Candles, sculptures, corpses, and an antique lattice door. Outside the door lay a courtyard overgrown with wild grass, a toppled bronze incense burner, a path of bluestone slabs, and pure moonlight.
Silence reigned, thick with desolation and eeriness.
"This place seems trapped in perpetual night."
Zhang Yuanqing raised his palm to his lips and spat out the small blue pill he'd been holding.
The method worked—damn, I'm smart... He happily pocketed the pill, gaining a sliver of confidence about his "future."
With these pills, he at least had a chance of survival when facing the Red Dance Shoes.
Then, he strode to the offering table, paused thoughtfully, and reached out to grasp the candle holder.
Suddenly, a message floated before his eyes:
[Name: The Never-Extinguishing Candle]
[Type: Fuel]
[Function: Exorcism, Purification]
[Description: A tool left behind by the Lady of Sandao Mountain, said to be refined from the oil of the Ever-Burning Beast, capable of exorcising evil and purifying.]
[Note: Sometimes purifying fear is not a good thing. Also, it cannot be moved.]
As expected, only by physically touching an item could he get its info. Since he hadn't dared touch the candle before, he hadn't known it was a tool until now.
"Purifying fear isn't necessarily good. According to Guan Ya's classification, the candle is a cost-type item—using it costs you your fear. But I'm really scared right now. No stupid recklessness. I'll stay put in the main hall for now."
He sat cross-legged in front of the offering table, pondering his next move.
"The next objective is to explore the east courtyard, figure out the hidden dangers and patterns there, then find ways to counter or overcome them. Exploration time must not exceed fifteen minutes; otherwise, the vengeful spirit will latch onto me, and death is certain."
"The blue pill is my trump card against the Red Dance Shoes, but it might not work. If I face them head-on, it's either life or death... I'll explore the east courtyard first, get a basic understanding of the environment, then figure out how to deal with it."
Despite the resolve, a trace of fear and hesitation lingered. He didn't want to leave. Last time he survived was a fluke; this time, survival was uncertain.
The situation in the east courtyard was unknown; the danger level was unclear. A single mistake could cost him his life.
But in this world, things never go away just because you don't want them to.
Though the ancient temple exploration had no time limit in theory, that meant if he didn't finish the task, he might never get out.
The longer he delayed, hunger, fatigue, and thirst would degrade his condition.
Then going out to explore would be a death sentence.
"Head or no head, it's one cut. I have to gamble."
Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth and strode outside.
Wait, maybe I should reconsider... It's dangerous out there...
One foot out the doorframe, he suddenly got cold feet, glanced back at the hall, lingering on its warm light.
Candlelight was warm, dispelling gloom, purifying filth, giving unparalleled courage and confidence.
It's okay... Zhang Yuanqing stepped out confidently.
Moonlight, clear as frost, illuminated Zhang Yuanqing as he followed the cobblestone path along the left side of the main hall back to the desolate and ruined quadrangle courtyard.
No insects chirped, no birds called—the night was hauntingly silent.
But the silence comforted him. What he feared most was hearing footsteps "clicking" behind him.
"Fifteen minutes. I only have fifteen minutes to explore the east courtyard before the vengeful spirit clings to me..."
He entered the easternmost room of the quadrangle courtyard, retrieved a copper mirror from the corpse leaning beneath the window, and pocketed it.
Then, cautiously passing through the arched doorway, he stepped into the east courtyard.
The east courtyard was much larger than the quadrangle. Before him was an abandoned garden with a rockery, pavilion, small pond, and a large banyan tree. Its thick trunk twisted, branches gnarled, and tender green leaves reflected the pale moonlight.
Beneath the banyan was an ancient well.
His gaze swept over the rockery and pavilion to see the straight roof ridge of a building deep in the garden.
Zhang Yuanqing didn't rush toward the building but cautiously circled the banyan tree first. The information said the tree was dangerous, but after a full circle, nothing happened.
"Checking out the banyan tree should increase exploration progress..." he thought. He glanced at the dark well but hesitated and didn't dare approach.
He had a strong psychological shadow against wells in horror stories.
Avoiding the well, he rustled through the wild grass, moving toward the building deep inside the garden.
"Crack!"
Suddenly, a crisp sound came from underfoot, startling him into a jump.
Looking down, he found a corpse covered by wild grass, dressed in an oxidized labor uniform. Zhang Yuanqing bent to examine it. The skeleton was well preserved.
It lay face down, but the head was twisted 180 degrees backward.
What could have done this?
Zhang Yuanqing's alertness sharpened. He stood and was about to continue exploring.
At that moment, a gust of wind swept the garden's wild grass into waves and rustling sounds. The banyan tree behind him seemed to come alive, its branches twisting and shaking.
"Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing..."
A shrill voice came from behind.
The sound drifted with the wind, whispering in his ear, sending chills down his spine.
Instinctively, he wanted to turn around, but a flash of information crossed his mind:
Don't look back!
"Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing..."
Seeing no response, the voice grew more urgent, trying to force him to turn.
Zhang Yuanqing didn't budge. Standing still, he slowly unzipped his jacket pocket, pulling out the brass mirror and raising it above shoulder height.
The mirror faintly reflected the scene behind him.
From the well, a white-clad woman with disheveled hair emerged. Her face was featureless—no eyes, nose, or mouth—just a pale, horrific mask staring at him.
Shit... Zhang Yuanqing's face drained of color, and he bolted forward.
"Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing..."
The voice called out again and again, urgent, but helpless as he ran further away.
Soon, he circled past the rockery and reached the garden's depths—a large house with a straight roof ridge, stone foundation, and walls of yellow earth.
This house was even more dilapidated than the quadrangle courtyard houses; the roof tiles were sparse, with many holes.
"The night wanderer deity visited here too," he recalled. "He only said not to look back, but didn't say I can't turn around while leaving. Maybe the well ghost's call only affects those who look back. If so, I shouldn't be in danger on my way back..."
Taking a deep breath to calm his rising terror, he focused.
"Let's explore this house first."
The large house had three doors—three rooms.
He carefully approached the leftmost door and pushed open the rotten wooden door.
Creak—
The door's groan made him step back, raising his guard.
After a while, nothing happened.
Gathering courage, he entered. Moonlight filtered through the broken roof, and he squinted to catch as much light as possible.
This was a combined kitchen and dining room, with two stoves built of blue bricks, pots, pans, water jars, and cabinets—all decayed and dusty.
No danger here. Finally, he found a container... Zhang Yuanqing grabbed a dusty gourd ladle, his thoughts wandering.
"I heard child urine can break evil."
He debated whether to collect some, but reluctantly dismissed the idea.
Though he'd never had a girlfriend, Zhang Yuanqing decided he probably wasn't a virgin.
"I've been too indulgent, giving you all chances to show off," he murmured, looking at his hands with painful regret.
After confirming the house was just a kitchen and dining room with no danger or special items, Zhang Yuanqing took a rusty kitchen knife and a wooden stick and exited.
He looked toward the last rectangular building.
Unlike the combined kitchen and dining room, this building had four doors dividing it into four rooms.
Zhang Yuanqing tightened his grip on the wooden stick and knife. They might not help, but offered some psychological comfort.
He cautiously inspected the first two rooms—they were storage rooms, piled with ancient farming tools, furniture, and a donation box.
Nothing valuable.
Zhang Yuanqing moved to the third room.
It was an armory, with swords, knives, bows, daggers, and short blades hanging on the walls. Many weapons had fallen to the floor as their hanging ropes had rotted.
Near a toppled weapon rack lay two corpses.
Seeing the weapons didn't surprise Zhang Yuanqing. The temple's disciples followed the Lady of Sandao Mountain's teachings, capable of creating talismans to bind corpses. Obviously, they had skill.
It wasn't strange they could dance and wield staffs.
He approached the corpses to investigate, looking for information from his predecessors.
As he neared, he couldn't help but utter a surprised "huh."
The two corpses were not skeletons but mummified bodies.
Their skin was dark and wrinkled, tightly adhered to their bones, their abdomens sunken.
"How are there mummies here?"
Zhang Yuanqing frowned deeply. As a student of Songhai University, he had ample knowledge.
Mummification results from two causes: artificial embalming or natural preservation.
Artificial embalming was impossible here; natural mummies usually formed in dry, desert environments.
The temple's conditions obviously didn't fit.
He examined the two mummies carefully. No fatal wounds, no broken bones from the Red Dance Shoes, but two obvious puncture wounds on their neck skin.
Like sharp beast fangs had bitten into them.
"Were they drained to mummies by some creature? Ugh..."
Zhang Yuanqing shuddered and tensed.
Just then, a sudden thud sounded from the next room—like someone banging on a wooden door.
His scalp tingled, and like a wary wild deer, Zhang Yuanqing lifted his head, alert and listening.