Astrology Hall with Flesh and Blood

Chapter 10

Without realizing it, she suddenly jolted awake from her nightmare. She was still holding the emergency light, its pale white light illuminating Xiao Yu's peaceful sleeping face beside her. She breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly realized that Lu Bing was gone from the bed opposite her!

Without a second thought, she rushed to the washing machine in the bathroom. She saw the lid slowly sliding down, as if guided by an invisible hand. "No!" she cried, leaping forward and yanking open the lid. A pair of white things were immediately revealed before her, and she instinctively grabbed them…!

"No!" A sharp cry of pain rang out, "Let go!"

"Lu Bing?" Yan Wuyue then realized that what she was holding in her hands was none other than Lu Bing's feet. At this moment, like Xiao Yu, her whole body was folded into a large inverted "V" shape from the waist, and her face, which was folded between her legs, was full of a dreamy and happy smile.

"Lu Bing? What happened to you?" Yan Wuyue could hardly believe her eyes. "I'll get you out right now!"

"Hehe...hehe, so comfortable..." Lu Bing giggled, her voice as chilling as a crow in the night sky. "That Xiao Yu, she found such a great place and didn't tell me...hehe, I'd rather die than give it to her...it's just too comfortable!"

Oh no! Her body was probably stuck against the inner wall of the tub. Yan Wuyue used all her strength, but she couldn't pull her out, and her hands were aching. "Wait here, Lu Bing, I'll call someone to rescue you right away!" Saying this, Yan Wuyue backed away, and as soon as she turned around, she bumped into Lin Na. She grabbed Lin Na's hand and cried anxiously, "Lin Na, Lu Bing, she...?"

Linna was also shocked. "How could this happen?"

"I don't know! And Lu Bing is acting really strange, she said it's very comfortable inside... I tried to pull her out, but she just won't come out!"

Lin Na glanced into the washing machine and nodded. "No wonder, you were using the wrong method!"

"Ah?" Yan Wuyue suddenly felt a glimmer of hope. "Do you have any good ideas?"

“Let me teach you!” Lin Na gently pressed the “on” button with her slender index finger. The red light flashed, followed by the roar of the motor starting and the rushing sound of tap water flowing through the inlet pipe. The washing machine started! Water sprayed onto Lu Bing's body, the water level rising higher and higher, submerging her hips, waist, and chest… Lin Na smiled and closed the lid, then smiled at Yan Wuyue and said:

"According to normal washing standards, lupin can be taken out after 45 minutes."

With a hum, the turbine started, and the inner tub began to rotate—through the semi-transparent cover, Yan Wuyue could clearly see Lu Bing's long black hair and pale face bobbing up and down in the water, sometimes rotating clockwise and sometimes counterclockwise—and her mouth remained wide open, excitedly shouting, "So comfortable! Haha! Hehe!"

Linna kept her eyes fixed on Lu Bing. "See? I told you so!" A cruel, cold light shone in her eyes, the barely suppressed excitement of a hunter watching a cornered beast struggle. She slowly turned her head to Yan Wuyue. "And you?" she smiled, a smile both gentle and sweet. "Want to relax a bit too?"

"Whoa!!!" Yan Wuyue screamed and turned to run. She didn't know how many dormitory doors she pounded on along the way, but only endless silence answered her. She also didn't know how she managed to break through the supposedly locked girls' dormitory gates, cross the school gates, and countless streets.

All she knew was that when she regained consciousness, she was already standing in front of the "flesh and blood" astrology shop at No. 666 Frozen Street. The entire city was enveloped in darkness, and apart from the occasional chirping of crickets, all was silent. However, only this astrology shop, as if specially welcoming her arrival, had its doors wide open and the lights inside shining brightly.

She hesitated for a moment, then walked in with her head held high. To her surprise, the room was empty. The warm, orange light lazily bathed the mahogany furniture, adding a touch of coziness. She leaned back in an old-fashioned mahogany chair, her head bowed. As soon as her body relaxed, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. She was almost asleep.

Suddenly, a little girl's voice rang out from outside: "Sir! Something's wrong!" She then raised her voice and started shouting, banging on a gong and drum, "Clang clang clang! Thief! A thief has broken into the house! Boom boom boom! Help! Catch the thief!"

"Maya, be quiet." A deep male voice rang out. "That's not a thief, it's a guest."

After finishing a steaming cup of milk, Yan Wuyue finally calmed down. The astrologer with the Yin-Yang Demon Hairpin sat in front of her, his hands clasped together. Yan Wuyue had just recounted everything that had happened in the past few days.

"You guys are so stupid! You could figure it out just by cracking your toes!" The little girl's smug voice lingered, "You've been haunted by a ghost! You guys!"

"Who?" Yan Wuyue looked around but didn't see any girl. She seemed to remember hearing this voice somewhere before, until the astrologer intentionally patted her shoulder and she realized that there was a small doll sitting there, and the girl's voice was coming from there.

"Ghostly encounter?" She gasped. "You mean they're possessed, or there's a ghost in the washing machine?"

The astrologer tilted his head slightly. "So you really did see it, Maya?"

Maya gave a slight, cold laugh. "I don't know if your washing machine is haunted, but," she pointed her slender finger sharply at Yan Wuyue, "there's a ghost perched on your shoulder!"

Book One: The Seven Deadly Sins - Sloth: A River of Blood Flows Eastward (Part 5)

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, leaving only Maya's malicious laughter echoing, "Look, it's sticking out its tongue and pressing it against your ear canal... Look, the whole tongue is stuck inside the ear canal... Oh, sorry, I forgot you can't see it—but don't you feel anything at all? How stupid!"

“Alright, Maya,” the astrologer tapped the doll’s head in annoyance, “Don’t scare her. Now, let’s get the whole story straight before dealing with this ghost.”

Yan Wuyue was finally relieved and returned to school with the astrologer. She had been very worried about the "ghost in her ear," but the astrologer's simple words dispelled her fear.

"Of the four people in your dormitory, you are the only one who is not controlled by the spirits of the dead—you are what is called spiritually cold, and spirits of this level cannot affect you."

As they passed the fragrant osmanthus grove downstairs, a piercing scream suddenly rang out. Maya immediately stood up, her cat-like eyes gleaming: "Child! Whose child is crying!"

"Is it a cat?" Yan Wuyue answered absentmindedly. "There are a lot of stray cats around here. They meow incessantly at night, but we're used to it."

"Do you have pig ears?" Maya retorted angrily. "You're clearly a child! I couldn't have misheard you!"

Just as Yan Wuyue was about to retort, the astrologer smiled wryly and covered Maya's mouth, ending the argument. "This child is just a chatterbox," the accused party could only swallow her anger and admit the comment under the immense pressure of the astrologer's hand. The girls' dormitory door was locked, it seemed they would have to wake the gatekeeper. The astrologer, however, said softly, "No need." As he spoke, he put one arm around Yan Wuyue's waist and unfolded his black cloak behind him with the other. The cloak slowly unfurled like the enormous wings of a bat in the night sky, rising like mist around them.

"Hold on tight!" he shouted, and a feeling of weightlessness instantly traveled from the top of her head to the soles of her feet, making her feel dizzy and disoriented. When she opened her eyes, she was standing on the edge of the washroom window, listening to the soft whisper of the evening breeze. Then, the black-clad ghoul gracefully extended a hand and helped her jump down.

The washroom was eerily quiet, not a soul in sight. The washing machine lid was half-folded, and Yan Wuyue mustered her courage to peer inside, only to find it completely empty. She couldn't help but wonder if she had been dreaming, and that the smiling astrologer before her was all just a bizarre dream. Yet, the puddles on the floor and the strands of long, black hair fluttering about seemed to bear witness to the commotion that had just transpired.

Maya suddenly grabbed the astrologer's hair. "It's moving," she whispered to him. "It seems to want to crawl into that fool's brain."

Before she could finish speaking, she heard a rustling of clothes behind her. Lin Na, dressed in a nightgown, stood at the entrance of the washroom carrying an emergency light; her face was even paler than the light. Strangely, when she saw a man in black standing in the girls' dormitory washroom at night, she showed no surprise and walked towards him without hesitation.

"Lin Na?..." Yan Wuyue was at a loss for words. She suddenly remembered Lin Na's calm yet crazed expression at that time, and couldn't help but shudder.

Linna ignored them and walked straight to the washing machine in the corner. Her slender fingers pressed the "on" button; the red light flashed, and water gushed from the inlet pipe. Then, she bent down, splashing water everywhere in the inner tub, and hummed a song with a gentle smile:

"Baby, be good, baby, go to sleep early..."

The lullaby, a symbol of maternal love, had been distorted beyond recognition, fragmented and broken. Yet, the woman's bizarre behavior and the incongruously warm atmosphere of the washroom felt oppressively oppressive. A large question mark appeared in Yan Wuyue's mind. She asked softly, afraid of disturbing Lin Na's dream:

"Lina...is there a baby here?"

Linna gave an exaggerated "shhhhhh!" and said solemnly, "Don't wake the baby!"

"What's going on? You're acting all crazy!" Maya suddenly tossed her head. "Sir, let me do the interrogation! You're always asking questions so slowly, it's driving me crazy!"

The astrologer remained silent, his hat brim pulled low, obscuring his eyes and brows; no one knew what he was contemplating. Linna's humming grew softer and softer, fading into the distance until it was barely audible. When she looked up again, she was still in the brightly lit washroom, while outside lay utter darkness. Linna was still standing in front of the washing machine, but she gave Yan Wuyue a strange feeling. She vaguely sensed something was amiss, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Lin Na was cautiously dialing her phone. "Hello, is this Hong Liu?" she whispered. Hong Liu was her boyfriend's name. She covered the phone with both hands, constantly glancing around, afraid someone would see her. However, her gaze seemed to pierce through the air, completely oblivious to the astrologer and Yan Wuyue in front of her. "What is it? You actually ask me what's wrong?!" Long-suppressed anger erupted, and tears streamed down Lin Na's face. "I gave birth! I gave birth! It's all your fault! What am I supposed to do?!"

She remained silent for a long time, as eerily calm as the gloomy sky before a tsunami. Her tears flowed uncontrollably as she braced herself against the half-open lid of the washing machine, the tears pattering into the inner tub.

"Nobody knows, not even me, not even you, right?... I just thought I'd gained weight this past year. Don't people always say that girls get really fat in their first year of college?" She wiped her eyes hard and said, feeling wronged, "I'm just so upset. Why am I so unlucky?! It was only once, and it's so unfortunate that I got pregnant on my first try!"

"I should have used a condom!" she shouted into her phone. "Otherwise, I could have had an abortion later! I thought I had gastroenteritis just now; my stomach had been hurting terribly since last night... and it just rolled out when I went to the toilet! It scared me to death, thankfully no one saw it!"

She stared intently into the depths of the washing machine drum, as if gazing into a bottomless black hole. "It's dead... thank goodness it's dead, otherwise, if it started crying, how could I face anyone?!" Her shoulders suddenly trembled, and she cried again, heartbroken. After finally calming down, she continued speaking into her phone, "I've hidden it in a safe place now, at least until noon tomorrow... but we need to find a way to get it out, lest something unexpected happens."

She cried for a while, then talked for a while, and finally said, "Tomorrow I'll say the washing machine is broken, and you come upstairs and help me carry it down—we both have classes in the morning, so come over as soon as class is over, remember, don't be late!!!...Then," she raised her head, wiping away the crisscrossing tears on her face, her cheeks glistening as if oiled, "bury it under the osmanthus tree downstairs tonight! At least when I go to the cafeteria for food, I can still see it..."

Book One: The Seven Deadly Sins - Sloth: A River of Blood Flows Eastward (Part Six)

A piercing scream suddenly rang out, the very cry of a kitten that Maya had described. Yan Wuyue shuddered, drenched in sweat as if waking from a nightmare. Lin Na was asleep beside the washing machine. Her hand wasn't holding a phone. So, what Yan Wuyue had just seen—was it a hallucination, or… a dream?

The astrologer deliberately tightened his white gloves, revealing a pair of large, menacing hands inside. "Although it deviates somewhat from what I originally envisioned, it's still a 'lazy' soul—lacking preparation beforehand and failing to clean up the mess afterward, resulting in the newborn becoming a vengeful spirit—so I'll accept it without hesitation." With that, he walked towards Linna.

Yan Wuyue felt a chill run down her spine. She rushed forward and blocked Lin Na's path. "Wait, ghoul, what do you want to do? Eat her?"

"Oh?" The astrologer narrowed his eyes, looking completely at ease. "Is there anything wrong with it? Just like people need chickens, ducks, fish and meat to live, so-called ghouls can only survive by eating people. Besides, she is not a flawless girl, and sooner or later she will corrupt your morals. I am doing this not for myself, but to get rid of the bad apples and to restore discipline to you."

"No, no!" Yan Wuyue retorted fiercely, "That's just an excuse you made up to justify your cannibalism! So what if Lin Na gave birth to an illegitimate child? It's not just her fault, the man also bears responsibility! Why should she bear the burden alone for a sin committed by both of them? That's not fair!"

“I see…” the astrologer drawled meaningfully. Meanwhile, Maya, who had been observing coldly, spoke with a sinister grin, “Sir, this tomboy keeps nagging incessantly, why not just eat her up too? That would make the world a lot quieter!”

“No, Maya.” The astrologer smiled slightly. “When a person is angry, their body produces a kind of toxin. This kind of meat tastes very sour and isn’t chewy. As a gourmet, how could I possibly do something so tasteless?”

"No wonder you always keep your prey in a willing and relaxed state, sir! So that's why!" Maya exclaimed in sudden realization, giving a thumbs up. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Not only humans, but animals are also very angry when they are slaughtered, and they also produce toxins. If people eat too much meat, they will accumulate toxins," the astrologer said slowly. "Now you know why I asked you to give up meat, right?"

"Ah, sir!" Maya suddenly exclaimed, cleverly changing the subject, "What about these two? We're still going to eat them, right?"

Yan Wuyue's heart, which had finally settled, suddenly leaped into her throat again. Seeing the astrologer's mouth agape, revealing shockingly sharp teeth, she could only close her eyes, tightly embrace Lin Na, and pray for a miracle. She imagined the sharp pain of those teeth piercing her skin, shredding her blood vessels and muscles… However, she only felt something cold lingering on her forehead, persisting for a long time.

It was a scarlet star-shaped mark, blood-red as if carved by an axe, deeply embedded in the skin like teeth marks, before flashing and disappearing.

The astrologer had vanished without a trace.

"You kissed her? You kissed her, didn't you? How awful!" Maya was almost going crazy. She kept banging her head against the astrologer, making loud thuds. "You really are a big pervert! You don't even spare a tomboy!"

“That girl is quite interesting.” A faint spark ignited in the astrologer’s heart, as if he had finally discovered something interesting in his boring life of immortality, something worth stopping to admire. His eyes gleamed in the dim night. “Once I bestow the ‘Star Mark’ upon her, she will become my destined prey, until death do us part.”

"But for the sake of that tomboy, you actually gave up the 'laziness' you had in your hands! How unfair! Maya is not happy!" Maya pouted in dissatisfaction.

“It doesn’t matter,” the astrologer said, gazing at a ball of green flame in his hand, within which seemed to be a tiny figure struggling and searching. “If I can get the soul of the Son of Sloth and pass myself off as someone else, that’s fine.”

“But then again, looking at how terrified that little brat is of his mother, practically wanting to hide inside the tomboy’s body, he doesn’t seem like a vengeful spirit!” Maya said, resting her chin on her hand with an air of scholarly seriousness. “Also, was he really born dead? Maybe his mother was afraid of being discovered, so she cruelly…!”

"That's why Linna wanders around the washroom every night, comforting her long-dead child in the washing machine. And that child's soul possesses those girls, enjoying the afterlife in her place." The astrologer stopped in his tracks. Beneath his feet was the dark, ebony river, its surface undulating like a woman's long, black hair, murmuring as it flowed eastward.

They were both only teenagers, not yet having fully experienced the joy of being children, when they were forced into becoming parents for a moment of pleasure… To them, “it” was not their child, not their union of body and soul, but merely an unwelcome encounter between a mirror and an egg, a slightly painful byproduct of the process of producing pleasure. If they were a few years older, with more life experience, perhaps they would have understood how, throughout millions of years of history, humanity has preserved and continued its lineage through love and sex.

"Actually, it's not that Mommy doesn't want you..."

postscript:

After that terrifying night, Yan Wuyue was too afraid to use the washing machine again, and Lin Na and Lu Bing seemed to share the same sentiment, both avoiding it. To avoid waste, they decided to sell the washing machine, with the price absolutely negotiable. The only problem was:

Would you dare to buy it?

Book One: The Seven Deadly Sins - Wrath: The Tragedy of Doremi (Part 1)

She died.

So vibrant and beautiful in her prime—yet in an instant, she lost all life, becoming a cold, lifeless corpse, incapable of smiling or coquettishness. Her delicate, jade-like hands now gripped her own neck, leaving painful, purplish-blue marks on her tender skin. Her once vibrant lips could no longer utter any sweet words that could captivate a man's heart. She lay quietly on the back seat, like a sleeping begonia, lost in a sweet dream. The taxi, carrying her body, glided silently through the bustling city streets in the morning light, scattering a trail of desolate dust.

October 1st, sunny. She died in the early morning.

Before the National Day holiday even started, on the evening of September 30th, Yan Wuyue packed a few simple bags and boarded a train directly to City C. The reason for her haste was twofold: first, her junior high school classmate Shui Yun, who attended D University in City C, had long ago invited her to visit City C; second, ever since the washing machine incident, she instinctively wanted to avoid the limelight and stay as far away as possible from that strange astrologer.

After a bumpy ride of over ten hours, she arrived safely at the C City train station. C City, situated on the banks of the Yangtze River, is nestled against mountains and beside water, boasting beautiful scenery and known as the "Pearl of Jiangnan." Among its attractions, the ancient gardens along the Grand Canal are particularly outstanding. Yan Wuyue hailed a taxi, enjoying the scenery along the way, which indeed lived up to its reputation. As the taxi slowly cruised along the Grand Canal, the reflections of the Jiangnan waterways followed. The gentle sounds of oars on the boats and the antique houses seemed to become part of the painting—a truly picturesque water town scene! Yan Wuyue couldn't help but feel eager to explore, thinking that the trip would be worthwhile and she would definitely have a great time. However, upon arriving at the gate of D University, she was somewhat disappointed. After informing Shui Yun of her itinerary last night, the latter insisted on meeting her at the gate despite her refusals, but now there was no one to be seen. Yan Wuyue couldn't help but wonder if she had come to the wrong place. Just then, a police car roared out of the gate.

Had something happened at the school? She desperately wanted to go inside and find out, but the dutiful security guard insisted she register and confiscate her student ID and national ID before letting her in. Just as they were at an impasse, someone coughed softly nearby.

"Excuse me, are you Yan Wuyue?" A boy pushed up his glasses, seemingly wanting to see more clearly.

"Yes!" Yan Wuyue answered quickly without hesitation. She then looked up; the man appeared to be in his early twenties, wearing thick glasses, with fair skin and slender limbs—a typical student. He awkwardly extended his hand, "Hello. I'm Shui Yun's boyfriend, my name is Xie Fengze."

Yan Wuyue suddenly realized. Shui Yun was a beauty queen at D University, attracting countless suitors from the moment she entered the school. Her final choice was a graduate student from the same university who had once been her teaching assistant, a typical "teacher-student romance" in college. Clearly, Xie Fengze in front of her was the male protagonist of this "teacher-student romance."

"Hello, I'm Shuiyun's junior high school classmate. You know my name, right? I'm Yan Wuyue. Speaking of which, Shuiyun is such a lazybones; she clearly promised to pick me up..."

"Um..." Xie Fengze scratched his head, "Something happened... Let's talk about it in detail when we meet Shui Yun later!"

D University is a key comprehensive university in City C, encompassing a wide range of disciplines including arts, sciences, engineering, philosophy, economics, law, history, and management. Its campus is lush and beautiful. However, along the way, what Yan Wuyue felt most strongly wasn't D University's rich and romantic humanistic spirit, but rather a tense and oppressive atmosphere, like a taut string. Everywhere she looked, groups of students gathered, constantly giving her, a stranger, suspicious glances. When she arrived at the girls' dormitory, the gatekeeper was about to stop her when Xie Fengze stepped forward and said a few words, and Yan Wuyue was immediately allowed to pass. It seems he's quite popular!

Xie Fengze led Yan Wuyue into a dormitory room. "Shuiyun!" "Yan Wuyue!" Upon seeing her, Shuiyun rushed over and hugged her tightly, exclaiming, "You've finally come!"

"What's wrong?" Yan Wuyue noticed that her eyes were red, obviously she had just had a good cry. "Did someone bully you?" Xie Fengze silently took out a handkerchief and handed it to his girlfriend, Shui Yun, who accepted it without saying a word.

"Look at what you're saying!" Shui Yun gave her a reproachful look. "Who would bully me for no reason!"

"When I first entered the school, I saw police cars leave," Yan Wuyue asked tentatively, "Did something happen at the school?"

Shuiyun bit the corner of her handkerchief, tears welling up in her eyes, but she couldn't utter a word. It was Xie Fengze who spoke first.

"The police just came to ask questions. This morning, a girl from our school was poisoned to death."

“Senior Tian Tian…” Shui Yun sobbed, furiously twisting the handkerchief, “Senior…”

Xie Fengze gently put his arm around Shui Yun's shoulder and comforted her, "Don't cry, okay? Trust the police, they will definitely catch the murderer!"

Tian Tian, who died, was a student in the Chinese Department of D University, class of 2002. She was beautiful, talented in singing and dancing, and had served as the Minister of Arts and Culture in the Student Union, making her a highly sought-after figure at D University. At 8:15 AM on October 1st, she was found dead in a taxi. According to the taxi driver, she only uttered two words, "D University," after getting in the car, and then closed her eyes. The driver assumed she was unwell and didn't dare disturb her until they arrived at their destination, where he discovered her lips were cyanotic and she was already dead.