I then noticed that each of the tree branches supporting the thatched hut had a copper bell tied to it.

The bell that was ringing was on the left side of the hut.

A woman's hoarse voice came from under the black cloth: "Such a heavy killing intent! You've come into the mountains to kill, haven't you?"

"You could say that," I said calmly. "Sorry for the intrusion. Farewell."

I cupped my fist at the figure, ready to leave, but the other party said, "You might as well not go. Since you said farewell, we'll meet again soon enough. Why bother with all the trouble?"

"Why not settle things in one go?"

"Fine! Let's settle it in one go!" I laughed. "A guest has arrived. Aren't you going to offer a seat?"

"Sit!" That was all the person said. At the same time, five stone stools appeared outside the hut.

I couldn't help but frown slightly. Cang Tianji whispered, "This person is probably a great witch. Any words spoken in front of her could come true."

I found a stone and sat down. The person also sat up straight.

Only then did I see water seeping out of the cuffs and trouser legs.

I asked calmly, "Friend, aren't you cold in those wet clothes?"

The person said hoarsely, "Cold! But no matter how cold, I have to sleep in this grass hut, because I offended Yan Yu Lou (Mist and Rain Pavilion)."

"Wherever I go, I have to live like this, so I might as well not leave."

"I'll wait here to see if anyone can break the curse of Yan Yu Lou."

"You're also going to Yan Yu Lou, aren't you?"

Cang Tianji and I exchanged a glance before I said, "How should we address you, friend?"

The person sneered, "What? You want to calculate my fate? I advise you not to, or you'll be plagued with trouble."

Cang Tianji gently touched Yao Lei (Demon Tear): "As long as you're not the Heavenly Dao, I dare to calculate your fate. Want to try?"

The person lifted the black cloth covering her head, revealing a face that looked like it had been soaked in water, and a cold aura spread out from her body.

Her appearance was clearly that of a water ghost, yet her heart was still beating.

Cang Tianji said in a deep voice, "A half-ghost?"

The person just smiled slightly, and the fingers Cang Tianji had pinched together were forcibly pushed apart by an invisible force – her calculation was interrupted.

Cang Tianji had already reached the level of a Tian Ming Shi (Heavenly Fate Master). Anyone who could stop her from deducing heavenly secrets would have to be at least a Ming Shi (Fate Master) of the same level as her.

The person said, "I know you'll doubt my identity."

"I'll only tell you my identity once. If you don't believe me, I won't offer any further explanation!"

"I'm the gatekeeper of Yan Yu Lou. I can't leave Yan Yu Lou, and I hate Yan Yu Lou."

"Yan Yu Lou gave me what I wanted, but it also gave me a curse."

"Yan Yu Lou has made me like a water ghost, lying in cold water for countless years. Unable to live, unable to die!"

"Whoever comes to Yan Yu Lou, I will try to let them in."

"It's all so someone can break the curse on me, even if it just allows me to die."

I said in a deep voice, "Did you make an exchange contract with Yan Yu Lou? Or did you sacrifice something?"

The gatekeeper shook her head and said, "Yan Yu Lou only has curses, no contracts. It can give you what you want, but you must be cursed by them. So far, I haven't seen anyone who can break the spell of Yan Yu Lou."

I asked again, "Who is the master of Yan Yu Lou? Why did Yan Yu Lou appear in Miao Jiang?"

The gatekeeper said, "The master of Yan Yu Lou is on the highest floor, but I haven't seen him."

"From here to Yan Yu Lou, every step is fraught with difficulty."

"If I don't want to let you in, you'll end up like them."

The gatekeeper waved her hand gently, and the hay on the pile beside her flew up, revealing a pile of human heads underneath.

The heads were of both men and women, with different hairstyles, and didn't seem to be from the same era.

Those people had been dead for who knows how many years, but their heads seemed to be frozen, showing no signs of decay.

Cang Tianji said in a low voice, "These people all have the misfortune of decapitation on their faces. They died because of their fate."

"Take a closer look!" The gatekeeper waved a hand, and a human head flew in front of Cang Tianji.

Cang Tianji nonchalantly picked up the head, examined it carefully for a while, and then said, "When this person was alive, did he gamble his head with you?"

"Impressive, impressive!" The gatekeeper said sincerely, "To be able to see that person's fate with just one glance."

"The first gate of Yan Yu Lou is called 'Mo Hui Tou' (Don't Look Back)."

"The heads are the keys to enter the gate. There are five of you. You can leave me a head, or someone can gamble his head with me."

"As long as the person who gambles with me wins, all five of you can enter. If he loses, four of you can still enter."

"I'll give you an incense stick's worth of time to consider!"

I asked, "Didn't you just say that you would find a way to let anyone in, no matter who came?"

The gatekeeper said, "This is my way!"

"This gate originally required everyone who wanted to enter to gamble their heads with me."

"I've changed five times to one time, isn't that helping you?"