Chapter Twenty-Eight: Ambush from Ten Sides, Part Three
Mingjin woke up refreshed after a dreamless night, though he didn't know why.
But she was still a little worried because she had practiced with Lao Jiang last night, but there had been no response. The communication token was still there, which meant that Lao Jiang was alright, so Mingjin's heart was filled with anxiety.
She came to town because Mu Ning had said she would invite them to have breakfast together last night, so of course she had to go. Unfortunately, when Ming Jin arrived, only Zhou Wei was in the shop, propped up on his arms and sitting at a table.
"I'm so hungry, can we eat first?"
He judged who it was by the sound of footsteps.
"You're too early," the owner called out from the kitchen. There were only the two of them in the shop, and the sound of Mingjin picking up his chopsticks could be clearly heard. "The buns won't be ready for a while!"
The two of them were stunned for a moment.
"Master Mu, the time you scheduled is way too tight," Zhou Wei said helplessly. "I'm so sleepy. Did you get the message?"
“Of course,” Mingjin also looked tired. “He was sleeping soundly when a message came to tell him to pack his things and move out after today. It seems Shihe didn’t get a good night’s sleep either.”
"I had to pack my things quietly, and it felt like I was a thief in my own home."
Just as they were about to speak, Ji Zhen and Mu Ning arrived one after the other. As soon as the steamed buns came out of the steamer, the owner quickly brought two plates of buns and four bowls of porridge to the table, telling the four of them to eat their fill.
After the weather turned cold, the rising steam was particularly noticeable. The town's hustle and bustle subsided considerably, and by the end of breakfast, there were only a few more people in the shops.
"There's nobody on the street."
The stretching was passed from one person to another. Standing at the door, Zhou Wei followed Ming Jin and turned around.
“We’re not here to play around,” Ji Zhen said. “Today we need to meet up in Juxia’s town first, and then we’ll sneak into Yishan City again from another location.”
"I hope we have another big harvest today." Zhou Wei straightened up and followed Ji Zhen and Mu Ning out of the town.
"Wasn't yesterday's harvest a great success?" Ji Zhen asked curiously.
“In this situation, it would be a great gain if it were related to evil spirits,” Zhou Wei said. “Although I discovered the wonders of metal magic yesterday, it was a case of hurting the enemy a thousand while losing eight hundred of my own, so it didn’t mean much to me.”
It took them quite a while to finally reach the town; it was really hard to find. These past few days, everyone had been wandering through all sorts of strange terrain, making the search for this town quite challenging. This wasn't an ordinary town; there were no inhabitants, it was an abandoned village that had been reopened. Ming Jin once again witnessed Xiang Feng's return, and the two were overjoyed to meet again since Ju Xia's passing.
"This village was attacked by evil spirits before. The monks who came to rescue it wanted to move the surviving people away, but some people were unwilling to leave. So the elders who were skilled in wood magic made the terrain here complicated. It is difficult to decipher the secret passages unless you have a token."
Xi Xiangfeng led Mingjin to a room where Meng Sheng was tidying up.
“Great, we can live together now.”
For a moment, they couldn't remember that they had come to investigate the evil spirits, and the two began to celebrate that they could live together.
The house wasn't spacious. Besides a bed on each side against the wall, a table in the middle, and a small desk for placing things, there was practically no other space. Apart from a small window directly opposite the door, which was in disrepair and couldn't be opened properly, the rest of the house was dark.
"I lived behind the tents opposite, and was responsible for treating the wounded and providing medicinal herbs."
The three sat around the table, but before they could exchange more than a few words, Mingjin and Mengsheng received news that they needed to go to the main camp at the rear. Xi Xiangfeng calculated the time and realized that he also had to go do his work, so the three parted ways at the door.
The town consisted of small rooms, and any that could accommodate six or seven people at the same time were later-built structures. Mingjin and Mengsheng were relatively quick to arrive, so Mingjin curiously asked Heng Buwei, but he didn't know either.
"You don't know either?"
"I was just an outsider in the preparation of this matter," Heng Buwei said helplessly. "Moreover, my master is in poor health, and I have been taking notes and doing other chores for him. So I really couldn't take care of these things. I just did whatever Brother Guo asked me to do."
"The squad leader isn't ready yet?" Ming Jin was taken aback.
“I’m better now, but the pain hasn’t gone away,” Heng Buwei said helplessly. “My master’s condition has deteriorated significantly since he was injured. It’s better that he can’t cause trouble for people anymore, but I’m really worried about how he needs to take medicine all the time.”
"What did Sect Leader Wan say?"
"The medicine was prescribed by the sect leader, so it must have been the most meticulously prepared," Heng Buwei sighed. "Unfortunately, I don't understand how to get back. Yesterday, when he learned that the Golden Arts had negative effects, Master was in a daze for a long time and barely ate anything. He originally thought he could repay his master with this one spell, but now..."
"What's wrong with the advisor?"
“He passed away last year,” Heng Buwei said with blank stares. “But he died of old age. I wasn’t there. I only heard from my senior brothers and sisters that he felt a little dizzy when he got up in the morning, ate breakfast, lay in the courtyard for a while, and then passed away.”
"Does the advisor support the class elder's research into metal arts?" Ming Jin asked with some curiosity.
“No, that’s not it. I’m telling you, but don’t tell anyone else,” Heng Buwei suddenly became cautious. “It’s just that Master really didn’t have any achievements in other spells, so he agreed. After learning that Master had made progress in metal magic, Master’s advisor even praised Master for finally finding a method he was good at. Master values this spell very much. He probably felt that if this spell was a little bad, he would feel that he had let Master down a bit more.”
However, Banrui didn't seem to be there: "Where's the old squad leader?"
"Master and Elder Wei from Huicheng have gone to investigate the barrier," Heng Buwei and Ming Jin said as they watched people gather. They stood up from the stools and walked toward the center of the tent. "Today we'll try to sneak in from a different location."
After Wei Jing delivered the message and everyone arrived, they set off together from the battalion commander's gate to another spot in the woods. Frankly, this was indeed a good place, as the surrounding environment was much narrower and darker. Although the nearby trees were tall, they had almost no branches, growing upwards in a single, forceful motion, blocking much of the light. If Wei Jing hadn't brought the bronze tree lamps beforehand, the area would have been even darker.
But this place wasn't far from where everyone had gathered yesterday. Ming Jin and Zhou Wei, having received permission from Ji Zhen and Mu Ning, began investigating in the woods—or rather, wandering aimlessly—and soon arrived at the spot where they had been the day before. However, according to Ban Rui, this was the exact location of yesterday's barrier.
Thinking that such a huge barrier was hidden in just a few steps, Ming Jin and Zhou Wei couldn't help but shake their heads.
"What should we do?"
They will enter in the same order as yesterday, but today they will make two trips, exploring both inside and outside the city, to avoid missing any dangerous locations. The entry batches will be the same as yesterday, so Ming Jin will have time to discuss with Mu Ning.
"What should we do about Elder Chen's metal magic?"
Mu Ning was also somewhat dazed.
“Although it has had an effect, it also has consequences,” Mu Ning paused before speaking. “I have left a message for Elder Chen, but I have not yet received a reply. In fact, neither of us has a very high level of skill in metal magic, so we are unlikely to be able to touch the realm of consequences. In short, we should proceed with caution, and simple spells are always the best.”
Looking closer, Banrui seemed to be in poor condition, staring blankly in the direction of the barrier. Heng Buwei sat beside him, his gaze shifting between the paper and pen and Banrui's expression, looking uneasy.
Time passed, and half an hour gradually went by. Mingjin touched the keepsake of Old Jiang in his arms, but there was still no news. However, the keepsake remained unchanged, which meant that Old Jiang was not in danger. But what could have happened to keep them from receiving any news from yesterday to today? Mingjin was truly puzzled.
Within the barrier, the area outside Yishan City is roughly the same size as Yishan City itself. However, because it's spread out, it takes a long time to traverse even a short distance. Tian Heng and Meng Sheng are responsible for monitoring the situation within the city. They originally planned to venture atop the palace, which seemed to be free of ghosts, but they only reached the city wall on the Hengzhou line connecting the palace to the city when they clearly sensed an increasing ghostly aura. To avoid revealing their identities, they had to abandon the plan. The other four are responsible for investigating outside the city, and they found that there's practically nothing that could be considered a building.
“But I also encountered a few evil spirits,” Zhou Wei said. “However, this time I happened to see them conjure up a house, and after going in, they never came out again.”
After the map was completed, the second batch of embellishers entered the barrier to investigate. Although drawing was tiring, Ming Jin was more familiar with the situation inside the barrier. After entering, he immediately determined that he was located in the northwest of Yishan City. This area had not been investigated in detail yet, and according to Mu Ning's investigation, the place where important figures lived was to the north, so the cliff was very likely to be nearby.
With a dual purpose in mind, Mingjin began to wander through the forest.
Perhaps because it was too far from the South Gate, and he couldn't make it back in time, Ming Jin didn't see a single ghost along the way. The forest to the north was denser and colder, and wind magic couldn't be used there as it did when he was out. Ming Jin could only slow down and move forward, which made it easier to observe the surrounding situation.
Time passed quickly. With half the time remaining, Mingjin reached the northwest edge of the barrier. Because Banrui had instructed him not to touch the barrier with his hands, Mingjin could only try his best to get closer and see which side was on the outside.
There were a few stones right at her feet, and you could see their shadows from outside.
You can't see outside by relying on the barrier; it's just a shadow of the inside.
However, this distance was indeed quite peculiar. Although Yishan City was extremely important within the barrier, its location was also ingenious, so even after adjusting several angles, Ming Jin couldn't see any trace of Yishan on the barrier. Outside was just a forest, but it was different from the forest inside, yet in reality the same. However, because the barrier had a certain sheen, the forest outside, due to its different color, was truly deceptive, easily fooling people, and even ghosts.
Can the evil spirits leave Yishan freely? Mingjin suddenly wondered.
Time was of the essence, and Mingjin had no time to reminisce, so he quickly changed direction and headed north.
"Dawn, dawn."
Suddenly there was a sound.
It is a keepsake from Old Jiang.
"What's wrong?"
Mingjin quickly hid on a nearby tree branch and responded in a low voice.
“We found the cliff, and we found those mounds,” Old Jiang’s voice was already very low, but you could tell he was trying to make his voice barely audible. “We waited all night, and finally we saw the evil spirit in the picture. Come quickly!”
Where?
Be careful!
Hearing this, Mingjin suddenly felt confused, unsure of his meaning. The next second, she felt herself being sucked away, a feeling that was very familiar—the same feeling she experienced when she entered the Qunlin Society.
She suddenly landed on a tree trunk.
Shanliu clung to the tree branch with her legs, holding onto Mingjin's arms with both hands to prevent her from falling. Old Jiang, being light on his feet, was observing something from the treetop. Hearing the noise, he quickly turned around and saw Mingjin sitting sideways on the trunk, pointing in a direction ahead.
Mingjin squinted and made out a small black dot moving through the woods.
But that's too far. Aren't the eyes of spirits different from theirs?
Helpless, Mingjin pulled over a leaf and used his magic again. Through the small seashell, he saw a figure standing on the cliff. Mingjin thought the clothes were very unsuitable; the strange shoulders made Fuxia's neck look particularly short. If Yu Hong saw this, he would definitely say that the tailor's skills were terrible.
Not daring to speak, Mingjin made a circle with his hand.
Understanding, Old Jiang shrunk his body, yet his jumping distance was astonishing, leaping several tree heights in a single bound. Mingjin and Shanliu followed behind, gripping tree trunks, and after walking for a while, they arrived at a clearing in the woods near the path.
It wasn't exactly an open space, as it was only wide enough for one person to stand in. With an extra ring around it, it would be just the right amount of room. So, Fuxia built some graves nearby. Wu Rang didn't return, and the mounds here became three. Knowing that Wu Rang's attempt to carve a monument had failed, Mingjin, seeing these small mounds, realized that Fuxia knew how to adjust the size without causing a reaction.
Fuchsia was clearly the one who was closer to the guard.
Or, to put it another way, is there an answer to whether Wu Rang followed Gong Sha or Gao Lang?
Shanliu transformed his arm into a slender willow branch, which clanged in front of Mingjin.
Fuchsia is approaching.
Before leaving, Mingjin suddenly had an idea.
The conditions for casting the Golden Arts spell are not strict; as long as the caster can see the target and their attention is focused on the evil spirit, it's fine. Shanliu and Lao Jiang had obviously investigated the area thoroughly and found a secluded gap between the large leaves and the dense tree trunk, just enough for Mingjin to squeeze into. The distance was far enough that Mingjin could see Fuxia, and the latter would have difficulty quickly pinpointing Mingjin's location.
The woods were quiet, seemingly no different from usual. Fuxia didn't think much of it. Before returning to the city to continue her work, she turned back to this small clearing. The time she used to spend here laughing and playing with others was now spent deep in thought, gazing at the mound, and her heart was filled with desolation.
However, things are different today.
On the rightmost mound, there is an arc that is both clear and blurry.
It looks like it was blown in by the wind.
A ring of fine soil had been piled up, seemingly connected yet separate, consisting of only three sections, appearing to be a circle shrinking from the center of the Great Wall. Fuchsia couldn't quite define it, as it could also be interpreted as something else. But after the first three mounds, Fuchsia couldn't move, and a sense of melancholy washed over her.
She squatted down and stared blankly at the four items.
A good opportunity.
"Keep an eye on the surrounding area for me."
After Shanliu and Lao Jiang nodded, Mingjin quickly cast a spell to prevent Fuxia from leaving too soon.
"Pour fire into the suspended river."
Having learned from yesterday's experience, Mingjin no longer scrutinized the memories floating in her mind. Her current focus was on what happened among the evil spirits after Fengwu left with Gongsha and Gaolang.
Especially the changes in Gao Lang.
Half an hour has passed.
Zhuo Yong, who had just returned from scouting the location, looked at the four people in front of him and noticed that the unfamiliar figure hadn't returned yet. Fortunately, the candles were still burning, so he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "What did they see this time..."
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