Chapter Thirty-Five: Lingyi Town

Not long after, vehicles from Lingyi Town finally made their way through the swirling snow and arrived at the location of the coach. The passengers on board were all elated; after all, they had traveled so far for a vacation, and to be personally greeted by the townsfolk imparted a sense of honor and flattered privilege.

The driver got off to speak with the townspeople. Chen Ziang strained to see from the back row, hoping to catch a glimpse of their faces, but all he could make out were a few sturdy figures swaddled from head to toe in heavy winter gear. The two sides exchanged a few words, after which those in the snow gear returned to their snowplow and began clearing the road ahead, leading the way for the coach.

The atmosphere inside the bus grew livelier. Many passengers even rushed from the rear to the front, snapping pictures of the snowplow with their phones—after all, within the well-heated expanse of the Far North City, one might not see snow even once a year, let alone a specialized vehicle like a snowplow.

As Chen Ziang pondered, Yukimi Suzuna suddenly remarked, "Those townspeople... their posture is a bit odd."

"In what way?" Chen Ziang quickly asked.

"They're all hunchbacked," she said. "And their bodies lean forward noticeably."

"Perhaps from years of stooped labor?" Chen Ziang mused. "Mining, perhaps?"

The coach followed the snowplow onward, until the outlines of Lingyi Town's houses appeared on the horizon and the storm began to abate.

"How interesting," Rikuho Riko said, glancing at her phone. "Judging by the weather, Lingyi Town seems to be at the very heart of the blizzard, yet it has scarcely been touched by it."

"Meanwhile, the surrounding area is completely locked in by the storm. Without a snowplow, navigation equipment, or a local guide, an ordinary person would have no way to leave."

"It shouldn't be a problem, right?" a girl in the front row overheard and turned around. "The townsfolk seem quite kind. I’m sure they’ll help us leave when the time comes."

"Exactly," her neighbor chimed in. "And who knows, maybe the storm will clear by tomorrow."

Earlier, they had exchanged contacts with Yukimi Suzuna, so Chen Ziang knew the girl with the black ponytail on the left was from the Land Tribe—her name was Tian Xiaoyun. The one on the right, with brown hair and a hair clip, was from the Island Tribe—her name was Sawada Ayaka. The two were colleagues and close friends.

Chen Ziang longed to warn them that their situation was far from safe. Beneath the local mine of Lingyi Town lay the ruins of a ritual site known as the "Sepulcher of Remains"... but to tell this to ordinary people would only earn him a blank look and a mumbled "I don't get it."

So he could only advise them indirectly: "If this were a horror movie, a blizzard like this would be a very obvious sign, and we’d be the classic group of protagonists ignoring all the warnings and marching straight into the little town to meet our doom."

Sawada Ayaka burst into laughter, leaning on Yukimi Suzuna. "Suzuna, your boyfriend is hilarious!"

"There's just no dealing with him," Yukimi Suzuna sighed dramatically. "But he has a point. If we get stuck in Lingyi Town and can't make it back to work, our boss will be anything but understanding."

Her words did give the two girls pause. If the blizzard lasted several more days, their only hope of returning would be if the townsfolk agreed to help. But if they left with the same coach...

"We did spend fifteen hours on the road," Tian Xiaoyun sighed. "It would be such a shame not to soak in the hot springs."

"Let’s just hope the return trip goes smoothly," Sawada Ayaka agreed.

Having failed to persuade them, as he expected, Chen Ziang fell silent, communicating only with Yukimi Suzuna and Rikuho Riko by phone.

Just as the intelligence officer had said, the closer they drew to Lingyi Town, the weaker the blizzard’s fury became. By the time the coach entered the town, the snowstorm had ceased entirely; not a single snowflake drifted through the air.

Soon they arrived at the bus station. The driver parked and let everyone out before heading to the lounge to rest.

Chen Ziang followed the others off the bus. The air hovered around freezing—wearing a winter suit felt excessive, but without it, the chill seeped in. He surveyed the surroundings: Lingyi Town looked much like any rural settlement, with its clean, or rather, timeworn broad streets, houses blending Land Tribe and Island Tribe styles, and an atmosphere of desolation bordering on deathly stillness.

Perhaps it was the cold; neither locals nor tourists could be seen on the streets. Where had the snowplow crew gone?

"Let’s check in at the inn and rest first," Chen Ziang suggested. In truth, he had a secondary aim: to glean information from the locals.

Everyone had believed Lingyi Town was abandoned, but if townspeople were still active, it would be wiser to gather intelligence rather than charge straight for the underground mine.

Thanks to the enthusiastic recommendations of Tian Xiaoyun and Sawada Ayaka, they headed for an onsen inn that had been praised by an online influencer.

The proprietress was a graceful middle-aged woman, who deftly registered their rooms. The two girls were clearly intrigued that Chen Ziang and Yukimi Suzuna were not sharing, and immediately began whispering and gossiping.

Catching Yukimi Suzuna’s eye, Chen Ziang carried the girls’ luggage upstairs as an excuse to slip away. Yukimi Suzuna, meanwhile, made use of her charm to chat with the proprietress.

"Madam Fuyutsuki, do you run the inn by yourself?"

"That’s right," the woman replied with a warm smile. "My husband passed away long ago, and my children work in Zhongnan City. So it’s just me looking after the place."

"That must be tough," Yukimi Suzuna said sympathetically. "Business seems good—must be hard managing alone?"

"It’s not as good as it looks. Only recently have more tourists started coming," Madam Fuyutsuki explained. "Apparently someone promoted our hot springs online."

"So, is it true the springs here are good for beauty and health?" Yukimi Suzuna asked curiously.

"Well, let me tell you a little secret..." Madam Fuyutsuki beckoned her closer.

Having delivered the luggage upstairs, Chen Ziang returned to his room and gazed out the window. He noticed that nearly every household kept their windows tightly shut and curtains drawn, as if warding off some unseen threat. It reminded him of the ancient city of Enlank from his dreams.

Yukimi Suzuna entered, saying, "The proprietress told me that nearly everyone in town is over sixty, with limited mobility, so they almost never go out. The town was half-abandoned until recently. Some online posts about the hot springs started to attract visitors, so people began opening shops again."

"And what do you think?" Chen Ziang asked thoughtfully.

"I think she's hiding something," Yukimi Suzuna replied earnestly. "To shift from a half-abandoned state to a tourist-friendly one would require plenty of manpower and resources. For instance, who cleans such a large inn? Where does the food come from? And the bath supplies? If all the locals are elderly and can barely get around, it just doesn’t add up."

"You didn’t ask about the Sepulcher of Remains, did you?" Chen Ziang confirmed.

"No, I was afraid to alarm her," Yukimi Suzuna replied obediently.

"Hmm," Chen Ziang mused. Since they were about to face great danger together, and for the sake of better tactical coordination, he should at least explain his own special abilities to his partner Yukimi Suzuna in advance.

"From here on, we need to conduct a thorough investigation of this town," Chen Ziang said gravely. "Yukimi, are you familiar with the concept of 'collective unconscious'?"