Chapter 10 – The Specter of the Water
When Luo Hengyan opens his eyes again, he suddenly finds himself…sitting in the middle of a forest.
How is this possible?
He was clearly just lying on the bed!
Then a danger sign is generated in his mind. Can…Can it be…
He immediately climbs to his feet and stands up. The dense forest is filled with endless darkness, as though a monster might appear from the inky darkness at any time.
At this instant, he feels very cold. But he dares not move an inch.
After all, the time he has been living in the apartment is too short for him to have much experience. At this moment, he is completely clueless as to how to handle this situation. But still, he does not understand: Why was he the one who was chosen?
There should not be any reason!
Just then, he suddenly hears a voice resounding from behind him, “You… Aren’t you that person from the city?”
Turning around, he sees that the person speaking is surprisingly, Liang Renbin.
There is not only him. Song Tian, Ge Ling and Hong Wu are also following him.
“You guys…” Then, Hengyan understands something. “Can you guys also be…”
“We ended up here mysteriously when we woke up,” Hong Wu looks all around him and says, “Could it be a prank that you guys pulled?”
“Nonsense!” Hengyan has no mood to argue with him now. But Songtian and Ge Ling appear to be especially scared. The calmest of them all is Liang Renbin.
He says without a trace of panic, “Let’s walk back. We’re close to the village anyways.”
Only then does everyone then calm their spirits a little and move forward. At any rate, they are not that far away from the village. But Luo Hengyan is very nervous. He constantly looks at his own shadow, worrying that it might change. Fortunately, his shadow remains normal throughout. It seems like this is still within the apartment’s a.s.signed area for the Village of Tranquil Water.
“Renbin!” Song Tian suddenly shouts. “Ah Xiu… Has she undergone any weird changes recently?”
“What do you mean?” Liang Renbin asks, seemingly confused, “Your words, just what…”
“I, I…” Remembering that horrifying experience still makes Song Tian’s whole body shiver. But he still gathers his courage and asks, “Is Ah Xiu doing something?”
He recently started to suspect: Could Ah Xiu have casted some voodoo spell on them? Or perhaps, she is the voodoo master that exists in legends? Because only that can explain the ghostly phenomenons that were happening to him.
“What nonsense are you spouting!” Liang Renbin says in anger, “What do you think Ah Xiu has done?”
“She… Is it possible that she knows some kind of sorcery? There’s always a strange feeling around her. I, I suspect she knows how to summon ghosts. Otherwise, why is it such a coincidence that every time she curses us during Li Bing’s commemoration day, those curses always come true? You see, Uncle Haotian and Ah Qin have both disappeared…”
“Shut up!”
Liang Renbin’s temper explodes as he rushes forward, about to beat him up. Ah Wu quickly stops him. “Renbin, what are you doing!”
“I also think she is abnormal!” Ge Ling hurriedly supports Song Tian and says, “She always seems so murderous! Everyday, all she thinks about is how to get revenge on us. For Li Bing, I am afraid she can do anything! That’s right, aren’t there rumours about some voodoo master? Perhaps she’s that kind of person? Or maybe she is summoning pen spirits or something like that.”
As Luo Hengyan stands to the side and listens to them quarrel about these kind of things, he really feels the onset of a headache.
Voodoo master? Of course not!
Xia Yuan has mentioned to them that the b.l.o.o.d.y instruction given by the apartment will purely be supernatural cursed situations in which no human factors will possibly be involved. Ah Xiu definitely cannot influence the b.l.o.o.d.y words.
But he has no way to point this out to them.
Right now, Luo Hengyan only wants to return to Ah Xiu’s house. After all, who knows what will
happen next if they remain in this shadowy and humid forest?
Humid…
He suddenly recalls that Li Yin’s warnings that “water” is a key factor.
Since this gra.s.sland is indeed very wet, Luo Hengyan instantly becomes more vigilant.
As time pa.s.ses, he feels waves of ominous wind blow past and says, “Stop quarrelling guys… We, we should leave quickly!”
Just like that, those people stop quarrelling.
Luo Hengyan suddenly feels a bit strange… What is going on?
He senses there is something really unnatural, but he cannot tell where does this unnaturalness come from.
They continue walking. At this moment, Luo Hengyan is also very frightened and paranoid, constantly worrying that something will appear around him. And just at this time…
“Renbin! Ah Xiu… Has she undergone any weird changes recently?”
Luo Hengyan is shocked. Why… is this question asked again?
But this time it is Ge Ling asking instead of Song Tian.
The even more bizarre thing is that Liang Renbin does not appear to remember being asked this question at all. He reacts the same way as before, asking in confusion, “What does that mean? Your words, just what…”
Then Ge Ling replies, “Is Ah Xiu doing something?”
Instantly, Liang Renbin becomes angry again. He says, “What nonsense are you spewing! What do you think Ah Xiu has done?”
This conversation is exactly the same as the one before. The only difference is that Song Tian’s lines are spoken by Ge Ling.
Luo Hengyan immediately cuts her off, “You, why are you saying the exact same words as before?”
But Ge Ling completely disregards him and continues speaking, “She… Is it possible that she knows some kind of sorcery? There’s always a strange feeling around her. I, I suspect she knows how to summon ghosts. Otherwise, why is it such a coincidence that every time she curses us during Li Bing’s commemoration day, those curses always come true? You see, Uncle Haotian and Ah Qin have both disappeared…”
“Shut up!”
“I think she is abnormal!” This time, Ge Ling repeats what she said previously, “She always seems so violently murderous! Everyday, all she thinks about is how to get revenge on us. For Li Bing, I am afraid she can do anything! That’s right, aren’t there rumours about some voodoo master? Perhaps she’s that kind of person? Or maybe she is summoning pen spirits or something like that.”
This is completely akin to replaying a video tape. Once again, Liang Renbin rushes up before being restrained by Ah Wu…
“Enough, enough!”
Luo Hengyan yells at them to stop, “Are you guys insane? Why are you repeating the exact words as just now? Just what has happened to you all?”
Everyone looks at him as if they are watching an alien. As Ah Wu stares at him, he says, “What do you mean?”
“You guys have become so weird!” Luo Hengyan says, “Are you under the influence of a curse? What’s going on?”
This just like what Xia Yuan said before.
The further down the line, the more inscrutable and incomprehensible the b.l.o.o.d.y missions become, completely exceeding the boundaries of common sense.
And he also said that during these kinds of situations, first of all, they should not panic but instead, try every means to find the rules and patterns governing these strange phenomenons.
But right now, Luo Hengyan is losing his ability to think clearly. After all, his intelligence and maturity are not even on par with Li Yin and Qin Shoutian, and simply incomparable to Xia Yuan. He simply believes that the people in front of him are under the influence of some wicked spell.
Hence, he stops paying attention to them. Turning around, he runs away.
Very soon, he begins to notice… that he seems to be walking in circles around the same place. The scenery around him barely underwent any changes at all. The only reason he failed to notice this at the start is simply because from the very beginning, this forest is filled everywhere with trees and gra.s.s.
Looking at this scene now, it is truly very ominous.
At this time, he hears footsteps behind him. Luo Hengyan turns to look – It is them again!
And that bizarre scene repeats itself once more…
“Renbin…” The person who is asking at this point changes to Ah Wu, “Ah Xiu…Has she undergone any weird changes recently?”
At that moment, Luo Hengyan feels as though the unnaturalness of this place is becoming more and more intense.
“What do you mean? Your words, just what…” Renbin’s expression is still one of suspicion, as though he hasn’t been asked this exact same question twice before at all.
And even more bizarrely, Ah Wu continues to say the same words Song Tian and Ge Ling said before, “Is Ah Xiu doing something?”
“What nonsense are you spouting?! What do you think Ah Xiu has done?”
“She… Is it possible that she knows some kind of sorcery? There’s always a strange feeling around her. I, I suspect she knows how to summon ghosts. Otherwise, why is it such a coincidence that every time she curses us during Li Bing’s commemoration day, those curses always come true? You see, Uncle Haotian and Ah Qin have both disappeared…”
“Shut up!”
“I think she is abnormal! She always seems so violently murderous! Everyday, all she thinks about is how to get revenge on us. For Li Bing, I am afraid she can do anything! That’s right, aren’t there rumours about some voodoo master? Perhaps she’s that kind of person? Or maybe she is summoning pen spirits or something like that.”
Exactly the same! It is as though Ah Wu has been possessed by Song Tian and Ge Ling.
Liang Renbin loses his temper once again, shoots forward like an arrow and aims a fist towards Ah Wu! There is a lot of force behind this punch that flips Ah Wu off his feet onto the ground. His nose has even started bleeding.
Just now, it was Ah Wu who restrained Liang Renbin but now…he is the one who got punched instead.
Following that, Liang Renbin straddles Ah Wu beneath him, aiming punch after punch at his face!
“Stop…stop it…” Luo Hengyan wants to go forward to stop them but his feet feel as heavy as though they had become filled with lead.
Stop…
Please stop…!
The scene happening before his eyes is akin to a shadowy spiral. He feels as though his body is being sucked into this spiral.
At this moment, Li Yin and Qin Shoutian who discovered Luo Hengyan’s disappearance are searching everywhere for him.
“Hengyan! Hengyan! Luo Hengyan!” Li Yin calls out his name repeatedly, hoping that he can hear him. But no matter how they search, there is no trace of him.
Just then, Li Yin suddenly feels as though someone has approached him from behind and hurriedly turns his head.
What enters his gaze is Ah Xiu!
“Ah…Ah Xiu, you…”
“Who are you all searching for?” Ah Xiu smiles and says. “Mr Luo has disappeared?”
“That’s, that’s correct…” Li Yin nods. “He was just sleeping in the outer room but…now…”
“He’ll be fine. I think Mr Luo has probably gone somewhere for a walk.”
There is not a single hint of anxiety on Ah Xiu’s face, as she continues talking casually with a smile. But this sends a shiver down Li Yin’s spine. She, just what…
“What is it? Mr Li Yin?” Step by step, Ah Xiu comes closer to him as Li Yin subconsciously begins to retreat.
“You…” Li Yin’s expression is heavily coloured by suspicion as he asks, “Who exactly are you?”
Xia Yuan told him that humans will not be factored into these supernatural, eerie scenarios.
Towards this, Li Yin doesn’t have any qualms.
But…
Is Ah Xiu really a human?
Is there any evidence that can prove that she is a human being?
Ah Xiu continues talking without answering the question, “This village, this Village of Tranquil Water develops by relying on the excellent mountain ranges and water source of the Black Crow Mountain. And even in this big mountain, we can still live self-sustainably. My parents and Sister Bing Er’s parents worked hard to build and develop this village. Did you know that, Mr. Li Yin? It was truly difficult to establish a village like this. I had to dig soil, carry water and wake up every day the moment the sun rises since the day I was born. For me, this mountain, this water are unerasable memories. Although those times were hard, they were the best and the most precious memories that Sister Bing Er and I share. And as farmers, we deeply believe that hard work will always bring happiness.”
“Miss…Miss Ah Xiu…”
“But now I truly hope that this village will be destroyed. Will hard work truly bring happiness? It’s all lies. Although Sister Bing Er and her mother contributed so much to the development of this village, their pain is ignored because of the villagers’ arrogant standards. They kicked Sister down to the abyss of h.e.l.l, and even pushed her to her death…”
“Stop, stop talking… Miss Ah Xiu…”
“So what if she’s become a ghost?” Ah Xiu’s face suddenly twists and her tone becomes more and more vicious. She says, “Even when Sister Bing Er turns into a raging spirit, she is still more beautiful than those villagers!”
“No… It is not like this…” Sweat continuously pours down from Li Yin’s forehead. But he still continues retreating as he says, “You don’t know at all… You don’t understand what true h.e.l.l is… Do you know what the true h.e.l.l is like? It is truly…terrifying…”
Luo Hengyan treads through the dark forest.
Liang Renbin is walking in front of him.
“Renbin…” Even as those words just left his mouth, Luo Hengyan feels an incomparably bizarre sensation, but he continues speaking expressionlessly. “Ah Xiu…Has she undergone any weird changes recently?”
This time… It has become he himself!
So it seems… he has no choice in this matter. He spoke those words against his will!
After saying words like “voodoo master” and “pen spirit”, Liang Renbin turns around, his gaze twisting into a death glare. He rushes up, pushes Luo Hengyan to the ground, waves his fists and punches him.
Luo Hengyan suddenly realizes just what is giving him an unnatural feeling…
It is because in every cycle of that conversation…
One of the five people will have mysteriously disappeared.
The first person who spoke was Song Tian. After he disappeared, it became Ge Ling. And after her, it was Ah Wu.
But now, Ah Wu also disappeared! But to include him as well, he could only feel a sense of foreboding!
Where have they all disappeared to?
Soon, he gets his answer.
In front of his eyes, it is no longer Liang Renbin who is. .h.i.tting him. Instead, it is… a woman dressed in white whose body is about few meters tall.
When that woman opens her mouth, her gaping lips actually extends to about two meters long!
Inside of her mouth… a huge amount of water has acc.u.mulated! Song Tian, Ge Ling, Ah Wu and Liang Renbin, the four of them are struggling desperately in that water.
The mouth of this enormous woman gets closer and closer to Luo Hengyan…