Chapter 2 WuLing's Mystery

"Most likely, around eighty or ninety percent of it is still inside. I suspect those bandits came all the way to Dragon Bone Ridge because they heard this legend!" I speculated.

"Hey, bro, wouldn't we hit the jackpot if we could get hold of that military fund?" Mile eagerly exclaimed.

I gave Mile a stern look and said, "I advise you to give up on that idea. I heard from the village elders that the paths inside Dragon Bone Ridge are intricate, with ninety-nine or eighty-one small roads. Moreover, the soldiers who died there are said to have lingering spirits, guarding the military funds. Outsiders who enter Dragon Bone Ridge never come out again. Those bandits are a lesson to be learned."

"That's from ancient times!" Mile interrupted with a laugh. "Back then, there was no GPS positioning. Now it's different; we have advanced technology. Besides, stories about the resentful spirits of Ming soldiers are probably just to scare people!"

"Hehe!" I pointed to the small temple next to my grandfather's house and said, "Mile, do you see that building in front?"

Mile, not understanding, followed my pointing direction and asked, "Yes, I see it. What's up?"

"You have a phone with you, right? Later, when you go into the temple, if you can come out on your own, then we can discuss Dragon Bone Ridge!" I said with a smile.

"Bro, do you think I'm stupid?" Mile disdainfully looked at the unremarkable temple and said, "I'll just enter from the front and come out. Easy!"

I chuckled, looking at Mile, and said, "Well, give it a try. If you can come out, I'll tell you another legend about Dragon Bone Ridge!"

"Deal!" Mile eagerly agreed.

"Absolutely!" I affirmed.

Mile, feeling like he had struck gold, quickly ran towards the nearby temple with his phone. I stood there, watching him. As Mile ran, he looked back at me, making faces. When he reached the front of the temple, he carefully examined it, then shouted loudly, "Wait for me!"

After saying that, Mile stepped into the temple, and I watched his figure with a slight smile. I had been inside that temple when I was very young, around five or six years old. I was greedy at the time and wanted to steal some offerings from the temple. However, once inside, I couldn't find the exit. The entrance had turned into a wall. I was trapped inside for a day and a night until my grandfather found me.

At this moment, I suddenly realized why something felt missing. Since I returned, I hadn't seen Wu Ling. I had previously asked my elder brother and several relatives about Wu Ling's whereabouts, but their answers surprised me. Almost everyone claimed not to know anyone named Wu Ling. Was Wu Ling a childhood illusion? It made sense. From the time I could remember until he left, Wu Ling's appearance and height never changed. In that moment, I even doubted if I had some kind of hallucination disorder. However, the events between Wu Ling and me were vivid in my memory. His every expression and movement were deeply engraved in my mind. Moreover, two other people had seen Wu Ling - my father and my uncle.

As Mile entered the temple and had been inside for a good five minutes without coming out, I figured he might be trapped. Having known Mile for six or seven years, I understood his character. He was good in many ways, but he had one flaw - greed. If I didn't let him experience a bit of hardship now, he might continue to obsess over Dragon Bone Ridge. It was a dangerous place, and if he rashly entered, he might not come out alive. So, I decided to let him stay in there a bit longer, hoping to instill some fear and respect for Dragon Bone Ridge.

I turned and walked toward my grandfather's old house to confirm Wu Ling's whereabouts. When I entered the house, it was filled with people, relatives from different places, exchanging greetings. Occasionally, I greeted someone I recognized, but I still hadn't seen Wu Ling. Could Wu Ling really be my childhood illusion?

"Are you looking for me?" Wu Ling's familiar voice suddenly sounded in my ear. I turned around abruptly, only to find that there were only people chatting behind me, and Wu Ling was nowhere to be seen.

I stood in the middle of the crowd, bewildered, searching in all directions, but found nothing.

Just when I was about to give up in disappointment, Wu Ling's voice echoed in my ear again, "Xiao Tuo, I've been waiting for you. Come find me. Remember the game we used to play when we were kids?"

"Game?" I stared around in confusion. The voice was clear, but I couldn't see anyone. Was I having hallucinations?

"Yes, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, we're all wooden people. No talking, no moving..." Wu Ling's voice abruptly stopped. By this point, I was teary-eyed. Yes, it was a game we used to play when we were kids, and I always lost. Wu Ling could stand still in one place for an entire afternoon.

"Wu Ling, where are you?" I murmured to myself.

"Xiao Tuo, you spoke, you lost. Now it's my turn to hide. Come find me!" Wu Ling's voice carried a childlike innocence and playfulness.

I frowned, recalling that in our childhood game, the winner could hide first, and the loser had to find. However, Wu Ling's hiding spot never changed.

"I know where you are!" I said and immediately ran outside, all the way to an old locust tree at the entrance. The locust tree was thick; two adults could barely embrace it. It was from some bygone era, already dead, and had formed a hollow. Every time, Wu Ling would hide inside.

I hesitated in front of the old locust tree for a long time, finally summoning the courage to bend down and crawl into the hollow. It had a strange smell, pitch dark. I took out my phone, turned on the flashlight, and the scene before me disappointed me. The hollow was empty, Wu Ling was not there. I sighed and realized I hadn't seen Wu Ling since I returned. I had asked my elder brother and some relatives about Wu Ling's whereabouts, but their answers surprised me. Almost everyone claimed not to know anyone named Wu Ling. Could it be that Wu Ling was my childhood illusion?

Suddenly, I noticed inscriptions on the inner side of the hollow, carefully looking at them with my phone, and saw dense characters forming the word "正" (zhèng). What did this mean?

Disappointed, I backed out of the hollow.

"He's not here!" My father suddenly appeared behind me and said in a low voice. I was startled, turned around, and saw my father and uncle standing behind me, looking serious.

"He?" I opened my mouth and said, "You mean Wu Ling?"

My father nodded.

"Wu Ling isn't my illusion?" I asked excitedly.

My father shook his head and said, "He has been with you for so many years. How could you think he's your illusion?"

"But why has no one else seen him except me?" I asked, puzzled.

At this point, my father and uncle exchanged glances. They exchanged brief glances and my father looked at me, saying, "Son, I think it's time for you to know some things!"

"What things?" I looked at my father and uncle in surprise, saying incredulously.

"About our family, about your grandfather, about Wu Ling!" My uncle said word by word.

I didn't understand and looked at the two elders, unable to believe that our family really had some kind of secret!

At this moment, my uncle took a deep breath, shook his head helplessly, and said, "Come with me. Your grandfather left something for you before he passed away!"

Having said that, my uncle turned and walked towards the house to the east. My father patted my shoulder and said, "Let's go, you'll understand when you get there!"

Following my father and uncle into the eastward house, it was not very large, built against the mountain. It used to be my grandfather's woodworking room. Every time he worked, he would enter this room, lock the door, and prohibit others from entering. Following my uncle into the house, my father closed the door. In the center of the room were some carpenter's tools, and there were also some sawdust on the ground. On the north side of the room was an Eight Immortals table, on which ancestral tablets were placed. My uncle respectfully bowed in front of the tablets and bowed a few times. Then, he turned around in front of the tablets, turned two rounds in front, and with a loud "boom" sound, a crack appeared on the wall behind the tablets.

My uncle gently pushed open the cracked seam, motioning for my father and me to follow. I followed my uncle forward in confusion. In front was a corridor, narrow and cramped, only allowing one person to pass through. The walls were extremely smooth, filled with dampness. After passing through the corridor, a hall appeared in front, which was quite large, about the size of a basketball court. The upper and lower levels differed by more than ten meters. The walls of the hall were engraved with flying dragons and phoenixes, vivid and majestic. In the center of the hall, there was a stone house, slightly smaller than the outside house. The house was surrounded by water, and there were two stone lions in front of the house. On one side of the house, water droplets continuously fell from the stone seams on the roof. Although it was extremely hot outside, it was cool inside, like a paradise.

In astonishment, I followed my uncle and father to the front of the stone house. It was only now that I realized this stone house was seamlessly integrated, with no windows or doors.

I stared at my uncle and father in amazement, asking, "What is this place?"

"Xiao Tuo, close your eyes!" My uncle didn't answer my question. Instead, he continued, "No matter what you feel or hear later, never open your eyes!"

I nodded in confusion, closing my eyes. Soon, I smelled the scent of burning paper. The ground began to make a rumbling sound, and it started shaking. The sound became louder, and the shaking intensified. When it reached its peak, it suddenly stopped. Just when I was relieved, the ground started rotating, counterclockwise. After a circle, it suddenly rotated clockwise. After several rotations, I only felt dizzy and nauseous, and almost fainted. My father hurriedly supported me. At this moment, I accidentally opened my eyes and saw the stone lions in front of the stone house opening their mouths wide, glaring at me fiercely. My father quickly covered my eyes, and the ground kept rotating. After a few seconds, it finally stopped.

"You can open your eyes now, Xiao Tuo!" My uncle said wearily.