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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Chen shed his heavy armor and began to walk lightly. Although his pace could not compare to the robust Tian Qian and Zhong Yong, he was not far behind.
He marched alongside the troops until they reached the boundary stone marking the border between Cangzhou and Lan Prefecture, where the distance between Ye Chen and Lou Yu's forces gradually widened.
Ye Chen tiptoed, pretending to move forward while actually staying in place. He twisted his neck, confirming that Fu Gui, who was bringing up the rear, waved goodbye before he slowly retracted his upper body and turned onto a side path.
This mountain road, though rugged and difficult to traverse, was a shortcut to Mountain Temple. He had stumbled upon this path when he first came to Lan Prefecture to enlist.
Ye Chen picked up a suitable stick from the roadside, casually swatting at the grass as he walked. He wasn't worried about tripping; rather, he feared that snakes or insects might be hiding in the grass. In this era of scarce medical resources, there was no need to risk his life for adventure—safety was paramount.
In fact, Ye Chen had considered not going to Mountain Temple at all. After all, this was merely a unilateral breach of agreement; there was no contract signed, so he wouldn't incur any substantial cost.
Yet his curiosity about the corpse was too strong to resist. The absence of Xiao Feng alongside a body made him think of thrilling crime novels where murderers hide bodies in exchange for something else—it sounded too exciting to ignore.
This time, Ye Chen steeled himself and decided to observe from outside. Last time, he had been caught off guard and frightened.
A corpse left in such a horrific state without burial likely indicated an accidental death that went unnoticed or perhaps a deliberate disposal by a murderer.
By assessing the degree of decomposition and considering factors like climate changes and regional temperatures, it was highly probable that the death occurred during the days he had left Xiao Feng.
He had to commend himself for watching those CCTV public service programs since childhood; they truly had been beneficial.
There were no signs of anyone entering or exiting Mountain Temple, suggesting that someone had indeed followed him that night. Therefore, he hadn't encountered a ghost but rather someone tracking him. Given that he was still alive, it was likely that the person following him wasn't the murderer but someone else—possibly a hunter camping in the local mountains who found his behavior suspicious and decided to quietly follow him. Otherwise, they wouldn't have returned him near the army without causing any disturbance.
Thinking about it this way, it didn't seem so terrifying after all. However, recalling the chilling scene from that night still sent shivers down Ye Chen's spine.
He followed the winding path and arrived at the back of the Mountain Temple. Through the drafty stone walls, Ye Chen saw the corpse he had encountered that night.
In the dim and flickering light, the body appeared dark and gray, covered in a mass of tiny worms. Black insects crawled in and out of the eye sockets of the skull, and in an instant, a wave of nausea surged from his stomach. Ye Chen quickly turned his head away, diverting his gaze, before daring to take deep breaths.
"Ugh, this can't be Xiao Feng's body, can it?" Ye Chen glanced back again and noticed that the clothes were not what Xiao Feng had worn that day; they looked more like another set picked up from the pile of corpses alongside Xiao Feng.
Ye Chen bent down cautiously, looking around. The desolate surroundings were silent except for a few calls from birds soaring overhead; there was not a soul in sight.
Tightening his loose sleeves, Ye Chen slowly made his way back into the Mountain Temple, glancing over his Submissive lder every few steps. This time, he covered his nose and placed a piece of paper on the altar, weighing it down with a stone.
After doing all this, Ye Chen squinted his eyes and forced himself to look at the corpse a few more times despite his discomfort.
The body was that of an adult, while Xiao Feng was around his age; even if he were to grow taller, it would be impossible for someone so young to have such a large physique.
It definitely wasn't Xiao Feng.
Having realized this, Ye Chen dropped the token and ran away.
As Ye Chen hurried off, a shadow fell from the eaves of the Mountain Temple.
The shadow was tall and graceful, with a black belt perfectly accentuating its slender waist in an alluring manner. The face obscured by a black scarf exuded an unforgettable air of elegance.
Pei Guanjing took two or three long strides to the edge of the altar, reaching out to move a stone aside and slowly unfolding the paper left behind by Ye Chen.
On it was a drawing of a bizarre object, with an exaggerated body covered in scales and a lion's head, sitting on a stone with its eyes closed in deep contemplation.
Could this be the token exchanged between him and Xiao Feng?
For a moment, Pei Guanjing fell into deep thought.
In the bustling political arena of the capital, where Pei Guanjing thrived, he now faced a conundrum he couldn't unravel.
What exactly was this drawing depicting?
Pei Guanjing gazed in the direction Ye Chen had departed, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Ye Chen was indeed intriguing. If it weren't for his identity already registered at the Military Camp, he would have certainly captured Ye Chen to inquire further. Unfortunately, with He Mu Ming keeping such a close watch, he couldn't make a move. The warmth of his smile faded, replaced by a chilling sense that penetrated to his bones.
After taking note of the drawing, Pei Guanjing placed the paper back in its original position.
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