Qingjin's gaze passed through the window and landed on the gently swaying red lantern. The bright yellow tassels fluttered gracefully, like elves dancing lightly in the dark night.
“It’s just an ordinary lantern, nothing special.” He added, “This is my office, it’s rather simple. There’s only this one lantern hanging outside, that’s why you think it’s special.”
Wu Yue wanted to say no, but the words caught in her throat. She suppressed them and simply said four perfunctory words: "I see."
Upon closer reflection, Qingjin was hiding something from me, but she wouldn't say it directly.
After exchanging a glance with Yan Chiyu, she smiled and asked Qingjin, "Mr. Qingjin, when will I be able to see Lord Yama?"
“King Yama is out on business, and I can’t say for sure when he’ll be back. I’ll let you two know when he returns.” Qing Jin replied quickly, her words sounding like she was genuinely hospitable. “You two can stay here for now. I’ll send some ghost messengers over with some food later.”
After he finished speaking, he pointed to a bamboo couch in the room, and then gestured vaguely: "There is another bed in the inner room for you to rest on."
This was different from what Wu Yue had expected; she hadn't planned to stay here long. However, Qing Jin's actions seemed almost preordained, so Wu Yue didn't refuse. She wanted to know what the other party's next move was.
Yan Chiyu shared the same thought: although Qing Jin was cold in her words and actions, she harbored no hostility or murderous intent towards them. He decided to observe and see what she intended to do.
"Thank you," Yan Chiyu said, a rare occurrence.
Just as Qing Jin was about to turn and leave, the young man spoke again: "I wonder if Mr. Qing Jin knows someone named Cheng Xuanwu, or a strange turtle with a dark green shell?"
Where they couldn't see, Qing Jin's lips curled up slightly, but it quickly disappeared, and her voice remained cold and hard: "I don't know, I've never seen it before."
"I see. It's alright if we haven't met before. Thank you anyway." Wu Yue pulled Yan Chiyu aside, signaling him to stop there.
After Qingjin left.
The two stood before the door. This place, somewhere in the underworld, was eerily quiet; not a single ghostly howl or cry could be heard. The furniture inside was so sparse it was almost negligible, making the room appear increasingly desolate.
After waiting a while longer and confirming that Qingjin hadn't returned, Wuyue waved her fingers twice and said, "I'll go take a walk and see if there are any clues nearby..."
Yan Chiyu nodded. "I'll take a look around this courtyard." As he spoke, he stood under the extinguished red lantern.
Wu Yue went around to the back of the house and explored freely.
Yan Chiyu looked up at the red lanterns. "What's the point of spying? Why don't you meet us openly and honestly?"
How strange, he was actually questioning a lantern that couldn't speak.
Even stranger things happened.
A few seconds later, a voice came from inside the lantern, its tone unreadable: "You... have some skill."
-
Behind the house, another world unfolded. Utter silence reigned; not even the artificial sunlight or moonlight could be seen. There was no light or shadow, only darkness.
To others, it was pitch black, but to Wu Yue, the darkness was like a lamp. As long as there were no ghosts, she could see everything clearly.
Then, her gaze was drawn to a stone.
From afar, she saw the stone; it seemed ordinary. But upon closer inspection, the only striking feature was the pattern carved on it, which was exactly the same as the one she had seen on the lantern.
The entire rock is shaped like a snapdragon, firmly rooted deep beneath the sandy ground.
Wu Yue couldn't resist reaching out and touching the stone. Her fingertips rested on the boy's robe, and the lingering warmth of the setting sun seemed to spread from the stone wall to her fingertips and palms, giving her a familiar feeling.
The residual heat grew hotter and hotter, almost scorching her fingers in an instant. Wu Yue instinctively tried to dodge, but the heat receded like a receding tide in a flash.
A young man in a red and black robe walked slowly through the snow. Suddenly, he turned around and heard the clear and melodious sound of bells not far away. This scene fell into Wu Yue's mind, both strange and somewhat familiar.
Wu Yue's eyes widened in surprise.
Why did she feel that the boy looked so familiar?
So familiar with her that it's ingrained in her very being, inseparable.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
