Chapter 4: An Uninvited Guest in the Undisturbed Sanctuary

Sakxi Autonomous Prefecture, nestled in the southwestern reaches of Donghua, stands as one of the world’s most sparsely inhabited regions, where traces of human activity are notably scarce.

It boasts vast, untouched expanses of tropical rainforest, maintaining a pristine and complete ecosystem, and is home to an astonishing array of rare and exotic creatures.

Locals affectionately refer to it as the ‘Undisturbed Sanctuary’.

At the entrance to this tropical rainforest lies a primitive tribal village, named Wani Village.

For generations, its inhabitants have guarded the ingress and egress points. Though none could articulate the reason why, they knew their sole mission was to ‘Stand Guard’.

One day, the village’s tranquility was shattered by the arrival of three uniformed police officers. Unaccustomed to mountain trails, they were drenched in sweat by the time they reached the village.

One officer, in particular, appeared exceptionally frail, their face pale and slick with cold perspiration.

“Finally… finally here…”

Wani Village had existed in its own secluded world for an indeterminate span of time. The sudden appearance of outsiders instantly made them the focal point of the entire settlement.

Men, women, and children alike swarmed forward, gawking at the police officers from the big city as if they were some exotic spectacle.

“My good people,” the leading middle-aged police officer, a man with a steady demeanor and a slightly protruding belly, produced a photograph from his pocket.

“I’d like to inquire if any of you have seen this young man?”

The villagers, understanding only their native dialect, could not comprehend his Mandarin.

It was only after the village elder, a scholar, translated his words that they grasped the inquiry. They scrutinized the photograph, thoughtfully searching their memories, but ultimately, all shook their heads in unison.

Beside the middle-aged officer stood a young female police officer with fair, delicate skin.

Seeing the lead evaporate, she asked with a hint of vexation, “Captain Xie, do you think we might be looking in the wrong place? Could an ordinary high school graduate really have bypassed all entry and exit points to slip into the protected area unnoticed?”

He stroked his chin, his brow furrowed in thought for a moment. “The direction is certainly correct. Perhaps he didn’t take this path through Wani Village, or he might have slipped past the village under the cover of night.”

“This is the only village within a fifty-mile radius we haven’t checked yet,” the female officer said, wiping beads of sweat from her forehead. “There’s only one way into the protected area. Where else could he have gone?”

At that very moment, the person they sought was fully equipped, traversing the desolate wilderness with utmost caution.

Dressed in a military-green camouflage jacket, with mud-caked jungle boots on his feet and a dust-laden waterproof hiking backpack slung over his shoulders, he appeared from a distance much like a field army soldier.

The vegetation in the protected area was exceptionally dense. Every few steps, Hu Junan had to use the machete he carried to hack away obstructing branches.

Without the thick protective gear he wore, a moment’s carelessness would surely leave his exposed skin a bloody mess.

“Phew, I wonder how much longer until I find a campsite…” As he cut through the dense undergrowth, he simultaneously recorded his progress with a portable camera.

Before long, the sky began to dim. Fortunately, he discovered a small stream before nightfall. A location like this, close to a water source, was ideal for his overnight camp.

As dusk settled, a flustered Hu Junan swiftly erected his simple outdoor tent with lightning speed. He then retreated into his sleeping bag before complete darkness enveloped him.

In the dead of night, Hu Junan’s stomach let out a mournful growl.

While he had brought food, it consisted solely of instant meals that required cooking. To avoid attracting any undue danger, he could only suppress his hunger and wait until the break of dawn.

The following day, as the sun began to rise, Hu Junan gathered some branches near his camp and, using a lighter, kindled a bonfire.

He was preparing to cook the food he carried over the flames. But at that very moment, a ‘bang’—a gunshot—rang out, startling him so severely he nearly tumbled into the fire.

‘What’s happening? Why is there suddenly a gunshot in the protected area… Could it be poachers?’

Not long after, ‘bang’—another gunshot echoed from the same direction. This was followed by a man’s agonizing scream:

“Ahhhhhh—!!!”

‘Now what?’

“Help me—!!! Is anyone there? Damn it, I’m in so much pain, help me—!!!”

‘It seems the poacher is injured…’

“Help me—!!!”

After a dozen seconds of internal struggle, the kind-hearted Hu Junan clutched the machete—his only semblance of a defensive weapon.

He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves. He wrapped spare clothing around his arm as makeshift protection against wild animals. Once all preparations were complete, he cautiously moved towards the source of the sound.

“Is anyone there? It hurts so much, please help… Help me, help—!” As time passed, the man’s voice grew fainter, indicating his increasing weakness.

When Hu Junan arrived at the scene, he was utterly stunned by the sight before him.

He saw a dying middle-aged man sprawled on the ground. One of his calves had been severed by a steel-forged animal trap.

The wound was a mangled mess of flesh and blood, with thick, dark blood staining the surrounding vegetation. Fragments of bone were faintly visible amidst the gore.

Likely due to severe blood loss, the man was in an extremely weakened state. He was already showing mild symptoms of shock.

If emergency treatment wasn’t administered within ten minutes, he would likely be beyond saving, requiring intervention from a ‘professional team’.

Hu Junan quickly advanced, knelt beside the man, and gently patted his face. “Hey, Uncle, are you alright?”

“Ugh…” The dying man opened his eyes, his breathing shallow and weak, struggling even to speak.

To his right lay a double-barreled hunting rifle, with several spent cartridges scattered on the ground. The air hung heavy with the scent of gunpowder, confirming that he had indeed fired the shots.

Hu Junan rolled up his sleeves and inserted his machete between the jaws of the trap. Using leverage, he pried open a small gap.

Then, planting both feet on one side of the trap and pressing down forcefully with both hands on the other, he managed, with considerable effort, to pull the man’s injured leg, skin and bone, free.

After moving him to a clear spot, Hu Junan cut strips from his own clothing with his knife.

He used these cloth fragments and sturdy branches to bandage the wound, aiming to staunch the bleeding and stabilize the bone, thereby preventing further exacerbation of his blood loss.

“Ahhhhhh—!!!” The searing pain from the wound jolted the man back to consciousness from his daze. “Damn it, it hurts so much, I’m dying from the pain—!!!”

“Don’t move. Grit your teeth, it’ll be over soon.” As he spoke, Hu Junan retrieved a cephalosporin capsule from his pack and sprinkled its granular contents onto the wound as if seasoning it with pepper.

“Who are you?” The man instinctively reached out, his hand brushing the hunting rifle lying beside him.

“Just consider me someone who’s stealing business from the ‘professional team’.”

“Professional team?”

Hu Junan said nothing further. After applying the anti-inflammatory powder, he removed his jacket and used it to wrap the wound.

“I don’t have many resources on hand; I can only help stop the bleeding and prevent infection. To be honest, your injury is severe. If you don’t receive proper medical treatment soon, you’ll probably still need to call in the ‘professional team’ eventually.”

“So who exactly is this ‘professional team’?”

“The Ghana pallbearers.”

“Great, then… what about me… I’m in so much pain… so much pain!” Large beads of sweat dotted the middle-aged man’s forehead, his eyes were bloodshot, and his somewhat corpulent body continued to tremble uncontrollably.

“I have an emergency signal generator here,” Hu Junan handed the small, crimson device to the man. “Just press the switch, and the forest ranger rescue team will rush here to save you once they receive the signal.”

“Forest ranger rescue team… No, no, you, you, you brat, carry me out!”

Hu Junan merely shrugged, replying indifferently, “I’m not a professional rescuer. I don’t have enough medicine to sustain your life, nor do I have the rescue equipment to ensure your safety. I advise you not to trifle with your own life.” With that, he put away his various medicines and decisively stood up, preparing to leave.

“No, I… if they find me, I’ll, I’ll, I’ll go to jail!” The weakened man gritted his teeth, struggling to lift the hunting rifle, and shakily aimed its muzzle at Hu Junan. “Brat, you… you’ll do exactly as I say… now, or I’ll… blow your brains out!”

Upon seeing this, Hu Junan immediately gasped, involuntarily taking a small step back. “Hey, calm down. I just saved your life. Are you trying to act out a real-life version of ‘Mr. Dongguo and the Wolf’ with me?”

“No, I can’t go to jail, absolutely not!” As the man spoke, his eyes welled up with tears, a mix of regret and fear, or perhaps both. “If I go to jail… what will happen to my son and wife… I… I really had no other choice… the pressure of life is too immense… and I still have over three hundred years of mortgage payments left…”

‘Three hundred years of mortgage payments? What the hell?!’

Hu Junan’s eyes darted, and he instantly conceived a plan. “Uncle, I can help you hide the hunting rifle and bullets. When the rescue team asks, you can just say you’re a lost hiker. How does that sound?”

“Hide it…” Upon hearing the suggestion to surrender his weapon, the lawbreaker hesitated. He swallowed hard, closed his eyes in silence, and after a brief internal struggle, slowly reopened them, insisting, “No, what if you… get the gun and then turn around and threaten me? I… I insist you carry me out, or else I’ll… blow your brains out!”

Faced with such an unreasonable old man, Hu Junan was at his wit’s end. ‘I should have known better than to get involved in this mess. Now, even my own situation is dangerous.’

“Calm down, Uncle. If you’re worried I’ll threaten you, why don’t you unload all the bullets? I’ll just help you hide the rifle. Then, when you’re being rescued, you can just casually discard the bullets when you get a chance. How about that?”

“This…” The man hesitated again. “But this gun of mine is really expensive…”

Seeing his resolve waver, Hu Junan knew he had an opening and seized the opportunity to fan the flames. “Do you think your life is more valuable, or your gun?”

The man fell silent for a moment, then resolutely ejected the hunting rifle bullets from the chamber, tossing them at Hu Junan’s feet. “I… I’ll trust you this once. If you dare to play tricks, I’ll haunt you… I won’t let you off even as a ghost!”

“You idiot, if I wanted to harm you, I wouldn’t have saved you in the first place…” Hu Junan muttered under his breath as he quickly bent down and picked up the hunting rifle. “Uncle, just press that red button, and the distress signal will activate.”

“Alright, I owe you this one… Oh, right, I just fired the gun. I… I hit a deer. Both its coat color and breed are top-notch; its pelt alone would fetch at least seven figures. I estimate… it couldn’t have run far. You’re in luck, kid!”

“Well, thank you very much,” Hu Junan replied with an awkward yet polite smile. He then turned and swiftly departed with the rifle.

After only a few steps, he absently found a tree hollow and casually stashed the hunting rifle inside. Having dealt with this unexpected hot potato, he quickly returned to his campsite, fearing he might be drawn into more strange incidents.

However, he never imagined that one wave of trouble would follow another.

The moment he returned to his camp, he spotted a small deer with peculiar fur lying near the stream, barely clinging to life.

From a distance, its leg was visibly drenched in fresh blood, seemingly struck by a bullet and rendered immobile.

‘Wait, could it be… this small deer is the one the poacher shot with his hunting rifle?’

Hu Junan’s lips curled into a faint smile. His first thought wasn’t to save the deer, but a particularly dark notion surfaced: ‘Could I have meat tonight?’

Taking a step or two closer, the small deer lowered its head slightly, lapping at the stream with its cherry-red tongue. It appeared to be in poor spirits, possibly experiencing the illusion of thirst due to blood loss.

Without realizing it, the sound of Hu Junan’s footsteps startled the creature. Seeing a human approach, it struggled desperately, but unable to stand and flee, it could only watch as blood gushed from the wound on its leg.

Perhaps Hu Junan was born with a compassionate heart, for seeing the small deer bleeding profusely in its death throes, his heart melted like chocolate.

To calm it, he stopped and knelt down, smiling as he raised both hands above his head, using this primitive gesture to convey his lack of hostility.

This method seemed foolish, yet it proved remarkably effective. Seeing him stop, the small deer ceased its painful struggles, though it still observed him with an indescribable sense of unease.

After a moment, Hu Junan cautiously edged a few steps closer.

Whether this small deer possessed some spiritual awareness or not, it seemed to sense his lack of ill intent. It neither struggled nor showed fear, and its guard gradually lowered.

Seeing its defenses drop, Hu Junan slowly approached, visually assessing the wound on its leg.

“Its right leg has been pierced by a bullet… Sigh—I shouldn’t have saved that uncle. I wonder how many more animals will be shot because of him.” He muttered to himself, tentatively reaching out to gently touch the wound to confirm its extent.

The small deer showed no inclination to dodge, watching him quietly. The instant he made contact with its body, a series of images, like forcibly inputted data, flooded Hu Junan’s mind…

It was frolicking freely in the forest when suddenly, a hunting rifle emerged from the bushes, spitting fire at it.

It dodged the first shot, but the second was not so lucky; the merciless metal projectile instantly tore through its fragile thigh.

Immediately, intense pain spread throughout its body. Unable to endure this unprecedented agony, it stumbled and collapsed to the ground.

The poacher, seeing it fall, a greedy expression on his face, ran towards it unguarded. As he ran, a scream—”Ah!”—rang out.

He had stepped into another poacher’s animal trap. Seizing this opportunity, the small deer struggled to its feet, using all its strength to limp away…

A poacher caught in another poacher’s trap—truly, karma comes full circle! The heavens spare no one!

‘Wait, this is too strange. Why are its memories appearing in my mind?’

“Phew—” Hu Junan couldn’t fathom it, so he simply closed his eyes, shook his head, and let out a long sigh. Calming himself, he focused on treating its injuries.

First, he used clean water from the stream to wipe its wound. Then, he retrieved alcohol from his camp’s first-aid kit and carefully dripped it onto the small deer’s injury…

Throughout the treatment, the small deer remained remarkably quiet. It seemed to understand human ways, enduring the pain with gritted teeth.

Even when tears streamed from its eyes, it made no sound until the final bandage was applied with medical gauze, at which point it let out a sigh of relief.

“I’m sorry, I can only provide emergency treatment within my capabilities, and I didn’t bring any animal-specific medicine. I also gave my emergency signal generator to someone else. I can’t guarantee what will happen to your wound… You’ll have to rely on yourself!”

At that moment, the small deer suddenly let out a soft, milky cry: “Yoo-hoo~”

“Hmm?”

“Yoo-hoo~ Yoo-hoo-hoo~~~” Its cry was adorable, each sound piercing to the heart. Through its dewy eyes, it was clear that it had a request, seemingly asking him for something.

“Do you want to eat grass?” Hu Junan guessed.

“Yoo-hoo~” The small deer shook its head.

“Do you want… fruit?”

“Yoo-hoo~” The small deer, as if understanding human speech, shook its head again.

“What exactly do you want?”

“Yoo-hoo-hoo~” The small deer actively extended its head, its bright, watery eyes blinking twice.

“Uh…” Hu Junan swallowed, thinking, ‘Does it want me to pat its head? This small deer is truly intelligent; it makes me want to take it home and keep it as a pet.’ “Little cutie, do you want to come home with me?”

“Yoo—” The small deer blinked, tilting its head in an utterly adorable manner. At that moment, it nudged Hu Junan’s hand with its head.

Instantly, scenes seemed to leap out from nowhere, flashing through his mind like a slideshow.

‘Blue flowers… a rock cave… a stag… Could it be that you want me to find your family?’

“Yoo~~~” The small deer narrowed its eyes and nodded, appearing very pleased.

“Sigh—” Hu Junan couldn’t help but sigh. “Another task out of nowhere… Never mind. Since you’re so cute, I’ll give it a try.”