Incendie mystérieux

Chapitre 68

“Oh, that might be a flyer,” the astrologer added. “By the way, Bai Xia, a lot has changed in the world during the thirty years you’ve been asleep. Let Maya pass on some knowledge to you.”

“We’ll talk about that later,” Bai Xia gently interrupted him. “Then I saw that she was holding a rectangular box, which was very strange. She picked up a long, curved thing on top of the box, with coils of thread connecting it to…”

The astrologer quickly carried her to the phone booth, pointed to the phone, and said to her:

Is this it?

"right."

“This is called a telephone,” the astrologer said, both amused and exasperated. “You really should learn some modern knowledge.”

Whether Bai Xia blushed or not, she paused for a moment, then said coldly:

"Looks like I can't be of any help to you. I'm going to sleep."

"Wait!" The astrologer panicked and shook her golden bell repeatedly. "After you help me out this time, I'll definitely treat you to a nice bath, a good meal, and then send you to bed. How about that? Don't be so formal now!"

Perhaps his bribe had worked, because Bai Xia slowly spoke again.

What else do you need me to do?

"The number!" the astrologer blurted out. Afraid Bai Xia wouldn't understand, he pressed a few keys on the phone himself. "It's this thing. What was the order in which she pressed the numbers? Write it down and tell me!"

Book 1, The Seven Deadly Sins Special: The Necromancer's Concerto (Part 6)

Yan Wuyue was still searching through the materials. There were at most ten or so newspapers sold locally, and the time periods weren't very broad—around six months as the origin, shifting forward and backward by at most three months. Logically, it should be easy to find, yet, her eyes were bloodshot from exhaustion, and she still hadn't found the "missing person notice from the orphanage." This was truly strange! Had she missed some kind of newspaper? Or perhaps it wasn't a newspaper, but a magazine?

She sat by the window, continuing to flip through the newspaper, until the sunlight suddenly dimmed, blocking her view. What was going on? It was only afternoon, not even dusk! Had the weather suddenly turned gloomy? She muttered to herself, looking up, and was immediately horrified. The astrologer was pressed against the window, his pale face smiling at her. His long black overcoat completely blocked out the sunlight.

"Are you crazy?!" That was Yan Wuyue's first reaction. "Get down here right now! If others see you, they'll think you're 'Spider-Man,' here to clean windows!" She quickly ran out of the library, and sure enough, the astrologer was back, leaning calmly against the flagpole in front of the library, smiling and waiting for her.

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this?!" Yan Wuyue yelled as soon as they met. "Are you trying to attract attention or just being a show-off? If the security guards see you, they'll definitely take you to the police station!"

"Don't worry," the astrologer said innocently, "Even the most outstanding human being, not even Liu Xiang, can keep up with my speed."

"I didn't ask you to race! You're not a track and field champion!" Yan Wuyue was furious. "Couldn't you have called me in a more normal way? What if the other students see this? How am I supposed to explain it to them?"

"Oh dear, you're angry," the astrologer shrugged. "Never mind, I was going to give you the orphanage's phone number, but you probably don't need it." He turned to leave. Before he could take a step, Yan Wuyue had already grabbed his coat, a fawning smile on her face. "Astrologer, what did you just say?"

That was a phone number that existed only in Nurse Huang's mind, seen by Bai Xia through her telepathic abilities. Nurse Huang had once called the orphanage according to the instructions on the flyer, revealing information about the girl. Out of fear that the girl's ghost would haunt her, she inadvertently revealed her betrayal. After Yan Wuyue discovered this, she fabricated lies, attempting to cover it up.

“Language has no effect on Bai Xia,” the astrologer said, “because she can directly hear the deepest voices in people’s hearts.”

"Similar to mind reading?" Yan Wuyue asked. "Can she directly convert the other person's brainwaves into sound?"

"That's exactly right."

Yan Wuyue took a deep breath. "Why didn't you say so sooner!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Then we wouldn't have had to go through all that trouble! If we just let Bai Xia listen to what those people were really thinking, all the clues would have come out, right?"

The astrologer frowned slightly. "It's not that simple. Mind reading is a heavy mental burden for Bai Xia; it's not as easy as you imagine. I only dared to ask her for help occasionally, and she's already gone back to sleep. In other words..."

"From now on, we'll have to rely on ourselves for everything."

The word "we" he used sounded somewhat ambiguous, but Yan Wuyue, preoccupied with the orphanage and the mentally challenged girl, paid no heed. Now, the astrologer and Yan Wuyue dialed the same number together. After an unbearably long and endless wait, the call finally connected. A mechanical yet sweet female voice came from the other end of the line:

"Hello, this is Grace Angels Welfare Home. Do you need our services?"

Following the orphanage's instructions, the astrologer and Yan Wuyue arrived at White Horse Square on the outskirts of H City, the entrance to the H City highway. In the distance, they saw a black sedan driving off the highway, just as had been described on the phone. A chill ran down Yan Wuyue's spine. An unknown fear welled up within her; she didn't know what she was about to see or hear. Had she followed the trail of a female ghost's song here, and then rashly entered the Graceful Angels Orphanage, only to suffer the same fate? Perhaps she would die… The astrologer noticed her hesitation and silently placed his hand on her shoulder. His gloves were icy cold, yet a warmth emanated from his thin, bony hand and traveled straight to her heart. She stopped trembling, her legs stopped shaking.

Sure enough, the car drove straight up to them, and the driver inside asked steadily, "Mr. Xue?" After receiving an affirmative answer, the two got in the car and headed towards the highway.

The driver remained silent the entire way, his face stern. The astrologer, unperturbed, gazed leisurely at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window, much to Yan Wuyue's frustration. After a sluggish two-hour drive, the car abruptly turned off the highway onto a bumpy country road via a secluded side road. Yan Wuyue suddenly felt something was amiss; something seemed missing. The undulating road gave her an idea: "A tollbooth!" she thought to herself. "This isn't a normal highway exit, because it doesn't pass a tollbooth!"

The car rocked and swayed like a fishing boat struggling in a stormy sea, making her dizzy. She didn't know how long she'd been jolted, but the car suddenly braked and came to a stop. Yan Wuyue opened her eyes, almost unable to believe what she was seeing. Before her stood a uniquely styled Western-style building, with a cross hanging high on its snow-white, pointed walls. A neatly manicured lawn stretched out in front of the wide porch, and the surroundings were unusually quiet, perfectly matching the building's serene atmosphere. In short, it didn't feel like China. Yan Wuyue rubbed her eyes in surprise. Yes, apart from this building, the surrounding area was still the familiar yellow earth, only desolate and deserted, with wildly overgrown weeds growing haphazardly in the fields.

The astrologer asked, "Is this an orphanage?"

The driver didn't answer a word and started the car. Yan Wuyue was about to shout when the astrologer pressed her down, saying, "Since you're here, make the best of it. I'm here."

Does he mean that Yan Wuyue doesn't need to worry as long as he's around? She almost forgot that he was originally a ghoul who ate people and had a speed that humans couldn't match. How could mere humans possibly be of any interest to him? So she breathed a sigh of relief, "You have to keep your word, you know?" Then the two of them walked towards the gate.

A strong smell of disinfectant wafted from the room, but there was no one in sight. Curious, Yan Wuyue opened door after door until she reached a frosted glass, carved wooden door. Just as her hand touched the round handle, a voice suddenly came from inside:

"Come in."

Book 1, The Seven Deadly Sins Special: The Necromancer's Concerto (Part 7)

Damn it, why can't they speak proper Chinese? Why do they have to speak English? Are they traitors? The astrologer shielded Yan Wuyue behind him, reached out and opened the door. Inside sat a man in a white coat, who quickly stood up upon seeing them.

"You are...?"

"Xue Jianchou." True to his reputation as a ghoul who looked down on humans, the astrologer answered steadily. In this operation, he was playing the role of "a heartless uncle who dislikes his mentally challenged niece," and Yan Wuyue, naturally, was that mentally challenged niece. He pulled Yan Wuyue to his side and sighed dramatically, "This is the niece I mentioned on the phone. My brother and sister-in-law passed away long ago, and she's like this, mentally challenged, so we wanted to send her to your orphanage. May I ask your name?"

The man nodded. "Understood. First, I need to check on the girl."

"examine?"

“Yes. Before entering the orphanage, the children all have to undergo examinations here first, so I can make an authoritative assessment of their intellectual abilities. ... This is Grace Cross Hospital, didn't the orphanage tell you?”

"I see." "A private hospital affiliated with an orphanage?" the astrologer asked. "That's quite luxurious."

“That’s natural,” the man, who appeared to be a doctor, replied. “Our orphanage is a charitable institution established by a private foundation. It’s only natural that we would set up a private hospital to provide convenient medical care for disabled children.”

Private institution? Charitable organization? A mocking smile appeared on the astrologer's lips. He should have brought Bai Xia along; there were still many secrets to be uncovered from this doctor! Unfortunately, he couldn't ask any more questions. The doctor had seriously pulled Yan Wuyue aside and was going to take her to the examination room for a so-called intellectual disability assessment.

Before coming, Yan Wuyue had taken a crash course on what intellectual disability meant. According to the latest definition from the American Association for the Study of Intellectual Disabilities, determining whether an individual is intellectually disabled should be based on the following three criteria: an intelligence level (IQ) below 70-75; significant deficits in two or more adaptive skills; and the onset of these symptoms before the age of 18. Well, pretending to be intellectually disabled is relatively easy; she could simply deliberately answer a few questions incorrectly on an intelligence test. As for 18 years old… Yan Wuyue is only 19 this year. Everyone says she looks very young, and some even asked if she was in a special program for gifted children—this youthful face should be able to pass for 18, right?

The doctor first asked her questions about her name and background, but Yan Wuyue feigned madness and couldn't answer clearly. Was this what intellectual disability looked like? Although she hadn't seen it in person, she'd seen it in many movies and TV shows, like the character of the simple-minded girl in *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*. Now she was imitating the simple-minded girl, tilting her head, staring straight ahead, and spouting nonsensical nonsense. The doctor wouldn't even bother to give her the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, and sighed deeply.

"With such obvious intellectual disability, why was it only now that they sent him to an orphanage?"

Is it obvious? Yan Wuyue felt a surge of secret joy. So, I acted very successfully? The doctor stood up, placed his hands on the table, and looked helpless.

"Useless maggots like you should crawl back into your sewers as soon as possible!"

A malicious and cruel smile suddenly appeared on his lips. Yan Wuyue sensed something was wrong, but unexpectedly, her hands and feet were tightly bound to the chair by leather straps that suddenly appeared. Then, the doctor pressed a button on the table with a cold smile, and Yan Wuyue fell into boundless darkness.

She was awakened by the stench.

The scene was as terrifying as hell, filled with an overwhelming stench, so nauseating it smelled like rotting flesh, assaulting her nose from all sides, making her want to vomit even her dinner from the night before. She opened her eyes, only to find that what she could see was just as terrifying as what she couldn't see—a dense, impenetrable darkness that swallowed her whole being. She had no choice but to crawl slowly on all fours, groping her way forward, her hands covered in wet, sticky mud, the stench seeping into her lungs in waves with each movement of her fingers.

Where on earth is this? Yan Wuyue remembered just moments ago sitting in the examination room of Graceful Cross Hospital, only to suddenly fall into this terrifying place. Could this be Graceful Angel Welfare Home? She turned her head and listened intently; sure enough, she could faintly hear groans coming from afar. Her heart skipped a beat, and she immediately headed towards the source of the sound. Closer, closer still, she took a deep breath, about to rush forward, when she bumped headfirst into a wooden plank with a loud thud.

The groans stopped abruptly. Yan Wuyue's heart sank. She pounded on the wooden door that blocked the way, "Hello? Is anyone over there? Answer me!"

Above her head, not beside her, a crack suddenly appeared, and a pair of enormous human eyes appeared there, coldly staring at her:

"Curiosity Kills the Cat. Little girl, you're being way too nosy by not staying in school and studying!"

That was none other than the doctor's voice from before. So, they saw through Yan Wuyue's identity all along? Was the prey setting a trap to lure the hunter in?

The doctor gave a strained, dry laugh. "And you, I really can't believe that a highly educated intellectual, someone who has received a higher education, would do something so heinous."

Huh? Who is he talking about? Before she could figure it out, someone beside her snorted in a weak voice, "Me, insane?"

"Under the guise of adopting disabled children, you have secretly committed countless heinous acts! I am acting on behalf of Heaven to rid the people of this scourge!"

“Oh, how grand of you,” the doctor scoffed. “So you ran over Ah-Qiang, after you got what you wanted out of his mouth…!”

A thought flashed through Yan Wuyue's mind like a spark: Dr. Du Jianming! That groan, that angry rebuttal—it was clearly him! But why would he come to the orphanage alone?

Could it be that he already knew the location of this orphanage?

Another point is, what exactly did the doctor mean by "A-Qiang, killed in a car accident"?

Book 1, The Seven Deadly Sins Special: The Necromancer's Concerto (Part 8)

It all started when a guard at the orphanage yawned. First, Xiao Juan sneaked out of the orphanage while the guard wasn't looking, and after fainting from hunger, she was taken in by the affiliated hospital of K University. Fortunately, with the help of Nurse Huang, the middleman—A-Qiang—brought her back before the secret was leaked. However, there was one person who remained suspicious throughout: Dr. Du Jianming.

"You think you've got everything covered up, huh?" Du Jianming laughed loudly, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Don't forget, I'm a doctor, after all!"

"Actually, I discovered it more than half a year ago, but I was too cowardly to say anything. It wasn't until early September when Xiao Juan's ghost appeared in the hospital that I realized she was crying and begging me to avenge her!"

"One of her kidneys and her uterus had already been removed!"

Du Jianming clenched his fists, meeting the doctor's gaze without fear. "However, apart from A-Qiang's appearance, I knew nothing else. So I was determined to find him, and hard work pays off. Finally, on September 24th, I stumbled upon him!"

Wait a minute, so this means that the mentally challenged girl named "Xiao Juan" actually appeared at the school hospital as early as the beginning of September? It sounds like Yan Wuyue was the one disturbing their peace and quiet! No wonder Dr. Du isn't afraid of ghosts; he already spoke with Xiao Juan!

In his quest to find A-Qiang, Dr. Du had meticulously rehearsed his image in his mind. Even if A-Qiang were reduced to ashes, Dr. Du was confident he could recognize him instantly in a crowd. Driven by a doctor's compassion, Dr. Du approached A-Qiang to inquire about Xiao-Juan's well-being. However, the more A-Qiang denied the allegations and the more flustered he appeared, the more suspicious the doctor became. It wasn't until Dr. Du pinned A-Qiang to a telephone pole and threatened to run him over with a car that A-Qiang, amidst tears and screams, confessed to everything.

The cruel truth is something no one with a conscience can bear to hear.

In a fit of rage, Dr. Du completely forgot his promise and ran over Ah Qiang, killing him instantly. He would continue his revenge against the orphanage and the hospital. Having obtained the address Ah Qiang had given him, he finally stood outside Grace Cross Hospital today.

“But I should have guessed that Nurse Huang would continue to tip people off. Fifty thousand yuan is no small sum; it's worth far more than Xiao Juan's life!” Du Jianming coughed violently, then gave a bitter laugh. “Now, it's my turn to fall into the trap!”

The doctor replied slowly, "Next, you brought a girl pretending to be crazy and a weird-talking man straight to our hospital, right? Did you think we'd be stupid enough to fall for it?"

Du Jianming stubbornly shut his mouth. Whether he was avenging Xiao Juan or was simply consumed by rage upon hearing of her death, he couldn't erase the fact that he had killed someone. He looked down at his hands, as if endless blood was seeping from them, dripping and nourishing the foul-smelling soil beneath him.

"What exactly did you do to Xiaojuan? What kind of conspiracy is hidden behind the orphanage?" He pounded on the wooden door frantically, his despair mirroring his rage. "How did Xiaojuan die? Tell me!"

"Well, you'll never need to know," the doctor said with a chilling smile. "A creature that yearns for darkness will forever be buried in darkness!"

Yan Wuyue was suddenly enveloped by a fragrant aroma, a sweet scent completely different from what she had smelled before. She took two deep breaths, then suddenly felt dizzy. Oh no, poison! She hurriedly covered her mouth and nose, but how could poison be so easily dealt with? The fragrance seeped into her very internal organs, even melting her bones; and she collapsed limply to the ground.

Just then, the wooden door was slammed shut, and a gloved arm reached in, grabbing her by the waist. Fresh sunlight and air flooded into the narrow basement. Amidst the swirling dust, the astrologer, one hand on each of the unconscious figures, dragged them both out. His deep gaze swept from Yan Wuyue's tightly closed eyes down to the reddish-brown, foul-smelling soil beneath the cell. His nostrils flared powerfully, carrying the distinctive stench of years of accumulated blood and decay.

The doctor didn't even flinch at the astrologer's arrival. He skillfully suppressed his curiosity, asking simply, "Are you alright?"

A faint smile appeared on the astrologer's pale face. "Of course."

"My constitution is quite special; ordinary poisons are no match for me."

The doctor nodded slowly. "Perhaps. You're the first person who's ever been injected with enough potassium cyanide to kill thirty elephants and can still stand in front of me unharmed."

“And the last one!” He yanked open the drawer, pulled out a pistol, and pointed it directly at the astrologer’s forehead.

The astrologer shrugged nonchalantly. "Are you hard of hearing?"

"What's the meaning?"

“I’m telling you, and all those people in your orphanage, are you hard of hearing or are you deliberately turning a deaf ear? Beneath this house,” the astrologer tapped the ground with his toes, “there’s a whole host of unjustly killed ghosts wailing every night!”

The doctor paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"You found out?" he replied casually. "No wonder, they buried them too shallow. We suggested moving them to the cemetery behind the mountain, but the director said that only this house could suppress the ghosts... Nonsense, there are no ghosts! They were useless people when they were alive, so naturally they are useless ghosts when they die! In the end, we couldn't persuade the director, so we buried them all in the basement of this house, layer upon layer, getting shallower and shallower, until it became like this, stinking to high heaven, it's impossible to go to work normally!"

"But who would have thought that countless corpses were buried beneath the hospital?" The astrologer's eyes were clear yet cold. "To plunder the flesh and blood of the victims to fatten themselves—those are the true ghouls!"

The doctor scoffed. "Don't make me laugh! What corpses, what victims, making it sound so pitiful..." He suddenly became serious. "They're just cripples! If it weren't for the orphanage's kindness in taking them in and providing them with food and shelter, they would have been lying dead in the streets long ago! The reason they can live happily now is all thanks to us! They should be grateful and repay our kindness!"

"So, in return, you sell their organs?"

Book 1, The Seven Deadly Sins Special: The Necromancer's Concerto (Part 9)

"Sell? That sounds harsh, doesn't it?" The doctor spread his hands, feigning helplessness. "To be precise, it's 'harvesting.' Just like raising livestock or growing crops, it's only natural to reap a bountiful harvest after putting in hard work!"