Mofan and his two companions made a brief preparation and then packed their bags and set off for the train to Yunnan. According to the address given by Lin Guodong, he had learned about the legend of Bodhi Fruit from the local villagers in a place called Bu Yi Village, which is located at the border between Yunnan and Southeast Asia.
On the way to Yunnan, Mo Fan sat there with his eyes closed, not engaging in much communication with the old dog and Qitian. Old Dog and Qi Tian were very familiar with Mo Fan's style. Usually, when he was like this, it meant he was thinking about the specific plan for the mission in Yunnan.
But Mo Fan's often furrowed eyebrows still caught Qi Tian's attention. So Qitian asked, "Old Mo, have you come up with any questions? You can talk to me and Old Dog. Maybe we can offer you some suggestions."
Mofan looked at the two of them and said, "Do you know any legends about the Miao people in Yunnan?"
Qi Tian and Lao Dog looked at each other and both shook their heads.
Mofan then said, "According to legend, the Miao people in Yunnan have a close connection with the cultures of Southeast Asia. It is said that the people living there are skilled at using various plants and animals to create strange medicines and evil substances. The world calls this 'gu shu'." I always felt that this Bodhi fruit might have something to do with these 'sorcery arts', and throughout my journey, I have always had a sense of unease and a foreboding feeling in my heart. There is a possibility that we might encounter unprecedented dangers.
The old dog said carelessly, "Old Mo, over the years, haven't we encountered many dangers? Every time it was a near-death experience. I believe that as long as the three of us unite as one, no problem can't be solved."
Mofan said, "I believe what you said is correct. But you also know that my intuition has always been quite accurate. I hope this time we can also overcome the difficulties and come out unscathed."
Next, the three of them remained inside the train, discussing the implementation plan for the project and going over every detail to ensure that this task could be completed successfully.
The rumbling of the train outside rhythmically sounded, gradually approaching the destination of this journey.
....
After a day and a night of train travel, the three of them finally arrived at the border area between Yunnan and Southeast Asia. In order not to arouse the suspicion of the locals, the three of them decided to pretend to be tourists and secretly inquire about more information about Bodhi Fruit.
After a brief rest, early the next morning, they began to secretly inquire of the local residents. However, the locals seemed not to be proficient in Mandarin and could only speak the language of their own ethnic group. This made Mo Fan and his two companions extremely frustrated. They spent a long time but failed to find any useful clues.
The three people had been walking for a whole day. They were both hungry and tired. But suddenly, they seemed to have reached an area full of plants. For a moment, they didn't know where they were or in which direction to go next.
Just when they were at a loss for what to do, suddenly a voice came from behind them, saying, "Hello, who are you and what are you doing here?"
Mofan and the others then turned to look. They saw a middle-aged man in Miao ethnic clothing, wearing glasses and with a tall and slender figure, standing in front of them. Behind him were a group of young men and women who looked like students.
Mo Fan then greeted, "Hello, my name is Mo Fan. I'm a tourist here. The other two are my friends. We are all tourists here. Maybe we got lost and ended up here. I'm sorry if we have bothered you."
The middle-aged man then said in a friendly tone, "So you are tourists. Hello, my name is Allo. I'm the pharmacy teacher here. Today I'm bringing my students here to learn about the medicinal herbs that grow here."
The man named Allo continued, "If you're not in a hurry, you can also join us. Then I'll lead you out of here. Because I'm afraid that even if I show you the way, the numerous branch roads here might cause you to lose your way again."
Mofan replied, "That's really great. By the way, I also have a lot of information about the local area that I'd like to ask you about."
Allo replied, "Feel free to ask any questions at any time."
So the three of them followed Allo and his group and began to wander around the area. Mofan and the others listened as Allo kept walking and stopping, explaining the medicinal herbs growing nearby. They couldn't help but marvel at how suitable this place in Yunnan is for plant growth. Many plants they had never heard of's names were actually found here.
The old dog whispered to Mo Fan and Qi Tian, "It turns out there are so many valuable medicinal herbs here. When we go back, I definitely have to pick some to take with me."
Mofan stared at the old dog and said, "You've fallen back into your old habit of greed, haven't you? We're here to look for Bodhi Fruit. Besides, these medicinal herbs are used to save lives and heal the wounded, not to be exchanged for money. Just give up this idea."
When the old dog heard Mo Fan's words, he could only helplessly say to Qitian, " 'Dull gourd', do you think I shouldn't pick some valuable herbs?"
Qi Tian completely ignored the old dog's words and walked straight ahead with Mo Fan, leaving the old dog all alone.
The old dog quickly caught up with the two of them and, while running, said, "Hey, you two, I'm just saying this. If you don't pick them, then don't pick them."
....
After walking for several hours, it was almost evening. The weather was getting colder. Everyone was tired, so they found an open area to light a fire, boiled some local tea, intending to replenish some water and then prepare to leave this place.
Mofan saw that this was a good opportunity, so he signaled to Old Dog and Qitian to sit around Allo and ask him for more information about the Bodhi Fruit.
Mofan and Allo were drinking tea and asked, "Mr. Allo, before I came to visit Yunnan, I heard some of my friends tell me about a local legend. I wonder if you know about it or not."
Allo curiously asked, "What kind of legend is it?"
Mofan said, "It's about the legend of the Bodhi fruit. This legend goes like this: The Bodhi fruit has the power to cure all diseases in the world. Just by eating it, any illness can be cured."
After hearing Mo Fan's words, Allo's expression immediately became somewhat solemn. However, Allo still replied, "This Bodhi fruit is indeed a well-known legend in this area. It is said to be a sacred object of a village called Bu Yi Village here. But actually, many people in our local area have never seen the appearance of the Bodhi fruit, so they have no idea whether this legend is true or not."
Mofan pressed further, "Could you give us a more detailed account of this legend?"
Allo then said, "I only have a rough idea of it too. According to legend, in ancient Yunnan, the Miao people here once engaged in a war with the ethnic groups in Southeast Asia. Many people were killed or injured at that time. Just at this moment, in two local villages in Yunnan Province, one called Buyi Village and the other called HeiLong Village, the Miao people somehow acquired the mysterious sorcery and used it to defeat the foreign invaders who had invaded their area. Later, it was said that the Miao people in Bu Yi Village continued to develop this sorcery into medical skills for saving lives and healing the wounded. They created various medicines and there were rumors that they cultivated the Bodhi fruit which could cure all diseases in the world. And another group of Miao people from the HeiLong Village, who also inherited this ancient form of sorcery, further developed it into black magic capable of creating evil objects. Over the years, the local residents in Yunnan have been afraid to provoke the people from the Heilong Village."
Mofan listened very attentively. After Arlo finished telling this story, seeing Mofan's thoughtful expression, Allo couldn't help asking, "Are you all here to look for Bodhi Fruit?"
When Mo Fan saw this, he could only answer honestly, "We are indeed looking for the Bodhi Fruit. Because one of our elders is seriously ill. Whether this legend is true or not, we must find the Bodhi Fruit. Just now, upon hearing what you said, I learned that the people of Bu Yi Village have been dedicated to developing drugs for saving lives and treating injuries. I believe that all the people in Bu Yi Village must be kind-hearted. Let's tell them the reason and I'm sure they might be willing to help us."
Allo then said, "I understand."
Mofan then asked, "Could you tell us where the Village of Buyi is?"
Allo smiled and said, "This hill is actually the one that the people of Bu Yi Village often come to for gathering medicinal herbs." Alo pointed in the direction not far ahead and said, After you go down the mountain here, turn left and you will find the Village of Buyi."
Mofan then said, "Thank you for your guidance."
Just at that moment, they suddenly noticed that there seemed to be thick smoke rising from not far away at the foot of the mountain. People below seemed to have lit a campfire, and local language shouts kept coming.
Mofan then asked, "Mr. Allo, what kind of sound is coming from over there? Why is it so lively?"
But the three of them seemed to have noticed that a look of terror was appearing on Allo's face. At the same time, the three also noticed that the students sitting nearby also showed expressions of terror.
The old dog then continued to ask, "Mr. Allo, what exactly happened? What on earth are these people doing?"
Allo replied timidly, "This is the annual special ceremony held by the Heilong Village. It is said to be a ritual used to punish those who committed major mistakes in Yunnan Province this year. We don't know exactly what the ceremony is. But it is said that those who were taken by the HeiLong Village didn't come back alive. So all the people in our area are afraid of approaching the HeiLong Village, for fear that one day they might also be taken away and sentenced to death."
Allo immediately warned them, "You mustn't go and have a look. Otherwise, there will be some danger. We don't know what it is either."
Mofan said, "Absolutely, definitely."
Not long after that, Allo and his students bid farewell to the three of them, Maofan, etc.
When Allo and the others had completely vanished from the sight of Mofan and his two companions, the old dog curiously asked, "Are we really not going to go and see that ceremony?"
Qi Tian said, "Mr. Allo just warned that there might be danger. I think it would be safer not to go. Old Mo, what do you think?"
Mo Fan lowered his head and thought for a moment. Then he said, "According to Mr. Allo's description, the witchcraft in both Bu Yi Village and Black Dragon Village originated from the same source. Currently, we don't know much about Bu Yi Village, while HeiLong Village is holding a ceremony at the moment. Or we could observe their ceremony. This might provide us with more beneficial references for entering Bu Yi Village."
So the three of them unanimously agreed to head in the direction where the bonfire of the HeiLong Village was located.
....
As the sky gradually darkened, the three of them finally reached the spot where the campfire was shining. To avoid being discovered by the people of the HeiLong Village, the three of them lay down in the nearby grass and watched everything that was happening here from a distance.
In front of a huge stone mountain, at the entrance of the cave, a dragon's blood plate-shaped mouth was carved. Slowly, a young man emerged from the cave. He had long hair, was tall and powerful, with fierce and somewhat sinister facial features. He was fully dressed in black Miao ethnic clothing.
In front of the cave entrance, a group of men and women of various ages, dressed in Miao ethnic costumes, were kneeling down. On both sides of the entrance stood several strong-looking men with dark skin. Those strong men, upon seeing the man with long hair walking out of the cave, all respectfully bowed and said, "Honorable Great Wizard."
The old dog murmured, "This is why this village is called the Heilong Village. Even the caves of this mountain have been carved into the shape of a black dragon. I think this must be the place where they hold some kind of ceremony."
Mofan whispered, "Be quiet. Let's see what they are doing."
....
The man with long hair then commanded, "Bring him up here."
Then the two strong men carried a man who was tied up in various ways onto the stage. They could hear the man being bound cursing and complaining, as if he was extremely dissatisfied with being captured.
The man with long hair signaled to his men to place him on the ground and have him kneel down in front of him.
The man with long hair asked, "Do you think you are guilty?"
The bound man shouted, "Lei Kun(Yes, this man with long hair is named Lei Kun and he is the chief wizard here), you kill innocent people recklessly. Every year, you designate those you dislike as criminals. As long as someone is judged by you, they always disappear without a trace. What on earth have you done to them?"
Then the man who had been bound shouted to the kneeling tribe members behind him, "Don't let him deceive you. He must have some hidden secrets. Over the years, how many people have been killed by Lei Kun and the deceased previous high priest? Don't you still not understand?"
....
Lei Kun shouted furiously, "Shut up! You're being judged because you broke the law!"
The man who was bound said, "I'm merely protesting that the Presbyterian Church has not disclosed the whereabouts of those who disappeared. I also think there are problems with your judicial methods. Could it be that this is also wrong?"
Lei Kun shouted angrily, "Our ancestors set the rules 200 years ago. No one is allowed to defy the decisions of the Elders' Council. Anyone who is arrested by the Elders' Council must be brought to our sacred area for the final judgment by the sacred objects of our ancestors."
Lei Kun finished speaking and ordered someone to bring up a long stick carved with the head of a black dragon. In the middle of the dragon's head was set a red gemstone. And he said to everyone, "In a moment, when the tip of this stick touches this criminal, if the ruby emits red light, it means that the ancestors truly believe that he is guilty. In this case, he must be taken into the cave for execution. If no red light is emitted, it indicates that he is innocent."
Le Kun continued to speak to the man who was tied up, "You still have one chance to survive. Please pray that the red gemstone on this stick doesn't shine. But you should know that over the past two hundred years, not a single person who was brought before the Presbyterian court for trial has ever been acquitted."
After saying that, Lei Kun took the stick and gently touched the forehead of the bound man with the end adorned with a ruby. As expected, a few seconds later, the ruby really emitted red light.
Lei Kun shouted excitedly, "You all hurry and carry him into the cave!" Then, several strong men lifted the bound man and carried him deeper into the cave.
The bound man struggled and shouted, "Lei Kun, even if I were a ghost, I would never let you go. You this monster, you are the one who should be judged the most."
Le Kun looked coldly at the man who was bound. The sound of his voice gradually disappeared into the depths of the cave. Then he turned to the kneeling, frightened and trembling members of his tribe and said, "Go back." As soon as the words were spoken, the group of people scattered in panic and headed home.
Lei Kun saw that everyone had dispersed, and he swaggered towards the depths of the cave. It seemed that he was going to enter the cave himself to carry out the execution of the man who had been captured.
........
Just after the great wizard Lei Kun entered the cave, the old dog asked Mofan, "Now what should we do next?"
Mo Fan thought for a moment and said, "From the villagers' frightened reactions just now, I think this Lei Kun is definitely not a good person. Let's sneak into the cave and see what secrets are hidden inside. The villager who was just tied up, I think he must have been wrongly accused. If there's any chance, let's go and rescue him. What do you two think?"
The old dog and Qitian looked at each other and nodded together, expressing their support for Mo Fan's opinion.
......
So the three of them sneaked into the cave secretly.
After the three of them slipped into the cave, they found a secluded place to hide. The three men saw that the person who had just been detained was now tied to a stone pillar in the cave. The three also saw that in front of the person who was being held captive, there was a huge coffin. The entire exterior of the coffin was black, and the surface was engraved with various patterns of black dragons.
Suddenly, the stone door of one of the secret chambers in this cave opened upwards. At that moment, Lei Kun put on the robes of a great wizard, and was followed by two of his subordinates who were also wearing wizard robes. They all walked out of this secret chamber together. One could see that Lei Kun was still holding a large basin with the same black dragon pattern carved on it in his hand. Mofan and his two companions saw that the basin was filled with a bright red liquid.
The old dog whispered to Mo Fan, "Old Mo, what do you think is in that big wizard's basin?"
Qitian spoke up in a low voice, "Idiot, it's obvious that what's inside is blood - maybe it's human blood."
Mofan also spoke in a low voice at this moment.," It seems that the legend about the people here being skilled in some strange sorcery is true. Let's see what they are actually up to together."
They saw Lei Kun standing in the center of the coffin, raising the basin in his hands to his forehead. He was constantly reciting strange incantations, and the subordinates standing on both sides were also murmuring strange incantations from their mouths while dancing and gesturing wildly.
Finally, when Lei Kun finished reciting the incantation, he shouted, "Great Grandfather, wake up! Your present for this year has already been delivered." After saying that, Lei Kun poured the blood in the basin onto the top of the coffin.
Then, in a sinister tone, he said to the man who was tied up, "In a moment, our ancestor himself will come to judge you." After saying that, he led the two of his men into the secret room they had just entered. The stone door of the secret room closed again from top to bottom, leaving only the bound man and the huge coffin inside.
......
At this moment, Mo Fan lowered his voice and shouted to the old dog and Qitian, "Right now, let's hurry down and rescue them."
After saying that, the three of them jumped down from their hiding place and ran up to the man who was being bound.
The man who was tied up saw the three of Mofan and exclaimed in surprise, "Who are you? How did you end up here?"
Mofan whispered, "Be quiet. The three of us passed by here and saw the scene of you being tied up. So we came to rescue you."
Mofan and the other two took out knives from their bags, intending to cut the rope tied to the man. But this rope seemed to be made of special material, and they couldn't manage to cut it even after a long time of effort.
The man who was bound said, "I appreciate your kindness, all three of you. This rope is made of a special material here. Even with ordinary tools, it cannot be broken. Hurry up and leave! In a moment, our ancestors will wake up and none of you will be able to escape."
Mofan then asked, "You mean the person in the coffin is the ancestor of your village?"
The man who was tied up said, "Yes, you guys hurry up and leave, or it will be too late."
Mofan and his two companions had originally intended to ask further for details about what had happened.
The three people only heard a terrifying roar coming from the coffin behind them, as if a terrifying monster had awakened inside. They could see that the lid of the coffin had not been opened yet, but a white smoke was already beginning to seep out from inside. Suddenly, the lid of the coffin flew off. All four were suddenly on guard upon seeing this scene.
The old dog said, "Oh my goodness, that scene from the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum has come back again."
A withered hand emerged from the coffin. A corpse, whose body was only composed of some dry flesh, sat up. This corpse no longer resembled its former self and looked like a mummy. Every part of its body was in a state of dryness, yet strangely, it had two pure white eyes on its head, staring fixedly at the four men of Moofan. Suddenly, these eyes emitted a blue light.
Suddenly, the dry corpse emerged and immediately launched an attack on Mofan and his companions. Mofan and his two companions were so frightened that they had no time to take out their weapons from their bags. They could only fight the terrifying dry corpse with their bare hands.
The punches and kicks that the three people delivered to the dry corpse were completely ineffective. Although the corpse's flesh had dried up, it was extremely strong. It let out a roar and, with one fierce yell, one fierce kick, and one fierce punch, sent the three of them flying away. The three of them were in great pain and were gasping on the ground.
Mofan said, "Damn it! What kind of monster is this mummy?"
At this moment, the mummy saw the man tied to the stone pillar and, as if seeing food, walked over to him. That man could only be terrified and completely at a loss, crying out for help and desperately trying to free himself from the ropes.
The three of them wanted to deal with this man, but unfortunately it was too late by then.
The three of them witnessed the most terrifying scene of their lives. They saw that the mummy grabbed the man's head with one hand and directly tore off his head, causing the man to lose his life immediately. The three people saw that this mummy was actually devouring the man's head and body.
The three people saw this bloody scene and immediately trembled all over with fear.
At this moment, Mo Fan seized the opportunity as the mummy was still devouring the man's body, and shouted, "Let's quickly take out the guns. We'll all rush out of the cave entrance soon. Don't tremble like this monster!"
.........
The old dog and Qitian didn't have time to be afraid. Immediately, they pulled out their pistols.
We could see that the mummy had finished devouring the man and then continued to attack the three of Mofan. So the three of them simultaneously aimed their guns at the corpse and began to attack it, but all their attacks were completely useless against this corpse.
So the three of them had to keep shooting while constantly dodging the attacks of the dry bones.
Just then, Qi Tian moved around to the stone pillar where the man who had been devoured had been bound. He picked up the rope that had just bound the man, which was stained with blood, and threw one end to Mo Fan, saying, Old Mo, use this rope.
Mofan immediately understood Qi Tian's meaning. The two of them dodged left and right. After a while, they tied this rope to the corpse. Mofan and the other two worked together to tie the corpse to the stone pillar.
At this moment, an astonishing scene unfolded. Just because the mummy had consumed the man's body, at this point, this mummy actually began to grow flesh and blood. It felt even more like a living person than before. One could see that the ropes tied to the mummy's body were gradually being loosened by him, and it seemed that they were about to be completely torn apart.
Mofan could only shout at the old dog and Qitian, "Let's hurry up and go!"
The three of them could only run desperately towards the exit of the cave. After a while, the three of them heard the mummy behind them break free from the rope and was now roaring and chasing after them.
Just at the critical moment, the three of them rushed out of the cave. It was already dusk by this time. There was still a little bit of sunlight in the sky. We saw that the dry skeletons that had been chasing Maofan and the others suddenly stopped their pursuit and, at that very moment, they were immediately illuminated by the sunlight, causing their bodies to catch fire. They then painfully retreated back into the cave.
The old dog suddenly shouted excitedly, "It turns out this guy is afraid of the sunlight!"
Mofan shouted, "Stop wasting words! Let's hurry and run!"
......
The three immediately started running in the direction away from the entrance of the cave. At this moment, that mummified body that couldn't leave the entrance of the cave watched the three of Mofan running further and further away. It could only angrily keep emitting louder and louder roars. After a while, the power that this mummy seemed to have gained began to gradually fade away. It had to re-enter the cave, re-enter the coffin, cover it with the lid, and fall back into a deep sleep.
Just as Mofan and the others were running continuously, thinking they were safe. Suddenly, I heard someone behind me shouting, "They're there! Catch up with them! Don't let them escape!"
It turned out that the great wizard Lei Kun heard the voice of the ancient ancestor in the cave, as well as the noisy commotion. He immediately realized that someone had intruded into the forbidden area and immediately sent people to hunt down the three people named Mo Fan.
Seeing the figures of Mofan and the other two, the great wizard Lei Kun immediately started chasing them and threatened, "You three won't be able to escape. Surrender and be captured obediently."
After a while, Mo Fan and his two companions were cornered at the edge of a canyon. Ahead was a huge cliff, and below was a rapid river. The three realized there was no way out and had to draw their guns, preparing to fight desperately against Lei Kun and his group.
At this point, Lei Kun and his team had already caught up. The three of Mu Fan could only keep firing at them continuously.
Le Kun saw that his subordinates kept getting shot and falling down. He immediately said, "You three are seeking your own death."
We saw Lei Kun walk up to one of the men who had been shot. He reached out and pressed his hand against the man's wounded area, muttering an unknown incantation in his mouth. Immediately, a bullet appeared in Lei Kun's hand.
Just then, Lei Kun saw Mo Fan aiming his gun at him. So he placed the bullet he had just fired at the position of his middle finger. He forcefully snapped his middle finger, not only sending Mo Fan's bullet flying away, but also hitting Mo Fan's shoulder directly with this bullet.
......
Mo Fan let out a cry of pain at once. Qi Tian and Lao Dog immediately ran to Mo Fan's side and hugged the injured Mo Fan.
The old dog asked nervously, "Old Mo, are you okay? Please don't die."
Qitian immediately said to the old dog, "It seems that we have only one way to get out of here."
The old dog saw that Qi Tian was looking at the river below the cliff at that moment. Immediately, he understood what he meant. Then he said, "Brother, I hope we both survive this time. If either of us dies first, remember to erect a monument for the other."
Qi Tian said, "Stop wasting time! Just jump already!"
So the two of them helped up the injured Mofan, and the three of them jumped together towards the cliff. Immediately, they disappeared into the turbulent river below.
At this moment, the men under Lei Kun asked him, "Great Wizard, should we go down and continue the pursuit?"
Lei Kun sneered, "The bullet fired by that guy just now, was infused with my 'Blood Curse'. Within twenty-four hours, the bullet will reach his heart, and eventually his heart will explode, causing him to bleed to death. There's no point in wasting time chasing after him. As for the other two, let's just consider us as the ones sent to see him off on his final journey."
After saying that, Lei Kun led the group of people away from this cliff and returned to his village.
..............