At the end of 2023, I received a package from Yunnan containing a photo from 50 years ago and a bone from Ailao Mountain. The young man in the photo looked just like me, raising a mystery. Determined to investigate Ailao Mountain, I set off, but along the way I received a letter warning me: “The mountain eats people. Stay out.” On July 26, I began my journey, uneasy all the way. When I reached the foot of the mountain, I found an abandoned village and met a middle-aged man by chance. The tooth hanging on his chest looked like the bone in my hand, so I traded for it. Deeper in the mountain, the vegetation grew dense beneath towering ancient trees, and the atmosphere turned eerie. That night, blood-red eyes watched me from the dark. I pressed on into the mountain. On the way, I was caught in a thick fog and saw a bloodied corpse hanging there. Terrified, I nevertheless found a bone that had turned to jade. Reading an old diary revealed that a research expedition had triggered a flood after encountering a Yingyu fish. It also mentioned crab-avoiding creatures and other strange beasts, along with a warning: “It’s alive. Don’t trade. Run now.” At first light, I fled with the bone. The mystery remained unsolved, but I now knew how dangerous this journey was. I had to keep searching for the truth…
