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墨書 Inktalez
In front of Shunzi, there was a row of very strange flowers, probably about a dozen or so, all arranged together in a semicircle, just enough to surround us in the middle.
Each flower stood about two meters tall, requiring me to look up to see them. The blossoms were large and pink, nearly the size of a dinner plate. The center of each flower was peculiar, being black and resembling an eagle's claw, with some kind of sticky liquid dripping down.
"Wow, I've never seen anything like this. These flowers are really weird; why are they so big?" It seemed as if the row of flowers had a life of its own. As we stood before them, the petals began to move, fluttering like wings, albeit at a slower frequency.
"This... these flowers can actually move? That's fascinating; they look beautiful," Shunzi said softly, turning to smile at me.
"They remind me of something from a Tropical Rainforest."
I intended to touch one of the flowers to see what it felt like. Just as I was about to reach out, someone suddenly grabbed my arm. I turned to see it was Mai Lao. "Don't move! These flowers could take your life," he said sternly, indicating that the situation was serious.
"Don't worry; I'm just going to touch the flower," I replied. I knew these things could be dangerous and had no intention of touching the center.
Mai Lao glanced around and then picked up a thick branch from the ground. "You two need to step back."
Once we had retreated from the circle of strange flowers, Mai Lao slowly approached one with the branch. As soon as the branch made contact with the flower, it suddenly lunged forward, wrapping half of the branch within its petals.
At that moment, all the other strange flowers around us performed the same action, extending towards the branch as if they were venomous snakes striking their prey. Mai Lao quickly yanked the branch back.
When he pulled it out, only half remained, and that half was gradually turning black as if it were being charred. Mai Lao hurriedly discarded the remaining piece of wood.
These bizarre flowers could corrode wood; it was terrifying. Both Shunzi and I were left dumbfounded and instinctively stepped back. This cursed place had plants that were frightening enough; if Mai Lao hadn't stopped me in time, I would have likely ended up as charcoal.
After a while, the strange flowers returned to their original state, but it seemed that more sticky liquid was oozing from their centers than before. The blossoms continued to flutter slowly as if nothing had happened.
"Wow, is this... a man-eating flower?" Shunzi exclaimed in shock.
Mai Lao turned to him and said, "This isn't just a flower; it's likely an ancient type of plant. We've reached the deepest part of the jungle now. We must always be cautious of our surroundings and never touch any plants at random; you never know which one could cost you your life."
Shunzi's face turned pale as he nodded and said, "Oh, I see, Mai Lao. I won't touch it again. Damn, that thing is too terrifying."
Jenny and the others approached at that moment, clearly having noticed something was off. "What happened? What was going on just now?" Jenny asked, looking at the strange flower not far ahead, her confusion evident.
"Nothing much, just discovered a dangerous plant. Everyone listen up, don't touch any plants around here; be careful or you might lose your life." I repeated Mai Lao's warning. What other secrets did this damned island hold?
But Jiao Ba stood at the back of the group, his eyes fixed on the strange flower. His complexion had worsened, and his shifty eyes glinted with an elusive light that made him seem unnervingly calm. I couldn't tell if he had noticed something troubling.
"This grass... it seems like it's cultivated by humans," Changshan suddenly remarked.
"Cultivated by humans? Are you joking? Besides, is this even grass?" Shunzi asked, bewildered.
"Oh, I'm just guessing. Just be careful," Changshan replied dismissively without elaborating further.
Mai Lao glanced at the sky and said, "Alright, we've rested enough. Let's continue moving forward. We need to reach the foot of the mountain before dark."
We pressed on, but whether it was due to exhaustion or the rising temperature around us, it felt unbearably hot. We were sweating profusely as we navigated through the dense jungle path, which was incredibly difficult to traverse. It felt like we were crawling and rolling over the uneven ground, our ankles aching from the strain.
Jiao Ba lagged behind throughout the journey. I worried he might fall behind completely and found myself stopping occasionally to call out to him. If he got left behind, it would be a real problem.
"Hey Lao Ba, can you move a bit faster? We just rested; why are you tired again?" I turned around to look at him.
Jiao Ba hurried over. "I was thinking about something. You go ahead, Brother Yi; don't worry, I won't fall behind."
"What are you thinking about?" I sensed something was off earlier when I saw how he looked at that strange flower; his gaze was unusual. Others might not notice it, but I knew him too well.
"I'll tell you when I've figured it out. Let's go."
I didn't press him further; when he was ready to share what was on his mind, he would let me know. After walking for a while longer, Mai Lao suddenly stopped. I felt puzzled—what was going on now?
As I walked over, I noticed a small ditch appearing beneath our feet. I had no idea how long this ditch was; the ends were completely out of sight. I couldn't tell if the water inside flowed to the sea or if it was stagnant, whether it was a dead river or a living stream remained uncertain.
What was clear, however, was the width of the ditch—it stretched about twenty meters across to the jungle on the opposite side. Yet, the water in this small ditch looked suspicious; I had never seen a ditch like this before.
The water in this ditch was black—jet black, almost like ink. It was impossible to see the flow of the water; it lay still and calm, resembling a mirror. It was truly eerie; this black ditch made one feel uncomfortable and uneasy.
"Why is there a small ditch here?" I crouched down and picked up a stone, tossing it into the ditch with a splash. There was no unusual reaction; judging by the sound, the water in the ditch didn't seem very deep.
"Yeah, I was wondering that too. How could there be a ditch on this deserted island? Everyone, be careful and don't cross just yet; let's observe for a moment," Mai Lao warned everyone. There was no room for carelessness now.
Mai Lao suggested that Jenny and the others rest nearby while we few decided to see if we could safely cross. The ditch lay at the bottom of a slope, and to get to the other side, we would have to walk over its surface.
"This ditch looks pretty ordinary," Shunzi remarked as he gazed down at it.
"Ordinary? Have you ever seen black river water? We should be cautious; that row of strange flowers we saw earlier is a prime example," I reminded him. In this jungle, who knew what bizarre things might be lurking? If we didn't stay alert, we could easily meet our end without anyone knowing.
We observed from above for quite some time without noticing anything unusual. Still, I couldn't shake off the feeling that this black little stream was eerily calm—too calm, almost lifeless.
Mai Lao found a branch and tossed it into the ditch. The branch floated on the surface of the water without any signs of disturbance; it remained still as ever.
At that moment, Changshan pointed at the riverbank and said, "Look! There’s not a single blade of grass around this water; it's completely barren. Something must be wrong."
His keen observation skills were impressive; if he hadn't pointed it out, I might not have noticed that beside the ditch lay bare mud. The distance was short enough that without careful observation, it would have gone unnoticed—it blended in too well. The absence of any plants around the water seemed to suggest that it might be toxic.
"This water is poisonous," Jiao Ba said calmly but decisively.
"Look at that branch!" Shunzi exclaimed in surprise.
We all turned to look and were instantly stunned. The branch that had been floating on the surface was green but had now turned pitch black as if it had been dipped in ink.
"That's it, we're stuck here," Big Guy said, a bit dazed as he plopped down on the ground.
"Mai Lao, we need to come up with a solution," I replied. With no way back to the shore and the path up the mountain blocked by this poisonous Ditch, we were truly in a bind.
Seeing that we hadn't moved for a while, Jenny and Li Xin approached us. "What's wrong, Mai Lao? Can't get through?" Jenny asked, glancing at the Ditch below.
"There might be deadly toxins in that water. We can't touch it at all; we have to find a way to cross this Ditch," I said helplessly. It was indeed a rocky road ahead; this damned little island seemed intent on trapping us here.
Jenny looked stunned. "Huh? Poisonous? What... what are we going to do? Is there really no other way?"
"Don't panic, Jenny. Everyone is trying to think of something," Mai Lao reassured her, but I knew he was also racking his brain.
"Why don't we break a tree and make a bridge over it? That should work," Li Xin suggested casually.
I scoffed lightly. "It's not that simple. I've already thought of that. Look at the big trees around us; they're all massive and we can't break them. Even if we could, we wouldn't be able to move them. And if we find something thinner, it won't be long enough to cross."
Li Xin glanced around, his expression changing. "So what do you suggest we do?"
"If I knew what to do, I wouldn't be wasting time talking to you," I replied with frustration.
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