Chapter 138 - 113

Chapter 138: Chapter 113

Everything about the procession felt sinister, especially the people in it. Their faces were as white as paper, their cheeks daubed blood-red. They didn’t look like living people—more like paper effigies.

In the dream, Lu Jinghong felt a primal fear and turned to run, but in the next instant, she found herself inside a bridal sedan chair. She was dressed in a phoenix crown and wedding robes, a red veil covering her head.

Lu Jinghong tried to lift the veil and call for help, but discovered she was paralyzed, unable to move even a single finger.

In her despair, all she could do was let the sedan chair carry her toward an unknown, dark Abyss.

"Jinghong? Jinghong? What’s wrong?"

Just then, a familiar voice pulled her from the nightmare.

Lu Jinghong’s eyes shot open. She gasped for breath, her entire body drenched in cold sweat.

"Nana..." She looked at the worried Qi Nana beside her, still shaken by the lingering fear.

"You scared me to death!" Qi Nana said, patting her chest. "I was half-asleep when I saw you suddenly sit bolt upright, just staring straight ahead. I called your name, but you didn’t answer. Then you fell back down, stiff as a board. I thought you’d been possessed!"

A chill ran down Lu Jinghong’s spine at her friend’s words, but she didn’t dare describe the nightmare for fear of scaring Qi Nana. She just forced a smile and said, "It’s nothing. I’m probably just exhausted from today."

Only then did Qi Nana breathe a sigh of relief, not giving it another thought.

「The next morning, the snow was still falling.」

The path down the mountain was completely snowed in. Everything was a vast expanse of white, making it impossible to even tell which way was which.

Fortunately, Jingyun Temple had ample reserves of rice, flour, and oil, enough to feed everyone for ten days to half a month. The only thing in short supply was dry firewood for heating.

With the sudden plunge in temperature, going without firewood could be a death sentence.

"Tear down the doors and windows from the unoccupied guest rooms and burn them as firewood," Chen Ye decided without hesitation.

Hearing this, a troubled look flashed across the Jingxin Daoist Nun’s face.

Mr. Lu immediately caught on. He slapped his chest and declared, "Don’t you worry, Daoist. As soon as the snow stops and we get down the mountain, I, Lu, will donate a generous sum to have the Daoist Temple rebuilt and its Golden Body re-gilded!"

Jingxin was overjoyed and thanked him profusely. "Thank you, Benefactor Lu. The Lord of the Mountain will surely bless you with a prosperous fortune, peace, and a long life."

Hearing this, something stirred in Chen Ye’s mind.

Just a moment ago, while leading some men to take down the door of an old storeroom, he had glanced into the main hall.

The statue enshrined in the hall was not of the Three Pure Ones or any of the other Immortals he was familiar with from the Daoist Sect. Instead, it was a handsome young man, but his face held an indescribable, sinister aura.

He looked at the Jingxin Daoist Nun and asked, feigning casualness, "Daoist, I noticed the deity enshrined in this temple doesn’t seem to be one of the revered gods of the Daoist Sect. Might I ask which immortal it is?"

The Jingxin Daoist Nun’s smile remained gentle as she replied,

"You may not be aware, sir, but this statue is of the Lord of the Mountain, who protects all the lands here on West Mountain."

"The Lord of the Mountain is fond of worldly affairs and vibrant life. He especially loves the Mei Lin outside the temple. All visitors who come to admire the blossoms will receive the Lord of the Mountain’s protection."

Her explanation was seamless, and she sounded like a devout believer introducing her personal deity.

Yet Chen Ye couldn’t help but feel that something was off, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

However, Chen Ye betrayed none of his thoughts, merely nodding pensively and asking no further questions.

The snow continued to fall thick and fast, showing no sign of stopping.

Trapped on the mountain, everyone had lost the leisurely mood for appreciating the snow. Once it grew dark, they finished their food and retired to their respective rooms.

Lying in bed, Lu Jinghong tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep no matter what.

The nightmare from the previous night had been far too real, leaving her with a lingering sense of dread.

She didn’t know how much time had passed before drowsiness finally crept in. But the moment she closed her eyes, she once again plunged into that grotesque dreamscape.

This time, the scene in her dream was far clearer, and far more terrifying, than the last.

She found herself walking along a mountain path blanketed in pristine snow. Her surroundings were utterly silent, the only sound the CRUNCH, CRUNCH of her footsteps echoing in the quiet.

Just then, that bizarre wedding procession appeared again.

She tried to flee, but her legs were as heavy as lead.

Then, several paper-like Matchmakers surrounded her. Ignoring her struggles, they shoved her straight into the pitch-black sedan chair.

Soon, the sedan chair came to a stop before a great hall.

The doors of the hall opened slowly. A man dressed in bright red wedding robes stood inside, waiting for her in silence.

Although Lu Jinghong couldn’t make out the man’s features clearly, his eyes were like two burning ghost-lights, sending a chill down her spine.

The man in her dream held out his hand. Resting in his palm was a dark red Elixir Pill.

The Elixir Pill was only the size of a fingernail, yet it emitted a strange, ethereal fragrance that made one’s head swim.

"This is the betrothal gift for our union. Eat it, and you and I will never be parted."

As he spoke, the Elixir Pill was brought to Lu Jinghong’s lips.

"AH—!"

In the depths of her terror, Lu Jinghong jolted awake with a piercing scream.

"Jinghong! Jinghong, what’s wrong?!"

Qi Nana, who was beside her, was instantly woken by the scream and stared at her in horror.

Lu Jinghong’s face was ashen, her lips were blue, and her forehead was covered in cold sweat. She was trembling uncontrollably.

"I... I had a really strange nightmare." Lu Jinghong’s voice was choked with sobs. No longer able to hide it, she told Qi Nana everything about both nightmares, holding nothing back.

Qi Nana was utterly terrified. She clutched her blanket and shrank into the corner of the bed, her own face just as deathly pale.

Neither of them dared to sleep after that. They lit the oil lamp and kept their eyes open, waiting for dawn.

The next morning, everyone was startled when they saw Lu Jinghong’s vacant, haunted expression.

Her eyes were sunken and ringed with heavy, dark circles. It was as if her Essence, Qi, and Spirit had been drained from her, leaving her so weak she looked like a gust of wind could knock her over.

Mr. Lu’s heart ached for her. He asked what was wrong and soon learned the whole story.

The Jingxin Daoist Nun stepped forward. After studying Lu Jinghong for a moment, she said, "Miss Lu, please don’t be alarmed. The mountain is snowed in, and the cold is overpowering. Given your delicate constitution, it’s likely you’ve been afflicted by the chill, which is causing these nightmares."

Her explanation was quite reasonable, and even Mr. Lu and Qi Shihao found it somewhat convincing.

But Chen Ye wasn’t convinced.

"One nightmare might be a coincidence, but having the same nightmare two nights in a row? How do you explain that?" His tone was flat, but his gaze was as sharp as a knife. "Daoist, is there something unclean in this area?"

The moment he spoke, the atmosphere grew tense.

The expressions on the faces of Mr. Lu and Qi Shihao also turned grim.

The Jingxin Daoist Nun, however, showed not a hint of panic. "You may rest assured, sir. The Lord of the Mountain this temple serves is a righteous deity. With His protection, no demon or evil would dare make trouble for miles around. Miss Lu’s case is, I assure you, simply a matter of a weak constitution."

Chen Ye gave her a deep look, nodded, and said nothing more.

’Some things are pointless to argue about.’

Fortunately, the Daoist Temple had medicinal herbs in stock. The Jingxin Daoist Nun quickly ordered someone to brew a bowl of Calming Soup for Lu Jinghong and sent her to her room to rest.

Meanwhile, the snowfall outside had lessened considerably, but the thick blanket of snow still blocked the path down the mountain. Leaving was still impossible.

「Night fell once again.」

Everyone returned to their rooms to rest. The lamp in Chen Ye’s room had long been extinguished.

He was not sleeping. Instead, he sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes shut tight, his breathing long and steady.

His instincts told him that there was definitely something wrong with Jingyun Temple and this so-called Lord of the Mountain.

Lu Jinghong’s nightmares were not something that could be dismissed as mere physical weakness, as Jingxin had claimed.

So he was waiting.

Waiting for the thing hiding in the shadows to slip up and reveal itself.

The night deepened, and all fell silent. The only sound was the occasional thump of snow sliding off branches outside the window.

Finally, just past midnight.

An exceptionally sinister wind swept through the courtyard without warning, making the window paper rattle violently.

The wind seemed to carry a faint, barely perceptible fragrance.

On the bed, Chen Ye, who had been meditating as still as a monk, suddenly snapped his eyes open. In the darkness, they shone with a terrifying light.