vrcanaries Chapter 265: Ancient Books in a Room
Chapter 265: Ancient Books in a Room
"Grandpa, this cave is so big, and it hasn't collapsed yet. It's a miracle." Su Wenxin looked up at the cave ceiling, his neck nearly breaking, his eyes wide as bells, his exclamation echoing through the cave. As he spoke, he gestured with his hands to measure the size of the cave, his mind sketching countless possible reasons for its continued existence, but he could not figure it out.
"You kid, why are you so focused?" Su Sheng shook his head helplessly, raised his hand and pretended to hit Su Wenxin on the head, but there was a smile on the corner of his mouth. He was both angry and amused at this grandson's "strange brain circuit". In this place full of the family's rich history, he actually focused on whether the cave was stable or not, which was really laughable.
"Haha, Grandpa, then this must be the old house of our Su family! How do we get in? Should we just go in directly?" Su Wenxin scratched his head, chuckled, and quickly changed the subject. His eyes were fixed on the gate of the old house. The copper lock on the door was rusty, and the wood grain of the door panel looked like the lines of time, engraved with stories. He couldn't wait to get closer and stretched out his hand to push the door open.
"Instead of going in directly, are you planning to jump in through the window?" Su Sheng rolled his eyes at him. Although his words were full of teasing and anger, he was also curious about the access rules of this old house. After all, family legends said that the old house contained many secrets and protective powers. Now that he was there in person, all the unknowns would be revealed.
"Haha, then grandpa, I'll open the door for you." Su Wenxin looked very attentive. He rubbed his hands, strode to the door, and put his hands against the door panel. Just as he was about to push it open, his palm touched an invisible barrier in an instant, as if it hit a soft wall like transparent jelly. His palm bounced back steadily, and his body also took a few steps back due to inertia.
"Grandpa, something is blocking me." Su Wenxin widened his eyes, his face full of astonishment, and yelled at his grandfather, shaking his hands as if to shake off the strange touch. His eyes swept back and forth between his palms and the door, trying to see through the transparent obstacle.
"Hmph, if you hadn't hit a wall, you wouldn't know your place. You deserve it." Su Sheng crossed his arms over his chest, his lips curled up, and he couldn't hide the smile in his eyes. He had known that the old house was well-protected, and he expected that his grandson's reckless behavior would be hindered. However, he also knew that the protection was not dangerous, so he just regarded it as a "small lesson" to give him a lesson and dampen his enthusiasm.
"Grandpa, this can't be some kind of formation, right?" Su Siyi covered her red lips lightly, her face full of surprise, and her eyes searched carefully between the gate and the stone walls of the surrounding caves. The formation she encountered on the trip to Fairy Island instantly emerged in her mind. It was so similar to the situation in front of her. The doubts in her heart became stronger, and her voice unconsciously became a little nervous.
"It is indeed protected by something. It only takes a drop of blood from our Su family to open it. Once opened, you will be thrown out after two hours. If you want to go in again, you need to continue to drip blood to open the door." Su Sheng's eyes were deep and solemn, his voice was steady and firm, and his words were full of respect and familiarity with the family's inherited rules.
The method to open the old house is like a mysterious family spell, passed down orally from generation to generation through the years. From the murmurs of the ancestors to the solemn utterance deep in the mountain today, it carries the Su family's hundreds of years of protection and secrets. Every word seems to have a thousand pounds of force, echoing in everyone's ears and knocking on their hearts.
"Oh, then I'll do it!" Su Wenying raised his thick eyebrows, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He stood straight, radiating a courageous and resolute aura. He channeled his spiritual energy, and a faint blue glow instantly emanated from his palm, like a cold star twinkling in the night sky. The light condensed at his fingertips, transforming into a sharp, invisible blade. Without hesitation, he gently slashed, and a drop of crimson blood tumbled out, like a crystal ruby, gleaming in the dim light.
Su Wenying raised her arm, and the drop of blood, wrapped in spiritual power, drew an arc in the air and shot towards the gate of the old house.
Everyone's eyes followed the drop of blood's trajectory. It didn't splash onto the pristine door panel as usual, but instead struck a nearly invisible, transparent barrier just inches from the door. The drop of blood seemed to be sucked into a mysterious vortex, instantly disappearing into it and vanishing without a trace, like a black hole, leaving no trace behind.
And at the moment the blood disappeared, the transparent protective shield that originally covered the old house and was hidden in the void, like a mirage that could not bear the weight, caused a slight ripple and then slowly dissipated like smoke, revealing the true appearance of the old house that had gone through vicissitudes of life but was still majestic.
Seeing this, Su Wenying took a deep breath, strode forward, and held the door firmly with both hands. The door seemed to be awakened from its slumber, trembling slightly and making a low "creaking" sound, as if protesting the long-unseen disturbance, or welcoming the wanderer home.
Su Wenying tensed her arm muscles and pushed with all her might. The heavy door swung open unhindered. Old sawdust rustled down, and a cloud of dusty smoke rose, as if the old house were sighing and recounting its past. Behind the door lay a deep, dark space, faintly revealing the outlines of quaint furniture and the scent of old books. It was mysterious, like a portal to another time and place.
"Let's go in and take a look." Su Sheng's Adam's apple rolled, and he swallowed, trying his best to suppress the curiosity that surged in his heart. His body trembled slightly, awe of the unknown, and excitement at finally getting to peek into the family secret.
Since he was young, he had listened to his elders telling legends about the old house in the flickering candlelight. That was the root of the Su family, hiding a magical artifact that could resist the end of the world and the crystallization of the wisdom of the ancestors. However, due to the strict instructions of the ancestors, no one was allowed to enter unless a disaster was imminent.
Now, by chance, he'd been able to push open this dusty door. While he felt joyful, a dark cloud grew thicker within him. The ancestors had once said that opening this door was a sign of impending catastrophe. Gazing at the gaping door, he felt as if he could see the quiet turning of fate, an unknown storm surging from the shadows. Even as he approached the old house, his heart was in his throat, a wave of unease.
The crowd filed in, taking each step carefully, fearing to disturb this century-old slumber. Entering the old house, a cool breeze washed over us, like an ancient ghost caressing our faces. The furnishings inside were simple and heavy.
"It looks like no one has been here for a long time, but the furniture still feels very new and has not been corroded by time." Su Siyi said as he carefully observed the furniture here.
There should be a night pearl above the entire living room, illuminating the entire living room.
"Grandpa, what are we looking for?" Su Wenxin looked around and didn't see anything special.
In fact, when Su Sheng came in, he was also looking around at the situation here.
"Actually, I don't know either. I just know that I have to open the door of the old house." Su Sheng said a little embarrassedly.
"Have you forgotten something important, old man?" Ji Mei asked him with a suspicious look on his face.
"No, there's really nothing. I just said I wanted to open the door of the old house." Su Sheng said with a look of grievance.
"Then tell me, we came in, but we didn't find anything special left here!" Ji Mei frowned, his face full of disappointment and impatience.
She crossed her arms over her chest and scanned the living room of the old house, from the tables and chairs to the dusty and unremarkable ornaments. Every detail escaped her scrutiny, but after searching everywhere, she couldn't find anything special. Her tone unconsciously became filled with a hint of complaint and anxiety, and her eyes seemed to be blaming Su Sheng for leading everyone on a wasted trip.
"Well, you see, we are only in the living room now. This old house still has several rooms. Why don't we all go in and look for it separately!" Seeing that his wife looked unhappy, Su Sheng immediately put on a flattering smile, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes showed flattery.
He quickly walked up to Ji Mei and gently tugged at her sleeve, his voice soft and gentle, just like a child who had made a mistake and was afraid of being criticized. He tried to use this method to coax his wife to calm down. In his mind, he was also making a little calculation, thinking that this old house was hidden deep, and the good things would definitely not be displayed in the open.
"Hmph, then let's all go look for it!" Ji Mei snorted lightly. Although she was still angry, she also felt that what he said made sense. She raised her chin and gave an order. She looked a bit majestic like the mistress of the house. Her eyes swept across everyone's faces one by one, as if urging everyone to act quickly.
Upon hearing this, everyone had no objection and immediately dispersed, walking hurriedly to various parts of the old house, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation, like a group of treasure hunters stepping into a mysterious ruin.
This old house is not large in scale, with a simple and clear layout. It looks like an ordinary courtyard. There is a bright but old living room, and three rooms on both sides with closed doors and windows, which are mysterious. A study stands alone in the corner, faintly emitting the scent of ink and the accumulation of time. The strange thing is that there is no trace of a kitchen. Perhaps, as everyone speculated, this place is not a place for daily living, but a place used to store important family items and protect secrets.
"Brother Nangong, let's go to the study!" Su Siyi's beautiful eyes sparkled, and her expression showed a hint of certainty. She bit her lower lip lightly, thought for a moment, and said crisply.
For some reason, ever since she stepped into the old house, a strange intuition took root in her heart, like an invisible voice whispering in her ear, guiding her. The answer may be hidden in the study full of bookish atmosphere. Those ancient books and yellowed pages may contain the key secrets of how the Su family ancestors dealt with disasters and protected the family.
"Sister, let's go to the study too." The three brothers Su Wenying, Su Wenxin and Su Wenyu said almost in unison, as if they had telepathy. As soon as they finished speaking, the three of them looked at Su Siyi in unison, their eyes full of recognition and determination, and their feet unconsciously moved closer to Su Siyi, as if they were going to advance and retreat together and explore the study together.
"Then let's go together!" Seeing her brothers respond like this, Su Siyi felt warm in her heart, and a faint smile appeared on the corners of her mouth. Then she held her head high and chest out, and walked towards the study first. The hem of her skirt swayed slightly, raising a fine dust. Every step she took was light and eager, just like she was rushing to a fateful appointment.