Chapter 14: The Invisible Dilemma

The clearing behind the mountain was not the destination, but merely a temporary resting point before entering the mountain proper. The villagers of Yuxi Village had no reason to visit the mountain, so the clearing was rarely used.

"Let's go take a look." Eagle Eye took the lead.

The sky was growing dark. Qian Cangyi felt as if a virtual countdown were ticking away in his mind. Before long, the mountain path split, dividing into two separate trails leading left and right.

"A fork in the road?" Qian Cangyi hesitated.

"Split up," Eagle Eye said firmly.

The two followed their previous strategy, each taking one path. Qian Cangyi felt a lingering sense of unease, though he could not pinpoint the cause. The mountain was deathly silent, the sound of their own footsteps the only thing audible. Worried that the dark shadows might be lurking behind the trees, Qian Cangyi slowed his pace slightly to give himself time to react. Every four or five steps, he couldn't help but look back.

As time passed, his heart beat faster and his breathing grew shallow. The feeling of being chased by time made him increasingly frantic. His occasional glances backward only heightened his panic; the dark patches on the tree bark were often mistaken for eyes watching him from the shadows.

"I've been walking for so long, yet the path hasn't changed at all. Could it be that I'm in the same situation as Bian Zhe?" Qian Cangyi began to doubt the path beneath his feet. Mountain paths were difficult to distinguish, and though he had been careful at first, after walking for so long, he couldn't help but feel lost.

Suddenly, a hazy figure appeared in the distance, hidden among the trees. Qian Cangyi’s heart leaped into his throat. He stopped to observe the newcomer. It was not a dark shadow, but a person. He could see they were wearing clothes, though the distance was too great to make out their face. The figure seemed to have noticed him as well and began walking in his direction.

Woods stood between them, and the path was not straight, so it would take some time for them to close the distance. Qian Cangyi wanted to confirm the person’s identity, but the situation in Yuxi Village was so bizarre that he doubted he would encounter any normal person.

While he hesitated, a chill crept up his spine. He shuddered and whipped around. On the light-brown bark of a tree, a dark shadow was emerging, turning to face him. The same chilling, crescent-moon smile appeared once more. After the first shadow appeared, others began to manifest on the surrounding trees. This time, there were over a dozen.

Qian Cangyi instinctively took a step back. The dark shadows on the bark suddenly vanished. The forest was dim, but his eyes still perceived a subtle shift in the light. Human eyes are far more sensitive to changes in light in dark environments; that was the only reason he noticed it. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have reacted, but having seen the shadows before, he naturally connected the shift in brightness to them.

Why would the light change so suddenly? The answer was obvious. Qian Cangyi’s throat felt parched; he licked his lips. The shadows moved from the trees onto the mountain path. A dense mass of them slid across the grass like a black viper stalking its prey through a silent jungle. Qian Cangyi was that prey.

If he had harbored any hesitation about the safety of the figure ahead, that doubt was gone now. Escape was the only thought in his mind. He turned and bolted, his fatigue seemingly vanishing in an instant. At the same time, he saw the figure in the distance start to run as well. In this moment of crisis, he had no energy left to think of anything else.

The shadows wove together, overlapping and dispersing, their crescent smiles seemingly mocking everyone who dared to step foot in Yuxi Village.

"Huff... huff!" After running for a stretch, Qian Cangyi began to pant heavily, his chest heaving, a dull, aching soreness radiating from his inner thighs. The consequences of his lack of exercise were laid bare. Yet, no matter how much it hurt, he didn't dare stop, because the result of stopping was death.

The shadows continuously formed new encirclement patterns, always trailing just a short distance behind. The only mercy was that they didn't take shortcuts to cut him off. After rounding a bend, Qian Cangyi saw the figure ahead and finally made out their face. The person he had seen through the gaps in the trees was Eagle Eye.

However, they had started in opposite directions at the fork in the road. Even if the paths formed a circle, the loop behind the mountain was far too small. Both men wore expressions of astonishment when they saw one another. Suddenly, Qian Cangyi caught sight of a small path leading down the mountain to his left. It felt inexplicably familiar. Then, the scene from when they had split up flashed through his mind. The surrounding landscape overlapped with his memory; once the positions were adjusted, they were identical.

Qian Cangyi realized at once that he and Eagle Eye had returned to the starting point.

"What do we do now?" Qian Cangyi shouted at Eagle Eye. Regardless, Eagle Eye was a veteran actor and had far more experience with such situations than a newcomer like him.

"Run!" Eagle Eye’s answer was blunt.

Qian Cangyi focused on the path leading back to the clearing. It was the only escape route left. The two men were converging, and the shadows behind them were converging as well. Qian Cangyi sprinted, reached the fork, slowed down, turned, and bolted toward the clearing. Eagle Eye was faster, but he had been further from the intersection. Once Qian Cangyi stepped into the clearing, Eagle Eye overtook him and surged ahead.

Suddenly, a flash of red lightning tore across the sky, followed by a rumble of thunder. Rain began to fall, drenching their hair.

"It’s raining now of all times!" Qian Cangyi felt that misfortune never came singly. The paths in Yuxi Village were not paved; they were dirt. In the rain, they would become treacherous, and this would only hinder them. From any perspective, the movement of the shadows would not be affected by the rain.

The speed of the shadows was roughly between a normal human walk and a light jog—at least, the speed of the shadows currently trailing them. The shadow that had appeared in Li Ling’s house had been much faster, though Qian Cangyi could not fathom why.

"Where are we going?" Qian Cangyi asked.

Eagle Eye pointed toward a house in the distance—the home of Li Chenxi. "You said the villagers of Yuxi Village exist in a special way," Eagle Eye said. "Perhaps they left us a clue." He paused, then added, "A clue to the location of the Death Offering Stele."

Qian Cangyi’s eyes widened, struggling to grasp the logic. "You mean the villagers left us new clues? Like the moved teacup in Li Ling’s house or the strange sounds in Wei Guangyuan’s home?"

"The problem is, to what extent can they act? After all, whenever we get close, the villagers cease to exist. The clues they leave behind will likely suffer the same fate." These questions were less like inquiries and more like expressions of dread for the future.