Chapter 21 – A Moment of Terror
Chapter 21 – A Moment of Terror
Bandits and monsters—this Mount Bapi hardly seems a place of virtue. Master once said that a mountain’s worth lies not in its height, but in the presence of immortals; a river’s value not in its depth, but in the presence of dragons. Now, there are no immortals nor dragons atop this mountain, only monsters and bandits; surely, it is not a sacred place.
As Xiao Xianyu pondered thus, he overheard the two patrolling bandits continue their conversation. “Our chief hasn’t been in the best of health lately,” said one.
The other bandit chuckled, “If I had a beauty like that by my side every day, I wouldn’t care about my health, either.”
The first bandit replied, “To be honest, that girl is truly a sight to behold. If I could spend a night with her, I’d die without regret.”
The second bandit laughed and scolded, “Look at you, so easily satisfied. If it were me… at least two nights!”
Both bandits erupted in laughter.
Xiao Xianyu emerged from his hiding place and watched as the two bandits walked downhill, oblivious to his presence. He turned and continued his ascent.
…
Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain, two youths were stealthily making their way upward. One was none other than Little Dongzi, and the other was his friend, Little Xizi.
Little Dongzi led the way, resolute, while Little Xizi followed, hesitant.
After some distance, Little Dongzi noticed the gap between them widening and called out, “Hey, Xizi, what are you doing? Hurry up!”
Little Xizi’s face was drawn with worry. “Dongzi, weren’t we supposed to listen to Brother Xiao and go home? He said there are monsters here!”
Little Dongzi hurried back and confronted him, “Tell me, have you ever seen a monster?”
Little Xizi shook his head.
“Do you want to?” Little Dongzi pressed.
Little Xizi shook his head again.
“Hmm?” Little Dongzi glared. Reluctantly, Little Xizi nodded.
Little Dongzi grinned. “That’s more like it! If we’re going to see what monsters look like, how can we not climb the mountain?”
---
Little Xizi looked even more distressed. “But my mother says monsters eat people. What if we…”
Little Dongzi reassured him, “Don’t worry. We’ll just watch from afar. As long as the monster doesn’t see us, we’ll be fine!”
As they spoke, a mountain wind suddenly swept by, raising goosebumps on their skin.
Little Xizi’s hair stood on end and he trembled, “The monster’s here!”
Little Dongzi felt his scalp tingle, for the wind had indeed been unnervingly strange.
“Oooh!”
“Oooh!”
A deep, guttural roar echoed nearby.
The two exchanged anxious glances.
Little Xizi whispered, “Dongzi, doesn’t that sound like a wild boar?”
Little Dongzi recognized it too. Wild boars often raided the fields of Xinshou Village—they were no strangers to their menace.
Yet they hadn’t expected to encounter one here.
They came seeking monsters, but instead, a wild boar found them first.
“Run!” Little Dongzi reacted swiftly, grabbing Little Xizi and sprinting up the mountain.
There’s a saying: one boar, two bears, three tigers—wild boars are even fiercer than bears and tigers. Neither boy intended to stay and see.
Just as they dashed away, a massive wild boar emerged from the west where they had been standing moments before.
Huge and formidable, its eyes glinted savagely, hot breath snorting from its nostrils, coarse bristles standing like arrows all over its body.
The boar sniffed the air, then charged in pursuit of Little Dongzi and Little Xizi.
It didn’t take long for the boar to spot its fleeing quarry. With another roar, it picked up speed.
“Ah! The boar is chasing us!” Little Xizi screamed as he ran.
“I see it! Run faster!” Little Dongzi shouted.
Up the mountain they fled, but the higher they climbed, the slower they became. The boar, powerful and relentless, only gained speed. The gap between them closed swiftly.
Suddenly, two men appeared ahead, startling the boys. Equally surprised, the men exclaimed in unison, “Where did these wild kids come from…?”
---
Their sentence broke off as their eyes widened, for both had seen the wild boar charging behind Little Dongzi and Little Xizi.
“Holy hell!”
These two were the patrolling bandits, and they hadn’t expected to encounter a wild boar here.
Little Dongzi and Little Xizi skirted past them and continued their frantic ascent.
The boar paused momentarily, then lunged at the two bandits.
Panicked, they dove into the grass, one left, one right, vanishing into the thicket.
The boar missed its target, then turned, its savage gaze fixed on both men.
In that moment, the bandits were nearly in tears. The boar glanced left, then charged at the one on that side.
The left-side bandit screamed, “Mother of mercy!” and ran up the mountain.
The other bandit rose, drew his knife, and chased from behind.
The leading bandit ran swiftly—he knew the mountain paths well, and as an adult, his stamina far exceeded that of the boys. Soon, he caught up with Little Dongzi and Little Xizi.
Sensing danger, the boys veered off the path, aiming to hide behind a large tree.
But the bandit grabbed their collars, yanking them backward. Both lost balance and fell.
“Little brats! Trying to trick me? Die!” the bandit shouted menacingly.
Little Dongzi and Little Xizi scrambled to their feet, but the wild boar was already upon them.
A chill swept through their bodies, paralyzing them with terror.
At that critical moment, a streak of sword light descended from the sky, striking the wild boar’s head.
The charging beast collapsed instantly, a long sword embedded deep in its skull, its hilt protruding.
Little Dongzi and Little Xizi were stunned, unable to react.
Then, before their eyes, a white-clad figure floated gracefully down from above.