Chapter 400

Chapter 401: Two-Track Investigation

The endless plain lay under a dark sky. A curtain of rain fell from above, and faint, blurry information hid inside it.

The rain came from Sentinel Silence. It fell in the real world, crossed the border between life and death, reached the Soul Wilderness, and cast this Illusion Arts before Yu Sheng.

But why?

Yu Sheng watched the “drops” that formed and faded in his palm and asked with a light frown: “You are saying the rain appeared right after I ‘died’?”

“Yes,” Luna answered with a nod. “The knights and I scouted the plain. The range of the rain is not that big. It lies only along the road from here to the Flame Warden Cathedral. But for some reason, once you stand under it, you feel like it is endless and boundless.”

“That is not a trick of the mind. It is a feeling projected from the real world,” Yu Sheng said after a small breath. He pushed down a flow of wild guesses and added, “Because in Sentinel Silence, the eternal rainy season really covers the equator. Aside from the rain, has anything else changed? Does the rain affect other regions?”

“No,” Luna said as she shook her head. “We looked around. Outside is all calm, as usual.”

“Then leave it alone for now,” Yu Sheng said. “If the range grows or anything changes, report to me.”

Luna hesitated and asked softly, “So you judge that it is harmless here?”

“Harmless,” Yu Sheng answered while feeling through his link to the wilderness to sense this ‘Illusion Arts rain’ and its reach. “But I still need to learn how this rain ‘projected’ itself here. That will take careful checking.”

“Understood. I will follow your orders.”

Yu Sheng nodded, let go of his mind, and stepped back. The next second, he dropped into the world of the living.

A rush of weightlessness and shifted senses hit like a tide and then fell back. He opened his eyes and found himself walking inside Sentinel Silence’s rain.

He passed through the rain and saw the abandoned factory at the end of his view. Luna, dressed as a nun, stood by the side wall and waved.

Yu Sheng smiled and hurried over. The first thing he saw was the Jade Faced Golden Fox waking up among the crowd, with Foxy and the big nephew bustling around.

Then he saw the two little dolls hopping behind everyone.

One looked like it had rolled through a mud pit. The other was worse, sparking like a living RGB lamp as she bounced. Everyone kept a safe distance. Foxy drooped three tails onto the ground as grounding lines. Each time Irene stepped closer, Foxy looked like she faced a great enemy.

Even though Luna had warned him on the Soul Wilderness, Yu Sheng still jumped at Irene’s look. In that one stunned moment, the two little dolls spotted him in the doorway and came running, shouting as they ran: “Hey, Yu Sheng is back! Yu Sheng is back!”

A mud ball and a ball of lightning shot straight at him. His blood ran cold. He did not even know which one to dodge first. In those two seconds of hesitation, both dolls leaped on him. The muddy one was not too bad, just smeared his chest. The sparking one landed right on his face.

In that instant, Yu Sheng felt like he almost returned to the chaos after death. He nearly did not stay alive for five minutes this time.

“Do not wreck my new body,” he groaned. His vision went dark for two or three seconds. He fought through the thunder pounding his brain and carefully peeled Irene off by the back of her collar. He could not bring himself to toss her away-she had jumped in so happy-so he held her at arm’s length to keep her away from his head and added, “From now until you burn off that extra charge, you are not allowed to pounce on me.”

Irene did not seem to hear a word. Dangling in the air, she still chirped with joy: “Listen, I was amazing just now. I fired a Light Cannon-”

“I already know the basics,” Yu Sheng cut her off before she could chatter for half an hour. “Luna told me before I came back. To be fair, you did the most damage this time. I will buy you this month’s event skin.”

Irene’s eyes lit up-literally, with sparks-as she cried, “Nice!”

After Yu Sheng set both dolls on the ground, he walked quickly to Immortal Yuan Hao.

Immortal Yuan Hao blinked for a heartbeat. In that instant he felt something off, but the next second the feeling vanished, and it seemed like Yu Sheng had never left at all, only stepped out of sight for a moment. [Strange. What was I thinking just now?]

“The wounded can be moved now, right?” Yu Sheng asked as he glanced at the sleeping Highland Fox on the ground. “I will use Door Opening and send him to Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain.”

The last trace of doubt in Immortal Yuan Hao’s heart melted away. He nodded at once and said, “Moving him is no problem. I contacted my junior brother already. They are ready. You can open The Door right in front of the Parted Clouds Palace Grand Hall.”

Yu Sheng had already lifted his hand toward the air. After checking the Highland Fox’s size, he drew a deep breath, and a Door far wider than usual slowly opened in his palm.

On the other side lay Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain’s familiar scenery, and Yuan Ling and Yuan He leading a team in person.

It looked like a medical saint and a beast-healing saint doing a joint consult. That fit the patient very well.

Immortal Yuan Hao raised his hand, and the still-sleeping Highland Fox drifted through The Door.

Yu Sheng turned back and saw Ling Long staring, wide-eyed.

The local Golden Fox stood frozen, gaping at the Door. Maybe the aftereffects of Irene’s earlier shock had not faded. Her eyes were still a little glazed, but worry for her kin showed bright inside them.

“You should go too,” Yu Sheng said, beckoning to the Golden Fox girl. “You are a bit hurt as well. Let Immortal Yuan He take a look.”

“Ah… okay!” Ling Long answered, then stepped up to The Door. She craned her neck to peek inside and did not dare step through at once. She had never seen a ‘fairy art’ like this and was very nervous.

Irene had no patience for that. The little doll ran over, poked one of Ling Long’s tails with a finger, and chirped, “Boo.”

Sparks flew.

Ling Long yelped and jumped straight into Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain.

Yu Sheng flicked his hand and closed The Door.

“Alright, let those two rest at the mountain,” he said as he clapped his hands. “Before we head back, we will sweep this place again for any missed clues. Then we see what Xuan Che has found.”

…

The rain thinned to a fine drizzle, like it might stop at any time, but it never truly did. It only grew and shrank, drawing shifting, dreamlike lines outside the window.

The sky stayed as heavy and dim as ever. Even when the rain was lightest, the thick clouds covered the city like night. Now and then weak sunlight pierced the clouds and cast doubtful patches of ‘light’ on the cloud bottoms and the tall buildings nearby. That sunlight felt like a false mirage in the night and vanished in a moment.

A woman with a strong presence, bright features, and a calm, noble air stood at the window, quietly watching rainy Ink City.

She wore a long black dress lined with gold. Her jet-black hair fell almost to her ankles. The hem was embroidered with swirling ink-clouds in superb craft. Those cloud swirls formed The Door, the emblem of the Ink Clan.

She was Ink City’s city lord, Mo Ran.

“This is how it always is here,” Mo Ran said as she turned toward her guest. “Rain almost never stops. It only gets lighter sometimes. Out of the year’s four hundred and sixty days, the rainy season takes four hundred. The other sixty are not truly clear either. After the rain, you might glimpse a little sunlight through the clouds. So for many visitors, this is not a good place to recover one’s health. If you are not used to living in the city, I can arrange another place. At the top of Refining Tower Seven, the Ink Clan built a Cloudtop Villa. It is not large, but at least it gets some sun.”

“Thank you for your kindness, City Lord,” Xuan Che said with a slight smile as he sat not far from the window. “I often travel for my master. I am used to taking things as they come, and I like seeing different views. Ink City’s ‘rainy season’ is a fresh experience for me. Also, there is no need to make other arrangements. I came this time on my master’s private order to run a quiet investigation. The matter is special, and I would rather not alert anyone. I hope you understand.”

“I understand,” said Mo Ran as she bowed slightly. “In Sentinel Silence, the Ink Clan has long lived under Thousand Peak Spirit Mountain’s protection and built our foundation. Since your master has given word, our clan will give full support.”