novelTele Chapter 371 Why do you dare?
Chapter 371 Why do you dare?
Ruan Wenming followed the figure in the white dress, step by step, into the deepest part of the fog.
There were no screams, no flames, no irregular tearing.
The Silent Heart Palace does not use violence to kill.
It only takes away obsessions.
The mist gently enveloped him, like a pair of tender hands.
The pure white ground beneath his feet gradually became soft and ethereal, as if he were walking on clouds or sinking into the bottom of water.
Xiao He walked ahead, smiling, further and further away.
He instinctively quickened his pace, trying to catch up.
But with each step I take, my body feels lighter.
Consciousness seemed to be dissolved by warm water, and memories began to blur—
Forget the rice noodle stall, forget your family, forget the ghost stories, forget your fear, forget your guilt.
Only one thought remained: catch up with her and never let her leave again.
His figure gradually faded into the mist.
First the fingertips, then the palms, then the arms, shoulders, and chest.
It was not destroyed, nor burned, but completely assimilated and absorbed by this pure white.
Like a drop of water falling into an endless expanse of snow.
Silently.
........................
Studio:
"He wasn't killed by ghost stories; he chose to remain forever trapped in his obsession."
"The Silent Heart Palace doesn't kill people; it shelters people who don't want to live in reality."
"He broke through. For him, this wasn't death, it was liberation."
"The gentlest way to die is often the most heart-wrenching ending."
"This plot is too brutal; it's even more suffocating than directly killing monsters."
"Alas, it's not that the palace imprisoned him, it's that he himself refused to let himself go."
........................
Xia Ning gazed at the desolate mist and sighed softly:
"Do you see? External demons are easy to dispel. But the demons in your heart are incurable!"
"Alright, this is just to give you a brief taste of the characteristics of the Silent Heart Palace," Xia Ning said calmly. "Now, let's leave and head to the next place."
After saying that, she turned and walked out of the hall.
Everyone felt as if they had been granted a pardon and quickly got up to follow.
After leaving the Silent Heart Hall, Xia Ning headed straight for the north side of the courtyard.
"Follow me to the second terrace."
The crowd followed silently behind.
On the north side, a stone staircase winds upwards, with a total of thirty-six steps.
The stone steps are not wide, and instead of railings on both sides, there is a long wall of prayer wheels.
Rows of rustic wooden prayer wheels are embedded in the stone wall, their bodies engraved with intricate runes, and the outer copper hoops have long since oxidized and darkened.
When the wind blows, the prayer wheels turn gently, making a low, dry creaking sound.
No one dared to reach out and touch it.
Lin Feng stepped forward, gently touching the body of the prayer wheel with his fingertips, and slowly turned it around once, his expression calm and devout.
This scene made Xia Ning pause slightly, and she immediately stopped and looked at him:
"Why do you dare to share it?"
Lin Feng withdrew his hand and spoke calmly:
"This is a place for quiet meditation. Turning the prayer wheel is an act of reverence and concentration. If the mind is free of delusion, what harm is there in touching it?"
Xia Ning gazed at him, her eyes, like a calm lake, rippled gently.
[Ding, Xia Ning's favorability towards the host increases by 3]
Current favorability rating: 18/100
The moment you step onto the second terrace, your view suddenly opens up.
Facing you is a huge bluestone square, about thirty meters wide and forty meters long.
The stone slabs have been polished smooth by time, yet they remain cold.
In the very center of the ground is a huge mandala pattern, with intricate, symmetrical, and solemn lines. However, due to its age, most of it has been worn away and blurred, leaving only a faint outline.
In the center of the square stands a three-story stone tower.
The tower is not tall, but it is solid and heavy. Its four sides are inlaid with reliefs, which depict monks and guardian deities forming hand seals. Their faces are blurred and their postures are solemn.
"This is the Central Cultivation Plaza." Xia Ning stopped in her tracks.
"Daily morning lessons, meditation, and sparring all take place here. Running, making noise, and private fights are strictly prohibited. Violators will bear the consequences themselves."
Xia Ning turned around and pointed to the most magnificent building on the north side of the square.
"That is the main hall of the temple."
It was a massive three-story wooden building with a double-eaved hip roof, a typical Newari style.
The beams and pillars are as dark as ink, and the roof is covered with dark gray schist tiles, layer upon layer, with the eaves slightly upturned, like folded wings.
Under each eave, a copper bell hangs. When the wind blows, the delicate bell sounds create a continuous, ethereal, and distant sound, devoid of any human touch.
"On the first floor of the main hall, statues of supreme Dharma masters from all dynasties are enshrined."
"The second floor is the scripture library, which stores cultivation scriptures and scrolls of runes. Entry is not permitted without authorization."
"The third floor is the highest meditation room, which only temple elders can enter."
Her tone was flat, drawing a strict line.
As everyone looked up, they felt that the main hall was majestic, ancient, and oppressive, like a silent giant looking down on all the intruders.
Xia Ning raised her hand and pointed to the west side hall.
"On the west side is the dining hall—Zhaixin Hall. Your meals for the next seven days will be served here."
Following the direction she pointed, everyone saw a side hall with an unassuming design, yet exuding an inexplicable sense of oppression, standing quietly there.
"Zhaixintang only serves two meals a day. One meal is served at Chenshi (7-9 AM) and the other at Shenshi (3-5 PM). No one will wait for those who miss their meal, and no replacements will be made for those who miss their meal."
She took the first step, and the others followed nervously.
Upon entering Zhaixin Hall, a chilling atmosphere immediately greets you.
The hall is long and narrow, running north to south, and has no windows; it is completely enclosed.
The four walls were not made of brick or stone, but rather a single, mottled, dark bronze mirror.
The reflection in the mirror was blurry, distorted, and had indistinct edges, as if separated by a layer of cold water. The faces were unclear, and the figures seemed to be eerily shadowy.
The roof is extremely high, hidden deep in darkness, with dozens of copper butter lamps hanging from above, their lights flickering weakly.
As the light flickered, the reflections of people in the four mirrors lengthened, shortened, and overlapped.
Inside the hall, four rows of long blue stone tables and benches were neatly arranged, and each table was engraved with a small number.
"Meals are served according to the room number; no one is allowed to sit in the wrong room," Xia Ning said calmly.
In the center of the north wall, there is a small food pick-up window, the inside of which is pitch black and bottomless.
"When it's time to eat, a pair of hands will reach out from through this window." Xia Ning's gaze fell on the darkness. "It will place the food on the windowsill, and you will line up to receive it."
She paused, then emphasized:
"Remember, do not peek out the window, and do not touch those hands in any way."
A commotion immediately broke out in the crowd.
Someone muttered under their breath, "It sounds like a deathbed meal..."
The person next to him turned pale and told him to shut up.
"Of course, there are other rules in the cafeteria." Xia Ning's gaze swept over everyone. "I won't go into details here."
"Take a closer look when you come for dinner; it's posted on the wall next to the door."
Everyone quickly turned to look and indeed saw the paper.
White background with black lettering, quietly pasted on the wall.
At this moment, a timid voice rang out from the back of the crowd:
"Um... is it okay if I don't eat it, or if I eat one less meal a day?"
The speaker was a young woman with a round face and a blush on her cheekbones typical of high-altitude areas.
She was dressed in the traditional robes of the Canglang Kingdom, with a wool-trimmed collar that covered her completely, leaving only her dark, piercing eyes showing unease.
Her name is Wuyun Shandan.
Xia Ning turned her head and glanced at her.
The gaze wasn't cold, but it made Wu Yunshan instinctively shrink back.
"Okay," Xia Ning said.
Wu Yunshan's eyes had just lit up.
Xia Ning smiled and said, "But soon you will see some things you shouldn't see."