Free Web NovelChapter 314: Chapter 165: A Great Dream of 10 Years
"It’s not convenient!"
SLAM! The small window was shut forcefully.
Fang Shuwen’s smile froze on his face.
He turned back to look at Long Qingzhi and pointed to his own face.
"Was my smile not sincere enough? Or is my face just too scary-looking?"
"No, not at all."
Long Qingzhi said with great certainty:
"There’s nothing wrong with your smile. Besides, Brother Fang, you’re very handsome!"
Fang Shuwen thought her answer was quite apt, so he started banging on the door again.
CLICK!
This time, the pair of aged eyes were filled with deep impatience.
"What do you want?"
Fang Shuwen put on his smile again.
"Old sir, please, cut us some slack.
"We travelers truly have nowhere else to go. There’s no village ahead and no inn behind us. Yours is the only inhabited place in this villa. How about you let us stay for one night?
"We’ll leave first thing in the morning."
The old man took a deep breath, seemingly trying to suppress his impatience.
"And if I refuse, what do you plan to do?"
Fang Shuwen thought for a moment, then said:
"I have always been respectful and polite. If you don’t agree, old sir, then I can only keep pleading until you do."
The old man thought for a moment, and then his expression darkened.
"In other words, you plan to knock here all night?"
Fang Shuwen said, a little sheepishly:
"I’m a simple man; it’s the only way I know."
"..."
The old man took another deep breath.
"Fine, you can come in. But no matter what noises you hear tonight, you are not to come out.
"And in the morning, leave immediately.
"If you disobey in the slightest, I won’t be responsible for your lives!"
"Alright."
Fang Shuwen nodded immediately.
"Thank you, old sir."
With a CREAK, the old man slowly opened the door.
Fang Shuwen ducked inside first, followed closely by Long Qingzhi.
The old man was about to close the door when Fang Shuwen said:
"Wait, wait, there’s more."
As he spoke, Fang Dabao’s enormous head nudged its way in.
It was clutching a bamboo stalk, its leaves sweeping the ground with a RUSTLE, RUSTLE.
The old man was dumbfounded.
"What... is that?"
"Oh, that’s my disciple."
Fang Shuwen said with a smile.
"A very studious Iron-Eating Beast."
"!!!"
The old man stared at Fang Shuwen as if to say, ’Are you messing with me?’ His face, usually rather grim, was stretched smooth by shock, erasing his wrinkles.
After finally confirming the creature was indeed with Fang Shuwen, he composed himself and turned around.
"Follow me..."
He produced a single lantern from somewhere and walked forward, swaying unsteadily.
It was impossible to tell what the internal layout of Cuizhu Mountain Villa was like, but the path from the entrance inward was surrounded by groves of trees and their shadows.
The rustling shadows cast on the ground looked like a chaotic dance of demons.
The old man was stooped, and his single lantern illuminated only a tiny area. Instead of brightening the surroundings, it only added to the gloomy atmosphere.
Long Qingzhi was a little scared, but Fang Shuwen couldn’t help but say:
"Old sir, old sir!"
The old man froze and turned to give Fang Shuwen a sinister look.
"What do you have to say now?"
Fang Shuwen said with a light laugh:
"I was just thinking, for this atmosphere, you should really be carrying a lantern with a green flame. It would be more fitting."
"..."
The old man pondered for a moment.
"You youngster, you’re just talking nonsense. How would one make a flame burn green?"
"Find a handful of phosphorus powder and sprinkle it in."
Fang Shuwen said:
"I guarantee, it’ll be ridiculously green."
The old man was taken aback.
"Really?"
"Look at me. Would I lie to you about something like this?"
Fang Shuwen said with a smile.
"..."
The old man nodded.
"I’ll try it later."
Long Qingzhi was stunned speechless. ’What is going on? The old man is actually going to try it?’
’Brother Fang, stop teaching him such weird things!’
Long Qingzhi couldn’t help but look at Fang Dabao, only to find that Fang Dabao’s normally clear eyes also seemed to be pondering it...
’This is bad!’
’Brother Fang has corrupted Fang Dabao!!’
Perhaps because he had received Fang Shuwen’s "secret technique," the old man’s attitude was much better when Fang Shuwen struck up another conversation with him.
Their conversation was just idle chatter, however.
He absolutely refused to mention anything about the villa or its master.
As they continued on, Fang Shuwen’s nose twitched; he kept smelling a faint scent of medicine.
The old man was clearly not taking them on the main path. They wound their way past rockeries and pavilions, passed through several courtyards, and finally stopped at the door of a room.
"Tonight, you’ll rest here.
"Remember, no matter what you encounter tonight, do not come out."
The old man said sinisterly.
"Got it."
Fang Shuwen replied.
"But old sir, what exactly goes on in this villa at night? Is it haunted?"
"It’s haunted by the living!"
The old man shot Fang Shuwen a harsh glare, then turned and left.
Fang Shuwen smiled faintly and looked back at Long Qingzhi. He was a little taken aback when he saw her terrified expression and pale face.
"You actually believed him?"
"...Even if I don’t, it’s still scary."
Long Qingzhi said, still shaken.
"If it’s haunted by the living, then... then that old sir just now, wasn’t he a living person?"
"He’s alive. He can’t even make green fire."
"That’s true."
Long Qingzhi was suddenly convinced by Fang Shuwen.
’If he can’t even conjure green fire, he’s definitely not a ghost.’
But she quickly realized something.
"Brother Fang, why would a ghost conjure green fire?"
"How would I know? I’ve never seen one."
After saying that, Fang Shuwen pushed open the door and went straight inside.
Long Qingzhi stood frozen on the spot for a moment. Only when a cold wind blew past did she scurry into the room.
