Пьяные облака, слегка спящая луна

Глава 5

"Hey, why did you bring the little rabbit along?" Ye Ji asked in surprise, his tone tinged with a hint of anger.

"What's wrong? What's it to you? It's none of my business who I like!" Yu Xue pouted and shouted. At the same time, she secretly glanced at Ling Bing, but Ling Bing seemed not to have heard Yu Xue's words at all, staring blankly at the mansion in front of her.

Yu Xue felt a surge of annoyance, hugged the little rabbit, turned her head to one side, and decided to ignore Ling Bing.

Upon hearing Yu Xue's words, Ye Feng knew she was still angry, so he decided not to provoke her further. He didn't want things to escalate and Meng'er would blame him again. Thinking this, he suddenly sensed that everyone present seemed to be acting strangely.

Although they were still more than 50 meters away from the mansion, he could clearly feel a sense of oppression and panic emanating from it, which was quietly approaching each of them.

Cheng Jin, who usually pestered him with questions, seemed like a different person, sitting quietly to the side, lost in thought; Meng'er was tidying her bag, taking things in and out repeatedly, but it was obvious that she was trying to hide her unease and anxiety; Yu Xue was holding a small rabbit in one arm and stroking its fine white fur with the other, and Ye Feng sensed that she seemed a little scared and flustered, whether she was still angry about Ling Bing's attitude or something else; Li Fan, who was usually the most talkative, stood silently like a taciturn gourd, but his silence couldn't hide his unease and frustration; Ling Bing had been acting strangely all the way here, and he seemed even stranger here, not saying a word, just staring blankly at the large mansion in the distance, and no one knew what he was thinking. Zheng Qi, looking preoccupied and worried, remained as taciturn as ever; Mo Han maintained his aloof and indifferent demeanor, seemingly the most relaxed and carefree person there. But who knew if he was merely putting on a cool act to suppress his inner fear? Meanwhile, Old Gu, standing to the side, continued endlessly puffing on his never-ending pipe.

Finally, there was himself, a chaotic and unknown fear lurking within him, an unprecedented sense of oppression making him feel suffocated. Looking at all this seemingly peaceful and serene scene, he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong, yet he clearly felt a terror slowly spreading around them.

Ye Feng took a deep breath. The wind here seemed particularly cold and damp. Although it was already summer, it still felt a bit biting. It looked like it was going to rain. Dark clouds were gathering in one place, and the large mansion in the distance stared coldly at them, as if it wanted to swallow them all up.

"Let's go, or we won't be able to get back!" Old Man Gu stood up, shoved his old pipe behind Yin Dai, dusted himself off, and shouted loudly ahead.

Everyone jolted awake and, dragging their heavy steps, began to slowly walk towards the house. No one uttered a sound. Old Man Gu's last words, "We can't go back!" struck everyone's hearts heavily, heavy and oppressive.

"Ling Bing, what's wrong? Let's go!" Li Fan called out to Ling Bing, who was standing to the side in a daze. But Ling Bing didn't move.

Zheng Qi stepped forward and gave him a push, which brought Ling Bing back to her senses.

"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Zheng Qi asked softly, staring at Ling Bing.

"I..." Ling Bing stared ahead, her eyes filled with panic. After a long while, she licked her dry lips and then uttered a few hoarse words as if from the depths of her throat: "I, I've been here before, no, I've dreamt of this place!"

Zheng Qi was startled. He looked up and saw a look of terror, despair, and fear flashing in Ling Bing's eyes.

"Really, believe me! Zheng Qi!" Ling Bing looked at Zheng Qi helplessly, her eyes filled with pain.

"I believe you!" Before Zheng Qi could speak, someone suddenly interrupted him. Zheng Qi and Ling Bing were startled. Turning around, they saw Mo Han.

"You believe me?" Ling Bing was a little doubtful of her ears.

"Yes, I believe you!" Mo Han said again with certainty, her tone firm and sincere.

"Why do you believe him?" Zheng Qi asked coldly with a provocative tone.

“As far as I know, he not only dreamed about this place, but he also came here!” Mo Han coldly uttered this sentence.

"Ah!" Zheng Qi and Ling Bing were taken aback. By the time they came to their senses, Mo Han was already far away!

Each person walked slowly toward the mansion, filled with their own unease. What awaited them ahead? Perhaps they were embarking on a path of no return!

"Fengxing, they've already moved into the house. Tonight, you and Yunpiao will go and meet up with Dianshan!"

"Yes, Master! However..."

"But what?"

"However, the whereabouts of the Spirit Pearl..."

"The spirit pearl has been found by lightning and is hidden on the body of the one among them named Zheng Qi."

"Should I go and seize it tonight?"

"No need. I've already told Lightning not to act rashly. We'll discuss everything at midnight on the 14th of July!"

"Yes, I understand. I will go with Yun Piao to meet up with Dian Shan!"

"Ha ha……"

A whirlwind swept by, and when Fengxing looked up, there was no one in sight.

Feng Xing frowned deeply.

Inside Panyun Cave, Yunpiao awaited Fengxing's arrival.

"Today is July 12th, and in two more days, it will be July 14th. By then, my skills will be..." Thinking of this, Yun Piao couldn't help but smile, her charming bright eyes appearing even more captivating.

Feng Xing walked in with a frown and a gloomy face. Yun Piao noticed Feng Xing's displeasure and quickly asked:

"What's wrong? What did Master say?"

"He wants me to go with you tonight to meet up with Lightning!"

"Is our master going to make his move tonight?"

"No, he wants us to wait until midnight on July 14th before we make our move!"

"What's wrong? Has the master discovered our plan?"

"Lightning has already located the Spirit Pearl; it's hidden on that young man, and he's already inside the house!"

"He's moved into the house too?"

"kindness!"

"I think Master is starting to doubt us!" Yun Piao said with some worry. She and Feng Xing were no match for Master even when they joined forces, let alone now that she had lost five hundred years of power. There was no point in saying anything more.

"Even if he suspects us, it doesn't matter, he can't do anything to us!" Feng Xing revealed a sinister smile.

What exactly gives you the advantage and confidence he has over you?

"I have a secret he doesn't know. Humph, I'll show him what I'm capable of!"

"Haha..." Feng Xing suddenly burst into laughter.

Yun Piao suddenly felt extremely worried. She had a feeling that their plan was not going as smoothly as they had thought!

For Ye Feng and his companions, this short fifty-meter journey was more exhausting than running a marathon. With each step forward, it seemed as if they were one step closer to death.

The grand, secluded, and tranquil mansion stood before each of them.

The inscriptions atop the gate, weathered by centuries of wind and rain, have been worn smooth by nature's artistry. Four dragon-claw-shaped eaves jut out menacingly into the greyish-white sky, sending a chill down everyone's spine. Though the gate bears traces of repairs made in the ancient town, it still appears dilapidated and worn in the cold wind. On either side of the gate stand long, faded, and forlorn grey walls.

“In the past, no one wanted to go in after arriving here. They would just look around and leave. Do you still want to go in and take a look?” The old man said casually, taking out blackened tobacco leaves from his pipe and putting them into his old pipe while secretly glancing at Ye Feng and his group out of the corner of his eye.

No one spoke, no one moved. They all stood solemnly and fearfully in front of the gate, each with a dry, uncomfortable feeling in their throat, as if something was stuck in their throat. They wanted to move, but their legs felt heavy and numb, as if filled with lead.

Everyone felt their hearts pounding. The gate before them seemed like the legendary gates of hell. Who knew what awaited them behind those gates?

Whether to deliberately amplify the eerie atmosphere of the house or for some other reason, Old Gu turned around and gave everyone a meaningful look, then smiled. That meaningful look and that eerie smile sent a shiver down the spines of everyone in front of the house.

With a creak, the door was gently pushed open, and a strong, lingering, musty smell assaulted everyone's olfactory senses, while a cloud of dust puffed down.

A thought flashed through everyone's mind: the mysterious Pandora's box had been opened! In the end, it was Old Man Gu who was the first to step through the gate, followed closely by Ye Feng and the others, who cautiously followed. Each person's face was solemn, as if they were facing certain death.

The mansion has a total of 49 rooms, and the layout and furnishings of each room are all the same.

The entire house is divided into seven courtyards: the first courtyard has three rooms on each side, followed by a hall, and then a garden at the back; the second courtyard also has three rooms on each side, followed by another hall, and then another garden, and so on, for a total of seven courtyards. After listening to Uncle Gu's explanation, Ling Bing thought to herself, no wonder Mayor Wanggen said that after seeing the seven rooms in the front hall, there was no need to see the other rooms; it was indeed true.

Having withstood the test of time for a thousand years, the dilapidated, gray and old rooms stand silently before them.

Inside the house, weeds grew rampant, and several sections were already crumbling walls and broken tiles. A slight touch of the doorframe sent dust billowing through the air. Entering the rooms, the dark, somber flagstones, the worn-out gray brick walls, and the high, somewhat empty roof ridge made the entire space appear gloomy, profound, mysterious, and desolate. Each room had been ravaged by history, leaving it exceptionally empty. Occasionally, a small mouse or two would dart out and frolic on the flagstones, startling Meng'er and Yu Xue, who would scream and stomp their feet. The group moved silently through the seven rooms, a chilling wind seeming to rise from the ground, swirling around them and sending shivers down everyone's spines.

After visiting the seven houses, no one suggested going any further. At that moment, everyone was eager to leave this eerie place and prayed to return safely to Guhua Town.

"It's getting late, let's go back!" The old man looked up at the sky, which was dark and gloomy, and it looked like a storm was about to break.

"Okay, let's go!" Yu Xue replied immediately. Before anyone could react, she darted out, grabbed Meng'er, and ran towards the gate. Everyone else quickly followed.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder overhead. Yu Xue screamed in fright. In the blink of an eye, a torrential downpour began. Watching the sudden downpour, everyone's heart sank, and they stood frozen, staring blankly at the large raindrops, no one uttering a sound.

The rain continued to fall relentlessly, as if it hadn't rained like this for centuries. Old Uncle Gu stood by the door, squinting at the gradually whitening sky, leisurely smoking his pipe, seemingly neither worried nor anxious.

Time passed second by second, and the sky quickly darkened. But the rain continued to fall.

"Looks like we'll have to spend the night here!"

Old Man Gu pulled his pipe from his mouth, tapped it on the doorframe, turned around, and uttered those words in a low voice. Everyone present turned deathly pale with fright.

It seems that no one can escape this destined catastrophe.

By the time the rain stopped, it was already nightfall, and the entire sky had become dark and quiet.

Everyone gathered in the hall. Ye Feng took out the only lighter from his bag and lit it. The weak flame flickered and swayed in the cold wind. Everyone's face showed an unusual panic and unease.

"You wait here, I'll go find some firewood to keep warm!" the old man said in a deep, gruff voice.

"Uncle, no need. It's so late, where are we going to find someone? We can just stay up all night!"

"Young man, it's cold at night. Even if you can stand it, what about those two girls?"

Ye Feng held up the small flame and looked at Meng'er and the others. Old Man Gu was indeed right. Not to mention them, even he himself felt terribly cold at this moment, and his whole body was trembling slightly.

"Alright, Uncle Gu, would you like us to go find some for you too?"

"No need, what would you city kids know? We'll go!"

After saying this, Old Man Gu put down the pipe he was smoking, beckoned to the other two people from Guhua Town, and together they walked towards the gate of the house, disappearing into the vast night fog in no time.

The lighter's flame grew weaker and weaker.

"By the way, Meng'er, find some useless things in your bag and use them to start a fire!"

Meng'er, Yu Xue, and the others hurriedly searched through the bags, but apart from finding a few bags still containing food, they found nothing else. Disappointment inevitably showed on everyone's faces.

"Sigh!" Ye Feng sighed. "Forget it, let's stop looking and wait for Uncle Gu and the others to come back."

The lighter's flame, after its brief, final flicker of life, went out with a "poof." The surroundings suddenly became even darker. Everyone could hear their own rapid breathing rising and falling in the darkness. Time quietly passed, but Uncle Gu and the others still hadn't returned, and Ye Feng and the others couldn't help but feel anxious.

"Meng'er, do you think Uncle Gu might just abandon us and leave us behind?"

As soon as Yu Xue finished speaking, everyone present was startled. In fact, everyone had been thinking about this question, and now that Yu Xue had suddenly asked it, it was as if the truth had been confirmed. Their hearts raced and pounded.

"Don't overthink it! Uncle Gu isn't that kind of person!"

Meng'er offered words of comfort. However, despite her words, Meng'er couldn't help but feel secretly worried. After all, she had only known this old man for two days; who knew what kind of person he was? His outwardly warm demeanor might conceal a venomous heart. But given the current situation, she could only try to think positively. Rather than comforting Yu Xue, she was also comforting everyone. At this moment, everyone was harboring unease, fear, and worry. If she were to imagine the worst, what kind of psychological burden and pressure would that add to everyone's burden?

Yu Xue fell silent, and everyone fell into a deep silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and everyone tensed up. Every nerve was taut, their faces filled with anticipation mixed with a strange sense of fear.

Footsteps approached from afar, and in the darkness, the old man's agile figure could be vaguely seen. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and a rare smile appeared on their faces.

"Hehe, everyone must be getting impatient!" The old man's booming voice suddenly rang out, which was like a warm current stirring up the anxious and cold hearts of Ye Feng and the others.

Everyone rushed to their feet and went out to greet them.

"Hey, Uncle Gu, why are you alone? Where are the other two?"

Ling Bing suddenly realized that only Uncle Gu had returned.

"The three of us split up to gather firewood, and they probably haven't finished yet!"

Old Gu said casually. His explanation instantly washed away most of the joy that Ye Feng and the others had just felt, and a faint shadow was cast over everyone's heart.