Chapter 1437 - 779: Haunted House (Double Chapter) (2)

Next, as the carriage moves along, Donggong Ruoshu narrates all the way.

The scenery outside the carriage window shifts from the rain-soaked lushness to increasingly rugged and steep cliffs, with distant clouds swirling and faint sounds of monkeys and birds.

......…

The carriage continues its journey, passing through layers of mountains and waters.

The towering peaks gradually retreat to the sides, forming a deep blue background in the distance. Ahead, the terrain becomes more level, and the outlines of fields and paths are faintly visible in the morning mist. The main road is also broader and smoother, with deep ruts indicating a busy passage of carriages and pedestrians over many years.

The sun nears noon, and the outline of a city appears ahead, not tall, with a gray city wall undulating along the gentle slope. The city gates stand open, with the stone-carved words "Leshan" above them.

This is Leshan County.

Leshan County is situated on the necessary path to Emei Mountain, in the northwest direction, where the peaks are covered with green all year round, and clouds swirl incessantly, making it a Buddhist Holy Land.

Due to the flow of pilgrims, Leshan County has thrived. It features inns, taverns, incense shops, and tea stalls for rest, fully equipped for travelers, and typically bustling with people.

The carriage approaches the city gate, neither fast nor slow. The gatekeeper soldiers, cradling their long spears, lean against the gate, dozing. Upon hearing the sound of the carriage, they lazily lift their eyelids, and seeing it's a common green curtain carriage, they lower their heads without the intention of checking.

The Bashu government is not prominent, so besides the major cities, travel passes are not checked.

After entering the city, the streets are not too narrow, the shops and buildings on either side relatively orderly. However, it's just after the New Year, not the peak season for mountain pilgrimages, so the streets are sparsely populated, appearing quiet.

Donggong Ruoshu peers out curiously, while Yin Weiyin continues to rest with eyes closed, feeling slightly relieved in his heart, finally not having to share a room with this stupid girl.

Finally able to partake in Dual Cultivation, no longer delaying their practices.

After circling the county, now just recent post-New Year, only one inn is open. Chen Yi glances at it, finding it reasonably clean, with a sign saying "Welcome" and two faded old lanterns hung under the eaves.

"Let's rest here for half an hour," he says.

They need a pause for a few days to replenish their supplies and let the horses rest their legs.

The Paper Maid follows the instructions to maneuver the carriage, gradually stopping in front of the inn.

Chen Yi pushes open the door and steps into the inn first.

The interior is dimly lit, the air filled with lingering greasy food smells mixed with the scent of wine. The tables and chairs are somewhat askew, and the floor bears many muddy footprints, evidencing a recent bustling crowd.

Behind the counter, a middle-aged shopkeeper in a worn cotton robe, along with a slender assistant, deftly tidies up the leftover dishes.

Upon hearing footsteps, the shopkeeper raises his head, seeing a ordinarily dressed young man enter, followed by a female crown in green and a curious girl peeking around. The shopkeeper quickly wipes his hands and habitually asks, "Are you here for a meal or to stay?"

"Stay. We need two rooms upstairs, something quiet," Chen Yi replies.

The shopkeeper's smile pauses, glancing towards the stairs, sweeping over the messy footprints on the ground, rubbing his hands with a troubled expression: "Well... I'm really sorry, dear guest. All the guest rooms here... are occupied."

"Occupied?" Chen Yi appears slightly surprised, thinking the quiet county would mean sparse business for the inn.

"Yes, indeed," the shopkeeper speaks helplessly, "To be honest, yesterday afternoon, a big group of Jianghu Guests arrived, about a dozen or so people, weary and dusty, carrying swords and blades. They booked all the remaining rooms the moment they came, even clearing out the storage rooms in the courtyard for their stay. They're out now, perhaps attending to matters outside the city," He pauses, adds, "Not just here, but all the guest houses in the nearby streets, if empty, have nearly all been rented or occupied by them. Look at the footprints on the ground... they left those."

Chen Yi frowns slightly.

He planned to rest here for a few days, letting Yin Weiyin have a break... Well, also allowing the horses some rest.

After a moment of thought, Chen Yi asks again, "Does the shopkeeper know if there are any vacant houses nearby that we siblings can rent for a few days? Price is negotiable."

Beside them, the assistant who is carrying a stack of bowls looks up brightly and blurts out, "Yes! We have a house at the very end of Willow Alley in the east..."

"Quiet!" The shopkeeper's face changes, smacking the back of the assistant's head, "You talk too much!"

The assistant quickly ducks his head, nearly dropping the dishes, clutching them tightly, not daring to speak again.

"Let him speak, shopkeeper. If the house is not for rent or if there's another issue, please be candid. We siblings are just passing through, looking for a temporary peaceful place to stay, we won't cause any trouble."

The shopkeeper's face shows a struggle, biting his lip, he steps closer and lowers his voice: "Dear guest, it's not that I don't want to say or rent it... it's just... sigh!

That house... it's not clean! There's... ghosts haunting it, several tenants before couldn't stay for over three days, the longest only a couple of weeks, all claiming to hear cries for justice at night or see white shadows drifting, scared out of their wits, choosing to move out even at a financial loss. Now that house has been vacant for over half a year, locals avoid it, who's daring enough to rent it? I'm... I'm afraid to endanger you."

He finishes, anxiously watching Chen Yi, expecting surprise and doubt.

However, the young man in front listens to these terrifying words without showing any fear, instead with keen interest, asking:

"Is it a male ghost or a female ghost?"

The shopkeeper is stunned, responding moments later: "Of course, a female ghost; no male ghost is this vicious or persisting..."

......

That afternoon, Chen Yi and the group moved into the courtyard at the end of Willow Alley.

The shopkeeper accepted silver coins, half the market price, expressing endless gratitude, repeatedly advising "don't wander at night" and "ignore any sounds you hear" before swiftly leaving with the assistant, their hurried steps seeming chased by something.

The alley being secluded, once they leave, only the rustling sound of wind in the overgrown grass along the eaves remains.

The yard is small, typical of Shu residences, featuring a courtyard with rooms on either side, a stone-paved central patio, a corner with an old locust tree with twisted branches, fallen leaves gathered at its root. Though the house hasn't been occupied for a long while, it isn't in disrepair, just covered in a thick layer of dust and filled with a musty smell.

Chen Yi rolls up his sleeves, working personally, moving blankets, quilts, and mats brought from the carriage into the main east room, arranging them carefully, replacing the existing dusty items with tea sets and lamps from their belongings.

He disliked using others' things even when temporarily staying; every accommodation previously with Lower Dragon Tiger and Little Fox required fresh bedding.

Yin Weiyin chose the main west room for its cleanliness and ventilation, tidying it briefly before setting up a simple cleansing spell, considering it settled, while Donggong Ruoshu didn't mind her room, casually cleaning and taking over the east wing.

After roughly organizing, Chen Yi strolls casually around the courtyard. The afternoon sun angles in, dispelling some gloom yet not bringing much warmth, making the courtyard appear even more empty and solitary.

Donggong Ruoshu also emerges, stretching broadly under the sun, squinting her eyes, glancing around before suddenly sidling up to Chen Yi, asking with curiosity and excitement: "Hey, is there really a ghost here?"

Chen Yi retorts, "Take a guess?"

Guessing isn't necessary.

The shopkeeper's hurried, barely glancing back with fear as he left, coupled with the lingering gloom that even daylight can't dispel in the courtyard, speaks volumes.

Whether it's a restless spirit or some other entity residing, it's unclear.

Donggong Ruoshu hears his reply, scoffs, unconcerned, patting her chest, causing a rippling bounce, she declares: "Hah, I'm not scared! What's there to fear about ghosts? I've been one myself for quite a while, drifting around, and frankly... it's just like that."

Her speech turns nostalgic toward the end.