Lamentation de la Nuit de l'Ouest

Chapitre 8

Seventh, produce a stack.

Finally, Xiao Bi and Deng Fei both cried, saying that it was painful to see something but not be able to touch it.

When the moonlight restaurant opened for business that evening, Xiao Bi went back to school, Deng Fei fell asleep muttering incantations, and I started wiping the table with droopy eyelids. Gu Ming, feeling a pang of conscience, told me to go and rest, and wouldn't deduct my salary. I thought about it for a long time, but still felt that he had ulterior motives, so I refused.

Business was pretty good today. I was running around all day and I was exhausted. Gu Ming looked at me with pity. I thought he was going to give me a raise, but he said, "So many people came today, and not a single one of them tried to harass the waiters. Xiao Mo, you're really safe." I was furious. He was in a good mood.

At midnight, all the customers had left, as if they had arranged it to be neither too early nor too late—it was really strange. As I wiped the glasses behind the bar, I muttered about the ghosts that might appear tonight.

Around 12:30, the ghost didn't appear, but the phone rang. Aunt Gao's anxious voice came through. She said, "Xiao Mo, something has happened at the villa. I remembered the phone number you left me. I wonder if you can help us."

I asked her what had happened, and she said strange things were happening everywhere, the guests at the resort were going crazy, but there was no way to call the police because they wouldn't believe it.

I tossed the phone to Gu Ming, who, after listening, decided to make the trip. So Moonlight closed its doors and drove to Er Gou Manor.

The moonlight was cool all the way. After getting off the bus, Gu Ming stood at the entrance of the villa for a long time. I smelled that peculiar floral fragrance again. Aunt Gao ran out with a tearful expression and a pale face. I comforted her while watching Gu Ming walk around, stopping and looking at the garden, the corridor, the rockery, the stream, and even the toilet, his expression indifferent.

I asked Aunt Gao what strange things had happened. Aunt Gao gritted her teeth and said, "I won't hide it from you anymore. Before, some people in the villa said there were ghosts, that they could hear women sighing at night, but no one saw anything, so I just dismissed it as rumors. Later, the people in the garden said that some flowers and plants kept moving, and even the rockery was moved. I didn't believe it at first, but one morning I found that a set of stone tables had moved more than a hundred meters from the south. That's when I realized that there really was something unclean. But the people in the villa have been fine, and nothing else has happened. Everyone got used to it and just ignored it."

Aunt Gao paused here, looked at me, sighed, and continued, "But ever since you and your two friends left, something bad has happened at the resort. The night you left, someone saw large patches of white flowers blooming in the garden. When we rushed there, the flowers had turned purple and were bleeding. You know, we were all terrified. Everyone knew something was wrong, but the flowers disappeared after a while, and everything was back to normal. The next day, I thought everything was fine, but then we found a woman's long hair hanging from the ceiling in the guest rooms. There was some in every room, like... like someone had died there. None of us dared to move. Then, that night, all the hair was gone. Tell me, what happened?"

Aunt Gao looked at us with a pained expression. I asked her, "Is that all? Is there anything else?"

Aunt Gao said, "That's not the scariest thing. The scariest thing was last night. Large patches of blood appeared in the corridor. A guest saw it when he was walking over there. He was so scared that he started talking nonsense, shouting everywhere that I was a ghost, and that he saw me with a group of ghosts. When we went to the corridor, the blood dripped down like water seeping from the wall. The timid ones were all scared and cried. Some people said they would call the police, but after a short while, the blood disappeared."

"Then why did you only call me today?"

"I was so scared that I forgot about it. Nobody dares to sleep tonight. I just remembered that you left your phone number, so I called you right away."

I sighed. It seemed that the many ghosts appearing under the moonlight were indeed related to this place. After listening, Gu Ming smiled and said, "Aunt Gao, tell them to get a good rest tonight. There's nothing to do today."

Aunt Gao was overjoyed and excitedly grabbed my and Gu Ming's hands, saying, "I knew it, I knew you could help me." Then she smiled and went to sleep. I looked at Gu Ming and asked him how it went, but he shook his head and only said, "I don't know, anyway, I'm fine tonight."

"Why?"

"Because I'm tired."

"You'll be fine once you're tired?"

"Yeah, that guy's probably tired too. He's been up to something for two days. Everyone should take a break."

“Gu Ming…”

"kindness?"

"Is that what you're basing your judgment on?"

"kindness."

“Gu Ming…”

"kindness?"

"I think it's safer for me to stick with you."

"kindness."

“Gu Ming…”

"kindness?"

"I think I should sleep in the bed, and you can sleep on the sofa."

"kindness."

“Gu Ming…”

"..."

“Gu Ming…”

"call……"

"Gu Ming, I hate you. Get out of bed right now."

"Whoosh..."

Why do I have to sleep on the sofa...?

March 21, 2005: A Tumultuous Spring

When I woke up in the morning, Gu Ming was nowhere to be found. Thinking back to last night when I was slept on the sofa in a huff, I realized that I've had a bad habit since I was little—I'm a restless sleeper. I usually sleep with my head facing south at night and north in the morning, so last night I naturally fell off the sofa and hit my head on the ground. Ouch!

As I rubbed the bump on my head and grimaced, I suddenly heard someone's heartless laughter. I looked up and saw Gu Ming, that charlatan, get up, walk over, and squat down to look me in the eye, with a gloating expression on his face. He said, "Little Mo, you're so old and you still fall off the sofa?"

I rolled my eyes at him, my head throbbing. "Thanks to someone, the girl had to sleep on the sofa."

He chuckled and reached out to gently rub the large bump on my head. "I forgot to tell you, I almost fall asleep the moment my head hits the bed. There's nothing I can do about it."

"Pig," I muttered under my breath, but the pain on my head gradually subsided as Gu Ming massaged it. I thought to myself, this charlatan's massage technique is really good. One day when there are no more ghosts to catch, I could open a massage parlor and make money. Then I could take on some apprentices, expand the business, open a chain—first nationwide, then worldwide, and finally let people all over the world enjoy the essence and benefits of Chinese medicine. I'm so kind-hearted…

Just as I was thinking, I suddenly found myself suspended in mid-air. When I came to my senses, I saw that the charlatan was smiling helplessly as he picked me up, carried me to the bedside, and then put me down. I stared wide-eyed as Gu Ming naturally completed the whole action until he grabbed my ear and said with a wry smile, "Comrade Xiao Mo, you really need to lose weight. I can guarantee that, apart from me, there are very few people in this world who can lift you."

"Huh?" I was stunned for a moment, then it dawned on me. "You...you stop talking nonsense. Why are you hugging me? You..."

Gu Ming rolled his eyes at me, his gaze filled with utter contempt. He said, "I told you to go to bed and I'd sleep on the sofa, but you just sat there on the floor, grinning like an idiot. I thought you'd hit your head, so I just carried you to the bed. If you don't want to sleep, I won't disturb anyone else's sleep. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Don't get the wrong idea!"

After Gu Ming finished speaking, he collapsed onto the sofa and started snoring, leaving me alone there, looking sullen and depressed. I cursed the charlatan, hoping he would lose to the female ghost tomorrow, while praying that everyone else would be safe and sound...

After getting up, I decided to go for a walk. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Aunt Gao walking over with an embarrassed smile and asking me if I slept well. I then realized that she seemed to have misunderstood something again, so I gave her a perfunctory answer.

After breakfast, I realized that Gu Ming was missing. I asked Aunt Gao, who said he had gotten up early to check around the area near the resort. I nodded and decided to go find him and ask how things were going.

The mornings in the suburbs are so refreshing; the cool air even tastes sweet. I hummed a little tune as I walked out, and just as I stepped out of the gate, I bumped into Gu Ming. He teased me, looking refreshed, "You're actually up."

"Did you get up too early?"

The early bird catches the worm.

"Hmph, the early bird catches the worm."

...

After returning to the villa, Gu Ming called Aunt Gao over and asked her some questions. Then he said seriously, "Why did you choose this place to build the villa? And who designed it? I saw the structure here last night. It was built according to an extremely yin soul-summoning array. The back door is the entrance, and the garden and guest room are two lines of yin energy flow. Even the structure of the entertainment facilities is a typical ghost-attracting yin house. Then the yin energy flows from the corridor all the way to the square in front of the door. The terrain around the front door is originally very good, absorbing yang and gathering wealth, but it is blocked by the two pillars in front of the door and the lights on the door sign. Not to mention that the lights for 'Er Gou Villa' were red, but even these four characters were deliberately chosen. Ordinary people may not be able to see anything, but the light structure formed by these four characters is actually an array that blocks yang energy. So although the front door is wide open on the surface, it is actually a wall that surrounds the soul-summoning array with the back door as the entrance."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Aunt Gao was completely confused.

"It means that this place was deliberately built to summon spirits, and even those with spiritual cultivation wouldn't easily detect it. This shows that the person's purpose is not simple." Gu Ming snorted coldly. "Who exactly built this place?"

Aunt Gao's eyes widened, and then she murmured, "When I bought it, I only went through a middleman to complete the formalities. That person said that a girl built this place all by herself, but that girl has been missing for a long time, and I don't think she has much of a chance of being alive."

“Yes, Aunt Gao told me that the girl named the resort that way because she had two very intelligent dogs.” I nodded to confirm Aunt Gao’s words.

Gu Ming's eyes flashed, as if he had grasped something. He slightly raised the corners of his mouth and muttered to himself, "Two dogs? Are they very intelligent? Interesting."

After lunch, I watched TV, but then fell asleep again. TV these days is so boring.

After dinner, Gu Ming called over Aunt Gao and the people from the villa, rearranged their rooms, and made some strange moves in the rooms. He instructed them not to leave their rooms at night, no matter what they heard. After they nodded in agreement, he pulled me away.

Back in the room, he started packing a bag containing many talismans, red threads, and some other strange things. I watched him and asked, "What are you going to do? Will a female ghost appear tonight?"

Gu Ming patted my head and said, "You're in for a good show tonight! A righteous and handsome guy battles demons and ghosts, the final showdown of the century, absolutely thrilling and exciting."

"Ha...haha." I laughed awkwardly, thinking to myself that this joke was so lame.

"Alright, Xiao Mo, listen carefully. What I'm about to say is very important, and you can't forget a single word." Gu Ming suddenly turned around and stood in front of me with a serious expression. Looking at his expression, I felt a sudden surge of nervousness for no reason; Gu Ming had never been so serious before.

“Xiao Mo, that thing will appear in a moment. I’m not entirely confident we’ll succeed, nor do I have a foolproof plan for a safe retreat, and I’m not confident I can guarantee your absolute safety. I won’t explain too much to you, because some things can’t be explained in a few words, and there are some things I’m not entirely sure about either, so I can only give it a try. If we’re lucky, we can go back to Moonlight tomorrow and continue running that little bar. If we’re unlucky, you’ll be in big trouble and won’t get paid anymore, and you won’t get to see such a handsome and stylish man like me.” Gu Ming said calmly. I wanted to laugh, but seeing his expression, I couldn’t. He tugged at my cheek and continued, “I don’t want to lie to you, but actually, those people in the manor already have black and blue marks between their eyebrows. There’s no magic protecting them in their rooms. If I win, they’ll be fine. If I lose, even the most powerful magic won’t protect them. That’s why I didn’t let you stay with them.”

“Gu Ming…” I suddenly felt a little scared.

"You, so fat yet so timid, really. Listen carefully, follow me for a while, don't talk too much, and don't panic no matter what you see. If I really can't go on, and that thing is going to harm you, bite my shoulder and suck my blood before I die, understand? You must do it before I die, and I can guarantee you won't die."

"Gu Ming, please don't scare me. If it's really that dangerous, let's leave here, okay? Let's not worry about anyone else. Please, let's go, okay?" Looking at Gu Ming, I almost cried.

"Don't be silly. Even if we leave now, we can't escape that guy. Just think about what Moonlight has been through these past few days." Gu Ming sighed. "Alright, alright, I'm talking about the worst-case scenario. Can you have some faith in me? How could someone as handsome, dashing, and talented as me lose so easily?"

I forced a smile while holding back my tears. "I never realized you were so shameless. Well, you can't lose, you haven't paid me my salary yet."

Gu Ming smiled, picked up the small bag, and walked out of the room with me. At that moment, I knew that something had changed.

Night had fallen, and the fragrance of flowers wafted through the air again. I followed closely behind Gu Ming, feeling inexplicably cold. Gu Ming walked and stopped, lighting a talisman at each stop, the flame disappearing as if buried underground. Finally, we reached the small garden in front of the gate, where the peculiar fragrance grew stronger. Just as I was about to warn him, Gu Ming suddenly pulled me behind him, winked, and said, "We're here."

My hand tightened, and I saw a female ghost in white appear gracefully. It was indeed the same ghost I had seen at the villa that night. When the ghost saw us, her eyes were filled with complex emotions. She sighed and said, "I didn't expect it to be so fast."

"If I'm not mistaken, you were the original owner of this manor," Gu Ming said with a cold smile.

“That’s right.” The female ghost said expressionlessly.

"The soul-summoning array is well-constructed, very well hidden," Gu Ming said. "Even the aura emanating from her body can be refined from deep purple to pure white. Miss has absorbed quite a few souls; she has quite an appetite."

"Enough with the nonsense." The female ghost's expression suddenly changed, glaring angrily at Gu Ming. Then, with a flick of her sleeve, a horde of ghosts suddenly appeared around us, even more disgusting than the rotting corpses we had seen before. I shuddered. Gu Ming had already cast a spell; I couldn't see what he used, but in the darkness, I could only see shimmering, crystal-like particles scattering. The ghosts howled and vanished upon seeing that substance. Gu Ming shouted to the female ghost, "Why not show us your true abilities and have a real contest?"

The female ghost sneered and laughed, "I was hoping to let you live a little longer, but it seems you want to die sooner, so I'll grant your wish."

As she spoke, she rose and ascended, her white clothes instantly tearing open and transforming into streams of air that swirled in front of her. The female ghost then revealed her true form, her body cracked and unclear in the darkness, but seemingly covered in whip marks. The flesh on her arms appeared to have been bitten off by something, revealing sections of white bone, which was extremely disgusting.

I was startled by this change when the female ghost gathered the white energy in front of her into a stream and pointed it directly at Gu Ming's face. Gu Ming turned his body slightly to the side and quickly whispered to me, "Xiao Mo, remember what I just said."

Then I saw the white aura rushing towards us. As it got closer, I realized that the white contained a hidden purple aura, which was probably the so-called "screeching aura." A nauseating and cold feeling also appeared as the aura got closer. Just as that thing was about to swallow us, Gu Ming's left and right hands suddenly changed into a strange posture. Then the entire manor suddenly shook violently, and countless strong golden flames flew out from all directions, weaving into an infinitely large net of light that covered the sky. The white screeching aura suddenly stopped in mid-air. Gu Ming changed his left hand again, and red flames were released from his palm, pointing directly at the screeching aura. The screeching aura began to vibrate unstablely. During the confrontation, countless heart-wrenching wails came, like the desperate howls of countless people before their deaths.

My body and heart began to ache, and I squatted on the ground in distress. Gu Ming trembled, and the shrill aura rushed in, scattering the red flames. Then, the golden net of light above quickly fell, turning into a huge ball of fire that smashed into the female ghost. Everything happened in an instant. The shaking manor returned to calm after a loud bang. I opened my eyes and found that the night was still so dark. The female ghost lay on the ground, her body turning black, and white smoke billowing from her skin and flesh as if burning. Gu Ming lay beside me with his eyes closed, his face pale. I panicked and crawled over to shake his arm. I said, "Gu Ming, Gu Ming, wake up, wake up."

After a while, Gu Ming was still lying there quietly. I had a familiar feeling in my heart, just like the pain I felt when I lost Jia Yanji. I rejected this thought in my mind, so I woke him up again and again.

Just then, the female ghost burst into laughter, saying in a shrill voice, "You still lost, you lost... Hahahaha!"

I stood there, frozen, staring at the crazed female ghost and the silent Gu Ming. Gu Ming's words echoed in my mind: "Drink his blood to keep me alive, drink his blood before he breathes his last..."

Her fingers slowly reached out and touched his nose. His breath was faint and intermittent. Tears welled up, and she cried out, shaking Gu Ming's shoulders, "Get up! Get up! If you don't get up, they'll all die! Get up! Get up! I don't want to drink any blood! Get up! I won't argue with you anymore! Get up! I don't want overtime pay! Please don't die! Please, no one should die..."

Gu Ming remained motionless as I shook him. Then a cold wind blew by, and a dark shadow appeared. The female ghost opposite him paused, then vanished instantly with the shadow. My heart ached as I cried. I stood up and dragged Gu Ming, step by step, towards the villa. Just as I was about to collapse, Aunt Gao appeared. She screamed and rushed over to support us, then ordered someone to carry Gu Ming back and called an ambulance. I sat blankly by Gu Ming's bedside. The night outside the window was quiet and gentle, without fragrance or wind. It seemed as if everything was a dream, except for some people who had escaped this eerie dream…