Chapter 114: Blue Moon Valley

“Old Madam, Madam Ruan, listen to me. Ruan Jinluan wasn’t killed by my master,” I quickly shouted.

“Grandma, should we act?” came the dull voice of the idiot from somewhere.

“Jade Corpse, cousin, cousin…” I yelled. There was no sign of the Jade Corpse outside, nor any trace of Mo Bai’s voice. I punched the wooden door, but the cabin was made of heavy, aged timber—hard as iron. My fingers immediately started bleeding.

That Mo Bai earlier wasn’t human at all—just a one-legged zombie. Had the Jade Corpse fallen into his trap?

The wrinkled old woman responded, “Act.”

The sound of gears spinning rapidly followed, and the cabin began to tilt. The offerings of apples on the table thudded to the ground. I picked up Little Rascal, trying to toss it out the window to let it escape, but it clamped its jaws tightly onto my clothes, refusing to let go.

My body lost balance, and the jade ruler fell to the floor. Xie Lingyu tumbled out, asking, “What’s happening?”

“We’re going to die,” I cried out. Before I could finish speaking, the entire cabin spun uncontrollably. The plump, clean little pig on the table slid off and slammed into the wall, squealing in confusion, unaware of what was happening. Terrified, it defecated a trail of yellow waste. Poor thing. I grabbed the piglet and the dog, holding them with one arm while trying to brace myself against a pillar with the other. But gravity betrayed me, and with no other choice, I curled my body, shielding them with my back as the impact came…

Xu Jun held onto Liu Yunxin, who clutched Xu Xiaokang. The cabin spun faster and faster. My head and arms smashed against the walls.

Paintings of the Buddha, Guanyin, Laozi, and Bajie scattered everywhere, flying wildly through the cabin. I thought, *This is it—even the gods can’t save us now.*

Before I could finish that thought, the roaring sound of rushing water filled my ears. The cabin suddenly lurched into the air and then—*thud!*—plunged into the river. Water gushed in, soaking everything instantly. The heavy timber cabin sank rapidly, but the swift current slowed its descent, sending us hurtling downstream.

Within moments, we were hundreds of meters away. The corners of the cabin smashed against rocks along the shore. The noise drowned in the chaos of survival. The air in my lungs dwindled, and I faintly sensed Xie Lingyu running along the riverbank, crying in despair.

Xu Jun and his family were likely drowning.

Then—*boom!*—an impact.

…

Sunlight streamed in, fragrant and warm.

Half-conscious, I wondered, *Where is this beautiful place? Have I gone to heaven?*

“Wake up…”

I struggled to open my eyes and saw a monk in robes holding a bowl of water, feeding me gently. The windows and door frames were adorned with Tibetan decorations.

Through the window, I could see prayer flags fluttering atop a distant pagoda, swaying in the wind like a bridge between heaven and earth…

“Ah…” I moved slightly, pain shooting through my body as if my bones had been broken. The Jade Corpse stood nearby, tears glistening in her eyes.

I forced a weak smile. She smiled back. Glancing around, I saw my belongings intact—stacks of drying U.S. dollars, the jade ruler, and *The Compendium*, safely wrapped in oilpaper.

“Where… is this?” I asked.

The monk was young but humble. “This is the Blue Moon Valley. I am a monk from the temple.”

“How did I get here?” I asked, puzzled.

“Few ever find this place. During our morning prayers, we discovered a cabin in the valley with several injured people inside—along with a dog and a pig. A mute woman stood guard outside. You may call me Tsering, by the way,” he said gently.

*Who brought us here?*

The Jade Corpse shook her head, unable to speak.

“Thank you, Tsering. Are my friends alright?” I sat up and drank the water.

“They’re in the next room,” Tsering replied. He brought me porridge first, knowing I had been unconscious for too long. After warming my stomach, he served fragrant rice.

Little Rascal soon trotted in, followed by the clean little piglet from the cabin. The piglet wagged its tail, trying to lick my face, but I pushed it away. “Hey, buddy, did you brush your teeth?”

Little Rascal wagged its tail eagerly and licked my cheek. The piglet sulked, wriggling on the floor.

After eating, I had the Jade Corpse help me walk to check on Xu Jun and his family. Xu Jun and Liu Yunxin were severely injured, but Xu Xiaokang was unharmed. The couple remained unconscious, their faces ashen.

Sunlight bathed the courtyard, birds singing.

When I tried to leave, the gate wouldn’t open—locked from the outside, likely to keep us from wandering.

I sat in the courtyard, letting the Jade Corpse stay inside to avoid the sun. Stretching carefully, I assessed my injuries—mostly bruises, my lungs intact. The worst was a wooden splinter in my arm, but the wound was clean, no fever. The bugs I’d eaten earlier must have helped.

*That wrinkled old woman—was she really Ruan Jinluan’s wife? Why did she say Ye Guyi killed him? Wasn’t it Ruan who captured Zuo Shan to breed bugs, only for Zuo to turn the tables?*

I recalled the cabin tumbling into the Jinsha River, then blacking out. *What creature pulled us from the rapids and brought us here?* A stroke of luck—surviving death to reach Blue Moon.

*What kind of place is Blue Moon Valley?* Locked in this courtyard, I wondered what lay beyond.

*Did the two-headed ghost infant speak true—is there a spirit medium here who can answer my questions?*

I glanced at the Jade Corpse inside. Something felt missing. Then it hit me—Xie Lingyu was gone.

*Did she vanish like He Qingling, the little cat spirit?*

The thought jolted me. I limped inside, grabbing the jade ruler, shaking it—no sign of Xie Lingyu.

*Had she left too?*

Sitting on the wooden bed, tears fell unbidden.

Back in Jiangcheng, when she said, *”Better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than cling in hardship,”* I nearly cried but held back, leaving resolutely. Meeting her again in Kunming had been bittersweet.

As a child, I read *The Little Prince*. The prince left his beloved rose and met a mischievous fox, who spoke of taming: *”Look at the wheat fields. I don’t eat bread, so wheat is useless to me. But your hair is golden like the wheat. If you tame me, the golden fields will remind me of you. I’ll even love the sound of the wind in the wheat…”*

Xie Lingyu’s absence cut like a knife. Stumbling to the gate, I pounded on it. “Let me out! Let me out!”

No one answered.

The gate remained shut, as if sealing me off forever. *Prayer flags, dancing in the wind—can you carry away sorrow?*

By evening, Xu Jun and Liu Yunxin awoke, weaker than me, confined to bed. Xu Xiaokang crouched in a corner, famished, his eyes swarming with tiny heads. Liu Yunxin struggled up. “Son, are you hungry?”

“Hungry…”

“Then… bite my arm…” She rolled up her sleeve. Fearing Xu Xiaokang might actually eat her, I slapped him.

“Get back!” I barked. Liu Yunxin lunged at me, hysterical. “How dare you hit my son—” She collapsed, bleeding.

Waiting for her to calm, I helped her back to bed. Night fell, but no monk brought food. Starving, I found rice, salt, chili peppers, and dried meat in the kitchen.

*So we cook for ourselves.* I made porridge for the couple and rice for myself. The aroma drew Xu Xiaokang, drooling.

“Behave,” I warned the thing inside him.

Baring his teeth, he took the bowl I gave him. “One bowl today.”

Stepping outside, I saw the moon—huge, luminous, like a wheel in the sky. Stars glittered, and distant chants drifted on the wind.

The moonlight, pure and radiant, was perfect for the Jade Corpse. She danced in the courtyard, her red wedding dress fluttering, steps ethereal, now fast, now slow.

Under the moon, she was breathtaking.

*Thud!* A sound outside the gate…