Frightening Joke: Above the Mist-Chapter 393 Brothers

The sky was growing dim, and the slanting rays of the sunset cast a glow as Ye City seemed to sit in the transition between summer and autumn, with a hint of chill in the air.

Bai Yanren stood in front of Bai Yanliang, a gentle smile on his face and a hint of question in his eyes.

The slightly cool evening breeze carried the sound of honking cars from the adjacent street.

Though the sound was piercing, it could not reach Bai Yanliang’s ears at this moment.

"Thump thump—thump thump—"

His heart was pounding, and he involuntarily took a step forward, gazing at this person in front of him who he hadn’t seen in ages, yet looked exactly as in his memories.

The evening wind tousled Bai Yanliang’s hair, and the orangish light of the sunset stretched his shadow long.

At this moment, everything on this sidewalk seemed utterly silent, leaving only the two brothers.

Bai Yanliang opened his mouth, the word "brother" stuck in his throat, unable to come out.

Bai Yanren’s eyes flickered as he subtly glanced at Bai Yanliang and said with a smile, "It’s getting dark, please come with me to the agency."

Following Bai Yanren up the stairs step by step, watching his swaying shoulders, Bai Yanliang felt somewhat dazed.

His brother seemed more frail than in memories, and not as tall...

Bai Yanliang couldn’t reel in his thoughts; he knew this was a "disordered time and space" unlocked by some key, but... here might truly be the past.

Just like Yu Wenxuan and that woman; that woman had once been to Yu Wenxuan’s childhood, leaving an imprint in his memory.

So now... is this place really Ye City from ten years ago?

Bai Yanliang’s heart had never beat so fiercely.

At least... spending more time here might clarify what actually happened back then.

"Sir? Sir?"

Bai Yanren’s soft call brought Bai Yanliang back to reality.

He looked at the khaki-colored door in front of him, recalling his deepest memory of it covered in blood.

Yet now... it stood clean and silent.

Bai Yanliang instinctively reached out, his fingers lightly sliding over the door frame. The slightly cold touch convinced him more that this was indeed ten years ago, in a real world.

Bai Yanren noticed Bai Yanliang’s odd behavior, asked him to sit, and went to prepare two cups of tea.

With steam wafting from the cups, Bai Yanliang stared blankly at the clear tea, suddenly asking, "Where’s your brother?" 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Bai Yanren’s smile faded: "How do you know I have a brother?"

Bai Yanliang’s heart twisted; he seldom felt flustered, but since arriving here, his mind struggled to find calm, unlike his usual self.

"I...I just noticed signs of two people living here: the cups, slippers, gloves on the wall... they’re all in two sizes, suggesting a little boy from the style." Bai Yanliang explained with difficulty.

Bai Yanren nodded slightly, seemingly confirming Bai Yanliang’s statement, "You have sharp powers of observation. I do have a brother. He’s at school and should be back soon."

Bai Yanliang paused, right... at this time I was indeed in school.

If that incident hadn’t occurred, the path ahead might have been like any normal life, middle school, high school, college...

Bai Yanren watched him quietly and seeing Bai Yanliang distracted again, asked, "Sir, my name is Bai Yanren, may I know your purpose here? Is there anything you need assistance with?"

"Assistance... yes," Bai Yanliang nodded, "I... I’m actually looking for someone, and it’s hard to find him on my own, so I’d like some help."

"Looking for someone? Do you know the name and appearance of the person you’re searching for?" Bai Yanren asked.

"He..." Bai Yanliang hesitated for a moment, then spoke, "His name is Zhou Tian, a doctor, possibly in his thirties or forties, maybe even fifties..."

The moment Bai Yanliang mentioned "Zhou Tian," Bai Yanren’s expression changed noticeably.

"Who are you?" Bai Yanren’s voice was as cold as a blade, a side of him Bai Yanliang had never witnessed before.

"I..." Bai Yanliang knew that mentioning "Zhou Tian" could trigger unexpected reactions, but he had not expected Bai Yanren to harbor such animosity towards Zhou Tian.

"To be candid," Bai Yanliang met Bai Yanren’s gaze, not avoiding it, "I am one of the victims of his deeds."

"That’s why I want to find him."

Bai Yanren was not one to be easily convinced, yet strangely enough, he found himself instinctively believing the young man before him who seemed about his age once he started talking.

This realization shocked Bai Yanren himself; had this person already done something to him?

However, considering his knowledge of the name "Zhou Tian," it indicated he was at least familiar with the Nine Prisons, perhaps another individual chosen by the Nine Prisons?

"Which prison are you from?" Bai Yanren inquired directly.

By truth, Bai Yanliang should belong to the First Prison, Fengquan Command Prison, yet he couldn’t disclose to Bai Yanren in front of him that he came from Fog Gathering ten years later, from a Fengquan Command Prison that hadn’t condensed a key.

So...

"I don’t know, I was only recently chosen by that strange space. The prison you mentioned is?" Bai Yanliang opted to answer with a question.

In truth, he didn’t have much knowledge about what the Nine Prisons meant. Everything he learned about the Nine Prisons came from Xun Weimo, who only spoke briefly without detailing the characteristics or the time of key formation for each prison.

"Seven prisons have already formed keys, closing the gates of Hell, only the First and the Ninth remain. The First, Fengquan Command Prison, is yet to be formed, while the Ninth, Netherworld Burning Hell, remains elusive and has never appeared. Could you be a newly chosen person for the Fengquan Command Prison?"

Bai Yanren, realizing the other party was not an ordinary person, spoke candidly.

"Possibly." Bai Yanliang nodded.

Bai Yanren furrowed his brows slightly: "So, is someone directing you here to find me? Who sent you?"

Bai Yanliang quickly shook his head: "No, it’s just a coincidence. I merely wanted help finding Dr. Zhou Tian, believing that my current strange situation was caused by him. I happened to pass by your agency, so..."

"Is that so..." Bai Yanren sipped his tea, "That really is quite the coincidence."

"However, you’re right about one thing: the opening of the Nine Prisons was indeed caused by Zhou Tian’s recklessness. The Nine Prisons had been sealed for centuries, yet he was restless..."

At that moment, there was a loud "bang," the door was flung open, and a cheerful child stood at the doorway with a backpack, hands on hips, shouting:

"Brother! I’m home from school!"