Chapter 131: A Dangerous Night

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou knew that beneath Master Buyu’s grand and heroic facade, this battle was destined to be far from over.

In truth, the wisest course would have been for Master Buyu to flee with them, yet his refusal spoke volumes: he lacked the confidence to shield them from a resurrected ancient Body Integration stage cultivator. Lu Yang executed a set of his First Senior Sister Pictographic Boxing, attempting to summon her, only to find his spiritual energy utterly bound, rendering even transformation impossible. Lu’s Pictographic Boxing was indeed a spell.

Meng Jingzhou tested his current limits. "Though my magic is sealed, my physical strength remains largely unchanged." It was a silver lining. "What time is it now?"

Lu Yang recalled the second rule, which stated that from the Hour of the Boar to the Hour of the Dragon, thatched huts and tavern rooms with closed doors were absolute sanctuaries, while everywhere else spelled doom. The Hour of the Boar to the Hour of the Dragon meant nine o'clock at night until nine o'clock the following morning.

"It was the Hour of the Boar when we tumbled from the carriage, and the streets are deserted now. Everyone must have returned home. We must find shelter with the locals, or head straight for an inn!"

Several thatched huts nearby glowed with faint lamplight. Meng Jingzhou rapped firmly on a wooden door, calling out politely, "Good neighbors, we are cultivators who have lost our way. Pray open the door and grant us shelter for the night. You shall be handsomely rewarded—gold or spirit stones, name your price!"

Meng Jingzhou tried several houses in succession, but not a single door budged.

Lu Yang stayed his hand. "Save your breath. Have you forgotten the fifth rule? One must never open the door upon hearing a knock. Buyi Town clearly holds ordinary townsfolk besides ourselves, and we, too, must abide by the rules." The fourteenth rule stated that the locals could never reveal the town's secrets to outsiders, confirming that Buyi Town had its own inhabitants. Meng Jingzhou opened his mouth to protest, but the traveling merchant hissed for silence.

From the darkness arose a distinct patter of steps, heavy and deliberate, accompanied by long, labored breaths that betrayed a monstrous bulk. Judging by the frequency of the footfalls, it possessed six legs, perhaps more; the merchant could not discern what manner of beast it was. He could even spy its grotesque shadow stretching around the corner. "Run!" the merchant whispered urgently, and he and Meng Jingzhou fled. Without knowing their adversary's realm and capabilities, a reckless confrontation was out of the question. They bolted away from the creature's path; fortunately, the beast failed to notice them, and they soon shook it off.

Halting their flight, they listened intently to the surrounding stillness. Once assured the monster was gone, they crept cautiously along the street until they found an inn.

The inn was ablaze with lanterns. Inside, a figure clad in white slouched lazily against the counter, while two men dressed as merchants were discussing their lodgings. "At last, an inn! I am utterly spent. Give us two of your finest Heaven-grade rooms," Lu Yang said, slamming a silver ingot onto the counter. His companion quickly intervened, "Have you forgotten the warning on that paper? We must not stay in the Heaven-grade rooms!" "You truly believe that scrap of paper?"

"Better to believe it than to rue it." The companion snatched the silver ingot back. Having read that white parchment, his heart was rife with unease; this town was far too bizarre, and they needed to flee first thing tomorrow morning. Forcing a smile, he addressed the figure in white, "Pray make it two Earth-grade rooms instead."

The white-clad figure pocketed the silver without any intention of offering change, tossing them three keys. "A single group may only rent one room. There are only three keys for Earth-grade Room Three, and they are all yours." Lu Yang frowned, thinking the inn a wretched extortionist; an Earth-grade room could never be worth such a sum. The traveling merchant muttered a warning to the pair, "You must strictly follow the rules written on the white paper."

Lu Yang's companion recalled the rule advising against trusting strangers. Suspicious of the merchant's motives, he hurried upstairs. Just as Meng Jingzhou was about to request an Earth-grade room, the traveling merchant seized the brush and paper from the counter and pulled Meng Jingzhou behind him.

Understanding flashed through Meng Jingzhou. He remembered the seventeenth rule: inside the inn, questions must be directed to the innkeeper; outside, to the apothecary; but one must never speak aloud to them. The merchant wrote: Are you the proprietor of this inn? The proprietor scribbled back: Yes. The merchant produced a silver ingot and wrote: Give us an Earth-grade room where no one has ever died. The proprietor handed over three keys stamped with "Earth-grade Room Seven."

Exchanging a glance, the two ascended to the second floor, where they noted ten rooms in total. Eight of the doors were stark white; only Earth-grade Room Three and Earth-grade Room Seven were a deep brown. Room Three belonged to Lu Yang’s party, and Room Seven was theirs.

Stepping inside, they collapsed onto the bed and finally breathed a sigh of relief, their hearts hammering wildly against their ribs. "Did your clan never speak of such matters?" the merchant inquired.

"Never at all! I had no inkling that those of the Body Integration stage could warp reality and decree rules. The elders of my clan at that stage spend their days tending birds, nursing flowers, fishing, and cursing in the streets—they hardly seem capable of such profound power!" The merchant could only agree; he had never realized the elders of the Daoist Sect were so formidable either. Yet, if it were their First Senior Sister who possessed such might, he would believe it. Her sheer aura befitted the legend. Footsteps echoed from the corridor, light and soft, unmistakably human.

A knock sounded at the opposite door, gentle and obsequious. "Honored guests, are you asleep? The proprietor accidentally gave you all the keys. Won't you open up? I have freshly prepared supper, free of charge. Pray open the door so I may bring it in!"

The guests in Room Three were no fools; recognizing the malice cloaked in that civility, they clung to the rules and held their peace. Seeing no response, the entity knocked harder, the heavy thuds rattling the entire corridor. "Guests, open the door!" "Open the door!"

"Did you not hear me tell you to open up?!" "Do you think I cannot smash this door to splinters?!"

Tearing away its disguise, the thing battered the door ferociously, but the stout wood held firm. Realizing Lu Yang would not fall into the snare, the creature reverted to its melting, tender tone, "Very well, I shall leave the food at your threshold." Lu Yang remained silent.

Employing the same trick, the entity knocked upon the merchant's door, beginning with gentle entreaties before escalating into a deafening, unmasked fury. Still, no one succumbed. At last, footsteps echoed as the thing seemed to depart.

"Something is wrong. Those footsteps were too brief; it didn't go downstairs or upstairs. It is still on the second floor!" A sudden chill gripped the merchant's soul.

In his mind's eye, a horrific image formed: the creature, pressing its limbs against the walls, hung suspended from the ceiling, waiting for the occupants to let down their guard, open the door for the food, and then drop upon them from above... Whether the merchant and Lu Yang shared the same premonition or were simply cautious by nature, neither made any move to unbolt the door.

"Let us sleep," Meng Jingzhou said, yawning. The rules dictated that one must sleep before the Hour of the Rat, which meant eleven o'clock at night. He pulled a quilt from the wardrobe, spread it upon the floor, and willingly took his place upon it.

He blew out the candle, plunging the room into absolute darkness, save for the thin, pale moonlight filtering through the paper window. Meng Jingzhou glanced toward the pane, and his heart nearly stopped.

A dark human silhouette was pressed against the window, swaying from side to side as if gripping the ledge, straining its neck to peer inside. The terrifying truth struck him—they were on the second floor; how tall must this creature be?!

"Check if the window is latched!" Lu Yang screamed. He suddenly remembered the rule: the windows must never be opened! Upon entering, they had been so consumed with locking the door that the window had slipped their minds, leaving them blind to whether it was merely shut or securely fastened. Moving with frantic speed, they found the window unlatched and threw the bolt home just before the entity could strike the glass. Staring at the humanoid shadow through the paper, their hearts thudded like war drums. Yet, against the odds, the two survived their first perilous night.