Chapter 683 - 330: Zhou Yi
Thirteen years ago.
Sanqi Orphanage.
The moon looked like the eyes of a fox, gazing indifferently at the mortal world, watching this orphanage hidden in the wilds of the lonely mountains.
The black wind rose, and chaotic clouds drifted past, surrounded by verdant trees and a solitary crow perched on a branch.
Inside the dim and dilapidated room, there was not a trace of light.
Only the moonlight shone through the window, casting shadows on the slender figures.
"The newcomer, are your parents dead too?"
Just then, a friendly voice came from the upper bunk, accompanied by a small head that poked out, looking at the newcomer on the lower bunk.
"Your parents are the dead ones!" Young Zhang Fan glared, quite displeased.
"Yeah, my parents are indeed dead." The boy affirmed.
"..."
"This is an orphanage; everyone who comes in is without parents." The boy added.
"My parents are dead too."
"Same here."
Voices of agreement came from all around; this dormitory housed six people, with three beds, upper and lower bunks.
"My parents aren’t dead..."
Just then, a discordant voice came from the lower bunk in the corner.
"But I’ll just consider them dead."
"Good one, Rosen!"
The boy on Zhang Fan’s upper bunk gave a thumbs-up, his eyes filled with approval.
"..."
Zhang Fan remained silent.
"Our orphanage is located in the position of Si Fire, but the main entrance faces Hai Water, violating the taboo of Si Hai conflict, it’s a great misfortune."
"The Yin position generates wood energy, yet graves are scattered all over, belonging to Shen Metal chaos, violating the great taboo of Yin Shen conflict, it’s ominous."
"We’re doomed, we will never escape in our lifetime."
At that moment, Zhang Fan looked up to see a boy sitting cross-legged on the opposite lower bunk, wearing worn black-framed glasses and holding a dirty compass, mumbling to himself.
"Ji Suan, can you shut up? You’re making my primordial spirit emerge."
An impatient voice came from above the boy holding the compass.
Zhang Fan glanced upward, seeing a boy lying horizontally on the bed opposite him, whose primordial spirit had already emerged.
That primordial spirit floated in mid-air, behaving wildly, constantly changing, sometimes swelling and sometimes shrinking, showing extreme instability.
"Is he...is he okay?"
Zhang Fan’s eyes widened; he had never seen such an unstable primordial spirit, like a ball of fire, without a fixed shape, constantly morphing.
"That’s Chen Ji, he’s always like that, his primordial spirit is abnormal, you’ll get used to it."
The boy’s voice came again, the head sticking out was staring at Zhang Fan: "I’m Ge Shuangxiu, what’s your name?"
"Zhang Fan!"
Zhang Fan leaned back on his pillow, facing the unfamiliar new environment with displeasure, silently cursing his parents.
"How can I get out of here?" Zhang Fan suddenly asked.
As soon as he said this, the dormitory fell silent, and gazes from different angles were cast upon him.
"You can only leave once you’re dead, no, even if you’re dead, you’ll still be buried here." Rosen said blandly.
"I’ll figure it out and take you with me; there has to be a hidden exit."
Ji Suan adjusted his glasses, fixated on the compass in his hand, completely immersed in his own world.
Buzz...
Chen Ji’s primordial spirit became even more frenzied, seemingly on the brink of explosion.
Zhang Fan’s heart was pounding in fear, while the others seemed accustomed to it.
"Did you see the stone statue at the entrance?"
Ge Shuangxiu’s voice called Zhang Fan’s thoughts back.
Zhang Fan instinctively looked out the window; in the plaza of Sanqi Orphanage stood a stone statue, headless but with eight arms, holding emptiness, grasping nothing.
"To get out, you must offer incense to the divine statue." Ge Shuangxiu said calmly.
"Incense?"
"Yes, this body offers to the divine statue, the primordial spirit reveres incense." Ge Shuangxiu said with a piercing tone.
"The primordial spirit reveres incense?" Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow.
"Unfortunately, we’re all kids; our primordial spirits are too weak, and none can ignite the incense on the divine statue." Ge Shuangxiu shook his head.
He paused, then solemnly said: "If you fail, your primordial spirit will be devoured by that divine statue."
"Devoured?" Zhang Fan’s eyes widened, displaying a look of incredulity as he couldn’t help but look outside again. In the hazy night, it seemed as though a shadow loomed in the orphanage’s plaza.
"Since I’ve been here, eight kids have tried it." Ge Shuangxiu sighed.
"And then?"
"Rosen, how many did you bury?" Ge Shuangxiu suddenly asked.
"Three."
"I buried two." Ge Shuangxiu said.
"I buried one." Ji Suan said without lifting his head.
"One."
Chen Ji’s primordial spirit finally returned to his body acupoints, adding one to the count.
"What kind of place is this!?" Zhang Fan said dazedly.
Before coming here, he thought it was just an orphanage, but now it sounds like a prison.
"As long as you don’t run, staying here isn’t so bad." Ge Shuangxiu comforted warmly.
Clang...clang...clang...
At this moment, a crisp bell rang through the deep corridors, echoing in the cold and clear night, seeming extremely eerie.
"Go to sleep!"
Ge Shuangxiu’s expression changed suddenly, quickly retracting his head.
Beside him, Ji Suan had already crawled into his quilt, Rosen stopped speaking, and Chen Ji seemed dead, his breathing ceased.
"Why, what’s happening?" Zhang Fan couldn’t help but ask.
"Don’t speak." Ge Shuangxiu whispered.
Clang...clang...clang...
The crisp bell sounded closer and closer, and Zhang Fan squinted his eyes, through the gap in the door he saw a dim red light glide across the floor, accompanied by the sound of the bell growing fainter, the red light faded at the end of the corridor.
Sigh...
Ji Suan popped his head out from the quilt, resuming his fiddling with the compass.
Ge Shuangxiu’s head also poked out from the upper bunk.