Une relation tragique

Chapitre 35

Once outside, Qiqi said, "I can sense that guy's aura on him, but I don't know how he did it. It's like he's been cursed!"

Upon hearing the mention of curses, Lin Feng clapped his hands and said, "I forgot, maybe there's some clue in that book last time!" Actually, he wasn't sure, but the first thing that popped into his mind was that book.

Lin Feng was extremely discouraged. His opponent kept causing him trouble, yet he couldn't even catch a glimpse of him. Qi Qi also felt helpless. If he appeared, she could simply fight back. Whether she could win or not, it was better than being tortured like this.

After finishing the book, the two were greatly disappointed; it contained very little profound knowledge. It did record many strange and unusual events, but none of them were helpful.

Because it was late, Qiqi stayed at Xiaojiejie's place. Li Mingsheng and Lin Feng were moved to the living room.

In the living room late at night, Li Mingsheng and Lin Feng were still discussing this matter. But no matter how hard they racked their brains, they couldn't come up with a solution. Eventually, they fell asleep without realizing it.

In the middle of the night, Lin Feng suddenly felt a chill. He shrank back and pulled the blanket tighter around himself. Glancing unintentionally out the window, he discovered a pair of eyes watching him.

Meanwhile, Qiqi, dressed in her pajamas, rushed out of the bedroom, clearly unaware of why she already knew someone was outside the window.

This time, the person outside the window hadn't left; the darkness concealed him, leaving only an outline. But his eyes shone exceptionally bright, gleaming with a green light. The light seemed to possess a strange rhythm, flickering on and off.

Kiki said to the shadow outside the window, "I knew you were here. We are the same kind of people!"

The man didn't answer, and continued to look at Qiqi in the living room.

Qiqi then said, "Since you're here, why don't you come in and sit down?"

The man suddenly chuckled, then his body rose abruptly and disappeared out the window.

When Lin Feng and Qi Qi opened the window and looked outside, the person had already disappeared, and only the fierce wind and snow continued to rage outside.

This commotion kept everyone awake, and they sat dumbfounded in the living room with the lights on. They knew that further discussion would be pointless. Meanwhile, Lin Feng and Qi Qi had observed him from outside the window and noticed that he was simply crouching quietly beside it, holding onto nothing.

They sat there until dawn, but Lin Feng and Li Mingsheng couldn't resist the sleepiness and fell asleep. When they woke up, Qiqi and Xiao Jiejie were already gone. Breakfast was naturally left on the coffee table.

Lin Feng ate something and went back to sleep, while Li Mingsheng quickly ate a little and rushed to work at the bureau.

Volume 3, Ghostly Tales, Chapter 15: Illusion (4)

The lack of sleep directly resulted in Lin Feng's dark circles under his eyes. Surprisingly, however, Lin Feng's mind became remarkably clear. First, he considered that this person must be hiding in the school. But with thousands of teachers and students, finding this person was a real problem. Secondly, this person knew a lot about his recent affairs, because the incidents involving Liu Shenghu and Zhao Long were all orchestrated by this person. Thinking of this, Lin Feng slapped his forehead—he had an idea! Why not look for Xiao Xue?

The events of the past two days had left him no time to think; he hadn't even considered these most obvious things. After cursing himself countless times for being an idiot, he finally arrived at the school's boys' dormitory.

But standing in front of the boys' dormitory, he was dumbfounded. The entire building was shrouded in a thick, eerie atmosphere. This was just too much! It was broad daylight! Lin Feng simply couldn't stand this guy making such a perfectly good building feel ghostly in broad daylight.

The students coming and going didn't seem to notice anything amiss, except that the weather seemed unusually cold today.

Lin Feng, who gasped in shock, immediately thought that Zhao Long was in grave danger, and he quickly and secretly took out the talisman on his body and held it in his hand.

He cautiously entered the boys' dormitory and was shocked to find everything stained crimson. Those passing by or entering seemed oblivious, leading him to believe he was seeing things. The visual chaos greatly disturbed his peace of mind; he wasn't sure if others could see it either.

He walked over to a student who was coming towards him and said, "Hello!"

The man walked past him as if he hadn't seen him at all. Lin Feng was shocked. What was going on? Did he not see him at all?

He shook his head in confusion, and just as he was about to head to Zhao Long's dormitory, a figure appeared before him and exclaimed, "Teacher Lin, what brings you here?"

When Lin Feng saw it was Xiaoxue, he quickly said, "Xiaoxue, what's wrong? Why are you out here in broad daylight?"

"Didn't you see how much yin energy is here? You wouldn't be in any trouble even during the day!" Xiaoxue said again. "Are you practicing a new spell?" Xiaoxue's tone was quite excited. To her, Lin Feng was a mysterious and kind-hearted guy.

"What kind of spells do I practice?" Lin Feng asked curiously. "How did you figure that out?"

"Huh?" Xiaoxue exclaimed again, "Then how did your soul leave your body?"

"What?" Lin Feng quickly looked around. Although he was an ordinary person, this was the first time he had experienced an out-of-body experience, so much so that he didn't even notice it in his panic.

But then he realized something was wrong. After a brief moment of panic, he quickly calmed down. He knew things weren't so simple; his soul had left his body without his knowledge, which was utterly unbelievable. His first thought was that of the demon's descendant, but having known Kiki for so long, he'd never heard her mention anything about such things. So he couldn't be sure who had done it, but what was even more dangerous was that if he couldn't return to his body within 12 hours, he would never be able to go back, forever adrift between life and death, a wandering ghost.

Lin Feng looked around warily and asked Xiao Xue, "When was this yin energy generated?"

Xiaoxue tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, "It was probably around 12 o'clock last night!"

Lin Feng stretched out his right hand, and "Crimson Fire" shot out like a serpent, flickering erratically. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, the Spirit Body Sword was still usable, and now it was his biggest bargaining chip for escaping his predicament.

Xiaoxue took a few steps back in fear. She felt the powerful force of the spirit sword and was afraid that she would be hurt if she accidentally touched it.

Suddenly, everything around us turned dark, as if day had turned into night in an instant.

A series of clapping sounds echoed from the depths of the darkness, and a voice said, "Not bad, not bad, your ability is truly astonishing!"

Lin Feng asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

A figure appeared in the darkness, surrounded by a faint green light, its face looking sinister and terrifying in the green glow. This person was none other than Liu Hong, Zhao Long's roommate.

Lin Feng said in disbelief, "It's you?"

Liu Hong smiled dismissively and said, "Why can't it be me?"

Lin Feng said, "So you're a descendant of the devil?"

Liu Hong chuckled again and said, "Of course, we're the same kind! I've been looking for you for so long!"

Lin Feng opened his mouth wide, and after a long while, he laughed and said, "I think you've got it wrong. I'm a completely normal person, although I have some abilities that are a little stronger than normal!"

Liu Hong exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? Didn't you take out your own heart?"

Lin Feng spat and said, "I'm not as twisted as you. Why would I take out my own heart?"

By this time, he had fully understood the whole story.

Liu Hong gently sliced open his chest, pulled out his bloodied heart, and said, "Although I took it out, I kept it. With it, I can act like a normal person and not be discovered by someone like you. But you're not one of my kind, yet you possess such great power, which greatly surprises me!" He paused, then added, "But that woman, I think she must be a descendant of the devil!"

Lin Feng said, "So, you're saying you were the one who caused all of this?"

Liu Hong said, "Of course, from the very beginning I deliberately guided Zhao Long's subconscious to find that book. Sure enough, he lived up to my expectations and used a little bit of the Taoist magic in it out of curiosity. But I helped him a little. Otherwise, do you think he could plant Yin energy in someone else's body after just learning it?"

Lin Feng said, "So, Liu Shenghu's death and the things on Zhao Long were all your doing? And were you the one who followed me twice, and the one who appeared at my window that night?"

Liu Hong nodded and said, "It's me. I always thought you were a descendant of the devil, so I wanted to test you. Every time, I could feel your extraordinary energy. I didn't expect I was wrong. The last time I saw you through your window, I was sure that the woman was a descendant of the devil. I thought there were two of them, and I was really happy. I didn't expect that she was you. What a pity!"

Lin Feng said, "I have no regrets. I feel great to have found you. At least I'm happy to have fought with you!" As he spoke, he brandished the spirit sword in his hand.

Liu Hong laughed out loud and said, "You think you can hurt me with what you have? That thing of yours is useless against any physical object. As long as I return to my body, you can't do anything to me. Besides, not only is my physique different from yours, but I don't think my Taoist skills are any worse than yours!"

Lin Feng smiled slightly and said, "So confident?"

Liu Hong shrugged, giving him a "why don't you give it a try" look.

Volume 3, Ghostly Chapter 16, Illusion (5)

The "Crimson Flame" in Lin Feng's hand gleamed with a dark red, fierce light, as if preparing to attack. But suddenly, the surrounding environment changed, and Liu Hong's loud laughter rang out: "I rule my own world! Every descendant of the demon race has a different power. You're wrong to think I'm the same as Qiqi. Now, slowly experience my world. I hope you don't fall too soon and disappoint me!"

Xiaoxue had disappeared sometime ago, and Liu Hong's loud laughter vanished into the boundless darkness.

Lin Feng was at a loss, the fear lurking in the darkness slowly eroding his confidence. Anyone would be helpless against such an insurmountable opponent, including Lin Feng.

He carefully sensed everything around him, then suddenly flung his hand, throwing the talisman he was holding. The talisman emitted a faint flame upon contact with the boundless yin energy in the air.

Lin Feng quickly used the faint light to assess the surrounding situation. The flame of the talisman went out quickly, but unexpectedly, the entire space suddenly lit up.

Lin Feng stared in astonishment at everything, the surrounding air still thick with that bone-chilling coldness of the Yin energy. The entire school building had an eerie feel to it, and Lin Feng stood there dumbfounded, staring at the empty building. Where had everyone gone? It was broad daylight; how could such a thing happen?

He walked very carefully inside. The door to a dormitory room next to the corridor was ajar. Inside, a student was slumped over a computer desk; the computer was still running, emitting a faint electrical hum. The student on the bed had his eyes tightly closed, the book in his hand had been thrown to the floor, and he was fast asleep with his head tilted to one side.

Lin Feng walked over and checked their breathing. They were just unconscious and hadn't suffered any harm. This put his mind at ease.

He left his dormitory and headed towards Liu Hong's dormitory.

He was immediately hit by a strong stench of blood upon reaching the door. He pushed it open, and the entire dormitory floor was covered in a shocking crimson stain. He froze; the blood was flowing from Zhao Long's body. Zhao Long's face was a gruesome mess, the skin completely peeled away. He could vaguely make out two black holes for eyes and a slit of flesh for a mouth. Blood continued to drip from other parts of his body, drop by drop onto the floor. That slow, menacing figure seemed like a death knell, relentlessly pounding on Lin Feng's taut nerves.

He glanced around; Liu Hong wasn't in bed. Wang Feng was fast asleep, leaning against the bed. He walked over and gently nudged Wang Feng, but Wang Feng didn't react. He knew everyone in this school building had been hypnotized by Liu Hong, and into a very deep sleep. Forcing them awake might turn them into idiots.

Suddenly, the door behind him slammed shut with a "bang." By the time Lin Feng realized it, it was too late. He ran to the door and pulled hard on the doorknob. But the door seemed to be welded shut, and it wouldn't budge.

Just then, an extremely unpleasant sound came from behind, and someone grabbed his neck from behind. The hand that grabbed his neck was sticky, and some kind of liquid was flowing down the man's hand and into his neck.

He struggled violently, breaking free of the hand, and turned his head to find that the person who had grabbed him was none other than the already rotting Zhao Long.

The muscles on Zhao Long's face, which had lost its features, were clearly visible. He had no eyes, so it was unclear how he found Lin Feng's location and how he accurately attacked Lin Feng's vital points.

At that moment, Zhao Long swiftly extended his skinless hand, covered in rotting muscle, and grabbed Lin Feng's neck again. Lin Feng could hardly believe it; he clearly saw the hand reaching for him, yet he couldn't dodge it when he tried.

The hand, covered in rotting muscle, gripped Lin Feng's neck and immediately tightened its hold. The wet, sticky sensation sank deeper and deeper into Lin Feng's neck.

In the midst of the crisis, Lin Feng saw the talisman he had pasted at the foot of Zhao Long's bed yesterday. He endured the pain, grabbed the talisman, and slapped it onto Zhao Long's forehead.

With a soft "pop," Zhao Long quickly withdrew his arm and pressed it to his forehead. The talisman didn't seem to be very effective, but it still caused him some damage.

Lin Feng, clutching his neck which was almost snapped, rolled over and escaped from Zhao Long's reach.

Zhao Long removed his hand from his forehead, leaving long, glistening lines of flesh and slime on his hand.

The cramped dormitory room made Lin Feng feel like he had nowhere to escape. He quickly scanned the room; his last hope for escape lay with that window.

Zhao Long slowly approached, while Lin Feng moved towards the window. Suddenly, he turned around, stepped onto the table, and slammed his head against the window with all his might. If he were to crash through the window, he would inevitably be covered in blood from the shards of glass, but that was better than being crushed to death like a chick by this inhuman monster. Besides, once he was out the window, he would be out of this eerie dormitory building.

With a loud crash, Lin Feng slammed heavily against the window. Instead of the expected result, he was bounced back. Lin Feng immediately realized there were safety railings outside. Although he had shattered the glass, he had forgotten about the railings. The impact left Lin Feng dizzy, disoriented, and in pain all over.

He cursed under his breath, feeling remorse for his elementary mistake, which might cost him his life.

Just then, he suddenly heard the door open with a "click," and Xiaoxue's anxious voice came from outside: "Teacher Lin, come out quickly!" It was like a windfall; he was saved from a very dangerous situation.

Ignoring the pain in his body, Lin Feng darted past Zhao Long and leaped towards the door.

Lin Feng, who had fallen to the ground, rolled a few times before standing up, only to be stunned by what he saw.

He was still in the dormitory, where Zhao Long was still lying on the bed, dripping blood. Wang Feng was still lying diagonally on the bed, unchanged from when he first came in.

Lin Feng turned around and looked behind him, only to find that the corridor was right behind him. Good heavens, what had he done? Had he lost his mind?

Lin Feng turned and ran out of the dormitory again. But when he passed through that door, he found that the situation inside was exactly the same as what he had just seen. What was going on?

He turned his head and saw that the dormitory corridor was behind him.

"Damn it, you can't be kidding me!" Before Lin Feng could react, Zhao Long from the dormitory charged at him again, his hand covered in bits of flesh and rotten tendons. He had no choice but to turn back once more, but the situation remained unchanged. Stepping out the door, he was back in the same dormitory, only this time Zhao Long hadn't attacked him yet.

Volume 3, Ghostly Tales, Chapter 17: Illusion (6)

An attack was inevitable, but staying here for the time being was relatively safe. This temporary safety allowed Lin Feng to calm down and think things through.

He rubbed his shoulder, which had been sore from the impact, and suddenly wondered if he, as a soul, would feel pain if he bumped into a window? Of course, he had no such experience.

This realization lifted his spirits. Perhaps he wasn't existing as a soul, but rather that he was actually here, simply under Liu Hong's hypnosis. But how could he return to reality? He pondered Liu Hong's actions from his first appearance until now. Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind, and a question arose.

In the darkness, Liu Hong pulled out his bleeding heart, and that scene replayed before his eyes. It was a mistake; when Qiqi cut open her chest, there was no heart inside. Right, Liu Hong must have read that book too, hence the preconceived notion that the descendants of demons also had hearts. In reality, demons don't have hearts—he hadn't anticipated that. He was completely trapped in his scheme, but how could he find a way out?

Thinking about how he had just bumped into the window, the pain made him think of many things. That's it! He would use his most basic sense of pain to stimulate himself, to escape this hypnotized world.

A sudden thought made Lin Feng extremely nervous. He was unsure whether his deduction was correct.

Lin Feng removed a shard of glass from his wound and plunged it into his fingertip. As the saying goes, "the ten fingers are connected to the heart," so the pain was naturally intense. Enduring the pain, Lin Feng used his fingertip blood to draw a Bagua (eight trigrams) on the ground. He placed the glass shard in the center of the Bagua and pressed his palm down hard. The glass shard pierced his palm, and blood quickly flowed from his palm.