Volume One, Chapter 54: The Discovery of Treasure in the Back Mountain

There were three of us who went together, but the other two are dead now.

"Damn, where exactly did you guys go? Tell me so I can avoid it. I was just planning a trip to Yunnan."

"I could use this guide too."

"Could this really be just a coincidence?"

"I want to know how the two of them died."

"‘On My Daily Case-Solving in the Metaphysics Livestream’"

Qin Yu looked at Song Weijia with a serious and solemn tone. "Of the three soul lanterns behind you, only two remain. When the last soul lantern goes out, you will die as well."

Normally, a person has three soul lanterns behind them.

There are old folk tales about this—like how, if you hear someone call your name at midnight, you must never turn back. That's because the one calling you might not be human, and the moment you turn, they'll snuff out the lantern on your shoulder.

The soul lantern represents a person's life.

Song Weijia was more composed than expected. Only a trace of fear flashed across his face. "I knew their deaths weren't just accidents."

"What did you actually encounter?" Qin Yu asked.

Song Weijia looked up, drawing his memories back...

"The three of us were college classmates. After graduation, we went our separate ways across the country and hadn't seen each other for over a year. This time, with the May Day holiday, we arranged a trip to Yunnan together."

"Everything was going smoothly, and we were having a great time. But Lu Ying was the first to die—within a week of returning, she slipped and fell into a river and drowned."

"Both Qin Kaishu and I were very surprised, because Lu Ying grew up by the water and was an excellent swimmer. Drowning was the last thing we'd have expected."

"But as the old saying goes: it’s always the swimmers who drown. Although we found it a bit tragic, we didn’t look into it further."

"Until a week ago, Qin Kaishu sent me a message on WeChat, saying he saw Lu Ying. I was busy with work at the time and thought he’d just had a nightmare, so I comforted him and left it at that."

"Three days ago, after I finished my work, I realized that Qin Kaishu hadn’t spoken to me since that message."

"I called him, but his father answered. He told me Qin Kaishu was dead."

"I asked how he died. He said he drowned in a river."

At this point, Song Weijia shivered uncontrollably. "Lu Ying drowned, and so did Qin Kaishu. I immediately connected the two deaths."

"My first thought was to call the police, but after the call connected, I hesitated. I had no evidence—what would I even tell them?"

"For three days, I kept telling myself I was overthinking it, that Lu Ying’s and Qin Kaishu’s deaths were just coincidences."

"Until last night. I was rushing to finish a proposal and didn’t leave the office until midnight."

"My mental state was poor, haunted by their deaths. On my way home, I vaguely heard someone calling my name. In a daze, I turned around, but there was nothing—just a biting cold wind slicing down my neck and back, jolting me awake."

"I don’t even know what I was thinking. I just ran straight back home."

"That night, I had a dream..."

Here, Song Weijia grabbed a fistful of his own hair. "I dreamed of a woman, wearing traditional robes, standing in front of me, dripping wet. I tried to see her face, but no matter how hard I tried, her features were shrouded in mist—I couldn’t make anything out."

"And then… I saw Qin Kaishu and Lu Ying too, both standing there, soaked to the bone."

"I woke up from the dream with a start."

"Damn, this story is way too long. For a moment I thought I was listening to some ghost tales podcast."

"Could it be a water ghost out for revenge?"

"I’m guessing some thousand-year-old water ghost, still wearing ancient robes."

"A thousand-year-old water ghost seeking vengeance—what kind of grudge is that?"

Qin Yu listened to the animated description, cracking open some sunflower seeds. A gentle, milky aroma filled his mouth. He glanced at the packaging and silently made a note of the flavor.

"Host, which brand of sunflower seeds are you eating? Watching you makes me want some too."

"Same here. I already ordered sunflower seeds online a few days ago, planning to snack along next time with the master."

"Dear, aren’t you going to sell these seeds as merch? I really want the link, please!"

"Guys, we’re here to watch a ghost hunt, can we stay on topic?"

After finishing the last seed in his hand, Qin Yu grabbed another handful and asked, "Were you and your friends really just on a sightseeing trip?"

The man’s eyes darted guiltily. "O-of course! If not for tourism, why else would we go to Yunnan?"

Qin Yu continued cracking seeds without a word.

Song Weijia grew anxious. "Master, I’ve already paid for my fortune-telling! You have to help me!"

Qin Yu arched an eyebrow, seeing straight through the man’s lie. "If you won’t tell the truth, how can I help you?"

Song Weijia became even more agitated. "I am telling the truth! What more do you want me to say?"

Seeing that he refused to be honest, Qin Yu ignored the screen and leisurely enjoyed his snacks, sipping fruit tea whenever he was thirsty, entirely at ease.

"Host, are you really not considering sharing the link?"

"I want the recipe for that fruit tea too—it looks delicious!"

"@JiajiaYoujiajia, you’d better tell the truth. Nothing escapes the host’s eyes."

"@JiajiaYoujiajia, we’ve seen plenty as stubborn as you—they all end up spilling everything in the end."

"@JiajiaYoujiajia, yeah, don’t waste everyone’s time. Just talk!"

Song Weijia read the kind reminders scrolling across the comments. He clenched his jaw, struggled internally, and finally spoke. "Fine, I’ll talk!"

"We did set out for Yunnan as tourists. Because we were on a budget, we didn’t hire a guide. We just made plans from travel blogs and set off."

"Our first stop was a remote village in Yunnan. Since it was the May Day holiday, we wanted somewhere less crowded. The villagers were simple and honest, a welcome change from the big city."

"We planned to stay two nights before moving on. But on the night before we left, Lu Ying suddenly told us she’d heard a secret from a drunken local: behind the village lay a natural forest, and deep within it was buried treasure."

"At first, Qin Kaishu and I didn’t believe it, but Lu Ying was so excited. We figured, since we were already out exploring, why not treat it as an adventure?"

"So, before dawn the next day, we packed our things and headed into the mountains. Some villagers saw us and tried to persuade us not to go. Lu Ying only became more determined, saying, ‘There must be treasure in the mountains, otherwise why would the villagers try to stop us?’"

"Qin Kaishu and I just laughed, thinking we’d humor her."

"That day, the mountain was shrouded in heavy fog. We didn’t walk far before we got lost. I started to worry and tried to convince them to turn back."

"But Lu Ying was adamant..."

He could still clearly recall the look on her face.

Lu Ying had said, "The treasure must be close—we’ve come this far. Are you really going to give up now? If you want to leave, go ahead! But if I find the treasure, don’t even think about getting a share!"