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墨書 Inktalez
Staying in the cave for too long can easily lead to a loss of sense of time. In a closed space without daylight, relying solely on the flickering firelight, the distinction between day and night becomes blurred. The human biological clock can become disordered, leading to the formation of new habits based on incorrect assumptions. In such circumstances, if one's biological clock is still in a daytime state while their body realizes it is clearly nighttime, this can have certain effects on both physical and mental states. Mild symptoms may include dizziness and fatigue, while severe cases could lead to headaches and nausea, along with a decline in judgment and attention.
Jiao Ziqian's only trip abroad was to see a transgender show; the time difference was merely an hour, so he wasn't affected at all. Thus, he was unaware of the abnormal states exhibited by Zebra Stripes and Dan Fengyan, merely thinking they were playing tricks, which made him a bit more vigilant. Wu Wentao was well aware that these two women had likely spent too long in the cave and were experiencing adverse reactions. However, he chose not to mention it; after all, this kind of discomfort would pass after a while, so he focused his energy on contemplating the next issues.
The mountain wind howled as dew glistened. On this small path halfway up the mountain, several bald corpses lay sprawled across the ground, their steaming blood soaking into the earth, making the wildflowers bloom even more vibrantly.
Ying Dou Dou tightened her fur coat around herself, appearing somewhat nervous. Her eyes frequently scanned the lush thickets surrounding the path, as if something might suddenly leap out from behind them. She and Jiao Ziqian hadn’t lingered too long in the cave either; aside from feeling extremely cold upon emerging, they hadn’t experienced any other discomforting symptoms.
Zebra Stripes had accurately described the shaft; it took them some time to climb up. Dan Fengyan was the first to poke her head out, using her prominent identity to attract the attention of the Bald Guard. Wu Wentao followed closely behind, striking without mercy. The sharp blade that Dan Fengyan used for thrills became a deadly weapon in his hands, each strike aimed directly at vital points; as soon as the blade touched flesh, it would leave a gaping wound. By the time Jiao Ziqian climbed up, four or five Bald Guards had already breathed their last—swift and clean without any hesitation.
The two had different understandings of what it meant to be halfway up the mountain. Jiao Ziqian had expected an exit to be a treacherous mountain path; at least there should be a panoramic view of smaller mountains shrouded in mist. However, reality did not meet expectations; what they found at this so-called halfway point looked no different from the wild mountain valleys back home. Surrounding them was still pitch black; the dawn light was blocked by towering peaks above them. As far as they could see were rolling hills and dense forests with no obvious paths—neither perilous nor smooth.
Zebra Stripes wasn’t lying; without a guide, they would never have found such a vent.
“This shaft was dug by you?” Jiao Ziqian asked curiously as he leaned closer to examine the opening embedded in the mountainside. Looking from inside out felt different than looking from outside in; there was no light escaping from within, and wild grass grew thickly around the entrance—if one didn’t look closely, it would indeed be hard to spot.
“Not us,” Zebra Stripes replied as she rested her head for a moment; her tinnitus had eased significantly but waves of nausea still hit her.
“Get ready quickly and let’s go; don’t waste time taking breaks. Lead us to the entrance,” Wu Wentao said as he performed several warm-up exercises on the spot. Although he appeared ruggedly wild, it was indeed very cold; being physically strong didn’t mean one’s senses were dulled.
Dan Fengyan and Zebra Stripes exchanged glances in confusion as if they hadn’t understood Wu Wentao’s words.
“Don’t play games with me; there are more than two entrances here. Don’t think you can pull tricks—I’m not someone who shows mercy,” Wu Wentao sneered repeatedly, his bloodied blade lifting Dan Fengyan’s delicate face as he coldly stated: “The previous promise still stands—if you cooperate with me, I will spare your lives.”
“Must you go for complete annihilation?” Dan Fengyan’s eyelids twitched slightly as she avoided Wu Wentao’s piercing gaze and murmured: “A night spent together creates bonds; you’ve already escaped—can’t you let others go?”
“You’re thinking too much about that ‘bond’.” Wu Wentao chuckled as if he had heard a joke and continued: “My patience is limited; I’ll give you one minute to consider.”
Zebra Stripes lowered her head and fell silent. She could tell that this man who bore some resemblance to Lu Xun was truly formidable—he meant what he said and would follow through on his threats—unlike Jiao Ziqian, whose playful demeanor masked a youthful heart.
Jiao Ziqian didn’t interject; he understood his role clearly. He took Ying Dou Dou’s hand and led her aside. After hesitating for a moment, he whispered: “I’ll take you to the road soon; find a safe place to hide. If all goes well, our people will arrive shortly. Tell them what’s happening here—they will protect you.”
Ying Dou Dou was momentarily taken aback, her expression blank as she asked, "What do you mean?"
"You might have to deal with a knife later; it's not safe for you to follow," Jiao Ziqian replied, a hint of something unexplainable in his eyes. He avoided Ying Dou Dou's probing gaze and muttered, "Maybe your companions are looking for you too. You're safe now."
"And then what?"
"What do you mean 'and then'?"
Ying Dou Dou pressed her lips together, her fingers hidden beneath the animal hide intertwining nervously. The light in her flickering eyes dimmed slightly as she pondered before gently shaking her head and whispering, "It's nothing."
Jiao Ziqian felt a dryness in his throat, wanting to say something but unsure how to express it. He sensed that the frail girl standing before him shared the same heartbeat, creating an odd atmosphere of unspoken words.
"Let's go; keep an eye on the back," Wu Wentao interrupted, his presence commanding and assertive. He roughly grabbed two chains and dragged Dan Fengyan and Zebra Stripes along like walking dogs.
"Okay, got it," Jiao Ziqian replied, his mind already a jumble. With Wu Wentao's interruption, he forgot what he wanted to say and simply followed behind with Ying Dou Dou.
Zebra Stripes turned back to glare at Jiao Ziqian, her sharp teeth biting into her lower lip, her eyes seemingly ablaze with anger.
"Watch where you're going," Jiao Ziqian shot back at her irritably. What was she glaring at him for? He hadn't done anything to provoke her.
Dan Fengyan's compromise did not earn her any favors. She still didn't understand the kind of person Wu Wentao was; in his dictionary, there was no concept of "you take a step back, I give you three." If you were tough, Wu Wentao would be tougher; if you were soft, he would be even harder—typical of someone who never let things slide. Dan Fengyan felt a wave of bitterness wash over her as she stumbled along the path, replaying the intimate moments from an hour ago in the cave. Her hatred for men deepened with each step.
The mountain path was long and muddy, making it difficult to walk. After more than half an hour of struggling, all five of them were starting to feel exhausted. The cold was one thing; the real issue was walking barefoot on fallen leaves and muck—it was slippery and often led to stepping on sharp objects. Even the two rugged men were having a hard time, let alone the three delicate women.
Wu Wentao had no sympathy for them, but Jiao Ziqian couldn't ignore it. Although Ying Dou Dou didn't voice her discomfort, Jiao Ziqian could see the beads of sweat forming on her cheeks and the way her brows knitted together in pain. Feeling flustered, he cursed under his breath and bent down to pick up Ying Dou Dou without considering the dangers of the path ahead. She was momentarily surprised and quickly struggled to indicate that it wasn't necessary.
"Put me down; the road is hard to walk on," Ying Dou Dou said softly, her smooth body pressed against his cold back. The path was steep, and she could tell that Jiao Ziqian was struggling to maintain his balance.
"I'm cold; I need your warmth," Jiao Ziqian replied stubbornly, unaware that his casual remark had planted a small seed in the girl's heart.
Ying Dou Dou didn't insist further. After a moment of stiffness, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her warm body against him in an attempt to help ward off the chill he felt.
Walking ahead, Wu Wentao wore a look of exasperation. He had intended to remind the others, but after hesitating for a moment, he decided against it. He tugged at the chain in his hand and sighed softly, "Being young is great."
The downhill path continued for nearly half an hour before finally reaching a relatively flat dirt road. Dense trees overhead blocked the light, casting shadows in the humid forest. Dan Fengyan said they were almost there and suggested taking a break. Wu Wentao, likely exhausted himself, generously agreed to stop and catch their breath. The five individuals, each with different expressions, sat silently around a decaying tree stump, occasionally exhaling white mist to warm their hands. Wu Wentao tossed the chain to Jiao Ziqian and walked over to a small tree, inspecting it before returning with a few branches.
"Are we going to start a fire?" Jiao Ziqian asked.
"Drink," Wu Wentao replied, rolling his eyes as he plucked some thick leaves and brought them to his mouth to taste.
The others hadn’t felt thirsty until Wu Wentao’s actions made them realize their own dryness. They mimicked him, reaching for dew-covered leaves and sucking on them. Unfortunately, there were only a few drops of dew on the leaves—barely enough to moisten their lips.
Wu Wentao laughed at their clumsy attempts and was about to tease them when suddenly his expression changed. He grabbed a tree branch and turned sharply, shouting, "Come out!"
The group startled at his loud voice; Jiao Ziqian jumped up high and quickly picked up a stick to stand guard, squinting into the darkness but seeing nothing unusual.
"Zombie," Ying Dou Dou said nervously.
"I'll count to three. If you don't come out, I'll shoot," Wu Wentao declared, ignoring the others behind him. He held the branch confidently against his shoulder as if aiming.
Jiao Ziqian frowned, thinking that perhaps Wu Wentao had been poisoned by the dew and was hallucinating.
Before anyone could ask further questions, rustling sounds came from the direction Wu Wentao was pointing. A shadow emerged from the pitch-black bushes with hands raised high, trembling as it spoke, "Don’t—don’t shoot! I’m not a zombie."
Jiao Ziqian widened his eyes in surprise at Wu Wentao's vigilance and stepped back a few paces to protect Ying Dou Dou in case this mysterious man had accomplices lurking nearby.
"Put down your weapon," Wu Wentao demanded forcefully, shaking the branch in his hand.
"I—I don’t have any weapons," the man replied nervously from where he stood still. "Don’t be impulsive; I have nothing."
"Hey," Ying Dou Dou said curiously from behind Jiao Ziqian as she leaned forward cautiously. "Dapeng?"
"Huh?" Everyone froze at her words and turned to look at Ying Dou Dou in unison.
The man seemed momentarily stunned, leaning slightly forward as if trying to see the person speaking. He stammered, “Doudou?”
Ying Dou Dou's face lit up with joy, and she hurriedly replied, “It's me, it's me, Dapeng! I’m Doudou!”
“Your companion,” Jiao Ziqian said, his expression suddenly dropping.
Wu Wentao, skeptical, lowered the branch he was holding and stepped back, whispering, “Do you know her?”
“Yes, she’s my companion!” Ying Dou Dou exclaimed, her previous gloom lifting as she excitedly continued, “I knew you wouldn’t leave me behind! Come over here; we’re all on the same side. Chun Yue is here too!”
“Chun Yue... her—”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At that moment, a series of rapid gunshots echoed through the forest, abruptly cutting off the man's words.
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