Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Leaving the Mountain

On the winter tundra, morning was exceptionally slow to arrive.

The sun was still struggling below the distant horizon. The sky remained dim and gloomy, with only a faint glimmer of dawn visible on the far edge of the sky.

A bitter wind howled, whipping fine snowflakes across the snow-covered land.

Feng Shan planned to set out early for the almost 500-kilometer journey to Fairbanks, where he was to attend some kind of Indigenous People’s conference.

He checked the weather forecast, which looked good for the next few days.

Dressed only in his base layers, he walked out of the bedroom and saw Maria already standing in the living room.

Feng Shan was mortified. He had forgotten there was a woman in the house now. He spun around and scurried back into the bedroom, his flustered retreat making Maria cover her mouth to stifle a laugh.

After getting properly dressed, he emerged from the bedroom again.

Breakfast was already prepared in the living room, and Nash was sitting by the fireplace, his expression blank.

"Hey, how did you sleep last night?" Feng Shan said, breaking the silence.

Maria, her eyes red and swollen, nodded repeatedly. "Very peacefully. It’s very nice here."

"That’s good. I’m heading to Fairbanks in a bit. Is there anything you need? Nash will stay here to look after you."

As he spoke, Feng Shan walked over to the fireplace and sat down. He saw the breakfast Maria had prepared: a glistening, oily meat stew.

’This is what we’re eating first thing in the morning?’

’Can my stomach even handle this?!’

"Khilla, this is musk ox stewed in seal oil. I couldn’t find any seal meat, so I had to use musk ox instead. The seal oil provides heat to ward off the cold. It’s a favorite among us Inuit."

Maria took a plate and used a spoon to heap a large portion onto it, placing it in front of Feng Shan.

’I...’

’Last night it was clear-broth musk ox stew, and this morning it’s musk ox stewed in seal oil.’

’Do I have some kind of beef with musk oxen now?’

’Why the hell did I have to go and hunt a musk ox?’

’What have I done to deserve this!’

Faced with Maria’s eager expression, a dejected Feng Shan picked up his spoon, scooped up a mouthful, and put it in his mouth.

The first sensation was a nauseating greasiness. He couldn’t taste the musk ox at all; it was like eating a mouthful of melted, fishy-tasting lard.

’Thank God Almighty, at least Maria knew to add salt.’

’How else could I get it down?’

Feng Shan looked up at Nash and saw a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes.

’You son of a bitch, you set me up.’

Stiffening his neck, he forced down the mouthful of oily meat and looked at Maria.

"Nash works hard too. He’s always out on the tundra and needs the extra calories even more. Here, he can have my plate."

Before Nash could refuse, Feng Shan shoved the plate in front of him. But to his dismay, Maria had already dished up another serving and placed it before him again.

"I cooked a lot. There’s enough for all three of us."

"I..." At that moment, Feng Shan sorely missed the plate he had just given Nash, since he had already helped him out by eating one spoonful.

Seeing this, Nash quickly picked up his plate. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

With grimaces on their faces, the two men forced down one spoonful after another. But whenever Maria appeared, their pained expressions would instantly morph into ones of pure, delicious enjoyment.

The agony was beyond words.

After painstakingly finishing his plate and refusing Maria’s offer of a "rewarding" second helping, Feng Shan left the bus without a moment’s hesitation. Nash followed close behind.

The two of them went to the runway and removed the waterproof tarp protecting the Carnation.

Feng Shan climbed into the cockpit, started the engine, and checked the electronics. With everything ready for takeoff, Nash clung to the cockpit window, his hands pressed tightly against the glass. He wore a look of reluctance, completely lacking the composure he’d had when burying the body.

"Take good care of Maria. I hear she’s making pan-fried meat cutlets with seal oil for lunch." Feng Shan pried Nash’s fingers off the window, left him with those parting words, and pushed the throttle to full.

The Carnation shot into the open sky with a WHOOSH, disappearing into the clouds as if making a desperate escape.

...

He flew over the Bruce Mountains and entered the plains.

The mountain range stretching to the north blocked the frigid air currents from the Arctic Circle, acting as a sturdy barrier that protected Fairbanks.

Just as he entered Fairbanks airspace, a greeting came over the radio from air traffic control.

"Carnation Knight, welcome to Fairbanks. Do you require a complimentary parking spot?"

"Thanks, but no. I have a place to park."

"Alright, enjoy your stay."

"Thanks!"

After signing off the radio, Feng Shan pulled out his phone. The screen showed a full signal.

He dialed Tom.

After a few rings, he heard Tom’s groggy, half-asleep voice.

"Feng, it’s not even light out. What’s up?" Tom immediately realized something. "Wait, this is a cell number. The tundra doesn’t have a signal. Buddy, you left the Crown Territory?"

"That’s right. I’m about half an hour out from Fairbanks. You got a free spot for me?"

"Of course. You need me to roll out the red carpet?"

"A few sexy blondes would be even better."

"Buddy, you’re too greedy!"

"See you in a bit!"

「Half an hour later.」

The Carnation arrived over Old Tom’s Flying School, where he saw a cleared runway and Tom standing beside it, waving.

Pushing the control stick forward, Feng Shan landed the plane smoothly on the runway.

Before the cabin door was even open, he saw Tom leaning against the cockpit window, sleep still crusting the corners of his eyes.

Feng Shan pushed open the door, jumped down from the plane, and was hit by a thick smell of alcohol and cheap perfume.

"Buddy, how much did you drink? Business slow lately?"

"Don’t even start. Those bastards on the winter tundra don’t need small planes to transport their goods." Tom waved his arm in frustration, cursing the old fogies on the tundra, apparently forgetting that he was the one charging them several times the normal, exorbitant transport fee. "Let’s not talk about them. It’ll ruin my mood. What brings you to Fairbanks today?"

"I’m attending the Indigenous People’s Elder and Youth Conference tomorrow," Feng Shan said with a shrug.

Tom froze, his eyes narrowing. The pathetic crust of sleep was squeezed in the corner of his eye.

"How did you end up in that meeting?"

Feng Shan thought for a moment. "God knows. It must have been an invitation from Frank. Doesn’t he claim to have Inuit blood?"

"Haha, right, Inuit blood." Tom burst out laughing as if he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world, clutching his stomach. That pathetic bit of gunk was finally squeezed out from the corner of his eye.

After the pleasantries were over,

Feng Shan taxied the Carnation to a parking spot. He then took his pistol from the cockpit and tucked it into the holster inside his leather coat.

Old Tom pulled up next to the runway in his beat-up pickup truck. "Buddy, hop in! I’ll treat you to breakfast. Let you try a special Inuit breakfast."

Uh!!

’Inuit breakfast again?’

The seal oil in Feng Shan’s stomach hadn’t even digested yet. He felt like he was burping it up just by talking. There was no way he could eat anything else.

"No thanks. Are those hides tanned yet?"

Tom stuck his head out, grinning widely.

"They’ve been done for a while. I found a master leatherworker for you. He even made the Fenrir Wolf Hide into a coat. Absolutely top-notch handywork."

Feng Shan pulled open the truck door, got into the passenger seat, and asked casually, "How’s Frank doing lately? He’s not answering my calls."

Hearing the question about Frank, Tom’s expression grew complicated. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Buddy, Frank... well, how do I put this? You’d better go see for yourself."

’What kind of trouble has Frank gotten into now?’

A bad feeling welled up in Feng Shan. He suspected it had something to do with him.

...