Chapter 219
Chapter 219
Amid the countless gullies and chasms left by the collapsing mountain, Qin Ying and the others stood shoulder to shoulder, watching Zhao Jixian and Feng Meiyu disappear into the distance.
That brief encounter across time had been an extraordinary experience.
Qin Ying had no idea whether they would escape their pursuers.
There was nothing she could do to help them. All she could do was silently wish them luck and hope they survived this ordeal.
Yin Minmin was covered in dirt from running. Gazing at the thinning mist, she said wistfully, “We just said goodbye to people from a hundred years ago.”
Zhang Lang said nothing, seizing the chance to recover his strength.
Willow Immortal, who had taken the hamster-faced Zong Li from Zhang Lang, was baffled.
He had no idea who Zhao Jixian and Feng Meiyu were. After hoisting Zong Li over his shoulder, he urged, “Let’s go!”
“The whole mountain is coming apart. We’re not safe yet.”
He didn’t know why Qin Ying had suddenly let Zhao Jixian and Feng Meiyu leave. He was far more concerned about their immediate predicament.
Qin Ying examined the object Feng Meiyu had tossed her.
It was an amulet tied with red string. It looked like a wolf fang, only longer, with cinnabar filling the designs carved into its surface.
It was too dark to make out what had been carved on it, so Qin Ying stuffed the amulet into the pocket of her hiking jacket. “Let’s go. We’re heading down the mountain.”
With Zhao Jixian and Feng Meiyu gone, the mist shrouding the mountain began to dissipate.
The two intersecting timelines were gradually returning to their original courses.
Without the Migu Flower to light the way, Qin Ying and Yin Minmin led the group with their nearly depleted flashlights.
Zhang Lang and Brother Willow Immortal followed behind them.
When they finally reached the foot of the mountain, they found a wire fence.
Beyond it were railway tracks and a grade marker.
They were so relieved they could have cried.
They collapsed into the weeds beside the tracks, and for a while, no one wanted to speak.
Qin Ying managed to pull out her phone and check the time.
The signal had returned to normal, but her battery was down to ten percent. She tossed the phone to Zhang Lang.
“Call for help.”
Yin Minmin had mentioned that the task force dispatched by the Cultural Preservation Bureau had split into several teams.
The most elite team had gone with the director to monitor the perimeter of Cuiping Mountain.
Another team, led by the hulking, broad-shouldered old deputy director, was searching Yunlan City for the Huodou.
The third was Wu Qian’s team, which had come to investigate the incident at Qingzhai Tunnel.
Zhang Lang, Brother Willow Immortal, and the hamster-faced Zong Li were all in no condition to be seen in public.
If anyone spotted them and caught them on camera, not even a ten-part science-debunking documentary could explain it away.
And with severely injured members in their group, it was best to call for backup first.
Zhang Lang dialed a number and had barely said two sentences when a thunderous roar erupted from the other end.
He huddled meekly in the weeds and endured the scolding.
Only after sending their location to the group chat did he return the phone to Qin Ying.
Qin Ying stood and brushed herself off. “My car is in Qingzhai Village. I’ll go get it.”
On the way, she could also sort through everything she was carrying and decide what needed to be handed over and what she should keep hidden.
Sprawled on the ground, Willow Immortal looked at the Thunderbird flying beside Qin Ying’s shoulder and licked his lips, seemingly about to say something.
Zhang Lang glanced at him and cut him off. “Our car is in Qingzhai too. There are medicine and first-aid supplies inside.”
“Much appreciated.”
With Zhang Lang interrupting him, the badly wounded Willow Immortal, who had already lost far too much blood, promptly forgot about the little lightning bird.
Lying flat on his back, he muttered, “Bring some food too. I’m about to… starve… to death.”
Before he could finish, his eyelids drooped, and he passed out.
Yin Minmin had wanted to go with Qin Ying, but Qin Ying refused. “Stay here. If anyone comes near, step in and stall them. Don’t let anyone see the others.”
Yin Minmin obediently nodded.
Qin Ying’s legs felt like lead, and her mountaineering clothes were covered in Brother Willow Immortal’s blood. She waded through the wild grass, making her way down the slope one step at a time.
She followed the railroad tracks until a small station appeared ahead at daybreak.
In the bright light of morning, the three-story concrete building on the platform at Qingzhai Station looked extraordinarily welcoming.
But the sight of her stumbling in covered in blood nearly scared the station staff to death.
The attendants on duty hurriedly pulled her onto the platform.
Some brought her water, while others wanted to call the police.
A landslide on Qingzhai Mountain had caused half the tunnel to collapse, leaving everyone at the little station run off their feet.
No one had time to keep an eye on her, so Qin Ying seized the opportunity to slip out through the station exit.
Qingzhai Station was not far from Qingzhai Village. Qin Ying took a detour and made her way back to where she had parked.
The moment she reached the car, Qin Ying let out a curse.
Perhaps to stop her from escaping, someone had deflated the tires and smashed the windows of every car in the row.
As if venting their fury, they had also splashed Qin Ying’s rented SUV with raw lacquer meant for a Coffin.
The entire vehicle was unrecognizable.
The thought of her security deposit sent Qin Ying’s blood pressure soaring.
Forcing down her rage, she yanked open the door and climbed in.
She had barely sat down when the Thunderbird, which had flown into the passenger seat, suddenly erupted with a crackling arc of electricity.
The arc skimmed past the seat.
After a whiff of something scorched, a green snake with a pointed snout dropped to the floor.
Only then did Qin Ying realize that the people of Qingzhai Village had not only deflated her tires but also dumped venomous snakes into her car.
The Thunderbird had just finished dealing with the snakes when a noisy group came marching down the mountain road.
Apparently, Qingzhai Village had posted lookouts. The moment they saw Qin Ying return, they all came to make trouble.
At the front of the group was Aunt Mo.
Fury surged through Qin Ying. She wanted nothing more than to floor the accelerator and run every last one of them down.
But the rule of law forced her to suppress the impulse.
Ignoring the flat tires, she started the car anyway.
Doing so would completely ruin the tires, but that was still better than letting these people trap her here.
“Yuqin! My Yuqin!”
Aunt Mo’s tears were genuine this time.
“And everyone in the ancestral hall. They’ve all been ruined!”
She clearly had no idea just how vile her own actions had been.
Pointing at Qin Ying’s car, she launched into a stream of curses as the villagers moved to surround it.
Qin Ying floored the accelerator. The flattened wheels spat sparks as she sped past the villagers.
Before leaving, she stuck her middle finger up at them through the window.
Her sheer brazenness left the people of Qingzhai Village momentarily stunned.
The car clattered and banged along on its deflated tires.
The lacquer coating the windshield would not come off either, so Qin Ying drove very carefully along the mountain road.
She knew the people of Qingzhai Village would not let this go.
She headed straight for Qingzhai Station.
Shortly before reaching the station, she pulled over.
Only then did she begin sorting through the contents of her backpack.
She had no intention of keeping everything she had found on the Wax Corpse for herself.
What mattered was putting these things to use, not merely hoarding them.
Turning the badges over to the Cultural Preservation Bureau would be more beneficial. They could help Qin Ying uncover the Wax Corpse’s identity.
From there, she could follow the trail and track down the Shiye who had gone to Italy.
As for the Marrow Fluid she had conned out of the River God, Qin Ying only planned to keep one vial for herself.
She would hand the other over to the Cultural Preservation Bureau.
Before she rendezvoused with the main group, she needed to hide everything that should remain hidden.
Qin Ying moved into the back seat and ducked down behind it.
With one finger, she traced an infinity symbol.
A black, gauze-like mist immediately welled up before her eyes.
Several bright points of light shimmered within the mist.