Chapter 69: Chapter 63 Random Tasks Chapter 69: Chapter 63 Random Tasks Capital City boasts many tourist attractions, and Jiang Ning would roam around occasionally when she was in college.
Unsure about Qi Xingzhou’s physical endurance, though Qi Xingzhou looked to be in good shape, it was possible he was naturally just a clothes rack who happened to have a perfect figure.
Jiang Ning drove Qi Xingzhou to the closest mountain nearby, an artificial scenic spot, with around six thousand steps from the foot to the summit. Jiang Ning had climbed it twice during college, and going up and down took less than two hours in total.
After parking the car at the mountain’s base, Jiang Ning stepped out and pointed to the mountain in front of them, saying to Qi Xingzhou, “We’ll climb up, come back down, and then I’ll treat you to some food.”
After all, she had previously charged his brother two million, so it was only right to treat Qi Xingzhou to a few meals.
Jiang Ning then asked, “Can you climb it?”
Qi Xingzhou stood by Jiang Ning’s side, followed the direction of her pointing finger, looked at the towering mountain, and nodded modestly.
With empty hands, Qi Xingzhou watched Jiang Ning open the back seat, take out a cross-body bag that she had just placed on the seat, and retrieve it.
Jiang Ning put her phone and car keys in the bag, slung it over her shoulder, and then took Qi Xingzhou to a nearby shop to buy two bottles of water.
They might get thirsty on such a long journey without a drink.
After purchasing, Jiang Ning and Qi Xingzhou geared up and headed towards the stairs at the mountain base.
The mountain was named Kuilong Mountain, and because there was no admission fee and there was a temple at the summit where people could burn incense, it was very popular with the residents of the city. On every first day of the month, the place was packed with people climbing and burning incense. Even on ordinary days, many would come to climb the mountain for exercise.
Jiang Ning and Qi Xingzhou slowly ascended the stairs.
Today, Jiang Ning was wearing a black T-shirt with loose black sports shorts that reached just above her thighs, revealing her white knees and straight, well-proportioned calves, paired with white socks and cream-colored sports shoes. A black sports cap sat atop her head, giving her a youthful and vibrant look.
Qi Xingzhou walked beside Jiang Ning. As Jiang Ning had noticed he was wearing cotton and linen home clothes during a video call just before, she had reminded him to change into sports clothes before leaving.
And as luck would have it, Qi Xingzhou’s outfit today was exactly the same as Jiang Ning’s: an all-black sports outfit paired with clean, dust-free beige sports shoes.
Qi Xingzhou wore no cap, revealing his smooth forehead and that handsome, clear-cut face. With lips pursed, he kept close to Jiang Ning. At first glance, they looked like a couple out for a stroll.
However, neither of them seemed to notice this detail. As Jiang Ning walked, her steps gradually became lighter, with Qi Xingzhou steadily one step behind her, breathing evenly.
Many trees and green plants were planted on both sides of the staircase, along with plenty of wild grass growing freely, making the air much fresher than in the city. As they ascended, Jiang Ning chatted with Qi Xingzhou.
Although most of the time it was Jiang Ning doing the talking, with Qi Xingzhou occasionally responding, the atmosphere between them was not awkward. Qi Xingzhou’s eyes sparkled, a clear indication of his good mood.
There were quite a few people climbing the mountain today. As Jiang Ning and Qi Xingzhou made their way up, they often encountered others descending. And there was a continuous stream of climbers on the path ahead and behind them.
From the corner of her eye, Jiang Ning glanced at Qi Xingzhou a few times, noticing that when they encountered descending hikers, he would quietly move behind her, courteously making way for them. Compared to the Qi Xingzhou she had first met, who had had no reaction to the outside world, he had made tremendous progress in these two meetings.
Their pace was brisk, and without any stops, they climbed to the summit.
Along the climb, there were pavilions and stone benches built at intervals for people to rest. The temple at the summit was quite luxurious, constructed in an ancient architectural style, with the main temple at the center and other buildings layered around it.
After strolling around with Qi Xingzhou and admiring the lower buildings, Jiang Ning proceeded to the stairs leading up to the rooftop.
“Let’s go up there and take a look,” Jiang Ning said to Qi Xingzhou.
She had visited before and knew that from the second-floor rooftop, one could take in the view of almost the entire Capital City.
As they were ascending the stairs, they suddenly noticed people rushing down from the rooftop, their steps hurried and their expressions desperate to avoid something.
Jiang Ning furrowed her brows and before she could think further, she heard the System’s voice in her mind: [A murderer has emerged at Kuilong Temple! Host, please capture the culprit Yang He immediately!]
Kuilong Temple?
Isn’t that where she is right now!
Jiang Ning’s heart turned cold, and she reached out to grab a girl running down the stairs. “What’s happening up there? What happened?” she asked.
“There’s, there’s a man… He’s killing people!” The girl’s face was pale. When Jiang Ning grabbed her arm, she could distinctly feel the other’s body trembling in fear.
“Don’t go up there, run! That man has gone mad!”
“Someone is killing people upstairs, don’t go up, hurry, run, run!”
Others following behind the girl kindly urged her to flee and then skirted around the two of them, running down rapidly.
As soon as Jiang Ning let go of the girl, she too started walking down the steps with trembling legs.
The System’s task had already been released, run? It was impossible for Jiang Ning to run.
Without seeing for herself, Jiang Ning had no idea what the situation was like up there.
If she had come to climb the mountain alone today, Jiang Ning would have already rushed up, but she hadn’t forgotten that there was someone following her.
Jiang Ning came to her senses, her expression grave, and said to Qi Xingzhou, “Young master, you just wait for me here, okay? I’ll go have a look and then come down to find you.”
As if worried that Qi Xingzhou would not understand, Jiang Ning put one hand on his shoulder and pointed to the direction of a stone bench below. “Sit there and wait for me, I’ll come down very soon.”
In the urgency of the moment, Jiang Ning, without waiting for Qi Xingzhou’s response, turned around and quickly walked upwards.
Many people were fleeing in panic from above. Seeing Jiang Ning going in the opposite direction, some kindly reminded her not to go up. Jiang Ning did not respond; she squeezed through the crowd and ran up, being the first to see the deserted rooftop and the temple where people burned incense, with passageways on both sides of the temple.
Jiang Ning glanced left and right, paused, and asked, “System, where are the people?”
The System did not make a sound, but after Jiang Ning’s words fell, a virtual arrow appeared before her eyes, pointing her in the right direction.
Without a second thought, Jiang Ning took off running in that direction and when she saw a bamboo broom leaning against the wall, she grabbed it into her hand.
“Ah! Please! Don’t chop! No more chopping!”
“Help! Help!”
…
Screams reached her ears, getting closer and closer.
When Jiang Ning hurried to the scene, even though she was mentally prepared, she was still unavoidably shocked by the bloody sight before her eyes.
A man in black was holding a fruit knife, relentlessly attacking a man in white who was pinned to the ground.
The screams Jiang Ning had just heard were coming from the mouth of the man in white. Wounded by several knife thrusts, his flowing blood had nearly soaked the majority of his body, with the ground below also splattered with spilled blood.
Next to the two men, there was also a woman lying on the ground, her condition unknown, alive or dead.
The man in white was flailing his limbs on the ground, desperately struggling and repeatedly begging for mercy, yet the man in black seemed possessed, eyes bloodshot with rage, as he fiercely stabbed the fruit knife into the man in white all the while angrily shouting:
“Why did you have to destroy my family!”
“Did you tell her to divorce me?!”