One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Nie Lingfeng calmly sipped his rice noodle soup, memorizing these fragmented pieces of information. Disappearance, no trace, mountains and forests, vengeful ghosts, Gu people, evil magic… it largely matched the intelligence he had previously gathered, but was more specific and added a touch of the eerie, folklore of legend. It seemed the problems in Mengla Town were indeed more serious and complex than described in the written reports.

Just then, a commotion arose from the other side of the street, completely out of place with the somewhat noisy but still relatively peaceful atmosphere of the small town in the early morning.

A group of five or six people emerged from a hotel that appeared significantly more upscale in the distance. Leading them was a middle-aged man, around fifty years old, wearing a well-tailored silver-gray suit, gold-rimmed glasses, and meticulously combed hair. He possessed a refined and composed demeanor. A gentle yet aloof smile graced his face, his sharp eyes exuding the composed air of someone long accustomed to a position of power. Behind him followed a tall, slender young woman in a black fitted leather jacket, her hair tied in a neat high ponytail. She had a cold, beautiful face, and her eyes held a hint of impatience and scrutiny. Beside her was a young man dressed in a flamboyant Hawaiian shirt, beach shorts, and flip-flops, wearing exaggerated sunglasses. He was chewing gum, glancing around casually, and carrying a long, rectangular box wrapped in cloth on his back.

Besides these three, there were two bodyguards dressed in black suits, with burly builds, bulging temples, and sharp, eagle-like eyes, who lagged behind two steps and vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

The appearance of this group, especially the imposing presence of the middle-aged man at the head and the two bodyguards who were clearly skilled in martial arts, immediately attracted the attention of many people on the street. In this border town, where all sorts of people mingle, the appearance of such impressive figures was unusual in itself.

Nie Lingfeng's brows twitched almost imperceptibly.

He recognized the middle-aged man in the silver-gray suit. Or rather, he had seen his picture in the "company's" files and in rumors circulating in the supernatural world.

Feng Zhenghao, Vice President of the World Society and one of the Ten Elders.

The aloof woman behind him must be his daughter, Feng Shayan. As for the carefree young man in the Hawaiian shirt… Jia Zhengliang? The descendant of Jiajia Village, famous for his magical abilities and gossip among the younger generation of the Tianxia Society?

Why would members of the Tianxia Society appear in this remote border town? Judging by their demeanor, they're here to "discuss business"? The Tianxia Society's business extends to both the legitimate and criminal worlds, so it's not surprising that they might engage in some shady transactions in a lawless area like the border. But for Feng Zhenghao to personally come... this "business" must be quite significant.

Nie Lingfeng withdrew his gaze and continued eating, but his senses had already quietly locked onto the group. He was currently disguised as "Lin Feng, the herbal medicine merchant," and theoretically shouldn't know a big shot like Feng Zhenghao. Observing the situation was the best strategy.

Feng Zhenghao and his group seemed to be looking for a place to have breakfast as well. They looked around and then headed towards the breakfast stall where Nie Lingfeng was. Two bodyguards came over first and seemingly casually occupied the table next to them, but in reality, they subtly protected the area where Feng Zhenghao and his companions might sit. Feng Zhenghao, along with Feng Shayan and Jia Zhengliang, went straight to the empty table next to Nie Lingfeng and sat down.

"Boss, three bowls of rice noodle soup, three fried dough sticks, and a few tea eggs," Feng Zhenghao said to the stall owner in standard Mandarin, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable aura.

"Alright! Just a moment!" The stall owner was clearly intimidated by the group's imposing manner and quickly got to work.

As soon as Jia Zhengliang sat down, he took off his sunglasses, revealing a fairly handsome face, but with a hint of nonchalance and laziness in his eyes. He looked around, chewing gum, and his gaze lingered briefly on Nie Lingfeng. He seemed to think that this young man, alone, dressed plainly, and engrossed in his meal, was a bit... too "ordinary," somewhat out of place in the bustling, chaotic atmosphere of this border town. But he didn't dwell on it and quickly looked away, muttering to himself, "This godforsaken place, damp and dingy, doesn't even have a decent coffee shop... Uncle Feng, can we really close that deal here?"

"Ah Liang, watch your words." Feng Zhenghao glanced at him indifferently, his tone not harsh, but Jia Zhengliang immediately shrank back, made a zipping motion with his mouth, and stopped talking, just fiddling with the sunglasses in his hand.

Feng Shayan maintained a cold expression, arms crossed, her gaze sweeping over the passersby and the scrutinizing, inquisitive, and even greedy stares. Her eyes were filled with undisguised disgust and impatience. She clearly resented this chaotic, dirty, and uncertain environment.

Nie Lingfeng continued to eat his rice noodle soup slowly and deliberately, seemingly oblivious to the "important figures" sitting beside him. He could sense that Feng Zhenghao, though appearing casual, was actually glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. This vice president of the World Society was known for his deep cunning and sharp insight; any slight unease could attract his attention.

Soon, breakfast for Feng Zhenghao and the other two was served. Feng Zhenghao ate very politely, but quickly, showing good manners and high efficiency. Feng Shayan only ate a few bites before putting down her chopsticks, clearly not having much of an appetite. Jia Zhengliang, on the other hand, ate with great relish, even asking the vendor for an extra dish of chili sauce to mix with his rice noodles, sweating profusely as he ate.

Just as breakfast was nearing its end and Nie Lingfeng was about to get up to check out and leave, Chen Duo, rubbing her eyes and clutching a panda plushie, slowly walked down the hotel stairs. She had changed into her usual outfit—a slightly unfashionable plaid shirt and trousers, and the straw hat whose brim Nie Lingfeng had tilted. Her small face still held a sleepy look, and her bright green eyes shone like two dew-kissed emeralds in the morning mist. She looked left and right, seemingly searching for Nie Lingfeng.

"Brother... Brother?" she called softly, a little uncertainly. Her voice was soft and sweet, with a nasal tone from just waking up. It wasn't very loud in the noisy breakfast stall, but Nie Lingfeng heard it, and Feng Zhenghao's table obviously heard it too.

Nie Lingfeng thought to himself, "They're here," but his face immediately displayed the anxious and doting expression typical of "Lin Feng." He stood up and waved to Chen Duo, "Duo Duo, over here. Are you awake? Hungry?"

When Chen Duo saw Nie Lingfeng, her eyes lit up. She jogged over and sat down next to him naturally. Then her gaze was drawn to the half-eaten bowl of rice noodle soup and fried dough sticks on the table. She swallowed hard and whispered, "Hungry..."

"Boss, another bowl of rice noodle soup and a fried dough stick," Nie Lingfeng said to the stall owner. He then broke the remaining half of the fried dough stick in half, soaked it in the rice noodle soup, and pushed it in front of Chen Duo. "Eat this first, and I'll buy you something else later."

Chen Duo nodded, picked up her chopsticks, and began to eat in small bites. She ate very earnestly and with great care, as if it were some kind of exquisite delicacy, her cheeks puffing out like a little hamster. Her simple, dependent, and somewhat naive appearance, combined with her delicate features and slightly rustic attire, made her look exactly like a young girl from the mainland who had come with her brother to make a living, search for relatives, and was unfamiliar with the ways of the world.

While watching his "sister" eat with "loving" eyes, Nie Lingfeng kept an eye on the reactions of Feng Zhenghao and his group at the next table. Feng Zhenghao seemed to have developed a slight interest in the suddenly appearing "brother and sister." He put down his chopsticks, picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, and lingered his gaze on Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo for a few more seconds, especially looking at Chen Duo a couple more times. His eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses seemed thoughtful.

Jia Zhengliang then came over and said to Chen Duo with a grin, "Little sister, isn't this rice noodle soup delicious? Would you like some chili sauce? The chili sauce here is really fragrant!" He seemed quite interested in teasing the seemingly innocent little girl.

Chen Duo looked up at Jia Zhengliang, her clear green eyes showing no emotion. She simply shook her head and whispered, "No need, thank you." Then she lowered her head again and continued to focus on eating her breakfast.

Jia Zhengliang, feeling awkward, shrugged and didn't seem to care.

Feng Shayan frowned, clearly finding Jia Zhengliang's frivolous behavior shameful, and glared at him coldly.

Just then, Feng Zhenghao suddenly spoke up, his voice gentle and approachable, like a spring breeze. He looked at Nie Lingfeng and asked, "Young man, judging from your accent, you're not a local? You brought your sister here... to visit relatives, or for business?"

Nie Lingfeng felt a chill run down his spine, knowing the "test" had arrived. He raised his head, a perfectly timed smile—a mixture of weariness, worry, and a forced spirit—on his face, and replied in slightly northern-accented Mandarin, "This boss has a good eye. We're from the north, doing a small business selling medicinal herbs. We're here mainly... to find my older brother." He sighed, pulling a crumpled, handwritten "missing person notice" from his pocket (actually, a hidden compartment in his backpack). It contained a photo and basic information about "Lin Shan" (the fictional older brother). "My older brother came here a while ago to collect herbs, saying he'd be back last week, but we haven't heard from him since. We heard that he might have gone to a place called 'Mengla'... so we've been looking for him all this way."

His tone was earnest, his eyes filled with worry for his brother's whereabouts and uncertainty about the future. He perfectly portrayed the image of an ordinary merchant worried about his family and searching for his brother across thousands of miles. Chen Duo also put down her chopsticks, a sad expression on her face, and added softly, "Big brother... is missing. We want to find him."

Feng Zhenghao took the missing person poster, examined it carefully, then looked up at Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo, his gaze quickly sweeping over their faces, hands, and clothing, as if assessing something. After a moment, he handed the poster back, pondering, "Mong La... that place hasn't been very safe lately. Young man, it's probably not very safe for just the two of you to go there to look for someone."