Asi Hell

Chapter 5

As Hell: 773 Horror Series 12 Part 2 Chapter 18: The Sound of Drums (3)

They couldn't be sure the "zombie" was the one who orchestrated everything, but it was at least closely related to the person who arranged it. Capturing it would at least give them some information. They couldn't expect this information to be of much help in getting them out of their predicament, but at least it could tell them where they were and where they could find their way out of the mountains.

Moreover, they firmly believe that there are no zombies in the world. Although their appearance is terrifying, fear is just a basic human instinct, and some people can easily suppress this instinct.

Qin Ge and Huang Tao are clearly such people.

Running through knee-deep water was no easy feat, but they all gave it their all, and surprisingly, they moved quite fast. Fortunately, the path in the valley wasn't very wide, and they quickly reached the foot of the mountain. A narrow path emerged from the water, leading straight up the mountain. Qin Ge and Huang Tao exchanged a glance, and without hesitation, headed straight up the mountain.

The mountain walls were steep, and the path was winding and circuitous. Qin Ge and Huang Tao soon abandoned the path and chose to climb in a straight line. Eventually, they weren't running anymore; they were literally climbing, using both hands and feet. The existence of a path indicated that the terrain was relatively gentle compared to other mountains in the area, but due to its geography, it still appeared exceptionally steep to city dwellers. Fortunately, some exposed rocks provided conditions for Qin Ge and Huang Tao's climb.

Qin Ge had received professional training at the police academy, including rock climbing. Although he hadn't trained as much as he did in the academy, regular physical training was still essential. He was somewhat surprised that Huang Tao, who looked like an official, could keep up with him. Few officials had Huang Tao's physique; he climbed with even more ease than Qin Ge, who had to be fully focused to keep pace.

The crowd below the mountain had gathered together. They had all guessed Qin Ge and Huang Tao's intentions, and their upward gazes were filled with anxiety, especially Dong'er, who was more worried than the others.

The drumming continued, and the "zombies" on the cliff continued to wave their short sticks like puppets. The drumming sounded even more somber because of everyone's tense mood, and everyone had the illusion that the entire valley would collapse and crumble because of the drumming.

Although the cliff where the "zombie" stood was much lower than elsewhere, running to the top in one breath was still no easy feat for an ordinary person. Qin Ge and Huang Tao were both panting heavily, their sweat mingling with the rain, but they didn't feel too hot. However, the strenuous exercise, combined with the drumbeats, made it difficult for them to breathe, and they felt a tightness in their chests.

Fortunately, the cliff was only a hundred meters away from them, and they only needed to put in a little more effort to reach it.

The drumbeats suddenly vanished, but the echoes still reverberated through the valley. The lingering resonance of the sounds made it almost unnoticed by the crowd. When Qin Ge and Huang Tao reached the cliff edge, the drumbeats seemed to still resonate in their ears, but the cliff was now deserted.

The zombie-like shadow, along with its drum, mysteriously vanished.

Qin Ge and Huang Tao exchanged bewildered glances, both filled with apprehension and uncertainty. They had both seen the "zombie" in the car earlier, its limbs stiff and its movements sluggish, but now, before the drumming had completely faded, it had vanished like a ghost. Could it truly be the legendary ghost that lurks in the night?

The drumbeats finally faded away, and Qin Ge and Huang Tao stood dejectedly on the cliff.

The rain fell without any cover, and their hearts were as cold as their bodies.

Unable to find the zombie, they had no choice but to return to the road in the valley and continue their journey. The road stretched endlessly, and perhaps they would have to keep going like this until dawn. Even after dawn, they would likely still find themselves on this seemingly endless road. Since someone had orchestrated all of this, they would certainly not allow the people in the vehicle to escape easily. More importantly, no one knew what tomorrow would bring, and the unknown is, in itself, the source of all terror.

Qin Ge and Huang Tao looked at each other, both seeing disappointment and worry in each other's eyes.

The cliff they stood on was actually a fairly flat open space. At that moment, the torrential rain formed a curtain of rain on the open space, and all that could be seen was a blinding white expanse.

"Let's go down," Huang Tao said expressionlessly. "The people down there are still waiting for us."

Qin Ge nodded, and he and Huang Tao turned and walked back the way they came. Just then, they heard faint cries of a woman coming from below the cliff, and guessed that the people below were worried about their safety after they disappeared after reaching the top. Reaching the edge of the cliff, Qin Ge waved down, and Huang Tao quickly stepped ahead of him.

Suddenly, a thought struck Qin Ge, and a question flashed through his mind.

He stopped, stood still, thought for a moment, then suddenly turned and strode towards the other side of the clearing on the cliff. Huang Tao looked back at Qin Ge's back, hesitated for a moment, and then followed Qin Ge with long strides.

The clearing at the top of the cliff wasn't as large as they had imagined; they only walked about a hundred meters before reaching the end. Qin Ge stopped at the edge of the cliff, and Huang Tao quickly stood beside him. Their eyes were fixed on the ground below, and they remained motionless for a moment.

Suddenly, Qin Ge let out a soft cheer, his face filled with indescribable joy.

They saw the lights.

As Hell: 773 Horror Series 12 Part 2 Chapter 19: The Sound of Drums (4)

In the boundless darkness of the mountain valley ahead, a single firefly hangs forlornly. Its light cannot illuminate its surroundings, so you cannot discern its exact location, but this single firefly is enough to bring joy to a group of people braving the rain and water in the dead of night.

On a snowy night, a weary wandering swordsman suddenly spotted a flickering light ahead, and in that instant, a warmth welled up in his heart—a scene straight out of a martial arts novel, but now, it was truly happening to this group of people. They had lost track of how long they had walked; their clothes were soaked through by the rain, and their legs were drenched in knee-deep water. Although it was still summer, the chill was already unbearable for everyone. Coupled with their exhaustion, their fear of the darkness, and their anxiety about their fate, you could understand a little of the significance of that firefly to them.

The group of people, supporting each other, staggered along for a long time before finally stopping, facing a two-story building. In front of the building was a stone porch, and a windproof lantern hung on one side. Its light, though dim, was enough for everyone to see the building clearly.

The small building was simple in design, its square shape giving it a solid and sturdy appearance. The low eaves of the main entrance and the slightly ajar black wooden door resembled a hospitable host, waiting for guests to arrive. The windows under the eaves were completely dark; if anyone were inside, they would likely be resting. A few meters away from the building was a strangely shaped stone porch. The square stone pillars on either side were very thick, wrapped with strips of white cloth, now soaked and drooping listlessly, though everyone could imagine how they would flutter in the wind when it was dry. Above the porch was an arched doorway, and upon closer inspection, one could see carvings on it. These carvings were incomprehensible to everyone, including flames, lotus flowers, and some traditional Chinese deities.

The group of fourteen people stood before the porch, all somewhat hesitant. The initial joy of seeing the lights had gradually cooled, and now the same questions were surfacing in their minds.

Whose dwelling is this house deep in the mountains? Could it be the home of that deathly pale "zombie"? Preconceived notions of evil spirits instilled a sense of dread in everyone. But now they stood before the house; they had no other choice.

Qin Ge turned around and looked at everyone, forcing a smile onto her face: "I think I should go in first and see if the master is home."

No one spoke, but everyone's eyes were on him. Dong'er even clung to his arm, clearly not wanting him to go in alone. Qin Ge smiled again and pulled Dong'er's hand away: "There's nothing to worry about. I'm just going to knock on the door. I hope we'll run into a hospitable host this time."

Huang Tao suddenly stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Let's go together."

Qin Ge let out a soft sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease. His impression of the middle-aged man, who appeared to be an official, improved. The two exchanged a glance and then stepped into the porch together. Just then, they suddenly heard someone behind them say, "If we're going, let's all go together."

They turned around and saw it was the bearded artist.

The bearded artist strode over to them, wiping the water droplets from his hair and beard: "Let's all go in together, so we can help each other out if anything happens."

Qin Ge and Huang Tao looked back at the people behind them, somewhat hesitant.

“Actually, none of us need to go in first.” This time, it was the young woman who looked like a college student who spoke. “If there’s someone inside, we can just call out loudly, and the owner will naturally come out to open the door. If there’s no one inside, then what’s the harm in us going in together?”

Her words were immediately accepted by everyone. They had initially been hesitant about the house, but felt bad about letting Qin Ge and Huang Tao go in first. Now that they had found a solution, no one objected. Perhaps out of a sense of guilt, or perhaps to show their fearlessness, everyone started shouting loudly at the house, especially the young model girls, who shouted the loudest.

Qin Ge, Huang Tao, and the bearded artist had retreated back to the group. Everyone stared at the dark door, hoping it would suddenly open, yet also feeling a vague fear of who would emerge.

—Perhaps what comes out of the door isn't a person, but a "zombie" or some other monster.

The calling continued for about five minutes. If anyone were inside, even the soundest sleeper would have been woken up. The dark door remained tightly shut, and all they could hear was the sound of the rain. The silence did not ease their anxiety; on the contrary, a nameless fear slowly rose in their hearts.

The silence inside doesn't necessarily mean no one is inside. Perhaps the "zombie" and something else are hiding in the darkness, spying on the group of people outside.

"Alright, now we can go in together," Dong'er said, trying to sound casual.

Before Qin Ge and Huang Tao could speak, the young woman, who had been silent all along, suddenly said in a tone even more relaxed than Dong'er's: "Anyone who wants to stay outside can just stay. I'm fed up with traveling in the rain."

Without saying a word, she took a few quick steps ahead and had already crossed the porch. After a few steps, she suddenly stopped, turned back to look at the group, and asked with some unease, "Do you all like being in the rain?"

Qin Ge and Huang Tao exchanged a glance and said with a wry smile, "Anyone who wants to get soaked in the rain is a fool."

Qin Ge, arm in arm with Dong'er, followed them.

The people behind hesitated for a moment, then also walked forward.

Qin Ge and Dong'er were the first to reach the door. Everyone stopped behind them. Qin Ge looked back, shielded Dong'er behind him, and then pushed open the door.

A creaking sound seeped from the darkness inside the door, and at that moment, the chill on everyone's body intensified.

Asi's Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 2, Chapter 20: The Corpse Shop (1)

The light from the lantern on the porch seemed to abruptly stop at the doorway. The darkness, coupled with the overwhelming smell of decay, instantly tightened everyone's nerves. The deathly silence of the room filled them with fear. Here, darkness took shape; it was like an impenetrable veil, making it impossible to see what lay hidden behind it.

Qin Ge and Huang Tao had already stepped inside, but the darkness stopped those behind them in their tracks. Even they themselves felt a chill run down their spines and were somewhat at a loss.

Suddenly, the bearded artist turned and ran away. Everyone turned back and saw him run to the porch, grab a windproof lantern from the side, and then hurry back.

The light from the kerosene lamp dispelled the darkness in the room, and everyone's tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

The room seemed perfectly normal. In the spacious hall, several clumsy wooden tables and chairs were set up, and near the wall stood a slightly curved counter. Everyone felt the scene was somewhat familiar, like a run-down inn from an old movie.

This time, no one hesitated, and everyone quickly came in. The women, ignoring the dust on the benches, plopped down on the benches. Only then did they realize how cold, tired, and hungry they were.

Qin Ge and Huang Tao remained vigilant. They noticed a staircase to one side of the counter, with a corridor on each side of the room. They walked to either side and saw several rooms in each corridor. The building didn't look large from the outside, but it was surprisingly spacious inside. Qin Ge thought that if everyone wanted to rest peacefully here tonight, they would first need to inspect the building.

Just as he was thinking of this, he saw Huang Tao walk inside the counter and take out the other two lanterns.

The room was now quite bright, allowing everyone to see every corner clearly. Qin Ge, holding a lamp, surveyed the hall and quickly noticed a series of yellow papers pasted above the window and door frames, somewhat resembling the paper-cut window decorations worn during festivals in rural areas. However, these decorations were usually made of colored wax paper with various patterns cut out in the center. The yellow papers on the inn's doors and windows were clearly different. Standing under the window and gazing up, Qin Ge saw that almost every single piece of yellow paper had a human figure on it.

“These are not ordinary decorative patterns; they are all gods.”

Qin Ge turned around and saw that the person speaking was a middle-aged man who looked like a folk custom worker.

“In remote areas of southwest China, the idea that all things possess a spirit is a widely accepted belief. They believe that all things in the universe, like humans, have a spirit and soul, and therefore, like humans, all things in the universe are born and die. With this view, their gods have become more numerous and increasingly bizarre, and these gods have played an increasingly important role in their lives.”

Qin Ge pondered for a moment, then pointed to the yellow paper on the window and asked, "What kind of gods are these?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "I can't possibly know them all. There are many kinds of gods. In a typical household, there are door gods, kitchen gods, livestock gods, medicine gods, the goddess of children, and the god of wealth. Outside the house, there are sun and moon gods, Big Dipper gods, mountain gods, lightning goddesses, and thunder gods. Add to that the gods in Chinese Buddhism and Taoism, and no one can say for sure how many gods there are."

Qin Ge smiled wryly: "At this rate, I'm afraid there will be more gods than humans."

"Many of those gods were originally ordinary people who were deified after their deaths. For example, there are patron gods of various professions. The carpenter god Lu Ban, whom we are most familiar with, is one such example. A few years ago, I saw a statue in front of the Da'e Temple on Mount Emei. According to the locals, that person lived until at least 1925. Because he devoted himself to Buddhism and donated a lot of money to the Da'e Temple, he was worshipped as a god."

Qin Ge looked surprised: "So becoming an immortal is such a simple thing."

The middle-aged man stared at the yellow paper on the window: "I have never seen the gods on these yellow papers before. I wonder if my master will blame me if I peel down two of them and take them back."

Qin Ge paused for a moment, then smiled wryly, "In this desolate mountain hut, you wouldn't even find anyone to blame you."

The middle-aged man frowned, thought for a moment, nodded, turned around and fetched a stool. He carefully stepped on it and peeled off the two sheets of yellow paper. The paper was about the size of a book, its pages rough, made using an unknown process. Red ink outlined a human figure, the figure exaggerated, its muscles bulging abnormally strong, like a legendary hero, yet its face was gentle and thin, with a few long wisps of beard flowing beneath its forehead, giving it a somewhat otherworldly air. Even more bizarrely, the figure held a crescent-shaped blade in its left hand, dripping with blood, while its other hand held a plant-like stalk, its tuberous roots faintly discernible.

Qin Ge glanced at the portrait on the yellow paper and frowned, saying, "This kind of god is too strange."

The middle-aged man nodded and folded the yellow paper: "The wisdom of the people is boundless. I am not surprised no matter what kind of gods they create. Sometimes in their hearts, there is no difference between gods and ghosts. This actually expresses their beautiful wish that anyone or any power that can bring them good luck and allow them to live in peace can be worshipped by them."

The middle-aged man turned to Qin Ge: "Like now, if someone can tell us what happened and get us out of this predicament, what does it matter if we treat him as a savior?"

Qin Ge paused for a moment, then smiled wryly: "Let's not talk about him being a god, let's just treat him as the Jade Emperor."

Asi's Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 2, Chapter 21: The Corpse Shop (2)

The middle-aged man smiled, and both of them relaxed considerably. Later, Qin Ge learned that the middle-aged man's name was Zhang Song. He wasn't a folklore worker, but a writer. He had simply developed a strong interest in folklore in recent years, which was why he often traveled alone to remote border regions to gather material. He had planned to visit a village inhabited by a minority group in Yunnan, but after falling asleep the night before their arrival, he woke up on this bus. He was also puzzled by what had happened, but he didn't seem too worried about the current situation. In his words, if the person who orchestrated all this wanted to harm everyone on this bus, he wouldn't have needed to go through all this trouble. He could have done whatever he wanted while transporting the bus to this valley.

During their conversation, Qin Ge also learned that Zhang Songyuan was from Haicheng. He had come to Haicheng from a northern city in the early 1990s. More than a decade later, "his accent remained unchanged despite his graying hair," and he still spoke with a lot of his hometown dialect. As a result, Qin Ge talked with him for a long time without realizing that they were from the same city.

Qin Ge was quite excited. It was a very happy thing to meet a fellow townsman here, even though Zhang Song could only be considered half a Haicheng native.

Dawn was fast approaching, and everyone was exhausted. The small building nestled in the mountains still felt somewhat eerie. If they wanted to rest properly, they needed to inspect each room. Huang Tao and the bearded artist went upstairs, while Qin Ge and Zhang Song checked the rooms on either side. A short while later, Huang Tao and the bearded artist returned. Upstairs, there were no abnormalities; there were six rooms, each with a bed, though the bedding was damp and musty. The downstairs rooms, however, were completely empty, without even doors. Furthermore, while the walls of other parts of the building were old and covered in grime, the walls of the four rooms along the corridors were freshly painted white, the thin layer of plaster clearly recent.

"There's nothing strange about the small building. If anyone doesn't mind the damp bedding, they can go upstairs and sleep for a while," Huang Tao said, trying to sound casual.

No one wanted to go upstairs alone. Although they were tired and cold, being with everyone made them feel safe. It seemed like many movies had similar plots: a group of people inexplicably gather in an old house, then people start disappearing or dying, and finally the mystery is revealed—either the old house is haunted, or the killer is lurking among the group. If such a story happened to you, would you feel panicked and terrified?

So many people sat together, but everyone remained silent, their expressions grave, as if burdened with worries. Qin Ge glanced at Huang Tao, who, like everyone else, stared blankly into one spot, looking dejected. This made Qin Ge realize that officials were no different from ordinary people; sometimes, outward strength was merely a facade. He himself was no different. In this situation, he too felt uneasy and fearful, but as a policeman, he had to skillfully conceal his inner turmoil.

Once you put on that uniform, you can never escape a responsibility, no matter when or where.

"It's almost dawn, let's talk about something, that way time might pass faster," Qin Ge said, trying to sound relaxed. "Now, we're all in the same boat. To put it simply, it's fate that brings us together. This kind of fate probably won't happen again in this lifetime."

"Can anyone tell me where this is? How did we get here?" a young model said, her voice trembling with tears. She appeared to be the youngest of the group of young models. The rain had washed away all her makeup, and her face, though filled with disappointment, still retained a touch of childishness.

No one could answer such a question, although Qin Ge, looking at that childish face, wanted to offer her some comfort. At this moment, it wasn't just that little girl; looking at Dong'er beside her, the speechless young woman, the college-aged woman, and the other model girls slumped over the table, their faces all revealed the same helplessness.

Zhang Song then walked out from a side aisle, holding a dish in his hand containing some white powdery substance. He sat down next to Qin Ge, placed the dish on the table, and Qin Ge reached out to touch it, identifying the white powdery substance as lime.

“We didn’t notice it just now, but there’s a small dish of lime in every room downstairs.” Zhang Song frowned, his expression somewhat unusual.

Huang Tao and the bearded artist leaned over to look. The dish was a very ordinary white porcelain dish, and the lime inside looked no different from ordinary lime. But at that moment, everyone could see the tension in Zhang Song's expression, as if the small white dish contained not lime, but something eerie.

“I’ve only ever seen lime placed in an empty room like this in a remote mountain village in western Hunan,” Zhang Song said hesitantly. He looked up at the stares around him, shook his head, and sighed, as if he had made a decision. He stood up, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

"In western Hunan, there is an ancient profession known as 'corpse driving.' According to local elders, many years ago, if you were walking at night, you might encounter a group of corpses swaying along the mountain path. The corpses were all dressed in loose black cloth robes, strung together by a straw rope, and their faces were deathly pale, the color of lime. Some of the corpses wore tall blanket hats with several pieces of yellow paper with talismans written on them pressed on their foreheads. These corpse groups were led by a living person holding a bell, who would ring the bell as he led the corpses forward. The person ringing the bell was the legendary corpse driver."

The women all wore miserable expressions. Zhang Song's story was full of eeriness, and they couldn't help but think of the pale-faced, zombie-like person they had just seen.

Asi's Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 2, Chapter 22: The Corpse Shop (3)

"The corpse-carrying procession can only travel at night. The bell carried by the corpse-driver is commonly known as the 'soul-capturing bell.' He shakes the bell while walking, not only to guide the procession but also to warn passersby to quickly avoid him upon hearing the sound. At dawn, the corpse-driver leads the procession to a special corpse-inn for lodging. These inns are specifically for providing food and lodging for the corpse-drivers and their processions; ordinary people do not stay there. The inn's door is always ajar at night but is tightly closed during the day. When the corpse-carrying procession stays at the inn, they generally do not see the owner, but the corpse-driver always leaves the lodging fee at the inn before leaving, and the owner only goes to the inn to collect the money at the beginning or end of the month."

Unconsciously, Dong'er moved closer to Qin Ge, her hand clasped tightly with Qin Ge's below. She looked around and said in a trembling voice, "You're not saying this little building is a corpse shop, are you?"