SES Chapter 145 Part 2

She explained, “When I fell, I was standing upright, with nowhere to brace myself. So I dropped straight down. But if I’d been lying flat, I could’ve used my arms, legs, and core to grip the surface…”

She made a motion with her hands, demonstrating. “Basically, if you cling tightly enough to the panel, when it flips, you can ride it all the way around and land safely back on your feet.”

He understood.

But Mu Dai could only do that because of her years of martial arts and her skill in lightfoot movement. For Ya Feng to pull it off too, it would be too much of a coincidence. Which left only one explanation.

The cursed slip was on Ya Feng.

Then what about Qingshan? Was he under its influence—or working with it?

Luo Ren couldn’t figure it out.

When he looked at Mu Dai, she was gazing up at the ceiling, worry clouding her face.

“Luo Ren,” she said softly, “do you think they’ll hurt Fatty Cao?”

He shook his head.

For him and Mu Dai, the collapsing trap had been a killing blow. But for Cao Yanhua, they’d merely tied him up—no sign they intended to kill him.

“Maybe Qingshan still feels some family affection,” Luo Ren said, “and won’t harm him.”

“What about Yiwansan?”

Luo Ren fell silent. He remembered that stormy night—the vision of Yiwansan in the courtyard of Qingshan’s house, covered in blood. Even if he was alive, he had to be gravely injured.

He looked at Mu Dai. “Right now, we can’t waste energy worrying about what we can’t change. One step at a time. No matter how much you worry about Yiwansan, it won’t help if we can’t get out.”

Mu Dai exhaled slowly. She understood the logic—but doing it was another matter.

Then she suddenly thought of something. “Luo Ren, why did we both see Yiwansan’s reflection on the water at the same time?”

Her voice quickened. “If we saw it, could Fatty Cao and Hong Sha have seen it too? Could it have been a signal from the Phoenix Luan Token?”

Luo Ren considered it. He didn’t think so.

“It’s more likely related to last night’s rain,” he said.

“The rain was so heavy that I was wading through ankle-deep water in the courtyard. Think about it—like a giant rain sheet covering the entire Cao Village. Within that area, the water was connected everywhere. Cao Yanhua was in the cave up high, safe from the rain, but you, me, and Yiwansan—we were all within that same sheet of water.”

He lowered his voice. “So when Yiwansan sent out a signal—or a call for help—we both received it.”

“Because in the five elements, Yiwansan’s element is water?”

“Possibly.”

“Let’s look at it positively,” Luo Ren said. “If he’s still able to send a message, that means he was alive last night. And don’t forget—we still have Hong Sha. She should be arriving soon.”

Hong Sha was arriving.

She had taken a small minivan that ran between rural villages. It was packed full of passengers, stopping constantly to pick up and drop off. By the final stretch, only Hong Sha and two young women in the front seats were left.

The two girls, about eighteen or nineteen, had been chattering the whole ride. Hong Sha hadn’t spoken once, but she’d gathered that they both worked in the county’s food district and were heading to a friend’s wedding.

When they passed a fork in the road, the driver called back, “Can’t go all the way to the village entrance—the road’s blocked. You’ll have to get off here and hope for a motorbike ride. If not, you’ll be walking.”

The two girls shrieked dramatically, making Hong Sha’s ears ring. She rolled down the window; cool raindrops splashed in, carrying a faint freshness.

The girls were gossiping again.

“Why did Ya Feng even go for Qingshan?”
“Right? She’s so pretty—she could’ve married a rich guy at least. But she picked some country bumpkin?”
“You know what I heard? She’s the one who chased after him first.”
“No way! What for?”

Qingshan? Wasn’t that Cao Yanhua’s cousin? So Ya Feng was the bride, then.

Up ahead, a black Hummer came into view, parked on an open patch of ground.

Something clicked in Hong Sha’s mind. She quickly slapped the driver’s seat. “Stop here. Please, right here!”

The driver frowned. “Here? It’s still a ways to go.”

“This is fine.”

She watched the van drive off, then made sure no one was around before hurrying to the spot Luo Ren had told her about. She dug up the hidden car key and climbed into the Hummer.

The door shut, muting the wind and rain. Inside, it felt like a quiet little world.

Luo Ren had said he’d try to call her—but it was already afternoon. It had been more than a full day since their last contact.

Anxiety gnawed at her.

She crawled into the back of the vehicle. Several tactical packs were lined up there, each stocked identically with ropes, first aid kits, compasses, and fire starters.

She left her own bag behind, filled one of the packs with essentials, added two bottles of water, and, after putting on a disposable rain poncho, buried the car key back in its hiding spot.

A little way ahead, she found a small general store. Business was slow in the rain; the shopkeeper sat under the eaves, puffing on a pipe. Hong Sha went up to ask about the road ahead.

He pointed. “It’s rough in this weather. Follow that small road straight ahead—if you’re quick, two hours. If not, who knows? But you’ll get there eventually.”

“Two hours?” Hong Sha’s eyes widened.

The shopkeeper saw her reaction and chuckled. “There’s a shorter way.”

He gestured toward the misty mountains in the distance, their slopes rising in blue-gray folds.

“But who’d dare take it?” he added. “Even in good weather, rocks come loose all the time. And after last night’s storm…”

He trailed off, letting the implication hang. “So, miss, best stick to the main road. It’s safer.”

Hong Sha nodded obediently—but her eyes gleamed with calculation. “If I take the mountain path, will I get lost?”

“Not really. And if you do, just climb high. You’ll see Cao Village from up there—it’s that direction. Keep your bearings, and you’ll be fine.”

Mud and puddles either way—so why not take the shortcut? Falling rocks? She could dodge those. All those years of training weren’t for nothing.

Decision made, Hong Sha set off up the mountain trail.

The rain made everything darker; in the forest, night fell early. She had just crossed the first ridge when the world was already dim.

From her vantage point, she could make out the faint outline of a village below—that had to be Cao Village. Behind her, two tiny dark shapes wriggled along the narrow path—the girls from the van, far behind.

That cheered her up. She took a few gulps of water and started up the second hill.

This one was tougher. The trail was a muddy mess—every step sank deep. Halfway up, she heard a sound that wasn’t right. She looked up—just in time to see a string of rocks tumbling down from above.

Falling rocks. Of course.

Her scalp prickled. She leapt sideways, bounding off the slope, but her landing was unsteady—the stone beneath her shifted, and suddenly she was falling forward, sliding down a mix of rock and mud for nearly ten meters, like a child on a muddy slide.

When she finally stopped, she spat out a mouthful of dirt. Looking back, the hillside bore a long streak where she’d slid—like a slide carved by a giant hand.

“Just my luck,” she muttered, wiping mud off her chin. Still, at least no one had seen. Small blessings.

She planted a hand on the ground to push herself up—

And froze.

Her heart stopped.

Slowly, she lifted her hand.

There, in the patch of wet earth where her palm had been, was another hand.