Chapter 47 I Desire Immortal Ascension (16)
The old woman slowly led the two through a Courtyard overgrown with moss and weeds. The side hall doors were closed, and through the window lattices, one could see countless densely packed memorial tablets illuminated by the flickering, dim candlelight within. The plaque on the left read “Jingshi Hall,” and the one on the right read “Hall of Heroic Spirits.” Along the long corridor in front of the doors, strange red lanterns hung high, casting a gloomy, blood-red light.
Passing through the Courtyard, the main hall of the shrine was directly ahead. A golden plaque with the words “Chongdao Immortal Ascension” hung above the door, and the scent of incense was very strong. Inside, it was pitch black, and many figures seemed to be seated.
“I will first… take you… to the Disciple Courtyard,” the old woman said, enunciating each word slowly.
The Disciple Courtyard was located beyond the Courtyard behind the Chongdao Shrine, with rows of low-slung houses silently nestled beneath the gloomy bamboo forest.
The outer walls of the rooms were painted with peeling gray-white paint, and the doors and windows were tightly shut, covered in cobwebs, giving off a sense of long-abandoned decay.
Large red lanterns hung in front of each door; some were lit, while others were not.
“You… will live… in Room Twenty,” the old woman said, pointing to Liu Sheng, then turning to She Chan, she added, “You will live… in Room Fifty-Seven.”
She Chan quietly asked, “Can’t we stay together?”
“You… cannot… stay together,” the old woman slightly raised her head, her toothless mouth puckering and curving into a strange smile.
Although the two found the phrasing odd, since it had been stated, they decided to obey, adhering to the principle of not easily offending weird objects.
Like the Courtyard, each room door had a small wooden plaque with a number carved into it. Liu Sheng quickly found her room.
The lantern above the door was dim. As she gently pushed the door open, the sharp creak of the door hinge sounded exceptionally harsh in the night.
It was dark inside the room. Only by the red light emanating from the red lantern on the neighbor’s door could she barely make out the room’s furnishings.
The room was small, filled with an ancient, musty smell. There was only space for a bed, a table, and a chair beside the bed; nothing else could fit.
On the table were two half-burnt candles, the wax beneath them already cooled and solidified.
The bed was covered with a yellowed, old mattress, and there were even human-shaped grease stains on it. Fortunately, Liu Sheng had brought her bedsheet from the Courtyard, otherwise she truly wouldn’t dare to sleep on it.
The old woman told them to put down their luggage and come out, as she still needed to take them to the main hall, which was the only place with a Spiritual Vein.
So, Liu Sheng simply placed her belongings on the bed and left the room. As she stepped out, the lantern above her door had already lit up, casting an eerie red glow.
...
Upon reaching the entrance of the Chongdao Shrine’s main hall, the old woman stopped and stood at a distance, pointing to the prayer mats inside the shrine. Her voice lowered: “Go inside and find a spot to sit. No talking here, and no changing positions.”
Then, with trembling hands, she fumbled in her cloth pouch at her waist and pulled out two porcelain bottles, handing one to each of them: “These are Grain-avoidance Pills. Take one every day, and you won’t be hungry. When you run out, come to me for more.”
Afterward, she took out two sticks of incense, neither long nor short: “The most important rule: go in and light incense first. When the statue behind opens its eyes, leave this place immediately.”
Liu Sheng and She Chan silently nodded, indicating they understood, and took the Grain-avoidance Pills and incense sticks before entering the hall.
Seeing the two enter, the old woman turned and left, disappearing step by step into the Courtyard.
In the center of the shrine’s main hall was an altar table. Behind the table, against the wall, was an extremely tall shrine, reaching up to the rafters. Inside the shrine was a clay statue, about two or three people tall. The statue’s paint was already faded and mottled with peeling patches. Its face was obscured behind layers of deep red curtains, blurry in the dim candlelight, giving off an unapproachable sense of dread.
Then how would one distinguish what counted as opening its eyes?
In the center of the altar table was a brass incense burner, filled with incense sticks. Some were old, burnt stubs, while others were still burning, long and short, with the smoke of sandalwood continuously swirling.
The offerings placed in front seemed to be some bloody pieces of meat, looking quite fresh, indicating someone regularly replaced them.
There were over a dozen prayer mats inside, mostly occupied by people. They sat quietly cross-legged, forming hand seals outside the candlelight, their faces unclear, like silent statues. Only the rise and fall of their chests from breathing indicated they were alive.
Liu Sheng and She Chan first lit incense as instructed, placing it in the brass burner. Then they found two adjacent prayer mats and sat down.
In this bizarre and grotesque environment, Liu Sheng initially thought it would be difficult to enter a meditative state. Unexpectedly, as soon as she sat down, she felt a cool, nourishing Qi surge into her body from beneath the prayer mat.
She quickly closed her eyes and meditated, attempting to mobilize this somewhat unruly Qi according to the incantations of the Seven Profound Spirit Qi Art.
She seemed to have quite a talent in this regard, quickly confining this disobedient Qi within the correct Meridians and setting it into motion.
With each cycle, the Qi would diminish slightly. Liu Sheng circulated it for three cycles, and the Qi finally faded and dispersed within her body.
Liu Sheng immersed herself, carefully sensing her body, which seemed to have become lighter. Perhaps this was the effect of Spiritual Qi refining her body and cleansing her marrow.
An unending stream of Qi emanated from beneath the prayer mat; there must be a Spiritual Vein beneath the shrine.
Liu Sheng dared not waste a single bit, concentrating on drawing Qi into her body, repeatedly using Spiritual Qi to cleanse her Meridians.
After all, she didn’t know when the statue would open its eyes, so she had to seize the time.
As time passed, the darkness within the shrine subtly deepened. Amidst the flickering candlelight, an invisible force seemed to flow through the air.
Liu Sheng felt her Spiritual Qi circulating more and more smoothly. Every Acupoint in her body was eagerly welcoming the external Spiritual Qi. Her concentration deepened, and she could almost touch the substance of the surrounding Spiritual Qi…
Just then, Liu Sheng’s heart leaped. An indescribable fear shot straight up her spine to the top of her head. Her scalp tingled, her hairs stood on end instantly, and an extremely dangerous premonition surged like a tide into her heart.
Liu Sheng could feel a cold gaze locking onto her from above the altar.
Liu Sheng’s heart jolted. She lifted her eyelids and looked towards the altar.
The statue’s face remained blurry, even the shadows on its face deepened, like profound black holes.
But Liu Sheng just knew that the statue was opening its eyes.
She remembered the old woman’s warning: when the statue opened its eyes, they must leave the shrine immediately.
She quickly scanned the other people in the shrine, discovering that they too had all exited their cultivation states.
Liu Sheng and She Chan exchanged glances, both understanding that it was time to leave.
Just as they reached the door, they suddenly heard a few faint cracking sounds from behind them, as if something had shattered.
Liu Sheng extended the weird eye of her Little Tentacle behind her, only to see deep, abyssal vortices forming on the statue’s dark, hazy face. Looking at them made one dizzy, as if about to fall into these abysses.
Liu Sheng dared not hesitate any longer, pulling She Chan and rushing out of the shrine with the other Disciples.
Looking back, the Chongdao Shrine was plunged into darkness, rising and falling in the heavy, dark mist, as if breathing.
It’s getting close to the end and a bit complicated, so I’ve rewritten it several times.
Still, many thanks for everyone’s recommendation tickets, monthly passes, and comments.