Chapter 45: Rainstorm Wild Temple 7
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Compared to the cold and desolate outside where heavy rain was pouring, the Mountain God Temple felt exceptionally warm and cozy inside, with bright lights dispelling the anxieties of the people and making them relax.
However, because the Mountain God Temple, though relatively spacious, had limited rooms, they couldn’t provide one room per person. The middle-aged man turned around and tried to arrange things, but there was only enough bedding for six rooms.
His hunched body bent slightly, showing a trace of embarrassment. “The bedding during the rainy season tends to get damp. It’s not very conducive to sleeping. A while ago, when the sun was out for a short time, I only managed to dry out these few beds, which is enough for six large beds. Moreover, although there are rooms nearby, some of them were used for storing grain before, and now they are occupied by little creatures from the mountains. It wouldn’t be right to drive them away at this late hour, the Mountain God wouldn’t approve.”
“Everyone, how about you squeeze in for now?”
When this was suggested, the female actress who had occupied what she thought was the best room with her luggage seemed displeased. “Do you know who I am? Don’t you recognize me? You want me to squeeze in?”
There were a total of six rooms, and with eight guests, a tour guide, an assistant director, and the two village brothers nearby, that made it ten people. In such a case, it would inevitably mean that two people had to share one room.
As only Bai Shuang and the female actress were both females, they were the ones who had to share a room.
Hearing the actress’s complaint, Bai Shuang, who had been providing updates on the current situation to her audience with a sweet smile, lost her patience.
“What do you mean by that?”
Unlike the recently popular female actress, Bai Shuang has been famous for a long time. Even though she didn’t usually act like a big star, that “star quality” had long seeped into her character. When she spoke with a serious tone, even though she didn’t raise her voice like the actress, her aura was undeniable.
“Look here, we’re not in a hotel right now. There is no waitstaff here to cater to your every whim. If you can’t manage to stay in this spacious temple, you’re free to leave. As Brother Yan said, we can’t fit a Buddha in here.”
The actress didn’t expect Bai Shuang, who had been ignoring her until now, to suddenly confront her, especially in front of the camera. She hesitated for a couple of seconds before reacting and then angrily extended her long, manicured fingers towards Bai Shuang. “You…”
“Eh? Hey hey hey, let’s not argue, okay? We’re all grown-ups here. You ladies can share a room.”
A man who had previously gone to the side to have a drink with the middle-aged man, whom he was familiar with, saw that an argument was brewing and quickly came over to mediate. He also offered the room he had originally intended to sleep in.
The actress was still unhappy and wanted to say more, but she suddenly felt a chilling gaze from Yan Shixun, which sent a shiver down her spine.
For some reason, she felt a certain apprehension when facing Yan Shixun, unlike other people who she believed should envy her current popularity and fame. It was as if everything she possessed and was proud of was insignificant in Yan Shixun’s eyes. He had his own world and vast territory. In his eyes, she was even smaller than the nearby plants and trees.
“Aren’t you planning to take a bath?”
Yan Shixun’s gaze shifted down and landed on the actress’s luggage, which seemed more complicated than the others. Then, he sneered, “If you don’t want to bathe, let someone else go first. There’s only one bathing area in this temple, you shouldn’t complain if you find out it’s been used by someone else when you get there.”
Although his words were straightforward and not pleasant to hear, they both gave the actress a way out and eased the tense atmosphere.
The actress breathed a sigh of relief and quickly carried her belongings to the backmost bathroom of the Mountain God Temple.
After she left, the others began to redistribute the rooms. However, because she had left in such a hurry, she didn’t see the subtle, disdainful glances from the other guests. They didn’t seem to envy her popularity and fan following as much as she had believed.
Apart from Bai Shuang, who had become a well-known idol and singer, and was used to being in the spotlight, the other guests either had years of experience in the entertainment industry and had seen through the transient nature of popularity, or they were like Song Ci, who came from a wealthy family and treated top stars and lesser-known actors equally. In their eyes, she wasn’t as impressive as she had thought.
Her attitude, in their eyes, was just a brief burst of arrogance after her recent rise to fame. They believed that she would learn to be
Anthony did consider speaking up for the female actress to show his care and consideration toward girls on his split-screen camera. However, just as he began to smile, he was met with a glance from Yan Shixun, causing him to quickly retract his offer.
After the small disturbance, everyone started to allocate rooms again.
The female actress didn’t want to share a room with Bai Shuang, and Bai Shuang didn’t think highly of her either. So, the two girls decided to take separate rooms, leaving the remaining five rooms to be shared in pairs.
Anthony initially tried to approach An Nanyuan, wanting to share a room with him, planning to use the split-screen livestream to subtly showcase to the audience that he and An Nanyuan were sharing a room as if it were unintentional.
Tomorrow, he will buy another hot search topic and market his close relationship with the top-tier senior, promoting himself as the designated successor favored by the top idol group. Maybe he will even purchase a few promotional accounts to subtly suggest that An Nanyuan likes him, that they always have to appear together on variety shows, and that he insists on sharing a room with him.
Though Anthony looked down on An Nanyuan, thinking he was already past his prime and too submissive and gullible, believing in all sorts of supernatural nonsense, he was willing to endure it for the sake of An Nanyuan’s massive fanbase.
However, Anthony hadn’t taken more than a few steps when An Nanyuan read his intentions from his expression.
So, An Nanyuan took the initiative to grab Song Ci and, while the young master was still in a daze, pulled him into the nearest room. He threw his mountaineering bag onto the bed and then casually lay down.
“Ah, I’m so tired… Young Master, don’t worry, I sleep really well, and I absolutely don’t snore.”
Song Ci: “???”
Mountain God Temple’s accommodations were considered good, but only in comparison to the low expectations of a rural cottage. It couldn’t be compared to city hotels.
The room had minimal decoration, with only a two-meter-wide bed that could fit two or three people. It was typically used by passing villagers seeking rest or by those staying during temple festivals. There weren’t many amenities.
At this moment, Song Ci looked at the large bed with his youthful face turning re. It wasn’t clear whether it was due to disdain or embarrassment.
But he knew this was a variety show, it was something he had requested himself, so he wore a disgruntled expression but didn’t argue and accepted sharing a room with An Nanyuan.
Anthony’s face turned incredibly unpleasant, but in front of the camera and the others, he couldn’t reveal his original plan, so he had to endure and share a room with another third-rate male celebrity.
—This was still a somewhat noteworthy person, better than the others who had either faded into obscurity or weren’t suitable for marketing.
An Nanyuan glanced at Anthony from the corner of his eye and let out a mocking smile.
They were all foxes who had climbed up through talent shows in the entertainment industry. Why bother with any pretense of discussing supernatural tales with him? Did he think he couldn’t see through their intentions? Even if he hadn’t done these things himself, he had surely seen others from his era do so. What was he trying to pretend?
The rest of the people had settled into their rooms without much controversy, but it was only when it came to Yan Shixun… Just when everyone thought there wouldn’t be any issues with Yan Shixun, it got stuck at this point.
He stood in the main hall with a stern expression, in a subtle standoff with the assistant director on the other side, refusing to budge.
The assistant director, wearing a cap that obscured his face from view, seemed to find Yan Shixun’s expression amusing and let out a soft laugh.
This laughter made Yan Shixun’s gaze suddenly become even sharper, as if he was unhappy with the other person’s indifference, and became even more determined not to back down.
Sharing a bed with a stranger…
Even if he hadn’t been abandoned at the marketplace by his parents, he had never slept with them before. After he was taken in by his master, he became even more independent. From birth until now, he had never shared a bed with anyone!
Just the thought of it gave Yan Shixun goosebumps on his arms and made him feel disgusted.
Especially now, having to share a bed with a stranger whom he found strange and particularly wary of.
“Go sleep in the room, I’ll find another place.”
Noticing the covert glances from people nearby who thought they were being discreet, Yan Shixun suddenly realized they were in the countryside. So, he opted for a different plan and didn’t intend to compromise himself.
——Even though the bed was two meters wide, sleeping on separate sides meant they wouldn’t even touch each other.
But Yan Shixun still felt uncomfortable.
As Yan Shixun walked past the assistant director, the man, relying on his tall stature and long arms, suddenly reached out and grabbed Yan Shixun’s wrist before he could react. It happened so quickly that Yan Shixun couldn’t break free from his powerful grip.
The man’s long fingers were incredibly strong, and Yan Shixun, in his astonishment, struggled but couldn’t escape his grasp.
The man’s fingers had a pale color as if they hadn’t seen sunlight for years, and beneath the fair skin, one could even see the flow of blue and red veins. They exuded an undeniable sense of immense strength, but they were as cold as if they had just come out of an ice cellar.
This caused Yan Shixun’s body to shiver involuntarily from the cold.
“Where are you planning to sleep?” The man’s deep, magnetic voice tinged with a smile as he asked, “On a stormy night like this, aren’t you afraid of catching a cold if you don’t stay in the room? The living body is quite fragile. A small mishap and you might end up underground.”
Why would someone refer to a person as the “living”? Is it to emphasize their identity, to emphasize his own identity, or does it subconsciously suggest that he is not the “living”?
A hint of doubt slid through Yan Shixun’s mind.
But he didn’t have too much time to dwell on this. His focus was on breaking free from the man’s grip.
Yan Shixun’s expression remained cold. “I’m not accustomed to sleeping with strangers.”
“Why?” The man wasn’t satisfied with this answer and continued, “I have good sleeping habits, and I don’t snore.”
Just now, he saw that after a person called An Nanyuan, who was the ‘living’, said this to the person beside them, the person agreed to share a room with An Nanyuan.
Yan Shixun: “…”
Whether you snore or not is none of my business. I simply dislike you, understand? It has nothing to do with whether you snore or not.
“Then I won’t share a room with anyone else.”
In the face of the man’s curious gaze, Yan Shixun stared at that handsome face with a sharp, cold, and eerie aura, forcing a false smile. “I have a bad habit—I like to murder in my dreams.”
The man: “……”
The others who were eavesdropping: “……”
The audience, who had originally been curious and squatting in front of their screens waiting for an answer, also shuddered.
[Brother Yan is truly remarkable, his hobbies are different from everyone else’s. Brother Yan is amazing!]”
The man gave a wry smile and momentarily relaxed his grip. This slight lapse in his grip allowed Yan Shixun, who had been vigilant, to seize the opportunity to reverse the situation. He swiftly grabbed the man’s wrist, applied force, and with a crisp “crack,” he dislocated the man’s wrist, freeing himself from the man’s grasp.
In the astonished eyes of the man, Yan Shixun once again held the man’s wrist, exerting force with another “crack,” and restored the man’s wrist back to its original position.
The entire process took less than five seconds. Those who had been peeking from behind the door with their peripheral vision felt like they had witnessed a blur of movement. Before they could fully comprehend what had happened, Yan Shixun was already several steps away from the assistant director.
Everyone: ??? What just happened? Did I imagine that?
The man raised his slender arm to inspect his own wrist, but there was no sign of anger on his face. Instead, a faint smile played at the corners of his eyes, as if he found this situation rather amusing.
Yan Shixun snorted coldly, trying to bypass the man and enter the main hall of the Mountain God Temple, where the deity statues were enshrined.
He couldn’t shake the strange feeling this Mountain God Temple gave him. Despite all the architectural details and the middle-aged Taoist who managed the temple behaving normally, he could still sense the presence of a deity here. However, inexplicably, he couldn’t ignore the underlying restlessness in his heart, as if something was amiss.
The man, however, raised his slender arm and directly blocked Yan Shixun’s path.
“The bed is yours, and the room is yours. I’ll find another place.”
He said in a low, but no longer icy tone. Instead, his voice carried a teasing tone as he continued, “I don’t want to wake up tomorrow morning and find you frozen to death in some corner.”
Without waiting for Yan Shixun’s refusal, the man withdrew his hand and took a few steps back.
Yan Shixun: “…”
By saying that, you’re making me seem petty, just like that actress who doesn’t like sharing a room with others… How annoying! I want to punch someone!
He stared at the man for a while, suppressed his irritation, and decided not to say anything more to him. Instead, he turned and continued walking towards the main hall of the Mountain God Temple.
The tense atmosphere that had just been on the verge of erupting suddenly relaxed and dissipated into the air.
The guests who had been sneakily observing couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
“Um, assistant brother.”
The variety show celebrity pushed open his room door, chuckled, and approached the tall man who was still standing there. He said, “Why don’t you come sleep in my room? The bed is two meters wide. Even if there are three guys, we can fit comfortably. It’s actually quite spacious.”
The man heard the voice, and it wasn’t until Yan Shixun’s figure disappeared from his line of sight that he slightly turned his head. His dark eyes, shielded by the brim of his cap, remained unblinking as he fixed his gaze on the variety show celebrity.
He exuded an aura of authority and aloofness, a demeanor cultivated over years of being in a top position.
The overpowering presence made the variety show celebrity’s waist involuntarily bend for a moment. If he hadn’t been holding onto the door frame, he might have almost collapsed to the ground.
Isn’t this just an assistant? Why does he give me a more terrifying feeling than meeting entertainment company bosses and those TV station executives?
Thoughts swirled in the variety show celebrity’s mind.
Meanwhile, the man withdrew his gaze indifferently, his voice icy. “I have a habit when I sleep.”
“I tend to murder in my dreams.”
As soon as these words were uttered, the temperature in the room suddenly dropped by a couple of degrees, and everyone involuntarily shivered.
Even the viewers watching the livestream gasped for breath, feeling as though an eerie chill had spread through their screens, making them shiver uncontrollably.
[What’s going on with this guy? His words don’t sound like a joke at all; it feels like he’s serious.]
[Oh my God, isn’t he just an assistant director? Why does he have such a strong presence? Am I mistaken? Or has the entertainment industry become so intense that even assistant directors have to be extraordinary?]
[I would believe it if you say he’s the bodyguard the production team hired with a hefty sum. Did you see those muscle lines when he reached out just now? I think he could knock me out with a single punch, just like Brother Yan.]
[This presence is scarier than even my top boss. What’s his real identity? Is he really just an assistant director? Unbelievable.]
……
While everyone was busy setting up their beds and preparing for baths, Yan Shixun moved silently and swiftly through the central courtyard of the temple, his tall and sturdy figure landing soundlessly in the main hall of the Mountain God Temple.
In a small room next to the main hall, a middle-aged Taoist sat around a table with two villagers. These two villagers had just given up their rooms for the guests, so they had sought refuge in the Taoist’s room for the night. The three of them were chatting and laughing, appearing to have a good relationship. They had also taken out some liquor to pass the time on this boring night.
The light from inside the room filtered through the rain curtain and illuminated the courtyard, creating a blurry scene. Even their shadows appeared elongated and not quite human.
Yan Shixun’s peripheral vision swiftly passed over them, ensuring that the middle-aged Taoist wouldn’t suddenly rush over. Satisfied that there was no immediate danger, he confidently concealed his presence in the main hall, fading into the darkness.
Inside the main hall, there were festive decorations everywhere, with red draperies and colorful banners, giving the impression of a joyous and lively celebration, as if a temple fair or a Mountain God festival had just concluded.
However, under the dim and faint light, the red hues appeared extremely eerie.
The colorful character paintings covering the walls seemed to converge from all directions, directing their gaze toward the only living person within the main hall.
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