The World Below Surface

[Hey, somebody copy pasted my translations on another site! Please show some love by liking my work on https://puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon. Without it, I may think that nobody is reading my work and consider abandoning it, which means you won't be able to find it anywhere else.] As the car accelerated, the darkness outside the window appeared impenetrable, like a shroud draped over the world. They left the explosion site behind, watching as it slowly shrank into the distance. The bowls they had abandoned earlier were nowhere to be seen, presumably obliterated in the blast.

Chu Xiu remained unconscious, and the discomfort of the situation made it difficult to switch drivers. Lu Yan struggled to navigate the steering wheel with one hand while using the other to release Chu Xiu's seat belt. Nie Yun Zhen helped by dragging him to the back seat.

As they drove down the highway, they graduated from copilots to drivers.

Only when they once again caught sight of the city lights ahead of them did Lu Yan respond to Nie Yun Zhen's query. "About your previous question, I saw a reflection."

"A reflection?"

"Yes. Four identical cars collided at the intersection simultaneously. Do you think that's possible?"

"If it's a ghost, then it's definitely possible," Nie Yun Zhen mused, pondering the supernatural being's ability to manipulate time and space.

Ghosts possessed the capability to do anything, from teleportation to reversing time. Their curses were equally formidable, and you could not evade them no matter where you fled. They had no way of eradicating ghosts aside from complying with the mission's regulations.

"I made a gamble," said Lu Yan, settling into the driver's seat. He didn't bother to buckle his seat belt, and his face was cold and stern against the night sky. He looked at Nie Yun Zhen in the rearview mirror and spoke gravely. "The headlights were blinding, but I could still make out some details. The car coming from the left at the intersection had a reflection on its window, while the one on the right did not. The car heading straight towards us also had a reflection. And when I turned to help Chu Xiu, I saw the reflection of the car behind us on the rear windshield."

In horror stories, ghosts and supernatural entities are often visible on reflective surfaces like mirrors. The fact that the car on the left wasn't reflected by the car opposite made Lu Yan wonder if it was an illusion. Based on what he had seen at that moment, he decided to take a gamble. And it paid off.

But even as Lu Yan spoke, Nie Yun Zhen still felt like something was off. "If that's the case," he said, "why didn't you turn left?"

The car on the left was fake, so logically, turning left should not have caused any damage. Lu Yan elucidated, "But I can't be certain what would happen if we touched an illusion."

In reality, Lu Yan had been preparing for the worst for some time. As the front passenger on the right-hand side, he had positioned himself closer to the ghost car when turning right, bringing him closer to where Chu Xiu was unconscious on the left. He had even prepared to jump out of the car or push Chu Xiu out if something went wrong. But thankfully, nothing abnormal occurred, and Chu Xiu remained under his control for the time being.

Nie Yun Zhen quickly understood the situation. "Colliding with an illusion might have consequences. It's better to deal with something tangible."

Invisible supernatural phenomena were always more terrifying than visible ones. Shi Yan listened in on their conversation and whispered, "What about Chu Xiu? He passed out and doesn't know what's going on."

Even Nie Yun Zhen felt a hint of distress. "Let's get him back first, but..." He leaned in and whispered something to Shi Yan, causing her to hesitate before nodding in agreement.

Still in the back seat, Chu Xiu looked pale and had shallow breathing. It was as though he was trapped in an endless nightmare.

**

They drove onward until they sighted the familiar main road and city lights in the distance, and only then did Chu Xiu breathe a sigh of relief.

The temperature within the car continually plummeted. Despite cranking the heat up to the maximum, the cheerful faces of the other three in the rearview mirror appeared particularly sombre beneath the flashing lights. As soon as he turned around, the seats were once again unoccupied.

However, Chu Xiu feigned ignorance and conversed with them as if everything was normal. Although their dialogues were exceedingly odd, Chu Xiu still acted as though he knew nothing, trying to seek an opportunity to escape.

But what frightened him was that the car door seemed jammed and refused to open, no matter how hard he tried.

"Lu Yan," seated in the front passenger seat, had lost his patience. He sat upright and faced forward, but his eyes gradually widened. Then, a pair of lifeless, black eyeballs gradually swivelled leftward, locking onto Chu Xiu.

In the mirror, his pupils grew increasingly askew, as though they might tumble out...no, they truly did drop out and clattered onto the ground. One of them chanced to roll to the underside of Chu Xiu's foot as he placed it down.

He stepped on it without warning, and his entire body stiffened in response.

"Do you... see my... eyes?" The man in the passenger seat opened his mouth, revealing a set of white teeth. "I'm... so hungry..."

A voice from the back seat echoed the man's words. "I'm... so hungry..."

Chu Xiu attempted to speak, but his gaze shot upward before he could, and he suddenly collapsed.

He caught a glimpse of his headless body on the driver's seat, with a gush of fresh blood spurting from his broken neck. The surrounding objects appeared to grow larger... no, his head had shrunk, rolling to the ground. A familiar shoe stepped on it the next second.

He then realised that he had stepped on his shrunken head, not an eyeball.

"Chu-ge, wake up," someone murmured. Chu Xiu detected someone shaking him.

He opened his eyes and saw Shi Yan's concerned expression. When she saw that he had awoken, her worry dissipated, replaced by relief. "You're finally awake."

Chu Xiu sat up and surveyed his surroundings. He remained inside the car, with Lu Yan at the wheel. Nie Yun Zhen, Shi Yan, and he were seated in the back, all looking concerned.

His memories were still stuck in the illusion he had just experienced. He touched his neck to ensure it was still there and thanked Lu Yan before urgently inquiring about Nie Yun Zhen, "What happened to me just now?"

Nie Yun Zhen responded, "You became motionless all of a sudden, your eyes open, facing sideways. Fortunately, Lu Yan was seated next to you, so we avoided a car accident."

Chu Xiu noted the time and realised that nearly an hour had elapsed since they departed the crossroads. Could it be that he had emerged from that illusion after dying? Could it be that straightforward?

"Did something else occur just now?" Chu Xiu inquired.

Nie Yun Zhen nodded, "Yes, but it's been resolved." He then recounted the events that took place at the intersection. After Chu Xiu finished listening, he felt that something was amiss. He knew the illusion was on the left, so why did they turn right? Was it because of what he had said that they were afraid of encountering something even more peculiar if they collided with the illusion?

Chu Xiu compared his and Lu Yan's positions and instantly comprehended the truth. He gritted his teeth but still remained silent, muttering a thank you.

Could he still care about this matter if he was still alive?

Lu Yan didn't even glance back, he simply drove on without acknowledging Chu Xiu's thanks. The streets were empty at this point, with even the lights dimming.

"Speaking of which, we were incredibly lucky this time. Despite the complications, we managed to escape unscathed," Nie Yun Zhen sighed. "I hope the upcoming tasks will be just as smooth."

Shi Yan spoke up, "It's just too bad about Little Ye..."

"A dead man cannot return to life. Let it go," Nie Yun Zhen consoled her. "No one can guarantee that they will always be alive."

"You're right."

Chu Xiu looked out the window at the unfamiliar street and asked with some confusion, "Did we change hotels?"

"Yes, while you were unconscious, I received news that a murder took place at the hotel we were previously staying at. Therefore, we had to relocate," Nie Yun Zhen replied, pointing to his phone screen. "Here, it's a bit far."

The city centre was far from the gloomy suburbs, and the drive was long.

Speaking of which, Brother Chu, what should we do tomorrow?" Nie Yun Zhen asked, feeling bored and frustrated as he grabbed his hair.

At that moment, Lu Yan, driving in the front seat, interrupted, "What do you guys want to do again?"

Chu Xiu replied, "How about playing hide and seek tomorrow night? The location is on Yin—Ming Road."

Lu Yan sneered, "Seems like you're tired of living."

Nie Yun Zhen couldn't help but say, "It's not like we have a choice to..." He didn't finish his sentence as Shi Yan signalled for him to stop.

They were aware that taking on the mission was their only option. If they didn't, it would surely be a death sentence. Going on the task at least offered them a chance, but they kept this fact to themselves, knowing that Lu Yan, who wasn't one of the mission executors, didn't need to know.

Nie Yun Zhen shook off his distraction, feeling frustrated for almost slipping up and revealing too much. They continued to chat as they made their way to the hotel they had selected.

Lu Yan pulled up to the hotel's parking lot and parked the car, turning to face them. "I've done my part. Don't come to me for help again," he warned them.

Chu Xiu nodded in agreement, "Understood."

Although the hotel was brightly lit, it gave off an ominous vibe. As the trio stepped out of the car and walked towards the entrance, they watched as Lu Yan drove away and disappeared from sight.

Suddenly, an unexpected event occurred - a car backed up and violently collided with Shi Yan, who was at the back of the group. She was sent flying and didn't even have time to scream before hitting the ground and rolling several times before finally stopping at Chu Xiu's feet with a loud crash.

Her eyes remained open wide as a large pool of blood oozed out from under her, staining her clothes a deep shade of red.

Inside the parking lot, car sirens blared incessantly. Nie Yun Zhen hadn't even had a chance to grieve yet. When he heard the alarms and footsteps approaching from afar, along with the security guard's questioning voice, he immediately seized Chu Xiu and urged him to leave. "We need to leave quickly! If they call the police, it could cause problems."

Although the incident had nothing to do with them, it was apparent that it resulted from a supernatural occurrence. After all, how could a properly parked vehicle suddenly reverse and hit someone? But could they confide in the police about it? That would be a real dead end if they were detained and prevented from going to Yin-Ming Road at midnight tonight!

Chu Xiu also understood this, and they hastily took a detour and left. After all, the hotel's security guard had already arrived, and he would take the injured person to the hospital. If Shi Yan didn't pull through...

Chu Xiu shook his head and kept running forward.

The parking lot was in turmoil, with alarms blaring everywhere as though someone was haphazardly kicking the cars and activating security signals. To make matters worse, as they were about to exit the parking lot, some unmanned vehicles slowly started up and accelerated towards them.

"Bad news! Be careful!"

Chu Xiu and Nie Yun Zhen instantly ran in opposite directions, dodging the two cars approaching from the front and back. The two vehicles collided, and their pieces scattered all over the ground.

Why was this happening? Did they activate some kind of death flag?

"Who's in the parking lot? Stop running!" A louder roar came from a distance, and the security guard must have been infuriated. He even summoned more people to come over, and the sound of footsteps became more frequent.

Chu Xiu and Nie Yun Zhen frantically tried to escape the chaos of the parking lot, dodging cars left and right. However, they could not escape the danger and inadvertently went further into the parking lot. Eventually, they were separated as a car raced towards them. Chu Xiu was left to fend for himself and faced another car speeding towards him. He quickly made a daring move and jumped onto the roof of another vehicle to avoid being hit. The car behind him smashed into the car he was standing on, but thankfully, there was no explosion. Chu Xiu took a moment to catch his breath and assess the situation, only to find that the other cars in the parking lot still crashed uncontrollably. He couldn't locate Nie Yun Zhen, and the security guards seemed to be the targets of the out-of-control vehicles.

Just as Chu Xiu was wondering where Nie Yun Zhen could be, he heard a loud explosion and felt something hit him from behind. He was sent flying and tumbled before realizing that Nie Yun Zhen's dying body had hit him. Chu Xiu was filled with disbelief and shock. They had been on countless missions before and had never faced such danger. How could something as simple as avoiding a few cars lead to Nie Yun Zhen's death? Chu Xiu ignored his pain and wiped the blood from his forehead as he searched for a way out of the parking lot. He cautiously moved forward, avoiding any obstacles that could harm him. Suddenly, a headless corpse fell before him, and Chu Xiu was left wondering what was happening.

He thought back to the bowl for the dead he had consumed at the crossroads and wondered if it had summoned these ghosts. The body before him looked very familiar, and he realized it belonged to Shi Yan. The body was intact, but the head was missing.

He had to tread cautiously and manoeuvre around the corpse as he made his way forward. The headless body suddenly grasped his ankle as he was about to depart. Chu Xiu yanked his foot free and ran ahead without looking back. This time, he could leave smoothly, and he finally arrived at the intersection where a car was parked. The driver's window rolled down, and to his surprise, it was Lu Yan.

"Get in the car!" urged Lu Yan, and without hesitation, Chu Xiu opened the door and hopped in.

Grateful for the ride, Chu Xiu sighed in relief, but suddenly he felt a wave of nausea hit him. Was it because of that bowl of rice? The discomfort was almost unbearable.

Lu Yan, who was behind the wheel, seemed to feel the same way, judging by the grimace on his face. Observing Chu Xiu's pallid complexion, he asked, "Do you feel something's amiss too?"

Chu Xiu nodded, but before he could say anything, he leaned out the car window and violently vomited a stream of black beetles rattling as they fell to the ground and scurried forward.

To his surprise, what came out of Chu Xiu's mouth wasn't vomit but a continuous stream of black beetles with shiny black shells and red patterns, each about half the size of a finger. These were hammer beetles, also known as corpse beetles, because they preferred feeding on the corpses of humans or animals.

The thought of these creatures inside his body made Chu Xiu feel even more nauseous, causing him to continue vomiting. Once he was finished, he quickly closed the window to prevent any of the beetles from crawling back in.

After a terrifying experience, Chu Xiu finally had a chance to check on Lu Yan. "Are you okay?" he asked, his face pale as gold paper from the ordeal. Lu Yan's face was equally pale, and he covered his mouth as he dried heaved a few times. His grip on the steering wheel was unsteady, and once he handed over control to Chu Xiu, he leaned back heavily in the seat, gasping for air.

Watching Lu Yan bend over, Chu Xiu grew anxious. "Don't hold it in! It might be corpse beetles. Open the window and spit outside."

Lu Yan waved his hand dismissively. "It's not corpse worms," he said weakly as he pulled a slender white bone from his mouth. More and more followed, piling up next to his seat. Soon, the bones formed a tall stack that almost reached the seat level.

Chu Xiu's hand on the steering wheel grew cold. He realised this Lu Yan was fake, just like everything else that had happened so far. He wanted to step on the brakes, but the ground beneath the car was covered in bones. The fake Lu Yan continued spitting bones, and Chu Xiu realised he couldn't open the door.

Suddenly, the bones on the ground began to move...

**

Back at the hotel, Shi Yan and Nie Yun Zhen were extremely anxious. "What should we do? It's almost afternoon, and Brother Chu hasn't woken up yet."

They feared for their lives, knowing they might not survive without Chu Xiu's help.

After sending the three to the hotel, Lu Yan was clever enough to leave alone, but they had no idea what to do next. Nie Yun Zhen was injured and unable to accompany Chu Xiu. Chu Xiu was in lousy shape, sweating profusely with a large wound on his forehead for no apparent reason, clearly in a precarious state.

"There's no other choice," Nie Yun Zhen gasped, gripping his hair in frustration. "If he hasn't woken up by eight o'clock tonight, I'll grab some passers-by from the hotel."

It takes at least two hours by car to get to Yin—Ming Road. If they wait longer for him, all three of them will die!

"What about him?" Shi Yan asked.

Nie Yun Zhen's brow furrowed deeper.

"Maybe we could drag him over there and hide him first, then start playing hide-and-seek," Shi Yan suggested.

"That sounds easy, but who knows what will happen if he gets caught? And what if the ghost can't catch people? What if someone finds him hidden? Besides, who will do the hiding? Me or you?"

Although Shi Yan had trained herself for the task, she couldn't carry a man too far. Nie Yun Zhen had to do it.

"Also, if I'm hiding him, will you be responsible for suppressing the people we catch? If you don't keep an eye on them and they find him, Chu Xiu will be the first one caught."

"I'll take care of it. Give me a gun, and I'll see who dares to peek," Shi Yan said.

Nie Yun Zhen closed his eyes. "Actually...that's not the point," he said slowly, looking at the unconscious, pale, twisted Chu Xiu. "I'll just say it. We have to draw lots to be the ghost. If any of us draw the lot, are you sure you won't go after him?"

Upon reflection, he knew that he would not miss this opportunity if he drew the ghost slip and no one else was found. Even though Chu Xiu had assisted them greatly, they couldn't risk their lives at a crucial moment.

Shi Yan pursed her lips and agreed, "Okay, if he doesn't wake up by nightfall, then it's his misfortune, and we can't blame ourselves."

Nie Yun Zhen knew that Shi Yan had always been protective of their team members, whether Ye Shengke before or Chu Xiu now. As long as they were collaborating partners, Shi Yan would do her utmost to keep them secure. Nie Yun Zhen disagreed, but since Shi Yan had already spoken, if they hid Chu Xiu away, it would be tantamount to knowing a player's fixed hiding place, which would actually benefit him. Nie Yun Zhen didn't hesitate and consented.

After they left the room, the person on the bed changed. Shiny black beetles with red patterns on their backs crawled out of Chu Xiu's mouth one by one. There were too many of them, and they moved in a continuous stream, covering the bed entirely. Eventually, they crawled down to the floor and scattered in every direction.

Their bodies were tiny, measuring only two or three centimetres long, slightly flattened, and they could easily crawl out of the door crack. Some corpse insects wriggled into the bathroom and burrowed into the sewer.

A little boy playing with his phone in the hotel's other room requested, "Mummy, I want some water."

"Alright, I'll boil some now." After speaking, the woman picked up the kettle next to the TV and headed to the bathroom to fetch some water. However, she shrieked in terror when she turned on the faucet, and the kettle was flung aside.

Instead of water, a never-ending stream of small black beetles emerged from the faucet.

"Mummy, what's wrong?" The little boy asked in confusion, then screamed in fright, "Ah - mummy, what is that?"

"It's filthy! Quick, let's leave!"

The boy's question echoed through the small room, "Do we leave our clothes and bags?"

As the woman turned around, she was met with a horrifying sight. The tiny room was swarming with small black insects. The creepy crawly creatures moved so rapidly that the bed was covered in a matter of seconds, and the woman's scalp started to tingle with fear.

She wanted to gather her belongings, but the room was no longer safe. "No, forget it. Baby, let's go!" The woman quickly scooped up the little boy and made a dash for the door.

To her astonishment, the door of the adjacent room was wide open, and an endless army of black insects flowed out, transforming the hallway into a moving, black carpet. The swarm swallowed up the two, leaving them with nowhere to escape.

"We need to leave right away! Something's not right with this hotel!" Shi Yan hurriedly sought out Nie Yun Zhen. "I'll pack up. You get Chu Xiu. Hurry!"

As seasoned missionaries, they were used to quick, efficient action. Nie Yun Zhen did not hesitate and immediately went to fetch Chu Xiu.

He went to Chu Xiu's room without incident; strangely, he had not encountered the bug horde. When he opened the door, he found Chu Xiu comfortably lying in bed. He picked him up and rushed out.

"Hurry up, let's go! The elevator's down; we'll have to take the stairs." Shi Yan was waiting outside the door, bags in one hand and luggage in the other. The three of them bolted down the stairwell, and only then did Nie Yun Zhen realize the gravity of the situation.

Where were these corpse bugs coming from?

The beetles had covered almost the entire hallway, their glossy shells shining like a sea of darkness. They had no choice but to step on them to move forward, the sickening sound of shells crunching and the splatter of sludge accompanying every step. They had to constantly brush off the bugs climbing them to avoid being swarmed.

Nie Yun Zhen carried Chu Xiu with both hands while Shi Yan took care of the luggage and swatted away the bugs with her coat. Finally, they arrived at the lobby on the ground floor, pushed the door open and bolted out into the safety of the outside world.

Finally, they could breathe a sigh of relief. Nie Yun Zhen, heavily gasping for air, carried a large man and ran up the stairs, consuming much of his stamina. "That was horrible. I don't know where those bugs came from," he said.

Shi Yan was equally disgusted, frowning as she examined the sole of her shoe. "Yeah, it was too disgusting," she said, feeling nauseous at the memory.

Suddenly, Nie Yun Zhen stood opposite her, mouth agape in shock. "Wait, look at this," he said.

Confused, Shi Yan turned around to see a continuous stream of tiny black bugs crawling up the outer layer of the building. The entire structure was gradually being covered by black corpse insects.

"Let's go," Nie Yun Zhen said, lightly nudging Shi Yan's shoulder. She finally reacted, "Ah? Okay, let's go."

Their car was parked in the lot with a large scratch on the left side and a broken rearview mirror. However, they had no time to fix it and couldn't be picky. They placed Chu Xiu in the back seat and drove to the city with Shi Yan behind the wheel.

"You know, what if we find some students? High school or college students will do," Nie Yun Zhen suggested.

Shi Yan was surprised by his suggestion. "Students?"

"Yes, aren't their many students who like to play these exciting adventure games?"

"But, but..."

According to the site executors' feedback, they generally did not choose students for their tasks. Their targets were usually young and middle-aged residents who looked intelligent. Perhaps this was their only display of conscience.

Unbeknownst to Shi Yan, they had already chosen two students, Wen Qing and Yun Qian, at the beginning of their last playthrough. The consequence was that they paid a painful price. This was also why Shi Yan felt a vague resistance in her heart, although she didn't fully understand it.

"Stop with the buts. Who else can we find now?" Nie Yun Zhen interrupted, shaking his injured hand and removing the bandage to apply for new medicine. The wound was still black. "Besides, the mission doesn't specify the number of people. The more people we find, the better."

He found tricking people into coming was a more straightforward approach compared to threatening them with a gun if he needed someone. Nevertheless, he knew those lured in under the pretence of a game were likely to perish quicker due to inattentiveness. Thus, Chu Xiu favoured using a firearm to coerce them, keeping the participants alert and pushing them to work harder to save themselves.

"I'll post something now and invite them," Shi Yan said, but she didn't exude confidence. She lowered her gaze and quickly searched for a high school near Yin—Ming Road.

At the school:

"Hey, have you all heard? Tian Le from the next class is taking leave tonight."

"Leave? So what?"

"Guess what he's doing during his leave?"

"Is he going on a date?"

"No, that's not it." The girl who instigated the conversation lowered her voice. "He arranged to explore Yin—Ming Road tonight, playing hide and seek. How thrilling, isn't it?"

"Wow... that's too audacious. Count me out."

"But wait, didn't they say three cars crashed on Yin—Ming Road last night? I heard that people died. The traffic police should be patrolling the area now, right?"

"They patrol during the day but not at night, right?"

"It's too frightening; I won't go."

"Where did he learn of this news? And who is he going with?"

"I heard it was someone from out of town, interested in the ghost stories and keen on visiting Yin—Ming Road." The girl who first spread the news lowered her voice. "Tian Le is going for a reason. The person who posted stated they were too scared to go alone and offered to pay one thousand yuan for someone to accompany them and play for two hours before returning."

Tian Le's family was not wealthy, so the allure of one thousand yuan for two hours proved to be irresistible to him. Especially since it wasn't illegal or immoral.

The news about the post quickly spread throughout the entire grade. The poster claimed no limit to the number of participants, and the more people who joined, the better. All one had to do was stay with them and play; each person would receive one thousand. The city wasn't mainly developed, similar to Tiantianle, and many high school students who claimed to be brave were tempted.

"Hey, Qingqing, have you heard?"

Yun Qian and Wen Qing returned from the restroom and overheard everyone discussing something. A few girls pulled them over to join the huddle.

"What's going on?" Wen Qing asked curiously.

"It's about someone planning to explore Yin—Ming Road."

"What?!" Wen Qing's face turned pale. "You can't go there!"

She wanted to say more, but the bell rang, and the teacher walked in. Wen Qing returned to her seat and took out her book. However, her thoughts were elsewhere.

Yin—Ming Road... Why would anyone want to explore there?

Throughout the class, Wen Qing was distracted. Even when the teacher called on her to answer a question, she couldn't respond, and her complexion was poor. The teacher assumed she was unwell and didn't bother her, telling her to rest well.

After class, the teacher went to the office with something, and Wen Qing immediately rushed to the girls she had been chatting with earlier. "What do you mean by going to Yin—Ming Road?"

"Huh? You don't know?" The messenger girl excitedly pulled her over to sit down and explained what had happened.

After hearing her out, Wen Qing's lips even turned white. "There was a car accident just last night, and they must know. How could they be so reckless?"

"The recent car accident was not caused by the driver flashing his high beams and brake failure. But it's bizarre; at the crossroads, three cars collided. Anyway, don't tell anyone; Tian Le wants to make some extra money," she added.

Wen Qing was surprised and shook her head in disbelief. "No, you don't know, this money can't be made, and that place can't be visited!" Her eyes shifted towards the girl. "Besides Tian Le, who else said they wanted to go?"

"Um...Tian Le, Fang Nan, Ling Wei Wei..." The girl counted on her fingers and listed seven or eight names, causing Wen Qing to grow increasingly panicked. She nodded and rushed out of the classroom, leaving Yun Qian behind.

Yun Qian approached the girl and inquired about the one thousand yuan Tian Le had mentioned.

Wen Qing hurried to the next classroom and called out Tian Le's name, causing a small commotion. Being considered a beauty by many of her classmates, Wen Qing was often the subject of gossip. Tian Le walked out of the door, a bit nervous.

Although Tian Le liked Wen Qing, he wouldn't say he was deeply in love. But a little bit of adolescent infatuation was enough to make him shy in front of the pretty girl.

"Are you going to Yin—Ming Road tonight?" Wen Qing asked directly. "Believe me, you can't go there; it's dangerous."

Tian Le didn't want to go, but he wanted the money. Poverty seemed embarrassing in front of the girl he liked. He turned his head. "I'll go and take a look and come back. It's none of your business, so don't worry about it."

Wen Qing was angry and stomped her foot. "Do you know that people have died there? You guys are going to play there; it's like you're asking for death."

"It's okay; trust science. Besides, we'll be back after playing; nothing will happen." Tian Le regretted his words as soon as he spoke. He sounded stubborn and defensive.

"If something happens, it will be too late for regrets!" Wen Qing was anxious and knew she couldn't convince him with a few words. She turned and left, planning to tell the class teacher.

At the City Police Station.

The atmosphere in the conference room was sombre as several police officers held stacks of photos and information, the contents of which could shock the entire country if made public. The younger police officer at the bottom of the table exhaled slowly, sweat breaking out on his forehead as he asked, "These... Can humans really do this?" His question went unanswered as everyone avoided seeking the answer.

"This is a big deal. Everyone remember that all information related to the Yin—Ming Road crossroad case will be kept confidential. From today on, Yin—Ming Road is sealed off, and no one is allowed to enter," the woman at the top of the table said after they finished reviewing the materials. Her features were exquisite, but the strong dignity in her eyebrows and eyes made her appear distant at first glance rather than appreciated for her beauty.

The conference room members replied equally seriously, knowing they might have stepped into some mysterious realm. "Understood," they chorused.

"Now, let's discuss our ideas and see if there are any solutions. Any questions can be raised now," the woman continued.

One of the officers raised his hand and asked, "I'm thinking, is it possible that the killer dismantled the victim's bones and reassembled them? Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why several skeletons showed that they belong to the same person."

"The forensic team has considered your question. They tested all the skulls and confirmed that the results of the skull DNA tests were identical," the woman replied, adding to their incredulity.

Another officer said, "What about the bowls found at the scene? There was a bowl of spoiled rice and ashes. Does this have any meaning?"

Just then, there was an urgent knock on the conference room door. After permission was granted, a young police officer rushed in and whispered something to the woman at the top of the table. She widened her eyes suddenly and exclaimed, "What?"

"The meeting has ended, and taking any materials out of the conference room is forbidden. Xiao Liu, please make sure to collect them," the policewoman ordered before leaving the room with the young police officer, leaving the rest of the group perplexed.

Lately, more and more strange occurrences have been occurring, each challenging their materialistic beliefs.

"It's hard to say. There might actually be ghosts in the world," one person suggested.

"I believe in science, so let's not talk nonsense," another countered.

"I know, but there's a saying that we have to consider. The limits of science lead to mysticism," a third person contributed.

"I agree. I used to have faith in science, but some things in this world are too inexplicable. How else can you explain that the gas tanks in those off-road vehicles were all filled with blood?" a fourth person added.

"Exactly, and what about those identical skulls? Can one person have multiple skulls?" a fifth person questioned.

"I was just thinking the same thing. Eating rice mixed with fragrant ash at a crossroads is just asking for trouble. I don't know if they were too bold and summoned something..." a sixth person stated.

"Enough, let's not talk about it anymore. We must show respect for the dead and say less," someone intervened.

"Oh, by the way, what news did Zhao Sister hear just now? She seems anxious," someone else inquired.

Everyone looked at each other, but no one knew the answer.

Zhao's Sister, in a rush, followed the young police officer out of the room. When they reached the ground floor, she lowered her voice and asked, "What's going on? All the bodies are gone?"

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