46. The Aftermath of Memories
“So, Little Auntie,” Gong Yiling couldn’t help but ask, “since you think the Hundred Ghosts Ridge has affected Senior Feng, what should we do?”
“Mmm…” This was Gong Musheng’s first time in this so-called inner circle.
It was completely different from what she had imagined.
“Actually, the simplest way is to take that Ghost Essence Crystal,” Gong Musheng said. “It’s the source of this disaster-type secret realm. If we take it, the secret realm will vanish.”
“But…”
Gong Musheng closed her eyes and sensed the aura of this place, shaking her head in confusion. “We know the weakness of this secret realm, and so do the ghosts that are sustained by it.”
“They will guard the Ghost Essence Crystal heavily. The most powerful ghosts will be gathered around it.”
“Look,”
She pointed at the deathly silent place. “Does it look like there’s anything here?”
Indeed… this place didn’t look like what Gong Musheng described.
But if not here, then where could the Ghost Essence Crystal be?
“How about this,” Gong Yiling said, “Little Auntie and Mr. Feng can go and check this place out. I still have that black shadow with me.”
She felt that the truth was deeply connected to that black shadow. If she could see the whole story it wanted to show her, she might be able to figure out what was going on in the Hundred Ghosts Ridge.
“That’s true. That black shadow has some connection with you. Go and see what it wants to tell you.”
Gong Musheng was about to leave when Yan Chuyue stopped her.
“Um, Auntie Sheng,” she said with a serious expression, “if you encounter any of the ghosts here, can you not harm them?”
“Not harm them?”
This request puzzled Gong Musheng.
“Even if we don’t harm them, they will harm us.” Gong Musheng frowned. “Are they more friendly than I imagined?”
“They won’t harm people easily.” Yan Chuyue carefully controlled her words.
If she was too explicit, she would surely be silenced by some unknown force.
“How do you know?” Gong Musheng still asked the question that made Yan Chuyue extremely uncomfortable.
“I…”
“She read it in a book.” Gong Yiling came to her rescue. “Don’t ask which book, Little Auntie. It’s just a book.”
After saying this, she winked at Chuyue, who looked at her gratefully.
“…Alright then. We’ll listen to Ling’er.”
Since Gong Yiling also thought so, Gong Musheng didn’t say anything more.
They quickly decided on their next course of action.
Gong Musheng and Feng Liqu went to investigate the deeper parts of the area, while Yan Chuyue stayed with Gong Yiling to communicate with the black shadow.
The method of communication was still to try and cultivate while in a state of unity with heaven and man.
Miss Gong was already quite familiar with entering this state.
This time, when she entered, it was a rare, vast expanse of white.
There was no black mist. This made her even more confused.
If it had become more sinister, that would be one thing. But nothing had changed, yet it had faded.
Yes, if it weren’t for the slight reaction from the black shadow in her hand, Gong Yiling would have thought she was in the wrong place.
“So,” she looked around in her state of consciousness and asked seriously, “is the black shadow here?”
Not long after, a black shadow descended from the sky, enveloping Miss Gong.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in that village.
But what was happening in the village now was completely different.
Gongs and drums, lanterns and colored banners.
A festive atmosphere enveloped the entire village—a girl was getting married.
Two girls getting married in one day, was this a sign that it was her turn soon?
Pah—marriage, probably not in this lifetime!
“Hey, isn’t that Old Liu’s daughter? Didn’t she say she would rather die than marry him a few days ago? Why did she suddenly agree?”
The people watching the commotion around her couldn’t see her, but she could hear their words clearly.
“Well, you know Old Liu’s family.” Another person said, “It’s time. They have to do something to bring some joy. And the girl’s lover is an outsider. Old Liu has to change her mind.”
“I just feel that the usually cheerful girl has been so down these past few days. Yesterday, she even entrusted her cat to my daughter.”
“Gave away her cat?” That person was surprised. “Did the other family say they don’t like cats?”
“How would I know? Yesterday, she spent an hour saying goodbye to her cat. Maybe that family is very strict.”
This story, hearing the two of them talk, gave Gong Yiling an instinctive premonition.
Although she didn’t want to think of the worst, this scene felt very much like a final farewell.
In other words, this girl…
Suddenly, a scream erupted from the bridal procession.
Looking over, a large pool of blood was seeping from under the bridal sedan.
The blood came from the sedan itself.
“Could it be…” Gong Yiling frowned. Her bad premonition had become a reality.
She quickly pushed through the crowd and pulled open the curtain of the sedan.
Inside, a girl was sitting.
Her head hung limply on her shoulder, a faint, relieved smile on her lips.
As for the blood, it all came from a wound on her right hand.
And in her left hand, she held the weapon that had killed her.
Such a young girl, forced to her death by her own family in a bridal sedan. This was truly a tragic scene.
Her family, seeing this, collapsed to the ground, covering their mouths in disbelief. Among them, the only one who seemed calm was a man in his sixties.
Seeing this, he only said three words.
“A disgrace.”
These words made the surrounding people’s expressions change, and Gong Yiling couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.
What kind of person was this!
