Chapter Five, the red clay stove, the blue face remains the same

It is mostly a curse. If it is to be suppressed, wouldn't it be better to use Sanskrit? Yun Qing furrowed his brows as he explained, and then he coughed again

Xie Yao glanced around and faintly felt as if an invisible pair of eyes was fixated on him. At that moment, he could not care about that anymore and immediately ran a few steps to the corner where Yun Qing was, positioning himself in front of him.

There is no need for me to take action against such malevolent spirits.

"Oh, this young lady seems to be unwell..." The scholar, dressed formally, spoke with a certain slick and lewd undertone.

Xie Yao stood still for a long time, feeling that apart from being a bit colder than before, this fire seemed to have no adverse effects. Seeing no unusual occurrences, Xie Yao felt a slight sense of relief in his heart, but he did not dare to let down his guard

The pot is only the size of a palm, a clear blue color reminiscent of a sunny sky after rain, so transparent that it seems as if the tea inside might seep out. Xie Yao held it in her hand with a sense of unease; such a small pot must contain very little water. Can it really extinguish that blue otherworldly flame?

Must we wait for A-Mang? What should I do? Xie Yao felt that staying in this place was unsafe, but seeing that Yun Qing did not seem to have any intention of leaving, he could only stay with him

Upon reflection, the inherent sense of justice in Xie Yao, as a cultured individual, was ignited, and with a firm resolve, he took a few steps forward, closely fixating on the fire

Xie Yao awkwardly said: "I don't mind, I don't mind"

It is indeed Amang

Hmm," Yun Qing nodded, his expression somewhat gloomy in the dim light, "I only grasped a rough idea; it should be about curses like eternal damnation and being devoured by a hundred demons.

Xie Yao was taken aback, but quickly realized that the flames had appeared without warning. The sudden emergence of such a phenomenon in the abandoned wooden house likely indicated serious trouble. He still held the lampstand, which served as a poker, and at that moment, he was uncertain whether to insert it back or to use it to extinguish the blue fire

Yun Qing sat wearily in the corner of the wall, closing his eyes to cough, still holding that small lamp in his hand, as if completely unaware of what was happening in the outside world

Do not hesitate The voice of Yun Qing carried a deep weariness yet remained calm and resolute

I do not know, nor is it necessary to know. Once Aman returns and extinguishes the fire, there will be no problem.

"Yun Qing! Are you alright?" Xie Yao felt a pang of anxiety upon seeing that splash of blood, and had no time to concern herself with the issue of gender.

The flame was faint and dim, yet it remained suspended in the furnace as steady as a rock. The deep blue, so profound that it was difficult to tear one's gaze away, appeared extraordinarily mysterious.

Xie Yao withdrew his gaze, almost wanting to slap himself a few times. He was nearly twenty years old, yet he had no opinion in critical situations. Just a moment ago, he had wanted to rely on such a blind child. Shouldn't he be the one to protect him at this moment

Xie Yao felt a cold sweat all over his back, and the pressure from Yun Qing, who could see through people's hearts, was even greater than that from the blue flames. He swallowed hard and asked, "Are there words up there? Why didn't I see them?"

You need not speculate further. I am indeed a woman.

Xie Yao gritted her teeth, stepped forward, and poured the water from the small pot down. The crystal-clear droplets rolled down into the dust, evoking a sense of reluctance in one's heart

Cough, cough, Yun Qing seemed to be trying hard to stabilize his breathing. After a moment of thought, he handed the small pot in his hand to Xie Yao, saying, "If you want to try, go ahead."

"It's nothing. There are people in the fire; let Ah Mang pour some water on it later to extinguish it." Yun Qing's voice remained as flat as ever, devoid of any discernible fluctuation.

The shattered wooden planks and thick dust fell down in a flurry. Xie Yao found no way to evade it for a moment

Just now, when he broke the candlestick, the blue flame ignited, and there might be some connection between the two. Although he usually read plenty of strange tales, he had never encountered such a bizarre situation in reality. For a moment, he did not dare to act rashly, and he was unsure of his thoughts, looking towards Yun Qing as if seeking help.

The small, bean-sized blue flame floated eerily in the dark stove, surrounded by nothing combustible, creating an indescribable sense of strangeness. Coupled with the unusually cold atmosphere of the room, Xie Yao couldn't help but shiver

Eternally doomed to hell, devoured by a hundred demons

A young man dressed in a blue robe, resembling a scholar, emerged from the furnace, the corners of his clothing still ablaze with flames

"Is this a curse, or is it suppression?" Xie Yao pondered carefully over these two words

"Come to me." Yun Qing raised his hand, and a beam of clear light fell within the small area. The space enveloped by the clear light was as solid as a fortress.

"Miss, I hope you will show mercy." An elegant and gentle voice emerged from the fire

There are indeed some patterns on the candlestick, which are completely unrecognizable as characters. At first, Xie Yao thought they were merely crude decorations. These patterns are intricate yet coherent, covering the entire candlestick, and even extending into the underground portion.

"Look at these uneven marks, this is the script of the underworld," Yun Qing pointed to the candlestick on the ground and said

In fact, Yun Qing has not been blind for long, and his ability to discern characters by touch is not yet proficient; therefore, his judgment regarding these engravings is not very meticulous. However, having a general assessment is sufficient for now

As if in response to Yun Qing's words, a massive figure roared as it smashed through the wooden roof, landing directly on top of the furnace

"Wait a moment... What did you say, miss?" Xie Yao turned to look at Yun Qing

Xie Yao did not concern himself with Yun Qing's understanding of the situation in the room, but rather seized upon a certain word in his speech

"Mingwen... that is not..." Xie Yao stammered, "written for the dead to see...?"

I am not a practitioner... I merely inferred some things by touching the patterns on this candlestick. Yun Qing seemed to know what he was thinking and suddenly interjected with a remark.

Xie Yao stared in astonishment as the water droplets gathered without dispersing, converging within the span of a gentle grasp, emitting a faint blue glow.

No, perhaps it should be "she" instead

"No problem." Yun Qing's brows were tinged with displeasure; this was the first time Xie Yao had seen him with a hint of anger in his expression

Xie Yao stumbled to Yun Qing's side. His face was pale, and the blood at the corner of his mouth had not yet been cleaned off

These two words, filled with malice and written in a cryptic script, were casually uttered by Yun Qing. Although Xie Yao felt fear, he was strangely infected by Yun Qing's calm demeanor

Is there anyone else here besides him and Yun Qing?

Although he could not see with his eyes, and was even facing away from Xie Yao, he spoke calmly as if he knew Xie Yao was watching him: "Step back. We will deal with that guy when A Mang returns."

Yun Qing supported himself against the wall with one hand while covering his mouth and coughing violently with the other. Vivid red streaks of blood slowly seeped through his fingers

That ... ... guy

"What exactly is this curse?" Xie Yao immediately became anxious upon seeing him cough violently

Xie Yao felt that her "awe" towards this child was mostly "fear" rather than "respect". Yun Qing could tell what had happened during this brief silence without even needing to look, and yet remained so unafraid. Could it be that this child is a cultivator like the flawless fairy?

He wanted to quickly take Yunqing away from this room while he had the chance, but when he turned around, he found that Yunqing was no longer in her original spot; instead, she was holding a pot and a lamp, examining something at the candlestick in the corner.