The next morning, the group left for prison. The rain had stopped during the night, but the forest was still wet. Water clung to the leaves, and the narrow path was covered with fallen branches and damp soil. Xu Yang walked near the front, occasionally glancing at the stone tablet they had left behind. The words carved into it were still bothering him. The fifth door has already opened. He had hoped the tablet would offer some explanation, but apparently whoever had carved it preferred leaving people with more questions than answers. Five rains, five doors, one truth buried beneath them. Whoever came up with this certainly enjoyed making simple things complicated... "If we keep this pace, we should reach the prison before noon." Chen Yu said, looking ahead. He adjusted the strap of his bundle and glanced at the others. "We should be careful once we arrive. We don't know what is waiting inside." "You say that as if any of us were planning to walk in without looking." Qing Li remarked. He stepped over a fallen branch, his sleeves brushing against the wet leaves. Chen Yu gave him a brief look. "I am reminding everyone, not asking for your opinion."
Xu Yang glanced back with a faint smile. Chen Yu really does have the patience of a saint. Though I suspect even saints would lose their temper after travelling with this group for a few days..."He has a point. You do tend to mistake every reminder for a personal challenge." Xu Yang said, stepping over a thick root in the middle of the path. Qing Li slowed down, brushing a wet leaf from his sleeve. "And you seem to mistake every silence for an invitation to speak." "I suppose someone has to keep the journey from becoming dull."
Xu Yang faced forward again.Besides, if I stop talking, someone might start discussing the prison again. I'd rather not think about what is waiting there just yet...Qing Li let out a quiet scoff. "If that is your idea of entertainment, I pity the people who have to listen to you every day." Yan Luo moved a little closer to Xu Yang as the path narrowed. "He is less troublesome than you make him sound." Qing Li gave him an unimpressed look. "You would know. You seem to have taken responsibility for him." "Someone has to make sure he doesn't wander into danger." Yan Luo replied, moving a low branch out of Xu Yang's way.
Xu Yang ducked beneath it and looked at him. I am standing right here. Why are they discussing me as if I were some troublesome stray cat?... "I can take care of myself." Xu Yang said. "I know." Yan Luo replied, letting the branch fall back into place. "That doesn't mean you always will." Xu Yang pressed his lips together and continued walking. That was annoyingly reasonable. I don't appreciate being reminded of my own bad habits. A short distance behind them, Hei Long watched Qing Li navigate around a muddy patch. "You seem to have lost that exchange."
Qing Li glanced at him. "I wasn't aware we were keeping score." "You usually are." Hei Long's smile deepened as he stepped over the same patch without getting mud on his boots. Qing Li looked at his clean footwear, then at the muddy edge of his own robe. "And you usually enjoy watching." "Only when the argument is worth hearing." Xu Yang caught the last part and turned around, walking backwards for a few steps. "Then you must have been disappointed listening to Qing Li." Hei Long laughed softly. "Not at all. He makes a much better argument than you do."
Xu Yang stared at Hei Long for a moment before giving a dry laugh. "I see. So the two of you have already decided to stand together." He turned towards Yan Luo. "At least someone here has reasonable judgment." Yan Luo gave a slight nod. "I agree." Qing Li glanced between them. "How touching. It seems you have found yourself a loyal supporter." "Better than having someone who only knows how to criticize," Xu Yang replied. "Criticism is useful when there is something worth correcting," Qing Li said, his voice perfectly calm. "Then you must have a great deal of experience correcting yourself."Xu Yang remarked.
Hei Long chuckled and reached out to catch Qing Li's sleeve before it brushed against a thorny branch. "Careful. You might damage your robe." Qing Li looked down at his sleeve, then at Hei Long. "Thank you. At least someone here pays attention." Hei Long smiled,"I do try!" Xu Yang watched them for a moment. Interesting. Apparently, courtesy is reserved for certain people... "You two seem to understand each other rather well." he said. Qing Li's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you jealous?" Xu Yang nearly stumbled over a stone. "Of what? Your conversations?" Yan Luo caught his arm before he lost his balance. "Watch your step." "I'm fine!" Xu Yang muttered, straightening his clothes. "I was perfectly capable of walking until someone started asking ridiculous questions."
Qing Li's smile grew faintly. "Then perhaps you should watch the road instead of listening to us." "Perhaps you should try saying something worth listening to." Su Yuan, walking behind them, finally laughed. He had been quiet for most of the journey, but the amusement in his eyes was clear. "I had almost forgotten how lively this group could be." Chen Yu, who was examining the path ahead, glanced back at them. "I haven't. It's difficult to forget when they're within earshot." "You sound exhausted." Su Yuan said, still smiling. "I'm beginning to understand why." Chen Yu replied. His attention returned to the trees. "Enough. The path ahead is changing." His serious tone brought the conversation to an end.
Xu Yang followed his gaze. The trees on either side of the path had grown closer together, and the ground sloped gently downward. Beyond the branches, something dark stood between the trunks. It was difficult to make out from this distance, but its shape looked like an old wooden structure. Lin Chen moved ahead to get a clearer view. "Is that the prison?" Wei Han examined the direction of his silver rings. They had stopped turning. "It should be." Xu Yang looked towards the distant structure. So, after all that walking, we have finally arrived. I would have preferred a warmer welcome, but I suppose old prisons aren't known for their hospitality... He glanced at Hei Long. The mark on his arm had begun to glow faintly beneath his sleeve. Xu Yang noticed the change in his expression. "Is it hurting?" he asked, slowing his steps. Hei Long slowly lowered his hand. "No. It is reacting to something nearby."
Qing Li moved closer, "The same feeling as before?" Hei Long nodded. "Stronger this time." Xu Yang watched Hei Long for a moment. The mark reacts to the rain, but there is no rain yet. It is responding to the prison itself. That means the source is probably inside those walls or something there is connected to what happened thirty years ago... His gaze shifted to the mark beneath Hei Long's sleeve. And Hei Long's connection to Rao Jin is clearly deeper than we thought. But how much does he actually remember? Is he forgetting those memories on his own, or is someone keeping them from him?...
Above the trees, purple clouds had begun to gather. Xu Yang raised his head as they slowly moved in a circle around the distant prison, leaving a small patch of clear sky directly above its old walls. That's strange. The clouds aren't spreading across the forest. They're gathering in one place, almost as if something is drawing them towards the prison. Is the place causing the rain, or is the rain leading us there?... Wei Han watched the strange formation, his silver rings turning slowly beneath his fingers. "This rain is gathering around that place."
Xu Yang looked at the darkening sky. So Wei Han notices it too. At least I'm not imagining things. Though I would be much happier if the sky stopped behaving as if it has some personal business with us.. He studied the prison in the distance. The stone tablet mentions five doors, and now another rain gathers around the place where Rao Jin is executed. If each rain reveals a part of the truth, perhaps this one will show us what really happens that night. But why does Hei Long's mark react so strongly? Is he a witness, or is he involved in something he no longer remembers?...Xu Yang glanced towards the prison, then at Hei Long. "I think we should hurry. Whatever is waiting there already knows we're coming." No one disagreed. The group continued along the path, while the purple clouds slowly gathered above the old prison.
The first purple drop landed on Xu Yang's nose. He stopped and blinked, then looked up at the sky. Before he could say anything, another drop struck his forehead. A strange warmth spread through his body, and his human form began to fade. His clothes disappeared with it, leaving a small black cat standing on the damp path. Xu Yang looked down at his paws, then gave a small shake, sending water droplets flying from his fur. Well, there goes my disguise. I suppose the rain has no interest in asking permission... Lin Chen watched the change with a frown. "The purple rain has started." He looked towards the others. "Stay close. We don't know what else it might do."
Before anyone could answer, Qing Li's ears appeared through his hair. His fox tail followed, and he looked over his shoulder with a displeased expression. "Again? I was beginning to enjoy having two hands." Xu Yang turned towards him. "You make it sound as though having a tail is some great inconvenience." Qing Li brushed a raindrop from his ear. "It is when someone keeps staring at it." "Don't flatter yourself. I was looking at your ears." "That hardly makes it better." Xu Yang flicked his tail and faced forward. At least some things remain unchanged. The rain can alter our bodies, but it apparently cannot cure Qing Li's temper...
A low growl came from Yan Luo as his own transformation began. His wolf ears emerged, and dark fur spread across his arms and shoulders. His body shifted into its true form, and he briefly lowered his head as if adjusting to the change. Qing Li noticed his ears turning towards the forest. "What did you hear?" Yan Luo remained still for a moment. His ears turned again, this time towards the old prison. "Something is moving." Chen Yu immediately looked towards the trees. "I don't hear anything." "Neither do I." Lin Chen added, scanning the path ahead. Yan Luo's gaze remained fixed on the prison. "It's not a sound exactly. I can feel something moving through the spiritual energy around us." Qing Li stepped closer. "Can you tell where it is coming from?" "The prison."
Xu Yang followed his gaze. Another drop landed on Hei Long's shoulder. His body began to change. Two dragon horns emerged from his head, and dark scales spread along his neck and arms. Between the scales, delicate flowers appeared, their petals trembling beneath the rain. Xu Yang stared as one flower opened, then slowly closed when another drop touched it. "Ohh That's new." he said. Hei Long raised his arm to examine the flowers. Several petals opened at once before drawing together again. "They are reacting to the rain." Qing Li came closer, studying the unusual flowers. "Does it hurt?" "No." Hei Long turned his arm slightly. "But I can feel something passing through them. It isn't ordinary spiritual energy." Lin Chen watched him carefully. "Can you control it?" Hei Long tried to gather his spiritual energy. The flowers immediately opened, and a faint ripple passed over his scales. He stopped. "Not completely."
Xu Yang's ears twitched. So the rain isn't just forcing us into our true forms. It's affecting our spiritual energy too. The flowers on Hei Long's body are reacting to every drop, while Yan Luo can sense something moving near the prison. There must be a connection between these changes. I just don't know what it is yet...A few steps away, Su Yuan's human form disappeared as well. His body shifted into a fox, and he shook the rain from his fur before approaching Hei Long. He examined the flowers with a gentle smile. "They are beautiful. I've never seen anything quite like them." Hei Long lowered his arm. "They weren't there before."
Xu Yang tilted his head. "Perhaps you inherited them from your father. Wasn't he a flower demon?" Hei Long glanced at him. "He was." "Then perhaps your bloodline is reacting to the rain."Chen Yu had been watching them in silence. His gaze moved from Xu Yang to Hei Long before settling on the dark prison in the distance. "I'd prefer to know what this rain is doing before it decides to show us something worse." Su Yuan looked at him. "You seem to expect the worst." "After everything we've seen here, I think that's reasonable." Xu Yang gave a small nod. I agree with Chen Yu. It's becoming difficult to be optimistic when every strange thing we encounter leads to another strange thing. He glanced towards Lin Chen,Chen Yu and Wei han Unlike the demons, the three humans remained unchanged despite the purple drops falling over them.
Lin Chen held out his hand and caught one of the drops. It rested on his palm for a moment before disappearing. "It seems the rain affects demons differently from humans." he said. "At least for now." Wei Han replied. He raised his hand and examined the silver rings around his fingers. They were no longer turning in the same direction. Each moved at a different pace, and one trembled slightly against his finger. "Something is disturbing the spiritual energy around us."
Chen Yu moved closer. "Can you tell what it is?" Wei Han shook his head. "Not clearly. There are several spiritual traces overlapping. I can sense them, but I cannot separate them." "Several?" Lin Chen asked. Wei Han looked towards the prison. "Yes. They all seem to come from the same place, but they don't belong to the same person." Xu Yang's ears slowly lowered. Several spiritual traces from one place. If the purple rain is connected to the memories of those who were here before, perhaps these traces belong to them. But why are they appearing now? Are we sensing the people who died here, or something that has remained inside the prison all these years?... He looked towards the old walls again. The purple rain had grown heavier, but the clouds above the prison remained strangely still. A gust of wind passed through the trees. Chen Yu looked at the group and sighed,"I suppose the rain has decided we no longer need to pretend to be ordinary people."
Wei Han glanced at him. "You were never particularly convincing." Chen Yu gave him a long look. "There are times when honesty is not particularly helpful." Xu Yang shook water from his fur. Five rains, five doors, and now everyone has decided to abandon their human appearance. This investigation is becoming increasingly inconvenient...
The purple rain grew heavier, its drops pattering against the leaves and branches. The group continued along the narrow path towards the old prison, but their pace had slowed. The strange movements of their spiritual energy made it difficult to ignore the feeling that something was stirring around them. Chen Yu walked behind Lin Chen, keeping his eyes on the muddy path. Suddenly, a faint laugh sounded behind him. It was soft, almost as though someone were trying to conceal their amusement. He stopped at once and turned around. The path behind them was empty. Only the rain-soaked trees and thick undergrowth stood in silence. "Did someone just laugh?" he asked, searching the trees with his eyes.
Lin Chen turned towards him. "What did you hear?" Chen Yu turned toward sound then back to Lin Chen."Someone laughing. It came from right behind me." Qing Li's fox ears lifted. "I heard nothing." "Neither did I." Yan Luo replied. His wolf ears turned towards the forest as he listened carefully. "There is no one behind us." Chen Yu frowned. "I know what I heard." "I never said you were mistaken." Lin Chen stepped closer and examined the muddy ground. There were no fresh footprints apart from their own. "But there is no one here." Before Chen Yu could answer, Su Yuan suddenly stopped. His fox ears turned towards the prison, and the gentle smile on his face faded. "I heard it too." Everyone turned towards him.Chen Yu looked at him sharply. "The laughter?" Su Yuan nodded. "But it came from the prison." He looked beyond the trees, towards the old walls barely visible through the rain. "It sounded very close."
Chen Yu stared at him. "Mine came from behind me." "Then perhaps it wasn't the same person." Qing Li suggested. His tail moved slowly as he studied the surrounding forest. "Or perhaps we aren't hearing it from the same place." Xu Yang looked from Chen Yu to Su Yuan. That's interesting. Two people hear the same laughter, yet from entirely different directions. If someone were moving through the forest, the sound should have come from one place. Unless this rain is changing the way we hear things... He turned his attention towards Wei Han. The rings around Wei Han's fingers had begun to move again. Unlike before, they were no longer turning in different directions. Two of them rotated together, came to a halt, and then began moving in the opposite direction.
Wei Han raised his hand and watched them closely. "Wait." Lin Chen turned towards him. "What have you noticed?" Wei Han did not answer at once. His gaze moved between Chen Yu and Su Yuan. "When did you hear the laughter?" Chen Yu pointed behind himself. "Just now." Su Yuan looked towards the prison. "I heard it at almost the same moment." Wei Han's fingers curled slightly. The rings moved again. "There." He raised his hand for the others to see. "My rings reacted when both of you heard the laughter." Qing Li stepped closer. "What do you mean?" "When Chen Yu heard it, two rings began turning together. When Su Yuan heard it, they stopped. Now they have begun moving again." Wei Han watched the silver rings circle his fingers. "Their movements are connected."
Xu Yang studied them.So the rings react when two people experience the same thing. But why only those two? Is the rain connecting them somehow, or are they connected to whatever lies within the prison?... Chen Yu folded his arms. "Are you saying the laughter has connected us?" "It is possible." Wei Han replied. "But I need to observe it further before I can be certain." Qing Li looked towards the prison. "Then this rain may be doing more than disturbing our spiritual energy." "That is what I suspect." Wei Han slowly turned his hand. The rings followed, though their movements remained uneven. "Something is passing between us. I can sense a connection, but I cannot tell where it begins or where it ends."
Lin Chen looked at Chen Yu and Su Yuan. "Could it be linking their spiritual energy?" Wei Han shook his head. "I don't believe so. Neither of them released any spiritual energy when they heard the laughter." "Then what is being connected?" Yan Luo asked. His wolf ears turned towards the prison again, but he could not seem to locate the source of the sound. Wei Han lowered his hand. "I cannot say. It may have nothing to do with spiritual energy." Hei Long had remained silent until then. The flowers growing between his scales opened and closed beneath the falling rain. He looked at Wei Han. "What else could it be?" Wei Han considered the question before answering. "Memories, perhaps. Feelings. Something that existed long before we came here."
Chen Yu frowned. "You mean memories belonging to someone else?" "I cannot be certain." Wei Han turned his gaze towards the prison. "But the connection feels ancient. Far older than anything we have encountered on this journey. It is as though the rain has touched something that was already there and brought it to the surface." Su Yuan lowered his head thoughtfully. "That would explain why I heard the laughter from the prison. Perhaps it was not meant for me, but I am connected to the one who heard it first." Chen Yu looked at him. "Then why did I hear it behind me?" "Perhaps that is where the memory places you." Su Yuan replied gently.
Chen Yu's expression changed. "You think I heard it from someone else's memory?" "It is only a possibility." Su Yuan offered him a reassuring smile. "We should not draw a conclusion too soon." Xu Yang sat quietly, his gaze moving between them. A connection older than our present lives. That sounds rather familiar. His thoughts returned to the stone tablet in the abandoned wooden house.Five rain and each brought a different change, and every strange occurrence seemed to lead them closer to the truth about Rao Jin. But perhaps they had been looking at the inscription from the wrong direction. What if the doors aren't places? What if they are connections between people?... He looked at Chen Yu and Su Yuan. One had heard laughter behind him, while the other had heard it from the prison. Yet both had experienced it at almost the same moment. Somehow, the rain had joined their experiences despite the distance between them. Blue Rain forces people to speak truths they would rather conceal. Black Rain brings forth memories that do not belong to the present. White Rain disturbs what lies beneath the surface. Red Rain makes people lose control and brings fragments of the past back to them. And Purple Rain... perhaps it connects those who share something buried in that past...
Xu Yang's tail moved slowly as he considered the possibility. If that is true, then the rain isn't simply showing us memories. It is bringing together those who are connected to them. But what happens when those connections are complete? And why are we the ones being brought together?... "I think we have misunderstood the inscription." Xu Yang said suddenly. Everyone turned towards him. Qing Li lowered his gaze to the black cat. "What have you discovered this time?" Xu Yang ignored the remark. "We keep thinking the five doors must refer to five places or five stages. But what if they aren't places at all?" Lin Chen crouched slightly so he could hear him clearly. "What do you mean?" Xu Yang looked towards Chen Yu and Su Yuan. "They heard the same laughter at almost the same moment, but from different directions. Wei Han's rings reacted to both of them. This rain seems to be connecting their experiences." Wei Han nodded slowly. "That is a possibility." "Then perhaps the doors are connections between people," Xu Yang continued. "Connections left behind by something that happened long ago." Qing Li's expression grew thoughtful. "You think the rain is linking us to those who came before?" "Or to the memories they left behind." Xu Yang replied.
Hei Long lowered his gaze towards the flowers growing between his scales. "That may explain why my mark reacts whenever we draw near the prison." Xu Yang turned towards him. "Your mark may be responding to a connection that already exists. Perhaps someone from that night is bound to you." Hei Long said nothing. His fingers slowly closed around his sleeve, concealing the mark beneath it. Lin Chen looked towards the old prison. "If that is true, then each rain may be revealing a different connection. We must be careful about what we touch and what we choose to follow." Chen Yu glanced at the muddy path. "And what happens if one of those connections leads us somewhere we should not go?" "Then we stop and examine it before proceeding." Lin Chen replied. His voice remained calm, but his attention was fixed on the prison. "We need not follow every strange occurrence we encounter."
Xu Yang looked at him.That sounds...umm sensible. I wonder how long this agreement will last once something strange appears in front of us...A faint laugh suddenly passed through the trees. This time, everyone heard it. The sound came from ahead, somewhere beyond the prison gate. Su Yuan's ears lifted. Chen Yu turned sharply towards the sound, while Yan Luo moved in front of the others, his body tense. The flowers between Hei Long's scales opened all at once. Wei Han raised his hand. Every rings came to a sudden halt.
For a moment, even the rain seemed to grow quieter. Then a voice came from beyond the prison gate."Why have you brought them here?" The voice came from beyond the prison gate. Xu Yang's ears twitched. Them? Is it speaking about our group? A faint sound of chains dragging across stone followed. Then the voice spoke again. "Only one of you was meant to return." Xu Yang looked towards Hei Long. The mark beneath his sleeve had begun to glow. Wait. Is this about the night Rao Jin was executed? Hei Long stared into the darkness beyond the gate. "I know that voice." he said quietly. Xu Yang's tail stiffened. Then who is waiting for us inside?