Chapter 966: The Mask

72 hours after the earthquake, there was only one victim here, and twenty-seven people were rescued.

For the search and rescue team, this was a miracle they would never forget for the rest of their lives. They would also never forget the masked boy they dug out from under the giant rock, completely unharmed…

With such a giant rock pressing down on him, his body had remained as still as steel. When he was discovered, his chest, which was breathing, moved slightly along with the rock and other debris, and not even a speck of dust had touched him.

Even more impressive was the mask on his face. It was grotesque and terrifying, like a demon, scaring the rescue workers from getting too close and making the Grim Reaper himself steer clear.

When the rescue captain gathered the courage to remove the mask, the eerie atmosphere gradually dissipated, and the sleeping face of a young boy was bathed in the sunlight once more.

In that instant, Chen Ling felt the surrounding environment begin to shatter, and a familiar sense of dizziness surged into his mind!

……

Rumble—

The train hummed as it passed through a tunnel, light and shadow flickering outside the window, and Chen Ling suddenly woke up.

“What’s wrong with you?” Shen Nan asked, puzzled, seeing Chen Ling staring blankly at the mask.

“……”

Chen Ling took a deep breath, moved his gaze away from the Nuo mask, and carefully examined Shen Nan, who was now a young man. His features slowly overlapped with the boy from just a moment ago.

“Nothing.” Chen Ling rubbed his eyes, feeling a bit tired, “Just a little exhausted.”

Shen Nan put away the Nuo mask on the table and looked out the window:

“You can sleep for a while; we’re still a distance away from Guanzhou.”

“No, I can’t sleep yet.”

“Is there something else?”

Under Shen Nan’s puzzled gaze, Chen Ling raised his hand to call a flight attendant and said earnestly:

“Hello, two orders of fried rice, please.”

“Certainly, sir.”

Shen Nan was stunned and instinctively waved his hand, “I don’t eat fried rice… do you have instant noodles? Just get me a bowl of instant noodles.”

Chen Ling glanced at him expressionlessly, hesitated for a moment, then turned to the attendant and said:

“Two orders of fried rice and one bowl of instant noodles, thank you.”

Shen Nan: …

……

The train Chen Ling was on did not go directly to Guanzhou.

Following the route Shen Nan had arranged, after getting off at a certain station, they bought tickets for an old-fashioned bus that drove into the rugged mountain roads.

After another long, bumpy ride, the two of them slowly got off by the side of a road in a small town.

There was no station, not even a sign. Beyond the road lay endless fields of rapeseed flowers, and a gravel-covered side road stretched out from the roadside, as if leading to some village.

“Can’t you fly? Why do we have to take the bus?” Chen Ling checked the time and couldn't help but ask, “If we flew here directly, we could save at least half the time.”

“I’m not like you; my power isn't that easy to activate,” Shen Nan replied helplessly.

“I’ve said it before, the essence of [Nuo] is to embody a god and respond to the prayers of others… If no one nearby is praying, I have to complete a prayer myself first. Otherwise, if I put on the mask rashly, I’ll be bedridden for days.”

Chen Ling let out a long sigh. Although Shen Nan’s power was immense and seemingly omnipotent, the limitations were significant… not to mention that traveling was very inconvenient. If it were Chen Ling, he could have arrived in no time using his Cloud Steps.

On the road where almost no cars passed, Chen Ling and Shen Nan crossed the street and walked along the winding side road for a long time until the outline of the village grew closer.

Smoke from cooking fires rose from the village houses. There were almost no young people here, only the elderly or children under ten. They sat in the open spaces in front of their homes, chatting while watching Chen Ling and Shen Nan pass by, whispering to each other in confusion.

“I haven't been back here in a long time; it’s changed quite a bit,” Shen Nan looked around, “The road has been widened, everyone has poured concrete in front of their doors… and the pond seems to have been contracted out.”

“Yeah, even the open space for bonfires has become a parking lot.”

“？？？”

Shen Nan looked at Chen Ling in astonishment, “How did you know??”

Of course Chen Ling knew; he had seen what this place used to look like with his own eyes, and he had seen the scene of the father and son making masks by the bonfire over a decade ago… Facing Shen Nan’s shocked gaze, Chen Ling just smiled mysteriously.

“Guess?”

“……”

Shen Nan stared at Chen Ling, his expression instantly becoming incredibly colorful.

“I have some special abilities; occasionally, I can see the past of a certain place.” Chen Ling felt that if he didn't explain, this guy wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. He then naturally changed the subject,

“These villagers keep staring at us; did they recognize you?”

“Probably not. I was just a child when I left, and I’ve changed so much now that they wouldn't recognize me.”

Shen Nan stared at Chen Ling suspiciously for a long time before looking away. The two finally arrived in front of a small rural house. It was a two-story building, its exterior dilapidated and old, with a small, rugged open space in front and a desolate vegetable field further ahead. Judging by the cobwebs on the wooden racks at the door and in the field, no one had lived here for a long time.

“Is this your old home?”

“Yeah, I lived here since I was little. Later, because I needed medical treatment, my dad took me to move somewhere else… but for all these years, this old house was never sold.”

Shen Nan took a key out of his pocket and tried to insert it into the rusty lock for a long time, but it wouldn't go in. Finally, he applied a little force, and the head of the key snapped off right inside the lock.

Shen Nan: …

Just as he was scratching his head, a hand was casually placed on the lock. The rusty lock instantly reshaped itself, and with a click, it opened automatically.

Shen Nan turned to look at the person beside him, only to see Chen Ling in his coat, shrugging his hands with an expression that said, “Is that so hard?”

“The house is a bit old; I doubt it’s very livable… let’s go inside and take a look.”

Shen Nan pushed open the door.

With a harsh creak, the smell of old wood mixed with dust rushed toward them. Visible dust swept past them like a wave, and both of them raised their hands to cover their mouths and noses.

Although it was an old house, the lighting was quite good. Sunlight pierced through dense cobwebs, shining on the dusty table and floor. Cluttered debris was piled in the corners of the room, and they could even see a few mice scurrying by…

“So, you brought me all this way—how exactly do you plan to solve the issue of two souls in one body?”

Chen Ling scanned the old room and couldn't help but ask.

Shen Nan walked into the room, rummaged through a pile of debris in the corner for a long time, and brought out various tools, organizing them all on the dusty table.

“To solve the issue of two souls in one body, it’s hard if you say it’s hard, and simple if you say it’s simple. As long as…”

He pointed to the opposite wall, where a few old Nuo masks were still hanging silently,

“As long as you also become [Nuo].”