Chapter 145

Chapter 145

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Chen Ji took a deep breath, feeling certain that tomorrow's weather forecast would show their PM levels were off the charts. Yet, for some reason, he found the scent invigorating.

Seizing the rare opportunity, he took several more deep breaths.

Uncle Zhao chuckled at the sight of him. He gestured with his chin towards the scene, where black and yellow smoke, mixed with sand, billowed everywhere. "Looks like we won't be leaving today," he said.

Given the base's location, a helicopter was the most convenient way to send Chen Ji back.

Chen Ji thought for a moment. "No need. I have my own way of getting back."

Uncle Zhao warned, "If you go by land, it's a very long detour."

"Hmm... I won't be going by land." Chen Ji offered a slightly shy smile. "If you agree, I can manage on my own."

The cleanup work was already underway. Uncle Zhao gestured for someone to escort Chen Ji to the main gate. Chen Ji smiled and asked, "Uncle Zhao, my bag?"

Uncle Zhao nodded. Someone nearby immediately brought Chen Ji's backpack, apparently having been waiting with it all along. Chen Ji took his bag, greeted Uncle Zhao and the others, and said, "Then I'll go to the hospital for my medicine. Once I have it, I'll leave. No need to see me off."

"Then I won't," Uncle Zhao replied.

A young man accompanied Chen Ji to get his medicine. Once they were away from the main group, his curious gaze kept drifting towards Chen Ji. Chen Ji felt a little unnerved by it. "What's wrong?"

The young man whispered, "Thanks, bro!"

"What for?" Chen Ji thought it was about the message he'd relayed, but the young man patted his arm and continued, "Oh, you don't know. Those few outside have already scared several of our guys. A few brothers on duty suddenly blacked out, then felt like something bit them, and then they'd get a fever for a while. They'd be so weak!"

Chen Ji was startled. "And no one's doing anything about it?"

The young man scratched his head. "Well... we can't just spread rumors, can we? Everyone thought they encountered vampire bats and got a bunch of vaccinations!"

"..." Chen Ji was silent for a moment, then awkwardly gestured. "Actually, that's not entirely wrong... it's just a bit big..."

Young man: "How big?"

Chen Ji: "One point seven meters."

"Whoa! That big?! Wouldn't that scare people to death?" The young man rubbed his arms, looking visibly shaken.

This time, it was Chen Ji's turn to pat his arm. "It's fine. Whether it was 1.7 or 2.7 meters, its ashes have already been scattered."

Those dozens of two-stage rockets, launched in ten waves, had shaved at least three meters off that patch of forest. Anything that had burrowed out of the ground wouldn't have anywhere to hide temporarily.

The hospital was mostly empty, so Chen Ji didn't have to wait. He received his pre-packaged medicine right away. Chen Ji then asked the young man, "Where do I pay?"

"Pay for what!" The young man declared righteously, "Serving the people!"

Chen Ji didn't decline. After all, he also charged for his work, so considering it a wash was perfectly fine. As they walked out of the hospital, Chen Ji told the young man, "Alright, no need to see me off. I'm heading out."

The young man pointed towards the main gate in confusion. "Huh? Wait, do you know the way? The gate's over there..."

Before the young man could finish, Chen Ji took a step back. With that single step, Chen Ji vanished into thin air. The young man stared at the cold, hard wall in front of him, then, disbelieving, reached out to touch it, and rubbed his eyes hard...

"Aow—! A person just disappeared—!"

Ten minutes later, Uncle Zhao and Dr. Wang watched the surveillance footage of Chen Ji disappearing. Dr. Wang was dumbfounded. "That kid has this kind of ability?"

Uncle Zhao chuckled. "Little Chen is warning us."

Since he could disappear into thin air, it meant he already had a way to leave the base. His willingness to stay was merely to cooperate with them.

Provided he was willing.

He was warning them not to think about detaining him or locking him up somewhere. He had plenty of ways to leave.

***

Chen Ji had just put on a small show.

Although the base's food was delicious and the helicopter ride home was tempting, he simply didn't want to stay at the base for a few more days. He had initially wondered whether to have Old Man Huang or Xiangxiang pick him up, but on second thought, why go through all that trouble? He could just go back himself.

So, he stepped into the Ghost Path.

This was Chen Ji's first time entering the Ghost Path alone. Previously, Xiangxiang and the others had always taken him. Unlike when they entered, where some 'pedestrians' would make way, when he went in alone, all the 'people' stared.

After all, it's rare for a living person to enter the Ghost Path.

But no one made a move—someone who dared to enter, looking calm and walking with steady steps, was likely a capable master.

The Ghost Path certainly wasn't scenic: a pitch-black road, illuminated by strings of white lanterns on either side, and gloomy 'pedestrians'. If this scene were made into an escape room, it wouldn't need many NPCs. Just have them walk endlessly, the same scene appearing no matter where they went, and the 'pedestrians' occasionally attacking the players would be enough to make anyone break down.

Chen Ji walked in the Ghost Path for a while, then suddenly remembered something—wait, how did Xiangxiang and the others determine distance and direction?

He felt like he had been walking straight ahead, probably about a kilometer. But the problem was, which direction was he going? Did this kilometer represent a kilometer in the human world?

Chen Ji was silent for a moment. System Cat: [Don't ask me, I don't know either! We tech products don't understand metaphysics!]

Chen Ji: [Can't you analyze it?]

The System Cat rolled around, scoffing: [You're lost, can't you just go out and look? Don't tell me you only have the ability to get in, not to get out.]

[That's not the case.]

In Chen Ji's view, the human world and the Ghost Path were actually different spaces within the same world—one for the living, one for spirits. He was merely leveraging his ability to actively choose a different path.

Exiting was simply a matter of stepping out; no special maneuvers were required.

In fact, it wasn't just him who could do it. Some ordinary people who didn't understand metaphysics also had a chance of entering the Ghost Path, though ordinary people who went in might not be able to get out.

Chen Ji simply took a step out, and sunlight instantly bathed his body. The intense light, like a warm current, swept away the chill he had accumulated in the Ghost Path.

—He was still in the woods.

Chen Ji found it quite reasonable. After all, Xiangxiang and the others relied on their speed, charging through the Ghost Path like a plane flying in a straight line with no obstacles, naturally reaching their destination quickly. He, walking steadily, had covered about a kilometer inside, and coming out, it was still about a kilometer—it was just that this kilometer might be a straight-line kilometer.

They had an alarming number of mountains here, so even if Chen Ji walked a straight kilometer, emerging in the mountains was still very reasonable.

Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "Holy crap! A person just appeared out of nowhere!"

Chen Ji turned his head at the sound and saw a young man with a large backpack staring at him, wide-eyed and trembling, pointing at him. "You, you..."

Chen Ji looked at him in surprise. "What do you mean, 'appeared out of nowhere'? What's wrong with you? Don't you have any manners?! Why are you shouting?!"

The young man rubbed his eyes, thinking he was just too tired and seeing things. "My apologies, my apologies. I must have been seeing things... Excuse me, I'm lost. Could you tell me how to get down the mountain?"

Chen Ji: "..." He didn't know either.

But he could still see wisps of smoke, indicating that the base wasn't far.

The System Cat quickly showed Chen Ji the GPS location. The good news was that he was quite close to the base, indeed about a kilometer away. The bad news was that he was on a different mountain.

He had shifted one kilometer, from this mountaintop to the adjacent one.

The closest way out from here would be to head east, cross this mountain, and then descend to Qingyun Village. From the village, he could catch a ride back to town—but not the town he usually went to, rather the neighboring Yunjiang Town.

Chen Ji gave the young man directions. The young man thanked him profusely, and just as he was about to leave, he suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground.

Chen Ji walked over to check. Thankfully, he had only fainted.

Chen Ji: "..."

He'd been scared to death, thinking the man had suddenly dropped dead in front of him! That would be truly impossible to explain!

What else could Chen Ji do?

It was almost summer, and there was no shortage of edible things in the forest. Chen Ji suspected the other person had fainted due to low blood sugar or exhaustion. He rummaged through his backpack, pulled out a chocolate bar, put it in the man's mouth, and poured about half a bottle of water down his throat. Sure enough, the young man woke up shortly after.

He looked at Chen Ji with shock, then let out a long sigh of relief. "...That's great. I thought I was hallucinating."

Chen Ji knew immediately that this person must have been walking in the mountains for a long time. He thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll take you down the mountain."

Although the Ghost Path could save time and shorten the journey, it would still involve walking dozens of kilometers. He didn't want to make things difficult for himself. It would be better to accompany this person to Yunjiang Town and have Xiangxiang pick him up there.

The young man's eyes lit up. "Really?!"

He grabbed Chen Ji's hand and shook it vigorously. "Thank you so much! Thank you so much!"

Chen Ji pulled his hand back, helped the young man up, and asked, "Can you still manage? If so, I'll take you."

The young man scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "What if I can't? I can..."

Chen Ji interrupted him coldly and mercilessly, "A forest emergency helicopter costs 140,000 yuan per trip."

Young man: "Alright, I'm feeling great! Let's go now! Bro! You lead the way!"

Chen Ji couldn't help but smile, leading the young man towards Qingyun Village. To conserve energy, neither the young man nor Chen Ji spoke, instead walking with their heads down. About an hour later, Chen Ji had led the young man over the mountain, and they could see the outline of Qingyun Village.

Chen Ji, familiar with the area, found a local to drive them to Yunjiang Town. By the time it was completely dark, Chen Ji had dropped the young man off at the Yunjiang Town hospital.

He stepped out, saw the town lit up with lights, and happily bought two cups of milk tea. He chugged one down quickly and sipped the other slowly.

Well, although he was a local, Yunjiang Town hadn't developed much when he was a child, and he hadn't had time to visit Yunjiang Town after he returned!

Roughly speaking, he was pretty much like any other tourist!