Chapter 62 Mid July (2/2)

Besides plants, he did not see any other living creatures.

The entire river was dead silent.

One morning, Shen Lian walked as usual and he saw a living creature. More accurately, he saw a human being.

On the opposite bank, a lady stood quietly.

She was dressed in purple. Her clothes accentuated her perfect body shape.

Shen Lian had great eyesight and could see her clearly. She was beautiful and otherworldly.

The wind blew, ringing the purple bell that hung at her waist. It danced to the wind and gave off a crisp ring.

Perhaps Shen Lian was excited because he finally saw someone and not just because that she was beautiful.

He tried to greet her, but the lady disappeared after she glanced at him.

There was not even a sign left. It was as though what Shen Lian saw was merely an illusion.

However, the bell still rang in the wind. It was a melodious tune.

Shen Lian thought that since he met a person there, it must not be a deserted area then. Perhaps he might meet another person later.

He met the next person indeed. It was a lot sooner than he thought.

It was midnight, where the moon was almost a full moon.

The stars were sparse and the moonlight was heart-moving.

Shen Lian sat cross-legged on top of a rock. As usual, he was waiting for the day to come.

A layer of thin mist appeared on the river while the moonlight was scattered amongst the mists. The moonlight shone as melancholy filled the air.

There was a light at the upstream that was three hundred feet away from Shen Lian. It seemed hazy as if it was stirred in the water and moonlight.

Shen Lian finally realized that it was fifteenth of July – the Hungry Ghost Festival.

The reason behind his sudden realization was because the light that he saw was actually from a lamp, and the lamp was hanging on a boat.

The boat was white, and a person dressed in white was standing on it. Due to the mist and the distorted light, he could not see the person clearly.

The person in white was holding a lantern, it looked like a Soul Summoning Lantern used during funerals.

The river flowed slowly. As the boat did not have any paddle, it flowed with the current.

Shen Lian heard someone crying, or rather, singing.

It was the dead who was singing. Shen Lian found it creepy.

To hear such mournful singing on a silent night without any chirping of birds or whirring of insects, a weak-hearted person would probably have fainted by now.

However, Shen Lian did not faint. The song felt magical, and Shen Lian felt his body lightened up.

He turned around and saw himself.

That was the first time that he had an out-of-body experience involuntarily.

The person in white waved the white lantern, and balls of light on the river bank floated towards the lone boat.

Shen Lian finally knew why there were no other living creatures along the river.

This was because their spirit was summoned by the white lantern held by the person in white.

The sparse balls of light were probably living creatures that came to the river recently.

Neither did he feel nor did he notice it beforehand.瀛洲 － It is one of the five sacred islands. Others namely, Fangzhang, Daiyu, Yuanjiao, and Penglai, where Chinese immortals lived. Categorised under Chinese mythological geography外门－ A 'replica' school claiming they originated/branched from established schools. Usually do not teach the genuine syllabus.长生门- where 长生 (Changsheng) means 'immortality', and 门 means 'door'. Here is to say many who cultivate toward immortality often die before they achieve it ('reach the door'). Hence, there are many skeletons in front of this 'door'.重九－ ninth day of the ninth month.