Зал астрологии с плотью и кровью

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"Grandma, do you know anything?" I asked hurriedly.

"Oh dear, why are you meddling in this?" Tang Jing waved his hand impatiently at his wife, who immediately shrank back and dared not utter another sound.

"Hehe, sorry, my wife just talks nonsense!" Tang Jing smiled at us and said.

"It's okay! I was just saying!" I quickly replied, even the smallest clue is helpful.

"Oh dear, what can a woman say?" Tang Jing chuckled, clearly not wanting us to ask any more questions. Reluctantly, we got up to leave.

As I left Tang Jing's house, the sky had already darkened, and the Misty Temple on the mountain seemed ethereal and indistinct. Slowly moving forward, I was still pondering Tang Jing's words. That An family truly held many secrets!

"Young man, wait a minute!" Suddenly, Tang Jing's wife waved to us from the shadows next to a house.

"Grandma!" Li Hai and I exchanged a glance and quickly walked over.

"Grandma, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Yes...that's how it is!" The old woman said, probably after making a great decision. "An Zhengdong and Mu Wanrong probably don't have a good relationship."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Li Hai asked.

"Because..." The old woman glanced around nervously and said, "Once I saw Mu Wanrong in the woods behind the village. She looked like she was waiting for someone, so I didn't go up to talk to her and came back. But guess who I ran into on the way?"

"An Zhengdong?" Li Hai answered her question.

"No!" The old woman shook her head and said, "It's An Zhengbei! Tell me, a lone man and a lone woman meeting in such a secluded place, there must be something fishy going on! And they're even related as uncle and aunt! Aren't you ashamed!?"

"How can you be so sure that An Zhengbei went to see Mu Wanrong? Maybe he went to see someone else?" I offered my opinion.

"No way! That place is so remote, who would go there? I only went there to find some mushrooms!" the old woman replied confidently.

"Then... then why didn't Uncle Tang let you speak?" Li Hai asked.

"Sigh! Isn't it just to avoid trouble? After all, this is a private family matter for a wealthy family, and I have no evidence whatsoever! My old man is afraid that people will say I'm stirring up trouble!" The old woman explained on Tang Jing's behalf.

"Oh, I see!" I said with a smile, "Thank you so much!"

"Oh dear, I just wanted to talk to someone about this. It's so hard to keep this to myself!" After saying this, the old woman ignored us and walked unsteadily toward her home.

Looking at the old woman's frail figure, I was certain she hadn't lied to us! Connecting this to what Tang Jing had said earlier, I could now boldly guess something! But could it really be like this? Before coming here, I had looked up some information about the An family on A Bao's computer. Age-wise, An Zhengbei was three years younger than Mu Wanrong! Would Mu Wanrong accept someone younger than herself, and who was also her uncle? After all, the social climate at the time would absolutely not tolerate such an unconventional relationship!

"What kind of woman do you think Mu Wanrong is?" Li Hai suddenly asked me.

"A woman who can't be with her true love forever! If the person she loves is her uncle, then it makes sense why An Zhengdong and An Zhengbei said those things in the woods!" I pressed my temples, and everything seemed to become clear again, but the key things were still blurry.

"Did you conclude so quickly that Mu Wanrong and An Zhengbei were having an affair?" Li Hai asked.

"I'm just guessing!" I rolled my eyes at Li Hai and continued to guess, "Don't forget how Mu Wanrong died?"

"Burned to death, his left eye gouged out!" Li Hai frowned, thought for a moment, then immediately looked enlightened and said, "You mean..."

“Yes!” I immediately added, “According to the Moonshadow Clan’s rules, an unfaithful woman is punished by having her left eye gouged out!”

“But wait a minute, how would the murderer who killed the An family know this rule? If Xu Li, who made a pact with An Zhengxi to elope but then disappeared, is the murderer, why would he do this? He’s not a member of the Moon Shadow Clan at all! And he has no reason to punish Mu Wanrong!” Li Hai scratched his head, looking completely at a loss.

“That’s right, judging from the current situation, Xu Li is indeed the prime suspect! But don’t forget, this is just the police’s speculation! There is no evidence and no motive! And don’t forget, the An family is a family that has been tomb raiding for generations, so they should have some skill! Do you think an ordinary young man like Xu Li could kill three grown men from the An family in one go?” I increasingly felt that there was something fishy about that fire back then. No matter how I looked at it, it was unlikely that Xu Li was the murderer.

"In other words..." Li Hai considered for a moment, then said, "The murderer is not Xu Li, but someone else!"

“A very good deduction, then…” I held out my hand to Li Hai and said, “Where’s the evidence?”

"If we already had it, would we have waited until today?" Li Hai shrugged helplessly at me.

Yes! Indeed, there is no evidence whatsoever; it's all just our speculation! But one thing is certain: the fire at the An family home thirty years ago was truly extraordinary!

We walked up the mountain in relative silence, each lost in our own thoughts. There was something else I hadn't said: the meaning of An Yi's last words. This conjecture was incredibly bold, so bold that I almost thought I was just overthinking it. But, "Does your left eye still hurt?"—could that question have been directed at Mu Wanrong? Since Mu Wanrong and An Zhengbei had an affair, it's hard to guarantee they wouldn't have a child! That's why An Zhengbei had to treat his own son as illegitimate, because his relationship with the child's mother was something that couldn't be made public!

We struggled to climb the mountain path. The muddy trail after the downpour was very slippery and difficult to walk on, so we had to be extremely careful! The surrounding scenery had already darkened, and the wind rustled the trees, making us uneasy as if something was hiding behind a clump of dark trees.

I breathed on my hands, which were frozen stiff by the mountain wind, and hunched my shoulders. The cold wind blowing down my neck made me shiver, and my legs began to stumble. For some reason, the scenes of An Yi's dying moments flashed before my eyes again. Those withered arms seemed to fly before me like the claws of a demon, and An Yi's screams seemed to echo in my ears once more. I glanced nervously at the bushes beside me, feeling as if something was about to burst forth from the ground, and the surface of the earth seemed to be churning slightly. I quickly caught up with Li Hai ahead and took a deep breath. Looking up, the Lost Temple seemed both right in front of me and yet also as if it were in the distant clouds.

When we finally returned to the temple, it was Old Gen who opened the door for us, still wearing the same white mask of the dead. I still couldn't see his facial expression. Logically, two murders had occurred in the temple under his jurisdiction, yet he acted as if nothing had happened, more indifferent than anyone else. And what happened in that secret passage after we were separated? He didn't say a word. It left me with a feeling of utter confusion. Walking silently behind Old Gen, I felt his gait was a little strange, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Hey, why is the Netherworld Palace closed?" Li Hai asked Old Gentou, pointing to the tightly closed gate.

"The Netherworld Palace can only be opened on the seventh day of each month!" Old Gentou replied in his hoarse voice.

"But, but didn't the people from the province say that further investigation is needed?" Li Hai asked.

"Then we'll open it when the investigation begins!" Old Gentou replied firmly.

Without saying anything more, Li Hai and I just glanced at each other. It's better not to talk about it; it saves us from constantly thinking about unpleasant things.

Back in my room, I lay down on the bed and picked up An Ran's sketchbook again. The blue cover was covered with irregular patches of oil paint that formed strange symbols, as enigmatic as the Moonshadow Clan and the An family's great fire.

Staring intently at the paintings, my eyes began to feel dizzy, my head spun, and the whole room started to shake and spin. The abstract paintings, which should have been still, seemed to have sprouted wings and fluttered before my eyes, one after another, layer upon layer, forming arrangement after arrangement, constantly changing, making me feel as if I were in a kaleidoscope of wondrous sights. I shook my head vigorously, my head still spinning, and lay down, feeling incredibly tired. My eyelids felt as if a thousand pounds had been added to them. Closing my eyes, I felt as if something was pressing down on my body, making it hard to breathe, and all I could see were countless clumps of blue oil paint intertwined…

Volume Two: The Devil's Left Eye, Chapter Thirty-One: The Ruins of the An Family

Volume Two: The Devil's Left Eye, Chapter Thirty-One: The Ruins of the An Family

When I woke up the next day, it was already past nine o'clock, but the sky was still gloomy and gray, making me feel depressed. Lying in bed, I started to casually flip through the book that Yuewa had given me. The ancient characters on it made me dizzy, and although I tried hard, I only understood a little bit of the content.

According to this book, every living being in this world possesses its own soul; the soul is not unique to humans. This is similar to theistic beliefs prevalent today. You can understand it as a wave, a thought, or even memories from a previous life. Through special mental control and gestures, this wave can be refined into a tangible form, and even controlled. However, the book provides very little information about the specific mental power and gestures required.

Somewhat frustrated, I tossed the book aside and flipped through the abstract art book again. The blue oil paint was smeared irregularly on the paper, leaving me completely clueless.

"Lin Xiao!" Bai Yun suddenly knocked on the door.

"Come in!" I got out of bed and opened the door for her. Today, Baiyun was wearing a white wool two-piece suit with tight black jeans. The simple black and white combination perfectly showed off her figure, and her wheat-colored skin shone brightly.

She sniffed, and it smelled wonderful! But strangely, the scent wasn't the cool, refreshing ENVY fragrance she usually wore; instead, it was an extremely strong aroma that clashed terribly with her simple outfit.

"Why did you change your perfume? Isn't Envy your favorite scent?" I asked her, closing the door behind me. Since I met her in college, she had never changed her particular preference for Envy; she wore it almost every day. Why the change today? Deep down, Baiyun is a very persistent person.

“It’s poison! Isn’t that right!” Bai Yun brushed her hair aside and explained.

"Poison?" I frowned. I've never been very knowledgeable about perfume brands, and I only remembered ENVY because Baiyun used to mention it to me all the time.

"This isn't right for you!" I stated my opinion directly.

"Really?" A hint of sadness and helplessness flashed in Baiyun's eyes. She then gently turned her head to the side, making the atmosphere a little awkward. Was it impolite to directly criticize a lady's preferences?

I scratched my head, looking somewhat lost at the white clouds before me. I wondered when it started, but my former friends had become blurry, and I felt something looming between us. Could it be that distance and time are truly omnipotent killers, capable of obliterating all friendship, love, and even family ties without a trace?

"Hmm!" I cleared my throat, trying to find a topic to talk about: "How have you been these past few years?"

"What, you're only asking now?" Bai Yun walked to the table and leaned against it.

"Ah, isn't it because of the case?" I said with a forced smile.

"A case?" Bai Yun raised an eyebrow at me, her tone slightly sarcastic: "It seems like you haven't contacted me in a long time, since graduation, even if there's no case."

"Oh! Really?" I tried to play dumb.

Baiyun glanced at me, then turned her head to look out the window at the scenery without saying anything more.

Yes! It's been so long since I've contacted her. We trusted and cared for each other so much in college, but when that tacit friendship was about to turn into love, I backed down. You can call me cowardly or weak, but at that time I really couldn't let go of Yin Xue, and I couldn't allow myself to start another relationship.

"Why did you accept her? Is she prettier than me?" Bai Yun didn't turn around, but suddenly asked me this question, leaving me stunned. I didn't know why I accepted Fang Lei either; maybe it was fate! Heaven knows!

I opened my mouth, but ultimately chose silence. This isn't something that can be explained in just a few words! Love, by its very nature, is the most absurd of all emotions. It's even funnier than a Stephen Chow movie!

Just as the two of us were silent and the atmosphere was unusually tense, Li Hai knocked on the door, which immediately made me breathe a sigh of relief.

"Lin Xiao, are you free?" Li Hai asked me from the doorway, but his eyes involuntarily glanced at Bai Yun in the room.

"Oh, yes, yes!" I immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, and said, "Let's talk outside! Baiyun, don't forget to lock the door when you come out!" I practically fled like a refugee, pulling Li Hai out of the room without looking back. Baiyun was too much for me to handle today, and now was not the time to bring up old grievances.

I hurriedly pulled Li Hai downstairs and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I should be asking you what's going on! What's that white cloud doing in your room? Be careful, or I'll tell Fang Lei! And what were you afraid of just now?" Li Hai glanced at me sideways and asked meaningfully.

"It's nothing, she just came over to catch up with me. There's nothing between us!" I quickly explained.

"That's great!" Li Hai gave me a knowing look and said, "I just asked Old Gentou, and he said the ruins of the An family seem to be halfway up the mountain. I came here to ask if you want to go and take a look together."

"The ruins of Anjia?" I stopped and asked, "They're still here after all these years?"

"Yes! I was just asking casually, I didn't expect it to actually exist! It seems that the villagers all spread rumors that the place was haunted and no one dared to go near it, so even though it's been thirty years, it's still preserved!" Li Hai said excitedly.

"Really? That's great! Let's go!" I patted Li Hai on the shoulder excitedly and said, "Let's go now!"

************

If this place is considered ruins, it's more accurate to call it a historical site! The fire back then burned it so thoroughly that no buildings remained, only some rubble. A few charred wooden stakes, weathered by thirty years of wind and rain, are covered in dark green moss, which, against the blackened wood, creates a kind of textured beauty, almost like an oil painting.

Looking around at the Western Zhou ruins, they were situated on an open field, surrounded by towering trees—perhaps once a rather secluded dwelling! Nestled on the mountainside, amidst the trees, they possessed a unique charm. But now, the gloomy gray sky and the dark, oppressive shadows of the trees created a suffocating sense of confinement, as if one were imprisoned in this forest cage, unable to escape.

Li Hai was rummaging through the ruins, seemingly searching for something. Seeing how busy he was, I felt particularly relaxed.

"What are you looking for?" I asked Li Hai, who was struggling to turn over a few wooden stakes.

"Let's find the entrance to the secret passage!" Li Hai stood up and said, "Think about it, if there are so many secret passages in the temple, why wouldn't there be one here?"

"Come on, even if they did, the police back then should have found them long ago!" I kicked a stone at my feet and said.

“Maybe there really are some omissions, or maybe we didn’t keep an eye on them! Besides…” Li Hai gave me a smug smile and said, “Didn’t you notice anything strange about this place?”

"Strange?" I looked around, and everything seemed normal! But upon closer inspection, I felt that something was really wrong, as if something was missing!

Something's missing. I scratched my head, and suddenly, a thought struck me—that's it! The weeds are missing! If, as Old Gentou said, no one in the village dared approach this place, it should be completely deserted. In these mountains, there should be plenty of weeds growing! But now, there isn't a single weed here. Clearly, someone has been cleaning it regularly. But who could it be? Old Gentou? It seems he's the closest and most convenient person here. But why? Why is he helping to clean up the An family's ruins?

"Are there no weeds?" Li Hai had already seen that I had thought of this, and said, "Since someone comes here often, there must be a reason for it. So, no matter what, it's always good to look for it."

"Okay!" I nodded in agreement. It seems we really need to search carefully; maybe we'll find some clues! Thinking of this, I quickly bent down to help Shi Lihai check. Although only some ruins remained, searching was still quite difficult. The fire had basically destroyed most of the original structure of the house, and some foundations were exposed.

Touching the moss-covered wooden stakes and bricks, the marks of time are deeply etched into every object, allowing visitors to imagine what they looked like in their heyday. I rubbed my hands, frozen by the mountain wind, and my body trembled slightly, unsure whether it was from the cold wind or something else…

I stood up and looked back at the dense forest behind me. Behind the trees swaying in the wind, it felt as if a pair of eyes were watching me intently, giving me a sense of being spied on. Although it was midday, the sky grew increasingly dark, spreading a deep black like ink spilled onto rice paper. The whistling wind whistled in my ears, and my mind felt as if something had been stuffed into it.

He turned back to continue searching, but his mind was no longer on the entrance to the secret passage; he was constantly worried about the seemingly unseen eyes behind him.

I turned around abruptly and shouted, "Who?" Was that white face that flashed by just now just my imagination? The demonic smile of the dead man's mask magnified before my eyes, jagged among the shadows of the trees, indistinct.

"What's wrong?" Li Hai walked up to me and asked with concern.

"It looks like someone's there!" I looked carefully behind the tree, but there was nothing there, as if it were all just an illusion.

"There's no one here!" Li Hai also looked around and indeed there was nothing there.

The sudden, loud rustling of the trees made me instinctively touch the jade pendant on my chest. I didn't like the atmosphere; it reminded me of death, gloom, despair, and collapse.

"By the way, did you bring any tools?" I asked Li Hai, hoping to leave this place as soon as possible.