He Yishu’s headache-inducing, tedious procedural review was finally over. As for the follow-ups, he left them to the courier at the rented land.

Taking the chance while out, He Yishu, dressed in black, sent a telegram to Xue Qi at the brick window of the post office.

Hearing that the chairman might have suffered a heartbreak, and that it was the kind of heartbreak over “family, brothers, and a big sister figure, ” Xue Qi was astonished. Benefiting from the decent treatment provided by the Major General, Xue Qi promptly sent a return telegram to inquire about the situation.

“Anyway, we’ve decided to temporarily leave this heartbreaking place and accompany him to Hydrapower City for a change of scenery. Do you want to come back? It seems that the chairman is keeping a record of everyone who didn’t return to the hotel this time, and rooms might be reassigned next month. “

In a distant place, Xue Qi, having received the telegram, snorted, “He must want to come back himself and just says he’s accompanying someone for a change of scenery. Hmph, handsome guys are all big pigs’ trotters. “

After saying this, Xue Qi looked again at the room key hanging around her neck.

“Hmm… ” She sighed, “I might as well go check on that heartbroken guy. “

……

Two days later, under the sunlight by the roadside, the robust old butler, Sen, was fastening ropes onto the luggage of the horse-drawn carriage. The chirping of insects and the faint, scented fragrance of plants permeated the slightly stuffy air.

While getting things in order, Nana ran out from the house’s stone staircase, looking towards the two people walking and talking in the distance, as well as her father standing beside them.

That familiar stranger was walking in the middle of the three.

“Brother Buchen! ” Nana called out happily, as if she had known him for ages. Pinching her skirt, she stepped down from the stone stairs with cheerful strides, running straight up to Yang Zicang before stopping.

She looked up at the young man with a thick, coarse beard he kept.

The “hero’s ” skin was healthily smooth and fine, completely unlike that of a man in his thirties or forties. But what did it matter? Fogfolk could become young whenever they wished! Lianna was certain of this.

And besides, his ears were even pointed at the tips—was it a disguise? Yet it felt so familiar and close.

Yang Zicang, dressed in a light jacket, and He Yishu, tall and lifting a large box, both looked at this adorable, youthful girl full of energy. She was now examining the man from the paper with a curious, entranced gaze.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you, ” Yang Zicang said with a faint smile.

“Ah… ” Lianna snapped out of her daze, her face instantly flushing red. “He… Hero, I… my name is Lianna. “

Ebiser watched this scene, sighing inwardly.

It seemed he should take his daughter to concerts and performances more often—there were plenty of handsome men and beautiful women there. Previously, she was indeed studying all day, and his family education was rather strict. Now… Oh well, it was his own fault.

After lunch together, the two carriages, loaded with the group and various luggage, formally set off.

The wheels rolled over the slightly muddy roads at the edge of the city. Throughout the afternoon, Lianna, seated in the front carriage, constantly turned around to poke her head out the window, as if confirming the man on the carriage behind was still there.

Meanwhile, Ebiser was maintaining his firearm from his seat at the other end. On a journey like this, such items were absolutely indispensable.

In the carriage at the rear.

Yang Zicang held a map in his hand. “Once we cross this mountain range, what’s the name of the village up ahead? “

He Yishu glanced over. “Isn’t it written right here? Concie Village. “

“Hmm… Don’t you find it strange? I’ve already heard quite a few words with ‘spirit’ (ling) in them around here. “

Even as he said this, what came to Yang Zicang’s mind was the warning given to him by the one named “Joshua. “

A person who considered it their mission to keep the Track of Fate unchanged was now abandoning their repair and manipulation of destiny, and had instead directed him to appear in “Concie Village. “

Why?

That was precisely the answer he was so eager to find.

“Let me think, ” He Yishu mused for a moment. “Maybe around here, the word ‘spirit’ is just part of daily life by now. “

“You mean their culture here is tied to things like ‘spirits’? ” Yang Zicang pondered briefly. “Yeah, you’re right. We should take a serious look into this world’s various cultures and histories. “

—｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi expresses “cheers. “｝

Yang Zicang’s eyes flickered slightly.Seems like this is one direction to explore this world.

But then he thought about the timing… Forget about this continental epoch for now. Once they reached the next one, he’d have to properly study the history there.

He also realized that materials like these must have been archived in mountainous volumes within “Lost Illusion Company’s ” library.

He Yishu shrugged and let out a sigh:

“The thing is, we’d need the time for all that. Ever since we woke up, except for those two days boarding the ship at Lighthouse, I haven’t had a single proper rest. “

No sooner had he spoken than—bang, bang—the carriage suddenly came to a halt.

A strange voice rang out from up ahead.

“Hey, you up there!“

They parted the small curtain and peered outside. After several hours of travel, the carriage had now entered a secluded, mystical mountain forest.

Up ahead, several wooden barricades lay across the middle of the dirt road, which was barely two meters wide.

Several men in worn, quasi-military uniforms, toting homemade rifles, shouted, “Stop, pay the toll.“

-｛Distributor February. Di’an, with a wealth of experience, indicates that I am in the midst of birthing a splendid prelude to radiance.｝

-｛Distributor Loki Tata Mingqi expresses “excitement.“｝

-｛Distributor May Valkyrie raises the price of my splendid radiant prelude by 5%.｝

What does this mean? Yang Zicang was a bit bewildered. Wasn’t this a textbook case of running into highway bandits? Why were the distributors reacting so swiftly?

From up front came Old Butler Sen’s voice, “How much do you need?“

“Hey, Buchen,” He Yishu turned his head, looking puzzled. “All my distributors are raising my price at the same time, they all want to pre-order this radiance.“

“Same with mine,” Yang Zicang said. “Is there something wrong?“

Are the distributors interested in these “trivial matters“? Or is there something else going on here?

With a trace of suspicion, Yang Zicang extended his “Musing Night.“

As the information field around him rapidly flowed into his mind, a one-kilometer radius area unfolded before his eyes.

-｛Distributor Valkyrie is currently assessing my splendid radiant prelude.｝

Aside from the few people in front, there was also a small, hidden team lying in ambush on the mountain, but they were clearly a very unprofessional bunch at first glance. And behind them, two women with grim expressions were tied up.

Yang Zicang frowned, letting his “Silent Night ” expand a little further outward. This time, he sensed more meticulously. Besides the five cattle, he also discovered several buried traces in the forest, along with valuable items concealed in a natural mountain flood gully.

He opened his eyes placidly, and from beside his ear came the voice of one of the road blockers.

“Two of your carriages, huh? Oho, elite masters after all. Just give us fifty Iron coins, that’s not expensive, right? “

“Give it to them. ” From the carriage ahead came Ebisle’s voice, faint and indistinct.

The old butler, who also served as the coachman, sighed heavily. He pulled a handful of coins from his coat pocket, counted them—roughly equivalent to half a Silver Coin’s value—then stuffed them back into a small pouch and tossed it over.

“Please move the road barriers aside, my good sirs. “

The man who caught the pouch glanced inside and then grinned slyly. “What’re you talkin’ about? “

The butler’s complexion shifted slightly.

“What do you mean? “

“I mean fifty coinseach. Is that so hard to grasp? How many of us d’you think there are here… men… MEN—aaagh! “

He Yishu, near Yang Zicang, along with Ebisle and Raina in the front carriage, all simultaneously felt a chilling blast of dread-inducing gloom burst into existence.

Even though the afternoon sunlight was blazing strong, it felt as if darkness had already fallen, shrouding their hearts in terror.

But the next moment, this feeling disappeared.

The men blocking the road sensed something amiss and immediately raised their guns.

“You, you really dare to shoot! ” old butler Sen shouted, his voice a mix of anger and fear. As he wondered why the Fogfolk hadn’t reacted yet, he saw a figure approaching from his side.

“What happens if we shoot? ” Yang Zicang turned and asked Sen.

The old butler’s suspended heart relaxed. He replied:

“If someone dies, a demon might appear. So under normal circumstances, no one actually fires to kill. They just pay some money and call it even. “

“Demon? A specter? ” Yang Zicang asked.

Sen shook his head. “I’ve never seen one, but those who have rarely survive. They say those demons are most common on battlefields, like some kind of vine. That’s why the military is so restrained now. “

“Vines… ” Yang Zicang pondered bloodline clues related to this, but his knowledge of bloodlines was limited.

“You bunch of bastards, who do you think you are! “

Seeing the group casually chatting by the carriage, the men, feeling their professionalism insulted, were both ashamed and enraged, tossing aside the lingering chill they’d felt moments before.

Several men in shabby, counterfeit military uniforms shouted:

“With such a big act, I thought you were real Fogfolk! Die, bastards! “

One man raised his gun, pulled back the bolt, and aimed at Yang Zicang.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed, spreading far and wide between the two mountains.

The very moment he pulled the trigger, Yang Zicang raised his hand. The bullet zipped toward him. He cast a quick glance at the few other gunmen he had identified earlier through his Silent Night ability, then turned his head forward to look at the man who had fired, whose legs were now trembling slightly.

Commotion rippled through the surroundings.

“What! He actually tanked it with his bare body! “

“His hand’s not even hurt! My god, he… he’s a disguised Fogfolk! “

The people around scattered like startled bees, making a beeline to flee.

Old Butler Sen stared at the Fogfolk beside him—this man hadn’t dodged at all, he just let that bullet slam into his arm.

Yang Zicang patted the bullet-torn hole in the cloth on his arm.

I was overconfident. I didn’t use the “Station ” ability, only pumped up my defense a bit—my muscle speed can’t keep up with a bullet’s pace.