Chapter 83

Chapter 83

This emergency recall was called on such short notice that even Xu Muchan, who wasn't on the roster, tagged along on the flight to the capital.

After exiting the Capital Airport, a car was already waiting. The group piled in and headed straight to the headquarters of the Heihe Research Institute. As they walked in, Xu Muchan noticed that besides their team, many other crews were streaming in one after another, and the whole place felt tense and heavy.

Jin Qingqing and the crew had to bolt to a meeting. Since Xu Muchan wasn't on the roster, he didn't need to attend, so he crashed in the staff quarters they'd set up for him.

The meeting dragged on for three full days. During that time, Xu Muchan stayed in the staff dormitory, getting updates here and there.

There were way too many predicted surge sites, and all of them hitting at once just didn't add up, so a lot of folks were calling the predictions into question.

But they couldn't just brush off the damage from past surges, so while the staff was going back and forth over whether the predictions were even right, they were also pulling overtime tweaking the new prediction system, trying to run the forecasts again.

But from what Peng Ye told him, they'd rerun the system three times, and it gave the same result every single time.

By then, the first teams sent out to check the sites had already reported in, saying they hadn't found anything weird at the predicted surge spots. That just made the argument worse, with more people doubting the system.

As for the deeper intel, Xu Muchan didn't have much access to it, so he just parked himself in the HQ reference room and read through every file he could get his hands on.

He was reading when his phone buzzed. Xu Muchan glanced at the screen—it was Wei Yao calling.

He put the files down and stepped out to answer: "Wei Yao?"

"Happy New Year, Xu Muchan!" Wei Yao's cheery voice came through, followed by a rapid-fire string of questions: "Didn't you say you were going to Panlong Ridge for a trip? How come you dropped off the face of the earth? We sent you messages and got no reply."

Xu Muchan held the phone away and checked the calendar, only then realizing it was already New Year's.

"Signal's spotty at Panlong Ridge, so I never saw your messages." Xu Muchan switched to earbuds and opened WeChat. The interface spun for a moment before loading a flood of messages—mostly New Year greetings.

He texted people back while saying, "Happy New Year to you too. You still in Yundong?"

That got Wei Yao going, and he started venting a mile a minute: "Still here! My grandpa's dead set on 'roughing it and counting our blessings' in this godforsaken place. You have no idea—this year's New Year's Eve dinner, the whole family had to cook it ourselves! There's no gas here, so we have to boil water with electricity. I was freezing my ass off just trying to shower... I don't know when the old man's gonna take pity on us and let us go home. I can't take another second in this place..."

"Oh right, we're about to go pay respects at the ancestral tomb. Isn't that messed up for New Year's? I mean, it's the Old Wei family tomb, but we don't even know those dead people. And the tomb got flooded the last couple days—water came out of nowhere, half the burial chamber's underwater... It gives me the creeps just looking at it. You don't think there's something bad in there, do you?"

As he talked, Wei Yao sent Xu Muchan a video.

The video was huge, and Xu Muchan's connection was crap, so it took forever to load. He tapped it open and saw the tomb was indeed flooded, the water looking pretty deep. The miniature courtyard, built as a perfect replica of the Wei family's old house, was completely underwater, the rippling water making it look like some kind of mirage.

No wonder Wei Yao was scared something was in there—the water really did look off.

The video was over a minute long, mostly the same shot with barely any change in angle. Xu Muchan frowned and dragged the timeline forward. Near the end, the calm water suddenly rippled, and something seemed to flash by.

Xu Muchan's finger froze. He dragged the bar back and zoomed in.

In the frozen frame, the water reflected a faint glint—nothing there. He hit play and slowed it down to the slowest speed.

The timeline crept forward, the water glinting in little flashes. Xu Muchan stared hard at the screen. At the fifty-six-second mark, under the calm surface, a figure shot past...

Xu Muchan's eyes narrowed. He dragged the bar back again for a closer look.

This time, he was sure he hadn't seen wrong. The figure flashing through the water was his brother.

Why would his brother return to the Wei family ancestral tomb?

His heart was pounding. Wei Yao was still yapping away on the other end, but Xu Muchan didn't catch a single word. He quickly made up an excuse to hang up, then watched the video two more times before texting Wei Yao: "You guys better not go back down into that tomb. I'll be in Yundong tomorrow or the day after."

After he sent it, his phone buzzed nonstop—probably Wei Yao replying—but Xu Muchan didn't have time to read them. He called He Yunyi and told her something came up and he had to leave early.

He Yunyi was a little surprised but didn't try to stop him. She sounded tired: "That's fine. After a few days of going back and forth, we've basically decided the prediction system might be glitching. It's New Year's, so no need for you to stick around here with us. If you've got stuff to do, go on—head home and enjoy the holiday."

Xu Muchan grunted in acknowledgment and was about to hang up when He Yunyi hesitated and asked, "I heard from Jin Qingqing and the others that something happened to your brother..."

She said carefully, "If there's anything we can do, just let me know..."

"It's nothing. I've got it handled." He turned her down, hung up, and booked the earliest flight he could get to Yundong.

Luckily, flights were easy to book during New Year's. Xu Muchan threw a few things in a bag and headed to the airport.

But once he got there, he found that while flights were easy to book, finding a car to take him to some remote village during New Year's was a whole other story. He shelled out big money for a driver and had him follow the GPS route Wei Yao had sent.

Four hours later, they rolled into the little village.

Last time Wei Xilou brought Xu Muchan here, the village was totally abandoned—most of the original residents had moved out, leaving only crumbling houses behind.

This time, though, the village was way livelier than before. Besides the Wei family, there were workers they'd shelled out big money for, who hadn't even taken off for New Year's, busy rebuilding houses and clearing out the tomb.

Wei Yao, who'd gotten his message, came bounding out to greet him. Seeing Xu Muchan staring at the houses, he mumbled, "My grandpa said he already applied to the local government. They're footing the bill to renovate this whole area, including the underground tomb. Once it's all done, they want to market it as a tourist attraction. Remember how they dug up a bunch of Wei family records and treasures from the tomb? He's even planning to set up a little exhibition hall..."

"Who the hell would come all this way to see that? I don't even want to look at it myself..."

As he was talking, Wei Yao had already dragged him inside. Wei Yao's grandpa and parents were all there. Since they knew how close Xu Muchan was to Wei Xilou, they treated him with a lot of respect. Xu Muchan got stuck in small talk for a while, explained why Wei Xilou hadn't come this time, and finally managed to escape.

Wei Yao yanked him away from the elders and let out a breath: "See? This is the miserable life I've been living!"

Xu Muchan laughed at his whiny tone and said, "I want to go check out the tomb."

Wei Yao jumped in, "I'm coming with you! I can't take my grandpa and parents nagging anymore—my ears are about to fall off."

Xu Muchan had planned to go alone, but seeing how eager Wei Yao looked, he couldn't just ditch him. He nodded and said, "But I might have to go in the water later. You can't come with me—I'm worried it could be dangerous."

Wei Yao shuddered, his eyes going wide: "There's actually something in there?"

Xu Muchan shook his head: "Not sure yet. That's why I need to go check."

Hearing that, Wei Yao's earlier bravado went out the window. He shuffled cautiously behind Xu Muchan: "Then I'll wait outside for you. The place is flooded—my grandpa's worried about the old courtyard getting ruined and was planning to pump the water out in the next couple days... How about we wait till it's drained before we go in?"

Xu Muchan shook his head and headed down the narrow corridor.

They'd installed electric lights in the passage, which made things way easier than before. The two went down together, passed through a doorway, and saw the huge burial chamber below completely underwater.

Xu Muchan remembered that past this door, a little bridge used to lead to the Wei residence inside the tomb, but the bridge was gone now, leaving only water that nearly spilled into the corridor outside.

There was a kayak tied to something in the water—probably someone had taken it out earlier to check on the Wei residence.

"Wait here for me. I'll paddle over and check it out." Xu Muchan said as he stepped onto the swaying kayak.

Wei Yao craned his neck, worried but too scared to follow: "You really don't want me to come?"

Xu Muchan shook his head: "Stay on the shore. If something happens, you can go get help."

He paused, then added, "Remember, I'm not a normal person. Nothing's gonna happen to me. Just don't get in the water—there might really be something in there. If something goes wrong, I'd have to come save you."

That made sense, so Wei Yao picked up a spare paddle and gripped it tight: "Alright, be careful."

Xu Muchan sat on the kayak, paddling awkwardly as he slowly made his way toward the distant Wei residence.

He thought back to where the figure had appeared in the video—inside the Wei residence, in the water near the Ascension Tower.

The Tower of Ascension was the tallest building in the Wei residence. Xu Muchan looked up and felt the wooden tower resembled a half-sunken ship at sea, with only half of it sticking out of the water. The refracted light from the ripples cast shifting shadows across the tower, creating a strange, eerie sight.

Xu Muchan paddled his kayak slowly closer.

When he reached the spot from the video, he found nothing.

The Wei residence submerged in water felt even more eerie and foreboding, but that was merely an illusion created by the gloomy surroundings. Xu Muchan scanned the area but found no sign of Wei Xilou.

He determinedly set down the paddle, gripped the edge of the kayak, and peered into the water, calling out softly, "Brother... Wei Xilou..."

Afraid of startling Wei Yao on the bank, he kept his voice low.

But after calling for a while, the figure that had appeared briefly in the video did not show up.

Xu Muchan straightened up, sat blankly on the kayak for a moment, then circled the entire Wei residence before paddling back, dejected.

Ever since his brother had also disappeared in the ghost domain, Xu Muchan had been trying to maintain a normal life, reassuring himself that his brother couldn't have come to harm, and betraying no signs of anxiety or panic.

But now, the crushing disappointment finally shattered the composure he had struggled to maintain, until he barely had the strength to paddle the kayak back.

The kayak gradually slowed, until it finally came to a stop in the middle of the water. Xu Muchan sat there dazed, his unfocused gaze resting blankly on the shimmering surface.

He seemed to hear Wei Yao's voice from the shore. Xu Muchan turned his head sluggishly and saw Wei Yao waving frantically, as if trying to say something.

Strangely, though the distance wasn't far, he couldn't make out Wei Yao's words, only distorted, muffled sounds came through. Xu Muchan snapped out of his deep gloom and slowly realized something was off.

The kayak kept spinning in place, and a whirlpool formed below, ripples spreading outward in rings, as if something was beneath the surface.

Xu Muchan's first reaction wasn't fear but excitement at finding what he'd lost. Ignoring Wei Yao on the shore, he leaned over the side of the kayak toward the water, his voice slightly trembling: "Brother, is that you?"

The water beneath the kayak stirred with a huge, arc-shaped ripple, as if something massive had just swum past.

Xu Muchan leaned even lower, his face nearly touching the water's surface, the kayak rocking violently as he shifted his weight.

But Xu Muchan paid it no mind, his eyes involuntarily turning black-red as he stared intently at the water.

A figure slowly rose from beneath the water, and Wei Xilou's strikingly handsome face appeared just below the surface. Through the water, his hair drifted like seaweed, his complexion deathly pale.

His pale, thin lips moved slowly, as if speaking to Xu Muchan.

But the sound through the water was too faint for Xu Muchan to hear, so he turned his head, pressing his ear to the water's surface to listen carefully.

This time, he heard clearly: "Achan, come here..."

"Brother."

Xu Muchan's eyes widened, and he instinctively reached into the water. The person in the water also extended a hand, as if to take his hand—

But just as their fingertips touched, Wei Xilou's expression suddenly shifted. His dark brows furrowed, his long, narrow eyes looked sorrowful, and then he sighed softly, saying, "Still so easy to fool..."

Xu Muchan ignored the comment, gripping his hand tightly, trying to pull him out of the water.

But the person underwater remained motionless, while the kayak, which had been spinning in place, suddenly moved. Even though no one was paddling, it seemed to be pushed forward by something invisible.

And the person underwater stayed the same distance away, his face submerged, gazing at Xu Muchan through the rippling water.

Xu Muchan pressed his lips stubbornly. He was almost completely transformed into a ghost, one hand submerged in the water, gripping Wei Xilou's hand tightly, while his rapidly lengthening hair entered the water like a swarm of snakes, wrapping tightly around Wei Xilou's body.

But even so, he couldn't move the person underwater.

Seeing the kayak about to reach the shore and hearing Wei Yao's voice growing clearer, Xu Muchan's lips trembled. He gritted his teeth: "Come back with me!"

Wei Xilou seemed to sigh again, his face underwater fading away like a ripple. The hair that had entered the water found nothing to hold, swirling aimlessly in the depths. Xu Muchan felt something cold touch his ear, and he immediately turned around, but saw nothing.

The kayak kept moving forward, only four or five meters from the shore.

Xu Muchan looked back at the water again, pursing his lips as he began to strip off his heavy down jacket and shoes.

He was determined to bring Wei Xilou back with him, even prepared to dive into the water.

Just as he was about to jump into the water, his body was suddenly wrapped in cold limbs, and then his rear was smacked hard. Wei Xilou's voice whispered in his ear, full of warning: "Achan, don't be stubborn."

Xu Muchan shuddered, turned around, but saw nothing.

In the past, he might have been afraid, but things had changed. He pressed his lips together and persisted: "Why can't you come back with me? Are you in trouble?"

Wei Xilou remained silent.

Xu Muchan gritted his teeth: "If you don't tell me, I'll come back again."

A faint sigh seemed to echo in his ear, and cold limbs felt like they were embracing him. Xu Muchan closed his eyes and heard a voice whisper in his ear: "I'll be fine... You go back first. Once I've dealt with this, I'll return."

He didn't believe a word of it.

But by then, the kayak had quietly reached the shore. Wei Yao on the bank grabbed the kayak's handle and pulled the dazed Xu Muchan off, saying, "Damn, are you okay? You scared me to death just now!"

Xu Muchan turned to look at him: "What did you see?"

Wei Yao was stunned, then stammered, "I didn't see anything..."

Xu Muchan's frown deepened: "Then what were you shouting about on the shore?"

Wei Yao was even more confused, a hint of fear creeping across his face. He swallowed hard and stammered, "I wasn't shouting, don't scare me... I just saw you stop paddling and go still for a bit, got worried, and asked a couple of questions..."

But Xu Muchan hadn't responded then, and not long after, the kayak started moving again, so Wei Yao just waited by the shore.

Xu Muchan looked at his barely concealed panic, pursed his lips, and didn't press further.

"Forget it, let's get out of here first."

Wei Yao said "Oh," clutching the paddle, and followed him out with his head down, not daring to look back.

But as Xu Muchan reached the main tomb chamber's entrance, he glanced back for some reason. In the submerged Wei family estate, a massive figure flashed past, sending huge ripples across the water before the water quickly calmed again.

The two of them left the tomb and headed to Wei Yao's room.

The tomb was damp and waterlogged, and both their clothes were dirty. Wei Yao pulled a set of clothes from his suitcase and tossed them to Xu Muchan: "Tough conditions, I only brought a few sets, so make do."

Xu Muchan's mind was still lost in thought. He took the clothes but didn't move.

Going over the events in the tomb carefully, he realized that the brother he'd seen at first and the brother he'd seen later seemed different. At the start, his brother had seemed a bit off, but later he'd seemed like his usual self.

But he was certain they were both his brother.

And if his brother had appeared, why couldn't he come back with him?

Thinking of the surging black water flooding the passage in the Immortal Village, Xu Muchan bit down on his lip—was it because of the Black River?

Was his brother stuck in the Black River?

And from what his brother said, it sounded like he'd run into some kind of trouble, but he clearly didn't want to tell him about it.

Xu Muchan felt annoyed, his brows furrowed tightly. Wei Yao, noticing his expression, tentatively raised his hand and said, "I've only worn this once, and I washed it before bringing it over. It's not that bad, is it?"

Xu Muchan snapped out of it and saw Wei Yao looking at him with a miffed expression.

Xu Muchan realized what was going on and explained, "No, I was thinking about something else that made me angry."

Because of what he'd found in the tomb, Xu Muchan decided to stick around in the village.

The houses in the village were still being fixed up, and not many were habitable, so he had to share a room with Wei Yao. Later, he couldn't let it go and went back a few more times, but he never saw Wei Xilou again.

It wasn't until after the third day of the new year that the workers Old Master Wei had arranged all showed up and quickly drained the water from the tomb.

Because of the flooding, the residence inside the tomb had suffered considerable damage, which had Old Master Wei sighing in distress all day long.

He stayed in the village until the fifth day of the new year, and with school about to start, he had no choice but to head back to Jiangcheng with Wei Yao.

On the way back, Xu Muchan was glum and worried, while Wei Yao was elated, like he'd just been let out of prison.

Even after getting off the plane, the smile never left his face, and he'd already arranged to meet Wen Dajiang and others for dinner and playing games while still in the car.

Xu Muchan, however, wasn't in the mood. He had a meal but didn't join the later activities, taking a cab back to Oak Manor.

Oak Manor felt empty and still. The housekeeper was on extended leave, and only a part-time cleaner came by on a schedule. The big villa felt cold and hollow.

After a day of running around and a gathering, it was already late. Xu Muchan took a shower and planned to sleep, but once in bed, he couldn't fall asleep.

When he and his brother had lived here together before, he never felt the house was so empty and desolate.

After tossing and turning for a long time, Xu Muchan bit his lip, got up, and carried his pillow to Wei Xilou's bedroom.

Wei Xilou's bedroom was right next door. Xu Muchan placed his pillow down, pulled the blanket over his head, and only then managed to drift off to sleep.