Candles, sculptures, corpses, and antique lattice doors. Beyond the doors lay a courtyard overgrown with weeds, an overturned bronze incense burner, a green stone path, and the radiant moonlight.
The deathly silence was permeated by desolation and an eerie stillness.
"This place seems to be perpetually shrouded in darkness."
Zhang Yuanqing raised his hand to his mouth and spat out the small blue pill he had been holding in his cheek.
The plan worked! I'm such a fucking genius! He happily pocketed the pill, feeling a surge of confidence in his "future."
With these pills, he now had a chance to survive an encounter with the Red Dancing Shoes.
Next, he strode purposefully to the offering table, paused to consider his options, and reached out to grasp the candlestick.
Instantly, a message materialized before his eyes:
[ Name: Everlasting Candle ]
[ Type: Fuel ]
[ Function: Exorcism, Purification ]
[ Description: An artifact left by the Goddess of Sandaoshan, said to be refined from the fat of the Everlight Beast. It possesses the power to exorcise evil and purify corruption. ]
[ Note: Sometimes, purifying fear may not be a good thing. Also, it cannot be moved. ]
As expected, information about an artifact could only be obtained by physically touching it. He hadn't dared touch the candle before, so he had remained unaware of its true nature until now.
"Purifying fear isn't necessarily a good thing. According to Guan Ya's classification, the candle is a 'Cost' item—its price is the loss of fear. But right now, I'm terrified and have no suicidal urges. I'll just hunker down in the Main Hall for now."
He sat cross-legged before the offering table, pondering his next move.
"My next objective is to explore the East Courtyard, uncover its hidden dangers and patterns, and then devise ways to counter or overcome them. The exploration must be completed within 15 minutes; otherwise, the Vengeful Spirit will latch onto my shoulder, guaranteeing death."
"The blue pill is my trump card against the Red Dancing Shoes, but it might not work. Facing the Shoes directly is a life-or-death gamble. I'll explore the East Courtyard first, get a preliminary understanding of the environment, and then strategize."
As the moment approached, a sliver of fear and reluctance lingered in his heart. He didn't want to venture out. Surviving last time had been sheer luck; whether he'd survive again remained uncertain.
The situation in the East Courtyard was unknown, making it impossible to assess the danger. One wrong move could easily lead to instant death.
But in this world, you can't avoid what you don't want.
Although the Ancient Temple mission had no time limit, theoretically allowing him to remain holed up in the Main Hall indefinitely, the absence of a deadline also meant that failing to complete the mission would likely trap him here forever.
The longer he delayed, the more his physical condition would deteriorate due to hunger, exhaustion, and thirst.
Venturing out now would be a death sentence.
"Whether I stick my neck out or stay hidden, it's the same blade. I have to risk it!"
Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth and strode toward the exit.
Wait, I should reconsider. Just as he was about to step over the threshold, he suddenly hesitated, glancing back at the Main Hall with lingering affection for its radiant warmth.
The candlelight, warm and comforting, dispelled shadows, purified filth, and filled his heart with unparalleled courage and confidence.
No problem, Zhang Yuanqing thought confidently as he stepped outside.
The moonlight, as bright as frost, illuminated the cobblestone path along the Main Hall's left side. Following it, he returned to the desolate, dilapidated courtyard.
The night was eerily silent, devoid of insect chirps and bird calls.
Yet the silence also brought a sense of peace. His greatest fear was hearing the rhythmic tap-tap of footsteps outside.
"Fifteen minutes. I only have fifteen minutes to explore the East Courtyard before the Vengeful Spirit finds me."
He entered the easternmost room of the courtyard and retrieved the copper mirror from the corpse leaning against the window, tucking it into his pocket.
Then, he cautiously passed through the arched gate into the East Courtyard.
The East Courtyard was much larger than the main courtyard, revealing a sprawling, overgrown garden. It featured artificial hills, a pavilion, a small pond, and a massive banyan tree with a thick, gnarled trunk and branches. Its tender green leaves shimmered under the silvery moonlight.
Beneath the great banyan tree stood an ancient well.
Glancing past the artificial mountain and pavilion, Zhang Yuanqing could glimpse a straight-lined roof ridge deep within the garden.
Instead of heading directly toward the building at the garden's heart, he cautiously circled the great banyan tree. The files had warned of its danger, but after completing his circuit, nothing untoward occurred.
Checking out the great banyan tree should also increase the exploration progress, Zhang Yuanqing thought, glancing at the dark, ancient well. After hesitating repeatedly, he still lacked the courage to approach it.
He harbored a deep-seated psychological aversion to such wells, the kind that haunted horror stories.
Zhang Yuanqing skirted the well, his footsteps rustling through the overgrown weeds as he made his way toward the building deep within the garden.
Crunch!
A sudden, sharp sound beneath his foot startled him into leaping back.
Looking down, he realized he had stepped on a corpse buried beneath the weeds. The body was clad in oxidized work clothes. Zhang Yuanqing knelt to examine the remains, noting that the skeleton was remarkably well-preserved.
The corpse lay face down, yet its skull was twisted backward, indicating that something had forcibly rotated the head 180 degrees before death.
What could have done this?
Zhang Yuanqing grew quietly alert, rising to his feet and preparing to continue his exploration.
Just then, a gust of wind swept through the garden, causing the overgrown weeds to sway and rustle. Behind him, the Great Banyan Tree seemed to come alive, its twisted branches and leaves shuddering violently.
"Zhang Yuanqing... Zhang Yuanqing..."
A shrill voice drifted from behind him, carried on the wind like a whisper in his ear, sending chills down his spine.
Instinctively, Zhang Yuanqing tensed, ready to turn and confront the threat. But a flash of information from his briefing surged through his mind:
Do not turn around!
"Zhang Yuanqing... Zhang Yuanqing..."
Seeing his lack of response, the voice grew more urgent, as if desperate to make him turn around immediately.
Of course, Zhang Yuanqing refused to turn. He stood rooted to the spot, quietly unzipping his jacket pocket and retrieving the brass-colored mirror. Slowly, he raised it until it was above his shoulder.
The mirror dimly reflected the scene behind him.
From the ancient well, a disheveled woman in white emerged. Her face was a blank, pale expanse of flesh, her featureless gaze fixed on Zhang Yuanqing.
Fuck you, you old bastard! Zhang Yuanqing's face paled as he bolted forward.
"Zhang Yuanqing... Zhang Yuanqing..."
The voice called out repeatedly, its urgency growing with each desperate plea. But it could only watch helplessly as he sprinted further and further away.
Zhang Yuanqing quickly skirted the artificial mountain and reached the depths of the garden. There stood a large house with a straight roof ridge, a stone foundation, and walls built of rammed earth.
This house was even more dilapidated than the courtyard residence. The roof tiles were sparse and riddled with holes.
"The Nightwalker mentioned in the files came here too," Zhang Yuanqing thought. "He only warned against turning back, not against walking back. The Well Ghost's call might only target those who look back. If that's the case, I should be safe when I return later."
He took a deep breath, calming the churning fear and dread, and focused his attention on the present.
"First, I'll explore this house."
The large house had three doors, each leading to a separate room.
He cautiously approached the leftmost room and pushed open the dilapidated wooden door with a forceful shove.
Creak~
As the door swung open, Zhang Yuanqing immediately retreated into a defensive stance.
After a long moment, nothing happened.
Summoning his courage, he entered the room. Moonlight streamed through the holes in the roof, and he strained his eyes to maximize the light entering his pupils.
This was a kitchen and dining area, with two earthen stoves built from green bricks, along with pots, bowls, ladles, water jars, cabinets, and other utensils, all long since decayed and covered in dust.
"No danger here. Finally found a container." Zhang Yuanqing grabbed a dusty gourd ladle, his mind wandering:
"I heard virgin boy's urine can ward off evil."
He considered collecting a ladleful of it, but after careful thought, he reluctantly abandoned the idea.
Though he lacked experience with girls, Zhang Yuanqing didn't think he could still be considered a virgin boy.
"I've been too lenient with you guys, giving you chance after chance to show off," he muttered, staring at his hands with a mix of regret and frustration.
After thoroughly exploring the large house and confirming it was a combined kitchen and dining hall with no special features or dangers, Zhang Yuanqing armed himself with a rusty kitchen knife and a wooden stick. He stepped outside and turned his gaze toward the final rectangular structure.
Unlike the kitchen-dining hall, this building had four doors, dividing it into four separate rooms.
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but grip his wooden stick and kitchen knife tighter. They might not be effective, but they offered psychological comfort.
He cautiously inspected the first two rooms, which turned out to be storage areas filled with antique farming tools, furniture, and donation boxes.
Finding nothing of value, Zhang Yuanqing moved on to the third room.
This was an armory. Swords, sabers, bows, daggers, and short knives hung on the walls. Many weapons had fallen to the floor due to the rotting cords that had held them.
Two rows of weapon racks stood by the windows, one of which had toppled over, scattering clubs and spears across the floor.
Two corpses lay sprawled near the overturned rack.
Zhang Yuanqing wasn't surprised to see these weapons. The temple's disciples, trained by the Goddess of Sandaoshan, could craft Corpse Suppressing Talismans, clearly possessing martial skills. It was only natural they would know how to dance and wield weapons.
As usual, he examined the corpses, searching for clues from these fallen predecessors.
He had barely approached the bodies when he let out a startled "Huh?" The two figures lying on the ground weren't skeletons, but mummified corpses.
Their skin was dark, wrinkled, and stretched tightly over their bones, their bellies sunken.
"How could there be mummies here?"
Zhang Yuanqing frowned. As a student at Songhai University, he possessed a wealth of knowledge.
Mummification occurs through two primary methods: artificial preservation and natural desiccation.
The first could be immediately ruled out. The second typically occurs in arid environments like deserts, conditions clearly absent within the temple.
He carefully examined the mummies. There were no fatal wounds or bones crushed by the Red Dancing Shoes, but two distinct puncture marks were visible on the skin of their necks.
They looked as if they had been bitten by the sharp fangs of a ferocious beast.
"What could have drained them dry like this? Hiss..."
Zhang Yuanqing gasped, his entire body tensing.
Just then, he heard a "thump" from the adjacent room, like someone knocking on a wooden door.
His scalp prickled instantly. Like a wary deer, Zhang Yuanqing craned his neck to listen intently.