Chapter 15: The Real Mirage

As soon as Duan Wenxuan turned away, his expression drastically changed, and he quietly let out a deep breath.

He had been terrified.

Just moments ago, he held his breath nervously. In reality, public officials like Li Dong exude a commanding presence. Normally, Duan Wenxuan would never dare to speak so boldly to him.

“Hey, bro Xia, bro Xia.” Seeing Duan Wenxuan approach, Liao Yangsu waved repeatedly.

“Hold on, stay about four or five steps back first,” instructed Duan Wenxuan. Having walked through the flower sea, he was covered in pollen. He knew well the potency of this pollen; it would be disastrous if Liao Yangsu were to inhale it.

Liao Yangsu obediently kept his distance, not daring to get closer.

After Duan Wenxuan’s group moved away, the small path they had cleared moments earlier rapidly regrew before their eyes, quickly filling the area with dense foliage once more. However, these flowers seemed territorial; after spreading to a certain extent, they ceased growing further.

In the serene jungle, patches of white flowers stretched out, creating a scene reminiscent of paradise. Yet, despite their beauty, animals like rabbits instinctively avoided the floral sea rather than being drawn to it.

Meanwhile, Liao Yangsu resumed his journey.

As evening approached, the mosquito attacks intensified, making the jungle’s nights unsuitable for rest.

However, tonight was destined to be particularly restless for Liao Yangsu. Just as he struggled to climb a tree, intending to create a makeshift sleeping spot, a stone suddenly came flying from an unknown direction.

With a thud, it struck directly at the back of Liao Yangsu’s head.

Caught off guard, he plummeted down from the tree. His hand touched his head and came away covered in blood, followed by a sharp wave of pain.

Thud, thud, thud! In the next moment, more stones rained down with increasing frequency.

The old wolf sprang up, tail tucked between its legs, barking fiercely into the dark jungle.

Duan Wenxuan also suffered several hits, feeling the pain but showing no visible wounds on his body. Given the current situation, Xia Wenwu couldn’t return to Liyang City just yet. If he did, he’d likely arrive with bite marks from the old wolf, lingering effects from flower pollen exposure, and fresh injuries from being pelted with stones.

With so many wounds, Xia Wenwu would undoubtedly face severe consequences.

—Chirp, chirp, chirp—

While Duan Wenxuan evaded the onslaught, piercing cries emanated from the trees above, numerous and shrill.

“Show yourselves!” Without hesitation, Duan Wenxuan grabbed nearby rocks and sticks, hurling them towards the source of the cries.

The cries intensified, and simultaneously, creatures hiding within the foliage revealed themselves.

It was monkeys, a whole group of them.

Each monkey held stones, chattering angrily with fierce expressions. They seemed to assert dominance by throwing rocks but wouldn’t tolerate retaliation.

Seeing that these monkeys had no intention of backing down, Duan Wenxuan’s temper flared. Just as he raised his whistle baton to confront them, another loud tiger roar echoed from behind him.

The old wolf’s legs buckled, its previous aggressive calls turning into pleading whimpers as it collapsed fearfully, too scared to move.

Duan Wenxuan’s heart raced, sensing a menacing presence behind him akin to the tiger’s roar.

Turning swiftly, he spotted a large, striped tiger with wary yet ferocious eyes. Its massive paw rested on a rock, head slightly lowered as it gazed at Duan Wenxuan.

In his heightened state of tension, the striped tiger momentarily froze before abruptly shifting its gaze behind itself. To Duan Wenxuan’s surprise, a white deer emerged gracefully, stepping lightly with an elegant stride.

Despite anthropomorphizing, there was no denying the breathtaking beauty of this white deer; it truly appeared like a spirit straight out of the forest.

Instantly, their eyes met - Duan Wenxuan’s gaze locking onto the white deer’s expressive stare.

Duan Wenxuan felt a brief heat flash across his hand. Since he was currently in Xia Wenwu’s body, there was no symbol of the door on his hand. Thus, it could only mean that his consciousness perceived it.

This white deer possessed something akin to what the small paper figurines had—the essence that the door could absorb and utilize to enhance its capabilities.

“Awhuu”

The white deer slightly lifted its head, emitting a clear and ethereal sound.

Strangely enough, Duan Wenxuan understood its meaning. The white deer was telling him to leave. Little Peak Mountain would no longer belong to humans but to these creatures. Instantly grasping this, Duan Wenxuan surmised that the recent drastic changes on Little Peak Mountain were likely connected to this very white deer.

Leaving today was now inevitable, much like how Li Dong had no choice but to retreat dispiritedly from the flower field.

For himself, it wasn’t too concerning, but Liao Yangsu was just an ordinary person. Initially, Duan Wenxuan merely intended for her to believe more firmly in the fabricated lies he spun. At present, he still lacked the courage to watch passively as Liao Yangsu met her demise, considering he brought her to Little Peak Mountain in the first place.

“Alright,” after a moment of silence, Duan Wenxuan temporarily conceded. “I’ll depart today, but I hope you won’t disturb us when we descend the mountain.”

“Awhuu”

The white deer shook its head, seemingly agreeing with Duan Wenxuan’s request. With a swift turn, it bounded back into the jungle and vanished from sight.

Under the watchful eyes of monkeys and tigers, Duan Wenxuan helped the half-conscious Liao Yangsu to his feet and began descending the mountain path.

“X-Xia bro…” Liao Yangsu grimaced, his face contorting in pain as he groaned, clearly suffering.

“It’s alright, this incident isn’t your fault. I’ll report the truth to Master Tang. Your perseverance to endure until now is commendable.”

Liao Yangsu seemed somewhat reassured, but still felt uneasy inside.

He had witnessed firsthand how the world was spiraling into chaos, which would naturally instill fear in anyone. Liao Yangsu desperately wanted to seize this opportunity, fully aware that those who adapt early during times of change often become the leaders in the new era.

At around thirty years old, he had lived a mundane life for over three decades. Once his passion ignited, there was no going back to tranquility.

The descent was quicker; Duan Wenxuan didn’t rest at all throughout the night, eventually carrying Liao Yangsu on his back as they sprinted down the mountain. By around 10:30 AM the next morning, Duan Wenxuan and Liao Yangsu reached the foot of Little Peak Mountain.

As soon as emerging from cover, Duan Wenxuan put Liao Yangsu down.

This area was undoubtedly swarming with armed personnel nearby. Placing Liao Yangsu in a conspicuous spot would quickly attract rescuers. As for Duan Wenxuan, he turned away and headed back up the mountain.

Little Peak Mountain covered a significant expanse, its ranges stretching continuously. To truly encircle and blockade the entire mountain range was quite challenging. However, it became simpler for Duan Wenxuan alone. He roamed around Little Peak Mountain, and finally, under the cover of darkness, he found a small path to make his escape.

Once out, he rushed straight towards the train station and ultimately returned home.

Duan Wenxuan’s journey had taken about eight or nine days, longer than he anticipated. Fortunately, before leaving, he had carefully positioned nutrient droppers above his mouth, ensuring automatic ingestion while he was absent. Combined with his unexpectedly robust physical condition, this prevented any serious complications during his absence.

After returning his consciousness, Duan Wenxuan still felt disoriented and dizzy.

This time, he genuinely suffered physical harm. For two whole days, Duan Wenxuan experienced heightened mental alertness, but his body struggled due to consuming minimal nutrients over those eight or nine days.

However, now Duan Wenxuan felt that his body was truly quite resilient, recovering swiftly.

Once both his mind and body had sufficiently recuperated, Duan Wenxuan finally had the capacity to attend to other matters. On that same day at noon, he received a message from Zong Cheng.

Zong Cheng mentioned that the An City municipal government was making significant moves, having summoned all key personnel from notable construction companies the previous night, including himself.

Their mobile phones and communication devices were confiscated, and approximately one month later, Zong Cheng planned to find a way to contact Duan Wenxuan again, urging him not to worry. It was evident that Zong Cheng’s message was cautiously worded, afraid to reveal too much lest it be monitored and raise suspicions.

As a technical specialist, Duan Wenxuan believed that technicians would always be protected, so their safety should currently not be a concern.

Temporarily setting aside his concerns for Zong Cheng, Duan Wenxuan logged onto the internet to investigate Little Peak Mountain’s situation. Considering the magnitude of events at Little Peak Mountain, he felt it couldn’t be easily concealed, and expected that the An City municipal government would have some explanation.

However, upon going online, he was taken aback—Fen City’s Qi District had stolen the spotlight. It turned out that just last night, Qi District experienced a surreal and mysterious mirage event.

Fen City consists of two districts, one city, and two counties. Among them, at around 7:30 pm yesterday evening, a mirage suddenly appeared above a residential building in Qi District.

This mirage was exceptionally clear, almost like a high-definition video projection.

Moreover, the mirage had a name: “Survival Trial.” This wasn’t a random claim by netizens; as soon as the mirage emerged, these words prominently displayed as its title!

Following this, a terrifying underground passageway materialized, with approximately forty individuals appearing near its entrance. These people varied in age, ranging from old to young, and included both men and women. As they panicked and argued amongst themselves, monstrous creatures with grotesquely decaying faces began chasing after them from behind.

Immediately, these individuals started running. The corridor was fixed, with a continuous path ahead, albeit filled with various traps along the way. However, at certain points, medicines, water, and weapons were deliberately placed… It was practically akin to a real-life Mario-style obstacle course.

The reason this spectacle had caused such a stir was that the projection could be seen by everyone in Qi District just by looking up. From any angle, it always appeared perfectly overhead, truly astounding.

Those attempting the trial within the projection were all residents from one particular residential building shown at the beginning of the scene, sparing none regardless of age, whether elderly or children.

Last night, Qi District was gripped with fear, as sirens blared throughout the entire evening.

Everyone witnessed how many people met gruesome deaths during the trial. This wasn’t a virtual game; the clear visuals depicted in the projection disturbed countless viewers and instilled immense terror.

The scene continued until finally, at 4:13 AM today, someone barely alive reached the finish line, marking its end.

This incident had become too widespread. With Hanming Country’s internet continually evolving, even constant deletion of negative information could not prevent its diffusion.

Little Peak Mountain should thank Qi District, as previously all discussions revolved around Little Peak Mountain. However, from what it currently seemed, the white deer there was merely driving humans away. Although it caused harm during this process, the deer itself did not have any intent to indiscriminately slaughter humans.

In contrast, Qi District was different. If Little Peak Mountain’s changes were like lukewarm water gradually heating up, then the true mirage event in Qi District was akin to a scalding pot of oil.

“This world is becoming increasingly mysterious,” Duan Wenxuan murmured worriedly. Without further ado, he immediately entered The Restaurant Philosophers universe. It was urgent for him to learn martial arts there; Duan Wenxuan desperately needed self-defense capabilities.