Song Zhuyu shook his head, "No, nothing's wrong."
Yet it was precisely because nothing was wrong that made it all the more unnerving.
This was the island where the demon resided, so how could things be so peaceful around here? Let's not mention the low level of dark energy in the air, he couldn't detect even a whisper of the demon's presence, nor had his spirit artifact given any reaction whatsoever. Had he been mistaken about the demon's location all along?
As soon as that notion crept into his mind, Song Zhuyu promptly shook his head to banish it. No, he couldn't be mistaken, he was certain of it. The dead zone he saw in his hallucination that day… it was clearly concentrated on this island.
Well, this was just his first day here, so maybe he shouldn't jump to any conclusion yet.
With a sigh, Song Zhuyu scratched his head in annoyance and turned to enter the house. "Let's go inside first," he told Chen Ru.
Stepping through the wooden door of the guest house, Song Zhuyu was greeted with a cozy interior.
To the left, a crackling fire blazed in the hearth, filling the room with a comforting scent of burning wood and casting a warm flickering light that danced across the floorboards, complete with cozy armchairs. On the right stood a sturdy oak dining table with four chairs, positioned by the window that framed the verdant scenery outside. Three doors were visible at a glance— two of them must be the bedrooms while the other one was most likely a bathroom.
"Wow!" Chen Ru exclaimed, snapping photos enthusiastically. "It's so cozy and clean! Father Song, we have really hit the jackpot this time! The pictures are turning out excellent, but… damn, there's really no signal here!" He lamented miserably. "How am I supposed to show off to the people in the company?!"
With his duffel bag in tow, Song Zhuyu walked to one of the rooms and pushed the door open, finding a simple and neat bedroom as he had expected. A single bed was tucked against the wall, adjacent to the window. Aside from that, there was also a wardrobe, nightstand and a small wooden table with a chair.
Setting down his bag, Song Zhuyu circled around the room like a hound while inspecting every nook and cranny, yet he still found no signs of anomaly.
Outside, he could hear Chen Ru enthusiastically complimenting his room and the beautiful scenery. The young man was really an easy-going, happy-go-lucky guy without the slightest sense of danger, making one feel somewhat helpless.
On the other hand, Song Zhuyu found himself unable to relax at all.
Where are you? he whispered inside his heart. I'm here now, aren't you going to come out and greet me?
A knock on the door brought him out of his reverie.
"Coming!" Chen Ru's voice rang out as he hurried to answer the door.
When Song Zhuyu exited his room, he found Ma Boliu and a middle-aged woman – most likely his wife – setting dishes on the table.
"These are meals from our own harvest," Ma Boliu remarked. "They're not much, but we hope you will enjoy them."
Song Zhuyu approached the dining table to find a plate of sautéed chicken and stir-fry vegetables, with two bowls of warm rice. Chen Ru almost drooled at the sight, despite having devoured a jumbo-sized fried rice less than two hours ago. "Woah, they look so good! Thank you, Mr and Mrs. Ma!"
Song Zhuyu was a little speechless. Not only was this guy so carefree, he was also a glutton.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality," he expressed his gratitude, but the middle-aged couple waved off his thanks before departing.
After sending the two of them off, Song Zhuyu and Chen Ru enjoyed their first meal in Shenci Island before they took turns to bathe, making full use of the hot water provided by Ma Boliu.
This was the first time Song Zhuyu had ever soaked in a wooden tub, and surprisingly it wasn't bad at all. Cold water flowed through the showerhead, but hot water needed to be prepared by burning firewood outside— which was another new thing he learned about the island.
After their baths, the sun had vanished beyond the horizon, enveloping the island in darkness illuminated only by candles, lanterns and the fireplace. It wasn't yet 9 pm, so Song Zhuyu could only settle on the armchair in front of the fireplace to dry his long hair faster.
"Huh?" Chen Ru, who walked out of his room while applying lotion on his face, was surprised at the sight of Song Zhuyu with a book on his lap. He came over and asked curiously, "Father Song, what are you reading?"
"Just a random book I found on the shelf," Song Zhuyu replied, lifting the thick hardcover book to show the title – Introduction to the Basic Concepts of Modern Physics.
Chen Ru recoiled by reflex, mildly horrified. "Oh, haha… looks interesting…" he forced out a laugh before gingerly taking a seat on the other armchair.
"Father Song, were you a physics student?" he asked after a prolonged period of silence, unable to resist. He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed when he thought of how much he had talked about himself on the train, yet he knew little to none about the man before him— except for the rumors, of course.
"Haven't I told you?" Song Zhuyu responded without looking up from the book, flipping the page. "I studied law."
"Oh wow…" This time, Chen Ru was genuinely impressed. "That's so cool. Is it true that you've been an exorcist since you were sixteen?"
Song Zhuyu glanced up at him, amused. "Where did you hear such baseless information from?" he asked, causing Chen Ru to release a sheepish chuckle because he couldn't possibly admit that it was one of the mildest rumors surrounding the crimson-haired man, could he? Song Zhuyu continued, "I was still in university at twenty. It wasn't until my senior year that I took proper training to be an exorcist."
"Then you must be a natural talent!" Chen Ru's admiration for the other person soared even higher. He couldn't help but wonder. If given a few more years, could he reach Song Zhuyu's level?
Unknowingly, Chen Ru's eyes drifted to the man's fingers that were flipping the pages of the book. They were long, slender, and elegant, with the nails neatly trimmed, looking like they had been carved out of white jade. He couldn't help but recall the moment back on the mainland when Father Song had ruffled his hair— without a doubt, they were on a larger side.
How unfair, Chen Ru thought. Not only were his hands beautiful, but his hair, his eyes and his face as well…
Chen Ru swore he was here to seek more pointers from Song Zhuyu on how to become a commendable exorcist, but when he gazed at Song Zhuyu's silhouette bathed in the warm glow of the hearth, he found his heart skipping a beat. He was straight, for God's sake!
With his eyes cast down and expression serious, Song Zhuyu looked almost unreal as he sat there unmoving. How could someone be blessed with such gorgeous crimson hair? How could he have such thick and long lashes? What were the secrets behind those two moles beneath his eyes?! As those questions swirled in Chen Ru's mind, a surge of impulse overtook him, compelling him to ask,
"Um, Father Song… may I know your skincare routine?"
Song Zhuyu: "..."
Song Zhuyu: "...There's none."
Chen Ru blinked. "Huh?"
Feeling somewhat helpless, Song Zhuyu elaborated, "I don't use skincare."
"Y–You don't?!" Chen Ru blurted out in shock. "You mean, that smooth and flawless skin of yours is the result of just soap and water?! What about your hair routine?!"
A hint of amusement danced in the corner of Song Zhuyu's eyes as he arched a challenging brow. "What do you think?"
"No, no, don't tell me about it." Chen Ru hurriedly said, afraid that he would receive another emotional damage. Yet in the end, he still couldn't resist asking, "But how—"
"Chen Ru."
The sound of his name being called caused Chen Ru to straighten up. "Y-Yes?!" He responded instinctively.
Flipping the page, Song Zhuyu shushed him softly, "Quiet now."
"Oh…" The young man deflated, no longer daring to utter another word. Enveloped in the warmth from the fireplace, mingling with the crackling of firewood and the occasional rustle of turning pages, it didn't take long for Chen Ru to be lulled into a state of drowsiness. He suppressed a yawn, noting that Song Zhuyu was still absorbed in his reading, but apparently the crimson-haired man had caught him in the act.
"You can go to sleep first if you're tired. It's been a long day."
Indeed, now that they had settled down, Chen Ru found every bone in his body aching, and he couldn't wait to bury himself beneath the blanket and pass out. However, he felt hesitant to rest first before his senior, as it would make him appear so lazy in comparison. "But what about you, Father Song?" he inquired tentatively.
"Don't mind me," Song Zhuyu replied casually. "I'm not sleepy yet, so I will keep reading this book for now."
Left with no other choice, Chen Ru could only let out another 'oh' and scuffled to his feet. "Then… please excuse me first. Good night, Father Song."
"Yes, goodnight to you too."
Chen Ru's footsteps faded away before the sound of the door opening and closing echoed through the house.
Left alone, Song Zhuyu adjusted his posture and immersed himself further into the book, finding it more interesting than he expected. He wasn't lying when he said that he wasn't sleepy yet— hell, he didn't think he could have a wink of sleep tonight, given his heightened vigilance and wariness toward his surroundings.
When the clock chimed nine times, Song Zhuyu stood up to switch on the light, casting a gentle glow over the living room.
He then returned to his seat and delved back into the pages of the book, losing track of time. It wasn't until he nearly reached the book's midpoint that he raised his head and realized that it was raining outside.
"What time is it now?"
Checking the clock, he was surprised to find that it was ten minutes past 1 AM. Had he been reading for so long?
Closing the book, he left it on the armchair and moved to the window, observing the darkness outside. Almost all of the houses had their lights extinguished, leaving only candles and lanterns to cast a hazy glow over the night. The drizzle fell steadily from the sky, shrouding the island in a delicate veil and bringing out the sharp scent of petrichor. Ma Boliu was right when he said that it would be raining at night.
Sigh, it didn't seem like anything would happen tonight…
Scratching his head, Song Zhuyu finally resigned himself to switch off the light in the living room. He picked up the hardcover book, intending to continue reading in his room until the time for electricity to be cut. But just as he took one step into his room, Ma Boliu's words suddenly echoed in his mind.
As I mentioned earlier, it tends to rain at night, so please refrain from climbing the hill, especially after 1 AM. If you're not careful, you will get into an accident.
He had been too focused on the first part of the sentence that he overlooked the latter half. Song Zhuyu understood the warning not to climb the hill at night, but what's up with the specific time? What was so special about 1 AM?
Once the suspicion took hold in Song Zhuyu's mind, it was impossible to be removed. Amidst the darkness, his silver eyes gleamed with a light as fierce as lightning, and the corner of his lips twitched into a thrilled smile.
Entering the room, he was careful to rummage through his duffel bag, retrieving a dark-colored hoodie, his rosary, and also his spirit artifact. His sword had been confiscated by Chief Song as it was considered the murder weapon, but it was no problem. Song Zhuyu trusted in his abilities to fight a demon with his bare hands – his body was the greatest weapon there was.
Slipping on the jacket and wearing the rosary around his neck, he stepped out of the room with determined strides. "Let's see…" he muttered under his breath, a wicked grin tugging on his lips. "What will happen if I climb the hill after 1 AM?"
Pulling the hood up to ensure that it concealed his crimson hair, he stealthily snuck out of the house and into the unknown darkness beyond.