Chapter 39

Actually, in the past, during the years on the mountain, I also had such confusion. It was just that every time this happened, my master would smile and not answer. He told me that I was still young, and some things would be useless to preach about, and the most boring thing in this world was preaching. He just told me to go and experience it.

But, what should I experience? Would I have an answer if I experienced it?

That was my question at the time. My master just glanced at me, then pointed to the sky full of white clouds and said, "Water turns into vapor, vapor gathers into clouds, clouds turn into rain, and the rain converges into rivers, which flow tirelessly into the sea. The vapor rises again over the sea and turns back into clouds."

"What does this mean?" After saying this, my master looked at me, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

At that moment, the sunset was just right. My master and I stood on the rock at the top of the mountain, our clothes fluttering. That was the only time I felt that my master was a wise man, not a homeless person on the street.

"Does it mean the cycle of life?" At that time, I was young, and the only thing I could think of was the surface.

"Hehe," my master laughed, his laughter dispersing in the evening breeze, as if it had drifted into the depths of the sunset. After laughing, he told me, "If even clouds are like this, how much more so is life? Death is cruel, but when the grass withers, the new green around it signifies a new beginning. This is the benevolence of the natural order, which gives a new start at the end. If the natural order is benevolent, what do you think human emotions are? Think about it yourself."

That day, the conversation on the mountain top under the sunset came to an abrupt end, and I still can't figure out the answer.

I was a bit dazed, and Grandma Wen's hand, which I held, gradually stopped trembling and returned to normal. Her continued narration interrupted my thoughts. She said, "In the end, just before I rushed to the window, that man disappeared. Although I was scared, I hesitated for a moment and then pushed the window open, looking down the alley. Although I am old, my eyesight is good. It was very dark outside, but I can assure you, I didn't see anyone."

Hearing Grandma Wen say this, I frowned. How could a normal person have such ability? But the alley was complex, almost entirely covered with shacks, and it was midnight. After thinking about it, I didn't think much more.

I tried not to think about the strange man who appeared vulgar yet mysteriously noble and suddenly disappeared from the street.

I had a hunch that the man wasn't the murderer. Even though his appearance was sudden and his actions hard to explain, what did my hunch mean? My spiritual senses have always been poor, but this time, I was convinced that the man had nothing to do with the matter.

"Grandma Wen, did you see a person?" Zhou Lao, who had figured out the problem, asked a question after wiping his face.

Or perhaps Zhou Lao himself didn't expect that just by promising a female ghost to find the murderer, he would be involved in so many strange things. What Zhou Lao needed to adapt to even more was that his worldview had been completely destroyed in the past few days. If it weren't for the help of me and Qin Hainian during this difficult period, which blurred and softened the intense process, he might have had a hard time coping.

Of course, this also shows that Zhou Lao's psychological resilience is quite strong, and he naturally transitioned to the present.

"Of course, I saw a person. If you see too many 'good friends,' you can also tell the difference at a glance. The reason I felt that Yingying died unjustly was that shortly after I ran to the window to look, Yingying suddenly woke up. She hugged me and cried, saying she was going to die because she was going to be eaten, so she had to die." At this point, Grandma Wen wiped away a tear. She had always been strong in her narration, but this was the first time she shed tears.

I understood why she chose to cry at this moment. It was because of the helplessness, the danger her granddaughter was in, and the sense of being powerless to do anything about it.

Because she didn't know what had really happened or who she was facing. It's like if someone tried to rob Zhao Ying on the street, Grandma Wen might have stepped forward without hesitation, but how could she deal with such a terrifying and mysterious situation?

This helplessness is the most painful part. At that moment, the only thing she could do was to comfort Zhao Ying. She told her that she had a nightmare and didn't mention a word about the man outside the window or the ghost pressing her down.

That night, she slept with Zhao Ying on the same bed. It was also that night that Zhao Ying finally had a good sleep.

But it was also her last good sleep because Zhao Ying was hospitalized the next day.

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What happened next was not important. It's like an old lady talking about her granddaughter's delirium at night; no one would think it was important! If she also mentioned seeing a ghost or being pressed by a ghost, it would be considered a nuisance. So, the injustice Zhao Ying suffered and the underlying issues might only be known to Grandma Wen.

And the public opinion and conventional thinking would inevitably make Grandma Wen's knowledge a disregarded 'joke.'

If it weren't for Zhao Ying's restless soul and Zhou Lao's coincidental involvement in the matter, Grandma Wen's knowledge might have been buried forever.

Neither Zhou Lao nor I paid attention to how long our conversation lasted. It was only when we were about to leave that we met the middle-aged woman next door, who was washing dishes with a pot because the kitchen with running water was outside.

"Two young brothers, are you leaving?" The middle-aged woman greeted us warmly.

"Yes, we're leaving to have dinner. We'll come back to see Grandma Wen later," I said before Zhou Lao could speak. I had already decided that I needed to come back to this house again because of the residual yin energy that hadn't completely dissipated.

I hadn't mentioned this plan to Zhou Lao, who was unaware. He looked at me in surprise but didn't say anything.

"Oh, if it's late, don't come. It's not very safe here at night. Don't think that just because you're men, you're safe. You can come back tomorrow," the middle-aged woman said, concerned.

Actually, in such a complex and unfamiliar alley, it might be unsafe for strangers, but I wasn't worried. It would be difficult for ordinary people to rob me.

Seeing my unconcerned expression, the middle-aged woman wanted to say more but was interrupted by Zhou Lao's phone ringing. It was Qin Hainian, who asked where we were, if we had eaten dinner, and where she was. The middle-aged woman's speech was cut off.

Since Zhou Lao had already promised to go to Qin Hainian, the reason being that the place where Qin Hainian was was exactly where we were going—the Forest Bar.

Seeing our hurried departure, the middle-aged woman didn't say much more but called out again, "Hear that? Two young brothers, don't walk around these places at night."

I smiled at the middle-aged woman in gratitude but didn't say much. I appreciated her kindness, but I couldn't wait until tomorrow. The yin energy, though still present, was already starting to dissipate, and I could feel it.

I didn't understand how I could perceive such subtle changes. I couldn't delve too deeply into it, as my third eye was often unreliable. But I knew that the yin energy needed to maintain a certain thickness, or it would affect my plan.

Even though the plan was still vague and unformed, I didn't have much confidence in it.

I have a very good sense of direction. The winding alleys I had walked through in the afternoon were no problem. I led Zhou Lao out without hesitation. Zhou Lao, as usual, gave me a thumbs up, admiring my ability.

He thought I should be a tomb raider. He had read too many such novels and believed that so-called 'underground mazes' wouldn't be a problem for me.

My mind was filled with various clues and thoughts. This time, I didn't chat with Zhou Lao but directly hailed a taxi to our destination—the Forest Bar. The name, when translated, wasn't particularly impressive or eye-catching, but it was called the Forest Bar.

Even though the name of the bar wasn't very creative, the two female owners were truly remarkable. Thinking of them, a smile involuntarily appeared on my face. They were the only bright spot in my otherwise dull life over the past five years, adding a touch of brilliance to my life.

The Forest Bar wasn't in a prime location. It wasn't on a bustling pedestrian street or in an area with many bars, nor was it near a university. It was simply and unobtrusively located in a residential area, with a simple sign that was easy to miss.

But once you noticed the bar's entrance, it was hard to resist the temptation to go in. The entrance was designed like an ancient inn, with a blue curtain hanging, and on the curtain was a simple yet evocative painting of a traveler in the snow. The style was simple, but it conveyed a sense of cold, fatigue, and the joy of finding an inn.

Next to the door, there was a line of elegant handwriting: "If you are tired..."

At such a moment, it was hard not to feel weary and want to go in and sit down. And once you went in and met the two female owners, it was hard not to become a regular.

I had said that the two female owners were remarkable. They indeed had the ability to retain customers. I was driven off the mountain five years ago and, by chance, saw this bar, which awakened my inner weariness. I walked in, and since then, I and my friends have been regulars at the bar.

The Forest Bar had good business despite its location.

While lost in thought, the car had already arrived at our destination. I looked up, and the familiar blue curtain with the traveler in the snow was right in front of me.

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