Mu Dai woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep, suddenly thinking about that rouge-colored amber.

Back then, after showing it to Luo Ren and the others, she had casually placed it by her bedside. Later, when Cao Yanhua and Yi Wansan moved the bed frame, had they brought it along or had it been left in the adjacent room?

She reached out to feel around the bedside. Luo Ren noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s that rouge amber?”

Luo Ren said, “I put it away.”

As he spoke, he handed the amber to her. Mu Dai took it and held it in her hand. Because of that dream, her heart felt stuffed with balls of cotton, making her feel congested.

She asked Luo Ren, “Why would the wild man have a piece of rouge amber?”

Luo Ren said, “It was probably given to him by that woman.”

Mu Dai had a thought: “Do you think that woman might not be dead but instead turned into a wild man?”

Luo Ren laughed. “Technically, that’s difficult. Old Yan only killed an ordinary mountain woman, but as you saw, that wild man is nearly two meters tall.”

Mu Dai insisted, “But there’s the malevolent tablet.”

“So, the malevolent tablet made her grow taller, grow hair all over her body, and turn into a wild man?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Luo Ren stroked her hair. “Go to sleep. If I encounter her again, I’ll help you ask if that’s the case.”

The top of her head, where he had caressed, seemed to retain his warmth.

Mu Dai wondered: How could Luo Ren like me?

Thinking further, she realized she didn’t particularly understand Luo Ren. At least, his past was largely blank to her.

But she didn’t want to understand anymore, just as she didn’t want Luo Ren to understand her past. People are complicated, like an onion—peel away one layer and there’s another. In between, some things make you tear up, things you don’t want to see.

So why not just leave it unpeeled? Just continue hand in hand, harmoniously, with both of us doing well. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Then daylight came.

Today, they needed to travel, taking one day to withdraw from the forest and return to Seven Joys Village.

But in everyone’s heart, a thought was buried.

—Will we make it out?

This situation was wrapped in blood feud. If you were the wild man, would you so easily let Old Yan escape?

While packing their belongings, Cao Yanhua whispered to Yi Wansan: “They say human revenge wanes after three to five years, but animals are different. Beasts are single-minded, their memories deadly persistent.”

He and Yi Wansan agreed that when they set out, they should stay far away from Old Yan to avoid being implicated as innocent bystanders.

Considering they might need to return, they traveled light, only carrying necessary food and handy weapons for self-defense. Everything else, like shovels, was left in the stone hut.

Luo Ren gave his foot wrappings to Mu Dai. Cao Yanhua and Yi Wansan, in the spirit of caring for the girl and the elderly, gave their foot wrappings to Old Yan and Yan Hongsha.

Although all six people walked together, the narrow mountain path required them to split into three pairs: front, middle, and rear. Generally, the rear guard needed to be stronger than the front, as they ensured no one fell behind. Theoretically, it would be best for Luo Ren to be at the rear and Mu Dai at the front.

But Mu Dai didn’t know the way, so the final arrangement, considering strength pairing, was: Luo Ren and Yi Wansan in front, Yan Hongsha and Old Yan in the middle, Mu Dai and Cao Yanhua at the rear.

Yi Wansan silently chanted Amitabha, feeling extremely safe with Luo Ren. Cao Yanhua also felt at ease walking with Mu Dai, but he envied Old Yan: that old bastard, sandwiched in the middle with double protection front and back—truly a blessing only earned through several lifetimes!

In his opinion, Old Yan should walk last. If the wild man followed, they could just abandon him and keep moving—saving everyone trouble.

But…

Cao Yanhua sighed deeply: he could only think about it.

So they set out.

When they departed, the sun was still shining. Half an hour later, the sky darkened. Soon after, leaves began dripping water—there was indeed too much rain in these mountains.

Cao Yanhua huffed and puffed behind Mu Dai.

“Little Master Sister, if the malevolent tablet is really with the wild man, how should we handle it?” he muttered quietly. That wild man is so formidable.

Mu Dai said, “Have some confidence in yourself. There are five of us.”

Cao Yanhua replied, “This isn’t about counting heads; it’s about strength. Consider my San-san brother’s abilities…”

Yi Wansan, walking ahead, fiercely responded, “Fatty Cao, I heard that!”

Cao Yanhua was consistent in public and private: “Am I not stating facts? You fiddle with your silly paintings when nothing’s happening, swindling young girls at most. Do you expect to conquer the wild man with your paintings?”

Yi Wansan answered resolutely, “Art transcends race and borders.”

As they spoke, Luo Ren suddenly stopped. Yi Wansan walked two steps forward, then retreated, seeing Luo Ren looking up at something. Curious, he followed his gaze.

His heart skipped a beat: hanging from a tree branch not far ahead was…

That Clear Weather Woman doll.

Mu Dai also approached and, after a moment’s hesitation, stepped up the tree trunk, slashing with her saber to cut the doll’s hanging string.

Yi Wansan stepped forward and picked it up for Luo Ren.

Luo Ren examined it thoroughly, turning it over several times, then brought it close to smell: the moldy scent of long-term soaking.

He confirmed, “It should be the same one.”

When packing, they certainly wouldn’t have brought such a thing. Cao Yanhua remembered they had thrown it in a corner of the main room.

Had the wild man gone back? Did you take the Clear Weather Woman doll and then rush ahead of them to hang it on the tree?

Yi Wansan’s back grew cold. He turned to look at the forest, his scalp tingling in waves, feeling as if something was about to dart out from the trees.

With a rustling sound, tree branches stirred in the distance.

Everyone’s nerves tensed.

Luo Ren took his gun from behind, leveled it, his finger lightly on the trigger, and said softly, “Stand behind me.”

Mu Dai’s heart pounded. She reached out and took Yan Hongsha’s hand. Yan Hongsha was also terrified, her palm ice-cold.

Luo Ren held his breath.

The forest grew quiet until only the wind remained, rustling sounds, and…

A buzzing sound. In their line of sight, a bee or wasp vibrated its wings.

Luo Ren’s heart sank. Wasps… a wasp nest?

He instantly lowered his gun and shouted, “Run!”

The others didn’t know what had happened, but they understood the word “run” clearly. They panicked and sprinted without thinking.

Almost simultaneously, a huge black wasp nest was hurled forcefully from a distance. When it hit the ground, there was a loud buzz. Cao Yanhua glanced back hastily and saw black swarms of wasps taking flight, like patches of black clouds, rushing urgently toward them.

Mother of heaven!

In panic, they stumbled and tripped, rolling when they fell. Amid the chaos, they could only hear others screaming. These screams came from all directions—sometimes east, sometimes west, sometimes near, sometimes far—impossible to locate precisely. The buzzing sound continued in their ears, and suddenly Cao Yanhua felt a sting on his neck. Knowing he’d been stung, his soul fled in terror, making him run even faster.

He understood common sense—hornets can sting people to death. Dying would be one thing, but dying so horribly that even his ancestors wouldn’t recognize him in the underworld!

As he ran, his body suddenly felt light. A furry hand had grabbed him by the collar.

The wild man!

At first, Mu Dai had been running with Yan Hongsha. In the chaos, she heard Yan Hongsha scream “Grandfather!” and then her hand slipped as Yan Hongsha broke free.

Mu Dai tried to pull her back, but turning around, she saw the black clouds spreading across the sky. Her legs went weak with fear. In the confusion, Yi Wansan grabbed her and screamed, “Run!”

In the rush, they paired up, forgetting when they had separated. It seemed Yi Wansan tripped and rolled away, while she still had forward momentum, rushing a few steps before suddenly finding a steep slope ahead. Unable to stop in time, her body fell and rolled down.

For an instant, everything spun. She felt the hornets following her down, buzzing in her ears. Finally, with a splash, she seemed to fall into the water.

It wasn’t water but a gully formed by the recent rain, collecting in a mountain hollow, only about half a meter deep. Mu Dai lay in the water, holding her breath desperately.

The buzzing sound was just above her head, separated by a thin layer of water’s surface. Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Yan Hongsha broke free from Mu Dai, wanting to find Old Yan.

But the swarm had already rushed over. She screamed as she ran forward, feeling sharp pain behind her ear and on her neck.

Suddenly, a piece of clothing covered her face. She heard Luo Ren’s voice: “Come here!”

Luo Ren pulled her behind him. Through the clothing, she saw firelight and suddenly realized: it was the torch they had brought.

The flames swayed left and right, creating an impenetrable circle in front of them. Luo Ren pulled her along, moving quickly and retreating. With clothes covering her head, she stumbled along with Luo Ren, with only one thought in her mind.

Where’s Grandfather? Where is my grandfather?

Finally, they stopped. The buzzing of wasps could no longer be heard. The clothing was lifted from her head. Yan Hongsha stood dazed, seeing the torch stuck in the ground. Luo Ren quickly wrapped his head with clothing, tying the sleeves at the back of his head, leaving only his eyes exposed.

Luo Ren pointed at her foot wrappings: “Take them off, give them to me.”

Yan Hongsha hurriedly removed them. Luo Ren used the foot wrappings to bind his arms, covering his hands as well. Then he instructed her: “Wait here. I need to go back to find Mu Dai and the others.”

Mu Dai and the others…

Yan Hongsha suddenly realized: “Where are Mu Dai and the others?”

“I don’t know. Everything was chaotic, everyone was running in different directions. The wasps were everywhere. I didn’t see where Mu Dai went, nor did I see your grandfather.”

He asked Yan Hongsha, “Were you stung badly?”

Yan Hongsha couldn’t tell. She only remembered feeling pain behind her ear and on her neck at that time, but now everything was numb.

Luo Ren said, “Check yourself. Wasp venom can be fatal in severe cases. If it hurts badly, apply your urine to the wound.”

Yan Hongsha thought she had misheard: “What?”

Luo Ren said, “I’m not joking with you.”

He took the torch and quickly left.

Yan Hongsha sat in place, waiting anxiously. Once Luo Ren left, the place seemed to become eerie. Yan Hongsha looked around uneasily, left and right.

Around her, there always seemed to be sounds, always eyes secretly observing. The leaves rustled overhead. Many times, she suspected that if she looked up, she would see the moldy Clear Weather Woman doll.

Luo Ren finally returned, alone.

Yan Hongsha went to meet him, afraid to ask first.

Luo Ren said, “The swarm has dispersed. I’ve checked the surroundings—no bodies, and I couldn’t find anyone.”

Yan Hongsha’s lips trembled, tears welling in her eyes.

Luo Ren said, “The good news is they probably weren’t stung to death. If they had been, the bodies would be nearby. The bad news is…”

“There were wild man footprints in that area. The wild man appeared, but he might have climbed a tree midway. I can’t track from the ground marks alone.”

Yan Hongsha began to cry, saying, “My grandfather must be dead.”

The wild man had appeared. He might not harm Mu Dai and Cao Yanhua, but he would certainly not spare her grandfather.

Cao Yanhua woke up.

Before waking, he had a beautiful dream. He dreamed of Phoenix Tower’s opening, with crowds gathering at the entrance. Uncle Zheng held a microphone and announced loudly: “Now, let’s invite Manager Cao to cut the ribbon for our Phoenix Tower opening!”

Cao Yanhua saw himself radiant, grinning from ear to ear, one hand holding the red flower ball ribbon, the other a golden pair of scissors.

Reporters pointed cameras at him, shouting, “Manager Cao, Manager Cao, look here!”

He smiled broadly.

The next second, the photo appeared before his eyes. Everything looked good, except that face, as big as a basin.

He became angry: “What kind of dog-shit photography is this!”

No, looking closer, why was the face so swollen?

Buzz, buzz, buzz—a nightmarish sound. He saw a wasp vibrating its wings, flying out of the photograph.

Wasps!

Memories rushed back like floodwaters. Cao Yanhua woke with a start. As he woke, his leg kicked something soft, like a person.

He raised his head. His eyes, already small, had been stung so badly that he could barely open them to a slit.

Through that narrow view, he saw that the person lying there was…

Cao Yanhua was shocked. He rushed over to shake him: “San-san Brother, San-san Brother, wake up! How did you get here too!”