Following the trail of footsteps, Rover and Zhezhi find themselves approaching an Exile Camp at Gubei Pass
*Approaching the entrance, the two investigators notice mechanical trolleys tossed around Some ore residues are scattered beside the trolley, with color stains on it.*
Rover and Zhezhi approach the trolleys to investigate further
Rover: “Looks like pigments…”
Zhezhi: “The trolley is worn... Maybe it carried something very heavy.”
Rover: “Maybe the Exiles used it to transport ore and pigments.”
Zhezhi: “Could it be they transported ore, made pigments from them, and then moved the pigments elsewhere? Could the buyers Mr. Shilang mentioned be the ones who stole the ore?”
Rover: “Let's see if we can find the evidence.”
Rover and Zhezhi investigates the pigment on the ground
A large pile of fragmented ores is mixed with the pigment, unmarked and unpackaged
Zhezhi: “Scarletthorn, Indigoite, and other ore... these match the raw materials for pigments listed on Mr. Shilang's transaction record.”
Rover: “They're the ones who bought the leftover ore.” / “Seems you're right.”
Zhezhi: “I took a look and noticed that these pigments were handcrafted from these specific ores… Standard pigments adhere well and last a long time, but these makeshift pigments smear with the slightest touch.”
Rover: “That sounds familiar.” / “Was the pigment in Mingyan's studio the same as this?”
Zhezhi: “I did mention this back in the studio... when my clothes got stained by Mingyan's pigments.” / “They are similar. Did she... buy these low-quality pigments from the Exiles? But why did these people break into her studio…”
Rover notices someone approaching behind them
Rover: “Someone's coming this way.”
Cryptic Exile: “Who are you?”
Zhezhi: “Er, h-hello... we are…”
Noticing her stutters, Rover interjects and supports Zhezhi
Rover: “We're here for Mingyan's painting. She's our friend. / We want to buy paintings.”
Cryptic Exile: “If it's her paintings you're after, why are you here?”
Zhezhi: “She... she wasn't in her studio, so we thought we could ask around.”
Cryptic Exile: “I see. Just wait for her here. When she leaves, it usually doesn't take long for her to return.”
Rover: “Do you know her?”
Cryptic Exile: “Know her? We go way back. She's... okay in our books. Though she hasn't had the easiest run either, she helped us out a while back. Guess you could call us friends. She even gifted us a painting. It's somewhere around here… Ah, here it is! We're no fancy connoisseurs, but even we can tell that girl can paint!”
Zhezhi: “I kind of like it, myself. It's lively, bright... Almost like you can touch the freedom and joy she felt painting it.”
Rover: “Did something happen to her recently?”
Cryptic Exile: “Can't recall anything noteworthy…”
Candid Exile: “My guess? She's dabbling in some new, secretive art piece. I spotted her taking risky stabs at painting out in the wild.”
Cryptic Exile: “Well, now that you mention it, I do remember her talking about making art you could step into or whatever.” ”But her little art excursions stirred up some unstable Frequencies. We warned her, but did she listen? Nope.”
Chatty Exile: “That's right! I saw her paintings myself! Tried to steer her clear, and what do I get? A lecture! Artists, always on their own wild wavelength, aren't they?”
Zhezhi: “Sorry to interrupt, but mind if I ask what you normally do for a living?”
Cryptic Exile: “Us? Oh, the usual. A bit of hunting, some gigs here and there. Just the everyday grind.”
Rover: “Anything else?” / “You don't buy ore to make your own pigments?”
Cryptic Exile: “Nope, not many jobs around, just enough to scrape by.” / “Uh... Oh! Right, haha, you reminded me. We do make and sell pigments occasionally.”
Chatty Exile: “Oh yeah, Mingyan buys from us often. We give her the lowest price, just as friends do!”
Rover: “I see. Thank you. We'll leave now.”
Rover and Zhezhi move away from the Camp to discuss their encounter
Zhezhi: “I have an idea.”
Rover: “Did you wanna say something just now?”
Zhezhi: “Yes. I think... neither these Exiles nor Mingyan has told the truth. I noticed some of the Exiles' hands were blackened... The thought suddenly hit me, what if it's from constant exposure to ink? If so, they must be making a lot of pigments and ink sticks…”
Rover: “But they lied to us and tried to cover it up.”
Zhezhi: “The painting they showed us and the artworks in the studio... they all match what Mingyan described in her diary. Her diary shows us she had major mood swings, which really affected her art. All these strange things... started happening after the Shanyun Art Exchange got involved.”
Rover: “We can investigate the camp again tonight. What do you say?” / “Maybe there's more they're trying to hide.”
Zhezhi: “Good idea.” / “Makes sense.”
Rover and Zhezhi patiently wait until night falls