Chapter 142: The Bamboo Forest Behind the Mountain

"What? You say you want to go take a look at the bamboo forest on the back mountain in a little while?" When Zhang Pu later told Uncle Fu that he wanted to head to the bamboo grove, the latter exclaimed in disbelief.

"Why? Uncle Fu, didn't you say there was nothing special about that forest? It's just that since you mentioned my parents often went there at night before they disappeared, I really can't help but want to go and walk through it myself!" Zhang Pu said, making it sound like the most natural human sentiment.

As he spoke and after he finished, Zhang Pu was secretly observing Uncle Fu’s reaction. However, he ultimately failed to catch anything that struck him as suspicious.

"Alright then!" Seemingly moved by the emotional undertone of Zhang Pu’s words, Uncle Fu said, "I’ll go with you!"

Initially, Zhang Pu had intended to go alone, but since Uncle Fu insisted on accompanying him, Zhang Pu thought to himself: *Might as well let him follow; it won't hurt.*

Uncle Fu quickly finished tidying up, and the two set off.

Although the bamboo forest was on the back mountain, it was only a short distance from where Uncle Fu currently lived.

Uncle Fu was satisfied with Zhang Pu’s pace. He thought to himself that even though the boy had gone to the city for his studies, he didn't seem to have been raised in a pampered way. Little did he know, Zhang Pu was currently restraining his speed; if he had chosen to move as fast as he truly could, leaving Uncle Fu far behind would have been effortless.

The moonlight was dim that night—not the radiant, water-like glow of a full moon around the fifteenth of the lunar month—but because the weather was clear and the sky was free of clouds, the stars twinkled, appearing as close as if they were right above their heads.

For Zhang Pu, this level of illumination was more than enough.

Although Uncle Fu was elderly, his years of living in the mountains had kept his eyesight as sharp as an animal's. Furthermore, he had been thoughtful enough to bring a small flashlight.

They soon reached their destination.

Zhang Pu observed that the bamboo forest was exactly as Uncle Fu had described: from the outside, it looked no different from any other.

However, the moment he stepped into the grove, Zhang Pu’s senses as a cultivator immediately picked up something sharp—he sensed an unfriendly, ominous aura inside. In the parlance of people like Liu Yingde, who were accustomed to playing with spirits and ghosts, it was something "unclean."

Zhang Pu, naturally, felt no psychological burden.

Whatever evil could affect ordinary people was something he could completely ignore. After all, hadn't he already captured a great evil like Liu Yingde?

"A-Pu, it’s very dark in here! Be careful," Uncle Fu said, even though he had already turned on his flashlight.

Zhang Pu smiled, saying that as a young man, his eyes were sharp enough to distinguish his path and he wouldn't run into any bamboo stalks. Uncle Fu gave a dry laugh and said nothing more.

The two wandered through the forest in the dim light, moving like nocturnal ghosts. The grove was deathly quiet; even the occasional venomous snake or insect was startled by their movements and scurried away. Uncle Fu told Zhang Pu not to worry, mentioning that he had brought along a snake repellent. Zhang Pu smiled and thanked him for his thoughtfulness.

They circled the forest for a while, with Uncle Fu watching as if Zhang Pu were searching for clues about his parents. Eventually, Uncle Fu suggested a rest, just as Zhang Pu stood motionless before a particular bamboo stalk, seemingly deep in thought. Uncle Fu kindly offered the flashlight to Zhang Pu, telling him to look closely if he was searching for something, before stepping aside to pull out his phone.

Even the elderly knew how to use WeChat nowadays, and Uncle Fu was no exception. He was grateful for the wonders of modern technology and the internet; it was this very connection that kept him from feeling lonely or isolated in these desolate mountains. Turning his back to Zhang Pu, he began sending messages. He had attended elementary school, and that level of literacy was just enough to manage text-based communication.

WeChat allowed for voice messages, but Uncle Fu chose to text. The exchange was brief; he sent a few messages and immediately tucked his phone away, just as Zhang Pu came out of his trance. Zhang Pu hadn't seen Uncle Fu on his phone, and Uncle Fu didn't think much of it—wasn't it normal to take a moment to fiddle with one's phone?

Uncle Fu was unconcerned, but the enigmatic smile Zhang Pu gave him made his expression slightly unnatural. *This kid is quite sharp! As expected, children of such parents are never mediocre,* Uncle Fu mused to himself.

The two wandered a bit more. Zhang Pu still felt there was something strange about the forest, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. He secretly spread his half-developed spiritual consciousness, but failed to detect anything. Later, Uncle Fu suggested they head back, as they hadn't found anything during this trip.

Zhang Pu, worried that the elderly man might catch a chill in the night air, agreed. They began to make their way out of the grove.

"Eh—"

Just as they were about to exit, Zhang Pu gave a soft exclamation. His heightened senses had picked up on something suddenly darting into the bamboo forest.

Uncle Fu was startled by the sound. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Zhang Pu said, as if to reassure him. "Probably just a wild animal."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a large, dark shadow suddenly lunged out and blocked their path. It wasn't a beast, but a person.

The figure was tall and burly, standing in the gloom of the bamboo forest like a miniature iron tower. This was completely unexpected, especially in the middle of a desolate mountain at night. It was fortunate that neither Zhang Pu nor Uncle Fu were women, or they surely would have screamed or fainted. Zhang Pu figured that Uncle Fu, being of a certain age, had long since made peace with life and death, or perhaps his long years on the mountain prevented him from being easily terrified.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Uncle Fu demanded, shining his flashlight directly at the shadow.

Zhang Pu remained calm as well.

Both of them could now clearly see that the person who had sprung out to block their path was a tall, burly man dressed entirely in black, with his face covered.

*Are these bandits in the wilderness?* That was Zhang Pu’s first thought. But could there really be bandits in the mountains these days? He had never heard his parents or Uncle Fu mention any bandits in these leased mountain lands.

Without a doubt, this "bandit" was someone in disguise.