Зал астрологии с плотью и кровью

Глава 117

Let's go, this place is weird! Although he didn't want his girlfriend to think he was a coward, Xiao Xie still agreed with Xiao Ning's suggestion.

"You guys are so boring!" Lingling pouted, about to say something more, when suddenly a series of hurried footsteps came from the depths of the cave.

Who...who is it? Xiao Ning hid behind Lingling in fear.

Don't be afraid! Lingling patted Xiaoning's hand.

A figure gradually appeared in the distance, seemingly walking in a hurry. After a moment, it became clear that it was a boy in a black school uniform.

"Hey classmates, it's great to see you all! Can you do me a favor?" The pale-faced boy asked Lingling and the other two anxiously.

"What's wrong? Who are you? What are you doing here?" Lingling asked, shielding Xiaoning behind her.

"Classmate, can you help me? There must be a trap on that wall! Some of my friends got eaten by that wall!" The boy reached out and grabbed Lingling's hand.

Instantly, a bone-chilling coldness spread from Lingling's palms to her entire body, as if she had been pricked by ice needles.

"Let her go!" Xiao Xie's voice suddenly rose an octave, startling everyone else. The boy actually let go of Lingling's hand.

"What are you doing? Why are you shouting so loudly?" Xiao Ning glared at Xiao Xie with a hint of complaint.

Hmm... Hmm... Xiao Xie's face had turned as pale as snow, perhaps because of the cold, and her lips seemed to be trembling. She said, "You... you go find the teacher. The teacher is behind us!"

What did you say? What...? Just as he was about to question Xiao Xie, Xiao Xie suddenly pushed him aside and stood in front of the two girls. Then she turned around, and from this angle, the boy in the black school uniform could not see Xiao Xie's face.

"Isn't that Teacher Wang who came with us?" Xiao Xie said, while winking at the two girls.

"Hmm...yes!" Although she didn't know why he lied, Xiao Ning still agreed with Xiao Xie.

"Oh, there's a teacher here? That's great, I'll go find him for help right away!" The boy in the black school uniform actually smiled, thanked them, and quickly walked past the three of them, disappearing from sight in a moment.

"Hey, why are you lying?" Lingling asked after the boy had disappeared.

At this moment, Xiao Xie seemed to have just finished some strenuous exercise, and swallowed hard, his head covered in sweat. He then looked at the two of them and asked, "Did you... did you notice the puddles on the ground just now?"

"Of course not, why?" Lingling asked.

"Just now... just now... that boy didn't... didn't have a reflection!" Xiao Xie said slowly.

No...no way! Xiao Ning immediately threw herself into Xiao Xie's arms, trembling all over! For those familiar with ghost stories, they naturally know what the absence of a reflection means.

"You...did you see clearly?" Lingling was a little incredulous, but when she recalled the feeling of the boy in the black school uniform grabbing her hand, she immediately felt her scalp tingle. That coldness was definitely not just the feeling of touching ice; it was as if she had touched something unclean!

There's absolutely no mistake. He was standing right next to that puddle; there should be a reflection of him! Xiao Xie insisted, "Let's go back first!"

But he just walked in the direction he went back! Xiao Ning said.

No...it's okay. If he really is a ghost, he won't go out! Lingling seemed to have lost interest in continuing the adventure.

How did you know? Xiao Ning asked.

Because he just asked us to help him find someone, right? Ghosts with such strong attachments usually don't leave the place where they want to fulfill their wishes. Lingling said, "So even if we walk in the same direction as him now, we might not run into him again!"

"Then... let's get out of here quickly!" Although Xiao Ning wasn't sure if the boy was a ghost, she preferred to believe Xiao Xie and leave. Besides, this place really made her feel very uncomfortable, as if something was stealing from her! It also felt like she wasn't wearing any clothes, a feeling of being completely naked.

After saying that, the three of them immediately turned around and walked back the way they came in, but they did not notice that the pools of water behind them suddenly rippled, and after the ripples subsided, something seemed to rise from the surface of the water.

"Why...why haven't we reached the entrance yet?" Xiao Ning asked, her voice trembling with tears.

"We've only been walking for a short while, haven't we? Where's the entrance?" Xiao Xie asked Lingling anxiously. The three of them had been walking for quite some time. They had come in through a straight passage with no forks in the road; they should have been able to get back to the entrance by simply continuing forward. Why weren't they there yet? The dim lighting couldn't illuminate the path any further ahead; it seemed as if there was only endless darkness ahead.

The three of them grew increasingly anxious as they walked, and after a while, Xiao Ning suddenly burst into tears: "I want...I want to go back!"

Don't cry, we'll definitely get out of here! Xiao Xie quickly hugged Xiao Ning, but wasn't she thinking the same thing herself?

Could it be... could it be a case of being trapped in a ghost's maze? Lingling didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Although she had written many ghost stories, she had never believed in them. She never imagined... she would actually encounter a ghost!

Ghosts...a ghost wall? Xiao Ning trembled even more violently. This meant that the three of them would never get out; were they going to be trapped and die in this air-raid shelter?

No...no, someone will find out we're not in the dorm this morning. Maybe someone will come looking for us right away! Xiao Xie comforted Xiao Ning.

How did they know we'd come here? Nobody comes here! Lingling said anxiously.

"I...I did say something...!" Xiao Ning said timidly, "But I only left a note for my roommate Juanzi! I don't know when she'll notice it."

"Doesn't that mean there's still hope?" Xiao Xie said with a forced smile.

"Hopefully!" Lingling sighed and stopped, saying, "Let's stop and rest for a while. Since we know it's a maze, there's no point in going any further."

Hmm... okay! Xiao Ning nodded, hugged Xiao Xie and leaned against the wall. The air around them seemed to be more humid and cold than before, and there was a strange smell, like something moldy, which made the three of them feel a bit pungent.

What's that smell? Xiao Ning covered her nose. The smell was getting stronger and stronger, as if the source of the smell was nearby.

What... what is that? Xiao Xie looked into the distance. There seemed to be something white there, but he hadn't noticed anything when they stopped. How did it appear in such a short time?

"Shall we go take a look?" Lingling saw it too, took a few steps, and then looked back at her two companions.

Can we not go? Xiao Ning would rather stay where she is.

Maybe it's the exit? Lingling glanced in that direction again. She didn't want to rely on others to find it, and she didn't know if Juanzi would notice the note.

"Xiao Ning, are you staying here?" Xiao Xie asked.

No, I want to go with you! Xiao Ning immediately grabbed Xiao Xie tightly. Although so far it was just a maze and they hadn't encountered anything else, Xiao Ning was still unwilling to stay alone.

So the three of them slowly walked forward and actually discovered an exit! No, it should be said that it was another dark entrance. On one side of the straight passage that had previously been empty, a fork suddenly appeared, leading to an even darker entrance. What surprised the three of them even more was that the white thing was actually a long plaque-like object, hanging at the entrance, seemingly an explanation sign indicating what the entrance was for. Unfortunately, it was very old, and the mottled dark red paint on it was no longer legible. Only green moss-like plants clung to it, making it look like a strange symbolic diagram composed of dark red and pale green.

Volume 3, Hell's Delicacies, Chapter 63: Choice

Volume 3, Hell's Delicacies, Chapter 63: Choice

The early summer sun was as red and dazzling as fresh blood. Perhaps because I hadn't slept all night, my eyes were aching and swollen, making me restless as I kept staring at my phone.

"Are you tired?" Fang Lei asked, looking at me.

"Oh no, haha, we're almost at school. I should go back and get some sleep." I had just finished speaking when the taxi arrived at the school gate, but my wish to rest was interrupted by Juanzi rushing over.

"Lin Xiao, something bad has happened! Something bad has happened!" Juanzi shouted before she even got to me.

What? Could it be that the body in the archives has been discovered? But this seems to be within my expectations. The last position in the Big Dipper constellation—is this the end of everything? "There's been a death in the archives!" Juanzi exclaimed.

"What happened?" I tried to feign surprise. "No, I don't know. I only know it was two students, but the police have blocked the news about who they are." Juanzi anxiously pulled a note from her pocket and said, "But I found out that my roommate Xiaoning left a note saying she went to the air-raid shelter and hasn't come back yet. I'm worried..."

"What? We went to the air-raid shelter?" Fang Lei and I asked in surprise at the same time. Oh no! I realized then that we had forgotten to lock the air-raid shelter door again when we left last night. Although I didn't know if the person in the archives was the Xiao Ning that Juanzi was talking about, this air-raid shelter was absolutely forbidden. The accumulated resentment there was too heavy, and besides, there was a persistent ghost inside who still believed he wasn't dead and was still looking for my help! Who knew when he would realize that he was already dead?

"Not yet," Juanzi shook the door.

"Let's go take a look first." I took Fang Lei's hand, and Juanzi and I immediately ran towards the school's air-raid shelter.

Before we even reached the entrance of the air-raid shelter, we saw that police were already stationed there, and yellow police tape had been put up. Oh no! Had another murder occurred there? But there was nothing unusual when we left last night. Could it be that something happened to Juanzi's friend, Xiaoning? Thinking this, I turned to look at Juanzi, who looked anxious. She seemed to have a premonition as well.

Perhaps it was still early, or perhaps there had been too many murders at the school recently, so most students avoided the area. Therefore, there weren't many people watching outside the police cordon. From a distance, I seemed to see two people surrounded by several police officers. They appeared to be a man and a woman, both wrapped in blankets.

"Xiao Ning, Xiao Xie, Juanzi suddenly called out to the man and woman. The boy seemed to tremble all over, then looked at us blankly, opened his mouth but didn't say anything. The girl seemed to be in a bad state. Her eyes were blank and unfocused, as if she had a mental breakdown. And... there seemed to be bloodstains on her face and hands, as dazzling as the rising sun."

The smell of blood in the air... made me unconsciously frown.

"Xiao Ning, Xiao Ning, what's wrong?" Juanzi anxiously tried to rush across the police line, but was stopped by a policeman. Juanzi's cries seemed to attract the attention of a police officer in charge. His dark face and unusually sharp eyes made him look like a seasoned veteran. "Hello, I'm Jin Min, the newly appointed captain of the police team in charge of this school murder case. Do you know them?" Jin Min asked Juanzi, pointing to the boy and girl students, but his eyes glanced at me meaningfully.

"She's my roommate Ning Yuanyuan, and that guy is her boyfriend Xie Dong. I'm Juanzi. What happened between them?" Juanzi asked anxiously.

“You’ll have to ask them.” Jin Min seemed to sigh, then suddenly turned to me and asked, “Would you be interested in examining a body for us? Our forensic doctor seems to be held up by something.”

He knows who I am? But then I think about it, and it seems quite simple. I've been involved in these cases quite a lot, so it's perfectly normal for the police to recognize me.

"Heh, I didn't expect to be this famous." I chuckled self-deprecatingly and asked, "Is this in accordance with the rules?"

"Rules are made by people!" Jin Min didn't seem to mind at all, and I smiled nonchalantly, pointing to Fang Lei beside me, and said, "This is my girlfriend, but she's in the same industry as me. Can she come along?"

"Oh?" Jin Min didn't seem to have expected Fang Lei's appearance, but he still nodded in agreement.

"Can I go check on Xiao Ning?" Juanzi glanced at Ning Yuanyuan not far away, seemingly very worried.

"She can't see anyone yet; we need to take them to the police station to give statements," Jin Min said apologetically.

"But..." Juanzi tried her best to argue, but seeing Jin Min's serious expression, she had no choice but to give up.

As Jin Min walked towards the air-raid shelter, passing by Ning Yuanyuan and Xie Dong, I paid special attention to their soul fluctuations. Xie Dong's soul fluctuations seemed extremely unstable, as if he had just experienced something stimulating that made him unable to settle down. But this was nothing to worry about; it would calm down after a while. What worried me was Ning Yuanyuan's soul fluctuations. They seemed to have stopped, yet there was a sense of undercurrents, as if a monstrous storm was brewing beneath the calm surface, ready to erupt at any moment. Such fluctuations would cause severe damage not only to the soul but also to the body; it might even lead to dementia.

Forget it, don't think about it! I shook my head to myself. It seems that after last night's encounter with the Gate of Hell, my perception of soul fluctuations has become more acute. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

As you enter the air-raid shelter, the light is instantly swallowed by darkness. All the way in, there are signs standing on the ground. These signs not only clearly indicate the blood, but also make it easy to see the direction of the bloodstains. At the end of these signs is the source of the bloodstains: a female corpse with her head covered in blood.

The deceased was a woman. Beneath her short, flamboyant hair should have been a youthful and beautiful face, but now, her eyes were wide open, staring coldly ahead, seemingly filled with terror and disbelief. Congealed blood covered her mangled head; the bleeding had long since stopped.

But in my eyes, I saw something writhing on the blood clot, like a dark shadow, or perhaps nothing at all. As the shadow writhed, something seemed to flicker in the pupils of the deceased's eyes.

What is it? I took a step closer and discovered... it was the deceased. She was screaming in terror, desperately banging on something, as if trying to break free from the cage of her pupils.

What's going on? Is it the ghost of the deceased? They're already dead, how can they appear? But when I looked more closely, there was nothing in the deceased's pupils. I tried to sense the surrounding soul fluctuations, but there was nothing unusual.

"So? What are your thoughts?" Jin Min asked me.

Although I was extremely reluctant to touch the corpse, my professional ethics made me squat down and ask Jin Min behind me, "Do you have gloves?"

Jin Min immediately handed me a pair of gloves. After putting them on, I turned the body over and examined the part that was in contact with the ground. I also touched the exposed skin, and it wasn't cold to the touch; it still had a little warmth, so it seemed that the time of death was not long.

"No lividity, body temperature still warm, estimated time of death no more than two or three hours ago. What an incredibly fresh corpse!" I joked casually, but Jin Min gave me a look that said, "You have no heart," so I had no choice but to shut up.

"Is that all the conclusion you've reached?" Jin Min pressed.

"There were no other external injuries, so the preliminary cause of death is determined to be brain damage and massive bleeding caused by a violent blow to the head. As for further details, I don't have any tools on hand; an autopsy will be necessary." I looked down at the body again, then at the blood-stained hammer lying beside it, and said, "If there are no surprises, this hammer should be the murder weapon. However..."

I turned to look at Jin Min, hesitating to speak.

“Say whatever you want,” Jin Min said.

“I was afraid that what I said might be my subjective assumption, or it might affect your thinking in solving the case. However, what I want to say is that, in my opinion, this case was committed by that girl, and it shouldn't have been a premeditated murder.” “Oh? How so?” Jin Min looked at me with interest.

I explained, “First, judging from the bloodstains on the ground and the position of the deceased, it seems the murderer accidentally struck the victim's head from behind. But for an ordinary person, the head injury should be on the right side, but here? The fatal wound is on the left! I wonder, who would strike like that?” As I spoke, I gestured, “For an ordinary person, especially a right-handed person, it would be more convenient to strike from the right, so why would they strike from the left?”

"So, the murderer must be left-handed?" Jin Min immediately understood what I meant.

“That’s right, and judging from the bloodstains on the hammer handle, it should have been held in the left hand,” I said.

"Then how do you know that Ning Yuanyuan is left-handed?" Fang Lei interjected.

"because……"

"Because of her left hand, which was holding the blanket wrapped around her body, right?" Kim Min interrupted my answer.

"Yes." I nodded. I noticed when I passed by Ning Yuanyuan earlier that even in her confused state, she still subconsciously pulled the blanket on her body with her left hand.

"Then how do you know she didn't do it on purpose? Maybe she discovered that her boyfriend and the deceased were doing something behind her back, which is why she wanted to kill him?" Fang Lei said from a woman's perspective.

"Probably not. If that were the case, why use this hammer as the murder weapon? It looks too old. If it was premeditated, why would someone be so distraught after committing the crime? Why not even dispose of the murder weapon? It looks like an impulsive crime. Besides, didn't Juanzi say she brought us here because she saw the note Ning Yuanyuan left saying we were going to the air-raid shelter for adventure? Who would be so stupid as to tell others where they're going to commit murder when they're about to do so?" I said.