Chapter 38: Station 22: Sewage

Chapter 38: Station 22: Sewage

Swiftly, the two of them veered away from the crowd and vanished through the golden revolving doors of the grand hall.

Qi Yongxin found himself upstaged, but he was well aware that this moment was crucial for building trust. He promptly composed himself.

Just as I was about to say something to redirect everyone's attention towards the task division, the man resembling a Taoist priest let out a sigh directly in front of the corpse by the urinal.

"I mean, how am I supposed to take a shower or use the restroom at night with this setup? Perhaps we should ask the hotel for a chamber pot for the evening."

Those who caught the subtle cue immediately dispersed, rushing to the counter for refreshments.

Qi Yongxin stood alone, his fists clenched tightly.

Fortunately, there was still someone remaining in place.

With her long, black hair flowing behind her, a delicate woman hesitated by the entrance.

Initially, she had intended to follow the others, but considering that someone was still there, she paused, deciding not to leave. Instead, she simply watched him quietly.

Qi Yongxin asked with a grim expression,

"Why aren't you leaving with them? What are you staying here for?"

The woman blinked her eyes.

With her delicate and charming features, this gesture not only appeared endearing but also conveyed a naive innocence,

"If I leave, you'll be all alone here. What would you do if you encounter danger?"

Qi Yongxin's gaze softened as he stared intently at her seemingly guileless face.

-

Scattered snowflakes tumbled like sand grains over the black leather boots.

Ming Yiyang occasionally glanced back to see Yan Qiling's thin soles sinking deep into the snow. He had correctly predicted that within no more than five minutes, snow water would likely seep in through the zipper.

He inquired,

"Isn't your feet cold?"

Yan Qiling, utterly oblivious to his thoughts, followed him with single-minded focus, their steps deftly traversing the snowy terrain.

"No feelings."

Ming Yiyang felt a hint of skepticism, yet considering the peculiarly low body temperature of this individual, he hesitated over whether to bring up the cautionary tale of frostbitten feet in winter, which could result in numbness and ultimately necessitate amputation.

They walked swiftly, the sewage treatment pond looming in sight.

The reflecting pond was situated strategically between the ski resort and the main hotel complex.

Owing to its clever design, despite being buried beneath the icy ground, it wouldn't freeze.

Ming Yiyang dismissed his thoughts.

Without bothering to dig out the manhole cover buried under the snow, his dark eyes instantly turned a faint purple, taking in the entire scene within the pool.

Curiosity flickered across the young man's face as he spoke with a detached tone, "There are so many bones here that you could open a museum with them. Some are fragmented, others intact; piecing together a few human forms shouldn't be an issue."

Yan Qiling wore no trace of surprise at this outcome.

For him, whether or not there were bone fragments in the sewage treatment pool was irrelevant.

What mattered was that from the beginning, their entire process had been flawed.

The silent man abruptly spoke amidst the swirling snowstorm, "Logically, it's natural for us, as VIP clients, to receive invitations from the hotel. But in reality, we could have proceeded without them."

If anyone else were there, they might have been puzzled as to how the conversation shifted from bone fragments to invitations. However, Ming Yiyang quickly picked up on his line of thought, lazily narrowing his eyes as he looked down at Yan Qiling, "You suspect that Wujian Master had a hidden motive for sending us those invitations?"

Yan Qiling didn't reply, instead lifting his head to meet his gaze with his twin-colored eyes.

Amidst the howling wind and snow, Ming Yiyang delved deeper into his thoughts.

"There's always a possibility. If each invitation contains unique content, this action could be explained."

A rare sense of satisfaction shimmered in Yan Qiling's apricot-colored eyes, and he let out a smile, tinged with unmasked delight, "I haven't even spoken yet."

His silver eyelashes fluttered in the breeze as Ming Yiyang stepped closer through the snow, slightly bending forward, "You've said enough. Unlike certain people who see a mountain as a mountain and hear a sound as a sound."

Yan Qiling was briefly taken aback, then realized the allusion, and couldn't help but sigh, "Your memory is truly remarkable. You still remember such a small matter."

"You're not bad either. As soon as I mention it, you know what I'm talking about. Others wouldn't have a clue which incident I'm referring to," Ming Yiyang replied.

Without dwelling on the enigmatic topic, Ming Yiyang adopted a more serious tone, continuing his train of thought, "Actually, it's not necessary for every invitation to be different. As long as one among us receives a distinct invitation, the so-called collaboration will be filled with uncertainties. Discrepancies in individual interests are minor issues. The worst-case scenario would be mutual sabotage."

Within less than two hours, a murder had taken place. It seemed that someone had already identified themselves and their mission through the invitation process.

Yan Qiling withdrew his gaze, speaking with a neutral tone:

"The Unseen Master's killings are restricted by rules, but outsiders are not."

Ming Yiyang seemed lost in thought:

"The person who attacked Song Yuan didn't immediately reveal their identity, suggesting they still have unfinished business. There should be more to come. But is that the only possibility?"

The young man leaned forward, following Yan Qiling's line of sight. The silver hair visible beneath his hood danced wildly in the wind:

"I believe this action wasn't just about eliminating an outsider."

Yan Qiling let out a faint smile, devoid of warmth:

"To those uninformed, Song Yuan died for violating the rules. To us who have guessed, catching the traitor is imperative. These are the two paths the Unseen Master wishes us to take."

"I understand," the young man said. "Isn't this the same principle you always emphasize, 'Answers don't guarantee safety'? So, we must find a way out first."

"Well, let's head to the entrance of the ski resort and see."

With his hands in his pockets, Yan Qiling's breath was almost invisible as it formed a thin mist, in stark contrast to the continuous puffs of white steam he produced while speaking to the young man beside him.

Pausing for a moment, Ming Yiyang reached out to grasp Yan Qiling's wrist, hidden beneath his sleeve. It felt as if he was holding a handful of snow in the icy cold.

More than being surprised, he was annoyed:

"Next time, find a normal place to chat. Don't stand in the freezing wind discussing matters. Even if you're not cold, I am... Being frozen like this, if your muscle tissue were to necrotize, not eight hundred personal doctors could save you."

"Not because I'm being too intrusive," Yan Qiling said. "You interfere in my life much more often."

Ming Yiyang promptly inserted the person's hand into his own down jacket pocket, fiercely grasping the bony structure beneath the delicate skin. He put on a fake smile, a technique he had learned from Yan Qiling.

"Well, since you've put it that way, it would be impolite of me not to comment. Mr. Yan, this pair of shoes, this outfit, why are they so different from what we agreed upon?"

Before arriving, Chi Zihe had anticipated the extreme cold in this Borderless World and exhorted them to take ample warming precautions before entering.

For Ming Yiyang, who had braved the bitter cold of Northeastern China, down jackets, scarves, cotton boots, and padded trousers were all essential gear. In contrast, Yan Qiling was woefully unequipped, lacking even a single item suitable for such harsh conditions.

Not even a scarf.

Yet, Yan Qiling was oblivious, examining his attire as he looked down.

"You're dressed for winter, and so am I. What's the difference?"

"There's a difference everywhere!"

You're wearing winter clothes fit for the south!

Ming Yiyang held back the latter half of his remark, afraid that he might blurt out a string of curses.

The young man stomped forward through the snowstorm, still clutching his pockets tightly.

Perhaps because the inside of his pockets were pressed against his body, Yan Qiling could sense the contrasting warmth within compared to the chilly outside world.

He had never been aware of how low his body temperature was.

But the scorching heat from the other person's palm made him realize once again that his icy body was anything but normal.

He was someone you couldn't warm up to.

That's how he should have honestly conveyed it.

"Watch your step. If the snow seeps into your shoes, speak up."

Amidst the crunching of snow underfoot, the youth, without turning back, spoke with a forced impatience in his tone:

"If it really comes to it, I can carry you. Don't stay silent and risk frostbite; I'm not capable of performing major surgeries like amputations."

Yan Qiling remained silent.

In the subtle confusion and permissive silence, he swallowed all sounds except for his breathing.

-

Upon returning to the hotel, only the female receptionist was still at the counter, recording something.

A "No Entry" sign had been placed at the entrance of the public restroom.

Yan Qiling and Ming Yiyang walked to a standalone redwood pedestal on the left side of the lobby.

The base was adorned with a sparkling golden plaque engraved with an aerial view of the entire hotel.

Judging from the rusted floral patterns in the corners, the image had been around for quite some time. Nonetheless, every detail on the engraving was still vivid, albeit difficult to discern due to the miniature size of the panorama.

At the bottom, the establishment date of the hotel was inscribed: March 13th, 1909.

Beside it, there was a hurriedly etched signature: Vanda Speaks Cointe.

The hotel comprised four levels.

The basement housed a garage, kitchen, storage rooms, utility areas, cold storage, and heating boilers, along with a row of staff dormitories.

On the ground floor, one would find the reception, manager's office, the Golden Rhapsody dining area, and the ski slope among other recreational facilities.

The two upper floors were reserved for guest rooms, symmetrically arranged on either side.

Room numbers on the second floor ranged from 201 to 220, while the third floor had rooms numbered from 301 to 320.

Ming Yiyang took out his phone and accessed the map photo he had previously taken. He zoomed in on the ski slope section and compared it with the engravings on the golden plaque.

"The two entrances and exits of the hotel, one is the entrance we used to get up the mountain, and you've seen the closed sign with your own eyes. This time, the exit should be at the cable car station on the top of the ski slope."

"There are two cable lines up there – one leads from the hotel to the skiing point, and the other goes directly down the mountain."

Yan Qiling hummed in response, studying the man who stood two heads taller than him intently:

"I estimated based on your height that the metal gate blocking the ski slope is over four meters tall. Climbing it without any equipment seems impossible; it's smooth and cast in one piece, making it difficult to damage."

Ming Yiyang put away his phone. The indoor heating was too strong, so he loosened the scarf wrapped around his neck slightly:

"The card reader next to the ski slope's metal gate is still operational. We need to find a card, which is usually held by the manager or someone specifically in charge of the ski resort."

Yan Qiling looked thoughtfully at the receptionist who was recording information at the front desk:

"We could inquire with her."

Ming Yiyang glanced at him sideways:

"Sure, go ahead. I'll keep a lookout for you."

Yan Qiling remained silent, instead gazing at him with his twin phoenix eyes that seemed to hold pools of water:

"You're more suitable."

"Why do you think so?"

A hint of playful mockery, which Yan Qiling usually kept concealed, seeped into his composed expression:

"Because you're handsome."

Ming Yiyang couldn't help but admit it.

He found himself swayed by the final statement of this person.