Yan Kai parted his lips, yet no words came out. He could not make sense of what he was seeing.
“Brother Yan Kai.” Duan Rongrong squeezed in through the doorway at that moment. “This is… what’s going on here?” She stared at the scene before her, utterly bewildered.
Outside, the rain intensified, falling in dense sheets as thunder rolled ever closer. With no other choice, the group retreated into the main hall to take shelter.
The interior was in utter disrepair. Dust-laden spider webs clung to every corner of the walls, and the only items still intact were a couple of chairs and a single table.
The scar-faced man dropped heavily onto a chair and picked up a thick branch, using it to stir the fire burning on the ground.
“I ran into this wretched weather right after reaching the area,” he said. “I was planning to head to the nearby city to look for my elder brother, but now it seems I’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
The trio, including Chen Ziguang, remained silent. It was common knowledge that one should not reveal too much about oneself while traveling. What they did not realize was that their identities were already plain to see from their scholar’s attire.
Yan Kai looked at the man again, surprise flickering across his face. “So… you’re also here to take shelter from the rain?”
The scar-faced man shot him a puzzled look. “What else would I be here for, brother?”
“Erm… nothing. Nothing worth mentioning.” Yan Kai suspected that his earlier unease had been nothing more than disorientation.
He glanced at Duan Rongrong and his Senior Apprentice Brother, Wan Hezi. Both looked perfectly normal, no different from their usual selves.
“Speaking of which, that heavy fog earlier…”
“That fog was indeed thick,” the scar-faced man agreed, nodding. “But it vanished in the blink of an eye. We should all be cautious while staying in such isolated wilderness.”
“Yes, yes. This brother speaks wisely,” Chen Ziguang echoed with a nod.
Ka-cha.
A bolt of lightning tore across the sky, flooding the hall with a blinding white glare.
The group gathered closer around the fire, drying their clothes as quiet conversation gradually filled the ruined hall.
Only then did Yan Kai learn that the scar-faced man was called Sun Chankuang. He claimed to have come from a distant land to seek refuge with his elder brother, a pugilist. By his own account, he hailed from a certain Giant Eagle Clan.
As for the other three, the two scholars and their book boy were on their way to the nearby city to sit for the examinations.
The fire cast a warm, flickering glow through the hall, standing in sharp contrast to the howling wind, pounding rain, and flashing lightning outside. The Northern Lands lay close to the frozen seas and were cold even in ordinary seasons. Now, with winter approaching, the chill had grown biting. Without a fire, a single night of frost would have been enough to claim lives.
“This house is fairly large. Three rooms are connected here,” Sun Chankuang said. “I’ll take one for myself. As for the rest, divide them however you like. It’s late. I’m turning in.”
After some conversation, Sun Chankuang yawned and rose to his feet.
“Please, Brother Sun, help yourself. The three rooms split neatly among the three groups of us,” Chen Ziguang said quickly, standing and cupping his fists, already feeling at ease with him.
“No need for courtesy. When traveling in such lands, shouldn’t we help one another?” Sun Chankuang laughed loudly.
“It is getting late. We’ll turn in as well,” Xu Pei said as he stood.
“Alright, we’ll go rest too,” Yan Kai followed, smiling faintly.
He exchanged a glance with Duan Rongrong and Wan Hezi, who both rose to their feet. The three groups of travelers then separated, each heading into one of the side rooms of the stone house.
“Tonight… let’s sleep on the ground,” Yan Kai said quietly once they were inside. “That bed frame doesn’t look usable anymore. We’ll have to make do.”
He had originally wanted to ask the two of them about what they had experienced earlier. Yet when the moment came, the words stalled in his throat, and he found himself unable to bring it up.
“Brother Yan Kai… earlier in the fog, I saw someone who looked exactly like you, heading deeper into the village.” Duan Rongrong whispered suddenly. “If I hadn’t heard your voice in the courtyard at that moment, I might have followed that person straight in.”
Yan Kai’s eyes widened. He nodded slowly. “Be cautious. Observe carefully before making any decisions. Don’t act rashly.”
Wan Hezi spoke up in a low, solemn voice. “Junior Apprentice Brother, the two of you should leave early tomorrow morning. I’m the one who dragged myself into this mess. I should be the one to end it.”
“Don’t say that, Senior Apprentice Brother.” Yan Kai shook his head. “Something strange is at work here. No matter what happens, our safety comes first. Whatever we see, do not act impulsively.”
“Mm. I understand.” Wan Hezi nodded.
With heavy thoughts weighing on their minds, the three of them each found a corner against the wall and settled down to rest, backs pressed to the cold stone.
…………
Tea Town.
Early in the morning, Lu Sheng stepped out of his bedroom. Dawn had yet to arrive. He stood quietly in the courtyard, watching lightning tear through the sky as thunder rolled overhead.
From a shadowed corner, the little umbrella girl hopped out and cast a timid glance at Lu Sheng. She then walked over to the well at the center of the courtyard and began drawing water with a bucket, straining as she turned the axle.
Creak, creak.
“Oh, it’s Yingying. You’re up early too.” Lu Sheng recognized which persona she was in without even turning his head.
“…No need… to sleep,” the little umbrella girl replied softly.
Lu Sheng chuckled. “That’s right. I forgot.”
His gaze shifted toward the distant mountains, in the direction of the village.
“Do you know anything about that village?” he asked. “Come to think of it, you should be even older than Hongfang Bai. Haven’t you heard anything about it before?”
“I’m… I’m sorry…” Yingying lowered her head apologetically.
“It’s fine. I was only asking casually.” Lu Sheng smiled faintly. “That place isn’t somewhere we can enter safely whenever we wish. I need to understand what exactly lies within it, what I can gain from it, and why Chao Long would travel so far just for that place.”
“…”58Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUSAvHevLvD
Yingying could not quite grasp his concerns. From her perspective, could that place truly be stronger than her sister at her peak?
And yet, Lu Sheng had defeated her sister even at full strength. In these lands, there should no longer be anything he needed to fear.
“Forget it if you don’t understand.” Lu Sheng shook his head lightly.
His identity was still a sensitive matter. He needed to raise his strength in the shortest time possible. Only by attaining truly unparalleled power could he free himself from the threats of the Noble Families, as well as ghosts and demons alike.
After all, it was strength alone that would allow him to overturn the very power structure of this world.
Before reaching that point, however, any unnecessary action was dangerous. Every move he made carried the risk of exposure.
After Yingying finished drawing the water, Lu Sheng lingered in the courtyard for a short while before turning toward the study.
Inside, Dong Qi of Tea Sect was already waiting.
“Reporting to Sect Master, the Unlaughing Master has appeared again.” Dong Qi spoke urgently. “There was another mysterious disappearance last night. Judging from the traces left behind, it should be the Unlaughing Master’s doing.”
Lu Sheng’s interest was immediately stirred. “Oh? How did the person go missing?”
Dong Qi’s expression turned grave. “Right inside his own home. His family heard a piercing scream in the middle of the night. They rushed out to search, but he was nowhere to be found. This makes it the sixteenth death in this town so far.”
“Even the sole survivor has now died…” Lu Sheng’s eyes narrowed. “This is getting troublesome.”
“Everyone’s living on edge,” Dong Qi said. “No one knows what to do next.” He looked at Lu Sheng expectantly, hoping for guidance.
“There’s no rush,” Lu Sheng replied calmly. He then grinned. “What about Chao Long?”
“Still no trace of him,” Dong Qi answered, puzzled. “Oh, and the trio including Yan Kai have also gone missing. It’s very strange.”
Before Dong Qi could say more, Xu Chui rushed in, his face pale with worry.
“Sect Master!”
The moment he spoke, Lu Sheng and Dong Qi both frowned.
“Our men from the sect have gone missing as well!”
“Soon… very soon…” A cold glint flickered through Lu Sheng’s eyes, though his expression remained composed. “We’ll continue waiting. For now, pull everyone back to safety.”
“Yes, sir!” Xu Chui replied without hesitation.
The Crimson Whale Sect made no further moves. Despite the disappearance of their own people, they withdrew from Tea Sect and returned toward Ring Pendant City under Xu Chui’s command, as though nothing had happened.
Several days passed.
Tea Sect gradually regained its calm, as if the legend of the Unlaughing Master had never existed.
But Lu Sheng knew better. It had not vanished, only gone dormant.
…………
Ka-cha!
Lightning split the sky, followed by a thunderclap that shook the air.
Dong Qi slowly sat up on her bed, stirred awake by an urgent need. Outside, the storm crashed down in sheets as the gale howled wildly, thunder rolling like the beat of war drums.
KA-CHA!
For an instant, the windows were washed in a tragic blue glow.
“Hoo… hoo…”
She steadied herself with a few deep breaths, then slid off the bed and slipped on her shoes.
Carefully, she opened the door. The latrine lay across the guest hall. The lanterns that were usually lit along the walls had all been extinguished by the fierce wind.
Standing at her bedroom door, she tugged her collar tighter, feeling icy gusts brush against her skin.
‘I’ll be quick and come back right away’, she told herself.
With hurried steps, she left the bedroom and crossed into the guest hall, heading straight for the latrine.
Then she noticed something wrong.
The lanterns in the guest hall were lit.
A dim yellow glow spilled across the floor, blurring the outlines of the room.
Creak…
Dong Qi slowly closed the bedroom door behind her and swept the hall with her gaze.
‘It’s already so late… did the servants forget to put out the lanterns?’
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a man sitting quietly on a chair facing the door.
He was middle-aged, tall, slightly plump, his back ramrod straight.
Yet under the weak light, she could not make out his features from where she stood.
Suddenly, the man’s head turned stiffly toward her.
She still could not see his face clearly, but his eyes were unmistakable, black as bottomless pits.
“Who… who’s there?” Dong Qi’s heart pounded. She had no memory of any man like this.
Her right hand darted into her robes and closed around a dagger.
“Tell me a joke.”
The voice rang out abruptly.
“!?”
Unlaughing Master!?
Dong Qi froze in place, her body locked rigid. That voice had not come from the man in front of her.
Slowly, she turned her head.
The wooden door to her bedroom stood wide open.
A man identical to the one she had just seen now stood at the doorway, only a few steps away. At last, Dong Qi saw clearly why his eyes appeared black.
They were not eyes at all.
Two hollow pits occupied the sockets, devoid of eyeballs, nothing but blood-smeared holes so dark it felt as though she could peer straight through his skull.
A violent shudder ran down Dong Qi’s spine. The dagger in her grip nearly slipped free. Her face drained of all color, her limbs turned icy, and cold sweat soaked through her inner robes.
She staggered back two steps.
“AHHHHHH!!”
Her scream tore through the hall as she spun around and bolted toward the main doors.
Outside, in the heart of the courtyard, Lu Sheng tightened his grip around the saber embedded in the ground and rose slowly to his feet. His gaze was fixed on the towering figure advancing behind him.
“I’ve waited a long time for you, Chao Long…”
The figure behind him halted, clearly taken aback.
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