'Wei-gongzi, are you okay?' Xiao XingChen was the first one to ask him as he was nursing his ears.

'I am fine, Shishu. It's just that, I am a bit startled. ' Wei Ying answered, still trying to figure out something in his mind.

'What do you think about all those sounds?' Wen Ruohan was the next one to ask after a long silence.

'They sound pretty horrible.' Wen Chao replied in a whining tone while still trying to nurse his ears.

'Thank you for stating the obvious, Mr. Genius.' His father replied back in a sarcastic tone, completely shutting him off. Wen Chao kept grumbling under his breath at the clear show of favoritism, but it's not like he could change it.

Wei Ying, on the other hand, had been sitting in silence till now. When he slightly raised his head, he saw the expectant eyes of everybody on him. Sighing tiredly as if those sounds took away what little energy he had, he said, 'Look, I don't know much about them because they surprised me too. But as much as I can discern, they are the side effects of practicing resentful energy. (When everyone continued giving him looks) What? You did not think that demonic cultivation came without its own dangers, right?'

'Of course, we know that it has dangers. But what we want to know is what exactly are those sounds?' Lan QiRen quipped in.

'Well... then I do have some ideas, but let's see if they explain it in the simulation. If not, then I will tell you.' Wei Ying replied, and they all sat back relaxing for a short while. A bunch of snacks appeared, and almost everyone digged in, even the Lans, except Lan SiZhui, who got up from his seat and addressed the room at large, 'Ummm... excuse me, I needed to talk to Jin Ling about an event from our timeline privately. I hope you all don't mind.

'Of course not. Go ahead. I am sure it's very important and you can't discuss it in front of us. So go ahead.' YanLi gave them permission, and off they went.

JingYi and ZiZhen looked at each with frowns marring their faces and kept thinking, 'What's with all the secrecy? They did not even call us.'

In the junior's room

As soon as they entered the room, SiZhui took Jin Ling by surprise and pinned him on the wall beside the door, pulling his lips into a deep bruising kiss. Jin Ling, surprised by the sudden kiss, was unable to respond at first. It was only when he felt SiZhui's desperate touches to make sure he was okay that Jin Ling began reciprocating it with just as much passion. A while later, they finally broke apart and took a long breath while putting their foreheads together and inhaling each other.

'A-Ling, why have you never told me about Xinglu Ridge? I do respect your privacy, but I thought we had a clear discussion about not hiding injuries, past, present, and even future, and you agreed. So what is all this I am seeing now? I don't even know if you were okay or not there. 'SiZhui reprimanded him in a stern voice.

He knew it was an unreasonable request to know about someone's past of which he wasn't even a part of. But, he was wary. It's not his fault that he tended to lose family since a young age. Earlier, he might have no memories of his days as Wen Yuan. But the feeling of abandonment and separation was still there. He just couldn't help it, and Jin Ling understood it well. So, he took SiZhui by his hand and made him sit on the bed while placing himself on his A-Yuan's lap.

He caressed SiZhui's face without saying anything. Removing the frowns from his forehead, Jin Ling kissed him between the brows and said in a very tender voice, 'A-Yuan, let me be very honest. Things are going down south after this in the next part. But you have to remember that I am fine and sitting in my favorite seat while kissing you right now.'

Sizhui heard him clearly. But he took time to process it all. His brain was on overdrive with all, the emotions clumping together over there. 5 minutes later, when he was finally relaxed enough - by innumerable persuasion from Jin Ling over their shared mind link and few kisses all over hus face and neck- to get up and tidy himself.

Sizhui turned towards Jin Ling for the final time before going out, 'A-Ling, baobei, please remember, you aren't just someone for me. We are soulmates. I agree, my life hasn't been easy, and people have left me alone time and time again, even though it was never their fault. But, my heart is already very fragile after going through all those separtion. It can't handle one more. So please take care of yourself. Only in that way, can you love me the most.'

SiZhui wasn't one who would open up his fears to someone so easily. So, for him to take this step was already an act of immense bravery, and Jin Ling couldn't disappoint him. So he pulled SiZhui into a hug, leaving no air space between them.

'A-Yuan, I promise, I won't leave you alone ever. You will always find me next to you, be it today, tomorrow, or any day in the future.' He whispered in his ears while placing short pecks from his ear to his cheeks to his neck and finally coming up for one last kiss on his lips before they left for the simulation room.
****************
Back in the room, everybody was looking forward to the mystery of those horrible sounds. So they were impatiently waiting for the boys to arrive. With every minute that passed, they began wondering what those two were up to.

Finally, ten minutes later when they appeared, JingYi was the first one to open his mouth to ask them, 'Hey, what were the two so busy with? You didnt even call us. What's all this secrecy? You shouldn't keep secrets from us, right Zizhen?'

He looked at his friend for support, who, on the other hand, was busy staring at the young couple. His mind ran a mile and minute, figuring out what they were up to. He wasn't an all time romantic and a sucker for romances, for nothing. He smirked but did not say a word to them, putting those two on edge.

JingYi and the others never got their answers because the screen flared up, leaving the couple to breathe a sigh of relief, but not for long. As soon as the simulation started, the horrible noise began once again.

The noise came from all around them.

It was an ocean of whispers, rustles, and giggles, from in front and behind, above and below. The voices involved both male and female, old and young, loud and quiet. Wei WuXian could even hear a few fragmented sentences, but they came and went, not allowing him to catch any specific words.

It really was too loud.

It was true for the viewers, too, and for the first time in their lives, they could empathize with Wei WuXian rather than showing forced emotions or just pouring sympathy for him. It was truly unbearable for them to hear that monstrosity for so long.

'But, why the noise? I still don't understand why only Wei-gongzi can hear it?' ZiXuan asked around in confusion.

'It must be the side effects of demonic cultivation. As I am proficient in using resentful energy, it must be because I can hear their pleas and resentments. I guess only if I free them from their attachment on earth that they can ascend or finally enter the reincarnation cycle. So, I think it's the price you pay for cultivating resentful energy.' Wei Ying replied with a shrug as if it was the most common thing in the world.

'Wei-gongzi, with the ease that you uttered the words, I want to remind you that they aren't your kin or someone close. So why even bother whether they enter the reincarnation cycle or not? Why suffer through something just for some strangers.... nah... some wandering spirits? Aren't there numerous of them just existing for centuries? Why put yourself in such a deplorable state?' Song Lan asked genuinely. This might be the longest he had spoken in the room.

Wei Ying chuckled and replied, 'I don't think, being deplorable is someone's choice. But then, we are cultivators at the end of the day. We aren't commoners who can't deal with the spirits. We are the medium between both of them. Isn't it our duty to maintain peace without powers? Why abuse our powers when we can't even help someone with them? Look, I am not someone great or a very powerful immortal. The least I can do is help someone in need. The common people will approach us when they need help, but what about those spirits. Who is gonna help them? So, if that is the price I pay for demonic cultivation, I may as well take it up. At least I will be true to my oath as a cultivator. (The idiot that Jin GuangShan is, he had opened his mouth to spout some more nonsense regarding Wei Ying's last line, when Lan JunHie secretly cast the silencing spell on him. His explanation: It was truly a pain to hear his driveling voice). But then, there must be a reason why playing with resentful energy is such a taboo. Until and unless I don't figure out most of it, I won't be attempting it in this life.'

At his declaration, most of the present older generation looked at each other. Wei Ying might have said that he wasn't great. But his aspirations and the way he thought out things clearly indicated that he was definitely on the path to be a great immortal one day if he didnt fall for demonic cultivation once again.

Wei WuXian continued to press on his temple with one hand and used the other to grab a palm- sized Compass of Evil from the Qiankun Bag. The pointers on the compass shakily spun two times, then started to spin faster and faster.

A few moments later, it spun madly around!

The viewers looked on in nervousness and anxiety as they couldn't handle the sounds Wei WuXian was hearing any longer. It was a miracle how the older one on the screen was still standing without much ado and still trying to save someone.

Last time, on Dafan Mountain, it had already been strange when the Compass of Evil didn't find the direction. This time, it went as far as to spin all by itself, without pausing for a single moment. This situation was even more unbelievable than the pointers not moving at all!

The foreboding shadow in Wei WuXian's heart grew denser. He called out loud, "Jin Ling!"

The two had already walked for a while inside the stone castle, but they hadn't seen anyone.

Yanli was growing more worried every passing second and never even realized when she had taken ZiXuan's hands who were sitting on the couch next to hers. ZiXuan himself was watching without blinking his eyes and squeezed her hand with just as much worry.

Wei WuXian had shouted a few times without receiving any reply. The first stone rooms were all empty, but, as they went in deeper, in the center of one of the rooms, there was a black coffin.

It was quite odd for a coffin to appear here.

MingJue's palm started sweating, looking at the coffin. It was such a breach in the privacy that he had this weird urge to gouge out something. His bad temper was no less even without his spiritual power.

However, the wood used was a deep black, and the shape was also crafted in a skilled way. Seeing this, Wei WuXian had an exceptionally strong affinity toward it. He couldn't help but pat it a few times. The wood was sturdy, and the sound was firm. He praised it, "What a nice coffin."

'Not the time Wei-xiong...' Huaisang muttered as he took in his brother's rising temper, and Wei WuXian's comment didn't help at all.

Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian stood on opposite sides of the coffin. After passing a look between them, they extended their arms at the same time and opened the lid.

The viewers, all except MingJue, were quite eager to know what was inside. They were all almost on the edge of their seats in anticipation.

The moment the lid was opened, the noise around them suddenly multiplied, flooding through Wei WuXian's ears in the manner of tidal water. It was as if, before this, they were secretly watched by countless pairs of eyes-the owners of the eyes silently monitored and discussed every word they spoke, every action they performed, and suddenly became agitated as they saw that the coffin was about to be opened.

Wei WuXian thought of a few dozen possibilities, already prepared to fend against strong odours of rancidity, stretching claws of monsters, an overflow of poisonous water, toxic smoke that dispersed quickly, or attacks from resentful spectres. Of course, his greatest wish was to see Jin Ling. Despite this, nothing happened. Nothing.

Surprisingly, this was an empty coffin.

As much as YanLi wished the same as Wei Ying, she also sighed in relief, looking at the empty coffin because it meant that Jin Ling was still alive and okay somewhere.

Sizhui wasn't much different in his state of mind. His hold over Jin Ling's hand was as tight as ever. His mind was on an overdrive praying for his beloved's safety.

Jin Ling was on a completely different track, though. He was actually quite shocked with how much Wei WuXian worried for him even though they weren't on exactly good terms with each other. It warmed his heart as well as the guilt at having stabbed that same da-jiu increased tenfold. But it's not like he could do much now. He would have to make up to him when they went back home.

Wei WuXian was a bit startled, but also a bit disappointed at the fact that Jin Ling wasn't stuck in here. Lan WangJi went slightly nearer. Bichen unsheathed by itself for a few inches, its cold light shining on the bottom of the coffin.

Only then, did Wei WuXian notice how it wasn't that the coffin was empty, but that the object inside was a lot smaller than what he had expected, and hid inside the deepest part of the coffin.

Inside the coffin, there lay a long sword.

Everyone gasped at the wierd, burying rituals, and looked at Mingjue, who was deliberately looking at the screen in extreme concentration. When he saw them still staring at him after a few minutes, he snapped, 'What?? What are you guys looking at me for. It's not like as if the simulation won't tell you guys already, like the bastard it is (murmuring the last part to himself).'

Everyone felt a slight bit ashamed at all the gawking, but it's not like they could help themselves. After all, it's not every day you see swords and sabers being cremated instead of bodies.

The sword had no sheath. The hilt seemed to have been cast from gold, appearing to be quite heavy in weight. Its body was slender, and its blade shone. Resting on a layer of red cloth at the bottom of the coffin, it reflected a bloody shade of scarlet, emitting a chilling air of destruction.

A sword was put inside a coffin instead of a corpse. There really wasn't anywhere peculiar about these stone castles in the Xinglu Ridge, revealing mysteries every step they took.

'For a great sect, you seem quite mysterious, Nie-zongzhu.' Wen Ruohan snickered at him, raising his blood pressure. Mingjue wished for Baxia to be with him at these times when he wanted to gut this Wen bastard.

QiRen really wanted to smack Ruohan's head into the wall and be done with it. But then, that treacherous heart of his would shudder at the possibility of a world without Ruohan. They both might not be together anymore, but he didn't want Ruohan to be completely obliterated from the world. QiRen could breathe freely because his heart knew that his A-Han was alive and breathing somewhere. He didn't know how his future self was faring in the world where his soulmate no longer existed.

Ruohan could feel his emotions through their link and was overwhelmed with them. He had been playing around his old lover, but somewhere deep in his heart, he knew it for sure that there was no possibility of A-Ren ever loving him like before. But now that he was faced with the intensity of QiRen's feelings for himself, Ruohan was speechless.

The two closed the coffin lid and continued walking. They found other coffins like this in some other rooms. Looking at the texture of the wood, their ages were all different. And, within every coffin, there was a long sword. Even until they went inside the last room, there still wasn't any trace of Jin Ling. Wei WuXian closed the lid of the coffin, feeling slightly worried.

'Where are you, my baby?' ZiXuan was worriedly muttering under his breath. But Yanli heard him anyway. It brought her immense relief that the break in their budding relationship did not change his feelings towards A-Ling. He was different from her parents, who had projected their feelings regarding their partners on their children, which was so wrong on so many levels. It made her so happy that her heart fluttered for him, who was such a good person. Though they were in a stalemate right now, she also knew that they would make up very soon.

Seeing his knitted eyebrows, Lan WangJi thought for a moment, put the guqin horizontally on the coffin, and raised his hand. A melody poured from his fingers.

'INQUIRY! Good call WangJi. ' Lan JunHie appreciated his son. It wasn't something big, but he hadn't praised him for anything for years.

'Eh! But what is inquiry, by the way?' Meng Yao asked in a small voice, but that was enough to put Jin Ling on edge who was deceived by that same soft voice from the get-go.

'Am sure the simulation will explain is Meng-gongzi. It not, I will tell you.' XiChen replied with that trademark smile of his, which completely unnerved SiZhui as he had seen such an exchange before when he was young and Jin GuangYao used to visit his bofu in Cloud Recess.

He only played a short excerpt and then took his right hand away from the guqin. He stared attentively at the still-vibrating strings.
Suddenly, the strings quivered, and one note sounded on its own. Wei WuXian asked, "Inquiry?"

Inquiry was a famous piece composed by an ancestor in the GusuLan Sect. Different from evocation, it was used when the victim's identity was unknown and there wasn't a medium.

The player used notes of the guqin to inquire, asking questions to the victim, while the victim's answers would be transformed into melodies by inquiry and shown on the strings.

If the strings vibrated on their own, it meant that Lan WangJi had already brought a spirit in the castle here. After this, the two would start asking and answering using the language of the guqin.

The language of the guqin was a special skill unique to the GusuLan Sect. Although Wei WuXian knew a wide variety of things, there were still some that he was unable to learn, such as the language of the guqin. He whispered, "HanGuang-Jun, help me ask what this place is, what it is for, and who built it."

As he mastered the language, without any hesitation, Lan WangJi confidently played a few limpid notes. After a few moments, the strings played two notes on their own. Wei WuXian quickly asked, "What did it say?"

Lan WangJi, "I do not know."

Wei WuXian, "What?"

'Eh! How can you not know? Didn't you master the guqin skills?' Wei Ying looked at Lan Zhan in question, who gave him a deadpanned look but did not deign him with an answer.

Unsatisfied at the response, Wei Ying pouted like the brat he was, and Lan Zhan wished he could ravish that pout away.

'What?! What the hell am I even thinking? Where did these shameless thoughts come from? These can't be mine, I can't look at Wei Ying that way. He might not even like men in general, and he definitely doesn't like me. Arggggghhhh..... why is my brain already in the gutter?' Lan Zhan thought in anguish but did not let even a single emotion slip onto his face.

Lan WangJi replied in an unhurried manner, "It said, 'I do not know'."

"..."

'Oh,' Wei Ying's mouth ended up in a 'O' as he realized what that meant and grinned like an idiot while rubbing his nose cutely.

Lan Zhan had to make an effort consciously to not think about what all situations would lead Wei Ying's pouty lips to end up in the same state once again.

Wei WuXian looked at him, suddenly remembering a conversation about "whatever" a few years ago. Touching his nose, he was at a loss for words, and thought, Lan Zhan is so bright. He even learned how to make me speechless.

'Huh... that seems like a lifetime away now, in very literal terms.' Wei Ying chuckled, remembering the conversation about Suibian. At the reminder that this was Wei Ying's second life, they were all quite somber. Lan Zhan even forgot to think about the change in his behavior. But Wei Ying was very concerned about it.

'Say Lan Zhan, did my death change you so much that you are now such a different person? Hmm... hmmm...???' Wei Ying asked, jest filling his tone.

Lan Zhan did not deign him with an answer, but somewhere in his heart, he knew that it was the truth. Wei Ying's death must have accelerated something in him to change so much because even tens or thousands of wars could change much in him. He was already an ice block, as was referred to in general.

To be honest, it wasn't like he wouldn't change, but more like he had nothing left in him to change. He was already emotionless; what else could a war change in him. But Wei Ying must have some profound effect on him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have changed so much after his death. This seemed to be the only plausible explanation.

With the first question unanswered, Lan WangJi played another sentence. The strings responded again, with the same two notes as before. Wei WuXian could tell that, this time, the answer was "I don't know" as well.

He asked, "What did you ask it, this time?"

Lan WangJi, "How it died."

Wei WuXian, "If it was secretly killed when it was not paying attention, then it'd explain why it doesn't know how it died. Why don't you ask it if it knows who killed it?"

Lan WangJi raised his hands to play another phrase. Yet, the answer was the same two notes- "I don't know".

Everyone was confused at the answers. After all, what kind of a spirit doesn't know who killed it or how it died. Something was wrong with it. Huaisang, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes at Jin Ling, who sat way straighter than normal. Something was amiss.

It was a spirit who had been trapped here, yet it didn't know where this was, how it died, and who killed it. This was also Wei WuXian's first time meeting such a deceased person.

With a change of thought, he spoke again, "Then, let's ask something else. Ask him whether it's a man or a woman. There's no way that it doesn't know this."

The elders all nodded their heads as they heard Wei Ying's question, as if he could see their approval. Anyway, it didn't matter much because they were all too engrossed in the mystery to use their own brains and figure out who the spirit was. It was actually a very easy guess if you just took a look at Jin Ling, who was stiff like a rod, yet his hands shook like leaves rustling in wind.

Lan WangJi did as he was told. After he took away his hands, another string sounded in a strong way. Lan WangJi translated, "A man."

Wei WuXian, "We finally know about something, huh? Ask again whether or not a boy of fifteen or sixteen entered here."

It answered, "Yes."

Yanli, ZiXuan, Jiang Cheng, Wei Ying, and SiZhui's heart rate increased at the answer. Jin Ling was growing red in the face as he couldn't just believe that he was trapped there of his own volition.

Wei WuXian asked again, "Then where is he right now?"

The strings paused for a moment, then replied. Wei WuXian hurried to ask, "What did he say?"

Lan WangJi's face was solemn, "It said, 'Right here.'"

Wei WuXian was dumbfounded.

"Here" probably referred to this stone castle. But, before this, they searched through the whole place and hadn't seen Jin Ling. Wei WuXian spoke, "It can't lie, right?"

Lan WangJi, "I am here, so it cannot."

Indeed, it couldn't.

The person inquiring was HanGuang-Jun.

'Quite confident of you, HanGuang-Jun.' Wen Ruohan teased the young man with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Lan Zhan didn't deign him an answer and just gave him a deadpanned look as if telling him to "fuck off. It is none of your business. "

Still Ruohan chuckled at the look he was given. It was so reminiscent of a young QiRen that he couldn't help the chuckles leaving his mouth. Also, Lan WangJi resembled Lan QiRen more than Lan JunHie.

Under his control, the spirit who came was unable to lie, and had definitely been answering the truth. Wei WuXian proceeded to search around this room, looking for any mechanisms or secret rooms that he had missed. After a thinking for a moment, he played a few more phrases. However, after he received the answer, his expression changed slightly.

As did the Lans' expressions who were sitting in the room. They all knew Inquiry and the moment they heard the answers, they were all dumbfounded and looked sneakily at the future Jin-zongzhu.

'What happened, what did it say that your expressions changed so drastically?' Jiang Cheng asked the Lans in a worried tone.

Lan XiChen felt bad for his baobei as he had bad news for him. He couldn't say anything and just looked sadly and in confusion towards Jin Ling who was sitting there with them, all fit and fine.

Seeing this, Wei WuXian asked, "What did you ask this time?"

Lan WangJi, "How old he was; where he was from."

Both of these questions were attempts to find out the identity of the spirit. Wei WuXian knew that he definitely received some sort of an unconventional answer, "How was it?" Lan WangJi, "Fifteen, from Lanling."

Wei WuXian's expression changed as well.

'A-Liiiinngggg...' Yanli almost grew hysterical at listening to the answer, as was Jin Ling, who had no idea about this conversation before. SiZhui almost hyperventilated at the thought of his A-Ling almost dying and clutched onto him tighter, trying to make himself believe that his lover was alive and breathing. It was even horrific to imagine a world without his brat.

Jin Ling, who was still coming to terms with the fact that it was his spirit that had answered the Inquiry, saw his parent's anguish and went up to them and sat in between them. Taking both their hands into his, he said, 'A-Niang, A-Die look at me. I am fine and breathing. I am okay.'

Both of them hugged him tightly trying make themselves believe that their son was okay. Few minutes later when they broke the embrace, Jin Ling said, 'Frankly speaking, this is the first time I came to know of this incident. I don't remember much after the blackout that happened as soon as I entered the castle. So this part of my spirit answering to Inquiry, I never even knew of it. Even Da-jiu and HanGuang-Jun never told me about it. So it's a first for me too. I need to ask him about this when I go back home.'

'Let it be Jin Ling,' Wei Ying interrupted him, and continued, 'There's a reason your Da-jiu didn't tell you about this. He doesn't want you to be worried about unnecessary things. You should focus on the future, rather than mulling over the past. '

'But...' Jin Ling really wanted to ask Wei WuXian, but if Wei Ying was refusing then his Da-jiu won't be much different. Afterall, they are almost the same people with just different experiences.

The soul that "Inquire" had found was Jin Ling?!
He listened intently. Amid the noise that seemed to have bombarded here, there really seemed to be a few weak shouts coming from Jin Ling. They were faint, however, and indistinct.

Lan WangJi continued to ask. Wei WuXian knew that he was asking for the precise location, so he stared fixedly at the strings of the guqin, waiting for Jin Ling's answer.

This time, the answer came a bit slower. After he finished listening, Lan WangJi spoke to Wei WuXian, "'Stand at where you are, face the southwest, and listen to the strings. After each note is played, walk forward one step. When the sound stops, it will be right in front of you.'"

Without saying a word, Wei WuXian turned toward the southwest. Behind him came seven notes of the guqin, so he walked seven steps forward. However, nothing had appeared in front of him.

The notes continued, but the pause between them grew longer and longer, and he also walked slower and slower. Another step, and another, and another... After the sixth step, the guqin finally silenced. No more notes sounded. And, before him, there was only a wall.

The wall was made of grey-white rock bricks, pieced together tightly. Wei WuXian turned around, "... He's in the wall?!"

The viewers had reached the same conclusion and were horrified. They were all looking at Jin Ling to make sure that he was real. His parents were rubbing his back and roaming their eyes all over him. His jiujiu kept sending worried glances his way. But the one that left Jin Ling helpless was SiZhui's look, who seemed to be trying very hard to look like a friend worried for his friend. But the more the time that passed, the more he resembled an anguished lover. Without Jin Ling by his side, SiZhui felt like he was flailing helplessly in a vast ocean. Even his breath was leaving in stutters now. He did not know how long he would be able to hold out without his A-Ling.

'Never knew that Young mistress Jin was in such a danger before meeting us. I hope the Heavens keep him safe. Otherwise, SiZhui will surely go on a rampage.' Zizhen muttered under his breath, but his friends heard it anyway. JingYi was confused and looked at Sizhui to confirm it. Zizhen, who had studied the lovers for a long time now, had already arrived at the conclusion that they were together. But the evidence was the hickey that Jin Ling had sported, and ZiZhen had seen it accidentally while he was rising up to go to his parents.

Sizhui thought, ' ZiZhen is not wrong right now. I am losing control over my emotions. This has never happened before. Jin Ling, please be safe.' He prayed fervently.

Bichen unsheathed. Four streaks of blue light swept past, and a neat pound sign had been carved onto the wall. The two went forward to take apart the bricks. After removing some of them, a large sheet of black dirt was exposed.

It seemed that the stone castle was made to be double-layered, filled with dirt between the two layers of hard rock. Using his bare hands, Wei WuXian dug out a large chunk of dirt.

Surrounded by the coal-black dirt, there was a human's face, eyes tightly shut.

It was the missing Jin Ling!

People with low resistance for gore almost screamed at the image. Jin Ling had stood up at that point and went to his friends because SiZhui almost lost it at that point. Had he not taken his hands and rubbed them, SiZhui surely would have broken the screen or something or the other.

YanLi, who was initially confused, relaxed at having noticed the intertwined hands of the boys. This action alone seemed to relax her a bit while everything on the screen made her want to vomit.

Having his face enveloped in dirt, as soon as it appeared, air poured into Jin Ling's mouth and nose. He immediately started to cough and breathe. As Wei WuXian saw that he was still alive, his heart finally calmed. Jin Ling really did almost die. Or else, "Inquiry" wouldn't have caught the still-alive soul that was about to leave his body. The good thing was that only a short while passed after he was buried into the wall. If it took them any longer, he would have suffocated to death.

'It chills my heart to even think that I was this close to almost losing you forever ,' SiZhui sent over their link as his hands slipped onto his waist, and he pinched him in retaliation. Jin Ling was surprised, but didn't even let out a squeak. He knew that was his punishment for almost scaring A-Yuan. Right now, he even shuddered to think what his jiujiu would do if he came to know about this.

The two hastened to dig him out of the wall. However, who knew that, as if dirt clung onto a carrot being pulled out of the ground, the moment Jin Ling's upper body emerged from the dirt, the sword on his back caught on something else and dragged it out.

It was the ashen bone of a human arm!

Once again, there were some surprised screams.

'What the hell is this place? Look at what is happening one after the other. Some kind of secret must be hidden here for it to be so mysterious, ' Wen Qing exclaimed looking at the bone.

When everyone looked at Mingjue, he just looked resolutely at the screen because he had no answers for them. While inside his mind, he was on a tirade, 'Who asked these busy bodies to go there when they have no idea what it consisted of? Now look at them questioning as if they are entitled to answers. Huh... and now this fucking Wen Qing, can't she keep her mouth shut? Is itbso necessary to guess everything? Why does she gave to be so fucking intelligent?'

Though, he badmouthed her, he was begrudgingly impressed by her brains too. It's not everyday that you see such strong and intelligent woman in the martial world.

Lan WangJi laid Jin Ling flat onto the ground and felt for his pulse. Wei WuXian, on the other hand, took up the sheath of Bichen, and skillfully started to poke around in the dirt, following the length of the bone. After a short while, a complete skeleton appeared before their eyes.

'Wei WuXian.... that's BiChen you are playing around with, a spiritual sword.' QiRen's eyes twitched in annoyance, but his reprimand had no heat behind them. He was already tired with his future nephews' antics to say anything more. Wei Ying also just grinned and held one ear cutely and grinned at Lan Zhan who sighed and waived it off. You only tell, what else he could do when one smile from Wei Ying was enough to enarmour him for an eternity.

This skeleton was the same as how Jin Ling looked, buried inside the wall in a standing position. With ghastly pale bones and pitch-black dirt-the contrast was distinct yet glaring to the eye.

Wei WuXian dug a bit more through the ground, and broke away a few pieces of bricks on the side. After some more rustling around, sure enough, he found another skeleton nearby.

'Ewww... that was gross. I don't understand what is going on in this castle and how come I am not doing anything.' Huaisang made a disgusted face and hid behind his fan as if that would solve everything.

This one hadn't decayed completely yet. There was still some flesh on the bones, and long, messy hair on the skull. From the ragged clothing in the shade of a watered down red, he could tell that this was a woman. However, she wasn't standing, with her skeleton bending down. The reason of this was that there was a third skeleton beside her, squatting down by her feet.

Wei WuXian stopped digging further. He took a few steps back. The noise in his ears was as wild and turbulent as tidal waves. He could almost be sure of it. The inside of this stone castle's thick walls was packed with human corpses.

Above, below, southeast, northwest; standing, sitting, lying, squatting... Just what on Earth was this place?!

'Exactly everyone's question. I mean, it's one thing for a corpse to be buried inside the wall. But, for the entire castle to be filled with them, there must be some kind of foul play there.' JingYi said what was on everyone's mind. They all looked at Nie Mingjue again for answers, but he was saved timely by a shout that seemed to come from the screen that had flared up once again, 'JIN LIIIINNNGGGGG, YOU DAMN BRAT!!!'

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Hey friends,

How are you all doing? I hope you are all happy and living nicely. Anyway, here's the last part of this segment. I know it's short compared to the previous ones. But, to be honest, I am not doing well and getting ill frequently. So I guess the chapters come out shorter. I hope you all don't mind.

Last, but not the least, do vote and comment. I absolutely love the inline comments. They make my day.

Until the next time.... have a happy reading... ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Love ❤️
Nimika