He closed the door.
Feng Mountain could barely keep his eyes open. The only bed in the room was naturally his to enjoy alone. Nash and Wawa were young and strong; sleeping on the floor would be good enough for them.
After making these simple arrangents, he collapsed onto the soft mattress, closed his eyes, and was soon snoring.
Nash and Wawa weren’t sleepy. They just moved quietly.
After all, Feng Mountain had spent the day flying the plane all over the sky by himself, while the two of them had taken several naps on board.
When he awoke, the sound of waves crashing against the shore outside the window was like a beautiful symphony perford by nature itself.
Feng Mountain sat up in bed, squinting slightly as he savored this mont of peace and tranquility.
His mood lightened.
He got up, walked to the window, and pushed it open. A light rain was falling. The nearby Bering Sea displayed a different kind of magnificent beauty.
The sky was gloomy, and lead-gray clouds hung low over the sea, creating a heavy, oppressive feeling.
The sea wind was biting and fierce, howling as it swept across the turbulent water. It kicked up massive waves that crashed relentlessly against the reefs on the shore, producing a deafening roar.
Fishing boats sailed out of the harbor one after another, cutting through the wind and waves toward the roaring sea to begin their day’s work.
Feng Mountain sighed to himself. ’Looks like life isn’t easy in the south, either. Going out to sea in a storm like this...’
Nash and Wawa woke up one after the other and silently packed their things.
As for the sea, one of them couldn’t care less, and the other had grown up by the coast and was long used to such a dull view.
"Khilla, should I bring a rifle?" Nash asked, taking out an AR-15 automatic rifle. He removed the magazine to check the bullets.
The unexpected incident in Mangting Village yesterday had left Nash furious. If he had been carrying the rifle then, Khilla wouldn’t have been in danger.
Feng Mountain waved his hand dismissively. "We’re just grabbing soone, not getting into a firefight. A pistol will be enough."
’Besides, in my hands, there’s no difference between a rifle and a pistol.’
’Khilla said not to bring it, but that doesn’t an I’m going to listen.’
Stubbornly, Nash slung the AR-15 automatic rifle under his bearskin coat. If what happened last night were to happen again, he wouldn’t hesitate to pull out the gun and start shooting.
"Khilla, your pistol." Nash picked up a Glock 18 from the nightstand.
He took his "benevolent pistol."
Feng Mountain stuck it into his holster, patted it, and said, "Let’s go. Breakfast first."
The three of them left the room, went down the stairs to the first-floor living room.
When the fat cat saw Feng Mountain, it ca over, owing again.
Hearing the noise, Margaret ca out from the kitchen. Seeing the three of them, she gave a kind smile.
"Just a mont. You can sit in the dining room for a bit. Breakfast will be ready soon."
"Okay!"
Feng Mountain replied politely. Last night, all he could think about was sleeping, so he had only given the inn a cursory glance.
Now that he had ti, he could take a proper look around.
The inn had likely been converted from a private ho, and many areas still retained their original warmth and simplicity.
The wooden floorboards creaked softly underfoot, as if whispering stories of the past.
On the walls, besides various photographs, there were also so oil paintings. Though a bit old, they exuded a unique artistic charm.
The front hall was furnished with a comfortable sofa and a coffee table. At the end of the hallway was a small balcony with a view of the Bering Sea in the distance.
A few pots of fresh flowers sat on the balcony, swaying gently in the light rain and adding a touch of life and color to the corner.
"Breakfast is ready, children!" Lady Margaret’s voice called out from the living room.
Feng Mountain and the other two left the balcony.
When they reached the dining room, a tureen of creamy white soup and a basket of small round bread rolls were already on the table.
The thick soup gave off an enticing aroma, its creamy white broth shimring gently.
The basket of rolls looked as if they had just co out of the oven, radiating the warm fragrance of wheat. Their golden-brown crusts looked crisp and delicious.
"Today’s breakfast is mushroom and crab chowder with toast. I hope you like it," Lady Margaret said, her eyes full of affection.
Feng Mountain, Nash, and Wawa sat down in turn, as well-behaved as children, accepting the bowls of crab chowder from Lady Margaret.
Feng Mountain scooped up a spoonful of the crab and mushroom chowder and put it in his mouth. The rich flavor instantly spread across his tongue.
The fresh taste of the crab and the fragrance of the mushrooms blended together perfectly, leaving a wonderful aftertaste.
He then picked up a bread roll and took a bite. The soft texture and wheaty aroma were a delight to his taste buds.
"You’re an excellent cook, ma’am!"
Standing to the side, Lady Margaret’s face broke into a satisfied smile. It was as warm as the spring sun, full of pride and joy.
At the sa ti, she enthusiastically explained the source of her ingredients.
"The crab at I use is all fresh Gray-eyed Snow Crab, caught just this morning. The mushrooms are fresh white mushrooms that grow in the island’s fields, and I picked every one of them myself."
"It’s delicious," Feng Mountain praised again. "Ma’am, are there any interesting places to visit on Saint Lawrence Island?"
Lady Margaret smiled and thought for a mont before speaking slowly. "The nearby volcanic ruins have beautiful scenery, and the North Slope is a habitat for sea dogs and seals. Also, Saint Lawrence Island is the largest community of the Aleut People, and it preserves their unique culture and way of life. Near the cliffs, you can also find the largest tufted puffin colony in the Bering Sea."
"Okay, I’ll definitely check them out if I have ti." After making a ntal note of these spots, Feng Mountain expressed his thanks.
After breakfast, the three of them prepared to leave the inn.
The light rain had stopped. On the rain-soaked grass, wildflowers were in bloom. Feng Mountain and the others strolled along a gravel path, seeing almost no locals along the way, just a few Aleut children at play.
No matter how he looked at them, though, the children’s features looked Asian.
The temperature on Saint Lawrence Island was around 5 or 6 degrees above zero. It was a little warm for their fur coats, but the sky remained gloomy, as if a few dense rain clouds were hovering stubbornly overhead.
Houses were scattered sparsely across the hillside, most of them wooden cabins with steeply sloped roofs.
Down below the slope, the gray beach was densely packed with sea dogs and seals, a sight that made Wawa’s eyes gleam.
’So many sea dogs and seals,’ Wawa thought. ’Don’t the people here hunt them?’
’What a waste of food.’
Occasionally, they would run into tourists, who in turn mistook Feng Mountain’s group for local Indigenous People. The tourists would flock around them for photos, leading to so amusing situations.
Following the guidance of his divination, Feng Mountain arrived at a pier. To one side of the pier, there seed to be a processing plant.
Fishing boats were docked at the pier, their crews busy unloading cargo. Fishern carried case after case of snow crabs, packed in crushed ice, out of the holds. After being weighed, the crabs were loaded onto flatbed trailers and hauled to the plant for further processing.
The air was filled with the salty, fishy sll of the sea and the fresh scent of the snow crabs.
The boardwalk was right next to the processing plant.
He had co looking for traces of the killer, but the mont he stepped onto the boardwalk, a sudden, inexplicable torrent of Soul Power surged toward his Witchcraft Bone Ring.
For a mont, Feng Mountain was dazzled by this inexplicably imnse Soul Power. It was an indescribable sensation, as if countless invisible forces were pulling at him.
Soul Power!
A sky full of Soul Power!
A wave of shock washed over Feng Mountain. He had never felt such a powerful fluctuation of Soul Power before. Suppressing the intense throbbing, he looked down at the sixth finger on his right hand.
At that mont, red patterns were spreading across the Witchcraft Bone Ring at a speed visible to the naked eye.
’So much Soul Power!’
’With this wave of Soul Power, the Glacial River Beach can expand even more.’
...
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