Chapter 571
The Church of the Flowery Words
Chapter 571 The Church of the Cross (Thirty-Four)
Amidst the cacophony of voices and the pervasive smell of burning, the tour guide seemed a little flustered. She glanced at the altar, which appeared normal but smelled suspicious, and finally shouted into the megaphone, "Everyone, don't panic! It's just the smell of newly lit candles. Please follow me. We'll first head to the side wing to visit the famous 'Hanging Church' architectural wonder exhibition area. This way!"
The crowded throng began to loosen, and following the guide's raised flag, they surged towards the entrance of the side corridor like a tide. Ning Yao and Chunyu Kong exchanged a glance, then blended into the moving crowd, leaving the main altar hall—a place where the "3 o'clock" and "9 o'clock" times were misaligned—without attracting attention.
He mingled with the tourists and entered the side corridor. The moment he stepped inside, Ning Yao felt a slight tremor beneath his feet, and the scene before him seemed to distort for a moment.
But when he rubbed his eyes, wanting to check again more carefully, everything seemed normal, and he couldn't pinpoint what had changed.
The tour guide's voice came through the loudspeaker; the static from the cheap microphone made her eardrums tingle slightly, but it quickly drew Ning Yao's attention back. She enthusiastically described the wonders of the "Hanging Church" before her, explaining that from certain angles, the extended portion of the church seemed to float above the ruins of an ancient defensive fortress. Tourists gasped in amazement, raising their phones to capture the visual spectacle.
A subtle unease lingered in Ning Yao's heart, but he couldn't quite grasp the thread that held him back. He took a deep breath; whatever the matter, he had to ensure that he and Chunyu Kong wouldn't be separated.
So he turned around and grabbed Chunyu Kong's hand.
"...What now?" Chunyu Kong tried to pull his hand back, but Ning Yao was unusually persistent.
"Hey, don't let go. We're not in the same time zone right now. If that guy surnamed Du accidentally pulls a dirty trick and we're separated, it will be very difficult to find him again."
"Get lost! Even if we're in different time zones, we don't have to hold hands. Do you think this is a kindergarten field trip? Can't you act like an adult?" Chunyu Kong said this, but seeing that he couldn't break free from Ning Yao's hand after shaking it a few times, he let him be.
Ning Yao held Chunyu Kong's hand tightly; his palm was slightly sweaty, but thankfully Chunyu Kong didn't say anything more.
The two men scanned their surroundings warily, but their unease did not disappear; instead, it became even clearer in the depths of the side corridor.
Chunyu Kong had no interest in appreciating the scenery like a typical tourist, but Ning Yao seemed to be drawn to something outside the window. He raised his eyebrows with interest, his head unconsciously leaning forward until Chunyu Kong gently pulled him back. He then looked away, awkwardly touching his ear and muttering to himself:
"Pfft~ My goodness, they can make money like this? These tourists have never eaten well before."
Upon hearing this, Chunyu Kong frowned slightly and couldn't help but glance out the window.
Admittedly, this "hanging church" is more of a gimmick than a real attraction, and it's not exactly magnificent. However, the aesthetics of the landscaping are quite good, and it's definitely worth the ticket price. Not to mention, you get free eggs when you visit the church, so it's definitely not like you've "never eaten anything good before."
Chunyu Kong looked at Ning Yao with amusement. He had no idea when this guy had started to pretend to be a niche aesthetic.
Ning Yao was a little confused by Chunyu Kong's glare: "What? What's so interesting about taking pictures in this dark and gloomy neighborhood park?"
Pitch black? A neighborhood park?
Chunyu Kong realized that something was wrong and checked it again with his own eyes.
The interplay of light and shadow on the stained-glass windows casts a beautiful glow on the ancient fortress outside. The historical stone pillar reliefs are vividly detailed in the sunlight, and the exclamations of wonder from tourists fill the air.
"What did you see?" Chunyu Kong asked.
Ning Yao picked at his ear: "A bland, uninspired artificial ancient town with white walls, construction debris scattered everywhere, looking like it's been blasted by firecrackers, and hardly any streetlights around, the rest of the place is pitch black. The only redeeming quality is the lack of light pollution, so you can see the stars." Chunyu Kong pondered: "So this is what it looks like from '3 a.m.'"
Ning Yao realized what he meant: "What do you mean? That's not what you saw?"
Chunyu Kong stared at Ning Yao and analyzed seriously, "Think about it, why do you think you can see stars outside right now? Do you remember when we were in the main altar hall, we could already see sunlight shining through the stained glass windows to illuminate the room? Time and space are chaotic here. I don't trust my watch, and I'm not sure if it's nine in the morning, but in any case, it can't be three in the morning outside right now."
Ning Yao's mind seemed to go blank for a moment. He unconsciously picked at his ear again: "Huh? Is that so? Then maybe that guy surnamed Du is playing some kind of trick on me again."
"...Are you possessed by a monkey?" Chunyu pulled his hand back with disgust and wiped it on the corner of his clothes.
"What's wrong now?" Ning Yao looked at her empty palms, feeling very uncomfortable.
"Do you have a golden cudgel in your ear? What are you fumbling around for?" Chunyu Kong said.
"Hey, hey, hey, stop being so nitpicky. Do you have to tell me what to do if I'm picking my ears?" Ning Yao said angrily again.
Led by the tour guide, the tourists continued forward, while Ning Yao and Chunyu Kong, bickering and arguing, unknowingly fell to the back.
Suddenly, I heard unfamiliar footsteps behind me.
Amidst the cacophony of voices in the background, the group behind him moved with remarkably precise and disciplined steps, exuding an air of trained expertise. Ning Yao instinctively turned around and saw a group of people dressed as ordinary tourists rapidly approaching.
None of the tourists paid any attention to the surrounding scenery. As if in a hurry, they skipped over the empty main altar hall and caught up with the previous group of tourists. The leader pulled his hat brim very low, but it couldn't hide the cold gaze beneath it. His eyes were fixed on the two people lagging behind the tourists.
Their arrival was so sudden that it was difficult for Ning Yao and Chunyu Kong not to notice them.
Chunyu Kong lowered his voice: "It's the guard team, and their target is clear: they're coming for the two of us. They must be after Geng Xun."
Ning Yao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and muttered under his breath, "Is it really worth chasing this far just to catch a gatekeeper? The association must be really bored... uh, wait a minute, why is it the guard team that came when we're out on field duty?" Before he could finish speaking, the two "tourists" had already moved closer under the guise of taking a photo, and a specially made steel wire slid out from their sleeves, but instead of attacking Ning Yao, they went straight for Chunyu Kong's neck.
Chunyu Kong slightly sidestepped the steel cable; the man's attack barely grazed his cheek. Chunyu then seized the opportunity, grabbing the man's wrist and twisting it. The guard, in pain, released his grip, and the steel cable instantly retracted into his sleeve. Another man attacked from the flank. Chunyu Kong crouched low and swept his leg, forcing back the attack. Simultaneously, using the momentum, he spun around and delivered an elbow strike aimed straight for the first man's ribs. The movements were clean and swift; the two guards were instantly knocked back several steps, but without much noise. They quickly regrouped and, with the help of the other guards behind them, silently surrounded the first man again.
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I've been dealing with company issues for almost half a year, so this update is a bit late, but thankfully I've had some time to write recently. I'll try my best to write more and finish it as soon as possible! Thank you, my darlings!