Excessive ferocity due to caution

Thomson initially had great faith in his memory and initial thoughts.

But looking at Zhao Yi's confident expression, he became somewhat uncertain.

Why do you say that?

Zhao Yi explained:

"Thomson, did you really take a good look at that room we were just in?"

Thomson thought about it seriously for a moment.

"this……"

Zhao Yi slowly began to speak:

"Let's start by piecing together the existing clues—"

"First of all, there's the offering table."

"You said that wild beasts knocked over the offerings, and that's true. That's certainly happened, and I also believe that many wild beasts must have visited this place during the years when it was deserted."

"But Thomson, don't forget, wild beasts will eat offerings, but they won't attack the altar."

Thomson's eyes widened slightly.

Zhao Yi continued:

"Think carefully about that altar. Are the damage marks on it really due to weathering over time?"

"Is it more likely that alternating impacts from blunt and sharp objects would cause such damage than corrosion?"

Under Zhao Yi's guidance, Thomson began to mentally rehearse the scenario, comparing it with the grotesque marks on the altar...

"Yes……"

He fell into a daze.

"That's how it is..."

"The decay of time cannot cause such scars."

"And wild animals will not attack inanimate objects like offering tables."

The altar is not tall, and even a wild beast capable of destroying a solid wood altar into this state could easily jump onto it.

They had absolutely no reason to attack the altar.

So, where did the hideous scars on the altar come from?

Secondly…

Seeing that Thomson was gradually getting into character, Zhao knew he had found the right approach and continued:

"The murals on the walls also show signs of being violently torn."

"If the destruction of the altar could be attributed to a deadly battle between two enormous beasts, then why were those tall murals torn apart?"

"All the details suggest that what was destroyed in this room... was not some wild beast that invaded from outside."

"and……"

As Zhao Yi was speaking, he suddenly stopped, as if he wanted to deliberately keep someone in suspense.

But Thomson couldn't hold back any longer; his face showed great anxiety.

"And what?"

Zhao Yi's lips curled up slightly, and in Thomson's eyes, his expression even carried a certain chill.

"Furthermore, I suspect that none of the living creatures that have ever entered this dojo... have managed to leave here alive."

"Except for...you."

Thomson swallowed hard.

That sharp memory took him back to a very, very long time ago, when he visited the nameless Taoist priest alone.

The mountains echoed with the howls of wolves and the roars of tigers, along with the cries of many other wild animals.

But then a torrential downpour and relentless winds trapped him in the dojo for several days, yet he was not disturbed by any wild beasts.

This is just too bizarre!

Do you think those wild beasts wouldn't know there's such a large place here where they can take shelter from the rain?

Why don't they come in?

I was so hungry at the time that I wanted to catch a mouse, a snake, or even some poisonous insects...

But there was nothing in the dojo.

Thinking about it now... it's really eerie and terrifying!

After a brief moment of distraction, Thomson couldn't help but say in a trembling voice:

"Even if there really is another extra person hiding in the dojo, that doesn't necessarily mean that person is the Taoist priest!"

"After all, the Taoist priest has a disciple, doesn't he?"

Zhao asked in return:

"Then why don't you consider that the old Taoist priest, who has always disliked interacting with people and only seeks ascension to immortality, insists on taking on a disciple in the mortal realm?"

There was no clear story in his words.

Yet, it is full of hints.

Under Zhao Yi's guidance, Thomson's mind began to piece together a bizarre story.

Even with the memory of his visit to the nameless Taoist priest, Thomson could hardly distinguish between memory and reality.

He began to unconsciously forget that he was the master of this world, that he was the one who wrote the story…

The wind and rain outside are even stronger.

Every raindrop that shattered on the windowsill made a pitiful sound.

Thomson was lost in his memories of the past. Suddenly, his face turned grim, and he grabbed Zhao Yi's hand, leading him toward the room where the painting had been enshrined.

"No...we have to go back and check!"

The two returned to their previous room.

It was completely dark inside; you couldn't see anything at all.

The brazier, which should have been burning continuously, was knocked over by someone.

Zhao Yi took out a wooden stick and brought it close to the ground to take a look.

"Someone not only overturned the brazier, but also poured a basin of water onto the ground."

Thomson's face turned ashen.

"Why...why did they overturn the brazier?"

Zhao Yi said calmly:

"Of course it wouldn't be those of us who traveled with them."

"We need braziers for warmth and light, as well as to dry our clothes."

"Only those who don't need a brazier for warmth and light would knock it over."

He stared intently at the water stains on the ground, muttering to himself:

"Who doesn't need a brazier for warmth and light...?"

Zhao Yi slowly leaned close to Thomson's ear and whispered with a chuckle:

"Of course...dead people."

Thomson shuddered.

"You...you shouldn't talk nonsense!"

"There's no dead person here."

Zhao Yi calmly looked at Thomson, a strange light flashing in his eyes:

"Stop lying to yourself, Thomson."

"You know... the person who went to the toilet won't come back."

"Having finally obtained fresh flesh and blood, it won't let us leave alive easily."

Thomson's eyes were bloodshot. He suddenly grabbed Zhao Yi by the collar, his mental state seemingly unstable.

"He's not dead... I won't let him die!"

"There aren't any Taoist priests here at all!"

"He has ascended to heaven!"

Zhao Yi grasped Thomson's hands, offering him a rare moment of warmth.

"Thompson... do you know what the biggest difference is between reality and horror stories?"

Thomson was panting heavily:

"What is it?"

Zhao Yi:

"In reality, that kind of thing...does not exist or disappear based on your will."

"Before we returned, I saw a strange, dark figure emerge from the room door and head upstairs..."

"It's already smelled the aroma of meat; it won't stop easily..."

"Now, you need to think carefully about what you did last time you were trapped in this place..."

Sweat slowly seeped from Thomson's forehead.

In the darkness, it was almost invisible.

But he himself could clearly feel it.

Why...?

He released his grip on Zhao Yi's collar, and the intrusion of fear made Thomson's already obsessive obsession even more unable to think calmly.

Zhao looked him straight in the eye and said:

"Because the last time you were able to leave alive, it must have been because you did something that prevented it from harming you."

"This time, if we want to leave alive, we must know what its weakness is!"

PS: First update.