MFELY CH91
This question clearly made the atmosphere in the room awkward. Lin Jue’s expression froze for three seconds before she said, “Well… not yet.”
The old lady sighed repeatedly upon hearing this, lamenting what to do. He was already so old and hadn’t found a partner. Back then, they told him to take the civil service exam, but he didn’t. Now he was working odd jobs everywhere, without even social security or housing provident fund, let alone buying a house or getting a wife.
Listening to the old lady’s complaints, Zhou Jiayu felt a sense of trance, as if he had returned to his days as a civil servant, surrounded by old uncles and aunties who talked about these everyday family matters all day long.
No one in the room dared to speak up, as it seemed none of them had social security or housing provident fund either.
When people get old and don’t have their children by their side, it’s easy to feel lonely. Now that someone was finally talking, she kept rambling about many things.
Zhou Jiayu learned from the old lady that after the cloaked man’s parents passed away, he lived with the old lady for a period of time. But this period wasn’t long, and soon Xiao Tian disappeared. He didn’t reappear until several years later.
The old lady started crying as she spoke, saying that the child had a bitter life, never enjoying any happiness since childhood. She also said that she, as an aunt, was incompetent and couldn’t control him.
It seemed that the news saying the Meng family’s third son’s wife was not from a feng shui family was true. The old lady in front of them seemed completely unaware of feng shui matters and had no guard against them.
After staying at the old lady’s house all morning, at lunchtime, everyone politely declined the old lady’s warm invitation and left her residence.
Everyone was a bit silent when they came out. Lin Jue sighed, “I really don’t understand what Meng Yangtian wants to do anymore.” They also learned the cloaked man’s name.
“Let’s find somewhere to eat first,” Zhou Jiayu said. “Everyone’s hungry.”
So, the few of them found a small restaurant nearby and casually ordered a few dishes. This area was quite far from the city center, and the only places to eat were small eateries, with hygiene conditions that were quite concerning.
However, everyone was hungry, so no one cared too much and started digging into their food. Of course, Lin Zhushui, as usual, wasn’t interested in these things and didn’t touch his chopsticks the whole time.
“What’s next?” Shen Yiqiong asked. “It seems the old lady doesn’t know where Meng Yangtian’s father was buried. Are we just going to go like this?”
The old lady had quite a few grievances against Meng Yangtian’s father, with complaints subtly hidden in her words, saying that Meng Yangtian’s father was heartless, refusing to return even when his mother was on her deathbed, only making a brief appearance at the funeral.
“We definitely can’t go like that,” Lin Jue said. “Isn’t Xu Jian quite familiar with this northeastern area? I’ll call and see if she has any clues.” She acted immediately, putting down her chopsticks and dialing the number.
The call connected quickly. Lin Jue communicated with Xu Jian, briefly mentioning the Meng family’s ancestral grave and asking if they had any information.
Zhou Jiayu thought she’d be on the phone for a while, but to his surprise, the call ended quickly. Lin Jue put down the phone: “Xu Jian said it wasn’t clear over the phone and would come over directly to discuss it with us.” Previously, the Xu family owed them a big favor, so it was normal for them to be enthusiastic now.
After eating, the few of them found a place to rest, preparing to wait for Xu Jian to arrive.
Zhou Jiayu carried the kraft paper with him. During his nap, he took it out to examine it again. Ever since he dripped blood on it, a small bird resembling Ji Ba appeared on the kraft paper, but there were no other changes. Zhou Jiayu rubbed the paper, and suddenly wondered what would happen if Lin Zhushui also dripped blood on it. Would he also see the future he cared about most?
With this thought, Zhou Jiayu went to knock on Lin Zhushui’s door next door and told Lin Zhushui his idea.
Lin Zhushui, after listening, was quite straightforward. He directly took out a needle from his pocket, pricked his finger, and smeared his blood onto the paper.
Zhou Jiayu observed expectantly.
But to his disappointment, nothing happened after Lin Zhushui’s blood was applied. There were no other changes on the kraft paper, and Lin Zhushui didn’t seem to see any visions.
“It seems one sheet can only be used once,” Zhou Jiayu said. “Once there’s a pattern on it, it can’t be used again…” He was a little regretful, but thankfully, he was mentally prepared for this situation.
“Mmm,” Lin Zhushui said, “It makes no difference whether I see it or not.”
After his experiment, Zhou Jiayu was about to return to his room to rest, but Lin Zhushui gently grasped his wrist as he was leaving: “Sleep in my room.” He said.
Zhou Jiayu hesitated for a moment and, to his dismay, agreed.
So the next moment, the two of them were in a position where Lin Zhushui was sitting on the bed and Zhou Jiayu was lying on his stomach. Zhou Jiayu felt Lin Zhushui’s supple abdomen through his thin spring clothes and unconsciously rubbed his face against it.
Lin Zhushui was originally writing something. Feeling Zhou Jiayu’s movement, his hand instantly stopped. Then he suddenly lowered his head and seriously said, “Is mine better-looking or his better-looking?”
Zhou Jiayu was baffled by the question: “What?”
Lin Zhushui said, “That security check.”
Zhou Jiayu: “…” He hadn’t expected Lin Zhushui to still remember that, and his face instantly flushed. He stammered that he didn’t remember at all, and even if he did, Sir’s would definitely be better-looking.
“Is that so?” Lin Zhushui said with a half-smile.
Zhou Jiayu, knowing he was in the wrong, quickly flattered him profusely, stating that Lin Zhushui was the most handsome in the world, everyone else was insignificant, and he wouldn’t even deign to look at them naked.
Lin Zhushui didn’t speak, reaching out and pinching Zhou Jiayu’s face. Only then was the matter considered settled.
In the afternoon, Xu Jian and his group arrived. Xu Ruwang also came with them. Before his arrival, Zhou Jiayu had been very curious about Xu Ruwang’s hairstyle, and now, seeing it, he was indeed not disappointed.
Xu Ruwang’s long hair now reached his waist, tied in a ponytail, looking as if he was about to ascend to immortality at any moment.
Zhou Jiayu: “…Pfft.”
Shen Yiqiong was even less considerate of Xu Ruwang’s feelings, bursting into laughter on the spot, almost fainting. Xu Ruwang’s face darkened, and he made another mental note against Shen Yiqiong.
It seemed that Xu Jian’s aesthetic taste would never be corrected in this lifetime, always swinging from one extreme to another. Zhou Jiayu felt that Xu Ruwang would look better with a bald head; now, with hair truly reaching his waist, it was a hassle when doing certain things.
After the laughter subsided, it was time to talk serious business. Xu Jian and his group were indeed more familiar with the northeast and had a good understanding of the Meng family. They weren’t surprised when they learned they were looking for the ancestral grave, saying that quite a few people actually wanted to find the Meng family’s ancestral grave.
“Quite a few?” Lin Jue was puzzled. “Why are they looking for the Meng family’s ancestral grave?”
“Before the Meng family had their accident, there was always a rumor in the industry that they had found a rare treasure,” Xu Jian explained. “After the Meng family’s accident, some suspected that their accident was related to that treasure. Who wouldn’t be tempted by something that could wipe out a large family?”
Lin Jue was surprised: “Then aren’t they afraid of being killed by that treasure too?”
“Risk and opportunity coexist, you know. But this matter is more popular here; I haven’t heard much about it elsewhere,” Xu Jian said. “Although the ancestral grave can’t be found, I can take you to see the Meng family’s ruins.”
Zhou Jiayu and the others all thought the Meng family’s ruins would have disappeared after the fire, but according to Xu Jian, the ruins were still there. The place was just unsuitable for human habitation, becoming a desolate land, but it hadn’t completely vanished.
After finalizing the plan, everyone decided to set off tomorrow to check out the Meng family ruins.
Logically speaking, having not seen Xu Ruwang for so long, they should have had a good late-night snack and caught up, but everyone was scared of Zhou Jiayu’s constitution, so they had to change the late-night snack to casual chatting.
During the chat, Xu Ruwang quietly asked Zhou Jiayu how things were progressing with Lin Zhushui. Zhou Jiayu said it was “almost there.”
Xu Ruwang asked in detail what “almost there” meant. Zhou Jiayu replied profoundly, “Some things are best not to be too explicit about.”
Xu Ruwang let out a long “oh,” his expression full of admiration.
Little did he know that the cowardly Zhou Jiayu had only progressed to the point of “five-finger maiden” with Lin Zhushui, still light-years away from a home run.
The next day, the group headed towards the Meng family ruins.
The Meng family lived within an active volcanic cluster, a naturally remote area that became a no-man’s-land after the fire decades ago. Normally, no one would go there.
Zhou Jiayu knew that the most serious problem after a volcanic eruption was the widespread dispersal of volcanic ash and toxic substances with the wind. He wondered if the magma that erupted had cooled down…
Entering the mountain required walking. Everyone changed into their gear and prepared gas masks to prevent poisoning.
Xu Jian was quite experienced. He said he had entered twice before and found nothing special. The area still had its buildings, but due to ongoing volcanic activity, it was no longer suitable for human habitation.
It would take half a day to walk there. Zhou Jiayu carried his bag, observing the surrounding environment.
In fact, approaching this area, one could already clearly see the unusual nature of the environment. Although forty years had passed, the volcanic eruption still left a deep imprint on the region. There were almost no tall trees on the surface, only low shrubs. Without dense vegetation, the mountains themselves were exposed. Xu Jian said this used to be a forest, but now it was all gone. Now, heavy rain easily triggers mudslides, so it’s generally best not to come here in the summer.
Even though these were just details, one could still tell that this used to be a beautiful place with clear waters and lush mountains. It was only unfortunate that it encountered a natural disaster, and everything changed.
“Almost there,” Xu Jian, walking at the front, said, “After we get past that hollow, we’ll see where the Meng family lived. Their clan was very prosperous…” At this point, he also sighed, apparently thinking of something unpleasant.
Following Xu Jian, they walked a bit further. Zhou Jiayu stood on the mountaintop and finally saw the Meng family ruins Xu Jian spoke of.
The Meng family was indeed thriving. The hollow was filled with buildings, neatly arranged, forming a sizable village, and one could even see roads crisscrossing the settlement.
It seemed the Meng family was very different from the Xu family of She Mountain; there was no talk of living in seclusion. Although their ancestral home was deep in the mountains, it was not backward.
“Their clan was quite populous at the time,” Xu Jian said as they walked down the mountain. “When the volcanic eruption happened back then, I was still a little kid, but I vaguely remember that it caused a great upheaval in the feng shui world.”
“It seemed to have caused quite a stir back then,” Lin Jue sighed. “But people forget even faster…”
In just forty short years, the new generation had almost forgotten the Meng family clan. Not to mention the events that happened back then, which were almost forgotten by everyone.
The path down the mountain was a bit steep and required extreme caution.
As Zhou Jiayu descended, looking at the Meng family ruins, what came to his mind was the cloaked man in a wheelchair. He wondered if he was concealing his identity or if there was another reason why he wrapped himself in a thick cloak.
After a long trek, everyone finally reached their destination: the Meng clan ruins.
The buildings here were densely packed and clearly meticulously planned. The streets were wide and empty, covered in a layer of black dust, with no trace of weeds. The exterior of the buildings should have been white, but after being coated with dust, they took on an unpleasant grayish-black hue.
It was incredibly silent here. Walking on it, one could only hear their own footsteps on the concrete, with no chirping of insects or birds audible, as if it had truly become a forbidden zone for life.
“Has this street been cleaned?” Lin Zhushui suddenly asked.
Xu Jian was startled upon hearing this, then nodded: “Yes, after the incident, the government tried to rescue people, but it was already too late. After the volcanic eruption stopped, they sent people in to do a rough cleaning of the streets and also to search for victims’ bodies…”
“Did they find any?” Lin Zhushui asked.
“No,” Xu Jian said. “Later, there was news that they all went into the mountains when the volcano erupted… hundreds of people, not a single bone left.”
Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.
Lin Jue sighed softly, saying it was truly a tragedy.
The Meng family ruins were well preserved. Even after more than forty years, the passage of time seemed to have frozen in that accident. Zhou Jiayu even saw a tall building inside, which appeared to be more than ten stories high. Given the technological level forty years ago, building such a structure deep in the mountains would have been no easy feat.
“If nothing had happened to the Meng family, they would probably be the dominant force in the northeast by now. Their family members all have abundant yang energy, making them most suitable for dispelling those shadowy entities,” Xu Jian said. “It’s just a pity…”
“The Meng family should have an ancestral hall, right?” Lin Jue said. “Where is it?”
Xu Jian said, “It’s at the east end of the village, at the foot of the mountain. I’ve been there before and didn’t find anything useful.”
Although he said there was nothing there, everyone still went to the ancestral hall to have a look.
The ancestral hall was very beautiful, vaguely showing its past splendor. Whether it was the exquisite carvings on the thick main pillars or the materials used for the doors, windows, tables, and chairs inside, everything was of fine quality.
However, the altar was a bit messy, the spirit tablets were knocked over, and the place where the incense burner should have been was empty.
“Someone must have been here,” Xu Jian said, a little displeased. “These people, they really have no virtue, daring to touch things belonging to the dead.”
“Do people come here often?” Zhou Jiayu noticed some footprints inside the ancestral hall, which were clearly made before they arrived.
“People used to come often, but not anymore. After all, so many people came and found nothing,” Xu Jian said. “The Meng family’s rituals aren’t held in the ancestral hall; they have a special place, which is very close to the volcano.”
And because of this, when the volcano erupted, almost no one survived.
“That’s strange,” Lin Jue suddenly said. “These traces are new. Has someone just been here?”
Zhou Jiayu looked at where Lin Jue was pointing and saw some soil attached to the doorframe. This soil was clearly brought in from outside and was still damp.
“Hmm?” Xu Jian wondered, “It can’t be such a coincidence, can it? It’s good if a dozen people come here all year round…”
“I don’t know,” Lin Jue looked around the desolate village. “Be careful. We have to spend the night here tonight, don’t we?”
By the time they walked in, it was almost completely dark. After a brief look around, they decided to set up camp here. Xu Jian chose a flat building with a courtyard, removed the lock from the door, and said they would make do in the courtyard for the night.
“Okay, let’s take turns on watch,” Lin Jue said. “Those traces just now weren’t normal, so everyone be careful.”
Zhou Jiayu nodded, took out the small gas stove he carried with him, and prepared to cook.
After a day of walking through the mountains, everyone was a bit hungry. Zhou Jiayu simply prepared some easy-to-eat food. After everyone ate, they prepared to rest.
Although the weather wasn’t cold and there were no wild beasts, Lin Jue still assigned the watch order. Zhou Jiayu was naturally paired with Lin Zhushui, and the remaining people were randomly grouped, forming three teams to take turns keeping watch.
The weather was good today. After dark, the sky was filled with twinkling stars and a bright, clear moon.
Zhou Jiayu fell asleep shortly after getting into his sleeping bag, until he was woken up in the early hours of the morning by Shen Yiqiong, who was on the first watch.
“Guan’er, wake up,” Shen Yiqiong gently pushed Zhou Jiayu.
Zhou Jiayu groggily woke up and heavily wiped his face: “Ugh… time to switch?”
“Mm,” Shen Yiqiong said. “Sir is outside. You go.”
Zhou Jiayu nodded and left his tent.
Lin Zhushui had indeed woken up early. He was quietly sitting by the campfire. Zhou Jiayu, yawning, sat beside him and called out, “Sir.”
“Mmm,” Lin Zhushui said. “Still sleepy?”
Zhou Jiayu said, “I’m okay. I’ll be fine after a little while.”
After Shen Yiqiong and the others climbed into their tents to sleep, it became completely quiet there. It had to be said that the night in the ruins had an unsettling silence. Aside from the occasional crackle of the campfire, there was no other sound, as if it were a black and white silent film.
This abandoned city exuded a sense of deadly stillness, as if life itself became out of place here.
Zhou Jiayu sat next to Lin Zhushui, and the two conversed quietly, talking about insignificant topics.
As the bright moon reached the zenith, Zhou Jiayu, sitting by the campfire, suddenly heard a strange sound and smelled an unusual odor.
It was the acrid smell of burnt meat, accompanied by the rustling sound of a heavy object being dragged across the ground. Zhou Jiayu’s expression instantly tensed: “Sir?”
Lin Zhushui tilted his head slightly and hummed in acknowledgment.
“Did you hear that?” Zhou Jiayu asked.
Lin Zhushui frowned: “No, but there’s something around.”
Zhou Jiayu had the strongest spiritual perception here. Sometimes, things he could see, Lin Zhushui could only detect a rough outline of. This sound and smell seemed to be something only Zhou Jiayu could sense. His throat went dry as he said, “I smell something burning…”
Lin Zhushui didn’t speak. He simply took out a talisman paper and lightly placed it on Zhou Jiayu’s chest.
After the talisman was placed on his chest, the palpitating sensation improved a bit, but in reality, Zhou Jiayu still felt an instinctive fear. It was like a rabbit seeing a wolf, prey being targeted by a predator. That chill rising from his bones made his breathing heavy, and even his hands and feet started to grow cold.
“Bang, bang, bang.” Something knocked on their door.
Lin Zhushui didn’t move, and a hint of confusion appeared between his brows: “How can there be the aura of living people?”
“Are there living people outside the door?” To be honest, the first thing Zhou Jiayu thought of when he heard the knocking was that it was some dirty thing. But seeing Lin Zhushui’s reaction, it seemed that what was outside the door was not some strange entity but a human.
“Open the door, help!” Seeing no movement, the voice rang out again, but this time it was the plea of an unfamiliar woman. She seemed to have encountered something extremely terrifying, and her voice was distorted. She cried out, “Help, help me—”
“It’s a living person,” Lin Zhushui concluded. “You stay here and don’t move. I’ll go check.”
Zhou Jiayu said okay.
Lin Zhushui stood up and walked to the door. The suffocating feeling still lingered around Zhou Jiayu. He even began to feel an unexplainable fear towards the fire in front of him, unconsciously retreating a little.
Lin Zhushui stood at the doorway and opened the door. The moment he opened it, two people, a man and a woman, rushed in from outside. Both were in disarray, scrambling and tumbling into the courtyard.
They were covered in a filthy black ash, looking very dirty.
“Help, help—” The man’s face was filled with terror. After entering the courtyard, he continued to howl, turning his head to look behind him.
Zhou Jiayu followed his gaze outside, and upon seeing the scene beyond the house, his body instantly stiffened. At this moment, he finally understood the source of his fear.
Outside the door, a roaring fire burned, but this flame was not hot; instead, it carried a cold essence.
In the flames stood hunched figures. At first glance, these figures might be mistaken for shadows backlit, but upon closer inspection, one would realize that they were not standing against the light at all, but rather their bodies were scorched, and one could even see their white eyes gazing at them.
These charred corpses began to slowly move towards the courtyard, their numbers immense. A rough estimate, they numbered at least over a hundred.
Zhou Jiayu, seeing this scene, cursed silently to himself. An inappropriate thought popped into his head—if they stripped the dark-skinned Shen Yiqiong and threw him in among these people, would Shen Yiqiong be recognized?
At this moment, Shen Yiqiong, who was still sleeping, suddenly sneezed, muttering inwardly about who the hell was talking bad about him behind his back again.
With a “bang,” Lin Zhushui cleanly closed the door after letting the two people in front of him. He turned his head to face Zhou Jiayu: “What did you see?”
Zhou Jiayu’s lips and tongue felt dry: “There’s a big fire outside, and many charred corpses…”
As he spoke, everyone in the courtyard woke up from the commotion. Lin Jue crawled out of her tent, looking at the two disheveled men and women in the courtyard: “What’s going on?”
Zhou Jiayu shook his head, indicating that he also didn’t know.
Author’s Note:
Zhou Jiayu: Looking at these scorched corpses, I inexplicably recall when Sir confessed to me on the Ferris wheel…
Lin Zhushui: Wait a moment.
Zhou Jiayu: ?
Lin Zhushui: There are more people this time, the heart shape can be bigger.
Zhou Jiayu: …No, no!