C65 Silent Night

Could it be that I was the only one who saw something different from everyone else?

Was it possible that Shen Zhenyi had left a message on this wall for future generations? But why was I the only one able to see the strange runes?

Struck by a sudden idea, I took out my phone and snapped a photo of the wall. Upon reviewing the picture, it indeed showed the Tao Te Ching, written in neat, proper script.

Approaching the wall, I ran my fingers over the characters, and to my astonishment, the tactile sensation confirmed they were indeed the Tao Te Ching!

This was incredibly bizarre!

I became even more intrigued by the wall's content. What message had the legendary Shen Zhenyi left? Could it be connected to the gateway to the Underworld?

The Evil Taoist had mentioned that fifteen years ago, the esteemed figures of the Supernatural World had convened on Hundred Ghost Slope. One of their objectives related to something within me, sparking conflict among them.

The phrase "one of the objectives" was crucial, suggesting they had motives beyond what was inside me.

What else were they after? Could there be a link between the suspended ghost gate and the cryptic message on this wall?

A thought struck me, and I quickly asked Deaf Zhang and the old man, "Do either of you have a pen and paper?"

Deaf Zhang shook his head, but the old man nodded, pulling out a small notebook and a pen from his pocket. He handed them to me, saying, "This notebook contains notes on various matters from the mountains—please don't disturb the pages I've already written on."

I accepted the notebook and pen, half-distractedly agreeing as I studied the wall, attempting to replicate the peculiar runes on paper.

But I soon abandoned the task; the runes were too odd, and my attempts to mimic them fell short. Besides, even if I managed to copy these runes, whom could I consult? If they fell into the wrong hands, it could spell trouble.

I gazed at the wall and let out a long sigh. It seemed I was on my own. Maybe, once I mastered the Heaven Connecting Secret Technique, I would be able to decipher the message.

Having lingered too long at the ghost gate, we found dusk approaching by the time we started back. With no other option, we decided to spend another night at the old man's home.

After dinner, I reclined on the heated brick bed. Deaf Zhang, heartlessly oblivious, fell asleep almost instantly, his snoring as loud as thunder, to the point that even the old man sighed in exasperation, unable to bear it.

Even without Deaf Zhang's thunderous snores, sleep eluded me. I lay there, restless, my mind replaying the events and sights of the past few days.

I couldn't shake the feeling that there was a link between the incident from fifteen years ago, the turmoil stirred up by the Evil Taoist during the Qing Dynasty, and the fierce battle Shen Zhenyi fought against the Qing soldiers when he first constructed the Underworld's gate. These three major events seemed to be connected by an invisible thread...

As time ticked away, my thoughts muddled, and Deaf Zhang's snoring morphed into a lullaby that finally lulled me to sleep.

Maybe it was the excess chicken soup at dinner, but just two hours into my slumber, a pressing need to urinate roused me. I stumbled groggily off the bed and headed outside.

The mountain night was teeming with lost souls, but the vicinity within three miles of the Mountain God Temple was a safe haven. I found a large tree and began to relieve myself.

Suddenly, rustling noises from the nearby woods caught my attention. I glanced up to see a dark figure slowly inching toward me.

Startled, I quickly looked back at the Mountain God Temple, reassuring myself I hadn't strayed too far.

A wave of unease washed over me, snapping my mind into focus. Regardless of what that thing was, I knew I needed to get out of there fast.

I aborted my business midway, yanked up my pants, and was about to make a swift exit when a voice behind me said, "Wait..."