novelraw Chapter 369: A Day on the Cliff Top
Chapter 369: A Day on the Cliff Top
Around noon, the carriage reached the top of the cliff.
Fearsome lightning flashed in the clouds, and here, in the open expanse, it seemed even more intimidating than in the city.
Anna went to check on Enni. Lu Li unhitched the horse from the carriage and led it into the cave.
Passing through the curtain of water at the entrance, he found himself in relative quiet, shielded from the sound of the rain.
Lu Li tied the horse to a rock near the shelter and went inside.
The shelter was much drier than the detective agency. The books left here hadn't been damaged by the dampness. Lu Li lit an oil lamp and went back outside.
He placed the lamp on a stone to give the horse some light.
Once that was done, Lu Li left the cave and disappeared behind the veil of rain.
Anna was leaning her forehead against the tree trunk, trying to sense Enni's consciousness.
Lu Li approached her from behind, an oil lamp flickering in his hand.“How is she?”
The emotions of the forest surrounding Enni were so clear and warm that anyone who came near this place would involuntarily recall pleasant memories from their past.
The forest was helping Enni.
Anna stepped away from the tree and told Lu Li, “Her condition has stabilized, but she hasn't woken up yet.”
“Will the storm harm her?”
The rain wasn't a problem, as the clifftop was on high ground and wouldn't flood. But the strong wind could damage the trees.
Lu Li gazed into the distance. The lighthouse beam on the reef cut through the dense curtain of rain and darkness. The black surface of the sea was churning.
“The Elm Forest will protect her,” Lu Li said.
Enni was in the center of the grove on the clifftop, where the strong winds from the forest's edge couldn't reach.
Lu Li gathered dry branches from the forest floor—ones that had fallen during the storm or earlier—and returned to Anna. Then, they carried the supplies from the carriage into the shelter together.
The firewood gathered last time was already dry. Lu Li used it to start a fire in the fireplace.
The flames in the fireplace blazed to life, filling the cave with warmth and driving out the damp.
Lu Li set an iron kettle filled with rainwater near the fire to heat.
A steady, warm light emanated from the occasionally crackling fire. The sound of the rain outside softened to a gentle rustle. Calm music drifted from the radio receiver.
A sense of comfort and safety filled the shelter.
“We aren't going back today?” Anna asked.
“No.”
Lu Li wanted to make sure the shelter was truly suitable for long-term living. So far, everything seemed fine, but...
He looked at Anna. “Does the Deep Sea Stone suppress your aura?”
Anna's aura, which was usually palpable around her, had become barely perceptible since they entered the shelter.
Anna nodded silently.
At any other time, she would have eagerly shared this observation with Lu Li, but her mood was as subdued as his.
Fortunately, she still loved to read.
Lu Li spread a soft blanket on the bed, took off his coat, and hung it in the wardrobe. Then, rolling up his sleeves, he resumed lining the floor and walls with Deep Sea Stone.
From time to time, Anna would glance over at him, watching him work with a thoughtful expression.
Apparently, the Deep Sea Stone did more than just suppress ghostly auras. Since Lu Li had entered the shelter, the visions had become less frequent. At least, he was no longer imagining eyes in his cup or sticky hair on the ceiling.
Lu Li wondered if the Deep Sea Stone had other properties beyond the ones already known.
He recalled the stone's origin—a mountain of Deep Sea Stone in the sea, so deep that no one had ever reached its base.
Could that mountain be a seal, holding back something that lurked in the ocean's abyss?
However, that wasn't his concern. The exorcists had surely considered it. If they continued to quarry the stone, its benefits must outweigh the potential risks.
Lu Li worked at a steady pace; he had plenty of time.
Time passed. As evening approached, he finished laying a cubic meter of the Deep Sea Stone.
The shelter felt a little cozier.
Standing up to stretch his stiff muscles, Lu Li saw Anna direct a floating sphere of water toward him.
After washing his hands, he glanced at his watch and tuned the radio to the Alliance frequency.
It was not yet six o'clock, and only music, interspersed with static, came from the receiver.
Anna opened the crate of canned goods, and Lu Li took out a can of stew, opened it, and set it by the fire to warm.
[*Music*... shhh... Greetings, young people.]
The music and static faded, and a clear voice emerged from the receiver.
The Alliance broadcast had begun.
As usual, the first half told a story about an exorcist, while the remaining time was dedicated to the description of an evil spirit.
[This evil spirit is called the Beheaded Spirit. Before you see her, you will hear her weeping.]
[She wears a long white dress, her face hidden by unusually long black hair. At first glance, she appears to be a weeping woman. But if you get closer, you will see that her head is a fake—a burlap sack stuffed with something unknown, with a face drawn on it in a child's scrawl.]
[The Beheaded Spirit's ritual allows her to appear near her victim. No matter where the victim runs, the spirit will remain within a few dozen meters. This radius is usually determined by the distance at which the victim can hear her weeping.]
[If the Beheaded Spirit hears words like 'head,' 'noggin,' 'skull,' or similar terms, she will decapitate whoever spoke them. Then, upon discovering it is not her head, she will discard it. Therefore, if no one says these words, she will do nothing, even if you try to strike her.]
[She can remain near a victim for several hours or even days. To ensure complete safety, you must remain silent, make sure no one else is nearby, and avoid talking in your sleep.]
[There are some people who are naturally immune to the Beheaded Spirit's ritual. I imagine you have already guessed who I am talking about.]
[According to the Spirit Hunters Association, the true essence of the Beheaded Spirit is her lost head. So, if you happen to find an undecayed woman's head, congratulations—you have a chance to destroy an evil spirit with your own hands.]
The Alliance broadcast ended, and Lu Li tuned the radio to a classical music station. He began to eat his dinner.
The canned stew was certainly inferior to the fine meals he had eaten all week, but it was far better than ordinary food—like something Anna would cook, for example.
Lu Li kept the empty can, placing it in a corner. It might be useful later.
It was time to rest.
“How will you rest?” Lu Li asked.
“Vengeful spirits don't need rest. The aura of the In-Between constantly replenishes my strength,” Anna replied.
What that meant for her future, Anna didn't say, and Lu Li didn't ask.
Getting comfortable under the blanket, Lu Li closed his eyes.
“Good night,” Anna said quietly from the table where she sat.
Once Lu Li's breathing became steady, silence settled over the shelter.
The next morning, an unexpected visitor arrived at the clifftop.