CHAPTER 1: THE LEGENDARY TOWN

In the deep mountains of western Sichuan, China, lies a hidden town called Qingshi. Though not large, this town possesses a unique charm. Ancient cobblestone paths wind through wooden houses perched on the mountainside, and street vendors add a touch of local flavor to the place.

However, the true allure of this town lies not in its scenery but in a mysterious legend. It is said that whenever night falls, the townspeople hear a strange sound, like a haunting call from the depths of the valley. The sound is both enchanting and terrifying, drawing people closer while instilling the desire to flee.

This legend has caught the attention of a man named Wang Haiyun, an independent investigator and natural scientist. He is associated with the International Adventurer's Association (IAC) and often receives funding from special agencies to participate in investigations of various mysterious and unknown events, offering scientific explanations. Intrigued by the legend, he decides to visit this town.

"Are you out of your mind, deciding to go to that place?" Wang Haiyun's friend, Li Ming, asks with concern.

"Well, I've always been fascinated by unsolved mysteries, and this is part of my job too. My application has been approved," Wang Haiyun responds with a confident glint in his eyes.

"But that place...," Li Ming tries to say something but is interrupted by Wang Haiyun.

"I know what you want to say, but I believe in science. I'm sure that sound must have a source, and I want to find it. Nothing will happen; remember the haunted house we went to by the beach? Wasn't that more dangerous?" Wang Haiyun says with determination in his voice.

Wang Haiyun is a somewhat roguish natural scientist. At 29 years old, he always wears a tattered denim jacket, sports a pair of black-framed glasses, and has messy hair that makes him look like a college student. His catchphrase is "Long live science," and he uses it to encourage himself in times of difficulty.

Li Ming, on the other hand, is a laid-back guy who often uses colorful language but has a kind heart. He is Wang Haiyun's good friend and assistant. While he may not understand much of the technical knowledge, he is a skilled videographer and is more than willing to accompany Wang Haiyun on adventures, as he finds nothing more exciting.

Thus, Wang Haiyun sets off on his journey to Qingshi town with his scientific equipment and Li Ming.

After flying to Chengdu, they rent a car at Tianfu Airport and speed westward. The journey comprises about three hours on the highway and the rest on winding mountain roads, with varying road conditions and altitudes. Distant mountains tower into the sky, some with snow-capped peaks. The mountain range seems endless, with no sight of its end, while the roaring Min River flows through nearby valleys. Occasionally, yaks dash across the road.

"You crazy guy, why did you apply to come to this godforsaken place? This road is so bumpy, we've been driving for over a day, and that mountain pass just now, the altitude was too high, I could hardly breathe. We might die of lack of oxygen before we even find any ghosts," Li Ming grumbles, looking at Wang Haiyun.

"You're always complaining about something," Wang Haiyun laughs and playfully punches Li Ming. "This is our job. We're here to uncover the truth, not to find ghosts."

"The truth, my foot. I think we're heading towards death. I'm about to suffocate," Li Ming rolls his eyes, but he continues to diligently record videos.

The banter and laughter between the two add a light-hearted atmosphere to this mysterious journey. Finally, after passing through several tunnels, they spot the sign for Qingshi town and breathe a sigh of relief.

By the time Wang Haiyun and Li Ming park their car and walk into Qingshi town, it's already evening. The first thing they notice is a sense of oppression in the air. The townspeople seem gloomy, their eyes filled with fear and unease.

"Why does this place look so eerie?" Li Ming shivers as he surveys the surroundings.

"This is the place we're investigating. Don't be such a scaredy-cat," Wang Haiyun chuckles, his eyes shining with excitement.

They found a place to stay, and on the first night, nothing unusual happened, and both of them fell asleep quickly due to fatigue. The next morning, they began their investigation. Wang Haiyun conducted various measurements in the town with his equipment, while Li Ming spoke with the locals, took random video photos, and tried to gather more information about the legend. By noon, they entered a restaurant.

"Excuse me, have you heard that sound?" Li Ming asked an old man, sounding somewhat nervous.

"That sound?" The old man looked at Li Ming with fear in his eyes. "That is the call of spirits. Ghosts and monsters are about to appear. It's better for you not to go looking for them."

"Ghosts? Don't scare me." Li Ming's face turned pale, and he glanced at Wang Haiyun, hoping for a scientific explanation.

"Don't worry, Li Zi," Wang Haiyun said, looking at his equipment. "I've already found some clues. We might find the source of that sound soon."

Their conversation attracted some attention, and a few people started whispering and following them from a distance.

Another day passed, and Wang Haiyun and Li Ming continued their investigation. They walked around the town, trying to find more clues. However, they noticed that the townspeople were not friendly towards their actions. Suddenly, a man blocked their way.

"You outsiders, don't cause trouble. Get out of here," the man said coldly, eyes filled with hostility.

"We're only here to find the truth, we won't cause any trouble," Wang Haiyun tried to explain, but the man wouldn't listen.

"Truth? Do you know what the truth is? You're just curious outsiders. You don't understand our suffering," the man said angrily before walking away.

"This place is getting weirder by the minute," Li Ming said, looking puzzled by the man's reaction.

"We can't give up because of these difficulties. We must find the truth. Vice President Yan takes this mission seriously and personally sent me an email. We'll write a report to present to professional institutions," Wang Haiyun said, looking at Li Ming.

As they continued their investigation, they discovered some strange occurrences. Every night, a small group of people from the town gathered in one place and began a peculiar ritual. They formed two circles, with the outer circle constantly rotating while the inner circle remained still. Everyone chanted slogans and waved their hands.

"What's this?" Li Ming looked at the ritual, his face filled with astonishment.

"I'm not sure, but I think it might be related to that sound," Wang Haiyun said, observing the ritual.

"I didn't hear anything strange. It's just their chanting. So, where do you think that sound is coming from?" Li Ming asked curiously.

"I don't know, but this frequency decibel is strange. I believe that sound might be connected to the town's legend," Wang Haiyun pondered.

They hurriedly gathered some data and returned to their lodging.

The next morning, they began researching the town's history and found some old newspapers and books in a grocery store. Among them were some local county records. After a long search, they finally found some useful information. The town's history dated back a long time, and it used to be an ancient tribe that believed in an ancient power, 

frequently holding ritual ceremonies. However, after the establishment of the country, feudal superstitions were suppressed, and no one openly talked about these ancient beliefs anymore. In recent years, there has been a revival of these old beliefs, and even ritual ceremonies have started again.

"Look, the people of this tribe, they believed in that sound," Wang Haiyun pointed to an ancient book.

"What's that sound, though?" Li Ming looked at Wang Haiyun, his face full of curiosity.

"I don't know, but it's possible that sound might be associated with the deity of that tribe," Wang Haiyun said, studying the book.

Gradually, they delved deeper into the town's history and began to uncover some of its secrets. The ancient tribe had never disappeared; they had continued to exist within the town, and their beliefs had been passed down to the present day.

"Look, the people of this tribe performed the same ritual last night, and they were constantly calling for that sound," Wang Haiyun said, pointing to an explanation of the ritual in the book.

"So, what do we do next?" Li Ming asked, looking at Wang Haiyun with a puzzled expression.

"We need to find the source of that sound first and then locate the deity of that tribe," Wang Haiyun said, studying the ritual.

However, their actions were not as smooth as they had imagined. The people of the town began to show hostility and obstruction towards them.

While buying something at a convenience store in the afternoon, they were suddenly confronted by a man who shouted, "You outsiders, causing trouble again, huh?" The man stared at them with hostility, holding a knife with a cold gleam in his hand.

"We're just trying to find the truth, we won't cause any trouble," Wang Haiyun tried to explain, but the man didn't listen.

"Truth? Do you outsiders know what truth is? You're just here to travel, shoot videos, and gain followers. You don't understand our suffering," the man said angrily before walking away.

Despite facing the people's animosity and interference, Wang Haiyun and Li Ming didn't give up. They decided to investigate at night, hoping to find more clues during the mysterious ritual.

As night fell, the town became unusually quiet, with only the sound of the ritual echoing in the air. Wang Haiyun and Li Ming quietly left their accommodation and headed towards the direction of the sound.

The number of guards seemed to be fewer this time, so they carefully avoided them and successfully entered the valley. Inside the valley, it was pitch black, and they could hear the sound again, guiding them forward. They followed the sound deeper into the valley.

"Look, there's light over there," Li Ming pointed ahead.

"That light could be what we are looking for," Wang Haiyun said excitedly.

They approached the source of the light and found an ancient altar. On the altar, someone was performing a ritual.

"Is that the same priest as yesterday?" Li Ming asked, looking at the person.

"Not sure, they all wear the same clothes and masks. We must get closer to the priest and capture the entire process," Wang Haiyun said, eyeing the priest.

They approached the altar stealthily, hoping not to be noticed by the priest. Just as they were about to get close, the priest suddenly turned his head, looking wary.

"You again," the priest said coldly, his voice full of hostility.

Wang Haiyun and Li Ming were taken aback by the priest's sudden awareness. They hadn't expected him to notice them again.

This time, however, the priest turned and walked away.

The departure of the priest left Wang Haiyun and Li Ming somewhat perplexed. They began searching for clues around the altar, hoping to find something that would lead them to the source of the mysterious voice. However, standing at this spot, they felt that the sound seemed to be coming from the mountains behind the altar.

"Look, there's a hole under the altar," Wang Haiyun pointed below the altar.

"That hole might hold some clues," Li Ming observed.

They decided to enter the hole, hoping to find the source of the voice. However, they didn't anticipate that the interior of the hole would be pitch-black.

Although it was a single passage, it was obstructed by many stalactites, and the sound echoed inside the cave, as if guiding them forward. They followed the sound and ventured deeper into the cave.

"Look, there's light ahead," Li Ming exclaimed loudly.

They hurried toward the light and discovered an ancient stone monument. Ancient inscriptions were carved on the monument, and it was illuminated by some lights, just like an exhibit panel in a museum.

"This place probably doesn't allow ordinary people to enter. These inscriptions might be the clues we need," Wang Haiyun said, gazing at the writings and gesturing for Li Ming to record them.

The ancient writings were a complete mystery to Wang Haiyun and Li Ming. They spent a lot of time trying to decode them by comparing the images in their devices, but progress was slow. However, it could be the only clue they found to the source of the voice.

"These writings seem to be a form of ancient language, resembling both ancient Yi and Qiang scripts. I doubt there's anyone alive today who can accurately interpret these characters," Wang Haiyun said, examining the writings.

"So how do we decipher them?" Li Ming asked, puzzled.

"Let's record them and send them back to the association, see if the linguistic experts can find a way to match and interpret them," Wang Haiyun suggested, looking at the inscriptions.

After completing the recording, they immediately began to return, jogging back to the small town, hoping to find more information about this ancient language.

When they returned to the town, they noticed that the atmosphere had become unusually tense.

"Did you do something in the valley?" a man on the street confronted them, glaring at them menacingly.

"We were just searching for clues to solve the mystery of the voice. We didn't do anything," Wang Haiyun tried to remain calm.

However, the man didn't accept his explanation. His eyes flickered with suspicion as he took out a gleaming knife.

"You outsiders always cause trouble. You don't understand our beliefs or our suffering," the man's voice remained cold.

"Why do these people keep saying the same thing, always claiming that we don't understand their suffering? Are they programmed to repeat like a broken record?" Li Ming said angrily.

Clearly, they had landed themselves in a dangerous situation. They needed to find a way to escape this predicament.