17 Qingshan Town
He gazed at the moon in his heart, suppressing all his stubbornness, and donned a gentle demeanor once more.
After Chu Qing broke free from the hand that was preventing her from going, she was led by the monk to kneel on the yellow cushion for worship. Soon, a bowl with snowflake-shaped decorations was presented.
She pricked her finger and, without hesitation, reached for the center of the bowl. One drop, two drops, of blood slowly dripped down, forming a small puddle.
A moment later, light shone, and she felt as if she had established a connection with something deep within her body. However, this feeling came and went quickly, vanishing like smoke before she could react.
After going through the whole process, she bowed three times to the statue of Tian Sha. When she bent down for the last time and her forehead touched the ground, the monk standing behind her revealed a meaningful smile.
“Benefactor, you can write your wish on a piece of paper, burn it, and when the ashes dissipate, the Heavenly Ancestor will have recorded it.”
Sure enough, Chu Qing frowned. There was no such thing as a divine intervention. Writing a wish on paper was something that any human could do, and naturally, those ignorant people would believe it.
However, now that she's here, the identity she borrowed back then has come in handy.
Li Yi's family had gained some status through business, and they came into contact with all sorts of people. As the young lady of the Yuan family, she also came from a merchant family. Recently, Master Yuan had fallen seriously ill, and she was extremely worried.
"May my father be in good health."
The neat handwriting was written on the yellow paper. When the last stroke was finished, the monk took the still-wet paper from her hand, lit it, and placed it in the cauldron under the statue of the Heavenly Demon.
Beyond the small flame, behind the enormous incense burner, the Heavenly Demon stands tall and imposing, its eyes seemingly filled with divine compassion, yet its ugly face conceals a hint of illusory pity.
Is it sad?
Her heart seemed to tighten, and a sudden pain choked her throat. Chu Qing didn't want to think about it anymore, so she quickly got up and left this strange place.
"master!"
When Yin Li saw her come out, she couldn't help but take two steps forward, afraid that the other person might be injured.
"May you two rest in peace, and may the Heavenly Ancestor protect you."
Chu Qing returned the greeting, and Yin Li reluctantly nodded simply before following her out of the temple.
"Master, are you feeling unwell?"
"It's alright, this little trick is nothing, but something just feels off."
The two boarded the carriage and, once seated, Chu Qing continued, "I bled and burned paper money today. When I saw that fierce image, I felt it was very—sad and heartbreaking?"
Upon hearing this description, Yin Li couldn't help but wonder, "But what tricks did they use to interfere with your mood, Master?"
"No, I walked the whole way and they didn't do anything suspicious. I think this Tian Sha looks a bit strange, but we have to wait."
"wait?"
Chu Qing nodded, took a sip of her flower tea, and continued, "I'll wait until I start dreaming to see if I can find any clues. Oh, by the way, Yin Li, you can continue to investigate the temple these next few days. I plan to continue asking Li Yi about his dream; it would be even better if we could find any clues then."
"Alright, then this disciple will go and take another look tonight."
"Okay, you go back to the inn to rest first, I'll go to Li Yi's house again."
“Master, your disciple… can come with you.”
Yin Li lowered her eyes, her voice not as firm as usual, but filled with a strong sense of probing and caution.
"Aren't you tired?"
The other person chuckled softly, and Yin Li felt as if she had misheard. She quickly looked up and caught a glimpse of Chu Qing's lingering smile.
He shook his head seriously and said, "This disciple wants to share more of Master's burdens and also wants to find Junior Sister's whereabouts as soon as possible."
After he finished speaking, Yin Li did not hear a reply. Just when he thought Chu Qing would not agree again, she nodded and said, "That's good. You should practice more so that you can handle things calmly if you are alone in the future."
The steam from the tea enveloped Chu Qing's face. In such an unusually kind tone, Yin Li sensed something was amiss, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it; it was as if everything was supposed to continue as it was.
The two stopped talking and, each with their own ulterior motives, went to Li Yi's house. As soon as they entered, they were warmly received by the butler.
"Immortal".
"Li Yi, we've come this time to find out—"
"Young Master! Young Master!" Before the words were finished, a loud shout came from the doorway, followed by a series of intense cries, a mixture of men and women, some low, some high, some hoarse.
Chu Qing and Yin Li were also interrupted by this sudden event. Li Yi beside her ran towards the door like a madman, and seeing this, she and Yin Li hurriedly followed. But as soon as they reached the door, they were shocked by the scene before them:
A middle-aged woman with graying hair knelt on a frame covered with a white cloth, crying and screaming, clutching her chest in pain. The middle-aged man standing next to her also looked heartbroken, his eyes red, his whole body trembling, unable to utter a word.
This is--
"elder brother!"
A painful scream rang out beside Chu Qing, and in that instant, she understood the other person's identity—the missing Li Jun.
Was his death the same as Hua Qi had predicted?
Chu Qing strode forward and waited quietly for the family for a while. Seeing that they were no longer as they had been before, she slowly spoke: "Gentlemen, if you want Li Jun to die a just death, let me see."
"Immortal, I beg you, I beg you to save my brother! He's clearly, clearly—"
Li Yi was no longer the quiet person he once was; he seemed like a completely different person, his eyes filled with despair.
"We will definitely do our best, but let my master go and take a look first."
Yin Li helped Li Yi up and consciously made way for Chu Qing.
She walked up to the body covered by the white sheet, muttered an insult, and then removed it from the sheet.
really
After seeing that the other person had also died of fright with wide-open eyes, she couldn't help but wonder: whether it was what Hua Qi had told her at the time, or what Li Jun had observed now, was the cause of death related to the dream?
But Li Jun got into trouble, so why is Li Yi, who has the same dream, still alive and well?
"Master Li, I would like to ask you if you know that Li Jun and Li Yi both visited that temple in the suburbs?"
“I know they went there for my elder brother, but who could have imagined that now—” Master Li choked up and stopped speaking. He lowered his head, showing no trace of a businessman, but only that of a father who had lost his son.
"However, Jun'er is more concerned. He always burns incense for his brother by himself, hoping that the other party will have a good career."
Master Li wiped away his tears, but it was this unintentional remark that made Chu Qing connect all the things that had happened before.
If dripping blood signifies establishing some kind of connection, then that connection must be a dream. Does that mean the more times you go there, the faster you die?
As for the cause of death, it was from shock. The demons probably wouldn't kill him directly. Besides, someone of such status wouldn't be involved in any conflict of interest between immortals and demons, so they wouldn't take action for just one person.
Dreams, frights, frequency...
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Chu Qing's mind, and she instinctively met a pair of clear eyes.
It seems Yin Li had guessed as well that Li Jun died from excessive fright caused by a nightmare.
Even if he and Li Yi were having the same dream, the more times he went there, the more terrifying the dream would become, until finally, he died of fright.
But from this perspective, it seems a bit absurd to say that one could be scared to death by a dream, but what about adding the demon race?
Oh, right!
Xue Luo mentioned that blood attracts demonic energy, blood attracts demonic energy...
A drop of blood can attract demonic energy, but since this demonic energy has no way to spread or be absorbed, what will attract it?
dream
Yes, it's just a dream.
Chu Qing suddenly realized that there was a setting in the original work that the demon race could use the fear in people's hearts to strengthen their own power. Therefore, for these missing people in Qingshan Town, the demon race relied on their blood to establish contact, amplified people's fear through dreams, and used the fear generated in their hearts to strengthen themselves.
In this way, their cause of death can be explained.
But what kind of dream could be so terrifying as to cause death? There must be other reasons.
Furthermore, what role does the Heavenly Demon statue play here?
Where is Ling Xueluo now?
Chu Qing rubbed her forehead. Now it seemed there were many suspicious points in the whole matter. The clues had run dry, and she could only wait for her dreams to come up with new clues.
"Li Yi, if you don't want Li Jun to die unjustly, then do as I say!"
"My lord, please rest assured, I will definitely listen to you in everything!"
"Try to reduce your sleep time these next few days. If you can't keep going, then we'll talk about it. Also, if you have any new developments in your dreams recently, let me know as soon as possible, understand?"
Chu Qing squatted down, looking directly at Li Yi, who was on the verge of collapse. She spoke slowly and deliberately, her tone serious yet gentle, her words always possessing a calming power.
Just then, a ray of sunlight shone down, illuminating her entire body, dazzling yet untouchable.
Yin Li was stunned. For some reason, a sense of jealousy arose in her heart. She was jealous that Li Yi was just an ant she had spent a few days with, yet her master could give her comfort and tenderness that she had never received before.
Is this the moon in the sky?
Shining upon the world, like a deity, radiating warmth.
"Yin Li, Yin Li?"
Yin Li was pulled back to his senses by the call. He looked at the moon in his heart, put away all the stubbornness in his eyes, and put on a gentle expression again.
"Master, please speak."
“We might have to stay here for a couple of days. Let’s go back and pack up first. Mo Yu—Mo Yu, come along with us too.”
Chu Qing turned to thank Master Li. Actually, she had been thinking of keeping an eye on Li Yi, but since it was their family, it would be impolite for her to offer to stay there. However, since Master Li had just suggested that she and her apprentices stay there, she accepted the offer.
"good"
Yin Li and Chu Qing returned to the inn and told Mo Yu about the general situation. Soon, the three of them went back to their respective rooms to start packing.
A moment later, the group regrouped outside and boarded a carriage from the Li residence to head over.
"Master, this is truly a wealthy person's carriage, it's so luxurious! It's far superior to ours—"
"What, the Cloud Mist Sect can't tolerate someone like you?"
Chu Qing raised an eyebrow, not particularly angry. It was only the child's first time experiencing such a luxurious carriage, so it was bound to have some thoughts.
Actually, it was her first time sitting there. She looked around at the decorations, the bright beads embedded in the inner walls, the thick deerskin carpet under her feet, and even the place to sit was soft and comfortable, no less than a modern sofa.
"Disciple, disciple did not do it on purpose, please punish me, Master."
"Alright, just don't say anything out of line once you get to the Li residence."
As the two chatted and laughed, Yin Li remained silent, sitting quietly to the side, though he felt that the demonic energy within him seemed somewhat out of control.
[Author's Note]
Yin Li: Master, why are you so gentle with Mo Yu, but so strict with me!
Chu Qing: My beloved disciple, the more I value you, the stricter I will be with you!
Yin Li: Master, could you speak to me gently, just like you do to Li Yi? (Dog-like eyes)
Chu Qing: (With a forced smile) Good boy, if you don't want to be punished, get back to your cultivation.
Author's note: My dears! I'll try my best to finish the dungeon this week!
Hehe, I'm going to finish writing 15,000 words this week!!! So happy (or crazy)! But actually, I also hope it progresses quickly, until Yin Li's affection level rises, and I gradually go crazy (or rather, ridiculously) hahaha! Love you all, hope you'll leave lots of comments~
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