Escape Filming Location

The clearing in the Back Mountain wasn’t the end, just a temporary rest spot before venturing further. The villagers of Yuxi Village rarely visited the Back Mountain, so the clearing remained mostly unused.

“Let’s check it out,” Hawkeye led the way.

The sky was growing darker. Qian Cangyi felt an imaginary countdown ticking away in his mind. Soon, the mountain path split into two, branching left and right.

“Should we split up?” Qian Cangyi hesitated.

“Yes, we should,” Hawkeye confirmed.

They stuck to their previous choice, each taking a different path. Qian Cangyi felt a vague sense of unease but couldn’t pinpoint its source. The mountain was eerily silent, with only the sound of footsteps echoing through the air.

Qian Cangyi worried that the Dark Shadow might be lurking behind the trees, so he slowed his pace slightly to give himself time to react. Every few steps, he couldn’t help but glance back.

As time passed, his heart pounded faster, and his breathing became more labored. The feeling of being chased by time made Qian Cangyi increasingly anxious. Each backward glance only heightened his panic, as the dark patches on the tree bark often seemed like eyes watching him from the shadows.

“I’ve been walking for so long, and the path hasn’t changed. Could I be experiencing the same situation as Bian Zhe?” Qian Cangyi began to doubt the path he was on.

The mountain path was hard to distinguish. Initially, Qian Cangyi paid attention, but as he walked further, he became more confused. Suddenly, a vague figure appeared ahead, hidden among the trees.

Qian Cangyi’s heart leaped into his throat. He stopped to observe the new figure. It wasn’t a Dark Shadow but a normal human silhouette. He could see the person was clothed, but the distance was too great to make out their face.

The figure seemed to notice him too and started moving in his direction. Trees stood between them, and the path wasn’t straight, so even closing the distance would take some time.

Qian Cangyi wanted to confirm the person’s identity, but the eerie situation in Yuxi Village made him doubt whether he would encounter a normal person. As he hesitated, a cold sensation crept up his spine, making him shiver. He turned around abruptly.

On the light brown tree bark, a Dark Shadow slowly emerged, facing Qian Cangyi with a chilling smile. After the first Dark Shadow appeared, similar shadows manifested on other trees, numbering over a dozen.

Instinctively, Qian Cangyi took a step back. The shadows on the bark vanished suddenly, and though the forest was dimly lit, Qian Cangyi’s eyes detected a change in brightness. Human eyes are sensitive to changes in light in dark places, which is why Qian Cangyi noticed it.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have reacted much, perhaps just been more cautious. But the Dark Shadow had already appeared. Naturally, Qian Cangyi linked the change in brightness to the Dark Shadow.

Why did the brightness change suddenly? The answer was obvious. Qian Cangyi’s mouth went dry, and he licked his lips. The Dark Shadow moved from the forest to the mountain path, sliding over the green grass like a black serpent hunting in the silent woods.

Qian Cangyi was the prey. If he had any doubts about the safety of the figure ahead, they vanished now. Escape was the only thought in his mind.

Qian Cangyi turned and ran, fatigue seemingly vanishing in an instant. At the same time, he saw the figure ahead start running too. In this urgent moment, Qian Cangyi had no energy to ponder anything else.

The Dark Shadows crisscrossed, sometimes overlapping, sometimes spreading out, their crescent smiles mocking all who stepped into Yuxi Village.

“Huff, huff!” After running for a while, Qian Cangyi panted heavily, his chest heaving, and his thighs ached with a burning pain. The lack of regular exercise was glaringly apparent now. Yet, despite the pain, he had no intention of stopping, for stopping meant only one thing-death!

The Dark Shadows formed new encircling patterns, always trailing not far behind. The only consolation was that they didn’t take shortcuts to intercept him. After rounding a bend, Qian Cangyi saw the figure ahead and recognized the face-it was Hawkeye.

Previously, at the fork, they had gone in completely opposite directions. Even if the paths formed a circle, the Back Mountain’s circle seemed too small. Both showed surprised expressions upon seeing each other.

Suddenly, Qian Cangyi noticed a path to the left leading downhill. It seemed strangely familiar, and he recalled the scene when they split paths. The surroundings overlapped with his memory, and after a slight shift in position, they were identical.

Qian Cangyi realized they had returned to the starting point!

“What do we do now?” Qian Cangyi shouted at Hawkeye.

No matter what, Hawkeye was a seasoned Actor, more experienced in handling such situations than a newcomer like him.

“Run!” Hawkeye’s response was straightforward.

Qian Cangyi focused on the path leading back to the clearing. It was the only direction they could escape. As they regrouped, so did the Dark Shadows behind them.

Qian Cangyi sprinted, slowing down at the fork to turn, then continued toward the clearing. Hawkeye was faster, but he had started further from the fork.

As Qian Cangyi reached the clearing, Hawkeye had already overtaken him. Suddenly, a red lightning bolt streaked across the sky, thunder roared, and rain began to fall, soaking their hair.

“Rain, now of all times!” Qian Cangyi felt like trouble was piling on.

The roads in Yuxi Village weren’t paved but muddy. After the rain, they would become treacherously slippery, affecting only them. From any angle, the Dark Shadows’ speed wouldn’t be hindered by the rain.

The Dark Shadows moved at a pace between a normal adult’s walk and a jog. Of course, this was the speed of the shadows trailing them now. The shadow in Li Ling’s house was much faster, though Qian Cangyi couldn’t fathom why there was such a difference.

“Where do we go now?” Qian Cangyi asked Hawkeye.

Hawkeye pointed to a nearby house, Li Chenxi’s home, and said, “Didn’t you say the villagers live on in a special way? Maybe they left us a clue.”

He paused, then continued, “A clue to the Death Ritual Stele’s location.”

Qian Cangyi’s eyes widened, not understanding the reasoning. “You mean the villagers left us new clues? Like the moved teacup in Li Ling’s house and the strange noises in Wei Guangyuan’s?”

“The question is, what can they do? As soon as we approach, the villagers become nonexistent. The clues they leave might vanish with them.”

These questions were less inquiries and more concerns about what lay ahead.