Chapter 183 Behind the Curtain

Chu Mingheng sculpted a golden statue for her.

What's dripping down beside me...?

Lan Wu then noticed that ever since she entered the golden hall, she could hear the sound of water dripping. The hall was so quiet that the sound was all the more obvious.

Until she shifted her gaze to the pool built on the lotus pedestal below the golden statue, where water was dripping from the lotus in the center into the pool below.

No, that's not water...that's blood?

Lan Wu suddenly realized something and turned around sharply to look at Chu Mingheng, who was kneeling on the prayer mat in the center.

Chu Mingheng, who had been looking down at the ground, seemed to sense something. He gently raised his head and looked ahead, his eyes as dark and unfathomable as a pool of stagnant water.

"Awu, it will be soon, I will see you soon." He said these words softly, and then got up from the futon.

Lan Wu noticed that he had lost even more weight, and when he stood up, he swayed slightly, as if he couldn't stand steadily.

Where did that blood come from?

Is it Chu Mingheng's blood?

Seeing Chu Mingheng get up and walk towards the palace gate, Lan Wu hurriedly tried to follow him. Although they were only a few steps apart, it felt like she could never catch up with him until she saw a white light in front of her when she reached the palace gate.

The dream is about to end.

"His Majesty--"

Lan Wu only had time to call his name once before her consciousness returned, and she suddenly opened her eyes.

The book she was holding suddenly fell to the ground, and the velvet blanket draped over her body slipped off. The hall was quiet, as if the authorities knew she was sleeping and therefore deliberately did not disturb her.

Lan Wu got up from the chaise lounge, reached out and touched her forehead, only feeling a layer of cold sweat. She didn't pay attention to it and went outside to call for people: "Prepare, we're going to Wuji Temple."

"Shall we go now, Your Highness?" Lian Qiao was somewhat surprised. It was already past mid-afternoon, and soon it would be time for dinner. If they went to Wuji Temple now, it would probably be almost dark by the time they returned.

"Okay, let's go now." Lan Wu really wanted to see who was enshrined behind that curtain. Since Chu Mingheng had created a golden statue for her in her previous life, who would be behind that curtain in this life?

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lian Qiao said, and then retreated out of the hall.

A quarter of an hour later, Lan Wu boarded the carriage bound for Wuji Temple.

The sky gradually darkened.

When they arrived, a light drizzle had already begun. Palace servants held umbrellas and escorted Lanwu into the palace.

The monks in the temple did not react strangely to her sudden visit at this hour, and received the noble imperial concubine as usual.

When Lan Wu entered the Hall of Longevity, she suddenly stopped and turned to look at the monks who had been waiting outside the hall.

"May I ask, Master, which deity is enshrined in the Hall of Longevity? I have been meditating and worshipping Buddha in the hall for some time now, but I do not know who is behind the curtain. May I ask if you can enlighten me?"

She had thought about this question before, but since it was a sacred Buddhist site on a holy mountain, it wasn't convenient for her to pull back the curtain and peek behind it to see who was behind it, so she never really put it to heart.

The scene she dreamed about to this day is still deeply imprinted in her mind, lingering there, making her feel even more depressed and angry.

Is Chu Mingheng stupid? Can't he even tell right from wrong? Although there is no conclusive evidence that the bloodstains dripping from the lotus are Chu Mingheng's, she can't think of anyone else besides Chu Mingheng.

After all, what is there that Chu Mingheng can't do? Even her second chance at life was something Chu Mingheng begged for.

Thinking of all this, Lan Wu couldn't help but tremble, and she really wanted to be in front of Chu Mingheng...

But thinking about it, she felt discouraged. Chu Mingheng was a person who would not give up until he achieved his goal. After her death, he gradually became that crazy and obsessive person. How could she blame Chu Mingheng for being so persistent in seeking things for them for a lifetime?

Mu Jin gently supported Lan Wu's body. Being close by, she naturally understood Lan Wu's reaction at this moment. Seeing Lan Wu's body trembling involuntarily, it was less that she was cold and more that she was angry and shaking with rage.

But after a short while, she slowly regained her composure.

It is truly difficult to answer Lan Wu's question.

He lowered his head slightly, clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, and replied softly, "I hope Your Majesty will forgive me. Normally, only the abbot and Master Huifan enter this place. All the furnishings in the hall are arranged by the two masters themselves. No one else is allowed to approach or enter. I apologize that I cannot answer Your Majesty's question."

Only the abbot and Master Huifan were allowed inside?

Lan Wu looked at the area hidden by the curtain in the center of the hall, said nothing more, and simply stepped over the threshold.

In fact, Lan Wu knew that there wouldn't be a golden statue of her inside the curtain. If there really was, that would be very strange, since it was something from her previous life. In this life, there was no reason for it to exist, and Chu Mingheng hadn't made a statue for her. So naturally, there shouldn't be such a thing.

If it's not a golden statue, then what is it?

They even used a curtain to cover it up, which was overly mysterious.

Lan Wu stepped forward and subconsciously pulled one side of the curtain.

In a daze, the setting sun seemed to shine through the thin window into the hall, casting golden shadows on the ground. The figure kneeling in the hall remained silent and dejected, but as he rose, he gradually exuded a cold and majestic aura. He was backlit, and his expression was unreadable. He turned around and walked straight out.

It was only a momentary daze, and when Lan Wu blinked, the empty hall was before her again. Outside, a light rain was falling, silently soaking the earth.

Lan Wu turned her head and pulled back the curtain in front of her, making it clear who the offerings inside were for.

Several round glass beads hung from the bottom of the curtain. As the curtain swayed, the beads gently collided together, making a crisp sound, clattering and rustling...

The moment she saw it clearly, Lan Wu couldn't help but widen her eyes in disbelief. At that moment, the only sound in the hall was her suddenly rapid breathing.

This is...this is a mirror!

The bronze mirror, taller than her entire body, stood quietly in the place where her golden statue from her previous life had been. Her figure was clearly reflected in the mirror, revealing her surprised, astonished, and caught-off-guard expression.

How absurd, absurd yet somehow...it feels perfectly natural.