Two strange "people," one white and one black, were dressed in ancient-style long robes and each wore a tall pointed hat, one black and one white.
Each held a mourning stick.
The one in the white shirt had a pale face with a mocking smile, and a long, blood-red tongue trailed down to his neck.
The one in black was also deathly pale, but had a fierce expression, and held a black chain in addition to a mourning staff.
On two tall hats, one black and one white.
The white one says "You've come too," while the black one says "We're catching you."
"Heh...heh..."
Bai Dongli was so frightened that his face turned pale and his limbs stiffened, and he could only breathe in trembling breaths.
Standing in the darkness are the "Black and White Impermanence," also known as the Second Master of Impermanence, who are well-known in Chinese folklore.
Bai Dongli couldn't utter a sound even if he wanted to.
The sound just went silent because "they" were already standing in the room!
"Hiss... Hey Bai, don't you suddenly feel really cold...?"
Gu Mei pulled the blanket up a little on the other side.
Even though it's December, I didn't feel this cold just now.
But Bai Dongli ignored her, just kept making "heh heh..." sounds, whether from the cold or from convulsions, it was hard to tell.
"Are you seeing ghosts? You can't even speak properly?"
Gu Mei's shrewish temper flared up again, and she suddenly turned around, wanting to twist Bai Dongli's ear once more.
"you..."
The second half of the sentence got stuck in his throat.
His pupils contracted sharply, and he stared in terror at the two "soul-reapers" not far from the bed.
The Black and White Impermanence just watched them quietly, seemingly in no hurry at all.
At this point, Bai Dongli had recovered a little from his initial fear.
"Un...Uncle Impermanence, we...I'm still young..."
Before he could finish speaking, Bai Wuchang spoke up.
"It's already 1:15 AM!"
Because the tongue is sticking out, the sound of laughter sounds a bit strange, but it is clear enough.
"Ring ring ring..."
The sound of chains being dragged in Black Impermanence's hands rang out, and he uttered a listless statement.
"Bai Dongli, Gu Mei."
"Your time has come!"
After saying that, without giving the two of them any chance to react, the chains in Black Impermanence's hands suddenly split into two.
They transformed into two enormous black snakes, opening their massive mouths to bite Bai Dongli and Gu Mei.
"ah..."
"ah..."
Two screams rang out as Bai Dongli and Gu Mei discovered that their right collarbones had been pierced.
Blood soaked through her pajamas.
"Let's get going."
The White Impermanence spoke with a strange, mocking voice.
"Ring ring..."
As the chains dragged, Bai Dongli and Gu Mei were pulled off the bed by the Black Impermanence.
"Thump... thump... thump... thump..."
The voice that had terrified Bai Dongli and Gu Mei just now appeared again.
It turned out to be the sound of the Black and White Impermanence jumping as they moved forward.
"Ouch... Ouch..." "Ouch... It hurts so much..."
"Grandpa Impermanence, spare my life..."
Bai Dongli and Gu Mei suddenly spoke much more fluently, and he opened his mouth to cry out in pain and beg for mercy.
But the two soul-reaping messengers in front of them completely ignored them.
The door was still closed, but they "jumped" straight out of the door and passed through the wooden door without any obstruction.
The same was true for the black chains connecting Bai Dongli and Gu Mei.
Forcibly dragged forward, the pierced collarbone throbbed with unbearable pain, leaving her utterly powerless to resist.
The two were about to crash into the door.
For some unknown reason, the two of them inexplicably turned their heads to look.
On the double bed in the bedroom.
Another Bai Dongli and another Gu Mei were lying there, seemingly fast asleep.
There was no sign of her collarbone being pierced, nor any blood, but her chest, covered by the blanket, remained completely still.
"Hurry up, hurry up..."
A strange, joking urging voice came from ahead.
Immediately afterwards, a strong force came from the chains.
The two were dragged through the wooden door of the room and followed the Black and White Impermanence out.
Bai Dongli and Gu Mei were terrified when they saw another version of themselves on the bed, and then they understood.
I'm dead. I was only in my forties, and I died just like that.
Dragged along by the chains, they stumbled out of the room, out of the house, and into the common corridor of the old apartment building.
Then, taking a step, one is on the ground outside.
"Thump... thump... thump... thump..."
The Black and White Impermanence leaped forward, neither hurried nor slow, not high off the ground, but each leap covered a great distance.
"Ring ring..."
The long, dark black chains trailed behind.
Two pale-faced "people" with blood all over their shoulders followed behind with great difficulty.
If the speed slows down even slightly, the pulling force from the collarbone causes excruciating pain in the wound.
In the security booth at the entrance of the residential area, the elderly security guard, who looked to be around sixty years old, was dozing off, while the man in his thirties was playing on his phone and eating roasted chestnuts.
He would occasionally take a sip of the tea on the table.
The surroundings were dim, with only a patch of orange light illuminating the vicinity of the guard booth.
"Waaaaah..."
A large yellow dog lying next to the security booth suddenly started whimpering softly, as if it had been frightened.
He kept grabbing at the closed glass door of the security booth.
"Xiao Li, open the door and let Lao Huang in..."
The older security guard yawned and ordered the younger security guard, who was in his thirties, to move.
The latter had no choice but to put down his phone, open the glass door of the guard post, and then use his flashlight to check the situation outside the old community's iron gate.
Outside is an old road, and the two streetlights facing the community are intermittently working; today they are completely out of order.
The big yellow dog had already darted into the security booth the moment he opened the door.
"Is Big Yellow scared? Wow... it's getting cold in December..."
Security guard Xiao Li shivered, muttered something, then returned to the guard booth and closed the glass door.
Bai Dongli and Gu Mei were being dragged by chains past the security booth.
In their view, this was the only source of light in the surrounding area.
Further ahead, instead of the familiar road, lay a cold, engulfing darkness.
They could hear the two security guards' conversation, and at that moment they were shouting desperately into the guard booth.
"Uncle De!!! Help!!! Uncle De!!! Uncle De, help me..."
"Old Zhao!! Old Zhao!!! Grandpa Zhao!!! Little Li!!! Brother Li..."
"Waaaaah... Help me... Help me..."
...
Unfortunately, no matter how much they called out, the two men in the guard booth did not respond.
Those who should take a nap should take a nap, and those who should play on their phones should play on their phones.
The only exception was Big Yellow, who was huddled behind the young security guard's stool.
He stared outside with those weathered dog eyes.
A faint "woo woo woo..." sound came from its mouth.
The White Impermanence continued to leap forward, but its head and neck twisted 180 degrees backward in a bizarre manner, its crimson tongue accompanied by a grinning, pale face.
The intense sense of conflict makes it all the more unsettling.
"Huh... Stop shouting, they can't hear you. Let's go, let's go..."
"Past events are settled, but sins remain even after death... On your journey..."
"Thump... thump... thump... thump..."
The figures of the Black and White Impermanence passed through the iron gate and jumped out of the residential area.
"Ring ring... Ring ring..."
Bai Dongli and Gu Mei were dragged by dark black chains, following closely behind them into the endless darkness outside the iron gate of the residential compound.
P.S.: I thought I'd better finish writing this and post it first before working overtime in peace, otherwise I'll keep thinking about it...
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