Chapter 30 Temple
As he entered, he saw a young man with dyed blond hair standing there, jumping up and down. He was wearing non-mainstream clothing and had a lip ring, looking like a low-level thug. He was roaring at the crowd, while everyone else in the group was indifferent, looking at him as if he were a clown.
Seeing Lin Qiushi and the girl Xu Jin who had just entered, this man became even more agitated. He pointed at them and demanded, "Are you in cahoots with these people? What do you want to do by tricking me here? Get me out of here quickly, or I'll fucking kill you!"
Lin Qiushi found the man's boastful words truly amusing: "Weren't you just about to call the police? Why are you trying to kill us again?"
"Are you looking for death?" The young man became even more enraged after hearing Lin Qiushi's words. He shouted angrily, "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll stab you to death. Do you know who I am? How dare you talk to me like that!"
Lin Qiushi ignored him and scanned the crowd.
This glance made his heart sink instantly. He saw that there were thirteen people sitting or standing in the room behind the young man. Including the young man, Lin Qiushi, and Xu Jin, there were a total of sixteen people.
It was the first time that Lin Qiushi saw so many people. One could imagine how difficult this world was.
Most people in the crowd looked indifferent and disdainful of the young man with a bad attitude, and had no intention of reasoning with him.
That's right, it's such a troublesome thing to reason with, why waste it on a dead person.
There were thirteen people in the crowd, five men and eight women. Lin Qiushi quickly found his target among them - the young man standing in the front of the group, and the woman sitting in the corner whose face could not be seen clearly.
Although their faces were unfamiliar, the clothes they wore told Lin Qiushi their identities.
The woman is Ruan Nanzhu and the boy is Cheng Qianli.
Lin Qiushi looked away after seeing them.
"I'm talking to you, what's with your attitude?" The yellow-haired young man became annoyed when he saw Lin Qiushi's attitude. He actually pulled out a knife from his pocket and started waving it. "You really want to die, don't you?"
After he finished speaking, he was met with a voice saying, "That's enough." Then, a pair of hands pressed down on the young man's shoulders, and a pleasant male voice rang out, "Friend, you're so young, why are you so angry?"
Lin Qiushi followed the voice and saw a handsome man's face. The owner of the face looked at the young man with a smile, and his tone sounded very gentle: "If you have anything to say, please take your time and speak."
No one knew what the owner of the voice had done, but the young man's face suddenly turned pale. He gritted his teeth, admitted his mistake, put away the knife, and whispered, "Don't try to trick me."
The man released his grip on the young man, took a step forward, and smiled at Lin Qiushi: "My name is Meng Yu, and this is my fourth time entering."
Lin Qiushi shook the hand he extended: "Yu Linlin, this is the third time."
The man smiled and said, "Sit down, we are discussing something."
Lin Qiushi nodded.
Meng Yu has a very friendly temperament and looks particularly gentle when he smiles. He has the potential to become the leader of this team.
Ruan Nanzhu, who used to be the dominant figure, was very quiet this time. Lin Qiushi pretended to sit next to him unintentionally and noticed that he looked unhappy.
"Miss, are you okay?" Lin Qiushi asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Ruan Nanzhu shook his head slightly and smiled softly: "It's okay, I've been in poor health since I was a child. Thank you for your concern."
Lin Qiushi said, "My name is Yu Linlin."
Ruan Nanzhu: "My name is Zhu Meng."
"Nice to meet you." Lin Qiushi looked away.
Ruan Nanzhu in this world was different from the previous two. He seemed shorter and had a very weak aura. Although his face was still beautiful, it had a more sickly beauty quality to it.
Lin Qiushi wondered if this change was because Ruan Nanzhu's body had not fully recovered.
"Did you all see that woman outside?" Meng Yu, standing in the middle of the crowd, briefly analyzed the situation. "I just went to ask her what was going on. She said she was a tour guide and that a group of us were here for a tour."
This is probably the background of the story.
"Travel?" a girl in the crowd asked, "How many days will we travel?"
"She didn't say, she just said to visit all the attractions." Meng Yu said, "There should be a time limit, but it's not certain yet."
"Where are our residences?" Cheng Qianli suddenly asked, "Where are we going to live?"
Meng Yu walked to the window and pointed to the row of small bamboo buildings near the jungle: "There."
The small bamboo buildings were neatly arranged together, with a dense jungle behind them. Outside the buildings were some ornamental plants and small flowers, but Lin Qiushi couldn't identify their species.
"Let's split up the rooms." Meng Yu suddenly said, "We definitely can't all live together."
"Why can't we live together?" Newcomer Xu Jin asked cautiously, "Wouldn't it be safer if we were together?"
"You'll fall asleep if you live together," Lin Qiushi said. "It's not safe."
"Oh..." Although Xu Jin was still confused, she didn't ask any further questions. Her reaction was much better than that of the yellow-haired young man. At least she didn't offend most people without understanding what was happening.
"We still have very little information right now, but we should have more tomorrow," Meng Yu said. "It's getting late, everyone, get ready for bed."
Then everyone went to the small bamboo house together.
Sixteen people is a lot of people. Although it was dark, they didn't feel too scared walking together.
Lin Qiushi entered the bamboo building first and took a quick look at the structure inside.
There are three beds in each bamboo house, all on the second floor, one by the window and two against the wall. The weather here is quite hot, so only a thin blanket is placed on the bed.
With sixteen people, sleeping in separate beds became a big problem.
Before Meng Yu could say anything, several girls who were traveling with him suggested that they wanted to live with him.
"That's so embarrassing." Meng Yu smiled, "Or maybe men and women should live separately."
"You're almost dead, what's there to be embarrassed about?" A girl inside expressed her thoughts very directly. She said, "Brother Meng, I just want to live with you..." She came forward, hugged Meng Yu's arm, and deliberately squeezed it with her plump breasts.
Meng Yu smiled and said, "Okay."
This was the first time Lin Qiushi had seen such a situation, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't surprising. With an experienced elder leading the team, the chances of survival were always higher.
"Hello, can I live with you?" Ruan Nanzhu's voice came. He slowly walked to Lin Qiushi's side, his palm-sized face pale. "I'm a little scared."
Lin Qiushi immediately nodded and said yes.
"I want to live with you, too." Another girl's voice emerged. It was Xu Jin, whom Lin Qiushi had just met. Her expression was pitiful, tears welling in her eyes. "Yu Linlin, I'm scared too."
Lin Qiushi: “…” It’s a bit hard to adapt to this sudden happening.
He hesitated for a moment, feeling that it would be rather awkward to agree to Ruan Nanzhu and reject Xu Jin at the same time, so he nodded and said okay.
"Thank you." Xu Jin smiled. She turned her head and glanced at Ruan Nanzhu casually, with a hint of assessment in her eyes. Ruan Nanzhu also noticed her gaze and smiled faintly at her with the corners of his mouth raised.
This seemed to be a tacit understanding and competition between the girls. Lin Qiushi, who was still thinking about the world inside the gate, was completely unaware of what was happening.
The groups were quickly divided and everyone went their separate ways to rest.
After a quick wash, Lin Qiushi also lay down on the bamboo bed. His bed was next to the window, and he could see the scenery outside by turning his head.
It was already late in the evening, and everything was completely still. There was no sound of insects or birds in the jungle, the silence was eerie.
Ruan Nanzhu's bed was next to Lin Qiushi. He didn't sleep, but lay sideways, staring at Lin Qiushi quietly.
Lin Qiushi actually had a lot of things he wanted to say to Ruan Nanzhu, but Xu Jin was also in the room, so he had to endure it.
"Good night." Lin Qiushi said.
"Good night." Ruan Nanzhu curled his eyes.
At midnight, a mist rose in the forest.
The rustling sound woke Lin Qiushi from his dream. He opened his eyes and found that everyone else in the room was still sleeping soundly.
The sound was soft, as if coming from deep within the jungle, but it couldn't be heard clearly through the mist and lush trees. Even with Lin Qiushi's hearing, he could only hear it vaguely.
He seemed to hear the singing of a young girl. No, it was more like chanting Buddhist scriptures than singing. At first it was just a murmur, but later it became clearer and clearer.
Lin Qiushi was completely awake. He sat up from the bed. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether he was dreaming or all this was real. He looked through the window and saw a figure, looming in the mist.
These figures stood densely in the woods, and only vague outlines could be seen through the thick fog.
Lin Qiushi was watching when he suddenly felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. Startled, he turned around and saw Ruan Nanzhu.
"Don't look." Ruan Nanzhu rested his chin on Lin Qiushi. Stars seemed to twinkle in his black eyes. "Don't you notice they're getting closer?"
Lin Qiushi was stunned for a moment, then realized that Ruan Nanzhu was right. The figures were getting closer and closer. They weren't walking, but their outlines were becoming clearer and clearer.
"I'm a little cold," Ruan Nanzhu said. "Hold me and sleep." His voice was weak and exhausted. Lin Qiushi held his hand and felt it was icy cold.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Qiushi became a little worried.
"This body is too weak." Ruan Nanzhu half-closed his eyes, looking like he was about to fall asleep. "It's quite troublesome."
"Okay." Lin Qiushi reached out and pulled Ruan Nanzhu into his arms. He noticed that Ruan Nanzhu's body was incredibly light, like a piece of paper. And her skin was practically cold.
Lin Qiushi felt a little distressed, so he hugged Ruan Nanzhu tightly and warmed her body with his body temperature.
Ruan Nanzhu seemed to feel much more comfortable. He closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Qiushi was still listening to the noise outside the window. The rustling sound lasted for a while, then died down. Lin Qiushi guessed that the things must have disappeared. He hugged Ruan Nanzhu and gradually fell asleep. He closed his eyes and fell asleep.
The next day, Lin Qiushi was awakened by Xu Jin's scream.
Xu Jin pointed at the two of them and said, "Why are you two sleeping in the same bed?"
Before Lin Qiushi could say anything, Ruan Nanzhu, who had been woken up, snuggled into Lin Qiushi's arms and hummed twice, "Still want to sleep."
Lin Qiushi patted his head reflexively: "Would you like to sleep a little longer?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "Cold..."
Lin Qiushi: "I'll hold you."
Ruan Nanzhu naturally hooked her arms around Lin Qiushi's waist and buried her face in his chest.
Xu Jin's eyes almost popped out of her head as she watched this scene. She said, "You...you...how could you..."
Ruan Nanzhu seemed to have finally come to his senses. He slowly left Lin Qiushi's arms, brushed his hair, and smiled: "I felt too cold last night, so I troubled Brother Yu. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with us." As he spoke, he lowered his head and smiled shyly.
Although Xu Jin didn't say anything, her eyes had already revealed her. What she wanted to say most at this moment was probably: "Fuck, this person is such a bitch." They even slept in the same bed and still smiled and said that there was nothing wrong with them.
"Brother Yu is a good man." Ruan Nanzhu was also quite immersed in the role. He said, "Don't misunderstand him."
Lin Qiushi, who had been inexplicably given the "nice guy" card, was unaware of the ongoing conflict between Ruan Nanzhu and Xu Jin. He said, "Let's go out for breakfast. Didn't we say we'd meet at 8 o'clock yesterday?"
"Yeah." Ruan Nanzhu responded.
So the three of them washed up and had breakfast.
When they arrived at the agreed place, several people were already seated there. Lin Qiushi looked for Cheng Qianli and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that he was there.
The breakfast was a local specialty: a strange-tasting fried noodle dish. Lin Qiushi found it incredibly unpalatable after just one bite. But for the sake of his health, he forced himself to finish it.
Ruan Nanzhu was already feeling unwell, and now his appetite was even worse. He took a bite of noodles and threw it aside.
Lin Qiushi was worried that he couldn't handle it, so he went to the kitchen again, hoping to find something else to eat. Next to the kitchen, a middle-aged woman was grinding something on a millstone. Lin Qiushi walked over and politely asked her a few questions.
The woman listened to Lin Qiushi's question and casually pointed to the bamboo basket next to her.
Lin Qiushi walked to the front of the bamboo basket and saw a few wilted apples inside. Although they didn’t look very good, they shouldn’t taste too bad.
He picked up the apple and asked the woman as he passed by her, "Auntie, what are you grinding?"
The woman lowered her head and said, "Grinding flour."
Lin Qiushi took a look at what was ground out of the millstone. It was a white powder with a strange texture.
The woman noticed his gaze and filled a small bowl with some. She handed it to him with a smile and said, "Would you like to try it? This thing is very nourishing, especially for people with weak bodies. Just one sip can make them recover."
Lin Qiushi reflexively declined her kindness. He always felt that this was not a good thing.
Fortunately, the woman did not force it and continued to do her own thing with her head down.
Lin Qiushi returned to the house with the apples, but saw the woman he met at the village entrance yesterday. The woman was holding a red flag in her hand and wearing a hat on her head. She really looked like a tour guide leading a tour group.
"Today we're going to show you a temple," the woman said. "That temple is the most beautiful building here. I'm sure you'll be captivated by its splendor. Let's set off now without further ado."
After she said this, she waved the flag, signaling everyone to follow.
Everyone looked at each other, then stood up from their chairs and followed the woman out the door.
As they walked, the woman introduced the local customs and habits, saying that the people here believed in a certain religion and believed that the dead would be resurrected. Because of this belief, they had many strange customs in the area.
"For example?" Meng Yu asked.
The woman gave a mysterious smile and said, "You'll know when we get to the temple."
She led everyone onto a remote path that meandered into the depths of the jungle.
The trees on this road are a bit strange. There are some colorful strips hanging on the branches next to them. The woman said that this is a way of sacrifice. It is said that these strips can lead the returning dead souls home.
The trees on this road are so dense that they almost block out all the sunlight, leaving only mottled spots of light on the ground.
As Lin Qiushi listened to the woman's introduction, the tune of the song came to his mind.
After walking for about twenty minutes, everyone was feeling a little tired. Although Xu Jin felt the environment was strange and a little scared, he couldn't help but ask, "How long will it take?"
The woman said, "We're almost there."
Not long after she finished speaking, music came from the front. Lin Qiushi had never heard such a tone before. It sounded like a flute, but even clearer and more pleasant than a flute. The melody was strange, like a vulture circling in the sky, carrying the scent of death.
Because of this sound, everyone suddenly became quiet.
The tour guide smiled and said, "I believe everyone has heard this sound. This music is played by special instruments here. It can only be heard here. Everyone must listen carefully."
Not long after moving forward, Lin Qiushi finally saw the building hidden among the layers of woods.
It was a majestic temple, built with huge stones, with green vines winding around it, and its style was simple and desolate.
Next to the temple, there are countless colorful flags.
The flags were fluttering in the breeze, as if responding to the strange tune.
Ruan Nanzhu suddenly approached Lin Qiushi and whispered, "Stay away from those flags."
"What's wrong?" Lin Qiushi asked in confusion.
Ruan Nanzhu said, "The material of the flag is not right."
Upon hearing this, Lin Qiushi took a closer look and discovered that the material of these flags was indeed somewhat different. They were very thick, not like cloth, but soft enough... He suddenly thought of something, and his throat moved up and down.
"Could it be that thing?" Lin Qiushi thought of the hidden meaning in the ballad.
"Maybe." Ruan Nanzhu's tone was uncertain.
The tour guide led everyone to the temple entrance and stopped. She said, "Now it's time for everyone to explore freely." She looked at her watch and said, "I'll come and take everyone back before dark. Please enjoy the scenery here and don't run around."
She repeated, "Don't... run around."
After saying this, the tour guide turned and left, leaving a dozen people looking at each other in confusion.
"This guy is so weird." The hot-tempered blond young man from yesterday started talking again. He said, "Why don't we take this opportunity to escape..."
"Where are you going?" the man next to him said impatiently, "I've already told you this isn't a normal world. Can you please stop saying stupid things?"
The young man seemed a little frightened by the surrounding scenery. He forced a disdainful expression and said, "What's wrong with that? I think you're just too timid."
Upon hearing this, the others ignored him and turned to go inside the temple. It was obvious that everyone's focus now was to see if there was any clue about the key.
"Let's go in too." Lin Qiushi glanced at the temple, then turned to Ruan Nanzhu and Xu Jin who were standing behind him.
"This temple looks so scary." Xu Jin trembled with fear. "Do you think there are any monsters in there..."
"How about we go in and you wait outside?" Ruan Nanzhu coughed lightly twice and made this suggestion.
"No, no, no, I'd better go with you." Xu Jin said quickly, "I'm even more scared outside alone."
"Let's go." Lin Qiushi stepped onto the tall stone steps.
Ruan Nanzhu and Xu Jin followed Lin Qiushi and entered the temple with everyone else.
The lights inside the temple were very dim. There was no window open, and only some dim kerosene lamps were lit around.
Lin Qiushi felt a little strange the moment he entered. He asked, "Is the sound of the musical instrument coming from the second floor?"
Ruan Nanzhu: "It seems so."
"Then let's go upstairs and take a look," said Lin Qiushi.
Ruan Nanzhu nodded.
However, after walking around the temple, they didn't find any stairs leading upstairs. Lin Qiushi suddenly felt something was wrong. His keen hearing told him a terrible truth... The music didn't seem to be coming from the second floor, but from the ceiling. So, what on earth could be producing such music on the pitch-black ceiling that had no end in sight?
Ruan Nanzhu noticed Lin Qiushi's stiff expression and asked, "What's wrong?"
Lin Qiushi laughed dryly and pointed above their heads: "There seems to be something above our heads..."
The author has something to say: Outside the door: Lin Qiushi: Brother Ruan, you are such a good person.
Inside the door: Ruan Nanzhu: Lin Qiushi, you are such a good person.
This is a CP that sends each other nice guy cards
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
