Chapter 48 The Sleeping Curse (12) "I still have to rely on your help..."
Xie Tan turned on the bedside lamp. There were indeed traces of life here. He bent down to pick up the pearl hair clip on the floor and threw it into the storage box.
Thump, thump.
Xie Tan was taken aback. Did it make two sounds? And the two "thumps" were different; the first one sounded like an object hitting its bottom, while the second one sounded like a heartbeat.
He picked up the storage box, a short, round, white painted box. The interior space was indeed different from what it looked like from the outside; it was much more irregular.
He used a fruit knife to pry open the outer shell little by little. His hand trembled, and the object almost fell to the ground. Inside was a lifelike heart.
It might be genuine, an organ specimen made through special processing.
He covered his ear with the storage box and could indeed hear a thumping heartbeat, though it wasn't as noticeable in the noisy hotel.
The hotel in the dream was alright, but in the real hotel, there were indeed many empty utensils, from wine bottles and glasses to storage boxes, ornaments, and even the floor lamps were deliberately made into the shape of inverted bowls.
In a real hotel, where does the noise come from?
Is it really just a superposition of being half-awake and half-asleep, hearing the voice of this dream world?
What's it for? Xie Tan fiddled with the heart storage box, and then it dawned on him: it's for storing sound.
This heart contains the sound of the deceased's heartbeat.
So, the freckled girl must have heard the blue-haired girl making a phone call last night because something in the house was recording her previous phone call.
The hotel here is a little different. He touched the wall and found that the patterns were not as dense, making it look more harmonious and aesthetically pleasing.
The patterns and decorations here look normal.
In real hotels, patterns should have a visually misleading effect, thus suggesting the spirit, or perhaps other functions, such as... there are also such holes in the walls that can retain sound.
He went to the third floor for a look around, but there were people resting and having fun. There was nothing special about it, so he left the tavern.
In the small town, those unfamiliar faces are people who are asleep in reality, walking around in the warm glow of lights, their faces beaming with happiness.
The anchor of this dream world must be the art gallery, where the legendary siren must live.
But before that, there was one more place he needed to visit.
He arrived at the blue-tiled house where the Black Goat tribe lived.
This is the only place I've ever seen, even in the beautiful world of dreams, where there isn't a single light.
Xie Tan entered the courtyard. The doors and windows were closed but not locked, but when he pulled them, strange runes seemed to wander across them.
He sealed it with mystical means, but he still managed to push it open, because the Vajra hair knot he hid under his clothes was, in a way, a kind of access card.
The room was darker and quieter than during the day. It felt like walking through an old house that hadn't been lived in for decades, with the smell of time and decay everywhere.
The rooms were still empty. He went upstairs and searched until he reached the last room, but it was empty too, and there was no one in bed.
He looked at the mirror hanging there; its surface had turned black, like a black gemstone, reflecting only his own image.
He had searched everywhere, and even sat in the house quietly waiting. He always felt that such a gloomy place must be haunted. The more nothing there seemed, the more likely something was hidden in the shadows, but he just hadn't noticed.
But nothing happened until he left, except for the door slowly closing by itself.
It seems that this is indeed an empty house.
What method did that sleeping clansman use to hide himself, so that he didn't enter the sea monster's dream?
Or perhaps he wasn't asleep at all.
Go outside and confirm again.
Xie Tan wants to leave, so he needs to go to the art museum first and find the Siren.
The white of the art museum has a cool tone under the night, as if it has a layer of faint blue light.
He pushed open the door of the art museum, as if opening a relic from a thousand years ago. The holes in the dome held countless stars, like countless eyes watching him.
Thin clouds drifted by, starlight appeared and disappeared intermittently, and eyes blinked incessantly, watching the stranger.
As the starlight slowly descended, like the light gathering in the center of a stage as the curtain was drawn back, Xie Tan's gaze fell from the dome, and the ruins before him changed their appearance, becoming younger.
The whistles coming through the holes blended into human voices, as if welcoming a performer, while other whistles shrieked like cheers.
The old moss has faded, the cobwebs and dust have disappeared, revealing a classic white background. Stylish paintings are displayed one after another, with the central painting being a half-length portrait of a woman.
She wore a fashionable, uniquely styled hat that resembled a leaf curled by fire, with white veil falling down and sparkling with rhinestones, making her entire face appear as if illuminated by shimmering firelight, thus obscuring her features.
Truly "dazzling".
But some people are like that; you don't even need to see their face, just their silhouette, to know they're beautiful.
Her white was purer, without any light or shadow, almost a tragic white, the color of a memorial service, easily distinguishable from the milky white that filled the room.
Only, she had a pair of red lips.
She slightly opened her arms, like an actor taking the stage, and as soon as she opened her mouth, a soft, melodious song flowed out.
The land shapes its people, and her singing, like the sea near the town, is undeniably technically superb, effortlessly transitioning between high and low notes. Her voice resonates powerfully in the spacious art gallery, creating a truly awe-inspiring effect. Yet, overall, it remains serene, floating gently on the water, occasionally stirring up ripples that eventually recede.
The sound was as gentle as waves, and for the first time, Xie Tan heard the word "exquisite" coming from a human voice.
No, it must be the voice of a ghost.
It was the same voice Xie Tan had heard before, but it sounded blurry and didn't feel the same as the VIP seats.
It's clear that the lullabies she used to soothe the child only required 30% of her power.
If three-tenths of one's power can drag someone into a dreamlike illusion, where will ten-tenths of one's power take them? Is it truly a hellish place filled with the grudges and hatred of countless lifetimes?
The woman sang a song, her blood-red lips, the only part of her face not overshadowed by the brilliance of the jewels, curved into a gentle smile. She raised her hand, as if inviting him to come forward.
Xie Tan took a step forward, but the woman's smile froze first. Suddenly, she raised her hand, turned half of her hat brim, and disappeared from the painting.
"It's all thanks to you. I've been squatting here all night, but I haven't seen the girl show off her precious voice."
Xi Rui walked out of the corridor on the left side of the art museum, his steps very light, as if emerging from the shadows, avoiding the starlight.
Although he was talking to Xie Tan, his eyes kept wandering along the walls of the art gallery, staring intently at each painting, as if he were the one with an art history background.
So they were scared away by him. Xi Rui is also keeping an eye on the sea monster, probably to retrieve it.
No, Xie Tan recalled that the woman was the culprit who caused Chang Ming'ai to fall into a deep sleep, and Xi Rui's outwardly warm but inwardly cold nature might also be a form of retaliation.
They're using him as bait and stealing his head.
Xie Tan, as a young master from a collateral branch who was assigned a task and wanted to show off in the family, should presumptuously compete with him: "You should thank me. If I don't sleep, you will become a part of the 'ruins'. This place is full of paintings, but it is missing a statue."
Xi Rui pretended not to hear his sarcasm and walked inside with him. Suddenly, he flicked his finger, and a black bolt of lightning pierced into a wheat field landscape painting, tearing open a corner. The white dress that was dancing in the wind in the wheat field floated away first, leaving only a thin black mark on the white wall.
"Sigh, wasn't he a singer in life? Now he's turned into a white mudfish after death." Xi Rui's eyes kept wandering between the paintings, searching for the women hidden in them who were making seductive music. "Keep an eye on things for me too, or we'll split the score."
What could plunge a small town into a slumber was, in the mouth of this cultist, like a piece of loot to be divided among. Moreover, he implicitly acknowledged that they were all on the same pirate ship, and that Xie Tan was also a thief with a purpose.
Xie Tan: "You want to kill it?"
Xi Rui understood: "It seems you want to capture him alive." He said with some distress, "This is a bit difficult."
Xie Tan nodded: "Then let's each rely on our own abilities."
Xi Rui responded to everyone. Since they shared the same goal, his members must have come prepared as well. So wouldn't it be a matter of each relying on their own abilities?
But Xie Tan thought differently from him.
The young master must want to subdue the monster, but he himself is a good-for-nothing. Su He can't count on him. Saying "don't hold him back" is true.
If it is indeed this monster, and it's actually a contest between Su He and Xi Rui, what does it have to do with him? His "each relying on their own abilities" was on behalf of Su He.
But the question is, is this monster really what we need to subdue?
Or was Su He's trip to Fushui Town really to subdue the monster?
The whole town is steeped in siren legends, and as long as it's not raining, the unobstructed songs will drift through the town.
Even a traveler who accidentally wandered in could find out, so there's no reason for Su He to let the long-legged siren hold a solo concert at the art museum.
He then recalled the empty, blue-tiled houses in his dream world.
The house was sealed with a spell, and he was allowed in because he had a hair knot as a pass and was one of their own.
But they're all our own people. What's the point of that clansman pretending to be asleep in reality or being hidden in a dream?
The young master is a good-for-nothing, yet he put on such a show. It's too much of a fuss. If he's trying to fool Su He, he's overestimating himself. What does he think a wolfhound raised in a goat pen is?
Or perhaps this tribesman is also an idiot.
His research on the goat-shaped ritual, aside from causing the deaths of a group of innocent people, showed no power; it seemed more like drawing a totem to curry favor.
So he might not have any real skills. He's just a collateral branch of the family who treats him like a treasure. It's like two good-for-nothings have met. If the young master hadn't missed his chance and had actually met him, they could have become close friends.
Or perhaps there's something bigger going on behind the scenes. He wasn't pretending to be asleep; he really was asleep, but... was it really because of the siren's song?
The people here all fall asleep because of the songs. But in which dream did that tribesman enter?
Xie Tan wondered if the siren was just a ruse.
Xi Rui was right beside him. How could he not know that the black goat had revealed its tracks on its own?
The Mirror Cult disdains the Black Goat, and the Black Goat certainly doesn't like the Mirror Cult either. How could they not have imagined that their old rival would take the opportunity to join in the fun and gather intelligence?
He, this younger generation who can't contribute anything at all, is just a facade.
Although it's useless, it's very suitable, just because of that goat picture. Since it coincides with the time when the family is becoming active again, the cult will definitely pay more attention to Butu's people.
Let him find the anomalies and capture the monsters to divert some of the cult's attention, but the main event is still the siren. The cult can't let such a monster go. Whether to recruit it or "recycle" it, it's a good choice.
Su He could then hide in the shadows and carry out the family's true "missions".
Xie Tan thought that the family should thank him. If he were a good-for-nothing young master, Xi Rui would have noticed long ago. But because he thought he was extraordinary, he really made him play the biggest role that the decoy could.
Even so, Xi Rui should have had his suspicions. However, he was indeed attracted to the siren, so he went with the flow, captured the monster, and then tried to extract information from him.
He remembered why he had come here: because of the black goat's tracks and the prophecy behind them.
Those most concerned about this are the families themselves and the religious order.
So, the eye that kept following his gaze—was it that of the clansman or his subordinate, Old Man Han, or Xi Rui, or Su He?
"Let's go separately." Xi Rui had pinned seven paintings, but the girl had run away with them all. He was very reasonable. "If they stay together, it will put too much pressure on them. If they are separated, there will be hope, and then they will show themselves."
He spoke as if their combined actions were the work of the Black and White Impermanence, so powerful that even ghosts would flee in terror, and there was no reason for them to fail.
Although Xie Tan never made a move from beginning to end, he watched him play whack-a-mole with a cold eye.
The singing was mixed with the whistling, making it impossible to discern its source. It seemed to be everywhere, which ironically became a deception.
So the two of them walked to the corridors on either side, one on the left and one on the right.
The corridor is filled with paintings. The realistic paintings, under the starlight at night, have an indescribable eeriness like blurry old photographs, while the more stream-of-consciousness paintings are inherently discordant, resembling works with a horror theme.
Xie Tan arrived at the painting that had collapsed that morning.
He had no recollection of the painting before seeing it, and he couldn't recall anything after seeing it.
Because the painting was entirely black, but the material seemed different, when he tapped it, it turned out to be a black mirror.
However, it wasn't just the religious order that had mirrors; Old Man Han hung those portrait mirrors on the sleeping members of his clan, as if cursing them to die.
Xie Tan stared at his reflection in the black mirror. His appearance was somewhat unclear, since the mirror was black, erasing the skin texture and details. The person in the mirror looked more like him after peeling off the last layer of human skin, exuding a completely evil beauty, a face like a beautiful ghost.
Especially her lips, which were extremely bright red, as if they were made with human blood.
In the mirror, the corners of his mouth slowly turned up, revealing a dignified, feminine smile. His red lips parted slightly, and his tongue moved downwards, leaving a pattern imprinted on its surface.
It looks like... the design from the coffin shop?
The inexplicable information arrived, and the person in the mirror slowly retracted their tongue, their figure fading away.
Suddenly, a black flash pierced through the painting, striking the tongue of the person in the lens. The flash shattered, and the mirror burst into flames.
Xie Tan's reflection in the mirror dodged quickly, managing to save his tongue but having his throat slit. He fled in a disheveled state amidst the firelight.
The beautiful singing that was everywhere had gone off-key and turned into a ghostly wail, so shrill that it sent chills down his spine.
Xi Rui stepped out of the burning mirror, still clutching a layer of skin from the woman's throat. The skin, as if soaked in water, quickly melted into liquid and fell to the ground.
"Oh dear, I'm a step too late, but luckily you had me to guide you, Xiao Xie. You really are on my side." Xi Rui wiped his hands with a tissue. "That monster uses its singing to bewitch people, which is another kind of gifted flattery. Don't believe its words."
Xie Tan glanced at him indifferently: "With you hiding behind the mirror, pointing out which part is wrong, what do I have to worry about?"
Xi Rui wasn't embarrassed at all, and then exposed himself: "It's a pity it didn't say anything. Although that sea monster is bewitching, it's not certain who will be bewitched by whom when it comes to you. I was hoping to get some information from you, but this town is very strange. I have a feeling that it can raise more than one monster."
"It's a pity, I wandered in by mistake." Xie Tan said casually and walked out.
The mirror's flames had just died down when, just like in the morning, it crashed down and lunged at Xie Tan, swallowing him whole.
Xi Rui feigned surprise and said to the empty corridor, "So you've wandered in by mistake again. This place is too dangerous. I have to ensure the safety of the commune members. I'll take you out."
When Xie Tan opened his eyes again, he was lying on the bed in room 301.
He was driven out of his dream world by Xi Rui.
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Author's note: It's a bit late, but it's the weekend. I'll hold a giveaway later.
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