"Boss, are you sure setting up camp here is wise?" Xie Tingfeng's tone carried the weight of a loyal minister cautioning Liu Bei during the burning of the successive camps.

Xie Yuting frowned, asking, "Why did I go through all this trouble to bring you here?"

Xie Tingfeng replied, "You said it was for revenge."

"Precisely," Xie Yuting glanced at me and stated, "We were sufficiently humiliated on the ship. Our Xie family has never suffered such disgrace. That is why I sought out experts like you—to return the favor. If that white-haired old man doesn't show, so be it. But if he does, I'll make sure he sees what we're made of. I'll show him the Xie family wasn't raised on soft rice."

I hadn't expected this side of Xie Yuting, and I was momentarily taken aback by the sharpness in his eyes.

Xie Yuting's words left Tingfeng Brother speechless. He then added, "Fourth brother, you take the first watch tonight. I trust you."

"Fourth brother?" I had wondered earlier when Xie Yuting called Yu Wenle 'Third Brother' if these men followed some kind of ranking.

At the time, I assumed 'Third Brother' was just Yu Wenle's nickname, so I hadn't inquired.

Now that a 'Fourth Brother' appeared, I grew curious. "Ting Ye, are these men you brought cousins, or actual brothers?"

Xie Yuting gave me a strange look and asked, "Didn't you assign their ranks?"

I thought to myself, When did I assign them ranks? and looked back at Xie Yuting with confusion.

Xie Yuting explained, "Originally, they all had names, but they were too hard to remember. You told me that Gu Tianle, Chen Guanxi, Yu Wenle, and Xie Tingfeng were the 'Four Heavenly Kings of Hong Kong,' so Gu Tianle became First, Chen Guanxi Second, Yu Wenle Third, and Xie Tingfeng Fourth."

Hearing the basis for this ranking, I was left utterly speechless.

Just then, Da Xiong interjected, "Then where do I, Ding Li, rank?"

Xie Yuting laughed heartily and said, "Bring your Xu Wenqiang here, and I'll give you a ranking."

I had always harbored one question: why were Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau, Jacky Cheung, and Leon Lai (the 'Four Heavenly Kings') never joined by Daniel Wu or Jaycee Chan?

As I pondered this, Xie Yuting glanced at his watch and said, "It's past midnight. Let's get some rest."

I nodded and watched Xie Yuting slip into his tent.

At that moment, I noticed Gu Tianle also silently followed him inside.

This Gu Tianle—he hadn't spoken a single word for two full days. His cold demeanor was the complete opposite of the jokester he played in the movies.

However, the more reserved he was, the more I sensed this man was not simple. He reminded me of the isolated youth in The Return of the Condor Heroes who had just lost his 'sister-in-law' ().

Lost in these strange thoughts, I looked back at the shadows among the trees on the mountain, feeling as though many eyes were silently watching us.

Turning back to the stone statues of the Thunder Cloud Monks, I couldn't shake a feeling of deep unease.

Lying in my tent, I couldn't sleep. Playing a dull game on my phone, I eventually realized the snores from the surrounding tents had become widespread.

I thought to myself, this is always the time when strange things tend to happen.

As if on cue, the moment the surroundings fell utterly silent, a melodious singing drifted in from the surrounding mountains.

I shot upright, straining to listen. The voice was incredibly gentle and beautiful, sounding like a chorus of seven or eight children singing together.

Perhaps it wasn't singing, but rather the humming of children—in any case, it was quite lovely.

It didn't sound immediately dangerous, which eased my tension somewhat.

But driven by curiosity, I quickly dressed and stepped out of the tent.

The first thing I saw outside, not far from our tent, was two figures standing atop two large stones.

Fourth Brother, with his distinct streak of bleached hair, was unmistakable. Beside him, the tall figure in a suit shirt must be Xie Yuting. They were clearly both listening to the singing and scanning their surroundings.

I took a couple of steps forward, intending to ask if they had seen anything, when a figure emerged from a nearby tent—it was Nie Chuan.

Seeing him holding his phone, I offered a wry internal smile, realizing this guy was exactly like me—even his alertness was shared.

Nie Chuan saw me and smiled, saying, "Hmph, a special forces operative still has such sharp senses."

I didn't reply, merely touching the beard on my face.

Xie Yuting turned to look at us two, whispering, "You're both here? Then let's listen together."

We didn't speak, but found two large stones to climb onto and listened intently.

The song remained sweet and flowing, yet for some reason, in the bleak stillness of the night, it carried a distinct note of sorrow.

"Let me tell you a story," Nie Chuan murmured after a moment.

I already sensed what story he was about to tell. Since his experience mirrored mine exactly, the story he knew, I inevitably knew too.

Still, I didn't interrupt, waiting along with Xie Yuting and Fourth Brother for Nie Chuan to begin.

Nie Chuan then pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and started speaking, "Japan has a much richer variety of Yokai than China, and almost all Chinese monsters are malicious. But many Japanese Yokai are benevolent. For example, the Ashinari that scurry under tatami mats before an earthquake, or the Zashiki-warashi that bring prosperity and good fortune to a household."

"The one I want to talk about today is a different kind of spirit: the Mori no Dō (Forest Child). These spirits are usually lost children in the forest who starved to death or were eaten by wild beasts because they couldn't find their way back. Because they lacked food in life, the spirits they become are very small. However, although these spirits harbor grievances, they do not harm people. On the contrary, they possess beautiful voices and harmonize in beautiful songs at night, guiding lost travelers toward the exit."

I smiled faintly and said, "A truly wonderful spirit. Do you mean we've encountered Mori no Dō now? But we aren't lost."

Nie Chuan chuckled. "Yokai are also very lonely. This remote wilderness—they finally encounter a few humans, so they are watching us from afar, just wanting some company."

As we spoke, Xie Yuting cut in, "No matter how kind the Yokai, they carry Yin energy. What you hear in legends are fairy tales, beautiful, yes, but as far as I know, while the Mori no Dō are harmless, their singing attracts other malevolent entities."

As he spoke, Xie Yuting slowly drew a long, thin blade from his waist.

I recognized the blade immediately: it was the Bimo Shamanic Knife we found in the depths of Heizhugou, specifically designed to repel evil spirits and ghosts; it cut through zombies like slicing vegetables.

I hadn't expected Xie Yuting to keep that knife; it stirred up quite a few memories for me.

Xie Yuting unsheathed the blade, looked at me, then at Nie Chuan, and performed a few graceful flourishes with it.

Watching the knife, which carried a faint greenish gleam, sparkle under the moonlight, I thought, Is this guy going to put on a show for us? Should I go get some sunflower seeds and Tsingtao beer, and sit next to Nie Chuan clapping?

The thought had barely crossed my mind when Xie Yuting’s movements shifted dramatically. The blade pointed straight toward the sky, and he roared, "Get lost!"

His shout echoed through the valley, startling me.

However, the roar actually worked. Whether the sound waves stunned whatever was singing, or the cold light from the Bimo Shamanic Knife scared away the malevolence, the area around us instantly fell silent.

Xie Yuting listened for a moment to confirm the silence, then said coldly, "Hurry back to sleep."

Nie Chuan and I exchanged a glance, thinking, This guy is something else. Japanese Yokai are rare enough, and they weren't doing anything, yet you begrudge us free entertainment.

Reluctantly, we prepared to obey and return to our tents.

But just then, from not far away, a strange thumping sound suddenly echoed—dong dong dong—like someone beating a drum.

Xie Yuting held the knife horizontally before his chest and stated, "I told you so. Something else has arrived."

I muttered internally, How can you be sure you didn't attract them with your shout just now?