Ghost Stories

Chapter 22

Kiki said softly, "They all had their eyes closed, and their expressions were very rapturous, as if they were seeing some kind of illusion that made them very happy!"

Lin Feng wasn't surprised; Qi Qi's eyes were much sharper than a normal person's.

Qiqi tugged at Lin Feng and said, "Let's go take a look!"

Lin Feng said, "Are they alright? They won't suddenly wake up, will they?"

Kiki shook her head and said, "No, they must be under some strange curse, and a very deep one at that. External noises can't easily affect them."

Just as the two were about to leave, a person suddenly emerged from the crowd. They immediately stopped and hid behind a tree, watching the person. The person's gaze was vacant, his face expressionless, as he walked step by step towards the cave. Upon reaching the cave entrance, he was enveloped by wisps of white mist.

"Death energy!" Lin Feng said to Qi Qi. He saw that the person's body, enveloped in white mist, was shrouded in strands of death energy. Qi Qi nodded and said, "Yes, but the others don't seem to have it!"

Lin Feng glanced at the other people standing there, but he couldn't see them clearly. Suddenly, Qiqi next to him let out a soft gasp. Lin Feng quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Qiqi pointed at the crowd and said, "They...they didn't have any just now, how come they all have them now!"

Lin Feng said, "What?"

Qiqi said, "Death aura. They didn't have any death aura just now, but suddenly everyone has death aura on them. It's so strange. Are all these people going to die?"

Lin Feng carefully observed the crowd and, sure enough, a thick aura of death enveloped them, which he could clearly see. Lin Feng whispered, "What do we do?"

Before he could finish speaking, Qiqi gestured for him to look at the cave entrance. There stood the man, a pained expression on his face, seemingly struggling desperately, but unable to break free. Then he jumped in. A man's pitiful scream echoed from inside the cave; he had apparently woken up, but it was too late.

The man's voice grew fainter and fainter, indicating that the cave entrance was very deep. The two of them did not hear the sound of someone landing.

Qiqi pulled Lin Feng along, stealthily making their way towards the cave entrance. As they passed the first few people, Lin Feng noticed their expressions were even happier than before, but the deathly aura surrounding them was growing stronger, indicating they were beyond saving. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly; he had no idea how to help them.

Qiqi pulled Lin Feng towards the deep entrance of the cave. The stench emanating from inside almost made Lin Feng faint. Lin Feng suppressed the urge to vomit and looked inside. The deepest part seemed to be emitting a faint red glow. Unsure if it was just his imagination, Lin Feng softly asked Qiqi, "Look over there, is there something there?"

Qiqi nodded and said, "Yes, there is light there, but I can't see exactly what it is."

Lin Feng looked at the cave entrance. It wasn't very big, but it was quite steep. However, if he was careful, he could probably slide down by using his hands and feet to support himself on both sides.

Lin Feng said to Qi Qi, "I'll go down and take a look!"

Qiqi said decisively, "No, we don't know what's in there. The white mist coming out of this cave is all resentment. It's not that simple. If we go down rashly and something bad happens, what will happen to Xiaojie?"

Lin Feng scratched his head and said, "Then what should we do?"

Volume 2, Chapter 23: Ghost Manor (7)

Just as Qiqi was about to speak, the white mist in the cave suddenly thickened, clinging to the two of them as if it were alive. Lin Feng immediately felt a tightness in his chest and realized something was wrong, quickly holding his breath. Qiqi's constitution was different from ordinary people, so she didn't need to be as nervous as Lin Feng, but the strong stench was still unbearable.

The breathing of the people behind them, which had been calm, became erratic. Qiqi, with her extraordinary senses, noticed first and quickly looked back. She saw that everyone behind them was struggling. Qiqi pulled Lin Feng back into the woods, hiding behind a tree, too afraid to move. The white mist didn't follow; it simply swirled around the people and disappeared. Meanwhile, those at the cave entrance outside the woods gradually calmed down, their faces regaining their ecstatic expressions. In the dead of night, their smiles were incredibly eerie.

Qiqi quietly tugged at Lin Feng and said, "That white mist is probably what controls these people's minds. It was trying to control us, but you sensed it early and held your breath, so you were completely out of control. As a result, because it was trying to deal with us, its control over those people weakened, so they almost woke up and didn't chase us. I think there must be something in that cave, and it knows we're here!"

Lin Feng nodded in agreement with Qiqi's statement and quietly asked, "Then what should we do?"

Kiki thought for a moment and said, "Let's go back to the hotel first!"

Lin Feng nodded. At this moment, if he were to explore that cave, he would surely draw out what was inside, and it might even endanger the lives of the entire village.

The two quietly withdrew from the forest and retraced their steps. The entire journey was utterly silent; they now understood why the village was so quiet at night—everyone had gathered at the cave entrance. Looking back at the mountain beyond the woods, it resembled a coiled snake in the darkness. Lin Feng vaguely sensed something, but couldn't quite grasp its essence. He shook his head, still unable to grasp that hazy feeling. He decided to give up for now, stop thinking about it, and hurry towards the inn.

Upon arriving at the hotel, the two ran to the window and found it closed. Having no other option, they entered through the main entrance.

The girl who was sitting by the door stood up abruptly when she saw them come in and said, "You're finally back! Are you alright?"

Lin Feng shook his head and said, "What's the matter?"

The girl asked in surprise, "Didn't my brother tell you never to go out after 9 p.m.?"

Lin Feng smiled sheepishly and said, "They told us, but we were just too curious, so we went to look around anyway!"

The girl showed no sign of blaming them, saying, "It's alright!"

Lin Feng asked, "Why are you so nervous?"

The girl said, "To tell you the truth, my brother and I were once curious and wanted to go out at night to see what was happening in the village. But as soon as we went out, we couldn't find our way. It was as if someone had scattered the village roads, and we couldn't find our way back no matter how many times we wandered around. And no matter how much we knocked on the doors of any house in the village, no one would open them, which terrified us. We had to sleep on the street for the night, but when we woke up the next day, we found ourselves sleeping in the woods outside the village. Isn't that scary? Later, my brother went out a few more times, and each time the same thing happened, so he was too scared to go anymore. After 9 pm, if we hear that broken gong, we absolutely won't step out. Otherwise, we might never come back."

Lin Feng nodded and said, "I see. Then why don't you move out of this village?"

The girl said helplessly, "We've thought about it, but we only went to junior high school before Dad stopped letting us continue our studies. We don't know any skills, so we can't survive outside. We have no choice but to stay here and run this little shop until we save some money, then we'll go out and do some small business and leave this place. Besides, Dad has only been dead for two and a half years, so we have to wait three years before we can leave. This place is too scary. Not only is the place scary, but the people are scary too. Many young people have mysteriously disappeared without a trace. I'm really afraid that one day it will be our turn."

After hearing what the girl said, Lin Feng suddenly remembered that he hadn't seen many young people in the village; most were middle-aged and elderly people and children. Lin Feng tentatively asked, "Do you know how they disappeared?"

The girl shook her head and said, "I don't know, but every night when that gong sounds, I get really scared. When I'm scared, I get sleepy and I always fall asleep without realizing it. And even though I'm sleeping here, when I wake up I'm in the little bed inside. It happens every time."

Lin Feng asked curiously, "Then why don't you let your brother stay here at night?"

The girl lowered her head and whispered, "My brother always falls asleep here at night without realizing it, but when he wakes up, he's covered in soreness and bruises. A few times, his arm was even broken. When I fall asleep, it's just because I'm in a different spot. It's nothing serious."

Lin Feng nodded and said, "I see. Are you scared?"

The girl lowered her head and said, "Of course we're scared. Didn't you see we've already made offerings to the Taoist Ancestor? We hope he can protect us."

Lin Feng smiled and said, "That might not work. Why don't you stick this on the door?" He then took two talismans out of his bag and gave them to the girl, saying, "Put one on each door; it might be useful!"

The girl took the talisman, looked at it, and said, "Really?"

Lin Feng said, "I can't guarantee it 100%!"

The girl said, "Thank you!" and put the two talismans away.

Lin Feng said, "Also, how about having this older sister stay with you here tonight?"

The girl glanced at Qiqi, who looked timid and delicate, like a spoiled city girl, and shook her head, saying, "Forget it, it'll scare her!"

Before Lin Feng could speak, Qiqi said, "Don't worry, little sister, I'm not afraid of ghosts. Ghosts aren't afraid of me!"

The girl saw that Qiqi was serious, but still didn't believe her. Only after Qiqi pleaded three times did the girl reluctantly agree to let Qiqi keep her company.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Lin Feng said goodbye and went back to his room, leaving Qiqi and the girl to continue chatting at the registration desk.

Volume 2, Chapter 24: Ghost Manor (8)

Lin Feng slept very soundly; his busy work schedule had kept him from having such a peaceful night's sleep in a long time. Since Qiqi was at the door today, he figured nothing else would happen, so Lin Feng soon drifted off to sleep. He was utterly exhausted and needed a good rest.

Qiqi was still chatting with the girl at the door. The two women always have endless topics to talk about, from clothes to food, from vomiting dramas to gossiping about grandma. They were having a great time.

Seeing that it was past midnight, the girl said strangely, "What's wrong with me today? I don't feel sleepy at all. Usually, I'm unconscious before 10 o'clock."

Qiqi smiled but didn't answer her question. Instead, she said, "Little sister, can you hold out your hand so I can see it?"

The girl said, "You can read faces?" As she spoke, she extended her left hand, a small, fair, and delicate hand. Qiqi held it in her hand, but it felt icy cold.

Kiki carefully examined the girl's small hand, and intentionally or unintentionally tightened her grip on the girl's wrist pulse point. The girl said, "How is it? What do you see?"

Kiki let go of her hand and said, "What do you mean, 'how'? I never said I could read palms!"

The girl pouted and said, "You lied to me!"

Kiki said, "Ha, you said you could watch it, but I didn't say I could!"

The girl lowered her head and thought for a moment, then realized it seemed so. Just as she was about to say something, a gust of cold wind suddenly rushed in from outside. The girl tightened her coat and said, "Oh dear, why has it suddenly gotten so cold!"

Qiqi glanced at it and sneered, "You dare to play tricks in front of your grandma?" With a flick of her finger, a faint blue light shot out and landed on the door with a "thud".

The girl asked curiously, "What are you doing? What was that blue light just now?"

Kiki said, "Want to see?"

The girl said, "But I can't see anything!"

Kiki reached out and blocked the girl's view for a moment, then removed her hand. The girl saw a faint shadow frozen on the door, a small patch of blue light flickering at its chest. The shadow was writhing in agony, rapidly dissolving. Finally, the blue light burst forth, and the shadow turned into wisps of black smoke and vanished into the air.

The girl grabbed Qiqi's arm and asked in terror, "What was that just now?" Her voice trembled, clearly showing her extreme fear.

Kiki comforted her, "Don't be afraid, it's just an ordinary undead spirit, formed from the accumulation of death energy. It's a very low-level spirit. It usually lives by absorbing the yang energy of others, but its absorption capacity is very limited. If you found yourself feeling particularly dizzy and sleepy when you woke up that night, it means that an undead spirit had bothered you during the night!"

The girl nodded and said, "You're amazing! Are you a ghost hunter?"

Kiki tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "Not entirely. The older brother who went to sleep is even more amazing!"

The girl said, "Really? You can't tell at all!"

Kiki laughed and said, "Of course, we don't usually show off our abilities casually!"

The girl said with some concern, "Then why do I fall asleep involuntarily every night? Is it because that undead spirit is draining my yang energy?"

Kiki shook her head and said, "No, that undead spirit can't bother you. You said that you and your brother get lost when you go out at night, and you wake up covered in injuries in the morning. I don't think it's something ordinary that did that. You and your brother are different from the others in this village. You are resolute and not easily misled by hallucinations. Most importantly, you both have a spiritual light in your hearts. This spiritual light protects you and has allowed you to live safely until now. But there are still some things that come to bother you every night, slowly consuming your limited spiritual light."

The girl, seemingly understanding but not quite, asked, "Then what should we do?"

Qiqi smiled and said, "I'm just helping you solve this, aren't I?"

The girl looked at Qiqi gratefully and said, "Since our constitution is different from ordinary people, can we learn something from you to protect ourselves?"

Qiqi reached out and gently pinched the girl's cheek, saying, "Knowing less isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just opened your Yin Eye; you'll recover by dawn and won't see those strange things anymore. Before we leave, we'll try our best to help you resolve things here. Perhaps that Taoist priest was right; everyone in this village is shrouded in deathly aura, and even this place is a death trap. Only you two siblings aren't affected by it. Tell me, if we don't save you, who will we save?"

The girl's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Really? Isn't that terrifying?"

Kiki shook her head and said, "Actually, there are still some things I don't quite understand."

Seeing Qiqi deep in thought, the girl asked, "Sister, you're so beautiful. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Qiqi suddenly thought of Xiaofa after he turned into a zombie, and her heart ached as she forced a smile and said, "What's so beautiful about that? I'm already an old woman!"

The girl pouted and said, "Excessive modesty is just pride!"

Kiki said, "There used to be one, but he died."

The girl grabbed Qiqi's hand and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought up your sad story!"

Qiqi smiled and said, "It's nothing!" Over time, she has learned to hide her sadness and will not show it even in front of her best friend.

The girl suddenly shook Qiqi and said, "Sister, look, there's such a thick fog outside!"

Qiqi looked outside and sure enough, there was a chilling white mist everywhere. She hadn't noticed it because she was so distracted earlier. Such a strong yin energy! If Qiqi hadn't opened the girl's eyes, she definitely wouldn't have been able to see it.

The open door suddenly closed by itself, then opened again, repeating this process over and over. The girl was trembling with fear, hiding behind Qiqi. Qiqi gave a cold laugh and went to close the door. Strangely enough, the door, which had been refusing to shut up, stopped responding after Qiqi closed it.

The girl looked at Qiqi, who had returned to the registration desk, and said in surprise, "You're so brave! Are we going to be in trouble? What happened just now?"

Qiqi calmly said, "Nothing will happen. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen!"

Seeing how certain Qiqi was, the girl calmed down considerably.

Volume 2, Chapter 25: Ghost Manor (9)

The girl had just breathed a sigh of relief when the closed door suddenly flew backward with a loud bang, as if struck by some enormous force. The two door panels crashed to the ground, and outside, apart from the white mist, there was no one.

Kiki stared intently at the door, shielding the girl behind her, a faint blue light emanating from her hands. Silence reigned outside; Kiki could only hear the girl's tense, heavy breathing.

Suddenly, a white shadow shot in through the door, heading straight for Kiki. Kiki pushed the girl aside and then swung her hand to meet the white shadow. Where the "Bluetooth" light passed, the figure was cleaved in two, then dissipated into a wisp of smoke and vanished into the air, leaving behind a strong stench.