Volume One, Chapter Nineteen: Interlude

"Prepare to rest," Su Ziwen's voice carried through the wind. The three responded and slowed their pace. Scattered campfires flickered ahead—teams that had arrived earlier. After rushing through half the night, each squad was ready to pause before crossing the mist-shrouded marsh that stretched before them.

No one knew how long this marshland extended; at the very least, its damp expanse monopolized the visible path ahead. Steam and fog wove together, concealing the depths of the swamp in layer after layer. After exchanging greetings with the earlier arrivals, Mo De and his companions found a spot to rest. Despite their habitual training and the enhanced stamina granted by their abilities, the two young women were showing signs of fatigue after hours of hard travel. Su Ziwen instructed Mo De to wake them when it was time to change shifts, then linked arms with Ji Keqing, leaning together by the fire for a light sleep. Wu Fan took out some compressed biscuits for a quick bite, setting several cans atop a stone beside the fire to heat, waiting for the women to wake and replenish their energy.

"Watch over them. I'll go ahead and scout," Mo De said, a brief flare of heat flashing at his wrist. His expression changed, but he quickly exchanged a few words with Wu Fan, grabbed his dagger, and ventured lightly into the marsh.

The mud was heavy beneath his feet, threatening to pull him under if he lingered. Mo De pressed forward toward the direction his senses guided him.

Suddenly, a palm strike swept from the mist behind him—sharp and swift. Mo De ducked and bent his knees, evading the ambush and springing forward, mud and water bursting outward as he rolled to widen the distance from his attacker.

Goosebumps prickled his skin. The assailant was not slowed by his evasive maneuver; instead, they sped up, ghosting close behind him. Mo De swung his right arm toward his pursuer, golden sparks glimmering beneath his sleeve. The attacker raised a hand to block, emitting a surprised sound. "Inspiration?"

Ignoring the other's curiosity, Mo De used the momentum to pull away again. But before he could, his movement stalled—his right arm was locked by the opponent. He struggled, but could not break free. He twisted his waist and delivered a knee strike, while his left hand formed a blade, thrusting straight at the attacker's throat.

In a flash, Mo De felt a powerful force threaten to scatter his whole body. He was hurled to the ground, unable to fully absorb the impact, rolling several meters before stopping amid a spray of mud and water.

"You really don't hold back," came the voice from behind.

Mo De lashed out with a kick, but only flung hidden mud and sand forward.

"Ugh—bleh, bleh, bleh..." The figure began to retch, having caught the mud in their mouth, finally halting in front of Mo De and ceasing their attack.

After rinsing their mouth from a canteen, the person straightened, their form revealed.

It was indeed that troublesome one.

Seeing that Mu Qing had no intention of continuing the assault, Mo De relaxed his guard, though he kept a handful of mud concealed behind his back. He could not guarantee that this troublesome elder sister wouldn't decide to beat him up to vent her anger.

"Drop it, you're too old for these childish tricks," Mu Qing said, wiping her face, smearing it even more. Her combat suit was speckled with mud, though still far cleaner than Mo De, who, after rolling in the marsh, looked more like a mud doll than a human.

"Why are you here? Aren't there troops stationed around?"

"Needed to blow off some steam," Mu Qing replied, unzipping her suit, pulling out a clean shirt to polish her sunglasses. Even without the shades, her eyes lacked spirit, dark flames flickering around her pupils. "What's your account number?" she asked, pulling out her phone.

"Huh? What account?" Mo De was bewildered.

"To pay you, five hundred per session, no credit—wasn't that your rule?" "Oh, right..."

After transferring the service fee, Mu Qing put away her phone and approached Mo De.

"Standing, squatting, or sitting—which is easier for you?"

"Standing's fine, just turn around." The thin black shirt beneath her partly unzipped combat suit couldn't contain Mu Qing's restless energy. Mo De glanced at her, his nose itching, and quickly instructed her to turn.

Rubbing his hands, Mo De extended his right arm, pressing his palm to the slender nape exposed beneath Mu Qing's high ponytail. Warmth flowed through him, the black line on his wrist pulsing and twisting, drawing in the dark fire emanating from Mu Qing.

Before long, the fire-transference was complete. The flames receded into Mu Qing's body, while Mo De felt a heat rising within. His ability—Metal—was stirring restlessly.

The black cord on his wrist burned brighter, like a forge's flame encountering rare material. Heat streamed from his wrist, enveloping his faint ability, nourishing and tempering it.

Mu Qing zipped up her suit and crouched nearby, quietly watching Mo De, who stood frozen, arms outstretched, unmoving. Through the finely attuned vision of her sunglasses, she saw Mo De motionless except for the odd black cord on his wrist.

Yet at that moment, Mu Qing felt a strange illusion.

Before her, it was as if a cosmic furnace was forging a block of pure steel.

"Who are you, really? And who is Li Changsheng, and that person..." She murmured, but swallowed her words.

"Interesting," she said, then fell silent, watching Mo De in contemplation.

Minutes later, the black cord regained its dense, deep hue, and Mo De returned to consciousness. He felt as though he'd fallen into a warm ocean, heat washing over him again and again. "What happened to me?" he asked, unnerved by Mu Qing's intense gaze.

"Fire transference is done. Some enlightenment, perhaps. The black flames in my body seem to greatly benefit your ability," Mu Qing replied, standing.

Mo De investigated his own state and was surprised—the ability within him, once weak, had grown stronger in a short time, and felt far more profound.

"Metal-type ability?" Mu Qing asked.

"Yes." Mo De stretched out his hand; gold spread across half his palm. He tried to project it further, but the gold remained attached.

"Don't push it. You just broke through to Inspiration and already want to project your ability—bit ambitious, aren't you?" Mu Qing cautioned. "At this stage, concentrate your ability, gather it at your fingertips—it might boost your fighting power."

Mo De obeyed, delighted to find that condensing the gold at his nails formed a sharp edge. Compressing it further, he managed to cover just one nail with his ability.

"Tsk tsk, clever trick. Concentrating at the nail's edge is sharper than the whole finger," Mu Qing said, circling to inspect his hand.

Mo De was about to retract his ability, but Mu Qing stopped him. "Wait, let me take a picture."

"What for?" Mo De asked, confused.

"Your golden manicure looks fantastic. I'll mix a new shade when I get back."

If not for being no match for her, Mo De would have lost his temper long ago...

After Mu Qing finished her antics, Mo De dispersed his ability and prepared to leave, but she called him back.

"Be careful. I feel something odd about this Autumn Hunt."

"Isn't it stranger for someone like you to brazenly meddle in the school Autumn Hunt?" Mo De retorted, though he took her warning seriously. Mu Qing never lied to him. If she said so, it meant he should prepare for surprises.

"I snuck in fair and square," Mu Qing shrugged. "I haven't noticed anything off myself, but intuition says something may happen."

"Should I tell the military to halt the Hunt?"

"Evidence? Think the army will listen to a woman's intuition from someone who snuck in?" Mu Qing sighed, clearly at a loss. She turned toward the mist, waving, "Just stay alert. My methods take time to reach you, so if anything happens, I'll protect your life first."

"No need. I won't die. If you can, watch over those classmates for me."

Mu Qing paused, then moved deeper into the mist, her tall figure fading, leaving only her words behind.

"I'll do my best."

...

Venturing deeper into the marsh, Mu Qing pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Hello, Dad? Oh, I'm fine now, not dying—just won't be back for a while, tell Mom I'm safe."

"By the way, can I trouble you to check the Autumn Hunt at Tianshui High in Qin City? As quickly as possible. Something may happen here."

"What? How should I know? That's why I'm asking you to look into it, Dad. Your precious daughter is right here in Qin City..."

...

After Mu Qing left, Mo De stood in place for a few minutes. At last, he made up his mind, took out his phone, and entered a number.

He pressed the call button and waited. The line connected.

"Hello, Sister Shu? Oh, it's me, 'Qin.'"

Under the night, amidst the water and mist, the wanderer returned once more to the tide.