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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Six: Night
Ting Feng Pavilion was built on a prominent outcrop of the mountain, its ancient architectural style making it a striking sight amidst the landscape. The pavilion was adorned with colorful paintings and featured an exquisite coffered ceiling. Over the years, many people had come to take photos and check in at this spot, including numerous visitors from afar. However, the path leading to it was constructed along the mountain's contours, with an unending series of steps that intimidated many. Occasionally, there were platforms for resting, but ahead lay an endless expanse of steps.
By the time they reached the pavilion, both had spent about two hours on the trek. Xin Yi felt that his body had just begun to warm up from the exertion, while Song Bunan, walking ahead, seemed to lose all strength upon sighting the pavilion, nearly crawling over to it.
As Xin Yi approached, he noticed that Song Bunan's mask was already soaked with sweat, and his hands trembled slightly as they rested on his lap, looking utterly exhausted. Determined not to let his temporary teammate collapse midway, Xin Yi reached out and removed the mask.
The person leaning against the bag had already fallen asleep, breathing steadily as if completely at ease in his own home. Xin Yi couldn't fathom what kind of mindset allowed someone to be so defenseless in the wild, especially while paired with a stranger for a task. This person was truly a puzzling character.
After scanning the surroundings and finding no one else nearby, Xin Yi decided to sit down and rest; he didn't want to be accused of abandoning his companion halfway through their journey. Fortunately, at that moment, a message from their leader came through on the communication channel, easing some of his anxiety.
"Have you entered the mountain?"
"Yes, I'm with Song Bunan. We've arrived at Ting Feng Pavilion; he's resting."
"It's incredible that this person can actually uncover clues. Are you planning to meet us or do you have your own mission?"
"I'm looking for someone named Copper Coin. The higher-ups want us to regroup first and then proceed together. By the way, why did we lose signal earlier?"
"There are others in the mountains; our signal was blocked by them but we just broke through. We expect to reach the foot of the mountain by dawn tonight. What about you?"
"I'll do my best to keep moving, provided he can pick up the pace."
"Don't rush; be careful of that group along the way and keep in touch."
"Understood."
This served as a much-needed boost of morale, allowing him to feel somewhat reassured about the journey ahead. The weather was pleasant today; a gentle breeze carried away some of the heat from the sun, making it cool yet comfortable within the pavilion.
He put away the communicator, contemplating whether to wake Song Bunan to continue their journey. Just then, he heard some rustling behind him. Turning around, he saw the person who had been sound asleep moments ago now looking vibrant and energetic, wiping his face with a towel.
Seeing him turn, Song Bunan smiled and said, "Thanks for helping me take off the hood. I was so tired. Now that I’m refreshed, let’s get going!" It was truly hard to read this person; in just ten minutes from sleep to now, he showed no signs of fatigue.
"The hood?" Xin Yi asked as he watched Song Bunan pack it away, curious as to why he wouldn’t put it back on. He saw Song Bunan shake his head happily, pulling out a water bottle and holding it against his chest. He then handed Xin Yi a piece of candy, saying, "I’m afraid of getting sunburned. Once we get into the mountains, there won’t be any sun. Here, take this candy to boost your energy."
When Xin Yi didn’t take it, Song Bunan leaned in and stuffed it into his pocket, not allowing any refusal. "We’re teammates now; you can’t be so guarded with me. The road to the foot of the mountain is still long. Are you prepared for camping tonight? There’s no place to pitch a tent in the mountains; we’ll have to sleep in the trees."
Teammates? Xin Yi raised an eyebrow. He had never considered this person as a teammate; at best, he was just a temporary partner. Not wanting to engage further, he accepted the gesture and signaled for them to move on.
The path out of the pavilion became steep, with the Narrow Path barely visible among the grass, worn down by many previous travelers. With autumn bringing more rain, the ground was quite slippery. They maintained their formation with Xin Yi closely following Bunan, occasionally offering support to prevent slips.
The dense trees blocked out sunlight, making the area damp and cool. Those who had complained about the heat in the pavilion fell silent once they entered the forest. Both of them were not talkative while walking; aside from the rustling leaves, only occasional insect sounds broke the silence. If one listened closely, they could even hear the sound of someone ahead sniffing.
The path to the mountain peak was even more challenging than before, yet Song Bunan showed no signs of fatigue as he maintained his pace and rhythm, occasionally glancing back at Xin Yi before quickly turning away again. This method of checking if his teammate was still there seemed rather foolish.
He was a trained professional and even among his peers was considered exceptional, yet throughout this journey he seemed like an amateur. Was that really him in the footage? A ridiculous thought suddenly crossed Xin Yi's mind, but he quickly shook it off and focused on moving forward.
Night fell. The layered leaves blocked out any remaining sunlight, and visibility became even more limited as everything around them turned dark. To their left and right and behind them was complete blackness; visibility was low. However, Song Bunan was quite clever and had turned on his shoulder lamp early to illuminate their way.
The nighttime forest was eerily quiet; even the insects ceased their chirping with the setting sun, leaving only them as living beings amidst the surrounding trees. Xin Yi instinctively pulled out his communicator to ask their leader about their situation but found there was no signal. Frowning, he became more alert to his surroundings; being unable to receive signals indicated they were close to that unknown group.
Song Bunan also noticed the sounds behind them and guessed that Xin Yi had realized there was no signal here. Before entering the mountains, he had contacted friends for information about conditions inside and learned there was a strange group stationed there. His friends mentioned that this group was very good at hiding themselves; they had tried searching for them but found nothing. They blocked out large areas of signal so that any tracking devices were rendered useless.
Moreover, since nightfall began, something felt off in these woods—first with the absence of birds and insects chirping and then with a complete lack of human presence. A thick Yin Qi seeped through the forest floor, clinging to their pant legs and trying to slow them down. This level of energy could only be achieved if many souls were present nearby; however, up until now, he hadn’t seen a single ghost.
Initially, Song Bunan thought it might be due to Xin Yi’s strong aura that repelled spirits. But since nightfall began, Xin Yi's presence had also weakened alongside the increasing Yin Qi; now it only protected them within about a meter radius from harm. Giving up on blaming himself for not being able to see anything clearly anymore, Song Bunan began reassessing.
He recalled what information he had gathered. The Copper Coin had been stripped of its soul-reaping duties after leaving the Underworld Messenger team and had continued working while everyone searched for a List during that time. This mysterious group operated deep in the mountains without knowing how they communicated with the outside world; according to what he had gathered from documents, several times when souls were reaped it had been for this group’s benefit.
What kind of people need to extract others' souls to do their bidding? The souls that are taken away completely vanish within the Ghost Messenger, which is a serious matter. Why hasn't it been investigated? He recalled what several Ghost Messengers had said before heading to Mighty Falcon, and concluded that the mysterious person Copper Coin served must be using those souls for strange purposes. There might even be accomplices within the Ghost Messenger.
Old Otter's soul was also missing, so it seemed that finding Copper Coin was the only way to get answers. This mysterious force—was it tied to a few families or a specific circle? Song Bunan frowned.
After waking up yesterday afternoon, he could only manage a brief nap in the pavilion during the day. He spent the entire night in his shop, burning various items for those "people" he could communicate with and even summoned the Ghost Messenger again, begging for clues.
After all, he only had a general understanding of the situation; to convince Mighty Falcon, he needed solid evidence. Fortunately, aside from the verbal clues he gathered about this person, he had also spent a considerable amount of money to acquire several photographs. These were surveillance screenshots from around the unfinished building—blurry but recognizable images of people. For instance, Old Otter entering the derelict area and Copper Coin leaving with something extra in hand.
When Mighty Falcon's team received the photos, they took the time to authenticate them and confirmed their validity. The woman referred to as Captain remained calm and asked him what his next steps would be. Song Bunan knew he had to find Copper Coin but couldn't appear too eager. He raised a finger and indicated, "I know where he is; I need your people to come along. Of course, I’m not picky about who you send."
The captain was quite agreeable and promptly provided him with an address, stating that this person was waiting there and could be approached directly. Song Bunan looked at the name on the paper and felt very pleased. It was that strong, good-looking guy again—excellent!
He had always liked muscular men; from the first night he saw him, he thought this man was quite a sight for sore eyes. The tactical vest under his jacket hugged every muscle perfectly, even his legs—often difficult to train—were flawless. Just standing there without saying a word made him look like a work of art. So, he was thrilled at the prospect of collaborating with this man again. Song Bunan secretly wished they could become good friends—friends who could share private photos.
Of course, his current task was to go into the mountains to find someone. While working, Song Bunan wouldn’t let his mind wander; nothing could delay his earnings. Especially since he had spent a significant amount on those photos—he intended for Mighty Falcon to reimburse him after this job was done. He would never work for free; that was out of the question, as noted in his notebook.
He pulled out a prepared red string from his pocket and pondered how to give it to Xin Yi without revealing that it was a talisman for safety; materialists would just laugh at his fanciful ideas. As he thought about this, he stumbled slightly and collided with someone behind him, who caught him clumsily and brought them face-to-face.
Song Bunan smiled and raised the red string towards Xin Yi, tilting his head as he said, "A gift for you—a charm for safety." Xin Yi initially intended to refuse but swallowed her words upon seeing his sweet smile and extended her hand in acceptance.
What was wrong with her? Xin Yi mentally scolded herself for her indecisiveness. She felt like a child who had just tasted candy for the first time and became addicted.
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