Chapter 291

Chapter 290

Liu Qingyun opened the door and saw the two people inside, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. "Where is Junior Brother Baili?"

The Ge Rusong brothers hurriedly got up and said, "We lost sight of him for a moment. I thought he went to find you..."

"What? Junior Brother Baili is missing?" Sang Yufei came out from the next room, both angry and anxious. "How could you let him out of your sight? This is Bone Town; who knows what dangers lurk here? What if he gets tricked away again?"

Ge Ruping said with a bitter face, "How could we keep an eye on him? If we could, Master wouldn't have sent Senior Sister Liu along."

Sang Yufei was still furious. "How can you not keep an eye on him? If he doesn't listen, tie him up..."

"Sister!" Liu Qingyun called out.

Not only Liu Qingyun, but even the Ge Rusong brothers showed disapproval. Sang Yufei stomped her foot in anger and cursed, "Just indulge him then. Wait until he gets himself killed, and see how you explain it to the Palace Lord and Master..."

Before she finished speaking, Bailichi appeared at the door.

Bailichi had a handsome appearance, with rosy lips, white teeth, and eyes like stars. Whenever those bright, large eyes looked at someone like a puppy, it was hard not to soften one's heart.

At that moment, he gazed at them with those puppy-dog eyes, making everyone feel somewhat uneasy.

Liu Qingyun remained calm and asked, "Junior Brother Baili, where did you go?"

Her tone was tranquil, yet it conveyed a unique coldness that belonged to Liu Qingyun. She didn't care where Bailichi had gone, as long as he didn't die in front of her.

Bailichi replied, "I went to the third floor."

Hearing this, everyone understood what he had done and felt both angry and helpless. Even the usually kind and protective Ge Rusong brothers were at a loss for words.

"You really—never mind, I won't bother with you anymore!" Sang Yufei turned and walked away, waving her sleeve.

Liu Qingyun slowly approached Bailichi standing at the door. As she passed by him, she said, "Don't wander off again. Bone Town is not the Wenxu Palace."

"I understand, Senior Sister Liu," Bailichi said obediently.

After Liu Qingyun left, Bailichi walked in, his head hanging low, clearly feeling dejected.

Seeing his appearance, even though they were angry that he couldn't protect himself, the Ge Rusong brothers couldn't help but feel some sympathy.

Ge Ruping consoled him, "Junior Brother Baili, Senior Sister Liu and Junior Sister Sang aren't angry with you. They were just worried when they couldn't find you earlier. This isn't the Tianlun Continent; without the protection of our sect, we must handle everything ourselves. If something happens to you here, we might not be able to save you..."

Although he said this, the Ge Rusong brothers knew that if they faced danger together, their top priority would be to protect Junior Brother Baili and ensure nothing happened to him.

Ge Rusong also added, "Bone Town is very strange. Even cultivators at the Yuansheng realm must follow the town's rules. This is not a place for you to act recklessly..."

Bailichi listened obediently to his senior brothers' advice. After they finished speaking, he said, "Senior Brothers Ge, don't worry. I remember."

The Ge Rusong brothers were greatly relieved. Junior Brother Baili was good in this regard: obedient and compliant.

Seeing their relaxed expressions, Bailichi smiled and said happily, "Senior Brothers, I made some friends earlier. They are the four gentlemen staying on the third floor. They are all good people..."

The Ge Rusong brothers: "..."

They retracted their previous thoughts. Junior Brother Baili was not good at all, being naively foolish and always getting himself into trouble.

***

The creaking sound echoed as usual.

Wen Qiao turned over, facing the bed, and saw Ning Yuzhou sleeping on his side, with the spirit artifact and Wen Guangun snoring away beside him.

"Can't sleep?" Ning Yuzhou asked. In the quiet night, his voice sounded particularly gentle.

Wen Qiao hummed in response and asked, "Husband, this creaking sound is too loud. I think it's better to meditate."

Ning Yuzhou chuckled. Meditating and sleeping were essentially the same. In such an environment, no cultivator could meditate without distraction. Most would remain alert instinctively, making meditation ineffective.

As he was about to hold her and sleep, a scream suddenly came from the second floor.

Wen Qiao quickly got up and pulled Ning Yuzhou out.

Opening the door, they found Su Molan also pulling Pei Qiyu out. They exchanged glances, understanding that none of them could sleep peacefully in this environment, easily startled by any noise.

They arrived at the second floor and found the people there similarly alarmed. A female cultivator with disheveled hair stood in the hallway, visibly shaken, while others comforted her.

"Sister Sang, what happened?" Bailichi asked, yawning, clearly just waking up.

Sang Yufei looked terrified, pointing into the room. "T-there's something in there..."

Liu Qingyun heard this and immediately walked in.

The Ge Rusong brothers vigilantly surrounded Bailichi and Sang Yufei, watching the room inside.

Liu Qingyun circled the room and came out, saying, "There's nothing. Junior Sister Sang must have been mistaken..."

"I wasn't!" Sang Yufei shouted, looking distressed. "It's real. I was meditating when I suddenly felt a gaze on me. When I opened my eyes, I saw a shadow in the room."

"A shadow?" The Ge Rusong brothers' expressions turned serious.

Due to Sang Yufei's certainty, Liu Qingyun checked again but found nothing.

At that moment, the creaking sound came from downstairs, followed by Auntie Hua's massive figure appearing in the corridor. Seeing her guests gathered there, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are you all doing here? Who was screaming in the middle of the night?"

"It wasn't random screaming, I—"

Before Sang Yufei could finish, Liu Qingyun stopped her. Ge Rusong quickly explained the situation to Auntie Hua.

Anyone who wasn't as foolish as the white-robed cultivator from earlier knew that Auntie Hua dared to run a business here, so they should not offend her with careless words.

Auntie Hua, after hearing this, said indifferently, "I thought it was something serious. Turns out it's just a minor issue. Don't worry; my inn is very safe. You won't be in any danger here. Just rest assured and sleep."

"But that shadow..." Sang Yufei protested.

"Fear what? It didn't harm you, did it?" Auntie Hua cut her off and turned to leave. "Stay in your rooms at night if there's nothing else. Don't wander around, and you'll be fine."

Watching Auntie Hua ascend the creaking stairs, Sang Yufei felt infuriated.

"What kind of person is she? Guests are frightened, yet she acts as if it's nothing! Senior Sister Liu, let's change places. I don't want to stay here." Sang Yufei said, clearly scared.

Changing places was not an option. Liu Qingyun had chosen to stay at Auntie Hua's inn after gathering information beforehand. She refused Sang Yufei's request to switch inns, noticing her displeasure, and said, "If you're afraid, you can share a room with me."

Sang Yufei was indeed scared. Bone Town was too eerie, especially the houses built with human bones, which made one uneasy. On their first night, something appeared. Who knew what else might happen?

So, Sang Yufei moved into Liu Qingyun's room, leaving her original room empty.

They had rented three rooms. Since Liu Qingyun held a special position, she had a room to herself. The remaining two rooms were allocated to Ge Rusong and Bai Lichi sharing one, and Sang Yufei having the other.

"Leaving this room empty? What a waste," Bai Lichi muttered. Turning around, he saw four people standing at the staircase leading to the third floor and ran over happily. "Young Master Ning, why are you here?"

Liu Qingyun and the others had noticed them earlier but hadn't greeted them proactively.

Seeing Bai Lichi enthusiastically run over to talk to them, Sang Yufei gritted her teeth and said coldly, "Junior Brother Bai, it's late. Come back to rest."

Bai Lichi had no choice but to bid farewell to the four and return to his room with Ge Rusong.

Seeing that everything was settled, the four returned to the third floor to rest.

The world fell silent again, with only the rhythmic creaking of bones echoing.

Wen Qiao lay on the bed and whispered to Ning Yuzhou, "Husband, do you think that black shadow Sang saw could be something dangerous?"

"I don't know," Ning Yuzhou replied honestly. "But judging by Auntie Hua's reaction, it should be normal and not dangerous. Don't worry about it."

His words made sense, and Wen Qiao thought it might not be a big deal. She then said, "Bone Town is truly strange. I wonder where the Thirteen Dwellings of Dry Bones are."

Ning Yuzhou gently pulled her into his arms. "We should find out soon. Don't worry."

Listening to his steady heartbeat, Wen Qiao slowly closed her eyes amidst the rhythmic creaking of bones and fell asleep.

The second night in Bone Town passed quietly.

***

The next day, Wen Qiao and the others went out again to explore Bone Town.

By noon, they decided to split up. Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao would go together, while Su Molan and Pei Qiyu would pair up, each heading to different places.

"This is the thirty-third alley in Bone Town," Wen Qiao observed. Compared to the third alley where Auntie Hua's inn was located, this one seemed much more sinister, with the white bone-paved road giving a feeling of being in the underworld.

They walked into the alley and approached the fifth house.

The bone door was half-open, revealing darkness inside, with a rhythmic clinking sound emanating from within.

They didn't rush in but called out, "Is One-Eye here?"

Inside, it was quiet for a moment before a hoarse voice responded, "Come in."

Wen Qiao pushed open the door and led Ning Yuzhou inside. In the dimly lit room, a figure sat working on a bone artifact, with disheveled hair mostly covering their face, revealing only one blind eye—hence the name One-Eye.

"Who sent you here?" One-Eye asked.

"Auntie Hua."

Upon hearing Auntie Hua's name, One-Eye's lips curled downward, cursing under his breath, "That woman is so kind-hearted..." Then he asked, "What do you want to ask?"

"The Thirteen Dwellings of Dry Bones."

One-Eye laughed. "Another one looking for that thing. Haven't you given up yet?"

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao remained silent, realizing that many people sought the Thirteen Dwellings of Dry Bones, and it wasn't a secret.

"One Earth-grade spirit artifact, and I'll tell you."

Ning Yuzhou promptly produced an Earth-grade spirit artifact, which looked like a bone.

Wen Qiao rolled her eyes, wondering if her husband had specifically crafted a spirit artifact resembling a bone, anticipating its usefulness in Bone Town.

Sure enough, One-Eye seemed pleased and said straightforwardly, "Bone Town reveals itself during the day, and the Dry Bones appear at night."

Wen Qiao waited, expecting more, but realized those were the only two sentences. She felt they had lost out, exchanging an Earth-grade spirit artifact for such vague information.

"Alright, you can leave now," One-Eye said, playing with the bone artifact impatiently.

Ning Yuzhou bowed slightly. "Thank you, Senior, for the information. Farewell."

After leaving the thirty-third alley and returning to the bustling main street of Bone Town, she frowned and said, "Husband, this information is too little. Should we inquire further?"

"No need. Let's wait for Pei Qiyu and the others."

Earlier, when they split up, Ning Yuzhou and Pei Qiyu had agreed to gather information from different sources. Fortunately, Auntie Hua had provided several names, allowing them to ask around systematically.

In the evening, Pei Qiyu and Su Molan returned, and everyone gathered in the room.

Pei Qiyu said, "Today, we found three people. After sorting through the information, they all suggested that the best time to enter the Thirteen Dwellings of Dry Bones is during the full moon. Other times, it's best not to attempt it."

Su Molan added, "I heard someone say today that Bone Town is always overcast, with neither sun nor stars."

"Doesn't that mean there's no full moon?" Wen Qiao asked in surprise.

"Precisely," Pei Qiyu said, his eyes gleaming with excitement at the many secrets of Bone Town.

Ning Yuzhou mused, "We also heard a piece of information today: 'Bone return by day, bones wither by night.'"

"Bone return by day, bones wither by night?" Pei Qiyu murmured, his eyes shining. "How intriguing! It's been a long time since I've encountered something so interesting. This place seems quite fascinating. By the way, those five people downstairs haven't left all day. They seem to understand some of Bone Town's unspoken rules very well, perhaps waiting for a specific time."

Ning Yuzhou instantly understood what he meant: "Waiting for the full moon."

"Precisely."

The two men fell silent, their brows furrowed in thought.

Wen Qiao and Su Molan glanced at them, then at each other, suddenly realizing how familiar their behavior was. They exchanged a look.

Well, they both understood. They weren't the type to sit back and enjoy the fruits of others' labor, but when someone else had already thought everything through for them, they couldn't help but want to take it easy.

Su Molan began to reflect on herself; she couldn't continue being so passive. Once Ning Yuzhou and the others left, she would be alone with Pei Qiyu, whose cultivation level was one major realm higher than hers. She needed to be more vigilant or risk being outplayed by him.

After gathering enough information, they didn't rush into action but waited like Bai Li Chi and the others downstairs for the full moon.

This wait lasted a month.

During this month, there wasn't even a glimpse of moonlight, just as the people of Bone Town had said—there was neither sun nor moon here, as if something had isolated this place from natural laws.

Bai Li Chi asked curiously, "Are you also waiting for the full moon?"

Wen Qiao nodded and gave him a spirit pill, saying frankly, "Yes, we asked Auntie Hua. She said there's no sun or moon in Bone Town, so our waiting is in vain."

Bai Li Chi naturally popped the top-grade spirit pill into his mouth.

Since they had introduced themselves, Bai Li Chi considered them friends and often came up to the third floor to chat, regardless of how many times his seniors scolded him. Eventually, Liu Qingyun let him be.

As long as he didn't get himself into trouble.

Seeing his sincerity, Wen Qiao couldn't treat him any less genuinely and started considering him a friend. When sharing spirit pills with Wen Guangun, she didn't forget to give him one too.

The first time she shared a spirit pill with him, Bai Li Chi reacted calmly, as if top-grade spirit pills were common, casually tossing it into his mouth.

This made Wen Qiao realize that Bai Li Chi and his companions were not ordinary. Top-grade spirit pills were commonplace to them, nothing special.

Upon arriving in the Primordial Continent, they had specifically investigated Tianzhen City and Seven Stars City. This continent, indeed deemed a high-level one, had no shortage of top-grade spirit pills, with many alchemists capable of refining them. Of course, they weren't as common as everyday items, but the quality of spirit pills here was much higher than on other continents they knew.

They estimated that the situation on the Heavenly Wheel Continent wouldn't be much different, and Bai Li Chi's faction could easily afford to lavish him with top-grade spirit pills.

Apart from being a bit naive, this young man had everything anyone could envy.

"It looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer," Bai Li Chi said matter-of-factly.

Wen Qiao and Wen Guangun looked at him simultaneously. Despite being different species, their actions were surprisingly synchronized, causing Bai Li Chi to exclaim happily, "You're both so cute!"

Ning Yuzhou, who was drinking spirit tea nearby, was speechless. How should he react when another male praised his partner as cute right in front of him?

Bai Li Chi, still a child at heart, couldn't resist anything cute. He reached out to pet Wen Guangun, who swatted his hand away with a claw.

"Wen Guangun, let me touch you a couple of times, and I'll give you a spirit pill."

Bai Li Chi took out a top-grade spirit pill.

Wen Qiao, smelling the pill, knew it wasn't refined by Ning Yuzhou.

She was very familiar with the scent of spirit pills Ning Yuzhou refined. Any pill he made had a unique aroma, a subtle difference only she could distinguish, likely due to her true form.

It seemed Bai Li Chi and his group truly didn't value top-grade spirit pills.

Wen Guangun retracted his claws, allowing Bai Li Chi to pet him a couple of times before taking the spirit pill and popping it into his mouth.

After playing with Wen Guangun, Bai Li Chi resumed their conversation, "The full moon should arrive soon. Shall we enter the Thirteen Withered Bone Mansions together then?"

Wen Qiao and Ning Yuzhou looked at him simultaneously.

Bai Li Chi gave them a silly smile.

Pei Qiyu and Su Molan, who had just returned, heard this and looked at Bai Li Chi, thinking: This is clearly a little treasure delivering himself to us, so obediently naive!

As for Ge Rusong and the others who worried about him, Wen Qiao and the rest simply ignored them.