"A child? What's there to ask?"
Squinting at the running Taoist boy, Ling Ying crossed her arms and said nonchalantly.
"This kid, he's been eavesdropping for a long time, hasn't he?"
"He seems to have something he wants to tell us—"
Lingyan spoke her mind, noting that the child's behavior was indeed quite unusual.
"He's already run away, what can we say?"
Ling Ying's fingers rested on her other arm, her fingertips tapping lightly.
Gu Zhong glanced at him, then turned back to look at the old man sitting calmly in the tea room, who seemed to be resting with his eyes closed.
"Let's split up and gather information."
After she finished speaking, she pulled Ling Yan along and disappeared from Chu Cheng and Ling Ying's sight in a few leaps.
"Hey! What's with this split-up reconnaissance? You've left me behind again."
Ling Ying was quite indignant about Gu Zhong's inconsistency between words and actions.
"Mr. Chu, I'll be going now."
He then turned around, said something to Chu Cheng, and ran off in a flash.
Chu Cheng pressed his throbbing temples, forcibly calming his turbulent thoughts. He glanced at the old man in the tea room, then left.
"Gu Zhong, do you think that child is—"
Lingyan was still indignant about Lingying's retort to her earlier.
"yes."
Gu Zhong answered decisively.
"I haven't finished speaking yet!"
Because Gu Zhong answered so quickly, it seemed rather perfunctory, and Ling Yan's dissatisfied tone carried a hint of coquetry.
"Because I also had a feeling that the young Taoist might know something."
Gu Zhong was stunned for a moment, then turned his head and looked at Ling Yan to explain seriously, but even his serious tone could not hide the smile in his eyes.
"Therefore, we must find him."
"That's right. It's just—I don't know why, but I always have a bad feeling about it."
Gu Zhong has always trusted his intuition, but this time it came rather inexplicably.
This Taoist temple was clearly very ordinary, but my sense of foreboding began to race, as if something terrible was about to happen. This feeling was even stronger than in the royal palace.
Gu Zhong and Ling Yan inquired about the young Taoist boy from everyone they met at the Taoist temple, as well as the unusual events that occurred the night the Queen stayed at the temple.
They asked everyone, whether they were sweeping in the courtyard, chopping wood and cooking in the kitchen, or burning incense and telling fortunes in the front hall.
"Another one? Isn't this annoying? I already said, that day was no different from any other day, what could be strange about it?"
"A young Taoist boy, around ten years old—oh—you mean Ami, right? He's incredibly mischievous and a habitual liar; nothing he says is believable. I haven't seen him today—"
But the result was far from satisfactory. No one knew what happened that night, nor did anyone know where the young Taoist priest Ami had gone.
The investigation reached a dead end from the very beginning.
"The sun is about to set."
Lingyan looked up at the horizon; the light was gradually fading, and night was about to fall.
A gust of wind blew by, stirring the bamboo grove behind the Taoist temple and creating a rustling sound that sounded rather desolate.
"Have you found anything out of your investigation?"
Chu Cheng and Ling Ying also finished their search and found Gu Zhong and Ling Yan, who were frowning and deep in thought. They also looked worried and seemed to have come up empty-handed.
"No."
"It may really have nothing to do with Qingxi Taoist Temple, so why waste any more time?"
Chu Cheng was exhausted, and since he didn't really trust Gu Zhong's judgment, he wouldn't have been here if Ling Yan hadn't insisted on coming along.
"It's getting dark. If we don't go back soon, we'll miss the time when the city gates are locked."
Ling Ying also began to urge them on, both men appearing unwilling to linger.
"I want to stay at the Taoist temple tonight."
Gu Zhong remained stubborn and opinionated.
"Why?"
Chu Cheng's question was already a powerful expression of suppressed anger.
Is there anything special about this place?
Ling Ying looked around again, seemingly searching for a reason why Gu Zhong insisted on staying there.
"I'll stay with you."
Only Lingyan had no questions or complaints.
"Miss Ling—"
Chu Cheng turned to Ling Yan, seemingly wanting to say something, but was immediately and rudely interrupted by her.
"No need to say more. Gu Zhong will naturally make her own judgment. Staying here one more night won't do any harm. If you want to go back, you can go back yourself."
This left Chu Cheng with a lump in his throat, unable to vent his frustration. He could only wave his sleeve, utter "Whatever," and then turn and stride away.
"Ling Ying, what's wrong? Aren't you going back either?"
Ling Yan turned to Ling Ying and asked in an annoyed tone.
"Hey—don't get me wrong, he and I aren't on the same side. Wherever Elder Gu is, I'll be there too. Tonight, I'll keep him company to the end."
He curled his lips into a smile and struck what he thought was a charming pose, only to receive a roll of his eyes from Ling Yan in return.
——
The cramped room contained only a wooden bed and a set of mahogany table and chairs. A dim oil lamp sat on the table, its flame flickering up and down.
Gu Zhong leaned against the old window frame, holding his sword. The wind rushed in through the open window, and the cold air instantly filled the entire space.
Sitting on the wooden bed with brand-new bedding, leaning against the wall, Lingyan couldn't help but doze off as drowsiness crept in. Her head bobbed up and down, making her look quite adorable.
Gu Zhong turned his gaze away from the window and saw Ling Yan's appearance. He immediately closed the window, completely shutting out the cold night wind.
The sound of closing the window was particularly clear in the quiet night, instantly waking up anyone who was dozing off.
Lingyan rolled off the bed and looked around warily—a conditioned reflex developed in an extremely unsafe environment.
"Nothing happened, you can get some sleep."
Seeing her fluid and graceful movements, Gu Zhong couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her, even though he found it amusing.
"What time is it now?"
Lingyan yawned widely, walked to the bedside and sat down, asking in a hazy, hoarse voice.
"...Yin hour (3-5 AM)"
Suppressing his suddenly racing heartbeat, Gu Zhong answered with some difficulty.
"It's so late... and I don't think anything's wrong. Why don't you get some sleep?"
Lingyan reached out and grabbed Gu Zhong's sleeve, looking up at her.
Her eyes, half-asleep and half-awake, still glistened with tears, and her bewildered appearance was quite alluring.
"Will Ayan sleep with me?"
Gu Zhong loosened her grip on the sword, leaned down, and whispered in Ling Yan's ear, her voice hoarse.
Warm breaths lingered near Lingyan's ear, as if someone were gently tracing her earlobe with their lips and tongue.
The heat traveled along her earlobes and climbed onto her cheeks. In the dim light of the oil lamp, Lingyan now looked like a steamed shrimp, her whole body flushed red.
It seemed that she was only now fully awakened, and she suddenly stared at Gu Zhong with wide eyes in panic.
She then collapsed onto the bed, pulled the blanket over her head, and buried her head in the sand like an ostrich, trying to escape the awkward and unpleasant atmosphere she was struggling to handle.
"Ayan—"
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Gu Zhong climbed onto the bed and reached out to pull the blanket covering Ling Yan's head.
This time, Lingyan truly used all the strength she had in her life, gripping the quilt tightly and refusing to let go, refusing to compromise.
"Ayan, you've taken all the blankets, how am I supposed to sleep?"
Having failed to seize it, Gu Zhong had no choice but to change tactics, and she pleaded in an extremely pitiful and aggrieved tone.
Lingyan had never heard her speak like that before, and was shocked by her shamelessness. In her moment of relaxation, Gu Zhong seized the opportunity and successfully took the blanket away.
"You sleep on the table!"
Once she realized what had happened, Lingyan instantly forgot her earlier shyness and immediately launched a counterattack, with the two of them playfully wrestling on the bed.
"Ayan, did you hear anything?"
Just as Gu Zhong was about to be defeated, she suddenly turned her gaze to the door, her expression becoming serious.
"Don't try that! I won't fall for it this time!"
Ling Yan didn't believe it, after all, Gu Zhong had used this trick more than once.
"Shh-"
Gu Zhong pressed his index finger against Ling Yan's lips, his gaze still fixed on the door.
The room fell silent, with only the sound of their disordered breathing remaining.
By focusing her attention carefully, Lingyan could vaguely hear some sounds, rustling sounds, as if many insects were crawling on the ground.
In addition, she made some other discoveries.
"Gu Zhong, do you smell a strange fragrance? It's similar to the incense we use to attract demons, but it's not quite the same. It has a strong floral note."
As soon as she finished speaking, Gu Zhong's expression changed, her pupils suddenly dilated, and the solid black seemed to overflow her eyes. She reached out and pressed her right hand against the Xuanjing wristband.