parasitisme veille

Chapitre 15

The autumn leaves quickly fell, and winter snowflakes began to drift over the city.

Chu Yan began to notice Tong Hao's change. He was no longer as obedient as before, and often disappeared all day. He was also hesitant and stammering on the phone, clearly hiding something from her. Chu Yan was an outgoing girl, and her feelings were always on her face. She and Tong Hao started arguing, and although Tong Hao remained silent each time, this silence seemed to fuel Chu Yan's anger. On New Year's Eve, she broke up with Tong Hao for the first time. Looking at the resolute girl before him, Tong Hao subconsciously felt a pang of longing. He wanted to hold her hand and pull her into his arms as he used to, but Chu Yan didn't give him the chance, turning and striding away.

In the cold winter, the square was sparsely populated. Although cars still came and went, no one seemed willing to linger outside. Tong Hao gazed up at the countless windows of the office buildings, knowing that the woman must be inside one of them. His longing turned into agonizing torment. Several times, seeing several elegant women walking gracefully towards him in the distance, Tong Hao's heart pounded, almost believing he had found her. But as they passed by him, his feverish excitement gradually cooled, and disappointment made him want to cry.

In the spring when the new buds were just turning green, Tong Hao was almost in despair. For the first time, he thought that the city was too big and that he might never find that woman in his life.

Asi Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 4, Chapter 62: Life and Death (3)

In the spring, Tong Hao became unusually silent. His heart was filled with gloom, and he lost interest in everything. He started skipping classes, going to bars off-campus to drink alone, and often returning to his dormitory drunk, waking up the next day with a splitting headache. It was at this time that Chu Yan returned to his side once again.

Chu Yan deeply loved Tong Hao. When they were together, although she was used to bossing him around and seemed domineering, it was precisely because of love that she subconsciously wanted to possess him entirely. In the months following their breakup, she hoped something else would fill the emptiness of losing Tong Hao, but she eventually realized that she truly couldn't live without him. Love is a difficult thing to understand; perhaps only through hardship can you truly understand it and realize that what's hardest to let go of is often what you unknowingly lost.

Tong Hao and Chu Yan reconciled, and life became beautiful again. After this breakup, Chu Yan's personality changed drastically; she seemed to have become much gentler overnight. On those nights spent embracing the girl, Tong Hao would occasionally think of that woman, and he realized how childish he had been. Giving up his current happiness for a complete stranger was truly a foolish thing to do.

The spring flowers were blooming more and more vibrantly. In spring, Tong Hao and Chu Yan often met up at a teahouse called "Black Flame." The "Black Flame" teahouse was located between two schools, and the two would often exchange phone calls at the school gates, agreeing not to take a car, and then run to the teahouse at the same time. At first, Tong Hao always arrived first, but later he learned his lesson and would hide at the corner of that small street, watching Chu Yan stop panting and bent over at the teahouse entrance before he would sprint over.

Chu Yan was very proud and had something to brag about, so she would mention it everywhere she went. Every time, Tong Hao would just smile and look at her without saying a word, feeling a warm sense of satisfaction and warmth in his heart.

The last time Tong Hao and Chu Yan met at "Black Flame," as usual, Tong Hao hid on a street corner, watching Chu Yan stand panting at the entrance of the tea bar, glancing at her watch as if calculating how much time she had spent. Tong Hao smiled slightly and was about to jog over when suddenly, he froze.

Time seemed to stand still, and the world suddenly became quiet. The flowing vehicles and hurried crowds moved slowly and silently, like a black and white silent film from the early 20th century. In this whole world, the only vibrant color left was a woman's rosy lips and light blonde hair.

The woman was still dressed in black. When she appeared, she immediately walked behind Tong Hao. Tong Hao stared blankly at her back as she walked into a women's clothing store called "Jinyiwei" by the roadside.

Through the large glass window of "Mianyiwei" facing the street, one could see a woman casually browsing the clothes in the store. Sometimes her face was turned towards the glass, and sometimes only her back could be seen. Regardless of her posture in Tong Hao's eyes, she had become the only one in his sight.

At that moment, Tong Hao suddenly felt an urge to cry. The woman he had searched for throughout the city had finally appeared in his life. Although it was the first time he had met her, Tong Hao felt as if he knew her entire life. She was an angel sent to him by some unseen force, and his whole life had gained meaning because of her.

Tong Hao just stared blankly, completely absorbed and focused, so much so that he didn't even notice Chu Yan standing behind him.

"I knew you always hid here. Now that I've caught you, what do you have to say?" Chu Yan casually came up and hugged his neck.

He was still staring at the woman inside the glass window, his body motionless.

"What are you looking at so lecherously?" Chu Yan's gaze also fell onto the glass window, and she quickly found the object that Tong Hao was focusing on. She frowned, muttered something in dissatisfaction, and then pulled Tong Hao's arm, trying to drag him away.

Tong Hao swung his arm forcefully, and Chu Yan screamed, stumbling and falling to the ground. The fall hurt her, and it infuriated her even more. She glared fiercely at Tong Hao, waiting for him to help her up. But Tong Hao seemed bewitched, still standing there staring blankly at the glass window, his gaze fixed on the long-haired woman in black inside.

Chu Yan was so angry she felt like her lungs were about to explode. She scrambled to her feet and called out Tong Hao's name loudly. Tong Hao turned his head indifferently, glanced at her, and quickly looked away.

"Tong Hao, you—go—to—die—!" Chu Yan shouted again, turned around and ran away, tears streaming down her face as she ran.

Apart from that woman, Tong Hao could no longer sense anyone else's presence. He stared blankly at her, watching her buy a dress, pay, and then appear on the sidewalk in front of him. She turned her head and looked around, her gaze inadvertently falling on Tong Hao before casually looking away. Tong Hao's heart raced, and he felt an urge to rush to her immediately, but his legs seemed bound by heavy objects, unable to move an inch.

As Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 4, Chapter 63: Life and Death (4)

The woman glanced at Tong Hao curiously again, then slowly began to walk towards the side of the street.

Completely beyond his conscious control, Tong Hao's legs began to move. He followed the woman, walking with her into the night.

That time, Tong Hao learned where the woman lived, which meant he could easily find her in the days that followed. However, he couldn't muster the courage to approach her. The woman was perceptive; she had noticed the young man following her like a persistent, vengeful spirit. At first, she showed some panic, but quickly got used to being followed by a boy much younger than herself. Sometimes, she would even use shop windows to observe Tong Hao behind her. His serious expression amused her.

Spring passed quickly, and the city, in the rainy season, was filled with a soft, misty atmosphere. A woman with an umbrella turned back in the rain and saw the young man who had been following her, completely soaked, but his eyes revealed a resolute and determined gaze. That moment, the woman suddenly wanted to say something to the young man, but after a brief eye contact with Tong Hao, she finally turned away and walked on with a sense of melancholy.

Over the next few days, the young man behind her disappeared, and the woman was bewildered by her sense of loss. He was just a young boy, so immature and timid that he didn't even have the courage to come up to her. Why should she care about such a person?

The rare sunshine during the rainy season illuminated the city. The woman suddenly turned around, and a familiar face appeared behind her. At that moment, she felt a joy akin to that of a long-awaited reunion. She turned to face Tong Hao, who was a few meters away, smiled slightly at him, and then softly asked, "Do you like me?"

At that moment, Tong Hao felt a thunderous roar in his heart, as if his body was so light he could float away at any moment. The smiling face that could only appear in his dreams was right in front of him, shining so brightly in the sunlight that it seemed to set him on fire.

"Do you know what I did back then?" Tong Hao grabbed Su He's hand that was on his face, his hand trembling violently with emotion.

Su He stared at him with pity; his story filled her with tenderness for the young man in front of her.

“I turned and ran away, tears streaming down my face as I ran. I wasn’t fully ready to get to her side yet, and if I didn’t run away, I was afraid this sudden joy would really burn me up.”

Seeing this, Su He saw tears gently sliding down Tong Hao's face again.

Back at the ancestral hall, Qin Ge immediately sensed the tense atmosphere. Zhang Song and the six model girls had returned, all silently staying in Huang Tao's room. Huang Tao paced anxiously back and forth, while Liu Qian, sitting alone in a corner, seemed somewhat lost. Upon seeing Qin Ge and Dong'er return, everyone's eyes immediately fell on the rolled-up newspaper in Qin Ge's hand.

"You received the newspaper too?" This time, it was Zhang Song who spoke first.

Qin Ge immediately noticed the two newspapers on the bed and understood the reason for the tense atmosphere. It seemed that he and Dong'er weren't the only ones who received the newspapers that afternoon; that meant others had also received information related to their deaths.

The newspaper that Qin Ge was holding was now in Zhang Song's hands, and Huang Tao and the other girls all crowded around to look through it. Qin Ge and Dong'er sat on the bed and picked up the two newspapers on the bed.

The news in the newspaper was about Zhang Song and the six young model girls.

News articles often follow the same format, and people are more interested in the content than the text itself.

Qin Ge first found information about the six young female models. Three days ago, a bus traveling from Shenzhen to Chengdu was involved in an accident, killing half of the more than sixty passengers on board. The names of the six young female models were among the confirmed victims.

Qin Ge looked up at the six young models huddled together and imagined that if they had really died in the car accident, they would have been mangled and bloodied, and would not have been able to maintain their current beauty.

At that moment, Dong'er, who was standing nearby, found the news of Zhang Song's death in another newspaper.

The newspaper was yellowed, clearly quite old. Qin Ge checked the date first; it was a Haicheng Evening News from six years ago.

Qin Ge, Dong'er, and Zhang Song all came from Haicheng, so they were naturally familiar with the Haicheng Evening News. In fact, Qin Ge vaguely remembered the news on the front page of the newspaper that Haicheng Liandao Resort had been rated as a national 4A scenic spot.

On the second page of the newspaper, in the social news section, there was a follow-up report. A year ago, a murder occurred in Haicheng. The murderer pushed the victim out of an eleventh-floor window, but the victim did not die instantly. Instead, the victim landed on a citizen passing by below. The victim woke up after a week in the hospital, but the unfortunate citizen who was hit by the falling object became a vegetable.

The newspaper article briefly recounted what had happened, and then announced in very objective and emotionless language the news that the citizen had died in the hospital after being in a coma for a year.

That citizen was the writer Zhang Song.

Asi Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 4, Chapter 64: Life and Death (5)

If the deaths of Qin Ge, Dong'er, and the six girls were accidents, then Zhang Song's death was somewhat dramatic. Qin Ge vaguely remembered the murder case that had occurred in Haicheng, but because the investigation went smoothly, the victim, after waking up in the hospital, not only revealed the killer's identity but also clearly told the police that the killer's appearance was very different from before; if he hadn't revealed his identity, he certainly wouldn't have recognized him. The police then launched an investigation and discovered that the killer had died in a car accident several years ago, but the victim identified a photograph provided by the deceased's wife and clearly pointed out that the deceased and the killer were not the same person at all. He had worked with the killer for many years and knew him very well. Although the person in the photograph bore some resemblance to the killer, they still had many differences. Based on the victim's description, the police created a composite sketch of the killer and soon found the murderer who had been hiding under an assumed name for ten years, all for the sake of a perfect murder. When the murderer learned that the victim had survived being pushed off the building, he was overcome with grief and anger, shouting, "Man proposes, God disposes!" The police officers who handled the case back then felt some regret for the murderer after solving it; if the victim had fallen directly to the ground, the murder would have truly been perfect.

Qin Ge did not participate in the investigation of this case back then, so he only had a vague impression of it. But after putting down the newspaper, he felt that something was wrong. He racked his brains but could not figure out the key to the problem.

Zhang Song's face was ashen. If the news in the newspaper was true, then he was actually a man who had died six years ago, and everything that had happened in the past six years was his spirit continuing to live. Such a thing was not only unbelievable, but downright horrifying.

“I didn’t die. I woke up after lying in the hospital for a year,” Zhang Song said heavily. “After I woke up, I consulted many folk records. Folk beliefs about coma are completely different from those in the medical field. They believe that a person is composed of a body and a soul, and that the soul can leave the body. There are generally two situations where the soul and body separate: one is temporary separation, in which case we will have dreams or develop illnesses; the other is that the soul never returns to the body, in which case the person will die. The former situation can also have many manifestations. If the soul is lost and does not return to the body for a long time, it is what we commonly call a vegetative state.”

Everyone stared blankly at Zhang Song, wondering what he was trying to say.

“I began to study the soul-summoning customs of ethnic minorities in remote areas of China. Two years ago, I found some information that before the liberation, the soul-summoning rituals of some ethnic minorities in remote areas of Sichuan were particularly effective. The tribal god they worshipped was once the tribe’s shaman. When a disaster struck the entire tribe, the souls of all the tribe members were taken away from their bodies by evil forces. It was that shaman who summoned the souls of the tribe members and awakened the entire tribe. So, the tribe members have revered him as a god ever since.”

Zhang Song paused for a moment, then continued, "Of course, this is just a legend. Every ethnic minority has such legends related to their tribe, but only this tribe regards the shaman who performs the soul-summoning ritual as their god. I am very interested in this tribe. The soul bottle I obtained last year has been verified to be an item from this tribe, which is why I set off to find this tribe this year."

"What do you want to say?" Qin Ge asked, frowning.

“I want to tell you that I am not dead. Now, I have a feeling that everything that is happening around us is related to that mysterious tribe. Do you know about soul summoning? Most people only know that soul summoning can bring the soul that has left the body back into the body, but they don’t know that a deeper level of soul summoning can also separate the soul from the body. Its other name is soul exorcism.”

“Separation of soul and body is death!” Zhang Song said again, heavily. “The resurrected corpse in front of that small building, the mysterious singing of the man in black robes, and the eerie drumbeats we heard several times—I suspect it’s all related to soul exorcism.” He paused, a hint of hesitation on his face. “I know it’s a bit inappropriate to tell you this now, but these are the thoughts that came to mind after seeing this news. We don’t need to waste time on whether we’re alive or dead. Whether we’re alive or dead is not important to us now. What’s important is that we must uncover the secrets here. Only in this way can we have a chance to return to the outside world.”

Qin Ge nodded in agreement, but in her heart she was still very skeptical of Zhang Song's talk of summoning the soul.

He turned his gaze to Huang Tao and Liu Qian, who had remained silent: "Didn't you two receive such a newspaper?"

Huang Tao slowly shook his head, his expression shifting between anger and despair, as if he both longed for his own copy of the newspaper and loathed it. Liu Qian, on the other side, remained staring blankly at a corner of the wall, as if her soul had been torn apart.

Just as Qin Ge was about to say something more, some faint sounds suddenly came from inside the room. Everyone in the room tensed up, and even Liu Qian perked up her ears alertly.

The sound was less heard than felt by the heart. Each beat struck the heart.

—The sound of drums. That eerie drumming echoed once more in the town of As.

The sound of the drum always brings something strange. What will it bring this time?

Asi's Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 4, Chapter 65: Love (1)

Dusk had fallen over the valley, and the lights of Asi Town were the only light in the world. A wind swirled in from afar, carrying a chilling aura. The streets of Asi Town were deserted; even those who had lingered earlier had fled into the houses when the drums sounded. Doors and windows were tightly shut; some shop owners had even turned off their neon lights and switched off their indoor lights. They sat quietly in the darkness, listening to the approaching drumbeats and the distant, desolate song that accompanied them.

The singer in black robes seemed to be riding the wind from the depths of the mountains.

The moon was full and round that night, its light spilling like water over the town of As. The pale moonlight seemed to blanket the entire town in silver, and a chilling coldness permeated every corner. Whether it was the moonlight or the sound of drums that silenced the town, the deserted streets seemed to have been abandoned for a thousand years, with only a few fallen leaves drifting in the wind, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

As the drumbeats drew closer, the singing grew clearer, and the singer in black robes stepped onto the streets of the town.

His black robes obscured his face, making it impossible to discern his features or even his figure. Yet, his confident stride exuded an indomitable aura. The song emanated from his lips, its disjointed syllables barely discernible, while the soaring notes, upon reaching the ears, seemed to carry one's heart soaring through the air, lingering there endlessly.

The drumbeats, accompanying the singing, seemed to come from all directions. The drumbeats struck the heart, shadows swept overhead, and the whole world seemed to tremble.

The man in black robes walked slowly because he was waiting for the eight stiff-moving men behind him.

The eight men walked unsteadily, as if they couldn't even maintain their basic balance, so they had to hold their hands up to keep their balance while walking. Their joints were like rusty machine parts, and you could even hear the bones grinding together as they moved. Moonlight fell on their cold, stern faces, and their eyes were empty and lifeless. Anyone who saw them would sense their abnormality and feel a chill run down their spine.

The singer in black robes led the eight people as they walked slowly down the streets of Asi Town.

Inside the courtroom, Qin Ge abruptly stood up, flung open the door, and rushed out. Huang Tao and Zhang Song followed silently, their faces cold. Dong'er, Liu Qian, and the six model girls, though fearful, had no choice but to follow the men since they had already left.

At this point, they had not yet seen the scene on the street, but the drumming and singing were familiar to them.

The main hall of the official's office had two glass doors, which were now closed by someone, and the lights in the hall were off. When everyone rushed into the hall, they saw the man in black robes leading eight stiff-moving men walking across the street outside. The scene was exactly the same as what they had seen in front of the small building in the valley the day before yesterday evening.

Qin Ge and Lei Ming were caught in the pine forest while tracking them. When they woke up, they found themselves in a place that looked like an altar. There, they saw the lights of Asi Town and then came here.

It turns out that the mysterious man in black robes really is related to the town of As. He brought those resurrected corpses into the town, which means that somewhere in As, the secret of these resurrected corpses is hidden.

Qin Ge, standing by the door, glanced at Huang Tao, who looked frightened and shrank back. Qin Ge was puzzled; judging from Huang Tao's previous behavior, he shouldn't be the type to back down in the face of trouble. Qin Ge then looked at Zhang Song, whose gaze was fixed blankly outside, his brows furrowed, as if deep in thought. Qin Ge sighed, suddenly thinking of someone. If Lei Ming were here, he would undoubtedly share the same thoughts as Qin Ge. Although Lei Ming possessed a murderous aura and acted strangely, he wasn't the cunning or scheming type; otherwise, he would have concealed his murderous intent much better.

At this point, Qin Ge knew he could no longer hesitate. He had to go out, follow the men in black robes, and find their hideout. Perhaps that way, he could uncover the secret of Asi Town. He glanced back at Dong'er, wanting to say something to her, but after thinking for a moment, he resolutely opened the glass door.

"Stop!" A loud shout rang out, and everyone froze. Qin Ge also stopped what he was doing, turned around, and saw a fat old man who had appeared behind them at some point.

The old man was none other than Dong Zhihua, the owner of the Tanguantang.

"What do you want to do?" Dong Zhihua hissed, then slammed the door shut before Qin Ge could speak. "If you want to stay in this town peacefully, you'd better go back to your rooms and sleep."

Qin Ge tried to argue, but the old man swiftly grabbed his arm. Surprisingly, despite his age, Dong Zhihua possessed an unusually strong grip; Qin Ge struggled but couldn't break free. Anger flashed across Dong Zhihua's face, and he hissed, "You may disregard your own life, but have you ever thought about your companions?"

Qin Ge turned and glanced at Dong'er, whose face was full of worry. His heart softened, and with that softening, his courage vanished. He turned back dejectedly, sighing as the old man held his arm, and he stopped struggling. Dong Zhihua waved his remaining hand at the crowd, signaling them to return to their rooms. Several young models went inside first, and everyone else followed behind.

Back in Huang Tao's largest room, everyone found a place to sit down. Dong Zhihua still held Qin Ge's hand tightly, and Qin Ge smiled wryly, "Even now, you still don't want to let go of my hand?"

The old man paused for a moment before letting go, but his expression remained stern.

Asi's Hell: 773 Horror Series 12, Part 4, Chapter 66: Love (2)

“You young people have no idea how serious this is. If I hadn’t grabbed you just now, do you know what would have happened if you had run away?” The old man addressed everyone, but his words were clearly directed at Qin Ge.

"What will be the consequences?" Dong'er spoke first, showing that she cared more about Qin Ge than herself.

Old Dong's gaze sharpened, and Dong'er immediately felt a chill. Old Dong said, "Just look at the people following the man in black, and you'll know what will happen."

The room was completely silent, except for the rapid breathing of the few girls.

Just think of those stiff, unsteady, zombie-like "people," and the thought that you might become like them—who wouldn't feel a chill run down their spine?

After a long while, Qin Ge swallowed hard before asking with difficulty, "Who are they?"

“If you ask about the people behind the man in black robes, I can tell you that they are just like you. They came to As Town after their deaths, but they couldn’t stay there. They always had other ideas in their minds, and in the end, they left As Town on their own.” He sighed. “Now that they’ve come to As Town, how can they leave so easily? Young people these days are so confident, but life is unpredictable. There are many things in this world that they don’t know and have never experienced.”

Dong Zhihua's words were clearly loaded with meaning; was he warning this group of people in front of him?