Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 14: Exploring the East Courtyard

Candles, sculptures, skeletal remains, and antique lattice doors—beyond them lay a courtyard overgrown with wild grass, an overturned bronze incense burner, a bluestone path, and the bright moonlight. The deathly silence was tinged with desolation and eeriness. “This place seems to be perpetually shrouded in darkness.” Zhang Yuanqing raised his palm to his mouth and spat out the small blue pill he’d been holding there. The plan worked—I’m so damn clever... He happily tucked the pill into his pocket, feeling a little more confident about his “future.” With these, he’d have a chance to survive when facing the Red Dance Shoes. Next, he strode straight to the offering table, paused to think for a moment, then reached out and grasped the candlestick. Suddenly, a message appeared before his eyes [Name: The Eternal Candle] [Type: Fuel] [Function: Exorcism, Purification] [Description: An item left behind by the Lady of the Three Peaks. It is said to be refined from the fat of the Eternal Beast and possesses the power to ward off evil spirits and purify. ] [Note: Sometimes, purifying fear isn’t necessarily a good thing. Also, it cannot be moved. ] Sure enough, you can only get information about an item by touching it yourself. I hadn’t dared to touch the candle before, so I didn’t realize it was an item until I checked the data....... “Purifying fear isn’t necessarily a good thing. According to Guan Ya’s classification, this candle falls under the ‘cost’ category—the cost of using it is losing your fear. But I’m really scared right now and have absolutely no desire to court death, so I’ll just play it safe in the main hall for now.” He sat cross-legged in front of the offering table, pondering his next move. “My next objective is to explore the eastern courtyard, figure out the hidden dangers and patterns there, and then find ways to counter and overcome them. The exploration must not exceed 15 minutes; otherwise, a vengeful spirit will latch onto my shoulder, and I’ll die for sure.” “The blue pill is my trump card against the Red Dancing Shoes, but it might not work. And once I face the Red Dancing Shoes head-on, it’s either life or death… I’ll explore the eastern courtyard first to get a preliminary understanding of the environment there, then figure out a strategy.” When the moment finally arrived, he still felt a tinge of fear and hesitation, and didn’t want to go out. He’d survived the last time by sheer luck; whether he’d make it this time was anyone’s guess. The situation in the East Courtyard was unclear; he couldn’t gauge how dangerous it might be, and it would be all too easy to die just by trying. But in this world, things don’t just go away just because you don’t want them to. Although the mission to explore the ancient temple had no time limit—and in theory, he could just hide out in the main hall indefinitely—the absence of a deadline also meant that if he didn’t complete the mission, he’d likely never be able to leave. If he dragged it out too long, his physical condition would deteriorate due to hunger, fatigue, thirst, and other factors. By the time he ventured out to explore, it would be a one-way ticket to death. “It’s a death sentence either way—I’ve got no choice but to go for it!” Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth and strode toward the exit. Wait—I should think this through. It’s dangerous out there… With one foot already over the threshold, he suddenly had second thoughts and couldn’t help but glance back at the hall, lingering over its radiance. The warm candlelight dispelled the gloom, purified the filth, and instilled in him an unparalleled sense of courage and confidence. It shouldn’t be a problem… Zhang Yuanqing stepped out, brimming with confidence. The moonlight shone bright as frost. Zhang Yuanqing walked along the left side of the main hall, following the cobblestone path, and returned to the desolate, dilapidated courtyard. On a night devoid of the chirping of insects or the singing of birds, the silence was frightening. But the silence also brought him peace; what he feared most was hearing the “tap-tap” of footsteps as he stepped outside. “Fifteen minutes—I only have fifteen minutes. I have to explore the East Courtyard before the vengeful spirit latches onto me...” He entered the easternmost room of the courtyard, felt around the corpse leaning against the window, retrieved the bronze mirror once more, and tucked it into his pocket. Then, he cautiously passed through the arched doorway and entered the East Courtyard. The East Courtyard was much larger than the quadrangle. What met his eyes was a neglected garden featuring a rockery, a pavilion, a small pond, and a large banyan tree with a thick trunk, gnarled branches, and tender green leaves reflecting the bright moonlight. Beneath the banyan tree stood an ancient well. Glancing past the rockery and pavilion, he could see the roof ridges of a building in a straight line peeking out from the depths of the garden. Zhang Yuanqing didn’t head straight for the buildings at the back of the garden; instead, he cautiously walked around the large banyan tree once. The records had warned that this tree was dangerous, but after circling it, nothing untoward happened. “Checking out the big banyan tree should help increase my exploration progress, too...” Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. He cast a glance at the pitch-black ancient well; after much hesitation, he still didn’t have the courage to rush over and take a closer look. He had a deep-seated psychological aversion to ancient wells like the ones in horror stories. Zhang Yuanqing walked around the ancient well, rustling through the overgrown grass as he made his way toward the buildings deep within the garden. “Snap!” Suddenly, a sharp crack sounded beneath his feet, startling him so much that he jumped up on the spot. Looking closely, he saw that it was a corpse buried in the overgrown grass, wrapped in a rusted work uniform. Zhang Yuanqing bent down to examine it; the skeleton was well-preserved. The body had fallen face-down, yet the head was turned backward—indicating that, moments before death, something had forcibly twisted the head a full 180 degrees. What could have done that? Zhang Yuanqing grew quietly wary. He stood up, just as he was about to continue exploring. Just then, a gust of wind swept through, causing the weeds in the garden to sway erratically with a rustling sound. The large banyan tree behind him seemed to come to life, its branches and leaves swaying in a twisted, eerie manner. “Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing...” A shrill cry came from behind him. The voice drifted on the wind, as if whispering in his ear, sending shivers down his spine. Zhang Yuanqing instinctively started to turn around to look over his shoulder, but a piece of information suddenly flashed through his mind Don’t look back! “Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing...” Seeing that he didn’t react, the voice seemed to grow more urgent, as if urging him to turn around immediately. Of course, Zhang Yuanqing didn’t turn around. He stood rooted to the spot, quietly unzipped the pocket of his windbreaker, pulled out the brass mirror, and slowly raised it until it was above his shoulder. The brass mirror reflected a somewhat blurry image of the scene behind him. From the ancient well emerged a woman in white with disheveled hair; her face lacked any distinct features, and that ghastly, flesh-colored face was now staring intently at Zhang Yuanqing. “Fuck…” Zhang Yuanqing’s face went pale, and he took off running without looking back. “Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing...” The voice called out again and again, urgently, but could only watch helplessly as he ran farther and farther away. Soon, Zhang Yuanqing rounded the rockery and reached the far end of the garden, where stood a large house with a single-ridge roof, a foundation of stacked stones, and walls made of yellow earth. The house here was even more dilapidated than the courtyard compound; the roof tiles were sparse and scattered, with many holes in them. “According to the records, that Night Wanderer had also been here. He only said not to look back, but he didn’t say you couldn’t turn back. Perhaps the well ghost’s call is directed only at those who look back. If that’s the case, I shouldn’t be in any danger when I head back later...” He took a deep breath where he stood, calming the surging fear and dread, and focused his attention on the present. “Let’s explore this house first.” This large house had a total of three doors, indicating three rooms. He cautiously approached the one on the far left and reached out to push open the dilapidated wooden door with all his strength. “Squeak~” As the wooden door swung open, Zhang Yuanqing quickly stepped back, assuming a defensive stance. After a moment, nothing happened. Plucking up his courage, he stepped inside. Moonlight streamed in through the dilapidated roof, and he strained his eyes, trying to let as much light as possible into his pupils. This was a kitchen and dining area combined, with two earthen stoves built from blue bricks. Pots, bowls, ladles, water jars, and cabinets—all had long since rotted away and were covered in dust. There was no danger—he’d finally found a container... Zhang Yuanqing grabbed a dusty gourd ladle and couldn’t help but let his mind wander “I’ve heard that a child’s urine can ward off evil spirits.” He considered whether to scoop up a ladleful of a young boy’s urine, but after careful thought, he reluctantly abandoned the idea. Although he’d never dated a girl, Zhang Yuanqing felt he probably couldn’t be considered a “child” anymore. “I’ve been too lenient with you lot, giving you chance after chance to show off.” He looked down at his hands, feeling a sense of deep regret. After exploring the area and confirming that this large room was simply a combination of a kitchen and a dining hall—nothing out of the ordinary and no danger—Zhang Yuanqing grabbed a rusty kitchen knife and a wooden stick, stepped out of the room, and turned his gaze toward the last rectangular building. Unlike the kitchen, which doubled as the main dining hall, this building had four doors, dividing it into four separate rooms. Zhang Yuanqing couldn’t help but grip the wooden stick and kitchen knife in his hands more tightly; they might not be of much use, but they offered some peace of mind. He carefully inspected the first and second rooms, which served as storage areas, piled high with old-fashioned farm tools, furniture, and donation boxes. Nothing of value... Zhang Yuanqing moved on to the third room. It was an armory; swords, bows, daggers, and short knives hung on the walls, though many had fallen to the floor because their hanging ropes had rotted. By the window stood two rows of weapon racks; one of them had toppled over, scattering clubs and spears across the floor. Two corpses lay crouched beside the overturned weapon rack. Zhang Yuanqing wasn’t surprised to see these weapons. The temple’s disciples, who studied under the Lady of San Dao Mountain and could craft talismans to subdue corpses, clearly possessed considerable skills. It was no wonder, then, that they were skilled in dance and staff combat. As usual, he went to examine the bodies, searching for clues on the bodies of his predecessors. As soon as he approached the bodies, he couldn’t help but let out a startled “Eh!” —the two corpses lying on the ground were not skeletons, but mummies. Their skin was ashen and wrinkled, clinging tightly to the bones, and their abdomens were sunken. “How could there be mummies?” Zhang Yuanqing frowned. As a student at Songhai University, he possessed a wealth of knowledge. There are two causes for mummification: artificial preservation and natural formation. The first could be ruled out immediately; as for the second, mummies typically form in arid regions like deserts. The conditions inside the temple clearly didn’t meet those requirements. He carefully examined the two mummies. They showed no fatal wounds, and their bones hadn’t been crushed by Red Dance Shoes, but there were two distinct holes in the skin and flesh at the base of their necks. They looked as if they had been bitten by the sharp fangs of a ferocious beast. “What kind of creature sucked them dry? Ugh…” Zhang Yuanqing sucked in a sharp breath, his whole body tensing up. Just then, he heard a “thud” coming from the room next door—it sounded like someone knocking on a wooden door. His scalp tingled instantly, and Zhang Yuanqing, like an alert wild deer, craned his neck to listen.