One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

After breakfast, feeling warm and cozy, the two followed the instructions in "Eagle's" message to the parking lot of a large farmers' market in the city. Xiao Yang was already waiting there in an inconspicuous domestic SUV. Upon seeing them, he immediately got out, opened the back door, and inside were two slightly worn travel backpacks and several document bags.

"Teacher Nie, Miss Chen Duo, everything is here," Xiao Yang said in a low voice, pointing to the backpack. "Inside are the gear befitting a 'medicinal herb merchant,' some commonly used outdoor equipment and medicines, and some cash (RMB of various denominations and a small amount of Burmese Kyat and Lao Kyat). The document bag contains a new ID card, a simplified passport, a driver's license, a missing person notice for 'Finding My Brother' with background information, and a detailed map of Mengla Town and the surrounding area, along with a summary of known intelligence. The communicator is in a hidden compartment of the backpack; the encrypted channel is set up, and the battery is fully charged. Also," he took out two small devices that looked like Bluetooth headsets, "these are the latest 'bone conduction directional communicators,' with an effective range of 500 meters and strong concealment. Keep them close to your body for easy, secret communication in crowds."

Nie Lingfeng inspected the items; they were complete and practical, indicating that headquarters had made ample preparations. "Thank you for your hard work, Master Yang. I'll leave the rest to you."

"Don't worry, Teacher Nie! Have a safe trip! Take good care of yourself!" Xiao Yang said solemnly.

Without further pleasantries, Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo got into the back seat of the SUV. Xiao Yang drove them to Guiyang Longdongbao Airport. From there, they would take a morning flight to Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport in Yunnan, and then transfer to Jinghong, a border city.

On the way, Chen Duo curiously rummaged through the "gear" in her backpack. There were several dark-colored, ordinary but sturdy shirts and trousers, suitable for hiking; a straw hat and raincoat for sun protection; some dried herb samples and small scales (props for pretending to be a herbal medicine merchant) that she couldn't name; and even a few crumpled old books on the identification of Chinese herbal medicines and border trade. She picked up a slightly rustic straw hat, put it on her head, turned to Nie Lingfeng, her emerald green eyes looking at him from under the wide brim, and whispered, "Does it look like...my sister?"

Looking at the "younger sister" in front of him, who wore a rustic straw hat but couldn't hide her delicate features and pure temperament, Nie Lingfeng wanted to laugh a little, but still nodded seriously: "She looks like her. However, the hat can be tilted a little, it doesn't need to be so straight." He reached out and helped her pull the brim of the hat to the side, covering half of her face, only revealing her beautifully shaped jawline and slightly pursed lips, which really added a touch of worldly-weary and pitiful feeling.

Chen Duo obediently let him fiddle with her. After he finished, she picked up a small mirror (from her backpack) and looked at herself, seemingly quite satisfied with her "new look." (๑´ㅂ`๑)

Upon arriving at the airport, they checked in and checked in any unnecessary luggage (mainly the two conspicuous sword pouches and the root carvings disguised as special handicrafts). After a simple security check, the two boarded their flight to Xishuangbanna.

The plane soared into the sky, revealing a sea of ​​cotton-candy-white clouds and an endless expanse of azure sky outside the window. It was Chen Duo's first time flying, and she was filled with wonder, constantly peering out the window, her emerald eyes reflecting the ever-changing clouds, occasionally letting out a soft gasp of amazement. When the flight attendant pushed the food cart over, she became particularly interested in the exquisitely packaged cakes and juices offered on the plane, savoring each bite as if they were some extraordinary delicacy.

Nie Lingfeng leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes to rest. His mind replayed the intelligence sent by "Eagle" about Mengla Town, as well as the background stories of "herb merchant Lin Feng" (his new identity) and "sister Lin Duo" (Chen Duo's new identity). He had to get into character as soon as possible; any small mistake could be fatal in that chaotic border region.

After a flight of more than two hours, the plane landed at Xishuangbanna Gasa Airport. A humid and hot atmosphere hit us, quite different from the cool and humid air of Guiyang. The sky was a clear, bright blue, the sun was blazing, and the tall palm trees and banana leaves exuded a rich tropical ambiance.

After collecting their luggage, the two walked out of the airport. Immediately, a driver wearing a floral shirt, with dark skin and shrewd eyes, approached them and solicited passengers in accented Mandarin: "Jinghong! Mengla! Daluo! Where are you going, boss?"

Nie Lingfeng waved his hand and said in his slightly broken Mandarin, which he had prepared beforehand, "Go to Jinghong, the bus station." His current identity was that of a medicine merchant from the mainland who was not very familiar with the border situation and was taking his sister to find his missing brother. He couldn't appear too experienced.

They hailed a regular taxi and told the driver the name of Jinghong Long-Distance Bus Station. The driver was very talkative, introducing the scenery and specialties of Xishuangbanna in a mix of Dai and Mandarin. Nie Lingfeng occasionally chimed in, but mostly remained silent, watching the tall coconut groves, Dai bamboo houses, and Dai girls in brightly colored sarongs flashing past the window. Chen Duo, on the other hand, remained full of curiosity about everything outside the window, especially the strangely shaped and brightly colored tropical fruits she had never seen before at the roadside fruit stalls; her eyes were practically glued to the glass. (☆▽☆)

Upon arriving at the bus station, I bought two tickets for the next bus to Daluo Town, the border crossing (I would need to transfer in Daluo or find a local vehicle to go to the more remote Mengla). The bus was old, and the passengers were a mixed bag: tourists, locals, and many men and women with shifty eyes, carrying large bags and small packages, whose specific professions were unclear. The air was filled with the smells of sweat, cheap cigarettes, and the cloyingly sweet aroma of overripe tropical fruits.

The car bumped along the winding mountain road. On one side was a lush, seemingly endless tropical rainforest, and on the other side was a bottomless valley with a rushing, muddy river at its bottom. The road was narrow, making passing other vehicles extremely dangerous. Chen Duo was initially excited looking at the rainforest scenery outside the window, but as time went on, coupled with the bumpy mountain road, she began to feel carsick. Her face turned slightly pale, and she leaned on Nie Lingfeng's shoulder, closed her eyes, and hugged her panda plush toy tightly.

Nie Lingfeng gently put his arm around her shoulder, channeling a wisp of his gentle inner energy to ease her discomfort. He could sense that as they approached the border, an indescribable, faint restlessness and unease seemed to linger in the humid air. It was as if this land, enveloped by primeval forests and rugged mountains, itself concealed countless unknown secrets and dangers.

As dusk approached, the bus finally arrived at Daluo Town, a border town even more bustling and chaotic than Jinghong. The streets were lined with a dazzling array of jade and gemstone shops, stores selling imported souvenirs, and various massage parlors and small hotels with suggestive signs. The pedestrians were of diverse skin colors, spoke a mix of languages, and dressed in a motley collection. Armed border police patrolled the street corners, their sharp eyes scanning the passersby.

Nie Lingfeng helped Chen Duo, who was feeling a bit better but still somewhat listless, out of the car. According to "Eagle's" information, they would stay overnight in Daluo Town, and the next morning, an informant codenamed "Azanji" would come to pick them up and take them into the more remote and difficult-to-travel Mengla Town area in a local manner.

They found a relatively clean but unassuming little hotel near the station and settled in. The room was simple but clean enough. Nie Lingfeng told Chen Duo to rest in the room while he went downstairs and bought some light porridge and local specialty "bao shao" (food wrapped in banana leaves and baked) from a small restaurant next to the hotel to take back with him.

Chen Duo didn't have much of an appetite and only drank some porridge. Nie Lingfeng forced her to eat something, gave her a motion sickness pill, and then told her to rest early.

Night had fallen. The hustle and bustle of Daluo Town hadn't completely subsided; indistinct music and unintelligible clamor drifted from afar. Outside the window, a strange tropical night breeze carried the damp scent of grass and trees.

Nie Lingfeng stood by the window, looking at the dim, swaying streetlights below and the occasional hurried figure passing by, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

Mengla Town, that remote border town hidden deep in the rainforest and mountains, where bizarre disappearances and mass hysteria are occurring, is not far ahead.

What awaits them is an even more unpredictable fog than the Guiyang base, a more primal fear, and... perhaps a deeper darkness lurking within, originating from the "Council".

He turned around and glanced at Chen Duo, who was already fast asleep on the bed, her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly still battling motion sickness in her dreams. His gaze softened and hardened.

No matter what lies ahead, he will protect her, dispel the fog, and cut through the darkness.

This is his responsibility, and also his... promise.

The town of Daluo is awakened in the early morning by a thick, milky-white fog and the long, somber chimes of a Burmese temple on the distant border. The damp air is filled with the spicy scent of tropical plants, the sizzling aroma of fried food from street vendors, and a complex, indescribable odor from the deeper rainforest—a mixture of earth, decay, and a strange, sweet-smelling smell.

Nie Lingfeng stood at the end of the corridor on the second floor of the small hotel, pushed open the peeling wooden window, and looked out at the street shrouded in thick fog, with shadowy figures moving about. Chen Duo was still asleep in her room. After a night's rest, her face had regained its rosy glow, and she was sleeping soundly, hugging her panda plushie. Nie Lingfeng didn't wake her, letting her sleep a little longer, after all, she had been traveling a long way the day before and had even gotten carsick.

As agreed, the informant, codenamed "Azan Ki," was supposed to meet them at the "Old Burmese Tea House" across from the hotel around nine o'clock in the morning. "Azan Ki" is a respectful title for "teacher" or "wise person" in the Tai language, so it seems that this informant should have some prestige and connections in the area.

Nie Lingfeng glanced at the unassuming tactical watch on his wrist; it was just past seven. He decided to go downstairs to grab something to eat and observe the surroundings before going with Chen Duo once she woke up.

The small hotel didn't offer breakfast, so Nie Lingfeng stepped out of the slightly dark stairwell and onto the street. The fog had thinned a bit, but visibility was still poor. Small shops along the street were gradually opening, and the stoves at the breakfast stalls looked especially warm in the fog. He found a relatively clean stall with a view of the "Old Burmese Tea House" and sat down, ordering a bowl of thin bean noodles (a local specialty, made from ground peas and boiled, savory and slightly spicy) and two fried dough sticks.

As I was eating, my ears twitched slightly, and I caught a glimpse of several men dressed as locals at the next table, but whose accents were clearly neither Dai nor Han. They were talking in hushed tones, their Mandarin heavily accented with a Sichuan-Yunnan border accent:

"...Have you heard? There's been another incident in Mong La."

"What do you mean? Another 'mountain spirit'?"

"It's even weirder than that! Yesterday afternoon, Old Wang, who came from Jinghong to buy mountain goods, took his brother-in-law and tried to take a shortcut to Mengla on a motorcycle. But they haven't been found since. The motorcycle was found in an old forest five miles from the town. The motorcycle is still there, but the people are gone, and the goods are scattered all over the place..."

"Hiss... How many is this now? Last month it was a girl from the village, and this month it's someone collecting mountain goods..."

"The town officials and border guards have investigated several times, but they haven't found anything. Now the town is in a state of panic; no one dares to go out after dark. Everyone's saying that the ghost of Yan Sandao, the 'Poison King' who was wiped out before, has returned with his 'Gu people' for revenge..."

"Nonsense! Yan Sandao has been dead for years! If you ask me, it's possible that some kind of 'spirit' has appeared in the mountains, or some 'master' from abroad is up to no good, practicing evil magic!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Don't talk nonsense! These days, some things are better left unknown than known..."