Ancient Tomb Ghosts

Chapter 9

I spent the whole night in the Tomb of the Dead, but I know it's not good for my baby. I've decided I'll never go on Tomb of the Dead again.

I suddenly saw a post from "Little Boy" on the message board. Lu Bai had told me his username, so I replied and invited him to the chat room. He said that Lu Bai and the Three Trees' deaths were related to the ghosts in the ancient tomb. I said I didn't believe it, but I was also a little scared. After we finished chatting, I decided to go for a walk in the maze.

It took me a very long time to finally navigate the maze, and then I met her.

Signed by: Huang Yun

Title: Diary

Date: 2001/01/17

It was raining heavily today, but I still went out. I found Dr. Mo, and we deliberately left the clinic to sit in a teahouse. He again demanded that I abort the child, and we had a fierce argument. I really wanted to kill him at that moment. In the end, he gave in, but he hoped that I would find someone else like Lu Bai and pin the child on someone else.

Back at the clinic with him, I unexpectedly saw him again—"the little boy." He seemed to get along well with Rose; perhaps they were a couple. But his relationship with Dr. Mo was strained, and he left soon after. Watching his figure disappear into the rain, I thought, maybe I really need him.

Signed by: Huang Yun

Title: Diary

Date: 2001/01/22

Today is the eve of the Lunar New Year, we can't wait any longer.

I decided to replace Lu Bai with "Little Boy".

I found his house. It was messy, and it was clear he was an only child. I made up another lie, just like in the coffee shop, and deceived him once more. I wanted him to marry me, and then divorce me after the child was born, just like Lu Bai.

I don't know if he will agree to me, but I have a woman's intuition that he will, because he is naive.

I hope he will arrive on time by January 31st.

After seeing all this, I felt somewhat numb. I left the computer and saw Ye Xiao sitting alone on the sofa reading a book of Sherlock Holmes.

"Finished reading?" He looked up.

"What's going on?"

"Didn't I tell you? I'm currently investigating this case. I have the right to collect evidence and conduct investigations from Huang Yun's computer. I downloaded all the files on her computer's hard drive and found these diaries. Moreover, according to the forensic autopsy report, she was indeed three months pregnant. It's truly tragic; it was a real stillbirth. Now, you can understand all of this, right?"

"Yes, I was deceived by her. Lu Bai was just a substitute for Dr. Mo, and I was Lu Bai's substitute. I was just a substitute's substitute. I was nothing. But I don't hate her; I only hate the root of all evil—Dr. Mo. He truly is a beast. I'm certain that Huang Yun's suicide was definitely related to him. Perhaps Dr. Mo is actually the stationmaster of the Ancient Tomb Ghosts. Yes, that's very possible. You analyze it. Dr. Mo is a fraud. He's more of a shaman or sorcerer than a doctor, always using the guise of science to perform supernatural tricks. He's a born criminal. From him..." Judging from his so-called treatment, he was using mind control on his patients, inducing them to have false subconscious feelings, even leading to suicide. Perhaps those dozen or so people who committed suicide without explanation were all because of him, and he should also be held responsible for the deaths of Lin Shu and Lu Bai. I remember, when he first treated me, I seemed to see an eye, and through the pupil of that eye, I seemed to see a black hole. He even said a few words beside me, saying that all supernatural phenomena could be explained by a black hole. This proves that he was using this; he's a beast.

Ye Xiao smiled at me: "Ah, you're much smarter than before, but there are still many things you don't understand."

"Yes, if we arrest Dr. Mo and interrogate him, perhaps all the questions will be answered."

“Things are different now than in the past; everything now requires evidence.” He paused for a moment, made a helpless expression, and continued, “I’m going to Beijing on a business trip tomorrow for a conference on preventing computer crime. I won’t be back for a few days. You’d better take care of yourself and not do anything rash. It’s too late; go home and get some sleep.”

"goodbye."

"And one more thing," he reminded me, "Don't go to the Ancient Tomb Ghost again. Don't take any risks before you understand the specifics."

I nodded and left his house. In the cold night wind, I wandered around helplessly like a little boy. Perhaps Huang Yun was right; I was indeed too naive.

I thought I heard a fetus cry, but I knew it was just my imagination. A three-month-old fetus isn't fully formed yet; how could it make a sound?

I quickened my pace and disappeared into the darkness.

February 2nd

I didn't ring the doorbell, but pushed open the door to the psychological clinic. Rose was a little surprised, but immediately smiled and said, "Hello."

"Hello." It's strange, but as soon as I see her, even if I'm feeling really upset, my mood will calm down. "ROSE, is Dr. Mo here?"

"Yes, he's waiting for you."

"Waiting for me? He knew I was coming."

"Yes, he told me you would definitely come today."

"Oh." Could it be that Dr. Mo really has the ability to predict the future? I looked at Rose again, and a thought suddenly occurred to me—maybe Dr. Mo would treat Rose the way he treated Huang Yun. No, she can't get any closer to Dr. Mo. I said hastily, "Rose, resign immediately, leave this place far away, leave Dr. Mo, and never see him again."

"Why? Maybe you misunderstood him." Rose was puzzled.

“I didn’t wrong him. He’s a real murderer. Don’t believe him. Don’t believe his sweet talk. His greatest skill isn’t healing, but deceiving people, especially girls.”

Rose's expression suddenly changed, and she looked behind me and said softly, "Dr. Mo."

I turned around and found Dr. Mo standing behind me. I faced him, staring at his face, and suddenly I felt an urge to punch him. I hadn't felt this way in a long time. This urge made my back sweat, and I started clenching my fists.

“I heard everything you just said,” he said calmly.

“Very good.” I punched him in the face.

Rose screamed, and Dr. Mo collapsed to the ground. I still had the urge to kick him a few more times, but looking at him groaning on the ground, my body went limp. Rose ran to Dr. Mo and was about to help him up when he got up on his own. He looked quite disheveled. I took a step back, wary of his retaliation. But he didn't seem angry at all, saying to Rose, "I'm fine." Then he said to me, "Can we go upstairs to talk?"

Perhaps there was some conspiracy involved. My heart was pounding, but Rose was looking at me, and I didn't want to show my fear, so I followed Dr. Mo upstairs.

I went into his room, closed the door, and gestured for me to sit down. He sat down too and said slowly, "How much do you know?"

"I have read Huang Yun's diary."

“No wonder. I learned about Huang Yun’s death the day after it happened. I was worried that the police would check her computer, and sure enough, you did. The long arm of the law will eventually catch up with you. I admit my guilt.”

Why don't you divorce your wife?

“I can’t, I can’t lose this clinic. This clinic was sponsored by my wife, and this whole house is hers too. If I divorce her, she won’t leave me anything. I will lose everything, I will be penniless, and die on the street like a dog.”

"That's not a reason."

“I know that’s not a reason.”

"Then how did you get Huang Yun?" I pressed on.

"When Huang Yun was little, I was her neighbor. I was ten years older than her; she was only sixteen that year, while I spent my days idly at home. It was summer vacation, and her mother was out working hard to make a living. That summer was exceptionally hot, and she hardly ever stepped outside the gate of the Shikumen (stone-framed gate) house. She was a strange girl; there was a wildness in her blood. You never saw her at sixteen; she was like a beautiful little wild animal. She was precocious, fully developed by sixteen, with an almost perfect figure, coupled with that wild vitality. In short, she deeply attracted me. All the neighbors knew she was an illegitimate child; no one respected her or allowed their children to associate with her. Because of her beauty and precociousness, the girls at school were jealous." She, and she hated those boys; she was an isolated person. I always went to chat with her, pretending to care about her, and gradually began to understand her heart. She felt that I could make her no longer lonely. I'm a born scoundrel, but I understand women's hearts. Sixteen-year-old Huang Yun, though special, still couldn't escape my methods. I started to tease her gradually, talking to her about sensitive topics, and she seemed particularly interested in these topics. In front of me, she, who was usually taciturn, could say anything; she was bolder than me. Finally, one day, you might not believe it, she took the initiative to give herself to me. We spent a crazy summer. That summer was really hot; I can still clearly remember many details about her.

"Stop talking," I interrupted him. I felt that what Dr. Mo had just said was enough for me to write a highly sensational novel.

"I'm sorry, but I have to tell you everything that's on my mind because I feel incredibly guilty. After that summer, I moved away and left that place. I didn't see Huang Yun for a long time afterward. Three years ago, I got married. My wife gave me this house and a large sum of money, and I started this psychological clinic. By chance, I saw Huang Yun again. I found her even more beautiful than before. Her wildness was still deep in her eyes, and we immediately resumed our old relationship. But I could sense that she was no longer as easily deceived as she was at sixteen. She remained wary of me. When she finally became pregnant, she formally asked me to divorce my wife, but I didn't agree. You probably know what happened next. I truly regret it."

"It's too late to regret it now."

"Now, I'm finished. I know the police are investigating me, and they might arrest me in a few days. There could be many charges, and I think I could face multiple charges and spend over a decade in prison. I confess now: I am a fraud. I am not a doctor, nor am I a PhD in psychology. I bought my medical license and doctoral degree. My so-called treatments were all learned from charlatans—hypnosis and mind control tricks. You should understand what mind control is. The treatments I performed on you were controlling your consciousness, filling your subconscious and fantasies with your real memories, creating so-called past life experiences. There are no past lives. The memories of those people you saw last time were just hallucinations under my hypnosis and mind control."

"You're just using these scams to cheat people out of money, but your wife is very wealthy. You have no reason to do these things for money."

"Do you think I'm doing this for the money? No, my treatments are almost free. I'm not doing this for the money; I'm doing it to satisfy my psychological needs. I want people to call me a doctor, I want to control people's minds, I want to see people's subconscious and hallucinations. You know, it's very exciting. I have this kind of fetish, and it has nothing to do with money."

"Perhaps the one who needs treatment is yourself; you're a pervert."

“That’s possible. But there’s another reason. When I hypnotize my female patients, I can do whatever I want to them, you know what I mean. I take advantage of them while they are unconscious to satisfy my physical desires.”

I thought of the woman who recalled being gang-raped by Japanese soldiers during the Nanjing Massacre in her past life. Looking at Dr. Mo calmly recounting this story in front of me, I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Then, did you do anything to Rose?" My voice started to tremble.

"No, I can guarantee it. I think she has a special aura that makes her unapproachable. I've never had any romantic feelings for her." He fell silent.

"Are you done talking?"

"Yes, that's all." He even said it with an air of seriousness.

"Perhaps you've overlooked something."

"I don't know what you mean." He was still playing dumb.

I became furious again: "You covered up the most important crime, sacrificing pawns to save the king. You're so clever. How long do you think you can keep this up? Tomb Ghost, Tomb Ghost, you're the stationmaster of Tomb Ghost, aren't you? You used vicious methods to make those innocent people commit suicide without knowing why. It was you, you're a devil."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I admit I often visit the Tomb of the Dead, but I'm not the site administrator. I don't know what the Tomb of the Dead is. I'm just an ordinary internet user."

"quibble."

“I’ve said everything I needed to say. I have no reason to hide anything. I admit I’m a liar, but every word I’ve said today is true because I was shocked by Huang Yun’s death. After all, Huang Yun was carrying my child.” Dr. Mo suddenly became angry. He stood up and shouted, “I’ve had enough. Whether you believe it or not, I’ve decided to quit. I’ll wait for the police to come and arrest me. I won’t run away or resist. If you hate me, you can come and punch me a few more times. I won’t fight back.”

I stared intently at his face, unsure whether I should believe him. I shook my head, took a few steps back, opened the door, and said to him, "I will be in court on the day you are tried."

I rushed down the stairs. Rose was still sitting quietly. We looked at each other without saying a word, or rather, we spoke with our eyes. Then, I walked out of the clinic.

February 6th

I'm home alone, not online, rushing to finish a novel. I haven't written anything since the winter solstice. I think I should break free from these strange things that have happened recently. I can't live in fear forever; rather than being afraid, I'm overwhelmed by fear. Farewell, ghost of the ancient tomb.

The doorbell rang. It was Ye Xiao. Wasn't he in Beijing for a meeting?

"I just got off the plane. I came straight here from the airport without going home." It was his first time visiting me, so he was a little reserved. I could tell from his face that he was very tired after getting off the plane, but I felt that he was even more exhausted in spirit.

"The meeting is going to start so quickly?"

"It was nothing more than routine stuff about preventing computer crime. Several of my college classmates were at the meeting, and they told me that there had been unexplained suicides in their provinces and cities, and the deceased had been frequently logging into Ghost in the Ancient Tomb in the month before their suicides."

"Is that really true?" My interest was piqued again.

"You seem to have researched the Tongzhi Emperor's information before? Especially the Empress?"

"The maze game is located in the tomb of the Tongzhi Emperor."

"During my time in Beijing, under the guise of investigating a case, I consulted the archives of the Qing Dynasty court and reviewed the information on Empress Alute, the wife of Emperor Tongzhi. Some of the records were very unusual and different from others." Ye Xiao paused.

"What do you mean?"

"These may just be legends. When Alute was young, her father hired a high lama from Tibet to be her teacher. Alute was Mongolian, and although her father was proficient in Chinese and Confucianism and had served in the Hanlin Academy, like most Mongolians, he practiced Tibetan Buddhism, specifically the Gelug school. This high lama was said to possess the power to bring the dead back to life, and he wandered throughout Mongolia and Tibet. Rumor has it that he once resurrected a person who had been buried for decades. Later, after Alute became empress and entered the palace, the high lama left Beijing and returned to a monastery in Tibet. Even more strangely, people..." Legend has it that on the very night that Empress Alute committed suicide by swallowing gold for love of the Tongzhi Emperor, almost at the same moment, this high lama in Tibet also suddenly passed away, the cause of death unknown. When the lamas in the monastery prepared to cremate him, his body had vanished. Of course, all of this is just hearsay and has never been confirmed. The high lama himself is even more elusive; he didn't even leave a name, and may never have existed at all. What I find strange is that these utterly baseless legends were recorded in the Qing court's confidential archives.

"It's really hard to understand. Maybe the Qing Palace archives were just made up by eunuchs when they were bored."

"Ha, stop kidding. Actually, besides Beijing, I went to another place these past few days."

Where is it?

"Qing Eastern Tombs".

My heart skipped a beat. Upon hearing those three words, the fear deep within me surged up like bubbles: "How did you get there?"

"To clear up the doubts in my mind, I had to go there. The Eastern Qing Tombs are very close to Beijing, only a little over two hours away by car. The Eastern Tombs are much larger than I imagined. Each tomb covers a huge area, and the distance between the tombs is also very long. I visited all the tombs that are open to the public, such as the most famous Cixi Tomb and Qianlong Tomb, as well as the tomb of the Fragrant Concubine."

"Then what about the Huiling Mausoleum of the Tongzhi Emperor?" I asked impatiently.

"It can be visited, but unlike other tombs that have been looted, the underground palace of Huiling is not currently open to the public, and the reason is unclear. Compared to other places, Huiling has fewer tourists. When I went, it wasn't a weekend. Huiling itself is the smallest and of the worst quality among all the imperial tombs in the Eastern Tombs. In short, it gives people a desolate and bleak feeling. Decades have passed, and things have changed. On-site inspections can't reveal anything. So I asked the local management personnel, and they looked through some archives for me. In 1945, Huiling was indeed looted."

"I read about it in a book, but I thought it was just hearsay."

"This isn't hearsay; it really happened. The tomb raiders found the Empress's body intact, and that's true. That day, I went to the local public security bureau's archives department. After the large-scale tomb raiding in 1945, the local government took some measures, arresting more than 300 tomb raiders and interrogating them. Although there are very few archives from before liberation, several records from that time have been preserved. I reviewed several records related to Huiling, and they all mentioned that the Empress's body was intact, while the Emperor's body was completely decomposed. The interrogated tomb raiders all left words of great surprise at this in the underground palace. There is also a record left by the tomb raider who personally cut open the Empress's abdomen to search for gold. He said that when he cut open the Empress's stomach and put his hand in, he found that there was still some body temperature left in the Empress's abdominal cavity."

"My God." My vivid imagination immediately conjured up a disgusting image of someone reaching into the abdomen of a naked woman and pulling out her intestines one by one.

"Don't be afraid. I think it's probably just that ruthless guy having a guilty conscience and hallucinating. In fact, he died suddenly in prison not long after being interrogated," Ye Xiao comforted me.