Fang Hang stood in front of the rusty iron cage, his heart filled with shock and doubt.
His gaze was fixed on his cousin's already cold body in the cage, his mind racing.
Inside the iron cage, my cousin's body was contorted, his face frozen in pain and fear.
His skin had an unnatural bluish-gray hue, as if it had been shrouded in the shadow of death for a long time.
Those once bright eyes are now dull and lifeless, staring blankly ahead, as if telling of the despair of life's last moments.
Fang Hang tried to calm himself down and sort out the chaotic situation.
His father suddenly returned home. Was it really because his cousin had disappeared? But why would this happen? How could his cousin have died in this iron cage? Countless questions swirled in his mind like a tangled mess, making him feel dizzy.
He slowly approached the iron cage, and the pungent, putrid stench hit him, making his stomach churn.
But he suppressed his discomfort and continued to observe his cousin's body.
My cousin's clothes were tattered and covered in blood and dirt, as if he had just gone through a fierce struggle.
Fang Hang's gaze followed his cousin's body downwards, and he saw deep marks on his hands and feet, as if he had been bound by some powerful force.
The surrounding environment was dark and damp, with water droplets constantly dripping from the walls, making a chilling dripping sound.
The basement of this ghostly realm was exceptionally eerie and terrifying, as if it were a corner forgotten by the world.
Fang Hang couldn't help but shiver, his fear growing stronger.
He recalled how his cousin used to be lively and playful with him, but now he was like this, and his heart was filled with grief.
He gritted his teeth and secretly vowed to find out the truth and get justice for his cousin.
Fang Hang took a deep breath and began to carefully examine the area around the iron cage.
There were messy footprints on the ground, some large and some small, suggesting that many people had been there.
He crouched down and gently touched the footprints with his fingers, trying to find some clues.
Suddenly, he noticed a piece of torn cloth, clutched tightly in the gap of the iron cage.
He carefully pulled out the fabric and found that it was a piece of fabric from his cousin's clothes, with bloodstains on the edges.
Fang Hang's eyes hardened; he knew this was an important clue left by his cousin.
Just then, a gust of cold wind blew by, and the iron cage creaked and groaned.
Fang Hang turned around abruptly, a strange sense of tension welling up inside him.
He felt a pair of eyes watching him in the darkness, but when he looked closely, he could see nothing.
"Give me the money! Five hundred yuan." Ma Linghua's sudden voice pulled him back to reality.
Just then, Ma Hehua returned, her hair disheveled. She said loudly, "Mom, I killed that coward. Take the money and let's go."
Li Xin looked at Fang Hang, who was still heartbroken, and patted him on the shoulder. "Brother, I've taken care of the ghost-catching for you. Here's the money! We have another one coming up!"
As for the clues Fang Hang found on his own, that's none of their business; it's beyond their capabilities.
"You know, right?" Fang Hang suddenly turned to look at Ma Linghua, his eyes filled with pain. "You know, don't you? You know who turned my cousin into this, don't you?"
Fang Hang was extremely agitated, and it seemed as if he shouted those words.
“Of course I know! Why wouldn’t I know? But… why should I tell you?” Ma Linghua looked at him expressionlessly.
Fang Hang was taken aback. Did he really know?
"What do you want in return for telling me?" he asked through gritted teeth.
"You'll have to pay more."
Fang Hang closed his eyes, made up his mind, and asked her, "How much? Name your price!"
It must be no less than a few hundred thousand, right? But he wasn't afraid; he was determined to find out the truth.
Two hundred yuan.
"Two hundred... Huh? How much?" Fang Hang asked uncertainly.
"Young man, are you hard of hearing? Didn't you hear my mother say two hundred yuan? What? You can't come up with it? Then get out of here and don't delay our business." Ma Hehua's face was somewhat fierce.
Fang Hang: "…………………………"
He thought it was only two hundred yuan?
"Sure, I'll give it to you right away."
As he spoke, he took out money from his pocket and counted it one bill at a time. After counting seven bills, he handed them to Ma Linghua.
Ma Linghua deftly took the money and counted it several times, then said with satisfaction, "Your cousin is too smart; he was secretly harmed by his own mother."
"What?"
Ma Linghua's words made his mind go blank.
"Alright, I've told you, we've settled our score. Don't stay in this ghost realm any longer. Hurry up and go up. At five o'clock, this ghost realm will disappear automatically. If you don't go up, you will disappear along with this ghost realm and be teleported to the ghost realm." Saying this, he smiled and looked at Fang Hang, "For ordinary people, going to the ghost realm is like a cat smelling a fish that has been tainted with fish. You don't want to be a fish."
Fang Hang: "…………………………"
He really wanted to get his cousin out, but he couldn't open the iron cage!
"Where is my cousin's ghost?"
“Who knows! Maybe it was eaten, maybe… in a place you’d never expect,” Ma Linghua said mysteriously.
He glanced at his cousin with resentment, then followed the four members of the Ma family out of the basement. As soon as they were all out, the ghostly realm vanished instantly.
"Judging from your dark complexion and purple aura above your head, you are destined for great things. I am a good person, but I would like to remind you not to go back to your hometown until you are 20 years old."
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