While Lin Chen was talking, Lu Xu was in the living room. He was sitting on the armchair in the corner. Because the position was far away, the policemen were talking to themselves, and no one paid attention to him.
This dark corner was like a protective cover that could keep him from touching the bright world over there. Lu Xu felt quite at ease.
After listening to Lin Chen’s analysis of Song Shengsheng and Li Jingtian, Lu Xu didn’t feel touched. He felt the story Lin Chen put together was quite ridiculous. A successful singer was easily overwhelmed by another person? This was too unreasonable. When did God become that unreasonable?
However, when he thought of God, he felt that the story had a semblance of truth. Ah, when did God start talking in the corridor?
There would be good people who would die early in the world, and there would be bad people who wouldn’t. Of course, he hoped to be the latter.
He rubbed his face with both hands and felt the room become quiet again. He raised his head abruptly before realizing that everyone in the living room was staring at him.
“What… What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Lu, tell me. What kind of person is your brother?” Lu Xu heard Lin Chen ask.
Lu Xu was blindsided for a moment. He could only look at the man standing against the light from a distance.
“My brother?”
“Tell us.”
Lin Chen’s eyes looked serene. When listening to what he was saying just now, Lu Xu felt there was a sadness in Lin Chen’s tone, as if he were about to cry, but he didn’t see any redness under Lin Chen’s eyes.
When looking at Lin Chen, Lu Xu had no reason to think of his brother. Of course, his brother wasn’t the same as Lin Chen. They grew up in the slums since he was a child. His parents had died early. In order to eat, his brother taught him how to steal. He didn’t think his brother was evil, and even sometimes felt that he was actually a good person—the kind who would steal ten yuan, give him eight, keep one for himself, and donate the other one to a beggar. But after he gave the beggar uncle the money, they saw him in another place. The uncle was standing at a crayfish stall getting food to go; he was eating and wearing clothes much better than them.
So at that moment, Lu Xu understood it was pointless to be a good person because nice guys always finish last.
“My brother… Well, look at me. He’s not much different, yeah?” Lu Xu stood up from the chair, not wanting to talk about the issue.
But he heard Lin Chen’s voice coming through like water. “You and your brother should have a good relationship. When we first asked you about him, you gave us his nickname, and seemed disdainful towards him, but in actuality, you respect him very much. So tell me, how did your brother die?”
When he first heard Lin Chen ask about his brother, Lu Xu wanted to scold them and say, “It’s none of your business”, but when Lin Chen finished speaking just now, Lu Xu felt a terrible chill go down his spine.
He had no choice but to answer obediently. “Lung cancer. He didn’t have the money to see a doctor and just died like that.”
“Did he like smoking?” Lin Chen asked.
“He did. Such is fate. Even though he likes to smoke, he would never smoke more than two cigarettes a day. He was so afraid of death, yet he still died early.” Lu Xu laughed.
“Recall, how long did it take your brother to go in and out of Song Shengsheng’s house?”
“What?” Lu Xu looked lost for a moment. Why did this question suddenly return to the case and his brother?
“The time when CA Entertainment sent you here to look for something…” Lin Chen added.
“I know… I know…” Lu Xu interrupted. “It’s been too long. How can I remember it?”
He really couldn’t keep up with Lin Chen’s rhythm. This feeling of being stripped naked was too uncomfortable that he didn’t want to continue the topic.
But Lin Chen kept talking. “Lu Xu, did you smoke? You and your brother came to Song Shengsheng’s house under CA’s orders. Your brother sneaked in while you kept watch outside. I think you should be pretty anxious and irritable. When you’re irritable, it’s hard for an old smoker like you not to smoke… so, how many cigarettes did you smoke?”
Lin Chen kept probing.
Lu Xu couldn’t help following his question and recalled the scene at that time.
Indeed, he was annoyed at that time, mainly because sneaking into Song Shengsheng’s house was quite dangerous. After all, Song Shengsheng’s case was on the cusp at that time. If his brother was accidentally seen by the neighbors, it would be over, so he couldn’t help but take out a cigarette and smoke, one after another… It seemed he smoked two. After smoking, he wondered why his brother still hadn’t come out. Then, when he put out his cigarette, his brother came out, which meant he wasn’t in there for that long…
“I… smoked two cigarettes during that time my brother went in, so it should be less than ten minutes,” he replied reluctantly.
“I see.” Lin Chen nodded thoughtfully.
“What do you see?” Lu Xu asked rhetorically.
Lin Chen said, “First, your brother should be a strict and disciplined person. If CA sent him to deal with the scene, then he wouldn’t take away extra things. His purpose was clear. Some people who enter a big star’s home would touch things out of curiosity, but your brother didn’t. You said he only stayed there for less than ten minutes, but at that time you were anxious and tense. When people feel like that, days would seem like years. Therefore, your brother’s exact entry and exit times should be discounted. That is to say, he was probably there for about five minutes.”
Lu Xu was stunned, not knowing how to respond.
Soon, Lin Chen asked again, “Tell me, how big was the bag your brother was carrying at that time.”
“It’s the size of an ordinary backpack.”
After he said this, Lin Chen nodded. He opened the door on the left and said, “Then, let’s get started.”
“Start what?” Lu Xu asked blankly.
“Start looking for what your brother took from the house, stupid!” Wang Chao patted Lu Xu on the shoulder and smiled triumphantly.
“I don’t know what it is. No one knows, so how could you!” Lu Xu couldn’t help but raise his voice.
Lin Chen’s tone was still calm as he patiently explained to him, “Of course I don’t know. In fact, according to the formal process, we have to find someone from the forensic department to test for fingerprints and footprints and then roughly establish that your brother was here. Then, we could build a model of your brother’s actions and infer what your brother did and what he took, but we don’t have that much time right now, so we’ll have to guess.”
Lin Chen stood at the door of the room as he spoke. Wang Chao rushed in first and drew the curtains and opened the window.
The bright sunlight penetrated the room. Its light was so bright on the furnishings that every detail could be seen. There was still a lot of dust floating in the air. Lin Chen stretched out his hand and waved off the oncoming dust, then he looked into the room.
This should be the master bedroom.
There was an iron bed in the middle of the bedroom and a messy blanket on it. Because of the rape case, the comforter and the bed sheets had been removed by the police. There were no photos or picture frames on the bedside table. It seemed that Song Shengsheng was a simple person.
There was a straw mat next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a guitar at the other end. Apart from that, there was nothing else in the room.
After Lin Chen looked around, he walked towards the closet that connected to the bedroom.
“Isn’t it here?” Lu Xu asked.
“No.”
“How do you know it wasn’t something in this room that was taken away by my brother?”
“Because the room looked harmonious. It doesn’t look like something is missing.”
“What harmony?”
Lin Chen glanced at Lu Xu. “Because I have seen the photos of the scene. This room is exactly the same as the photos taken by the police at the time. Nothing is missing here.”
“Oh…” Lu Xu said, “Then why did you ask me so many questions? Don’t you already know if you have a picture comparison?”
Lin Chen ignored him and instead turned on the light in the closet.
Song Shengsheng’s closet was more complicated than his bedroom. There were various punk and rock outfits hanging in two rows. There were colors everywhere that didn’t seem to match any pattern at all.
What was more frightening was that the closet must have been the focus of the police search, so all the clothes and accessories were scattered about, looking like a disaster scene.
Wang Chao patted Lu Xu on the back heavily and shouted, “Fatty, don’t question others casually if you don’t understand, especially my A’Chen Gege!”
This feeling of being touted was bizarre. As Lin Chen continued to observe the closet, Xing Conglian stood beside him and turned to the two of them and said, “Okay, shut up.”
“Have you found any important clues?” Wang Chao ran to them in a flash. “A’Chen Gege, do you need me to show you the photos of the scene?”
Lin Chen nodded.
Wang Chao dashed to the living room, then rushed back to the laptop. He was always reliable in this regard and had also sent a copy to Xing Conglian’s phone.
Lin Chen looked at the photo once again.
In fact, although the police had taken live photos of the scene, they couldn’t possibly capture all the details, and even fewer of those photos would actually be included in the file.
Fortunately, the closet had a simple structure that was similar to a hotel’s.
He looked at Xing Conglian and asked, “Captain Xing?”
“One person takes each side,” Xing Conglian replied with a smile.
Lin Chen nodded. Without delay, he and Xing Conglian turned their backs to each other and began to compare the photos with the current closet. They slowly walked from one end of the closet to the other, and finally, they met at the end.
Xing Conglian shook his head and put his phone in his pocket. Lin Chen sighed. He looked at the time in the upper right corner of the laptop. It was now 11:05. They really didn’t have much time.
“Did you find anything?” Wang Chao craned his neck as he asked anxiously when he saw the two of them exiting the closet.
Lin Chen handed the laptop back and said, “Don’t worry. It’s actually not very likely that Lu Xu’s brother took any clothing items. We’re doing this as a just in case.”
“What could it be?” Wang Chao asked.
Lin Chen walked out of the bedroom, glanced at the layout of the house, and walked to the room at the end of the corridor.
He gently put his hand on the door and turned the doorknob gently.
The room was pitch black.
Probably because he felt he had been standing at the door for too long, Wang Chao rushed in and wanted to open the window, but suddenly slammed into something. The teenager screamed in pain as a chain of clanging noises sounded in the room.
Lin Chen raised his hand and pressed the light switch.
With a soft click, warm yellow light covered the room like water, as gentle as music.
When looking at the photos of Song Shengsheng’s house just now, Lin Chen suddenly saw a small room in the photos at the scene, so he walked over.
It was a simple recording studio, and this room was that.
After cooperating with Guo Wei, he planned to sit back and watch the tigers fight*. In the past few days, Kong Wanqing had been hiding in the “radio station” constructed by Guo Wei, observing the two peace talks.
*(坐山观虎斗) Idiom referring to a third party benefiting from two other parties’ conflict and struggle.
It shouldn’t be like this.
Wasn’t Yin Ren an evil being? This guy’s behavior was thousands of miles away from that of an evil being. He even wanted to save a dead guy.
Wasn’t Zhong Chengshuo an ordinary person? How could an ordinary person be this indifferent to such a place, and nothing happened after he lost his memories.
The risk posed by these two people was too high. He couldn’t see through either of them, so there was no point in peace talks. It was more like he was sent to test them.
Kong Wanqing wanted to stimulate the evil thing first, then come up with a scenario where the evil thing went crazy and killed his teammates. Unexpectedly, the evil thing reacted extremely quickly, and the other three were pushed to the school gate…
That was where the fluctuation of spells was the strongest.
“Idiot.” Kong Wanqing spat out pus and blood as the red rope shot out.
They formed cobwebs in the dark, trying to stop the three of them. A cluster of blade-like black hair pierced out from Zhong Chengshuo’s chest and shattered the red net into several large pieces.
Then they trembled and retracted in Yin Ren’s direction.
At the same time, a burning door frame appeared at the school gate. In the dim light of the fire, Zhong Chengshuo rushed towards the door, one arm holding Ge Tingting and the other holding Huang Jin.
How?
Kong Wanqing gritted his teeth. His mouth was full of sweet pus and blood.
Ordinary evil things couldn’t easily destroy a corruption source of an Evil Force.
Shadows flickered around. The evil thing “worst memory” was slowly appearing. An unspeakable sense of oppression spread, causing Kong Wanqing to feel as if his back was constantly being scraped by the blade of a knife.
Almost instantly, the red rope was ejected, pushing Kong Wanqing nearly a hundred meters away.
The temperature sharply dropped, and the darkness dissipated into a turbid mist. The real campus was covered by a wide illusion, and in the mist, the illusion quickly extended into the distance.
Green and red lights swayed in the thick fog. The lights were gloomy, and the green mixed with white was like the junction of Yin and Yang. In the distance, there were distorted mountain cliffs with wet and rotten mud at the bottom. Low and dilapidated houses loomed in the mist.
Those architectural styles were very old, holding green and red lanterns that sat windless under the eaves.
Every door and window were closed. Carrion corpses leaned against the remains of the earthen wall, and the air was filled with the smell of corruption and burning. There were piles of rotting food debris in front of every house, and the vague sound of songs reverberated throughout the illusion.
[When the red light is on and the green light is burning, every household close their door.]
[Speak carefully with your back to the door for three more days, when the fruits and melons ripen.]
[Pray for tranquility, wish for good fortune, and shut your eyes so you can’t see.]
[The rooster sings, with footsteps far away, come back next year and report in peace.]
The tune of the ballad was sharp and weird, causing Kong Wanqing’s scalp to explode as the mist rushed all over the ground. As a veteran ghost master, he had an instinctive intuition about the level of danger from evil things.
Something was wrong.
Swish.
A soft scraping sound came from the center of the village… which was exactly where Yin Ren was.
The scene in front of him was calm, and the sound was also very peaceful, but the abyss-like fear bit Kong Wanqing fiercely. His internal organs seemed to be grounded by icy fangs.
Swish.
The sound spread around the village, as soft as the tide… Perhaps he was going crazy. Kong Wanqing felt that “Yin Ren” had become huge.
The poisonous panic penetrated deep into his brain, twisting his thoughts into pieces that he couldn’t even maintain his flying skills.
What exactly is Yin Ren?!
Kong Wanqing gritted his teeth and ran towards the exit created by Shian.
Swish.
The soft noise kept going as fear pierced him from head to toe. Kong Wanqing stiffened his neck and didn’t dare to look back.
It was too late to create an escape array. He would rather face Shian head-on than stay in this hellhole.
Must leave. He must leave.
The thick fog in front of Kong Wanqing kept rolling. The mud road stretched into a maze. The tinkling of small bells kept ringing, and across from him, something was stumbling in the middle of the road, its shadow shaking stiffly in the fog.
He immediately held his breath and instinctively stood against the wall, but the thing didn’t let him go—it stopped abruptly in front of Kong Wanqing and turned around slowly.
Kong Wanqing was numb in place. Cold sweat drenched his back in an instant.
This was just a phantom of a memory of that evil thing, but it had a terrifying aura. Just getting close, Kong Wanqing’s heart almost exploded with unprecedented fear…
In front of him was a three-meter-high, blood-red mass.
That thing was covered with a red cloth and yellow talismans of different shades. They were full of sealing techniques, and there were spots of old blood all over them. The black jade pieces engraved with mantras collided with each other, and there was a bone chain that circled around the red cloth, covered with black and red stains.
It looked like a deformed chrysalis.
At the bottom of the layers of seals, a pair of human feet were exposed on the edge of the dilapidated red cloth. The feet were pale and beautiful, with warning bells tied around their ankles, ringing with each faltering movement.
It stopped in front of Kong Wanqing for a while, tilting its body slightly. Kong Wanqing trembled and closed his eyes…
“Bang!”
The thing tilted forward and slammed into the wooden door next to Kong Wanqing. The wooden door swayed three times, and the green light in front of the door trembled frantically.
This is an illusion. Just an illusion. Kong Wanqing kept repeating himself.
Swish. The sound of the mist gradually became clear, and the soft tone was accompanied by a chill that could freeze one’s heart.
Kong Wanqing scrambled away, almost losing the red rope in his hand, but he didn’t go far when he encountered a strange thing…
Behind the “human chrysalis”, there were several monsters in the shape of children. They were dressed up as men and women, wearing the hoods of big-headed dolls, and bouncing around the houses. The dolls were crudely made, with chapped surfaces and stains with suspicious dark blotches.
There was a clear sound of breathing and laughter coming from their hoods.
“Bang!” The human chrysalis finished banging on the door and went to bang on the next house.
Swish, swish, swish.
The breath of “Yin Ren” slowly approached. Kong Wanqing’s limbs were as heavy as a corpse. There seemed to be countless invisible hands scratching and tearing at his back.
The fog was faintly bloody. Kong Wanqing squeezed the red rope in despair. He forcibly moved his legs and continued to flee towards the edge of the illusion.
The human bones condensed into tall and short beasts, with the tops of thin limbs and empty eye sockets forming a string; their non-existent line of sight rained down like a shower. The grotesque ghosts lined up silently in a line, all of them lowering their heads as they followed behind the chrysalis.
Kong Wanqing ran desperately.
He bucked through huge arrays of evil creatures, roughly piercing through one phantom after another.
Half-human-tall, mummified corpses kicked and stomped, with beautiful eyes on the edge of the vine. The dark lights fluttered in the air, and the snow-white banners were spotless, staggering one by one in front of the fugitives. The bag-like beast turned its only eyes, reflecting Kong Wanqing’s wretched escape in its pupil.
Swish, swish.
Behind him, the weird voice was still spreading. There was a steady stream of phantoms from the evil team that continued to flow. The stench of corpses in the air was thick as soup, and that damn song echoed continuously.
Kong Wanqing lost his shoes while running. As he stepped into the mud with both feet, his eye bulged and his mind shattered.
Must… escape…
……
On the other side of the “artificial gap”, Fu Xingchuan’s expression was solemn.
He guarded in front of the “door”; his hands moving constantly as one after another protective array lit up, firmly protecting the artificial gap.
The ghost fetus had drastically changed again.
It was different from the previous home-like campus elements. It seemed to be contaminated by something, and the surface became flat and opaque. It no longer twitched but fell into an ominous, dead silence.
The blood vessel-like filaments on the surface of the ghost fetus skyrocketed, turning into black, fleshy pillars the size of tree trunks. Tens of millions of meat pillars poured into the vortex in the middle of the sky, causing the speed of the vortex to suddenly accelerate.
The “campus tumor”, which originally covered a small area, greatly expanded and spread in all directions. Fu Xingchuan had to adjust the position of the “artificial gap” at any time.
The voice of Guo Laifu’s consciousness almost disappeared, and there was only a slowly growing black hemisphere on the street. It gradually ate away at the neighborhood, like a slow-motion explosion. Dense evil qi overflowed from the surface of the black ball, and the terrifying pressure made it difficult to breathe.
Fu Xingchuan’s fire cage spell was shattered in an instant. Among the embers floating around, none of the monsters outside the cage rushed forward.
They froze in place like sculptures, motionless.
“Someone’s breath. Prepare!” Bao Linlin yelled.
Wang Zhou leaned into the artificial gap and caught a thin little girl’s wrist. The person on the other side was supporting her body as Wang Zhou pulled Ge Tingting out, then he grabbed Huang Jin’s arm with his other hand.
Huang Jin was much heavier than Ge Tingting, so Bao Linlin came to help. A rescue spirit weapon unfolded a protective barrier around the two people from Unit 9, quickly protecting them.
“Quick!” Wang Zhou was sweating all over as he poked his hands into the “door”. “Something’s not right. We have to get out quickly!”
But this time, he caught nothing.
Zhong Chengshuo’s head and shoulders protrude from the artificial gap, and his pair of eyes looked at Fu Xingchuan.
“The transfer of the injured has been completed. I’ll go back first.” Zhong Chengshuo spoke as if he was making a report.
What the hell are you going back to? Paradise? Wang Zhou almost choked. Bao Linlin frowned. She was about to say something but was stopped by Fu Xingchuan’s gesture.
“My partner is still in there,” Zhong Chengshuo said calmly.
“The situation is unknown. Shian won’t go in to rescue.”
Fu Xingchuan’s tone was stern, sounding like Professor Li.
“The artificial gap can only last for a few more minutes, and we need six more hours to complete the next one. In addition, the situation here is unstable. We may have to abandon you to evacuate at any time—do you understand the risk?”
“I understand.”
Zhong Chengshuo raised his eyes. “I won’t do things I’m not sure about.”
He didn’t wait for everyone’s reaction. As soon as his voice fell, Zhong Chengshuo plunged back into the darkness.
On the other side of the darkness, he was greeted by weird, thick fog and dim illusions. Zhong Chengshuo walked on the muddy road; his suit looked completely out of place in the ancient village.
…Was this Yin Ren’s “worst memory”?
A song with strange accents lingered in his ears, and green and red lights were stained in the mist. The terrifying sense of oppression was strong, but Zhong Chengshuo seemed to be unaware. He crossed the broken walls and ruins, passed the spoiled cold food and corpses, and headed all the way in the direction where the fog was thickest.
In terms of location, this was the center of the village where Yin Ren was originally located.
Gradually, shaking shadows began to appear in the mist. Zhong Chengshuo took a closer look. He saw a wretched man rushing towards him like a boar…
Kong Wanqing lost control and was running madly. His pants were full of dark water stains. The red rope that was wrapped around his wrist was dragging Guo Wei, who was floating at the end of the red rope, like a humanoid balloon.
“Get lost!”
The corners of Kong Wanqing’s mouth were overflowing with pus and blood. His eyes were bloodshot as they trembled in their sockets.
“Let me out—!” He rushed over desperately.
“No.” Zhong Chengshuo stated. “You know too much, and your memories need to be wiped.” Here and now, only Yin Ren could modify his memories.
The muddy, narrow road was tightly blocked by Zhong Chengshuo.
“You have to come with me to see Yin Ren,” Zhong Chengshuo said solemnly.
“You’re fucking crazy!” Kong Wanqing roared.
He braked sharply not far from Zhong Chengshuo. Before he could fully stop, he grabbed the void with his hand. At the end of the red rope, Guo Wei twitched in pain. At the same time, the red rope quickly entangled Kong Wanqing’s hands, turning roughly into a red gun.
So what about being immune to spells?
The Archive was a special situation. Guo Wei was the master of this consciousness, so he could influence Zhong Chengshuo. He only had to borrow some of his power.
Worry, hatred, fear… As long as negative emotions were magnified tens of millions of times, no matter how rational a person was, he would go crazy. This was the ability given to him by the Evil Force!
Kong Wanqing pulled the trigger.
A rope-knot bullet hit Zhong Chengshuo’s brow, causing him to lean his head back. However, under Kong Wanqing’s expectant gaze, the man slowly turned back and rubbed his forehead with a calm expression.
“That hurts a bit,” Zhong Chengshuo said sincerely as he took a step forward.
Kong Wanqing stumbled back a few steps, and behind him, the terrible “swish” sound came faintly.
Can’t go back.
Kong Wanqing shook his head vigorously. He concentrated his strength, and more than a dozen knotted bullets were shot at Zhong Chengshuo. Under the corruption of the Evil Force, his seven orifices gushed out pus and blood.
However, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t stop.
The man took off his suit jacket and instantly covered his relatively fragile features. In the next instant, the black fabric swayed, and all the dark red knotted bullets scattered all over the ground.
In front of him was the abnormal and appalling science post. Behind him was a weird, soft sound soaked in ice. His body was overdrawn and mixed with fear. Silver stars appeared in succession in Kong Wanqing’s vision.
…Absolutely can’t go back!
At this moment, the bell penetrated the thick fog, jingling, and the faint singing of song and footsteps on the mud sounded. The mighty procession of evil things kept passing through the memory illusion.
They’re coming.
This time, the queue of evil things came from behind Kong Wanqing. They bypassed the two people in the middle of the road, and their weird limbs stuck out of the fog, falling beside them from time to time. The cloth strips of the streamers brushed the tops of their two heads, and floating lights reflected the surroundings with a ghostly aura.
The cold air circled endlessly, distracting Zhong Chengshuo for a moment.
A chance!
Negative emotions were magnified and matched with “the worst memory that could materialize”. Guo Wei’s convulsions almost formed an afterimage as Kong Wanqing vomited a large amount of blood as he fired dozens of shots at Zhong Chengshuo’s chest.
In a trance, he had the illusion he was shooting out all his life. This time, the two of them were close to each other, so Kong Wanqing didn’t waste a single bullet.
But unlike the time with Yin Ren, Kong Wanqing wasn’t able to manifest any memories.
This person… Doesn’t have any negative emotions and not even a single bad memory?!
Zhong Chengshuo turned his gaze back and took the last step…
With a flash, he spun in front of Kong Wanqing and punched him in the stomach. Before Kong Wanqing could recover, his back slammed into the mud and he slid a few steps away.
Zhong Chengshuo’s blow was extremely heavy, causing Kong Wanqing to spew out a large pool of pus and blood, nearly unable to breathe. As soon as he was about to raise his gun, a foot wearing leather shoes stepped down steadily. Kong Wanqing’s right wrist made a muffled sound.
The red rope was scattered in a mess, and he immediately let out a scream.
However, this wasn’t enough.
Zhong Chengshuo ignored Kong Wanqing’s collapse and picked him up. He decisively dislocated his joints in a series of frighteningly skilled movements.
Tears and pain filled Kong Wanqing’s eyes. As he struggled, he tried to connect the red rope to Zhong Chengshuo’s body. Who would have thought the man would casually grab the source of corruption directly with his hand?
“It’s pretty strong.”
Discovering that this person planned to tie him up with the source of corruption, Kong Wanqing almost collapsed.
“That evil thing is out of control. You don’t understand. We’re seeking death if we go… You don’t understand…” The soft sound got closer to them. Kong Wanqing endured the severe pain of his dislocated joints and retreated like a worm in mud.
Zhong Chengshuo hummed perfunctorily, dragged Kong Wanqing back, and tied up his limbs.
After making sure that person was tied up, he dragged Kong Wanqing like a suitcase and continued to the center of the thick fog.
“I’ll negotiate with you! I was a bit rough just now. I was wrong… Zhong Chengshuo, stop! I’m your cousin!”
In the wet and cold mud, Kong Wanqing twisted his body desperately. “I’m your cousin! Your uncle is the manager of the Haigu Sunken Society… You… ack.”
Zhong Chengshuo’s footstep stopped.
Kong Wanqing raised his head expectantly but didn’t find even the slightest shock on the other’s face.
“I know. So what?” Zhong Chengshuo asked curiously.
“You… In the end…”
Seeing that the other party didn’t give an answer, Zhong Chengshuo lost interest. He turned around and continued dragging Kong Wanqing like a corpse.
They passed through the ranks of countless evil beings, through deformed bodies and limbs, and through tall and short evocation banners.
Zhong Chengshuo’s steps weren’t slow, without the slightest hesitation or evasion. His hard leather shoes stepped on the rotten mud, emitting a blood-like sticky gurgling sound.
Kong Wanqing refused to give up the struggle. After a moment of silence, Zhong Chengshuo took the initiative to speak.
“Kong Wanqing, second son of Kong Yao. A ghost master of Sunken Society, mainly acting as support, carrying out activities across the country, directly or indirectly leading to the death of 216 people.”
He was speaking as if they were having a chat.
“You have hurt countless people. Why are you so scared when it’s your turn?”
“Isn’t this, ack, bullshit?”
“In other words, you understand the fears of others but decide to ignore them.” Zhong Chengshuo concluded. “…How common.”
Kong Wanqing: “……”
Perhaps they all underestimated this person, he thought in a daze. Kong Wanqing had come into contact with many lunatics, but this cousin of his particularly creeped him out.
Swish.
The strange sound was close at hand. In the middle of the chaotic village, at the end of the procession of evil things, a huge silhouette faintly appeared in the thick fog.
Zhong Chengshuo still moved forward without any hesitation in his steps.
“No, no!!!” The sense of chaotic oppression almost pulverized him. Kong Wanqing screamed uncontrollably. “Please, don’t…”
Zhong Chengshuo stopped again.
Kong Wanqing gasped frantically and instinctively raised his face…
The moment he saw what was in front of him, his pupils suddenly dilated.
“Pop.”
With a very light sound, Zhong Chengshuo felt the rope around his hand loosen, and something splashed on his cheek.
He turned his head suspiciously and saw only bloody clothes.
Kong Wanqing’s clothes were scattered among the red rope and covered with a light red thick liquid. Looking closely, it looked like meat sauce that was so delicate it was almost liquid. They flooded into the mud, leaving no bones or hair behind.
Like a punctured water balloon, Kong Wanqing exploded on the ground.
Zhong Chengshuo: “…Ah.”
He turned around and raised his head.
“The reaction is more serious than looking directly at an Evil Spirit.”
In those dark eyes, the figure of a behemoth was reflected.
“I’m here to pick you up, Yin Ren.”
The author has something to say:
Big cousin, take a lunchbox*, goodbye.jpg
*Reference to when an actor makes their exit (after their death scene is filmed), they’re given a lunchbox as a goodbye from the set and crew.
Xiao Zhong: Ah, my cousin exploded.
Xiao Zhong: But I finally know why my partner doesn’t get fat after eating so much (×
Lei Xiurong was the first person to call the police in Guo Laifu’s serial murder case.
Six months ago.
Lei Xiurong didn’t wait for Guo Wei’s call. After the child transferred to the new school, she never heard back. A month passed, and she couldn’t help but find the contact information for his new school.
“The transfer procedures have been completed, but that person has never come, so he’ll be automatically dropped from school,” the school staff said.
“Sorry, the phone number you have dialed has been disconnected. Please try again later…” She had never been able to get through to the number left by Guo Laifu.
“Isn’t that Guo Laifu doing business? Maybe he’s letting the child follow to help.”
Facing Lei Xiurong’s reaction, the principal of No. 16 High School didn’t take it seriously. Their school wasn’t very good in the first place, so there were always students who would drop out for various reasons.
“The class you’re leading is about to enter their senior year. Don’t be distracted. You’re going on like this endlessly. If other people’s children are fine, you’re going to get sued for harassment, okay?”
Lei Xiurong pursed her lips and spat out, “I want to call the police.”
“Hey, don’t. Teacher Lei, you’re overreacting. He is his legal guardian.”
“I want to call the police,” she repeated. “I know that kid Guo Wei. He wouldn’t give up studying. Something must have happened to him.”
“After nine years of compulsory education, who cares? Even if he dropped out of school, Mr. Guo didn’t do anything harmful…”
“We can talk about it after we find him. His father has a criminal record, so it’s not a good thing.” Lei Xiurong raised her brows and was as aggressive as ever. “If this matter has no results, I will not let it go.”
“If it’s true that Guo Wei doesn’t want to continue schooling, I want to hear that from him, personally.”
Without the support of the school, Lei Xiurong went to the police station by herself.
……
The police found Guo Wei in a suitcase.
The boy’s body was mutilated beyond human form. Mixed with his backpack and luggage, it sank at the bottom of the most remote reservoir on the Qingjiang River. Along with Guo Wei, there were four suitcases of the same style, filled with mangled corpses.
The case was so horrifying that it shocked the entire country. The media, large and small, picked up wind and online platforms were filled with various reports. There was no airtight wall in the world. Class 2 and 3… Or rather, Class 3 in the high school quickly learned the truth.
Lei Xiurong said nothing.
Just like in the past, under the name of the “Old Witch”, she walked to the podium with her head held high to give her lecture, shaking the students’ test papers while cursing. When it was time to get off work, she would rush home aggressively, as usual.
This night, like always, Lei Xiurong swallowed some sleeping pills.
This had become her new habit over the last six months.
After the incident, she would occasionally get hallucinations. It was supposed to be a dark night outside the window, but she could always see the sunset on that day. On the day Guo Wei left, the rosy glow was like blood, lingering in her dreams.
What a bright color, but it could only awaken her pain and self-blame.
But tonight was different. She had a strange dream.
She dreamed that she was standing on the roof of the main teaching building. In addition to her, there were four students in the class. Like an ordinary nightmare, the scenery around the teaching building was chaotic and distorted.
“Everyone, come here!” Before Lei Xiurong could take a closer look, she instinctively called out to the students. “Come here!”
Several students clustered together in a daze.
Floating in front of them was a figure of a long-haired man. The man turned his head; his face was blurred, and his eyes were red like coals.
“Everyone is here. Thank you, Xiaohe Jie,” Yin Ren said.
“You’re welcome,” Lu Xiaohe responded weakly. “Promise me, don’t screw it up.”
“They’re good at stabilizing Guo Wei. This is my judgment as the rear commander.”
Five familiar figures appeared on the rooftop. The chaotic vortex froze, and the crazy attacks stopped.
Guo Laifu’s face disintegrated into the dark clouds, and the carnival of phantoms was hidden in the shadows. The giant knives that kept going up and down disappeared out of thin air, and all the entrails all over the ground turned gray and the bloody school uniform ropes loosened.
Outside the main teaching building, all abnormalities suddenly became harmless. Just now, the raging animosity and malice faded away and were hurriedly hidden.
Inside the projection screen, Guo Wei covered his face almost instantly.
He lowered his head deeply, and the bone-deep wound on his hand quickly closed. However, his blood-stained school badge was exposed and could be clearly seen at a glance.
“Guo Wei?” Li Xiaoya was the first to react and was shocked immediately.
“Yeah, just say what you want.” Unlike usual, Yin Ren’s voice was extremely gentle. “He can hear everything you say here.”
Li Xiaoya nodded in a daze.
Unlike in Guo Wei’s memories, the girl had cut off her long hair, and her face had lost its carefree innocence. It became a bit more bitter and mature.
“It turns out it’s not a nightmare,” she said.
Disregarding Lei Xiurong’s attempts to stop her, she ran to the edge of the rooftop.
“Da Guo!” Li Xiaoya raised her voice. “We’re in our senior year of high school! Did you know?”
There was crying in her voice.
“…That pen is for you. Don’t worry about returning it. Do you hear me?”
“I’ll do good and pass the exam. I’ll buy gifts for everyone, so you should accept them in advance!”
Guo Wei didn’t make a sound. He firmly blocked his face as the deep wounds on his chest and abdomen disappeared.
He didn’t want her to see this.
“Our brother is different.”
A tall and thin boy followed in Li Xiaoya’s footsteps and walked to the rooftop.
Guo Wei’s roommate’s eyes were flushed, but he held back his tears with a deliberate smile on his face.
“Ya Jie turned grief and anger into motivation. We’ve all gone through psychological counseling as a group.”
“Lao Si, why are you covering your face? Are you giving us the cold shoulder?”
“Just you wait. When the time comes, we’ll burn the college entrance exam papers for you! We can’t just suffer—”
“We found a shop outside that can print out the photos. We’ll burn that for you as well.”
The three boys gathered not far from Li Xiaoya. Their eyes were red as they were laughing and chattering.
The ghostly presence gradually faded away, and the internal organs and blades on the campus disappeared. The blood-stained school uniforms fell to the ground as countless twisted phantoms stood silently, their heads turning towards the direction of the main teaching building.
Small alien monsters started being repelled and were suspended in the air.
The wound on the back of Guo Wei’s hand slowly closed as he put it down. He revealed a blue, intact face. The bloodstains on his body were gradually fading.
He wanted to see them.
Those eyes showed turbidity from corruption, but the tears were no longer pus and blood. Guo Wei grabbed the red rope on one side of his temple and tremblingly pulled it out.
The Evil Force in the red rope corroded his hands, but Guo Wei still pulled hard, trying to make himself look more normal.
The desire to be born a ghost, the bitter hatred for his biological father—they were like extra-curricular books in a bucket that he carefully pushed into the darkness.
Guo Wei’s gaze turned to Lei Xiurong with a vague apology and expectation in his gaze.
He still wanted to hear her speak.
Lei Xiurong was extraordinarily strict with them and stubborn. Her voice was sharp, and she spoke fast, with a natural sense of acrimony. Once she scolded someone, she could talk endlessly without taking a single breath.
Half a year later, what would she say?
However, there was only silence that answered him.
Lei Xiurong wasn’t like her students. At this moment, she wasn’t pretending to be okay. The middle-aged teacher walked step by step to the edge of the rooftop. Her usually well-tended curly hair was a mess, and the wrinkles in the corner of her eyes were much deeper than he remembered.
Time passed minute by minute.
Lei Xiurong stared at Guo Wei. She was expressionless, but her face gradually wetted with tears. The first time the students saw their head teacher like this, they stood awkwardly looking at each other.
After a few minutes, Lei Xiurong finally spoke.
“Good boy,” she said. “Don’t be so bitter in your next life.”
On the projection screen, Guo Wei was silent for a long time.
After a while, he raised his head completely and directly looked at the five people on the rooftop, showing a faint, unskilled smile.
“Okay,” Guo Wei replied to her.
He clenched his fists and made a sudden effort, pulling the red rope full of Evil Force out of his head.
……
Outside the campus, it was 1:45 a.m.
In Guo Laifu’s consciousness, the nearby neighborhood was in a mess. The buildings staggered, and there were no pedestrians left on the street. A high-rise building broke in the middle, and the ruins were scattered everywhere. The entire scene was like a disaster movie set.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen this thing. It’s so big.”
Fu Xingchuan stood on the orange cone monster and lit a cigarette, as if he were evaluating the seafood at a supermarket.
He was wearing a long red tunic like a wedding outfit, with a single red tassel earring wobbling on one side. The dark circles under his eyes were frighteningly heavy, but there were no signs of fatigue.
The cone monster fell sideways on the street. Its entire body was scarred and unconscious, with holes protruding from all its eyes. Around it, tall humanoid monsters twitched on the ground while small monsters crawled aimlessly. They were gathered in a haphazard heap, obviously beaten to a pulp.
The “Ghost General” was a title for higher-class ghost masters and corpse servants. Their abilities were completely suppressed here.
However, it seemed this didn’t apply to Minister Fu.
The space outside the school was still “night”. Around the small campus, orange-red spells soared into the sky, intertwining into a protective net like a raging fire. More monsters were blocked outside the protective net. They bared their teeth and claws to get closer, but they were still unable to break through Fu Xingchuan’s defenses.
“It’s almost cleaned up now. Wang Zhou, Bao Linlin, what’s the status of the ‘artificial gap’?”
Fu Xingchuan patted the dirt off his sleeves and blew out a smoke ring. The white smoke didn’t spread, but turned into tiny chains, wandering near the cracks in the ghost fetus.
Next to the deformed school gate, the smoke gathered together.
Not far from the school gate, there was a “door” composed purely of runes hanging in the air. The flame-like runes flowed continuously along the door frame, and behind it was abyss-like darkness.
The “artificial gap” of Shian.
While Unit 9 destroyed the core memory the ghost fetus would become unstable, which could open up two spaces as a temporary exit.
Bao Linlin was squatting by the door, confirming the location of the spirit weapons, one by one.
“Reporting. All interference has been eliminated.” Bao Linlin’s voice was crisp. “The ghost-binding spirit weapon is in normal condition. Unit 6 is on standby by Guo Laifu. No matter where the ghost is born into the world, we can deal with it.”
“Nn.” Fu Xingchuan’s face didn’t relax. “Xiao Zhao told you, right? There are signs of Evil Force in there. Saving people takes priority over catching ghosts. Don’t get attached to the battle.”
“Yes!” “Understood!”
With the brilliance of the magic fire cage, Fu Xingchuan added a series of protection spells near the door frame. Seeing that the runes on the door frame were running more smoothly, he took a few steps back and looked up and down at the “ghost fetus” in front of him.
“Just now, its appearance changed again.” Wang Zhou, the science post, was busy sketching, writing down a series of numbers from time to time. “This thing doesn’t look very good.”
He stopped his pen and flipped through the album schematically.
The first one was at 7:30 yesterday morning. When they discovered it, it was just a “tumor” protruding from the street.
The tenth one was around 4:00 yesterday afternoon. It became more distorted, and countless “filaments” that looked like nerves and blood vessels grew on the surface.
Wang Zhou quickly turned back dozens of pages. The pages alternated quickly, and the picture seemed to move.
He didn’t know how many sheets he had flipped through, but just ten minutes ago, the ghost fetus in the sketch was exactly the same as the one in front of them.
Tens of millions of filaments stood upright, leaned into the sky, and stretched into the deepest part of the huge vortex. They suddenly deflated from time to time, quickly absorbing something. At the same time, the entire ghost fetus pulsated weakly, like an ominous heartbeat.
Even if Wang Zhou was a science post, he could still see that…
Something was about to be born.
It wasn’t that Wang Zhou hadn’t ever been into the Archive before; after all, he had to put on women’s clothing and play out a palace drama resulting in a broken leg. Compared to the outrageous encounter that Unit 9 stumbled upon, Unit 7’s trip to the Archive was like a vacation.
“Minister Fu, is it really all right?” Sweat gathered around Wang Zhou’s forehead.
“It’s okay. Put away your sketchbook. It’s almost time.”
Fu Xingchuan glanced at the time. There were still two minutes left before 2:00 a.m.
Bao Linlin stood at the activation point of the spirit weapon, while Wang Zhou put on protective clothing and waited obediently by the door. Shian’s number one Ghost General cracked his neck and knuckles and was about to move forward—
When the pulsation suddenly stopped.
Without warning, tens of millions of filaments quickly withered. The “tumor” full of campus elements slowly unfolded, revealing square corners, like a flower first blooming.
Not far away, the “door” prepared by Shian was functioning normally, and there was no sign of rejection. Bao Linlin and Wang Zhou exchanged glances before the two turned to Fu Xingchuan in unison.
Before they could exert their strength, the thing had wilted by itself. Could it be that Unit 7’s long overdue good luck has finally surfaced after all their time accumulating bad luck?
“What did Unit 9 do?” Fu Xingchuan connected to Lu Xiaohe.
“Yin Ren recruited five people to ‘dream’ in order to stabilize Guo Wei’s emotions,” Luo Xiaohe slowly reported.
“The effect is too good to be true.” Fu Xingchuan rubbed his forehead and switched communication partners. “The plan remains the same. Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo, commence the countdown. Prepare to destroy the core memory all at once. There are probably people from Sunken Society in it. Don’t dawdle…”
Sss.
Before he could wait for a response from the two people in Unit 9, the signal was suddenly interrupted. It wasn’t cut off because of shielding or turned off, but the signal just suddenly disappeared.
“Unit 9, come in!”
“The channel is fluctuating abnormally. Something’s wrong!” Lu Xiaohe’s report came almost simultaneously.
Boom boom.
The ghost fetus twitched violently, with greater force than before. The original withered filaments surged quickly, and an abnormal silence spread along the block.
Wang Zhou gulped. “Minister F…”
“Forcibly open the door!” Fu Xingchuan sharply shouted.
……
Fifteen minutes ago.
Considering the complexity of the situation, Yin Ren didn’t let the ordinary people stay for too long.
After a simple exchange, the figures of the teacher and students on the rooftop gradually faded. Guo Wei said goodbye to the most important people in his life through the projection screen.
“Goodbye.” His tone was extremely solemn, and his eyes remained reluctant to leave the ground.
When the five figures disappeared completely, Guo Wei raised his hand. The memories that Ge Tingting and Zhong Chengshuo had lost turned into light spots and drilled back into their bodies.
After that, he clenched the red rope in his hand and turned his gaze to Yin Ren.
For the first time, Yin Ren saw a clear expectation in those eyes. After watching for a moment, Guo Wei seemed to come to a determination. He turned around and handed the red rope to the edge of the projection screen.
“Mr. Kong,” Guo Wei said softly. “I don’t need you to help me increase my hatred.”
“I want to suspend our transaction. I want to talk to these people first…”
Halfway through speaking, the red rope in his hand suddenly moved like a snake. It rushed to Guo Wei’s temple again and then coiled frantically, wrapping Guo Wei’s head tightly.
In just an instant, Guo Wei didn’t even have time to raise his hand to stop him.
The projection screen split into several pieces in an instant, and the illusory radio station was destroyed.
Like egg whites leaking out of an eggshell, a gloomy man with a straight face “dripped” from the projection screen. A circle of red rope was wrapped around his right wrist. Without the cover of the master’s will, the Evil Force on the red rope spread quickly, and it was so sharp that it was hard to ignore.
At the other end of the red rope, Guo Wei’s head was completely entangled in the red rope. His head was down and his feet were up, looking like a poor-quality balloon floating in mid-air.
The boy’ hands and feet were stiff against his torso, and there was no response.
“Turn off the lights,” the man said with a smile. There were traces of blood and pus coming from all his orifices.
In the next instant, the entire campus sank into dull darkness.
Before the man’s voice fell, Yin Ren had already rushed out. He stretched out his wings again, firmly protecting Zhong Chengshuo and the two cocoons by his side. A protective spell wrapped around the four of them, layer by layer…
Sure enough, in the next instant, dozens of small objects collided against him.
It was a bullet tied in a knot.
These knots carried Evil Force and were so aggressive that even the protective spell couldn’t stop them.
It shouldn’t be a problem when the Evil Force from the outside world entered his body. His Evil Force would devour these “foreign forces” on its own, but it would cause a small imbalance for a moment.
At this moment, Yin Ren felt as if a hammer had struck his head.
The out-of-control dizziness didn’t disappear as before.
The Evil Force in Yin Ren’s body seemed to have been awakened and was violently colliding with the power he used to suppress it; they were boiling, and the difficulty of controlling it was a thousand times higher than before. The vicious dog at the end of the leash became a crazy elephant.
The balance was crumbling.
[It’s different here. Don’t use your power so casually.] Dog Thing once warned him.
He was already very careful, but…
At the same time, anger, sadness, worry, and the fear of losing control magnified exponentially, causing something to drill uncontrollably out of his heart. Coupled with the relentless assault from the Evil Force, Yin Ren’s consciousness was about to be torn apart.
Can’t lose control. Can’t lose control. Fu Xingchuan and the others were nearby, and Guo Wei was here. The members of Unit 9 were here. His partner… Zhong Chengshuo, was here…
Zhong Chengshuo was still here. He at least couldn’t—no, absolutely couldn’t—in front of Zhong Chengshuo.
Yin Ren twitched and tightened his wings, panting for breath.
“How does it taste? Outside, my emotional ‘resonance’ is no better than ‘Charon’, but here, I can magnify your negative feelings hundreds and thousand times, and force you to commit suicide in front of me.”
Hearing Yin Ren’s unsteady gasp, the man laughed.
“I forgot. With your authority, you still can’t get this kind of information, right?”
The man’s voice was like boiled porridge, mixed with a tremor. It seemed to be getting farther and farther away from him… No, everything was getting farther and farther away from him.
“…What a pity. If this kid can become a ghost, it can match my abilities. This consciousness is still inconvenient to use…”
“Take away the best memory… Only children play this kind of trick. How about seeing the effect of ‘manifesting your worst memories’ and ‘emotional amplification’… What will the effect be?”
Blurred light began to appear in the surrounding darkness.
Yin Ren was half kneeling on the ground. This thinking seemed to be mixed with magma, and his vision began to quickly melt. His five senses went wild with confusion.
[Be careful of yourself.]
“Zhong… Chengshuo…”
Yin Ren groped Zhong Chengshuo’s arm and spoke with difficulty. His pronunciation was flat and chaotic, giving people the creeps.
“Escape…”
Yin Ren loosened the cocoons.
At 2:00 a.m. sharp, he used his last strength to throw his three companions in the direction of the school gate.
The author has something to say:
Kong Wanqing: Let me use this nuclear reactor to show the performance of my newly bought lighter.
“Li Jingtian deeply loves Song Shengsheng,” Lin Chen said calmly.
After he finished speaking, the room fell into a dead silence. A breeze blew up the curtains by the window, as if it were the sigh of the owner of the house.
After a long time, Xing Conglian asked slowly, “What did you say?”
“I said love.” Lin Chen looked into Xing Conglian’s deep eyes as he said it.
Just saying it made it sound so strange, so Lin Chen had to pause for a bit before he continued, “That kind of love, of course, can’t be called love. It can only be labeled as desire made of dirty emotions. You see, many people in the world can say ‘I love you’, but how many can call it love given what he has done to the other person?”
“No, this dance is a bit too fast. Li Jingtian is deeply in love with Song Shengsheng? Why do you say that?”
“I told you, that’s not love.”
“Okay, so what’s this dirty desire?” Xing Conglian took the initiative to correct his statement.
“Actually, as far as the fairy tale <The Nightingale and The Rose> is concerned, Song Shengsheng’s and Li Jingtian’s completely different attitudes towards it reflect their different psychological states. For example, Song Shengsheng loves this story very much. Although I have never heard Song Shengsheng explain his opinions on it, I can see the most superficial point in his love for this story. He agrees with Wilde’s spiritual appeal as an aesthetic. If we have to use the perspective of psychoanalysis, the nightingale itself is the embodiment of Song Shengsheng. He lives and dies for love. He’s not afraid of love and can even sacrifice his life for it. He appreciates the tragic complex. He lives wildly and unrestrained. This is Song Shengsheng…” Lin Chen stood up straight and looked at Xing Conglian. “So, when you see that bouquet of roses and the dead nightingale’s corpse, what do you think is Li Jingtian’s view of this fairy tale?”
“Li Jingtian probably thinks Song Shengsheng, the nightingale, is a moron,” Xing Conglian stressed each word. “No matter how beautiful things are, what’s the use? Aren’t you just being played by me?”
Xing Conglian was extremely blunt. Lin Chen nodded and continued, “Though psychoanalysis is generally related to sex, it’s appropriate to use it here to analyze Li Jingtian’s psychology. Have you ever wondered why the nightingale was stabbed to death by the rhizomes of the roses instead of being burned to death and suffering by other crueler methods?”
When Xing Conglian heard what Lin Chen said, he immediately made a grim expression. Obviously, he had thought of the metaphor.
“In psychoanalytic theory, such sharp blades and slender objects will be regarded as symbols of a sexual organ. If that bouquet of roses is really Li Jingtian’s masterpiece, then Song Shengsheng is the stupid nightingale in Li Jingtian’s mind. Analyze in turn what Li Jingtian’s desire for Song Shengsheng is, and the mystery should be clear, right?”
When he finished speaking, the room was so silent again that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
Since Wang Chao was present, Lin Chen couldn’t elaborate.
He was able to make these inferences all because of what Li Jingtian said when he raped Xu Ran.
Li Jingtian said: “Song Shengsheng is a masochist, and he loved him so much that he even volunteered to go to jail for him.”
For a personality disordered patient like Li Jingtian, the facts he expounded could only be facts that came from his distorted mind and weren’t really objective facts.
Therefore, after restoring Li Jingtian’s delusions, all Lin Chen could see was Li Jingtian’s extraordinary love for Song Shengsheng. For a person with antisocial personality disorder like Li Jingtian, he couldn’t correctly understand such emotions. He admired Song Shengsheng, wanted to vent his desires on him, and he had to vent those desires. The key problem was that he actually fantasized that Song Shengsheng loved him. Didn’t this sound ridiculous?
“Captain… Is this topic forbidden to those under 18? Should I recuse myself?” In the end, Wang Chao trembled as he spoke.
“I recall that you’re already an adult,” Xing Conglian said coldly.
“But, it’s terrible. I’m already about to be hurt by his perverted energy.” Wang Chao rubbed the goosebumps on his arms and said, “So Li Jingtian is chaotic evil1, while Song Shengsheng is chaotic good2. Li Jingtian likes Song Shengsheng to death, and because he can’t have him, he could only destroy him?”
1Comes from Dungeons & Dragons. Someone who’s chaotic evil has no respect for rules, other people’s lives, or anything but their own desires, which are typically selfish and cruel. They place a high value on personal freedom but have little regard for the lives or freedoms of other people. 2Someone who is chaotic good does what is necessary to bring about change for the better, disdains bureaucratic organizations that get in the way of social improvement, and places a high value on personal freedom, not only for oneself, but for others as well.
“Although I don’t know what you’re talking about, that should be the case. While debatable, Li Jingtian’s feelings for Song Shengsheng are very complicated or extremely antagonistic. Li Jingtian’s own personality defects make him unable to understand his emotions for Song Shengsheng. At the same time, don’t forget that Li Jingtian is a patient with performance personality disorder. Going back nine years, Song Shengsheng—who was so dazzling and attracted almost everyone’s attention—was also the object of his extreme hatred.” Lin Chen took a deep breath and continued, “Extreme love is intertwined with extreme hatred. Normal people can’t stand it, let alone Li Jingtian?”
“So, did Li Jingtian choose to destroy Song Shengsheng?” Xing Conglian asked.
Lin Chen said, “His destruction of Song Shengsheng is just a result—a result that we’re seeing now—of his love and hate for Song Shengsheng. This is the beginning of everything, and the process of this beginning and the result are what we need to deduce.”
“In between this ‘process’, there’s something that makes Mu Zhuo flustered, which is the evidence we are looking for,” Xing Conglian said.
Lin Chen nodded.
“It’s back to square one, A’Chen. What the hell is this evidence?” Wang Chao scratched his head.
Lin Chen patted him reassuringly and said, “You asked me just now if what Li Jingtian thought was off topic. Of course it’s not. Once you understand Li Jingtian’s feelings for Song Shengsheng, everything he did to Song Shengsheng will become traceable.”
“For example, Li Jingtian joined forces with Mu Zhuo to frame Song Shengsheng.” Wang Chao asked, “Can you see anything there?”
“Let’s put it this way. If Song Shengsheng is innocent, why did his semen appear in Mu Zhuo’s body? In other words, where did this semen come from?”
“This topic has become banned again, A’Chen,” Wang Chao said timidly.
“Look. Fact one, Mu Zhuo conspired with Li Jingtian to frame Song Shengsheng. Fact two, Li Jingtian loves Song Shengsheng to death. So, would Li Jingtian really let Song Shengsheng touch Mu Zhuo?”
“It couldn’t be that Li Jingtian got Song Shengsheng’s sperm by himself, right?” Wang Chao asked tentatively. “Shit, Li Jingtian’s a pervert. He didn’t really hurt Song Shengsheng, right?”
“I have a question for you. Do you know when Li Jingtian and Song Shengsheng met?”
“Eh?” Wang Chao was taken aback.
Lin Chen no longer tried to be vague. “It took three years from Li Jingtian joining CA Entertainment to Song Shengsheng’s case. Among the information you compiled for me, the ‘Fengchun Festival Gala’ in August 2005 published a picture of the two of them attending the same event. In the photo, even if they met in August 2005, there is still more than a year between August 2005 and Song Shengsheng’s case in 2007. Is it possible for a person like Li Jingtian to endure his desires without being able to vent for more than a year?”
Wang Chao was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth wide but couldn’t say a word.
Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian, who was looking at him with eyes full of unspeakable sadness. Obviously, like him, Xing Conglian remembered the letter.
Li Jingtian said to Xu Ran: The Song Shengsheng you like was also fucked by me like this. He likes it very much. He’s dirtier than you.
Apart from Li Jingtian’s saying that Song Shengsheng liked it, the other information he revealed may be true. Song Shengsheng should have suffered cruel and inhumane torture that no one knew about.
So the question was, how could Li Jingtian control Song Shengsheng?
“What one person can threaten and control over another person is always what they think is the most important thing. The problem is, since Song Shengsheng loves Wilde, he’s most likely not afraid of death. What is he afraid of?” Xing Conglian asked.
“He’s afraid of losing his love forever,” Lin Chen said.
“Could it be that there’s someone Song Shengsheng loves deeply, and Li Jingtian used that person to threaten him? This seems to be getting more and more complicated. The story between A, B, and C suddenly has a D?”
“D always existed.” Lin Chen slowly walked to the photo wall behind the sofa, raised his head slightly, and looked at the dusty photo frames in front of him.
After a while, he knelt on the sofa and wiped one of the photos little by little with the back of his hand.
There weren’t two people in the photo, but many.
The photo was faded and turned yellow due to age. It was probably a fan meeting or concert by Song Shengsheng. The dark background was densely covered with many fluorescent green lights, like a sea of stars in the night sky. In the middle of the picture was a young girl who had her eyes closed. The girl’s eyelashes were long, and a tear hung from the corner of her eye.
This was the picture.
“The fans?” Xing Conglian asked.
“It’s the fans,” Lin Chen said.
Song Shengsheng was so unrestrained. He always maintained relationships with those supermodels and actresses that transcended ordinary people, so it seemed difficult for him to fall in love with someone, but he agreed with Wilde’s tragic view of love; he agreed with his unswerving love until death. This seemed contradictory, but when Lin Chen saw the entire photo wall, he suddenly felt relieved.
Although he didn’t know what chaotic good was, Song Shengsheng was probably this type.
Pursuing freedom, hating restraints, and acting in accordance with one’s own moral principles; it was a combination of a free spirit with a good heart. This was Song Shengsheng, the Song Shengsheng that was a stark contrast to Li Jingtian.
“Could it be that Li Jingtian has a sex tape of Song Shengsheng or some dark history that he can’t talk about? Li Jingtian threatened to make it public, so Song Shengsheng succumbed because he’s afraid it will hurt his fans. Is that what we’re looking for, right?”
Lin Chen nodded.
Xing Conglian pondered for a moment, looking very calm. “Assuming there is such a thing, it should be in Li Jingtian’s hands. Where are we going to find it?”
“Of course, we’re going to Li Jingtian to find it,” Lin Chen said lightly.
The weather was excellent today. Lin Chen was able to find this DVD box due to the bright sunshine from outside.
There was fine dust floating in the air as a beam of dazzling light hit the DVD. Half of the writing on the cover was completely invisible due to the reflection of the plastic cover, while the other half had the words: Oscar Wilde.
Oscar Wilde.
<Best Animated Collection of Oscar Wilde>.
Lin Chen looked through the DVD a few more times and found that this DVD wasn’t a Blu-ray disc, unlike the other DVDs in Song Shengsheng’s collection. It was probably something cheap bought at a street stall. Unsurprisingly, he saw the story of <The Nightingale and The Rose> in the catalog.
“What the hell?”
Wang Chao’s slight exclamation sounded in his ears.
Lin Chen turned his head and saw the teenager craning his neck, peeping at the DVD in his hand.
“This—what’s going on? Why does Song Shengsheng have the complete works of Wilde?” Wang Chao gave a slightly embarrassed cough as he asked.
“I don’t know.”
Lin Chen replied honestly. There were, of course, numerous explanations for such a phenomenon. For example, why did Song Shengsheng have an animated collection of Wilde’s work at home, and this collection seemed to be Song Shengsheng’s favorite DVD. And, why was it that, when Li Jingtian was singing on stage, someone correctly matched the bouquet they gave to <The Nightingale and the Rose>? What was the relationship between the two?
“Song Shengsheng has already been released from prison… He’s not the one that sent the flowers, right?” Wang Chao said casually. “Maybe this DVD belongs to Li Jingtian? Is it possible that this is the key evidence we’re looking for?!”
Wang Chao’s eyes lit up.
Lin Chen was noncommittal. He walked to the DVD player and pressed the on button. Then he realized that this room had been vacant for nine years, so, naturally, no one had paid the electric bill.
Wang Chao quickly took out his phone and paid the electric bill for the house. After a while, the power light turned on and Lin Chen put the DVD into the DVD player and retreated to the sofa.
The TV screen began playing the disc slowly. The pictures that appeared gave the teenager a guess. It was really a cartoon, and the picture quality was slightly yellowed and old looking.
The first story was <The Happy Prince>, which was a typical Oscar Wilde fairy tale. The dialogue was extremely beautiful, but when it came to the animation plot, it wasn’t as interesting. Wang Chao watched it for a while and began to squirm his butt from side to side in discomfort. Naturally, for a teenager who liked One Piece, this kind of thing wouldn’t really resonate with him.
However, to Lin Chen’s surprise, Xing Conglian sat beside him quietly and was watching solemnly.
“A’Chen… Isn’t time tight? Do you need me to fast forward?” Wang Chao couldn’t help but make a suggestion.
“It’s boring, isn’t it?” Lin Chen asked.
“It’s boring. Why does Song Shengsheng like this kind of stuff? Are these really his things? Were all rock and roll kids that weird back then?”
Lin Chen glanced at Wang Chao. How old are you to be saying this kind of thing?
“What?” Wang Chao looked at him inexplicably.
“This is indeed Song Shengsheng’s stuff.” Lin Chen felt helpless, so he could only answer the teenager’s question.
“How do you know?”
“This should be your specialty.”
He handed the DVD box over. The teenager looked at it, turning it upside down several times, and finally smacked his head. “This is a VCD!”
“That’s right.”
“Oh, that should be a disc that Song Shengsheng watched when he was a kid, right?”
Lin Chen nodded.
Although this DVD was obviously from a street stall, as there was no clear barcode on it, they could infer its recording medium based on the time it was released.
The popularity of VCDs peaked roughly around 1995–2000, and based on how old this DVD looked, it probably indicated that it was from that era. Li Jingtian was still in Xinni in the 1990s, so naturally it was impossible for him to buy a Chinese-made VCD.
“But, I still don’t understand.” Wang Chao rubbed against Lin Chen as he handed the DVD box back. “Song Shengsheng likes this kind of boring cartoon, but what does it have to do with Li Jingtian and <The Nightingale and the Rose>?”
“Wang Chao,” Lin Chen said slowly.
“Yes!”
“This should be your specialty,” Lin Chen reminded him. “Search for the keywords: Song Shengsheng, Nightingale, and Rose.”
“That makes sense!” As he said it, he picked up his laptop and went to the dining table, bringing up a cloud of dust.
Not long after, a piece of audio echoed in the room.
Lin Chen muted the TV and let the cartoon continue to play. He walked to the dining table and looked down. It was an interview clip of Song Shengsheng. The video was short. After a lapse of nine years, Lin Chen saw an image of Song Shengsheng again.
The unruly young man still looked so uninhibited. He had a badass hairstyle of that era, wore a black motorcycle leather jacket, and had non-mainstream accessories all over his body. He even revealed a tongue ring when he spoke.
The reporter asked him about the source of inspiration for his new album.
The picture flickered as Song Shengsheng crossed his legs, saying it was from Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales. His tone was casual, but the look in his eyes was serious. Then the reporter asked him which of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales he liked most. Song Shengsheng replied, “What I like is, of course, for the fans to listen to the album. If I tell you now, won’t that be boring?”
In short, Song Shengsheng was like that. He was never lovable, but he was very good at talking. The reporters who interviewed him loved and hated him. The picture froze on the reporter’s stiff face.
Then the interview ended.
Wang Chao turned around and asked, “A’Chen, what do you think Song Shengsheng likes the most?”
Lin Chen patted Wang Chao’s head and said, “Since you can find this video from the keywords, isn’t the answer obvious?”
“You’re so stupid,” Xing Conglian added sarcastically.
Wang Chao depressingly closed the video from full-screen and returned to the webpage. Only then did Lin Chen discover that this clip was shared by a fan. The website where this video was recorded was Song Shengsheng’s personal website, which fans would still visit every day—”Be With You.”
The title of the post was “The Nightingale and The Rose”, which was how Wang Chao was able to find it. The content was roughly composed of fans trying to guess what Song Shengsheng’s favorite Wilde’s fairy tale was. The original poster posted the inner page of the album’s lyrics. The title song was a song that had nothing to do with The Nightingale and The Rose. The content was full of words like “fuck off” and “fuck”, which were completely inconsistent with Mr. Wilde’s aesthetics, but the poster said the lyrics of the title song were composed of white, yellow, and red, which coincided with the three rose colors in the original fairy tale, so Song Shengsheng’s favorite fairy tale should be this one.
The discussion below was very lively. Some people said that the poster was just being whimsical, while others agreed with their thoughts.
Those who agreed thought that Song Shengsheng’s title song was about idiots who were desperate for love, which matched the metaphor represented by the poor nightingale in the fairy tale.
“A’Chen, what do you think?” The curious Comrade Xiao Wang Chao asked.
“It should be right,” Lin Chen replied.
“Hey, then, if this is Song Shengsheng’s favorite fairy tale, Li Jingtian… Why did Li Jingtian bring a nightingale and roses to the scene of his throat-slitting case? Is Li Jingtian not afraid we would find out about Song Shengsheng based on this?” Wang Chao started rambling. As if he thought of something, he hurriedly said, “Is this a bit off topic for me to ask this now?”
“How could it be?” Lin Chen patted the teenager’s shoulder reassuringly and said, “At least your question is meaningful to me. Although these cases are covered in fog, as long as the crime is committed by someone, then there must be a personal mark in it. Whether it’s the murderer or the victim, each of them has genes, family, growth, and experience, which lead them to make corresponding choices when encountering problems. Corresponding choices will affect their growth experience. Therefore, everything a person does may seem erratic, but in fact, there must be traces in their growth experience, which allows us to see a clear path in the fog.”
“Oh!” Wang Chao shouted seemingly incomprehensibly. “Then, what is the path to this case? Is it the fairy tale?”
Lin Chen looked back at the animation that was still being broadcast slowly on the TV.
The animation just reached the end of the Happy Prince. The swallow died at the feet of the prince, and there were snowflakes floating in the sky. This was truly an ending fit for Wilde.
Lin Chen said to Wang Chao, “In fact, fairy tales are very interesting things. In psychological analysis, psychologists who study the effects of fairy tales believe that these stories that touch us tell us the desires, dreams, and human behaviors we identify with and the people we want to be…”
“Then what kind of person is Song Shengsheng, and what kind of person is Li Jingtian? From a story, can the different psychological states of these two people be inferred?”
“You see, this is the interesting thing about fairy tales. It’s precisely because the narrative of fairy tales uses symbolic techniques that its nature is closer to dreams and to the human subconscious. If myths reflect the collective experience of humans, then fairy tales reflect personal issues. That is to say, fairy tales are more personal.” Lin Chen looked at Wang Chao’s lost gaze. He leaned on the table and spoke as he faced the snow-white sky outside the window. “During this time, I have read some analysis on Wilde’s fairy tales. Although many critics will analyze the social reality reflected in Wilde’s fairy tales repeatedly, in fact, Wilde’s aesthetic philosophy is that art doesn’t express anything except itself. He believes that reality is the enemy of art, and what he pursues is true, pure beauty. Then, what do you think is the difference between Song Shengsheng’s and Li Jingtian’s views?
“I think… Although Song Shengsheng looks very arrogant and cool, he seems to be a very pure and innocent person. He should appreciate Wilde more, and you said earlier that the VCD is what Song Shengsheng has been watching. He just likes this kind of thing.”
“Can’t you pretend to not understand, just a little?” Lin Chen asked with a smile. “How can I go on?”
“But I don’t understand Li Jingtian…” Wang Chao muttered.
Kinky Thoughts:
You can read The Happy Prince by clicking on the link. It’s a short story. I won’t give you the analysis just yet until the end of this arc to avoid any spoilers.
From this angle, the two of them couldn’t see the electronic screen in front of the main teaching building. Broadcast Guo Wei didn’t give them the opportunity to come face-to-face with the two of them.
The student phantoms stumbled through the broken entrails and supported a blood-stained projection screen. The shaking images showed Broadcast Guo Wei sitting in front of the table they were familiar with.
Guo Wei’s appearance had changed. His eyes were completely cloudy, and the bulge at his temple had broken off, with a familiar red rope poking out of the flesh.
It was exactly the same rope as the one at Huang Jin’s feet just now.
Sure enough, half a year later, Guo Wei’s sudden hatred and malice were inseparable from the source of corruption of an Evil Force.
Guo Wei’s mouth was full of blood, and a wound extended from under his clavicle to his waist and abdomen. It penetrated his flesh and bones, misplacing his heart and lungs and almost causing them to flow out of the fissure.
Guo Wei played with the black ballpoint pen in his hand with a smile so wide that it was abnormal. His appearance was indistinguishable from a fierce ghost.
“You have not successfully left the school. Teachers and family members, please choose someone to exclude from the quota.”
Clang. The familiar pistol hit the concrete floor of the roof and fell between Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo.
Zhong Chengshuo picked up the gun.
“Where’s Huang Jin?” In the headset, Lu Xiaohe asked anxiously. “How is it that half the team is already gone?”
“He was attacked by an unknown mental ability, so we knocked him out.” Yin Ren covered the two cocoons behind his back as he explained concisely. “I felt a strong Evil Force, similar to that of Bai Yongji’s coin.”
Lu Xiaohe sounded like she almost choked. “A source of corruption from an Evil Force?”
What’s going on with Unit 9? How was it that there’s now an Evil Force when they entered the Archive?
She really didn’t want to snatch away “The Best Bad Luck Award” from Unit 7.
Lu Xiaohe accelerated her talking speed. “The Archive may have been invaded. Be careful! Ghosts are obsessed with contracts. Try to stabilize Guo Wei and stall for Minister Fu!”
“Understood,” Zhong Chengshuo answered cleanly.
Boom, boom, boom, boom. The earth trembled like a sticky heartbeat.
Countless rotten hands protruded from the internal organs of the courtyard, scratching frantically.
“Please choose to exclude someone from the quota.” On the bloody screen, Guo Wei’s smile deepened, and the corners of his eyes kept twitching. The red rope pierced his temple and twitched, disappearing at the edge of the screen.
Zhong Chengshuo picked up the gun and raised it naturally to his own head.
In the night, the man’s gaze behind the lens was calm and firm.
King Yama actually trusted him so readily? Was this a mutual understanding*?
*The legendary heart has a soul (的心有灵) Idiom refers to hearts being connected so that you understand each other’s mind.
“No, I’m worried,” Zhong Chengshuo replied calmly. “The situation is complicated, and it’s impossible to judge.”
Yin Ren: “?” The harmony in his heart was about to keel over.
Yin Ren’s emotion and fighting spirit were suffocated by this guy’s words. Perhaps Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t focusing on <The Art of Communication>. Rather, he should write a book called <The Art of Rejection>.
“…So I’ll see it with my own eyes.” Seeing Yin Ren’s expression like he was choking on a fishbone, Zhong Chengshuo spoke with a smile in his voice.
He hooked his finger and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The action was so natural, like picking up a water cup, that Yin Ren couldn’t even react for a moment.
“Bang!”
A torrent of color spurted out from the side of Zhong Chengshuo’s head.
Crystal rain beads splashed everywhere; a gentle candle fire on a birthday cake, and apples that were an attractive color were cut in half. They collided in mid-air and exploded into bright, gorgeous light. The cheese potato chip package and the rose tea were entangled endlessly. Little wing balls floated up like soap bubbles.
After the familiar memory collapsed, a black umbrella stained with water fell to the ground.
This person’s movement was so sudden that Yin Ren’s hair stood up straight in shock. He hurriedly pulled the umbrella back into a cocoon and, at the same time, condensed his hair, ready to stun Zhong Chengshuo. However, as soon as the hair drew close, it was grabbed firmly with one hand, not allowing them to advance any further.
Zhong Chengshuo grabbed the twirling hair. His complexion was normal, and his breathing was steady.
This guy even had the leisure to take out a small notebook, read it carefully for more than ten seconds, and put a checkmark on one of them.
“Here.” Zhong Chengshuo tore off one of the pages and blocked Lu Xiaohe’s communication. “Help me get rid of it.”
“There are some of my memories missing. I don’t seem to like you for the time being. Other than that, there are no adverse reactions.”
Yin Ren looked down at the piece of paper—
[Good memories that may be affected (test backup)]
[1. Apples, a delicious fruit and good for your health.]
[2. Cream cake, you can eat it on your birthday. Don’t eat too much usually.]
[3. Cheese potato chips are relatively high in calories. It tastes good.]
[4. Yin Ren, an evil being with good combat abilities. I like him very much.]
The box that was ticked had “Yin Ren” written on it.
Lord Ghost King was a little moved for a moment, but seeing the first three contents, he was a little moved again. After all, this thing was really like a recipe, and his appearance in it was truly abrupt.
…And this person’s good memories were too limited!
Just as Yin Ren was burning the paper speechlessly, Zhong Chengshuo turned to Guo Wei. “Choose someone to exclude from the quota, play out the best memories, and stay here. I did all that. Are there any issues?”
Zhong Chengshuo repeated Yin Ren’s initial words with the corners of his mouth slightly curled up.
Broadcast Guo Wei twisted his rotten, congested eyes.
“No problem,” he replied stiffly. “It’s almost over anyway.”
This time, Broadcast Guo Wei’s image did not vanish.
Guo Wei stared at the two people on the roof. He leaned forward, revealing half of his body out of the white screen, and his internal organs fell out of his chest. “The game continues. Hurry up and escape for me.”
His tone was soaked in hostility, and his desire was extremely cold.
Boom, boom! Boom, boom! Boom, boom!
Yin Ren listened. The unknown pulsation became stronger, and the ghostly presence enveloped the campus like amniotic fluid.
At the beginning, only the campus gates and walls were damaged, and this consciousness operated as usual.
Then, when there were less important teaching buildings and bathrooms, the consciousness gradually fell into chaos. Chaos quickly spawned madness, and madness induced more chaos.
This was excellent nutrition for the growth of evil spirits.
Except for the main teaching building, which stood upright, the rest of the buildings were like cream under high heat, softly melting into a pile. They fell in the direction of the main teaching building, as if trying to crush it.
However, amidst the trembling earthquake, the main teaching building was as solid as a rock. Internal organs all over the yard twisted into whips and lashed out, attempting to violently beat the roof.
Yin Ren hugged Zhong Chengshuo and flew past the attack, with the cocoons following them closely.
Yin Ren’s trajectory wasn’t smooth. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was dragging too many people, but compared to his last flight, his movements became stagnant.
Zhong Chengshuo observed without blinking.
From time to time, Yin Ren skimmed the roof of the main teaching building, touching the ground with the tips of his toes or hair, leaving some traces that Zhong Chengshuo couldn’t understand. Those traces were obscured by the night, as inconspicuous as dust.
Guo Wei didn’t care about Yin Ren’s little movements. He stared intently in the direction of Class 2 and 3 of the teaching building. The windows of that classroom were plastered with spirit bombs, which stood out.
“You obviously know how to escape, so why don’t you do it?”
Guo Wei stared at the windows, sneered, and pressed the black ballpoint pen in his hand.
Click, night fell outside the campus.
The campus was once again surrounded by monsters from the outside world. With the sound of crunching and cracking, some small monsters from the outside world fell in, and excitedly went on a rampage on the campus.
Just like outside the school, the place where they collided became more distorted and deformed.
But this still didn’t include the main teaching building.
The ghostly presence was raging, and the scenery was cracking. This fierce ghost couldn’t wait to be born, but it couldn’t destroy the ordinary building no matter what. It guarded Guo Wei’s broken consciousness, and it seemed indomitable.
Guo Wei became more anxious.
The entire campus shook frantically. In the middle of the sky, Guo Laifu’s face twisted violently. Pomegranate flowers fell to the ground, and the playground fence flew into the air. The blood-stained uniforms were connected into ropes, and the deformed phantoms gathered into a torrent. Centered on the main teaching building, all illusions gradually merged into a huge vortex.
“Do it quickly!” Guo Wei roared frantically. “Destroy it!”
“Hold on!” Lu Xiaohe shouted into their ears. “Wait a moment. Minister Fu’s side is almost ready!”
The ending of this crappy escape game was doomed from the start. It was only a matter of time before the building was destroyed.
Yin Ren looked at the only remaining teaching building in the night. He shuttled dexterously in the air, once again avoiding the strangulation of dozens of small ropes. Through the gaps in the tape, he took the last step on the roof of the main teaching building.
“Zhong Chengshuo.” Yin Ren didn’t disconnect the headset communication with Lu Xiaohe.
“Hmm?”
“There’s still a little time left, and I plan to do something ‘superfluous’. You are temporarily in charge of guarding Huang Jin and Ge Tingting.”
“Okay.”
“Aren’t you going to ask?”
“I wouldn’t like a man that didn’t surprise me.” Zhong Chengshuo landed on the ground. A pair of black cocoons floated behind him. “As I said, I want to witness it for myself.”
Yin Ren swallowed back his words.
Above Zhong Chengshuo’s head was a deformed giant human face, and around his body were strange phantoms of fused limbs. He lost his best memory, and he no longer liked him, but he wasn’t the slightest bit different from before.
The pouring rainy night, the quiet living room, the noisy night market, the abandoned amusement park… The treacherous and terrifying spiritual world.
Zhong Chengshuo would always be like that, like an eternal beacon, exuding a wonderful sense of stillness.
People couldn’t help but look at it.
Yin Ren took a deep look at the other party. The ends of his hair curled slightly around Zhong Chengshuo’s chest. He had a vague feeling that he couldn’t describe, but at the moment of such a big event, he suppressed that emotion.
The next moment.
Yin Ren stepped onto the ground. He traveled through layers of attacks and hovered in front of Guo Wei’s projection screen.
They were only five steps apart.
“Guo Wei, before leaving here, I want to ask you two questions.”
Yin Ren looked directly at the hate-filled eyes on the screen and then swept his eyes to the red rope in Guo Wei’s head. His expression was serene and solemn, as if he were looking at an ordinary child opposite him.
“Why didn’t you say, ‘Destroy this place’ at first?”
The rules given by Guo Wei were too broad and vague. He should know that without clear guidance, they would waste unnecessary time investigating.
“…What are you looking forward to?”
Yin Ren asked without the slightest aggressiveness. Guo Wei seemed to be deeply burned by this question.
“Shut up—!!!”
Black and red blood flowed down the corner of Guo Wei’s mouth as he let out an unsteady scream. There were traces of cuts in different shades on the surface of the boy’s skin, with pale bones appearing in the crimson flesh.
As if perceiving something, the red rope passed through his temples, twisting frantically, and the ghostly presence on the campus rose up.
Guo Wei hugged his head in pain.
“Welcome to, come, come to, to Qianjinag No. 16 High School.” In the projection screen, Guo Wei kept vomiting out fragments of internal organs as he repeated in a daze. “Welcome to the last day of my life.”
Through the blood-stained cloth screen, Guo Wei raised his eyes and looked at the main teaching building in front of him again.
Two streams of pus and blood dripped from his corrupted eyeballs and slipped a little along his fleshy cheeks.
“No… No.” He murmured intermittently. “Welcome… Welcome to the last day of my life.”
It was instantaneous.
The jumping abnormal phantoms no longer moved; the monsters paused, and the melted buildings froze in the air. The main teaching building shook constantly as countless debris-like images gushed out, circling the small campus.
……
“What? Your dad asked you to transfer now?” Li Xiaoya scratched her head. “That’s too much.”
She hesitated for a while before taking out a brand-new pen from her stationary box.
“It’s so sudden that I didn’t have time to prepare a gift. Some time ago, I watched you practice calligraphy with a copybook, but your pen isn’t very good… I’ll lend you this one. Good luck on your college entrance exams!”
It was a neat and beautiful gel pen, and the workmanship was quite exquisite. Guo Wei glanced at his pen wrapped in scotch tape, blushing and hesitating.
“I’m just lending this to you. You have to give it back.” Li Xiaoya grinned. “Either way, after the college entrance exam, you can go back to our class and attend the graduation party!”
“Da* Guo, you have to get a good score on the exam.”
*(大) When added in front of a name, it often indicates that the person being referred to is the elder or senior in relation to the speaker.
……
The girl he secretly liked said “later”.
A sharp blade slashed Guo Wei’s abdomen, causing blood to pour out like a spring. He originally held the pen tightly in his hand, but in the overwhelming fear and pain, he failed to grasp it firmly.
The gel pen rolled to the ground as Guo Laifu stepped through a pool of blood. With a click, the sound of something breaking sounded at the bottom of his feet.
The exquisite pen turned into sharp plastic fragments.
He could no longer return it to her.
……
“You don’t have much stuff. We’ve packed it up for you, so you can get out of here earlier.” Guo Wei got out of bed on the upper bunk.
“Lao Si, let’s take a picture of us. Lao Da* hid his phone just so we can take a picture.” He shook a phone in his hand. “Come on, come on. The schoolmaster in our room, leave us some memories so that we can gain good luck next year.”
*Old/Big Boss; Most likely a nickname for one of the four roommates.
“I don’t have a phone…” Guo Wei said it in a daze.
“We can go to the kiosk to color print it!” “Isn’t it kind of lame to print photos on paper, ah?” “Then what can we do about it?”
There was a lively quarrel in the bedroom.
“Three, two, one—don’t blink!”
“At Lao Si’s level, sooner or later he’ll own a phone. Save the pictures, and we’ll send them to him later.”
……
His friends said “later”.
When the knife fell, Guo Wei saw his own flesh and blood on the blade.
His luggage was scattered haphazardly in the grass, and the snacks his roommates stole rolled into the weeds and were covered with dirt. The photos printed on paper fell to the ground and quickly sank into a pool of blood.
Guo Wei on the screen didn’t smile. Someone quietly put his hand behind him and made a “V” at the top of his head.
The bright colors were all swallowed up by crimson.
He should’ve smiled.
……
In the evening, the setting sun leaked into a field of red haze. There were only Lei Xiurong and Guo Wei in the office, and the acrimony on Lei Xiurong’s face was gone, leaving only a little sadness.
“Teacher, I don’t want to go.” Guo Wei stood at the table, looking at the ground as he spoke in a dry, hoarse voice.
“I advised your father. You’re only a sophomore in high school, and if you change schools, you’ll have to adapt to it. It’s better to take the exam with us.” Lei Xiurong sighed helplessly. “Your dad won’t listen. There’s nothing I can do.”
Guo Wei was silent.
“Alright, find a chair and sit for a bit. Teacher will talk to you for a while.”
Lei Xiurong pulled a chair for him. “I won’t comment on your dad. You don’t like being manipulated by him, do you? Then test well and go far.”
“You’re not dumb. Getting an undergraduate degree should be no problem. When the time comes, find a good job and eat whatever you want.”
“……” Guo Wei pursed his lips and clasped his hands on his knees.
“I’m not a good teacher. I have a poor education and a bad temper—nothing worth mentioning—but you’re different. You’re only 17 and have a long future ahead… You can become a much better person than me.”
As she spoke, she tore off a sticky note and wrote down a string of numbers.
“This is my number. I’m still worried about your father. If he makes things difficult for you, or if you encounter something outside, you can call me.”
Guo Wei took the light yellow sticky note with both hands, folded it neatly, and put it in the deepest part of his pocket.
“Check again. Don’t leave anything behind, especially your textbooks.” She waved her hand. “Oh, don’t forget to practice your writing in the future. They really do score that in the college entrance exams.”
“Okay.” Guo Wei stood up and bowed his head deeply.
“Goodbye, teacher.”
“Nn, goodbye.” Lei Xiurong brushed back her curly hair, revealing some particularly dazzling gray underneath.
……
His teacher said “later”.
Under anesthesia, Guo Wei couldn’t move or even scream. He opened his eyes wide and watched as his internal organs were being pulled out by his own biological father. The latter was murmuring something as he raised them to the sky.
The light yellow note was soaked in blood and crumbled into a ball in his pocket, and the number on it could no longer be distinguished.
He hadn’t had a chance to look at it.
He really, really wanted to make that call, at least once.
……
Guo Wei carried his backpack and worn-out luggage bag and waited for the iron gate to slowly pull open. Guo Laifu drove over to pick him up. The car was parked at the intersection, not far away.
As soon as he walked out of the school, Guo Wei couldn’t help turning his head. On the familiar campus, pomegranates were in full bloom, the lawn was green, and there were students from other grades laughing and making noise on the playground.
It was small, old, and very much like home.
Seeing him turn his head every few steps, the gatekeeper smiled at him.
“Young man, when you make a difference in the future, remember to come back and visit.”
“Nn!”
Guo Wei looked for a long time, then finally turned his head and walked in the direction of the intersection.
……
The grandpa gatekeeper, who he had never paid attention to, said “later”.
“I sacrificed my own son!”
In his vague consciousness, Guo Laifu’s roar sounded extremely distant.
“Didn’t you say that sacrificing relatives is particularly effective?! Why don’t they look at me? Why don’t they look at me?!”
Guo Laifu raised his machete high and slashed at Guo Wei’s head as if to vent his anger.
‘I’m dying,’ Guo Wei thought in a daze. He was about to die.
A little reluctance, a lot of anger and resentment were engraved into his bones, and amidst the severe pain was boundless, deep fear.
In his hazy vision, his luggage and backpack fell not far away.
From that day on, he no longer had a “future”.
…But that was truly a good day that he could never forget.
The moment he stopped breathing, in the deepest part of boundless fear, he even had a trace of stupid expectation.
Just like at this moment.
“That person” infused him with more intense hatred and burning malice. That man told him that as long as he gave up this campus, the pain would bring him back to the world and tear Guo Laifu to pieces with his own hands.
“That person” told him that there would be some strange people visiting here. They would definitely enter his school and help him destroy everything. He didn’t need to work hard to do it himself.
“That person” said that this was a deal that wouldn’t fail, as long as they were forced to destroy the building.
But when the four visitors entered the campus, Guo Wei changed the cruel rules he had prepared.
Among the four was a thin girl who was wearing their school uniform. She was the same age as him, with anxiety and longing in her eyes.
Just like himself at the beginning.
[Please try to leave the school.]
Maybe, just maybe, instead of destroying this place, find a way to calm me down and allow me to let you leave.
[Please try to leave the school.]
…Help me.
The long-haired man was still floating in front of him. The other party’s long black hair was scattered, and his eyes were almost gentle.
“I understand.” Even though he didn’t say anything, the man showed him a smile and tapped his headset.
“Xiaohe Jie, we need your support.”
“It’s about to explode. You—”
“You asked us to rely on you more.” Yin Ren spoke confidently. “We won’t hide it from you this time.”
There was a brief silence.
“…Alright, I’ll listen first.” On the other end of the headset, Lu Xiaohe frowned.
It was half past one in the morning, and they still had about half an hour left. She didn’t believe those two could do anything wrong.
“Guo Wei’s contacts—Lei Xiurong, Li Xiaoya, and his three roommates. Give me the birth dates of these five people.”
“It’s very dangerous inside. Don’t involve irrelevant people!”
“I won’t get them involved. It’s just saying a few words. Their phantom is enough. The time is just right at this moment.”
Yin Ren stared at Guo Wei’s slashed face, and behind him, a faint glow radiated from the rooftop.
Just when he “dodged”, the traces left by Yin Ren gradually lit up, forming a magic array.
“It’s a fairly common technique to let the living and the dead communicate in ‘one consciousness’. A science post must have heard of it—”
For thousands of years, the name of this technique had never changed. Whether it was a street scammer or a real metaphysician, whether it was an ancient tome or modern weird talk, it could never be avoided. The basics of the basics.
“—to dream.”
Kinky Thoughts:
What a grisly chapter. Does Nian Zhong have a thing for tortured children? Why does every arc that involves children make me cry? Poor Guo Wei.
The phantoms on the ground were so distorted that members of Unit 9 didn’t dare risk walking on the ground.
Yin Ren was sandwiched between Zhong Chengshuo and Huang Jin like a sack, with Ge Tingting floating behind him. With all his teammates piled on him, Yin Ren flew slowly and carefully, almost forgetting to breathe.
The light green scotch tapes intertwined with each other, forming a cobweb-like structure, and the sticky side was facing the four of them. In the center of the spider’s web, there was a pile of volleyballs and basketballs that looked like entrenched eggs. They would twitch from time to time, tilting in the direction of the four of them.
Yin Ren’s long hair flew about, but none of it touched the “spider silk”.
As the procession on the ground marched onward, the aberrant phantoms continued to throw paper, stationery, or their own body parts. Their heads moved with the four people in the sky, and the sensation of being watched tingled their scalp.
Zhong Chengshuo raised his head and looked at Yin Ren’s face.
Yin Ren’s face was highly concentrated and focused. There was also a faint concern about the current situation. They didn’t know if it was through disdain or not, but he had never hesitated to express his subtle emotions.
After entering the Archive, Yin Ren’s emotion undoubtedly became more obvious.
It was very human-like.
If he didn’t care about the others’ lives or deaths, Yin Ren wouldn’t be so restrained.
It was a strange, evil thing. So far, Zhong Chengshuo could only see this person’s obsession with concealing his identity. As for other purposes, he couldn’t analyze them.
What the hell are you?
Yin Ren’s hair was still lying in the inner pocket of his chest, already warmed by his body heat. Separated by a layer of flesh and a pair of bones, Zhong Chengshuo’s heart was beating. Those hairs would move from time to time, as if looking for the warmest position.
Unlike the severed hair that he secretly stole, they were still connected to Yin Ren’s body and were full of activity. At this distance, as long as Yin Ren willed it, they could pierce his heart in an instant.
But they just turned over quietly and arched around gently, as if they were hiding from Zhong Chengshuo.
Zhong Chengshuo pressed Yin Ren’s arm, and across the black cloth, the other’s body heat was soaked in his hands.
“What’s wrong? Is it hurting you?” Yin Ren quickly lowered his head.
“No,” Zhong Chengshuo replied softly. “Let’s go to the main teaching building first—”
Boom boom.
The small campus trembled slightly.
Hundreds of dark red utility knives rose from the ground and tried to stab the people floating in the sky. The attack came without warning, causing Yin Ren to accelerate. Even with his quick reaction, Huang Jin’s backpack was almost sliced by the blade.
Huang Jin: “What is this…”
“Quiet!” Yin Ren shouted.
He didn’t use his hair to extend, but two hands grew from his shoulder blades and quickly made a fist. In less than two seconds, a horde of jet-black lightsabers suddenly appeared around them; the tips of their swords rushed at them in all directions.
The next moment, countless black rays of light lashed out.
Like sharks that smell blood, they rushed toward the sky with the utility knives. After the continuous collisions and blunt sounds, countless black and red debris exploded above the blue sky.
Among the broken utility knives, a breath of air spread out.
Debris fell like snowflakes, while hostility and hatred flowed like sewage.
The peculiar cold evil qi unique to ghosts continued to stir, and the campus’s bright colors dimmed a few degrees. The bright sunlight became colder, showing an abnormal blue color.
More than 30 hours after they arrived on campus, Yin Ren finally noticed a real ghost.
This ghost was strange. It came from all directions and smelled extremely strong, indicating that it was a powerful ghost. However, it was extremely thin and unstable, and was hidden among the chaos.
Yin Ren didn’t stop attacking. He hung in the air and rarely looked up from the ground. Those spare hands of his pierced through his long shirt and kept casting spells.
A burst of red mist rose from around Yin Ren, flying towards the ground, like pouring blood.
Huang Jing was dumbfounded.
This was a blood mist art that was used to detect minute amounts of evil qi. It was an extremely rare and quite ancient human technique. Some old spirit smiths would use it to identify top cursed spirit weapons.
However, people usually only use a wisp of green smoke from the tip of an incense, carefully protecting it. It was the first time he had seen someone use it like a flood bursting from a riverbank.
Huang Jing instinctively looked at Zhong Chengshuo.
In fact, since Zhong Chengshuo found out about his abilities, he had been guarding against him. Zhong Chengshuo’s body was constantly filled with complicated thoughts, making it impossible for him to decipher.
But even if this were King Yama, he would at least react when encountering this kind of battle, right?
Huang Jin’s guess was accurate. He got what he wanted and saw Zhong Chengshuo’s thoughts—a conspicuous “like”.
Huang Jin: “?”
What do you like? Those black lightsabers? The blood mist art? Or is it the thrill of hanging on by a thread?
His mind was about to be overwhelmed by vigilance and anxiety. He really couldn’t understand this strange “like” and “interesting”. Huang Jin resolutely looked away and looked at the ground again.
The red mist became black when it touched the ground. It rolled close to the ground and turned different shades of black, like a mixed pool of stale blood. The only parts that were bright red were near the main teaching building. It was clean and didn’t contain any evil qi.
The last bit of pure land on this crazy campus.
Yin Ren flew across the sky like a bird and rushed straight to the roof of the main teaching building. Seeing the blood mist on the ground becoming darker, Yin Ren clicked his tongue.
He stopped on the edge of the roof and looked down at the bizarre campus.
The library, the lab buildings, the dorms, the cafeteria… Under the carnival of phantoms, the contours of these buildings became blurred. Their regular windows became crisscrossed and filled with slimy internal organs. The scratches from bloody handprints covered the originally flat walls that were now gradually covered in cracks.
The distorted phantoms tried to follow them into the main teaching building but were unable to enter. Guo Laifu walked in circles around the building, which was now like an island surrounded by a group of sharks.
Many phantoms tried to climb into the exterior wall of the building, but once they reached the first floor, they slid down like oil.
Seeing that the road was impassable, compasses and basketballs formed into spider-like monsters and began to climb to the roof along the scotch tape, but before they were halfway up, they trembled violently and fell apart, descending into the ground with crackling sounds.
The main teaching building was filled with the noise of students reading. Even with the twisted heads stuck to the windows and the blood-stained uniforms swaying in the wind, the students were still attending class seriously.
The situation became a deadlock.
Boom.
Another tremor shook the campus, and the fog on the ground approached an inky hue. The air became sticky, and there was an extra sense of oppression. The feeling of the ghost became a bit more obvious, but it seemed to be separated by a thick film, as if what was going on had nothing to do with it.
“Go to Class 2-3.” Yin Ren quickly made a decision.
If there was anything special about the main teaching building—Class 2-3 was where Guo Wei was. This was Guo Wei’s biggest, clearest, and strongest memory.
“Shouldn’t we blow up the building?” Huang Jin’s voice sounded bitter. “It’s too difficult to try to escape!”
“No. Zhong Chengshuo’s judgment is correct. He has found the right direction of the ‘game’.”
Yin Ren dragged his three teammates quickly through the corridor.
“Unfortunately, this isn’t a game. I kind of understand what Guo Wei is thinking… Come with me.”
……
Outside of Class 2-3.
The phantoms couldn’t approach the high-rise building. Looking out from the window, there was still a clear blue sky. Guo Wei was looking at the window blankly, when his table suddenly shook, causing him to almost jump up in fright.
Lei Xiurong slapped some paper hard on the table. “You still can’t do it. Come to my office between classes.”
During the break, Guo Wei first ran to the bathroom.
As soon as he locked the door to the stall, his three roommates walked into the bathroom with a cheeky smile.
“Let’s share the money from last night,” one of them said. “Don’t buy braised vegetables or barbeque next week.”
“There’s nothing to eat with barbeque. Just a few bites of meat. It’s better to buy a roasted chicken. With this much, it’s enough. It’s believable if we say we can’t eat it,” another person said. “In any case, it’s better if Lao Si* eats a little more—just the way he’s gnawing on steamed buns every day makes me feel aggrieved when looking at him.”
*Kind of like a nickname calling Guo Wei Ol’ Four (as in the fourth of their group/roommate).
“Oh, that kid’s just too stubborn and won’t eat with us.” The third person sighed. “Just buy roasted chicken.”
“Would it be too obvious to leave him a drumstick? Isn’t that bullcrap?”
Yin Ren leaned in front of the bathroom sink. Outside the narrow window of the bathroom, the branches of the green trees shook gently.
When Guo Wei walked out of the stall, his eyes were slightly red. He smiled hard at Yin Ren and continued to bury his head as he washed his hands.
Boom boom.
Not far from the window, between the branches of the green tree, there was a huge hand belonging to a man. His index finger was pointing in the direction of Guo Wei as stale steamed buns and rancid leftovers bombarded it in turns. Broken bowls splintered on the walls, and their porcelain surface was stained with eye-catching blood stains.
They couldn’t touch the glass.
The hand shook angrily, and the faint ghostly feeling swayed with its movements.
……
“Teacher Lei, aren’t you being unethical? The number of subsidized places in your grade is really limited.” A faint conversation came from the office. “Guo Wei really doesn’t meet the subsidy conditions. His father is still in the field and has income…”
“Is his father still human?” Lei Xiurong’s voice was as sharp as usual. “Whether he raised him or not, the wife ran away, and the child is covered with scars. He didn’t give him a single penny and threw the kid into the village like a dog. Is this call ‘not eligible for subsidy’? If it weren’t for that brat thinking about working during the holiday to earn money, he would’ve moved up a class already.”
“But what you’re saying, the one in your class is also difficult.”
“Difficult my ass. He’s easy to fool. Isn’t it just someone’s relative? The sophomore quota is set. If he has any opinions, he can say them to my face. Let’s see if he has the ability to get me fired!”
Guo Wei knocked on the door, and the conversation inside abruptly stopped.
“Come in!” Lei Xiurong glanced at Guo Wei and yelled angrily, “Look at these characters you wrote. Are you not taking what I said seriously? You have self-study for your next class, right? Just copy them here. I won’t let you go back until you finish copying them correctly.”
“…Hey, why are you crying? Do you just cry when it’s just a few words?”
Guo Wei clutched the edge of the test paper. He tried to pretend to be calm, but his moist eyes couldn’t be hidden.
Zhong Chengshuo stood at the corner of the teacher’s office and watched all this quietly.
“Okay, don’t cry. Don’t you know how old you are? It’s quite embarrassing.” Lei Xiurong turned her head. “I’m going to class, so just stay here and do your work.”
She picked up her books and lesson plans. Just as she was about to step out, she added another sentence.
“There are dried sweet potatoes in the drawer, so make do with them. You look like a dead person,” she said sharply without looking back. “Don’t faint in my office.”
Guo Wei sniffled vigorously as he neatly copied the paper.
“Thank you, teacher,” after Lei Xiurong left, he said in a soft voice.
There was a group photo of her and her family on her desk. After Guo Wei finished copying the paper, he looked at it for a long time.
A huge blood-red eye was next to the office window. The dilated pupil rushed straight at Guo Wei. On the surface of its eyes, countless banknotes were folded into frogs that chirped frantically, and the coins gathered together like tadpoles, swimming unhappily.
However, the boy didn’t even look at it. He just stared at Lei Xiurong, who didn’t have as much gray hair in the photo.
……
After copying his paper, Guo Wei rushed to the classroom before self-study was over. When he turned the corner, he bumped into two girls holding papers.
One of them screamed, and the papers in her hand spilled all over the floor.
“Are you sick!” A girl with a vague face yelled angrily. “Don’t you even look where you’re going?”
“It’s okay, Qianqian. We didn’t look ahead either.” The face of the other girl was clear. She looked beautiful. It was Li Xiaoya, Guo Wei’s seatmate at the next table. “Guo Wei, you hurry back. Just now, Lao Chen was lecturing, and he asked where you were.”
“But these…”
“I’ll ask the janitor for help.” Li Xioaya hurriedly urged Huang Jin, who was not far away. “It won’t take long.”
She smiled at Guo Wei and gave him a thumbs up.
“Okay, I’m sorry.” Guo Wei’s ears and neck turned red, and he hesitated before wiping his eyes hard.
“We see each other every day. Why are you being so polite?” Li Xiaoya laughed.
Blood-soaked uniforms and blades crackled against the corridor windows, like midsummer rain. Bright red entrails slid down the window glass, leaving no traces behind.
Inside the building, it was another trivial and ordinary day, like a dream. The student Guo Wei wandered in his biggest, clearest, and strongest memory, continuing a life that no longer existed.
The pomegranates were in full bloom, the grass was green; these countless clear details in his memories on campus couldn’t leave even after his death.
To whom was that school rule that represented the will of the master addressing to?
Was it “can’t leave” or “unwilling to give up”?
……
“When a ghost is born, if no one intervenes, they will descend into madness and pure malice.”
Yin Ren leaned against the wall of the corridor, looking at the students and teachers coming and going.
“Guo Wei, this kid… His attachment to the past is too deep, but his negative emotions aren’t heavy enough.”
“But he doesn’t want to be stuck here forever.” Zhong Chengshuo replied smoothly. “So he wants to use us to abandon these memories and officially become a ghost?”
“Maybe.” Yin Ren looked at the vision outside the window again without giving a solid response.
The more distorted the campus, the stronger the ghostly presence became. Once this campus was destroyed, the deepest memory of the child’s heart would be overwhelmed by blood and madness…
Guo Wei would be born as a true ghost.
The consciousness that was parasitic on the consciousness of others may not be so different from a parasite that latched on to others. He had been “nurtured” by Guo Laifu’s spirit, but he hadn’t been born yet.
They were literally in a “ghost fetus”, which was unprecedented.
“No matter what idea Guo Wei has, the game is still on.”
Zhong Chengshuo wiped his glasses and hummed.
“There’s Fu Xingchuan’s support outside. Since Guo Wei wants to become a ghost, let’s just push that boat along the water.”
“Indeed.” Huang Jin’s spirit was strong. “It’s like an egg here. Those things outside can drill into the seams. If we catch the moment it collapses… Well, we should be able to escape.”
After in-depth exchanges, Fu Xingchuan agreed with the opinions of the two.
“What a pity.” Facing the twisted ghost fetus, Minister Fu sighed. “If you guys weren’t inside, this would have been a wonderful research opportunity.”
“The ghost is quite manageable. You guys grab the right moment and destroy the key memories. While he’s confused, we’ll help you break out from our side. Bao Linlin, Wang Zhou, I’ll set up the magic array. You two record the data.”
“Yes!”
“Also, in order to ensure there won’t be any mistakes in the array, it’ll take me at least until 2 in the morning to finish. You still have three chances, right? Stabilize Guo Wei and protect yourself. Even if your memory is sealed, as long as you come out, there are ways to restore it.”
Huang Jin took a deep breath. His frown had finally relaxed a little.
So far, it sounded like they just needed to hide. When it became midnight, he would shoot himself in the head, and the remaining two shouldn’t have any problems.
They would finally be able to leave this shithole. Huang Jin closed his eyes and relaxed for a bit, then looked at the two powerful men.
Zhong Chengshuo took out a pen and paper. Using the windowsill as a table, he was steadily recording something. Yin Ren kept looking at the chaos outside the window, but there was no relief between his brows.
Yin Ren stretched out his hand and touched the wall of the main teaching building.
Thousands of years ago, he had come into contact with too many ghosts. Guo Wei was far from that desperate point.
The tiles on the walls were smooth and clean. There was not a single speck of dust in the corridor. Besides them, there was a clear sound of lecturing coming from Class 2-3 of the high school. Hope and longing were hidden in every corner of this memory, shining with clean light.
On the day of his death, Guo Wei was picked up from school by Guo Laifu and was mutilated by his biological father in a sober state. Despite such an impact, he still failed to become a ghost.
Would such a person really suddenly change his mind in half a year?
Yin Ren walked to the back door and looked inside the classroom. Guo Wei’s classmate sitting behind him was poking his back with a smile while whispering something. Student Guo Wei straightened his back and waved his hands helplessly at him as he continued to listen attentively.
Fu Xingchuan’s decision was indeed the safest, but…
Yin Ren left the back door and silently looked at the ground.
Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Zhong Chengshuo also looked back with interest. Yin Ren’s hair froze on his chest, quite depressed.
Zhong Chengshuo closed his notebook with a snap. “The game isn’t over yet.”
His voice was neither high nor low, and he wasn’t sure who Zhong Chengshuo was speaking to.
That night.
The main teaching building was locked as their group flew to the roof.
Time was approaching midnight, but the monsters on the ground didn’t disappear. It was a carnival on campus as the rest of the buildings became shadowy in the night, as if separated by a layer of fog. There were still dense crowds of monsters outside the barrier, and some of them even managed to squeeze half their bodies in.
The vestibule of the campus was full of entrails that nearly flooded the first floor. The sharp blades, which were higher than a flagpole, went up and down, constantly poking at the internal organs. The sky turned into Guo Laifu’s face, and they could almost smell his rancid breath. A thick ghostly presence rampaged in the night wind, giving rise to uneasiness.
The members of Unit 9 were waiting on the roof of the main teaching building, ready to usher in the second and final wave of elimination.
The windows on the second and third floors of the school were covered with spirit bombs, just waiting for Fu Xingchuan to complete his preparations. If the destructive power wasn’t enough, Yin Ren could supplement it with his spells.
It was 11:35 p.m.
“We have followed Guo Wei’s wishes, so he won’t make things difficult for us.” Knowing that he was about to be shot, Huang Jin was expressionless. “I’ll leave it up to you two.”
“Don’t be nervous,” Lu Xiaohe said through the headset. “Many ghosts can play with memories. Even if it doesn’t go well, we have a way.”
“I’m not—”
Before Huang Jin finished speaking, he suddenly choked.
Just like when he was attacked by the xanthium, Huang Jin’s pupils began to dilate, and his forehead was covered in sweat. His breathing was abnormally short, and his brows immediately furrowed. Yin Ren made a quick decision, and his sleeping technique was activated. Huang Jin was instantly wrapped into another cocoon.
A headless and tailless red rope fell from Huang Jin’s feet.
…It was exuding a weak Evil Force that was almost nonexistent and was tightly hidden by the ghostly presence.
Huang Jin fell just before midnight. At midnight, only Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were standing on the rooftop.
The staticky radio sounded.
“Welcome to Qingjiang No. 16 High School. Welcome to the last day of my life.”
There was a vicious smile in Guo Wei’s voice on the radio.
“You have not successfully left the school. Teachers and family members, please choose someone to exclude from the quota.”
The call was short-lived and ended with Mu Zhuo smashing the phone.
No matter who Mu Zhuo called, it was obvious the person on the other line was vigilant and didn’t give Mu Zhuo a chance to say much.
Naturally, they knew that the person on the other end of the phone could only be Li Jingtian.
Verifying this was also simple. Wang Chao quickly checked the call history and nodded at them.
Xing Conglian put down his headphones and said to him, “Consultant Lin, the current situation is a bit ridiculous. We have confirmed the criminal facts of Li Jingtian and Mu Zhuo, but there’s no evidence to convict them. Tell me, what do you think we should do?”
Lin Chen turned his head and looked at the banner on a booth from a distance. The two cartoons embracing each other seemed to be laughing mockingly at him. He turned his head and asked Xing Conglian, “How many years can I be sentenced for a false accusation?”
“Those who cause serious consequences shall be sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but no more than ten years,” Xing Conglian replied.
“It seems a bit too light.”
“Indeed.” Xing Conglian paused, then asked, “Does Consultant Lin have any ideas?”
“Just as Captain Xing said, let’s crucify Li Jingtian.”
After he finished speaking, Lu Xu ran over angrily from the other end of the lawn and shouted before he reached them, “Mr. Police Officer, you must teach that little bitch Mu Zhuo a good lesson. It’s best to lock him up for eight to ten years, so that those guys in prison can make his grass bloom!”
Lin Chen rarely agreed with this kind of thing, but, although he frowned at Lu Xu’s request, in a rare moment, he nodded.
If they wanted to convict Li Jingtian and Mu Zhuo, they couldn’t rely on passion or hatred. Lin Chen began to analyze the information revealed in Mu Zhuo’s call. Although the conversation between Mu Zhuo and Li Jingtian was disgusting, this was almost the most important clue they had obtained in the investigation so far.
First, there was no doubt that Song Shengsheng was wrongly imprisoned.
Second, there was no doubt Li Jingtian did rape and treat Xu Ran inhumanely when he was soliciting for a prostitute.
Most importantly, their luck was good. In the phone call, Mu Zhuo revealed that there may actually be critical evidence.
But they didn’t know what key evidence could make Mu Zhuo so terrified.
Lin Chen looked at the time on Wang Chao’s laptop. Before he knew it, he and Xing Conglian had been frequently paying attention to the time. This was a normal reaction that people would make under the pressure of a time limit, just as Mu Zhuo chose to call and question Li Jingtian under pressure.
The pressure he exerted on Mu Zhuo was about Song Shengsheng, so what Mu Zhuo was worried about could only be evidence from that case. But if Song Shengsheng’s case was an injustice due to a false accusation, why was Mu Zhuo worried about the evidence being revealed? The unjust case was nothing more than perjury, so what exactly was it?
As Lin Chen thought about it, he found that there were more people around him. He looked at Lu Xu, who was naturally sitting next to them, and then at Xing Conglian.
Xing Conglian understood and said to Lu Xu, “Doesn’t Manager Lu have to go back to work?”
Lu Xu coughed dryly, and his face flushed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. This is my presumptuousness. Since the police are handling the case, I, as an outsider, shouldn’t be here, right?”
Lu Xu slapped himself lightly, and his eyes began to wander again, and his face became bitter. “Captain Xing, I want to go back, but you see, I have already offended the company’s cash cow in order to solve the case. What’s there to go back to?”
“Then resign. With Mr. Lu’s ability, you will certainly be able to find another job,” Xing Conglian said.
“Ha, it’s not as simple as that. You don’t know how powerful Royal One and CA are. If I go back like this, I might just be sunk directly,” Lu Xu continued to plead.
“What does Mr. Lu want?” Xing Conglian asked with a smile. “Have me collect your body or take care of your family?”
“Captain Xing, don’t joke.”
Suddenly, Xing Conglian said in a serious tone, “Lu Xu, I don’t have time to play games with you. Since you know very well that you only have two paths, stop talking nonsense and tell me whether you want to go back to die or continue to cooperate with the police.”
“Of course it’s to cooperate with the police!” Lu Xu almost kowtowed to Xing Conglian.
“Then explain clearly the inside story of CA Entertainment and Royal One and strive to be a tainted witness*.”
*In which a criminal admits guilt and testify as a witness for the state against their associate(s) or accomplice(s), often in exchange for leniency in sentencing or immunity from prosecution.
“This… I’m just a little minion, but I’ll tell you everything I know!”
“Lu Xu, this is meaningless. Is it really because you’re a pimp that you can sit in a high position at CA Entertainment?” Xing Conglian asked sharply.
Lu Xu’s face suddenly paled. In fact, Xing Conglian never gave him a chance to choose from the very start.
“I took a look at your file. Before you organized a prostitution ring, you were in jail for robbery. You stole a backpack and broke the other party’s camera. If I’m not mistaken, the target of your robbery should be a certain reporter. He gathered some evidence that wasn’t conducive to an artist of CA. As Lu Xu, you have been responsible for dealing with some shady things for CA, right?” Xing Conglian said casually, “So, Mr. Lu, have you ever committed murder?”
Lu Xu was already sweating profusely. Even before Xing Conglian pressed him outside the window, he was still glib after recovering. Now, he couldn’t say a word.
The current scene was like a hunter who had cast his net and, after catching his prey, dragged the net a long distance before finally pointing a gun at the head of the prey. This would catch people off guard, not allowing them to give birth to any idea of resistance.
“You… What do you want?” Finally, Lu Xu asked.
Xing Conglian lit a cigarette and handed it over. “Give me some clues. Mr. Lu, help us nail Li Jingtian. If he doesn’t go to prison, believe me, you will have a very hard time.”
“I… I said I can commit perjury, but you don’t want it…”
“Look, Lu Xu. The biggest difference between people like us and people like Li Jingtian, Mu Zhuo, and even you is that we still have something to fear. You don’t believe there’s a god three feet above your head, but I do, so I don’t dare do unseemly things.”
Lu Xu had lowered his head so low that Lin Chen no longer could see his expression. However, Lin Chen thought that people like Lu Xu probably wouldn’t wake up because of Xing Conglian’s words. He was at most thinking about whether it would be worthwhile to cooperate with Xing Conglian.
But as the unhurried hunter said, Lu Xu actually had no chance to choose.
“You want evidence of Li Jingtian’s rape of Xu Ran, but I really don’t have any. All I can say is that Royal One and CA Entertainment are scarier than you can imagine.” Lu Xu still kept his head lowered. In a rare instance, his voice was actually calm and stern. “But I just heard Officer Lin mention Song Shengsheng. In fact, you’re too late. If you found me nine years ago, maybe you can really recover something. But now, it’s really too late.”
“Tell me, what the hell is going on.”
Lu Xu picked up the cigarette handed to him by Xing Conglian, took a deep puff, and slowly revealed a corner of this monstrous conspiracy.
As Xing Conglian said, nine years ago, Lu Xu was a small-time “fixer” of CA Entertainment. The most he usually did was either discipline disobedient trainees, or attack reporters who target artists under CA Entertainment by putting a dead mouse at their front door*.
*Term used basically means threatening them.
Regarding the real inside story in Song Shengsheng’s case, grunts like him wouldn’t know any details at all. However, at the time, news of Song Shengsheng’s rape case was overwhelming. As a fixer, he felt something odd about the company’s policies. The situation would be different if CA was trying to protect Li Jingtian, but at the time, CA directly gave up the opportunity to control public opinion for Song Shengsheng. They didn’t even get a lawyer for Song Shengsheng and instead promoted Mu Zhuo’s image as a strong and unyielding idol singer.
Looking at the company’s attitude, it seemed they were throwing Song Shengsheng away, like useless garbage. From the incident to the actual sentence, Song Shengsheng never once had the opportunity to defend himself in front of the media.
After disclosing his thoughts on the matter, Lu Xu extinguished the cigarette butt on the lawn. Lin Chen knew that the highlight was coming.
“Then what?” Xing Conglian asked.
“About a week after the crime, the company sent us to go to the crime scene again,” Lu Xu said.
“Sent you guys to do what?”
“I don’t know…” Lu Xu took a deep breath. “At that time, I was mainly responsible for being the lookout. It wasn’t me who did the job.”
“So, were you trying to erase evidence or trying to find something?” Lin Chen asked.
Lu Xu shook his head again. “I really don’t know.”
“Who was the person who did the job?” Xing Conglian asked decisively.
“Lao Quezi, my brother. He’s dead.”
Hearing that the key witness was dead, Xing Conglian didn’t show any frustration. He asked, “Did your brother say anything or take anything when he came out of the crime scene?”
Lu Xu looked at the sky and narrowed his eyes, as if he was trying to recall something.
“My brother brought a big bag at the time. When he came out, the bag was stuffed. It really seemed to contain a lot of things, but he didn’t show it to me.”
“Can you tell what’s in it?”
Lu Xu continued to shake his head. His expression didn’t seem fake.
“All right.” Xing Conglian stood up from the ground. “Then let’s go, Mr. Lu?”
“Xing… Captain Xing…” Lu Xu was at a loss. “Where are we going?”
“Of course, to the crime scene nine years ago.”
……
After listening to Lu Xu’s recount, when they got back in the car, Lin Chen recalled how he felt when he learned that Song Shengsheng was accused of sexually assaulting Mu Zhuo.
His emotions didn’t seem to fluctuate. For onlookers like him, major news happened every day, and sexual assault was just one of them. Compared to other things, Song Shengsheng’s case wasn’t even that important.
But even though the case wasn’t important, news about Song Shengsheng was everywhere at that time. Even those around him who didn’t like to gossip would talk about the progress of Song Shengsheng’s case in their spare time.
Some people with a strong sense of justice would angrily scold Song Shengsheng, calling him a beast and wishing to tear him apart, whereas idlers with a weak sense of justice would talk about the recent explosion, wondering what positions Song Shengsheng held Mu Zhuo in during the assault.
Lin Chen thought the voices of those conversations, discussions, and anger were already detached from him. He thought he should have forgotten what happened at that time, but as they got closer to the truth behind Song Shengsheng’s case, those voices suddenly became clear.
Every sentence was crystal clear.
He even clearly remembered what he himself said: “This rape case is pretty standard, but the social effects caused by it are very interesting.”
Thinking about it now, he was actually no different from every onlooker. They all watched the show and thought they were outsiders. This matter was none of their business, so they could evaluate it arbitrarily without fear.
Being fearless was the scariest thing.
In Song Shengsheng’s case, the only ones who felt heartbroken were probably his fans, and Xu Ran was one of those countless heartbroken fans.
In the materials compiled by Wang Chao, Lin Chen also saw that Song Shengsheng’s fan forum was still in operation, and some people would even check it every day, looking forward to the day when their idol would be released after serving his sentence.
Of course, some of those people, like Xu Ran, hoped their idol would be able to seek justice one day. Though originally this was a hopeless prayer, one day, it became possible due to a series of accidental coincidences.
Lin Chen thought that not everything in the world made sense and that not every thought would have an echo, but it was still good to have faith.
Thinking of the bed full of photos that Xu Ran kept until the end and Song Shengsheng’s unrestrained and indulgent smile, Lin Chen suddenly realized he had read so much information about Song Shengsheng, but he didn’t know where this person was now, so he asked, “How is Song Shengsheng doing now?”
The teenager, who was sitting in the backseat chewing on fruit candy, answered his question. “Song Shengsheng’s sentence got commuted last year, and he was released from prison…”
“Then?”
“Then I don’t know where he is.” Wang Chao shook his head. He typed down a line of text and then turned the screen around. “It’s very strange. There are no records of Song Shengsheng since he left prison. There’s no rental history, taxes haven’t been paid, and there’s been no movement on his bank card. It may be because he feels ashamed of being discovered by others, so he’s choosing to lay low.”
On the screen was a photo of Song Shengsheng, taken when he was released from prison. Looking at that photo, a strange familiar feeling flashed in Lin Chen’s heart.
Compared to the rocker youth who was number one in the world a few years ago, Song Shengsheng, who spent eight years in prison, had no semblance of what he looked like back then. He was as skinny as wood, his face was yellow, and his muscles were thin. The light in his eyes had been extinguished, just like that of a dying old man whose flame would go out from a gust of wind.
Recalling what Wang Chao told him, Lin Chen suspected that this person may no longer be in this world.
But in any case, he hoped he could hold on for another six hours.
……
Lu Xu’s car stopped at the entrance of the high-end residential area and the scene of the sexual assault case: Song Shengsheng’s home.
According to Wang Chao, Song Shengsheng’s parents died, and his property remained in his name and had never changed ownership. In other words, although nine years had passed, the crime scene was likely to remain the same as it was after Lu Xu’s brother’s raid.
Unless, Song Shengsheng came back here after he was released from prison.
Xing Conglian took measures to pick the lock. Lin Chen opened the door with some small hope. Sure enough, not all hopes came true. Song Shengsheng had indeed never returned.
After the door of the room opened, there was a stale and decaying smell. The air was dirty and musty.
Song Shengsheng’s home was covered in dust. Every time he stepped, it seemed to splash dust and smoke, making it difficult to breathe.
As soon as Wang Chao entered the door, he couldn’t help but rush to the window and open it as wide as it could go. The sunlight outside suddenly penetrated the house, basking the entire living room in a layer of bright light.
Facing the oncoming light, Lin Chen walked to the window and looked around the living room.
The living environment best reflected a person’s personality.
Despite the furnishings in Song Shengsheng’s home being searched by the police—the utensils were crumbling, the furniture was in disarray, and there were fluorescent labels on the walls and ground, which were probably reminders to collect fingerprints and footprints—after these traces were wiped away, Song Shengsheng’s home wasn’t as messy as it seemed on the surface.
This didn’t look like a home that belonged to a rocker.
The floor was the color of wood, and there weren’t many dark decorations or ironwork in the living room. There wasn’t any graffiti on the walls, and the furnishings were soft and low-key. There was a guitar in the corner and thick stacks of DVDs next to the TV. Lin Chen walked over, ignoring the fact the DVDs were scattered all over the floor, and took a rough look at the DVDs, finding that most of them were cartoons or science fiction movies. Song Shengsheng was probably a person who didn’t have many requirements in life.
For example, he would choose to use the photo wall as a background decoration for the sofa rather than an exotic painting that fringe artists like or how his DVDs were stacked randomly. Lin Chen didn’t find any TV cabinet, or a storage case dedicated to storing them.
Looking at everything in front of him, Lin Chen could imagine how Song Shengsheng casually took off his coat after returning home, went to the refrigerator with bare feet to get a bottle of beer, and then sat in front of the TV and casually flipped through cartoons.
He didn’t care too much about the stigma of watching cartoons as an adult. He was willing to watch the things he liked dozens of times and never grow bored of them.
Lin Chen took out a DVD that looked quite old from the box and turned the disc over. There were many deep and shallow scratches on the back of it.
This seemed to be a film that Song Shengsheng loved.
He didn’t hear the conversation between Otowa and Fujikawa. The reason he stopped was because he found himself in a mirrored space. With every step he took, he would enter a new mirrored space. These spaces were covered one by one and were endless. He would eventually be trapped in the deepest part of the space and could no longer break free of the enchantment.
“Li Ying, where are you?” he asked.
“I’m here!” Each of Li Ying’s mirror images replied, with countless identical voices stacked on each other, just like many people speaking at the same time.
Each Li Ying wasn’t far from Long Shen, but Long Shen could never reach them. The distance between the space didn’t look far to the naked eye, but in actuality it was infinitely far away, just like the stars seen by people on earth seemed to be the same distance as the sun and moon, but in fact they were hundreds of millions of light years away.
“Where’s Ding Lan?” Long Shen asked.
He had already asked this question before and now he asked it again.
“Ding Ge is dead!”
“Dead!”
“Dead!”
Countless voices sounded again. Long Shen quickly turned around. His sharp gaze swept across dozens and hundreds of “Li Ying”, as if to observe their expressions and discern authenticity from them.
On the other side of the mirror, Otowa seemed to see through his intentions and couldn’t help smiling.
“Director Long, do you think you’re a god? Can you really tell the difference between so many Li Ying? What if they’re all fake?”
“Then I’ll kill,” Long Shen replied coldly. The sword light in his hand suddenly brightened as it divided into several directions and flew towards each mirror image. Its target was directly at all the Li Yings!
Wherever the sword light went, the mirror images would shatter one after another. Fragments fell all around him. After it fragmented, everything seemed to return to reality, but Li Ying disappeared and was replaced by Wu Bingtian.
The other party was struggling forward in a sea of blood and skeletons. He was using a whip to knock away the surging monsters, but those monsters would resurrect once they fell into the sea of blood. They seemed to be unkillable. Wu Bingtian’s face was pale, and there were already many wounds on his body. His neck had been scratched by monsters, and blood was slowly oozing out.
Though Wu Bingtian aimed for higher prestige, it didn’t mean he only knew how to flatter others. All officials below the Director of the Special Administration Bureau earned their positions through real skills and experience. If Wu Bingtian only knew how to suck up to his superiors all day long, even if he had the status of a master of Mount Maoshen, he wouldn’t be able to gain the support of others. His ability was demonstrated by his appointment as a deputy director alongside Long Shen and Song Zhicun.
As for how strong he was, newcomers like Dong Zhi may not know much, but Long Shen once explored the remains of a shipwreck under the Yangtze River with him. At that time, Wu Bingtian was able to hold his breath and stay underwater for nearly an hour without any diving equipment and even defeat a water demon. But now, this strong Wu Bingtian was trapped in a sea of blood. His hands and feet were entangled with demonic qi, showing a desperate situation where he had almost exhausted all his strength and was unable to move. He was facing a life-threatening crisis before his eyes as countless demonic qi rushed towards him.
When he turned his head and saw Long Shen, he couldn’t help being overjoyed and urgently cried out, “Help me, Long Shen!”
Long Shen stared at him.
Seeing that he wasn’t moving, Wu Bingtian became shocked and angry. “Long Shen, help me!”
Long Shen finally moved. The sword of light shot out from his hand and straight into Wu Bingtian.
Wu Bingtian watched in shock as the sword light got closer and closer, until it finally overwhelmed him with its light.
The light covered the sea of blood, causing the demonic qi to wail as it disappeared. Even Wu Bingtian vanished as well into the white light.
Otowa said in surprise, “Director Long, I didn’t think your heart would be so cruel that you could kill your own companions. Sure enough, you don’t have such cumbersome and useless feelings like ordinary people, right?”
Long Shen didn’t answer. He stood quietly, waiting for the white light to spread out and swallow up the sea of blood.
Otowa didn’t care if he answered or not and continued to ask, “Director Long, I also have a spirit weapon, which was transformed from the Gold and Silver Pingwen Zither. However, he actually fell in love with the enemy and, in the end, didn’t hesitate to destroy himself. Shouldn’t all artifacts be as cold-blooded and ruthless as you?”
On the edge of the burning white light, the sea of blood disappeared little by little, and then another scene beneath it was revealed.
An isolated island surrounded by the sea.
The trees were all tall and gloomy, and the bottoms of them were covered with moss.
Someone came flying from a distance. The figure was blurry and small, but Long Shen recognized it at a glance. It was Dong Zhi.
Dong Zhi was running fast. It was obvious something was chasing him from behind.
He was holding his Changshou Sword, and his face was stained with blood. Perhaps he had just escaped from a fierce battle.
“Master!” When the other party saw Long Shen from a distance, after a moment of surprise, he ran towards him.
There was a familiar light in the delicate eyes. Even if he didn’t look at them, Long Shen could still picture those eyes smiling in his mind; they were curved and the eyebrows were softened.
Long Shen liked seeing those smiling eyes, as if they could illuminate the world and be carefree.
However, it didn’t mean he was heartless or blindly optimistic. Dong Zhi just treated life with an optimistic attitude, including the people and events in his life. He was like a small sun. Although he was consciously ordinary, he always radiated warmth.
Warming others, warming Long Shen.
“Master!”
At the moment Long Shen blinked, Dong Zhi let out a scream.
A huge figure descended from the sky, pressing Dong Zhi to the ground.
It was a monster with eagle wings and claws. It had the body and face of a woman. Its long hair covered half of its face, but it was as wild and rough as withered grass. The long claws of the monsters pierced into Dong Zhi’s shoulders. Blood splashed out suddenly, and even a few drops splashed on Long Shen’s face, leaving a sweet and warm feeling on his skin.
“Master!”
As Dong Zhi fell to the ground in exhaustion, he dropped the Changshou Sword. He raised his slender neck sadly, not understanding why his master, who was nearby, didn’t help and just kept watching him being eaten alive by a monster.
Long Shen looked into Dong Zhi’s shocked eyes, and the expression in his previous memory had changed to disbelief at this moment. The other party even stretched out his wounded hand, as if he wanted to grab onto his clothes.
“Master…”
Long Shen felt a tug in his heart. Before he realized it, his hand had already stretched out.
But at this moment, a sudden change occurred, and all the sorrow in Dong Zhi’s eyes suddenly turned into a weird smile. The other party took advantage of the situation and grabbed Long Shen’s hand and dragged it in his direction!
Long Shen wanted to break free, but he couldn’t. The surrounding scenery changed again!
Otowa laughed. “It turns out that Director Long’s weakness is his apprentice!”
Following his voice, a white mist surged from an unknown place. Black monsters moved with the mist, shuttling around it as they whistled and howled endlessly.
Long Shen’s fingers moved slightly. His entire body was suddenly covered by sword light, isolating all the demonic qi. However, the demonic qi surged and quickly gathered, suppressing the sword light. The sword light was suffocating, struggling in a difficult battle with the demonic qi; the two sides were in a deadlock.
Fujikawa couldn’t help but say, “Lord Otowa, do you need me to take this opportunity to take him out?”
Otowa said lightly, “The demonic qi can’t harm him for the time being.”
Fujikawa was surprised.
From his viewpoint, Long Shen had broken through the mirror trap just now and immediately got caught in another one. Now that he had lost his opportunity, it would be difficult for Long Shen to win.
But just as Otowa’s voice fell, the sword light around Long Shen suddenly exploded!
The extreme light was dazzling, and even the reflection from the mirror was blinding. Fujikawa subconsciously tilted his head and raised his hand to cover his eyes.
“Huh?” Even Otowa couldn’t help uttering a meaningless cry, seemingly confused.
Long Shen’s voice came from the mirror.
“So you’re here.”
His tone was slow, as if he was pausing after every word. The volume of his voice wasn’t loud, but Otowa’s face changed slightly.
Fujikawa turned his head and saw the mirror was slowly cracking.
“Lord Otowa!” He couldn’t help shouting.
With a crack, the mirror completely shattered!
Otowa was originally sitting cross-legged, but he straightened his body, showing an unusual loss of composure.
“He found our location!” Fujikawa looked pale. He didn’t expect this ancient mirror to be vulnerable.
“No, he didn’t.”
Otowa calmed down, but his face was still a little gloomy. “He’s using spiritual speech.”
Fujikawa was startled.
The art of spiritual speech, as the name suggested, was a technique that attached to syllables and the attack is achieved through language.
This kind of technique had been shown in many works in Japan, but in fact, there were few people who could be proficient in it. It was rumored that this was something taught by the Great Amaterasu. Until now, as far as Fujikawa was aware, almost no one in Japan could master it. Even if they dabbled slightly, they could only use a few syllables at most.
But Long Shen’s spiritual speech skills had reached the state of “beyond practice*”.
*(言出必践) It’s an idiom referring to “words must be followed by actions” or “promises must be kept”. It’s often used to describe someone who always follows through on their words. || In this context, it has a double meaning. First, referring to that Long Shen has practiced spiritual speech to the point of mastery, and second, in the literal sense that his words are used as an attack.
The most important thing was that the mirror was broken, and they didn’t have a way to detect Long Shen’s movements.
Seeing Otowa’s gloomy expression, Fujikawa took a deep breath. He thought about this in his heart, but he didn’t dare say it.
On Wu Bingtian’s side, he wasn’t as miserable as the illusion Long Shen saw in the mirror, but his situation couldn’t be considered all that great either.
He was trapped in an enchantment of a sea of blood and skeletons, fighting against many monsters. His dragon bone whip was wrapped around the neck of a monster. With a tug and twist, the monster wailed and scattered, but immediately, more demons swept in from all directions, like an endless tide. Looking around, all he could see was blood red, an ocean of dead bones and blood, and countless demonic qi that covered the sky and turned dark clouds into blood clouds.
No matter how powerful Wu Bingtian was, in the end, he was just one person. There would come a point where he would be exhausted. Now that Otowa had turned into a demon, his demonic qi would naturally flow continuously and inexhaustibly. Unless Wu Bingtian could find the key to breaking the enchantment, he could be trapped here forever and be exhausted to death.
While his hand was holding the whip and his steps were still steady, on careful observation, his breathing was slightly faster than before.
There were two ancient mirrors in front of Otowa. Although Long Shen’s side was broken, there was still Wu Bingtian’s side.
As soon as Wu Bingtian’s breath changed, Otowa immediately looked over.
“It seems that Director Wu is still slightly inferior to Director Long.”
His voice overlapped and spread into the enchantment where Wu Bingtian was.
The words were like edicts, instantly turning into demonic voices and causing countless waves of demonic qi to surge. The sneaky Yaksha and skeleton soldiers transformed by the demonic qi rose from the sea of blood and attacked Wu Bingtian like an army. One wave fell and another surged up. Wu Bingtian stood alone in the same spot, unable to move. If any of the demonic qi got to him, it would corrupt his sanity and cause him to fall into defeat.
Hearing Otowa’s words, Wu Bingtian sneered. “If you have the ability, come and try it!”
Naturally, Otowa wouldn’t fall for such provocation. He was just happy to watch Wu Bingtian, trapped like a beast, struggling to deal with those monsters that couldn’t be killed. Compared to the calm on Long Shen’s side, it was much more interesting watching Wu Bingtian’s side.
Fujikawa Aoi whispered, “Your Excellency, there’s another person among the first group of people who came that hasn’t been found.”
Otowa said lightly, “Don’t worry about him. At most, he’s just hiding somewhere. When Long Shen and Wu Bingtian are about to die, he’ll naturally jump out to help and we’ll clean them all up at the same time.”
Fujikawa Aoi responded respectfully, lowering his head slightly, “Then Kitaichi…”
Otowa glanced at him. “Are you sure you want to restore your female disciple?”
Fujikawa lowered his body and prostrated. “Kitaichi was raised by me since she was a child. She’s no different from my daughter. She’s talented and intelligent. If she can be properly trained, she will definitely be the number one onmyoji in Japan in the future. I hate that she has been injured by the Chinese and is now bedridden. Please, for the sake of my loyal service to you, save her life!”
Otowa: “There’s only one way for me to save her, and that is to infuse her with demonic qi, turning her into a half-demon.”
Fujikawa trembled slightly and was silent for a long time. Still, resolute with his original intention, he said, “As long as she can wake up and regain her sanity, I will not hesitate.”
Otowa suddenly showed a weird smile, but the smile was fleeting. Fujikawa had his head lowered and didn’t notice it.
“Okay then, take this box to her. As long as she absorbs the magic qi inside, those old wounds will soon heal.”
Fujikawa was overjoyed. “Thank you, Your Excellency. I can’t thank you enough!”
With Otowa’s permission, he couldn’t wait to get up and leave. He walked out on crutches, passed through the corridor, came to an inconspicuous hut, and pushed the door in.
Kitaichi Eiko, the talented girl who made a stunning appearance on Changbai Mountain but was eventually seriously injured when she returned, was lying quietly inside. She seemed to be asleep, and her life was uncertain.
Since returning to Japan, Kitaichi, who had been severely injured, had been coughing up blood from time to time. Even her two shikigamis failed and dissipated. Not to mention her abilities as an onmyoji, she had difficulties just getting up and walking. Fujikawa tried his best but was helpless. Later, he went to Yinchuan to destroy the stone tablet in order to ask Otowa to save Kitaichi, but he didn’t expect that even he would almost die there in the end.
He wanted to save this disciple with all his heart, not only because of the bond between a father and daughter, but also because Kitaichi was the best of all his disciples. If there was no accident, Kitaichi would inherit his legacy and carry it on. This meant that his legacy would not decline and the name Fujikawa would be passed down forever.
Fujikawa knew very well that he himself was already the lingering sun after autumn*. His other disciples had fought against the Special Administration Bureau, and they were either dead or injured. Their talents and abilities weren’t as good as Kitaichi’s, so the only hope for his legacy lay solely with this female disciple.
*(秋后残阳) Metaphor referring to the end of something. || In this context, it means he knows his peak is almost over and someone else has to take over.
After getting the box from Otowa, Fujikawa was excited. He carried it in his arms all the way to Kitaichi.
He pushed the boy serving the decoction away and carefully took out the box. He put the box under Kitaichi’s nose according to Otowa’s instructions and then opened it.
Black air diffused out of the box, soon following Kitaichi’s breathing and jumping into her nasal cavity.
Otowa was now a demon. Fujikawa witnessed such power with his own eyes. Even Long Shen, who he couldn’t beat before, was trapped in an enchantment, unable to move an inch. If Kitaichi became a real demon, her strength was bound to become stronger than before, and the status of the Fujikawa school would continue to be stable as a rock.
Fujikawa stared at Kitaichi nervously, feeling a hint of anticipation.
When all the magic qi was absorbed by the girl, the black qi slowly flowed through her entire body along the veins on the surface of her skin. Her once fair complexion turned greenish-black at a visible speed, and the black qi slowly flowed under her skin, being absorbed by her body. Her skin gradually regained its fair complexion and was even whiter than before.
Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and the girl finally opened her eyes.
“Eiko!” Fujikawa couldn’t help but cry out. He looked at his proud disciple expectantly. “How do you feel?”
The girl looked dazed and struggled to get up from the couch.
“…Master?”
Fujikawa: “It’s me. Are you uncomfortable? Do you feel the strength in your body has further increased?”
Kitaichi looked down at her palms. It was soft and white, with delicate fingers. Everything seemed to be the same as before she fell ill, but it also seemed to change a lot.
Her body no longer felt sore and weak, her internal organs and limbs no longer ached, and there was a surging power in her body. These forces were all gathered in one place, all of which were sending her a message.
“I’m hungry.”
Fujikawa was taken aback.
“I’ll let someone make you something to eat. You can take a good rest.”
After all, he was a little softhearted. He didn’t treat the girl in front of him as harshly as he did his other disciples. He raised his hand and tucked back the scattered bangs on the girl’s head behind her ears and was about to call for someone.
But when he suddenly turned around, he felt a pain in his back.
The severe pain came from his back, as if his flesh, bone, and blood had been cut open, and then the pain pierced his heart.
Fujikawa lowered his head.
There was a dent in his chest, and a hand pierced through his back, pulling out his heart. Blood gushed from his back, staining his entire back red as it flowed to the ground, seeping into the tatami.
Then there was a chewing sound behind him. Fujikawa turned his head slowly.
“Eiko…”
Kitaichi Eiko took another bite and ate the hot heart with relish. The heart that was still beating seemed to be a delicacy in her mouth. There was a look of contentment on her beautiful face. She didn’t bother to look up at Fujikawa, as if she was afraid he would steal her food from her, and continued to eat the heart until it was completely devoured.
She even stuck out her tongue and licked away the blood on her hands, little by little, even digging it into her nails. The pink tongue and the white fingertips formed an almost erotic ambiguity, but the room was deadly silent, and no one could appreciate such a scene.
“Master, your heart is delicious.”
Kitaichi finally licked her fingers clean. She raised her head and showed a bright and satisfied smile to Fujikawa.
With a thud, Fujikawa fell to the ground with eyes wide open, still filled with unbelievable shock and fear.
Kitaichi stretched out her fingers and dipped them in a bit of blood that was still flowing from her master’s wound. She put it in her mouth, puckered her lips, and seemed to feel that the taste wasn’t as good as before, so she didn’t go back for more. She slowly stood up. Her figure was delicate and weak, as if she were a little girl who had been bedridden for a long time, looking harmless and gentle. She looked around in confusion. After a while, she leaned against the wall and walked out, step by step.
Fujikawa laid on the ground and remained still, never moving again.
A few minutes later, one of the walls twisted and shook, and a person appeared in the room.
A young man walked towards Fujikawa, squatted down, and looked at him for a moment, then shook his head and said with a sigh, “Being killed by your most beloved disciple like this is considered karma.”
“I think this retribution is quite cheap for him.”
“Who!” Suddenly hearing a second voice, Yu Buhui instinctively looked towards the source of the sound, and a sword appeared in his hand.
“You haven’t seen me in a while that you can’t even recognize the voice of an old acquaintance?”
Another person “walked” out of another wall. It was Tang Jing who had followed Wu Bingtian and Long Shen.
After Tang Jing separated from Director Long and Wu in Tokyo, he went to Kyoto for a few days before coming to Atsuta Shrine to apply for a job.
The shrine recruited part-time mikos every year to help sell goods and attract customers during the tourist season. Tang Jing’s female attire and fluent Japanese were naturally quickly approved, but this kind of part-time status was limited, and generally he wouldn’t be able to enter forbidden areas of the shrine. Tang Jing used his identity to confuse a priest and asked him to reserve a place for him to help bring in offerings—the shrine would send people in regularly to bring in some melons and fruits every once in a while.
According to rumors, every time the mikos who were assigned to do this job would occasionally leave without returning. It was said that they were favored by the master here and were recruited to stay so they could train to reach a higher level, but there was also another rumor that this mysterious person liked to eat people’s hearts. Most likely, those mikos who have gone and never returned probably met misfortune.
Tang Jing knew that the latter rumor was the truth, but this didn’t prevent him from pretending to yearn for mystery and adore power, so he took the initiative to recommend himself to the priest. The other party might have known some inside information, as he hinted to Tang Jing not to be stupid, but Tang Jing acted perfectly like a high school girl and insisted on coming in and delivering the offerings. The priest had no choice but to agree.
So, while everyone else snuck in secretly, only Tang Jing came in openly.
After he came in, he didn’t dare go to the core area rashly. He first investigated the surrounding layout and ended up bumping into Yu Buhui.
Seeing him, Yu Buhui said in surprise, “You’re here too?”
Tang Jing nodded. “There’s also Boss Long and Boss Wu.”
Yu Buhui: “Ding Lan is dead.”
Tang Jing: “We expected it. His soul lamp was extinguished. Where’s Li Ying?”
Yu Buhui: “He should still be alive, but I don’t know where he is. The three of us also came in separately. The two of them joined up. Ding Lan blocked a fatal blow with his body to save Li Ying. If I had shown up, there would be only another body count.”
Tang Jing sighed. “You made a wise choice.”
Yu Buhui was silent for a moment. “But I have always regretted it. If I had come out at that time, I still had a certain chance to save them, but now I have completely lost that chance.”
Tang Jing patted him on the shoulder. “No, aren’t we here?”
Yu Buhui: “Otowa is an immortal who has already turned into a demon. He also has Kusanagi no Tsurugi to protect him, which makes things even more difficult to deal with.”
Tang Jing: “Even if we all die together, it doesn’t matter. Since we’re already here, what’s there to fear!”
Yu Buhui: “I heard your little lover is also here.”
Tang Jing smiled bitterly. “Maybe when we meet, the first person he wants to kill is me.”
Yu Buhui: “What are the arrangements from Boss Long?”
After Li Ying was captured, Yu Buhui had been lurking here.
This was the safest place outside the core enchantment and was still within Otowa’s territory. It was difficult for him to save people and kill Otowa alone. If he tried to save Li Ying and couldn’t kill Otowa, it would make Otowa more vigilant, which would make things more difficult if they were to infiltrate again, so he could only choose to wait and hope the Special Administration Bureau would send more people over.
“There are no arrangements. I’ll see how things go after I get in,” Tang Jing said while shrugging.
Yu Buhui was speechless. How can you be so casual?
However, he also knew that the situation here was complicated. Before he and Ding Lan came in, they didn’t have a careful plan, but when they entered, all their plans wouldn’t have worked anyway. Indeed, they could only act in accordance with what unfolded.
“Are you still chasing that little girl?” he asked.
Tang Jing chuckled. “When she went out just now, I’d already placed a tracking spell on her. It was given to me by Lao Wu. If it’s not authentic, I’ll demand compensation tenfold, and if it’s faulty, I’ll demand triple the compensation! After all, it’s from Yuanming Palace in Qingcheng Mountain.”
As soon as he finished speaking, his expression changed slightly.
“There are fluctuations in the enchantment. She seems to be moving. Let’s go and take a look!”
……
Under Yoshida’s farewell, Dong Zhi and the others took a speedboat to Full Moon Island.
This was an island that looked like a full moon from the sky; thus, it was named as such. Despite its romantic name, it didn’t reflect the dangers on the island. After their experience on Diana Island, everyone was cautious about the new island and never thought it would be easier or safer than before.
After they officially set foot on Full Moon Island, they were stunned by the scene in front of them.
Yellow sand, desert, endless.
It was hard to imagine that there would be such an island that was surrounded by the sea.
Compared with the wet and cold of Diana Island, although it was equally cold here, it was obviously much drier. The topography and climate were also different from Diana Island. The only thing in common was that the entire island was also covered in white mist, which made it difficult to tell whether it was day or night.
What appeared in front of them was a fortress made of loess in the distance.
Li Han’er snorted. “Why is the terrain and environment here completely different from Diana Island? Is it because of the mist?”
Dong Zhi said, “I guess this should be a man-made island.”
“Who would create this earthen city?” Zhang Song looked around.
It was truly appropriate to call the fortress an earthen city based on how it looked.
From a distance, those khaki-yellow buildings were short and flat, but they were like an unfinished earthen city piled up with only walls and no buildings.
“Americans, Norse, Africans,” Liu Si replied.
Liu Qingbo looked back at the seaside; beside their own speedboat, there was another one tied there.
“One of these three teams should have also landed here.”
They were on Zombie Island—ah, rather—Diana Island a few days ago, while the other teams were on different islands. They weren’t sure if whichever team was on this island had gained any valuable information. “It would be great if we could meet a team. At least we’ll know if they got anything from this island.”
If not, they could just turn around and go to the next island immediately.
“Didn’t the Americans give you a cellphone?” Liu Qingbo looked at Dong Zhi.
“Let me ask.”
Coincidentally, as soon as Dong Zhi picked up the phone, he heard the sound of a speedboat engine disturbing the waves from a distance on the other side of the foggy sea.
Everyone turned their heads, and after a while, a speedboat passed through the fog and entered their view.
There was a person standing at the front. Seeing Dong Zhi, his eyes lit up, and he waved vigorously. “Dong! Dong!”
Dong Zhi: “…Am I hallucinating?”
Liu Qingbo pursed his lips. “You’re not seeing things. It’s really the Americans.”
In traditional folklore, there was face reading, and in psychology, there have been studies on first impressions.
Psychologists often say that the first impression of someone would determine the direction of your subsequent interactions, and the influence of this first impression was often greater than subsequent impressions.
For example, when he first met Xing Conglian, Lin Chen’s first impression was that he was really a good-looking and interesting person. Then, when he saw Mu Zhuo, his first impression was that he was a very simple person.
Mu Zhuo had short blond hair, big eyes, and a dimple on his left cheek. Like many rock and roll youths, he wore a lot of strange metal accessories and had sporadic tattoos on his body and arms, but he was still a simple person.
This was reflected in his eyes, and it was also reflected in his messy dressing table. His keys, phone, and wallet were just thrown casually everywhere. Magazines and snacks were spread all over the table, and there were even half-eaten potato chips under the magazines.
It was natural to use the simplest method to deal with simple people.
Lin Chen said bluntly, “The rape case of your former band member Li Jingtian is very suspicious. We suspect that the person who sexually assaulted you wasn’t Song Shengsheng but Mr. Li Jingtian, so now we need you to cooperate with our investigation.”
He spoke in a very businesslike manner, which only made Mu Zhuo’s reaction more typical.
The expression of the young rocker changed drastically. He jumped off the dressing table, grabbed Lin Chen by the collar, and violently shoved him to the wall.
With a loud crash, Lin Chen felt as if his internal organs were about to be displaced.
“Are you kidding me?! You don’t know what I’ve been through!” Mu Zhuo roared in his ears.
Xing Conglian was about to step forward and pull Mu Zhuo away, but Lin Chen slightly shook his head at him.
Being scolded by the victim was a novel experience. Lin Chen carefully observed Mu Zhuo’s face, analyzing every trace of Mu Zhuo’s emotional reaction as he spoke.
He said, “Of course I don’t know what you’ve been through, but you should know it well.” He spoke calmly. “At that time, Song Shengsheng was convicted because the key evidence was male semen fluid that remained in your body, but what I find strange is that there was also lubricating fluid from a condom also detected in the semen. The question is, since Song Shengsheng used a condom, how could it be that you have his semen inside your body?”
Mu Zhuo was taken aback when he heard this. His eyes then flushed like those of an angry little lion. Lin Chen suspected that his crazy roar could be heard in the corridor outside the dressing room. “Are you trying to humiliate me?”
As Mu Zhuo spoke, he clenched his fists tightly.
Before Mu Zhuo could swing, Lin Chen kindly reminded him, “If you hit a police officer, you are suspected of obstructing justice, and you will be detained for not more than 15 days or fined.”
The fist brushed past Lin Chen’s ears and hit the wall beside him. Lin Chen could clearly hear the crisp sound of bones colliding with the wall.
Mu Zhuo said, “Nine years have passed, and I have finally moved on. Why are you trying to force me? Why!” After Mu Zhuo roared, his voice gradually lowered. “Whether it’s A’Tien or me, we’re both victims. Why should we victims be treated like suspects by the police? Is this what you call impartial law enforcement?”
Mu Zhuo finally backed away as tears flowed down his face. Seeing this, the manager raised her phone angrily. “Even if you’re the police, get out, get out! If you don’t get out of here, I’ll post this on Weibo and expose you!”
They didn’t know when it had started but public opinion had become a means of pressure or game. However, Lin Chen didn’t pay attention to her threats. He looked at Mu Zhuo’s face and felt sad.
In fact, before walking into the dressing room, he had also guessed what the stories of Mu Zhuo, Li Jingtian, and Song Shengsheng would be like. Perhaps Mu Zhuo was really a victim, and he misidentified Song Shengsheng because of some misunderstanding, but now Mu Zhuo’s reaction has told him that the real victim in this case should be the man who has been imprisoned for nine years now.
Sometimes real stories were bizarre. Some people who were murdered couldn’t get justice, while others who were innocent went to jail.
Lin Chen didn’t even know how this story would end.
Mu Zhuo’s voice was still echoing in his ears. His eyes were full of anger and timidity.
Lin Chen took a steady breath and said to Mu Zhuo, “You must know that the reason why I dare say these things in front of you means that I’m confident. No matter what, no matter how much time has passed, the truth will eventually come to light.”
After he finished speaking, he patted Mu Zhuo on the shoulder, then turned around and left. Xing Conglian shrugged and exited with him, while Lu Xu stayed inside to deal with the aftermath.
After leaving, Xing Conglian was by his side. They silently walked through the long passageway backstage, and only after they reached the sunlight did Xing Conglian speak. “There seems to be something wrong with Mu Zhuo’s reaction.”
Lin Chen took a deep breath. “His emotional reaction is too exaggerated. The acting is terrible, and he actually showed a guilty expression when he was angry. If Li Jingtian really has any loopholes, it must be Mu Zhuo.” Xing Conglian recalled how Lin Chen wasn’t an expert at micro-expression recognition but could still detect Mu Zhuo’s false emotional reactions just now.
When a rape victim’s victimization experience was brought up to them, their first reaction would often be shame and guilt, rather than anger.
The shame of being sexually assaulted was also the reason why victims often choose not to report the crime. Even a large proportion of victims would blame themselves after being treated inhumanely. They may be angry, but that anger came from shame, not from “Why don’t you sympathize with me”, like Mu Zhuo’s.
“So, Song Shengsheng’s rape case…”
“Although I don’t know what happened back then, I think it should be an injustice.” Thinking of the big star who was once wanton and unrestrained, he didn’t know what has become of Song Shengsheng in these past nine years.
“If Li Jingtian and Mu Zhuo jointly designed Song Shengsheng, why did Xu Ran’s letter say that Song Shengsheng took the blame for Li Jingtian’s crime? Have you ever thought about this question?”
“It’s been too long, so it’s hard to sort out the clues. Now we can only rely on Mr. Mu Zhuo to help us.” Lin Chen shook his head.
“Speaking of which, you lied hard to Mu Zhuo just now. You actually said you have confidence, meaning you have evidence?”
Lin Chen curled his lips. “This is a gamble. Although Li Jingtian cleaned up the evidence in Xu Ran’s case cleanly, letting us hit dead ends wherever we turn, for a rapist like him, it’s impossible he was this meticulous since birth. The earlier the time, the greater the possibility of him making mistakes.”
What he was betting on was that Mu Zhuo had a simple mind and would nervously call Li Jingtian and confirm something under blackmail.
Thinking of this, Lin Chen raised his head and asked Xing Conglian, “Did you install the bug?”
Xing Conglian gave him an OK gesture, but his tone was a little worried. “But the location isn’t good. If Mu Zhuo doesn’t choose to make the call in his dressing room, we won’t be able to monitor it.”
“Didn’t you notice something?”
“What?”
“Mu Zhuo is a very, lazy, person and simple-minded.” It was rare for Lin Chen to sneer. “As a lazy man, how can he leave a place that makes him feel safe and go to a strange place to make a very insecure call?”
“Consultant Lin…” Xing Conglian suddenly said.
“Hm?”
“I found that you’re quite good at calculating people.”
“As are you.”
……
Wang Chao had already set up the listening platform on the grass. The sun was shining brightly, and there was still laughter all around.
When they walked over, the teenager raised his head and said in a serious tone, “Captain, A’Chen, you guys should think carefully. This is unapproved surveillance. No matter what you hear next, it’s inadmissible to the courts as evidence. That is to say, even if you hear Mu Zhuo confide in Li Jingtian the truth about the events of that year, it will have no legal effects. You have to think clearly on this.”
The answer to Wang Chao’s warning was a rhetorical question from Xing Conglian, “What time is it?”
“9:40,” Wang Chao replied.
9:40, which meant their 6-hour time limit was getting closer.
“Then let’s get started.”
Xing Conglian sat down crossed legged and took one of the wireless headsets. Lin Chen sat next to him and picked up the other.
According to his prediction, a simple and impulsive person like Mu Zhuo, after learning that things might have been exposed back then, would certainly be eager to call those in the know to confirm things. Such an interval didn’t even exceed 10 minutes.
Through the monitoring, Lin Chen heard Mu Zhuo impatiently dealing with Lu Xu’s appeasement. He no longer had the previous humility and courtesy but exposed his irritable nature.
Mu Zhuo cursed at Lu Xu, then told the fat man to get out.
Xing Conglian’s bug worked well. He could even hear Lu Xu muttering “bitch” in a low voice after being reprimanded by Mu Zhuo.
In short, the dressing room had gone through a period of turmoil.
Afterwards, when Lu Xu slammed the door and went out, Mu Zhuo’s manager started cursing again.
Ms. Agent first called the upper management of the company to report the situation and said that she hoped the PR department would make a stink of it, but this wasn’t their goal. Although they couldn’t see the situation in the room, with the sound of a chair being thrown, Lin Chen probably guessed Mu Zhuo was venting his anger. After venting, fear would prevail, and Mu Zhuo would start to worry.
After the manager finished making her call, Mu Zhuo impatiently dropped something that sounded like a water bottle, which seemed to stop the manager.
“Get out and leave me alone!”
Mu Zhuo’s acting skills were really bad, to the point that he would use the most old-fashioned rhetoric to send people away.
When his manager wanted to say something more, Mu Zhuo yelled at the other party, “Get out!”
The sounds of footsteps and the door opening and closing followed, indicating the manager had left the room.
The background became quiet all of a sudden.
Mu Zhuo circled the room, seemingly waiting and thinking, and finally, he went to the dressing table, rifled through the messy pile of things, and picked something up.
The sound of buttons being pressed sounded.
Lin Chen felt Xing Conglian glancing at him, as if saying, “Here comes the main attraction.”
After a period of blankness, Mu Zhuo’s anxious voice sounded again. “Hey, don’t hang up. Listen to me!”
Since it wasn’t a phone bug, they didn’t know who the person on the other end of Mu Zhuo’s call was or what he was saying, but what they could infer was that the person on the other line wanted to hang up the moment the call was connected.
Mu Zhuo whispered. “The police just came to me just now and asked me about Song Shengsheng’s case. Didn’t you fucking say you cleaned it up? Why are the police coming to ask me this?”
The person on the other end seemed to say something that made Mu Zhuo choke. Suddenly, he raised his voice. “I’m stupid? It’s my fault? Who told you not to control your lower half and make such a thing happen, you stupid rapist? What kind of woman do you want? Why are you recruiting prostitutes, you fucking dick!”
Kinky Thoughts:
This is an extremely heavy subject, but to expand on the psychology aspect of this chapter, studies show that the most common effect of rape victims is self-blame, and with this comes shame and guilt.
There are two main types of self-blame: behavioral self-blame and characterological self-blame. Those who experience behavioral self-blame feel they should have done something differently, and therefore feel at fault. Those who experience characterological self-blame feel there’s something inherently wrong with them, which has caused them to deserve to be assaulted.
There are also many reasons why a rape victim doesn’t come forward, including sociological impact (negative views about them because of what happened to them), victim blaming, and not being believed or taken seriously, among myriad of other reasons.
The effects and aftermath of rape differ among victims, and many develop coping mechanisms that either benefit them, such as social support, or inhibit their recovery. It is best to seek support and professional resources (like counseling) to assist in recovery.
Kinky Translations 