground. Almost fell down.

I watched this dog look alive and well, and my confidence suddenly increased a lot.With it leading the way, at least we should not get lost.In the dark night, there is also a pair of "fire eyes" that can distinguish objects.

Zhao Hong, who was leading it, also calmed down a lot because of his dog's performance. He even took the time to point to his dog and said: "The black dog has spirituality! It can see things that ordinary people can't see."

"I hope..." I said to Zhao Hong apologetically in a state of apprehension, "It's wrong to let you get involved..."

But what Zhao Hong answered me was an indifferent smile.

With a wave of his hand, he said, "They are all comrades in arms!...Why are you being polite?!"

Zhao Hong's calm and simple words made me feel hot, and made me feel ashamed from the bottom of my heart.

That kind of military relationship that bleeds and sweats together is the simplicity in this crisis...

In this way, Zhao Hong and I moved forward, one behind the other, sandwiching little Ah Si between the two of us, and under the guidance of the black dog Dudu, we walked step by step through the bushes on both sides of Laoqi Road.

As soon as we entered, we realized that the scale of this bush was far greater than I imagined.

At first the trees we entered were only as high as my chest.But as the search deepened, the height of the bushes had already covered the top of the head, and even the foxtail weeds that originally only reached the ankles suddenly grew to the length of the waist.

In this kind of place, and at night, it is almost impossible for people not to get lost, but because we have a black dog to guide us, we are much less worried about this.Even as the search continues, I feel genuinely grateful.If there is no such dog, we may have to worry about picking up the empty pickup, or calling the names of Wang Hou and Hongye to Shankong...

Soon, the black dog panted wildly and brought us to a small forest glade.

When Zhao Hong and I rushed out of the sand tent in the forest and entered this small open space, both of us were slightly taken aback.

In the middle of the nearly circular forest glade, we saw a two-person "stone pillar" in the hazy moonlight.The stone has been unrecognizable due to the weathering of the years, and it is pale white under the moonlight. The stone is actually very ordinary, but in our hearts, it doesn't feel that way.

Facing the stone, Zhao Hong and I looked at each other in blank dismay. Everyone knows, isn't this the "stone man" around Old Qi Road?Why are you here?That black dog brought us here? !
At the same time, the three of us turned our faces to the black dog. Although we knew that he couldn't speak, we still hoped that this spiritual beast would continue to "prompt" something.

The black dog is still sniffing, I don't know what he is sniffing, but in this small open space we can only see that one stone, what does this have to do with the disappearance of Hongye and Wang Hou?

Just when I was suspicious, the dog suddenly turned its head and barked a few times at Zhao Hong who was leading him.

Zhao Hong seemed to understand the animal's howling, and then he immediately let go of the chain in his hand, allowing the dog to run under the "stone man".

Zhao Hong looked at the behavior of the dog, and lighted another flue conveniently: "This dog has been with me for a long time, and I know a little about it. It knows where to look for things."

I nodded.

What happened later was exactly as Zhao Hong said, the dog quickly locked a piece of floating soil under the boulder.

The black dog shook its tail a few times, and then began to dig up the soil desperately.

I don't know what's going on, but seeing the excited look of the black dog digging the soil, I can guess that there are "things" in the land that the black dog is very interested in.

Taking advantage of the gap dug by the black dog, the silent Zhao Hong moved his short and fat body, and handed me a cigarette.

I seldom smoke, but the depressive environment now makes me have to vent a bit, and these few steps have exhausted my mental and physical strength, and I want to take a break.

After taking the cigarette, I tore off the filter, lit the fire, and smacked my lips to smoke.

Zhao Hong looked at my action of tearing off the cigarette holder, and smiled in amazement: "It's been so many years, is it still an old habit?..."

I nodded, pointed to the cigarette with the filter tip removed, and said, "I learned from the old squad leader. He said that smoking like this can save you two puffs. It's less harmful..."

"In the army, you believed in the words of our old squad leader the most, and you also learned cooking the most like..."

Halfway through Zhao Hong's speech, he suddenly turned his head and glanced at the black dog who was still digging desperately.Then he turned around and said to me: "Old Tian, ​​there is something I must tell you, no matter what it will be dug out of the ground in a while. You should be prepared."

I nodded, and at the same time, I had a very bad premonition in my heart.I know that what Zhao Hong said to me from the very beginning must also be closely related to what the black dog dug in the soil.

After getting my approval, Zhao Hong took another puff of cigarette, and then desperately exhaled a puff of smoke ring. He looked at the huge stone in the forest glade, and said thoughtfully: "My little When I was young, I heard my grandma talk about the origin of these 'stone men', they are the incarnations of Yin soldiers..."

"Yin soldiers?" I was stunned, pointing to the stone that was being dug by the black dog and said, "You mean that the stones on Shi Rengu and Lao Qi's road are all Yin soldiers?"

Zhao Hong nodded, shook his head again, and told me that he didn't know the details. He just heard word of mouth from his elders that inexplicable landslides would happen every few decades in the Yimeng mountainous area. , There will be a phenomenon of "a large gathering of Yin soldiers".

Zhao Hong said with a blank expression: "...After the Yin soldiers are assembled, they will start 'fighting'. The war of Yin soldiers will hurt all living things within a radius of more than ten miles."

If it weren't for my previous experience and weirdness, I feel like I am listening to a joke.

So, I asked a series of questions: "The Yin soldiers fight? With whom? How?"

Yes!Who are you fighting with?It can't be the traffic policeman you saw just now, right?

But Zhao Hong looked at me, but there was no sign of joking on his face. He continued: "My grandma said...the Yin soldiers fight with...the things that escaped from the landslide! Every time there is a big landslide, it means that there is' Goblin', escaped from the mountains!"

(End of this chapter)