Chapter Fifty-Three: Travelers and the Herd of Deer

The silver moon hung high in the sky, and it was already nearing midnight, half past eleven. After a day of exhausting travel, Zhang Shuping and his companions finally reached the outermost edge of the primordial forest in the Jizhu Mountain range.

The journey had been fraught with peril. Even in the peripheral woods of Jizhu Mountain, armed soldiers patrolled the area. Before entering the forest, luck had led them to cross paths with two patrols. Fortunately, the dense vegetation and undergrowth provided cover, and Zhang Shuping’s cautious leadership ensured their safety. Otherwise, they would not be camping in the forest now, but rather spending several days in detention, sipping tea under official scrutiny.

After a night and day of travel, fatigue had overtaken the group, and once camp was established, each of them retreated into their makeshift tents to sleep soundly. Inside his tent, Li Dong tossed and turned, unable to find rest. The reason for his insomnia was simple—the soldiers they had encountered today were too numerous, heightening his vigilance toward the Jizhu Mountain forest.

There are no baseless rumors in this world. Li Dong didn’t believe wholeheartedly in the existence of genetically mutated creatures, but when he considered the previous Western reports of the miraculous rubber tree, the official restrictions on activity under the purple moon, and the behavior of those enforcing such rules, his already suspicious mind became even more wary.

He could not calm his thoughts. Part of him wanted to leave the group altogether, but pride prevented him from simply walking away, leaving him even more conflicted.

In this turmoil, suddenly, Li Dong heard the unmistakable rustling of something moving through the undergrowth outside the tent. At first, the sound was faint, but it grew louder as whatever it was drew nearer.

“What could it be?” Li Dong wondered, a mix of anxiety and curiosity in his voice. He sat up and carefully pulled back a corner of the tent.

The moonlit forest was serene and transparent, bathed in silver light. Through the glow, Li Dong saw them—a herd of spotted deer moving swiftly through the bushes, several dozen meters from the camp, heading southwest, and all of this in the dead of night.

“What’s gotten into these deer? Wandering the forest at night instead of resting, behaving contrary to their usual habits?” As an experienced hiker, Li Dong was well acquainted with the ways of deer.

Not only deer, but he also knew that many wild herbivores rested at night, ever vigilant against predators.

“It’s truly strange,” Li Dong murmured.

“What’s strange?” came a voice.

“Huh? Xu Hui? When did you wake up?” Li Dong looked over to see Xu Hui, who had been sleeping beside him, now sitting up and leaning toward him, a puzzled expression on his face.

“When did I wake up? With all your tossing and turning, how could I not notice? We’re in the wild, after all—no one dares sleep deeply here. Besides, you’ve kept me up all night with your restlessness,” Xu Hui replied, a hint of complaint in his tone.

Li Dong felt embarrassed and apologized, “Sorry, I…”

“All right, all right, spare me the pleasantries. We’ve known each other for years. But tell me, what’s got you so paranoid lately? You’ve been acting jumpy ever since we arrived, and that’s not like you.”

Li Dong fell silent, then sighed, “There are things I can’t explain. Maybe it’s just the pressure from work lately.”

“If you’re stressed, don’t think about anything else. Isn’t this trip meant to help us unwind?” Xu Hui said, then urged, “Forget it, get some sleep—wait, what was it you said was strange?”

“Oh, that.” Li Dong smiled. “I’m puzzled by the deer outside. These spotted deer are traveling at night.”

“Spotted deer? Traveling at night? That is unusual!” Xu Hui’s curiosity was piqued. He lifted a corner of the tent to look outside, but could only see the silhouettes of the deer fading into the moonlit distance.

“Maybe they’re searching for a new, safer territory. Still, it’s odd for them to move at night—it makes them vulnerable to other predators.” Xu Hui chuckled, then turned back to Li Dong, “Anyway, get some sleep. Nothing much to see. Don’t dwell on work; just relax.”

“Alright,” Li Dong nodded, preparing to settle in with Xu Hui for sleep.

But just then, a new wave of rustling echoed from the bushes outside. Li Dong and Xu Hui exchanged glances—one frowning, the other intrigued.

They both turned their gaze toward the tents outside the camp, and what they saw was astonishing: hundreds of spotted deer appeared before their eyes.

“Something’s not right—really not right,” Xu Hui muttered.

“There must be several herds joined together. Could they be fleeing from predators?”

“I doubt it. The deer aren’t moving hurriedly, nor do they seem panicked. Some even paused when they spotted our camp, glancing curiously before continuing on.”

“It doesn’t add up,” Xu Hui said. “But what could cause so many deer to band together and travel southwest at night?”

He was baffled, yet his curiosity only grew.

“How fascinating. We’ve never encountered anything like this before. Forget it, Li Dong—wake up Zhang and the others. If possible, let’s follow the herd. Who knows what secrets we might uncover?”

“Good idea! I’ll go now.”

Whether the deer were being driven by predators or drawn by something else, it no longer mattered. What mattered was the mystery of their behavior, which intrigued the group.

Adventure travel was all about exercising the body, discovering wonders of nature, and finding joy and a sense of accomplishment in the unknown. Now, the strange movement of the deer was the perfect motivation for them to pursue.

Soon, everyone in the camp was awakened by Li Dong and Xu Hui’s actions. The eight travelers gathered, quickly discussed their options, and made a decision.

Without delay, the group packed their bags and, trailing the deer herd, headed deeper into the southwestern forest, eager for discovery.