chsdbacks Chapter 259 Evacuation
Chapter 259 Evacuation
Chen Duo's little nose twitched incessantly, and her bright green eyes seemed unable to take it all in. She wandered among the dazzling array of snack stalls, vendors selling all kinds of cheap trinkets and unique handicrafts, and the crowds of people of different skin colors and accents, her little face filled with amazement and the distress of not being able to make a choice.
"Wow! What's that round, golden thing? It smells so good!"
"Huh? Is that red and green stuff stuck in that bamboo tube water? Is it drinkable?"
"Nie Lingfeng! Nie Lingfeng! Look at that! That black thing skewered on a stick, it's still moving?! Is it food?" (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧
While patiently explaining to her ("That's fried banana." "That's Paoluda, a kind of dessert." "That's roasted bamboo worms, rich in protein, but you might not like it."), Nie Lingfeng cautiously observed his surroundings. The night market was crowded and diverse, with local residents, passing drivers, tourists from the mainland, and many border residents or unidentified individuals who looked shifty and acted suspiciously. In such a place, one must remain sufficiently vigilant.
He bought Chen Duo a refreshing cup of Paoluda. The little girl held the icy, sweet dessert, her eyes crinkling with happiness as she drank it. He also bought her several skewers of grilled beef and chicken wings, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Chen Duo ate them until her little mouth glistened with oil, repeatedly saying "Delicious!" But she still kept her distance from the skewer of grilled bamboo worms, her little face clearly saying, "These things look too weird, I don't want to eat them."
Just as the two sat down at a stall selling Dai ethnic specialty Sa Pie, preparing to try this authentic border flavor, Nie Lingfeng suddenly caught a glimpse of several somewhat familiar figures flashing by in the crowd not far away.
They were three men, dressed plainly but with muscular builds, sharp eyes, and steady, coordinated steps—clearly trained martial artists. They appeared to be casually strolling through the night market, but their gazes were like those of hawks, occasionally and seemingly unintentionally sweeping across the surrounding crowd, lingering especially on the faces of those traveling alone or who looked like "outsiders." One of them, in profile, made Nie Lingfeng's heart skip a beat—he felt…he'd seen him somewhere before?
Is he a field agent for the "company"? Or an informant for the "parliament"? Or perhaps, a subordinate of some local power?
Nie Lingfeng remained impassive, eating his "sa pie" (a type of Sichuan dish) while subtly extending his senses to try and catch any glimpses of the group's presence and conversation. However, the group was clearly also wary, using no communication devices and speaking in hushed tones, a mix of dialect and Mandarin. Given the distance and the noisy night market environment, it was difficult to make out the details. But their constant scanning of the crowd, occasional nods and eye contact, and the subtle aura of scrutiny and searching they exuded, suggested they were definitely looking for someone.
Who should we look for? Could it be them?
Nie Lingfeng's heart skipped a beat. Although the battle at the altar had only recently ended, news of the "Council's" team's complete annihilation, as well as the intelligence that he and Chen Duo possessed "divine bloodlines," had likely already reached the "Council's" higher-ups. It was entirely possible that the other side had deployed spies in the border region to search for their whereabouts! Moreover, this place was very close to Jinghong and was an important passage in and out of the border, so it wasn't surprising that it was under close surveillance.
He immediately concealed his aura and gently nudged Chen Duo, who was engrossed in eating a bowl of "sa pie" (a type of Sichuan dish), her nose sweating, signaling her to pay attention. Chen Duo was quick-witted; although she didn't understand why, seeing Nie Lingfeng's serious gaze, she immediately slowed down her eating. Her emerald green eyes warily looked in the direction Nie Lingfeng had indicated, and the relaxed joy brought by the food on her face quickly faded, replaced by the calmness and vigilance cultivated by the "Medicine Immortal Society assassin" and numerous life-or-death battles.
The three men wandered around the night market, seemingly pausing briefly at a few stalls selling cheap outdoor gear and maps, asking a few questions in hushed tones, then shaking their heads as if they hadn't found what they were looking for. They then turned and headed towards the other end of the night market, in a less crowded direction leading to the highway outside the town.
Nie Lingfeng felt slightly relieved. It seemed that the other party was just conducting a routine patrol, or the characteristics they were searching for did not completely match theirs (they were now dressed plainly, travel-worn, and looked very different from their appearance during the previous battle). But it was clear that they could not stay here for long.
"Duoduo, are you full? We should go back now," Nie Lingfeng said softly.
"Yes, I'm full." Chen Duo nodded and obediently put down her chopsticks. Although there was still a hint of longing for the night market in her eyes, she knew that safety came first.
Nie Lingfeng quickly paid the bill, then pulled Chen Duo along. Instead of going straight back to the hotel, they circled the night market a few more times to make sure they weren't being followed before they made their way back to the hotel's back door through a quiet alley.
Back in his room, he locked the door. Nie Lingfeng's expression remained grave.
"Nie Lingfeng, were those people... bad guys?" Chen Duo asked softly, hugging her panda plushie as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Uncertain, but highly suspicious." Nie Lingfeng walked to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and carefully observed the back alley below and the street in the distance. "This place might not be safe anymore. We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning, go straight to Jinghong city, find our contact, and then meet up with the people from 'the company' as soon as possible."
"Oh." Chen Duo nodded without asking any further questions. Her little hands unconsciously tightened around the doll, and a hint of worry flashed in her emerald eyes, but more than that, she trusted Nie Lingfeng.
As night deepened, the hustle and bustle of the town gradually subsided. Only the faint sound of the Lancang River could be heard in the distance.
Nie Lingfeng didn't sleep. He sat cross-legged in a chair, regulating his breathing to recover while remaining highly vigilant, sensing the movements around him. The "Suppressing Mountain" scepter and the "Heart of the Earth Vein" crystal were placed close to his body, emanating a warm and profound aura that calmed his mind and made his perception of his surroundings clearer. He could "hear" the innkeeper snoring downstairs, he could "hear" the faint murmurs of a guest in the next room, and he could "hear" the occasional car passing by on the distant street... Everything seemed normal.
But that vague sense of unease, of being watched and searched, lingered in my heart like a faint dark cloud.
The shadow of "parliament" is indeed everywhere.
Their first step back into the civilized world was immediately met with an overwhelming sense of oppression.
The road ahead is destined to be anything but peaceful.
But having chosen this path, we have no choice but to continue down it.
Nie Lingfeng opened his eyes, a flash of dark golden light passing through them, his gaze calm and resolute.
He glanced at Chen Duo, who was already fast asleep on the bed, hugging a doll and breathing evenly. He gently walked over and tucked the blanket around her.
Then he sat back down in his chair, like the most loyal guard, quietly waiting for the dawn to arrive.
The night outside the window was as thick as ink.
New challenges and unknowns have already quietly spread an invisible net in the darkness of this border town...
In the darkest hour before dawn, Nie Lingfeng gently shook Chen Duo awake. Without turning on the lights, using the dim yellow light from the last few streetlights on the edge of town filtering through the window, the two quickly and quietly packed their meager belongings. Although Chen Duo was still half-asleep, her long-cultivated alertness and absolute trust in Nie Lingfeng quickly woke her. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she deftly dressed, carefully stuffing her panda plush toy into the back of her backpack, then looked at Nie Lingfeng expectantly, her eyes asking, "Are we leaving now?"
Nie Lingfeng nodded, placed a note that read "Thank you, room fee paid" and the extra room fee on the table, then pulled Chen Duo along, like two ghosts disappearing into the shadows, silently opened the door, and slipped out of the hotel through the back door along the dim and quiet corridor.
The back alley was deserted, save for a few stray cats rummaging for food near the garbage heap. Startled by their movements, they darted into the darkness. The air was crisp and cool, carrying dew and the mist from the distant Lancang River. The town was still asleep, with only the occasional engine sounds of early morning vehicles drifting from the main street in the distance.
Instead of taking the main road, they followed the route they had scouted the night before, moving quickly along the edge of the town, through the intricate network of paths and ridges connecting vegetable gardens and farmhouses, towards Jinghong city. The rising morning mist provided natural cover for their movements.
"Nie Lingfeng, aren't we going to eat?" Chen Duo was being pulled along quickly, and her stomach rumbled softly at the opportune moment. She asked in a slightly embarrassed voice. Although the food at the night market last night was delicious, it was clearly not enough to fill her up, especially for her, who was rapidly recovering and had consumed a great deal of energy as a phoenix bloodline.
"Bear with it for now, we'll eat when we get to a safe place," Nie Lingfeng said in a low voice, his eyes warily scanning the fields shrouded in morning mist and the distant highway. He could sense that as dawn broke, the unease of being watched hadn't completely dissipated. "There might be spies from 'bad guys' in town; we can't take the risk."
"Oh." Chen Duo nodded sensibly and didn't ask any more questions. She just tried her best to keep up with Nie Lingfeng's pace, her little hands tightly holding his, her emerald green eyes turning warily in the morning mist, like a little deer cautiously moving forward in unfamiliar territory.