Chapter 36 - 36 33 Fate Begins with the Enemy
Chapter 36: Chapter 33: Fate Begins with the Enemy Chapter 36: Chapter 33: Fate Begins with the Enemy Night had fallen.
Ren Haotian brought the news of Yuqing’s disappearance back to Immortal City and informed Su Hong, who immediately took fifty to sixty people up the mountain to search.
Haotian found Zhan Ze, who was searching for Yuqing at the back of the mountain.
“You guys are here.” Zhan Ze looked very anxious.
Haotian asked, “Any news?”
Zhan Ze shook his head, “Does my father know about this too?”
“Yes, he brought fifty to sixty people. Don’t worry, everything will be fine.”
How could Zhan Ze possibly not worry? He asked, “Did you run into Ye Chen up on the mountain peak?”
“Ye Chen? Was Ye Chen up there?”
“Didn’t you see Ye Chen when you came? I had him wait up there, in case Qing’er came back and couldn’t find us, so I left him there.”
“I didn’t see him.” Haotian became puzzled.
“How could that be? That’s impossible.” Su Zhanze was also confused.
“We indeed did not see Ye Chen.”
Zhan Ze’s eyes widened with shock, his mind raced, unwilling to believe this.
“Could there actually be some strange creature up there?” Jin Hang wondered.
“Don’t scare us.” Shi Zi said.
Bi Chun asked, “Has Ye Chen disappeared too?” suddenly becoming very nervous.
Zhan Ze quickly found his father and informed him about Ye Chen’s disappearance.
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
After hearing this, Jiang Ouyang worriedly said, “Could there truly be something sinister in the mountains!”
Upon hearing this, Su Hong pondered and asked, “Did they both disappear at the mountain peak?”
Shi Zi said, “Earlier today, Qing’er was painting on the western side of the mountain peak, I left for about an hour and when I returned, Yuqing had disappeared.”
Zhan Ze said, “I asked Ye Chen to, wait on the mountain peak, to see if Qing’er would return, but he also disappeared.”
Jiang Ouyang said, “If that’s the case, then the site of their disappearances is the mountain peak rather than the back of the mountain. We should search towards the peak.” The mountain peak area was vast.
Su Hong felt that Jiang Ouyang’s point was valid.
At this moment, rumors started spreading with speculations of sinister things in the mountains, filling everyone with grave concerns.
Jin Hang said, “We have searched the mountain peak for hours and found no trace of Yuqing. She must’ve encountered a monster.” His words defied any rationale.
Shi Zi rebuked Jin Hang with a slap, “Stop speaking these useless, fear mongering words!” She was on the verge of crying out of desperation.
Feeling incredibly frustrated, this conversation was causing her even more distress. If something were really to happen to Qing’er, she would never forgive herself.
Su Hong said, “Let’s not spook ourselves out. Everyone let’s head over to the peak, but remember, do not wander off alone.” He was unwilling to believe in the existence of sinister things in the mountain, but he now had to stay on alert.
Jiang Ouyang yelled, “Remember! Form groups of three to five people, and never stray away on your own.”
Quickly, precautions were taken.
Su Hong left a few people to continue the search at the back of the mountain, and led others back to the mountain peak. The area of the peak was not small, not just a small hill.
Some started speculating, with dire conjectures of some fatal occurrence to the missing duo. Although they entertained such thoughts, none dared to voice their fears, lest it ruin everyone’s morale.
Zhan Ze took his father back to the place where Yuqing had disappeared.
Zhan Ze continued, “We searched everywhere. There are no signs of a struggle or blood stains. If there were a monster, it most likely didn’t happen here. The easel was intact too. Unless it was a very large creature that attacked before people could react…” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.
Jiang Ouyang looked around to see if there were signs of struggle anywhere else.
How could they not worry when two people disappeared one after another?
Su Hong approached the cliff’s edge, where it was pitch-black below, devoid of any light.
Everything was so dark that even with a rope, they dared not descend. Jiang Ouyang said, “It’s too dark. If we really have to go down, we have to wait till daylight.” They couldn’t risk anyone’s safety. Even moonlight was absent at the moment.
Ye Chen was feeling a bit sleepy while Yuqing felt pain in her foot.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
“Um.”
“You have to endure it. I can’t share your pain for you. It’s already very fortunate that I could find some pine hearts here.” Ye Chen continued, “Hang in there.”
“How do I hang in there? The pain isn’t yours.”
“Right, I understand, but what do you want me to do? I can’t feel the pain for you. Why not do something meaningful to distract yourself?”
Guo Yuqing glared at him and muttered, “You jerk.”
“Eat something. If your stomach’s full, you won’t feel the pain.” Ye Chen suggested.
“What does being full have to do with the pain?”
“It doesn’t, but if you laugh while bearing the pain, it might not hurt as much.”
“What do you mean by laughing through the pain?” Yuqing asked.
“Just keep telling yourself that it doesn’t hurt and continue smiling. You might not feel the pain that much. I believe it’s called self-hypnosis. It’s like looking at plums to quench your thirst or considering a cake painting as real food.”
“Who taught you these foolish methods?”
“Hey, just keep it up, don’t look worried. Your painful expression can make people who’re not in pain feel uncomfortable.” Ye Chen responded.
“Then, you should hypnotize yourself into believing you have a wife, and then maybe you’ll really have one!”
What do you think?
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