Chapter 139: Chapter 115: Geomagnetic Stone; Unscientific Inner Mountain Phenonon (Part 2)
After clearing the dead leaves and waterweeds from his subrged bamboo basket, he continued on in the direction the wolf pack had gone.
As he ventured deeper, vines snaked up the towering trees, seeming to whisper with the dense foliage as they jointly wove dark green curtains for the undergrowth below.
The scorching sunlight was carved up by the canopy, which stole the light from the ground. The occasional ray that escaped slipped through gaps in the treetops, landing in mottled patches on the damp earth and granting the life below a sliver of vitality.
The damp air was thick with the scent of earth and rotting leaves. Already soaked to the skin, Cheng Zongyang’s steps were heavy and slow; he had to carefully avoid tangled roots and hidden mud pits with every move.
He had reaped considerable rewards along the way.
He’d dug up quite a few precious dicinal Materials he recognized and had bagged over a dozen small ga animals with his Bow and Arrow.
But the woods were thick, and larger animals like deer, goats, and wolves almost always fled the mont they heard him coming.
To survive in these mountain woods, the slightest disturbance would send them bolting. As a result, Cheng Zongyang hadn’t managed to kill a single one.
After pushing through a dense thicket, a modest waterfall ca into view.
Water cascaded down the cliff face like a silver ribbon shimring in the sunlight. It kicked up countless fine droplets, creating a thin mist that made the surrounding air damp and fresh.
"Is this the source of the water? But why is it so peculiar?" Cheng Zongyang wondered, gazing at the waterfall in the distance.
Outside the mountains, a severe drought had persisted for two years, yet here in the Inner Mountain, water was this plentiful. It seed unreasonable to anyone who witnessed it.
’Cheng Zongyang had his own theory. Perhaps so unique geographical condition within the mountains was creating two completely different environnts. But his ager knowledge of geography offered no evidence to support such an explanation.’
’If science can’t explain it, I’ll have to think in terms of fantasy. Maybe there’s so secret in these mountains?’ Cheng Zongyang’s mind always worked differently, and only an explanation like this seed to make any sense.
"Over there... hmm?" Cheng Zongyang scanned the surroundings with his binoculars.
’He decided not to go any deeper. Discovering the general origin of the water was enough to prove that the Inner Mountain held so mystery unknown to him. This mystery must be what guaranteed its continuous water supply and also what separated its water system from the Outer Mountain’s.’
’Or, to put it another way, the groundwater of the Inner Mountain and the Outer Mountain weren’t connected.’
’It was like the wiring in a new house—there’s never just a single circuit.’
Through his binoculars, he followed the waterfall’s current and noticed a small path at his three o’clock.
He also saw that the water in the adjacent mountain stream was crystal clear, revealing pebbles worn as smooth as glass by the current. The rocks on either bank were covered in moss; it was obvious they would be slippery and treacherous.
"Hmm?"
As he swept his gaze across the area, Cheng Zongyang suddenly spotted sothing in his two o’clock: a plant topped with little red berries!
It stood out starkly against the green vines!
"’Is that... ginseng?!’ Cheng Zongyang’s expression brightened. But in the next instant, his gaze fell on sothing horrifying."
Near the suspected ginseng plant, in a spot partially concealed by vines and low-lying brush, a great number of bones lay exposed.
He saw not only a large quantity of animal skeletons, but also two human skulls.
Many of the skulls had holes in them, clearly pierced by so sharp object.
He scanned the area and his eyes locked onto an opening at the base of the cliff, almost completely concealed by vegetation.
Cheng Zongyang stored his binoculars in the Wilderness World. He switched the Firewood Knife in his hand for his Tang Blade and began to approach cautiously.
’No matter what was going on, he had to check if that plant was really ginseng.’
’Judging by its leaves, it had quite a few "palmate" leaves, which ant it was definitely old. It was worth a closer look.’
However, he failed to notice that as he drew closer, he was breaking fine, nearly transparent spider threads underfoot.
On the surrounding plants and trees, nurous thumb-sized spiders were scurrying away in all directions.
A mont later, he reached the ginseng plant and the pile of bones.
Perhaps it was the scent of the dicinal powder on him, but as he arrived, hordes of brightly colored centipedes, spiders, and other venomous creatures scurried out from beneath the bones, fleeing in all directions.
But as Cheng Zongyang looked upon the two human skeletons, his expression grew grave.
It was because one skeleton was clad in the uniform of a county constable, and the other in black robes. The clothing on both was tattered and torn, and the skeleton in black had an equally worn leather-like pouch on its person.
’I rember my mother saying that a constable from the County Town chased a fugitive into the Inner Mountain and was never heard from again. Could it be these two?’
Cheng Zongyang used his blade to nudge aside the constable skeleton’s clothing, revealing a token at its waist. He pried it out and examined both sides.
"Constable, Xiao Yong."
Seeing the na, Cheng Zongyang now knew the man’s identity.
His gaze then fell upon the other skeleton in black, specifically on the pouch at its waist, which was mostly hidden by fallen leaves.
He used his blade to flick away the leaves and then easily sliced the pouch open. Its contents spilled out, revealing a great deal of gold and silver Jewelry. There was also a tightly shut, palm-sized Jade Box, though it was caked with dirt.
’A little windfall?’
Cheng Zongyang’s eyes brightened. After a mont’s thought, he stored the entire pouch and its contents in his Wilderness World to examine later. Then his eyes turned to the Weapon beside the skeleton in black.
It was a Long Saber, its blade now rusted. But on the wrist of the hand gripping the hilt, there was a ring of white residue, as if sothing had bound the wrist.
He prodded it with his blade, examined it closely, and even gave it a pinch. His expression instantly turned grim. Spider silk!
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