Chapter 58

The incident of animals leaving the mountains caused significant unrest among the villagers. Da Zhuang, who had encountered the wolf pack, was constantly questioned, and it wasn't until he had recounted the wolf pack incident multiple times that the villagers finally let him go.

At Wang Guoqiang's suggestion, the villagers organized a night patrol team to prevent the animals from the mountains from harming their chickens and ducks.

According to records, the mountains and forests were to be sealed off, and no one was allowed to enter for at least three months. Something must have happened deep in the mountains; otherwise, the animals wouldn't have ventured to the outskirts.

The villagers had no objections to this proposal. Confronting a wolf pack in the mountains would only hasten one's death, and a hungry wolf pack wouldn't care if you had a gun or not.

Not to mention the faint tiger roars that could be heard. The mountain king wasn't a self-proclaimed title but earned through strength. Even a small wolf pack would retreat at the sight of a tiger.

Under Wang Guoqiang's leadership, the village quickly adjusted to the mobilization for the mountain incident, befitting his role as the village chief.

...

After seeing everyone off, Lin Xiao returned to the villa alone, with the purple-golden mastiff following behind. The man and the dog seemed much more solitary, no longer as lively as before.

Lin Xiao was also considering whether to enter the mountains again. He had detected anger in yesterday's tiger roar, indicating that something in the deep mountains had provoked the tiger, driving it out. This was no simple matter.

As for the danger, Lin Xiao was confident that he could run if he couldn't fight. He was torn about whether to make the trip.

People who have something on their mind can't sleep well. Lin Xiao hadn't slept well the previous night, and his biological clock woke him up on time. Now, he looked drowsy, lying on the sofa and rubbing the purple-golden mastiff's head.

The purple-golden mastiff looked thoroughly content, clearly enjoying Lin Xiao's petting. Lin Xiao once again considered the issue of entering the mountains.

Unable to decide, Lin Xiao decided to take a walk around the village to relax and adjust his state of mind.

...

"Ah, I wonder how long it will take for the wolf pack and the tiger to return to the mountains. Last time, it was bears and wild boars."

"Yes, according to records, they usually return to the deep mountains after about three months, but we don't know if it will be accurate this time."

"Right, not being able to enter the mountains for three months means a significant loss of income. Without the mountain goods, we'll lose at least half of our earnings for these few months."

"Yes, my husband's cigarette money depends on a good harvest from the mountains this month."

"Who isn't in the same boat? If the mountain goods collectors don't come because we have no goods, what will we do next time?"

"Yes, the current price for mountain goods is still reasonable, similar to selling to hotels, and we don't have to make the trip ourselves."

On the way, Lin Xiao heard the villagers discussing the wolf pack and the tiger that had come from the deep mountains.

Lin Xiao was puzzled and had many questions. He hurried to Village Chief Wang Guoqiang's house to ask what was going on.

"Village Chief, I just heard the villagers talking about the wolf pack and the tiger. Why are they so sure that they will return to the deep mountains in three months?" Lin Xiao asked Wang Guoqiang, unable to contain his curiosity.

Wang Guoqiang, smoking, turned around and saw Lin Xiao, smiling as he replied, "This has happened more than once in our village. Our village has a long history, existing for about 200 years. Important events that affect the village's survival are recorded and properly stored."

"The incident you mentioned has happened before. Our ancestors encountered it, usually every 70 to 80 years. This is the fourth time, as reminded by the only 86-year-old elder in the village. We noticed it was another deep mountain patrol, which is our term for when fierce animals come out from the deep mountains," Wang Guoqiang explained.

"Also, the first time, our ancestors entered the deepest part of the mountains to investigate and saw an extremely bizarre scene. They died a few days after returning, leaving only a few ink paintings, which are still stored in the village warehouse. It's said that the person who left the paintings claimed that solving the secret of the paintings would allow him to live to at least 100 years. However, no one has been able to solve the secret over the years, so everyone eventually treated it as a story," Wang Guoqiang answered Lin Xiao's questions.

"Can I see the paintings? I'm quite curious. What kind of secret can make someone live to 100 years?" Lin Xiao asked, a bit embarrassed.

"It's not a big deal; most people in the village have seen them. You can come with me. Anyway, not many people understand them. Each person has their own interpretation, and no one knows why the ancestor didn't leave any words, only a few paintings," Wang Guoqiang said, leading Lin Xiao to the storage area.

"These are copies of the original paintings, which have long since rotted away," Wang Guoqiang said, handing Lin Xiao several line drawings.

Lin Xiao took the paintings and examined them carefully. The images were all represented by lines, which is why Wang Guoqiang said everyone had their own interpretation. It was unclear if they were correct.

Taking the first painting, it showed a few horizontal and vertical lines, resembling a winding road, but it was impossible to understand what it was trying to convey.

As he looked at each painting, Lin Xiao's brows furrowed. He didn't understand any of the ten or so paintings. Each painting had different lines, none of which were repeated. Despite the simplicity of the lines, he couldn't grasp what they meant.

He could only say that he had gained nothing and that the thoughts of the ancestors were truly hard to understand. He handed the paintings back to Wang Guoqiang.

However, Wang Guoqiang failed to catch them, only managing to grab three sheets of paper. The others floated freely in the air, one by one.

Lin Xiao's pupils dilated. He felt he might have found the key point, perhaps able to decode the secret of the paintings.

The lines of each painting, the intersections as they fell in the air, replayed in Lin Xiao's mind. A flash of insight, and he finally understood what his initial idea was.

"Village Chief, I think I know the secret of these paintings. Can I see them again?" Lin Xiao said excitedly.

Wang Guoqiang was surprised, looking at the excited Lin Xiao, unsure if he was serious. Since no one had cared about the paintings for a long time, he let Lin Xiao have a go.

Wang Guoqiang handed the paintings to Lin Xiao again, who had already picked up the ones on the ground.

Lin Xiao laid out all nine paintings, forming a square.

Wang Guoqiang didn't comment. The village had tried before, but with no significant results. No one could decipher the paintings, so he silently watched Lin Xiao's actions.