The car bumped all the way until it entered the village at four o'clock in the morning.
Rong Dai slept exceptionally deeply throughout the journey. By the time she woke up, it was already bright outside, and Huo Shao Ting was not by her side.
"You're awake? Mr. Huo went to the village chief's house and told me to let you have breakfast after you wake up."
The signal was poor in the mountains, so Lu Nianzhi could only play games on her phone to kill time. Seeing Rong Dai wake up, she immediately brought over her clothes and breakfast.
"Thank you."
Rong Dai sat up, and her vision spun for a few seconds before she could see clearly again.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing her hold her forehead, Lu Nianzhi asked with concern.
Rong Dai shook her head. She had not felt this kind of dizziness in a long time.
"The air is very fresh in the mountains. Do you want to take a look?"
Since she did not say anything, Lu Nianzhi did not pry further. After Rong Dai finished her breakfast, Lu Nianzhi stood outside the door looking at the misty mountains and asked if she wanted to go out.
Rong Dai nodded. After putting on an outdoor jacket, she followed Lu Nianzhi out.
Everything in the village was very backward and antique. It was as if the village was still stuck in the agricultural society era.
Only a brand new school stood out conspicuously, clashing with the rest of the village's architecture.
The village was surrounded by mountains. Looking up, one could see lush, layered mountain ranges shrouded in mist.
The village was not very big, but had over a hundred households. At this time of day, smoke billowed from every chimney, and the air was filled with a mixture of cooking smells.
Seeing the architectural style of the village and the patterns on the villagers' clothes, Rong Dai felt even more uneasy in her heart.
She had read all the historical records of this era, yet there was no mention of the Shangyuan Empire at all.
However, the style here was almost identical to that of the Shangyuan Empire.
The only difference was that this place had cement roads and a school, along with some modern facilities.
If one looked past those, everything else here was exactly the same as in the Shangyuan Empire.
She could hardly believe her eyes. The more she looked, the more dizzy she felt. Her mind spun out of control and she collapsed.
"Rong Dai!"
Lu Nianzhi had just started on a roasted sweet potato. Seeing Rong Dai fall, she got such a fright that she dropped it and rushed to catch her.
"I'm fine, Sister Nianzhi. It's probably just low blood sugar."
After sitting on the ground for a few seconds, Rong Dai finally recovered.
Seeing the panic on Lu Nianzhi's face, she quickly reassured her.
But only she knew how frightened she actually felt!
Cold sweat had broken out on her back, and there was a chill creeping up her spine.
She felt light-headed and weak, as if her soul could leave her body at any moment.
"Really? Don't try to fool me!"
Lu Nianzhi helped her up, still badly shaken.
Rong Dai gave a faint smile and shook her head. "I'm really alright. I should go back and wait for Shao Ting."
Everything in this village filled her with fear, especially the strange sensations in her body, which made her even more uneasy.
Lu Nianzhi did not know what had happened to her. She could only nod and help Rong Dai back into the house, making her a cup of honey water.
"This is wild honey from the mountains. Try it."
"Thank you."
Rong Dai leaned against the bed and sipped the honey water slowly.
"Sister Nianzhi, why don't you go out for a walk?"
"The air here is quite good. It would be nice for you to clear your head."
"I don't have much to do here. I'll just rest in the room."
Afraid that Lu Nianzhi would press her with more questions, she quickly made up an excuse to send her away.
Lu Nianzhi could tell something was on her mind, but since she didn't say, there was no use prying.
"I'll just take a walk nearby. Get someone to come tell me if anything happens."
Rong Dai nodded. Watching Lu Nianzhi leave, her eyes instantly darkened, filled with dread and unease.
