Journey to the West: Treasure Vase of the Great Dao-Chapter 538 - 299 Choice

Peach Blossom Spring was extraordinarily quiet at night, with not a single sound to be heard all around. Though it was not the fifteenth of the month, a bright full moon hung in the sky, its silver light shining down from the heavens and illuminating several people who were fast asleep through the window.

In the air still echoed Chen Xiong's snoring, thunderous as it was. Yet, Lu Xun suddenly opened his eyes amidst his deep slumber. He gently shook the sleeping Chen Xiong beside him, only to find that the other party was like a dead pig, completely unresponsive.

After several attempts, Lu Xun gave up, realizing that it was not that Chen Xiong was sleeping too deeply, but that he simply couldn't wake up.

Putting on his shoes, he tiptoed out of the house, and the moment he opened the door, he was stunned.

Outside was a completely different world. The once-lush forest had long disappeared, replaced by dead branches and withered leaves. The entire village seemed as if it had died, with not a single sound anywhere.

With a heart full of trepidation, Lu Xun walked slowly through Peach Blossom Spring to find each household had turned into a collapsed, dilapidated dwelling. He peeked quietly and saw ghastly white skeletons lying inside the rooms.

Right after he glanced at them, the skeletons, which had been lying quietly on the beds, suddenly began to move. Accompanied by clattering sounds, the White Skeletons stood up, green flames igniting within their empty eye sockets. They then started to move, turning their skull heads to stare out the window at Lu Xun, ready to act.

With his movements seemingly giving a signal, the sleeping village came to life at that moment, and countless skeletons walked over from all directions. The green flames dotted the darkness, resembling fireflies.

But Lu Xun had no desire to admire this sight; his heart was filled with fear. What was supposed to be the idyllic Peach Blossom Spring had turned into a village of death, and there he was, powerless, unsure how to preserve his life amidst these terrifying skeletons.

Even as fear continued to consume his heart, Lu Xun still made every effort to stay calm. He knew that in such situations, the more panic he was, the closer to death he became.

He carefully observed the movements of the skeletons and soon discovered that they seemed to lack sight and were tracking him by his breathing. So, he held his breath and moved his feet silently.

The effect was immediate. As he held his breath, the skeletons became like headless flies, spinning around in place, unable to locate Lu Xun's position for a while.

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Seizing the opportunity, Lu Xun quietly returned to his lodging. Having to breathe along the way caused a disturbance among the skeletons twice.

When he got back to his bed, he looked around at his companions, who were still sleeping soundly, seemingly unaffected by the outside world as if they were trapped in another dimension.

He lay quietly in bed, pretending to be still asleep. The clear clattering sound came from outside, seemingly right above his head, but Lu Xun continued to keep his eyes firmly shut, struggling to keep his breathing steady. It seemed as if the skeletons stood outside the door for a long time before, for some reason, they chose to leave.

Only at that moment did Lu Xun quietly breathe a sigh of relief. Just moments ago, he felt certain he was a goner. Now relaxed, he realized that at some point, his bed clothes had become soaked, which was very uncomfortable.

Thus, Lu Xun endured an extremely difficult night. Only when the sun came up and sunlight entered the room did he quickly get out of bed and open the door, to find that everything outside had returned to normal. The dense trees seemed to be brimming with life, and the kind villagers were walking through the village with smiles on their faces, greeting Lu Xun warmly as they saw him.

Lu Xun returned their greetings with a light laugh, but deep inside, he was replaying the scenes from the previous night. These kind villagers would turn into terrifying White Skeletons come nightfall. He was baffled, having no idea what was going on.

Yet he did not dare voice his doubts, as he was uncertain whether speaking out would lead to some horrible transformation.

In the midst of this turmoil, Chen Xiong and the others gradually woke up. Seeing Lu Xun, they were quite surprised, for over the course of a single night, Lu Xun had developed very obvious dark circles under his eyes and looked utterly lethargic, as if he had come down with a serious illness.

"Brother Lu Xun, what happened to you? Are you not feeling well?" Chen Li asked worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong, I just had some insomnia last night, so I look a bit unwell," Lu Xun replied lightly. He didn't plan to tell Chen Li the truth. Given the eerie situation, even if she knew, it would only add to her fears and worries.

"Ah, speaking of which, I felt so comfortable sleeping last night," said Chen Li with a light laugh.

"You experienced insomnia as a guest?" Wang Ling's voice came from outside at that moment.

Lu Xun's face shifted slightly, but he masked it well, laughing and saying, "Perhaps it's because I'm in a new place, a bit unaccustomed."

"But you all need to be careful. It's said that if we don't sleep at night in our village, horrible things will happen, so, every evening, we all go to bed very early," Wang Ling began to speak lightly of the village's old tales.

These words immediately caught Lu Xun's attention, and he asked as if casually, "Why is there such a rule?"