Wounded Engraving

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Watching his resolute gaze, it shone like the flicker of a candle.

Li Cang did not linger on him, casting aside the thought of staying longer; standing here any longer would not be like him.

"Leaving so soon? Not going to stay a while longer?" Just as he turned, he heard a familiar voice from not far away.

Li Cang didn't even need to look to know who it was. He replied:

"Just going for a stroll... isn't that good? Leaving some uninterrupted time for the two of you. And you?"

A dark figure stepped into the light—Shang Ye. Alongside Li Cang, she stood at the edge of the darkness beyond this corner, beneath the candle-like glow, quietly watching the man who stood as if in broad daylight.

Shang Ye then fixed her gaze on the person before her, smiling as she usually did:

"If you are here, I don't consider it an interruption."

Li Cang's unconcealable smile was his answer to this. The two stood before each other, saying nothing. Their years of friendship were evident in the companionship of this moment. They remained silent for a long time before Li Cang spoke softly:

"I'll be back in a while, don't worry. Aside from you two, there's no one else I need to see." As Li Cang spoke, he looked up, only to find that Shang Ye seemed different from her usual self. He asked, "What is it? Is something troubling you?"

"What could be troubling me? It's just that today, I want to be with you both even more," Shang Ye waved her hand, replying.

"Haha, what does it matter? We've been together since we were children, haven't we? You used to say things like that more often; how long has it been since I last heard it?" Li Cang joked, though he couldn't help but feel a flicker of doubt in his heart.

Shang Ye did not reply. She walked past Li Cang toward Wu Zhuming, who was gazing into the distance at the city, his back turned to them.

"Yes, it's always been this way; we are always together. The scenes from the past that we can recall at any moment are mostly when we were together. Heh, Li Cang, the way you look now is the same as when you were a child; it has never changed." A faint joy appeared on Shang Ye's face, but it quickly faded into contemplation.

"Li Cang, I have no right to make promises now. But at the very least, I will not forget the days of the past; that is my only vow." Her voice was very calm. Li Cang did not respond. Shang Ye turned to look at him.

She was smiling—it was self-assurance, it was composure, it was her, the same her as always, but...

Li Cang could not forget the look in Shang Ye's eyes; it held a hidden sorrow, one difficult to dissolve, difficult to let go of, deep within her heart.

What should be done? Li Cang stood frozen, but Shang Ye would not let anyone else answer that question for her. She said to Li Cang:

"Just like before, don't go too far... take care of yourself, Li Cang."

Returning from his memories.

The night still held black as its backdrop, and everything was tinged with cold, desolate shadows.

Li Cang walked down the mountain path with a slightly hunched posture, his face always indifferent and profound. Seen this way, he appeared to be an unapproachable man.

Unlike usual, his walk was heavier and slower. His confused thoughts could not be cleared, which dragged down his pace.

The three of them—Wu Zhuming and the others—had gathered, and now they had separated. Thinking of Shang Ye at that moment, she seemed to want to say something. He had stood there watching for a long time, always feeling she was different from before. Only later, when the three were together, did she seem to gradually recover her former self.

"Take care of yourself." Li Cang shook his head. Why would there be any need to worry about him? "If you are well, isn't that good for me, and good for him?" Li Cang thought this now, but he should have said it at that time.

A breeze brushed past his ears, but Li Cang's mind could not be as peaceful as the night. Walking on the winding mountain road, one could see the star-dusted "Night Dawn" city in the distance, but the city's splendor could not make Li Cang stop. The wind carried an unusual scent, pulling Li Cang's thoughts in another direction—toward the dense forest, hidden deep within the trees, where it was hard to detect.

Strange marks, remnants like burns, and an indistinct crimson—almost dyed deep black by the night—were abruptly imprinted there, blending into the darkness, difficult to distinguish.

Was it there when he came up? Or—but what if he saw it? There was no path that way. But then again... there was only one road here.

Lost in aimless thinking and memories, Li Cang found that he had walked quite a distance in just a few steps. The side path, rarely traveled, led to "Feather Pool." As for the main winding road, his eyes caught only one light in his field of vision. Li Cang's gaze drifted toward the light; it was empty, and it should have been empty.

That was how it was now.

Coming here for the third time brought back many things to Li Cang. His muddled thoughts contained many unusual elements, but in terms of today's greatest anomaly, he recalled the sudden, familiar yet strange feeling from earlier. Li Cang walked slowly under the light.

"You happened to run into me, didn't you..." Li Cang's gaze fixed on the white light. It was clearly empty, yet within his dark gray pupils, the reflection was not of the current reality.

Not long ago, the second time, the second time he came here.

It was just after his brief conversation with Shang Ye.

It should have been a time for him to be alone, but...

Walking in these quiet mountains, he called it a stroll, but Li Cang's mind was on Shang Ye's words, and he couldn't calm down. In the past, when they were all children, Shang Ye would occasionally show that expression—like a concern or hesitation for no reason, though it was rarely seen later on.

He thought that the kid Wu Zhuming always had a way, but he had watched them from the side for a long time and only saw those two looking so lackluster.

"Forget it," Li Cang thought, and the light on the path ahead brightened.

"Here." Without a destination, Li Cang only intended to walk to "Feather Pool" and then stroll back. With his pace, he arrived in just a few minutes, much faster than he had expected. But that was fine; didn't Shang Ye tell him to return early?

Not far ahead was the extremely high and steep Sky Ladder. Legend had it that walking this ladder led to the secret realm of Yuan Tan Mountain, though he had walked it countless times and never reached it. He had come up the mountain that way earlier. When they were kids, they always loved walking that path—energetic little ones who just kept their heads down and climbed—but Brother Yun was always terrified they would lose their footing and roll down the mountain.

There was always a scene carved into his memory: the noisy Wu Zhuming, Li Cang climbing the ladder with all his might, the steadily smiling Shang Ye, and Brother Yun, who always walked at the back and kept preaching. The feelings and memories on this ladder were far richer and deeper than the ladder itself.

The Sky Ladder offered two paths for visitors: either continue upward, a strenuous and steep climb toward a destination never reached.

Or, stop here and take this path that cut across the Sky Ladder.

The way up was the same path, but Li Cang felt strange from afar. How could he hear such strange snoring sounds, as loud as a truck engine? They hadn't been there when he came up. As he got closer, he smelled alcohol. He understood eight-tenths of it. Following the sound, he looked: under the light, a man was lying flat on his back.

The man's eyes were tightly shut, his expression one of peaceful slumber, his chin covered in stubble. There was nothing spirited about him; the only things that left a deep impression on Li Cang were the overpowering smell of alcohol and the sprawled-out posture on the ground.

Lying there like that, at first glance, one might think he had kicked the bucket. As he got closer, the snoring sounded like thunder. The man had a smile on his face; it seemed his dreams were not as cold and lonely as the outside world. Li Cang listened to the weird sounds he made, wondering how he had managed to wobble his way here. If he had come up the Sky Ladder, he was truly lucky.

The mountain terrain here was treacherous, full of cliffs and precipices, and since it was late, everything he saw was pitch black. Li Cang was truly worried if this man could make it down the mountain. If he staggered, one wrong step, and he would reach the heavens without needing to walk the Sky Ladder.

Perhaps he should just leave him; when he woke up, the alcohol would wear off. Li Cang took another look at his surroundings; it was gloomy and icy, and a cold wind drifted from the path to "Feather Pool." The corner of his mouth lifted, thinking: "Sleeping here is no good. I'll give you a hand."

"No good..." the man muttered. Li Cang walked over, said nothing, and lifted the man up, adding, "If you sleep here, that is what's no good." Seeing he had no intention of waking up, he exerted force, lifting him up with such strength that it felt like he might snap the man's bones. The man let out an "Ouch," and it seemed he was awake.

Li Cang originally intended to help him down the mountain; at the very least, he couldn't let him sleep here. Who knew that after only two steps, the man suddenly yelled:

"Late night snack! Give it to me, give me the... no! No good, *hiccup*." After yelling, he went limp again, his eyes unfocused; it seemed he still didn't understand his situation.

The drunkard wobbled, looking confused. "Eh?" He turned his head to the other side, wondering why he had stood up without exerting effort. Li Cang twisted his head back, and the man was startled, his legs nearly giving out; luckily, Li Cang held him tightly. Looking closely, he realized that while the man was a drunk, he wasn't exactly slovenly, and his eyes, though half-closed, were clear and spirited, with many thoughts behind them.

Li Cang supported him, saying, "Don't sleep here, let's go, I'll take you down the mountain." No response. Glancing sideways, he saw the man's expression changing, his face turning pale—he was going to vomit! Li Cang didn't dodge or avoid him; he hugged him tighter, laughing: "You guy, just how much did you drink?" The man couldn't answer. He buried his head, his eyes glazed, and "Blech—" he vomited a bunch of water-like stuff.

After vomiting for a long time, some of it even stained the corner of Li Cang's clothes. "How about it, are you done? Once you're done, we're going." The man didn't move. His drooping head lifted slightly, eyes fixed directly on Li Cang's chest. He even reached out to touch it—solid, very solid, but aside from being solid... the drunkard muttered: "Ah, it is, it is... what, eh, *hiccup*..."

Before Li Cang could hoist him up, the man broke free and pushed Li Cang away. Li Cang was startled; he hadn't expected it. But Li Cang didn't budge an inch; the man had pushed himself quite far.

The man wobbled and took a long time to stand steady, his eyes fixed on Li Cang, blurting out: "Today, you, you must be careful, watch out, yourself." He heard this clearly, but he didn't understand it. Li Cang smiled, intending to hold him and continue down the mountain.

Who knew the man would run a few steps to the other side, far away from Li Cang. "Whoa, you're quite capable," Li Cang said. The drunkard looked at Li Cang, smiled foolishly, turned around, stumbled left and right, and though it looked like he would fall, he walked steadily. Looking up at the sky, he sang out: "The moon, it's okay, it's okay, good day, it's good—" Li Cang watched him from afar and roared, "Can you make it without me helping?" The only response was the man's fading, happy voice.

Li Cang shook his head helplessly. Since the man was gone and he didn't plan to do anything else, he turned back to look for Wu Zhuming and Shang Ye. He wondered if those two still remembered him while they were laughing and talking.

Just as he took a step, Li Cang suddenly stopped, his body frozen. He turned around in confusion, but there was no one there.

He seemed to have faintly heard a very familiar word.

He must have heard it wrong. He didn't dwell on it, assuming it was just his muddled thoughts tonight, giving rise to some unwanted notions.

Thinking about it now, it truly wasn't simple paranoia...

To be precise, it was only after feeling the abnormality of his own seal that he found it suspicious.

Meeting him at that time didn't seem like a coincidence after all.

Li Cang looked at the shadow under the light, ultimately unable to figure out what he had missed. Was that person someone he had seen as a child or not? Or was he an informed outsider? After so many years, he couldn't say he remembered clearly. Just a passerby? Or could it be some old friend he couldn't recall... he had been thinking too much tonight.

Passing by here again, he probably wouldn't run into him. He looked to the right; beyond the path was a bottomless cliff. That guy, hopefully he didn't fall down and get smashed. "To be that drunk and still make it up here," Li Cang thought to himself, "I just hope he doesn't fall asleep again."

Moving his gaze elsewhere, the light illuminated things that weren't so obvious. At the intersection of the small path to "Feather Pool" and the main road, the strange marks on the tree trunk—the same scorched black and crimson—bloodstains.

Before he could examine them closely, a figure came running toward him from afar. Before he could recognize who it was, he heard the person shouting to him:

"Brother Li, is that you—" The voice was that of a young woman.

The figure ran quickly and stopped only when she reached Li Cang. Although this young girl was lively and agile, she was dressed in a formal suit. She stood with her hands on her hips, panting heavily in front of him. Li Cang told her to "slow down," and only after she caught her breath did he ask:

"Slow down, Ningxin, what are you running so fast for?"

The girl caught her breath, looked up, and was startled because she was facing Li Cang's upper body. She straightened her back but was still much shorter than Li Cang, so she had to take a step back, looking up at him as she replied: "Brother Li... Brother Yun told you to go down the mountain and wait for him at Swallow Tail Mouth. Don't ask about the reason; he told me to come up, and luckily I ran into you." She was breathless, and her words were disjointed.

Although he asked that, seeing who had come, Li Cang understood much. It seemed it wasn't just himself who felt it was suspicious. "But my familiar feeling, does it pick and choose days?" As Li Cang pondered, Ningxin looked at him, smiling:

"I should have gone back to the base to drive up, but I happened to be nearby when I got the call, so I rushed up. How is it, Brother Li? Pretty fast, right? Mmm~ There are quite a lot of things going on in the city today, everyone is exhausted. No, this isn't the time to chat. We have to be fast; the road ahead isn't something you can drive up." The girl spoke with a sense of pride, but just from talking, her chest heaved involuntarily; it seemed the climb had exhausted her. Even so, before Li Cang could reply, she started running forward again.

"Hey! Slow down, don't trip!" Li Cang shouted from behind.

"I know—don't worry about me, Brother Yun's instructions can't be taken lightly, you go down the mountain quickly."

The voice faded into the distance. Li Cang sighed helplessly: "Always in such a rush, this girl."

The energetic girl—Su Ningxin. Wu Zhuming and the others had known her only a few years after they met Brother Yun. Although she was likable as a child, she was also quirky and often teased them. The key was, she was incredibly sharp; no one could defend against her, and no one could stop this little girl, except for Shang Ye, who had never fallen for her tricks.

Growing up with a few big guys, she couldn't turn out bad, resulting in the lively Su Ningxin of today. Although she had a good heart, the cleverness of her childhood—rather than turning into a sharp wit—had become a meticulous mind. Because of this, she remained by Brother Yun's side to work, and among Brother Yun's subordinates, she was a very special one.

As for her background... it wasn't ordinary, but no one had cared about that for a long time. Being highly valued by Brother Yun meant she wasn't as green as she looked, and...

Sigh, now was not the time to think about this.

"Making someone run such a long way, what could it possibly be?" Li Cang thought, the figures of Wu Zhuming and Shang Ye appearing in his mind. Those two should have gone down the mountain by now; he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

He shouldn't make Brother Yun wait any longer, but tonight's "unpredictability" was always more than he had anticipated.

The blame lay with Li Cang being too sensitive, always able to detect those fleeting abnormalities. He turned slowly, eyes fixed on a spot, like a beast that had smelled a faint change that shouldn't have been detected by anyone.

The path behind him, faint noises, intermittent cold wind. He stepped toward the entrance to "Feather Pool." There was no mistake; something that didn't belong in the mountain forest, a scent he wasn't familiar with, was right here.

Thinking about it, Ningxin's urgent climb, and the fact that Brother Yun's department didn't just act on a whim. Combined with the events of today—the strange drunkard, the oddities of Yuan Tan Mountain. Looking into the depths of the small path, it was dark and indistinguishable; it wouldn't be strange if something were hidden deep within.

"It might be better for me to explore the truth for Brother Yun, rather than letting him worry more," Li Cang thought to himself, though he knew if Brother Yun found out, he probably wouldn't let him move another step.

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