Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Hanging Coffin of Cloud Dwelling
Jiang Mingyue and I exchanged a glance, both furrowing our brows. The storm outside raged on, making me wonder who could be knocking on my door at this hour. After hesitating for a few seconds, I turned towards the door. Through the peephole, I spotted a girl in her twenties, wearing a red dress and holding an oil-paper umbrella. Raindrops trickled down from her hair and umbrella, creating a poetic scene. Who could this girl be?
I hesitated but eventually opened the door, asking, "May I help you?"
"Are you Shen Tuo?" The girl's voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it before.
I nodded, saying, "Yes, that's me."
"I'm Maitreya's friend, here to pick you up. We spoke on the phone earlier!" The girl looked up at me, her voice gentle. Comparing her to Jiang Mingyue, she was shorter and exuded a typical Southern girl's delicate charm, a sharp contrast to Jiang Mingyue's Northern strength.
"Ah," I exclaimed in realization. "You're Maitreya's friend. Where is he? What happened to him?"
"He's run into a bit of trouble," the girl replied shyly, her lowered gaze adding to her charm. "He's still at Yunju."
As the girl spoke, her voice trailed off, and she glanced behind me. I turned to see that Jiang Mingyue had silently approached. The two women locked eyes, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere. After a moment, I cleared my throat to break the silence and asked, "When should we leave?"
"Sooner is better," the girl replied calmly, with a hint of urgency in her tone.
I nodded and said, "Alright, let's leave now."
Turning back to Jiang Mingyue, I inquired, "I might be away for a few days. Do you have any plans?"
Jiang Mingyue glanced at the girl, then back at me, and determinedly said, "I'll go with you."
"You're coming with me?" I stared at Jiang Mingyue, puzzled. However, she smiled and nodded firmly, saying, "I'm coming with you."
I looked back at the red-dressed girl and apologized, "Please wait for a moment. We need to discuss something."
The girl tactfully smiled and walked away. I approached Jiang Mingyue and whispered in her ear, "You said Yunju is a ghost town. Why do you still want to go?"
Jiang Mingyue smiled and replied, "Why do you want to go then?"
"My best friend is in Yunju. I can't leave him alone there. Even if it costs me my life, I have to find him!" I clenched my fist tightly.
Jiang Mingyue looked at me, her brows furrowing slightly. After a moment, she said, "If I tell you I'm worried about you, would you believe me?"
I chuckled, knowing well my claim of being the most handsome guy around. Shaking my head, I said, "I don't believe you."
Jiang Mingyue burst into laughter and said, "Shen Tuo, you're quite an interesting person."
"If you don't have a compelling reason to go, I suggest you stay here," I advised, lacking her enthusiasm.
Jiang Mingyue laughed heartily, covering her mouth with one hand. She waved the other and said, "On a serious note, I have a reason to go. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what it is."
After contemplating for a moment, I asked tentatively, "Are you sure it's not because of me that you're going?"
Jiang Mingyue hesitated for a moment, then smiled without confirming or denying. I shrugged, feeling somewhat disappointed.
With a brief tidy-up, Jiang Mingyue found a pair of tight-fitting shorts for me, cutting them with scissors to make them more suitable. Despite being a bit oversized, they looked surprisingly chic.
After packing our belongings, we, along with the girl in red, descended to the ground floor. Outside, an old Wuling van awaited, its rusty exterior and mud-splattered tires indicating a challenging journey.
We boarded the vehicle, driven by a middle-aged, taciturn man. The girl in red occupied the front passenger seat, while Jiang Mingyue and I sat in the back. The car started, vibrating slightly, as if it might fall apart at any moment. The sky remained gloomy, raindrops creating a mist over the entire city.
After half an hour, the car exited the city. Looking back, the city appeared shrouded in mist due to the rain. The car sped along the asphalt road. Jiang Mingyue, in a low voice, asked, "You mentioned the Mechanism Arts of the Mohist School in the ghost town. Is that true?"
"Yes," I nodded slightly, whispering, "I wouldn't be mistaken. I've read about this type of mechanism arts."
Curious, Jiang Mingyue frowned and questioned, "Where did you read about it?"
I smiled at her and said, "Unfortunately, I can't tell you."
She shot me a disapproving look, saying, "So petty. I didn't expect a grown man to hold grudges like this."
I shrugged and replied, "It's called giving someone a taste of their own medicine."
Ignoring me, Jiang Mingyue turned her head away. At this point, I leaned forward and asked, "Miss, I haven't asked for your name yet."
The girl in red, with a gentle smile, responded, "You can call me Arun."
"Oh!" I nodded. "Arun, do you live in Yunju?"
"Yes," Arun nodded.
"Can you tell me what happened to Maitreya?" I inquired.
At the mention of Maitreya, a hint of sadness flashed across Arun's face. She paused and said, "Maitreya got into some trouble."
"Trouble?" I asked in confusion. "What happened to him?"
Before I could finish my question, I felt Jiang Mingyue suddenly grip my hand tightly. I quickly looked in her direction and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Look over there..." Jiang Mingyue pointed outside the car window.
Following her finger, I saw that our car was now traveling on a treacherous mountain road. The road descended hundreds of meters, and below was a rushing river. On the side Jiang Mingyue indicated, there was a massive cliff with numerous dark, square-shaped objects hanging from it.
"Hanging coffins..." I exclaimed.
"Yes," Jiang Mingyue confirmed. She quickly took out her phone and adjusted the angle to capture photos. While she was snapping pictures, she suddenly stopped and stiffened. Her entire body trembled violently.
"What's wrong?" I asked softly in her ear.
"There's someone on the hanging coffins!" Jiang Mingyue said in a daze.
I hastily looked in the direction of the hanging coffins, and a dark figure leaped from them down the cliff. At that moment, the car plunged into complete darkness. We had entered a tunnel. After about ten minutes inside the tunnel, the rain had stopped, and the ground was dry. It felt like a completely different weather on either side of the mountain. Although the sky remained overcast, the car began descending, offering a clear view of the vast mountain range. It felt like entering a colossal trap, giving me an ominous premonition.
Jiang Mingyue hurriedly scrolled through the photos on her phone, searching for the one she had taken just now. Indeed, among the images, there was a figure standing on the hanging coffins. She enlarged the photo, and as it reached its maximum size, both she and I froze. The figure was not a person; it was a large monkey covered in thick fur, its face blood-red.
The road ahead was met with our silence. After a few minutes, a faint fragrance filled the air, reminiscent of fresh grass. Accompanied by the rhythmic hum of the engine, a growing drowsiness overcame me. Suddenly, I felt a weight on my shoulder and found Jiang Mingyue had fallen asleep, leaning against me. Struggling to keep my eyes open, I noticed Arun looking at me.
The overwhelming sleepiness made my eyelids feel as if they were laden with lead. I struggled to ask, "Arun, what's happening?"
Arun furrowed her brow, looking apologetic as she lowered her head and mumbled, "Sorry."
"Arun, what have you done to us?" By now, the Arun in front of me had started to blur, countless shadows dancing before my eyes.
"Sorry..." Arun repeated softly, while my surroundings darkened, and an eerie silence settled in.
"Buddy, wake up!" In the darkness, I heard a familiar voice. I struggled to open my eyes, realizing that I was submerged in water, my hands bound behind me. In this confusing state, I heard footsteps approaching us in the darkness.
— New chapter is coming soon — Write a review
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone