Chapter 321: The Unforeseen Companions

The man descended the stairs and stood in the chaotic lobby.
“What happened?” the young man who had just come down asked as he wiped his glasses and adjusted them.
His gaze swept over the crowd, pausing momentarily on the half-reclining Vincent before raising an eyebrow.
Then his attention fixed on the black-haired Asian who was the owner of the inn.
Yan Chuan pressed his lips together.
“I was taking a rest,” the traveler finally explained why he had come downstairs. “I was awakened by the sound of gunfire, saw someone going upstairs and wanted to ask about it, but they did not answer my question and instead entangled me for a while.”
The first person a traveler should ask in such a situation would be the innkeeper, but there was also a young officer in police uniform in the lobby, so the traveler shifted his gaze to him.
Brandon, the one surrounded, thought for a moment and relayed the events that had just occurred to the traveler who had come down later.
Yan Chuan added a few explanations.
Listening to their explanations, the curly-haired man displayed a look of surprise.
He exhibited quite a bit of courage; otherwise, he wouldn’t have come down to check the situation after hearing two gunshots.
Yan Chuan lowered his eyelids.
Fortunately, Duncan did not express any opinion.
To Yan Chuan’s surprise, the traveler’s first reaction after hearing their words wasn’t fear, but he folded his sleeve, exposing his forearm.
“Are you just planning to leave him here?” the traveler voiced his disapproval. “It’s damp here; his wound might rot and smell.”
“It could also attract insects from the dense forest, which would be hard to deal with.”
Duncan did not respond.
“Are you a doctor?”
Faced with the question from the gunman, the curly-haired man shook his head.
“I am a botanist from Berkeley, here to collect plants.” He explained himself. “But I carry some medical supplies with me and have learned first-aid methods.”
Yan Chuan couldn’t help but observe Berkeley a few more times.
He had no good impression of Vincent but felt that Duncan was even more dangerous.
Berkeley described himself as a botanist who could also treat wounds; his identity sounded much safer than a gold digger.
“When it rains in Misty Mountain Forest, no one can get out,” Berkeley stated plainly, as if well-acquainted with the forest. “This rain will last at least a week, and by tomorrow, it will be impassable. If he attracts anything, others won’t be able to leave either.”
“So…” Berkeley paused. “Are you sure you don’t need to take care of his wound again?”
After Berkeley went upstairs to fetch the medical kit, Vincent was carried to the side.
He had come to study plants, and the medicines he brought were mainly for issues encountered during long journeys, with very little painkiller available.
There were bandages, though, and with Duncan’s tacit approval, Berkeley unwrapped the makeshift bandaging that had been hastily applied to Vincent, disinfected the area, and replaced it with clean bandages.
Officer Brandon helped nearby.
He couldn’t apprehend criminals; the law had no chance to be enforced in Misty Mountain Forest, so he could only assist in this aspect and fulfill his duties as an officer.
Yan Chuan poured them some hot water to wait.
While waiting, Yan Chuan glanced outside the window.
The sky had completely darkened, thick clouds looming overhead. The horizon seemed to merge with the forest, presenting a grayish deep green, the damp, cold wind slapping against the window like waves.
A deluge was imminent.
Misty Mountain Forest was known for its heavy rainfall and complex road conditions; when a downpour occurred, even driving became difficult, necessitating a wait for clear weather.
The duration of this storm would dictate how long they all would be trapped in the forest.
Gold diggers armed with weapons, young couples, middle-aged couples with children, a lone officer…and now a botanist.
Because of the storm, they had to remain here under the same roof, maintaining a peculiar calm amidst it all.
Of course, Yan Chuan, having drawn the role of innkeeper, could not leave either.
Once the wound was tended to, Vincent was taken away by Duncan’s men.
Duncan had come down before the rain had started, and now the inn’s doors and windows were tightly shut, as the rain fell in large droplets accompanied by rumbling thunder.
Even with the doors and windows secured, the temperature inside the inn dropped, relying solely on the fire in the fireplace for some warmth.
Duncan did not linger; he merely stood in front of Yan Chuan to inform him that his promise still stood.
Yan Chuan nodded slightly.
After Duncan and the others went upstairs, the lobby emptied, and he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Then, Yan Chuan checked that the wooden bolts on the doors and windows were secured properly, adding another layer for extra protection against strong winds that could blow them open.
In the stormy weather, they needed to ensure safety; otherwise, the entire inn would be flooded.
“Let’s head upstairs,” Yan Chuan turned to Brandon and Berkeley, “The rooms upstairs all have fireplaces for warmth.”
The weather in Misty Mountain Forest was cold and damp, so each room at the inn had a stove.
Staying in the empty lobby would be even colder.
Officer and botanist nodded in agreement.
The inn had a total of four floors, with many rooms; the top floor was a loft for storing supplies.
This group of travelers did not occupy many rooms, only taking the second floor, while Yan Chuan and Ashu were on the third.
The rooms on the second floor had long been tightly shut, and no sounds could be heard from within; they likely remained steeped in fear.
Yan Chuan said goodbye to the two travelers and headed upstairs with Ashu.
When they reached the doorway of their room, Yan Chuan turned around.
“You should go back and rest too,” he said, his voice slightly muffled, addressing Ashu who had followed closely behind him. “Remember to shut the doors and windows properly.”
The kerosene lamp at the end of the corridor flickered, its aging mechanism leading to dim lighting.
Ashu, however, shook his head in refusal.
“No,” the young and handsome employee asserted, pressing his hand against the door frame that was about to close, his tone serious. “Tonight, I’m staying with you.”