Yunfeng crouched by the cracked pavement, one hand pressed against the cold ground, the other trembling near his nose. He sniffed the air carefully, trying to pick up Muchen's scent again.
The faintest trace of him had led this way—familiar and warm, like rain on sunbaked stone—but now it was thinning fast.
He rose to his feet, eyes scanning the road ahead.
The trail twisted toward the main road, wide and eerily empty. It should have been bustling. People. Horns. Vendors yelling. But now… just silence and shadows.
He took a step forward—and immediately regretted it.
Snfff— "A-CHOO!!"
Yunfeng staggered back, sneezing violently, his eyes watering as a sickening stench hit his nose like a punch.
"Oh god…"
The air was thick with the rot of death.
