Chapter 53
Chapter 53
“Hey, have you heard? They say an abandoned temple is haunted. Anyone who walks inside never comes out again.”
“What do the ghosts do? Go on, tell me.”
“The legend says a female ghost lives in the temple. She’s a peerless beauty, the sort who could bring kingdoms to ruin. She often uses her looks to bewitch scholars passing by. The moment one lowers his guard and steps inside, she drains his vital essence, devours his soul, and turns him into a walking corpse!”
The young woman swallowed nervously. “What’s the abandoned temple called?”
The young man thought for a long time. “Guang’en Temple.”
“Th-this… Isn’t that the temple we’re in right now?”
He lowered his voice. “It is. But don’t worry. According to the legend, the female ghost appears only on stormy nights. The moon is high tonight, so nothing will happen.”
The candle flame flickered, then abruptly went out.
The timid young woman jumped. “Yuanzhi, there really is a ghost!”
He burst out laughing. “Lingling, look at you. You’re about to cry. What ghost? I made up the whole story…”
The wooden door creaked open beneath a gust of wind, spilling the cold night air into the temple.
Then lightning flashed and thunder crashed. A bolt lit the three characters reading “Guang’en Temple” on the wooden plaque above the entrance. The wind came sharp and furious, whipping the shadows of the surrounding trees into clawing phantoms. Bean-sized raindrops began to fall, filling the oppressive gloom with a damp chill.
Another bolt of lightning split the curtain of rain in two. It turned two unknown figures into eerie silhouettes and delivered them straight to the doorway.
At the sudden sight of them, Lingling ducked behind the young man and cried, “Ghosts!”
“Sorry! We didn’t mean to frighten you.”
The girl closed her umbrella and smiled. “The rain caught us on the road. When we saw an abandoned temple here, we came in to take shelter.”
She brushed the droplets from her shoulders. Her almond-shaped eyes curved like crescent moons, and shallow dimples appeared beside her lips. Her red-and-green ruqun swayed with the motion. Rain had deepened the brilliant scarlet of its embroidered skirt, while the fresh green of her outer jacket made her snowy skin seem even fairer.
Beside her stood a white-haired young man in plain blue robes. His clothes complemented hair as pale as frost, lending him a cool, transcendent air. A white silk blindfold hid his eyes but not the gentle smile upon his lips, its curve soft and faint.
The girl was extraordinarily vivacious and beautiful. Even without speaking, she drew the eye.
The young man beside her, however, looked uncanny. No matter how mild his demeanor, one could not help sensing a strange wrongness about him.
The girl secretly tugged his hand.
Only then did he smile, his voice as clear as a mountain spring. “Forgive our intrusion.”
As the words left his mouth, the storm outside grew fiercer. A tremendous thunderclap shook the temple and chilled Lingling to the bone.
“Yuanzhi… are you sure that girl isn’t a ghost? And that man? Isn’t he a scholar she lured here?”
Yuanzhi mustered his courage and glanced at the floor. Lightning flashed, revealing the pair’s shadows. He sighed in relief and whispered, “They cast shadows, so they probably aren’t ghosts. Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
Lingling finally relaxed. Touching her back, she realized she had broken out in a cold sweat.
When she saw how intimate the young couple seemed, Lingling concluded that they were lovers who had eloped. Why else would an unmarried man and woman be traveling together so late at night? The man carried a Blind Staff, though. What a pity that such a beautiful girl had fallen for a man with a disability.
Yuanzhi relit the candle. “My name is Yuanzhi, and this is my fiancée, Lingling. May I ask how we should address you?”
“My surname is Qiao, and his is Shen.” Qiao Ying studied the young couple for another moment but offered only their surnames.
Then she took out a handkerchief. Before she could rise onto her toes, Shen Qingyu obligingly bent down, bringing his exquisite, smiling face closer. He looked so meek and vulnerable that he resembled a small animal voluntarily exposing its soft belly to her.
No matter how many times she saw that glorious face up close, Qiao Ying could not help marveling at it. What a kind and generous bodhisattva he was.
She gently wiped the droplets from his face. Apparently enjoying her touch, Shen Qingyu curved his lips and pressed them together softly, basking in her attention as if he might begin purring at any moment.
One rarely encountered beauties in the middle of the wilderness.
Lingling’s curiosity swelled. “One of you is named Qiao and the other Shen, but you’re traveling together in the middle of the night. What is your relationship?”
Shen Qingyu chuckled. “We’re carrying on an illicit…”
Qiao Ying clapped a hand over his mouth. With difficulty, she explained, “We’re going to Yunling Prefecture. Once I’ve met his elders, we’ll probably marry.”
So they really were a couple.
Lingling said, “We’re going to Yunling Prefecture too. Meeting like this must be fate. Why don’t we travel together?”
“We’ll see,” Qiao Ying said noncommittally.
Just then, two more figures appeared in the doorway.
A boy of about ten in fine brocade held the hand of a girl around the same age. They had clearly not expected to find so many people inside an abandoned temple and looked surprised.
After exchanging a glance, the boy said politely, “My cousin and I are traveling to Yunling Prefecture to find relatives. We were caught in the rain and came inside to shelter. Please pardon the intrusion.”
Lingling immediately replied with enthusiasm, “This place belongs to no one. Anyone can come in. There’s no need to be so formal.”
The boy carried himself with ease, while the girl appeared much shyer.
Ever sociable, Lingling made the introductions. “I’m Lingling, and this is my fiancé, Yuanzhi. This is Miss Qiao, and this is Young Master Shen. How should we address you two?”
“My surname is Li. My cousin’s surname is Ding,” the boy answered.
Yuanzhi cupped his hands. “Young Master Li. Miss Ding.”
Not long afterward, an elderly couple also entered.
The old man’s beard was white, and the old woman was stooped, seemingly in poor health. He supported her as they walked. They, too, had come to escape the rain.
The old man chuckled. “I thought we wouldn’t meet a soul on this little road to Yunling Prefecture. I never expected to find so many travelers here.”
The old woman patted his hand, her voice hoarse. “You old fool, always chattering the moment you meet someone. The rain is terrifying. We should be grateful simply to have a roof over our heads. Why waste so many words?”
Qiao Ying’s eyes darted from one person to the next.
The elderly, children, men, and women had all happened to seek shelter in the same place on this rainy night. And every last one of them was headed for the same destination: Yunling Prefecture.
What an extraordinary coincidence.