Chapter 360: Already Here
After returning to the inn, Zhu Lan shared the information he got from Chang Yunxiao with Zhu Qingyan.
The two men rested for a night and came to the lobby of the post station early the next morning. They learned that Chang Yunxiao and his three companions had already left the official post station and headed towards the capital.
Zhu Lan and the other man came outside to lead the horses.
"Let's hurry up and get going. If we calculate the time, we can reach Yunzhou City this afternoon."
…
By noon, both of them felt a little hungry, so Zhu Qingyan pulled the reins to slow down.
"The sun is so bright, why don't you take a break and eat something before you go?"
Zhu Lan also stopped, looked at the sun and said, "Okay, there's a shade tree ahead, let's go there and take a rest."
The two men rode their horses to the shade of the tree. Zhu Lan took out some dry food from his bag, and the two men simply sat down on a big rock.
Zhu Qingyan was chewing on the buns he brought from the post station in the morning and felt a little choked. He stood up to get the water bag from the horse's back, but suddenly stood still.
"What's wrong?" Zhu Lan asked subconsciously when he saw her suddenly freeze.
Zhu Qingyan pointed in a direction, his tone uncertain.
"Zhu Lan, look over there...is there a family there?"
Zhu Lan looked in the direction she pointed, and sure enough, he saw a corner of the roof vaguely showing among the woods.
Zhu Qingyan murmured, "Strange, there are few farmers living on both sides of this official road, how come a family suddenly appeared here?"
She looked up at the sky again. "Besides, it's noon and there's no smoke rising. Don't they cook?"
"No, that's not a house." Zhu Lan looked at the exposed corner of the eaves, and his voice suddenly became solemn.
“It’s a temple.”
"Temple!? Could it be..." Zhu Qingyan was shocked and immediately remembered what Zhu Lan had told her last night, about the tragic incident in which Gong Yuanliang's family was massacred in a dilapidated temple.
Zhu Lan immediately took out the map and checked the surrounding environment, then nodded and said affirmatively:
"It should be right, it is this temple."
When Zhu Qingyan heard this, he felt a chill rising from behind.
Zhu Lan called her twice, and when she didn't respond, he patted her shoulder.
Zhu Qingyan was startled and the bun in his hand fell to the ground.
She didn't have time to pick it up, so she pulled Zhu Lan up from the stone.
"Go, go..."
Good god, it was bright and broad daylight. If she had come here in the middle of the night, she would have been frightened to death.
Zhu Qingyan pulled Zhu Lan twice but failed. Turning back to look at her, she saw Zhu Lan looking straight in the direction of the temple.
In his eyes... there was still a hint of urge to try.
Zhu Qingyan's eyes widened, "You don't want to go inside and take a look?"
Zhu Lan tilted his head, "Is it not possible?"
"Zhu Lan, are you crazy!?" Zhu Qingyan shouted in a somewhat collapsed voice, feeling that Zhu Lan in front of him looked like a madman.
"Sixteen people died inside. Sixteen people!!!"
As Zhu Qingyan spoke, he hugged a thick tree trunk next to him tightly and shook his head like a rattle.
"You go if you want to go, I won't go."
"I won't go even if you kill me."
Seeing that Zhu Lan didn't say anything, Zhu Qingyan couldn't help but ask: "No... Aren't you afraid?"
Zhu Lan thought for a moment and said, "Well... I'm still a little scared."
She rubbed her fingers unconsciously, feeling very hesitant.
After all, she is not Chang Yunxiao, who deals with those "good friends" every day... How can a normal person have such good psychological quality?
But then she thought again that the Gong family's murder case was somehow related to the Ning'an Marquis' Mansion, and she couldn't help but want to know more.
Know yourself and know your enemy, and you can fight a hundred battles with no danger of defeat.
“It’s been a while since the incident happened, and the scene must have been cleaned up.
And Gong Yuanliang and his son Gong Shao are missing. Maybe they came back during this period and left some clues?"
It was unclear whether Zhu Lan was speaking to Zhu Qingyan or to encourage himself.
She glanced sideways at Zhu Qingyan, who was just holding on to the thick tree trunk tightly and refused to let go.
Zhu Lan's gaze moved upwards.
"You are hugging a locust tree."
Zhu Qingyan stiffened his neck, "Sophora japonica tree...what's wrong with the locust tree? Zhu Lan, I'm telling you, don't try to fool me—"
"The locust tree has a strong negative energy and can easily be entangled by unclean things." Zhu Lan said seriously, looking over Zhu Qingyan's shoulder.
"How about looking behind you?"
"Ah!!!" Zhu Qingyan let go of her hand and jumped back suddenly. She looked around for a long time before she realized that Zhu Lan was scaring her.
"Zhu Lan, you damn bastard!!!"
Zhu Qingyan wanted to pounce on her and bite her.
Zhu Lan smiled slyly and pointed at the big sun above his head.
"Do you know why the imperial court always chooses to execute criminals at 15:30? Because this is the time when the Yang energy is the strongest.
Let's hurry up and go over now to have a look, it's guaranteed to be safe."
Seeing that Zhu Qingyan was still resistant, Zhu Lan had to use his old trick.
"Oh, forget it."
When Zhu Qingyan heard these three words from Zhu Lan's mouth, his face changed.
Zhu Lan walked towards the dilapidated temple and said:
"I didn't expect that Zhu Tanhua, the second place in the imperial examination, would be so timid."
"I thought you would be better than me in this area, but it turns out I was wrong about you."
"If you're scared, just stay here and be quiet. Oh, and remember to sit at the children's table next time you eat."
"I'll go by myself. Don't follow me. Please don't follow me."
Zhu Qingyan stood where he was, the pain in his chest becoming more and more intense.
Finally, she held her head in her arms and wailed frantically.
“Ahhhhh Zhu Lan you bastard!!!”
"Wait for me!"
Not far away, the two arrived in front of the dilapidated temple.
The weather-beaten wooden door was closed, and from the outside, the dilapidated temple looked like... just an ordinary dilapidated temple.
It is so ordinary that it is hard to imagine what kind of horrific tragedy has happened here.
Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan stood at the entrance of the dilapidated temple. They both swallowed their saliva at the same time, and neither of them had the courage to take the lead in pushing open the two wooden doors.
Zhu Qingyan licked his dry lips and said thoughtfully:
"Zhu Lan, actually, after thinking about it carefully, I think..."
"Eat at the table with the kids..."
“It’s not impossible.”
Zhu Lan's expression was also a little complicated. "I admit that what you said makes sense, but we are already here."
The two looked at each other and fell into a long silence.
After a long time, Zhu Qingyan took a deep breath and said in a calm tone:
"I find that you like to use provocation to provoke me now."
Zhu Lan: "A mountain is not famous for its height, but for the immortals living there. A plan is not famous for its number, but for its usefulness."
Zhu Qingyan turned his face away, "...Humph. So it's you who are scared and want me to accompany you?"
Zhu Lan: "If you want to say that, that's fine."
Zhu Qingyan rolled his eyes and said, "If that's the case, then beg me. If you beg me, I will go in with you."
Humph, this annoying guy Zhu Lan is so arrogant, I have to give him a good beating now...
"I beg you."
Zhu Qingyan: “?”
"Please." Zhu Lan's tone was sincere.
"No... Zhu Lan, can you please have a bit of backbone?" Zhu Qingyan felt unwell.
Asking for help just because someone asks for help, there is no sense of accomplishment at all!!!
"Look, I'm begging you, you have to keep your word, let's go in together." Zhu Lan said seriously.
Zhu Qingyan was speechless and choked with emotion.
"...Okay, okay, we both have the last name Zhu. I'm so lucky to have you in my life..."
Zhu Qingyan gritted his teeth and placed his hands on the two closed wooden doors.
"ready or Not?"
"Yeah!" Zhu Lan nodded seriously.
Zhu Qingyan took a deep breath and pushed the door open suddenly. After a long time, he dared to move his eyes inside little by little.
When they saw the scene inside the ruined temple clearly, they both froze in place.
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