Qingfeng Longying Xianfei Jue

Chapter 235 The Contract of Misty Manor

Dusk deepened, spreading like thick ink, enveloping the manor hidden in the mountains. Lin Yue, dragging her heavy suitcase, stood before the manor gates, gazing at the Gothic architecture before her, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She was a young illustrator, exceptionally talented but never recognized, the pressures of life a constant companion. Until recently, she received an anonymous email offering a generous reward if she could stay in this misty manor for a month and complete an illustration themed around it, enough to change her impoverished situation. Driven by life's pressures, she had no choice but to embark on this unknown journey.

The manor gates slowly opened, creaking with a chilling sound, like the sigh of time. A hunched old butler appeared in the doorway, his face obscured by the dim light, his voice hoarse and low: "Miss Lin, welcome to Misty Manor." Lin Yue forced a smile and followed the old butler into the manor. An air of antiquity permeated the manor; ancient portraits hung on the walls, the eyes of the figures in the paintings seeming to watch her from the darkness, sending a chill down her spine.

The old butler led Lin Yue to her room and then quietly left. Lin Yue looked around; the room's decor was both antique and luxurious, yet it exuded an inexplicable eeriness. She opened her suitcase and began unpacking her clothes. Suddenly, a yellowed piece of paper slipped out of the suitcase, bearing a strange symbol drawn on it, like some kind of ancient mark. Lin Yue picked up the paper and examined it closely, but couldn't make heads or tails of it. She placed the paper on the table, intending to study it later.

Night fell, and all was quiet except for the howling wind outside the window. Lin Yue lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Suddenly, a soft footstep came from the corridor, approaching and stopping in front of her door. Lin Yue held her breath nervously, her eyes fixed on the door. After a long while, the footsteps gradually faded away. Lin Yue breathed a sigh of relief, thinking she had misheard, but just then, she heard a faint sobbing sound, a mournful and desolate sound, as if from another world. Lin Yue could no longer bear it. She mustered her courage, put on her coat, opened the door, and decided to investigate.

She followed the sound, walking through dimly lit corridors until she reached a tightly closed door. The crying seemed to be coming from behind this door. Lin Yue hesitated for a moment, then reached out and pushed the door open. A strong stench of decay filled the room. In the dim light, she saw a huge coffin in the center of the room, its lid engraved with the same symbols as those on the paper she had found. Lin Yue covered her mouth in horror and turned to run away, only to find the door had been closed somehow, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open it.

Just as Lin Yue felt despair, a beam of light shot out from the symbol on the coffin, enveloping her. Enveloped in the light, Lin Yue lost consciousness. When she awoke again, she found herself in an unfamiliar space, surrounded by a white mist, unable to see anything clearly. Suddenly, a phantom figure appeared before her—a man in a black robe, handsome yet exuding a cold aura.

"You've finally arrived, Lin Yue." The man's voice seemed to come from a distant place.

"Who are you? Where is this? Why am I here?" Lin Yue asked in terror.

"I am the owner of Misty Manor, and this is another space within the manor. The symbol in your hand is the key to unlocking this space, and you are the one chosen by fate," the man said slowly.

It turns out that this Misty Manor hides a secret. Years ago, the manor's owner, in pursuit of immortality, made a pact with dark forces, sacrificing the fate of the manor and his family. However, this pact brought endless suffering and a curse. One by one, the manor's inhabitants died mysteriously, and the manor was shrouded in darkness. Only by finding someone with a special talent and helping them unravel the secrets of the pact can the curse be broken and the manor and family saved. Lin Yue is that chosen one; her talent for illustration contains a mysterious power that allows her to resonate with the pact.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yue was filled with fear and hesitation. She was just an ordinary illustrator and had never imagined she would be involved in such a mysterious event. But looking at the pleading in the man's eyes, she remembered her current predicament. If she could break the curse, she could not only save the manor but also receive a generous reward and change her fate. Finally, Lin Yue gritted her teeth and said, "I'm willing to try, but I don't know how."

A relieved smile appeared on the man's face. He told Lin Yue that the secret of the contract was hidden in the history and legends of the manor. She needed to find clues and solve the puzzles within the manor to find a way to break the contract. After speaking, the man transformed into a beam of light and disappeared, and Lin Yue returned to the real world.

From then on, Lin Yue began her journey of discovery. Every day, she wandered through every corner of the manor, consulting ancient books, conversing with the old butler and other servants, trying to find clues about the contract. In the process, she discovered that everything in the manor seemed to be related to an ancient family legend. The legend said that the first owner of the manor once obtained a mysterious gemstone with magical powers, capable of granting wishes. But later, the gemstone suddenly disappeared, and the manor began to fall into endless disaster.

Lin Yue guessed that this mysterious gem might be the key to breaking the contract. Therefore, she began to focus her efforts on finding the gem. By chance, she discovered a long-forgotten diary in the manor's basement; the diary's owner was the manor's first owner. By reading the diary, Lin Yue learned that the gem was hidden in an abandoned tower within the manor.

Lin Yue decided to head to the tower to find the gem. Armed with a flashlight, she carefully made her way through the dense woods to the tower. The tower was dilapidated, its walls covered in moss, looking as if it were about to collapse. Lin Yue took a deep breath and entered the tower. The interior was dark and damp, filled with a pungent odor. She climbed the narrow stairs step by step, each step accompanied by a creaking sound, as if the stairs might collapse at any moment.

Finally, Lin Yue reached the top floor of the tower. In a corner of the room, she found a worn-out box with the same symbols as the contract engraved on it. Excitedly, Lin Yue walked over, opened the box, and sure enough, inside was a gem emitting a faint glow. The moment she picked up the gem, the entire tower suddenly shook violently, and plumes of black smoke surged in from all directions, enveloping her.

Lin Yue looked around in horror. She knew she had triggered the power of the contract, and the forces of darkness were attacking her. Just as she felt despair, the gem in her hand suddenly emitted a bright light, dispelling the black smoke. Lin Yue seized the opportunity to escape the tower and return to the manor.

Back at the manor, Lin Yue began studying the power of the gems, attempting to find a way to break the contract. In the process, she forged a deeper connection with the manor owner's soul, gaining more information about the contract from him. After much arduous effort, Lin Yue finally discovered the flaw in the contract. It turned out that there was a loophole in the contract; by using the power of the gems to reverse its contents, the curse could be lifted.

Lin Yue decided to perform the ritual to break the contract on the night of the full moon. Guided by the soul of the manor's owner, she arranged the necessary items for the ritual in the manor's main hall. As moonlight bathed the center of the hall, Lin Yue picked up the gem and began chanting an incantation. With each incantation, the gem's light grew stronger, illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime. Suddenly, a black light surged from the ground, intertwining with the gem's radiance and creating a fierce battle.

Lin Yue gritted her teeth, concentrated her energy, and continuously poured her power into the battle. In this struggle of strength, she felt her body growing weaker and weaker, but she never gave up. Finally, through her relentless efforts, the gem's brilliance gradually gained the upper hand, and the black light was slowly swallowed up. With a deafening roar, the contract was successfully broken, and a beam of light shot into the sky, illuminating the entire manor.

The curse was lifted, and Misty Manor returned to its former vitality and tranquility. The manor owner's soul was released, and he looked at Lin Yue gratefully, saying, "Thank you, Lin Yue, you saved me and my family." After saying this, he turned into a ray of light and disappeared.

Lin Yue completed her mission and received a generous reward. Her illustrations, imbued with a unique charm due to this extraordinary experience, garnered widespread attention and praise. On the day she left Misty Manor, Lin Yue looked back at this place that had once filled her with both fear and hope, her heart overflowing with emotion. She knew that this experience would forever be etched in her heart, becoming one of the most precious treasures of her life.

Since then, Lin Yue has continued to pursue her dream of illustration. She uses her paintbrush to depict the beauty and mystery of the world, and the story of Misty Manor has become a source of inspiration for her creation, encouraging her to keep moving forward and go further and further on the road of art.