Smoke and Fire [GL] - Chapter 3

“Now we’re all going to fail our finals.” Yi An kicked a small stone by the roadside.

After Luo Yao said the words, “there was one extra stick of incense,” they were harshly kicked out by Granny Mi, becoming isolated, wandering, soon-to-be-failing students.

Yi An wouldn’t blame Luo Yao; Si Yin and Tan Tan certainly wouldn’t. It’s worth noting an interesting phenomenon: although the latter two were combative with everyone and everything, they never seemed to target Luo Yao.

“We can just go back for now,” Tan Tan pulled out her cushion compact again, checking her reflection in the small mirror. “It’s not our fault. At most, we’ll take a make-up exam.”

“I’m familiar with make-up exams. Let’s head back tomorrow.” Yi An, for once, agreed with her—she didn’t want to stay in this wretched place for another second.

Just then, the two little girls from before appeared at the end of the road, seemingly waiting for them.

Yi An was shocked: “Wait, did these two just flash over?! Did either of you see how they got here?”

Naturally, no one responded to her.

“What is it? Do you have something to tell us?” Luo Yao gently asked, lowering her eyes.

One of the girls timidly said, “I… I just heard you talking to Granny Mi about the storm that day. Ac-actually, we saw something…”

Yi An could feel that everyone’s attention quickly focused on this girl: a crucial piece of information was about to be revealed!

Luo Yao remained as composed as ever, not showing any eagerness, but gently encouraged, “You can tell us. We believe you.”

“We saw… a person.”

The other girl, who seemed calmer, added, “More than one, it was a woman, and she was very, very beautiful, like, like the legendary siren.”

Luo Yao paused almost imperceptibly.

“May I ask where you were at the time?”

“We were on the boat that we didn’t have time to put the sails down for,” the calmer girl replied. “That woman was suspended in the center of the storm, with water columns all around her… Sister, do you think she might be the Sea God?”

Luo Yao looked down at her, her eyes and brows very gentle.

“If she caused so many people to die, then she is not a god,” she answered seriously, gently patting both girls on the head.

“Thank you. I accidentally lost the candy, I’ll give it to you next time.”

🃏 Back at the Guesthouse

Defeated before even starting, the four went back to the guesthouse to play poker to pass the time.

A few hours later, Yi An expressionlessly put down her cards, fell backward, and let out a dramatic, soul-stirring wail: “Aaaaaah, I’m already in a bad mood today, and you’re ganging up on me too! Aaaaaah…”

Si Yin rolled her eyes, completely ignoring her, and Tan Tan pretended to be deaf, starting to build a small house out of playing cards.

Luo Yao sighed softly with a smile, collecting Yi An’s discarded cards: “Could you please grow up a little?”

“Sister, we’re the same age!” Yi An protested with a raised hand while lying down, then heard a muffled snort, as if someone hadn’t been able to hold back their laughter. But when she abruptly looked at the other three, she saw Luo Yao collecting cards with her eyes lowered, and Si Yin and Tan Tan collaborating on the card house. No one was laughing.

Ah, was it auditory hallucination?

After collecting the cards, Luo Yao stood up: “It’s getting late. Wash up and go to bed. We’re heading back tomorrow.”

As she said this, she seemed to casually rest a hand on Si Yin’s shoulder, but these were details Yi An only remembered later.

After showering, Luo Yao lit the calming incense as usual.

Yi An stared at the gentle sandalwood smoke, and just like this morning, a question popped into her mind out of nowhere:

Was I sleeping so soundly last night because of this incense?

Coupled with the various strange behaviors of Luo Yao and the others, Yi An’s suspicion grew louder, and she also felt a little wronged that Luo Yao was keeping secrets from her.

Lost in thought, she was suddenly compelled to reach out and silently pinch out the stick of incense.

If nothing happens, I’ll apologize to Luo Yao tomorrow.

—Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Around midnight, Luo Yao turned and sat up, leaning over to Yi An, seemingly checking if she was asleep.

Yi An’s heart sank, and she quickly feigned sleep.

If Luo Yao truly wanted to know if she was asleep, Yi An wouldn’t have been able to escape detection. Fortunately, she just glanced, put on her jacket, and went out.

Yi An held her breath and waited. Sure enough, ten seconds later, the door of Si Yin and Tan Tan’s room also opened. A few quiet footsteps, and they left.

She quickly turned over, got up, hesitated at the door, but ultimately opened it.

From then on, her fate plunged into stormy waves.

⛰️ The Mountain Cave

It was still very cold in the midnight of May; the faint, chilly wind kept pouring into the collar of her pajamas.

Yi An wished for her warm quilt for the umpteenth time, but she also suppressed that thought for the umpteenth time, dedicatedly playing the role of a follower.

About fifty meters ahead, Luo Yao, Si Yin, and Tan Tan walked shoulder to shoulder, heading towards Yunshan Village.

“I’m really done. I thought this was some kind of haunting, but it turns out to be that little brat.”

The night was very quiet, and Si Yin’s characteristic voice carried far. “Did the Demon Palace collapse, that they let her out…?”

“The one who has the most right to complain is the little brat’s mom, why are you talking?” This time it was Tan Tan’s voice.

“That’s enough, both of you,” Luo Yao interjected. “It’s easy for you to say.”

“Oh, so you’re starting to imply we’re useless?”

“Shut up. You two weren’t the ones who looked in the wrong place last night, were you? First, let’s agree: don’t say a single word once we’re inside. If you get torn apart by a ghost, I’m not saving you.”

“Alright, alright…”

Yi An grew increasingly confused, while also finding it very surprising: Luo Yao, Si Yin, and Tan Tan all seemed incredibly relaxed and natural, like old friends who had known each other forever.

But they usually weren’t close.

Yi An followed them bewilderedly up a small hill near Yunshan Village.

As soon as she entered the mountain, she felt an intense, bone-chilling cold—at least ten times more intense than when they first got out of the car. Even her breath turned into white mist.

Si Yin and Tan Tan, as Luo Yao had instructed, didn’t utter a word after entering the mountain. Fortunately, the occasional gusts of wind helped cover Yi An’s footsteps.

Yi An became increasingly uneasy. She recalled today’s lunar calendar date and time, quickly calculated a few rounds on her fingers clockwise, and her heart sank: Kongwang (The Void/Death Omen).

“Things are ominous during Kongwang, and spirits are erratic.” The last time she went out during Kongwang, she tripped on flat ground and broke her left pinky finger.

Just as she was starting to regret following them, the three people in front suddenly darted away, turning into a hidden mountain cave.

As soon as Yi An entered, she clamped a hand over her mouth, almost throwing up right then and there—the massive cave was filled with dead bodies, lying crisscrossed everywhere!

Holy cow, holy cow, holy cow!!

These people had clearly drowned. Their eyes were all wide open, filled with intense, malicious resentment. The air was thick with the stench of decomposing corpses that had been there for days.

If not now, when should I retreat?! Yi An dry-heaved while carefully inching backward, ready to turn and run. But just as she was halfway turned, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed her ankle!

She stiffly twisted her head around, inch by inch, and saw a slender corpse slowly sitting up—it was none other than the timid little girl, Xue!

Xue looked at her and cackled, “I’m so cold… Sister, come keep me company…”

“Keep you company my a**!!” Yi An had completely forgotten the taboo about not speaking, screaming profanities in collapse while frantically trying to run backward. Just then, a slap landed squarely on the back of her head.

“When did you follow us?!” Si Yin fiercely yelled, grabbing her hair. “Are you out of your damn mind, Yi An? You’ll be happy if we all die here because of you, won’t you?!”

Yi An trembled all over, watching Tan Tan tap the zombified Xue a few times with a solemn expression. Xue instantly lay back down, reverting to a normal corpse.

“It’s no use. The formation has been broken.” Luo Yao’s face was grim. She gave Yi An a deep look. “Why can’t you just grow up a little?”

Yi An opened her mouth, unable to say anything.

“The cat is out of the bag. Let’s go quickly.” Luo Yao leaned down to pull Yi An up. The four began to move rapidly toward the exit. Yi An was sandwiched between Si Yin and Tan Tan, on the verge of a complete breakdown, until dense figures appeared at the end of the mountain path.

Granny Mi stood at the forefront, followed by Xue, who had just been cackling but now timidly asked, “Sister… what are you doing here?”

Yi An heard Si Yin curse softly to her upper left.

“…What are you doing here…”

“Hehehehe…”

The villagers giggled, slowly tightening their circle. Every single one of them, without looking, could be matched to a corresponding corpse in the cave behind.

“Luo… Luo Yao, those are their bodies inside,” Yi An swallowed with difficulty. “Then what are these… things?”

Luo Yao didn’t turn back, stating flatly, “Ghosts.”

Yi An heard her fragile nerve snap with a pop.

This must be a dream, this must be a dream, right?! I’ll open my eyes any minute and see Luo Yao lying next to me, it’s all just my imagination… Yi An muttered to herself, when a ghost villager suddenly giggled and grabbed her.

The icy temperature instantly spread to every part of her body, completely interrupting her self-reassurance.

Yi An broke down.

“W-who the hell are you, aaaaaa… Mmmph!!”

Although Si Yin covered her mouth, it wasn’t quick enough. As soon as Yi An’s words left her mouth, all the surrounding villagers—or rather, the multitude of ghosts—froze for a second—

—and then suddenly began to scream!

“I swear you’re an absolute idiot!!”

Si Yin looked like she was seconds away from pulling a knife and killing Yi An, roaring in her ear, “The rule ‘Mò wèn sǐzhě míng, mò huàn gūhún guī’ (Do not ask the names of the dead, do not summon lonely spirits home)—did you forget everything the school taught you?!”

Yi An finally realized the magnitude of her mistake—Mò wèn sǐzhě míng, mò huàn gūhún guī means that if you encounter the spirit of someone who died tragically, the biggest taboo is asking their name. If you ask, they turn into a vengeful spirit seeking your life.

Her unintentional “Who the hell are you” coincidentally violated that taboo.

Hundreds of ghost villagers simultaneously transformed into vengeful spirits. Their bodies swelled and bloated, mud and sand poured from their mouths and noses, their eyes filled with extreme resentment, and they lunged straight toward the four of them!

“Run!”

At Luo Yao’s command, the four activated survival mode.

At this moment, the benefits of daily weightlifting became apparent: Si Yin took the lead, occasionally pulling Yi An by her collar, and even having enough energy to roar at Luo Yao, “Where are we running to?!”

Two seconds later, Luo Yao’s voice came:

“The seaside.”

“I’m shocked. Can you handle this many?” Si Yin yelled something Yi An didn’t understand.

“I know my own body.” Luo Yao’s words were even stranger.

The oddest thing was that despite running for their lives, not a single ghost succeeded in claiming one of them. Though a ghost would occasionally try to cut them off, they would always be pushed back by an invisible force.

The mountain wasn’t far from the sea. About two minutes later, the sound of surging waves filled their ears. At the seaside rocks, Si Yin and Tan Tan—dragging Yi An—made a sharp turn, using the momentum to narrowly avoid the mass of surging ghosts!

But Luo Yao walked straight into the sea!

“Luo Yao—!!” Yi An struggled free from Si Yin’s grip, wanting to quickly pull Luo Yao back from danger, but this time, Tan Tan firmly held her down from the side.

“Tan Tan?!” Yi An’s eyes widened, looking at the two of them. “What are you doing? Luo Yao is going to kill herself!”

Tan Tan ignored her, instead gazing intently at Luo Yao’s back with a surprisingly calm expression.

“It’s not suicide.”

Si Yin moved behind her, her expression mirroring Tan Tan’s. It was a long time before Yi An realized that look was piety.

“This matter,” Si Yin said slowly, “can only be done by your sister alone.