Chapter 6: The Mysterious Disappearance of the Painting

He swiftly swam to my side, lifting my body toward the water’s surface…

I don’t know how much time had passed when dawn broke and I slowly opened my eyes. He was still watching over me, gazing at me with apparent concern.

His eyes were truly captivating like ink drops and scattered stars. His slightly furrowed brows and pale lips pressed into a straight line gave him a stern, almost ascetic aura.

As the gentle sunlight permeated every corner of the earth, he gradually faded like an illusion into the air until he completely vanished. I desperately reached out to grasp him, but my palm found only emptiness, nothing to hold onto.

When I woke up again, it was already dusk. I tried moving my body and found no serious injuries, though I felt utterly exhausted and ravenous.

Suddenly, my hand touched something round. I’d never seen before instinctively looking at various wild fruits. Never mind where they came from; whether they were poisonous remained a question.

Struggling to sit up, I surveyed my surroundings and gasped in amazement. Wasn’t this exactly the place I’d been searching for? The cascading waterfall and deep pool were identical to those in my dream and the painting.

I could no longer distinguish reality from illusion. Were the things I saw and heard truly real? My mother had always been somewhat superstitious, and our village still had practicing shamans.

But having been educated as atheists, I preferred to attribute these bizarre, inexplicable phenomena to psychological burdens. What we think about during the day, we dream about at night.

“Is anyone there?! Help! I’m over here…”

I searched for an exit, only to find the sole path blocked by a massive landslide boulder. Then I remembered Xing’er mentioning that the only route to the mountain spring had been obstructed by a mudslide. Now the entire village relied on a few wells that yielded minimal water.

Forced to return to my starting point, my hunger became unbearable. After staring at the fruits, I finally gave in, took a deep breath, washed two that looked less vibrantly colored, and ate them.

Like a terminal patient awaiting diagnosis, I curled up waiting for potential poisoning. Only after about two hours passed without incident did I confirm the fruits were safe.

Night fell again, and I dreaded this boundless darkness not a trace of light anywhere. Physically and mentally exhausted, I leaned against the cliff behind me and drifted into sleep. Half-conscious, I felt something cold and slippery moving around my ankles, startling me awake.

Focusing my gaze, I screamed in terror a crimson snake writhed boldly, coiling around my arm. Too frightened to move, I recognized it as identical to the snake I’d seen in my room.

Had it truly attached itself to me? There’s a rural belief that snakes hold strong grudges if you strike one, you must kill it completely or it will haunt you relentlessly.

Also, killed snakes should never be hung on trees, or they’ll attract entire snake colonies.

I racked my brain but couldn’t recall ever crossing paths with snakes. These reptiles terrified me, and I always kept my distance.
It drew closer, staring unblinkingly at me. When its crimson forked tongue flickered out and touched my cheek, the cold sensation made my blood run cold.

“Hiss… hiss…” It seemed to be speaking to me, as if saying, come, follow me.

I thought I’d gone mad, until it slithered down my arm and swam forward. Only after it had moved some distance did I follow.

After walking for a while, I saw a cluster of bushes growing beneath the cliff. It disappeared into the thicket. I stepped forward and pushed aside the bushes, only to discover a cave. The entrance was narrow but just wide enough for a person to squeeze through.

I took out the flashlight from my pocket and illuminated the path, following the snake for about a hundred meters until the cave suddenly widened, allowing me to walk upright.

The flashlight beam grew increasingly dim, and sure enough, it didn’t last long before going out completely. I had no choice but to feel my way along the rocky wall, walking intermittently with frequent pauses.

After about two hours, I faintly saw a glimmer of light. My heart leaped with joy, and I quickened my pace. When I finally emerged from the cave, I gasped for breath, desperately inhaling the fresh air.

To my surprise, I found myself at the foot of the village mountain. I glanced back at the cave it was likely an air-raid shelter dug during the War of Resistance Against Japan.

The snake had disappeared, and I didn’t know when it had vanished. My body had reached its limit of exhaustion. Trembling, I made my way along the path back to the village, but before I could reach my doorstep, I collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I found myself lying in bed, just as Xing’er entered with a bowl of porridge.

“Teacher Lin, you’re awake! Thank goodness. You’ve been unconscious for two days and two nights.”

“Oh…” I shook my dizzy head. “By the way, has Erya returned?”

Xing’er handed me the bowl of porridge and said, “Erya has been found. She’s fine. But Teacher Lin, when everyone went into the mountains to search for Erya, you were the only one who didn’t come back. The villagers combed the entire mountain but couldn’t find you. Two nights ago, Uncle Acheng found you unconscious by the roadside while fetching wine and brought you back.”

How could they remain so calm? Remembering what happened that night still sends chills down my spine.

“The bodies in the mountains didn’t you see them? Bitten to death by snakes! So many snakes…”

Xing’er looked at me strangely, and after a long pause, she said, “Teacher Lin, were you frightened out of your wits? We didn’t see any bodies, nor any snakes.”

“How is that possible? I clearly…” I clearly saw with my own eyes thousands of snakes biting those hunters to death.

I held my head and calmed myself for a few minutes. Could it be that I really encountered something supernatural? If I kept talking about this, they’d probably think I’d gone insane.

“Never mind. If Erya is back, that’s what matters. I still have a headache…”

“Then you should get some rest, Teacher Lin. I won’t disturb you.” After I finished the porridge, Xing’er took the bowl and left.

I lay in bed with wide eyes, my mind relentlessly replaying the ordeal in the forest the man who saved me from the pond, the snake that led me out of that desperate situation. Waves of cold dread crept up from my feet, and I curled up, hugging myself tightly.

After calming down, I got up to search for my luggage for that ink-wash painting, but I couldn’t find it no matter how long I looked. I was sure I had packed it!

The painting was gone, and it felt as if a part of my heart had been torn out, leaving an empty void. Frantic, I rushed out of the room. Xing’er was feeding the chickens outside, and I angrily grabbed her by the arm.

“Did someone go through my luggage?”

Xing’er looked at me timidly and shook her head: “N-no, Teacher Lin, I’ve been taking care of you all along. I haven’t seen anyone else enter your room. No one could have touched your luggage.”

“Then how come my painting is missing?! That painting is very important to me, Xing’er. Tell me, did you take it? If you know where it is and return it to me, I won’t blame you.”

“Teacher Lin, what’s wrong with you? You look so scary right now… Xing’er really doesn’t know, I didn’t take your painting.”