Acai's Sky

Chapter 879 The Little Nun Going Down the Mountain 21

The team moved forward slowly and finally stepped into Kyoto.

Tong Jiayuan, 00541 and others seemed to be distracted by the auxiliary panel and were completely unaware of the abnormality in their surroundings. They were completely immersed in the enthusiastic study of this novel thing, and their hearts were full of desire and exploration for its correct usage.

The streets of Kyoto are spacious and clean. The road surface paved with bluestone slabs gleams slightly under the sunlight, as if quietly telling the long history and solemnity of this city.

On both sides of the road, ancient buildings are arranged in order, with flying eaves like wings, exquisite brackets, carved beams and painted rafters, which fully display the unique architectural charm of Qingyun Kingdom.

Ah Cai walked silently among the teams, her eyes attracted by the prosperous scene, however, she did not forget her purpose.

Relying on the few vague fragments left by the original owner, she tried her best to outline the location of the original owner's home in her mind.

After some exploration, she saw a place called "Si Hai Inn" at the end of an alley.

Ah Cai's heart moved. She remembered that in the original owner's memory, this was the last scene.

Presumably, the original owner's home should be nearby. She hurried into the inn and asked the innkeeper, and learned that this place was indeed not far from the original owner's home.

Aunt Rong followed Acai closely. She opened the suitcase and began to make the bed for Acai.

As she sorted things out, she asked, "Miss, are we here to find the original owner's home and settle the cause and effect?"

Ah Cai nodded slightly, rubbed his temple, and responded, "Only a few fragments of the original owner's memory remain, and this 'Si Hai' Inn is the last scene. I hope to find some clues here."

After saying that, Acai ordered Xiaojia and several other secret guard puppets to leave and asked them to gather information nearby.

A Da and others also followed out. They planned to rent a yard nearby so that A Cai could take action at any time.

A Cai took out a Pi Xiu carved from spiritual wood and simply polished it to make its surface smooth.

"Give this to the shopkeeper. I remember that in the original owner's memory, when he was hungry before being captured, the shopkeeper gave him a few buns. This action can be regarded as repaying the original owner's kindness."

Nanny Gu hurriedly picked up the Pixiu and went to find the owner of the "Si Hai" Inn.

As night fell, Ah Cai stood at the window of the inn, gazing through the exquisitely carved window lattices at the bluestone-paved street in the distance.

...

The last ray of sunset light sprinkled on the ground, as if coating the ancient town with a layer of light golden gauze.

She took a deep breath. There was a faint chill in the air, as if some invisible presence was quietly approaching.

Her brows furrowed slightly, a sense of unease rising in her heart. It felt like being watched from the shadows by a pair of invisible eyes, sending a chill down her spine.

"Miss, it's getting late, you should rest." Aunt Rong stood behind her and reminded her softly.

She had already made the bed neatly. Seeing Ah Cai still staring out the window, she couldn't help but take a step forward and said with concern, "We'll look for clues tomorrow. The most urgent thing right now is to conserve our energy."

A Cai came back to her senses and nodded slightly, but her mind could not calm down.

She closed her eyes and tried to sort out the fragmented memories in her mind.

Suddenly, a blurry image flashed by - a dim ancestral hall, with a faded portrait hanging on the wall. The face of the person in the painting was blurry, but it exuded a creepy and gloomy feeling.

"Ancestral hall..." Ah Cai murmured softly, her heart suddenly trembling. She turned to look at Aunt Rong, her tone filled with anxiety: "Aunt Rong, I seem to have remembered something. The original owner's family has an ancestral hall. Perhaps it holds the clues we are looking for."

Aunt Rong's expression froze, and she nodded. "Since the young lady has made some discoveries, we will go and investigate tomorrow. However, it is already late at night, so you should get some rest first."

A Cai agreed, but she did not lie down immediately. Instead, she took out a piece of talisman paper from the package she was carrying.

The talisman paper was covered in complex runes, faintly glowing. She gently placed the talisman against the edge of the door and whispered a few incantations.

This is a talisman she made according to the Taoist ghost-catching technique, which can ward off the invasion of evil spirits.

Late at night, Ah Cai lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. The sound of the wind outside the window grew strange, like the rustling of leaves, or a whisper, faint and sometimes distant. She held her breath and listened carefully. The sound grew clearer and clearer, as if it were right next to the window.

Suddenly, a black shadow flew past the window. Ah Cai sat up suddenly, holding a thousand-year-old peach wood sword in his hand.

Her heartbeat quickened, her eyes fixed on the window. She rose silently, approached the window, and peered out through the crack. The street was deserted, with only the cold moonlight casting a desolate shadow on the ground.

"Is this an illusion?" Ah Cai wondered, but she didn't let her guard down. She returned to the bed, sat cross-legged, and began to silently recite the Taoist Heart Cleansing Mantra, trying to calm her inner turmoil.

The next morning, Ah Cai got up early and set out with Madam Rong to find the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was located deep in a secluded alley, separated only by a wall from a side courtyard of the Pingkangbo Mansion. The stone steps in front of the door were covered with moss, making it look dilapidated and gloomy.

A Cai pushed open the heavy wooden door, and a cold breath hit her face.

The ancestral hall was dimly lit, with several ancient portraits hanging on the walls. The faces of the people in the portraits were blurry, but their eyes revealed a strange chill.

Her eyes fell on the portrait in the center, which was exactly the picture she saw in her memory last night.

"This is it..." Ah Cai whispered, a strange sense of familiarity rising in her heart. She walked over to the portrait and examined it carefully, noting a few small words engraved in the lower right corner: "Portrait of Tong Yuan, the ancestor of the Tong family."

"Tong Yuan?" A Cai frowned slightly. This name seemed to be related to the original owner's memory.

She reached out and gently touched the portrait. Suddenly, the wall behind the portrait shook slightly, and then a secret door slowly opened.

Behind the secret door is a narrow passage, at the end of which a faint light can be seen.

Ah Cai and Aunt Rong exchanged a glance and walked in without hesitation. The air in the passage was humid, and the walls were covered with ancient runes, as if telling some dusty secret.

At the end of the passage is a secret room with a stone platform on which lies an antique wooden box.

A Cai walked forward and gently opened the wooden box, and found a yellowed ancient book inside with four big words "Tong's Secret Art" written on the cover.

She flipped through the ancient books and found that they contained records of the ghost-catching techniques passed down from generation to generation by the Tong family, as well as some secret records about ancient legends of Kyoto.

Ah Cai's heart suddenly trembled, realizing that this ancient book might be the key for her to solve the mystery of the original owner's identity.

"Miss, this ancient book..." Rong Mama asked in a low voice, with a hint of worry in her eyes.

Ah Cai closed the ancient book and said solemnly, "Madam, it seems we have found some important clues. The original owner's family seems to be closely related to some secrets in Kyoto."

Aunt Rong nodded in agreement: "Miss, in this case, we must proceed with caution. Kyoto is a place where good and bad people mix together. If we are not careful, we may fall into danger."

Ah Cai took a deep breath, a glint of determination flashing in her eyes: "No matter what, I will solve the mystery left by the original owner and put an end to this cause and effect."

...

"Pingkang Earl's Mansion → Side Courtyard → Ancestral Hall → No one is guarding it, no one is paying attention, there is not even a formation..." Ah Cai muttered to himself while sketching out this strange scene in his mind.

She felt it was incredible that the Pingkang Marquis' Mansion was so poorly managed that even an important place like the ancestral hall had no one guarding it, let alone setting up any formations.

She couldn't help but start thinking about the relationship between the original owner and the Pingkang Marquis' Mansion. The Pingkang Marquis' Mansion should be the original owner's home, right?

After all, this was where she lived as a child. And that side courtyard was most likely where the original owner lived as a child.

"Are there any ancestral tablets standing just outside the mansion, just across the wall?" Ah Cai suddenly turned around and asked Rong Mama, the doubts in her heart growing stronger.

After hearing this, Rong Mama replied in astonishment: "How is it possible! How could my ancestors be isolated from the outside world?"

Ah Cai's heart sank.

It turned out that the original owner was not from the Pingkang Marquis's Mansion at all. So why did she appear in the Pingkang Marquis's Mansion?

And being fed and well-nourished here until being taken away by kidnappers?

What kind of secret is hidden in this?