I closed my eyes. Though very sleepy and tired, all I could see in my mind were snakes and leopards, preventing me from falling asleep.
From across the way, the low growls of leopards occasionally reached me. I felt they were cries of helplessness, wanting prey but being unable to get it, so they could only lament there.
Not just us, but they on the other side were also having a sleepless night.
And the snakes, tormented by the smoke and firelight, would not have an easy night either.
Moreover, my relatives far away in Ruicheng were even more anxious than us.
Wen Siqiang was still tending to the campfire at a leisurely pace. Perhaps he had overcome his fear of snakes. At least in the cave, he no longer had the initial timidity. Now, even knowing this was a snake den, he could handle it with ease.
I dozed off for a while, only to be startled awake by Wen Siqiang's urgent shout.
He yelled at me loudly, "Boss, Boss, wake up quickly!"
I instantly became alert and quickly stood up, asking him what had happened.
He pointed behind the strange rocks and said, "Snake, Boss, look, a snake!"
I widened my eyes and looked in the direction he pointed. After a while of adjusting, I saw a snake the size of a fist, flicking its tongue, coiled on a rock, glaring at us.
This was a python. Its head was as big as a fist, and its body was as thick as an arm. If it came out, its length would be more than enough to coil around both of us.
However, like the leopards, it was afraid of these two bonfires. No, it was more afraid than the leopards because it was cold-blooded and more sensitive to high temperatures.
I guessed it was the boss, the commander of the snakes, which was why it dared to observe the enemy situation.
In reality, it was also afraid. Otherwise, it would not have only shown its head. If not for the fire, it would have been out foraging by now.
Fear returned to Wen Siqiang. He was already afraid of these creatures, and seeing such a large one, it was natural for him to be scared.
I said, "It hasn't come over, has it? You don't need to be afraid of it. Add some more firewood here, and I promise it will go back to rest immediately."
Wen Siqiang replied, "Boss, you add it. I'll keep an eye on the front."
I shook my head. It seemed this big python had truly scared Wen Siqiang. I had no choice but to find some firewood myself and add it to the fire.
The flames quickly leaped up, accompanied by crackling sounds.
I saw the python's head slowly retreating and disappearing from view after a while.
Fire was indeed their nemesis. It was fortunate that we managed to ignite the fire. Otherwise, with leopards swarming in front and pythons as thick as arms behind, we would have already been torn to shreds and swallowed.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
I carefully gathered the firewood from the other pile, combining them into one to make the fire appear larger and less likely to go out.
I stared behind the rocks, examining every single one, and found no further abnormalities.
I walked to the cave entrance and stood beside Wen Siqiang, asking him if there was any movement outside. The commotion with the python had made us neglect what was happening in front.
Wen Siqiang nudged me, gesturing for me to look outside.
When I looked, I gasped. The moon had risen in the sky, and its pure white light illuminated the valley floor as if a high-powered light bulb had been switched on. The scene in the valley was clearly visible.
I saw five or six leopards lying on an open space about ten meters away from me. They had their ears perked up, staring at us.
That position was probably the red line they were guarding, and they wouldn't dare to cross it.
Even without the fire, this was the pythons' territory, and they wouldn't rashly come over to eat us.
I said softly, "They've been lying there all along?"
Wen Siqiang replied, "Yes, they've been lying there for a long time, motionless, and not making a sound."
I said, "They were afraid of waking me up."
Wen Siqiang exclaimed, "I'm truly amazed by you. You still have the mood to joke. I think if it were someone else, they would have been scared to death even if they weren't bitten."
I said, "What's the use of being afraid? Our lives have never been afraid of ourselves. Now that we see leopards and snakes staring at us, aren't we also being watched by Crown Prince, Principal Sun, and Wu Guodong outside? Don't these people want our lives? I feel they are more malicious and terrifying than these animals. Animals have some reservations, but what about them? They resort to any means, disregard rules, and still try to put us to death!"
Wen Siqiang nodded, "It's really like that. The leopards and snakes watching us, at least I know where the enemies are. But the people you mentioned, we don't know where they are hiding or what wicked ideas they have brewing in their minds. Indeed, they are more terrifying than these ferocious animals."
I said, "My purpose in coming here to chew on this tough bone is to break this predicament. Principal Sun is the most malicious. His tactic is to kill with a borrowed knife. He used Zhou Yingying before, and now he is using Wu Guodong. We need to find this knife first, render him powerless, and then deal with him."
Wen Siqiang said, "But Boss, we haven't found this knife, and we've ended up in a snake den with a group of leopards on guard."
I said, "In life, every experience is an asset. If we can survive this tribulation, won't it add a significant mark to our record? Some people wish they had such an opportunity, aren't we very fortunate?"
Wen Siqiang showed a helpless expression and said, "Boss..."
I knew what he wanted to say behind his hesitation, but he didn't dare to voice it.
I said, "I'll take the first watch, you get some rest. We need to be energized to fight them."
Wen Siqiang responded, stood up, and moved behind me. He didn't go to the spot where I was sitting, as it was too close to the strange rocks, and he was probably still a bit scared of the creatures behind the rocks.
He sat next to me, a little further inside the cave entrance.
I don't know how long I slept, perhaps an hour or two, or even longer. I looked at the moon in the sky; it had already reached its zenith. I reckoned it was now the latter half of the night.
I added firewood to both sides. The cave was damp and cold. Without these fires, I was afraid my body wouldn't be able to withstand it.
The smoke and fire also helped to ward off mosquitoes and insects. This area belongs to the subtropics; there is no true winter, and mosquitoes are present throughout the year.
Not only mosquitoes, but many insects here are highly venomous. The most famous are venomous spiders; a bite from one can be fatal.
I wondered how the guerrillas who spent their days in the jungle survived. Did they have special methods to deal with animal and insect intrusions?
Large animals were easier to handle; they had weapons, and at worst, they could hunt them down. But for pervasive flying insects, guns and cannons were useless. Without special means, they would still be waiting to die.
Mosquitoes and insects could still cause death.
The blazing bonfires attracted a large number of moths and other insects that occasionally fell into the fire. They were attracted to light; as long as there was light, they would rush forward fearlessly, thus meeting their demise.
The saying "moths to a flame, seeking their own destruction" refers to them.
I found it strange; they were also animals, so why weren't they afraid of fire? Instead, they seemed to like it?