Chapter 115

It was still not completely dark when Ke Xingzhou crossed the hallway and went downstairs.

His mind was in turmoil, at one moment recalling the calm expression of his eldest disciple when talking about serving in the bedchamber, and at another thinking about the uncontrollable things he had done while with Nie Chen.

He suddenly felt even more guilty toward his innocent eldest disciple.

He descended the stairs into the lobby, and as his chaotic thoughts began to fade, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a mysterious sensation, as though he had broken through some kind of barrier. The noise around him erupted suddenly, then fell silent again.

Ke Xingzhou's vision blurred for a moment, and when his sight cleared, he saw a group of... people?

It looked similar to the scene he had seen earlier in the day. The lobby was crowded, every table occupied.

As Ke Xingzhou entered, all the “people” turned to look at him, their expressions frozen in place, staring at him in shock.

After a moment—

“Damn, how did a living person get in here again?”

“Boss Lady! The barrier’s broken! A living person’s entered! Aahh!”

“Holy shit, this kid’s even better looking than the others. The entertainment industry really has it good now?”

The lobby erupted into chaos. With Ke Xingzhou’s appearance, the crowd became a mess.

Ke Xingzhou was just as confused.

The scene before him was clearly the fantastical one that Yan Xingwei had described earlier. Judging by their conversation, they likely weren’t unaware of Yan Xingwei and the crew's arrival and had probably been secretly observing the crew members.

However, Ke Xingzhou’s confusion wasn’t about this.

He looked at the “people” in front of him and realized that, unlike what the Taoist priests had investigated earlier, there was something abnormal about them.

On the contrary, the atmosphere here was so mixed that it was almost indistinguishable. Ke Xingzhou looked over and immediately noticed a strong presence of ghostly energy, demonic energy, and even the aura of divine beasts that he had sensed from Xiang Ting and the Nine-Tailed Fox.

It was a mix of fish and dragons.

Suddenly, the term that Yan Xingwei had used earlier appeared in Ke Xingzhou’s mind.

But—

He looked at the few headless ghosts running around with large scars on their heads, as well as the spirits dragging their ears and tails, still retaining their original features, and couldn’t understand how Yan Xingwei could have seen such a group of beings as normal people.

The only explanation was that these creatures had no malice, otherwise, it would have been hard to imagine how the normal crew members would have survived.Amid the panicked cries of ghosts, spirits, and even divine beasts, the “boss lady” they mentioned soon appeared.

Unexpectedly, the person who appeared in front of Ke Xingzhou was not the “ordinary person” described by Yan Xingwei and the Taoist priests, nor was it a woman. Instead, it was a tall man with a cold expression.

The man was tall and slender, wearing an exquisite black embroidered wide-sleeved robe. His long black hair was tied behind him, and his eyes were covered by a white cloth, leaving only his sharp, defined chin visible.

Ke Xingzhou was momentarily stunned when he saw the newcomer.

The man's outdated ancient attire and the overwhelming ghostly aura around him were secondary; for some reason, Ke Xingzhou felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Although the "boss lady"’s eyes were covered, it didn’t seem to affect his ability to see.

When their gazes met, the man paused slightly, and his brow furrowed as if in contemplation. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Ke Xingzhou was about to look away, but upon hearing this, he turned back and stared at the man. “Do you know me?”

The “boss lady” didn’t answer. He merely continued to stare at Ke Xingzhou, his thin lips tightly pressed together.

Although his eyes were covered, inexplicably, Ke Xingzhou felt as though he was being deeply observed, and this feeling was oddly familiar.

Ke Xingzhou felt this person was strange, but after glancing at him briefly, he turned his attention elsewhere.

His eyes scanned the lobby, and he pondered. The “people” Yan Xingwei had seen earlier should be these beings, but because of the barrier the man had mentioned, the noise in the lobby was unheard of, and they couldn’t be seen on a regular basis.

Since this gathering was at the request of the Changsheng Temple and no payment was involved, Ke Xingzhou glanced at the different creatures and spirits in the lobby, seeing no negative karmic consequences on them. He decided to leave.

However, as he turned, his gaze swept toward the door and he realized that the lush forest outside was gone. In its place was a barren, desolate landscape.

Yellow sand stretched from the guesthouse’s entrance all the way to the edge of his vision, even blocking the sky and sun, making it impossible to discern the direction of the sun. Walking through it, one would feel as small as a grain of sand in the vast sea, barely visible.

This scene didn’t seem like an illusion, because just as Ke Xingzhou looked out, a figure that had been far in the distance suddenly sped across the sand, moving toward him.

The figure appeared excited. “What’s going on? Why all the commotion? Is there a show or something?”

As the person spoke, he shook off the sand from his conical hat and clothes, hung his coat on a rack by the door, and brushed the dust from his shoes before finally entering. He saw Ke Xingzhou surrounded by everyone.

The newcomer suddenly froze.

Ke Xingzhou, however, didn’t notice the strange reaction. His attention was still focused on the view outside, and he seemed somewhat incredulous.

He had somehow stepped directly from the forest into the desert?

Ke Xingzhou froze for a moment, then turned to find the exit of the barrier, only to realize it was completely gone.

It was as if the guesthouse in the human world had never existed.

The spirits and ghosts in the lobby started discussing among themselves. “Uh-oh, the barrier entrance has closed. He can’t go back.”

“This is bad. He won’t go and tell everyone about us, will he? Xiang Ting will definitely kill us…”

“Ah! I just remembered there’s still something I need to take care of. I’m leaving!”

Just as he finished speaking, a radish-shaped creature jumped out from a plate on the table, quickly dressed itself in little clothes, and hopped to the ground, preparing to escape.

However, the guesthouse was not a place where one could simply come and go as they pleased.The guesthouse door slammed shut with a "bang." It looked like just a wooden door, but it blocked all the ghosts, spirits, and even divine beasts in the room.

The people who had run over earlier to join the commotion were also trapped inside.

Everyone had faces full of helplessness, turning to look at the "boss lady" with pitiful expressions. "No, we really didn’t cause this mess! We don’t even know how he ended up here!"

"Boss lady, please show some leniency, let us go... If my parents find out I exposed myself in front of a human and ruined the 'Agreement,' they’ll definitely kill me..."

"Ah, I just got my 'Living Permit'!"

"..."

The "boss lady" remained unmoved.

He slightly tilted his head and "looked" at Ke Xingzhou, signaling him to follow. Without another word, he turned and went upstairs.

Ke Xingzhou glanced at the man's back, then at the group of spirits and ghosts, who, despite their sorrowful expressions, had no choice but to obey. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to follow the man.

For some reason, even though it was their first meeting, the man gave Ke Xingzhou an oddly familiar feeling.

Ke Xingzhou didn’t sense any hostility from him, and since he had no idea how to leave, he thought it best to follow and see what was going on.

He had thought the man had called him over to discuss something important or maybe to give him a warning.

Ke Xingzhou followed the man all the way to the end of the corridor. When the man opened a door and stood in place without entering, Ke Xingzhou was stunned.

... Is that it?

It seemed like the man could sense his confusion. He pursed his lips and spoke in a deep voice. "The barrier is closed now. It will open again at sunrise. Stay here during this time, and no one will disturb you."

He paused, as if he wanted to say something more but hesitated. He finally added, "Don’t speak of what happened today, and don’t return here."

However, this didn’t feel like a warning as much as a reminder. His tone wasn’t threatening in the slightest. In fact, his tightly pressed lips made Ke Xingzhou feel as though the man was considering his well-being.

It seemed illogical to feel that way, as it was their first meeting, and he couldn't even see the man's eyes.

More importantly, though the man was surrounded by ghostly energy, just like Nie Chen, he carried an overwhelming amount of merit.

The intense golden light of merit was so dazzling that Ke Xingzhou couldn’t see the man’s life path. When he first appeared, Ke Xingzhou had almost thought it was Nie Chen who had come.

Could there really be someone else in this world with such terrifying merit, someone whose presence obscured both the past and future?

Ke Xingzhou couldn’t help but stop him. "Have we met before?"

The man’s figure paused. He turned and "looked" back at him.

This movement was almost an acknowledgment of Ke Xingzhou's words, but what he said was, "No. You’re overthinking."

"..."

Ke Xingzhou didn’t believe a word of it.

The man's reaction was so obvious, his thoughts almost written on his face. If Ke Xingzhou believed such a dismissive reply, that would truly be suspicious.But after all, the man was one of the owners of the guesthouse. Ke Xingzhou thought for a moment and decided not to press further.

He followed the man's earlier statement and spoke again, "Then let's introduce ourselves. My name is Ke Xingzhou, what is yours?"

"..." The man didn't speak, standing still in place.

Ke Xingzhou felt that familiar sense of being observed again.

He could even feel the complex emotions hidden in the man's gaze, though he couldn’t quite understand them.

The man remained silent for a long time, so long that Ke Xingzhou almost thought he wouldn't answer. However, this cool and noble man, resembling an exiled immortal, finally moved his lips and slowly said three words: "I don't have one."

Ke Xingzhou: "...???"

Ke Xingzhou's mind was immediately filled with countless question marks. Even though he had great mental strength, such a nonsensical answer left him speechless.

The man, however, seemed amused by his reaction, his lips slightly curving into a pleased smile.

"Liánchéng," he suddenly said, "That's my name."

Ke Xingzhou repeated the name in his mind and felt an inexplicable familiarity with it.

—It seems the Meng Po soup I drank wasn't very pure; I still have memories of names from my past life.

For a second, he worried that the old lady ghost might have drunk the same kind of soup, but he didn’t think about it too much.

After telling Ke Xingzhou his name, Liánchéng no longer pretended not to know him. He looked at him quietly for a moment before suddenly asking, "Are you doing well?"

Ke Xingzhou thought for a moment. His life over the past twenty years hadn't been particularly comfortable, but it wasn't bad either.

The first five years at the Ke family, he had enjoyed a period of being treated like a young master.

Then, during the years in the countryside, most of the time, he had supported each other with Nie Chen. After separating from Nie Chen, he had a master who guided him.

Looking at it now, he had actually been quite lucky. The only real issue was his low merit.

But that was probably due to the wrongdoings from his past life.

People always tend to beautify their memories, especially after everything has been experienced. Looking back now, the past didn’t seem so bad.

He thought for a moment and sincerely replied, "Not bad."

Liánchéng’s expression shifted, it was hard to tell whether he was happy or not, but he nodded slightly.

After a moment, he spoke again, "I heard you've found a partner."

Ke Xingzhou looked at him and thought, are ghosts really this nosy?

When the old lady ghost was still around, she would often gossip about others' relationships and lives with other ghosts, sometimes talking for days.

Zhu Chu was also particularly interested in gossip.

When he first took over the sect’s development work, he managed to integrate into the ghost employees by listening to countless gossip in the entertainment industry.

This glorious achievement was even written in his public account articles, though it was quickly reported and deleted by fans for spreading nonsense.Liánchéng looked like someone completely detached from the world, someone who was beyond worldly conflicts, but it seemed that even he couldn’t avoid the norm.

He hesitated for a moment, feeling too embarrassed to deny his relationship with Nie Chen again, but he also felt like he hadn’t thought it through completely, so he vaguely answered, "Something like that."

For some reason, even though Ke Xingzhou couldn’t see Liánchéng’s eyes, after saying this, he felt like Liánchéng was somewhat displeased.

However, this feeling only lasted for a moment. Liánchéng quickly returned to his usual self, as if the brief moment of displeasure was just Ke Xingzhou’s illusion.

Ke Xingzhou asked him any question, and Liánchéng would mostly answer.

It was just that, compared to before, his words had become much fewer.

For example, when Ke Xingzhou asked where they were, Liánchéng’s answer was just one sentence: "The Yellow Spring Inn."

By now, the two had reached the staircase and were leaning on the railing, looking down at the lobby below, which had become lively again.

They both remained silent for a while.

Ke Xingzhou: "…?"

He waited for a long time but received no further explanation. Unable to wait any longer, he turned to look at Liánchéng: "So, what next?"

"What next?" Liánchéng replied.

Ke Xingzhou: "…"

He finally realized something was wrong and looked at Liánchéng with suspicion: "Are you angry?"

"No," Liánchéng replied淡ly, his face betraying no emotion, "This is the Yellow Spring Inn, and that’s all. Nothing more to say."

Ke Xingzhou stared at his profile for a while, then nodded: "Alright."

He had always had little patience with people he had just met.

Liánchéng didn’t come to him for fortune-telling.

"..." Now, it was Liánchéng's turn to be speechless.

He seemed to want to say something but hesitated. He turned toward Ke Xingzhou but was only met with the next question:

"You’re the inn’s 'boss lady.' So, who’s the boss? Why haven’t I seen them come down?"

Liánchéng, for some reason, paused before responding. He slowly turned his face away and answered in a strange tone, "Ran off with someone."

Ke Xingzhou: "?"

Ke Xingzhou exclaimed, imitating Zhu Chu and the others gossiping, trying to gauge Liánchéng’s mood, and cursed, "Scumbag."

Liánchéng: "?"

Ke Xingzhou paused for a moment, probably realizing his stereotype, and then slowly added, "Jerk."

"..."Ke Xingzhou couldn’t tell if it was his imagination, but it seemed like the corner of Liánchéng’s mouth was twitching.

He was probably holding back a laugh.

Ke Xingzhou: "???"

This person’s emotions changed so quickly, flipping like a book!

After chatting for a while, with some back-and-forth, Ke Xingzhou had roughly figured out some details about this place.

This was the Yellow Spring Inn.

As the name suggests, Yellow Spring is the boundary that connects the human world and the underworld, but the owner of the inn wasn’t Liánchéng, nor was it the owner of the inn in the human world. There was someone else entirely.

Ke Xingzhou asked several times about the owner, but Liánchéng avoided the question.

It was probably because they had argued.

Ke Xingzhou thought this, and since he wasn’t getting an answer, he stopped pressing and shifted to other questions.

He then learned that the strange noises the crew of Yan Xingwei had heard in the inn had nothing to do with the entities in the inn.

The Yellow Spring Inn was located at the boundary between life and death, surrounded by ancient barriers that could isolate all kinds of auras. No matter how chaotic things got inside, it couldn’t affect the human world.

Moreover, the Yellow Spring Inn had no connection to the inn Yan Xingwei and the others had gone to. It was only after they arrived that it somehow got linked to that space.

Liánchéng turned his face toward Ke Xingzhou, "You shouldn’t be here either."

This was the second time he said that, but he still wouldn’t explain why.

Ke Xingzhou hesitated for a moment, but since he didn’t get an answer, he stopped thinking about it. He just nodded, indicating that he would leave by morning.

Liánchéng, however, seemed a bit displeased. He suddenly stood up, conjured a small item, and threw it into Ke Xingzhou's arms.

"Seeing this bow is like seeing me. If you have any more questions, you can go downstairs and ask them."

With that, he turned and disappeared at the top of the stairs.

Ke Xingzhou looked in the direction where he vanished, still puzzled by why he suddenly got upset.

He wasn’t one to dwell on things, and since he probably wouldn’t come back to this place again, he decided not to overthink it.

He looked down at the bow in his hands. It was finely crafted, cold to the touch, and heavy with a solid weight.

Ke Xingzhou didn’t really have any more questions, but then again, this place was full of all sorts of creatures, and when he first appeared, several of them had even tried to take action against him.

Having some protection was better than none, so he gladly accepted the gift.

Just as he was about to head back to his room to sleep, he suddenly became aware of a rather strong gaze.

Following his instincts, he looked over and met a pair of dull gray eyes.

This person was the unlucky soul who had barely made it into the inn at the last minute, only to end up locked inside.The other person's pupils were dilated as if they couldn't see, yet they stared fixedly in Ke Xingzhou's direction. When Ke Xingzhou looked over, the person even smiled at him.

For some reason, Ke Xingzhou couldn’t help but think of his master, who was still wandering the outside world.

His master’s eyes had long since lost their sight, but because of the Heavenly Eye, his daily life was no different from that of a normal person, so most people didn’t realize that he was blind.

For a moment, Ke Xingzhou suspected the identity of the person before him, but when he noticed the unusually young face, he dismissed the thought.

This was obviously a living person.

His master had passed away just two years ago, so even if he had encountered an accident and reincarnated, there was no way he could have grown this much in such a short time.

Ke Xingzhou didn’t realize how blasphemous his thoughts were, but for some reason, he walked downstairs toward the person.

The person, as if already familiar, waved and brought over a porcelain bottle. He filled Ke Xingzhou’s wine glass and smiled, asking, "Friend, how about selling me this bow?"

Ke Xingzhou: "……"

He didn’t move, unsure of the other person’s intentions.

The young blind man raised his hand, took the wine glass in front of Ke Xingzhou, and drank it all in one go. "Forget it, children shouldn't drink. I want to buy your bow. Name your price, anything will do."

Ke Xingzhou didn’t respond.

But the person seemed not to need his words and continued speaking on his own. "This thing is only useful here. You’re leaving tomorrow morning, so you’ll never need it again. Why not sell it to me? It’ll be put to good use. Don’t you think?"

Ke Xingzhou didn’t agree or disagree, but simply asked, "How much can you offer?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Ke Xingzhou felt a sudden heat in his hands. The bow trembled wildly, as if it were angry.

The blind man, upon seeing this, smiled even more deeply. "I said, anything you want. Even that Wanli Group from the human world, I can make it yours immediately."

The Wanli Group of the Nie family was one of the top-tier conglomerates both domestically and internationally, and such an offer would be incredibly tempting to anyone.

Especially someone like Ke Xingzhou, who had a strong desire for wealth.

The blind man confidently "looked" at Ke Xingzhou, as if he knew him well and was certain that he would accept the deal.

The bow in Ke Xingzhou’s hands stopped trembling, as if waiting for his response.

Sure enough, when Ke Xingzhou heard the name "Wanli Group," his breath instinctively caught for a moment, his pupils narrowing as if his heart was moved.

However, in just a second, he calmed down.

Under the blind man’s eager "gaze," Ke Xingzhou coldly rejected the offer. "No."

The blind man froze for a moment. "Why?"

He almost thought that Ke Xingzhou didn’t understand how profitable the Wanli Group was and was about to explain the value of the deal. However, he realized that Ke Xingzhou’s expression was also somewhat disappointed, as if the person being rejected was him.

Ke Xingzhou sighed lightly and spoke in a low voice, "My merits aren’t enough."

The blind man: "……"Bow: "......"