A Terrifying Encounter on Route 101

Although Xiao Yun’er felt somewhat reluctant to leave the Ninth Miss, the thought of enduring three years of grueling training was enough to give him a headache. He was born a wanderer at heart.

He loved a life of freedom and ease, unbound by any restraints. Though kind-hearted, his lackadaisical attitude made it difficult for him to achieve greatness.

If someone like Qu Buping were given the same opportunity, he would surely surpass Xiao Yun’er by far. Though also a drifter, Qu Buping had clear goals and plans. He would spend a year or so diligently honing his martial skills before departing—perhaps even fathering a child with the woman he left behind. Whatever he did, he pursued it with earnestness and valued every chance that came his way.

The three of them then discussed their departure plans. They decided to leave early the next morning, their destination the idyllic Jiangnan region.

At dawn, the trio slipped out of the tavern unnoticed. On the way, Xiao Yun’er suggested they stop by his home briefly. Secretly, he hoped that perhaps on the way to his hometown he might encounter the elusive White Snowflower or Lingzhi herb.

Qu Buping and Chu Xiaoyu agreed, but fearing discovery by the Ninth Miss’s men, they avoided the main roads and chose to take a mountain path instead.

Qu Buping, confident in his cunning, said, “If we just pass through this forest, we’ll reach Yuling Village, Xiao Yun’er’s hometown.”

With that, he led them deeper into the woods. The trees grew denser, the underbrush thickening, until it seemed there was no clear path forward.

Chu Xiaoyu frowned. “Brother Qu, you’re not leading us into some primeval jungle to feed the tigers, are you?”

Qu Buping laughed. “What’s there to fear? If we meet a tiger, we’ll be heroes who fought one.”

Hearing the chance to become tiger-slaying heroes, Xiao Yun asked eagerly, “Is that true?”

Chu Xiaoyu smiled wryly. “Tiger heroes? More like tiger food, if you ask me.”

Amid their banter, they pressed on. The forest grew even darker, with towering dead trees and thick vines, yet the path showed no sign of ending. Even Qu Buping felt something was off.

Facing his blind guidance, Chu Xiaoyu demanded, “Brother Qu, what exactly are you basing your route on?”

Qu Buping’s spirits faltered. “Half a year ago, I saw a map inside a Taoist temple on Zhongnan Mountain. It clearly marked a route from Xianyang to Shouyang Mountain, separated only by this small forest. We’re walking right through the middle, so logically, we should have passed through by now.”

Chu Xiaoyu scolded him harshly. “I thought you knew the way, but you only glanced at a map in a temple. Don’t you realize maps can be misleading? Fool! If you don’t understand the terrain, why lead us at all?”

Xiao Yun’er asked, perplexed, “So what do we do now?”

Qu Buping replied, “Of course, we find our way back.”

They searched for a long time but found no exit. Suddenly, Xiao Yun’er spotted a strip of cloth hanging from a tree branch ahead and called out, “Look, there’s a rag tied up there.”

Qu Buping and Chu Xiaoyu brightened, thinking there must be a nearby settlement if someone left cloth there.

Qu Buping, now smug, said, “See? My route isn’t bad. This way is shorter—taking the main road would have cost us an extra day.”

Chu Xiaoyu’s eyes narrowed. “Wait, look—there’s blood on that cloth.”

Xiao Yun’er gasped, “Oh no, there must be a fierce beast nearby. The bloodstains mean someone was eaten here. Could it be a tiger?”

Qu Buping cursed, “Tiger nonsense! I’ve never heard of any wild beasts around here. It’s just a tattered rag—what’s there to fear? If a rag scares us, how can we survive out here? Besides, if there really is a tiger, that only means more heroes like us who’ve slain one.”

Having been bitten by a wolf before, Xiao Yun’er still shuddered and muttered, “I hope you’re right. Otherwise, there’ll be more fools walking straight into tiger’s jaws.”

Qu Buping and Chu Xiaoyu, confident in their martial skills and emboldened by curiosity, searched carefully nearby.

Soon, they found several torn scraps of clothing stained with fresh blood, still glistening and barely coagulated.

Their nerves tightened, and each gripped their weapons more firmly.

Suddenly, a large bloodstain came into view, surrounded by trampled grass and broken branches.

A chill ran down their spines. Chu Xiaoyu motioned silently, urging Qu Buping and Xiao Yun’er to remain quiet.

Following his finger, they spotted a pair of human feet protruding from the thicket.

The three exchanged horrified glances, their laughter and lightheartedness vanishing. Slowly, Chu Xiaoyu and Qu Buping approached, with Xiao Yun’er cautiously trailing behind, his heart pounding wildly. He cursed the reckless Qu Buping for leading them down this dreadful path—he should have stayed safe in the tavern under the Ninth Miss’s whip and fists.

Drawing near, they saw a corpse. Its chest bore a gaping, bloody hole. The dead man’s eyes were wide open, frozen in an expression of agony.

The sight shook even the usually fearless Qu Buping and Chu Xiaoyu into solemn silence.

After a moment, Qu Buping muttered in disbelief, “Could this be the work of some monster that devours human hearts, leaving the bodies behind?”

Chu Xiaoyu, still unsettled, asked, “What makes you say that?”

Qu Buping pointed to the hole in the chest. “Look—the wound is right where the heart should be. It looks like claws were driven straight into the chest, ripping out the heart.”

Xiao Yun’er interrupted anxiously, “Enough! If you keep talking like this, I might faint from fright.”

Chu Xiaoyu nodded gravely. “It’s the truth. Judging by the blood, this person died recently—the blood hasn’t darkened yet. I think this monster is nearby. Brother Qu, who do you think did this?”

Among the three, Qu Buping was only slightly older than Chu Xiaoyu but had many years of wandering the martial world, so his worldly experience surpassed Chu Xiaoyu’s. Chu Xiaoyu was calm and rational, while Xiao Yun’er was far less composed.

Shaken, Xiao Yun’er asked, “What do we do now? Should we just leave this terrifying place as fast as we can?”

Qu Buping smiled faintly. “I know what to do. But should we retrace our steps or press forward bravely?”

Xiao Yun’er shouted, “Of course we go back! Are you crazy, wanting to walk into that monster’s jaws? I’d rather face the Ninth Miss’s whip and fists than this horror.”