Série Histoires de Fantômes 10

Chapitre 12

Lu Fang wasn't paying attention to what I was saying at all. When he saw me turn around, he hurriedly grabbed my hand. Just then, the big, oily-faced guy with the horse-like face was next to Lu Fang, which made me feel nauseous. I was about to shake him off when he spoke.

"Shall we go take a look?"

Although Lü Fang's tone was still fearful and uncertain, I could hear a pleading undertone in it. He was begging me.

Section 105: The Rain Arrives Slowly (2)

I composed myself, looked at him with a puzzled expression, and said, "That's not something valuable. Even if it were an expensive piece of cloth, you wouldn't need to go and grab it now if you wanted it. Do you want to die? Look at it hanging there so glaringly white!"

When I said that, Lü Fang shook his head repeatedly: "That's not what I meant." He paused and then continued, his tone and expression showing great difficulty: "That wasn't a white curtain...it looked like...that...that looked like a plain-looking top..." At this point, the fear in his voice successfully spread between us, and my teeth were chattering: "Wh...what? Are you sure?"

I know my own gums best...

Lu Fang looked again. I was afraid he was too nervous and might have misjudged because he was so anxious to find someone, so I quickly took out a flashlight and handed it to him: "You... look more carefully!"

To be honest, I only vaguely remember the expression on Su Yan's face when she asked if I could sit in the front row with her. I didn't pay any attention to her clothes or their colors, let alone remember them. Horse Face probably felt the same way; if I didn't remember, he certainly wouldn't. Hearing Lü Fang's plea, Ye Min followed the flashlight beam and looked over, only to find that she said the same thing.

"It really does look like her top..."

By now, I'm certain that the shimmering white thing hanging there is Su Yan's top. Ye Min's uncertainty doesn't stem from not being able to distinguish it, but rather... fear. Now that we have a clue, we have to bite the bullet and go for it. Since the top is here, the person is probably nearby too.

Gritting my teeth, I proceeded cautiously, leading the group closer with my flashlight. A white shirt hung between two broken doors, swaying and stopping with the wind, and we followed suit, moving and stopping along with it—it was...too exciting...I swear, if I'm lucky enough to find Su Yan later, I'll definitely ask her for that shirt, and I'll tear it to shreds!

As we got closer to the rustling white shirt, we stopped a few steps away. I held up my flashlight and looked around at the shirt and its surroundings, while Lü Fang and Ye Min beside me tried to keep their voices down.

"No makeup—no makeup—"

"Xiao Su—Xiao Su—"

In the deathly quiet streets, only their voices echoed.

Section 106: The Rain Arrives Slowly (3)

I was getting a little impatient and stopped them with a gesture: "Stop shouting, let's look for it." I looked around and saw that the building was very similar to the ancient teahouses I'd seen while touring the old town—it belonged to the architectural style of teahouses, taverns, and inns. The door was barely closed, and my clothes were stuck in the crack of the carved door, not too much, but quite a lot sticking out. The wooden door had perforated windows, which were dilapidated and covered in dust. The visible parts were covered with thick cobwebs. I shone my flashlight in, but not a single ray of light could get in, let alone anything I could glimpse from the outside.

After thinking for a moment, I whispered to Lü Fang, "It really is your woman's clothes. Go and tear them off, I'll cover you up." I deliberately emphasized the words "your woman," but he still didn't understand what I meant and just stared at me blankly.

"Hey, what does your girlfriend have to do with me? Do you expect me to go and tear her clothes off?" I thought to myself, and then said to him, "Go ahead? What are you standing there for? Go tear off her clothes, I'll open the door." This guy, does he really want me to say that out loud? He's not missing an arm or a leg. If that's the case, I might as well save her and let her be with me.

In a moment of wild speculation, I told Ye Min to stay with Horse Face and not to move around, while I and Lü Fang walked to the dilapidated wooden door where Su Yan was wearing a white top.

The dust we stirred up as we moved around and our clothes swayed was quite thick and choking. I suppressed a few coughs and gestured to Lü Fang beside me to get started: "Your girlfriend might be lying in there, let's get this over with." With that, I shone my flashlight on the edge of the broken door and reached out with my other hand to feel around for a doorknob or something similar to grab on. The door should open outwards.

After feeling around for a while without success, I was a little discouraged. I tried to reach in through the loose door crack and pry it out, but I found it difficult. The door crack was still the same as before, unchanged. Wait a minute, something's not right. I looked down and saw that Lü Fang was still fiddling with the white shirt, which was still stuck in the door crack, completely unmoved.

"Hey, what are you doing? You can't even pull a piece of clothing out. Are you afraid of accidentally tearing it or what?" Are you kidding me? You can't even handle something this simple. I suddenly feel that this college student isn't even as capable as the woman standing behind him.

Section 107: The Rain Arrives Slowly (4)

Lu Fang looked up at me, his face full of grievance. I noticed he was covered in sweat, which puzzled me. He couldn't be that tired, could he? Then he said, "This...no, I can't pull this...pull..."

Can't pull it?

"What? What do you mean? Is it stuck?" I thought to myself, "Great, if it's stuck, I won't have to lift a finger. Let Lü Fang tear it apart himself." So I said to him, "If it's stuck, use some force. Tear it apart. Pull the door open so I can open it." After saying that, I started to feel for a point of leverage, ready to pull the broken door open with a sudden burst of strength at any moment.

To my surprise, after pulling for a while, Lü Fang said to me again, "No, it's too tight, I can't pull it at all, it seems like someone inside is pulling it too." I didn't hear a word he said before, but the latter part felt like a sharp knife piercing my head. "Someone... is pulling it?" I said, my words a little unclear. "Could it be that girl pulling it herself?" Suppressing my fear, I asked again.

Lu Fang shook his head: "Impossible, right? If she was the one pulling on us, why didn't she answer when we called her?"

I'm trying my best to find a reasonable explanation and avoid thinking about anything unpleasant, but that kid Lü Fang is just making things worse. Listening to his analysis, the flesh on my cheek twitched awkwardly a few times. I looked back at Ye Min and Ma Lian, and they both looked very unnatural. If this tension continues, someone is bound to break down.

Without thinking, I said to Lü Fang again, "Who said that? Maybe she fainted inside? Don't you know that if someone faints or dies, it's very difficult to remove what they're holding? That's the power condensed from their entire life!" Hmm... talking without thinking is always nonsense. As for talking nonsense, I'm quite adept at it.

"Su Yan isn't dead!" Lu Fang got a little agitated after hearing my nonsense.

"Don't get agitated, I was just using an example, why are you getting so worked up?" I snapped at him. "Who told you to disrupt morale? Stop talking nonsense, I'll argue with you."

...

"Ye Min, come here." I called out to Ye Min, panting. This dress was really tight; no matter how much Lu Fang and I, two grown men, pulled and tugged, it didn't budge at all. Strange.

Hearing this, Ye Min came over and asked, "Still can't pull it out?" She was very worried.

Section 108: The Rain Arrives Slowly (5)

"I don't know what's wrong, I just can't pull it out, it's stuck here, and the door won't open either." Ye Min's worries weren't unfounded. I told her that the door was quite dilapidated, but it just wouldn't open; the clothes stuck inside didn't seem like a big deal, but I couldn't pull them out no matter what I did. Besides, I didn't dare to use brute force to pry open the door. What if that girl with the plain face was really lying inside the door as I said? Wouldn't that hurt her?

Once Ye Min was ready, I directed the two of them, preparing for the three of us to work together. I refused to believe that three adults couldn't fix such a broken door. Just as we were about to start, Lü Fang quietly asked me, "Why don't you call Boss Ma for help? He's a man." I blinked and whispered to him, "Him? Forget it." Lü Fang wanted to press further, but I shouted, "Ready, one, two, three!"

The door was slightly ajar, but the clothes remained stuck in place.

Seeing that it had only had a minor effect, everyone became even more puzzled. Lu Fang was about to turn around and call out to Horse Face when I stopped him: "Alright, alright, pulling a woman's top requires the whole team to get involved. Aren't you ashamed? What if we can't pull it off when everyone's here? Besides, there's no room to stand if there are too many people." No matter how much I tried to persuade him, I just didn't want Horse Face to get involved.

"But we have to try." Lu Fang thought I was going to give up and became a little anxious.

"Am I that kind of guy?" Of course not! I wiped the sweat from my forehead, put my hands on my hips, and said to him, "Alright, stop trying. I have another way." Lü Fang and Ye Min, holding onto their clothes, squatted on the ground, not standing up, looking up at me expectantly, eager to experience my "professional skills." This made me a little smug. Hey, nothing really could be done without me!

I was about to speak when I started to plan what to say, but once again, I was interrupted by the horse-faced leader behind me who was doing nothing. He coughed and told me, "Hurry up, it's going to rain."

2 Tricks

rain?

What's going on here? After his reminder, I became more and more certain that something was wrong with his head. I had observed the sky when I was on the top of the altar, and it was clearly a clear, cloudless day. How could it possibly be raining now? With an incredulous expression, I walked out from under the eaves and stood in the moonlight. The horse-faced man pointed, and I looked in that direction.

Section 109: The Rain Arrives Slowly (6)

We lost.

Under the moonlight, it was easy to see a large, dark rain cloud that had drifted in from the other side of the sky. It looked heavy and full; the once star-filled sky had suddenly disappeared. This… this was probably going to be a good rain (a heavy rain). Looking at the massive, oppressive clouds, I didn't know what to say. Yunnan's unique tropical rainforest climate, with its "rain on the east and sunshine on the west," can sometimes be quite frustrating.

After confirming, I felt a little awkward. I mumbled "Got it" to the horse-faced man and quickly returned to Lü Fang and Ye Min. "It's going to rain heavily, Lü Fang. You and Ye Min, pull on that piece of clothing as hard as you can, just enough to open the door a crack like before." They nodded. I didn't pause; if I did, it would seem insincere, especially to Lü Fang. So I immediately added, "Lü Fang, give me the knife your grandfather left you. When there's a crack, I'll pry it open to wed the door, then reach in and pull it open."

Hmph, if I don't pry open the gap and just reach in, and they give way, my hand will end up like that white shirt, stuck in the door crack. But if I don't reach in, the door definitely won't open. I tested that shirt earlier; it's quite strong, so I have no hope of using it to open the door. Besides, I can't just stay out; maybe Su Yan is really inside. Now, it's a dilemma: his girlfriend, my hand, and his Swiss Army knife. Let's see what he chooses.

Clearly, he had no other choice.

Lu Fang seemed to understand the implications immediately and hesitated. I quickly pretended to be anxious, stamping my foot and questioning him, "What? You still can't bear to part with your broken knife? It's just a crack in the door, but it's a matter of life and death, and it's about to rain heavily. Hurry up and pry it open, go in and find your girlfriend, and we can also take shelter from the rain."

I guessed his grandfather wouldn't want his granddaughter-in-law to lose her life over this piece of junk he left for Lü Fang, and I guessed he thought so too. Ye Min was also urging me on. What could be more valuable than life? Of course not. Lü Fang hesitated for only a blink of an eye before pulling out his Swiss Army knife and handing it to me. As I took the knife, I outwardly feigned anxiety and composure, but inwardly I was immersed in a strange, twisted sense of accomplishment—hehe, got it!

Section 110: The Rain Arrives Slowly (7)

There is nothing in this world that you cannot obtain, as long as you dare to dream and dare to do.

I skillfully handled the Swiss Army knife, and after much deliberation, I decided to use the blade as a pry point. This Swiss Army knife was a modern product, a large model, with a thick, wide, and extremely sharp blade.

After careful observation, I became even more certain that tricking them into giving me this knife was a wise move. I've always had some knowledge of various knives and swords, but of course, I don't study the kind of low-class controlled knives carried by those country bumpkins at the train station. Those are the lowest of the low, utterly unworthy of respectability. In fact, forging a sword is like forging a person, and the quality of a knife reflects the quality of a person; both have distinctions of good and bad, noble and base.

Many famous swords and blades possess immeasurable artistic value due to their materials, history, legends, and the heroes who wielded them. In particular, the historical tales created by the swordsmen who used them—stories filled with mystery, heroism, or bloodshed—give them an irresistible allure, often captivating me completely. Though the heroes and warriors of those times have perished, these swords and blades endure.

The Ten Famous Swords, from Xuanyuan Xia Yu Sword to Zhanlu, then to Chixiao, Tai'a, Seven Star Longyuan, Ganjiang and Moye, Yuchang, Chun Jun, and Chengying, represent the pinnacle of swordsmanship in ancient my country. Since the dawn of chivalry, swords have always been more renowned than sabers. In Japan, however, sabers reign supreme: the Five Great Swords of Japan (Ōdenta, Juzumaru, Dōjigiri, Mikazuki, and Onimaru), Kikuichimonji Norimune, Nagasone Kotetsu, Izumi no Kami Kanesada, Horikawa Kunihiro, Aoimon Echizen Yasutsugu, Hizen Kuni Tadakichi, the Demon Sword Muramasa, the Famous Sword Kanze Masamune, and the Famous Sword Daihannya Nagamitsu—each possessing a profound history and value. Besides these twenty famous swords, there are many others like them worldwide. Regardless of nationality or whether they represent good or evil, a good sword or saber can captivate the hearts of countless sword enthusiasts.

As I mentioned before, after handling the Swiss Army knife that Lü Fang's grandfather "left him," I immediately understood what was going on. This kid seems a bit dim-witted, but I never expected him to be so shrewd... This knife is clearly a grey market import from around 2004, the kind you can find in most hardware stores. Did his grandfather also pull some time-travel trick, going to the future to buy a modern Swiss Army knife to play with before leaving it to him? And a grey market one at that. Hmph, kid, you're still too green to try and outsmart me!

Section 111: The Rain Arrives Slowly (8)

Although I saw through Lü Fang's little tricks at a glance, I didn't say anything. I took the knife, glanced at it, then straightened the blade and went to test the crack in the door. Fighting with others is endlessly enjoyable. The most important strategic guideline for psychological warfare is to remain calm and collected in any situation. The calmer you are, the more mistakes your opponent will make. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.

I secretly rejoiced that my reading of "The Art of War" a few years ago hadn't been in vain. Now that the knife was in my hands, he could forget about getting it back. He was protecting it so fiercely; he definitely didn't have good intentions. I held the knife around for a while, found a good spot to insert the blade, and then called to Lü Fang and Ye Min, who were squatting on the ground with their legs almost numb: "Get ready. I'll count to three, you pull, and I'll insert the blade."

They both nodded to indicate that there was no problem. Everything was ready, and I aimed the knife at the chosen notch. "One—two—three!"

"Snap!"

Although the door was only slightly ajar, this time, the clothes were mostly torn to shreds and completely ruined. It seemed the two on the ground were really going all out. Of course, I couldn't let the designer shirt "sacrifice" in vain. After the noise, I also firmly wedged Lü Fang's Swiss Army knife into the crack in the door.

"Use the knife as the golden ratio line. You manipulate the top, I'll hold the bottom." I instructed Lü Fang accordingly. He didn't say anything, but stood up to cooperate. A person with deep cunning always has a purpose in everything they do, and my arrangement was certainly for my own calculations. With everything in place, I sent Ye Min away, took a deep breath, and gave Lü Fang a look: "Open!"

"Splash! Squeak—creak—creak—"

The sound of the door opening was particularly jarring in the quiet of the night. As soon as the door opened, oh dear, dust particles that had been sealed away for over a hundred years came tumbling towards us, the smell so strong that my eyes watered and I couldn't even open them.

Even so, I couldn't forget the important matter. Taking advantage of the moment when Lü Fang was drying his hair, wiping his face, and squinting, I bent down, picked up the Swiss Army knife that had fallen to the ground, folded it, and stuffed it into my pocket. Speed was of the essence; the whole sequence of actions took no more than three seconds. Hey, don't use such dirty words to describe me. This was proactive and legitimate self-defense. This is the best way to prevent crime and nip the sparks of crime in the bud. I'll return it to him after we get out of here. Whoever wants this thing, even if it's a family heirloom, I won't even look at it. Anything I randomly grab from my house is a hundred times better than this knock-off.

Section 112: The Rain Arrives Slowly (9)

Lu Fangcai opened his eyes, not even having time to wipe the thick dust off his glasses, and I didn't have time to observe the situation in the shop before I hurriedly pushed him inside, and then stepped in after him. "Quickly, look for her here."

This tactic is called distraction.

My anxiety made Lü Fang anxious too. He took off his glasses, wiped them quickly, and put them back on, looking around anxiously. I figured he had temporarily forgotten about the Swiss Army knife, so I relaxed and started looking around as well.

The condition of the shop was not good. The tables and chairs were in an unimaginable state of decay. Cobwebs and a thick layer of dust covered almost every corner and item in the shop. Standing at the entrance, it was difficult for us to even get in; we had to brush away the dust and cobwebs as we walked. Also, as soon as I entered, I smelled a strong coppery odor, the same smell I had in the car. I even covered my nose with my sleeve, but Lü Fang, Ye Min, and Ma Lian, who came in later, seemed oblivious, only concerned with brushing away the cobwebs and dust, completely ignoring the smell.

I covered my nose and whispered to Ye Min, "Didn't you smell anything strange?" Ye Min sniffed lightly and whispered back, "Yes, the smell of dust." Hearing her answer, I felt like the surrounding scenery suddenly magnified in my eyes—only I could smell it? What did that mean? It was one thing for my eyes to be seeing ghosts, but why was my nose seeing ghosts too?

I was unsettled by the strange, unknown smell when Lü Fang struggled towards me from inside. The phrase "travel-worn" couldn't be more fitting for him at that moment. I covered my nose and eyes and yelled, "Slow down! It's suffocating!" Hearing me, he tripped over a broken chair and nearly fell. Staggering over, I quickly steadied him. If we'd both fallen, we'd be in serious trouble. Before he could even regain his balance, he yelled back, "She's not here! She's not here!"

I was puzzled. It wasn't like I kidnapped his girlfriend, so why did he look at me like I was a kidnapper who had taken the ransom and was about to kill her? I frowned and asked him, "Not on the ground?" He said no, and I looked around the incredibly messy ground myself, and indeed, she wasn't there.

What was that thing pulling at our white shirt just now?

Section 113: The Rain Arrives Slowly (10)

The sudden question sent a chill down my spine. Just then, something blocked the moonlight on the ground outside the shop, and the whole world suddenly went dark. In an instant, large raindrops began to pour down. Now, with wind and rain, I was shivering uncontrollably. It was really cold; I couldn't live like this anymore.

I couldn't tell if it was a cold wind or a chilling wind, but gusts of it kept blowing in, making us shiver. Ye Min even sneezed. I couldn't tell if it was the force of the wind or the domineering dust; our eyes were once again swirling so hard we could barely open them. It was just a little rain and dust, why did it feel like a sandstorm? I braved the howling wind and the swirling dust to reach for the door. I should take shelter first; we could barely move an inch now, let alone find someone.

After pulling a few times without success, Lü Fang and Ma Lian also came over, covering themselves up, wanting to help. The rain was getting heavier and heavier, splashing directly into the doorway. I quickly stopped them, saying, "Go inside, go inside."

The four of us huddled in the dusty, cobweb-covered, dilapidated shop, while outside, the torrential rain pounded down on the ground like a madman. I'd never been so disheveled. Enduring the filth and dust made my expression extremely unnatural, shifting constantly. Ye Min reached out and tightened her grip on my hand. I turned to her with a half-smile, then turned back and my face fell.

My actions of comforting each other probably triggered Lü Fang, and he actually started sobbing softly. I was quite surprised and nudged him with my elbow: "Why are you crying like that? Is it really that serious? There's still no result yet, what's the rush?"

With tears streaming down his face, Lü Fang began to pour out his grievances, stammering, "You don't know... I really regret it... I shouldn't have brought her to the job interview... and even brought her on this trip. If anything were to happen to her... how could I explain it to her parents..."

What I can't stand most is seeing someone drooling, crying, and wailing. It's bad enough for a girl, let alone a grown man. Ye Min hasn't even started yet, what's he doing trying to steal her thunder...?

I forgot what I looked like when I peed on the cat. I frowned and turned my face away, patting his shoulder: "Alright, alright, buddy, are you mourning her or what? As the saying goes, you have to see her alive or dead. You haven't gotten anything yet, have you? You should take a break."

Section 114: Dai Bamboo Houses (1)

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. These were hardly words of comfort. But then, a dark thought washed over me: "Hey, collapse, collapse, collapse! 'Wilderness,' I, General Manager Yang, will take good care of you..."

Hearing my rambling, Lü Fang became even more upset, but thankfully his tears stopped. As for me, although my face showed a sense of shared sorrow and empathy, my heart was no longer so heavy.

I'll make you her boyfriend... I'll make your grandfather travel through time...

Chapter Fifteen: Dai Bamboo Houses

Unexpectedly, at the end of the alley stood a "traditional mansion." We were all speechless with astonishment. Our astonishment wasn't due to the lack of an exit, but rather the mansion itself. It seemed to be a…

1. Abnormal sound

2nd floor (middle floor)

Chapter Fifteen: Dai Bamboo Houses