Atavismo

Capítulo 45

Gu Feng smiled and said, "I'm not lying to you. If you don't believe me, you can go back and see for yourself. The president is even planning to make me pay for the reconstruction."

"Is the president back? He must be very upset about what happened to Sandosha."

"And you even said you took all your anger out on me," Gu Feng said. "So, how about it? If the Taoist temple is rebuilt, are you interested in coming back?"

"Is that even a question? You have no idea how bored I've been these past few days. It was better before, even if... uh... I couldn't get a black belt for so long, there was still some fun in it, don't you think?"

Gu Feng nodded, and Zhuang Yu added, "Since we've run into each other, and I know you don't drink, how about we go for a cup of coffee?"

Gu Feng thought about it and realized there was nothing else to do. He asked Shi Xin for her opinion and nodded in agreement. They chatted and laughed as they walked side by side into a coffee shop across the street.

The interior was decorated in a simple and elegant style, quite charming. They chose a table by the window and sat down, and the waiter immediately came to greet them attentively.

Gu Feng has a peculiar habit: he drinks coffee without sugar. He believes that the rich aroma of coffee combined with its unique bitterness is the best way to let people taste its wonderful flavor!

"A black coffee, no sugar, please!"

Shi Xin was surprised to learn that there was such a flavor to traditional Chinese style, but Zhuang Yu was not surprised at all.

Gu Feng glanced at the coffee that was served; it was a deep brown with a hint of light red, clearly Robusta. He smelled it and was greeted by an alluring aroma with a touch of mystery, exactly his favorite variety. It seemed the barista was quite skilled. He took a sip and felt that the trip had been worthwhile.

Shi Xin looked at him strangely: "Isn't it bitter?"

Gu Feng nodded: "Bitter...very bitter..."

Shih-hsin: "Are you kidding me? You seem to be enjoying it very much?"

Gu Feng was about to continue the heated discussion on this topic when suddenly his tongue curled up, and he felt that the taste of the food in his mouth had changed slightly.

Having drunk coffee for so many years, he quickly suspected it might be a problem with the quality of the coffee beans. But then he froze, even forgetting to spit out the completely distorted taste in his mouth…

He noticed something strange: the silver spoon leaning against the white porcelain cup suddenly lost its luster and became completely dark. The coffee in the cup, which had been dark brown and seemed clear, suddenly became murky, and the rich coffee aroma was gone, replaced by a pungent, fishy smell. Gu Feng could say with certainty that this liquid was the same kind of thing he had encountered last night... putrid blood!

"Wow!"

Gu Feng finally couldn't help but vomit unconsciously, a voice screaming in his heart...

"Will this ever end? Can't you even leave me a moment's peace?"

No peace will be left!

Gu Yuehan, July 27, 22:21

()

Chapter 77 of Volume 4: Chasing After Them

Zhuang Yu stared at Gu Feng in surprise, his eyes darting back and forth between Gu Feng's face and the cup emitting a pungent stench. This sudden change was clearly hard for him to understand, and he was starting to wonder if he was sleepwalking.

Gu Feng slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "If you have the guts, come out and fight me fair and square! What kind of person are you, sneaking around like this!"

The waiter was clearly startled. The strange smell from the antique-style cup had already permeated the small coffee shop. Thinking it was some kind of mistake on his part, he hurriedly went over to apologize.

Gu Feng pushed him aside and whispered, "It's none of your business."

The waiter looked at him strangely. "Strange, if it's none of my business, whose business is it?"

With a furrowed brow, Gu Feng surveyed every corner of the coffee shop, his menacing gaze sending chills down the spines of everyone who met his eyes…

Shixin pulled him to sit down: "You scared people."

Gu Feng looked at the coffee cup emitting wisps of black steam: "If it's him who appears, it will be even more terrifying."

Zhuang Yu's voice trembled slightly: "Who...is the person you're talking about?"

Gu Feng sighed helplessly: "Zhuangzi, to be honest, I envy your leisurely life. There are some things that are better left unsaid."

Zhuang Yu: "I rarely see you so nervous. Did something happen?"

Gu Feng smiled slightly and patted him on the shoulder: "Relax, have we only known each other for two or three days? Do you dare say you don't know what your brother is capable of?"

Zhuang Yu: "I know you're strong, but you're not a superman. Tell me what's wrong, and I'll contact my fellow disciples. There's strength in numbers, and things can be resolved more easily."

Gu Feng smiled knowingly: "No need."

I already feel guilty enough about all the people I've already involved. If I really drag you all down with me, even with my thick skin, I'll feel terribly guilty.

After the false alarm, the coffee shop fell silent again. Gu Feng had lost his appetite and slumped back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling and letting out a long sigh.

Zhuang Yu asked curiously, "Why does Gu Feng suddenly start sighing so much after shaving his head?"

Shi Xin sighed: "This has nothing to do with his head."

"Ugh, even you're sighing? What's wrong and why won't you tell me?"

Shi Xin smiled mysteriously: "It's for your own good, I can't tell you!"

"…………" Zhuang Yu was speechless.

Stepping out of the coffee shop, the cold wind seemed to be getting stronger. After a brief farewell to Zhuang Yu, the two continued to wander aimlessly through the streets. However, they soon spotted a target... Zhen Ren, who looked hurried!

Since that day's encounter, although they didn't have a good impression of him, they could be fairly certain that he was very shrewd, even when facing the furious Gu Feng. Today, they saw him looking flustered as he hailed a taxi and headed towards the northern suburbs. How could Gu Feng and the other two not be suspicious?

The two exchanged a knowing glance, then jumped into a car and told the driver to chase after them.

Shih-hsin: "Guess what's in that bag he's holding?"

Gu Feng: "Who knows? This road doesn't lead back to the funeral home. What's he up to?"

The car quickly drove out of the city, and Gu Feng didn't hesitate at all: "Chase after them!"

Chase after

Gu Yuehan, July 28, 10:08

————————————————————————————

P.S.: Before I knew it, Yuehan hadn't updated for almost half a month. Instead of the breakthrough I had hoped for, I've disappointed everyone even more, haven't I?

I didn't want to explain too much about why I've been missing these past few days, but now it seems better to be upfront. On the one hand, I've recently started working, as I believe everyone already knows. On the other hand, my inspiration has been terrible. Sometimes I sit in front of the computer for half an hour and can't type a single word. I can say with certainty that forcing it will only result in garbage. I don't want my novel to be too bad (although it's already a bit bad), so I've temporarily stopped writing Ghost Talk and am focusing my attention on my new book.

Yesterday, a reader's harsh words jolted me awake (I won't reveal the specifics). It turns out that writing a book isn't just for myself; if this book isn't done well, even the most brilliant new book will inevitably face criticism. I reviewed the manuscript overnight, but inspiration still waned. However, I managed to squeeze out about a thousand words. I realized that the extra chapters at the beginning were too verbose and completely meaningless for readers starting from scratch. I've already begun revising and deleting them, and I also feel that the habit of signing and dated at the end of chapters causes some inconvenience for readers. Now, I'm starting a poll to see whether to keep or discard them, based on everyone's opinions.

()

Chapter 78 of Volume 4: Back to the Haunted House

The driver seemed quite adept at this type of business, replying with a "Okay!" and following behind without letting up on the accelerator.

As time went by and the journey continued, Gu Feng became increasingly suspicious of Zhen Ren's purpose for this long journey. When he arrived at his destination, he was surprised to find that he had been to this place before, to the haunted house where he had stayed for a night!

I remember this was the last haunted place I visited before I stopped believing in ghosts. I hadn't encountered anything strange then, but Zhao Xian had mentioned a cellar inside the house, which I hadn't yet explored. (See Chapter 2, Taekwondo)

What is Zhen Ren doing here for no reason?

Seeing him hurriedly carrying a large bag of things inside, Gu Feng quickly asked the driver for the price, paid the bill, and quietly followed behind with Shi Xin.

Because of the rumors of ghosts, several houses in the neighborhood have long been abandoned. The small community is filled with dilapidated old houses, and there is no trace of human life. After experiencing so many things, Gu Feng can hardly believe that he was foolish enough to live here!

The gate to that "haunted house" was always ajar, but when Zhen Ren entered, it was wide open.

Gu Feng glanced at him and realized he had no idea where he had gone. He crouched down and tried not to make any noise as he tiptoed in.

This is actually a rather novel little Western-style building. The two-story building has an exterior painted off-white, and there is a small swimming pool in the yard. Although the water was quite clear when Gu Feng came last time, now it's just a pool of stagnant, black, sour water. You can only pass by without covering your nose if you have a stuffy nose...

The aluminum alloy glass door of the house had been opened. Based on his previous experience, Gu Feng knew that this floor had a living room, three bedrooms, and a toilet. If he was not mistaken, the entrance to the cellar might be under the stairs. Although he had suspected there was a hidden door there last time, he had not paid much attention to it.

He first peeked out to see where Zhen Ren had gone before following behind.

Why do I feel like a thief?

But there's nothing we can do. If the person surnamed Zhen knows he's following behind, he won't be able to find out what shady things he's up to.

Peeking out, they saw a door appear below the stairwell, slightly ajar, indicating that Zhen Ren had likely already entered.

After weighing the options, the two decided it was not advisable to alert the enemy yet. True to their traditional ways and acting as hosts, they took Shixin to the second-floor bedroom where they had slept the previous time. They felt the decor and furnishings there were quite nice.

The door was closed but unlocked. The ancient-style knob was turned on, and everything was the same as before. Nothing had changed. The spacious room made Shixin's eyes light up. It seemed that, like Gu Feng, she had taken a liking to the house at first sight.

Gu Feng: "How is it? Not bad, right? I slept here for one night last time. If it weren't for that... I really would have liked to stay here."

Shixin knew what he was referring to, of course. But having come from the chilly outside into the spacious and warm room, she no longer cared so much about the origin of the house. She stretched and sat on the soft bed.

In the corner of the room was a large wardrobe with a full-length mirror on the outside. Gu Feng passed by and his brows furrowed deeply. However, after glancing at Shi Xin, who seemed to be enjoying herself, he immediately put on a cheerful expression as if nothing had happened.

Shih-hsin: "It's such a shame that no one lives in such a big house!"

Gu Feng blurted out, "Not at all a pity!"

Shi Xin: "??????"

Gu Feng realized he had misspoke and quickly said, "This place is haunted, of course no one can live here."

Shih-hsin: "But I feel this place is very clean."

Gu Feng: "That's just a feeling. Usually, the more normal something seems, the more likely it is to be problematic."

"What kind of twisted logic is this? I feel that there's no problem at home, does that mean there's a problem there?"

Gu Feng laughed awkwardly, "You can't understand it that way. How can 'home' be compared to this place?"

Shixin looked left and right, and found herself liking this place more and more: "How much do you think it would cost to buy this place?"

Gu Feng: "No way, Miss, this place is haunted!"

"I heard you say that you've stayed here for a night before without any problems. Maybe it's just a rumor."

Gu Feng knew that she might be the one in question, so he quickly changed the subject: "Look, I was so busy discussing things with you that I forgot about the important matter."

Looking at the door at the bottom of the stairs, Gu Feng inexplicably recalled the strange scene he had just witnessed, and unconsciously, his palms began to sweat slightly.

The idea that boldness stems from ignorance may actually have some truth to it.

If you ask a 3-year-old to touch a hungry tiger, someone tired of playing with a stuffed tiger will probably grab it without even wiping their nose. If you tell an ignorant idiot to hold a bare electrical wire, they'll do it without a second thought, seemingly unconcerned. But if we look at it from another angle, aren't they incredibly brave? Who would dare hug a hungry tiger? Who would dare handle a bare electrical wire? Yet they, in their ignorance, dare! What else could it be but boldness?

If Gu Feng were still alive today, not believing in or understanding the existence of ghosts and spirits, he would undoubtedly break down the door without batting an eye to see for himself. But the problem is, now that he believes and "understands," he has reservations. And it is precisely because of this that he has become wiser and more hesitant…

Gu Feng kept staring at that door, mentally rehearsing hundreds of scenarios that he might encounter...

After he was certain he was ready, he glanced at Shixin one last time, they nodded to each other, and Gu Feng fearlessly opened the door…

Ahead... there were a dozen or so steps leading down a staircase. As they descended, they could feel an extremely cold chill emanating from the cellar. They resisted the urge to shiver, because they were certain that Zhen Ren was not far ahead, where there was a yellow light. When they could see him clearly, they were all astonished and their mouths dropped open...

Gu Feng realized that the situation was even more bizarre than he had imagined…

Return to the haunted house

Gu Yuehan, July 29, 20:33