《天堂旅館》長篇奇幻愛情小說

【二十九】凶險的妖怪森林 Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Perilous Monster Forest
經過半天光景，一行人走出石灰林山，一片被濃霧籠罩的冷杉林映入眾人眼簾。
朗恩手指前方大喊：「前面就是妖怪森林，進到森林後，大家要提高警覺。」
陳約翰說：「我們以一路縱隊進入，眼觀四面耳聽八方，互相掩護。」
一行人進到森林，視線被濃霧遮蔽，能見度僅三四公尺。每個人都繃緊神經，陳約翰和史特龍抽出降魔法器；林曉陽和黃敏華背貼著背，兩人各持長刀和長劍；朗恩的子弟兵們有的持弓箭，有的持掃刀，如臨大敵。
一刻鐘過去，正當大夥兒開始有些鬆懈，突然淩空跳下一隻大蜘蛛，以銳利的前爪攫住一個狼族青年戰士，那青年雙肩被蜘蛛的前爪戳進去，仍忍痛朝蜘蛛的眼睛放箭，蜘蛛眼珠中箭，一雙前肢夾著那青年攀附蜘蛛絲正要逃走，林曉陽見狀提起真氣，飛身踩上樹幹追過去，幾個縱跳已跳到大蜘蛛背上，只見他長刀幾個起落，那隻大蜘蛛應聲墜地，已身首異處流出藍色血液。曉陽一手攬住那青年的腰背，以輕盈的腳步踩跳樹幹後落地，除了陳約翰、史特龍和黃敏華，其餘人都沒清楚看見整個救人的過程。
曉陽立即封住那青年胸口幾處穴道，把他交給同伴，朗恩趕來探視。
林曉陽說：「他傷得很重，我暫時先幫他止血。」
朗恩從懷裡掏出一隻葫蘆，倒了兩顆藥丸在手掌上，把藥丸餵給那青年。
朗恩焦急呼喚：「小潘，你還撐得住吧？」
那叫小潘的狼族青年靠著同伴，忍住痛楚：「我，我可以的，大當家。」
除了攙扶小潘的那兩個狼族弟兄，其餘的人仍保持警戒狀態。
一行人繼續往前走，林曉陽代替陳約翰打頭陣，在樹幹間縱跳警戒。
不到一刻鐘，一隻大蜈蚣從左側面的樹幹後方竄出，正要偷襲夥伴們，狼族青年立即以弓箭和掃刀正面迎擊，大蜈蚣中了幾箭還挨了幾刀，幾個傷處流出綠色血液，突然兇性大發撲過來。黃敏華提起真氣，持長劍縱跳上樹幹，側身劃過那隻大蜈蚣，硬生生把牠削成兩段，再一個回身飛旋，大蜈蚣被砍成四段。陳約翰和史特龍見到黃敏華如此俐落的身手，不約而同大聲叫好，其他人也跟著叫好。

一行人繃緊神經繼續往前深入，不久，前方出現一小片空地和兩間小木屋。陳約翰和朗恩來到木屋前，看見門口樹幹上一行刻字，朗恩隨口唸出來：「裡面的妖怪，已經被我趕走，此地仍不宜久留！魯夫。」
史特龍檢視小潘的傷口：「攻擊他的毒蜘蛛，毒性已經擴散，他必須立即接受手術治療。」
朗恩走過來，看了一下小潘傷勢，感傷地說：「小潘，我們必須把你留在這裡，以免拖累大家的行程。」
小潘已有自覺，他表情剛毅說：「大當家，你們別管我，趕緊走吧！」
攙扶小潘的那兩個青年，其中一人說：「大當家，我們不能在這時候拋下他。」
另一人說：「我們兩個，自願留下來照顧他。」
朗恩惱火訓斥：「胡鬧！緊要關頭，你們兩個卻感情用事！」
林曉陽緩頰說：「兄弟，你就讓他們進屋裡過夜休息，史特龍神父會幫小潘治傷解毒。」
朗恩說：「可是兄弟，魯夫都說此地不宜久留，這會讓大夥兒更加危險。」
林曉陽自信地說：「有我和陳約翰神父守衛，妖怪們沒那麼容易得手。」
黃敏華說：「老公，我要跟著你。」
阿多諾勸著說：「老闆娘，妳還是跟大夥兒進屋裡，比較安全。」
林曉陽微笑說：「嗯，以妳現在的本事，我可以放心。阿多諾，你不必操心她。」
一行人隨即由陳約翰和朗恩分配工作，有的負責生火，有的整理床鋪。史特龍讓那兩個青年把小潘扶進木屋裡。

夜幕低垂，木屋前後的空地上，燃燒著兩堆火柴。前庭是曉陽和敏華夫妻，後院是陳約翰和朗恩，兩側是阿多諾，夏波和蘿娜、凱斯，整座木屋的警戒做得滴水不漏。
一些妖怪被火光吸引過來，但他們只是圍觀，不敢靠近，因為他們察覺，這夥人並非等閒之輩。而那些大毒蟲，見到火光倒是離得遠遠的。
林曉陽和黃敏華，坐在火堆旁，刀劍不離身，兩人啃著乾糧邊聊著。
「這座森林，如果沒有這些妖怪和大蟲，感覺應該會很浪漫。」
林曉陽回憶說：「小時候，狼爸叮嚀我和朗恩這些孩子，不能靠近地獄穀，這片森林也只是聽長輩們說，裡面住著妖怪和大蟲，其實那時候我們這些孩子，對妖怪根本沒
什麼概念，也從來沒見識過大蟲。」
「我還正想問你，從你跟朗恩的談話裡，他似乎是你的童年玩伴。」
「是啊！我們一家人原本住在森林邊緣，那時我才六、七歲，有一天我父親和母親出遠門去，也不曉得什麼原因，他們就沒再回來，那時，最先找到我的就是朗恩，然後他的爸媽就收養我。」
「你說的故事，是你的前世大衛吧？」
「是啊！當我認出朗恩時，其實我已經分不清楚自己究竟是大衛，還是林曉陽了。」
林曉陽：說來很神奇，我也是跟你成為夫妻後，才漸漸想起前世的事情。

經過史特龍的手術解毒治療後，小潘的傷勢被控制下來。
深夜裡的森林，反而顯得異常的寧靜。負責警戒的四組人輪流休息，都待在屋外。
陳約翰和朗恩聊著，兩人很快就熱絡起來，兩人在火堆旁聊著。
「頭目，一開始我發現被你們的人跟蹤時，其實我還蠻擔心的。」
「我們狼族對人類一直懷有戒心，但我們很少主動攻擊進來山裡的人類，除非他們心懷不軌。」
「那倒是，那晚在熊媽媽旅店裡，熊媽媽也是這麼說。不過，我很好奇，為什麼你們狼族人壽命數倍於我們？」
「我知道你心中的疑惑，神父。我們不是普通的狼族，跟熊族一樣，在上古時期，我們的祖先被天神放逐到阿爾卑斯山裡，目的是為了守護阿爾卑斯山，保護生息在山裡的動物，包括人類。」
「喔？你說你們被天神放逐下來，保護這裡的動物，可你們一直依靠狩獵弱小的動物維生，不是嗎？
「我們狩獵弱小動物，但我們相當節制，從不破壞這裡的環境和生態平衡。人類就不同了，你們的聰明智慧遠勝於我們，但是由於你們的貪婪，不僅大範圍地破壞環境，更毫無節制地捕殺動物。」
「的確，有些人類相當貪婪，他們往往只想到自己，不會去尊重別的動物，同樣有生存發展的權利。」
朗恩面有愧色說：「說來慚愧，沒想到這回，我們不但沒保護你們，反而給你們製造困擾，添了不少麻煩。」
「大頭目，你別這樣想，你願意為兄弟付出，陪我們一起出這趟任務，你的深情厚義，我們都感受到了。」
朗恩微笑說：「我那兄弟大衛，竟然學會一身驚人的本事，真的出乎我的意料，雖然
小時候他跟我玩格鬥時，我都故意讓他。神父，這些本事，都是你教給他的嗎？」
「哈！我哪來那麼厲害的本事教大衛啊！我只是幫他起個頭，他悟性很高，學得非常快，第一次出手，就收拾了鬼王安德森。」
「鬼王安德森？我似乎聽過這傢夥，他好像是隻很厲害的吸血鬼吧？」
「是啊！他是一隻被自己權力慾望給淹死的吸血鬼。」
朗恩笑著說：「我有些納悶，怎麼我們都深入到妖怪森林，竟然都沒遭遇到任何一隻妖怪呢？」
「其實在木屋周圍，就有幾隻妖怪一直在偷偷窺視我們，我感覺得到他們的存在。不過，我推測這些妖怪，並不是很有組織的，否則他們早就對我們大舉進攻了。」
「神父分析得有道裡，可是，這些妖怪畏懼的似乎不是我們，而是你們，當我見識過我兄弟大衛和他媳婦的身手後，我的確是這麼想的。」
陳約翰微笑說：「也許吧！任誰要想打敗大衛，恐怕沒那麼容易。」

天色濛濛亮，木屋裡的狼族弟兄們已經起床。
庭院裡的柴火剛熄滅，幾隻大蠍子就圍攏過來，高舉毒螯做出示威狀。
屋裡的狼族兄弟聽見動靜，立即抓起武器衝出屋外。
陳約翰大聲喊著：「先不要放箭！」
原來，林曉陽夫妻已經刀劍合體，手臂相挽淩空迴旋起來，像一隻旋轉絞輪刀，刀劍鋒芒所及，毒螯和前肢的巨鉗紛紛被削落下來。眾人看見這一幕先是目瞪口呆，接著爆出如雷掌聲。後方的毒蠍子見前方同伴被肢解倒斃，紛紛掉頭逃竄。
朗恩大聲讚嘆：「真是太精彩，太精彩了！我活了三百多年，這一回真是大開眼界，原來這世間竟然有這麼厲害的功夫！」
陳約翰對著史特龍說：「師弟，曉陽夫妻這套刀劍合擊的兩儀刀劍，應該是從太極拳法裡變化而來，陰陽相生的原理。」
史特龍點頭微笑說：「我也看出一些名堂，不過，太極拳法能夠如此變化使用，東方武學當真是博大精深啊！」
林曉陽夫妻輕飄飄落地，毫髮無傷。眾人湊擁過去，朗恩好奇地端詳著曉陽手中那柄長刀。
朗恩問：「這把長刀究竟是用什麼金屬打造的？竟然如此鋒利，削砍蠍子的厚甲，跟削果皮似地。」
林曉陽微笑說：「應該是鎢錳合金鋼所鑄造的。」
陳約翰判斷說：「圍觀的那些妖怪都見識到曉陽夫妻的實力，暫時我們應該沒什麼危險。」
史特龍問：「師兄所言，何以見得？」
陳約翰微笑說：「這些大蟲畢竟沒什麼腦筋，妖怪們可就不一樣，他們會估量膽敢侵犯我們，要付出的代價。」
史特龍領悟說：「我懂了！大蟲有膽無識，妖怪們則是有識無膽。」
陳約翰對著朗恩說：「這些大蟲們怕火，頭目，你要小夥子們各持火把，大蟲們就不敢輕易靠近。」
朗恩應聲：「好的，就這麼辦。我去吩咐他們。」
果然，接下來的行程，妖怪們沿途監控只敢做壁上觀，而前來偷襲的大蟲，只有零星幾隻，輕易就被火把嚇退。

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Perilous Monster Forest

After half a day of travel, the group emerged from Limestone Forest Mountain, and a fir forest shrouded in dense fog came into view.

Lang En pointed ahead and shouted, “The Monster Forest is just ahead. Once we enter the forest, everyone needs to stay on high alert.”

Father John Chen said, “We’ll enter in a single-file column. Keep your eyes and ears open in all directions, and cover one another.”

The group entered the forest. Their vision was obscured by the dense fog, and visibility was only three or four yards. Everyone was tense and alert. Father John Chen and Father Stylon drew their sacred weapons for fighting demons. Lin Xiaoyang and Huang Minhua stood back-to-back, each holding a long saber or long sword. Some of Lang En’s young warriors carried bows and arrows, while others carried machetes. Everyone was prepared as if facing a powerful enemy.

Fifteen minutes passed, and just as everyone began to relax a little, a giant spider suddenly leaped down from above. Its sharp forelegs seized a young wolf-clan warrior. The spider’s forelegs pierced through both of the young man’s shoulders, yet he endured the pain and continued shooting arrows at the spider’s eyes.

An arrow struck one of the spider’s eyes. Clutching the young warrior between its forelegs, the spider began climbing along its web, preparing to escape. Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyang gathered his internal energy, sprang onto a tree trunk, and chased after it. After several powerful leaps, he landed on the giant spider’s back.

With several swift strokes of his long saber, the giant spider crashed to the ground, its head severed from its body and blue blood flowing from the wound.

Lin Xiaoyang grabbed the young warrior around the waist and back with one arm, then lightly stepped and leaped from tree trunk to tree trunk before landing on the ground. Except for Father John Chen, Father Stylon, and Huang Minhua, no one else had clearly seen the entire rescue.

Xiaoyang immediately sealed several pressure points on the young warrior’s chest to stop his injuries from worsening, then handed him over to his companions. Lang En hurried over to check on him.

Lin Xiaoyang said, “He’s badly injured. I’ll stop the bleeding for now.”

Lang En pulled a gourd from inside his clothing, poured two pills into his palm, and fed them to the young warrior.

Lang En called out anxiously, “Little Pan, can you hold on?”

The young wolf-clan warrior called Little Pan leaned against his companions and endured the pain. “I—I can, Chief.”

Except for the two wolf-clan warriors supporting Little Pan, everyone else remained on high alert.

The group continued forward. Lin Xiaoyang took over the lead from Father John Chen, leaping from tree trunk to tree trunk as he kept watch.

Less than fifteen minutes later, a giant centipede suddenly darted out from behind a tree trunk on the left, just as it was about to launch a surprise attack on the group. The young wolf-clan warriors immediately met it head-on with bows, arrows, and machetes.

The giant centipede was struck by several arrows and slashed several times. Green blood flowed from its wounds, but it suddenly became even more ferocious and lunged forward.

Huang Minhua gathered her internal energy, gripped her long sword, and leaped onto a tree trunk. She swept sideways past the giant centipede, slicing it cleanly in half. Then, with a spinning turn in midair, she struck again, cutting the giant centipede into four pieces.

Father John Chen and Father Stylon saw Huang Minhua’s swift and skillful movements and shouted their approval at the same time. The others followed suit and cheered as well.

The group remained tense and continued deeper into the forest. Before long, a small clearing and two little wooden cabins appeared ahead.

Father John Chen and Lang En came to the cabins and saw a line of carved words on a tree trunk beside the entrance. Lang En casually read it aloud:

“The monsters inside have already been driven away by me. You still should not stay here for long! —Ruf.”

Father Stylon examined Little Pan’s wounds. “The poison from the venomous spider that attacked him has already spread. He needs surgery immediately.”

Lang En walked over and examined Little Pan’s injuries. He said sadly, “Little Pan, we have to leave you here so you won’t hold everyone back.”

Little Pan already understood his situation. With a resolute expression, he said, “Chief, don’t worry about me. Hurry and go!”

Of the two young men supporting Little Pan, one said, “Chief, we cannot leave him behind at a time like this.”

The other said, “The two of us volunteer to stay behind and take care of him.”

Lang En angrily scolded them, “Nonsense! At a critical moment like this, you two are letting your emotions get the better of you!”

Lin Xiaoyang tried to smooth things over. “Brother, let them stay in the cabin and rest for the night. Father Stylon will help Little Pan treat his wounds and remove the poison.”

Lang En said, “But, brother, Ruf himself said that we shouldn’t stay here long. This will put everyone in even greater danger.”

Lin Xiaoyang said confidently, “With Father John Chen and me standing guard, the monsters won’t have an easy time getting to us.”

Huang Minhua said, “Honey, I’m staying with you.”

Adorno advised her, “Ma’am, you should go into the cabin with everyone else. It’ll be safer.”

Lin Xiaoyang smiled and said, “All right. With the abilities you have now, I can feel at ease. Adorno, you don’t need to worry about her.”

The group then divided up the duties under the direction of Father John Chen and Lang En. Some were responsible for starting fires, while others arranged the beds. Father Stylon had the two young warriors help Little Pan into the cabin.

Night fell. Two fires burned in the open areas in front of and behind the cabin. Xiaoyang and Minhua, the husband and wife, guarded the front yard. Father John Chen and Lang En guarded the backyard. Adorno, Xia Bo, Lorna, and Keith guarded the two sides. The entire cabin was guarded so thoroughly that not even a drop of water could get through.

Some monsters were attracted by the firelight, but they only watched from a distance and did not dare approach because they sensed that these people were no ordinary travelers. As for the giant venomous insects, they kept their distance as soon as they saw the firelight.

Lin Xiaoyang and Huang Minhua sat beside the fire, never letting their weapons leave their sides as they chewed on dry provisions and chatted.

“If this forest didn’t have all these monsters and giant insects, it would probably feel very romantic.”

Lin Xiaoyang recalled, “When I was little, Wolf Dad repeatedly warned me and the other children, including Lang En, never to go near Hell Valley. We had only heard our elders say that monsters and giant insects lived in this forest. In fact, back then, we children had no real idea what monsters were, and we had never actually seen any giant insects.”

“I was just about to ask you. From your conversations with Lang En, he seems to have been your childhood playmate.”

“That’s right! My family originally lived on the edge of the forest. I was only six or seven years old at the time. One day, my father and mother went away on a long trip. I don’t know why, but they never came back. At that time, Lang En was the first person to find me, and then his parents adopted me.”

“The story you just told me was about your previous life as David, right?”

“That’s right! When I recognized Lang En, I actually could no longer tell whether I was David or Lin Xiaoyang.”

Lin Xiaoyang said, “It’s really amazing. It was only after I became your husband that I gradually began remembering things from my previous life.”

After Father Stylon performed surgery and treated Little Pan for the poison, his condition was brought under control.

The forest in the middle of the night seemed unusually quiet instead. The four groups responsible for guarding the area took turns resting, but they all stayed outside the cabin.

Father John Chen and Lang En chatted together, and they quickly became quite friendly. They sat beside the fire and talked.

“Chief, when I first discovered that your people were following us, I was actually pretty worried.”

“Our wolf clan has always been wary of humans, but we rarely attack humans who enter the mountains on their own, unless they harbor evil intentions.”

“That’s true. Mama Bear said the same thing that night at Mama Bear Inn. But I’m curious: why do members of your wolf clan live several times as long as we do?”

“I know what you’re wondering, Father. We are not ordinary members of the wolf clan. Like the bear clan, our ancestors were banished to the Alps by the gods in ancient times. The purpose was to guard the Alps and protect the animals living and thriving in these mountains, including humans.”

“Oh? You say that your ancestors were banished here by the gods to protect the animals here, but haven’t you always relied on hunting weaker animals to survive?”

“We do hunt weaker animals, but we are very restrained. We never destroy the environment or upset the ecological balance here. Humans are different. Your intelligence and wisdom far surpass ours, but because of your greed, you not only destroy the environment on a large scale, you also kill animals without restraint.”

“That is true. Some humans are extremely greedy. They often think only of themselves and refuse to respect the right of other animals to survive and develop as well.”

Lang En said with a look of shame, “It’s embarrassing to say, but I never expected that this time we would not only fail to protect you, but actually cause you trouble and create quite a few problems for you.”

“Chief, don’t think that way. You were willing to make sacrifices for your brothers and accompany us on this mission. We have all felt your deep loyalty and affection.”

Lang En smiled and said, “My brother David actually learned such amazing skills. It really exceeded my expectations. Although when we were children and he sparred with me, I always deliberately let him win. Father, did you teach him all these abilities?”

“Ha! How could I possibly have such incredible abilities to teach David? I only helped him get started. He has tremendous natural insight and learned extremely quickly. The very first time he used his skills, he took care of Ghost King Anderson.”

“Ghost King Anderson? I think I’ve heard of that guy. Wasn’t he a very powerful vampire?”

“That’s right! He was a vampire who drowned in his own desire for power.”

Lang En said with a smile, “I’m a little puzzled. How have we gone so deep into the Monster Forest without encountering a single monster?”

“Actually, there are several monsters around the cabin secretly watching us. I can sense their presence. However, I suspect that these monsters are not very well organized. Otherwise, they would have launched a major attack against us already.”

“The Father’s analysis makes sense. But it seems that what these monsters fear is not us, but you. After seeing the skills of my brother David and his wife, that is certainly what I think.”

Father John Chen smiled and said, “Perhaps. Anyone who wants to defeat David will probably find it no easy task.”

As dawn approached, the wolf-clan warriors inside the cabin had already gotten up.

The firewood in the courtyard had just burned out when several giant scorpions gathered around and raised their poisonous pincers in a threatening gesture.

Hearing the commotion, the wolf-clan warriors inside the cabin immediately grabbed their weapons and rushed outside.

Father John Chen shouted, “Don’t shoot yet!”

It turned out that Lin Xiaoyang and Huang Minhua had already combined their saber and sword techniques. With their arms linked, they spun through the air like a rotating cutting wheel. Wherever the edges of their saber and sword reached, the scorpions’ poisonous pincers and huge forelimbs were sliced off one after another.

Everyone was first stunned by the sight, then burst into thunderous applause.

Seeing their companions ahead dismembered and killed, the venomous scorpions in the rear all turned around and fled.

Lang En exclaimed loudly, “That was incredible, absolutely incredible! I’ve lived for more than three hundred years, and this has truly opened my eyes. I never knew such astonishing martial arts existed in this world!”

Father John Chen said to Father Stylon, “Brother, this Two-Instrument Saber-and-Sword technique used by Xiaoyang and Minhua should have evolved from Taiji boxing techniques, based on the principle that yin and yang generate and complement each other.”

Father Stylon nodded with a smile and said, “I can see some of what is going on as well. But to be able to transform Taiji boxing techniques and use them this way, Eastern martial arts are truly profound and extensive!”

Lin Xiaoyang and Huang Minhua lightly landed on the ground, completely unharmed. Everyone gathered around them, and Lang En curiously examined the long saber in Xiaoyang’s hand.

Lang En asked, “What kind of metal is this long saber made of? It’s unbelievably sharp. Cutting through the scorpions’ thick armor is like peeling fruit.”

Lin Xiaoyang smiled and said, “It should be made of tungsten-manganese alloy steel.”

Father John Chen judged, “Those monsters that were watching us have now seen the strength of Xiaoyang and Minhua. We should be relatively safe for the time being.”

Father Stylon asked, “Brother, what makes you say that?”

Father John Chen smiled and said, “These giant insects don’t have much sense, but the monsters are different. They can calculate the price they would have to pay if they dared to attack us.”

Father Stylon understood and said, “I get it! The giant insects have courage but no sense, while the monsters have sense but no courage.”

Father John Chen said to Lang En, “These giant insects are afraid of fire. Chief, have the young men each carry a torch. Then the giant insects won’t dare approach easily.”

Lang En replied, “All right, we’ll do that. I’ll go tell them.”

Sure enough, during the rest of the journey, the monsters along the way only dared to watch from the sidelines while keeping them under surveillance, and the giant insects that came to launch surprise attacks numbered only a few. They were easily frightened away by the torches.