The Yellow Tome
Ling Yun gently placed the still-unconscious girls by the roadside, then used his telekinetic sense to examine them one by one. Only after confirming they were alive did he breathe a sigh of relief.
This place was close to the city, and although no pedestrians were around, vehicles occasionally passed by. Under no circumstances could anyone discover his supernatural abilities.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he gently shook Li Lingling, who was still nestled in his embrace, fast asleep. She had neither eaten nor drunk anything for an entire day and night, her body weakened by exhaustion. Now that she was finally safe beside the one she longed for, the tension in her heart had melted away, and sleep had overtaken her before she even realized it.
It took a while for her to stir. Half-awake, she murmured drowsily, "Ling Yun, are we home? Please take me home… I'm so tired."
Ling Yun gazed at her delicate, weary face, feeling a tinge of reluctance in his heart. In a gentle voice, he said, "Lingling, I can't take you home."
"What?" Her eyes widened in shock, and she immediately struggled to sit up, looking at him with sorrowful disbelief. "Why? Ling Yun, are you abandoning me? Do you think I'm a burden?"
"It's not like that, Lingling. Please, listen to me." Ling Yun hurriedly explained, leaning close to whisper a few words into her ear.
Understanding dawned on her face, and she nodded. "I see. Alright, I trust you."
Still, Ling Yun felt uneasy. "Lingling, you must promise me—never, under any circumstances, reveal anything about my abilities. Just do as I told you. What we've been through is far too bizarre… No one can know."
The girl covered her mouth and giggled, her fleeting smile as dazzling as a lotus bathed in the morning sun. "I know, I'm not that foolish. Don't worry about me. Just go. But once you're back in the city… you better come see me."
Ling Yun, seemingly oblivious to her unintentional charm, merely nodded before turning and walking away.
Li Lingling sat there, watching his figure disappear into the distance. Only when he vanished into the grassy expanse did she lower her gaze, looking down the empty road. A gentle morning breeze swept past, sending a faint chill through her body. Instinctively, she thought back to the warmth of Ling Yun's embrace.
Ling Yun didn't go far. He stopped behind a large tree, carefully observing from the shadows. He couldn't afford to be seen, but neither could he abandon Li Lingling and the other girls. That was why he had told her to wait by the roadside—so she could flag down a passing vehicle for help, ensuring their rescue without exposing himself.
The police would undoubtedly investigate the girls' disappearance, but it would be easy enough to cover up. Li Lingling only needed to claim she had been unconscious the whole time and woke up to find herself on the outskirts of the city. Beyond that, she knew nothing. The truth of what happened in the cemetery was far too terrifying, entangled with forces beyond mortal understanding. Ling Yun had no intention of letting the world know.
Before long, a white minivan approached from the direction of the city. Ling Yun watched as Li Lingling stepped into the road, waving her arms to signal the driver. The van came to a halt, and a middle-aged man in his forties stepped out. After a brief exchange, he helped carry the unconscious girls into the vehicle, with Li Lingling getting in last.
The minivan made a U-turn and sped off toward the city.
Only when it disappeared at the end of the road did Ling Yun finally step out from behind the tree and start making his way back as well.
By the time he arrived home, it was already 9:15 in the morning.
Despite staying up all night, traveling dozens of kilometers, and surviving a life-or-death battle against that monstrous shadow, Ling Yun felt no exhaustion—no weariness, no need for rest. On the contrary, his body buzzed with energy, his mind clearer than ever before. This was unlike anything he had experienced, even after first awakening his powers; back then, he had still needed sleep.
His parents, believing he had stayed over at a friend's house, had gone to work without concern, leaving only a note on the table: Food is in the fridge. Heat it up if you're hungry.
Ling Yun wasn't hungry. Instead, he picked up his phone and dialed Zhang Yunfeng, intending to inform him that Li Lingling had returned safely.
To his surprise, the call didn't go through. Zhang Yunfeng's phone was turned off—something highly unusual, considering he always kept it on, 24/7.
Frowning, Ling Yun decided not to call again. He simply sent a text message, knowing Zhang Yunfeng would get back to him sooner or later.
Sitting cross-legged on his bed, he replayed every detail of the previous night's encounter in his mind. This was, without a doubt, the strangest event he had experienced since gaining his powers.
The eerie cemetery.
The mysterious grave formation.
The ancient, otherworldly lanterns.
And that terrifying, overwhelming shadow.
A tangled web of secrets loomed before him, forming an insidious, unanswered question in his mind.
Most haunting of all was the shadow itself. It had nearly killed him. Had his psychic field not broken through at the last moment, he and those girls would have become nothing more than lifeless corpses, buried forever in that forsaken tomb.
A chill ran down his spine. Even now, the memory of that darkness sent shivers through his soul.
The shadow, though ultimately vanquished by Ling Yun, remained an enigma. Even now, he had no understanding of its true nature. What unsettled him even more was that in its final moments, the shadow dissolved into a dark mist and seeped into Li Lingling's body before vanishing without a trace. Although she had exhibited no abnormalities since regaining consciousness, who could say for certain that the entity wouldn't resurface, taking control of her body?
The mere thought of this filled Ling Yun with unease, a deep frustration gnawing at him. He was acutely aware of his own weakness and helplessness. Possessing supernatural abilities had once made him feel as though he had transcended the limits of ordinary existence—like a common man who had suddenly mastered arcane magic. But that sense of superiority only applied to the mundane. The moment he ventured beyond the realm of the known, faced with the inexplicable, he was instantly confronted with his own insignificance and an overwhelming fear of the unknown.
If only he had taken the ancient lantern with him. Perhaps, with careful study, it might have yielded new discoveries. Ling Yun sighed at the missed opportunity. In his haste to escape that accursed tomb, he had neglected to retrieve it.
His invisible telekinetic field extended effortlessly, penetrating walls with ease. The refrigerator door in the kitchen swung open as though guided by an unseen hand, and a can of cola floated gracefully into the air. It glided through the open bedroom door, hovering above him, before the tab popped open with a soft hiss. The dark, icy liquid streamed smoothly into his waiting mouth, not a single drop wasted.
Unbeknownst to him, his mastery over telekinesis had advanced considerably. Only the night before, such delicate control had been beyond him. Now, several silver spoons levitated from the pristine white cupboard, twirling in an elegant, unnamed dance upon the ceiling of his home. Simultaneously, he extended his consciousness, plugging in the television's power cord and flicking through the channels with a mere thought.
For the first time since last night's ordeal, Ling Yun finally allowed himself to relax. Bathed in the warm morning sunlight streaming through the window, he reflected on the harrowing events of the previous night—it all felt like a lifetime ago.
Lounging comfortably on his bed, he idly discarded the empty cola can, sending it drifting into the kitchen trash bin. The silver spoons still danced, but their movements shifted. They began tracing glowing characters in the air, forming the words "Ling Yun is a great hero," shimmering with the unique silver threads of his psychic energy, their trajectories crystal clear in his mind's eye.
He turned onto his side, but an unexpected hardness in his pocket caught his attention. A sudden realization struck him, and he bolted upright. His telekinetic grip wavered, and the dancing spoons clattered noisily to the floor.
With the utmost care, Ling Yun retrieved a small, thin, yellowed booklet from his jacket pocket—the very same ancient tome he had grasped from the shadowy depths of that nameless coffin.
The booklet was no larger than the picture books he had read as a child, its fragile-looking pages only a handful in number. The entire tome was a pale yellow hue, unmarked by any title or inscription. Strangely, though it had been entombed for who knew how long, it remained impeccably clean, untouched by dust or decay. Despite its thinness, it felt unexpectedly heavy in his grasp, possessing a density that defied its delicate appearance.
Running his fingers over its cover, Ling Yun immediately discerned that this was no ordinary paper. It was neither brittle nor stiff, but rather smooth, pliant, and incredibly resilient. More perplexing still, despite being crumpled and pressed within his pocket, it showed no signs of creases or wear.
He carefully opened the book, only to be met with a wave of disappointment. Each page was as blank as the cover—nothing but pale yellow emptiness, devoid of text or markings, as if it were an untouched notebook waiting for someone to inscribe its first words.
He flipped through all seven pages, but even upon reaching the final one, there was nothing to be found. Unwilling to give up, he skimmed through it once more, yet the result remained unchanged—utterly blank.
"Was I mistaken?" Ling Yun muttered under his breath, frowning at the enigmatic booklet. The events of last night replayed vividly in his mind, every detail etched into his memory with absolute clarity—a consequence of his enhanced cognitive abilities since acquiring his powers.
He distinctly recalled a voice calling out to him from the void, summoning him toward the book. Though he could not explain the nature of that summoning, he was certain of one thing: his psychic field had not deceived him. Moreover, when he had first laid hands on the tome, he had felt an undeniable pulse of energy radiating from within it. At the time, however, there had been no opportunity for deeper investigation.
And yet, here it was—merely a blank booklet. Nothing more than an ordinary object, save for its peculiar material.
Wait—blank?
A thought flickered through Ling Yun's mind like a spark in the dark. Perhaps this was not a book meant to be read with the eyes. A revelation dawned upon him.
Closing his eyes, he extended his psychic energy, letting it flow freely, enveloping the book completely.
At that moment, the booklet ignited with a soft, golden glow, as though a hidden lantern had been lit from within. Then, to Ling Yun's astonishment, it lifted from his grasp, hovering at eye level.
The golden light pulsed, and with a rustling sound, the pages began to turn on their own, flipping rapidly until they reached the very last.
Ling Yun held his breath, his entire focus locked onto the mysterious tome. It was clear that his method had been correct—the book responded to his telekinetic energy. But what secrets would it reveal?
He extended his consciousness further, weaving his psychic field tightly around the floating tome, enclosing it completely.
Suddenly, an immense wave of energy burst forth from the booklet, sealing off all external perception.
Ling Yun's senses reeled. In an instant, the book was no longer a mere booklet—it was expanding, growing infinitely large.
Before he could react, his entire awareness was engulfed in a vast, endless expanse of golden light.