Chapter 53 Tangdao Beach ④ - Suspecting You've Suddenly Fallen Ill? ...

Lan Shuyin closed her eyes and slowly walked forward by feeling, when she suddenly heard a low, mocking laugh mixed with malice.

She opened her eyes. After a moment of adjustment, the double vision had mostly faded, and her vision was much clearer.

Not far ahead, by the bridge railing, two boys were blocking a small, thin figure. One was tall and burly, the other looked like a follower. The thin boy, surrounded by them, had his back pressed tightly against the cold bridge railing, with nowhere to retreat.

"I...I really have nothing left..." The thin little boy's voice trembled, full of fear.

"Useless trash!" the tall, fat boy cursed, reaching out to shove him hard.

Lan Shuyin's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively shouted sharply, "What are you doing!"

The two boys were startled by the sudden sound, a hint of panic flashing across their faces, which was quickly replaced by a deeper arrogance.

The tall, fat boy didn't stop. Seeing Lan Shuyin rushing over, he became even more aggressive and forcefully pushed the skinny boy off the bridge!

The small, thin figure instantly lost its balance and fell towards the dark sea beyond the railing.

In the nick of time, Lan Shuyin rushed to the edge of the bridge, instinctively leaning out most of her body, stretching her arm to its limit, and grabbing the child's slender wrist tightly just as he was about to fall!

The immense force of the fall yanked her back, sending a tearing pain through her arm, along with the old ache from her previous fall. She gritted her teeth, her fingers gripping her wrist tightly, not daring to loosen her grip even slightly.

The boy looked small and thin, but he was surprisingly heavy. She couldn't muster any strength in her arms, and after two attempts, she still couldn't lift him up. She tried to use both hands, but half her body was already dangling in the air; a slight misstep and they would both fall.

This bridge is quite high, and it's pitch black below. If you fall into the water, your fate is in your own hands.

"Find a place to grab on! I'll pull you up!" Lan Shuyin said to him.

In the dim light, the boy looked up. There was no fear in his eyes, only a deep, disheartened gloom.

"Sister," he said, his voice as soft as a sigh, "let go."

Before she could finish speaking, Lan Shuyin felt as if the wrist in her hand had suddenly been coated with oil, and it slid down a few inches!

Cold sweat instantly soaked her forehead, and a surge of anger rushed to her head.

"You spineless idiot!" Her voice trembled as she exerted force. "Someone pushes you, and you jump down on your own? Is your life so worthless?!"

The boy seemed a little dazed by her scolding. His body, which was about to give up, paused slightly, and his other hand began to grope on the damp and rough bridge wall.

But the bridge walls were too slippery, and there was nowhere to put a foothold.

Just as Lan Shuyin felt her arm was about to be torn apart and she was about to give way, a figure suddenly rushed to her side, and an arm reached out without hesitation and firmly grabbed the boy's arm.

With the pressure suddenly reduced, Lan Shuyin turned her head and saw a handsome and familiar profile. The face was slightly lowered, with stray hairs falling down, making it difficult to discern the emotion, but it seemed somewhat solemn.

She was immediately surprised and together they pulled the person back.

The boy slumped to the ground, silent.

Lan Shuyin rubbed her almost numb shoulder, secretly sized him up for a moment, then suddenly turned to Wei Li, her tone instantly switching to a timid, weak, and helpless one, "Dr. Wei, what a coincidence, you wouldn't have come here specifically because you were worried I might do something rash, would you?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, her eyelashes slightly lowered, a stark contrast to the fierce woman who had just been shouting and pulling people away. The boy raised his eyelids and gave her a strange look.

Lan Shuyin, however, seemed lost in grief, continuing in a tearful voice, "You were right last time, I guess I'm just too fragile, too sentimental... I feel guilty for a long time even if I accidentally step on an ant while passing by. Today I truly realized this problem. If that child had really fallen and died right before my eyes... I... I might not want to live anymore. A life, and I just watched helplessly and couldn't save it... Waaah..."

She became more and more agitated as she spoke, her voice trembling, "If he goes back and still can't think straight, if something happens to him... then what's the point of me living? I can't save others, and I can't even save myself... Waaah!"

Seeing her getting more and more into her performance, the skinny little boy finally couldn't help but frown and interrupt, "Who said I was going to commit suicide?"

Lan Shuyin immediately accused, "You just told me to let go!"

The boy scratched his head helplessly. "I've been swimming in this sea since I was a baby. They've pushed me more than once or twice. I'm very experienced, okay?"

With that, he patted his bottom and stood up. "But thank you anyway." He bowed to Lan Shuyin and ran off.

"..."

Lan Shuyin watched his retreating figure disappear in a few steps, speechless for a moment.

It's rare for me to be so enthusiastic, and it turns out I've gone to all this trouble.

She wiped her face and instantly regained her usual calm and composure.

"He's a good swimmer."

Suddenly, Wei Li's voice rang out softly.

He seemed unconcerned by her dramatic performance, simply saying, "But there are several sea snakes swimming under the bridge tonight; if you fall in, you won't be able to get back up."

Lan Shuyin was taken aback. "How did you know?" After asking, she paused, a more crucial question popped into her mind. "No, what are you doing here? Ali, don't tell me you planted a tracking device on me?"

Her tone was joking, but her eyes held a hint of suspicion.

Kui Li nodded. "I came to see you."

Looking for me?

"I couldn't get through to you on the phone, and you weren't replying to my messages," he explained frankly. "I was in a hurry, so I used some special methods."

Hearing him say that, Lan Shuyin suddenly realized, "The signal is bad here."

As for the "special method" he mentioned, she guessed it was probably similar to using earth spirits to find one's way. But could it really sense things from this far away? She was secretly amazed.

Seeing that she had misunderstood, but noticing that her expression had relaxed, Wei Li smiled slightly and did not explain further, "Many places on Tang Island have disordered magnetic fields, and people who stay there for a long time are prone to hallucinations."

The two walked side by side along the long bridge, slowly heading towards the guesthouse.

Lan Shuyin shook her head. "I don't think so. Today I went to an abandoned bathhouse with a live streamer team. During the live stream, a pool suddenly fogged up and a lot of wandering spirits that I couldn't see clearly crawled out. In the end, it was one of them, a master who knows how to use talismans, who solved the problem."

"So strange?"

Lan Shuyin nodded, feeling that those wandering souls were very similar to those created from the corpses of so many butterflies, but she swallowed the words back.

It wasn't that I didn't trust Wei Li, but I just didn't want to get him involved too deeply.

When they were almost at Qinghai Xiaozhu, Wei Li suddenly stopped.

"That's enough for now." He turned his head and waved casually at her. "Go back and get some rest."

Lan Shuyin glanced at the entrance of the guesthouse, which was still about ten meters away, then looked at him and asked, "Where are you staying?"

“It’s nearby, just a short walk away. You should go in quickly.” He answered casually, with his usual faint smile on his lips, but Lan Shuyin inexplicably felt that there was a subtle urging in his words, as if he was suppressing anxiety.

She was a little puzzled, but didn't ask any further questions. She said "Goodnight" and turned to leave.

But no sooner had she stepped into the yard than—

"Boom—!"

A thunderclap exploded in the sky without warning, followed by a pale white bolt of lightning that fell like a sword of divine punishment, tearing through the night and illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime.

Lan Shuyin's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she suddenly remembered the strange phenomenon she had encountered downstairs at her home.

She instinctively turned around and found that the spot where Wei Li had just been standing was now empty.

Looking up again, the night sky was dark and there was no sign of rain. It was as if the dark clouds had dispersed after that deafening thunder.

It was exactly the same situation as that day.

An inexplicable unease made her restless. After hesitating for a moment, Lan Shuyin finally couldn't put her mind at ease and ran out of the courtyard.

She had just taken out her phone when she noticed a dark figure, almost blending into the night, crouching on the distant beach. If it weren't for a streetlight nearby and her excellent eyesight, she wouldn't have paid any attention to it.

She ran over quickly.

As they got closer, they realized it was indeed Kui Li. But his posture was one of unprecedented disarray. Most of his body was leaning against the rough rocks, his back slightly hunched, no longer the ever-effortless and upright figure he usually was. It was as if, suddenly, he had exhausted himself.

She hesitated for a moment, then called out softly, "Kui Li?"

There was no response. In the dim light, she couldn't see his face, which was buried in his hands, but she saw him raise his hand and wipe the corner of his mouth.

But she was a beat too slow; she had already turned on her flashlight and caught a glimpse of a dark red smudge between his fingers.

Lan Shuyin was silent for two seconds, then asked, "Did you suddenly fall seriously ill?"

"..."

Her words were truly unpleasant, and Wei Li couldn't help but sigh, "...He did too many bad things and got struck by lightning."

His tone was forced to be playful, but it sounded weak no matter how you listened to it.

"Let me see."

"Don't come any closer."

Just as Lan Shuyin was about to go up, she was greeted with a low shout. As if realizing that he had overreacted, Wei Li paused and said, "I am reflecting on myself three times a day. I need to be single-minded and keep my distance. Don't make me break my concentration."

Lan Shuyin crossed her arms. "Stop being so abstract, what's wrong with you?"

Kui Li sighed again, "Actually, I came from Nebula M78. Father of Ultra wanted to capture me every day to take me back to inherit the Land of Light. I refused, so he struck me with lightning..."

"Fine, forget it then." Lan Shuyin was too lazy to listen to his nonsense, turned around and left without looking back.

Back at the guesthouse, Lan Shuyin locked the door behind her and sat down in front of the computer, rubbing her shoulders.

The WiFi signal at the guesthouse was fairly stable. She searched online herself—

What does it mean when there's sudden thunder but no rain?

The results were varied, with all sorts of explanations. Some scientifically explained it as "thunder in a dry season," caused by cloud discharge due to a lack of moisture; others were mostly mystical interpretations. She flipped through the pages absently until an ancient folk explanation caught her eye—

Ye Lei.

When someone forcibly interferes with significant cause and effect through extraordinary means, reversing predetermined fate, they may offend some unseen rule and incur divine punishment. This kind of thunder differs from natural phenomena; it often occurs suddenly in a clear sky, without rain, and only punishes the person involved; it is called "karmic thunder."

Lan Shuyin's finger, which was swiping the screen, paused.

She picked up her phone and saw that Wei Li had just sent her a message a few moments earlier, asking: "Are you angry?"

Lan Shuyin slowly typed a reply: 【No, I'm looking at plane tickets to outer space.】

She wasn't angry, of course; she just realized that Wei Li didn't want her to see him in such a disheveled state, so she left.

But since he had taken the initiative to start the conversation, she added another sentence:

I just saw a claim that if someone forcibly interferes with cause and effect and tries to reverse fate, they will attract karmic retribution.

After a long delay, the other party finally sent a seemingly ambiguous message: "[Doesn't Ayin not believe in cause and effect?]"

Lan Shuyin frowned slightly as she looked at the words.

【I don’t believe it…】—But you just said that the boy might not have survived.

If it weren't for that inexplicable feeling, she wouldn't have happened to be on that bridge tonight.

And that time when it seemed like "karmic lightning"... it seems to have happened after she returned from the Fang family? That day, she used a banishing array on the vengeful ghost that was haunting Fang Xin... but was it really necessary for a mere banishing array to attract so-called "karmic lightning"?

However, Fang Huan did seem to have said that the vengeful ghost had disappeared.

Half-believing, half-doubting, Lan Shuyin typed a line, then deleted it one by one, finally sending: "Yes, I believe in myself."

In any case, the lightning didn't strike her head. Perhaps Wei Li really did suffer a sudden and serious illness? A treasure hunter who spends years searching for spiritual treasures is bound to have his body tainted by strange energy, resulting in backlash from his power, sudden flare-ups of old injuries... There are many possible reasons, and they all make sense when you think about it.

Lan Shuyin stopped worrying about it. She casually booked a flight back to Gangzhou for tomorrow afternoon.

The trip to Nanzhou went more smoothly than expected. Since the key clues still pointed to Gangzhou, it was better to go back sooner rather than later. As for that beautiful and mysterious blue morpho butterfly, and the secret behind it that even the Special Bureau hadn't figured out... she didn't want to worry about that for the time being, lest she become cannon fodder without knowing why.

Lan Shuyin picked up her phone again and checked out the short video app 【Ghost Detective】.

The latest episode has been edited and released, and within an hour, it has received over 50,000 likes. She glanced through their previous videos, and the themes mostly revolved around various eerie places, such as abandoned hospitals, late-night cemeteries, and murder houses.

Many say they possess genuine skills, having worshipped their patron saint and possessing protective methods, thus having no taboos; others scoff, believing it's all a pre-designed script, a formula unchanged for years. These two diametrically opposed opinions are probably welcome by the "Ghost Detectives." After all, controversy generates a constant stream of buzz.

She casually clicked "follow" and then glanced at her own backend.

The longtime fan who had previously asked her about the centipede beads sent her a photo a while back: a dark red bead placed in an exquisite wooden box lined with velvet. The fan excitedly told her that they had decided to give it a try.

Lan Shuyin didn't reply. After changing the wound dressing, she lay down on the bed.

However, perhaps because she had experienced too many bizarre and strange things today, she slept very restlessly and fell into a strange dream.

At first, she saw the huge and beautiful blue morpho butterfly.

In her dream, she reached out and gently touched him, and a cold, unfamiliar thought instantly surged within her: strike first, kill Wei Li! Kill Wei Li!

Then it seemed as if someone suddenly pulled her off the clouds, and she kept falling, falling...

“Qianniang, that girl Zhaoyin should be sent to serve the Yin God after her coming-of-age ceremony. Why are you still bothering to care about her food and drink, and her daily life? In any case... she is a sacrifice to be offered up.”

"This is her fate, and also the destiny of my Fengzhi clan. The entire clan relies on the protection of the Yin God to be able to stand here. Her ability to sacrifice herself to maintain the glory of the family is truly her good fortune."

"You shouldn't resent the fact that you gave birth to twins back then. It was fate. If you have to blame someone, blame them for being born into the wrong family and being reborn into the wrong family..."

It was a cold, impatient male voice, faintly mixed with someone's sobbing.

In her dream, she seemed to continue falling, when suddenly she heard a familiar yet aged voice, filled with sorrowful reproach:

"Third sister, you're getting more and more confused! To save your granddaughter's life, you actually dared to forcibly capture the remnant soul of a deity and stuff it into her body to nurture it? Now that the child is cured, you want to burn your bridges and eliminate the threat? This is putting the cart before the horse, and it's against all reason!"

Immediately afterwards, another slightly shrill voice rang out, arguing urgently:

"Sixth Sister, don't make false accusations! When I found that Yin Spirit, she was already on the verge of extinction. If she hadn't borrowed my granddaughter's body to nourish her, she would have completely vanished from the world long ago! It was a mutual benefit and interdependence! I saved her, and she saved my granddaughter. We owe each other nothing! Don't go overboard with your righteousness here and be unable to distinguish right from wrong!"

"What a wonderful idea of ​​mutual benefit! Since you can't tolerate her, then give me that remnant soul."

Then, the voice seemed to whisper close to Lan Shuyin's ear, carrying a strange gentleness:

"Little girl, don't be afraid. Come to Grandma. Grandma will never let you suffer any injustice."

...

When Lan Shuyin opened her eyes, she felt two warm, damp patches on her cheeks.

She was actually completely calm inside, without a trace of sadness, and she was baffled by her tears.

Could it be due to that bizarre dream? And I even vaguely heard the voice of that charlatan old man in the dream?

She raised her hand to wipe it away, somewhat stunned.

Buzz—Buzz—

The phone beside her pillow suddenly vibrated. Lan Shuyin glanced at the screen; it was a voice request from "Jiang Wuyang".

She wasn't planning to answer. But the vibration stopped for just two seconds, then started ringing again stubbornly, with an unusual urgency.

Although she still harbored doubts about Jiang Wuyang, according to his habit, if she didn't answer the phone, he usually wouldn't call a second time.

A strange feeling crossed her mind, and she swiped to answer the call.

"Sister Yin!" Jiang Wuyang's voice came through immediately, a bit lower and more tense than usual, with a commotion in the background. "I didn't mean to bother you, but there's something I need your help with."

"What's up?"

"Chang Jingyu has disappeared! I'm at my wit's end. Her father has asked many people to investigate, and the surveillance footage shows that she entered the Haitao Building alone the night before last, and hasn't come out since!"

"The strangest thing is that the building's surveillance cameras actually captured her going to the fourth floor! But there's no fourth floor button on the elevator!"

"The Chang family is in complete chaos now... Sister Yin, could you come over here?"

Lan Shuyin thought for a moment and then said, "I'm not in Gangzhou right now. Let's talk about it when we meet this afternoon."

She glanced at the time and changed her flight to noon.

Lan Shuyin has always disliked meddling in other people's business.

But Chang Jingyu is a simple, straightforward girl, without many hidden agendas. Last time, she felt bad for making Chang Jingyu make a wasted trip, so she secretly transferred 20,000 yuan to her as compensation.

Of course she accepted it. After being ambushed, stuffed into a coffin, and nearly killed by Chang Xian that day, she felt perfectly justified in taking the 20,000.

However, she had a really good impression of Chang Jingyu.

Since we were going back anyway, it wouldn't hurt to leave a little earlier.

After packing my luggage, I was checking out at the front desk when I ran into Zhou Xu and his group chatting in the courtyard.

Seeing her carrying her luggage and about to leave, Zhou Xu immediately got up to greet her, his neatly trimmed mustache making him look exceptionally handsome.

"You're leaving already? I haven't even had a chance to admire your sketches."

"Next time, I have something to take care of at home." Lan Shuyin nodded to him and was about to leave.

However, Zhou Xu raised his hand in a gesture of obstruction, a smile playing on his lips, "Then at least tell me your real name, right?"

Meeting his probing gaze, Lan Shuyin paused for two seconds, then smiled and nodded, "If we happen to meet again next time, we'll talk about it then."

Then he got into the pre-booked car and drove away.

We arrived in Gangzhou just after 2 p.m.

As soon as she stepped out of the arrivals gate, she saw Jiang Wuyang waiting there. The boy was wearing a clean white hoodie and light blue jeans, exuding youthful energy. He had obviously seen her too, raising his arm and waving, calling out loudly, "Sister Yin!"

Lan Shuyin walked over and handed him the suitcase without any pleasantries, getting straight to the point, "What's the situation with Chang Jingyu?"

As Jiang Wuyang led her towards the parking lot, he sighed, "It happened the night before last. Jingyu had a big fight with her dad over some things, and it was quite a big argument. As a result, around nine o'clock that night, she ran off to Haitao Building by herself in a huff."

“Her family discovered she was missing the next morning, and her phone was switched off. Her father was frantic and used all his connections to check the surveillance footage. They eventually found that she went to the Haitao Building and hadn’t come out since.”

“Actually, we went to the building to look for it right away, but Sister Yin…” Jiang Wuyang’s voice suddenly became a little uneasy, “As you know, the building’s elevator doesn’t have a button for the fourth floor. It goes straight from the third floor to the fifth floor.”

"Later we contacted the property management and went through the emergency exit. But..." He paused, a look of confusion on his face, "We went up to the fourth floor and it was just an ordinary empty office floor, covered in dust, and it didn't look like anyone had been there at all."

"Then I saw a statement online that said the fourth floor of the Haitao Building wasn't always there. It's a... what's that word again... oh right, 'threshold space'. It's said that it only appears at specific times or for specific people. Normally, even if you go up there, it's just an ordinary empty floor. But if you're unlucky enough to stumble upon it... you might get trapped inside and never be able to get out."

At this point, Jiang Wuyang added a further explanation: "The internet says that threshold space is a gap between reality and illusion. Places like stairwell corners, empty corridors, abandoned floors... these places are said to easily form that kind of eerie space. Simply put, that fourth floor might be alive, changing its structure on its own to trap people who accidentally wander in."

He said so much, but Lan Shuyin only cared about, "You mean, you've already been to the fourth floor, it's an office floor? The kind that's been renovated?"

“Yes.” Jiang Wuyang nodded. “It used to be a support center for an insurance company, but it’s been abandoned for a long time and it looks kind of creepy.”

Lan Shuyin seemed to be deep in thought.

She recalled the day the elevator malfunctioned, and what she saw on the fourth floor was clearly an unfinished, bare space.

Is the legend of "threshold space" true? Can the same floor really present completely different appearances to different people, or at different times?