Chapter 46

The hospital's glass windows reflected the light from the room, but the light was weak and seemed so humble in the darkness. There was no sound in the surrounding streets, and the deathly silence made people feel terrified, as if all the sounds and the last bustle of the day were completely swallowed up by this darkness.

Xue Shangyang sat in a chair next to the bed, his eyes bloodshot. He stared closely at the still unconscious Yang Ye, tightly grasping her hand, feeling the warmth in her palm. This warmth, which could still be grasped, used to make his heart flutter even when they held hands, but now, this warmth frightened him.

Bending down and standing up, he put Yang Ye's hand into the quilt and tucked in the corners.

Walking out of the ward, the corridor was empty. The incandescent light above his head was still on, and Xue Shangyang could hear the sound of his leather shoes.

The soldier on duty leaned against the wall at the foot of the stairs, with a wooden canister slung over his shoulder. The young soldier lowered his voice and asked, "Madam hasn't woken up in such a long time. Do you think she has some other problem?"

"What nonsense are you talking about?" The soldier who was guarding with him kicked him on the leg and said with a stern face, "The lady is so good to us, God will definitely bless her."

"I'm not talking nonsense." The young soldier was shaken by the kick. He steadied the wooden warehouse on his shoulder and looked around cautiously. After making sure there was no one else, he said, "There is one in my hometown. The doctor examined him and said that the disease was cured, but he didn't wake up for more than ten days."

The soldier standing opposite them also quietly came over, "Isn't that the same situation as our lady's?"

"Yes," continued the soldier who had just spoken.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"I heard from my father that if a person has recovered from an illness but hasn't woken up yet, it means their soul is lost. We need to ask the master to find the lost soul back."

"How to find it?" Xue Shangyang's voice appeared almost immediately behind them.

The soldier trembled with fear at his voice and his face turned pale.

He stood at the intersection of the corridor's shadows, the cold light shining down from above made his brows lower. He stared at the soldier who had just spoken, his jaw tense, his Adam's apple cracking, and his breathing sliding up and down.

"Division Commander," the soldier stammered, frightened, and dared not say more under his pressing gaze. He glanced at the two people beside him, as if wanting to ask for help, but they had already lowered their heads, not even daring to breathe.

"Speak," Xue Shangyang lowered his voice.

The soldier swallowed his saliva. Under Xue Shangyang's oppressive gaze, he hesitated for a while before slowly explaining the reason.

Xue Shangyang's brows knitted together as he listened to the soldier's words. His father had sent him abroad so he could experience empirical research and rational reasoning. Those who relied on ghost stories and myths to seek protection were mostly unfounded lies and not worth believing.

At this moment, he stared at the soldier in front of him. Yang Ye was still lying on the hospital bed, and his weak breathing seemed to be in his ears.

Xue Shangyang asked the soldier, "Where is the person you said can bring back souls?"

A bright color appeared on the other side of the sky, and a faint light rose from the distance, gradually outlining the contours of the entire mountain.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, the morning breeze rippled the hem of his clothes. Looking up, he saw the still-dark forest, shrouded in an impenetrable silence. The occasional bird call seemed to drift from the valley, but in the empty forest, these faint sounds didn't attract the attention of the mountain dwellers. Instead, the next moment, the overwhelming silence accentuated his loneliness.

The mountain path was rugged and steep, and there had been a heavy rain the previous night. The rain had soaked the dirt, making the ground soft and swampy, and every step felt like treading on a swamp. The scraping of the soles of my shoes against the dirt made each step sound muffled.

"This road is so difficult to walk on," the soldier muttered. He stepped on a leaf and almost fell.

The people behind him hurriedly grabbed him, walked up to him, and scolded him in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense, the commander is still in front."

The soldier didn't understand and just asked the captain next to him, "Why did the division commander suddenly come to the mountain?"

The captain just looked at him and said, "We don't need to ask any more questions about the commander's orders, just follow them."

The soldiers struggled to climb this nearly vertical mountainside. They grasped the protruding rocks and the tree roots half-hidden in the soil below. Their toes searched for possible landing points, carefully testing the waters to ensure each step was a solid and secure one.

They didn't know how long they climbed, simply connecting from one mountain to another. Sunlight filtered through the lush leaves overhead, basking on their sweat-soaked backs. Dense and unchecked thorn bushes lined the mountain path, their sharp thorns mercilessly scratching their exposed arms.

The soldiers' pace had slowed down, their strength exhausted by the long hike and endless climb. Xue Shangyang walked at the front of the team, breathing heavily, and the saliva he swallowed could no longer relieve the sting in his throat. He looked back at the people following him. The adjutant walked over and said to Xue Shangyang, "Commander, the brothers are exhausted. Why don't we rest for a while?"

The mountains were so far away that they couldn't be seen clearly. Xue Shangyang asked, "How long have we been walking?"

The adjutant looked at his watch and said, "More than seven hours."

Wiping the sweat off his face, he said, "Rest here for half an hour, let the brothers take a break."

The adjutant nodded and turned to convey Xue Shangyang's order.

The sun rose higher and then slowly sank, until the last bit of afterglow was also taken away. They walked in this mountain all day, and the road under their feet became more and more blurred.

The soldier leading the way was also visibly panicked. His steps became unsteady, his eyes filled with doubt and confusion. He even wondered if this was the place he had ended up in. He kept looking around, trying to find any trace of familiarity, but the passage of time had changed, leaving only endless forests and the steep peaks that rose one after another. He raised his eyes cautiously, and happened to meet Zhou Yiheng's gaze as he turned his head to look at him.

In the evening, a chilly breeze blew from the mountains, and a strange mist rose from the mountain. The already unclear mountain path became even more hazy, making it seem like he had taken the wrong path. Or perhaps there had been a huge rock blocking the path from the beginning. Xue Shangyang looked at the fallen rocks before him. The surrounding mountains still bore traces of past landslides.

The adjutant of the "division commander" followed and the soldiers also stopped.

Xue Shangyang stared at the fallen rock. He turned and asked the soldier leading the way, "Are you sure you're going this way?"

"I..." He was a little nervous, his eyes dodging, not daring to look Xue Shangyang in the face.

Xue Shangyang paused for a moment, he looked at the soldiers in front of him, then looked at the fallen rock behind him. He suddenly turned around, put his hands on the rock, and said firmly: "Push!"

The adjutant of the division commander hesitated, and the people leading the way were unsure, in case it was a dead end. But Xue Shangyang had already walked there and stood where the rocks had fallen.

"Go over and help," the adjutant called out to the others. With everyone's efforts, the falling rocks in front were finally pushed open, leaving a gap only wide enough for one person to pass through. Xue Shangyang turned sideways, and under the adjutant's astonished gaze, he squeezed through first, followed by the adjutant, and the soldiers followed in turn. However, just before everyone was about to pass, the last soldier accidentally bumped into the pine tree next to him.

The small piece of broken rock that was resting against the pine tree fell away, followed by several rocks larger than the last.

Xue Shangyang heard the sound of falling rocks. When he turned around, he saw a rock that was almost the size of a human head rolling down from the top of the mountain. He quickly went over and pulled the soldiers inside over. The rock hit the ground, splashing up the mud and water on the ground.

He brought the person over, but unfortunately his feet slipped and he was about to roll down the hillside with the person on his back. The adjutant was quick-witted and grabbed Xue Shangyang's shoulders.

Inertia caused the two men to fall, and the adjutant's wrist seemed to be twisted. He ignored the dull pain in his wrist and saw Xue Shangyang who had also fallen. He asked anxiously, "Captain, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Xue Shangyang stood up. He saw the scratch on the adjutant's arm. "How are you?"

"It's just a minor injury, nothing serious." The adjutant shook his hand.

Xue Shangyang stood there and asked the soldiers, "Can you all still walk?"

"Yes," the soldiers answered in unison.

"Let's look for another ten minutes. If we can't find anything, we'll find a place to rest."

"yes"

The fog in the mountains rose among the trees, and the sound of dead branches being occasionally blown off by the wind could be heard. Xue Shangyang stopped and realized that he was attracted by the series of strange footprints in front of him.

The footprints were widely spaced, with the toes digging into the soil, like the claw marks of a wild beast. However, one could vaguely make out the distorted outline of a human foot. The adjutant also noticed these strange footprints, and he raised his hand to ask the soldiers following behind to stop.

He walked over and stopped beside Xue Shangyang. "These seem to be the footprints of wild animals in the mountains."

"The beast is dragging people," Xue Shangyang said. He stood up straight and looked ahead with vigilant eyes.

It was gradually getting dark. On this unfamiliar mountain, the slightest movement could make them nervous and tremble. In the distance, a low roaring sound came, perhaps the wind, or perhaps the owner of the footprints they had just seen.

The terrifying sound echoed in the silent mountains.

The soldiers' faces suddenly paled, and some even retreated slightly. The adjutant gripped the wooden barrel at his waist, his knuckles turning white. The sound grew closer and clearer, and just when everyone's nerves were at full throttle, it suddenly disappeared.

The entire mountain fell into an eerie silence, as if even the wind had stopped. The soldiers' wide eyes reflected each other's pale faces, and cold sweat dripped down their temples, but no one dared to wipe it away.

The soldier leading the way seemed to sense something. He suddenly ran away, quickening his pace. Amid the confused shouts of the crowd, he just kept running forward. After passing through a dense bush, he finally saw the temple he had been searching for all day.

"Found it, I found it," the soldier shouted to them excitedly.

The red wall of the temple is blocked by several camphor trees nearby, and the copper bells hanging on the eaves are rang in the evening breeze.

Xue Shangyang approached and saw the faded gray-red gate before him. The paint had peeled, revealing the decaying wood grain beneath. From within the temple, the sound of bells jingled even more clearly. The young monk picked up the broom beneath the bells, intending to sweep away the fallen leaves blown into the courtyard by the wind. Then, as if sensing something, he glanced toward the door.

After a moment, the young monk put down the broom.

The door of the temple was opened from the inside, and Xue Shangyang looked up and saw.

The young monk had a timid look on his face. He looked at the people standing at the door, clasped his hands together, and bowed slightly. "Are you lost, benefactor?"

"I'm here to see Master Chu Fang," Xue Shangyang said, opening his mouth.

The young monk was holding the door. He called out to the inside, "Master!"

Soon, an old man in a gray-blue monk's robe appeared in the courtyard. He looked at the people coming from afar at the door and smiled knowingly. He walked to the little monk and said, "Amitabha, why are you shouting so loudly?"

“Master, they are looking for you,” replied the young monk named Cheng Nian.

He placed his hand on the little monk's head and said, "Didn't the master tell you not to open the door?"

"I'm sorry, Master." Cheng Nian lowered his head. He didn't know why he opened the door. There was no shouting or knocking outside the door, but he opened the door inexplicably.

"Master Chu Fang," Xue Shangyang called softly.

Master Chu Fang shifted his gaze, looked at Xue Shangyang carefully, and asked, "Do you believe in gods and Buddhas?"

Xue Shangyang shook his head, "I never believed it"

"If you don't believe it, why did you come looking for me?"

Xue Shangyang looked at Master Chu Fang standing before him. Deep wrinkles covered his face and the backs of his hands, but his skin was clear beneath. Especially the eyes that looked at him. Though calm on the surface, they held a deep depth. Xue Shangyang was completely exposed to that gaze. He felt as if his very being had been seen through, leaving no place for any hidden thoughts. But when he looked over, he found that those eyes held neither judgment nor pity, only a calm indifference, neither sorrow nor joy.

He twitched the corners of his mouth, and when no one reacted, he knelt down, the chill from the stone slabs penetrating his knees. He looked at Master Chu Fang and said, "I'm here for my wife."

He spoke directly and decisively, without any hesitation.

Master Chu Fang just looked at him silently.

Xue Shangyang kowtowed three more times and said, "I never believe in gods or Buddhas, but as long as it can save her, I believe it."

Master Chu Fang lowered his gaze. He looked at Xue Shangyang who was kneeling in front of him, his eyes calm. "Donor Xue, please go back. I can't save her."

“The reason why life is life is because no one can see it.”

Xue Shangyang's body trembled and he staggered to his feet.

Master Chu Fang shook his head gently, "There are some things I can't do anything about. You should go back and make plans as soon as possible."

"Why?" Xue Shangyang asked.

"Everything is determined by fate. You can't force it, and forcing it to stay is a sin."

Master Chu Fang was about to leave, but then he heard Xue Shangyang say behind him: "What if I insist on going against the will of heaven?"

The steps he had just taken stopped, and after a long moment, Master Chu Fang turned back. "Going against the will of heaven is a mistake for both you and her. Donor Xue, you should know that the very fact that you met each other and had this fateful acquaintance was a mistake in itself."

Xue Shangyang said: "As long as I can save her life, I will accept it even if it is a mistake."

Master Chu Fang looked at Xue Shangyang with an unclear gaze, his tone revealing helplessness, "Donor, do you know that the cause and effect in this world are all predetermined? If you try to forcibly change what has already been determined, it will inevitably bring you greater disasters."

"To be a human being, one must have gone through many reincarnations before becoming a human being. I see from your face that you are a noble person with great blessings, a long life and good health. However, your blessings are hard-earned, and you have accumulated them in previous lives. If you believe me, then listen to my advice today and do not do anything that will reduce your blessings. With your own good fortune, you can turn misfortune into good fortune and live a long and healthy life."

"I don't need it." Xue Shangyang refused without a second thought. He took a step forward, looked at Master Chu Fang seriously, and said with certainty: "Since you say I am blessed, then I will give her my blessing and my life. As long as she can survive, I can be doomed forever without reincarnation."