Der Weg der zu Unrecht behandelten Geister, Teil 1Der Weg der zu Unrecht behandelten Geister

Kapitel 22

“Tong Hao knows I am her husband, so he has nothing to say,” Lei Ming said again, emphatically.

Now that the tip of the iceberg has been revealed, the rest becomes clear. Not to mention Qin Ge, even Dong'er and the young models have roughly figured out what's going on.

“Although we can already guess what kind of story this will be, I still want to hear you tell the whole story from the beginning,” Qin Ge said. “I hope you can meet our request.”

"Since you've all guessed, what else can't I say? She's my wife, and you can imagine how much I love her. Anyone with such a beautiful wife would love her as much as I do. Our married life has been very happy. Over the years, we've hardly ever argued. I've always felt fortunate to have such a wife, so I work even harder to earn more money and give her more happiness. You know I'm a programmer. My job doesn't require me to go to work on time every day; I just need to complete the tasks assigned by the company from home. But sometimes, when the company gets some big projects, they'll gather a few of us programmers together and spend several days or more intensively working on a project. The longest we ever worked on was writing a complete program for a city's customs office, and we stayed in the room prepared for us by that customs office for a whole month. Whenever that happened, I missed her terribly, and I also felt a vague sense of worry. In today's society, women face so many temptations, especially beautiful women like her."

"Later, you discovered the affair between Tong Hao and your wife?" Qin Ge asked.

Lei Ming nodded, his expression indescribably desolate and sorrowful: "I saw her with a young man in a shopping mall, her hand intimately resting on his shoulder. I was furious, my mind was buzzing, and I felt like the whole world had collapsed in that instant. I needed to calm myself down before rushing upstairs. I searched for her and that man in the crowd. If I had found them that time, I would have killed that man without hesitation."

“Anger!” Qin Ge muttered to himself, his brows furrowed, as if he had suddenly realized something.

“There were too many people in the mall. I ran up and down the stairs three times, but I couldn’t find them. I rushed out of the mall and searched the nearby streets for the entire afternoon. At that time, I was like a madman, running and stumbling. I rushed into every store on the street and stared at everyone who gave me a strange look, as if I were an enemy. My anger was like a fire that was burning me up. As it got dark, I still hadn’t found the people I was looking for. Finally, I couldn’t hold back anymore and squatted down by the roadside to vomit, vomiting bile. If I had a submachine gun at that moment, I would have opened fire on the crowd without hesitation. My hatred had made me somewhat hysterical.”

"I don't know how I got home, but she was sitting on the sofa in the living room as if nothing had happened. I was furious, so I grabbed her by the neck and demanded that she tell me who that man was."

A look of terror appeared on Lei Ming's face. No matter how much time had passed, the scene from that night would always be a pain in his heart. He might never be able to escape the shadow that had shrouded him for the rest of his life.

He couldn't remember what else he had done to his wife. Later, when she left him and ran out the door alone, he stood blankly in the empty living room, the surging power within him driving him to madness. He grabbed an ashtray and smashed it on the floor, then overturned the coffee table, kicked over the display shelf, and stabbed the leather sofa all over with a fruit knife. He didn't know how much time had passed before his breathing finally calmed down. He thought about how late it was, and his wife was out alone. Would she be in someone else's arms at this hour?

He rushed out of the house, thinking that even if he died, his wife should die in his arms.

His wife hadn't gone far. He rushed out of the building and found her on a small patch of green grass below. He ran towards her, whimpering and howling. He saw panic in her eyes, and then, like a lamb fleeing a wild beast, she fled frantically towards another exit of the grass. He chased after her relentlessly. At that moment, only one thought occupied his mind: to hold onto his wife, to stay with her forever, and never be separated from her again, not even for a second.

His wife rushed out of the residential compound and onto the road. He saw that she was still wearing her pajamas and slippers, and thought to himself, how could she go out in the street dressed like that? Even if she was going to run, she should at least change into something more presentable. He quickened his pace, determined to catch her before she got too far. This city was too big; if his wife disappeared into it, he would never be able to find her again.

The sudden stop of the car brakes was like a clean, decisive bomb, exploding in Lei Ming's heart. He stared at the fallen figure not far away, feeling as if his body had been blown to pieces.

In most people's minds, the sound of brakes should have a long trail, but today was different. It seemed to have taken less than a second to hit his wife and send her flying. His wife, dressed in her pajamas, suddenly rose into the air in his sight like a fairy about to take flight, and then, a trail of blood, like a rain of flowers, bloomed beautifully in the night.

Beautiful women even die with elegance.

Asi Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 94: The Murderer (4)

“My wife died. I rushed over and hugged her, letting out a heart-wrenching wail. I didn’t know how it all happened, nor could I understand how a living person could suddenly become lifeless in such a short time. The onlookers surged forward, and I saw my wife’s snow-white breasts and thighs exposed. Ignoring the advice of others, I went forward and picked her up. I finally caught up with my wife. Now, I’m going to take her home.”

Lei Ming was now in tears, a far cry from the cold and arrogant man he had been just a few days ago. Even the strongest man has a wound in his heart that cannot be touched. Peeling back the disguise reveals the wound, and with it, the most authentic version of himself is revealed.

“I carried my wife, who was bleeding profusely, back home. I cleaned the blood and bandaged her wounds. I placed her on the bed and held her tightly. I believed she would open her eyes soon and lie in my arms as before. I couldn’t lose her. Over the years, she had become the only source of strength that supported me and gave me confidence.” Lei Ming choked up, barely able to speak. Everyone stared at him silently, waiting for him to recount what happened next.

“I lay in bed with my wife for three days. During that time, people kept knocking on the door, but I didn’t want to pay any attention to those annoying people. I just wanted to stay with my wife and wait for her to wake up. After three days, I finally realized that I had lost my wife. She had left me alone in this cold world.”

Hatred spread uncontrollably at that moment. Who had killed his wife? Without hesitation, Lei Ming thought of a young man. His anger could burn the entire world; he vowed to find that man, beat him to a pulp, and then kill him.

“I quit my job and finding that young man became the most important thing in my life. As I searched, I gradually calmed down. Anger is not entirely the same as impulsiveness. I began to plan a series of murders in my mind. After I found the man, I would put all these plans on him until he died.”

About two months later, I finally found the man. He clearly knew about my wife's death; he looked very sad. But what good was his sadness? My wife died because of him, and he would pay for it. My murder plan was about to unfold, and I knew it would be the most important thing in my life. But that day, just as I decided to act, I saw the young man leave with a large bag and board a bus. I hesitated for a moment, then followed him. On the bus, I watched the young man ahead, slowly passing the long journey with hatred. At that time, I had no idea where the bus was going; now I know, the bus's destination was this valley.

Qin Ge remained silent for a while, immersed in yet another poignant love story along with everyone else. It was unexpected that each person on the bus had their own unique story. During their initial introductions, they had all concealed the most crucial parts of their narratives, and it was precisely these hidden details that shrouded the two murders in mystery.

“Yesterday evening, you finally got your chance, and you brought Tong Hao to the altar with almost no effort. Now I’m a little confused; I can’t figure out why you let Tong Hao go.”

“The reason is very simple.” Lei Ming’s face was full of frustration. “Have you ever felt the sensation of throwing a punch that misses completely? And this was a punch you had been building up for a long time. When I was in middle school, I liked to read martial arts novels. In Gu Long’s works, there was a swordsman named Fu Hongxue. His life was filled with hatred. His only purpose in life was to kill his enemy to avenge his father. But in the end, when he finally defeated his enemy after great hardship, he discovered the secret of his own origins. The person he had defeated was not his enemy at all. The hatred was gone, and his life lost its meaning. In the end, he could only drag his crippled leg and leave alone with his unsheathed sword.”

"You mean you've also discovered that Tong Hao isn't your enemy?" Qin Ge asked.

"On that altar, I beat Tong Hao. He didn't resist at all; instead, he kept asking me how she died. I became even angrier. I didn't want to kill someone who didn't fight back. I told him that I had killed her. This time, he became enraged and charged at me like a lion. But he was no match for me. I easily subdued him and tied his hands with his belt. Even then, he still seemed fearless and kept asking me how she died. I told him. I told him that I saw her being intimate with him in the shopping mall, and I also told him that if I found them that day, I would kill him without hesitation. As I spoke, tears streamed down Tong Hao's face. He shouted my name and called me a bastard. He said that my wife had never done anything to betray me. Although he loved her, she only treated him as a younger brother, as a child."

This ending was unexpected for everyone, and Dong'er was already in tears.

Asi Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 95: The Murderer (5)

“I had to believe Tong Hao. He couldn’t possibly lie to me at this point, and his grief and anger couldn’t have been faked. His words were like a sledgehammer, knocking me unconscious. I wanted to accuse him of lying, but how could I want my wife to betray me? At that moment, I knew clearly that I had wronged my wife and Tong Hao. I was the one who truly killed my wife, and if anyone had to die, it could only be me. But after my wife’s death, hatred was the only thing keeping me alive. Now, that hatred had no target, and I felt like the whole world had collapsed. I felt like Fu Hongxue in the snowstorm; living had become incredibly painful. And I didn’t know how to face Tong Hao, whom I had tied up. I didn’t know whether to continue killing him or apologize to him.”

"Did you kill him or let him go?" Dong'er interrupted impatiently.

“I didn’t kill him, nor did I let him go. I ran away,” Lei Ming said regretfully. “I think the murderer killed Tong Hao after I left. If I had let him go then, Tong Hao would definitely not have died. All day today, I’ve been thinking about whether or not to tell anyone. Now, you all know. Of course, you can also consider me the murderer, because it was indeed me who harmed Tong Hao.”

Everyone fell silent, all their eyes fixed on Qin Ge.

Qin Ge pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "I now believe that Lei Ming is indeed not the murderer who killed Tong Hao."

“But only the two of you have been up that altar; no one else knows about it.” It was Zhang Song who spoke.

“There’s one more person here who knows about the altar, but I’d like to keep you in suspense for a bit longer. Let me first explain why I ruled out Lei Ming as a suspect. As I mentioned earlier, I examined the scene this morning and found not only the photo in Tong Hao’s hand, but also a belt and two newspapers left behind. The newspapers couldn’t have been left by Lei Ming, otherwise he wouldn’t have fallen for my trick and confessed.”

Zhang Song was speechless.

Dong'er then said, "But if that's the case, who is the murderer? Could it be that the murderer isn't among us?"

“He’s right among us!” Qin Ge said decisively. “I’ve gone through all this trouble to tell you that I want to know some other things. Now, it’s time for the murderer to show himself.”

Everyone tensed up, but the most relaxed were Dong'er and the young models. They looked around, but their gazes finally settled on Huang Tao, Lei Ming, and Zhang Song.

"Aren't you all getting impatient now?" Qin Ge said solemnly. "I think the real culprit is even more anxious than you are. It's getting late, the show should end now, and if the real protagonist doesn't show up soon, everyone will be disappointed."

He suddenly took a step forward and shouted sharply, "The real murderer is him!"

His finger pointed directly at a person, whose face turned deathly pale in an instant, and the muscles on his face began to tremble slightly. He said in a trembling voice, "It wasn't me, it wasn't me, how could I be the murderer?"

The person Qin Ge was pointing at was none other than the dull and rigid Zhang Song.

"You are the murderer!" Qin Ge shouted. "No matter how well you hid, you still left some clues. I suspected you were the murderer this afternoon. If it weren't for some other things, I wouldn't have let you sit here peacefully until now."

"It wasn't me! I have no grudge against Tong Hao or Zhao Qing, why would I kill them!" Zhang Song's body began to tremble violently. If he really was the murderer, then his current state was far too cowardly. Just now, when Qin Ge questioned Huang Tao and Lei Ming, their suspicion was almost indisputable, but neither of them had panicked like this.

“You just said that only Lei Ming and I knew the location of the altar. Your words have only strengthened my suspicion that you are the murderer. Do you remember this morning, Gao Qiao sent someone to tell us that Tong Hao's body was found on the altar? The three of us…” He pointed to Su He, “The three of us went to the altar together. When we came to three paths ahead of us, I tried to recall which path Lei Ming and I had taken that night. At that moment, you and Su He had already moved ahead of me. The path you chose was the one leading to the altar. If you didn't know the location of the altar, how could you have acted so without thinking?”

Zhang Song was speechless.

"Also, as I mentioned earlier, there were no signs of forced entry on Zhao Qing's door lock, so it's safe to assume that no one could open the door without a key. However, those keys are right behind the service desk in the lobby, easily accessible to anyone. Others might not have noticed, but you couldn't have missed it. Last night, you sat alone on the sofa in the lobby for so long; taking the key, entering Zhao Qing's room, and strangling him would have been an easy thing for you."

“Anyone could have gotten those keys,” Zhang Song said weakly.

"If anyone wants to get those keys, they'll have to go to the lobby. How can they escape your notice?"

Zhang Song was speechless again.

Asi Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 96: The Murderer (6)

“You went to the altar and got the key to Zhao Qing’s room, but these aren’t direct evidence. In court, the judge might not convict you based on that alone.” Qin Ge pondered for a moment. “But I have another question for you. There are many strange things happening in this town of Asi, and the one that puzzles me the most is who prepared these newspapers for us. The news in the newspapers is indeed very strange. It records things that actually happened to us, but the deaths at the end are unacceptable to us. We are all still alive, so how could we die? This afternoon, I went to the altar alone. I had many things to think about, but as I was thinking, I suddenly thought of these newspapers, and I suddenly remembered something related to a news article published in one of the newspapers.”

Zhang Song stared at him blankly, not understanding the meaning behind his words.

"Six years ago, such a case really happened in our Haicheng. A murderer meticulously planned a perfect murder, pushing his enemy off a building. Unfortunately, the person fell and hit a pedestrian on the head. As a result, the pedestrian became a vegetable and lay in the hospital for many years."

When Qin Ge got to this point, everyone knew he was referring to Zhang Song's matter.

"I wasn't involved in the investigation of this case back then, so my memory of it isn't very clear. The newspaper that published the news of Zhang Song's death showed that the pedestrian who later became a vegetable was Zhang Song, and he himself admitted it. The events matched my vague memory very well, so I didn't think about it carefully at the time. But this afternoon at the altar, I suddenly remembered that the pedestrian who became a vegetable in that accident was an eight or nine-year-old child. I had heard my colleagues discussing this in the office. An eight or nine-year-old child wouldn't become a middle-aged person after six years, no matter how fast they grow. So, I immediately concluded that the newspaper had lied to us, and Zhang Song had also lied to us. These two things wouldn't be a big deal if they were separate, but when connected, it's not hard to draw a conclusion: the newspaper was covering up Zhang Song's lie, and Zhang Song also lied to cooperate with the content of the newspaper. This shows that there must be some kind of connection between Zhang Song and these newspapers."

"And the newspaper must have been prepared for us by the person who secretly orchestrated all of this. In other words, Zhang Song was in cahoots with the person behind it all; he's a spy infiltrated among us," Dong'er continued Qin Ge's words.

Qin Ge nodded and went up to her to pat her head as encouragement.

"I wonder if you remember," Qin Ge asked Zhong Zhenyu and Lei Ming, "When we found the first dead body in front of the small building, it was Zhang Song who reminded us to search the victim's pockets, and that's how we found the first newspaper. Looking back now, he must have already known that there was such a newspaper on the body. Also, along the way, he told us a lot about the customs of ethnic minorities. Now that I think about it, his purpose was to create an eerie atmosphere to match those resurrected corpses and the mention of our deaths in the newspaper, so that we would be deeply immersed in it."

Zhong Zhenyu and Lei Ming nodded. "When I first came here, I always thought that the person who secretly planned all this had gone to great lengths to bring us all to this valley. If he wanted to hurt us, he wouldn't have needed to go to such lengths. But now, I finally understand that his purpose in bringing us here was, or perhaps, to kill us."

Upon hearing these words, not only did Dong'er and the young models turn pale, but even the desperate and dejected Zhong Zhenyu and the utterly hopeless Lei Ming were startled, and even Gao Qiao, who had been standing silently at the back, changed color.

“Fourteen people and thirteen stone pillars—the problem is actually quite simple. Just as Lei Ming said, only one of us can get out alive, and that person is Zhang Song.” Qin Ge said heavily, “I don’t know the details behind this yet, but with these conclusions, isn’t it enough to prove that Zhang Song is the murderer?”

Zhang Song's trembling body actually steadied itself at this moment. He took off his glasses, his face full of pain: "That's right, I killed Tong Hao and Zhao Qing, but you're wrong about one thing. If any one of us were to leave here alive, that person would definitely not be me."

"If it wasn't you, then who was it?" Qin Ge demanded sharply.

Zhang Song shook his head, his voice suddenly filled with fear: "Maybe no one can leave here at all. We are fourteen people, fourteen lives, and we may all lose them in this dead town."

Ashe Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 97: The Plague (1)

"Six years ago, it was actually my son who became a vegetable. You all don't have children, so you can't possibly understand how I felt back then. I still remember that morning, he was lying in bed and refused to get up. I had to drag him out of bed. I even told him that a lazy child would never amount to anything. What does it matter if he doesn't achieve great things? As long as the family lives together peacefully, that's the greatest blessing. Later in the hospital, my child lay quietly in bed, his breathing was still steady, but he couldn't open his eyes to see his loving father and mother. My heart was breaking then. I thought, if I hadn't dragged him out of bed and had just let him have his way, none of this would have happened. Besides, it was a Sunday, and he didn't have to go to school."

Zhang Song's face was covered in tears: "Our whole family's only wish over the years has been for our child to wake up, but he has been lying in the hospital for five years. Later, the doctor said that if the child could not wake up, he would lose all his physiological functions, and perhaps he would never wake up again."

“Upon hearing this news, I knew I could no longer wait. I had to do something for my child; I had to wake him up as soon as possible. He has been in a vegetative state for years, and his awakening is our whole family's hope. If he dies, our family will never have any life again.”

"Even the doctors can't help him, what can you do?" Dong'er asked quietly.

“I was originally a writer, but I later almost gave up writing and turned to studying history and folklore. My change of heart happened after my child’s accident. I told you a couple of days ago that there is a folk belief about the separation of the soul and the body. When a person sleeps, it is actually the soul wandering in the void. If the soul leaves the body forever, that is death. There are two situations when the soul leaves the body: one is that it goes missing automatically, and the other is that it leaves temporarily. No matter which one it is, as long as the lost soul can be found, then the person will not be harmed.”

“My child is still breathing, but has been in a coma for a long time. This should be a typical case of a lost soul. I consulted a lot of folk customs and found that ethnic minorities in the Sichuan and Yunnan areas generally have the custom of calling back souls, and they have traditions of hundreds of years or even thousands of years. At that time, I was not sure if these soul-calling practices were really effective, but with a try-it-and-see attitude, I went to the Sichuan and Yunnan areas alone to visit shamans of various ethnic groups and to conduct specific research on the folk customs of calling back souls.”

"After nearly half a year of investigation, I discovered that although the methods of summoning souls differ among tribes, they almost all share a common belief: many lost souls are passive, caused by external forces obstructing, damaging, or capturing wandering souls. Folklore holds that this is the source of various diseases and disasters. The Dulong people are the most representative of this view, attributing diseases and disasters to all sorts of vengeful ghosts. These ghosts are numerous and can be categorized into celestial ghosts, forest ghosts, water ghosts, disease ghosts, and witch ghosts, among others. Offending a ghost will harm a person's soul, causing misfortune and illness. There is also a situation where, if these vengeful ghosts capture a person's soul, it can lead to a condition like my child's—living but unable to wake up. Some tribal shamans advised me that I must summon my child's soul back from the vengeful ghosts for my child to awaken."

Qin Ge stared at the grieving Zhang Song, feeling he had found the motive behind Zhang Song's killing of Tong Hao and Zhao Qing. Zhang Song had previously mentioned that some tribes still retained the sacrificial custom of offering humans as human sacrifices. Was his killing of Tong Hao and Zhao Qing a sacrifice he offered to those legendary vengeful ghosts?

Zhang Song's words confirmed his guess.

“I consulted many sorcerers, and they said that a person who has been unconscious for a long time will have his soul bound by evil spirits. Summoning a soul from an evil spirit is an extremely complicated matter. The only way is to exchange souls, using someone else's soul to exchange for my son's soul from the evil spirit.”

"Is this why you killed Tong Hao and Zhao Qing?" Qin Ge felt a pang of pity for Zhang Song. He was a man of modern society, yet he was so foolish as to believe in these folk superstitions, leading him astray and causing him to commit such an unforgivable crime. But who could know that behind his sins lurked a deep love for his children? In this world, only the love of parents for their children is truly selfless; it is untainted by any utilitarian motive, and therefore the most sincere and pure, sometimes even more blind.

Love. Qin Ge's heart stirred, and the thirteen stone pillars on the altar reappeared in his mind. He let out a long sigh; at this moment, the knot in his heart regarding the altar had been completely untied.

"Now that you know I'm the murderer, you can do whatever you want with me. But right now, I just want you to give me some time to do the last thing I need to do." Zhang Song wiped away his tears. "That way, even if I die now, I will have no regrets."

"But I still have some questions I want to ask you," Qin Ge said hesitantly.

"Don't you even give me the chance to do one last thing for my son who is sleeping soundly?" Zhang Song's chest heaved, his breathing became heavier, and his expression became agitated at this moment.

"Let me finish my work, and whatever you want to know, I will tell you everything without reservation."

Ashe Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 98: The Plague (2)

Qin Ge was still hesitating when Dong'er whispered, "Let him do it."

Qin Ge's gaze swept across everyone's faces. The six young models nodded in succession, while even Zhong Zhenyu and Su He, who should have resented Zhang Song the most, remained expressionless and noncommittal. Their silence at this moment was tacit approval. Although none of them had experience as parents, they had both been children themselves, and the most touching and easily understood love in the world is the love of parents for their children. Who would want to deprive Zhang Song of this last bit of power?

"Okay, we promise you. But after you've done it, you must tell us everything you know."

Zhang Song nodded sadly: "I know what you want to ask me. You want to know my relationship with the person who secretly planned all of this, and you also want to know who he is. Don't worry, after I finish my work, I will definitely tell you everything I know."

Qin Ge frowned and slowly nodded. At that moment, he suddenly had a bad feeling, but he didn't know where it would lead. Perhaps, agreeing to Zhang Song's request was a mistake, he thought.

Zhang Song stood up and said, "I want to go to the altar."

The altar is located to the east of Asi Town. At the end of Asi Town, there are three paths leading up the mountain. Zhang Song, who knew the way well, walked onto one of them, followed by Qin Ge, Lei Ming, and Gao Qiao.

As Qin Ge was leaving the Tan Guan Tang, he intended to go up the mountain with Gao Qiao and Zhang Song, but Dong'er was worried about him and sent Lei Ming along instead. Qin Ge didn't say anything to Zhong Zhenyu as he left, but placed his hand heavily on his shoulder. He believed Zhong Zhenyu understood his meaning. Protecting the women here, preventing any further accidents, was his responsibility. For a person in despair, the greatest encouragement was trust, allowing them to shoulder a certain obligation.

A slight chill hung over the altar at night, and the clear starry sky exuded a sense of mystery amidst its tranquility.

Upon seeing the towering statue of As again, and the thirteen stone pillars behind it bearing different faces, Qin Ge's state of mind was different from that afternoon. He stared blankly at them, almost oblivious to the presence of others. In particular, the faces displaying joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness atop the thirteen pillars sent a chill down his spine.

Gao Qiao and Lei Ming stood beside Qin Ge, their eyes fixed on Zhang Song, who was walking forward alone.

Zhang Song had already reached the statue of the goddess Asu, and then he prostrated himself on the ground. Next, he emitted a sound similar to a monk chanting sutras, which startled Qin Ge. He and Takahashi Raimei exchanged a glance, seeing the same astonishment in each other's eyes. The three slowly moved forward, and when they were less than two meters away from Zhang Song, his voice became increasingly clear.