The north wind howled. A full moon hung high, and countless stars gave the night its faint color.
A young man walked alone deep within the mountains. Two crimson lantern-shaped earrings dangled from his ears, trailing behind him with an eerie glow.
It was midnight.
The young man stopped walking and sighed softly. Lifting his head, he gazed at the star-filled sky—so dazzling, so beautiful. In his eyes, there was deep reluctance, as if he could not bear to leave.
Before long, his figure began to blur. The two red lanterns on his ears flickered faintly, dimming and brightening in turns. Within a few breaths, his body completely vanished, leaving behind only the two red lantern earrings that fell to the ground with a soft sound.
The seasons changed. Time flowed like water. Decades passed.
Another freezing winter night arrived. The mountain wind howled, producing terrifying sounds that echoed through the forest.
A young man was running madly through the deep mountains, expressionless.
After about an hour, he arrived before a towering mansion. The entire estate was pitch-black, silent as death. Only the two red lanterns hanging on the main gate swayed gently in the cold wind, emitting a faint, ominous crimson light.
Without slowing down, the young man crashed straight into the gate—only to be violently repelled backward. He hit the ground hard and stopped breathing.
Around him lay hundreds of corpses. Judging from their expressions and wounds, they had all died the same way as him.
As the sun rose and fell, when day and night exchanged places, the entire mansion mysteriously vanished—leaving only the hundreds of corpses hidden among the weeds.
By noon, a young couple came wandering to this place, hand in hand, whispering sweet nothings and smiling shyly.
As they walked into the overgrown grass, the girl tripped on something. Frowning, she lowered her head to look—and her expression changed drastically.
Two hours later, more than a dozen people arrived. They all wore blue robes, with the character "Hua" embroidered on their sleeves.
They were disciples of Tianhua Sect.
These mountains were under the sect's jurisdiction, and any incident here would naturally bring their investigators.
The one leading them was a middle-aged man—thin, with a hooked nose and sharp eyes. He was Elder Zhou, one of Tianhua Sect's Hall Masters.
Everyone wore grave expressions as they examined the bodies one by one.
The more they checked, the deeper their brows furrowed. All the corpses shared identical causes of death, yet there were no signs of struggle or combat nearby. Which meant… these people might have all committed suicide.
But how could that be possible?
This wasn't one or ten people—it was hundreds. There was no way all of them had taken their own lives. There had to be something strange behind this.
"Someone from the sect!"
A shout drew everyone's attention. One of the disciples had found a corpse wearing their sect uniform.
A young man hurriedly moved the body lying atop it aside and froze when he saw the dead man's face.
"Zhao Qingxuan!"
He knew him!
"Seal this area immediately and summon the sect elders!" ordered Hall Master Zhou in a low voice.
Not long after, an elder arrived—a round-bodied old man with calm yet penetrating eyes. He was Danyangzi, the Third Elder of Tianhua Sect.
Taking in the scene before him, Danyangzi's expression darkened."Investigate Zhao Qingxuan's movements," he said coldly. "See who he met or contacted before this. Do it quietly—don't alert anyone."
"Also, do not let outsiders approach this place until we uncover the truth."
"Yes, Elder!" everyone replied in unison.
Tianhua Sect acted swiftly. That very night, Hall Master Zhou returned with new information.
"Third Elder!"
He cupped his hands respectfully.
"Did you find anything?" Danyangzi asked, eyes half-closed.
Zhou nodded. "He went missing more than two years ago. Before his disappearance, he frequently visited a place called Yan Yu Lou (Mist Rain Pavilion)."
Danyangzi's brows furrowed. "Missing for over two years… Come with me to Yan Yu Lou. The others will remain here and continue guarding the site."
The two soon arrived before Jiulong City, where Yan Yu Lou stood—its lights shining brilliantly in the night.
They walked into the bustling city and stopped before the pavilion. The air was filled with fragrance, and laughter and soft voices drifted through the windows.
Danyangzi's nose twitched slightly. He had caught a faint, familiar scent here.
The madam of the establishment had long been waiting at the door. When she saw them, she hurried forward to greet them personally and led them to a private room.
Just as they entered, a young woman nearby—gnawing on a chicken leg—stared in disbelief. The drumstick slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground.
"I can't believe it! The Third Elder and Hall Master Zhou came here themselves—and the madam personally welcomed them! They must be regulars!"
"Good thing I came out shopping with my two sisters today, or I wouldn't have noticed this. I need to tell them right away!"
Clutching her skirt, she ran off from the chicken-leg stall in a hurry.
Inside the private room—
A beautiful young courtesan sat silently on the edge of the bed, her head lowered. When the two men entered, her body trembled uncontrollably.
"You may leave," Zhou said to the madam.
The woman bowed and quietly backed out, closing the door behind her.
"Zhao Qingxuan came here, didn't he?" Danyangzi asked directly.
The girl's voice trembled as she replied, "I've already done everything you people asked… Why won't you let me go?"
"What did you do?" Danyangzi's tone deepened.
"Two years ago, Zhao Qingxuan came here. He told me that from eight in the morning until six at night, I must silently recite his name in my heart once every hour. If I didn't, Tianhua Sect would send people to kill me."
"For over two years, I never dared to stop! No matter how late I worked at night, I forced myself to stay awake by day. I never dared sleep! Why are you here again?" Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed helplessly.
Danyangzi frowned and thought for a moment. "Other than that, did he ask you to do anything else?"
"No," she said.
"Think carefully. This is important," he pressed.
"There really wasn't anything else! That day, I was resting in my room when he suddenly burst in, revealed his identity, and gave me that order. He was from Tianhua Sect—someone beyond my reach! How could I dare to refuse?"
"How long did he tell you to keep doing it?" Danyangzi asked.
"Until he comes back," she whispered.
Just then, the door was kicked open from the outside.
A fierce voice shouted, "Old Third! You've got some nerve, coming here of all places!"
Two women appeared at the door—one older, one younger.
Seeing them, both Danyangzi and Zhou turned pale. They hurriedly rushed forward, each pulling their own wife inside and closing the door behind them.
"What, feeling ashamed now after being caught doing this?"
"Quiet! We're here for official business!"
"Oh, sure—official business in a brothel?"
"We'll talk later!"
"Talk my ass, you're explaining right now!"
Zhou finally sighed, helpless as his wife tugged painfully at his ear. "Someone from the sect died—Zhao Qingxuan. We came here to investigate."
A sudden scream pierced the air, and silence fell over the room. Everyone turned toward the young courtesan.
She was trembling all over. "Zhao Qingxuan… is dead? Then for the past two years, I've been chanting the name of a corpse?"
Her face turned deathly pale.
After a long while, her color slowly returned.
During that time, the two madams had also learned what had happened.
Lady Dan snorted coldly. "That brat Zhao Qingxuan… always so secretive and strange. Are you certain he's truly dead?"