Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 114 (Seeking Subscriptions of 10,000 Words)
This group exuded an eerie aura, especially the members, whose faces were as white as paper and whose cheeks were painted blood red, making them look more like paper figures than living people.

In her dream, Lu Jinghong instinctively felt afraid and turned to run away, but the next moment she found herself in a bridal sedan chair, wearing a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, with a red veil covering her head.

Lu Jinghong tried to lift the veil and call for help, but found that her whole body was stiff and she couldn't move even a finger.

In despair, she could only let the bridal sedan chair carry her into the unknown abyss of darkness.

"Jinghong? Jinghong? What's wrong?"

Just then, a familiar voice woke her from her nightmare.

Lu Jinghong suddenly opened his eyes, panting heavily, his whole body soaked in cold sweat.

“Nana…” She looked at Qi Nana beside her, who had a worried expression, and felt a lingering fear.

"You scared me to death!" Qi Nana patted her chest. "I was half asleep when I saw you suddenly sit up, staring straight ahead. I called you but you didn't respond, and then you lay back down. I thought you were possessed!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Jinghong felt a chill in his heart, but dared not tell Qi Nana about his nightmare, for fear of frightening her. He could only force a smile and say, "It's nothing, I was probably just too tired today."

Qi Nana breathed a sigh of relief and stopped thinking about it.

The next morning, it was still snowing.

The road down the mountain was completely blocked off; it was all white and we couldn't even tell which way to go.

Fortunately, Jingyun Nunnery has a good reserve of rice, flour, and cooking oil, enough to feed everyone for ten days to half a month. The only shortage is firewood for heating.

With the temperature plummeting, people will die without firewood.

"Tear down the doors and windows of those uninhabited rooms and burn them as firewood," Chen Ye decided immediately.

Upon hearing this, the nun Jingxin's face showed a hint of embarrassment.

Lu, the wealthy man, immediately understood and patted his chest to assure the Taoist priest: "Rest assured, Taoist priest, once the snow stops and the mountain is cleared, I, Lu, will definitely donate a sum of money to rebuild the temple and regild the statues!"

Upon hearing this, Jingxin was overjoyed and repeatedly expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Benefactor Lu. The Mountain Lord will surely bless your family with prosperity, peace, and longevity."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye, who was standing nearby, suddenly had a thought.

Just now, when he led his men to dismantle the door panels of an old warehouse, he glanced into the main hall.

The statue enshrined in the hall was not the Three Pure Ones or other deities he was familiar with, but a handsome young man with an indescribable evil aura between his brows and eyes.

He looked at the nun Jingxin and asked casually, "Master, the deities enshrined in this nunnery do not seem to be Taoist deities. May I ask which immortal they are?"

The Daoist nun Jingxin's smile remained gentle as she replied:

"Your Excellency may not know this, but this statue is the Mountain Lord who protects our land in the Western Mountains."

"The Mountain Lord loves the warmth of human life and cherishes this vibrant life. He especially loves this plum grove outside the temple. All pilgrims who come to admire the plum blossoms will receive the Mountain Lord's blessing."

These words were spoken flawlessly, sounding like a devout believer introducing their own deity.

Chen Ye felt something was off about it, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

However, Chen Ye did not reveal anything, but nodded thoughtfully and did not ask any further questions.

The heavy snow continued to fall without any sign of stopping.

Stranded on the mountain, the group lost interest in appreciating the snow. As soon as it got dark, they finished their food early and went back to their rooms to sleep.

Lu Jinghong lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep no matter what she did.

Last night's nightmare was so vivid that it left her feeling lingering fear.

She didn't know how much time had passed before weariness finally crept in, but as soon as she closed her eyes, she fell back into that bizarre dream.

This time, the scene in my dream was much clearer and more terrifying than the last time.

She walked along a mountain path covered in snow, surrounded by complete silence, with only the crunching sound of her footsteps echoing through the air.

Just then, the strange wedding procession reappeared.

She wanted to escape, but her legs felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead.

Then several paper-figure-like "matchmakers" surrounded her and, ignoring her struggles, shoved her straight into the dark sedan chair.

Soon, the sedan chair stopped in front of a grand hall.

The palace doors slowly opened, and a man dressed in a bright red wedding robe stood quietly waiting for her inside.

Although Lu Jinghong couldn't make out the man's exact features, his eyes resembled two burning will-o'-the-wisps, sending chills down her spine. In the dream, the man stretched out his hand, holding a dark red pill in his palm.

The pill was only the size of a fingernail, yet it emitted a strange, faint fragrance that made one dizzy.

"This is the betrothal gift; if you eat it, we will never be separated again."

As he spoke, the pill was placed to Lu Jinghong's lips.

"what--!"

In a fit of extreme fear, Lu Jinghong suddenly awoke and let out a piercing scream.

"Jinghong! Jinghong, what's wrong with you!"

Qi Nana, who was next to her, was also instantly awakened and looked at her in horror.

Lu Jinghong's face was ashen, his lips were blue, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he was trembling uncontrollably.

"I...I had a very strange nightmare." Lu Jinghong's voice was choked with sobs, and she could no longer hide it, telling Qi Nana about the two nightmares in detail.

Qi Nana was horrified. She huddled in the corner of the bed, clutching her blanket, her face deathly pale.

The two dared not sleep any longer, so they lit an oil lamp and stayed awake until dawn.

When it got light, everyone was startled to see Lu Jinghong looking so absent-minded.

Her eyes were sunken, and she had heavy dark circles. She looked as if all her energy had been drained away, and she was so weak that a gust of wind could blow her over.

Lu was heartbroken, and only after asking did he learn what had happened.

Upon hearing this, the Daoist nun Jingxin stepped forward, carefully examined Lu Jinghong for a moment, and then said, "Miss Lu, there is no need to panic. It is probably because the heavy snow has blocked the mountain and the cold is too strong. Since your body is weak, you have been affected and had a nightmare."

Her explanation was so reasonable that even Lu the tycoon and Qi Shihao believed it to some extent.

But Chen Ye didn't believe it.

“One nightmare might be a coincidence, but having the same nightmare two nights in a row, what does that mean?” His tone was calm, but his gaze was sharp as a knife. “Taoist Master, is there something unclean around here?”

The atmosphere froze instantly upon hearing this.

Lu Dahu and Qi Shihao's expressions also turned serious.

The nun Jingxin showed no sign of panic. "Your Excellency can rest assured. The Mountain Lord we worship is a righteous deity. With Him guarding this place, no evil spirits will dare to cause trouble within a ten-mile radius. Miss Lu's condition is indeed just due to her physical weakness."

Chen Ye gave her a deep look, nodded, and said nothing more.

Some things are futile to say no matter how much you try.

Fortunately, the Taoist temple had medicinal herbs on hand, and the nun Jingxin quickly ordered someone to brew a calming soup for Lu Jinghong so she could go back to her room to rest.

Meanwhile, the snowfall outside had lessened considerably, but the thick snow still blocked the roads down the mountain, making it impossible to leave.

Night falls again.

Everyone went back to their rooms to rest, and the lights in Chen Ye's room had already been turned off.

He didn't sleep; instead, he sat cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed and his breathing deep and slow.

His instincts told him that there was definitely something wrong with this Jingyun Nunnery and this so-called Mountain Lord.

Lu Jinghong's nightmare was not as simple as the physical weakness that Jingxin described.

So he's waiting.

Wait for that lurking ghost to reveal itself.

As night deepened, all was quiet except for the occasional sound of snow sliding off the branches outside the window.

Finally, just past midnight.

An unusual, eerie wind swept through the courtyard without warning, making the window paper flutter loudly.

There seemed to be a faint fragrance in the air.

On the bed, Chen Ye, who had been sitting quietly like a monk, suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes shining frighteningly in the darkness.

(End of this chapter)