Yan Tuo said, “There’s another thing. There are a few ballads; I don’t know if Miss Nie has heard them. The first two lines are ‘Knives and dogs are walking on the soil, and the ghost hands whip the pearl.’”
Nie Jiuluo paused for a moment before replying, “Cripple Dad used to talk about those.”
“Not much, just a few lines.”
Nie Jiuluo continued, “It’s just a ballad. Didn’t the Tangling Army use to form their village and perform grand operas during the New Year’s Festival? The ‘knives and dogs’ reference is to the use of knives, which were cold weapons commonly used in ancient times, and the ‘dogs’ refer to the dog family. To walk the green soil, you’d need a knife and a dog.”
“The ghost whip refers to the practice of whipping owls, which are seen as having a beastly nature and resist being bound. The costumes on stage are very ornate, and the whip is adorned with gold and jade, making it appear like a bright pearl when thrown.”
Yan Tuo asked, “What about the rabid dog?”
“Rabid dogs are the strikers, right? In hunting, dogs are used as strikers, so the wilder and more ruthless, the better.”
Yan Tuo remained silent and then asked, “What about the mad knife?”
Nie Jiuluo explained, “The mad knife refers to the central military tent, where the marshal resides. This person is crucial in capturing the ground owl, and the term ‘mad knife’ indicates a person of extraordinary skill. The name is catchy and corresponds to the rabid dog in the ballad.”
Yan Tuo sighed and stared at her for a moment before saying, “You’re lying.”
Nie Jiuluo pursed her lips slightly, intrigued by his insight.
“Why would I lie?” she asked.
“You’ve always ignored or avoided answering questions. But when I brought up these ballads, your attitude changed significantly. You answered every question, breaking down each detail to make me believe the ballad was mundane and ordinary. This only suggests that the ballad is neither ordinary nor meaningless, and it’s likely connected to you. You don’t care much about others, but you’re very concerned about yourself.”
Nie Jiuluo raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Don’t you think you’re overthinking? What’s wrong with lying if there’s no evidence? If I deny it, everything will be based on my word.”
Yan Tuo smiled, picked up his dinner plate, and stood up. “Everyone is still getting to know each other. I don’t mind if you want to hide things. But Miss Nie, if you happen to know someone nicknamed ‘Mad Knife,’ please let them know that Dogtooth’s accomplice is very concerned about them.”
As Yan Tuo left, Nie Jiuluo watched him go. He was correct in one thing: she didn’t care much about others but was deeply concerned about herself. She had a low curiosity about outsiders but was very thorough when it came to herself and those around her.
After returning to her room, she contacted Jiang Baichuan by phone. Jiang Baichuan had suggested, “No. 8, come to Nanba to lead the lame man,” but he was cautious. In films, kidnappers often change the delivery location repeatedly. If a net is set up at Location A, the kidnappers might call to change the location to B, and then, when they arrive out of breath, Location C could be the final spot.
Thus, Jiang Baichuan had not invested in Nanba Monkey Head and had only sent three pioneer teams, including a dog family, into the mountains to investigate and search for the “junction” in Nanba Monkey Head’s area. This “junction” was to be found by Nie Jiuluo.
Tracing their origins, both she and Jiang Baichuan, along with Xing Shen, were part of the ancient Bashan hunters. Before liberation, Bashan hunters and Meishan hunters were equally renowned. Meishan, located in Xiangxi, was known for its mysterious witchcraft, with Meishan hunters reputed for their spells. The highest level of Meishan hunters was the tiger hunter, leading to the saying, “Medium Meishan hunts on the mountain, and the best Meishan bends a crossbow to fight a tiger.”
In contrast, Bashan hunters relied on strength, using senses like hearing and smell to track their prey. At their peak, there was a saying: “Medium Bashan hunts on the mountain, and superior Bashan ambushes the owl underground.” The term “owl” in ancient Chinese referred to “evil birds,” which didn’t make sense for ground ambushes, leading to confusion.
Moreover, the descendants of the thorn army kept Bashan hunting secrets, so knowledge about “high-grade Bashan” was scarce.
Bashan hunters had a practice of identifying a “junction,” a spot suitable for concealment and ambush. The best marksman would guard the junction while others would drive the prey towards it.
Dealing with the ground owl meant Nie Jiuluo should be in that guarding position. Normally, she would have no objections, but this time, she felt uneasy.
She said, “Uncle Jiang, have you seen the one named Dogya? He’s completely human. Doesn’t that seem odd?”
Jiang Baichuan smiled: “Of course it’s strange, that’s why I want to find out where they came from. It is said that our golden doors are well locked.”
Nie Jiuluo replied, “I don’t mean that. I want to point out that for thousands of years, our understanding of the earth owl has remained at the level of our ancestors. There’s been no further discovery. You went to Qingyang in ’91, and you relied on handwritten manuscripts left by your ancestors and passed down through generations. If the dogtooth is really a ground owl, it must be different from what we knew back then.”
Jiang Baichuan seemed more optimistic: “Nie Er, I haven’t considered what you’re saying. But think about it—despite the dogtooth’s human-like appearance, it still exhibits characteristics typical of its kind, and it’s been subdued by your attack. I believe its core weaknesses remain unchanged, no matter how it has changed.”
Nie Jiuluo acknowledged this but raised another concern: “There’s also the issue that Yan Tuo’s family is wealthy, which means they could potentially use their resources in various ways. Among their people, some might not be landlords or ghosts but could be hired hands. Have you considered that if conflicts arise, we might accidentally harm or kill these hired individuals?”
Jiang Baichuan had clearly thought about this: “That’s why this mission is crucial. The dog family is important, and I’ve already informed Xing Shen. He’s on his way here. As for you…”
Jiang Baichuan lowered his voice: “No matter what the lame dad reveals, he can’t betray you, since only Xing Shen and I know about your involvement.”
At dusk, the old knife’s car entered Shihe County. As soon as they reached the city, the flow of vehicles and people became noticeably dense. Even though the windows were covered with privacy film, Xing Shen in the back seat commented, “Grasshopper, glasses.”
The old knife glanced at the rearview mirror. The grasshopper was wearing a pair of children’s glasses with bright yellow frames. It also had a small mask on its face, and if not for its thin, brown-black hands that looked like chicken feet, others might have mistaken it for a child. After putting on the glasses, it tucked its claws back into its sleeves. The old knife said, “It’s impressive, almost human-like.”
Xing Shen replied, “Even if you raise a dog for two or three years, it can understand simple commands. This one has been trained similarly.”
As the red light turned on, the old knife stopped the car and picked up the thermos cup from the holder to drink water. He remarked, “Sometimes when it acts so human-like, it feels unsettling. You mentioned something last time about the cuckoo effect.”
Xing Shen smiled and corrected him, “It’s called the uncanny valley effect.”
The uncanny valley effect, proposed by Japanese scholar Masahiro Mori, originally described the emotional responses people have toward robots and has since expanded to other fields. When faced with something humanoid, people initially find it endearing due to its slight human-like traits. However, as its resemblance to a human increases and reaches a certain point, the emotional response shifts to discomfort or even revulsion. For instance, if a domestic puppy follows simple commands, it appears cute, but if it were found one night standing on the kitchen counter with a boning knife, sharpening it and grinning, it would likely be terrifying.
The old knife agreed, “Yes, that’s the horror… the uncanny valley effect.”
Xing Shen advised, “It’s something you get used to.”
The old knife muttered to himself, “How can you get used to this? It’s unsettling. If you could see it…”
Before he could finish, the grasshopper suddenly turned sideways, grabbed the right car door, and made scratching noises with its paws while purring. Xing Shen said sharply, “Sit down!”
The old knife continued, “So if you’re not as good as someone else, you’re simply defeated…”
But the grasshopper, instead of sitting down, dragged Xing Shen’s clothes to the right. Something was amiss. The car fell silent as Xing Shen glanced to the right. The cars next to them were at a different level, and each had a single driver, but nothing seemed unusual at first glance. The old knife grew nervous and asked, “Brother Shen, do you smell anything?”
Xing Shen sensed something was wrong—not due to any smell, but because of the absence of one. When the light turned green and the car on their right began to move, the car behind them honked impatiently. The old knife resumed driving, and Xing Shen quickly said, “Old knife, help me check the two cars on the right. What are they like?”
The old knife acted promptly, slowing down and rolling down the passenger window to get a better look. “The first car is a Tesla. The driver is a woman in her thirties, and she seems to be turning…”
As he was observing, the driver of the car behind leaned out and shouted, “Damn it, can’t you move faster? Do you need a lesson in driving?!” The car behind the Tesla also began to turn. Hearing the shouting, the old knife glanced at the car behind them. It was a Grand Cherokee, and its driver, a man in his thirties, appeared tense and cramped despite the vehicle’s spaciousness. He was wearing a black short-sleeve T-shirt on this cold day, his muscles tensed and visible, giving off a menacing aura.
The old knife continued his observations: “The second car is a Grand Cherokee. The driver is a man in his thirties, stronger than me, and he looks like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with. He’s turning too…”
The old knife accelerated, trying to create some distance from the impatient driver behind them. He increased speed carefully, mindful not to crash into the car in front. As they made two turns, the grasshopper became more agitated, scratching at the car door and signaling that something was wrong. Xing Shen instructed, “Catch up!”
The old knife obeyed, maneuvering the car sharply and accelerating while navigating through the traffic. He asked again, “Brother Shen, did you notice anything unusual?”
Xing Shen shook his head, indicating he hadn’t detected any strange smell but trusted the grasshopper’s instincts. “First, let’s pass the Grand Cherokee. Observe how the grasshopper reacts. If there’s no change, we’ll follow the Tesla.”
Following Xing Shen’s directions, the old knife approached the Grand Cherokee. The grasshopper became noticeably more stable as they got closer to the vehicle but started fidgeting again once they passed it. The old knife realized the target was the Grand Cherokee. He eased off the acceleration, falling behind the vehicle and trailing it from a safe distance. The Grand Cherokee continued down the street and eventually stopped in front of the only quasi-four-star hotel in the county.