Chapter 102 Mountain Stronghold
At the same time, Dunning left the Empire and went to the rolling mountains beyond the border.
The wind in the deep mountains carried a biting chill, swirling the dark green leaves across the muddy ground. It had rained a few days ago, leaving the ground soft and damp, and the fresh air carried a hint of earthy smell.
"This is it." The guide waved his wooden staff to clear away the vines and branches blocking the way.
A mountain village appeared before them. Deng Ning followed the guide and looked around. Most of the crooked wooden houses were dilapidated, with cobwebs growing under the eaves. Only a few were relatively clean.
The village was eerily quiet; even the birdsong was sparse. Only the occasional cough of an old man could be heard in the distance, but it was intermittent, as if something was choking him.
"This place was lively a few years ago, but soon all the young people went to the next town, leaving only some nostalgic old folks." The guide, who also came from the mountain village, sighed upon seeing this. "No electricity, no hot water, no entertainment at all. Who can stay in such a godforsaken place? These old guys are just waiting to die here anyway. They can't bear to leave their homeland. They have traditional values and don't want to die far from home."
While investigating Lu Xuejin, Deng Ning found this place through a clue in an old photograph, the only image Lu Yangfeng left for his mistress and her husband. In the photograph, the woman had a cold smile, and on her hand, linked with that of a noblewoman, was a silver ring with a strange vine pattern engraved on its face, pointing towards the continuous mountains beyond the border of the empire. This place was rich in religion, and the vine pattern was the symbolic pattern of the mountain god worshipped in this mountain village.
A rich and mysterious worship culture was born here, which attracted countless believers to worship here decades ago, but it declined in just a few years.
The shrine in the center of the village was tightly shut, with only a few old people huddled around the hearth, quietly awaiting death.
While Dunning was observing, the guide ran up to the old man warming himself by the fire, threw down the plastic bag he had been carrying the whole way, and mumbled a few words. Dunning was fluent in dozens of languages, but he couldn't find a similar pronunciation in the corpus at all.
Judging from the guide's actions, he was probably delivering something to the elderly. One of them, with a pipe in his mouth, opened the bag, glanced inside, and then, lifting his wrinkled, dark eyelids, his cloudy eyes looked at Deng Ning with a somewhat sinister gaze.
“I’m just bringing them some vegetables. Besides me, no one else comes up the mountain regularly. They’re all getting old, and one of them dies every few days. If they’re unlucky enough to run into me before I’m up the mountain, their bodies will have already rotted. Sigh, it’s a tragedy.” The guide shook his head and continued leading Deng Ning forward.
He was hunched over, looking like a turtle with its shell on its back. He mumbled a few words, but when he saw that Deng Ning just smiled faintly and didn't respond, he stopped talking and remained silent all the way until he was close to the cave that people had carved out of the back of the village, when he suddenly stopped.
“I vaguely remember that girl you mentioned,” the guide said in a hoarse voice, pointing to the dark cave entrance on the rock wall. “She must be the youngest daughter of this family. They are more devout in their faith and have never moved away from the cave. The people here believe that the mountain is the body of the gods, and the cave is a blessing from the gods to believers. Living inside, the mountain god will always protect them.”
“I remember her name was Afeng. I used to see her often standing on the cliff, enjoying the wind. Later, she had a fight with her family and ran away when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow. I don’t remember what happened after that.” The guide paused here, his eyes darting away. “That’s enough for now. You can look around and leave quickly. This place is unlucky.”
The guide was initially reluctant to take outsiders up the mountain, but Deng Ning was wealthy and generous, offering a reward that was hard for ordinary people to refuse. Even so, before setting off, he repeatedly emphasized that he would only take them to the front of the cave, seemingly quite wary of the empty and cold cave.
Deng Ning: "In what month did she leave the mountain stronghold?"
The guide thought for a moment and said, "Around mid-November. I remember that year the snow was heavier than the previous ten years."
Deng Ning narrowed his eyes: "Was there anything unusual about her body when she left?"
“What could be wrong?” the guide raised his voice. “She’s perfectly fine. She runs so fast and lightly that her family can’t keep up with her at all.”
Did she have children at that time?
"A child?!" the guide exclaimed, a hint of fear showing in his cloudy eyes. "Sir, don't scare me! She was an unmarried young girl when she left, and her family was very devout. They had to be faithful to God before marriage. There was no child of hers!"
Deng Ning pondered.
According to the information gathered earlier, Lu Yangfeng rented a house a month after coming down the mountain, and a seven or eight-year-old child named Lu Xuejin joined him.
However, if Lu Yangfeng is indeed a person from another realm, some invisible magic can indeed explain the strange timeline.
"Where is this family?" Deng Ning looked at the empty cave.
The guide waved his hand and mumbled, "Well... something happened."
Deng Ning took out a pearl and continued to ask, "What is it?"
The guide rubbed his hands together, swallowed hard, and lowered his head to hide his greedy expression. The mountain wind swept through the treetops, making a low, mournful sound.
He lowered his voice, “Just a few years ago, their family of more than ten people suddenly disappeared. No one saw them move their things away, nor did they hear any noise. In just one night, the furniture and money were still there, but the next day they were gone. People said that they had angered the gods and were swallowed by the mountain.”
"Sir, you should leave quickly after you've finished looking around. This place is unlucky." The guide said, suppressing his fear, then turned around abruptly and staggered down the mountain, as if staying even a moment longer would bring misfortune.
After he left, Dunning stood alone in front of the cave to investigate.
The entrance to the cave was half-hidden by vines. Once the vines were parted, a chilling aura rushed out, mixed with the smell of soil and a kind of rotten, sweet, and fishy odor.
Deng Ning bent down and crawled inside.
The cave was more spacious than expected, with slippery walls glistening with water droplets. A few dilapidated tables and chairs remained, covered in a thick layer of dust; the rest of the furniture had likely been moved away, and there was no indication that anyone had ever lived there. But the deeper one went, the drier the air became, until suddenly a flat mountain plateau came into view.
Not a blade of grass grows there, except for a huge stone slab that can accommodate dozens of people standing on.
The stone slab was dark gray all over, as if it had been formed naturally, and was excessively clean—the surrounding rock walls were covered with a thick layer of dust, and insect corpses were scattered all over the ground, but the stone slab was spotless, as if someone wiped it every day.
A strong, pungent smell of blood lingered, becoming more acrid the closer one got to the stone slab. The odor penetrated the nasal cavity, its stickiness making one want to vomit.
Deng Ning silently observed everything, and when he thought that this might be the area where Lu Xuejin had lived, he felt an indescribable strange feeling in his heart.
His investigation was not without its challenges. Due to the passage of time and the lack of records, he often found himself going in circles. Fortunately, he knew some inside information and guessed the connection between Chen Mo and Zhu Can, which led him to understand why Chen Mo was so fond of Lu Xuejin.
The problem is that Lu Xuejin doesn't know Chen Mo's identity, so how could she fall in love so quickly and marry someone she's only known for a short time?
Besides Lu Xuejin and Lu Yangfeng's past, there are also many strange aspects to Lu Xuejin and Shen Mo's first encounter.
For example, Lu Xuejin was brought back by Mo Chen after a hunting trip in the dense forest. Where was Lu Xuejin before that?
There was no record of him entering or leaving the border, and the dense forest was a no-man's land.
After being brought back, Lu Xuejin was placed in a private residence, where he silently guarded her and stayed by her side at all times until they quickly registered their marriage. If you remove the romantic veneer, this sounds a lot like illegal imprisonment.
What exactly happened between them? What lies behind Lu Xuejin's angelic face?
Inside the law enforcement agency.
When the female subordinate mentioned Deng Ning, she said slowly, "Our boss has gone mad."
Swirling her slender wine glass, she said calmly, "According to the instructions, all we need to do is restrict the Shen family's movements and ensure that the silent legacy remains under the Empire's control. No matter how arrogant the Shen family is, they won't dare to disobey the Emperor's orders to his face after losing their leader. Shen Yuncheng? Just a coward who ran away. He has no achievements whatsoever. Apart from a few old fogies, who would respect him?"
“We all know the cause of Silent’s death and where the poison came from. Even if Lu Xuejin was involved, it wouldn’t matter much. We don’t really want to find the murderer. But he has been investigating Lu Xuejin’s affairs, as if he is bewitched. Now he has even gone abroad alone.”
She had long been dissatisfied with the arrogant behavior of her newly appointed boss, and after drinking, many of her pent-up complaints finally surfaced.
The male subordinate, still shaken, clinked glasses with her. He realized he had only been secretly monitoring Lu Xuejin for a short time before inexplicably concluding she was innocent. Looking back, he felt like he was possessed, but thankfully Deng Ning had pointed it out in time, bringing him to his senses.
Otherwise, which law enforcement agency would want someone who can be easily deceived?
However, perhaps because of her bright and beautiful appearance and her innate gentle temperament, Lu Xuejin is indeed likable.
The male subordinate stared at the swaying liquid in the glass and couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth into a smile.
Hopefully, he will find a good partner after this incident.
After a brief silence, the female subordinate continued, "Mr. Lu is clearly innocent, but Deng Ning is fixated on him, so eager to find evidence to turn him into a suspect. Is it because she thinks that way she can threaten and manipulate him? That's how nobles are; the small head controls the big head, and lust replaces thinking."
He hadn't realized she harbored such thoughts. The male subordinate gave his colleague a strange look, thinking, "You're the one who's more infatuated now."
...
The wind suddenly became sharp, and countless tiny sobs surged from the depths of the mountain cave.
Deng Ning knelt before the stone slab and reached out to touch its surface—it was icy cold, and he could feel a very subtle tremor under his fingertips, as if something was throbbing deep inside; the stone slab had a rough and strange texture, like some kind of dried-out object, making one's skin crawl.
He bent down to examine it closely, stroking it meticulously, trying to find clues in the natural patterns of the stone disc, when suddenly his fingertips felt a sharp pain.
A drop of blood seeped out and landed in the center of the stone slab.
Almost simultaneously, an invisible force gripped Deng Ning's throat.
The air suddenly thinned, as if a machine had sucked out all the oxygen. He opened his mouth but couldn't inhale a single breath. In the instant his mind went blank from suffocation, his vision began to blur and distort. The patterns on the stone slab seemed to come alive, twisting and turning, dragging his consciousness into a chaotic darkness.
In the dim light, he saw firelight—flickering, dim yellow torches illuminating indistinct shadows.
This scene seems to have happened in the past, and the natural carvings of wind and rain on the rock face are not yet so profound.
Lu Yangfeng and Lu Xuejin remained calm in front of the distorted human body.
Lu Yangfeng's slightly handsome face exuded a demonic charm far beyond Deng Ning's imagination. His dark pupils could not reflect any firelight or snow color. Deep in his eyes was a void vortex that devoured all light and heat, leaving only eternal coldness.
The noblewoman's weeping still echoed in his ears. Turning his lover's wife into another lover might have sounded like nothing more than a scandalous affair that would spark some gossip and speculation. But now, Deng Ning realized that it might be more than just a simple emotional entanglement.
In the flickering firelight of the night, the silent snow was tinged with crimson. Compared to the expressionless Lu Yangfeng, Lu Xuejin seemed more human; her furrowed brows and pursed lips conveyed an impatience at being suddenly called upon.
Deng Ning couldn't help but sketch his still somewhat boyish features.
At this moment, the boy, who had been listening to Lu Yangfeng speak with a cold expression, suddenly raised his head.
Deng Ning clearly saw his own disheveled and exhausted self reflected in his eyes, those eyes piercing through the mists of time, precisely locking onto the present.
A faint smile immediately appeared on the boy's flawless white face, and he parted his lips slightly, "Mr. Deng."
you--
Deng Ning shuddered, his mind buzzing.
He didn't know when, but the feeling of suffocation disappeared. He collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his back soaked with cold sweat. He staggered to his feet and left the cave without looking back.
The mountain village remained deathly silent, with a few old men dozing under the eaves. Deng Ning's breathing gradually calmed, his steps became more steady, and the horror in his heart seemed to be wiped away by an invisible hand, leaving only a numb blankness.
As if nothing had happened, he silently left the mountains.
Three days later, the Enforcement Agency.
After reviewing the last report, Deng Ning said calmly, "Well written. I believe His Majesty will have a clear understanding of the situation on the border through these reports. General Shen's death has not caused any unrest; the border situation is stable and there are no abnormalities."
The subordinates nodded in agreement, their faces beaming with joy.
With a blank look in his eyes, Deng Ning said, "Now that things are completely stable, it's time for us to leave."
The mountain breeze swept through the dense forest, gently brushing against the window, emitting a soft whimper, like a light laugh.
A few days later, the imperial investigators left the border, and the much-discussed murder case and the ensuing inheritance dispute that had stirred up a storm of controversy vanished completely from everyone's memory.
"How terrifying." Dong Yao, observing all this, sighed, "The Empire has researched for so many generations, vainly hoping to create an invisible ruler to protect humanity, yet they never knew that such a colossal being as you existed within their weak borders."
As the most successful product of the laboratory, Dongyao had long lost the seven emotions and six desires of humanity. But at this moment, it suddenly felt the same way as Deng Ning, who was being easily manipulated—humans were less than ants in front of these creatures, and Lu Xuejin could twist the will and erase the memories of countless people with just a casual glance.
Why would such a terrifying being hide among the people?
The watering can slowly dripped water, nourishing the vegetation, and a faint smile was reflected in the glass window.
Lu Xuejin stopped the water flow and splashed it onto the teapot.
"Let's go," he said cheerfully.
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