Chapter 89: Tomino’s Hell 07
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Chen Yang heard noise coming from downstairs and instinctively loosened his grip, intending to go down and check. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Wei Zhizhi broke free and ran, but after only two or three steps, she was caught again. Realizing she couldn’t escape, Wei Zhizhi stopped running, turned around, and let out a sharp, eerie laugh. Her laughter echoed unnervingly in the silent hallway, accompanied by the woman’s screams from downstairs. She asked, “Do you want to play with me?”
Chen Yang quietly met Wei Zhizhi’s gaze. His calm, gentle eyes gradually made her stop laughing. He said, “Zhizhi, enough is enough.”
Wei Zhizhi tilted her head. What should have been an innocent expression turned grotesque due to the bruises covering her body, her icy cold temperature, and her ashen skin. She lifted her head, letting Chen Yang see the marks on her neck. “Do you see this? They said this is why I died.”
Chen Yang’s expression changed. He reached out to touch the marks and softly asked, “Does it hurt?”
Wei Zhizhi’s clear eyes, filled with innocence, suddenly lit up with a mischievous smile. The next second, her expression turned sly. “Hehe, I lied to you. You’re so easy to fool. Who told you not to play with me?” She turned and darted toward the children’s room door. She stopped, pressed her finger under her eye, and pulled it down in a playful mockery. “Hehehe, Chen Xiaoyang is so dumb.”
She laughed gleefully as she entered the children’s room, shutting the door and cutting off all sound. The hallway was left in silence, with only Chen Yang standing alone. The quiet, deathly stillness swiftly engulfed the entire second floor, leaving not even the sound of breathing. Chen Yang took a few steps forward, but suddenly the scene before him began to twist.
The whole hallway seemed to warp, and everything in the room started to shake violently, as if there had been an earthquake. The heavy clock-like decoration in the corner, the pictures and frames hanging on the wall, ceramics, potted plants, and more crashed to the floor with a loud, crashing noise. The hallway appeared to be closing in. The patterns on the walls twisted into vortex shapes, and eventually morphed into countless human figures.
These figures seemed like evil spirits, howling and struggling, trying to grab Chen Yang as the walls closed in on him. They tried to tear off his arms, break his legs, snap his neck, and force his body into the sand to be battered by rain, burying his shattered corpse under collapsing earth, keeping him from seeing the light of day. Finally, they would drive his soul into hell, where he would endure endless wailing and suffering, day after day, the punishment never ending.
For a moment, Chen Yang became dazed, his mind picking up the meaning of the chaotic sounds around him. The stairs were still some distance away, and it seemed impossible for him to escape before the walls fully closed in. He touched the copper coin string on his arm, about to tear it off to form a copper coin sword when the door to the children’s room suddenly opened. Wei Zhizhi, with her clean, cold face, screamed at the hallway.
The scream was so sharp that even Chen Yang felt his ears sting for a moment. But the scream caused the hallway to return to normal in an instant. When Chen Yang focused again, the hallway was as quiet and unchanged as it had been. He looked at the children’s room, but the door was firmly closed, and there was no sign of Wei Zhizhi.
It was as though everything that had just happened was a hallucination, but Chen Yang knew it hadn’t been. He stood silently in place for a while before returning to his room.
In the afternoon, several people gathered in Chen Yang’s room to discuss things. Mao Xiaoli pounded her chest and said, “Did you all know that Xu Yue fell from upstairs and broke her leg?”
Kou Xuanling asked, “Who is Xu Yue?”
“Mao Xiaoli’s voice held a hint of triumph as she spoke, “Wei Jie’s wife. She’d been hiding in her room, not daring to step out. It’s said that she saw a ghost before, and because of that, she’s been too scared to leave her room. But today, as soon as she stepped out, she broke her leg, just like Wei Jie. Both of them got injured in the same way. I really don’t know if it’s just a coincidence or if the couple has some kind of synchrony.”
Chen Yang asked, “Tell me more about what happened when she saw the ghost… Did you get the details?”
“Of course I did. As soon as I heard, I knew something was off, so I asked around to get the full story,” Mao Xiaoli said smugly. “Wei Jie and Xu Yue lived on the second floor. Wei Jie kept hearing a lot of strange noises coming from the hallway, while Xu Yue, one night, woke up to the sound of someone running around outside in the corridor. At first, she thought it was Wei Zhizhi, unable to sleep and running around like she usually did. Wei Zhizhi had done that before—gotten up in the middle of the night to play pranks on others. Xu Yue shouted at her, and the sound stopped. But then it started again, one noise after another, making Xu Yue even angrier.”
Xu Yue put on her nightgown, opened the door, and found the hallway completely empty. The noises had stopped abruptly. She closed the door, and the sounds came back. She was sure it was Wei Zhizhi messing around, so in her fury, she opened the door again and went to check the usual places where Wei Zhizhi liked to hide, making a lot of noise as she searched. Eventually, she found the source of the sounds coming from that heavy clock-like decoration.
She angrily opened the clock, but what she saw inside made her scream in absolute terror. After that, she refused to speak about it to anyone, and she stayed locked in her room, refusing to see anyone. If it weren’t for Wei Jie getting injured, she probably wouldn’t have left her room at all.”
Mao Xiaoli paused, leaning on her hands, and added, “From the way they described it, Wei Zhizhi really is a brat. You tell me, what kind of person runs around the hallway screaming in the middle of the night? If it were me, I’d have definitely scolded her. But look at Wei Guangming and Qi Yin. One is obsessed with his collectibles, and the other only cares about Wei Guangming’s feelings. Neither of them seems to care about their own child. With a father who doesn’t care and a mother who doesn’t teach, Wei Zhizhi just kept on being a little terror.”
Kou Xuanling shook her head, clearly disturbed by the way Wei Zhizhi acted. “Xu Yue was already scared, and this time, for some reason, she agreed to play a game with those ‘people,’ but she wasn’t scared of them. Instead, it was Wei Zhizhi who scared her so badly that she broke her leg. At only five years old, Wei Zhizhi was able to come up with the idea of dressing up as a corpse and hiding in the clock to frighten people. Honestly, anyone would have been terrified by that.”
Zhang Qiudao asked, “Didn’t Wei Guangming and Qi Yin get angry about Wei Zhizhi’s pranks?”
Mao Xiaoli replied, “They did, but when Wei Guangming got a call saying someone wanted to see the painting Grotesque, he left to handle that, ignoring Wei Zhizhi and their older son and daughter-in-law. As for Qi Yin, she seemed… relieved, in a way.”
Kou Xuanling continued, “Wei Jie and his wife live downstairs, and even though they were injured, they refused to return to the second floor. Xu Yue, terrified, had to take sedatives to sleep. We couldn’t get any useful information from her. Meanwhile, Wei Jie kept raging in anger, swearing that unless they sent Wei Zhizhi away, he wasn’t going back upstairs to sleep. Dr. Hao and his assistant didn’t want to get involved in family matters, so they stayed quiet. Wei Mianmian was busy trying to please Wei Guangming and didn’t care at all about her half-siblings. Wei Xiaoxiao remained silent, completely indifferent. This family really is cold. Even after Wei Jie and his wife got injured, no one seemed to feel any concern or fear, all too focused on themselves.”
Lu Xiuzhi held his hand and said softly, “The human heart is more frightening than any ghost.”
Zhang Qiudao coldly interrupted, “Evil spirits are more terrifying than human hearts, because they’ve always had a heart more frightening than any ghost’s when they were alive.” He glanced at the clasped hands of Lu Xiuzhi and Kou Xuanling, feeling a twinge of jealousy deep inside. A straight-laced man and an old fossil were actually dating, while he was still at a stage where even attempting to pursue someone would likely be laughed at.
Lu Xiuzhi and Kou Xuanling turned to Zhang Qiudao, surprised, and then both looked at Mao Xiaoli. Mao Xiaoli, confused, asked, “What are you staring at me for?” So, they quickly shifted their gaze back to Zhang Qiudao, filled with sympathy and comfort.
Chen Yang stepped in to smooth things over, advising Kou Xuanling and Lu Xiuzhi, “People should be kind.” After all, wasn’t it Lu Xiuzhi who had to work hard to win Kou Xuanling over? It wasn’t easy to turn a straight stick into a curved one, and now that he had finally won him over, should he really pity a poor single guy?
Upon hearing this, Kou Xuanling and Zhang Qiudao both glared at Chen Yang, saying in unison, “Director Chen, you’re the last person who should be saying that.”
Chen Yang shrugged, “Well, I’m married.” He wasn’t a single guy anymore, so no matter what kind of couple show they put on, he could watch it all with complete indifference, his face showing no emotion. He didn’t need to be kind, because no matter how the winds changed, they’d never blow his way.
Mao Xiaoli interrupted, “What are you guys talking about? I don’t understand.”
Chen Yang said kindly, “You won’t understand now, but you will someday.”
Mao Xiaoli was instantly struck, collapsing onto her chair and hugging her head in despair, “I have a ten-centimeter-thick matchmaking booklet, full of excellent men. It’s fine, I’m not jealous, not upset.”
Zhang Qiudao said darkly, “Brother Chen, people should be kind.”
Chen Yang hummed a tune. They’d been showing off in front of him for days now, whether they had something to celebrate or not. And now they hadn’t even officially gotten together yet—what was all this showing off? He suddenly looked up, his eyes sparkling as he turned to Kou Xuanling and Lu Xiuzhi, “Did you two make it official?”
Kou Xuanling replied, “We just officially started dating.”
Lu Xiuzhi added, “With marriage as the goal.” He hadn’t expected Kou Xuanling to be unexpectedly traditional in that sense, but on second thought, it wasn’t such a bad thing. It meant they wouldn’t be quick to divorce after getting married.
Mao Xiaoli clapped her hands enthusiastically. “Congratulations!” After a brief pause, she cupped her hands together, clapping them a few times as she pointed at her chin. “Mn?”
Kou Xuanling responded, “Huh?”
Lu Xiuzhi shook his head, “Nothing.”
Mao Xiaoli gave them a dismissive look. “Slow.”
Chen Yang flicked his fingers against Mao Xiaoli’s forehead, “You’re filthy.”
Zhang Qiudao propped his chin, staring thoughtfully at Mao Xiaoli’s retreating figure. She thinks it’s slow? That means she likes a faster pace. Aside from his stamina, he felt his own qualities were quite suitable for the situation. Hearing Mao Xiaoli’s disdain, Lu Xiuzhi’s expression also turned thoughtful. Kou Xuanling, realizing the implication, started to wonder if he really was too conservative. He too became lost in thought.
Chen Yang, helpless, clapped his hands to bring everyone’s focus back. “Back to the topic, no more messing around. Xiaoli, Qiudao, you two don’t need to investigate Wei Zhizhi’s case. Focus on the painting in the collection room. As for Lao Kou… you two should try to decipher the runes on the walls. I’ve noticed the patterns aren’t ordinary decorations; they seem to be some sort of protective spell. If you understand the meaning and function of these runes, it might help us figure things out.”
“The Wei family seems strange,” Mao Xiaoli said. “I always feel like the eerie things in the collection hall are connected to them somehow.”
Chen Yang replied, “I know they’re odd, but they won’t just tell us anything easily. Aside from Doctor Hao and his assistant, there are no other servants in the collection hall, so we can’t find out anything else. Anyway, as long as their safety is guaranteed, we should first investigate what’s been happening in the collection hall.”
With that, the meeting was basically over, so Chen Yang dismissed everyone. As the others left, Kou Xuanling stayed behind and said to Zhang Qiudao, “I want to ask Director Chen about something private.”
Zhang Qiudao immediately left the room, closing the door behind him. Kou Xuanling twitched his lips, waiting for the door to close, then turned to Chen Yang with a serious expression. “Are you hiding something else from us?”
“What do you mean?”
“If you weren’t hiding something, you would have just denied it instead of responding with a question. Chen Xiaoyang, is there something you’re not telling us?”
Chen Yang asked, “What did Lu Xiuzhi tell you?”
“How did you know he’d tell me something?” Kou Xuanling asked, slightly uncomfortable under Chen Yang’s teasing gaze. He shifted in his seat and tapped the table. “You almost succeeded in changing the subject. He did tell me a few things about this collection hall. He said that, so far, the security guards who died were victims of greed. He also told me not to get involved with the Wei family. Do you know why?”
Chen Yang answered, “Because vengeful spirits seek revenge, and the living should stay away.”
“Looks like you know. Ah Zhi said the vengeful spirit is holding the Fengdu Exemption Token, so we can’t intervene,” Kou Xuanling continued. “Now that I know all this, can you tell me what you’ve been hiding?”
Chen Yang rubbed his forehead and relayed what had happened in the hallway earlier that morning. After hearing this, Kou Xuanling fell silent for a moment before finally saying, “I see.”
After Kou Xuanling left, Chen Yang stared out the window at the relentless downpour. The oppressive, gloomy sky foretold something ominous. He sighed heavily, murmuring, “Too many sins, and retribution is inevitable.”
In the afternoon, everyone took a nap. With the gloomy, dark weather, no internet or signal to distract them, sleep seemed the only way to pass the long day. But then, a scream shattered the quiet stillness of the entire collection hall. Chen Yang immediately opened his eyes, threw on his coat, and exchanged a glance with Zhang Qiudao before stepping out of his room. Kou Xuanling and Lu Xiuzhi also opened their doors, and the four of them hurried downstairs.
As they reached the top of the stairs, Chen Yang glanced at the children’s room. The door was tightly shut. He quickly looked away and rushed downstairs. They reached the first floor to find the front door wide open, lightning flashing and thunder crashing outside, with strong winds pushing the torrential rain inside the hall. Wei Xiaoxiao had her back to them, sitting on the floor, screaming in terror. In front of her, Dr. Hao’s body hung by his limbs, bound by rope, with his neck twisted at an unnatural angle and his face frozen in terror.
Mao Xiaoli moved Wei Xiaoxiao aside to comfort her. Although Wei Xiaoxiao was still shaken, she had stopped screaming, her face still pale with fear. Wei Guangming, Wei Miannian, and Feng Ping arrived at the scene and were equally shocked. Wei Miannian looked scared, while Feng Ping, after recovering from his initial shock, was also terrified.
Chen Yang walked to the door and looked at the rope hanging Dr. Hao’s body. It was very old and worn. “Vengeful spirits seeking revenge,” he murmured. They then brought Dr. Hao’s body down and laid it in the center of the hall. Dr. Hao’s assistant tried to call the police, but Wei Guangming firmly stopped him.
Wei Guangming said, “If it’s a vengeful spirit, then it’s well-deserved. Calling the police would only lead to an investigation. Every item in this collection hall is valuable. What if something gets stolen? If something goes missing outside, I won’t be too bothered. But if something disappears from the third floor or higher, who’s going to compensate for that? We can’t call the police.”
The assistant refused to back down, insisting on reporting the murder. However, without a signal, he couldn’t make the call. The assistant then decided to drive away from the hall, and Feng Ping followed suit, shouting, “The vengeful spirit is already here. If you don’t leave now, are you planning to stay? This place is already creepy enough with those human skin paintings and dead body sculptures. Whoever wants to stay, fine, but I won’t. If you don’t want to die, you’d better leave.”
“Feng Ping!” Wei Miannian shouted, but he was already heading for the garage. She smiled awkwardly at Wei Guangming. “Dad, you know how Feng Ping is. I need to keep an eye on him. He’s so reckless without me around. I’ll go…”
Wei Guangming’s gaze was cold. “Go ahead.” Wei Miannian quickly said a few polite words before leaving, her back hurried and tense. She didn’t hear her father’s soft chuckle. “Let’s see if he can really leave.”
Wei Guangming turned to Chen Yang. “Chen Tianshi, will the vengeful spirit that killed Dr. Hao seek revenge on us?”
“If there’s no connection, it won’t,” Chen Yang replied.
Wei Guangming quickly turned to Wei Xiaoxiao. “Xiaoxiao, what did you see when you opened the door?”
Wei Xiaoxiao’s face was ashen, her eyes darting in fear. “I saw a white shadow floating past the window, so I thought someone was outside and opened the door. I… I didn’t expect to see Dr. Hao’s body. I… I was so scared, I just—”
“Did you recognize the white shadow?”
“I couldn’t see clearly. I didn’t see it clearly.”
Wei Guanming was displeased but didn’t scold Wei Xiaoxiao. Instead, he said, “Could it be the white shadow that Dr. Hao saw? Chen Tianshi, didn’t you say that’s a wandering spirit or a ghost from the mountains?”
Chen Yang replied, “Mr. Wei, the white shadow I heard about came from Dr. Hao and your descriptions. If there were things you hid or didn’t see clearly, I can’t be certain about the ghost’s intentions. Moreover, vengeful spirits are rare. Most spirits are harmless wandering souls. Mr. Wei, if you haven’t done anything wrong, there’s no need to fear ghosts knocking on your door. Even a ghost looking for a substitute can’t typically enter a house unless Dr. Hao was deceived by the ghost. People who are deceived by ghosts are often the ones with a guilty conscience or intentions driven by desire.”
Wei Guangming paused, his thoughts racing. He then said, “But didn’t you notice anything when the vengeful ghost was harming people?”
Chen Yang’s response was cryptic, “I think Mr. Wei doesn’t know how thick the ghostly atmosphere in this collection hall is.”
The words hung in the air, and a chill swept over the room. Qi Yin shuddered, goosebumps rising on her skin, and Wei Xiaoxiao trembled uncontrollably. Wei Guangming’s face turned pale, and he seemed unable to bear the weight of Chen Yang’s statement.
Half an hour later, the assistant, Feng Ping, and Wei Miannian, drenched from the rain, returned in a disheveled state. Feng Ping looked hopeless as he said, “We can’t leave.”
Author’s Note:
This chapter isn’t about just one vengeful ghost. The ones who were killed may have been involved in the same events, but the ones responsible for their deaths may not all be the same spirit.
The earlier parts may seem confusing, but the later ones will explain everything. If you find it hard to follow, you can let this chapter sit for a while and read it later to understand everything better.
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