Chapter 114: The Backyard Cottage

Thump, thump, thump…

The knocking on the door persisted. Each strike felt as if it were landing directly upon my heart, causing my body to shudder involuntarily while cold sweat beaded on my forehead.

The more pressing issue was that if Xiyue and I refused to open the door, it would simply keep knocking, the sound beginning to induce a strange numbness throughout my limbs. Do not ask me why I felt this way; it was truly terrifying. We knew full well that the person outside was the innkeeper, and by now, we had essentially confirmed that this innkeeper was another "me." Though I did not know the story behind it, I knew one thing: this man intended to kill me. In Huamei Village, he was the only one capable of doing so.

Thump, thump, thump…

As the knocking sounded once more, Xiyue offered a bitter smile, walked to the door, and opened it.

Before us stood my own familiar face.

"I knew you hadn't gone to sleep yet," a hoarse voice rasped. "I've come to discuss something with Mr. Yang Dong."

Upon hearing that the innkeeper wanted to see me, I trembled all over. I shook my head, signaling that I would not go. But then, Xiyue stepped to my side and whispered a few words. She told me to follow him, and that we would reunite outside the inn when dawn broke.

Before I could ask why, the innkeeper had already seized my wrist. I was dragged out of the room, leaving me no room to resist. Once outside, I glanced at the sky. It was pitch black, a moonless night. Fortunately, the dim light of the oil lamps within the inn allowed me to see the surroundings. I was startled to discover that there was no one else in the shop; it was just me and the innkeeper.

"Yang Dong, let's go. We shall talk in the shed in the backyard."

My heart sank at the mention of the backyard shed—the place where the innkeeper disposed of corpses. Within that shed, there was also a third version of myself; I had begun to accept this reality.

"What is the matter?" The innkeeper looked at me, sensing my hesitation.

"Nothing," I replied quickly, continuing to follow him.

As we passed the front desk, I couldn't help but glance at the guest register. I trembled so violently I nearly cried out. My name, which had been bright red, had turned a dull, grayish-black. What did this mean? Was I to die this time? Yet, why would Xiyue insist that I follow him? What was the catch?

I took a deep breath and grabbed an inkstone from the counter. It was heavy in my hand—my only temporary weapon. Since Xiyue had told me that this innkeeper was, in fact, a human, this primitive method was my only way to deal with him. If I could not avoid this, I would have to fight. Not everyone can trigger their hidden potential in the face of life and death, but I felt a strange relief that I had prepared myself mentally.

We entered the backyard, which looked exactly as it had when I saw it in my soul-state. Outside the shed, there was a wrought-iron fence secured by a massive padlock. The innkeeper walked ahead, took a key from his waist, unlocked the gate, and gestured for me to enter. I could have turned and fled, but I did not. Having been through so much, if Xiyue wanted me to face this alone, it meant this was my fate. No one else could help me; I had to be my own savior.

I slipped past the gate without hesitation. The shed itself was also secured with a heavy copper lock that could not be opened without a key, so I stood by the door and waited. Like a criminal awaiting sentencing, I stood alone in the dark, watching for a dawn that remained shrouded in mist, with danger lurking at every turn.

Yet, I could not retreat. If I did, I might truly be lost forever. If I shrank back, this "me" would have even more reason to kill me, proving that I had forgotten my own identity.

In truth, when Xiyue told me the key to the situation, I had already guessed my connection to Huamei Village. The village did not exist in reality; I had created it. When I entered Wuying Village, something had happened to my three souls and seven spirits, forcing me to refine them. I had left one of my spirits in Huamei Village to govern it, and this innkeeper was the manifestation of that spirit. Of course, this was only a guess, but Xiyue had confirmed much of it. The corpse coffin I had left behind was meant to be used for my return to restore everything.

*Creeeak!*

The door opened. The moment it did, I was hit by a sickening stench. I saw corpses and skulls scattered across the floor. My eyes fell upon a large red bed, the linens stained and messy, reeking of decay. There was no need to ask; I knew the sheets were stained with real blood.

*Hum!*

With a dull thud, I felt the innkeeper lock the door behind me. My heart skipped a beat.

"Why are you locking the door?"

The innkeeper snapped the heavy copper lock shut, turned, and smiled. "If I didn't lock it, what if the contents of our conversation were to leak out?"

I was speechless, gripping the inkstone behind my back even tighter.

"Hmph!" I snorted, feigning anger while sweat poured down my back.

Hearing my cold tone, the innkeeper, who had been about to sit down, shuddered and stood back up. I saw a thin sheen of cold sweat on his forehead. As Xiyue had said, everyone here feared me—including this version of me.

In an instant, I remembered the innkeeper saying he had been saved from a mirror by me. Had I been trapped once before? I had no time to ponder this, as the man before me, having steadied his breath, asked cautiously, "Yang Dong, where do you come from?"

He likely knew much about my current situation; otherwise, he wouldn't have been behind all the events that followed my being sucked into the Shadow Eye.

"I come from where I came," I replied, sounding pretentious. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain absolutely calm.

"Where you came from?" The innkeeper frowned, looking at me for a long time without speaking, as if lost in deep thought. His expression held both fear and confusion.