Virgin blood

Chapter 5

"What nightmare did you have? Don't worry, it's all fake. Just think of it as watching a horror movie. Don't you like watching movies?" Ouyang Bingbing seemed to have guessed Leng Ruofeng's thoughts and said comfortingly.

"Thank you, Bingbing, you're always so understanding... Oh? What did you just say? The movie?" Leng Ruofeng suddenly asked nervously.

"Ah, yes, yes." Ouyang Bingbing hesitated, looking at Leng Ruofeng's sudden change in tone.

"That's right, it's a movie. That dream is very similar to a movie I watched before. I watched it when I was very young, a movie about a blood demon. The blood demon, the leader of the demon realm, was imprisoned under the Nine Cold Mountain by the Great Compassion Buddha with a blood curse. To resurrect the blood demon, his subordinates lured in a large number of humans, using their flesh and blood as sacrifices to increase the blood demon's ferocity and demonic power. In the end, I can't remember the ending. But I watched this movie so long ago, or rather, I almost forgot it. How could I recall it again now, especially in this way, and even have that kind of situation reappear?" Leng Ruofeng said calmly, expressionless. To be honest, Leng Ruofeng was terrified at this moment. He didn't know why, but since this incident, he had had many terrifying experiences, but he had never felt like this before. Moreover, he believed that something was bound to happen soon, because since encountering this series of strange events, he had become very sensitive to many things, or his mood would always be inexplicably uneasy before any special event, including unexplained nightmares.

As he thought about it, Leng Ruofeng's fingers unconsciously pressed the power button on his phone.

"Ring...ring..." The phone rang as soon as Leng Ruofeng turned on the phone, startling him. It was Liu Wen calling.

"Hey, what's wrong? My phone's been off the whole time. I'm so worried!" Liu Wen said anxiously on the phone.

"W-what's wrong?" Leng Ruofeng thought to himself, as expected, and hesitated with worry.

"Listen, someone's died again!" Liu Wen said in a heavy tone over the phone.

Leng Ruofeng breathed a deep sigh of relief. Although it wasn't good news, it was alright; it was just another unfortunate incident. This time, it must have been the female ghost Zhu Zhu who did it herself, Leng Ruofeng thought to himself. But given Liu Wen's usual personality, he wouldn't be this anxious about something like this, Leng Ruofeng wondered.

"Twelve people are dead!" came an unusually somber voice from the phone.

"What?" Leng Ruofeng thought he had misheard and asked again, "What did you say?" Seeing Leng Ruofeng's unusual expression, Ouyang Bingbing slowly moved closer to him.

"Twelve people died!" Liu Wen's affirmative answer once again silenced Leng Ruofeng. He knew very well that although Liu Wen liked to joke, he would never joke like this at a time like this. Nevertheless, he still couldn't believe it was true.

"Remember that QQ ad you mentioned? It was for that summer camp. Twelve of the thirteen male participants died, all in the tents at Tongniuling," Liu Wen explained in detail.

"What did you say? Tong, Tongniuling?" Leng Ruofeng thought of the stone tablet at Tongniuling in his nightmare again. Could it be such a coincidence?

"What? You seem to be very sensitive to Tongniu Ridge." Liu Wen's keen senses immediately detected Leng Ruofeng's strange behavior.

"Yes, there is a problem. It's hard to explain here. I'll get up and go back to Dalian immediately, and we'll discuss it in detail when I get back." After saying that, the two hung up the phone.

"Are you going back?" Ouyang Bingbing asked.

“Yes, I must go back. I think there’s no escaping it,” Leng Ruofeng said wistfully, then looked at Ouyang Bingbing. “You stay here and wait for me to finish my business. I’ll come back to find you.”

"No, didn't you say that this is unavoidable? I want to go back with you, no matter what happens."

“No, you must stay here, not only for your safety. Your identity is special, and going back will cause a lot of trouble. Don’t forget who you just spoke to on the phone,” Leng Ruofeng said.

"I understand. Okay, I'll stay. You must be careful." Ouyang Bingbing looked at Leng Ruofeng and said worriedly.

"I know, don't worry. Don't forget, I'm a virgin." He then made a face at Ouyang Bingbing. At that moment, they truly looked like a pair of inseparable lovers. In truth, neither of them had said anything; their hearts were in turmoil, perhaps all because of fate.

[8] Wolfish ambition

The plane arrived in Dalian at 5 p.m., where Liu Wen and Lu Xiaoming were already waiting for him at the airport.

"Why are you all here? I can't accept this." Leng Ruofeng made a serious joke, but with such a major case happening now, no one could laugh.

"Long time no see, Leng Ruofeng," Lu Xiaoming said. His eyes always shone with a sharp light, even though they were covered by glasses. It seemed he was in some trouble, Leng Ruofeng thought, recalling the conclusion he had reached about the summer camp that there were no suspicious points.

"Oh? Ah, it's only been a few days," Leng Ruofeng replied.

"Lu Xiaoming came to see me today about the summer camp, so we came together," Liu Wen said. It seems Leng Ruofeng was right.

"After repeated checks and confirmations by the public security authorities, the information about the summer camp provided by Lu Xiaoming is indeed correct," Liu Wen said to Leng Ruofeng and Lu Xiaoming, who were sitting next to him in the restaurant. Because Leng Ruofeng had left in a hurry and hadn't taken any luggage, Liu Wen, eager to solve the case, immediately brought the two of them to the restaurant to discuss it.

"So this..." Leng Ruofeng wanted to ask something, but looked at Lu Xiaoming and didn't continue.

“It’s only possible that someone took advantage of this summer camp,” Liu Wen continued. Lu Xiaoming, who was standing next to him, nodded in agreement.

"They all died at Tongniuling?" Leng Ruofeng asked.

"Yes, they all died at Tongniuling. By the way, didn't you say..." Liu Wen asked.

“Last night I dreamt of Tongniu Ridge, and also…” Leng Ruofeng almost blurted out about Ouyang Bingbing, but quickly swallowed it back. “And I saw many people who looked like believers…” Leng Ruofeng recounted his dream to the two of them, omitting the part about Ouyang Bingbing.

“It is indeed very suspicious,” Liu Wen said, “but after all, it’s just a dream, it doesn’t prove anything, maybe it’s just a coincidence.”

"It's a coincidence, but it's too much of a coincidence. Some things can't be reasoned out scientifically," Lu Xiaoming said.

After all, he was someone who studied metaphysics, so he could understand such things, Leng Ruofeng thought to himself.

...

The group talked for a long time. Leng Ruofeng learned that the twelve dead men were all found dead in the summer camp tents the following morning. Their deaths were similar to those of previous victims: ruptured blood vessels throughout their bodies, a gruesome sight. There were two summer camp organizers, thirteen men and thirteen women, all in their early twenties. The only survivor, a boy, suffered severe nerve damage and is currently hospitalized; he has not provided any clues to the police. The other thirteen girls were completely unaware of the tragedy until the organizers discovered it that morning, including the other organizer, who seemed oblivious to the boys' deaths as if they had occurred naturally. Leng Ruofeng could tell that Liu Wen was somewhat troubled as he explained these circumstances.

They roughly outlined their next steps. The general consensus was not to travel far in the coming days, as Lu Xiaoming said the weather looked very unusual and he was worried something might happen. They were to stay in touch and look out for each other. A computer engineer, a policeman, and a freelancer—the three of them got together and actually relied on divination to formulate their plan. It sounds somewhat comical, but at this point, many things were inexplicable, and they had no other choice.

Back home, Leng Ruofeng collapsed onto the bed, feeling exhausted but unable to fall asleep. She decided to turn on her computer and check her emails. Huh? A little moon icon appeared on QQ. Ouyang Bingbing was online.

[Why aren't you sleeping? You need to rest properly.] Leng Ruofeng skillfully typed a few words on the keyboard.

[Can't sleep, so lonely. How are you? Hope everything's going well.] Upon seeing Ouyang Bingbing's reply, Leng Ruofeng couldn't help but miss her, and unconsciously recalled their kiss.

[Silly girl, I'm fine, just a little worried about you...]

The two chatted for more than an hour; Leng Ruofeng hadn't chatted with anyone online for so long in a long time.

The next day was uneventful. He contacted Liu Wen and Lu Xiaoming a few times, and chatted online with Ouyang Bingbing for a while in the morning. It seemed that Ouyang Bingbing really missed him. Thinking of this, a complex happiness appeared on Leng Ruofeng's face.

Just as Lu Xiaoming had said, the weather had been very abnormal these past two days. It was only five in the afternoon, but the sky looked as dark as midnight. A golden light quickly entered Leng Ruofeng's bedroom through the window, followed by a rumble of thunder. Was it going to rain? Leng Ruofeng thought; it must be a downpour. A whistling wind began to blow outside the window. Normally, Leng Ruofeng loved this kind of weather, but now it only made her uneasy and made her miss Ouyang Bingbing even more. Right, she should go online and chat with her for a while. Leng Ruofeng opened QQ, but she wasn't online at all. Where could she be at this hour? Leng Ruofeng couldn't help but worry.

"Ring...ring..." Leng Ruofeng's phone rang; it was Liu Wen calling.

"Hello, what's up?"

"Something's happened. Someone just reported that a strange body was found on Paotai Mountain. I've already called Lu Xiaoming and asked him to come with me. You can't be of much help anyway, the weather's bad, and it's not convenient for you to go. Just wait for my news. I'll let you know if anything changes. And if you have any problems, contact me immediately. That's all."

"Sigh..." Before Leng Ruofeng could say anything, Liu Wen had already hung up the phone. It seems that Liu Wen was quite considerate of him.

Lightning and thunder continued unabated. Looking out the window at the impending onslaught of wind and rain, Leng Ruofeng stood there, her mind in turmoil. Liu Wen and Lu Xiaoming had gone to Paotai Mountain to investigate a case, and she couldn't reach Ouyang Bingbing. Just as she was becoming increasingly anxious, she suddenly saw two figures flash past below the window, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Leng Ruofeng looked closely but saw nothing. Yet, her heart suddenly began to pound inexplicably, as if she sensed some great misfortune about to befall her.

"Ding-ding... Ding-ding..." The doorbell suddenly rang, startling Leng Ruofeng from her thoughts. Looking through the peephole, she saw a man she had never seen before.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Leng Ruofeng asked.

"Director Wang sent me; he has a book for you," came the voice from outside the door.

Upon hearing this, Leng Ruofeng quickly opened the door and let him in. Since very few people knew about his relationship with Director Wang, except for Liu Wen, Lu Xiaoming, and Ouyang Bingbing, he had no doubts.

But the man didn't enter the house. He simply handed a book to Leng Ruofeng, saying that Director Wang wanted him to read it immediately, and then left. It was a book titled *Mysterious Manor*. Leng Ruofeng immediately recognized it as related to "Xu Family Manor." It seemed Director Wang was very attentive to his commission, sending it over as soon as he had news. He should have at least made a phone call, though. Leng Ruofeng thought to himself as he flipped through the book. He noticed a sticker with a circle drawn on it on the edge of one of the pages and turned directly to it. He immediately became excited because in the upper left corner of that page was a domino pattern, exactly the same as the one he had obtained from the female ghost. Next to the domino were some explanatory texts, which Leng Ruofeng examined carefully.

It turns out that "Xu Family Manor" dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and the manor itself was no ordinary one. Its owner was Prince Fengshan, a highly influential figure in the court, second only to the emperor. At that time, factional struggles in the court were fierce. A treacherous minister named Mang Zhen was gaining increasing power, constantly eliminating dissidents and brutally punishing those who were disloyal. The court was rife with bloodshed. If it weren't for Prince Fengshan keeping Mang Zhen in check, the emperor's power would have been lost long ago. Unfortunately, the emperor was a foolish ruler, not only doting on Mang Zhen but also easily swayed by slander, often suspicious of Prince Fengshan. Prince Fengshan was caught in a dilemma: unable to eliminate the evil, yet unable to retire. He could only do his utmost to maintain the increasingly precarious court. Prince Fengshan had a beloved daughter named Yinglian, who was not only very intelligent but also a beauty that was almost a household name at the time. It is said that those who had seen her regarded the Four Beauties of ancient China as nothing, and that her beauty was comparable to that of a celestial being.

Prince Fengshan had a capable lieutenant named Lu Zijun, who was not only skilled in both literature and martial arts, proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but also handsome. Prince Fengshan wished to marry his youngest daughter, Yinglian, to him. However, due to the looming crisis at court, he had no time to discuss the marriage, and instead assigned Lu Zijun as Yinglian's personal bodyguard to protect her amidst the chaos. To avoid trouble, Prince Fengshan specially built this "Xu Family Manor" for Yinglian in "Anxi Tonglu" (now the Dalian Development Zone), and assigned many skilled warriors to protect her. The name "Xu Family Manor" was merely a ruse to conceal the truth at the time.

However, what Prince Fengshan didn't expect was that Lu Zijun had secretly allied himself with Mang Zhen. While serving as the head of the guards at Xu Family Manor, he used Prince Fengshan's name to raise a large army, giving it unique names. He told Yinglian that it was because of the prince's kindness to him, and out of concern for the prince's safety, he was preparing a reserve army in this remote place in case of future changes in the court. Although Yinglian didn't approve of his actions, she trusted him completely and let him do as he pleased.

Later, when the court stabilized somewhat, Prince Fengshan held a grand wedding for the two. Soon after, Yinglian became pregnant and gave birth to a son, who happened to be born at 6:00 AM on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. A Taoist priest said that this was the time when demons would reappear, a time of extreme yin. So he took the bones of a blood ox and carved a bone tablet, engraving the child's birth date and the name of the manor where he lived, to suppress the demonic spirit. He then soaked the tablet in the blood of his mother, Yinglian, for several days to create a protective talisman to subdue the demon. However, because this protective talisman was very special, it could only be used on her son; if an outsider used it, it would instead attract demonic trouble.

Unexpectedly, Lu Zijun soon conspired with Mang Zhen to falsely accuse Prince Fengshan of treason and usurp the throne. Lu Zijun even used the large army he had raised as evidence of Prince Fengshan's rebellion. The bewildered emperor was enraged and ordered the execution of Prince Fengshan's entire family. The beautiful Xu Family Manor was instantly turned into a sea of blood; hundreds of guards, stewards, and servants perished in the carnage. Lu Zijun's army was also declared a rebel and completely wiped out. The leader of these massacres was none other than Lu Zijun himself, who, like a wild beast, devoured his closest relatives and friends. Meanwhile, Mang Zhen used this opportunity to slaughter almost all of Prince Fengshan's officials, and innocent civilians were also implicated, plunging the land into a bloodbath of devastation.

The only survivor was his son, born on June 6th; he didn't even spare his wife, Yinglian. Hearing that killing a child born at 6 AM on June 6th would unleash an uncontrollable vengeance, he commissioned a special tomb to be built, burying Yinglian alive within it and using evil magic to suppress her, preventing her reincarnation. At that time, he had completely lost his humanity, deserving of even the most despicable beast. All this was for no other reason than Prince Fengzhan's wish that he not be involved in court power, preferring that he and his beloved daughter live peacefully, spared the suffering of court intrigue. However, Lu Zijun not only showed no gratitude for his love, but felt that the prince had ruined her future, leading to his current act of being abandoned by both heaven and man. But those who commit many evil deeds will inevitably face their own demise. Later, due to his continued expansion of power, he was eventually resented by Mang Zhen, who killed him. His son was taken away by a servant and wandered among the common people, his whereabouts unknown. Thus, the only thing remaining in the world was that tomb filled with demonic energy.

[9] Virgin Blood and Tears

Leng Ruofeng continued reading, gradually understanding the two long-standing doubts. First, the tomb Lu Zijun built should be the ancient tomb he saw on Paotai Mountain. He remembered the female ghost Zhu Zhu saying it was an extremely yin place; second, the book mentioned that those born on June 6th at 6:00 AM possess extreme demonic power, which could explain why he often had special sensations. The dream he had that day, where many people entered the cave from the altar, should have been the time when the twelve boys died. Leng Ruofeng silently pondered all this, marveling at his own birth date. He then turned to the next page, which discussed the demonic power of the dominoes and some related metaphysical secrets of Yinglian's Tomb, some of which were analyzed by later generations. As he read, he couldn't help but tremble at the bloodthirsty demonic power of the dominoes. Suddenly, Leng Ruofeng remembered something. According to the book, there should only be one domino, but he had already obtained Zhu Zhu's domino, and a few days later she was wearing another one. He had given his domino to Lu Xiaoming. The only possibility was... He shuddered as he thought, "Lu Zijun," "Lu Xiaoming"—they both happened to share the surname Lu. Could it be...? Could it be that Lu Xiaoming was Lu Zijun's descendant, and that domino was given to Zhu Zhu by Lu Xiaoming?! Leng Ruofeng abruptly stood up. If that were the case... He stared out the window at the lightning-streaked night sky. Surprisingly, a bright moon hung high, its light as terrifying as a demon's bloodthirsty eyes. Liu Wen! Leng Ruofeng immediately thought of Liu Wen, the one currently with Lu Xiaoming. Someone called to report a crime? How could anyone go to Paotai Mountain in this weather and find a body? Could it all be...? Leng Ruofeng could no longer sit still.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is temporarily unavailable..." Leng Ruofeng dialed Liu Wen's number again and again, but still couldn't get through. At this moment, although Leng Ruofeng was extremely anxious, he was also utterly helpless. There was no one he could rely on. Liu Wen was a policeman, so there was no point in calling the police; even if he went to the police headquarters, the police would treat him like a madman. Besides, even if there were more police officers, it wouldn't make a difference, because what they were dealing with was not human. In the end, Leng Ruofeng decided to go alone. Although it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, he had no other choice. If it was fate, then he would face it head-on.

The ominous weather had driven away all the vehicles. People had probably noticed the strangeness of the weather; the roads were deserted, not a soul in sight, let alone a taxi. This was exactly what Leng Ruofeng was worried about. It wasn't the lack of transportation—his house wasn't far from Paotai Mountain—but rather the demon's unbridled outburst. No supernatural entity would dare act like this unless it was in the final, absolutely certain stage. Looking at the full moon overhead, its light gleaming coldly, Leng Ruofeng suddenly remembered that today was June 16th.

At the foot of Fortress Mountain, everything seemed no different from usual, except for a touch more darkness and chill, and the dense bushes swaying in the wind. Leng Ruofeng walked towards the large roundabout—the place where the ancient tomb had once appeared. All around him were the whistling wind and the rustling of leaves, with flashes of lightning occasionally streaking across the dark night sky followed by occasional claps of thunder. Normally, Leng Ruofeng might have hesitated, but now he calmly and steadily continued forward, perhaps having made up his mind.

They had finally arrived, but the large disc remained unchanged. Leng Ruofeng shouted against the gale, "I'm here! Why aren't you coming out to see me?" But instead of the sandstorm he had expected, his words were met with silence.

"Leng Ruofeng, you've arrived."

Leng Ruofeng was startled. It was a woman's voice, and it sounded so familiar. It was... Ouyang Bingbing. Leng Ruofeng looked in surprise towards the sound. Sure enough, it was her—Ouyang Bingbing, the woman he had been thinking about these past few days. She stood not far from him, dressed in a pristine white dress, silently watching him with a smile.

"Bingbing, how could you..." Leng Ruofeng asked in surprise.

"I was captured by Zhu Zhu and brought here. Just now, Liu Wen led some police officers to deal with her, and I took the opportunity to escape. I feel so scared and cold. Can you hug me?" Ouyang Bingbing said pitifully.

"Don't be afraid, I'm coming." He said, running towards Ouyang Bingbing. Suddenly, Leng Ruofeng sensed something was wrong. Why wasn't Ouyang Bingbing moving closer to him, but instead just standing there, staring at him without moving? A bolt of lightning flashed across the night sky, and in that instant, Leng Ruofeng stopped. He saw Ouyang Bingbing's eyes staring directly at him.

"No, you're not Ouyang Bingbing!" Leng Ruofeng shouted.

"Hahahaha, hahahaha..." A cold voice rang out; it was a male voice, none other than Lu Xiaoming's.

Leng Ruofeng felt a tingling sensation throughout his body. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing before the ancient tomb, very close to the burial chamber. The spot where Ouyang Bingbing had been was merely the burial chamber itself. Unlike before, this time Leng Ruofeng was so close to the tomb that he could clearly see the grotesque, demonic face bas-relief carved on the tomb's surface. The moon was still in the sky, but the lightning seemed to have disappeared, and the thunder was no longer heard.

"Leng Ruofeng, you're quite clever, aren't you?" Lu Xiaoming's cunning voice rang in Leng Ruofeng's ears again.

Leng Ruofeng turned his head and saw Lu Xiaoming standing behind him. His small glasses remained unchanged, and his usually upturned mustache gave off a sinister aura.

"It really is you..." As soon as Leng Ruofeng opened his mouth, he immediately noticed that standing behind Lu Xiaoming was the cold-faced female ghost Zhu Zhu. Not far away, several people were lying haphazardly on the ground. By the moonlight, Leng Ruofeng could tell that one of them was Liu Wen, and the others were probably the police officers he had brought.

"What did you do to them?" Leng Ruofeng asked hurriedly.

"Oh, them? Nothing much, they're not dead yet. I don't need their blood; they're just cursed by Zhu Zhu." Lu Xiaoming glanced at Liu Wen and the others, speaking indifferently. "But they won't live much longer. Soon they'll bleed from all seven orifices and die a gruesome death, just to add to the fun of today's ceremony." Lu Xiaoming continued with a wicked grin.

"A ritual?" Leng Ruofeng asked, puzzled, though he seemed to have already sensed something. "You hypocritical scoundrel, I really didn't expect this," Leng Ruofeng continued.

"Is that so? If that's the case, then there are many things you haven't considered," Lu Xiaoming said with a sly smile.

"I've already read the story about Xu Family Manor. If I'm not mistaken, you must be a descendant of Lu Zijun and Yinglian."

"You're really smart. I thought if you were too dull, I would have had to call you over."

"What? You mean..."

“That’s right, I had the book delivered, and I arranged everything. I deliberately lured you here today, and the only purpose of luring you here is to get your blood,” Lu Xiaoming said coldly.

"Then just arrest me directly. Why go through all this trouble?" Leng Ruofeng asked.

"Hmph! You know it too, you were born on June 6th. According to the Gregorian calendar, today is your birthday, and also the birthday of my great-grandfather, the son of Lu Zijun and Yinglian. Anyone born on this day possesses special magical power, or what we call demonic nature, especially today, when the demonic nature is extraordinary. Not to mention that ordinary ghosts can't do anything to you, even in this extremely yin place, they can't do anything to you, so we had no choice but to let you come here to die."

"Since you can't do anything to me, then how can you kill me?" Leng Ruofeng asked in surprise.

"I can't let you die, but someone else can."

"Really? Who are you talking about?"

"Ah, Ruofeng." Ouyang Bingbing's voice came from the side. Leng Ruofeng looked over and saw Zhu Zhu standing not far away, one hand gripping Ouyang Bingbing's neck.

"Bingbing!" Leng Ruofeng called out hurriedly.

"Haha, how touching. I never imagined you and her would become such a lovesick couple. Love is such a pitiful thing. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't be able to do anything to you." Lu Xiaoming said with a sly smile.

"Bingbing!" Leng Ruofeng looked into Ouyang Bingbing's watery eyes and truly felt that the person in front of him was the real Ouyang Bingbing. Leng Ruofeng was anxious and didn't know what to do.

"The one you saw just now was fake. I intended to use her image to deceive you and lure you into the bloody maw of the tomb, but you saw through it. The one in front of you now is real, your beloved Ouyang Bingbing. If you don't do as I say, you know what the consequences will be, right?"

"You despicable scoundrel, release her now! I will not let you get away with harming even a hair on her head!" Leng Ruofeng said angrily.