Though the architecture looked old, it was well maintained, where each stone shone even in the dim light of night. The stones were gray in color, and had a rough, grainy texture, which was coated in a glossy sheen. And every block of stone was carved in detail. Some had motifs, but most of it consisted of some unknown form of pictorial writing.
Beibei guesses it to be the written language of the tribes people, simply because she had noticed something similar on many of the hut walls and on the outside of the caves when she had been wandering about. However, these carvings were definitely more structured and fine tuned, meaning that this building held special significance for the people of this tribe.
Other than the carved walls, the rooms inside the building seemed pretty bare, with some stone ledges or platforms placed around each room at random. The doors to each room were just large square opening, with a long wooden beam placed at the bottom and the top. The beam went from left to right, piercing through the stone walls on both sides. She had to lift up her feet to cross over the lower beam whenever she entered or exited a room.
The beams too had pictorial engravings on them, and the engravings were coated in a sheen of silver and gold dust, making them look more regal and somber. The whole building from within gave off an ascetic and grave aura, which was why she kept feeling it was something like a temple for the tribes people.
As she entered the last room at the back-center of the building, she was pleasantly surprised to notice two large and thick wooden doors barricading the entrance. This was the only room which was not easy to enter like the other rooms. Which also indicated there might be something of importance in this particular room. Being in her spirit body, Beibei tried to feel about for any type of barrier within the room. Sensing none, she swiftly entered into the closed chamber.
It was a good thing that she was in her spirit body, or she might have just fallen to her death! Most part of the floor had disappeared within a large round empty space, which seemed to go all the way into the lower part of the fifth mountain. Was there actually a hole running through the entire middle of the mountain?!
Water emerged from the innumerable cracks and crevices of the remaining floor, and flowed down the hole like a cascading waterfall, disappearing into the darkness of the immeasurable depths. At the center of the hole was a small floating circular dais, and on top of it was a large turquoise stone. The stone itself was very pretty, as it had fine red and yellow spots gravelling on the smooth cold texture of the stone.
But why was there a stone floating in the middle of a hole on top of a mountain? And that too in a chamber which was barricaded? Did this stone represent some long gone deity? Or did these people worship stone as they lived on a range of mountains?
Beibei was walking about the room, stopping at different places to look at the waterfall, hole and stone from different angles. She wasn't sure, but maybe looking at it from different angles would give her a different perspective?! So as she stopped again, and then turned to move to another part of the room.....she felt someone tugging onto her clothes!
Beibei stopped in shock. She had not noticed any other person or soul in this room. More importantly....this other person or soul could see her spiritual self? This did not look like a promising threat.
Frowning lightly, she turned to face the unknown enemy. She looked around, but saw no one. Finally she turned her head to look down, where she could still feel a tug on her skirt.
Two very large and very blue eyes blinked back at her. Tears shone in those large eyes, and clung to the long eyelashes. The eyes themselves seemed to be attached to a tiny face, with a tiny nose and tiny leaf-like lips pursed in grief. The face was attached to a plump body. Her skirt was being held tightly by two tiny, chubby paws, as they hung on to her for support.
The entire body of the chubby little boy....was blue! Beibei sighed. Nothing seemed to make her surprised anymore. But why was a child was locked up inside this chamber? And how come she did not feel his aura when she entered?
"You...small person! Take me out of here!"
Beibei blinked at him in bewilderment, and the child blinked back.
"Take you where? Whose child are you? And why are you here alone? Why don't you ask your mother to bring you out?"
The child pouted, looking rather displeased. The prideful way he straightened his back, and the haughty tone of his voice....did he think he was some kind of lost royalty, and he was talking to one of his servants?! Beibei glared back at him, looking even more displeased.
"What mother? Who dares to be my mother?! I am born from the energy of heaven and earth! I am one of a kind....an enigma! You small person....how dare you stare at me so condescendingly! I order you....take me out of here!"
Beibei paused in her thoughts, trying to wrap her head around the words of the little toddler. Born from heaven and earth??...Was this little thing the spiritual consciousness of the mountains?! She stared at him from top to toe, wondering how she was supposed to deal with this self-proclaimed royalty.
"What are you looking at?! If you don't bring me out right now, then I will start screaming. Then everyone will know that you are trespassing in my chambers! Hmph!"
Beibei scratched her head. Her hands were itching to give this little 'thing' a very good spanking. But....why did all this seem so familiar. This kind of arrogant tone.....the desire to spank someone.....even this way in which they both met.....everything seemed very familiar! Was there someone else as well whom she wanted to spank?!
"Unfortunately, as you can see, I have come here in my spirit form. Firstly, I can't take you out, since I can't open the door. Secondly, even if you do call everyone, no one will be able to see me. So there is no point in your threatening me!"
Hmph! Don't overestimate yourself. This tribe is an ancient tribe. Do you really think no one here can sense you just because you are out of your physical body! Just scan see you clearly, so can Monmona see you. Just you wait. Once she comes, you'll know the consequences of trespassing into my room!"
Her eyebrows twitched as she heard that Monmona, whoever that was, could probably see her. She definitely couldn't allow this little kid to snitch.
"What do you want me to do? I really can't open the door, so I can't possibly take you out even if I want to."
The little boy puckered his lips in a disgruntled manner, then leaving her skirt, he walked around in circles, his stubby feet shaking unsteadily. For a moment, Beibei was scared that he would lose his balance and topple down the deep hole. After a long while of circling around aimlessly, the boy came to a stop before her, once again clinging to her skirt to balance himself.
"Then I have no choice. Make a contract with me."
Beibei blinked, and then blinked again in disbelief. This son of heaven and earth, wanted to make a contract with her? Why?!
Moreover she was not sure what exactly the boy was supposed to be doing inside this chamber. Suddenly making a contract with him might alert the people of the tribe...and that could lead to disastrous results! She squinted her eyes and glared at him. How dare he try to order her about!
"And why would I want to make a contract with you? What can a puny little fellow like you offer to me in return? What are the benefits of making you my slave?"
"Slave your mother! You are the slave! How dare you expect me to make a master-slave contract with you! I am talking about a Soul contract!"
"Hah! Soul contract! I do not know all the procedures to make a proper soul contract. Moreover, why in the world are you so interested in making a soul contract with me? Is there something in me that you are seeking? All the more reason for me to reject you!"
The little boy looked at her in anger and disbelief. He had bowed down so low as to almost grovel before a measly human....and she rejected him?! True...he did find her aura extremely enticing. But there was no way he was going to tell her that. She was already too arrogant and headstrong!
Beibei had turned her head to look around, and was about to lift her leg and walk off, when she felt a sharp sting on her left hand. She turned her head back, but by then the little toddler had already swiped his fingers over the tiny teeth wound on her wrist, and instantly he disappeared from his spot.
Tsk! She had been too careless. She had taken it to be a real child and underestimated its craftiness! She looked around, her anger surging in icy waves, wanting to freeze the entire room to a popsicle. After a long while the child reappeared on top of the turquoise stone, his butt placed on the flat surface of the stone itself, his chubby legs hanging down, freely kicking about in the air. He looked at her gleefully, like a mischievous imp, as a fleck of red blood shot out from his fingers, and before she could turn to deflect it, it pierced right through her glabella, merging into her body and disappearing.
Immediately Beibei was attacked by a bout of severe dizziness, followed by many vague and hazy memories. Her head was pounding heavily, and even her heart accelerated, as more and more images flooded her mind. She slowly felt her body collapsing on the ground, even her spirit body turning heavy, as a strange heat invaded her soul, burning her slowly from the inside.