Chapter 334: Chapter 334: Nothing Gained by Going Up the Mountain
"Okay, Uncle, I’ll go out for a bit. Here’s what you do: come find me at the clinic in the evening, and I’ll have the medicine ready. Just give it to her directly. I’m off, Uncle. If anything comes up, remember you can contact me at any time," Liu Zheng hurriedly said, eager to leave.
Liu Zheng really couldn’t stand staying there a moment longer; he began to realize that this matter wasn’t as simple as he had imagined, and that there was likely much more hidden beneath the surface.
After leaving, Liu Zheng didn’t head straight back to the clinic. Instead, in a rush, he made his way towards the mountain where Second Aunt had encountered the ghost.
This mountain had been a part of the village for many, many years, its presence established even before Liu Zheng’s earliest memories. In the times of his ancestors, people would hunt deep in the mountains, but over the years, game had become scarcer, leading the hunting trade to a gradual decline.
He remembered playing here as a child but was always cautioned by his family about the monsters in the mountains, warning him not to get too close. Consequently, very few people ventured into the mountains anymore.
Years later, Liu Zheng never imagined he’d be visiting the base of the mountain under such circumstances, especially not to seek out the two ghosts that supposedly shouldn’t exist.
He slowly approached the dense woods and started inspecting the area, which seemed exactly as he remembered from his childhood, without any significant changes.
After walking a while, Liu Zheng gradually felt his strength waning, but he still hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary on his trek; everything seemed perfectly normal.
In the recent years, since no one had been hunting in these mountains, they were well-preserved, lush and verdant everywhere he looked.
After circling the area thoroughly, he discovered nothing. He hadn’t observed anything like what Second Aunt had described, with two figures passing quickly through the area—he simply saw nothing.
Could it be that Second Aunt really had a hallucination? If things continued like this, he couldn’t stay here any longer.
He was just wasting time, with no results to show for it.
Unaware, Liu Zheng had already spent close to 4 hours in the mountains. Looking up, he noticed it was getting late, and if he didn’t descend soon, he probably wouldn’t make it back to the clinic before nightfall.
Having found nothing, Liu Zheng saw no point in staying. He retraced his steps and once again descended the mountain.
The 4-hour journey covered roughly half of the mountain. He knew that if he wanted to scour the entire mountain, it would take at least a full day and night.
He truly felt it wasn’t necessary. Besides, those people would show up in the village from time to time; what exactly did they want? Was it really as he speculated, that they were searching for him?
If that were the case, he needn’t search for them on his own; those people would likely come to him soon enough.
By the time Liu Zheng returned to the clinic, it was already 7:00 in the evening, and there stood his uncle, waiting for him at the entrance.
"Uncle, I’m so sorry for the delay. Something came up. You could’ve called me, so I could’ve come to get you sooner," Liu Zheng apologized.
"No need, I guessed you probably went up the mountain, right?" the uncle replied.
"Yes, Second Aunt made it sound so mysterious, so I had to go and see for myself. Unfortunately, I didn’t find anything. I suspect that Second Aunt might have seen a fantasy, or perhaps she’s just under too much stress," Liu Zheng explained.
"That’s impossible; under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t be like this. I feel like she must have seen something, or she wouldn’t be in such a state," his uncle countered.
"Uncle, how was Second Aunt’s condition this afternoon?" Liu Zheng inquired.
"She only had one episode, which lasted about fifteen minutes. After that, she gradually fell asleep and has been in bed ever since, without waking up," the uncle answered.
"Alright, these medicines might work better after she takes them. Make sure you give them to her on time. Also, don’t let Second Aunt go out for the next few days, and don’t talk to anyone about this, including your children, alright?" Liu Zheng instructed.
"Ah, I got it. What am I supposed to do now? The whole village is panicked, saying there are ghosts about. What should I do?" the uncle lamented.
"Don’t worry, Uncle, there are no ghosts in this world; it’s just that some things appear strange. So, you don’t need to worry about it. I’ll naturally take care of this matter," Liu Zheng reassured him.
"Okay, Liu Zheng, I really appreciate your help. The village has been so much more peaceful and safe since you arrived," his uncle expressed his gratitude.
"Enough talk, take the medicine and go. Don’t think about anything else, and don’t ask any questions. Just take care of yourself at home, and leave everything else to me," Liu Zheng said, concluding the conversation.
After seeing his uncle out of the clinic, Liu Zheng returned inside.
The events of the day had indeed struck him as odd, with many issues seemingly unresolved.
Unless those two individuals showed up on their own, he really didn’t know what to do.
Tonight, he wondered if sleep would elude him as he continued to wait. Could it be that they would walk right into his trap?
By 10:00 that night, only a few patients had scattered in and out of the clinic. After treating them, Liu Zheng closed the door.
He didn’t know when those people would appear, so all he could do now was wait patiently. If they did show up, it would be an excellent opportunity.
Liu Zheng tidied up briefly before laying down in bed.
He closed his eyes slightly but couldn’t fall asleep; his mind didn’t stop whirring for even a second.
He longed for their appearance, yet Liu Zheng was also anxious—who would show up, one person or two? And when?
