My esoteric uncle Jules

Chapter 124 Silenced Housing
On the border of Blancogue Island stands a cliff, its face as sharp as if cut by a knife, proudly overlooking the vast sea.

However, these are not the reasons why this cliff is known.

What truly makes it memorable to the world is the silent monastery—the Silent Abode—located here.

Jules gazed at the magnificent building from afar, and couldn't help but marvel.

Even in London, the industrial capital, he had never seen such a breathtaking scene.

The main building stretches along the edge of the cliff, its towering spire almost obscuring the moon, casting dappled shadows in the moonlight.

Despite its lifeless atmosphere, it did not appear gloomy; instead, it gave him a sense of tranquility.

“This is the Silent Abode,” the priest said, gazing at the monastery before him, his voice filled with awe. “It is the place I once longed for but could not find.”

The two approached along the winding path, the surroundings eerily quiet, with only the heavy sound of their footsteps echoing in the deathly silence.

Not far away, the waves crashed against the cliff face with a deep, heavy sound, as if they were about to split the cliff apart.

Following behind the priest, Jules noticed that the direction they were heading did not lead to the distant monastery, and asked in confusion:

"Weren't we supposed to be visiting the silent housing? Where are we going?"

The priest shook his head and said hoarsely:
"We're going to a lighthouse near the housing estate, where we can see things more easily."

Looking in the direction the priest was pointing, Jules then discovered that there was a lighthouse hidden there.

However, no lights were on; instead, the light blended into the moonlight.

The priest walked to the door, opened it, and explained:

"The lighthouse is still operating. The reason it's not lit is because I asked the keeper to leave beforehand. There won't be anyone else here tonight."

With a creak, the door slowly opened.

As Jules followed the priest upstairs, he also took in his surroundings.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a painting on the wall.

The painting technique was not sophisticated; it was almost a mere piling up of paint.

But the patterns formed by the accumulation of these pigments looked somewhat familiar to him.

Golden seawater, pink metal, embankments built of ice and snow...

Jules only needed a moment's thought to find the source of the familiarity.

"Isn't this Ys?" His eyes immediately lit up with interest.

He never expected to find clues related to Isu here.

The priest took a few steps and realized that Jules was no longer following him. He turned around and found Jules staring blankly at the painting.

"Mr. Jules?"

Jules seemed to snap out of a daze, and smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, let's continue."

The priest also glanced at the painting Jules had just been looking at and asked in confusion:
"Is there anything special about that painting?"

Jules smiled:
"It's nothing, it just reminded me of some things from the past."

"I see."

The priest nodded, but didn't ask any further questions, and continued to lead the way.

On the way, Jules casually asked:
"Was that painting the work of the lighthouse keeper himself? I see there seem to be quite a few other paintings in the vicinity with a similar style."

The priest chuckled and said:

"The current lighthouse keeper was a painter. He would always draw strange and unusual things, saying that he had observed them from the lighthouse."

If you're interested in these things, perhaps you can get along with him.

What was observed from the lighthouse... Jules remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was lost in thought.

If someone can draw Ys and the general details match up, it means that the other person has most likely actually seen what Ys looks like.

But if he hadn't possessed the orthogonal luminous pearl and happened to be in the right time within the fragments of the Sixth History, even he would never have had the chance to see such a place.

And here, an ordinary lighthouse keeper actually gets to see what Ys looks like?

There must be something special about this.

His eyes flickered slightly as he said:
"Could you ask the lighthouse keeper where he usually lives besides the lighthouse?"

The priest pondered for a while, then suddenly stopped in a room in the middle of the lighthouse.

After rummaging around for a while, he pulled out a piece of paper, dipped a quill pen in ink, scribbled something on it, and handed it to him.

Jules took it and saw that it contained the priest's signature and an address in a town.

The priest put the quill back in its place and said:

"This lighthouse keeper is rather aloof, so you probably won't get any results if you go to visit him directly. However, with my signature, there shouldn't be any problems."

Jules nodded and thanked him.

Soon, the two made their way to the rooftop.

There will be no rain tonight, but there will be strong winds.

As soon as Jules opened the window, the howling wind almost ripped the tablecloth off his face.

“From here, you can see the entire Silent Dwelling,” the priest said.

Upon hearing this, Jules nodded, poked half his head out, and looked into the distance.

The house is roughly shaped like an inverted T, and many areas are not enclosed but rather open-air courtyards.

But as he looked at it, his brows furrowed.

"Why does this feel different from what I imagined?"

Despite its large size, it doesn't look like a so-called "Silent Bookstore" at all; it's more like an ordinary, abandoned monastery.

He always had a feeling that there was something deeper hidden beneath his ordinary appearance.

The priest's hoarse voice suddenly rang out:
"What can you see?"

Jules turned his head in confusion:

"It's just something you should normally see."

Upon hearing this, the priest nodded thoughtfully.

"You are indeed the one chosen by the housing complex... Even I can only pierce through the fog and see a little bit of what's inside, but you seem to be completely unaffected."

Jules raised his eyebrows slightly:

"So you couldn't see what was happening inside the monastery?"

The priest shook his head:
"We can only see a general picture, but the more specific details are shrouded in mystery, and we can't figure out how to get them." His words were filled with regret and resentment.

Withdrawing his gaze, Jules closed the window, leaned back in the chair beside him, and closed his eyes, pretending to doze off.

"So, what should I do next?"

The priest said softly:
"We can go straight in, but before that, we must deal with the obstructors."

"The obstruction?" Jules opened his eyes. "From outside, or from inside the house?"

"Somewhere in between."

The priest walked to the window and pointed in the direction of the main entrance of the house below.

Even from a distance of a hundred meters, one could still see the huge, rusty brass lock on the tightly closed gate, exuding an old and decaying aura, as if refusing any intruders from entering.

“An evil spirit has taken over the land in front of the house and at the entrance.”

"While the dwelling itself does indeed resist the entry of outsiders, it is gentle and will not harm us; but the evil spirit is not so; it harbors the purest malice towards all living beings in this world."

Jules stared at the priest and said:

"So, the reason you called me here is to help you get rid of that evil spirit?"

“This is only part of it,” the priest quickly shook his head. “Don’t worry, dealing with that evil spirit isn’t difficult. I already have a plan. It just requires someone like you who can actually enter the dwelling to intervene. Otherwise, if the evil spirit hides inside, we’ll be helpless.” Hearing this, Jules pondered for a long while, then said:
"If the house resists the entry of external things, why is the evil spirit still able to linger inside?"

He discovered that even the priests couldn't help but scratch their heads when faced with this problem.

"I don't know. Maybe it just belongs there."

Jules shook his head helplessly and said:

"Then what can you do?"

The priest lowered his head slightly and said:

“I will prepare a ritual, and you will be the one to carry it out and get rid of that damned evil spirit—however, it may require you to wait a while.”

Not long after, the two left the lighthouse and the cliff where the Silent House was located.

As he was leaving, Jules couldn't help but turn back and gaze at the house behind him.

In his view, the house seemed to belong to another world; it looked ordinary, but upon closer inspection, it gave people a sense of unfathomable depth.

"Something interesting..."

Since he would have to wait for the priest for a while longer, he planned to take this opportunity to visit the lighthouse keeper.

Perhaps, we can uncover some secrets about Ys.

……

When Jules returned, it was already dawn.

He hasn't had much rest these past few days, running around at high intensity every day and only getting a little sleep. Even though his physical condition is beyond that of ordinary people, he still feels tired.

Upon returning, he casually greeted the awake Old John and the boy, then went straight to his room, lay down, and fell into a deep sleep.

dong dong.

A soft knock on the door startled Jules awake.

Old John's somewhat uneasy voice came from the doorway:
"Mr. Jules, may I discuss something with you?"

Being awakened from his sleep caused Jules to frown slightly. He wanted to ignore it, but old John's anxious voice carried an earnestness that was hard to refuse.

Finally, he sat up, put on his coat, and went to open the door.

As soon as the door opened, old John's wrinkled face came into view, his eyes filled with unease and anticipation.

"Mr. Jules, I'm so sorry to disturb your rest."

Old John swallowed hard and said:

"What I'm about to say might seem a bit... presumptuous, but I still want you to listen."

Jules leaned against the doorframe, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and gestured for old John to continue.

“That’s right, sir. I know you’re no ordinary person. Like the priest, you have unique abilities.”

Old John paused, as if summoning immense courage, and then continued:
"I hope you can help me by going to the ghoul graveyard and bringing back my daughter's body."

Upon hearing the words "ghoul graveyard," Jules immediately sobered up and frowned as he looked at old John.

"Your daughter? In the ghoul graveyard?"

Old John smiled wryly:
"Yes, she died young from illness and turned into a ghoul."

Seeing that Jules seemed a little embarrassed, he quickly said:

“I know it’s dangerous there, but my old bones are too weak to bring her back. I just want to ask you to help me bring her body back so that she can rest in peace at home.”

Having said that, he seemed to know that words alone were not enough, so he knelt on one knee and said sincerely:

"If you can help, I would like to give you a book passed down from my ancestors, which comes from the Silent House!"

However, Jules's reaction was far colder than he had expected.

"I'm not very interested in secret teachings."

Hearing this, he gritted his teeth and said:

"No, listen to me. My ancestor was a high-ranking monk in a silent retreat. This book he left behind contains a lot of mysterious knowledge that you will find interesting!"

Jules frowned, feeling that old John was being somewhat unreasonable.

As far as I can remember, I wasn't this impetuous when I first met the other person.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, and said:

“I can help you, but I have other things to do first.”

He didn't want to lay everything out in the open, as that would embarrass both sides. He hoped old John understood the importance of the matter.

The other party did help him, but for him, this help was not necessary—he figured that rescuing old John earlier was enough to repay the favor.

Moreover, he always felt that old John seemed to have something else in mind for him.

Could it be that what the other party has been thinking about all along is today's request?
He just stared at old John without saying a word.

Fortunately, old John seemed to realize his mistake, pursed his lips, and said apologetically:
"I'm sorry, it was my presumptuousness. Please rest first, and I'll come to see you again when you have time."

After saying that, he carefully retreated and closed the door.

Jules frowned as he looked at the closed door.

Ever since he was rescued, Old John had given him a strange feeling.

"It seems we really need to be more careful, just as the priest said..."

Hopefully, nothing's wrong with Old John.

He shook his head, lay down on the bed, and gradually drifted off to sleep.

……

He slept very soundly and didn't wake up until almost afternoon.

After quickly finishing two pieces of black bread, Jules set off.

Of course, old John inevitably asked him again, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

His answer was—wait until he returns from this trip, show him the secret message, and then make a decision.

The address recorded on the paper given by the priest was in the town, not far from the cemetery he had entered earlier.

As Jules walked along the town's cobblestone streets, the houses, though small, were arranged in a charmingly haphazard way, exuding a vibrant energy that was even more pronounced than in London.

Following the approximate address given on the paper, he stopped a middle-aged woman passing by and inquired about the lighthouse keeper's address.

The woman's previously calm face instantly turned to surprise, her eyes widening as if she had heard something unbelievable.

"What do you want with him? He's a weirdo. He's always alone and never interacts with anyone. All he does is paint. Everyone avoids him."

The woman's voice unconsciously rose a few octaves, drawing the attention of several passersby.

Jules was somewhat surprised. Was the lighthouse keeper so reclusive that even passersby knew his "famous name"?
“I am his friend, and I came all this way to visit him.”

The woman stared at Jules suspiciously for a few moments, then finally pointed in a direction and said:
"That's his home over there."

Jules looked in the direction the woman was pointing—

As far as the eye could see, there was a small, dilapidated wooden house that was almost collapsing.

The odor of various strange pigments mixed together slowly wafted out from it.

He subconsciously sniffed, but his gaze suddenly became a little excited.

"The smell of insect scales?!"

Could it be that... the lighthouse keeper was using that [black and white paint] to create art?!

Has part of my promotion ceremony been arranged?

(End of this chapter)