Artifact Report

Chapter 270 Mai Minghe: One-way Communication

"At first, she just looked like she was drifting off to sleep."

Han Liuyue's face returned to normal.

Her face was a little pale, but her breathing was steady, and her blood pressure, heartbeat, pupils and nerve reactions were all normal; everyone felt that as long as she continued to rest, she would eventually wake up on her own.

Chai Si even wondered if his demands were too harsh, causing Han Liuyue to risk her life and record a video for him, just as a safety measure. When Han Liuyue woke up, should he teach her a lesson? Advise her? Thank her? Or reflect on his actions?

"...Brother Chai seemed quite troubled by this matter and even consulted with Tianxi. They talked for a while, then called me in with a serious look on their faces and asked me, 'How much risk are you willing to take to fulfill Brother Chai's order?'"

Suo Beihua smiled softly.

"I thought they had a difficult mission for me, so I was very proud and exaggerated, saying how I wasn't afraid of taking risks, how willing I was to take risks, and that there was nothing I wouldn't dare do... The more I talked, the uglier Brother Chai Si's face became, and Tianxi quickly kicked me out."

There is hope for Han Liuyue's recovery, and there is a sense of ease and joy in the Kai family mansion.

This atmosphere lasted less than ten hours.

“I don’t know who was the first person to discover it.”

Suo Beihua raised her eyes and looked at Mai Minghe carefully - not at Mai Minghe, but at her mirror, as if she wanted to see whether what Mai Minghe said was true, and whether there was really Chai Si in the mirror.

"Anyway, by the time we reacted, June's body... was sinking inwards."

It was a scene that was extremely difficult to describe.

The body lying on the bed seemed to have turned into a human-shaped frame; the flesh, blood, bones and internal organs were slowly sinking in its own frame - just by describing it, Mai Minghe couldn't imagine what the scene was like.

"The outer contour formed by the bones is the last to sink. I visited her once and discovered that the gap between the outermost circle of her bones and her gradually sinking face was deep enough to stand half a palm high. She used to be such a beautiful person... I... I was so scared at the time, I even thought that she might be better off dead."

Suo Beihua shook her head and said, "I'm quite ashamed of myself."

She looked up at Robert upstairs.

The matter involved Kai's private affairs, and she had just asked him softly but firmly to go upstairs and wait, "and observe the situation outside the building" - but the stairwell was not big, and if he held his breath and listened, he didn't know how much he could hear.

As for Aimee Lee, no one paid much attention to her; her condition always made people feel that it didn't matter if anyone heard about it.

Suo Beihua lowered her voice again.

"...Brother Shibashi didn't say it, but I think he must feel guilty."

Mai Minghe thought that it must be an overwhelming and strong sense of guilt.

Otherwise, after Han Liuyue finally collapsed completely into a human-shaped black hole, there would probably be few people in the world who would have the courage to slowly put their head and body into the black hole.

"He tried several times. The first time, he immediately retreated and told Tianxi and the other hunters that it was pitch black inside and he couldn't see anything. At that time, we all asked him not to go in again - listen, what kind of words did I say, 'go in'? It's not a door."

Suo Beihua covered her face and paused for a few seconds.

Mai Minghe really wanted to stroke her arm gently to calm her down; but as soon as he moved, Su Beihua immediately put down her hand and stared at her again.

Although Mai Minghe told her about "Chai Si in the Mirror" and expressed his willingness to find a way to help her bring Chai Si back to the human world, Su Beihua was still wary of her - which was understandable: after all, everything was too unbelievable, and she had never even heard of the existence of the "Black Abyss Belt".

Moreover, the way in which Mai Minghe was involved in this matter was indeed very suspicious.

"He didn't listen to your advice," said Mai Minghe.

"...Yes. He's always been protective and caring towards us, but this time, even I feel like he's gone too far. Even if I feel guilty, there's no need to..."

Suo Beihua shook her head, didn't say anything else, and changed the subject.

"The second time, he stayed in the darkness for several minutes before pulling out. The third time, he leaned in even deeper and tried to put a foot in... Fortunately, Tianxi held onto his legs. We told him to get out quickly, but he didn't seem to hear us. After a long while, he finally moved slightly. When we felt something was wrong and tried to pull him out again, we couldn't."

Chai Si was like a bug trapped in the pouring of cement, frozen in place.

None of them dared to pull hard, so they had to call out to him and pull him gently to prevent Chai Si from going deeper into the black hole.

"Then... everything stopped. He remained trapped in the black hole. More than a day passed, and there was still no sign of him escaping."

Suo Beihua glanced at Mai Minghe.

"Then, you sneaked into the mansion and somehow opened the door to the room where Brother Chai and Liu Yue were. I don't believe you when you say the door opened on its own. The Kai family's door locking system is not so bad that it can't even perform basic functions. But we can talk about this after we get out."

Mai Minghe smiled bitterly.

No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't figure out how the door was opened, and she couldn't give an answer that would satisfy Su Beihua.

"You said you wanted to know what happened, and I told you the whole story—although I still think it's wrong. But we're at our wits' end now, and even if you're lying to me, I have to try. Okay, now it's your turn to tell me how we can bring Brother Chai back to the world of the living."

She didn't mention Han Liuyue; the person who had turned into a hole was probably beyond saving.

"I... I just have a guess." Mai Minghe looked up at the sky and light that had seeped in after a wall had been removed from the upper floor. "I don't know Chai Si's current situation, but I think he can see me clearly. Isn't that right?"

She boldly asked Chase the last question; he seemed not only to be able to see but also to hear.

The translucent face behind the eyeball hesitated and nodded slightly.

"If he keeps following me closely, then will I become his signpost and guide? If I return to Blackmore City and stand next to his body, then when he walks towards me, will he also be able to return to the 'rift' formed by Han Liuyue and return to his own body?"

"That sounds reasonable," Suo Beihua said coldly, "and it will be of great benefit to you."

"No matter what, it's worth a try. Besides, if we keep standing in this stairwell and can't get out, no one can save us..."

Mai Minghe paused.

Come to think of it, this undisturbed peace lasted unexpectedly long... Was it because they were about to return to their own reality?
So other people in real life won’t chase you?
Suo Beihua seemed to have thought of this as well; she swam forward a few steps and called out towards the top of the stairs: "Robert? Do you see anything?"

The translucent Chai Si suddenly turned his head behind his eyes - at first, Mai Minghe thought he had noticed the movement in the stairwell, and could not help but turn his head to follow his gaze.

But all she saw was an empty concrete wall.

Chai Si seemed to be looking at something.

He seemed to be listening to someone talking, and from time to time he opened his mouth and responded silently to the other person.

Shibashi is looking at someone in the "Black Abyss Belt"...?
That's not right. There shouldn't be anyone in the darkness where there is nothing?
Who is he talking to? Han Liuyue?
Mai Minghe really wished he knew lip reading; but Chai Si only had a translucent outline, and even if he knew lip reading, he couldn't see the shape of his lips clearly.

"…Robert?"

In the short half minute when she was distracted by Chai Si, Suo Beihua's voice suddenly became sharp.

Mai Minghe's heart tightened, and he immediately strode up the stairs - the sky, streets and nests as big as an entire wall were just a few inches away; he could grasp freedom with just one hand.

…Robert is missing.

"Ai Meili, did you see where he went?" Mai Minghe asked hurriedly, turning back.

The huge nut was silent and motionless.

When she thought Aimeili might have lost the ability to reply, she slowly whispered, "...It has nothing to do with me..."

Suo Beihua climbed up the stairs again and looked upstairs, but it seemed to be empty too.

Chai Si seemed to be getting a little anxious, and a shadowy wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. He shook his head at the person whom Mai Minghe could not see and who should not exist.

"Did he go out first?" Su Beihua looked outside the wall hesitantly.

The street was empty. Not only was Robert not there, but Tianxi, who should have been waiting outside, was also not there.

Tianxi might have come in with the other two to help, but that didn't mean anything. But Robert's whereabouts were puzzling: he couldn't have gone down first while scouting for others.

"Did you see him leave?" Su Beihua asked Ai Meili - but no matter how many times she asked, the latter did not say a word.

Mai Minghe crouched on the edge of the floor, not daring to lean forward. After a moment, he suddenly asked, "Wait, don't say anything... Did you hear that?"

Su Beihua walked to her side and listened quietly for a while.

"Is that... the sound of a clockwork? No, that's not right. Even a clockwork clock can't go that fast."

The "clucking" sound of the metal machinery turning was tight and dense, without stopping for a moment. The speed was indeed very fast. If it was winding the spring, it would have smoked and worn out long ago.

"It came from downstairs," said Su Beihua.

The voice came right under the outer wall of the building, in a blind spot where the two of them would not be able to see anything unless they stuck their heads out.

"I don't want to take risks for him," Suo Beihua stood up and said, "If he falls out and there's still spring on him, it means that the outside of the building is not real. Let him go, and we'll find another way out."

Behind her eyes, Chai Si was suddenly startled - his face and expression had always been imprinted in Mai Minghe's retina. His sudden start made her shudder as well, and made Su Beihua look at her.

Chai Si turned his head and stared at Mai Minghe. His mouth opened and closed quickly on his translucent, hazy face, as if he was talking to her.

No—not talking.

He was warning her.

　Okay, it's starting to get stuck, I can feel it...

　　So today's update is late...

　　Things have been tough for me lately, with so many twists and turns and hassles that I'm constantly on edge. I originally thought I was able to travel to Africa thanks to a relative's help, but after all the hassles of booking tickets, buying medication, and visas, I realized the hotel my relative booked was the smallest expense...

　　Since I'm paying for it myself, why should I go during these troubled times? I have so many things to deal with.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)