Normal people, coming here, would probably go insane.
Would Xiao Yuan behave differently from normal people if he were here?
Forget it, it’s better Xiao Yuan doesn’t come here. It’s unknown whether I can even survive and get out, no, I’m not even sure if I can still be considered alive right now?
Finally, the civilian houses on both sides disappeared.
Xue Liangliang caressed his forehead, taking deep breaths, even such a simple action was now needed to relieve the internal pressure.
Then, he hurried to catch up with the woman.
Now, without the terrifying gaze from both sides, he could finally raise his head to look forward.
Ahead was a small open area, an ancient building clearly different from the other residences stood there.
It must be the Bai family town’s shrine.
Xue Liangliang couldn’t help but stop in his tracks. Should he enter?
Then, he moved forward, what is there to hesitate about, as if he had a choice.
The dark doors of the shrine slowly opened by themselves as the woman approached.
This shrine still had no threshold, and after entering, there were steps going downward, with a large smooth area in the middle and just a little space on both sides for walking down.
Passing through a square courtyard, which wasn’t very spacious, the woman continued inward.
As Xue Liangliang followed her, his gaze was drawn to the old well in the center; the mouth of the well was concave, not rising upward, causing the surrounding area to sink downward.
This was not formed naturally but was designed from the start.
Around the well were rusty chains.
This made Xue Liangliang wonder whether these chains were for the convenience of the people above to descend and draw water, or for the convenience of someone below...to climb up.
They had reached the core of the shrine.
The woman, holding her bottle, knelt down and didn’t proceed further.
Xue Liangliang approached her, positioning himself to the side, and started to reassess her.
Why would this modernly dressed and travel-worn young woman appear here, and why does she seem so familiar with this place...as if she were returning home?
So now, should I continue to accompany her here, or should I walk further in to take a look?
With her as the center, there was a range for him to move around. He had just been hesitant to walk ahead, always following her.
But he still chose to continue standing beside the woman, not going anywhere.
However, gradually, the feeling of suffocation began to emerge again.
He began to feel discomfort and pain, unconsciously clenching his neck with both hands.
Yet, the woman was right here, kneeling slightly ahead of him, why did this feeling come back?
Xue Liangliang moved a bit closer to the woman, but the suffocation did not abate.
He couldn’t imagine enduring endless suffocation in such a gloomy and oppressive place. What kind of hopeless torment was this?
Xue Liangliang also knelt down, wailing painfully.
At this moment, his consciousness blurred repeatedly and then returned to clarity; he utterly loathed this clear-mindedness because it meant his spirit was being repeatedly lashed and tormented.
With a "thud," Xue Liangliang’s body leaned forward and fell to the side.
Due to the lack of a threshold, strictly speaking, half of his body entered the core of the shrine.
At that moment, he suddenly felt the suffocation lessen.
After a moment of hesitation, he immediately moved further inside, and the suffocation further decreased.
He realized that the woman holding the vase was no longer of use; the chain that led him to her had broken, and the new chain was inside here!
He continued to crawl further inside until the suffocation completely disappeared, and he was finally able to stand up.
Looking back, the outside of the shrine was pitch black, with only the silhouette of the woman holding the vase vaguely visible.
Looking ahead, there was a huge red coffin.
The coffin was elevated on a stand, so even on tiptoes, Xue Liangliang could only just make out some of the yellow lining inside the coffin, and no more, unless he climbed on top of it.
With an uneasy heart, he slowly moved around the coffin, mentally prepared for something to pop out at any moment.
Nevertheless, he walked a full circle around the coffin without encountering anything terrifying.
Directly in front of the head of the coffin should have been an altar for spiritual tablets, but there was none, only a Taishi Chair.
On both sides of the coffin were blue-brick walls.
The shrine at the center of Bai family town seemed too simple and desolate, like a house renovated and furnished but not yet lived in.
But, was it really so?
In Xue Liangliang’s mind, the image of the women sitting in the houses he had passed by emerged. If everyone had died at home, it seemed indeed unnecessary to place spiritual tablets in the shrine.
Is there a way out here then?
Xue Liangliang didn’t give up on saving himself. He had a vague feeling that the way out ought to be in this shrine.
Next, he boldly stopped just circling the coffin and began to explore a larger range, touching the walls while walking, covering a full circle around the room.
He even used his hands to knock on the bricks, checking for hidden hollow doors, and while walking, he deliberately stomped harder on the ground to probe for underground passages.
Unfortunately, he found nothing.
The area inside wasn’t too large and was overly empty; so emptied that it seemed difficult to hide anything.