Chapter 652

The scenery of Tian Ding Mountain is quite beautiful.

A long staircase extends all the way from the foot of the mountain to the summit, and on both sides of the stairs are lush forests. Sunlight casts down through the gaps between the branches and leaves, and the mottled tree shadows are reflected on the steps, carrying a slight coolness.

Walking up these stairs step by step, the first thing that comes into view...

"I am a failure, and I hardly ever notice whether the sun is shining or not, because I have no time.

"My parents couldn't provide me with support, my educational background isn't high, and I was alone in the city searching for a future.

"I looked for many jobs, but none of them hired me. Perhaps no one likes someone who isn't good at speaking, doesn't like to communicate, and hasn't shown enough ability.

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"I went three whole days eating only two loaves of bread. Hunger made it impossible for me to sleep at night. Fortunately, I had paid a month's rent in advance and could continue to live in that dark basement, without having to go outside to endure the unusually cold winter wind.

"Finally, I found a job, keeping watch at a hospital, keeping watch over the morgue.

"The nights at the hospital were even colder than I imagined. The wall lamps in the corridor weren't lit, and it was dim everywhere. I could only rely on the little bit of light seeping out from the room to help me see my feet.

"The smell there was very unpleasant. From time to time, the deceased would be stuffed into body bags and sent over, and we would cooperate to help move them into the morgue.

"This wasn't a very good job, but at least it allowed me to afford bread. The free time at night could also be used for studying. After all, no one is willing to come to the morgue unless there are bodies that need to be delivered or transported away for cremation. Of course, I didn't have enough money to buy books yet, and currently, I see no hope of saving money.

"I have to thank my former colleague. If he hadn't suddenly resigned, I might not have even been able to get a job like this.

"I dreamed of being able to rotate to the day shift. Now, I always sleep when the sun comes out and wake up after night falls, which has made my body a bit weak, and my head occasionally throbs with pain.

"One day, the movers sent over a new body.

"I heard from others that this was my former colleague who had suddenly resigned.

"I was a bit curious about him. After everyone left, I pulled out the cabinet and quietly opened the body bag.

"He was an old man, his face blue and white, covered in wrinkles, and he looked very frightening in the very dim light.

"He didn't have much hair, most of it was white, and his clothes had all been stripped off, not even leaving him a single piece of fabric.

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"I saw a strange mark on his chest, blue-black in color. I can't describe the exact shape; the light at the time was just too dim.

"I reached out and touched the mark, but there was nothing special.

"Looking at this former colleague, I was thinking, if I keep going like this, when I get old, will I end up like him...

"I told him that tomorrow I would accompany him to the crematorium and personally take his ashes to the nearest free cemetery, so that those responsible for these things wouldn't find it troublesome and just throw them in some random river or wasteland.

"This would sacrifice a morning of my sleep, but fortunately, it's Sunday soon, so I can make it up.

"After saying that, I fixed the body bag and pushed it back into the cabinet.

"The light in the room seemed even dimmer...

"After that day, every time I slept, I always dreamed of a thick fog.

"I had a premonition that something would happen soon, a premonition that sooner or later, things that I don't know if I can call human would come looking for me. But no one was willing to believe me, thinking that in such an environment and such a job, my mind had become abnormal and I needed to see a doctor..."

A male guest sitting in front of the bar looked at the storyteller who had suddenly stopped:

"And then?"

This male guest was in his thirties, wearing a brown tweed jacket and light yellow trousers. His hair was pressed very flat, and he had a simple dark-colored bowler hat by his side.

He looked ordinary, just like most people in the tavern—black hair, light blue eyes, not handsome, nor ugly, lacking any obvious features.

And the storyteller in his eyes was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with a tall and straight figure, slender limbs, also with short black hair and light blue eyes, but with deep facial features that could make one's eyes light up.

This young man looked at the empty glass in front of him and sighed:

"And then?

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"And then I resigned and returned to the countryside to come here and brag to you."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face, a smile with a hint of mischief.

The male guest was stunned for a moment:

"The things you just told were bragging?"

"Haha." A burst of laughter erupted around the bar.

As the laughter subsided slightly, a thin, middle-aged man looked at the slightly embarrassed guest and said:

"Outsider, you actually believed Lu Mian's story. Everything he tells every day is different. Yesterday he was still a poor wretch whose engagement was broken off by his fiancée, and today he's become a mortuary attendant!"

"Right, saying something about thirty years on the east side of the Sailunzuohe River, thirty years on the right side of the Sailunzuohe River, just knowing how to babble nonsense!" Another tavern regular followed up.

They were all farmers from this large village of Cordu, wearing short jackets that were black, gray, or brown.

The black-haired young man called Lu Mian supported himself on the bar with both hands, stood up slowly, and said with a smile:

"You know, this isn't a story I made up; it was all written by my sister. She loves writing stories the most and is even a columnist for some 'Novel Weekly'."

After finishing, he turned his body to the side, spread his hands toward the outsider, and smiled brilliantly:

"It seems she writes really well.

"Sorry, I let you misunderstand."

The man wearing the brown tweed jacket with an ordinary appearance wasn't angry; he stood up as well and responded with a smile:

"A very interesting story.

"What should I call you?"

"Isn't it common sense to introduce yourself before asking others?" Lu Mian laughed.

The guest from out of town nodded:

"My name is Ryan Cos.

"These two are my companions, Valentine and Liya."

The latter sentence referred to the man and woman sitting right next to him.

The man was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with yellow hair dusted with powder. His eyes, which weren't very large, had a color a bit deeper than lake blue. He wore a white waistcoat, a blue fine-wool coat, and black trousers, and had clearly been meticulously dressed before going out.

His expression was quite cold, and he didn't really look at the surrounding farmers and herdsmen.

The woman looked younger than the two men, with long light-gray hair tied into a complex bun, wrapped in a white veil that served as a hat.

Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and her gaze toward Lu Mian carried undisguised amusement, as if she only found what had just happened interesting.

Under the illumination of the tavern's gas wall lamp, this woman named Liya revealed a pretty nose and beautifully curved lips, which would definitely qualify as a beauty in a countryside village like Cordu.

She wore a white, unpleated cashmere tight-fitting dress, paired with a beige little jacket and a pair of Ma Xier long boots. There were also two small silver bells tied to her veil and boots respectively. When she walked into the tavern just now, she went "tinkling" all the way, which was very eye-catching and made many men stare straight at her.

In their eyes, this must be the kind of fashionable attire only found in big cities like the provincial capital of Bigor or the capital, Trier.

Lu Mian nodded to the three outsiders:

"My name is Lu Mian Li, you can just call me Lu Mian."

"Li?" Liya blurted out.

"What's wrong, is there a problem with my surname?" Lu Mian asked curiously.

Ryan Cos helped Liya explain:

"This surname of yours is terrifying. I almost couldn't control my voice just now."

Seeing the surrounding farmers and herdsmen looking puzzled, he explained further:

"Those who have had contact with sailors and sea merchants all know that there is such a saying circulating on the Five Seas:

"Better to encounter those pirate generals or even kings than to run into a person named Frank Li.

"That person's surname is also Li."

"Is he very scary?" Lu Mian asked.

Ryan shook his head:

"I'm not sure, but since there is such a legend, it certainly won't be bad."

He ended this topic and said to Lu Mian:

"Thank you for your story. It's worth a drink. What would you like?"

"A 'Green Fairy'." Lu Mian did not stand on ceremony at all and sat back down.

Ryan Cos frowned slightly and said:

"'Green Fairy'... Absinthe?

"I think I need to remind you that absinthe is harmful to the human body. This kind of alcohol can lead to mental confusion and cause you to have hallucinations."

"I didn't expect the fashion trends of Trier to have spread all the way here." Liya, who was beside him, added with a smile.

Lu Mian let out an "Oh":

"So people in Trier also like to drink 'Green Fairy'...

"For us, life is already hard enough. There's no need to care about a little more harm; this kind of alcohol allows our minds to achieve greater relaxation."

"Fine." Ryan sat back in his seat and looked at the bartender, "A 'Green Fairy', and add a 'Spicy Heart' for me."

"Spicy Heart" is a famous fruit schnapps.

"Why don't you get me a 'Green Fairy' too? I was the one who told you the truth just now, and I can tell you the whole story about this kid's situation!" The thin, middle-aged man who was the first to expose Lu Mian for telling stories every day shouted with dissatisfaction, "Outsiders, I can tell that you still have doubts about whether that story is true!"

"Pierre, you really will do anything for a free drink!" Lu Mian responded loudly.

Without waiting for Ryan to make a decision, Lu Mian added:

"Why can't I tell it myself? That way I can have another 'Green Fairy'."

"Because they don't know whether to believe the situation you're describing." The middle-aged man named Pierre laughed triumphantly, "The story your sister loves to tell the children most is 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. People who always lie inevitably lose their credibility."

"Fine." Lu Mian shrugged his shoulders, watching the bartender push a pale green glass of alcohol in front of him.

Ryan looked at him and asked:

"Is this okay?"

"No problem, as long as your wallet is enough to pay for these drinks." Lu Mian was completely indifferent.

"Then another 'Green Fairy'." Ryan nodded.

Pierre was suddenly all smiles:

"Generous outsider, this kid is the biggest prankster in the village. You must stay away from him.

"Five years ago, he was brought back to the village by his sister Aurore and hasn't left since. Think about it, before that, he was only thirteen years old. How could he possibly go to a hospital to be a mortuary attendant? Hmm, the closest hospital to us is in Daliege at the foot of the mountain, which takes a whole afternoon to walk to."

"Brought back to the village?" Liya asked keenly.

She tilted her head slightly, producing a tinkling sound.

Pierre nodded:

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"Then, he followed Aurore and took the surname 'Li', and even the name 'Lu Mian' was chosen by Aurore."

"I've forgotten what I was originally called." Lu Mian took a sip of absinthe and said with a grin.

It seemed that he felt no inferiority or shame at all about his past being exposed like this.