Geistertagebuch

Kapitel 20

Chen Qiang was startled and turned to look at her suspiciously, saying, "You... really? You're so frail, how could you kill that tomb raider named Shan Hu?"

Yin Li was speechless. Indeed, she didn't seem like the murderer at all. She had neither the motive nor the ability to commit the crime.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Chen Qiang sensed the awkward atmosphere and quickly asked, "How is Miss Xiaowen? When will she wake up?"

“She’s fine now,” Yin Li said. “She’s been sleepwalking for the past two days, which is probably a side effect of the ‘Linglong Aperture’. However, she sweats a lot of black sweat after each sleepwalking episode, and she should wake up within two days at this rate.”

"Oh... well... very good." Chen Qiang didn't know what to say for a moment, nodded, and turned back to look at the female corpse. Yin Li said goodbye and walked out the door. A cold wind blew, and she shivered. She wondered why she had such a strange hallucination just now.

40. Vampire Coffin

Yin Li stared at the photos on her phone until dawn. The night was relatively peaceful; no one went missing. As soon as it was light, she ran to the Stone Forest. As soon as she entered the forest of towering rocks, she heard a voice say slowly, "What? Little girl, here to see Brother Xiang again?"

Hearing this tone, Yin Li became even angrier. She turned her head, glared at him fiercely, and said, "Is your mouth always this foul?"

Jack leaned against a thick stone pillar, lazily sizing her up. His eyes darted slightly to the side, a sinister smile playing on his lips. He slowly walked towards her and said, "Little girl, it seems you've forgotten who you're talking to."

Looking at his smile, Yin Li felt a chill run down her spine. She took a step back and asked warily, "What do you want?"

“What do I want to do?” Jack laughed, grabbed her arm, and pulled her close, his hand groping towards her buttocks. “I just want you to know who you’re talking to.”

“You…you…” Yin Li’s chest was filled with fear and anger. She said in as calm a tone as possible, “Don’t call me little girl anymore. You’re probably younger than me.”

Jack's expression changed slightly. He hated nothing more than people questioning his age, and he couldn't help but sneer. His hand, which had been resting on her buttocks, slid inside her white shirt. She trembled all over, struggled violently, her face flushed, and said, "Let me go! Or don't blame me for being impolite!"

“You’re welcome?” Jack sneered. “How are you going to be rude? Prick me with needles too? So you have that kind of hobby. Fine, whatever, prick me then.” He leaned close to Yin Li’s ear and whispered, “Prick me hard, the more you prick me, the more excited I get…”

"You...you beast!" Yin Li screamed, but before she could finish speaking, a stern voice filled with anger rang out, "Jack, stop!"

A faint smile appeared on Jack's lips. He turned his head and looked at Situ Xiang, who was full of anger and whose brows and eyes revealed a murderous intent and ferocity. He did not let go of Yin Li's hand: "So it's Brother Xiang. You've come at a really bad time."

"Oh? When do you think I should come?" Situ Xiang asked, his anger turning into a forced laugh, enunciating each word clearly.

“At least…” Jack glanced at Yin Li, who was struggling in his arms, and said with a teasing smile, “At least you should have waited until I was done before coming here.”

A murderous aura flashed in Situ Xiang's eyes, and even Yin Li felt a chill coming towards her. Jack's face suddenly turned cold. He had to admit that the astonishing aura emanating from Situ Xiang made his heart tremble and his hands and feet turn icy cold.

"Let her go," Situ Xiang said. "Otherwise, don't blame me for not giving Uncle Tian face."

Jack let go of Yin Li's hand, allowing her to run to Situ Xiang's side. He spread his hands and laughed, "Brother Xiang, why take it so seriously? I know the principle of not coveting a friend's wife. I was just joking with her."

“Very good.” Situ Xiang took Yin Li’s hand and said, “But this joke is not funny at all.”

After saying that, he led Yin Li out of the stone forest. Jack watched their backs with a chilling smile in his eyes.

The two walked quite a distance from the stone forest before Situ Xiang stopped at a low-lying area of a sand dune, released Yin Li, and asked, "What brings you here?"

Yin Li rubbed her wrist, which was slightly red from being pinched, and said, "I've come to get my things from you."

"Your things?"

“It’s that jade butterfly,” Yin Li said. “I know you took it off the door of the main burial chamber when you came out. Give it back to me now.”

"It's better if I keep that thing on me," Situ Xiang said in a softer tone.

"No, I want that jade pendant now!" Yin Li refused to budge.

Situ Xiang's previously relaxed brows furrowed again: "That thing is definitely an ancient artifact from thousands of years ago. It's very unsafe for you to have it. I don't want you to lose your life because of it!"

"I know what I'm doing." Yin Li was getting impatient. The adventures of the past few days and the dry, hot desert weather had made her feel like a furnace full of flammable gas, ready to explode at any moment. "Give it to me now. I don't have time to waste talking to you here!"

Situ Xiang flew into a rage and shouted, "Do you even know who you're talking to! Do you really think I wouldn't dare touch you?"

Yin Li took a deep breath, desperately suppressing her anger, and said in a soft voice, "That jade pendant is very likely the key to solving all the problems. Please, at least let me study it, okay?"

Situ Xiang was shocked: "You mean that thing is the key?"

“That’s right.” Yin Li felt like she was going crazy. “That jade pendant is very important. Please give it to me.”

Situ Xiang hesitated for a moment, then took the jade pendant out of his pocket and handed it to her, saying seriously, "Let me warn you first, Jack has already notified Uncle Tian. He will probably arrive tomorrow evening. Hide this thing well, otherwise I cannot guarantee your safety."

Yin Li was startled. She looked up at him and said in disbelief, "He notified Uncle Tian? How did he do that? There's no cell phone signal here!"

“He naturally has his methods,” Situ Xiang said. “Although I’ve never met Uncle Tian, his ruthless methods are notorious in the underworld. His passion for Western Regions and Han Dynasty antiques borders on obsession. If he sets his sights on something, he’ll go to any lengths, even wiping out the owner’s entire family, to get it. I hope you won’t fall into his hands because of this jade pendant.” He brought his face close to Yin Li’s, narrowed his eyes slightly, and said in a cold and cruel voice, “Otherwise… you’ll wish you were dead!”

Living is worse than death!

Yin Li unconsciously took a step back, her face turning deathly pale with fright, unable to utter a single word. After a moment of stunned silence, she suddenly snatched the jade pendant from Situ Xiang's hand. A sharp pain shot through her hand, and she cried out softly. As she opened her hand, she discovered a gash at the base of her middle finger, from which bright red blood gushed, staining the jade pendant a glaring crimson.

"You...you have something in your sleeve..." Yin Li pressed the acupoints on her palm to stop the bleeding, and looked at Situ Xiang's hand in surprise. Situ Xiang tore off a piece of his camouflage uniform to bandage her hand, and said calmly, "There are too many variables in our line of work. We must carry something with us for self-defense. You shouldn't have tried to take something from me."

"I'm just taking back what's mine!" Yin Li abruptly pulled her hand back, took out a tissue from her small bag to wipe the bloodstains on the jade pendant, and halfway through wiping, her hand suddenly trembled, and the blood-stained tissue floated up with the wind, drifting far away, not knowing where it would land.

"What's wrong?" Situ Xiang couldn't help but laugh when he saw her blank expression. "Did you lose consciousness from the pain?"

Yin Li ignored his teasing, took out her phone, and pulled out the two photos. As she looked at them, her eyes zoomed in, and she murmured, "So...so that's how it is..."

Situ Xiang seemed to realize what she meant, and his expression immediately turned serious: "Have you discovered something?"

“We have indeed discovered something.” A hint of excitement flashed in Yin Li’s eyes, and she had already forgotten about the injury on her hand. “Situ, come with me to the main tomb chamber. I think I know who the murderer is.”

The main burial chamber was still a mess, filled with a nauseating stench due to the blood and bits of flesh. As soon as Yin Li climbed down the rope ladder, she felt a wave of nausea wash over her and almost fainted. Fortunately, she had brought some medicine with her, and after taking a little, she temporarily gained immunity to the filth.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, she rushed towards the jade coffin, examining it carefully from top to bottom, her brows furrowed, as if she couldn't understand something. After a long while, she suddenly thought of something, took a breath, and unwrapped the bandage on her hand. With a sudden effort, the wound, which had been congealed with blood, gushed blood again, causing her to hiss in pain.

Ignoring the pain, she flipped her hand over, and blood immediately dripped from her middle finger onto the coffin lid. At first, there was nothing unusual, but after five or six minutes, she felt that half of the blood had disappeared. Yin Li was thrilled and stared intently at those few drops of blood, not daring to move. After another five or six minutes, the blood finally decreased more and more until it disappeared completely, as if water had evaporated and vanished without a trace.

Situ Xiang watched in astonishment as the blood disappeared. He glanced at Yin Li and said, "How could this be? Can even blood evaporate?"

“No.” Yin Li shook her head. “The blood didn’t evaporate; it was absorbed by this coffin. If I’m not mistaken, the jade material of this coffin has a remarkable origin; it’s the famous ‘Ghost Jade’ from ancient times.”

"'Ghost Jade'?"

“There are very few records about ‘Ghost Jade.’ I’ve only seen it once in the Warring States period bamboo slips in my maternal grandfather’s collection. Legend has it that in ancient times there was a tribe called ‘Guifang’, and the hilly area where the Guifang lived was rich in a magical jade. This jade had the effect of preservation; if a corpse was placed in it, it would not decompose even after thousands of years,” Yin Li explained. “However, it is called ‘Ghost Jade’ not because it can preserve, but because of another effect: it sucks blood!”

"Blood-sucking?" Situ Xiang stared at her in disbelief, wondering if she had lost her mind. "You're saying jade can suck blood?"

“That’s right.” Yin Li nodded. “'Ghost Jade' is most famous for its ability to suck blood. The legend of the Guifang Clan says it was the incarnation of a nine-headed blood-sucking monster when Nuwa ruled the world. This nine-headed blood-sucking monster was enormous, entirely green, and sucked blood everywhere, causing havoc in the region. In the end, it was killed by Nuwa and buried in the mountains where the Guifang Clan lived, becoming a huge piece of blood-sucking jade, which is 'Ghost Jade'. Although the nine-headed monster was huge in size, it was still finite. The Guifang Clan made a living by selling this jade, and by the end of the Shang Dynasty, it had completely disappeared. Because of preservation, the jade mined in the past was used as material for coffins and was buried underground with its owners, never to be seen again. I never expected to see this kind of jade in this tomb of the Western Ye Kingdom of the Han Dynasty. I have no regrets about seeing it once in my life.”

Situ Xiang stared at the coffin in surprise, never expecting it to have such a significant background. It seemed that in the business of tomb raiding, one had to be knowledgeable about valuable items; his skills were far from sufficient.

“Even if, as you say, this is the legendary ‘Demon Jewel,’” he said, “what is its connection to a series of murderous rituals?”

“It’s very important.” Yin Li turned around, a mysterious yet mischievous smile on her face. “Now, I know who the murderer is, and I’m 100% sure.”

Who is the murderer?

"No rush." Yin Li smiled strangely, even she herself felt that her expression was irritating. "I'll wait for him to come to me."

At this moment, Situ Xiang suddenly felt that even when facing the renowned Uncle Tian, there seemed to be no need to worry too much about her.

41. The truth comes out

Night fell peacefully as usual. Yin Li lifted the curtain and gazed at the new moon in the sky. She calculated that today should be the first day of the lunar month. The new moon represented misfortune; one should not go out on a new moon night, lest one encounter evil spirits out hunting for food. This ancient legend was now largely forgotten, but her grandfather had still told her it as a grave taboo. She clearly remembered the immense terror she felt when she first heard the story. Her entire childhood had been spent in this fear, and even now, she didn't particularly like the new moon.

She heard a rustling sound behind her. She turned around and saw Qin Wen standing up with her usual blank stare. She brushed past her and walked over. The moonlight was dim, and she could hardly see the expression on Qin Wen's face. Yin Li sighed and followed her out.

Qin Wen's steps remained light and graceful. Yin Li looked around; the desert was vast and empty, and no one was following.

Slightly disappointed, she followed a few steps and Qin Wen indeed arrived at the ruins of the princess's mausoleum, walking lightly around the entrance to the tomb passage.

Qin Wen looked at her and thought she was very cute like this. It would be better if she never woke up, because the world would become much quieter.

This wicked thought began to grow and spread in her mind. She chuckled as she sat down on a large rock, running her fingers through her long hair. The night was beautiful and peaceful.

Suddenly, Qin Wen shuddered violently, her body went limp, and she collapsed. Yin Li was shocked and rushed to her side, full of doubt. Had the poison already been expelled?

Just as she picked up Qin Wen, a shadow struck down from behind her, stretching out long across the sand. The shadow slowly raised a long, thin object, which looked extremely menacing against the backdrop of the snow-white desert under the moonlight.

She turned around abruptly and saw a wooden stick falling towards her head with incredible speed and force.

"Yin Li! Be careful!" Situ Xiang's voice came, filled with panic and fear. Yin Li slowly closed her eyes, a strange smile curling at the corner of her lips.

A scream shattered the tranquility of the night sky. A wooden stick as thick as a wrist flew into the air, spinning like a helicopter rotor, before falling to the ground and embedding itself deeply into the yellow sand.

The dark figure collapsed to the ground, making a whimpering sound. Situ Xiang stared in astonishment at the scene before him, thinking he was dreaming.

Qin Wen stood on the sand, the moonlight enveloping her body, giving her skin an almost plaster-like sheen, like an ancient plaster statue.

“We’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” Yin Li slowly stood up, looked at the dark figure, and said, “Professor Li.”

The dark figure raised his head, his eyes revealing a ferocious, beast-like light, his pupils almost shrinking to a small hole. Moonlight shone on his face, and it was undoubtedly Professor Li.

"Professor Li, it really is you!" Qin Wen stared at him in disbelief and said, "You... how could you have become like this?"

Professor Li gritted his teeth, hissing, and a hint of surprise in his eyes. Situ Xiang, Jack, and the fourth brother who brought the others were all dumbfounded. The scene before them was too bizarre and strange, making them feel as if they were in a dream.

"Miss Qin..." Chen Qiang was so shocked that his tongue almost tied itself in knots, "You...you weren't poisoned, were you?"

"That's right, I was indeed poisoned." Qin Wen said slowly and deliberately, somewhat proudly. "However, I woke up not long after Xiao Li gave me acupuncture. Unfortunately, I was in a daze at the time and couldn't see who the murderer was. Xiao Li and I guessed that the murderer would definitely kill me to silence me, so we came up with this plan to lure the murderer out."

"So you didn't sleepwalk at all?" Zhang Yuanyuan exclaimed in surprise.

"That's right, the sleepwalking was just me acting."

"That's impossible!" Bai Yun stared at Professor Li, her voice trembling with excitement. "I don't believe the professor is the murderer! If he wanted to kill you, he could have done it when he killed Shan Hu. Why wait until now?"

“It’s quite simple,” Yin Li said. “Professor Li greatly respected Mr. Mai Tianyun, Xiaowen’s maternal grandfather. Even when he was manipulated by the poison of ‘Linglongqiao,’ he was unwilling to kill his idol’s granddaughter with his own hands. Besides, Xiaowen was poisoned at the time, and she would have died even if he hadn’t acted. He just didn’t expect that I would be able to save Xiaowen, and when he saw Xiaowen sleepwalking at the entrance of the tomb passage, he was afraid that she would recognize him as the murderer when she woke up. Finally, he made up his mind to kill her to silence her. I believe he has been struggling with this for the past two days, but the poison of ‘Linglongqiao’ was too strong, which brought out the evil in his heart without reservation, and that’s why he committed such a crime.”

"Impossible!" Bai Yun Ning still refused to accept it. "The professor is old and frail. How could he possibly kill that strong mountain tiger?"

“That’s not surprising.” Yin Li glanced at Qin Wen and said, “Xiao Wen said that Shan Hu was also controlled by the ‘Linglong Aperture’ at the time and tried to assault her. Shan Hu should have been in a frenzied state at the time. If he attacked from behind, an ordinary person could do it. Besides, the ‘Linglong Aperture’ can not only draw out the evil in people’s hearts, but also tap into people’s potential, making people’s strength several times greater than before.”

"I...I..." Bai Yun Ning stared in panic at Professor Li, whose eyes were filled with rage, and cried out, "No, I still don't believe it! These are all just your guesses! You have no evidence to prove that the professor killed anyone! You didn't!"

“No, I did,” Yin Li said in a deep voice. “Do you remember that day when the professor told me that if jade is stained with blood, it might lose its preservative properties? But he didn’t go down to the main burial chamber with us at the time, so how did he know that the jade coffin was stained with blood?”

Bai Yun Ning was speechless for a moment, then looked at Professor Li. Professor Li, who was staring at Yin Li, suddenly smiled: "Of course, it was Xiao Chen and the others who told me. They said there was blood everywhere in the tomb, even on the jade coffin..."

Yin Li laughed, her smile as beautiful as the new moon tonight, yet with a hint of eeriness: "I've been waiting for you to say that, Professor. If you had said they told you there was blood everywhere in the tomb, leading you to think there was blood on the coffin as well, I might have had nothing to say. But you said they told you there was blood on the coffin, which is simply impossible."

Professor Li's eyes widened suddenly, and everyone looked at him with suspicion and shock. Yin Li continued, "Professor, they could not possibly tell you that, because there is no blood on the coffin at all, not a single drop. Even the area within a foot of the coffin is completely clean!"

"That's impossible!" Professor Li shouted, his voice almost like that of a wild beast. Yin Li's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to speak, "What? You saw blood on the coffin with your own eyes, didn't you? Of course you did see it. When you killed Shan Hu and skinned him alive, blood did spray onto the jade coffin. But you didn't expect that the coffin was actually made of 'ghost jade.' 'Ghost jade' absorbs blood; it will absorb all the blood within a foot of it in less than ten minutes. If you don't believe me, you can go down and try it."

“Professor…you…you really…” Bai Yun Ning choked up without realizing it. She had always respected Professor Li as her father, and now seeing him commit a crime, she couldn’t help but feel grief.

"What...what do you know?" Professor Li's eyes flashed with a fierce light, piercing her face and startling her sobbing abruptly. "I am the chosen one of God. When I entered the main tomb chamber, I felt God's call. We disturbed Princess Zhaoling's slumber and were all to be cast into the fiery hell! He wants me to offer sacrifices according to the murals on the walls. As long as I offer sacrifices, I can escape! Only I can go back alive! Only I can!"

He burst into maniacal laughter, a shrill and eerie sound that pierced everyone's eardrums, making them feel dizzy. The fourth brother drew his machete and roared angrily, "You killed Shan Hu, and now I'll make you pay with your life!"

Having said that, he raised his knife and charged at him. But before the knife could fall, Professor Li's facial muscles suddenly tensed, his body jerked upward, his eyes widened, and he stared blankly at the void in front of him, as if he had seen the most terrifying thing in the world. He screamed, "No! I don't want to go to hell! God! Forgive me!" Before he finished speaking, he suddenly choked, fell straight down, and crashed heavily onto the sand, kicking up a cloud of yellow sand.

"Professor!" Bai Yun Ning, Xiao Tan, and Chen Qiang rushed forward to help Professor Li up. They checked his breath, and their expressions changed. Turning to Yin Li, they said, "Xiao Yin, quick! Come and see the professor… the professor…"

Yin Li took his hand, checked his pulse, and frowned: "Professor...Professor is already..."

Bai Yun Ning's face turned pale, and she threw herself into the professor's arms, bursting into tears. Chen Qiang, with red eyes, asked, "Is the poisoning too severe?"