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

Kapitel 23

Rather than saying what Zhang Song was saying, it would be more accurate to say he was singing and talking at the same time, or perhaps his speech was infused with musical melodies.

If you take my child's soul, please release it. I am your subject, I obey your every command, I am your slave, my life is ruled by you. I beg you, I worship you. I will exchange my body for his soul, my head for his soul, my soul for his soul.

These desolate and mournful chants clearly originated from an ancient soul-summoning ritual of a certain tribe. Ancient and mysterious, they were uttered by Zhang Song, and were filled with despair amidst the sorrow.

A sense of foreboding returned to Qin Ge's heart, but he still had no idea what would happen next. Under the gazes of Qin Ge, Lei Ming, and Gao Qiao, Zhang Song stood up, his spine ramrod straight. Without turning around, he suddenly took off, quickly leaping over the statue and running to the cliff edge behind it.

Qin Ge was shocked; Zhang Song's rap had already revealed what he was going to do. Qin Ge shouted Zhang Song's name, and without even speaking to Takahashi Raimei, he ran towards the edge of the cliff. Takahashi Raimei also knew what had happened and followed closely behind Qin Ge.

"Stop!" Zhang Song turned and waved his hand, his body standing on the edge of the cliff again. The wind blew, and his clothes fluttered as if he were about to be carried away by the wind. "Stop! I am a heinous murderer. I have no face to live among you any longer, and I cannot bear to watch my child continue to sleep unconscious. I can only offer myself as a sacrifice to the all-powerful god, using my soul to exchange for my child's soul!"

"You're still so foolish!" Qin Ge shouted, "Your child might already be awake!"

Zhang Song shook his head, unable to contain his grief and indignation: "My mind is made up. Even if I don't die today, I will still face the same fate when punished by law in the future. Qin Ge." His voice became lower, "I hope you can have the chance to return to the outside world alive, to Haicheng, and go to the hospital to see my child for me. If he really wakes up, you must not tell him that his father is a murderer."

Qin Ge was speechless, unsure whether to agree or not. At that moment, Zhang Song, having finished speaking, leaped and disappeared off the cliff.

Qin Ge screamed and rushed forward, but when he stood at the edge of the cliff, all he saw below was darkness, with mist faintly swirling around the mountainside. Zhang Song had already disappeared into the darkness and mist.

Qin Ge felt a pang of guilt. Zhang Song didn't have to die; it was his momentary carelessness that gave him the opportunity to jump off the cliff. Although Zhang Song had been confirmed as the murderer of Tong Hao and Zhao Qing, Qin Ge still had some questions that needed answers. More importantly, Zhang Song's story had a strange, powerful impact; it had deeply moved Qin Ge. Good and evil are separated by a single thought. There is no absolute good or evil in this world. Zhang Song committed evil because of his love for his son. Who can simply judge the cause and effect of this?

"Look, something seems off down there," Lei Ming suddenly said, pointing in the direction of Asi Town.

Ashe Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 99: The Plague (3)

Standing on the cliff edge, one could see the town of Asi nestled in the valley before them. It was here that Qin Ge and Lei Ming had discovered the town's lights and found their way there. It was already late at night; even if Asi were brightly lit, those lights should have been silent. But now, Asi resembled countless fireflies, their tiny lights swirling and dancing along the streets. And these fireflies gathered in increasing numbers, gradually converging in one place, forming a massive center of light.

Takahashi's face changed color first; he could vaguely make out that the place where the fireflies gathered was the location of the town center.

Something big must have happened in town, otherwise people wouldn't be leaving their homes so late at night. But he and Qin Ge had only been away from Asi Town for a short time, and the streets were as quiet as usual. What could possibly have happened in such a short time?

"Let's go back quickly," Takahashi whispered.

Qin Ge and Lei Ming exchanged a glance, both deeply puzzled. Although he still felt regret over Gao Song's death, the sudden event made him tense again. He had a premonition that what had happened was inextricably linked to them. Had something else happened to their other companions who remained in Asi Town? Thinking of Dong'er, a look of anxiety appeared on his face.

The three turned around and ran together down the path on the other side of the altar.

The moonlight was like water, and the smooth, flat ground of the altar seemed to be covered with a layer of silver light. At the end of the silver light, a solitary shadow stood. It was the back of a person, dressed in loose white silk clothes and trousers, with a full head of silver hair. At this moment, the mountain wind swept by, and his clothes and silver hair fluttered in the wind. From a distance, he really looked like an enlightened immortal dancing in the wind.

Gao Qiao suddenly stopped. A moment later, when Qin Ge and Lei Ming ran to his side, he waved to stop them. Then he slowly walked forward step by step, stopping when he was five or six steps away from the man in white.

"Seventh Master," he said respectfully.

In the town of As, there is only one Seventh Master, the white-robed wizard Hawkeye Seventh Master of the As Cult. Legend has it that he is the most senior member of the As Cult, and the fearsome black-robed wizard is merely his disciple; even the cult leader, Alang, treats him with respect. Takahashi has only been in As town for a year and has never been seen leaving that high-walled compound, but this night he appeared on the altar, indicating that something truly serious has happened in As town.

Hawkeye Seven turned around, his white beard fluttering in the wind, his eyes bright and piercing. His spirit made it impossible to guess his exact age.

“I’ve been observing the stars these past few nights and saw a harbinger of disaster appearing in the west, which has made me uneasy. I came to this altar specifically to resolve my doubts. I didn’t expect you gentlemen to have such a thing to do. Very few people in Asi Town would come to the altar at night,” Seventh Master said expressionlessly.

Gao Qiao hesitated, but Qin Ge stepped forward and said in a loud voice, "Living in the city for so long, it's rare to see such a dazzling starry sky. Seventh Master is a hermit, living in this mountain and water scenery, living a life like an immortal. I wonder what doubts he might have in his heart."

Seventh Master's gaze sharpened, and for a moment Qin Ge seemed to have a strange feeling, as if two beams of light were shooting out from Seventh Master's eyes. Seventh Master, with his eagle eyes, stared at Qin Ge, paused for a moment, and then said, "You're Qin Ge, a policeman before coming to Asi Town?"

"Criminal police officers specialize in all kinds of criminal cases," Qin Ge added.

Seventh Master nodded: "Perhaps Asi Town really needs someone like you. It's just a pity that I know someone like you would never be content with such a mundane life. You will eventually have to return to the outside world."

"Seventh Master has a discerning eye. I not only want to go back myself, but I also want to bring all the people who came with me back with me. We originally had no connection with this place, nor did we come here voluntarily. So, given the opportunity, I will definitely go back." Qin Ge met the gaze of the white-haired old man and suddenly had a bad feeling. However, he couldn't be sure whether the feeling was directed at the old man in front of him or at himself.

Seventh Master didn't speak, but turned around and looked up at the myriad stars in the night sky. After a moment of silence, Seventh Master said, "The calamity star has just appeared, the divine path is declining, and the demonic path is growing. I'm afraid that when the calamity star descends upon the mortal world, even if you want to hide, you can't escape it."

Qin Ge frowned and said, "Seventh Master's words are unfathomable. A sky full of stars is just a natural phenomenon. Can it really predict what will happen from it?"

"The way of Heaven operates according to its own laws, but it is not without clues," said Seventh Master. "We ordinary people cannot fully comprehend the will of Heaven, but can only deduce and speculate from some of its signs. This is actually the same principle as you police officers solving cases, except that you are pondering human nature, while we are sensing the will of Heaven."

Qin Ge lowered his head and remained silent, seemingly sensing that the white-robed wizard's words contained a hidden meaning, but he couldn't quite figure it out for the time being. At this moment, Gao Qiao, who was next to him, stepped forward: "Just now, we saw people from the town heading towards the town center at the altar cliff. We wonder if something happened in the town."

Seventh Master turned around and looked directly at Takahashi, saying in a deep voice, "If I'm not mistaken, it must be the reappearance of the Demon God."

"Demon God?" Qin Ge asked curiously. "What is a Demon God?"

"Why don't you go down and see for yourself if you want to know the answer?" Seventh Master looked up at the sky again, seemingly unwilling to say anything more.

Qin Ge and Gao Qiao exchanged a glance, and Gao Qiao's anxious expression deepened.

Gaoqiao respectfully said to Seventh Master, "Then we won't hinder Seventh Master from discerning the secrets of heaven. We need to hurry back to town to see what exactly happened."

Ashe Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 100: The Plague (4)

Seventh Master remained silent, his face tilted back. Qin Ge and the other two said nothing more, passing the white-robed shaman, and prepared to descend the mountain. But at this moment, Seventh Master's voice suddenly rang out behind them: "In my life, I have witnessed three calamities appearing in the heavens. The first was when the Japanese devils occupied the Asi Mountains. They burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities. More than half of the tribes in the Asi Mountains were killed or wounded. It was truly a scene of carnage and devastation. The second time was more than twenty years later, when several truckloads of young people stormed into my tribe. Although they were not as ferocious as the Japanese devils, they killed gods and Buddhas, destroyed my ancestral halls, and burned almost everything left by our ancestors for thousands of years. But those two calamities were not as dangerous as what I have seen this time. I'm afraid that this time, it's not just the Asi tribe that will be doomed."

Qin Ge was taken aback upon hearing this. She stopped and turned around, only to see Seventh Master slowly walking forward, his flowing robes exuding a unique and tragic aura. He was like a wise hermit, detached from worldly affairs, leaving behind a few words of verse before drifting away.

"Let's hurry up, we've already wasted a lot of time," Takahashi urged him.

"This old man is acting all mysterious; I really don't know what he's trying to say," Qin Ge said helplessly.

"I think there's something more to his words." Lei Ming frowned, as if he was still thinking about what Seventh Master had said.

The three men talked as they walked, their feet never stopping, heading straight down the mountain. As the saying goes, going up a mountain is easy, but going down is much easier, saving a lot of energy. Halfway down, they suddenly saw countless tiny lights dotting the mountain path ahead, densely packed like a long dragon winding its way upwards. Then, they heard a low murmur of commotion. The three stopped, a growing sense that something unusual was happening that night. Those people who had gathered at the town center were heading up the mountain late at night, heading straight for the altar—what momentous event had occurred in the town?

The lights drew closer, and they became clear that the townspeople were surging forward with torches. The commotion soon reached them, and they saw that the people at the front seemed to be carrying something—not just one thing, but at least a dozen. As the procession drew nearer, they realized that what the people were carrying were not objects at all, but living people. Moreover, the people being carried were gently wriggling, occasionally spitting out white foam.

Takahashi went to meet them. The people at the front of the group recognized him, and someone called his name loudly. Takahashi asked what had happened, but they didn't have time to answer, only focusing on heading uphill. Helpless, Takahashi stepped aside and took a closer look at the people being carried. They were ashen-faced, their eyes tightly closed, and fine foam was constantly gushing from their mouths. Some had expressions of extreme pain on their faces, while others were motionless, clearly unconscious.

After letting the people in front pass, Gao Qiao grabbed a man holding a torch at the back and loudly asked what had happened. At this moment, Qin Ge and Lei Ming also arrived. They pulled the man back to the rocks by the roadside so that they could continue the journey up the mountain without hindering the group.

The man looked anxious, but was held back by Takahashi, and then, panting, he recounted what had happened that night.

This night in Asi Town was destined to be eventful, as more than ten people simultaneously fell ill with a strange disease. It began with incessant coughing, followed by a low-grade fever. At first, no one took it seriously, but soon the fever spiked and wouldn't subside, leaving them burning like charcoal, while the patients themselves felt unusually cold, no matter how many layers of clothing they wore. These patients were gradually taken to a doctor by bystanders. The doctor, who had previously worked as an internist at a large hospital in Northeast China, initially treated it as a common cold and fever, administering injections and medication. However, as the number of patients increased, and their symptoms became identical, he began to have concerns. Upon closer examination, he discovered that the patients all had symptoms such as pleural effusion, tracheal obstruction, lung lobe collapse, and loss of oxygen intake—typical symptoms of pneumonia. The fact that so many people were simultaneously suffering from typical pneumonia was terrifying, indicating that the syndrome had the potential to spread. Typical pneumonia is caused by bacterial invasion of the lungs. These bacteria are what we commonly refer to as viruses. If the spread and infection are widespread, it will be an absolute disaster for humanity.

If it really happens, then its name will be plague.

Now, Qin Ge, Lei Ming, and Gao Qiao finally understood what the demon god Seven Master was referring to. In the legends of the Aso Cult, the great god Puyamini of Aso spent his entire life fighting against a plague in the Aso Mountains. He once managed to eradicate the plague that had swept through the various tribes of the Aso Mountains, but before his death, he instructed his disciples that the plague had not been completely eradicated and that it might resurface. Therefore, he asked his disciples to forever protect the tribes of the Aso Mountains, find the cause of the plague outbreak, and completely eliminate it.

The legend dates back so far, so ancient, that its exact age is impossible to verify. But if the plague prophesied by Piamenis were to re-emerge thousands of years later, who would be able to stop its spread?

Ashe Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 101: Plague (5)

News spread quickly throughout Asi Town, and almost everyone flocked to the town hall—the only thing they could think of to do after their initial fear. The people at the town hall quickly reported the situation to the high priest, Alang, inside the walled compound. The black-robed wizard arrived at the town hall and told everyone that the demon god had arrived, and only the power of the goddess Asi could destroy it and ensure the safety of Asi Town. The high priest, now aware of what had happened, instructed everyone to immediately wait at the altar. He would make the necessary preparations and then join them on the altar to fight the demon god together.

So everyone carried the patient up the mountain to the altar to wait for the leader.

Qin Ge frowned and remained silent. If a plague truly broke out in Asi Town, how could the cult leader Alang possibly resolve it with his witchcraft? If no measures were taken, with so many people and patients gathered together in Asi Town, it was highly likely that everyone would be infected. At that point, even if Puyamini were reborn, it would be difficult to turn the tide.

He shared his idea with Takahashi, who was clearly undecided as well. Everyone was indignant, and it was impossible to stop them from going up the mountain. Besides, Asu Town was only two kilometers in radius. In such a small place, once the plague spread, no one would be spared. What difference did it make whether or not they went up to the altar?

Qin Ge's gaze swept across the group heading up the mountain, wondering if Dong'er and Su He were with the others. But the group was already more than halfway through, and Dong'er and the others were nowhere to be seen. This made Qin Ge even more uneasy. He abandoned Gao Qiao and ran back towards the direction the group had come from. Lei Ming knew what he was worried about, so he followed behind him. Gao Qiao watched their retreating figures, hesitated for a moment, then turned and joined the group up the mountain. As a staff member of the town affairs center, he couldn't back down when such a major event had occurred in the town.

Qin Ge and Lei Ming rushed to the back of the group but couldn't find Dong'er and the others. They didn't even see the portly owner of the Tan Guan Tang, Dong Zhihua. Could it be that Dong'er and the others didn't know what had happened in town and were still with Su He and the others at the Tan Guan Tang? But with such a commotion in town, even a deaf person could hear it. Besides, Dong'er and the others were waiting for them to bring Zhang Song back; they certainly couldn't have missed seeing so many people walking together in the street.

So, there are only two possibilities for why they didn't go up the mountain with everyone: either they stayed in the Tan Guan Hall waiting for Qin Ge and the others to return, or something might have happened to them. Qin Ge immediately pictured the thirteen stone pillars with different faces on the altar again, and fear surged within him. The faces of those stone pillars had different expressions, but at this moment, in his mind, they all became equally hideous and terrifying.

"Let's hurry back to the magistrate's office, hopefully we can still make it in time," Qin Ge said anxiously.

Lei Ming wanted to ask something, but Qin Ge had already run down the mountain on her own.

The town of Asi was deserted. Although it was usually very quiet at night, the silence now carried an eerie and unsettling quality. Qin Ge and Lei Ming's footsteps echoed through the streets, their voices seemingly penetrating the entire area. The neon lights that usually shone brightly were mostly extinguished, and even the houses along the roadside were mostly dark. Darkness, like a gigantic phantom, had almost swallowed the entire town of Asi whole.

Qin Ge and Lei Ming paid no attention to anything else and headed straight for the Tan Guan Hall.

Inside the hall, all was silent. The lobby was a mess; the service counter was overturned, and fragments of several potted plants were scattered everywhere. Even more shocking was the large pool of blood on the floor. Qin Ge shouted Dong'er's name and ran into the corridor, only to find all the doors open, but no one was there. Dong'er and Su He had all vanished. Qin Ge was horrified. He rushed back into the hall, dipped his finger in the blood, squeezed it, and smelled it. The blood was still viscous and slightly warm, indicating that something terrible had just happened.

Lei Ming was stunned by the pool of blood, standing in the hall at a loss for what to do. Qin Ge saw the same panic on his face as she did.

By this point, it was clear that what had happened here was unrelated to the plague outside; someone had broken in and forcibly taken Dong'er and the others away. Only a pool of blood remained at the scene, indicating that only one person had been injured. Qin Ge now only hoped that the injured person wasn't Dong'er, although he knew such a thought was selfish, it was a thought he couldn't control.

Qin Ge knew who had kidnapped Dong'er and the others. Now, he had no choice. Even though he knew the odds were slim, he still had to try. How could he watch Dong'er suffer even the slightest harm? At this moment, he suddenly felt that he understood Tong Hao, Lei Ming, and Zhang Song a little. For the people you love, sometimes you will do things that ordinary people cannot understand. But when you are in the situation, you will realize that doing so is actually your only choice.

Ashe Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 102: Ruins (1)

Qin Ge and Lei Ming lurked in the shadows along the street, the main gate of the high-walled compound not far in front of them. In this town of Asi, only the leader of the Alang Cult and his self-defense force could have kidnapped Dong'er and the others; they were definitely inside this compound. Qin Ge had entered the compound with Gao Qiao before; inside, besides a row of single-story houses with blue bricks and black tiles and two side rooms, there were only two courtyards, front and back. The leader of the Alang Cult grew some vegetables in the backyard, and in his spare time, he would weed the vegetable patches and drink tea under the old tree. If you didn't know that Alang was the leader of the Alang Cult, you would think this was an ordinary family home; you wouldn't see any signs of bloodshed or violence there.

But Qin Ge hadn't forgotten that behind the vegetable patch in the backyard was a low wall, behind which lay a tall, lush forest—the very heart of Asi Town. Those dazed-looking members of the self-defense force must be living there. If Dong'er and the others had been abducted in this courtyard, they would surely be imprisoned there as well.

"If we want to save people, why don't we go around to the back?" Lei Ming asked in a low voice.

"The leader of the Alang sect is mysterious and unpredictable. The more mysterious a person is, the more dangerous he is. We must avoid him when we try to rescue people." Seeing that Lei Ming still didn't understand, Qin Ge explained again, "The people in the town are waiting for the leader at the altar. He will definitely bring his self-defense force to the altar soon. We should wait until they leave and there are not many people left in this courtyard before we go in to rescue people. That way, we might have a better chance of success."

Lei Ming nodded, then asked after a while, "Why did this Alang cult leader kidnap our people?"

Qin Ge said worriedly, "I'm afraid this is related to that sacrificial ceremony. But the sacrificial ceremony should start the day after tomorrow. Why did they kidnap Dong'er and the others at this time? Could it be because of those sick people?"

"What do we have to do with the sacrificial ceremony?" Lei Ming asked, puzzled. "We are not members of the Asic religion, and we don't even know what their gods are."

“Some things are simply beyond our control,” Qin Ge said helplessly. “In some religions, there are often rules that seem inexplicable to us, as well as secret rituals. Especially in these remote shamanistic religions, their origins and continuation are shrouded in mystery, and their rules and rituals far exceed our imagination. I once saw a movie about Taoist immortals. To become an immortal, one must undergo the trials of the Five Hells. If one cannot endure such suffering, one must find five sinful people to suffer in one's place. Those five sinful people must die in the Hell of Ice, the Hell of Fire, the Hell of Intestines Being Pulled Out, the Hell of Heart Gouging Out, and the Hell of Tongue Pulling Out. And the Asi religion we are facing now, it is said that after the sacrificial ceremony the day after tomorrow, the legendary Goddess Asi will be resurrected. This is not much different from becoming an immortal. Therefore, there must be something horrifying in their rituals, or perhaps we are the sacrifices they have chosen.”

Lei Ming remained silent, his expression turning ashen and resolute. Qin Ge also fell silent. He had already roughly guessed what was going on, but now he needed a thread to connect the dots. Of course, there were still a few crucial questions that puzzled him.

The night was deep, and the quiet streets exuded an air of death. The wind blew through the darkness, swirling up fallen, withered leaves. The main gate remained tightly shut, a spotlight above it casting a halo of light around its center. Time passed, and even Qin Ge grew increasingly anxious. He suddenly lost confidence in his own judgment. There were too many strange things in this town of Asi; some things couldn't be deduced using common sense. Therefore, Dong'er and the others might not necessarily be imprisoned within these high walls and courtyards.

As the wait dragged on, his mind became increasingly unsettled, especially since Dong'er, the girl he was most worried about, was among those abducted.

Lei Ming, standing to the side, also wore the same anxious expression.

Fortunately, there was a sudden movement ahead. A creaking sound like heavy wheels rolling over the street, and a dim beam of light shone from the dark gate. Then, Qin Ge and Lei Ming saw the gate open, and a group of men carrying torches emerged. Although these men could walk quite freely, their limbs still seemed somewhat stiff. The circle of light from the spotlight shone on their faces, revealing their deathly pale complexions and blank expressions. They looked like a group of mindless clay and wooden dolls, or perhaps a group of living zombies. They were, of course, the Asi Town Self-Defense Force.

The last person to emerge from the door was calm and composed, with his hands behind his back. From a distance, he looked like an old man in his twilight years, but Qin Ge recognized him at a glance as Alang, the leader of the Asish Cult.

The group of Alang leaders and self-defense forces quickly headed towards one end of the street; judging from their direction, they were clearly going up the mountain to the altar.

Qin Ge and Lei Ming were nervous and tried to shrink themselves into the darkness as much as possible, afraid of being discovered.

Moments later, the leader of the Alang sect and his self-defense forces had disappeared into the streets.

At this point, Qin Ge and Lei Ming didn't hesitate any longer and rushed to the door. Getting in seemed to be a problem; the wall was over ten feet high, and climbing over it was clearly impossible. Lei Ming hesitated, but Qin Ge had already reached the door and was banging on it. Lei Ming suddenly realized that since the self-defense force had openly abducted Dong'er and the others, it meant they had already broken off all pretense of civility. At this point, there was no need for politeness; rescuing the captives was their only objective.

Ashe Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 6, Chapter 103: Ruins (2)

After a while, there was movement inside the door. A little later, when the door creaked open a crack, Qin Ge slammed into it. The door opened, and before the person could even react, Qin Ge had already pinned them to the ground. Qin Ge delivered a heavy punch to their neck, and they immediately passed out. Lei Ming had once said that it was impossible for an ordinary person to knock someone unconscious so easily, but Qin Ge had received specialized training, making him an exception.

Qin Ge and Lei Ming searched the side rooms separately. The doors were unlocked and could be easily opened, but they didn't find Dong'er and the others. After searching the side rooms, the two stood in front of the main house with its blue bricks and black tiles, exchanged glances, and immediately pushed the door open and entered. The main house had several rooms. Qin Ge had entered the central room before and knew that it housed the statue of the goddess As. The other rooms were probably the bedrooms of the cult leader Alang and the black and white wizards, but there wasn't a soul in them. It seemed that Dong'er and the others must be imprisoned in some secret place. Without hesitation, Qin Ge led Lei Ming straight to the backyard.

They crossed the vegetable patch and arrived at the low wall. Qin Ge gestured to Lei Ming, who nodded in understanding. The two leaped, their hands already gripping the top of the wall, and in a flash, they flipped over. Behind the wall was a grove of trees; the trunks weren't particularly thick, but each one was straight and tall, with lush foliage. The grove consisted of only a few dense rows, the purpose of which Qin Ge had already guessed was to block the view. Passing through the grove, Qin Ge suddenly stopped.

"Listen, can you hear something?" Qin Ge asked Lei Ming in a low voice.

Lei Ming listened intently and indeed heard some very faint buzzing sounds. The sound seemed to be very far away, or as if it were blocked by something, only a few wisps of sound could seep through.

The two continued forward, and after a short distance, their view suddenly opened up. Before them lay a flat area, with a row of houses standing alone. Under the pale moonlight, it was clear that the houses were made of stone. They stood in the center of the flat area, surrounded by open space on all sides, exuding an eerie atmosphere.

Qin Ge Lei Ming bent down and carefully observed the row of houses.

The house was like a rectangular box with a flat roof, only one door, no windows, short, stocky, and exceptionally sturdy, looking like a sealed stone coffin.

At this moment, the stone house was completely silent, as if it were defenseless, with only the cold moonlight enveloping it, giving it a desolate feel. Then, the faint buzzing sound seemed to grow a little louder. You could tell it was all around, but you couldn't pinpoint its direction. Moreover, it was like a crying child whose mouth was covered by an adult; the sound seemed to be blocked by something.

Qin Ge and Lei Ming exchanged a glance, then crouched low and rushed towards the stone house. The door was ajar, which surprised them; they sensed a hidden danger beneath the calm. If this truly was the heart of Asi Town, then even if Cult Leader Alang had left, he would have left guards. But now, Qin Ge and Lei Ming pushed the door open a crack and listened intently. Aside from a faint buzzing sound, they heard nothing else. At this point, they couldn't retreat. Cult Leader Alang had finally managed to leave with his self-defense force; such an opportunity was rare. This stone house was so strange; the secrets of Asi Town might lie within, and these secrets might answer all their questions.