Chapter 32 – Summons
Huang Lisheng quickly reported this matter to higher ups. Soon, a lot of people arrived. These higher ups stayed for a while in the village, and then suddenly one day, they all withdrew. Nobody knew what exactly had transpired on the main peak of Ba Jiao Mountain. What had happened to those people of the Archaeology team. Furthermore, what had happened with those higher ups in the Ba Jiao Mountain’s main peak.
The village had suddenly become quite cold and desolate. At night, the households would shut their doors; nobody would dare to go outside at night.
“Huang Jingyang, you tell what exactly had happened on Ba Jiao Mountain’s main peak?” Huang Shulang was standing in a very unsightly manner. He also didn’t manage to practice martial arts, but reportedly, his appetite had increased. His body weight had continued to soar. Every time I tried to set an example during practice with him. I already knew that this kind of thing would be the outcome. Also, I hadn’t counted on him practicing to become a martial arts expert.
“How would I know? If you keep doing things like fishing for three days and drying the net for two days, then don’t even talk about practicing boxing; just this body weight would soon reach the level of my family’s pigs.” The Xing Yi Quan Five Fists were making “hu hu” sounds within my hands. As I took a step, the bedding laid down on the ground and trembled.
Huang Shulang looked straight into my eyes, “When will I be able to reach that level?”
“I reckon that you wouldn’t be able to reach this level even in your next life. You practice boxing but are afraid of hardships; instead, you’re practicing fart boxing.” I ill-humoredly said while glancing at Huang Shulang.
“Don’t be like that. Huang Jingyang, you must teach me something that is fierce, yet easy to learn. All these sets of movements are really difficult. You saw how I practiced for so long, see how much I’m sweating? Other people go from easy to difficult, but the first thing that you got me started on was so hard. Me being unable to follow is because your ability as a teacher is not good.” I really couldn’t see; as Huang Shulang had grown up, his IQ and his glibness had increased.
I was disinclined to be long-winded with him: “It was you who shamelessly beseeched me, wanting to learn boxing from me. I taught you nicely, but you still are unable to learn. Do you really think I am obliged to you? You payed obeisance to Master. Master, Master, Teacher is just like a Father, if a son doesn’t obey his Father, then that means he is in need of a spanking.”
[TLNote: 师父 = Master, in which 师 denotes Teacher, 父 denotes Father; So, HJY is just breaking the term down for fatty]
I directly got into action; with Fatty’s ability, let alone talking about retaliating, he didn’t even have the ability to resist. He was straight-up beaten by me for a while. It must be said that this Huang Shulang was also in need of a spanking. Ever since his spell of being beaten by me, he had begun practicing boxing much more honestly. I had experience of directly dealing with those who pull glib-talking with me. With regards to Huang Shulang, it just required simple violence.
The people in the village regarded the main peak of Ba Jiao Mountain as a restricted zone. I also didn’t dare to go there. However, there was something in that place which seemed to have been beckoning me all along. I had multiple dreams, I even dreamt of myself appearing in a bottomless cave. I kept running, but I couldn’t find the exit. I didn’t know what exactly there was in that place that was attracting me.
I was once sitting under the eaves on a stool, with my eyes looking at the Ba Jiao Mountain main peak that was far off into the distance. Watching, watching, it was as if my soul had left me.
“Huang Jingyang, why are you giving off that blank expression?” Teacher Lin tugged at me.
“It’s no-nothing.” I said.
“Since you have nothing to do, you should read lots of books. In the city, a child your age would learn in class every day. You, in Ba Jiao Elementary School, are getting good results, but when you go to the city, you will find students who are much better than you. If you want to beat the college entrance exam in the future, then you will have to compete with students from all over the province. If you aren’t able to prepare well ahead of time, you would fall behind others. You’re such a smart kid, in the future, you should go to the colleges in big cities, you know right? You still want to marry Teacher Lin. If you don’t study, then in the future, you won’t be able to attend the colleges in the big cities, then how will you marry Teacher Lin?” Teacher Lin clearly understood my most intimate feelings.
What Teacher Lin said, immediately made me anxious. For several days, I didn’t go out to foolishly play with Huang Shulang, and instead spent time earnestly reading books bought by Teacher Lin for me.
Huang Shulang wasn’t able to adapt to this sudden transformation in me. He also came running to my home to read books. Only just that this fellow only read books with pictures. Teacher Lin had bought some comics, the covers of which had already become worn from Huang Shulang’s flipping.
If one spends the days of his life living just like this, day after day, growing up slowly, then perhaps I, too, would slowly disappear amongst the ordinary teenagers in the village. However, I knew that I couldn’t grow up as an ordinary teenager, and later become indistinct.
From the Ba Jiao Mountain’s main peak, the beckoning for me became more and more clear. As soon as I closed my eyes, it was as if I could hear a sound coming over from Ba Jiao Mountains calling out.
“Huang Jingyang!”
As if someone was shouting for me from a distance.
I suddenly sat up, only to discover that I had been sleeping on my bed.
Such violent movements of mine also managed to disturb Teacher Lin who came over.
“Huang Jingyang, did you have a bad dream?” Teacher Lin found a towel and wiped the sweat from my head.
I nodded, and did not tell Teacher Lin the actual situation.
“What happened in the nightmare?” Teacher Lin asked with a smile.
“I, I forgot.” I said.
Teacher Lin let out a yawn: “It’s too late, tomorrow you need to go to school too. So quickly go to sleep.”
Teacher Lin patted me on my shoulder.
Although I reclined back down onto the bed, my eyes still remained open. Perhaps Teacher Lin was quite tired, as she soon fell asleep. However, how could I sleep.
I also didn’t know why I couldn’t let go of Ba Jiao Mountain. What exactly was it that was beckoning me. However, that place has also swallowed so many people, it so scary, yet I was still thinking of going to take a look?
During the day, I fished out some money that I had secretly stowed away in my cabinets, in an old cloth bag, during my childhood. This was my little cash reserve. Inside it were a hundred yuan. The money received as gifts during the new year’s time, as well as the pocket money received by me from Grandpa, was all stashed here. Nobody knew about it. I secretly took out fifty yuan from it, and put them into my pocket.
Besides the school, there was a small kiosk, which had a variety of things. It was not particularly eye-catching in the village. The kiosk not only sold snacks, but also hardware, pesticides and fertilizers could be bought. I bought a flashlight, two lighters and a few pressed biscuits, plus a few candles.
The reason why I had prepared these things was because I had read about it in the book purchased by Teacher Lin. I was already determined to go to Ba Jiao Mountain and to brave the dangers this time. I didn’t know how dangerous this trip of mine would be, but I still had yet to reach the age of fear. Although logic tells me not to go, I still very much want to try.
“Huang Jingyang, the biscuits bought by you, are they for me?” Huang Shulang glimpsed at the biscuits I was holding in my hands. I quickly put the biscuits into my school bag, after which, I gave Huang Shulang a kick.
“Don’t even think about it. These biscuits are going to be of use to me.” I didn’t pay attention to Huang Shulang who had the facial expression of one waiting at a funeral.
“Stingy” Not being able to eat the biscuits made Huang Shulang very upset.
“You shouldn’t even think about being able to eat them, unless…..” I said smiling.
“Unless what? As long as you give me the biscuits to eat, I will do anything.” Huang Shulang spoke without even the slightest hesitation.
“Then, you go home and kill Huang Kui.” I laughed in spite of myself.
“Ah?” Huang Shulang’s eyes opened wide.
“Heh heh, were you really considering patricide?” I looked at Huang Shulang’s hesitant appearance, and absolutely couldn’t restrain my laughter. If Uncle Huang, that father of his, knew that Huang Shulang was so conflicted, wouldn’t he just pre-emptively strike?
“Cannot, ah. It won’t be good. Brother, I will call you Eldest Brother, please don’t keep me guessing. Tell me, what do you want me to do?” Huang Shulang asked.
I then spoke my true purpose: “Go to Ba Jiao Mountain’s main peak. You will come along with me.”
“Ah? Isn’t that ten deaths, but no life? Forget about it, I don’t need to eat. I cannot put my life at stake for the sake of eating.” Huang Shulang promptly withdrew his hand and turned back.