Chapter 06 An unforgettable scene

　　Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, the man in gray kept a distance of two or three meters from me the whole time. After many twists and turns, when crossing a clump of shrubs, I actually lost sight of him.

　　Focusing my attention and looking around, the night was dim and I couldn't see a single person. Suddenly, I became aware of a noise behind me. Turning my head, I saw the man in gray raising a gleaming knife and slashing down at me.

　　At this life-and-death moment, there was no way to avoid it. I pulled the trigger of my pistol, but this pistol, which I didn't know how many years it had been since it was last used, just made a "click" sound and no bullet came out. It actually jammed at this critical juncture. The knife flashed with a cold light and came crashing down. I could only turn my head slightly to avoid the vital points.

　　The knife, carrying a sharp whistling sound, swung down toward my left scapula, but it didn't land on me. The man in gray's hand was trembling, and his eyes were filled with fear. He looked at something behind me in shock, his face full of disbelief.

　　I thought it was the villagers who had been chasing me that had arrived. When I turned my head, my eyes also widened in surprise. I saw a sky full of will-o'-the-wisps, covering the entire area in front of me.

　　Those who have studied chemistry know that will-o'-the-wisps are caused by the spontaneous combustion of phosphorus in corpses. There were many dead people buried in this Mao'er Ridge, especially during the Anti-Japanese War when mass graves were dug. The phosphorus in the corpses seeped through the gaps in the soil into the air. Since phosphorus has a low ignition point and can spontaneously combust, timid or superstitious people called this phenomenon will-o'-the-wisps.

　　But although I had never seen will-o'-the-wisps with my own eyes, I also knew that the appearance of will-o'-the-wisps here on Mao'er Ridge at this time was rather strange.

　　A gentle breeze blew, and the will-o'-the-wisps danced in the sky. Millions of them actually gathered together, forming a human-shaped flame. Since will-o'-the-wisps are caused by the spontaneous combustion of phosphorus in the air, it was extremely puzzling that they could gather into a human shape. Was it just a coincidence, or was there really some unknown mysterious force at work?

　　The human-shaped will-o'-the-wisps only existed for an instant. A gust of wind came, and the will-o'-the-wisps dispersed with a roar. All that could be seen was the dim night.

　　The sound of the machete hitting the ground woke me up. At that moment, I realized that I had just had a close brush with death and that a cold-blooded murderer was standing beside me without my even knowing it.

　　The man in gray had a dazed look in his eyes and pointed at the air, muttering, "Ghost! Ghost! Ghost..."

　　He had always been mentally unstable, and after this scare, he seemed to have gone insane.

　　The human-shaped will-o'-the-wisps had frightened this cold-blooded murderer to this extent, and an uneasy feeling also arose in my heart. I quickly handcuffed him.

　　At this time, I jumped up in fear as well. A hand had actually been placed on my shoulder.

　　At this time and place, when I was fully focused on guarding against the man in gray, a hand was placed on my shoulder. Even though I was brave, I couldn't help but scream in terror.

　　"Jay, are you okay?" A concerned voice sounded in my ear. Only then did I realize that I had been so lost in thought that I didn't even know when Ling's father had come in.

　　"Here, have a cup of tea." Ling's father handed me a steaming cup of tea.

　　I took the tea and took a sip. The tea was very light, but it had a nice taste with a hint of mint freshness. So I asked, "Uncle, what kind of tea is this?"

　　Ling's father smiled sheepishly and said, "This is Clear-Mind Tea, made from mint leaves. You should drink it often. I've prepared a large package of tea leaves for you. When you go back, take it with you and remember to drink it often."

　　"Thank you, Uncle!" I said gratefully.

　　"Go to sleep. It's already late." Ling's father took off his clothes, blew out the lamp, and lay down.

　　After drinking the tea, it should have been hard to fall asleep, but I fell asleep in no time. I had a very sweet sleep and didn't wake up until the sun was high in the sky the next day.

　　Looking at the time, it was already nine o'clock in the morning.

　　"Why didn't you wake me up?" I asked Ling as she walked into the room.

　　"I saw you were sleeping soundly and couldn't bear to wake you up." Ling said very gently.

　　"I'm going back today. Are you coming with me?" I asked Ling while getting dressed.

　　"You go back alone. Dad asked me to stay at home and accompany Mom for a few days. Mom's vertigo has acted up again." Ling said with some apology.

　　"All right." I felt a bit helpless. I had been at Ling's house for five days, and as a young man in the prime of his life, five days without being intimate with Ling was already a relatively long time.

　　At noon, I left Ling's house reluctantly. Ling saw me off to the village entrance, put several packages of local specialties in the trunk of the car, and then stuffed a package of tea into my hands, reminding me, "Remember to drink it often. This tea has the effect of clearing the mind and calming the nerves. Dad specially prepared it for you."

　　"Okay." I nodded. Taking advantage of the fact that Ling wasn't paying attention, I couldn't resist grabbing her breasts.

　　"You're asking for it!" Ling blushed all over. Looking around and seeing that no one was there, although she scolded me, there was more joy on her face.