Chapter Ten: Night-Viewing Mountain, Yellow Spring Mountain

Mukai Yuzu may appear somewhat reserved at first glance, but once he becomes acquainted with someone, he turns quite talkative. Liu Mengchao and the reincarnators trailing behind him followed in Mukai Yuzu's wake, savoring the picturesque views of the small town while he pointed out its landmarks. "Liu Mengchao, two mountains rise to the west of the town. They may not be tall, yet their scenery is truly magnificent," Mukai Yuzu said with a smile. "The western peaks are named Sunset Hill and Morning Viewing Terrace." "Sunset Hill and Morning Viewing Terrace?" Old Snake murmured these names softly, then asked with a grin, "Because the setting sun's glow can be seen from Sunset Hill? And Morning Viewing Terrace gets its name from the afterglow of the sun resting perfectly upon it at dusk?" "Mm!" Mukai Yuzu's face glowed with pride. "Though it's just a small town, its beauty rivals any other." "Then what about Night Seeing Mountain?" Long Xiang countered without yielding, stepping forward to reply, "Surely there must be a mountain called Night Seeing as well?" "Hell?!" "Not Hell. Long Xiang inquired about Night Seeing Mountain," Liu Mengchao interjected from the side. "These terms share similar pronunciations in Japanese. Long Xiang's command of the language is limited, so his words were not entirely clear." As he spoke, Liu Mengchao and his companions halted. Before them lay a low dam, the emerald river flowing serenely past like the townsfolk themselves, living in quiet tranquility. "Indeed," Mukai Yuzu replied with a smile. "Follow this river to its source and you will reach Night Seeing Mountain. It descends from that very peak." Mukai Yuzu stood at the riverside, arms outstretched. "This river divides our Night Seeing Mountain town in two. The school to the north is North Middle School of Night Seeing Mountain, while the one to the south bears the name South Middle School of Night Seeing Mountain. We simply call them North Chuu and South Chuu." "North Chuu and South Chuu?" Liu Mengchao murmured the names, suddenly recalling an ancient Chinese legend of two immortals, Nando and Beidou, each clutching a small booklet. Nando's volume granted life; Beidou's decreed death, annihilation, and the final record. In other words, Nando governs life, Beidou governs death. North Chuu of Night Seeing Mountain, like Beidou, now seemed to preside over the students' fates. Liu Mengchao smiled faintly and trailed after Mukai Yuzu toward North Middle School of Night Seeing Mountain. The school was modest, resembling any middle school one might encounter across China. After all, the year was 1996, and advanced technology had yet to permeate the classrooms. It felt like an ancient classroom summoned from forgotten tales. The cinder-strewn playground kicked up occasional puffs of dust, yet the grounds were carefully tended. Ancient trees, their branches creaking with age, stood sentinel everywhere, their canopies like hats shielding heads from the sun. Even in daylight, sunlight barely pierced the campus. Wherever one turned, a cool breeze whispered from behind, carrying no warmth. "Night Seeing Mountain lies in a basin, so the climate here remains steady," Mukai Yuzu observed Liu Mengchao and added with a smile. "Thus, although it is now May, the weather stays cool and rain is frequent." "No matter," Liu Mengchao nodded and followed his classmate toward the classroom. Class 3-3. The stairs rose one by one before Liu Mengchao, unfolding like successive scenes. Suddenly, a silent figure slipped past Liu Mengchao's side. He noticed Mukai Yuzu freeze in an instant. The man shifted slightly, then turned with a smile, feigning ignorance and continuing straight to the second floor. It was Yosaki Naru. Liu Mengchao gazed at the person before Mukai Yuzu and could not suppress a chuckle, just as the reincarnators behind him had stiffened. These reincarnators had been warned by the otaku before the plot began that the surest way to avoid the curse was to speak not a word to Yosaki Naru and treat her as nonexistent! Otherwise, death might claim them. Yet... Liu Mengchao shook his head. He sensed some inner voice insisting the matter was not as simple as the otaku believed. After all, this task world seemed far too easy for a replacement who had glimpsed the plot's depths. Could other perils still lurk in a mysterious realm that comprehends its own narrative? No. Liu Mengchao dismissed the notion. Better to design a more perilous world, perhaps a battlefield or a scene of inevitable slaughter, to subject himself to trials that might finally end his life. "Mukai Yuzu," Liu Mengchao called out to the classmate ahead. "Just now..." "Nothing happened!" Mukai Yuzu's face drained of color. "Where are the three people we met just now?" "Ah..." Mukai Yuzu breathed a sigh of relief. "Yumi, Matsuko, and Maezima and the others took shortcuts and arrived first." He pushed open the classroom door with an awkward smile. Class 3-3 appeared before Liu Mengchao. The old wooden desks and chairs formed four neat rows, seven in total, much like classrooms in China. The only difference was that each desk held only one occupant. Liu Mengchao's group entered from the rear, and the class members reacted at once. He narrowed his eyes, studying the faces around him. The only impression that lingered was the class president, Kazuhiko Kazami. Liu Mengchao could describe him in one phrase: he possessed the appearance of a manga class president, spoke the words a class president should speak, and performed the deeds a class president should do. A perfectly standardized class president. Liu Mengchao thanked Kazami politely and sat down. Compared with the junior high students of Class 3-3, he towered over them, so his seat lay far in the back. The last row of the third group. Liu Mengchao turned to inspect the desk beside him. It was older than the rest, its once-vibrant yellow surface now darkened, the surface pitted and uneven like an abandoned road. Leaning back, he took the chance to observe his companions and the reincarnators. This habit had become second nature. Among the reincarnators, Old Snake left the deepest mark. He understood psychology, or rather, social psychology, and wielded it with precision. It surpassed the knowledge of mere readers. Yet Liu Mengchao's gaze lingered on the scammer only briefly before drifting away. His subtle flaws were well concealed, yet they could still be seen through in an instant. His experience remained lacking. Liu Mengchao smiled faintly and turned to another figure that intrigued him. Liu Ling, or perhaps Jirui Xue? He frowned slightly, regarding the woman seated in the front row, clutching a doll in silence, her expression cold and detached. She always evoked a strange feeling in Liu Mengchao, as though she and the doll she held possessed no trace of life. "Crash!" Still pondering, the classroom door slammed open. "Yo! You all got here early!" Dressed in neat athletic wear with shoulder-length yellow hair, he resembled a delinquent, yet his smile was bright and warm. "Kawahara, there's a new teacher here," Mukai Yuzu immediately grew concerned and signaled subtly to Kawahara, the substitute teacher who had just entered. "Ah!" Kawahara startled and laughed heartily at the reincarnators. "Hello, I'm Kawahara." This is because the original Another began as a novel before manga and anime adaptations appeared. So I consulted the source text to infuse the narrative with a touch of its original style, allowing those who have not read the book to experience its charm. Then then... afternoon still has class.... updates still at night.... Thank you to Kiririn☆大大, Xiamu Yuban大大, ah~~Dai大大, Victoria 8大大, for Loli大大, Bingdong Wuyu大大, Jilong Beimiao大大, and Earthly Xianshu大大's bountiful donations.