Chapter 85: "Palace of Shadows"

Upon awakening, drenched in sweat, Qi Yan felt a lingering ache throughout his body, from scalp to soles—a dull soreness mixed with stabbing pain. His lungs, in particular, seemed as though someone had reached deep inside and punched him several times, leaving him unbearably uncomfortable.

He was now lying on a hospital bed. He visited hospitals often, but this time, it was him who had been injured—at the City First Hospital.

Several people sat by the window, most of them familiar faces. Li Ruoke was there, as were Uncle Yan and Xuanxuan. He had no idea when they had arrived or why they were here. There was also a stranger, a man in his thirties, whom he didn’t recognize.

Unlike the hazy confusion that usually accompanied waking, Qi Yan’s eyes snapped open suddenly, startling everyone with a shout.

His twisted wrist was wrapped in gauze, and an IV hung from the other hand.

Still dazed, he rasped, “What… what’s happened to me? What are you all doing here?”

“Drink some hot water first…” Li Ruoke handed him a cup. Qi Yan’s mouth was parched, and he gulped it down hungrily.

Only after drinking did the dizziness subside somewhat. His mind was sluggish, but his memory remained clear enough; he recalled everything that had happened before, yet he had no idea what occurred afterward, or how he ended up in the hospital.

Uncle Yan, smiling, sat by the bed, gently pried open Qi Yan’s eyelids for a look, and nodded slightly. “Not bad… You’re very weak now. Wait until you’ve recovered.”

Qi Yan grabbed his sleeve. “Uncle, how did you all end up here? What’s going on? I remember being at… the Exhibition City.”

Li Ruoke urged, “Qi Yan, you should rest first. There’s too much to explain in a few words.”

But since Qi Yan was awake and conscious, his thoughts were a jumble, and he couldn’t help but press, “No, no, please tell me. What happened to me? How did I suddenly end up in a hospital bed? And… why are all of you here?”

Seeing his bewildered and slightly agitated state, everyone felt awkward.

After a moment’s stalemate, Uncle Yan exchanged a glance with Xuanxuan and waved. “Da Long, go stand guard outside.”

Hao Da Long nodded, stood up, and left, closing the door firmly behind him.

Uncle Yan paused, as if searching for words.

“How should I put this… Let me ask you first. Do you remember what happened before you lost consciousness?”

Qi Yan was perplexed, then thought, “I… I only remember going to the Asian Culture Exhibition, and then…” He hesitated to continue.

Uncle Yan nodded. “Don’t worry, you can tell us anything… I can guess what you went through. That Japanese Onmyoji gave you a hard time, didn’t he?”

Qi Yan was stunned. He couldn’t comprehend how Uncle Yan knew. He had only met him once, on a business trip to Thailand, and the witty old man had left a deep impression. “How… how do you know?”

He glanced at Xuanxuan, then at Li Ruoke, whose expression was as complex and somber as the others.

“Old Li? What’s the matter? Why aren’t you saying anything… cough, cough…” He was seized by another fit of coughing.

Uncle Yan tried to make his voice especially gentle and calm. “Don’t get too worked up, kid. Let me explain slowly… Uh… First, I must apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?”

Li Ruoke interjected, sounding guilty. “I should apologize first. Qi Yan, I’m sorry. I’ve hidden a lot from you, but honestly… I only learned the truth after our trip to Thailand. I didn’t mean to keep things from you.”

Xuanxuan quickly added, “Yes, I can vouch for that. Keke knew very little before, but we all kept things from you for your own good.”

Qi Yan stared at their faces, utterly bewildered. “What are you all talking about… Why are you apologizing to me?”

Li Ruoke began to explain, “I apologize because… I never told you the truth from the start. Remember when you and Lan first came to the studio? The reason I kept you on, worked with you, became friends… It was actually to get close to you, to keep you by our side…”

Xuanxuan raised her hand and continued, “That was my idea. She called me internationally, and after learning your situation, I told her she had to keep an eye on you, preferably stay familiar with you. Bringing you to Bangkok again was my plan, too—I wanted to see something with my own eyes.”

Uncle Yan added, “And the reason I appeared at Xuanxuan’s house so suddenly was actually because of you…”

One after another, their revelations left Qi Yan increasingly shocked. He couldn’t help but sit up, despite the pain in his chest. Hearing so many strange things at once, he was deeply confused.

Li Ruoke kept him close… for ulterior motives? All under the direction of Xuanxuan, far away in Thailand? And that old man Uncle Yan came just to see him?

What was all this?

These people seemed familiar, yet now, gathered before Qi Yan, they felt utterly foreign.

What did it all mean? Had his life been under their control all along? Was everything more complicated than it seemed?

“You… what? Who are you people, really?” After a moment, Qi Yan lowered his voice and pressed them.

Now, everyone could only leave the explaining to Uncle Yan, turning their gaze toward him.

“Sigh… I had hoped to wait until you were stronger to explain everything, but I can’t keep postponing it.”

“Kid, what I’m about to tell you may overturn everything you’ve ever believed. You need to prepare yourself…”

Uncle Yan straightened, his gaze distant.

“Everything begins with that black temple in Thailand… You know what I mean, don’t you?”

How could Qi Yan not know? The Black Temple in Thailand—those memories couldn’t be clearer. Yet Uncle Yan knew about it too?

“It’s not just an ordinary temple, with its black motif; it seems real and unreal at once… Only chosen individuals can perceive its existence, while ordinary people can’t approach, or even detect it at all. Like a mirage, shrouded in mystery, I have named it… ‘The Palace of Shadows.’

“To this day, no one knows its history. I have spent years chasing its secrets, but the truth remains veiled… After all, I have never seen the Palace of Shadows myself, nor entered it, nor met the black-robed monk who dwells there. So I can’t give you a full explanation of this temple.”

“But after years of searching and investigating this elusive, mysterious Black Temple, I have uncovered many concrete facts.”

“For instance… This place I call the Palace of Shadows appears at intervals, choosing someone at random as its fated guest. It forcibly ‘bestows’ on these chosen ones a most peculiar Shadow Token.”

“The first appearance of the Palace of Shadows is lost to history, but its latest manifestation was two months ago in Chiang Mai. And the person it chose that time… was you.”