Chapter 88: Tomino’s Hell 06
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
At that moment, the door was pushed open, and a man and a woman barged in, arguing. The man yelled at the woman, “What the hell did you come back for? Now the road’s blocked, the rain hasn’t stopped, and we’re stuck here for the night. Damn it, this place is creepy and eerie. It’s not even fit for humans to live in. I must’ve been out of my mind to come back with you, and now we have to stay another night. Damn!”
The woman screamed, “It’s because you were after my dad’s wealth that you came back! You wanted his money and didn’t want to stay at the collection hall, and now you’re whining and blaming it all on me. You’re so dumb and cowardly, how the hell did I marry someone like you?”
“Wei Mianmian, you damn shrew! Can you make any sense? You came running over early this morning because of the rain and your father’s leg, all to show some filial piety. Bullshit! Why didn’t you come before? You’re scared to live in the hall, but the moment you think there’s some fun to be had, you rush over. And now you dare blame me? I haven’t even complained about marrying a shrew like you, and you dare insult me?!”
Wei Mianmian’s voice became even sharper, her face red with anger as if it could pierce through her husband like a sword. Her bright red nails twitched, as if they were about to scratch him at any moment. “Feng Ping, be a decent human being! If it weren’t for my dad, do you think you’d be where you are today? You came back because you were after my dad’s connections, his collections in the hall. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. If you’re smart, you’ll shut up and stop making me angry.”
Feng Ping was clearly afraid, but in his fury, he snapped, “Do you think I care about that evil stuff? What kind of person do you think you are? And your father? Do you think I don’t know what he did a few years ago? Even a tiger won’t eat its own cub, but he—”
“Feng Ping!”
Like a thunderclap on a clear day, the sound silenced the arguing couple instantly. Wei Mianmian turned to look and was shocked to see Wei Guangming, who had just left the study in the rain. From his expression, she could tell that he had heard everything. She cautiously tried to placate him, “Dad, why aren’t you in the study?”
“If I were in the study, I wouldn’t have seen you two embarrassing yourselves here,” Wei Guangming scolded, clearly annoyed. When he saw they were about to argue again, he poked his cane forcefully into the ground. “Shut up!” Then, addressing the people still seated in the dining room, including Chen Yang, he added, “Sorry, I haven’t disciplined them well. Please don’t laugh.”
Chen Yang spoke softly, “It’s nothing. Mr. Wei, does your leg still hurt?”
“It’s an old problem. I’m used to it.” Wei Guangming waved his hand dismissively. “Anyway, did you find out what’s causing trouble in the hall? Do you have a way to deal with it?”
Chen Yang replied, “We have some clues, but we need to confirm them.”
Feng Ping interrupted, “Who are you people? What are you investigating?”
“Be respectful! They are Tianshis,” Wei Guangming reprimanded.
Feng Ping wasn’t angered or scared by the scolding. In fact, he seemed pleased. “Should’ve called in Tianshis a long time ago. I always thought the hall was creepy, and with all the strange things inside, it needs to be cleared of evil.”
Wei Guangming couldn’t bear looking at his brainless son-in-law. If his daughter hadn’t insisted on marrying him, he wouldn’t have wanted to even see such a fool. Noticing that Chen Yang and the others had only found some clues, and feeling his leg tremble from pain, he leaned on his cane and headed back to the study. After taking a few steps, he suddenly turned around and said, “I’ll ask Dr. Hao. This morning, he said he saw a woman in white standing under the eaves. Is that some kind of omen?”
Chen Yang lowered his gaze, “Probably just a ghost trying to avoid the rain in the mountains. It’s nothing. Those things can’t come inside.”
Wei Guangming nodded, “I’ll tell him.”
Mao Xiaoli and Zhang Qiudao exchanged a glance, silently asking why another woman in white had appeared. Zhang Qiudao informed her that Dr. Hao didn’t have much time left, to which Mao Xiaoli clicked her tongue and sighed. A doctor whose job was to save lives and heal the sick, yet getting involved in such things must mean a dark heart.
Wei Mianmian felt embarrassed in front of the others and wasn’t fond of the Tianshis trying so hard to please Wei Guangming. So, she mostly ignored Chen Yang and the others and hurried off to the study to show respect to Wei Guangming. As for Feng Ping, he had always disliked his father-in-law, and the feeling was mutual. In the past, he would try to please him, but now he couldn’t even be bothered to meet him.
He walked up to the dining table, pulled out a chair, and spoke to Chen Yang and the others. “You all better make sure to clear out the evil things in the hall. That place is way too creepy. The only one who can stand living there is my weird father-in-law.”
Kou Xuanling asked, “There are a lot of people living here, right? Why does it seem like only Mr. Wei is the one who can stand it in your eyes?”
“You don’t know,” Feng Ping said, waving his hand. “My father-in-law is stubborn and has strange hobbies. He collects human skins, corpses… Who can live in a place like this without being terrified? You heard that shrew’s yelling earlier, right? Yes, my father-in-law provides me with connections, but the rest of it, I handle on my own. As for that collection, I’m not interested at all. I’m scared, okay? I don’t have those creepy hobbies.” Feng Ping wolfed down some congee and buns, then continued, “The only ones who can put up with this collection hall are my brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and my stepmother. My brother-in-law’s into weird stuff like my father-in-law, and my sister-in-law’s always gloomy and doesn’t speak. As for my stepmother, I really don’t know if she’s just clueless or a true atheist. Tsk, tsk.”
Zhang Qiudao tapped the table. “I heard you say the road was blocked. Was there a landslide outside?”
“No,” Feng Ping waved his hand dismissively. “It was just on the way here. Right past the middle stretch of road, a lightning strike hit a big tree, and it fell right across the road, blocking traffic. The rain was too heavy, and moving the tree was too much trouble. I was supposed to be here for just a short visit to see my father-in-law and then head back. But now, with the heavy rain and the road blocked, it looks like we’ll be stuck here for the night.” He shook his head and sighed. “This place is way too creepy. I really don’t want to stay here.”
Chen Yang replied, “What a coincidence. But you just said earlier, ‘Don’t think I don’t know what he did a few years ago.’ Could you explain what you meant by that?”
Feng Ping’s smile immediately froze, and he looked extremely uncomfortable. Then he gave a dry laugh. “Huh? Did I say that? I… well, I’ve got something to take care of, so I’ll be leaving first—”
Before he could finish, Mao Xiaoli jumped onto the table and leaped in front of him. Along with Zhang Qiudao, they pinned his shoulders down. “Are you going to talk or not?”
“I… I don’t know. I really didn’t know what to say. I just said it offhand… Alright, alright, I’ll explain, okay? Just let go of my arm, it hurts.”
Mao Xiaoli and Zhang Qiudao released Feng Ping’s shoulders. Feng Ping rubbed his shoulders and awkwardly looked at everyone in the room, helplessly saying, “This whole thing, honestly, isn’t a big deal. You all know my father-in-law has strange hobbies, he’s practically insane. A few years ago, we found out that someone had a precious human skin thangka hidden in their house. The person refused to sell it, but they had their eyes on Wei Xiaoxiao—my sister-in-law. The guy was in his fifties or sixties, and he was still thinking about a young girl. A normal person would never agree to such an absurd request, but my father-in-law agreed to it.”
“So, did Wei Xiaoxiao marry him?”
“No, the wedding was interrupted by a car accident. Wei Xiaoxiao was injured, and the shameless bastard died on the spot. His children didn’t want Wei Xiaoxiao to take any inheritance, and the marriage was called off.”
Wei Mianmian clicked her tongue in disbelief. “Is this really her father?”
“That’s why I said he’s gone mad.” Feng Ping stood up and straightened his collar. “I really have something to do, so I’ll leave first.” Without waiting for a response, he rushed out, afraid that Zhang Qiudao and Mao Xiaoli would pin him down again.
Mao Xiaoli watched him leave and said, “Do you believe him?”
Zhang Qiudao replied, “He didn’t lie, but the story he told is probably unrelated to what he was supposed to say.”
Mao Xiaoli turned around with wide, curious eyes. “What do you mean?”
Zhang Qiudao paused for a moment, finding Mao Xiaoli particularly cute. He suddenly reached out and pinched her cheek.
Mao Xiaoli was stunned. “Why are you pinching me?”
Zhang Qiudao casually released her after a moment and said, “Just wanted to see if I could pinch some sense into you.”
Mao Xiaoli got angry and started swatting at him. They wrestled for a while before the situation calmed down. Then, they heard Chen Yang’s exceptionally kind voice, “Are you done with your little game?”
Chen Yang glanced at Mao Xiaoli and Zhang Qiudao, unable to suppress a pleased smile. The future of the branch office seemed bright, with little cubs about to be added. Thinking about how the future branch might be overtaken by little cubs, Chen Yang couldn’t stop smiling. As he grinned, he added, “What Dao is trying to say is that Feng Ping’s slip-up about Wei Guangming was actually about something else he did, not about the marriage arrangement with the old man.”
“What’s the other thing?” Mao Xiaoli asked, feeling a chill run down her spine at the sight of Chen Yang’s smile.
“I don’t know,” Chen Yang stood up. “You’ll have to investigate that. Get to work.” He paused for a moment and added something for the four of them, “When husband and wife are united, nothing is impossible.”
At this, Lu Xiuzhi glanced at Kou Xuanling with a beaming smile, while Kou Xuanling covered his face and quietly continued eating his breakfast. Mao Xiaoli and Zhang Qiudao exchanged a glance, both of them making exaggerated gagging motions.
Chen Yang smiled and went upstairs. In the hallway, he encountered Wei Jie’s wife, Xu Yue. She stood in the middle of the hall, her expression dazed and her face pale. As Chen Yang passed by, she suddenly tried to grab him, but he swiftly dodged and took several steps back. “Do you have something to say?”
Xu Yue swallowed nervously, her eyes full of pleading as she asked, “Will you play with her?”
“Her? Who?” Chen Yang asked, confused.
“No, no, not her. I mean them,” Xu Yue said, looking at him with hopeful eyes. “Will you play with them?”
Under her expectant gaze, Chen Yang shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t like to play. Are you calling me a ‘ghost’? Who are you looking for?”
Xu Yue trembled all over, panic evident as she began pacing. “Yes, I need to find them first. I can’t be a ‘ghost,’ I need to find…” She suddenly froze and stared blankly at the large clock ahead of her. A smile spread across her face, and she rushed to the clock, tiptoeing as she opened its faceplate. It turned out to be a decorative clock.
The faceplate suddenly swung open, and a sharp, pointed hour hand shot out. Chen Yang, quick as a flash, grabbed Xu Yue, pulling her away just in time, or else the sharp needle would have punctured her eye. Xu Yue stood there, still shaken, when the clock emitted a loud “clang.” With a “crack,” the bottom of the clock slowly opened, revealing the bound, folded limbs of a small body. The child’s grey-blue skin was marred with injuries, and their terrified expression, along with the clear marks of strangulation on the neck, revealed that it was Wei ZhiZhi.
Chen Yang quickly scooped Wei Zhizhi up and checked for breath. The next moment, Wei ZhiZhi suddenly jumped up, sticking out her tongue and laughing gleefully. Her high-pitched laughter was grating and unsettling.
Xu Yue screamed, “Ah!!!!” She ran down in a frenzy, tripping and falling down the stairs, breaking her leg. The excruciating pain in her leg was nothing compared to the terror brought on by Wei Zhizhi’s body. She panted like an animal, her eyes unfocused, still trying to crawl towards the door.
Wei Ning stood at the top of the stairs, looking down emotionlessly, muttering to herself, “Don’t be afraid, because it’s just the beginning.”
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