Chapter 63 Mission In A Temple
Orapolis has many tourist attractions, and Kendall occasionally explored them when she was in college.
Kendall wasn't sure about Nathan's fitness. Although Nathan looked fit, it was also possible that he was born with a perfect physique but had no stamina
Kendall drove Nathan to the nearest mountain, a calm scenic area. It had about six thousand steps from the base to the summit. Kendall had climbed it twice in college, completing the entire round trip in less than two hours.
Kendall parked the car at the base. After getting out, she pointed at the imposing mountain and told Nathan. "We'll climb up and come back down, and then I'll treat you to food." She had, after all, received two million from his brother, so treating Nathan to a few meals was only right.
Kendall then asked, "Can you climb it?"
Nathan stood beside Kendall, following her outstretched finger to look at the majestic mountain, and nodded reservedly.
Nathan was empty-handed. Kendall opened the back seat and retrieved a crossbody bag she had placed there.
She put her phone and car keys inside the bag, slung it over her shoulder, and then took Nathan to a small shop nearby to buy two bottles of water.
Over such a long distance, they might get thirsty without water on the way.
After making the purchase, Kendall and Nathan were ready, walking toward the steps at the base of the mountain.
The mountain was named Cloudcrown Mountain.
Because there was no entrance fee and a temple at the top where people could burn incense, it was very popular with city residents.
It was often overcrowded with people coming to climb and pray on the first day of every month.
Even on normal days, many people came to hike for exercise.
Kendall and Nathan slowly ascended the steps.
Kendall was wearing a black T-shirt today, with loose black athletic shorts that reached her mid-thigh, exposing her fair knees and straight, well-proportioned calves. She wore white ankle socks, beige sneakers, and a black baseball cap, making her look youthful and vibrant.
Nathan walked beside Kendall. Because Kendall noticed he was wearing cotton-linen loungewear during the video call, she specifically reminded him to change into athletic clothes before leaving.
Coincidentally, Nathan was dressed identically to Kendall today. A full black athletic outfit in the same colour scheme, paired with clean, dust-free beige sneakers.
Nathan wasn't wearing a hat, revealing his smooth forehead and handsome, refined face. He kept his thin lips pressed together, sticking close to Kendall. At first glance, the two looked exactly like a couple out on a date.
However, neither of them seemed to notice this.
As Kendall walked, her pace gradually quickened, and Nathan consistently kept pace, staying about one step behind her, his breathing steady.
The steps were flanked by numerous trees and wild greenery. The air was much fresher than in the city. Kendall chatted with Nathan as they walked. Although Kendall did most of the talking and Nathan only occasionally responded, the atmosphere between them wasn't awkward.
Nathan's eyes were bright, and anyone could tell his mood was excellent.
Quite a few people were hiking today. Kendall and Nathan frequently passed people descending the mountain, and there was a constant stream of hikers both ahead of and behind them.
Kendall briefly glanced at Nathan and saw that when they passed descending hikers, he would quietly move behind her, actively avoiding contact. Compared to the Nathan who previously showed no reaction to the outside world, he had made huge progress in these two meetings.
The two maintained a brisk pace, reaching the summit in one go without any stops. Along the hiking path, rest stops, benches, and stone seats were built at regular intervals.
The temple at the summit was quite luxurious, constructed in an antique, ancient style, with the main temple centrally located and other buildings layered around the four sides.
Kendall took Nathan on a walk around the area, and after admiring the architecture below, they headed up the steps toward the viewing platform.
"Let's go, we'll check out the top floor," Kendall said to Nathan. She had visited before, standing on the second-floor viewing platform offered a panoramic view of most of Orapolis.
Just as the two were walking up the stairs, they suddenly saw a group of people hurrying down from the viewing platform, their steps panicked and their expressions desperate.
Kendall frowned. Before she could process the situation, she heard the system's voice in her mind.
> [Ding! Cloudcrown Temple has a murder in progress! Please, Host, immediately apprehend the killer, Kamal, and bring him to justice!]
'Cloudcrown Temple? That was where she was right now!'
Kendall's heart seized up. She reached out and grabbed a girl who was running down, asking, "What's wrong upstairs? What happened?"
"There, there's a man... killing someone!" The girl's face was pale. When Kendall grabbed her arm, she could clearly feel the girl's body trembling with fear.
"Don't go up! Run! That man's crazy!"
"Someone is being murdered up there, don't go up, hurry and run!" the others following the girl kindly warned, before bypassing the pair and swiftly scrambling down the steps.
As soon as Kendall released the girl, she too hurried down the stairs with wobbly legs.
The system task was issued. Run? Kendall was absolutely not going to run.
Without seeing it with her own eyes, Kendall didn't know the exact situation upstairs. If she had been climbing alone today, Kendall would have already rushed up, but she didn't forget that she had someone else with her.
Kendall collected herself and spoke to Nathan with a serious expression. "Young master, you wait here patiently for me, understand? I'll go take a look, and then I'll come right back for you."
As if fearing Nathan wouldn't understand, Kendall put one hand on his shoulder and pointed with the other toward a stone bench below. "Sit there and wait for me. I'll be back very quickly."
The situation was urgent. After speaking, Kendall didn't wait for Nathan's reply, turned, and quickly headed upward.
Many people were frantically fleeing the scene. Seeing Kendall walking against the flow, some kindly warned her not to go up.
Kendall didn't say anything. After pushing through the crowd, the first thing she saw was an empty viewing platform and the temple used for burning incense. The temple had passages on both sides.
Kendall looked left and right, then paused. "System, where is he?"
The system didn't speak, but a virtual arrow appeared in front of Kendall after she spoke, pointing her in the right direction.
Kendall immediately bolted toward it. When she saw a bamboo broom leaning against the wall nearby, Kendall grabbed it instinctively.
"Ah! Please! Don't stab! Stop stabbing!"
"Help! Help me!"
Screams entered her ears, growing closer.
When Kendall rushed to the scene, even with mental preparation, she was still shocked by the bloody sight before her.
A man in black was relentlessly attacking a man in white, who was pinned to the ground, with a fruit knife.
The screams Kendall had heard were coming from the man in white. He had suffered multiple stab wounds, and the flowing blood had nearly saturated half his body. The ground was also covered in spilled blood. Beside the two men, a woman lay motionless on the ground, her condition unknown.
The man in white thrashed his limbs on the ground, desperately struggling and begging for mercy. Yet, the man in black seemed possessed, his eyes bloodshot with murderous rage. He continued to plunge the fruit knife into the man in white while shouting angrily.
"Why did you ruin my family!"
"Was it you who convinced her to divorce me?!"
(End of Chapter)