Chapter 319: The Unfolding Tension

Brandon shuddered.
The henchmen assigned to “deal with” the bodies returned, parked the vehicle, and walked straight towards Duncan.
They even brought back the weapons from the truck.
The men disguised as gold prospectors were silent and muscular, saying nothing, but their intentions were clear.
They would not cooperate with Brandon’s investigation, nor would they take any responsibility for it.
The sparsely populated Misty Mountain Forest was an ideal place for murder and body disposal.
Moreover, this small inn only had a frail, beautiful owner and his reckless staff, along with a few uninspiring travelers.
There was only one justice officer present, armed with just a gun, unable to summon other colleagues urgently due to the distance.
Yan Chuan unconsciously gripped the hem of his clothes.
He felt like the situation was… very bad.
They encountered a murder just a few hours into the script; spending the first day in peace was clearly not going to happen. It was a warning that this script was extremely dangerous.
Duncan was indeed a dangerous individual.
His delicate fingers, resting on the fabric, were slightly whitening from the pressure.
But Duncan suddenly changed his tone.
His gaze skimmed over the wary Ashu and landed on the frail, slender figure behind him.
“This is not a place for knives or guns; I acted just now to handle an unexpected problem with a bad guy,” Duncan’s voice deepened, ignoring the content of what he said, yet his tone was quite pleasant: “After all, we have a timid lady present. Shh, don’t scare her.”
His long fingers pressed against his thin lips, making a gesture for silence.

Yan Chuan averted his gaze slightly.
Clearly, the “lady” that Duncan referred to was him.
Using such an ambiguous title, his tone lifted slightly, sounding quite pleased, but there was no ripple in his eyes—none whatsoever.
He warned Officer Brandon not to act rashly yet turned the topic towards him, making it sound as if he were a considerate and gentle person.
However, the smell of blood still lingered in the lobby, clearly indicating what had just happened.
The young officer’s expression was awkward.
It was evident that he realized he could not handle this case alone; his colleagues couldn’t arrive quickly, and he could only stabilize Duncan for now, ensuring he could not commit further crimes and threaten the safety of others.
This, of course, would be somewhat difficult to achieve.
Brandon’s hand resting at his waist lifted and lowered again, ultimately not drawing his gun.
In a situation where the strength was unequal, his actions would only provoke the other party.
If he were alone, Brandon might have attempted a different approach, but there were innocent travelers in the inn.
A young couple, a middle-aged couple with a young son, a young staff member… and the frail, beautiful Asian woman.
Brandon’s gaze fell on the Asian owner.
She was apparently a bit embarrassed by Duncan’s “lady” remark; a faint blush crept onto her pale cheeks, and her delicate brows furrowed.
Her long, black eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes sparkled with a bright, clear sheen, the pupils as dark and pure as obsidian.
She looked beautiful, like a delicate porcelain doll from the East.
Her long, curled lashes brushed lightly as she subtly peeked over, the slightly upturned corners of her eyes turning a bit red.
Her lips were pressed together, displaying a look of panic and confusion, with mistiness lingering in her gaze.
The young officer suddenly flushed.
He had just recalled something very explicit that Vincent had said.
Brandon quickly realized something and hurriedly averted his gaze.
Yan Chuan glanced at the officer a few more times.
He wanted to warn the officer not to confront Duncan directly, but could not find the right moment to interject, so he tried to signal with his eyes.
Brandon seemed to have picked up on his hint.
But Yan Chuan was unsure what to do next.
Vincent was dragged to one side by Duncan’s men; they roughly treated the wound on his palm.
Ignoring Vincent’s cries of anguish, they used a knife stained with some alcohol to cut out the bullet embedded in his palm. The follow-up treatment consisted merely of tearing strips of cloth and wrapping them tightly around the wound, preventing the blood from flowing.
Yan Chuan looked in confusion at Vincent’s miserable state.
This man, who had just spoken rudely to him, now lay on the ground like a pile of mud, the real culprit still smiling at him.
Under Duncan’s gaze, Yan Chuan could not help but take a step back.
He truly did not like such men.
Moreover, Duncan had just fired his gun twice; in terms of status, he was essentially the boss within the script.
But Yan Chuan did not quite understand Duncan’s motives.
He had entered the script for less than an hour and knew only that Duncan and his crew were gold prospectors in the Misty Mountain Forest.
Vincent was likely a frequent visitor, familiar with the geography of the Misty Mountain Forest, thus becoming Duncan’s guide.
Their relationship was one of employment, yet Duncan was evidently wary of Vincent, and Vincent’s attitude towards Duncan was far from cordial, with poor comments about his family.
Yan Chuan recalled Vincent’s earlier behavior.
Fueled by alcohol, he had said crude things to him, insisting he drink and pushing him next to Duncan.
Not only was he making things awkward for himself but also for Duncan.
Yan Chuan felt as if Vincent had used him as a raft to throw a fright at Duncan.
But Duncan was clearly not the “young master” Vincent perceived; on the contrary, he didn’t hesitate even a little and pulled the trigger without restraint.
Vincent probably never expected Duncan to be so resolute.
Yan Chuan lowered his eyelids.
He didn’t know what the conflict between Duncan and Vincent was, but he felt a curious inclination.