Xishuangbanna Valley of Horrors

Chapter 5

1. No way out

When I first entered the house, I was so busy seeing Horse Face and Fatty Lin swinging back and forth on the beams that I didn't even have time to figure out what was going on after rescuing them. The "Two White Demons" were also closing in behind us, so I hadn't really observed the house properly from the start. Now, in this quiet corner amidst the chaos, I was startled to discover that there was a door and window on the northwest side of this house connecting to another room. What a stroke of luck!

The windows above the dark wall were tightly shut, almost completely covered by a thick layer of dust. The small door was in slightly better condition; it appeared to still be able to open and close and was not completely sealed off.

The situation was so tense that I didn't have much time to explain. I rushed over and started fiddling with the broken door in the corner. As I struggled, I thought that maybe the next room was similar to this one. If that was the case, there was hope. We could go around to the other side, call Lü Fang and Su Yan, and then the whole group could jump into my X5 and run away. Another day, we could call three or five hundred people to take down this shabby place and vent our anger.

Lost in thought, I unconsciously used too much force again, and the door panel hanging loosely on the crumbling wall in the corner was yanked off the edge by half with a "crash." "Damn it, the more panicked I get, the more ghosts I see! The more ghosts I see, the more panicked I get!" I cursed as I hurriedly shouted to Ye Min and the others, "Come in quickly!"

After everyone had retreated into the inner room, I brought up the rear and prepared to close the broken door to hide myself. But as I was closing the door, I was in great distress – the door panel had been violently ripped off by me, and although it hadn't separated from the house, it couldn't be closed at all now!

As I groaned in distress, I saw a white shadow appear in the open doorway ahead. In a panic, I simply braced myself against the door, using the back of the door panel to slam it shut. While bracing the door, I noticed several yellow talismans pasted on the back of the door panel. It would have been better if I hadn't seen them; in this godforsaken place, seeing these things was tantamount to admitting that something like that was really happening!

The three people behind me probably understood what was about to happen, and they didn't dare to breathe. I was awkwardly bracing myself against the door, sweating profusely. How strange! In the middle of the night, how could several grown-up people from the 21st century be chased so relentlessly by this thing? What on earth was going on?

People are strange. Some things won't believe until they experience them themselves, even if they're beaten to death. But when that day actually comes, they'll look innocent and bewildered and ask, "Impossible, right?"

Section 39: The Terrifying Mysterious Waterway (2)

The distance from the front door to the broken corner door was only a few meters, but it felt incredibly long. Time seemed to be a killer deliberately slowing down, torturing us bit by bit. Although I was struggling to hold the door open, my eyes didn't forget to scan the surroundings. As expected, there really was an exit in the inner room, but…

The exit of the inner room was located due east, and my eyes widened as soon as I looked out. I clearly remembered that when Ye Min and I entered, there was only one large courtyard, with the room where Ma Lian and the others "hanged" on the left, and the place where Su Yan and Lü Xia were sleeping on the right. Even if there was a room within a room in Ma Lian's house, based on the location of the exit in that room and my initial observations, the exit should have corresponded to the courtyard where there was light when we entered.

But now, the situation is different.

The exit to the inner room was open, but the scene before my eyes was utterly unfamiliar: there was no courtyard, only a rather narrow corridor. The corridor wasn't long, only about ten meters in length. At that moment, the moonlight was bright, and by its glow, I could easily see what was at the other end of the corridor—

There's a gate blocking the way at the end.

Not only that, there seemed to be something on the entrance hall that blocked the corridor. I wasn't sure what it was, but it certainly didn't seem like a friendly place. The others stared at the corridor, speechless. This layout disrupted my train of thought. I assumed this place was once again playing its historical role, and I wanted the horse-faced leader to take a closer look and come up with a solution. But when I turned around, I was shocked.

Horse-face had one arm around Fatty Lin and the other stroking the hair on his forehead, his eyes full of tenderness as he softly murmured comforting words like "Don't be afraid, don't worry." Fatty Lin, on the other hand, had his arms wrapped around Horse-face's thick, round waist, burying his head in his chest and trembling, with what looked like glistening tears welling up in his eyes.

In an instant, an eerie, life-or-death atmosphere emanated from them, gradually spreading throughout the cramped space of the small house. This was outrageous, especially when I heard Horse Face softly call Fatty Lin "baby," my mouth almost stretched to my eyes. Looking at them, I momentarily lost focus, and my hand slipped, the door slamming shut with a "bang," revealing the face of the old woman in white.

It was practically an instinctive reflex; I immediately grabbed the tilted door panel and threw it at the two ghostly old women, yelling, "Run!" Then, Horse Face and the others followed me, not daring to look back, rushing straight into the illogical corridor. As I ran, I wasn't thinking about the evil spirits behind me, but rather about the relationship between Horse Face and Fatty Lin.

Section 40: The Terrifying Mysterious Waterway (3)

That's insane. I didn't even realize it at the company.

We had only run a few steps at breakneck speed when a heart-wrenching scream came from behind. My heart skipped a beat—oh no! Luckily, I turned around and saw Ye Min standing beside me, looking terrified. Looking further back, I felt like I was drunk.

Lin Pang fell behind, and what happened next set the stage for the entire horrifying journey.

Lin Pang didn't know if he was too slow or just unlucky; the old hag, like a wolf, grabbed him tightly the moment she touched his heel, and no matter how much he struggled, it was futile. Lin Pang could only scream in terror. The ghostly figure, well past sixty, giggled seductively, the laughter echoing through the narrow corridor, its sound exceptionally clear and piercing due to the echo. My legs went weak at the sound; the echoing laughter in the corridor sounded like the silvery laughter of a beautiful young girl of only eighteen or nineteen!

The rest of us were completely terrified by the laughter, utterly helpless. We wanted to save Fatty Lin but didn't know where to start. We could only watch helplessly as the old hag grabbed his neck, slowly tightening her grip until we heard the sound of bones breaking.

"Click..."

The sound didn't seem to come from Lin Pang, who was still bleeding profusely; it felt as if my own neck had been snapped, so real and violent. I froze for a few seconds, then frantically grabbed Ye Min and the stunned horse-faced man and rushed towards the end of the corridor. But when we got there, we were dumbfounded—

The hidden doorway I'd glimpsed earlier was indeed sealed off.

2. Water blocking the way

The hidden door at the end of the corridor was made of cast iron, its surface covered in rust. A disc protruded from the center of the door, with some characters engraved on it, but due to the corrosion and rust, most of them were blurred and illegible. I reached out and felt around and discovered that the door opened from the inside out; in other words, the lock cylinder and lock were all on the inside of the door.

My legs went weak, and I almost collapsed to my knees. High walls stood on both sides, demons were behind me, and a dead end was in front of me. There was no resource I could use. Without thinking, I knew I was doomed. Either way, I was going to die, so I might as well bite off my tongue or smash my head against the door to die a quick death. But before I could make any move, I heard a horse-faced man roar with earth-shattering force.

"ha--"

He had a slightly bloated build, wasn't tall, and had a prosperous appearance. Normally, he was the epitome of a dignified, condescending boss, but now he roared like a startled shrew, his fury shaking the three rivers. The volume of his roar was no less than the horn of my BMW; Ye Min and I were shivering from the shock. Then, he did something completely different from his usual self.

Section 41: The Terrifying Mysterious Waterway (4)

With a loud shout, Horse Face leaped into the air and kicked the iron gate. His exaggerated kicking motion suggested he had gathered all his strength in his foot. Before I could even figure out what was happening, Horse Face had already kicked several times.

After several kicks, the iron gate was suddenly kicked open.

At that moment, Horse Face's actions reminded me of a heartfelt remark from a movie protagonist: people react to their fears in two completely different ways. One is laughter, like watching a horror movie; people know it's fake, so they laugh to relieve the oppressive feeling. The other is anger; when mental stress reaches a certain level, it explodes, either by killing the terrifying thing or by committing suicide to relieve the pressure. At the time, I didn't know if Horse Face's astonishing power stemmed from despair or from the resentment ignited by the tragic death of his beloved, but this incident once again made me marvel at the most incredible creatures in this vast universe—who else could compare?

With a few quick movements, Horse Face ripped open the iron gate a crack. We rushed inside, and he tried to close it behind us, but the lock was already badly damaged. In desperation, he kicked the gate several times from the inside, trying to put it back in place, but to little avail. Worried that the task was too large and would take too long, I imitated him and kicked the gate a few times before pulling him back. There wasn't enough time.

With a long face, I felt a little dazed. Things had changed so quickly. Just a few hours ago, we were chatting and laughing on the bus to the tourist destination, and now I was separated from Lin Pang by death. I reached out to pinch my face, only to find it wet. I heard Ye Min sobbing softly beside me, and I felt ashamed and helpless. I couldn't stop the tears from streaming down my face.

Tears overflowing from cowardice and despair are a form of compromise, more destructive than any calamity. Amidst the affectation and the horror, after looking around at my surroundings, I became utterly dejected, akin to a useless person for a time.

Beyond the iron gate connected by the corridor, a winding staircase leads down to the top. At the end of the staircase, though not a deep pool, lies a stagnant waterway that is not particularly narrow.

The waterway wasn't wide and didn't appear to be naturally formed; it seemed to have been dug and filled in by humans. Everywhere I looked, it resembled the moats surrounding ancient cities. The water shimmered, but it was very dark, which I guessed was due to the lighting. The walls on both sides of the waterway still had patterns, either dragons or tigers. I glanced at it briefly in the dim light and thought it didn't quite look like a tiger. The animal on the table had a tiger's body and a lion's head, a majestic body, white fur with black stripes, and a long tail. After a moment of puzzlement, I remembered it was a Zouyu.

Section 42: The Terrifying Mysterious Waterway (5)

The Zouyu is a white tiger, a benevolent beast. But it seems rather absurd that this moat-like waterway wasn't built outside the city but dug into the tunnel. However, that's none of our business. Compared to that, the clanging iron plate behind us is much more unsettling. I steeled myself and peered into the moat, but it was pitch black and I couldn't see anything clearly. I hurriedly grabbed a pebble and threw it into the water; the "plop" sound sent chills down my spine.

Judging from the situation, the water is extremely deep.

Crossing the water is impossible and unrealistic. The water is unfathomably deep, and it's different from the water in the park. The location is strange, and there must be something deadly in it. I'd rather be strangled by a ghost than be dragged away and killed by something in the water.

About water—

I'm afraid of water; water is my nightmare. My hometown, Jingcheng, is located in a beautiful and fertile tropical rainforest, a kingdom of flora and fauna. The climate is humid year-round, with abundant rainfall, and the vegetation remains lush and green throughout the four seasons. Once the subtropical monsoon season is over, Jingcheng in May and June becomes like hell, unbearably hot. So, in midsummer, the only things my youthful thoughts can conjure up are ice cream and water parks.

When I was young, my family wasn't as well-off as it is now, and ice cream was something I couldn't even dream of. Fortunately, the walls of the water park weren't too high for mischievous kids. So, while others were eating ice cream in the midsummer, my friends and I would often climb over the walls to get into the water park, and we always succeeded. The feeling back then was blissful—cool, exciting, and free from financial worries and the sweltering summer heat. This wonderful feeling lasted until the summer of my second year of junior high school.

That summer had barely begun when we formed a group and set our sights on the water park. We aimed to visit it every day – nothing could be happier than that. At that time, it was the only water park in our area, naturally creating a monopoly. A monopoly meant power, so this sole water park had all the necessary equipment, was quite large, and was thriving. But as the saying goes, the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows; and the fatter the pig, the more it gets slaughtered. Thus, some negative, half-true, half-false rumors slowly began to circulate.

We first heard that a couple had been crushed to death inside the giant rotating drum, supposedly due to a mechanical malfunction. We heard their deaths were extremely gruesome, almost like being torn apart by a car. We also heard that there had been an accident at the zipline, where a child was injured, and the blood almost stained half the pool red. There were also rumors that an old woman had fallen to her death below the most dangerous sky jump platform, her brains splattered. Even more outrageous were the claims that the amusement park was haunted every night! The wronged souls of those who died in the accidents returned to the places where they had met their tragic ends, tirelessly reliving those moments of death over and over again. The sight was absolutely horrifying.

Section 43: The Terrifying Mysterious Waterway (6)

It's true that good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. Later on, someone even exclaimed in broad daylight that something was touching people in the women's bathroom, causing widespread panic and gradually turning the once bustling water park into a place filled with an eerie atmosphere.

The power of these kinds of rumors is no less than that of an atomic bomb. Moreover, while the spirit may not necessarily die after an atomic bomb, the power of words can mercilessly obliterate even the spiritual realm. The summer sun grew stronger day by day, while the amusement park's business dwindled. At that time, I didn't understand what these rumors meant to adults, but for us children, their destructive power was quite immense.

Although hearing these fabricated stories inevitably left me feeling uneasy, we never gave up on our pursuit of happiness. However, as the saying goes, "He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet." So, that summer in my second year of junior high, I almost drowned in this artificial wave.

That feeling was absolutely unforgettable. While in the deep end, my legs suddenly gave way, and I sank downwards as if pulled by something. The once cool pool water grew increasingly cold, and large amounts of water rushed into my mouth and nose, entering my trachea. Due to lack of oxygen, my consciousness slowly blurred, but the bloody rumors about the amusement park kept replaying in my panicked mind. The more this happened, the less strength I had in my hands and feet.

Fortunately, just as I was about to die, someone on the shore saw me struggling in the water and pulled me out of the pool, saving my life. But this experience left me with a deep-seated fear; I always felt there was something underwater and I was terrified of deep water. So now, I'd rather be strangled by a ghost than attempt to cross any water!

Of course, I wouldn't say such a shameful thing in front of people, especially not in front of Ye Min. The water level, quality, and volume are all unknown right now; going into the water rashly would be certain death! But not entering the water means certain death; it won't be long before those "Two White Fiends" rush in… Thinking of Lin Pang's tragic death, my hair stood on end again. What am I going to do, surrounded by wolves in front and tigers behind?!

Section 44: The Frenzied Crowd (1)

Chapter Five: The Frenzied Crowd

Those were his own faces; before him, all of them were his own faces! Countless "Lu Fangs" stared at Lu Fang. He was terrified, their faces ashen.

1. Couple in distress

2 encounters

Chapter Five: The Frenzied Crowd

1. Couple in distress

"This door is so dirty."

After parting ways with the two middle-aged men from the company, Lü Fang and Su Yan arrived at a mud-brick house across the street. Su Yan lightly touched the door of the small house with her finger and then pouted her pink lips. Lü Fang smiled and shook his head, then pressed the softest part of his lips to her ear and said very softly, "Like this... let me open it for you."

With a knowing smile, Su Yan pushed open the dilapidated door with a creak.

The room was dimly lit, and to avoid stirring up dust, Su Yan had to tiptoe in slowly. Even so, she was still choked by the dust she kicked up and coughed repeatedly. Su Yan frowned, pouted, and snuggled into Lü Fang's arms, saying coquettishly, "Why did we have to come to this place? It's filthy."

In fact, she really likes it here.

Lu Fang put his arm around her, glanced around the room out of the corner of his eye, and then laughed: "Wow, your attitude changed so quickly! You were the one who forced me to come, what's wrong? You don't like it because it's not as clean as a hotel? You... Hey? There seems to be a clean bed over there, let's go take a look." He teased her by holding up a flashlight in his other hand.

"Honey, Mr. Yang must be tired after driving all day. You can drive tonight." "Honey, if you're driving tonight, remember to stop when you see a high wall painted with a dragon trapped in a golden lock. I heard it's an ancient site. Mr. Yang said it's beautiful. I'll show you some information about it later, but... I heard it's terrifying inside..."

He remembered what the girl had said to him while they were still in the car, and how she ended up here now... He suddenly realized that women are not only very curious, but also very fickle. But then again, women are women... He stopped thinking about it. To be honest, though, Su Yan was indeed a rather unique girl. Speaking of unique, Lü Fang suddenly remembered many things. Oh right, he'd completely forgotten. He had many questions he wanted to ask Su Yan about this company road trip.

They've been together for quite a few years now.

He first met her at the new semester's opening ceremony. The sun was shining brightly, the morning breeze pleasant. During the class assignment ceremony, Lü Fang immediately spotted Su Yan, standing quietly among the crowd with her books. Developing feelings for someone is extremely dangerous; it slowly erodes your rationality. So, less than twenty minutes after the class assignments ended, Lü Fang easily obtained the seating chart for the new semester from the homeroom teacher. Why? The class monitor certainly had the right and obligation to do so. As for what happened later, he pretended it was fate, an unexpected but natural progression, that he became deskmates with this lovely, poised girl.

Section 45: The Frenzied Crowd (2)

As long as you're willing, any kind of "fate arrangement" is possible.

Just as Lü Fang had predicted, Su Yan was not only beautiful on the outside, but also excelled in her studies and temperament in the eyes of boys. However, these accolades were not the main thing to him. The most important thing was that this seemingly cute and innocent girl could handle things in an orderly and methodical way when it came to interpersonal relationships.

For example, take Lü Fang himself. When he first met Su Yan, she neither dodged nor gave a direct answer. She would just smile mischievously and say "we'll see," without saying anything more. There were many similar instances, and Lü Fang certainly put in a lot of effort to win her over. So, in general, in Lü Fang's eyes, his former deskmate and current girlfriend, Su Yan, was a very cautious and reserved girl, yet also quite quirky and clever.

In short, she shouldn't be the frivolous type of girl.

However… even after being together for so long, Lü Fang always felt she was still quite mysterious, or rather, there were things she was hiding from him. For example, her past—she never mentioned it. Every time Lü Fang tried to subtly probe her, she would remain silent, and eventually, he could only give up. Oh well, everyone has a past, right? Perhaps this girl's past wasn't happy, or even the opposite, so it was understandable that she didn't want to talk about it; it was just that he was being a bit nosy… But, from the time they met until graduation, Lü Fang clearly remembered that he had never walked his girlfriend home. Of course, it wasn't his fault; it was because she didn't want him to.

"I'll go back by myself; it wouldn't look good if my family saw me."

"My family will come to pick me up. You should go home first."

She always said that, but Lu Fang had never even seen what her so-called "family" looked like. Oh well, he'd deal with family matters later, before getting married... Besides, the only thing he couldn't understand was why a graduate from a prestigious university would choose a small company like this instead of a foreign or state-owned enterprise. Did smaller places offer more development potential? Perhaps Su Yan had her own plans, and as her boyfriend, he could only unconditionally support his girlfriend.

After Lü Fang, his mind filled with wild guesses, finished setting up the candles, Su Yan immediately went over with a mixture of disbelief and skepticism. She looked at the floor, blew on it, and touched it thoroughly, checking it from top to bottom for a long time. She exclaimed in surprise, "It's so clean! That's wonderful!" Then she sat down on the edge of the bed and began to take off her navy blue leather boots. Halfway through, she noticed Lü Fang still standing motionless by the door. Feeling puzzled, she spoke again, "Aren't you coming over? I'll hold your hand while you sleep, don't be afraid."

Section 46: The Frenzied Crowd (3)

Upon hearing this, Lü Fang chuckled, shook his head, and still didn't move. Su Yan gave him a strange look and asked again, "Not coming over? Are you sure?" Lü Fang then waved his hand and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Don't you find it strange that there's a clean bed in a place like this?" He even winked at Su Yan after saying that. Lü Fang's comment caused Su Yan's mischievous smile to freeze, and a look of fear slowly appeared on her face.

"Just kidding." Before Su Yan could even jump up, Lü Fang couldn't help but chuckle. "A clean bed means someone's still staying here. I told you that when we got off the bus." Ignoring Su Yan's angry expression, he closed the door behind him and went straight to the bedside, ruffling her hair. In the dim candlelight, her face looked incredibly alluring. Lü Fang cradled his beloved's face, gazed at her for a moment, and then slowly kissed her.

The moon is bright, and so is his heart. That's all he could think.

Amidst the faint, disordered footsteps, the flickering candlelight cast Su Yan's shadow swaying back and forth on the lonely earthen wall. She dressed again, peering through the crack in the door for a few seconds. Moonlight bathed the ground; all was deathly still. She saw nothing amiss, and listening intently, she heard no ripples in the air. Since the whole world was so quiet… Su Yan buttoned up her coat and lit a cigarette. "Maybe it's just mice or something."

She murmured to herself. A faint scent of tobacco mixed with fruity aroma permeated the air around her fingers, and with each puff, a pleasant aftertaste spread throughout her body.

Lu Fang sat up in bed, lit one for himself, and after a few puffs, grinned his teeth: "This cigarette tastes so weak, why do you always like to smoke it?" Su Yan smiled: "Of course, women smoke women's cigarettes."

After muttering a few words, Lü Fang didn't press the matter further. The buildings were eerily quiet, without the chirping of insects or the sound of wind. As the smoke dissipated, he felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him, so he called to Su Yan, "Darling, go to sleep, I'm sleepy." Su Yan, immersed in the darkness, didn't respond. Lü Fang saw her nod, then pull up the covers and drift off to sleep.

He didn't see her face.

2 encounters

"What's wrong? What happened?" Unfortunately, a good dream is short-lived, and a long dream is always ominous. Less than half an hour after falling asleep, Lü Fang was awakened by a series of hurried, chaotic footsteps outside. Who was rushing around in the middle of the night? Before he could answer, a woman's suffocating scream shattered the tranquil night, like a clap of thunder in a clear sky. The terror in her voice tore apart his drowsiness. Lü Fang sat bolt upright, as if a thousand-year-old decomposed corpse had suddenly risen.

Section 47: The Frenzied Crowd (4)

The scream really frightened him.

Su Yan seemed to have never closed her eyes, sitting quietly in the dark corner smoking. She took the scream in its entirety. The moment Lü Fang suddenly stood up, she also stood up at almost the same time. Then, their eyes met, and after a half-second of stunned silence, they said in unison, "Ye Min!"

As Lu Fang hurriedly dressed, he asked Su Yan, his voice trembling, "Is...is something...something wrong?" Su Yan shook her head at him, quickly packed up her various belongings, and gestured for him to get up quickly, as if they were going out to check.