第31章

I knew that eventually, my curiosity would get the better of me. I would start researching, digging deeper, trying to understand the secrets hidden within the fused sculpture and the history of the Lim Ling and the Lin Xiao.

And when that time came, I knew it would lead me back into the unknown, into the places where the veil between the ordinary and the extraordinary is thin. Where the ancient powers of nature and the creatures of darkness still hold sway.

My journey into the heart of the mystery had just truly begun. And I was ready to face whatever awaited me, armed with a mysterious sculpture, newfound knowledge, and a spirit forever changed by the secrets of the rain forest.

本章完

我的生活似乎恢复了正常，回到繁忙的都市节奏中，写作、交稿、咖啡、熬夜。但内心里那个从雨林里带出的种子已经悄然萌芽，并且以 surprising 的速度生长。那个融合了木雕和石头的小型雕塑，我把它放在书桌最显眼的位置，每次抬头都能看到。它不再散发强烈的光芒， but 总是带着微温，仿佛有生命一般。

白天，我继续扮演好我的“设计狗”角色，和同事们插科打诨，应付着难缠的客户和修改意见。但到了晚上，当我一个人面对着电脑屏幕，我的思维就会 uncontrollably 回到那个 remote 的雨林，回到那些扭曲的林魈，回到那个 ancient 而 benevolent 的声音。

我开始着手调查。首先是关于我去的那个雨林区域的资料。官方的文献非常 sparse，只提到那里是原始森林保护区，人迹罕至。当地的 guide book 会提一些关于土著部落和 their 独特文化，但关于林灵和林魈的 recorded 자료 almost 没有，if any，usually dismissed as superstition and folklore。