Chapter 33 - Kun (1/2)

A wooden house stood out among all the black stone houses.

Maybe because of its age, the wooden wall made from the original logs was filled with mottled moss.

The roof was a greenish-gray color with stone tiles arranged layer after layer like fish scales. Maybe because of the rain earlier, drops of water fell off the edge of the roof.

The evening breeze came, making the blue curtain hanging at the door flutter gracefully as if it was a hand waving at Tang Ling, calling straight for his heart.

Is there something wrong with my memories?

Tang Ling's Adam's apple bobbed as he stared at the wooden house that stood out from the rest of the black stone houses. An indescribable and unusual feeling rose from his heart.

He had an impulse to go there for a closer look.

He did not know whether it was to prove that he had neglected the wooden house during his eight hours staring outside the window or if the hustling people strangely turned a blind eye to it.

A while later, Tang Ling stood in the middle of the alleyway. He really could not hold back the native impulse from his heart—he had to go to the wooden house.

With both hands in his pockets, Tang Ling walked towards the wooden house aimlessly. His feet stepped on the water puddles as he walked closer. The sloshing of his steps was heard, but as he walked closer to the wooden house, the splashes and the steps grew softer and eventually silent as if he had slowly walked into another dimension.

No one in the area particularly noticed the slim, short-haired and decent-looking young man. They would casually glimpse into the alleyway but would only see him walk to the end of the alleyway and turn around the corner, moving away from their sight.

******

In front of the wooden house, Tang Ling stopped. His breaths sounded a little hurried.

He was not tired though. It was just that he realized there was no one else in the area when he got closer to the wooden house.

Even the familiar street behind him looked surreal as if an invisible veil isolated him from the outside world. It was difficult to tell whether it was real or if it was just an illusion.

Nevertheless, the wooden house still stood before him as if it was the only real thing in the area.

"Maybe this is another dream." Slightly calmed down, Tang Ling looked up at the wooden sign hanging at the front door.

It was not purposely carved out as it retained its natural form and was still sharp, but on top of the surface, there were four square icons carved on it.

The carving was done powerfully, presenting an unusual sense of beauty at first glimpse.

"The Mysterious Store…" Tang Ling muttered softly as he was able to read and recognize the meaning of the four square icons.

The squares might be a kind of language. With that single thought, Tang Ling's mind had prepared the meaning for him, but the strange thing was that he was not surprised at all.

Ever since that night, nothing else in this world would sound or seem unreasonable to him anymore. Moreover, it was just a dream.

Should everything in a dream have an explanation?

With the thought in mind, Tang Ling lifted the fluttering curtain and stepped into the wooden house.

Darkness covered his eyes, yet there was an unusual aroma in that space.

Tang Ling had never smelled anything like this before. There was the freshness of wood with a tint of fruity fragrance. When the aroma entered the nostrils, it smelled like a hundred blooming flowers combining their fragrance together, and it was very unusual.

It soothed the heart and cleared the mind.

Unconsciously, Tang Ling wanted to cover his mouth and nose. In this era, all the little harmless details might very well be the reason that he lost his life.

Moreover, the previous dream told him that everything that he experienced would be reflected back in reality.