A Trip to the Miao Borderlands? No, This Is Basically a Picnic

Huo Group's crisis public relations were flawless.

The outside world only knew that Huo Corporation had undergone "routine technical upgrades and maintenance," causing the system to go offline briefly for ten minutes. As for the "suona exorcism" and "physical virus removal" that had taken place in the CEO's office during those ten minutes, they became a top secret known only to three people and one system.

The day after the crisis was resolved.

Huo Household Villa, walk-in closet.

Jian Ning lay sprawled on the carpet, directing a fully automated packing robot as it stuffed things into the suitcases.

"Chips, lime-flavored. Yeah, grab two extra bags."

"That eye mask won't do. Get the silk one embroidered with the words 'Get Rich Overnight.'"

"Sunscreen! The UV rays in the Miao Borderlands must be intense. If my delicate skin gets tanned, how am I supposed to keep making a living off my face in the entertainment industry?"

[System, do you think I should bring some garlic too? I heard there are lots of zombies over there.]

The system rolled its eyes, if it had any. [Host, that's the Miao Borderlands, not Plants vs. Zombies. Besides, instead of garlic, you should get the Universal Insect-Repelling Powder from my store. It's on sale right now, only 998 points.]

[You profiteer! Get lost!]

Just as Jian Ning was haggling with the system, the walk-in closet door opened.

Huo Si walked in. Rarely, he was not wearing formal attire today. Instead, he wore a casual dark gray lounge set, making him seem less sharp and imposing, with a touch more languid nobility. But what he held in his hand made Jian Ning spring up from the carpet in an instant.

It was a ceremonial banner.

The kind with a red background, gold lettering, and tassels.

Eight large gilded characters were embroidered on it—

[When the suona sounds, gold comes in by the ton]

The inscription read: Presented by All Employees of Huo Group. (In truth, Huo Si had commissioned it himself.)

"Pfft—" Jian Ning nearly sprayed out the cola he had just swallowed.

"You... you actually had it made?" Jian Ning stared wide-eyed at the banner, its rustic aesthetic assaulting his sense of taste.

Huo Si raised a brow, walked over, and solemnly held the banner out for him to see. "Didn't your inner voice say so? You wanted it made of pure gold."

He pointed to the eight characters. "They're embroidered with gold thread, 99.9% pure."

Jian Ning: ...

[Holy shit! Why is this old man so obedient?]

[It's tacky, but... gold thread! Could I take it apart and sell it?]

[No, no, no. This is my medal of honor. I need to hang it above my bed to ward off evil!]

[Wait, how does he know what I'm thinking? Can he really read my mind? No, no, impossible. It can't be. It definitely can't!]

Huo Si watched the ever-changing expressions on Jian Ning's face, amusement flashing in his eyes. He bent down and naturally ruffled Jian Ning's messy hair. "Besides this, your 'double year-end bonus' has already been transferred into your account. And this trip to Qianzhou counts as paid leave."

Jian Ning's eyes instantly turned starry. He hugged Huo Si's arm and rubbed against it. "The boss is generous! May the boss stay healthy! May the boss live to a hundred!"

Huo Si let him cling to him, his gaze landing on the suitcases stuffed full of snacks and skincare products. He paused slightly. "That's all you're bringing?"

"What else?" Jian Ning blinked. "Aren't we going on vacation?"

Huo Si fell silent for two seconds, seemingly considering whether to tell him the truth.

We're going deep into the mountains, where there may be poisonous insects, wild beasts, and a psychotic villain.

"Mm, it's a vacation," Huo Si said lightly, slipping a bottle of mosquito repellent into the side pocket of Jian Ning's backpack. "Just bring it. I'll carry the luggage."

Three days later, Beijing High-Speed Rail Station.

To avoid attracting attention from King's remaining forces, and to keep Jian Ning's omnipresent fans from recognizing them, the three-person group decided to forgo the private jet and take the high-speed rail to Qianzhou instead.

This was a disguised journey.

As the head of KM Group, Jian Xiu not only had no bodyguards clearing the way for him, but carried a massive camouflage hiking pack as though he were about to climb Mount Everest. Wearing sunglasses and an outdoor jacket, with a trekking pole in hand, he looked like a seasoned hardcore hiker.

Jian Ning and Huo Si, on the other hand, were dressed in entirely different styles.

Jian Ning wore a white baseball cap and a large mask that revealed only his lively eyes. Dressed simply in a hoodie and jeans, with a small backpack printed with Pikachu on his back, he looked like a college student freshly released for winter break.

As for Huo Si...

Jian Ning secretly glanced at the man beside him.

Huo Si wore a pair of gold-rimmed non-prescription glasses that hid the sharpness in his eyes. His hair was not slicked back as usual, but fell naturally, with a few loose strands over his forehead. Coupled with a beige trench coat and a turtleneck sweater, he exuded the aura of an abstinent, refined scum... no, a refined professor.

[Wow, is this some forbidden "professor and male college student" romance coming to life?]

[Those gold-rimmed glasses are killing me! Doesn't Huo Si know they're a seal-release device?]

[I really want to take off his glasses, and then... hehehe...]

Huo Si, who was lining up for ticket inspection, paused slightly.

He turned his head and gave Jian Ning a deep, inscrutable look through his lenses.

Jian Ning immediately chickened out and began whistling in his mind. [Oh wow, the station announcements sound really nice today.]

After boarding the business-class carriage.

Since it was a long journey, there were not many passengers in the carriage, and the environment was relatively quiet.

The three of them also made for a strange combination. Jian Xiu sat alone in a single seat across the aisle, sulking as he repeatedly checked his "wilderness survival kit."

"Ning Ning, take this Swiss Army knife." Jian Xiu tossed a small item across the aisle. "And this, compressed biscuits. In case we get lost in the mountains..."

Jian Ning caught them and sighed helplessly. "Brother, we're going to a Miao village. They have electricity, internet, and 4G signal there. We're not heading into a primeval forest to become savages. Besides, Huo Si must have arranged a guide."

Jian Xiu snorted and shot a glance at Huo Si, who was adjusting Jian Ning's seat back. "I don't trust him. If we run into danger, you'll have to rely on your brother's muscles."

As if he had not heard Jian Xiu's provocation, Huo Si skillfully helped Jian Ning take off his coat, then pulled a thermos from the bag and handed it over. "Warm water. Drink some."

Jian Ning curled up comfortably in the spacious business-class seat, like a cat being waited on to its heart's content.

[This is the benefit of having a boyfriend.]

[Clothes when I stretch out my hand, food when I open my mouth. All I need to do is be pretty and watch the drama unfold.]

[But now that I think about it, the system said the Miao Borderlands held clues about my background. What exactly could that be? Could I be some reincarnated Miao holy son too? The kind who can cast poison curses?]

Huo Si sat down beside him, opened a copy of Customs of the Miao Borderlands that he had bought earlier, and said blandly, "Stop overthinking. If there really is some holy son, he'd probably be in charge of eating."

Jian Ning glared at him. "You're the one in charge of eating! I'm blessed with good fortune!"

[How has he been so accurate about what I'm thinking lately? It must be luck! We must just be in perfect sync!]

The high-speed train sped smoothly across the plains, the scenery outside racing backward.

About two hours later, the train stopped at an intermediate station.

The carriage doors opened, and a strange passenger boarded.

He was an old Daoist priest dressed in a gray robe.

His robe had been washed until it was somewhat faded, with two patches sewn onto it. His hair was casually tied into a Daoist topknot, fastened with what looked like a dead twig. He held a somewhat balding fly-whisk in one hand, while the other... carried a bag of Juewei Duck Necks.

As soon as the old Daoist boarded, the scent of braised food drifted through the carriage.

He did not look for a seat. His small, restless eyes swept around the carriage before locking directly onto Jian Ning and Huo Si.

Jian Ning was secretly eating spicy strips when he suddenly felt an intense gaze. He looked up instinctively.

Their eyes met.

The old Daoist grinned, revealing a mouthful of uneven yellow teeth.

[Damn, where did this old charlatan come from?]

[Are NPCs who look this much like bad guys allowed on high-speed trains?]

[System, scan him already. Is he some reclusive master? Like one of those sweeping-monk-level experts?]

The system replied, [Ding! Scanning... Scan failed. There appears to be some kind of magnetic field around the target blocking the system's detection.]

[Warning! Warning! Target danger level: unknown.]

Jian Ning's heart skipped a beat. Even the system could not scan him?

This was a first.

The old Daoist did not head toward an empty seat. Instead, he walked straight over to their row.

He stood in the aisle without saying a word, simply staring at Jian Ning while stuffing duck necks into his mouth and chewing with loud crunches.

Jian Xiu became alert, his hand already reaching for the tactical dagger at his waist—naturally, it was a legal replica. "Daoist priest, do you need something?"

The old Daoist ignored Jian Xiu. He suddenly extended a greasy finger, pointed it at Jian Ning's forehead, and spoke in a mysterious tone.

"Young friend, your glabella is dark."

Jian Ning: ...

[What a cliché opening. Is he going to say I have a bloody disaster coming, then try to sell me a protective talisman for 998?]

Jian Ning rolled his eyes and did not want to respond.

But Huo Si closed his book, pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, and spoke in a calm voice that carried invisible pressure. "If you're here to sell something, Daoist priest, I'm afraid you've found the wrong people."

The old Daoist chuckled without taking offense.

He casually tossed the gnawed duck-neck bones into a trash bag, wiped his hands on his Daoist robe, then leaned closer and lowered his voice so only the few of them could hear.

"This humble Daoist does not sell talismans."

"This world has changed..."

His gaze moved back and forth between Jian Ning and Huo Si before finally settling on Jian Ning's chest—the location of the system's virtual panel. He spoke with meaningful deliberation.

"A shell without a heart, carrying a soul from beyond the heavens."

"One who can hear... guarding an anomaly that should not exist."

At those words, the spicy strip in Jian Ning's hand dropped to the floor with a smack.

His heart seemed to stop for a beat.

[Holy shit?!]

[He saw through me? He knows I transmigrated? He even knows I have a system?]

[Did this old man open his celestial eye?!]

Huo Si's gaze instantly turned cold as a blade. Every muscle in his body tensed, as though he might attack at any moment. This secret was the greatest taboo between him and Jian Ning. A third person could never be allowed to know it.

"Who are you?" Huo Si's voice was low, heavy with warning.

Yet the old Daoist seemed entirely oblivious to the killing intent. He took a step back, flicked his balding fly-whisk, and shook his head with an unfathomable air.

"Who this humble Daoist is does not matter. What matters is that the place you are headed does not welcome that thing."

He pointed at Jian Ning. "When that thing reaches that place, it will draw forth a true terror."

After saying that, the old Daoist did not wait for their reaction. Humming an off-key tune, he turned around, plopped down in the empty seat behind them, closed his eyes, and began snoring as if his earlier words had been nothing more than sleep-talk.

The carriage fell quiet again.

But turbulent waves had already risen in Jian Ning and Huo Si's hearts.

Jian Ning swallowed and asked shakily in his mind.

[System... was the thing he meant... you?]

For once, the system did not make a sarcastic remark. Instead, it emitted an unprecedented burst of crackling static.

[Host... strong energy interference detected... recommendation... stay away...]

Jian Ning looked at Huo Si.

Huo Si reached out and grasped Jian Ning's icy fingers, warmth flowing steadily from his palm. He gently pressed the back of Jian Ning's hand, signaling for him to stay calm.

Whether the old Daoist was friend or foe, this journey to the Miao Borderlands was clearly destined not to be the "paid vacation" Jian Ning had imagined.

The train let out a long whistle and plunged into a lengthy tunnel.

Darkness instantly swallowed the carriage, leaving only the old Daoist's drawn-out snores, which sounded especially clear and eerie in the dark.