The recent mess with the tour group had left him swamped, buried in all sorts of tedious tasks every day. From arranging tourist accommodations and dietary needs to coordinating and organizing activities, he couldn’t afford to slack off in the slightest.

So now, at the slightest sign of trouble, his conditioned reflex was to worry that something had gone wrong with the tourists again.

David shook his head, his expression growing more anxious. "Khilla, it’s not the tourists. It’s Nash. I just got a call from Jie Luo. He said Nash’s father was injured by a moose that appeared out of nowhere while he was hunting in the forest. He’s unconscious now."

What?

Feng Mountain shot to his feet. The movement was so abrupt that Coca-Cola, who had been lounging comfortably in his arms, sensed his unease and quickly jumped to the floor, hiding in a corner.

"Why didn’t Roger call me? When did this happen?" Feng Mountain’s voice rose a few notches unconsciously, his brows knitting tightly.

"Just now. He said he tried calling you but you didn’t answer, so he called me instead," David explained hurriedly, his expression just as anxious and his words coming out in a rush. "You were probably at the airport with the tourists, so Roger could only contact me."

Feng Mountain immediately pulled out his phone, which showed several missed calls.

He opened the log and saw that all the numbers were from Roger.

He immediately called back.

The other end picked up after a single ring.

"Feng, it’s Roger."

"How is Nash’s father? How long has he been injured?"

"It’s not good. Last week, while Dene was hunting reindeer, a moose suddenly charged out of the woods. After ramming him, it kicked him in the head with its front hooves. He’s been in a coma ever since."

"Was he taken to the hospital? What did the doctors say?"

"Dene refuses to go to the hospital. The tribe’s Witch Doctor is treating him with herbs. Before he lost consciousness, he asked to return to the Spirit of All Things after death and become a Guardian Spirit to protect the Yosemite Tribe."

"Fuck! Shit! What time is it to be doing this?! I’m bringing Nash back right now. Wait for me." Feng Mountain hung up, unable to stop himself from cursing.

Then, Feng Mountain looked at Nash’s placid face, feeling anxious and a little angry.

"Your dad is dying." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

But Nash’s expression remained serene as he slowly began to speak.

"Death is a part of life’s natural cycle. After he dies, my father’s spirit will reunite with the spirits of our ancestors. Under the protection of the Guardian Spirit, he will embark on a journey to the spirit world of the Spirit of All Things."

’Damn it!’

’It’s that Spirit of All Things bullshit again.’

Feng Mountain was utterly speechless at this rhetoric from the Indigenous People.

A man’s life was on the line. The father was unconscious in a life-or-death situation, refusing to go to the hospital, while the son was still spouting nonsense about soul cycles, Guardian Spirits, and other ethereal crap.

’They must have too much time on their hands.’

Suppressing his frustration, Feng Mountain turned to David. "I’m taking Nash to the Yosemite Tribe now. Have Jenny and Yves take charge of the camp. Call me if anything comes up."

After making arrangements for the camp, Feng Mountain and Nash rushed to the airport.

Nash might be the quiet type, but he was well-liked.

Before long, Jenny, Yves, Maria, and the others, having heard the news, also hurried to the airport in a flurry.

Jenny was the first to approach, gently taking Nash’s arm and speaking sincerely.

"Nash, you have to be strong. God will watch over your father. We’re all praying for him."

Yves patted Nash’s shoulder and nodded firmly. "He’ll be okay. Trust that everything will turn out all right."

Maria handed him a small package from the side. "Here’s some food we packed. For you to eat on the way."

Erica, Tammy, and Demi also gathered around, their faces full of worry and concern, each offering Nash their heartfelt well-wishes.

By this time, Feng Mountain had already hurried into the cockpit of the Carnation.

Sitting in the pilot’s seat, he took a deep breath to calm his anxious nerves, then started the engine.

With a low rumble, the propeller began to spin.

Nash nodded to the group, then turned and climbed into the co-pilot’s seat.

Feng Mountain slowly pushed the throttle, and the Carnation began to taxi down the runway.

As its speed increased and reached a critical point, the Carnation’s nose lifted sharply, as if injected with a powerful force, and soared into the dark sky with unstoppable momentum.

Inside the cabin, Nash’s earlier speech about the Spirit of All Things had struck Feng Mountain as the cold words of an unfilial son, seemingly far too calm about his father’s life-or-death crisis. But now, his small movements completely betrayed his true feelings.

Sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, Nash gripped the armrests so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His gaze was fixed dead ahead.

’The punk.’

’His words are tougher than his heart.’

The corners of Feng Mountain’s mouth curved up slightly. His eyes flicked over to Nash for a second before returning immediately to the instrument panel and the view ahead.

Nash’s tribe was the Yosemite Bear Tribe. Their reservation was located near the Susitna River Basin, over 800 kilometers in a straight line from Crown Territory.

At the Carnation’s speed, the trip would take over six hours.

Heading south, the Carnation flew steadily through the dark sky like a solitary bird.

As time passed, the plane gradually flew out of the polar night of the Arctic Circle.

At first, only a faint glimmer of light appeared on the horizon, like a tiny flame of hope kindled in the darkness.

Slowly, the light grew brighter, spreading out to paint the horizon with a soft golden hue.

The Carnation burst out of the darkness.

Brilliant sunlight poured down, instantly enveloping the entire plane.

The somber atmosphere that had shrouded the dark cabin was immediately dispelled, as bright, warm light filled every corner.

Having not seen the sun in a long time, Feng Mountain instinctively squinted to adjust to the sudden glare, letting out a small sigh of relief at the same time.

They were now one step closer to their destination.

Outside the window was an endless vista of forests, snow-capped mountains, and a dense network of rivers.

The forest was lush and green, its dense branches interwoven like a gigantic velvet carpet. Viewed from the sky, it stretched out endlessly, seeming to merge with the horizon.

A wide river snaked through the forest like a shimmering silver ribbon, dividing the vast expanse into different sections.

The Susitna River.

Nash gazed at the familiar river, muttering to himself.

His eyes followed the river’s course, a complex mix of emotions revealing a deep attachment to his homeland.

This river held so many childhood memories. He had fished by its banks with his father, hunted in the forest, and listened to him tell the ancient legends of their tribe. Those beautiful moments now flooded his mind like a rising tide.

But now, with his father unconscious and his fate uncertain, the sight of the familiar Susitna River only brought an inexplicable pang of sorrow to Nash’s heart.

Feng Mountain silently observed the change in Nash’s expression from the side.

Flying above the wide river, the Carnation glided smoothly through the sky like a soaring eagle.

Below, the silver-ribbon river flowed ceaselessly, the sunlight reflecting off its surface in a dazzling glare.

After rounding a bay, they could clearly see wooden cabins scattered along the riverbank.

The cabins were scattered gracefully along the bank. Some were half-hidden by tall trees, while others bathed directly in the sunlight, exuding a rustic tranquility as if they existed in a world of their own.

Just then, Nash’s voice suddenly held a trace of urgency and excitement.

"We’re here!"

"We are? Where do I land?" Feng Mountain paused for a second, his brow furrowing slightly as he quickly scanned the area of cabins surrounded by woods.

There didn’t seem to be any suitable place for the Carnation to land. The trees were too dense, and the slightest miscalculation could damage the plane.

"Fly over that patch of forest. There’s a runway on the other side," Nash said, pointing to a dense section of trees by the riverbank.

Hearing this, Feng Mountain immediately pulled up the Carnation, maneuvering the plane over the dense forest.

As the plane neared the location of the runway Nash had mentioned, Feng Mountain got a clear look at the so-called runway and was secretly taken aback.

...