Fate Trading System – Chapter 235

Plan A

Mist Map 8

Second update

That burgeoning, clamoring thing emanating from her bloodline’s external projection.[ efn_note]Original: 外宣血脈 | wàixuān xuèmài | “Wàixuān” usually means external publicity/propaganda. In this context, combined with “xuèmài” (bloodline), it likely refers to an aura, presence, or quality projected outwards from Su Xin’s very being/bloodline, rather than literal propaganda. The exact meaning is slightly ambiguous, interpreted here as an outward emanation.[/efn_note]

There’s a very interesting soul living in this body, Liao Qingjie thought.

Very alluring.

It could draw people closer, and closer still, until that flame burned reason to ashes.

“Then let’s go. I’ll check where that place is. Go home, pack your things, and maybe pack mine too while you’re at it, thanks. Just one set for me is fine. There’s specialized gear in the storage room; I used to go into deep mountains and old forests often, my stamina is definitely up to it.”

Su Xin spoke rapidly to Liao Qingjie as they walked, words tumbling out like firecrackers.

“Okay.”

Liao Qingjie nodded, falling two steps behind to watch Su Xin’s back.

“Why are you walking so slow? Hurry up, let’s grab a taxi back first.”

Su Xin frowned and chided her, her expression completely natural, not at all the attitude one would have towards a stranger they were living with.

“Mhm, mhm.”

Liao Qingjie pulled herself out of her thoughts, caught up with Su Xin, and flagged down a taxi by the roadside.

Ever since the Zou Wanwan incident, Su Xin had developed a habit of glancing at taxi drivers a few times. Although she knew the killer likely wouldn’t reuse the same trick, and with two of them together, the killer should know it wouldn’t be easy to strike.

The driver smiled, his eyes showing simple honesty.

There are generally several types of cabbies¹: the silent type, and the chatterbox type. The one Su Xin encountered was the former. He drove silently and quickly reached their destination. Su Xin paid, and she and Liao Qingjie got out of the car.

As soon as they got home, Su Xin urged Liao Qingjie to pack while she hugged her laptop and started searching for information.

Lord Fourteen, where is this place?

【Querying… Query successful.】

An ultra-clear map appeared before Su Xin’s eyes. A rough view showed the distance from Su Xin’s location to Qiuze Mountain²; it was in a place several cities away within the same province.

Lord Fourteen, zoom in.

Su Xin meticulously studied the route, sketching a rough version on scratch paper.

This is a bit troublesome to get to. Have to take a high-speed train first, then a long-distance bus, and then there’s still a long way to go.

Six years ago, that place was extremely desolate, a deep mountain forest where birds wouldn’t even shit.³ It didn’t seem much better now.

Basically, nobody goes there. The environment isn’t suitable for developing tourism either. Apart from some archaeologists with a strong research spirit or idle explorers, it’s truly desolate.

But that mountain must have some other secret.⁴ That cave couldn’t have just appeared out of thin air. It wasn’t there when they looked before. The original host and the others had pretty much figured out⁵ that mountain six years ago; there was nowhere suitable for people to live, no tribes, let alone houses. So where did those people live? Surely those few people couldn’t have just lived in that small cave, right? After those people ran off, where did they go?

Liao Qingjie was packing. She didn’t have many things to begin with, so after quickly finishing her own, she went into Su Xin’s bedroom and opened the wardrobe.

Su Xin had one wardrobe specifically for mountain climbing clothes – durable, dirt-resistant fabrics, along with sports bras, shoes, and the like.

Liao Qingjie packed a simple selection for her, put the things away neatly, planning to let Su Xin check later if anything was missing. It would be troublesome if they lacked something later on.

Su Xin put away her scratch paper, tucking it into her pocket.

“I’ve packed some basics for you. Take a look and see if anything’s missing? By the way, how long are we going for this time?”

“I’m not sure either. Let’s see if we can find any clues.”

“Your, uh, that thing for the month… it should be over, right?”

It was an unavoidable physiological limitation, an inherent vulnerability. Getting her period on the road would be very troublesome. Her body would weaken, the constant flow would be uncomfortable, and cleaning up would also be extremely difficult.

“It’s already passed. What about you?”

“Mhm.”

If it lasted longer than a month, it might get tricky; they’d definitely need to bring supplies.

“Should we bring some? I’m worried next month might be inconvenient.”

“Let’s bring some just to be safe. We can pack supplies and clothes separately.”

“Mhm.”

The original host used both pads⁶ and tampons⁷. For travel, she definitely used tampons. She didn’t have period pain, so that wasn’t a worry.

Tampons were more convenient for movement than pads and didn’t leak sideways. If they needed to make any big movements, tampons were more suitable.

Using this stuff was rather frustrating, but unavoidable; it was just something one was born with.

Su Xin was especially thankful the original host didn’t have period pain. If she did, she wouldn’t be able to get anything done; the pain alone could kill you, and it caused total body weakness.

“You’ve already searched the route?”

“Mhm, mhm.”

“I’ll make a call to inform the Captain, let them know where we’re going.”

“Will he send people to follow us?”

“Don’t know. It doesn’t matter if they follow, but more people always means more trouble.”

Su Xin went into the bedroom to check the packed items while Liao Qingjie made the call.

“Send people to follow? No need. It’s very far. Just knowing where we’ve gone is enough. We’re looking for clues, not related to the killer’s side, but the museum’s.”

Liao Qingjie concealed part of the truth. If the Captain knew, he would definitely dispatch a large team to search the mountain, which might scare the killer away.

“What time is this for a witness to be running around? Doesn’t she know there’s a pervert waiting to kill her?!”

The Captain roared excitedly on the other end.

“Calm down, calm down. Don’t I have her covered here? Besides, if the killer intends to strike again, the next target definitely won’t be her. I share her opinion on this; the killer will surely save her for last. You think so too, don’t you? If we go somewhere else, the killer will definitely follow to figure things out, which means other people won’t be in danger. If something still happens, then it must be a group operation.”

Liao Qingjie spoke clearly and methodically, analyzing the situation for the Captain line by line.

“It’s not that I don’t understand the logic, but my heart just feels uneasy.”

“So you don’t trust my abilities, huh?”

“How could I?”

Although this one had retired from the military at a young age, she was still top-notch, almost inhumanly so.

“Get me a gun. Two would be fine too, just in case.”

“Alright! I’ll figure out a way to get them for you. You absolutely, positively must guarantee her safety. Call me immediately if anything happens. Oh right, take a tracker, that way I’ll know where you two are. If something happens, at least we’ll know the location.”

The Captain made a request; stewing in anxiety and anger over there wasn’t helping anything.

“Fine.”

The Captain was worried sick. As long as this killer wasn’t caught⁸, the heavy stone in his heart wouldn’t be lifted.

There were no working surveillance cameras at the entrance of Su Xin’s residential complex. More accurately, there were cameras, but they hadn’t been turned on. However, when the first incident occurred, the Captain went to check the surveillance and found no recordings. He then ordered the complex management to turn the cameras on. This time, it seemed something was captured.

Only a back view could be seen – a man dressed in black placing a package there. He stayed for only about a minute before leaving. The entire process was clearly recorded by the camera, but the killer, or someone connected to the killer, didn’t show their face at all, perfectly avoiding detection.

The Captain watched this one-minute recording over and over again, but couldn’t make anything out of it.

Regarding Su Xin and Liao Qingjie’s plan to go out, the Captain held an approving attitude, but couldn’t help worrying. What if something happened? Yet, if they did nothing, just sitting and waiting for death, they would become even more passive. The situation would become even more disadvantageous, just as Liao Qingjie had analyzed.

Somewhere, in some corner of some city, someone would be murdered, then cruelly dismembered, their head cut off, and delivered to another person.

Continuous panic.

What worried the Captain even more was that if the killer wasn’t caught, he would become even more unrestrained. Committing crimes like this is actually addictive; it can turn a normal person into a pervert, someone with a twisted mentality.

Su Xin’s side confirmed the departure time: the morning after tomorrow.

As for why the day after tomorrow, it was because the Captain needed time to arrange the items for Liao Qingjie.

Su Xin sat in the study, her desk covered in a messy pile.

Murder case, exploration, Qiuze Mountain, Mist Map.

There must be some connection between these things. If they found some link and confirmed it, then they wouldn’t be far from the truth.

Su Xin didn’t stay idle; she continued flipping through those books, hoping to find some useful information.

【Host, page 351, there’s a symbol that bears some resemblance.】

Similar, but not the same.

Su Xin quickly flipped to that page and saw the character.

It was indeed somewhat similar, but not identical.

Taking Oracle Bone Script⁹ as an example, there are many variant forms¹⁰; the same character can have many different ways of writing, but the core part of the character must always be similar because it needs to possess common features, mostly external ones.

“…Sheng?”¹¹

If that symbol was considered a variant form of the character found in the book, what meaning did the character ‘Sheng’ represent?

Su Xin closed the book, rubbing her temples. She felt like her head was about to explode.

A pleasant ringtone echoed in the room. Su Xin fumbled for her phone and saw the caller ID.

It was Xiao Xiaoruo.

“Yān’er, I’m almost there! I just realized the lease on the place I rented here has expired, so I can’t stay anymore. I wanted to ask if you have any good recommendations? I want to rent an apartment.”

“I don’t really know much about that either… I don’t have any spare rooms at home, and I have a relative visiting who’s sleeping on the sofa, so I can’t let you stay with me.”

“Okay…”

Xiao Xiaoruo’s voice sounded a bit dejected.

“Then I’ll stay in a hotel first. I should arrive in about thirty minutes. I’ll find a hotel then, and then head straight to the museum to find you.”

“I’m not at the museum, I’m at home.”

“Ah… okay then. I’ll hang up now.”

“Mhm, okay.”

The call ended. Su Xin went to the bedroom, planning to catch up on sleep. Liao Qingjie hadn’t gone out; she sat in Su Xin’s room, watching over her.

Su Xin slept for a solid hour. When she woke up, she found several missed calls from Xiao Xiaoruo.

“Xiaoruo?”

“Yān’er, the curator said you’re going to check out the place where the Mist Map was unearthed, right? I want to go too.”

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