Forgotten canvas - Came the Same Way,Leave the Same Way

"Just kidding."

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Xuanming spread his hands, his tone light enough that it almost made people want to relax.

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"Honestly, I don't really know where this place is either."

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"I can't… see it clearly."

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But there was no trace of a smile in his eyes when he said that.

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"Still—"

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He raised a hand and pointed toward the distant mountain, the one that stood out sharply among the water and hills.

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"That mountain is just there."

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"Way too obvious."

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It wasn't the kind of strange that naturally drew attention.

It felt placed—deliberately so.

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Like a stage prop set right at the center, something you couldn't ignore no matter where you stood.

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Mu Jiu stayed silent for a few seconds, then turned and gave an order.

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"Everyone, get ready."

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"We're going to check that mountain."

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No one objected.

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In a place like this, staying put was already a risk.

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At the Same Time.Headquarters

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The air in the cold meeting room felt heavy, almost suffocating.

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"—So you're telling me you still can't locate Lord Xuanming or Mu Jiu?"

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The older man slammed his hand on the table, his voice echoing sharply.

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"Then what exactly are you all good for?"

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A technician wiped sweat from his forehead and spoke quickly.

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"We've confirmed it, sir."

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"The trackers on Lord Xuanming and Captain Mu Jiu—disappeared at the same time."

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"It wasn't signal loss. Not interference."

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He took a deep breath, his voice tightening.

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"With the trackers I designed, even heavy disruption would only freeze the signal in place."

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"They wouldn't just… vanish from the system."

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The room fell silent.

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Another staff member added,

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"Sir, their life lamps are still lit."

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"All of them. Including the accompanying team."

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"They're alive."

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The man frowned deeply, repeating under his breath,

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"Disappeared…?"

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"That's impossible."

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He stood up, his tone quickly regaining control.

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"Have Mu Xiao's team remain on standby."

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"No advancing. No retreating."

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"Focus surveillance on the location where Mu Jiu's team vanished. Watch for any anomalies."

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"Yes, sir!"

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No one said anything more.

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In this world, disappearing was often the start of something far worse.

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"Grab more water and food from the back."

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Xuanming had somehow moved beside Little Draft, his voice lower than usual.

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"We don't know what's coming next."

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He gently patted her head.

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"Make sure you take care of yourself."

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Little Draft nodded and hugged her pencil tighter.

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She didn't know why—

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But ever since entering this place, the pencil had felt unusually heavy.

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"Everyone ready?"

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Mu Jiu looked back.

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"We're moving."

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The group headed toward the mountain.

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From a distance, it was hard to see details.

Up close, Little Draft realized—

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The mountain's base wasn't empty.

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There were torches.

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Not scattered randomly, but neatly arranged, like a fixed pattern meant for greeting—or warning.

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And between the torches stood a door.

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Two to three meters tall, about two meters wide.

The material looked like polished stone, carved with patterns she couldn't understand.

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"…Someone lives here?"

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A team member whispered.

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Mu Jiu stepped forward and knocked.

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"Hello? Is anyone there?"

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"We came here by accident. We just want to ask a few questions."

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Knock. Knock. Knock.

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No response.

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He knocked three more times.

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This time, the door slowly opened.

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A tall dark-skinned young woman appeared in the doorway, easily over 170 centimeters tall.

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Her clothing was completely different from theirs—

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Animal hide, cloth, and metal ornaments mixed together, like attire from a primitive tribe.

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But her eyes were clear.

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Not wild. Not ignorant.

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They were the eyes of someone who had seen too many things that shouldn't exist.

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"Hello."

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Mu Jiu spoke first, polite and restrained.

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"We came here by accident."

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"May I ask where this is? And how we can leave?"

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The woman didn't answer right away.

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She looked over the entire group.

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When her gaze landed on Little Draft, it paused for a brief moment.

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Then she spoke.

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"This is not a place you should have come to."

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"How you came is how you leave."

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"We can't help you."

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Her speech was fast, but not dismissive.

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If anything, she sounded… pressed for time.

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"If you can't leave before nightfall—"

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Her voice dropped sharply.

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"Remember this."

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"If you hear sounds at night, don't respond."

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"Don't look at the lake."

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"Don't make noise."

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"Don't draw attention."

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"Don't—"

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She didn't finish.

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A stern, aged male voice came from inside.

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"Yan Sha."

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Her body stiffened.

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"…Yes, Elder."

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The next second, she tossed two pieces of wood at their feet.

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Then—

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Bang.

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The door slammed shut.

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No explanation given.

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Before Little Draft could react, Xuanming reached out and ruffled her hair.

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"Don't overthink it."

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"She already did more than enough."

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"What do you know?"

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Mu Jiu asked.

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As Xuanming walked back, he said,

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"This tribe doesn't allow contact with 'invaders.'"

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"And we're the invaders."

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Mu Jiu stopped.

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"One more thing."

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Xuanming's tone grew serious.

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"Inside… there's some kind of ritual going on."

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"I didn't get much information. Not enough to be useful."

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Mu Jiu summed it up quietly.

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"So nights here are dangerous."

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"I don't know how, exactly."

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Xuanming shrugged.

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"She gave us a whole list of warnings."

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"But at least one thing's clear."

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"That woman, Yan Sha—she doesn't mean us harm."

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He paused.

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"What matters now is—"

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"How we leave."

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"She said: how we came, that's how we go back."

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"So…"

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"How did we come here?"

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Almost at the same time, everyone's gaze turned toward the driver.

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The next second—

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The air went dead still.

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—The seat was empty.

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"…Where is he?"

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Someone whispered.

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No one answered.

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They tried to remember.

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But the more they thought about it, the stranger it felt.

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The driver's face…

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Unclear.

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His voice…

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Vague.

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Even when he got into the vehicle—

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There was no clear memory.

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It was as if, from the very beginning,

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There had naturally been an extra person there.

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And now—

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He was gone.

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As if he had never existed.

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Little Draft stood frozen, her heart tightening violently.

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She suddenly understood something.

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This place wasn't dangerous because it killed people.

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It was dangerous because it—

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Erased the fact that you had ever existed.

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The wind rippled across the lake.

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The torches flickered.

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And the sky was slowly, steadily growing darker.

ns216.73.216.33da2

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