Luo Binhan asked confusedly: "Can people pass on that bridge?"
No one answered him, and even the bridge disappeared, hidden in the silent blue mist. The fog always thickens and thins, like clouds rising and falling, round after round, and nothing changes. The garden was very quiet at the moment, no one was there except him. He asked about the vermilion stone bridges, but didn't really expect an answer.
It was such a good time, probably the best time in life. He was satisfied with this situation, so he continued to sit on the grass, listening to the delicate tinkling music of the stones and flowers, waiting for the thick green mist to dissipate, and the strange flowing water and the exquisitely carved Zhuqiao to be revealed again. . He could keep watching without worrying about getting bored - there was no such thing as boredom here, one minute was no different than ten thousand years. But if the scenery changes, he won't have any objections. It's not something he can decide. It's just fine if he can continue to stay.
But, alas, the fog refused to fade this time. The fog became thicker and thicker, and the green curtain became darker and darker. The long night in the garden has arrived. Luo Binhan couldn't help complaining loudly, and the grass beneath him sighed. The owner of the garden is back. The thing's true form was never revealed, but it was indeed behind the fog. Crawling, rolling, ugly and pathetic struggling to move. When this thing occupies the garden, the landscape changes, and all life cannot endure to linger.
Luo Binhan fell backward. The thick black night fog suddenly pushed him out of Liyuan. The mist that has been contaminated by the master's habits is harmful, and the poisonous miasma of putrefaction penetrates into the skin, causing unbearable pain. He yelled and threw his head back hard, and something shattered. He emerged from the deathly fog, feeling dizzy and feeling as if there was a hole drilled into the back of his head.
There were echoes from all directions, as if you were in some small cave. He was no longer in the garden, in a pretty bad place. There was no light, and the oxygen was thin. His belly felt like it had been hollowed out. The area near the skin and superficial muscles was in terrible pain, but deep inside the fat, it was empty and numb, and there was no feeling at all. As a result, he was cut off at the waist and could no longer stand up. It was true, something had cut him off not too long ago. Something like this happened once before, it was the witch's fault, and now it happened again.
What exactly happened here? Luo Binhan asked himself in confusion. The ringing in his ears gradually subsided, and he first felt sensation on his fingertips. Wet water. No. It's the shadow side. Another reflection of the world, the dark road leading to Liyuan. Then there was warmth on his face, and something alive breathed on his face. Colors and shapes gradually appeared in front of his eyes, and a few seconds later, there was the outline of a living person, whose face was indistinguishable. Only the broken hair on the forehead reflected a faint light, like a jellyfish that did not absorb enough light. Luo Binhan thought this scene was a bit funny.
"Old Mo..." he said vaguely, "your lamp..."
The outline swayed, making a loud, deep breath. Then he heard Yu Xiaorong's voice. "He's alive."
A deep voice in the darkness responded to her. Luo Binhan couldn't hear clearly, or maybe it was just a disapproving hum. What is Yu Xiaorong doing? Who is she with? What happened to his head? Luo Binhan thought hard for a few seconds - the memory before falling into this dark house suddenly came back, and he suddenly understood where he was.
"Longrong?" He wanted to reach out and grab the outline in front of him. But as soon as his arms lifted off the ground, a sense of exhaustion made his muscles relax, and his palms fell on the broken glass, feeling a cold stinging sensation. Then he realized that his calling was also extremely abnormal. It's not that he's mute, or that his breath is leaking. He seems to be a savage who has just learned to speak. He wanted to ask Yu Xiaorong if he was okay, but he couldn't remember how to pronounce this sentence. It was a strange loss of control that he hadn't even imagined. The words brewed in the chest were fashionable and well-defined, but when they flowed out of the throat, they were violently deformed, like a lump of loose dough, with syllables and tones all mixed up randomly.
"Ah, ah?" he asked weakly, "Hoar?"
"What's wrong with your throat?" Yu Xiaorong asked anxiously in a low voice. She put her palms on Luo Binhan's neck. The palms were wet, probably from sweat, and as hot as freshly burned coals. She eagerly searched for wounds on his neck, and the heat of the living person gave Luo Binhan strong comfort. The strangeness that had made him forget his words was gone. After a few seconds he regained control of his voice and tone.
"I'm fine." He said weakly, "You...you..."
"I thought you had been killed."
Yu Xiaorong took her hand away from his neck. She remained still in the darkness for a while: "Just now...the way you looked just now..."
She said no more. Luo Binhan vaguely felt that her tone seemed a bit distant. He didn't understand why, but he didn't get a chance to ask. Another shadow emerged from the darkness. It floated closer from the door of the room and landed on the side near the terrace. Luo Binhan saw Gerd Schilling, or something calling himself Gerd Schilling. He immediately grabbed Yu Xiaorong's arm and tried to pull her away from the thing. But his hands still couldn't use any strength, and the hollow feeling was radiating from his abdomen to his whole body, leaving him in a floating cloud.
Yu Xiaorong grabbed his hand that was sliding down: "Where do you feel uncomfortable?"
Luo Binhan shook his head blankly. His head and stomach were indeed aching, but it wasn't really painful. He felt that his consciousness was still far away from his physical body, and he was receiving everything in front of him through a thick layer of confusion. None of this seemed to have anything to do with him, so it was equally strenuous to use his mind and strength, but a sense of urgency made him more and more awake. Yu Xiaorong was right next to him, and he couldn't leave her in this darkness...especially with that Ged Schilling.
"A very touching meeting," the thing said hoarsely. Luo Binhan reached out to grab Yu Xiaorong's arm again, but he touched a cold and sharp saw cut. Some kind of uneven blade retracted as soon as it hit his fingertips, and then Yu Xiaorong pressed his arm back with her elbow.
"He's alive," she said. "You saw it."
"He was dead just now."
"It's just in your mouth - but, Lot, maybe you're right, I admit it's incredible. And you see, since your power can't kill him..."
"We'll figure it out," the thing said slowly, slightly annoyed. Luo Binhan listened to them with pain and exhaustion. They were all spoken in English. Maybe he heard part of it wrong, so he was inevitably confused.
"Lot?" He asked Yu Xiaorong in a low voice for the answer. The latter was carefully putting his hand behind his head to check if there were any wounds. "He's not Gerd Schilling," she said, gently digging her fingers into his hair. "His name is Lot—I guess he was once a cellmate of Colin's."
A patch of skin on the back of his head stung suddenly. Luo Binhan hissed, but Yu Xiaorong held his hair firmly. "It's just broken glass, I can take it off."
"Then my brain will flow out." Luo Binhan complained, but his eyes were fixed on the shadow on the terrace. He was a little confused about the situation for the time being, but that thing was definitely not a kind person, and there was no mistake about that.
"It's just a small piece, just embedded in the skin - don't move, I've already touched it."
She may have removed the broken glass as gently as possible, but Luo Binhan still deliberately showed pain. That was seen by the guy who had been spying on them. He shook his head, his eyes pretending to be dull: "Is my head broken?"
"It's too dark in here. I can't see clearly..."
"Actually," Lot said, "I remember the fatal blow was in the abdomen."
"But I have a severe headache." Luo Binhan still insisted, "Who hit me?"
Yu Xiaorong stretched her hand towards his stomach. "He's fine," she announced with a somewhat strange tone, "I didn't find any wounds."
"That's really interesting. You'd better make sure..."
"You can see for yourself, Lot. He's really all right. Unless you didn't cut his clothes when you gave him the killing blow."
Luo Binhan found that the withered face could still show an expression of surprise. He squinted his eyes slightly, trying to see the thing called Lot more clearly, but his vision had not yet fully recovered. Every shadow seemed to be crawling, with a colorful sheen, as if crawling with ants. He only saw Lot's pale face protruding from his collar, like a rotten, skinless tree trunk protruding from an ant colony. He thought calmly that this was a monster, but Yu Xiaorong said that it was Klein's cellmate. How could she know? Unless there is any new news from Klein. Maybe Klein has become something like this. Yu Xiaorong knew more about this matter than him - and he thought he was the only one with a big secret.
The secret belonging to Yu Xiaorong took two steps closer to them. "Now let me ask a few questions. First, where is Klein now?"
"We don't know." Yu Xiaorong said, "He only looked for my brother once, and then he left. We don't know where he went."
Luo Binhan couldn't help but glance at her, but Yu Xiaorong's hand quietly pinched his leg. He tilted his head obediently, pretending to be dizzy and in pain, while her words went through his mind.
There was no hint of belief or disbelief in Lot's voice, but there was a strange weight to it that made one feel how engrossed he was at the moment. "Tell me the details."
"What details?" Yu Xiaorong said. She put her hand on Luo Binhan's belly again, and this time Luo Binhan felt some kind of cold and hard sharp object sticking to the left side of his abdomen through the fabric of his shirt. She was telling him what weapons they had on hand now. A knife, quite shabby and useless.
"Don't make trouble, little girl." Lot said sternly, "Let your brother say it himself! Let him tell me every detail of Kolain's search for him, and I will know if you are lying!"
Luo Binhan had never seen Lenny Klein outside of photos and videos, and was completely confused about the current situation. He could only continue to pretend to be unconscious and confused, waiting for Yu Xiaorong to give him instructions.
Yu Xiaorong was quiet for a few seconds. Luo Binhan seemed to be able to hear the gears in her head whirring. "He can't explain it clearly, Lot, this matter is too complicated... I mean, he doesn't know German, and his English isn't good enough. He can't explain such a bizarre thing very well, unless you Let him speak in his native language.”
"So you want to be the translator?"
"I don't need an on-site interpreter." Yu Xiaorong said calmly, "He has already told me, and I can tell all the details."
There was a calming power in her voice, the kind of tone that an actor has when expressing a clear conscience. If Luo Binhan didn't know enough about her lying state when she was a child, Luo Binhan would have to admit that she was very contagious, but Rhodes' suspicion was not easily dispelled. His gaze passed through the darkness and still enveloped them. Luo Binhan couldn't see clearly, but he could feel the weight of the shadow moving around his body.
"We'll figure it out," Lot said at last. "No, I don't believe you, little girl. I know you cheated on Korain once, and I won't make the same mistake."
"As you wish, Lot. If you could find a Chinese translator right now, I have to admit that you do have some skills."
Lot snorted. "I don't need it."
"Are you going to use mind reading?"
"I will let you tell the story, little girl," said Lot, "but in the meantime I will let your brother write it again, in his own tongue. I hope you will tell the same story."
"Are you kidding?" Luo Binhan said, "You won't let me write so many words by hand, will you?"
No one paid any attention to him. Yu Xiaorong's hand on his body quietly let go. As long as Lot was interested in the story they were about to make up, they would have some breathing space. There was no way to predict how Luo De would deal with them later, but if Luo Binhan had a chance to get his hands on his phone, at least he would have a helper he could count on.
"Hold up your brother," Lot said, his voice suddenly becoming kind. "Let us find a more comfortable place - don't drag your feet there, little girl, you should understand that I am not afraid of you calling the police. I am no longer afraid of any earthly power."
"Does it also include nuclear bombs?" Luo Binhan asked politely. Yu Xiaorong pinched his arm, half-supported and half-tugged to pull him up from the ground, and asked him in a low voice if he could walk. Luo Binhan did feel a little weak on the soles of his feet, as if he were standing on the deck of a sea ship, but he could still try to take steps. He had exhausted a lot of strength, but his mind and vision had recovered somewhat, so he responded vaguely to Yu Xiaorong, put an arm on her shoulder, and pushed her to the side away from Lot. Yu Xiaorong noticed his strength and quietly nudged him with her elbow.
"You need to find a place to lie down and rest." She said with just the right volume, "Let's go downstairs to the living room first..."
"No," said Lot, "we will not stay in this house."
Yu Xiaorong's first step stopped. She and Luo Binhan both turned to look at Lot, who was looking up at the messy mirror room. For a moment, the monster seemed to have forgotten the two of them, and was confused about something, confused about this room. They heard its vague murmurs, not words but hidden doubts.
Luo Binhan quietly touched Yu Xiaorong, suggesting that she pay attention to his signals and seize any opportunity to escape later. But Yu Xiaorong waved him away and whispered: "Don't be stupid!"
Their brief communication alarmed Lot. It woke up from its mysterious trance, with a dim light in its eyes that was extremely fierce and terrifying. But somehow, that didn't make it more frightening than before. For a moment, Luo Binhan felt that it was even a bit lewd. He couldn't help but stare at Lot until their eyes met. Deep down, he still didn't think this thing was scary, even if it could kill him. And it seems that this thought cannot be hidden from his eyes.
The corners of Lot's mouth twisted. "I thought of a good idea." He said softly, "Why do we have to do this in other people's houses? Let's go to a more comfortable place. This may help you tell the truth-" "No!" Yu Xiaorong said, but She immediately fell silent, because these words would have the opposite effect.
Luo Binhan understood Lot's intention as well as she did. His heart sank, but then he thought that this was at least an opportunity. Since Momolo has never heard the call of the heart (at least not from him), he very much needs a mobile phone and the Internet to turn things around, which is extremely difficult in Anti-Pierre's house. Now is not the time to worry about Yu Qingshu and Malcolm discovering the secret, now is the time to actually work hard for the lives of Yu Xiaorong and others.
"I think children will behave more honestly under the supervision of their parents." Lot said, "When I was a child, I never lied in front of my father, because parents who love their children deeply can best see through their children's lies... …”
"It sounds like it was made up." Luo Binhan muttered in Chinese, "Not a single word I have ever encountered."
"So let's go back to your parents' house, little girl. They must be worried about your brother right now."
Yu Xiaorong said nothing. From her slightly tightened fingertips, Luo Binhan knew that she must be racking her brains to come up with ideas to stop the fake Officer Xilin from invading her home and threatening her with her parents. However, Luo Binhan thought they should take the risk. The thing was obvious, he couldn't let any lunatic who was collaborating with Colin to get close to Yu Xiaorong, and since he couldn't count on Anti-Pierre now, he had to find Momolo no matter what. So when Yu Xiaorong gently shook his arm and asked him to think of a way to stop Lot, Luo Binhan deliberately pretended to be stupid.
Yu Xiaorong pinched him and whispered impatiently in Chinese: "We can't let him enter the house!"
"Why not?" Luo Binhan said, "Now we need help. Besides, you really shouldn't have hidden Klein's matter from me, Velvet. This is too much."
"There are more things you didn't tell me!" Yu Xiaorong replied angrily. She undoubtedly had many more accusations to spout, but Lot interrupted their conversation.
"From now on," said Lot, "if you two brothers must speak, let it be in English or German. I don't want to be left out of your conversation, okay?"
"Okay." Luo Binhan said. Many stories about his meeting with Klein were already spinning in his mind. But it won't work for him to just tell the truth. He has to know what kind of lie Yu Xiaorong is going to make up. Perhaps she would pluck one from her bedside stories, the stories they told over and over again, that were their shared secrets. He just needs to wait for Yu Xiaorong to give him a hint, maybe mentioning a golden lamp or a crazy professor. He told Yu Xiaorong so many bedtime stories when she was a child that as long as she gave a keyword, he would know what she meant.
Lot forced them out of the room and down the messy hallway. When Luo Binhan caught a glimpse of the wall clock at the end of the corridor, he couldn't help but stop and couldn't move as if he was struck by lightning. Several hazy but terrifying pictures surged in his mind. Then Yu Xiaorong tightened her grip on him, letting him lean more on her shoulders - she must have thought he couldn't walk. But when her eyes wandered along the corridor, Luo Binhan also heard her hissing quietly.
"What just happened here?" she asked in English, perhaps hoping that Lot would answer her. But Luo De didn't respond at all. Luo Binhan hesitated for a while and finally remained silent. For a moment they fell into a strange silence. In the darkness, Luo Binhan suddenly felt that they were not like a monster and two coerced victims at this moment, but three ignorant and stupid worms, rolling unconsciously in this unknown world, unable to see Distant scenes and no external sounds could be heard. They can only feel the things they accidentally touch, although it is impossible for Lot and Yu Xiaorong to know more than him - but maybe the other two people think so too.
"Move forward," Lot snapped, with an over-emphasized ferocity in his tone that made him look more like a living person than some kind of monster. They walked down the stairs slowly, each step feeling like hours. Luo Binhan still felt dizzy. The floor tiles under his feet were as soft as mud, like the damp grass shrouded in blue mist.
He walked through the cobalt blue moonlight as if in a dream, and there seemed to be nothing but void outside the open door. When he passed through the door, he felt that this incident seemed to have happened repeatedly - he had crossed such a door in the past, or was destined to cross such a door in the future, crossing the door to the long-term quiet garden. . Is he still in the garden? Or walking down the streets of Regenberg? He could barely see the streets and houses. When a paranoid desire overwhelms the reasonable, the illusion overwhelms the reality. However, at least Yu Xiaorong was still next to him, letting him understand that he was not really dreaming.
The wonders of the garden were already very familiar to him, but they were different every time. This time there is a river, but the flowing water has solidified into a jade path. After crossing the jade path, there was a bamboo fence that he had never seen before, shining with an eye-catching green color. Thousands of flowers bloom behind the fence, clustering around a beautifully carved moon cave door. He walked into it with the support of Yu Xiaorong. Then the door closed and screams started.
(End of chapter)
