Conserves fantômes

Chapitre 16

Now that things have come to this, Lin Qiu has no choice but to accept his fate. He stayed in that small room in fear and trembling, waiting for death to come.

Chen Feng personally directed the defense tonight. He brought in the most capable officers from the police station. Lin Qiu's small room was already surrounded by heavily armed and watchful police. The concentration of police force and the tightness of the deployment were so great that not even a fly could get in.

In the room, Lin Qiu sat blankly on the bed, wide awake. He had a vague premonition that the murderer was already lurking in this room, though he couldn't pinpoint where. However, this small room, barely a dozen square meters, couldn't even hold a mouse, let alone a person, especially since the police had already searched it countless times, practically turning the floor upside down. Even so, Lin Qiu felt a persistent unease.

Time passed second by second. Although the night air was very cold and a continuous drizzle was falling from the sky, none of the police officers participating in the defense dared to be careless in the slightest. Everyone concentrated their attention and paid close attention to the slightest movement around them.

As dawn broke, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, having witnessed nothing unusual throughout the night. Chen Feng ordered the team to retreat. Yang Jian gently opened the door and found Lin Qiu fast asleep, lying motionless on the bed. He glanced around the room and then walked towards Lin Qiu's bedside.

Suddenly, Yang Jian cried out in surprise, startling Chen Feng and the others standing at the door! They all rushed into the room and came to Lin Qiu's bedside. At that moment, a sinister blue skull on Lin Qiu's forehead came into view! Everyone gasped, secretly shocked.

Just then, Lin Qiu slowly woke up. Suddenly, he noticed that Chen Feng and the others' expressions were a bit off, and he panicked.

"Officer Chen, what's wrong with you guys? What happened?"

Chen Feng remained silent. He had someone bring a mirror and then held it up to Lin Qiu's eyes. Lin Qiu trembled violently, his face turning deathly pale. In the mirror, he saw the hideous and terrifying blue skull on his forehead.

"That murderer is unbelievable! We had such tight security last night, how did he get in and how did he get out? It's terrifying!"

After a long silence, one of the police officers spoke with lingering fear.

“It seems we underestimated the killer.” Yang Jian crouched down, glanced under the bed, and said with a puzzled look, “But there’s one thing that’s hard to understand: since the killer is already in here, why didn’t he target Lin Qiu?”

Chen Feng remained silent. He went to the small window, opened it, looked out through the wire mesh for a while, and then slowly asked:

"Lin Qiu, can you recall what happened last night?"

Lin Qiu nodded, his expression one of great pain, his voice hoarse:

“Last night, I had a premonition that the murderer was already lurking in this room. At first, I was too scared to sleep, but then, I don’t know when, I fell asleep without realizing it. Strangely, I slept very soundly last night and didn’t wake up until dawn. I have no idea what happened during that time.”

The killer is so mysterious that even the police station is no longer safe.

After a day of deliberation, Chen Feng decided to take Lin Qiu to a secluded place to hide for the time being. Perhaps only by leaving the city could Lin Qiu's personal safety be guaranteed.

The next morning, Chen Feng set off with Lin Qiu. Lin Qiu didn't know where Chen Feng was taking him. At this point, he had entrusted his life and safety to the police and would follow their instructions.

As evening fell, the car finally stopped by the side of a mountain road. After getting out of the car, Lin Qiu discovered that he was in a deep mountain forest.

"Lin Qiu, you should go live on the mountain for a while. No one will be able to find this place."

As Chen Feng spoke, he led Lin Qiu deeper into the mountains and forests.

After walking for about half an hour, a house appeared ahead. The house was entirely built of black stones and looked very old. The house was surrounded by a fence to form a courtyard, which was filled with various vegetables and fruits.

"Officer Chen, whose house is this?"

Lin Qiu looked at the black house and asked in confusion.

"Oh, these are an elderly couple who protect the mountain. They are distant relatives of mine. They will take care of you."

At this moment, an elderly woman, about sixty years old, came out to greet him. Chen Feng greeted her warmly and explained his purpose. The elderly woman smiled and nodded repeatedly.

She led Lin Qiu to a room, which was fully furnished with a bed, blankets, and other necessities.

"Lin Qiu, you can stay in this room for now. If you need anything, just ask the old lady. Try not to go down the mountain. I will come to see you and pick you up after the case is solved."

"Yes, thank you, Officer Chen, and thank you, ma'am."

Lin Qiu nodded gratefully.

After settling Lin Qiu in, Chen Feng went down the mountain and returned home.

The second section features the return of Blue Skull.

It was completely dark when the old woman brought Lin Qiu his dinner. She urged him to eat and lit the candles in his room before returning to her own.

After dinner, Lin Qiu wanted to chat with the two elderly people, but found that they had already turned off the lights and gone to sleep. Helpless, he went back to his room, took out a book he had brought with him, and idly passed the time.

After reading for a while, Lin Qiu felt sleepy, so he lay down on the table and dozed off.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Qiu was suddenly awakened by a chill. He discovered that the candle had been blown out by the wind. He found a lighter and relit the half-burnt candle. The window of the room was half-open, and the wind was blowing in from outside, making the candle flame flicker and sway.

Lin Qiu got up and walked to the window, intending to close it. Just then, a figure flashed past the window, a figure that looked very familiar. Lin Qiu was startled! Although the light was dim, he could still vaguely make out that the person seemed to be wearing a blue dress. Could it be that mysterious woman in blue?!

A moment later, Lin Qiu finally came to his senses from his shock. He opened the door and went out. At this moment, a hazy moon appeared in the sky, and he could vaguely see the surrounding scenery. The night was vast and desolate, with distant mountains rising one after another, the mountain wind howling, and the sounds of beasts roaring. There was no human figure to be seen.

Lin Qiu went around to the back of the house, but still couldn't find the figure. He glanced at the wall unintentionally, and what he saw sent a chill down his spine, almost making him faint. There, on the black wall, stood a sinister blue skull. In the dim moonlight, the blue skull emitted an eerie blue light, looking exceptionally ferocious and terrifying.

Lin Qiu's face was deathly pale, and his legs were trembling slightly. He stumbled and ran to the old lady and her husband's room, waking the two elderly people up.

"What happened so late?"

The old woman looked at Lin Qiu with a flustered expression and asked in confusion.

"Grandma, grandpa, there's a blue skull on the wall behind the house."

"Blue Skull?"

The two elderly people were startled upon hearing this and quickly followed Lin Qiu around to the back of the house. However, the blue skull on the wall had vanished without a trace.

"There's no skeleton here. You must be seeing things. Go back to your room and get some sleep."

The old lady gave Lin Qiu a reproachful look, then continued to grumble as she helped the old man back to his room.

He clearly saw a blue skull on the wall, but how did it disappear in the blink of an eye? And who was that figure just now? Could it be that he was seeing things? Lin Qiu returned to his room, pondering in confusion. He was still shaken and a vague sense of foreboding was rising in his heart.

By this time, the candle had almost burned out. Lin Qiu lay on the bed fully clothed, listening to the howling of the mountain wind outside. Before long, she drifted off to sleep.

Section 3: Ghostly Appearance

The sky was a hazy gray, barely bright. Lin Qiu woke up, his head heavy. He tried his best to recall what had happened last night, but only the blue skull and the blue figure kept appearing in his mind.

A soft knock reached Lin Qiu's ears. "Who is it?" Lin Qiu was now quite alert. "It's me, Xiao Lin." The elderly voice belonged to the old woman. "I brought you some food." Lin Qiu went to open the door and saw the old woman standing outside with two eggs and a white cake in her hand. The old woman went into the room, gently placed the things on the table, and then turned to leave. As she reached the door, she glanced back at Lin Qiu. In that instant, Lin Qiu seemed to see something in her eyes—a look so familiar, so mysterious and distant.

"Grandma, I'd like to talk to you," Lin Qiu called out to the old woman. The old woman stopped and stared intently at Lin Qiu. "Is there something you need?"

"Grandma, do you believe in ghosts?" Lin Qiu asked.

Suddenly, the old woman's facial muscles twitched a few times, as if a sharp thorn had pierced her heart. After a long while, she sighed, "If you have a guilty conscience, then it exists. If you have no guilty conscience, then it doesn't exist."

"Then why did those people die in such strange ways, and why did each of them seem to have experienced something extremely terrifying before they died? These things don't seem to be something that could be done by humans." Lin Qiu asked again. "The bloody handprints on the blanket have no palm prints, so it can be assumed that the murderer made them while wearing gloves. Then why did a blue skull appear above the heads of each of the dead people? If this is an illusion, then there were many other people nearby who saw it at the same time."

Just then, Lin Qiu was stunned. He saw a person standing behind the old woman—a woman in a long blue dress. Even more terrifying was her pale face, but she only had a pair of eyes that gleamed with an eerie light; she had no nose or mouth. A voice, seemingly coming from nowhere, said, "You're next. You're next." The voice pierced Lin Qiu's very bones, penetrating his very being. Lin Qiu screamed, his voice filled with extreme terror, like the desperate howl of a trapped wild beast.

"What's wrong?" The old woman was startled by Lin Qiu's shout. Lin Qiu stared intently behind the old woman. She turned around and saw only the bamboo grove outside the door swaying in the wind. Turning back, she saw Lin Qiu's face was ashen, and he slumped dejectedly onto the bed. The old woman shook her head and sighed softly, "He reaps what he sows." She closed the door, leaving Lin Qiu alone on the bed.

After taking a few steps, he saw his wife standing by the bamboo grove, looking nervous. She pointed to another room and said, "Chen Feng is here. He came to see Lin Qiu. It seems something has happened again."

The fourth section reveals the initial signs

As soon as she entered the house, she saw Chen Feng with his head down and his brows furrowed in worry. "What's wrong? Feng, why are you here so early?" the old lady asked.

"How is Lin Qiu? Is she alright?" Chen Feng looked up at the old woman.

“Sigh,” the old woman sighed and shook her head, “He said last night that he saw the Blue Skull again, but when my husband and I went to check, there was nothing there. Just now he was asking me if I believed in ghosts, and it seems he saw something extremely terrifying again. He was really frightened, poor child.”

“Auntie, this case is getting increasingly bizarre and alarming. The municipal government is paying more and more attention to it, and so many people have already died. The victims' families are all asking when this will end. The bureau has given me an ultimatum: I must solve the case within a week, or I will have to resign. Auntie, I've solved so many cases before, but I've never encountered one as mysterious and difficult as this. The perpetrators keep leading us astray, making everyone think it's a ghost story. I'm pretty sure it's all human doing, but I still can't determine the methods they used. Auntie, you used to be a forensic expert, could you help me unravel the mystery?” Chen Feng looked at the old woman with hope.

"Is it that blue skull, Ah Feng?" the old woman asked.

Chen Feng nodded. The old woman sat down on the chair by the door, lost in thought. Outside, a light drizzle had begun again, shrouding the mountains in a thin mist, making them appear even more mysterious and desolate. If autumn rain was like her tightly furrowed brow, then winter rain was like the tear tracks down her cold face. Whose tear tracks? Lin Qiu didn't know, Chen Feng didn't know, perhaps only her deceased elders truly understood the deepest pain in her heart.

After a long while, the old woman's expression gradually brightened, and a glint seemed to flash in her eyes. Chen Feng couldn't help but shiver. "Auntie, have you found anything?"

The old woman gently brushed a few stray strands of gray hair from her forehead and touched the wrinkles at her temples. "Sigh, I'm getting old. I can't remember many things anymore, but thankfully, not all of them are gone, otherwise I really wouldn't be able to help you. Do you know about the Dream Grass?"

"Dreamweed?" Chen Feng repeated the unfamiliar term, shook his head blankly, and looked at the old woman with a deep sense of respect.

“This herb grows in the damp jungles of Yunnan’s border region, and it’s very difficult to find because its habitat is always surrounded by miasma. Legend has it that only local shamans can find it. If you apply the juice of this herb to an object, it won’t leave any trace at the time, but after a while, a blue mark will appear. In other words, whatever you draw on the object with this juice will later appear in blue.” The old woman’s tone was somewhat excited. “I’ve suspected it for a long time,” the old man interjected, “but I’ve never been sure.”

Chen Feng suddenly smacked his forehead. "No wonder it's so realistic and terrifying, so lifelike. But why are doctors and forensic experts completely unaware of this?"

The old woman and the old man's expressions changed drastically. A flicker of fear flashed in the old man's eyes, which Chen Feng inadvertently noticed. "Grandpa, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"

The old man shook his head. "Impossible. It was burned down back then. Could it be..." The old man looked at the old woman, his voice trembling slightly. The old woman's cheerful expression had been replaced by fear, and her eyes revealed disgust.

"What are you talking about? What was burned?" Chen Feng felt a sudden tension, and an ominous premonition surged into his heart again. At the same time, he felt that the real answer was waiting for him not far away, and he was certain that it would be even more thrilling.

Section Four: Terrifying Gaze

"Ring, ring." Chen Feng's phone suddenly rang. "Hello, it's me, Captain." Yang Jian's voice came from the phone. "What's up?" Chen Feng asked. "We've found that horror website; there are six people involved. I'm currently interrogating a guy with the online name 'pluto.' He's pretty stubborn; we'll wait for you to come back and interrogate him!"

Chen Feng hurriedly said goodbye to the old lady and started the jeep.

On a quiet early winter night, maple leaves fluttered down the path, soon covering the ground with a layer of white frost. The path stretched into the distance, disappearing at the edge of the woods. Gradually, the white frost slowly dissipated, creating a hazy, misty atmosphere. This beautiful night was like a well-read scholar unable to realize his ambitions, lonely, desolate, and helpless.

The car sped along the narrow road, shrouded in darkness except for the area illuminated by the headlights. Suddenly, his heart pounded, for he spotted a figure standing at the end of the path, like a ghost. Who was standing in this desolate place so late at night? Chen Feng instinctively reached for the gun holstered at his waist. He slammed on the brakes, and the car moved forward slowly, but the figure remained motionless. Gradually, the distance closed, and then, as if possessed, the jeep's headlights went out abruptly, plunging the car into complete darkness. The silence was eerie, broken only by Chen Feng's own rapid breathing. Chen Feng slammed on the brakes, drew his gun, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He pushed open the car door, jumped out, and shouted, "Who's there?" In the darkness, no one answered; only his own voice echoed through the woods. "Stop playing tricks, I don't believe in that stuff," Chen Feng shouted again, but his hand gripping the gun trembled uncontrollably. Although he was a man who had weathered many storms, this was the first time he had truly felt fear. He sensed that he was facing a long-planned conspiracy. Moreover, the mastermind behind this conspiracy might not be human.

In the darkness, no one answered him. He pulled out a lighter from his pocket, and in the dim light, he found nothing around him. The person seemed to have evaporated into thin air, vanishing without a trace. After searching for a while, Chen Feng found nothing and muttered to himself as he returned to his car, "Was I seeing things?" Just as he was about to start the car, a sudden, inexplicable chill seeped into his spine. Chen Feng turned around abruptly and saw him. His breath caught in his throat. A pair of cat-like eyes gleamed with an eerie and terrifying light in the darkness, with gray hair and a worn-out gray Zhongshan suit.

Time never stops its relentless march, and before you know it, it's Friday again. In the fleeting moment between day and night, dusk is as brief as a vow, and darkness quietly descends. For most people, this would be just another ordinary weekend, but for Bai Yue, it would be a agonizing night. Knowing of Bai Yue's illness, her relatives had left early, leaving her alone in the large house. Outside was a large courtyard, surrounded by rows of cockscomb flowers. The relentless wind and rain had ravaged them. In the center of the courtyard stood an old locust tree, its bare branches swaying in the wind like a demon baring its fangs. At this moment, Bai Yue was painfully missing Lin Qiu. She hadn't seen him for days and wondered how he was doing; she couldn't reach him by phone. "May God protect Lin Qiu," she murmured. Bai Yue's nerves were as fragile as a taut string, ready to snap at the slightest touch. "Beep beep beep, beep beep beep." The phone rang; it was an unfamiliar number. "Hello," Bai Yue pressed the answer button, "Help me, help me." A groan-like cry for help came from the other end of the line, mixed with a woman's sobs, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes high, sometimes low, terrifying enough to send chills down one's spine. "Lin Qiu!" Bai Yue was both surprised and relieved. Relieved that Lin Qiu at least seemed to be alive, but shocked that Lin Qiu was asking for help, his voice so weak and helpless, and the sobs beside him so terrifying. "Hello, hello, Lin Qiu, is that you? Where are you?" Before she could finish speaking, the call was disconnected. Bai Yue hurriedly dialed the number again, but the caller replied, "The number you dialed is not in service. Please check and dial again. Thank you." Bai Yue stared blankly at her phone, as if seeing a monster from prehistoric times. Like a hot potato, she threw the phone away and collapsed to the ground. A taut string had snapped under an invisible force. Bai Yue was as pale as a sheet of paper, her mind blank. She slowly and weakly stood up, walked to the bedside, and sat down. Outside, a light rain began to fall, as if weeping for the departed, a heart-wrenching sound. The clock on the wall struck eleven without warning. A strong wave of sleepiness washed over her, as if someone were manipulating it. Bai Yue turned off the light, lay down, and closed her eyes slightly. Suddenly, she opened her eyes again. The gentle, sorrowful look in her eyes was gone, replaced by a strange, cold, and somewhat cruel gaze. In the darkness, it seemed as if someone was calling her. She walked straight to the old locust tree, and there were two people standing under the tree. A woman in a blue dress was holding a little boy's hand. The little boy pointed behind Bai Yue. Bai Yue subconsciously turned around to look, only to find that she was still lying in bed.

Chapter 5 Possession

The sky finally showed a glimmer of light, and soft sunlight pierced through the piled-up clouds, falling on Yang Jian and instantly making him feel somewhat refreshed, like someone bringing him a hot water bottle while he was lying in a cold bed. But just as this feeling was about to rise, a large brown cloud blocked out the sunlight, and the sky darkened. Yang Jian sighed and shook his head helplessly.

Although it was only noon, the shops on both sides of Jiefang Road were already lit up. A biting cold wind whistled through the air, making Yang Jian's trousers feel like inflated balloons. Yang Jian walked out of the police station and strolled towards a noodle shop at the intersection of Jiefang Road and Renmin Road. As soon as he pulled back the cotton curtain, a strong smell of freshly applied varnish mixed with the aroma of stir-fried dishes and cigarettes hit him—a smell that could practically knock him over. The noodle shop was quite lively; several servers were carrying bowls and moving back and forth among the customers. Yang Jian recognized the young female server with a black mole on her chin. He nodded to her and said, "The usual, Kung Pao Chicken Noodles," before finding an empty seat in the corner. "Beep beep, beep beep." Before he could even settle into his seat, the pager went off, displaying two lines on the LCD screen: "Team Leader Chen has arrived at the station. Please return immediately." Yang Jian quickly stood up and headed for the door. "Hey, Officer Yang, your noodles will be ready soon." Yang Jian turned back, smiled apologetically at the girl, "It's too late. We'll settle it next time." With that, he lifted the curtain and left, his javelin-like figure warming the girl's heart.

As soon as Yang Jian stepped outside, he felt a cool sensation on his nose. Something had fallen there. Looking up, he saw snowflakes beginning to fall, beautiful and poignant, so beautiful that one wanted to cup them in their hands, yet so poignant that it left him feeling somewhat dazed. Yang Jian straightened his collar and walked towards the police station without looking back.

The snow was falling heavier and heavier. By the time he reached the police station entrance, his head and clothes were covered in snowflakes. He shook the snow off and muttered to himself, "What heavy snow." Suddenly, his eyes fixed on the other side of the road. Under the lonely eaves, a person was walking blankly into the snowstorm. Yang Jian felt the figure was somewhat familiar, and suddenly his hair stood on end, because he remembered someone. "Xiao Yang, Captain Chen is waiting for you in the interrogation room," a police officer pulled Yang Jian back to reality. "Okay, I'm coming right away." Yang Jian strode towards the interrogation room.

The interrogation room was the last room on the third floor of the police station's west building. It had only a small iron window with thick black curtains drawn over it. A lamp without a lampshade hung in the center of the room, emitting a yellowish glow that made the room feel eerily cold. Chen Feng and an officer sat at a long table, opposite a handcuffed man. "Captain Chen," Yang Jian called out. Chen Feng looked at him, nodded, and pointed to an empty chair beside him, gesturing for him to sit down. "You're Pluto?" Chen Feng asked the man. The man nodded weakly; clearly, the two days and two nights without sleep had had some effect. Frankly, very few people could withstand this kind of torture, which wasn't considered actual torture. The feeling of being deprived of sleep was unbearable. "Who told you to do this?" Chen Feng asked. Pluto shook his head slightly, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth, "I don't know." "This guy is like a rock in a ditch, both stubborn and stinking," Yang Jian said bitterly. Chen Feng waved his hand, signaling Yang Jian to be quiet. He leisurely lit a cigarette, slowly walked to Pluto's side, exhaled smoke into his ear, and then whispered something. Pluto's face changed instantly; his right cheek twitched a few times, and fear filled his eyes. All of this made his face appear even more distorted in the dim light. He stammered, "I'll talk, I'll talk, I'll tell you everything. Captain, can I have a cigarette?" Chen Feng handed him one, and he took two deep drags before his trembling hands calmed down slightly.

“I specialize in making websites for others and also design some small programs. I have a small reputation in the industry, and many people ask me for help. That night, I was helping a friend with something when someone knocked on the door. When I opened it, I saw a middle-aged man wearing glasses. He looked quite handsome. He claimed to be a doctor and asked me to make a horror website and then hack into an IP address he gave me. I never do such things and refused him outright. But he kept pestering me and even gave me a stack of red 100-yuan bills, saying he would do me a favor no matter what. I said that doing so would ruin my reputation and I refused him again.” Pluto swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as the fear in his eyes intensified. "Just then, the lights went out. In the darkness, I saw a face—a ghostly face, glowing with an eerie green light. The left side was a skull, while the right side was still that middle-aged man with glasses. I immediately fainted. But in my consciousness, I vaguely heard a sentence: 'If you don't want to become like me, do as I say. Hahaha…' That chilling laughter kept echoing in my ears. I swear that kind of laughter only exists in hell. When I woke up, it was already the early hours of the next day. I initially thought it was just a dream, but then I found myself holding a stack of money—a stack of red ghost money. I had no choice but to do as he instructed and send a program to that IP address. Because I didn't want to die." Pluto managed to utter the last few words, covering his face with his hands. Suddenly, his hands gripped his throat tightly, his face turning ashen, and his eyes rolled back. Chen Feng and Yang Jian jumped up and grabbed Pluto's hand, trying to pry it open. They didn't expect Pluto to be so strong, and it took a lot of effort to finally pull it apart. Chen Feng and Yang Jian couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, glanced at each other, and then looked at Pluto, who was ashen-faced and panting heavily.