Premier tome de la série Le Magicien Oolong Qui suis-je

Chapitre 104

"What the hell?" I sighed, my body slumping back down. Judging from the way she looked just now, even Dr. Huang probably thought Su Qiao was Fang Lei! What should I do now? Is there anyone else who can help me identify her? Anyone else?

Abao is missing! Ni Ming is also gone!

Oh, right! Juanzi! But... even her father thinks Su Qiao is Fang Lei, will she accept me?

"Lin Xiao, I know you've been a bit tired lately, you should get some rest!" Li Yang sat down in front of me and patted my shoulder.

I looked up at Li Yang, and I couldn't detect a trace of deception in his eyes. He was genuinely worried about me! But if he was genuine, then who was? Fang Lei? Su Qiao? Or… myself?

I hesitated, then clenched my fists tightly, then released them, then clenched them again…

We remained silent, neither of us speaking, until Dr. Huang and Su Qiao opened the door and came in. I noticed Su Qiao's face had suddenly become very haggard, and her eyes were red. Had she been crying? Was it because of me? Her expression was so real, so worried. It really felt like she was the person I loved most. Was I wrong? Was she Fang Lei? I stared at her, mesmerized.

"Lin Xiao, shall we go back?" Li Yang said softly to me. Su Qiao just stood far away to the side, seemingly aware that I was very resistant to her.

I slowly stood up, looked at Dr. Huang, Li Yang, and Su Qiao, or perhaps Fang Lei. Then I slowly said, "I'll go back with you."

"Lin Xiao!" Su Qiao seemed very happy, clutching the medicine in her hand tightly.

Since there's no escaping it, the only option is to face it! Since everyone believes she is Fang Lei, then for now, let's assume she is Fang Lei. Don't rush. There's still Ni Ming, and Juanzi! Even that ghost Bai Ling! As long as I keep them calm for now, I'll naturally have a chance to find them again!

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 47: Night Party

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 47: Night Party

While Su Qiao was pouring me water, I quickly spat the medicine in my mouth into my palm.

"Lin Xiao, here, water!" When Su Qiao turned around, I had already thrown the medicine under the bed, and then obediently took the water and drank it.

This is my room at the guesthouse. To put Su Qiao and Li Yang at ease, I obediently followed them back to school and, as Dr. Huang instructed, "ate" the prescribed amount of sedatives and sleeping pills. Then, under Su Qiao's concerned gaze, I pretended to be sleepy, and my eyelids slowly grew heavy.

"Take a nap if you're tired!" Su Qiao reached out and gently pulled the blanket up around me. I felt her hand lightly touch my face. I forced myself to regulate my breathing, trying my best to look like I was already asleep, but my heart was pounding, afraid that Su Qiao would notice.

To my surprise, Su Qiao didn't leave. Instead, she sat quietly beside me without saying a word. Her slightly turned body let me smell a familiar fragrance—Fang Lei's usual scent. So, who exactly was she? A woman with the same scent as Fang Lei but a different face? Or perhaps, she was Fang Lei herself—at least, with my eyes closed, her scent was Fang Lei's! Damn it! I cursed myself inwardly! I couldn't even recognize a person!

Pretending to be asleep is indeed a very painful thing. I realized I was about to actually fall asleep. But just then, Su Qiao seemed to have completely relaxed. I heard her get up and the door close softly.

I opened my eyes and let out a long breath. After lying in bed for about three more minutes, and confirming that Su Qiao definitely wouldn't be coming back, I immediately jumped out of bed.

I opened the drawer, took out my phone, and carefully dialed 114.

After finding the police station's phone number, I immediately called them: "Excuse me, is Captain Ni Ming there?"

"Our captain went out to handle a case and hasn't returned yet."

"Then... when will he be back?"

"That's hard to say!"

"I see..." I hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "Could you please pass on a message for me?"

"Okay, go ahead and say it!"

"Just tell him I'm his friend's subordinate, named Lin Xiao. I have something very important to tell him, and ask him to come find me at 11:30 PM on the platform of the old teaching building at ** University!"

"The old teaching building platform?"

"Yes, yes, he knows where I'm referring to."

"Oh, okay, I'll pass it on for you."

"Thank you!"

After hanging up the phone, I checked my watch; it was only around six o'clock in the evening. To avoid Su Qiao and Li Yang, I had no choice but to choose such a late time.

Ugh! Ni Ming, can you give me the correct answer? I tossed my phone into the drawer with a bit of a headache, but accidentally knocked over a stack of envelopes that were originally next to it.

Shasha~~

A strange sound came from the envelope, which should have contained a stack of photos I'd brought back from Yu Bo's house. Photos? Yu Bo? I suddenly remembered when I first met Yu Bo; he'd shown me photos with ghostly hands and feet, and Fang Lei had said that these photos might have been affected by evil spirits because they'd been placed in an extremely yin place. So, what about these photos?

I took the envelope out of the drawer. The photos were black and white from that era, but Yu Jian's technique seemed quite excellent; the framing and lighting in his photos were very natural, and both landscapes and people were captured clearly. However, four of them were particularly strange. Of the people in the photos, only one man's face was completely blurry. Judging from his clothes and build, the man with the blurred face in all four photos should be the same person! Who was it? I examined the photo closely, adjusting the angle many times, but I still couldn't make it clear. It seemed someone had deliberately blurred the man's face during exposure. Against the backdrop of the smiling faces of the people around him, the man's face had an eerie quality, like a smiling skull!

Skulls? I blinked. In school and in my work over the years, I've seen many maliciously altered photos, but none exuded the same deathly aura as these four. This wasn't something that could be modified with ordinary computer skills, especially since computers didn't even exist back then!

I touched the paper more carefully and noticed that these four photos felt different from the others—thin, damp, and slightly so, like paper dampened during the rainy season. Suddenly, because it was past six and the room was dark, I saw a flash of red light on the black jade ring on my hand, and the petal even flickered. Was there something in the photos? I thought for a moment, then closed my eyes and slowly tried to sense the fluctuations around me, any fluctuations of the soul.

Gradually, I felt the photograph moving on its own without any wind. At first, it trembled slightly, then it jerked violently, as if something was blowing on it. Opening my eyes, I discovered that behind the man whose face was indistinct, a small, red figure was slowly emerging, standing out so starkly against the black and white background!

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed the little girl, the little girl with a face full of hesitation and sadness! But strangely, the little girl in red only appeared behind the man and didn't reappear in the photo. Was that all? Just a silhouette? A little unwillingly, I spread the four photos on the bed and examined them very carefully. It seemed only the mouths were slightly different! More precisely, the lip shapes were different. Was she speaking? I tried hard to pronounce the sounds according to the lip shapes, but it seemed futile. Not only did I not know which lip shape came first, but the sounds produced by those four lip shapes themselves seemed completely incoherent, almost like a mute person babbling incoherently.

But…! I suddenly remembered someone—my former Chinese teacher, the old man surnamed Wen, who once boasted to us that he could read lips! Damn it, if I had known this would happen, I would have definitely asked him for help back then. But, that old man Wen probably hasn't retired yet! Maybe I can find him in the teachers' dormitory! Go find him! Unfortunately, my excitement was immediately extinguished. How could I go out to find him now? Su Qiao and Li Yang would definitely see me! It seems I can only sneak out early tonight and see if I can find this old man Wen before going to find Ni Ming! Thinking of this, I immediately put the four photos into my pocket and put the rest of the photos back in the drawer untouched.

I finally made it to 10 p.m., during which time Li Yang and Su Qiao both came in to check on me, but luckily my ability to pretend to be asleep is getting better and better. Besides, they both assumed I had taken the medication and wouldn't wake up.

I glanced at my watch; it was 10:05. I got out of bed, dressed, and tiptoed to open the door. The campus was surprisingly cold at night. I felt the wind gently brush against my skin, as softly as if cutting through it. Closing the door, I saw that the door opposite mine was still closed. It seemed Su Qiao and Li Yang were already asleep.

I tiptoed downstairs as well and rushed out of the guesthouse as fast as I could. The campus was quiet at night, like a shy virgin sleeping peacefully in the darkness. There wasn't a single star in the sky, only a few faint streetlights casting their light. It was quite late, but there were still a few figures scattered around the campus, probably students on dates. In the darkness, it certainly created a romantic atmosphere. Smiling, I walked along the campus paths. Old Wen lived in a faculty apartment that was a bit better than the average teacher's dormitory, since he was a professor, after all. I wondered if he had moved to another room or gone home.

Reaching the teachers' apartment building, I looked up and noticed that a few lights were still on. I went up to room 306 on the third floor and gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" An old voice came from inside the room. I was overjoyed. It was Old Man Wen's voice! He still lived in this room!

The door opened, and Old Man Wen's distinctive head of silver hair was the first thing that caught my eye, followed by a pair of sleepy eyes. Old Man Wen rubbed his eyes and said, "Who are you looking for? Don't you know it's very late?"

"Professor Wen!" I greeted her warmly, "I'm Lin Xiao, a graduate of the Forensic Medicine Department. I took your literature elective course before!"

"Oh, really?" Old Man Wen's tone became more polite when he heard that I had taken his classes.

"Teacher Wen, didn't you say before that you could read lips?" I asked.

"Yes, what's wrong?" Old Man Wen asked.

"Could you do me a favor and help me read these four lip movements?" As I spoke, I immediately pulled out the four photos from my pocket. Fortunately, the figure of the little girl in red was still there.

"What is this?" Old Man Wen took the photos, turned on a lamp next to the door, and then practically pressed his face against them, looking at the four photos over and over again more than ten times. Only then did he slowly ask, "Where did you get these photos?"

"Oh, my friend was bored and uploaded this on his computer. He just wanted me to guess what the little girl was saying," I lied.

"So your friend can read lips too?" Old Man Wen handed the photo back to me with interest, saying, "Your friend is really capable; he can even use a computer to edit old photos. Back in the day..."

Good heavens! Is he going to start reminiscing about the past again? The thought immediately reminded me of how Old Man Wen loved to steer the conversation back to his old days, and he could go on for over an hour! With that in mind, I forced a smile, interrupted Old Man Wen, and asked, "Teacher Wen, what...what exactly does this photo say?"

"Why are you young people so impatient?" Old Man Wen glared at me, then said, "Just four words: sinners!"

Huh? After all that, all I got were these four nonsensical words? Could it be that Professor Wen is lying to me? Probably not, he's a professor after all!

"Oh, really? Hehe, thank you... thank you!" I carefully put the four photos away again, then said goodbye and ran downstairs as fast as I could. Staying any longer to listen to him talk about the glorious history of the revolution was not a wise choice.

After going downstairs, I glanced at my watch—it was already 10:45! No, I had to hurry to the agreed-upon place. I walked briskly towards the old teaching building, but my mind kept replaying those four words Old Man Wen had said: 'a sinner'! Who? Who is the sinner? Me? Or is it the person Bai Ling mentioned, hiding in the campus?

I don't want to think about it anymore! The most important thing now is to wait for Ni Ming! Thinking this, I arrived at the old teaching building. The place was so dark it was a little unsettling; the stairwell was pitch black. I started to regret not choosing a brighter spot! Nothing happened as I walked up to the platform, but because of the darkness, I almost fell down the stairs several times.

The night breeze on the rooftop was chilly, sending shivers down my spine. I rubbed my cold hands. With more than half an hour until our appointment, I took out a cigarette to kill some time. The red smoke and white flames calmed me slightly, but I was still cold, so I kept stamping my feet. I didn't dare look down at the campus, afraid of seeing that little girl in red again. I could only try to look upwards, or simply stare intently at the water tank. In the darkness, it looked more like a coffin, rectangular in shape. Looking away, I tried to focus on my feet.

As soon as I looked down, I immediately sensed something moving at the edge of the platform, like something was climbing up! No way, there's nothing outside the platform, what could possibly climb up to this not-so-high but definitely not-so-low rooftop by clinging to the wall?

I slowly moved my body, wanting to see what was outside the platform. What I saw was a face covered in red blood and yellow brain matter!

Yu Bo!? I almost screamed! I immediately took a step back! What... what did I just see? It was Yu Bo, his fingernails looked like they were worn raw and bloody from climbing! It was Yu Bo!

I took another step forward! No...nothing! There was no Yu Bo at all! I was just being paranoid! I took a deep breath, inhaled heavily, and tried to calm myself down.

I finished my cigarette and tossed the butt on the ground. But then I thought it wasn't a good idea. A sixth sense told me the police would definitely search the area again, and to avoid leaving my things at the crime scene, I decided to pick it up.

As I bent down, my eyes suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure behind me! Yu Bo! His sallow face was displaying a strange smile, and his teeth were black!

"Who?" I turned around abruptly, and Yu Bo's figure turned and rushed downstairs.

Yu Bo? I chased after him, no longer caring about waiting for Ni Ming. I rushed down after Yu Bo. Yu Bo seemed to be running incredibly fast; I only saw his body blur before he was already quite a distance away. In my haste to catch up with Yu Bo, I didn't notice that behind me, Ni Ming was running from another direction and then silently following me…

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 48: Murder

Volume 3: Delicacies of Hell, Chapter 48: Murder

"Senior, where are you headed?" I followed closely behind Yu Bo, the night wind whistling past my ears making me shiver, yet my skin felt terribly hot. I looked down at my hands; the red stripes that had previously faded were now clearly visible, growing increasingly bright and vivid. I realized that the closer I got to Yu Bo, the hotter the red patterns on my skin became.

Where did he go? I stopped in my tracks. Yu Bo disappeared into the building, the laboratory building used by the forensic medicine department, which also served as a specimen storage building. I looked inside; the two-story building was practically hidden beneath the tall trees. It was a place I had never liked, simply because it was a former warehouse building, very low-ceilinged. Entering it gave me a feeling of oppression.

After thinking for a while, I finally followed him inside. Yu Bo was already gone; all I could smell was the distinctive odor of formaldehyde in the air. I frowned in disgust. Even after being a forensic pathologist for several years, I still hated this smell. It was something that should have rotted away and disappeared, artificially, deliberately, and unnaturally left behind. Although I knew that without this substance, many researches and experiments would be impossible, deep down, I still loathed this smell.

Because the laboratory building is not a place for students to study on their own, very few people come in, making the place pitifully deserted and gloomy.

"Senior, are you there?" I called out to myself in the darkness, listening to my own echo reverberate in the empty surroundings, followed almost by the sound of the wind swirling around my body. I touched the red patterns on my body, feeling them grow hotter the further I went. Could he be there? I slowly walked forward, pushed open the door, and found myself in a display room. Inside, floating in glass jars, were human organs, appearing exceptionally pale under the moonlight.

It's so hot! I touched the red patterns on my hands. Yu Bo should be in this exhibition room, but where is he? Where did he go? I looked around, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

Gently...

Strange noise...

What was that sound? I kept turning my head to look around, but there was nothing there.

What is this?

A faint, wriggling sound?

It's moving...it's moving...what's moving...?

I looked down at the jars… Were the organs inside moving? No… impossible! I looked more closely, and yes! They were moving! I was horrified. Weren't they all dead? How could they move? Floating beneath the pale organs were blackened veins, which were wriggling slightly, producing a strange sound.

A piercing, mournful cry of a newborn baby came from behind me. I turned around and saw a specimen baby in a jar. It was a baby specimen with its head hit, its mouth split open, crying out in sorrow. Was it crying for its fate? Killed at birth? I saw Yu Bo behind it. He was standing behind the baby specimen, silently watching me. His face was bluish-black, and his lips were dark red. His already thin body looked even more emaciated. But his facial expression was strange, as if he wanted to say something to me, but held back.

At this moment, instead of running away, I quietly looked at him and then asked, "Yu Bo, senior?"

"Leave." Yu Bo uttered two words.

"Who killed you? Why did you commit suicide?" I took a step forward, but Yu Bo took a step back. I felt the red marks on my body reach an extremely high temperature, burning me painfully.

"Leave." Yu Bo's expression was sad, which I could see clearly, but his body suddenly lunged forward, his outstretched hands and fingers like ten sharp black knives stabbing at me.

"Bang!"

Gunshots...?

I watched helplessly as Yu Bo's head was blown open in front of me, a thick, dark red liquid splattering everywhere. Turning my head, I saw Ni Ming standing there, his face filled with terror, clutching a gun tightly in his hand, which was still smoking.

"Captain Ni?" I rushed over and grabbed his hand, which was about to fire.

"What are you doing?" Ni Ming glared at me angrily.