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墨書 Inktalez
As soon as I stepped into the forest, an unsettling feeling washed over me. There was something off about certain places, though I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
Just a moment ago, I felt as if someone was watching me from behind. I turned around to check, but saw nothing, which made me doubt my own senses.
"Yan Xi, what's wrong?" Mu Xuanche asked, concern etched on his face.
"It's nothing. I just feel like this forest is strange and eerie. Do you feel that way too?"
He scoffed, a cold smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Over ten thousand people died here. Those resentful spirits haven't dissipated under the cover of the trees—how could it not be eerie?"
Over ten thousand people? I didn't quite understand what he meant. Did he know something I didn't?
"Why is that?" I asked him.
Before he could answer, Old Fox arrived.
"Gu Si, Brother Mu, everyone is ready to go. How about you two?"
I silently cursed Old Fox for interrupting our conversation. He kept shouting as if we were rushing to our deaths.
Later, I realized my ominous words should have been kept to myself; who knows what might happen if I kept talking like that?
Though I was annoyed with Old Fox, I still had to give him some face. I told him we were ready and could set off at any time.
Ever since Mu Xuanche made his move yesterday, Old Fox's attitude towards us had improved significantly—from giving orders to discussing matters as equals.
Mu Xuanche helped me to my feet, shouldering all of my luggage.
"Isn't it too heavy? Let me take some of it," I offered.
He extended a hand toward me. "Do you look down on your husband like this?"
I smiled lightly, taking his hand and following him in silence.
When we arrived, there had been a team of twenty-four, but now only twenty-two remained. Among them, three were suspects and could not be used, and then there was the Old Taoist Priestess, whose combat power had halved after losing her disciple.
Originally, Chen Jiang had wanted to send someone to escort her back, but everyone had their own interests at heart and no one was willing to abandon her after such a long journey. So they brought her along instead.
Counting carefully, there were still eighteen usable members left, and for the moment, it hadn't made a significant impact.
Chen Jiang assigned his nephew Chen Han to lead the front team to scout ahead, making it clear that he was sending his own people to the front lines.
From a distance, we saw Chen Han running back. It seemed something was amiss.
He rushed up to Chen Jiang, panting heavily. "Uncle, there's no road ahead—just a huge gorge."
Chen Jiang led the main force to investigate, and indeed, as Chen Han had said, there was no path ahead.
Between two towering mountains lay a massive gorge; no one knew what lay beneath it.
One thing was certain: if anyone fell in, they would surely die.
The people around urged Chen Jiang to pull out the map and study it again to see if they had taken a wrong turn.
After some discussion among the onlookers, it was finally decided that this was indeed the right path. Fortunately, we had sufficient equipment this time, so crossing the Gorge should not be a problem.
As long as we set up a steel cable in the middle and swung across, it would just take some physical effort.
Looking at the seemingly bottomless Gorge, I suddenly found it hard to believe that people had managed to build a Tomb in such a place. Those from ancient times didn't have the equipment we have now; it would have been difficult for them to even get there. How could they possibly have accomplished it?
I wanted to ask Mu Xuanche about it since he was also a figure from a thousand years ago. To my surprise, when I glanced at him, he seemed to know what I was thinking.
He gestured toward the side, and I saw that on the wall opposite the Gorge, a section of iron chain had been cut and was hanging there.
Wow, there really is something! The wisdom of the Ancients is truly unimaginable; they might even be smarter than us today.
The three suspects were left behind by Chen Jiang. I had originally thought Chen Jiang would leave the Old Taoist Priestess behind as well, but unexpectedly, he put in great effort to have two people take her across.
When it was my turn, although those men were older, they had all trained hard, so crossing the cableway was relatively easy for them.
Only I felt a bit uneasy.
When I looked down into the abyss below, my legs began to tremble. I wasn't sure if my strength would be enough to make it across.
Suddenly, Mu Xuanche appeared in front of me. He glanced at me and said, "Come on up."
I hesitated; after all, it was already difficult for me to cross alone. Carrying another person seemed nearly impossible.
While I was still unsure, Mu Xuanche had already lifted me into his arms and stepped onto the cableway amidst everyone's astonished gazes.
I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck to relieve some of his burden. To my surprise, he only used one hand to grip the cable and swung us across.
The wind howled in my ears, drowning out all other sounds. If I were to fall, joining him wouldn't be so bad after all.
After all, my parents had sent me off, and Chang'an was by their side; I felt a sense of freedom from any ties.
However, before I could finish my thoughts, the wind around me faded away, and his voice resonated in my ears, deep and magnetic.
"We've arrived. Aren't you coming down?"
I opened my eyes to find that we had indeed reached the other side of the Gorge.
I climbed down from him, and the way everyone looked at Mu Xuanche was akin to how one might regard a pervert.
Chen Jiang rushed over with a flattering demeanor. "Brother Mu, I didn't expect your strength to be so impressive. I'm truly in awe."
Mu Xuanche remained silent, merely helping me tidy my disheveled hair while all eyes were on me.
Seeing this, Chen Jiang felt embarrassed and quietly retreated.
There were still two people left on the other side who hadn't crossed yet, and we were waiting for them when suddenly a scream echoed from across the gorge.
When we turned to look, one person had climbed onto the ropeway, and the individual on the shore was suddenly besieged by a group of monkey-like creatures.
From our vantage point, we could see clearly as the flesh on that person's body was bitten away by the monkeys while he desperately tried to evade them.
But those monkeys seemed incredibly strong; in an instant, they tore off his arm as if it were merely a rag doll. He had no strength to resist and was devoured alive.
Meanwhile, the person on the ropeway suddenly got stuck in the middle. The agile monkeys began climbing up the ropeway, rushing towards him.
The people on the cable car were shouting for help, but there was nothing we could do; he had to rely on himself to swing over little by little. However, his speed was no match for the Spirit Monkeys. Before long, they caught up with him, and after being bitten, he couldn't help but fall off the cliff in pain.
We exchanged glances filled with fear as we watched the scene unfold. The number of monkeys was overwhelming, and they were slowly making their way across the cable car. Someone asked Chen Jiang what was happening, and he explained that these were a type of Spirit Monkey that specifically lived on cliffs and fed on meat.
To prevent them from coming over, Chen Jiang decisively made a decision and shot the rope to break it. The equipment we had set up was quite large, so everything remained on the opposite shore. No one had anticipated that such a situation would arise.
While the Spirit Monkeys could no longer cross, we found ourselves unable to return either. A sense of disappointment washed over everyone. Chen Jiang took it upon himself to calm us down as we continued moving forward.
Two more people fell behind, including three who had been left on the shore, leaving us with only sixteen. Mu Xuanche sneered and bet me, asking me to guess how many would make it back in the end. I told him I didn’t want to guess and found it pointless.
Chen Jiang reorganized the group as we pressed on. The mountain path was particularly treacherous; I had to use both my hands and feet to navigate it. Fortunately, all my luggage was with Mu Xuanche, which relieved me of a significant burden.
Then it came again—the strange gaze. I felt as if someone was watching me, but I couldn't see anyone.
I quietly folded a Paper Man in my pocket and sent it out, wanting to know what was watching me.
However, the Paper Man went out halfway and never returned.
It was too strange; my Paper Man is something that ordinary people cannot decipher. What on earth is going on?
I secretly told Mu Xuanche about this. He asked me why I was only mentioning it now. My signal had been so weak that I barely noticed it.
Just a moment ago, while watching the Spirit Monkey, I felt an unusually strong presence, which is why I finally reacted.
He told me not to worry and that he would keep a closer eye on things for me. He also mentioned that the person should not have any malicious intent.
Why do I always feel like Mu Xuanche knows something but is unwilling to tell me?
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