Or was it simply because of her gentle smile?
After pondering for a long time, Liang Xin’an couldn’t come up with a reason, so he had to attribute it to a strange fate.
Just as he was lost in thought, a cool breeze swept in. Liang Xin’an turned his head and saw someone hurriedly opening the door and running out.
Liang Xin’an didn’t pay much attention.
Although it wasn’t time for the shift change yet, nature calls, especially after drinking, and it’s inevitable to go out to take care of personal business.
He planned to go out and patrol the area after a while.
But soon, Liang Xin’an vaguely sensed something was wrong.
Because the person who went out just now had been gone for quite some time.
It’s important to note that when he went out, he wasn’t wearing his cotton coat. On such a cold night, staying outside too long is dangerous.
Liang Xin’an thought that perhaps this person had too much to drink, and being hit by the cold winter night air, found it hard to find his way back.
So he got up and went outside.
The biting cold wind hit him head-on, and even Liang Xin’an, with his profound Martial Dao cultivation, couldn’t help but shiver.
Then he went to the usual spot where the patrol guards relieved themselves, but what he saw startled him.
There was no one there at all, just emptiness.
Liang Xin’an’s heart gave a jolt, and he immediately became alert, quickly checking the surroundings.
But he found nothing.
Liang Xin’an’s heart gradually sank.
Because the person wasn’t wearing a cotton coat, one thing was certain — they couldn’t have gone far.
But for caution’s sake, Liang Xin’an immediately went to check the defensive line.
Sure enough.
There was no sign of him here either.
Liang Xin’an realized the severity of the situation.
A living person suddenly disappeared in the camp, with no one noticing from start to finish — what a terrifying fact.
Liang Xin’an wasted no time and informed the others immediately.
Soon, everyone, including those on duty like Huang Liang and Jing Rou, gathered together.
Then everyone surrounded the spot where the person disappeared, their faces grim.
In the flickering light from the lanterns, footprints in the snow were clearly visible, but strangely there were no signs of struggle.
"Are you sure that’s where the person disappeared?" Huang Liang asked.
Liang Xin’an nodded, "I already asked; someone saw him come out from the house to urinate here, then mysteriously vanished."
Kong Xiangdong arrived upon hearing the news, squatting down silently to inspect the ground, then suddenly spoke.
"Look, there seem to be dragging marks here."
Everyone leaned in to take a look.
Sure enough.
In a inconspicuous corner, there was a thin layer of drag marks in the snow, but they only extended a few meters before disappearing.
This left everyone even more puzzled.
Even if there had been an ambush, the missing person wasn’t some defenseless woman, but rather quite strong.
So how could there be no signs of struggle or resistance?
Moreover, even if he had been attacked and killed, where was the body?
Earlier, Liang Xin’an had already ordered a thorough search of the area, but nothing was found.
A heavy cloud of unease settled over everyone’s heart.
The most terrifying danger is not what can be seen, but the unknown.
Like confronting this enormous Black Ship, some couldn’t withstand the internal pressure and came close to collapsing.
At this point, Huang Liang slowly spoke, "This matter must be kept strictly confidential to avoid unnecessary panic."
Everyone understood this point clearly.
Liang Xin’an also responded, "I already warned my brothers, they won’t say a word."
"Also, from now on, no one can act alone, at least three people must act together." Huang Liang added.
"Understood!"
Thus the storm quietly subsided, but everyone felt heavy-hearted.
Because everyone knew this was probably just the beginning.
Just as the Black Ship’s eeriness.
No one knew what would happen next, or what they would face.
Their only option was to be as vigilant as possible and wait for Zhao Ya and others to arrive.
Kong Xiangdong also returned to his defensive line.
Yang Zhan was already waiting there, unaware of what urgent matter had summoned Kong Xiangdong.
But it presumably wasn’t good news.
Without even asking, Yang Zhan could tell from Kong Xiangdong’s grave expression that something problematic had occurred.
"How is it?"
"Not good!" Then, Kong Xiangdong lowered his voice to recount the incident.
As longtime partners, he trusted Yang Zhan’s discretion, knowing he wouldn’t gossip about such matters.
Yang Zhan’s expression changed as he listened, then he fell into deep thought.
"Only a shallow drag mark?"
"Correct, it only extended a few meters before disappearing."
"Could it be... an attack by a large bird of prey?"
Because only a bird of prey could leave no ground tracks while carrying a person away from the camp.
"We considered that possibility, but there are two issues."
"First, the disappearance happened very near to the lounge, and at the time, Liang Xin’an from the Mechanical Sect was resting inside. If a bird of prey had attacked, he would have noticed."
"Second, although this missing person wasn’t a strong Martial Artist, he was still quite capable. Even if the attacking bird was extremely powerful, he should have put up some struggle. We found no blood traces."
Hearing this, Yang Zhan also frowned, "This indeed seems inexplicable. But if not a bird of prey, what could make a person vanish mysteriously?"
"I don’t know, but since it happened, our only option is extreme caution. Notify all the brothers, no one acts alone, even for small tasks — three people together."
Yang Zhan nodded, then went to give the notification.
But no one expected a second disappearance case to happen so rapidly.
Moreover, this occurred right on the defensive line Kong Xiangdong managed.
Four individuals went missing, a patrol squad.
Arriving at the site, the others saw Kong Xiangdong’s grim face as he examined the long drag marks on the ground.
This time, the drag marks were longer than the previous ones.
Yet, still no signs of struggle.
"Four muscular men, including a disciple from the Mechanical Sect, equipped with the latest crossbow firearms, disappeared without firing a single shot while on patrol. What kind of existence could be responsible for this?" Kong Xiangdong asked.
No one responded.
Everyone’s expressions were extremely grim.
Initially, the unknown fear from the first disappearance was terrifying; now, it was almost nightmarish.
After all, except for legendary ghosts, who could accomplish this silently?
The Mechanical Sect members, initially confident in making a grand display, now felt powerless.
They unexpectedly realized their adversary’s eerie mystery couldn’t be handled by mere crossbows and cannons.
"Spread the news, there’s no use in hiding, better for everyone to stay alert," Huang Liang said slowly.
"Also, tell everyone to hang up all available lights, ensuring no blind spots across the camp," Liang Xin’an suggested suddenly.