The coin bore the relief of a soaring kite on both sides. Cast in verdant green, the kite, thus named the "Qing Kite Coin," signified its type through color. "Indeed, these imperial tokens are categorized by their hues," recalled the Spirit of Hu Yang Mountain. "No, this Qing Kite Coin isn't yours!"
The young man in white interjected, "I lent it to Mr. Sha for his use."
The Spirit of Hu Yang Mountain, embodying the land's essence, spoke with deliberate slowness, whereas the man in gray showed a hint of impatience. "Now that you've appeared, I have a question. Answer promptly, and we'll leave just as swiftly."
"Proceed with your inquiry."
The Spirit of the Land, akin to a local deity, sometimes referred to more colloquially as "The Earth God," emerges where spiritual energy concentrates and life thrives abundantly. Upon receiving imperial recognition, these spirits wield elemental power, managing their territories. Without such endorsement or upon its expiration, their influence wanes, reverting to a primal state.
Though the Spirit of Hu Yang Mountain once received imperial acknowledgment, its neglect of duties, preferring slumber over governance, led to its disregard by the locals. Yet, the summoning by the man in gray demanded its attention, indicating these visitors were not to be trifled with.
The spirit, still groggy from awakening, understood the gravity of not offending the guests. "Around forty to fifty days ago, a sand leopard ventured here. I need you to trace its whereabouts," commanded the man in gray succinctly. "Such creatures usually nest in the West Mountain, making them a rarity here."
"A sand leopard? Hmm," the spirit prolonged its response, "Let me search."
After a brief wait, a deer emerged from the underbrush, unafraid and even playful in front of the men. "Follow it," advised the spirit. The deer dashed off, with the men in pursuit, leading them over two peaks to a cliff's edge near a large rock.
"Did the leopard come here?" the young man in white crouched, spotting several dark stains on the stone. "Blood, but it's old."
The deer peeked over the rock's edge. "It jumped down here?"
Nodding, the deer confirmed. The men exchanged looks and descended the cliffside to the moist, cooler ravine below, rich in vegetation. Their search yielded no trace of the leopard.
The young man looked up, "With its injuries, a fall from such height should have been fatal," he mused, finding no trees or vines that could've cushioned the animal's descent. "Is it still within these mountains?"
"You seek its fate, and I showed you," a beech tree spoke, revealing the leopard wasn't on the mountain anymore. A gust of wind conjured a miniature tornado, shaping mud and leaves into the forms of a leopard and a humanoid figure.
"Another fell with the leopard? A...person?" The young man was startled by the scene depicted by the swirling debris.
As the narrative unfolded through the wind-sculpted images, revealing a grim tale of pursuit, confrontation, and mysterious figures removing the bodies, the young man in white realized the grim fate of his subordinates, linking their disappearance to the clues found here.
"Headed to Heishui City?" His eyes narrowed with determination, "It must be, the clues from the missing guards of Donglai Prefecture led here."
Yet, even with a direction, pinpointing their exact target within the bustling city posed a challenge. "To Heishui City, then," the man in gray declared, "Direct action often proves most effective."
As they set out towards the city, a stark revelation awaited them, promising a confrontation that would entangle the fates of all involved, drawing closer the threads of a larger, unseen tapestry.