Chapter Twenty-Two: The Journey

"Mr. Shen, what are you reading?"
On the train, a beautiful young woman gazed curiously at Shen Chang'an and asked.
Shen Chang'an paused, put down the book in his hand, and replied with a gentle smile, "Just some Daoist scriptures, casually leafing through them. Are you interested in these as well, Miss Chen?"
Miss Chen shook her head slightly. "No, I’m just a bit bored on the train."
Shen Chang'an nodded and fell silent again, picking up his book once more.
Miss Chen couldn't help but pout. All her life, no one had ever ignored her like this. If Shen Chang'an weren't so exceptionally handsome, she would never have bothered to start a conversation.
Yet, in Shen Chang'an's eyes, the book in his hands seemed far more interesting than Miss Chen herself.
"Hey, Chang'an, the lovely Miss Chen came over just to talk to you. Don’t keep that cold face!"
A fashionable young man sitting beside them spoke up, handing Shen Chang'an a bottle of water.
"Here, have some water. You can read more later."
Shen Chang'an shook his head in resignation, put his book away in his bag, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip.
"Maybe Shen's playing the cultured gentleman, reading on purpose," another woman joked.
"Qi Qi, don’t say that. Mr. Shen is genuinely reading seriously."
Shen Chang'an smiled faintly. Though his companions were a bit noisy, he was grateful for them; at last, he was beginning to feel a touch of modern life.
He was currently on a trip, having joined a tour group he found online for a bit of relaxation, setting out with a few strangers on a journey without a fixed destination.
Among them, the university couple Su Hongyi and Sun Qiqi were together, while Shen Chang'an and Chen Mengchen had been randomly assigned to the group.
As for why they were traveling together: the two students wanted more company for the fun of it, Chen Mengchen simply disliked being alone, and Shen Chang'an was in it purely to save money.
Chen Mengchen was quite looking forward to this trip, especially after meeting Shen Chang'an—the anticipation only grew. Unfortunately, Shen Chang'an was absorbed in his Daoist text the entire way, never once noticing the admiring glances from the beauty beside him.
Their travel destination had been chosen by Chen Mengchen and her friends; Shen Chang'an had no preference and merely wanted to get out and see the world—a place was as good as anywhere.
"We’re here."
Once off the train, they were met by the host of their guesthouse. After another half hour’s drive, their journey finally came to a close as they arrived at their destination.

The host handed them the keys for their stay, gave a few instructions, and then drove off, leaving them to themselves.
"Oh? Is this the place you picked? The scenery looks quite nice," Shen Chang'an commented politely, though he noticed nothing particularly remarkable and could only praise the view.
"Yes, this is it. Our rooms are up there. The host said the fridge is fully stocked—any of you know how to cook?"
Su Hongyi immediately replied with enthusiasm, "I do! I’m a good cook—ask Qiqi if you don’t believe me."
Sun Qiqi nodded eagerly to confirm her boyfriend’s skills.
Shen Chang'an rubbed his nose modestly. "I can manage a little—happy to help out."
"Alright, then you and I will handle dinner," Su Hongyi decided.
They chatted as they made their way up the mountain.
The mountain wasn’t particularly high or low, and the path was well paved with steps, making the climb not too strenuous.
At least, that was true for Shen Chang'an. The others were already panting and flushed by the time they reached halfway up.
Shen Chang'an took the initiative to carry their luggage, sparing them some effort.
"Shen, your stamina is... amazing. Hongyi, you ought to train with him," Sun Qiqi said between gasps.
Though Su Hongyi hadn’t initially wanted to hand over his luggage, he was exhausted and not about to argue.
Chen Mengchen was also slightly out of breath, her gaze toward Shen Chang'an growing more admiring. "Mr. Shen, have you trained for this?"
Shen Chang'an shook his head. "Grew up in the countryside, used to mountain roads as a child."
He wasn’t lying; though if it weren’t for his innate energy, he’d barely manage his own load, let alone help the others.
At last, after much dawdling, they reached the guesthouse before nightfall.
Inside, just as the host had promised, everything they might need was provided. The TV cabinet in the living room even held several game consoles and a variety of board games—clearly a nod to the tastes of young travelers these days.
However, for reasons he couldn’t quite name, Shen Chang'an felt the atmosphere was subtly off.
"Let’s go put our things in our rooms," Chen Mengchen said, breaking Shen Chang'an’s train of thought. She took her luggage from him, thanked him softly, and was first to head upstairs.
Sun Qiqi also took her things, thanked him, and went up with Su Hongyi.
The women’s rooms were upstairs; Shen Chang'an and Su Hongyi’s were on the ground floor, though Su Hongyi went up to help his girlfriend settle in, leaving Shen Chang'an alone.
He brought his belongings into his room. The moment he stepped inside, a faint, elusive scent drifted into his nostrils, making him frown.
Instead of unpacking, he began to search the room, curious if there was anything unusual about it.
After a moment, he found something out of the ordinary.
"Animal fur?"
He picked up a single strand of hair from beside the bed—something easily missed unless one looked closely.
"Strange. Are there animals in these mountains?" Shen Chang'an frowned.
Even if there were, they shouldn’t be bold enough to approach human dwellings. The guesthouse wasn’t always full, but it could hardly remain empty for long stretches. Animals would keep their distance from such a place.
"Perhaps previous guests brought a cat or dog..."
Even so, he pulled out the Jade Talisman of the Dragon Guardian.
He had given all his other talismans, his Yanling Saber, and everything collected from the White Lotus Sect to the little fox, but this jade talisman, a final gift from his master, Wuyouzi, he had kept for himself—if only as a keepsake.
He channeled his energy into the talisman and brought it to his nose. The Dragon Guardian’s power awakened, and a faint scent filled his senses—it was...
"Ah—!"
Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out from upstairs. Shen Chang'an jolted, dropped his luggage, and dashed out the door, flying up the stairs!