MDZS: Scars Remain Unforgotten.

Chapter-6: Northwest, man-eating ridge? Lan Zhan agrees!

"We should ask the locals, ask if anything suspicious has been going on about."

"Mn."

"We should go there!"

"..." I pointed at the wine shop, which of course made Lan Zhan all at unease, I wanted to taste the wine. It felt so long ever since I drank wine!

"No." Lan Zhan replied.

"Pleaaaaaaase." He looked at me then walked onward.

"Hmph!" "How will we interrogate people then! All types of people visit wine shops, I promise I won't drink!" A frown became a part of my face. But the promise made Lan Zhan stop and look at me, then contemplate my words and finally walk somewhere with me steady-paced and by my side, I did not have to follow him or chase after him like some...ugh...

We entered the shop.

It felt as if years ago I had come here with Lan Zhan. It was just a feeling.

I called the waiter over.

"One drink please." I told him.

"Mhm, right away sir." The waiter assured me.

"You said." Lan Zhan spoke.

"Ai, this is all a part of the plan." I whispered to Lan Zhan. Now I knew he'd wait and see.

The waiter brought the drink over. I got the chance to question him about strange happenings.

"Sir, er...say...has anything strange been happening around lately? You know, any rogue spirits, murder, massacres, evil roaming about?"

"Er, why are you asking all of this?" He looked at Lan Zhan who sat next to me.

"Are you guys..."

"It was likely for you to take a guess, yes, we are cultivators."

"I understand, it's just that...the man sitting next to you...I have never seen someone so...so..."

"So beautiful." I finished his sentence.

"Well, I'm not really a cultivator, riding clouds all day and stuff like that...I don't really collect information on stuffs as you mentioned...sorry-" before he could say anymore, I slide a penny onto the table. It was from Lan Zhan's pouch. I gave him a look. He said nothing.

"Has any strange occurances been happening about?" I asked him once more.

"Oh! Uhm! Yes! There are rumours surrounding Walker ridge."

"Walker ridge?"

"If you walk up five or six miles you'll find a place named Walker ridge. But it is also named as man-eating ridge."

"Is it because there are cannibal monsters along the way?"

"No! It's because..." He looked around for a bit. He waved at me to come closer so that he could whisper something to me.

"It is because people say that there is a man-eating bunker there, for years those who have strolled in there have been devoured down, eaten! By the cannibal monsters, with no bones and remains to be found, no corpse. And there was no exception!"

"Ohhh! So horrible, so horrible."

"Yes, horrible isn't it?"

I thought for a while.

"If no bones and remains of the victims have been found then...how can you say for sure that they were eaten up by the monsters?

"Ai...maybe someone saw them being eaten up anyways..."

"But you said that there were no exceptions, so who was this powerful man who could stroll in and out with such information?"

"Ai...you're impossible sir!" Lan Zhan gave me a look, I sensed it immediately.

"Well...why hasn't the Nie clan done anything about it?"

"Hmph! The Nie clan, if it were the Nie clan in the past then, they would've rushed there and destroyed those monsters immediately!"

"So what happened?"

"The clan leader Nie, as in Nie Huaisang is Mr. Know-nothing, he's always 'I don't know', 'don't ask me, I don't know.'

"What about clan leader Nie Mingjue?"

"He died, years ago..."

"..."

"Well, thank you for the information."

"Mhm, sir." The waiter left. It was just Lan Zhan and I, sitting together now.

"Bribery is-"

"Oi! This is not the Cloud Recesses Lan Zhan! This is the outside world, you have to acquire answers from commoners one way or another!"

"Is...clever..." Did he just...

"What?"

"Though unjust but...clever." I chuckled. He was having a hard time admitting that he also thought that I was actually pretty impressively smart. I never expected a compliment.

"Lan Zhaaan! So you're actually in for breaking rules! Hah?"

"Quit talking."

"Oh! Right! Right! We have somewhere to travel to!" "But can I get a sip of this wine please?"

"No."

"Lan Zhaaan." I was back to chasing after him again.

"That Lan Zhan..." I stopped and whispered under my breath. He walked onwards. He really wasn't going to stop, I had no expectations.

"Walker ridge it is, I guess...or, man-eating ridge as they say."