The night was pitch - black. In the mountains and forests, the moonlight was blocked by thick dark clouds. Darkness spread like a tidal wave. Dalin and Lucas stepped on the layer of fallen leaves on the ground and walked slowly along the winding mountain path. The forest was deathly silent. Only the leaves occasionally rustled, like hidden whispers, making one's heart palpitate.
"Lucas, are you sure we're going in the right direction?" Dalin lowered her voice, her hand on the hilt of her sword, and looked around warily.
Lucas had a cold expression. He nodded gently. "Yes. Not far ahead is the Lingxu Taoist Temple."
Dalin frowned slightly. "This mountain forest has been abandoned for years. Even the local villagers avoid it. Why do you trust the map left by that person?"
Lucas was silent for a moment and then said slowly, "Three days ago, the Soul Ferryman mentioned that there's a solitary lamp enshrined in this Taoist temple. As long as the lamp doesn't go out, the souls of the dead won't disperse."
Dalin sighed softly. A chill welled up in her heart. Three nights ago, the Soul Ferryman, wearing a black cloak, with the sound of bells piercing the night sky like the call of the dead, was terrifying. And the map he left was guiding them along this strange mountain path.
At the end of the mountain path, a dilapidated Taoist temple loomed in the night, like a ghost sleeping in the depths of the darkness.
Outside the Taoist temple, a solitary lamp hung under the eaves. The dim yellow glow flickered in the night wind, as if it would go out at any moment. The shadow of the lamp on the ground was not regular but distorted eerily, like ghostly shadows floating.
"This lamp..." Dalin looked at the solitary lamp. The unease in her heart grew stronger.
Lucas stepped forward and gently touched the lamp with his hand. The light of the lamp dimmed a bit instantly.
At that moment, the gate of the Taoist temple slowly opened. A chill filled the air from inside, carrying a faint scent of sandalwood and decay.
Dalin held her breath and walked slowly into the Taoist temple.
Inside the Taoist temple, a white - haired Taoist priest sat in front of the offering table. He was dressed in a gray Taoist robe, with a solemn expression.
However, his face was covered with wrinkles. His eyes were closed. A bloodstain on his forehead flowed down from his hair bun to his chin. The blood had long since dried and turned black, like an engraving on his face.
"Is this Taoist priest... dead?" Dalin asked softly, her eyes filled with solemnity.
Lucas focused for a moment and shook his head. "He's still alive."
The moment the words fell, the white - haired Taoist priest slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was deep, like an ancient well with no ripples. He looked at the two of them faintly.
"You... have come." His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't spoken for a long time.
Dalin couldn't help but take a step back. Her hand on the hilt of her sword, she looked at him warily. "Were you waiting for us?"
The Taoist priest shook his head and showed a bitter smile. "No, I'm waiting for death."
Lucas frowned slightly and asked coldly, "Are you cursed?"
The Taoist priest raised his withered fingers and gently rubbed the oil lamp on the offering table. His tone was low. "Three years ago, I ferried a soul of the dead here. Since that day, this lamp has never gone out."
"A soul of the dead?" Dalin's heart jolted. Her pupils contracted slightly.
The Taoist priest nodded slowly. "Every midnight, this lamp lights up. The souls of the dead come following the lamp, and the Soul Ferryman has to use his lifespan to keep the lamp burning."
Lucas's eyes were deep. "Three years have passed. How much longer can you hold on?"
The Taoist priest sighed. "As long as the lamp doesn't go out, I won't die. But if the lamp goes out, the soul - lamp will claim my life."
Dalin frowned. "The one who extinguishes the lamp will die?"
The Taoist priest nodded. His eyes were fixed on the solitary lamp swaying outside the Taoist temple. A strange glint flashed in his eyes. "I once tried to extinguish the lamp. But the moment I
blew it out, a soul of the dead came to claim my life."
Dalin looked at the Taoist priest's face. A strange feeling welled up in her heart. "That soul of the dead... who is it?"
The Taoist priest was silent for a moment. His voice was as low as a dream. "It's my junior brother, whom I killed with my own hands."
The air froze instantly. Dalin and Lucas looked at each other. Both saw shock in the other's eyes.
Lucas spoke slowly. "Your junior brother..."
The Taoist priest smiled bitterly. "Three years ago, he came to me for help, saying that the gate of ghosts had opened and a soul of the dead had possessed him. He needed to borrow three souls to leave quickly."
Dalin stared intently at the Taoist priest. "Why didn't you save him?"
The Taoist priest was silent for a moment and then said in a low voice, "I thought he was lying to me."
Lucas's gaze was cold. "But you killed him."
The Taoist priest closed his eyes. His voice trembled slightly. "I thought he was vying for my position in the Taoist order. So, on a moonlit night, I killed him in front of his room."
Complex emotions welled up in Dalin's heart. She sighed softly. "So, that's why you lit this soul - lamp to ferry his soul?"
The Taoist priest didn't answer. He just lowered his head and stared at the lamp. His eyes were filled with regret and sadness.
Lucas said solemnly, "The Soul Ferryman once told me that in this Taoist temple, someone has used up three years of their lifespan just to guard a lamp. Now it seems that it's you."
The Taoist priest nodded slightly and sighed. "If I can extinguish this lamp, it will be a relief."
However, at that moment, a low - pitched wind sound came from outside the Taoist temple. In the night, a black figure slowly emerged. Wearing a tattered black - cloth cloak and with its head lowered, it walked slowly into the Taoist temple.
The sound of bells rang. A hoarse voice drifted faintly. "Where the lamp is lit, the souls of the dead all return."
Dalin's palms sweated slightly. She stared fixedly at the figure. A familiar sense of fear welled up in her heart. "It's him... the Soul Ferryman."
Lucas tightened his grip on his long sword. He asked coldly, "You're here again?"
The Soul Ferryman slowly raised his head, revealing a death - pale face. His features were seven - tenths similar to those of the Taoist priest.
The Taoist priest's pupils contracted slightly. His face turned pale. "Junior brother..."
The Soul Ferryman sighed softly. "Senior brother, it's time to extinguish the lamp."
The night covered everything. An oppressive atmosphere filled the Taoist temple. The souls of the dead returned. The solitary lamp remained unextinguished. Who could truly break free from the curse of fate?