Ghost Detective Records

Chapter 46

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Looking towards the end of the only path leading to the village, I eagerly awaited Li Hai and Fang Lei's arrival. Finally, amidst my fervent anticipation and A Bao's increasingly impatient jumping around, a car even worse than the one we saw last time appeared before us, wobbling and swaying as it drove towards us.

The car stopped in front of us, and the first person to jump out was not Fang Lei, whom I had been longing for, but... Bai Yun!

"Baiyun?" My mouth almost twisted in disbelief. Wasn't she still on official business?

"Don't rush, the person you're waiting for is behind you." Bai Yun gestured behind her, and Fang Lei immediately appeared before me. A short leather jacket accentuated her long legs and rounded hips, and her hair was casually tied in a braid, exposing her small ears and delicate neck. A faint smile remained on her face, but I could read longing in her eyes. Silently taking her luggage, I gently squeezed her small hand; the warm touch of her skin sent a shiver down my spine.

"Good morning, Lin Xiao!" Li Hai's hearty laughter rang out again, but his eyes glanced unnaturally at Li Yang beside him.

"Good morning!" I greeted Li Hai with a smile and a pat on the shoulder.

"How did you all get together?" Li Yang asked curiously, looking at the three people who had come with him.

“We met at the bus station! Baiyun mistook me for you,” Li Hai explained.

"Oh, I see!" I smiled and looked at Baiyun, who immediately gave me an ambiguous smile.

"Alright, let's go to our accommodation first!" Although Li Yang hadn't said a word to Li Hai yet, he had already taken a bag of luggage from Li Hai.

The group walked along the mountain path, one after the other. Fang Lei and I brought up the rear. Neither of us spoke, yet a sense of peace and tranquility lingered between us, our eyes conveying our longing and affection for each other. Under the sunlight, the six of us climbed the mountain path with joyful hearts. Looking at my friends and my beloved beside me, an unprecedented sense of contentment filled me with happiness. At that moment, I suddenly thought of the American TV series "Friends." Perhaps, we too could make friendship an important part of each other's lives!

Unfortunately, television is ultimately an illusion. When the day finally came to leave the village, the group of six was left with only sad memories.

Volume Two: The Demon's Left Eye, Chapter Nineteen: Opening the Gates of the Underworld.

Volume Two: The Demon's Left Eye, Chapter Nineteen: Opening the Gates of the Underworld.

Looking out the window, the dark clouds pressed down like layers of roof tiles, seemingly within reach. The air suddenly carried the damp scent of the mountains; the weather, which had been pleasant just moments before, now smelled of an impending storm. The cold air stung my skin, and I shivered involuntarily. The faint rumble of thunder from the horizon turned the entire green forest a greyish-green.

Turning to look at everyone, Li Hai and Fang Lei both had unusually grave expressions, especially after listening to the analysis of all the case details. A somber atmosphere filled the air.

"Lin Xiao, does your left eye still hurt?" Fang Lei walked over and looked at my left eye with concern, asking.

"Ah, it doesn't hurt anymore, except for being a little uncomfortable sometimes." I touched my left eye. Although it was no longer red or painful, I was still quite concerned about it!

“I think there’s something strange about this website and catalog.” Li Hai flipped through the catalog I brought and said, “I’ve heard that there used to be a very strange spell that could use a painting to confuse people’s minds and cause them to have strange hallucinations.”

“I’ve heard of it too, but it seems to have been lost for a long time!” Fang Lei said.

"Alright, let's put that aside for now." I said, "Have you found out anything about our Lin family's soul refining technique?"

“I asked my master, but he said he wasn’t sure either,” Li Hai said. “It seems that a long time ago, a minority group that served the ancient gods for generations used it.”

“That’s right, that’s what my master said too!” Fang Lei hurriedly said, “This ethnic minority seems to have four branches. One is good at soul refining, one is proficient in medicine, one has unique insights into art. As for the last one… my master said that it is actually the Ancient Tomb Sect now.”

"What? Aunt Tian?" I was a little surprised. Did she always want me to be her apprentice because we really had some kind of relationship? Or was it that I really belonged to that long-extinct ethnic minority?

"So you mean Lin Xiao is actually a descendant of that race that's skilled in soul refining techniques?" Bai Yun asked.

“I can’t be sure about that, but at least one thing is certain: the Lin family’s ancestors definitely had some connection with this ethnic group,” Li Hai replied.

"I'm so sorry," Fang Lei said to me apologetically, "I didn't find out anything for you."

"Silly girl!" I laughed and grabbed Fang Lei's hand, saying, "What does this have to do with you? If you can't find out, then forget it. Anyway, I'm fine now. Whether I'm a descendant of some ancient minority group or not has nothing to do with me anymore."

"Lin Xiao!" Fang Lei called out softly. I reached out and pulled, and immediately, an incredibly soft and delicate body threw itself into my arms, giving me a surge of desire.

"Hey! Can you guys watch out for us?" Li Yang's voice, tinged with a wry smile, came over. I simply put my arm around Fang Lei, who was trying to slip away, and completely ignored him.

"Alright, alright. Let's go. Let's give them some time alone." Li Hai was more understanding. I nodded gratefully to him, but then I saw A Bao leaning against the window, deep in thought, as if something was on his mind.

"Abao, let's go!" Li Yang nudged Abao, who was still in a daze, and pulled her out of the room.

Only Fang Lei and I remained in the room. I held her tightly in my arms; her warm, fragrant body soothed my nerves, which had been tense for days. This kind of body, with its warmth, felt alive, real! Closing our eyes, we savored this rare tranquility. A chilly breeze drifted in from the windswept mountains outside the window, and rain poured down like a waterfall from the gray sky.

Looking down at Fang Lei in my arms, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her luscious red lips, even without any lipstick, were still glistening and moist, making me want to taste their deliciousness. I tightened my grip and brought my head closer to Fang Lei's red lips…

The moment our lips touched, the world seemed to fall silent, save for the resounding beats of our heartbeats. It felt as if an electric current surged through our bodies, reaching the very depths of our souls, filling every cell with ecstasy. If I could, I wished this moment could last forever. I pried open Fang Lei's shy lips with my tongue, desperately trying to capture hers. Unfortunately, this female Taoist's kissing skills were woefully inadequate; only through a struggle did I manage to touch her tongue. Almost trembling all over, Fang Lei's body limply clung to me.

My hands, which were wrapped around her slender waist, began to wander restlessly toward Fang Lei's chest. Just as my hands finally climbed onto those soft and high breasts, suddenly, an incredibly bright bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, as if to tear apart the dull gray sky, making everything sway and flash with a strange halo.

My eyes hadn't recovered from the lightning, and I unconsciously looked out the window at the black hanging coffin. Above it, a woman in a white dress was floating, her long, black hair flailing like an octopus in the raging wind and rain. Her blood-red, bulging eyes were more glaring than ever before beneath her black hair.

A chill ran through me, as if I had fallen into an ice cellar, extinguishing the desire that had just begun to rise within me. The sky was pitch black, and the entire room was plunged into shadow. The wind howled through the forests outside the mountains, and then a thunderclap suddenly and violently struck above my head.

Boom!

I looked up and saw Yin Xue standing quietly in front of me, her face pale, but her left eye bloodshot. Her sorrowful and desperate gaze made me shudder, and I immediately released Fang Lei from my arms.

"You... what's wrong with you?" Fang Lei asked, looking at me strangely as I was covered in cold sweat.

“Yin…Yin Xue!” I stared blankly at the room in front of me, but Yin Xue had already disappeared.

"Yin Xue?" Fang Lei turned around in surprise, but there was nothing there. The harmonious atmosphere vanished completely. I rubbed my hands together in frustration, unable to think of anything to say for a moment.

"Are you still thinking about her?" Fang Lei stared straight into my eyes, as if trying to see into the depths of my heart.

I turned my head away, wanting to deceive Fang Lei, or perhaps to deceive myself, and whispered, "No!"

"Don't lie, okay?" Fang Lei stepped forward, reached out and turned my head towards her, saying, "Even if you say it's true, it doesn't matter, she's already dead after all."

Dead? Is it really so? I closed my eyes, and Yin Xue's face appeared before me with uncanny clarity. If she's already dead? Why am I still so attached to her? Yin Xue, if you truly love me, why are you still interfering with my current feelings?

I shook my head, shook it desperately, and forced a smile, saying, "It's too late, you should go back and rest!"

"Is that so?" Fang Lei smiled sadly. I couldn't bear it and turned my head away, but I really didn't have the courage to keep her here. I didn't know if I was truly ready to accept another lover, and I didn't know if Yin Xue had truly become a memory in my heart.

Watching Fang Lei close the door and leave in disappointment, I hurried to the window and opened it completely. The mountain wind blew in without any obstruction, but it couldn't blow away the restlessness and helplessness in my heart, and... and guilt, I don't know if it was guilt towards Yin Xue or Fang Lei.

The mountains and forests were shrouded in shadow during the torrential rain. Rainwater mixed with dark brown soil flowed down from the mountaintop, and darkness had completely taken over the world.

Amidst the roaring wind and rain, I suddenly heard heavy footsteps slowly approaching my room. I turned to look at the door; the footsteps stopped abruptly before reaching my room, followed by the heavy, animalistic breathing of a wild beast.

"Who is it?" I asked cautiously, but no one answered. All I could hear was the howling of the wind and rain. I frowned. I didn't think it was a joke from Li Yang or A Bao. I walked to the door and asked again, "Who is it?"

No one answered. I gripped the doorknob, feeling as if someone was standing behind the door, watching me intently. I flung the door open, only to be met with a dark corridor.

"Nobody's here!" I muttered to myself, wondering if I'd misheard. Just as I was about to turn around, something suddenly caught my eye and made me freeze instantly. It was a pair of footprints, a pair of wet footprints. Footprints that looked like they'd just walked through a downpour, now appearing right in front of my door.

Looking further down the corridor, if the footprints were wet, there shouldn't be just one pair. But in the dim light from the room, there was nothing on the corridor floor. Only this one pair of wet footprints stood out starkly.

*Gurgle!* It was that familiar yet terrifying sound again—the sound of something rolling across the floor. In the darkness, red dots were rolling towards me. My left eye started to feel uncomfortable again; the sensation of something invading me had never been stronger.

An eyeball?! That was my first reaction. I rushed out of the room, the floor creaking. The eyeball, glowing an eerie red in the darkness, suddenly stopped and rolled in the opposite direction. My body, as if bewitched, followed closely behind. The eyeball continued rolling forward, as if a sentient being was leading me into unknown territory.

As it rolled towards the wall, my eyes only lingered for a moment before it disappeared into the wall right before my eyes. My feet unconsciously stepped towards the wall, but my mind was clear: it was a wall, how could I possibly pass through it?

But everything took an unbelievable turn. I couldn't tell if I was in reality, in my hallucination, or in a dream. I felt my feet pass through what was clearly a solid wall, then my foot slipped, and I plummeted downwards...

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The stormy night is over, and the dawn of life is breaking.

The layers of clouds were gradually dispersed by the rising sun, and the sky above the eastern mountains was beginning to lighten. Although the brutal storm had passed, the mountains and forests, ravaged by it all night, seemed not to have fully recovered; the ravaged trees and the gushing mountain springs roared and raged.

After darkness comes light; this eternal law of nature is at work. Sadly, some will never see that light again.

I struggled to turn over, and a chill ran through me from beneath me. I must still be in a half-asleep state; the strong smell of blood in the air only made me instinctively wrinkle my nose.

"How is it? Did you find it?" Li Yang and his group gathered anxiously in front of the Netherworld Palace. Even on this chilly morning, fine beads of sweat had appeared on everyone's foreheads.

"Where did Lin Xiao go?" Li Hai looked around, but there was no one in sight except for the five of them.

"You should at least let us know before you go out!" Baiyun said with some concern, "Could something have happened?"

"He'll be alright!" Fang Lei reassured herself, patting her chest as she spoke.

"Could he have gone up the mountain to enjoy the scenery?" Abao asked innocently.

"Come on, running all the way up the mountain in this rain? How could he have so much free time? He didn't even say hello!" Li Yang said angrily, but he was just as anxious as the others. Lin Xiao wouldn't just leave quietly without saying goodbye, especially with Fang Lei here. Besides, the path down the mountain was already very difficult to walk on after being washed by the mud and water.

"What should we do?" Fang Lei was almost crying with anxiety. She had originally planned to talk to him again about what happened last night, but she didn't expect his room door to be wide open, empty, and the bed looked untouched.

"What are you doing?" Old Gentou suddenly appeared in front of them at this moment, holding a large key in his hand.

“We’re looking for Lin Xiao, but we don’t know where he went,” Li Hai explained.

Old Gentou's face was still covered by that white mask, smiling eerily at them. He walked past Li Yang and the others without a sound, heading straight for the gate of the Netherworld Palace.

"Today is the seventh day of the month, so the gates of the Netherworld Palace can be opened now, right?" Abao suddenly asked.

"Yes!" Old Gentou's deep voice sounded a bit strange, and he had already inserted the key into the lock.

I opened my dry, cracked lips, feeling as if a fire was burning in my throat. My mind was a jumble of images: Yin Xue's face, her bloodshot eyes, the white-clad woman on the black hanging coffin... But in my ears, I could almost hear Li Yang and A Bao arguing. Really, they've been arguing since this early in the morning?

"Miss, we're busy looking for someone right now, do you really have the time to visit the Netherworld Palace?"

Looking for someone? Who are they looking for?

"Maybe Lin Xiao is inside?"

Me? Are they looking for me? Shouldn't I be lying peacefully in my room?

"How is that possible? The door is locked. Does he have the ability to walk through walls?"

"Maybe? How do you know he didn't? Besides, we've already searched the entire temple, inside and out, and this is the only place left!"

"Yes, yes, inside and out... Wait, wait a minute! We seem to have missed checking one person's room!"

"Are you talking about An Zhengxi's room?" It was Li Hai's voice.

The voices suddenly grew louder, mixed with the creaking sound of the door being pushed open. An unusually bright light flooded in, and I instinctively squinted. Through the blur, I saw six figures walking towards me.

Then……

It was the sound of everyone gasping in shock, followed by A Bao's startled scream: "Ahhhhhh!"

I reached out and struggled to sit up, but what my left hand touched was a thick, cold liquid. The stench of blood made my stomach churn. I held my hand up to my eyes, and the horrifying sight of blood staining my entire palm was shocking. Looking up again, I saw Li Yang and the others standing around me, staring at me with eyes that looked at a monster.

Turning around, I saw An Zhengxi's corpse lying beside me on the ground—yes, a corpse. An Zhengxi was now devoid of any elegance or nobility. His severed throat had congealed into a bloody mess, and I could even see the trachea bulging outwards. His face was filled with surprise and fear of death; his complexion was black, his purplish-red tongue protruded, his right eye bulged, and his left eye was stained with blood, even revealing glimpses of the yellowish-white brain matter inside his skull. His eyeballs were gone. Where were they? The thought sent a chill down my spine. I slightly moved my clenched right fist and felt a small, slippery object wriggling in my palm.

I trembled as I opened my palm, and there was an eyeball that seemed to still be twitching quietly in my hand. Everything went black, and I almost fainted on the spot. The feeling of suffocation made my brain fill with the smell of blood.

Volume Two: The Devil's Left Eye, Chapter Twenty: The Secret Passage

Volume Two: The Devil's Left Eye, Chapter Twenty: The Secret Passage

I took the hot water Fang Lei handed me and drank it all in one gulp. The scalding water warmed my cold, trembling body slightly as it went down my throat. I glanced sideways at An Zhengxi's corpse beside me, whose right eye was still wide open, and my body began to tremble violently involuntarily.