As I walked downstairs with the silver bracelet in my hand, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
In the warm yellow light of the convenience store, Lin You sat by the window like a clay sculpture.
The oden in front of me was steaming hot, but I didn't touch it.
His face was deathly pale, devoid of any color, and his eyes were fixed on the stairwell.
I didn't feel a chill until I pushed the door open and came in.
“Master Chen…”
Upon seeing me, Lin You reacted as if he had seen a savior, his voice trembling, and his chopsticks fell into the soup with a "clatter".
Stealing a glance at the sales clerk yawning behind the counter, I lowered my voice and asked, "Is that secondhand house I'm buying... haunted? Did someone die there before?"
I glanced at the clerk and saw that she was rubbing her eyes and dozing off, the steam from the coffee machine blurring the glass display case.
I grabbed Lin You's arm and pulled him outside.
"Let's talk as we walk."
When I got to the fire hydrant in the stairwell, I finally spoke: "There's a dismembered body buried in the wall of your living room. It was dismembered ten years ago and then sealed in with cement."
"Dismembered...dismembered body?!"
Lin You's eyes widened, then he suddenly coughed violently, as if choking on his own saliva: "Don't scare me, Master! I... I was just sleeping on that bed!"
I hummed in agreement.
"Master, you...you lied to me, didn't you?"
Lin You suddenly grabbed my wrist, his nails almost digging into my flesh: "You mean there's a ghost?! A dismembered ghost?!"
As he spoke, his legs went weak, and if I hadn't caught him, he would have almost fallen on the corner piled with clutter.
The streetlights shone through the emergency exit sign, casting bluish-gray shadows on his face.
He stared at me, his eyes a mixture of fear and relief, as if hoping I would say, "It was just a joke."
I took out a cigarette case and handed it to him.
His hands trembled as he pulled out a cigarette, but he couldn't light it no matter what he tried: "That ghost... what does she look like? Does she live in the living room? Did I... share a bed with her?"
"What's more troublesome than ghosts is the human heart."
I lit his cigarette for him, the flame illuminating the cold sweat on his forehead: "Don't panic, it's alright."
Lin You's pupils contracted sharply, his Adam's apple bobbing as he couldn't speak: "Then...what should I do? Should I call the police? I didn't know this when I bought the house..."
"Don't rush."
I held his trembling hand: "Come with me to dismantle the wall first, find everything, and then report it."
"Looking for...what are you looking for?"
Lin You was trembling all over: "I'm not going! You go if you want! I'm calling the police right now..."
I stopped him and said, "Don't rush, let me make a call."
I dialed Yuan Ying's number, but all I heard on the other end was Liu Sandao coughing: "Little brother, Yuan Ying is asleep. Tell me what's wrong."
My heart skipped a beat.
Yuan Ying never turns off her phone, and she never lets anyone else answer it: "Brother Liu, what happened to Ying's mother? Is she...?"
Don't overthink it.
Liu Sandao interrupted me, his voice pausing awkwardly: "She's been feeling weak lately and sleeping a lot. How are things on your end?"
I stared at Lin You's pacing back and forth, briefly explained Zhang Xixi's situation, and then hesitated before saying, "I want to call the police, but I'm afraid..."
Are you afraid the police will mistake you for a murderer?
Liu Sandao suddenly laughed: "Don't worry, that house has such heavy yin energy that it could suffocate a person. Even if the police come, they'll have to come to us Taoist priests. However..."
His tone suddenly turned serious: "Zhang Xixi said she was dismembered, which is strange. Have you thought about it? It's all nonsense, and you can't always believe it!"
My hand holding the cigarette paused, and the air conditioning in the convenience store suddenly became icy cold.
Yes, Chen Li'an knew that Zhang Xixi's bones were buried in the wall, so why did he still dare to sell them?
Unless he is certain that the remains will never be found.
"Don't call the police yet."
Liu Sandao's voice rang out again: "First, follow Yingniang's method to find all the remaining limbs and perform the ritual to release them from suffering. The underworld doesn't accept ghosts with incomplete bodies. If her obsession is too deep..."
Before he could finish speaking, he heard the beeping sound of medical equipment coming from the other end of the phone.
"Brother Sandao! What happened to Yingniang?!" I gripped my phone tightly, my nails digging into my palm.
"...She won't last much longer."
Liu Sandao's voice was as soft as a sigh: "Little brother, have you remembered everything Yingniang has taught you these past few days?"
My throat tightened, and the image of Yuan Ying's trembling hands as she taught me to draw talismans flashed before my eyes.
She always said, "My life is coming to an end, so I must pass on my skills to you."
But she still said, "I'm not qualified to be your master."
In the morning light of the convenience store, I suddenly understood the unspoken look in her eyes each time.
She knew her time was coming to an end, but fearing it would distract me, she kept it from me.
"I've noted it down."
I swallowed the bitterness in my mouth and said, "Brother Liu, I'll be right back after I've finished dealing with things here."
"Walk."
I stubbed out my cigarette: "Let's tear down the wall first. Whether she's seeking revenge or seeking justice, she deserves a proper burial."
When we returned to 1808, a faint stench of decay permeated the hallway, as if it were seeping from cracks in the walls.
"Master, let's call the police. This is beyond my understanding..."
Even after arriving at the door, Lin You was still somewhat hesitant.
"Find all the remaining limbs first, otherwise she will never be able to reincarnate. You don't want her to haunt you forever, do you?"
I pushed open the door to 1808, and the stench was even stronger than last night.
Lin You's hand, gripping the hammer, was pale and bluish.
When the first hammer blow struck the living room wall, he closed his eyes and turned his head as if he were about to smash his own head.
The plaster crumbled off the wall, revealing chunks of cement mixed with black hair.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
