nycdaug Chapter 134 Dream or Obsession
Chapter 134 Dream or Obsession
"Bright and beautiful youth, the wind and grain rise in abundance, a wonderful name."
Mo Shao looked at her with some surprise: "You know, young lady?"
So you guessed right?
“My name is indeed derived from this phrase. Miss, we’ve reached the shore. Let me take you to change into some clean clothes first.”
His bamboo boat wasn't far from the shore, and he rowed back in no time.
The most important thing now is to quickly find some clothes for this girl who suddenly appeared out of nowhere to change into.
Liu Jun didn't intend to be polite in the first place; he wanted to resolve the immediate issue first and ask about the rest later. However, he still asked the routine question, "Aren't you afraid I'm a bad person?"
“Your demeanor is dignified and graceful, so I trust you.”
Liu Jun smiled, thinking that this child was a bit too naive, bringing someone home so casually.
However, he just said that the lake also belongs to his family, so it fell into someone else's house and can't be considered as bringing it home.
His home is not far from the lake, and its design is very much in line with the character of a "mountain villa".
The courtyard and buildings are antique and elegant. After entering through the main gate, you have to pass through a lotus pond carved out by hand and go through three more gates before you reach what seems to be the main hall. Behind that is probably the back courtyard and side rooms where people live.
Judging by its appearance, this entire garden must take up several acres of land, and it seems to stretch on forever.
From the entrance to the main hall, we encountered many servants and maids sweeping and cleaning along the way.
Everyone who saw Mo Shao would respectfully greet him and call him "Master" before continuing their work, which shows that he was kind and friendly to people.
To Liu Jun's surprise, those people didn't seem surprised at all when they saw their master return with a stranger. They seemed to be used to it and greeted Mo Shao while nodding slightly at her, without showing any surprise or other expression.
One or two would be fine, but everyone they met along the way was like that, which was quite unusual. Liu Jun silently noted this down without showing any sign of anything amiss.
Upon reaching the main hall, Mo Shao first called out, "Tao'er."
A short while later, a young girl hurriedly arrived in front of the two of them and gave Mo Shao a very common greeting. Then, she looked in Liu Jun's direction with a hint of curiosity on her face.
This little girl looked to be only thirteen or fourteen years old. Unlike the other people outside who were all dull and lifeless, she clearly had a more "human" quality.
This is the expression you should have when a stranger comes to your house.
"Tao'er, take this young lady downstairs to change into some clean clothes."
"Yes, Master, this way please, young lady."
Tao'er looked young but was very steady in her work. Liu Jun followed her to a side room in the back courtyard and sat for a while before she brought over the clothes.
Two sets of women's long gowns, a style very common in the mortal world, one moon white and one vermilion.
Liu Jun held a robe in his hands, looked at it for a while, then put it down and looked at the second one.
Tao'er, who was delivering the clothes, was still standing at the door, very well-behaved, neither looking around nor rushing to urge her.
"Your name is Tao'er, right?"
Tao'er immediately replied, "Yes, miss, what can I do for you?"
"I'd like to ask if this villa has a mistress?"
Liu Jun looked at her with a smile and asked a seemingly random question.
Tao'er looked slightly puzzled: "Why are you asking about this, Miss?"
Liu Jun's smile remained unchanged: "Just answer me."
"There is no mistress in the manor yet. Miss, is your question a sign that you are interested in the manor lord?"
Tao'er covered her mouth and chuckled: "Putting everything else aside, our manor lord is also handsome and extraordinary, and quite promising at a young age. It's normal for girls to admire him."
Liu Jun looked at her, but didn't fall silent or feel shy because of her words. Instead, she thought... For a young girl to say such things to a complete stranger she'd just met, either she's used to women like this, or...
Liu Jun smirked and asked again, "Besides the maids and servants, have any other women stayed overnight or lived in the manor for an extended period?"
Tao'er asked in surprise, "Why do you ask that, Miss?"
"Naturally..."
Liu Jun's eyes crinkled into a smile: "You've been inquiring about your manor lord's situation~"
Tao'er actually replied seriously: "The master lost both parents at a young age and has few relatives. The manor usually has little contact with the outside world. In my memory, there are indeed no women left in the manor."
Since no woman has lived here, why were these two new clothes brought out so quickly? And the material looks like something a maid wouldn't wear.
Liu Jun turned to look at the dressing table, which was fully furnished with cosmetics, jewelry boxes, and more—definitely not a room a servant could live in.
In the yellowed bronze mirror, one could vaguely see her ordinary face named "Liu Xing". Her clothes were also the same ordinary robe she wore, transformed into a very plain one, but without any spiritual power, just like an ordinary piece of clothing.
If she had lost her spiritual power and fallen into some mortal realm or illusion, her illusion magic should have stopped working, instead of being like this.
This is the first time such a situation has occurred.
At first glance, everything here seems normal, but upon closer inspection, something feels off about it.
"Tao'er, do I really have to change into one of these two outfits?"
Tao'er replied seriously, "Miss, your clothes are all wet. You'll get sick if you don't change them soon. Besides, the Master is waiting in the front hall. Please make do with this set for now."
Tao'er was indeed serving this stranger wholeheartedly, answering all her questions.
"Alright, you can go out now. I'll come out in a bit after I've changed."
"Good girl."
Tao'er obediently left, and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.
Liu Jun turned around and glanced at the two outfits, one red and one white. Without hesitation, he picked up the red one and quickly and smoothly put it on.
She picked up a hair tie from her vanity case and casually tied half of her hair up to make herself look less bad before opening the door.
But the scene outside changed without warning the next second. It was still broad daylight, but in a second it turned into night, and the surroundings were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.
Tao'er, who was guarding the door, had disappeared. Looking back, the layout of the house had changed, becoming more spacious and more elaborately decorated.
The candles were burning brightly, their warm yellow light illuminating the red bed curtains. On the red cloth table in the center were piles of dried fruits and longans. Oh, the candles were red too, the words pasted on the window were red, and the lights outside were red as well.
But unlike the eerie and creepy scenes in horror movies, it exudes warmth and joy everywhere.
Noisy and joyful sounds came from the front courtyard, but no one was guarding her.
The change of scenery did not surprise Liu Jun much.
Ever since she came up from the lake and stepped into this villa, she had sensed something was amiss.
Two outfits mean two different paths, so she had to choose one. She didn't know which one was the right one, so she could only pick randomly.
The red dress leads straight to the bridal chamber, but the white dress... could it be leading straight to the cemetery??????
I don't know if she made the right choice. Lu Xihan and Wei Qiushuang never encountered anything like this when they entered the secret realm. She's completely clueless.
The noise in the front yard seemed to gradually decrease until nothing could be heard at all, so quiet that it was as if something had happened.
Liu Jun glanced in that direction, pondered for a moment, and decided to go take a look. He then stepped out with one foot, and then... a very sharp scream came from that direction.
The scream startled her so much that her outstretched foot trembled, and she almost tripped and fell to the ground.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze for a moment, then a cacophony of panic and shouts erupted, as if something truly had happened.
But even now, she still hasn't seen a single person appear around her.
Liu Jun had just stepped out the door when he stopped again, pausing for a long time, unsure whether to go back into the room or go check on the situation.
Given her personality, she should have gone over immediately, but why did she suddenly hesitate for so long? And this heavy and elaborate wedding dress she was wearing, along with the heavy headdress on her head, made her neck ache.
Without hesitation, Liu Jun removed his crown and the cement-like outer robe, running towards the scene of the incident while wearing only his undergarments.
She didn't know why she was running; she was just feeling very flustered, as if she needed to find someone.
The candlelight flickered, and more and more corpses appeared on the ground. Red was everywhere, and the red that should have been warm and festive had turned into a chilling, haunted house.
The strong smell of blood in the air made people dizzy, disoriented, and their minds became increasingly chaotic.
She didn't know where to look or who to find. Just as she was about to faint, someone yanked her hard, and a familiar voice rushed into her ears.
"Li'er, what are you doing out here! Run away!!!"
The hand gripping her arm was very strong. Just as she was about to ask something, a sharp sword suddenly pierced straight through her chest, as if carrying boundless hatred, giving her no chance to react at all.
"Carp...no!!!"