Chapter 10 Skeleton Under The Clothes 03
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Ge Qing said, “On the night before leaving, I woke up to get some water from the kitchen and saw him heading towards the south. I became curious and approached the window to have a look. That’s when I noticed he was walking in the direction of that haunted house.”
“What happened afterwards?” Feng Yuan leaned closer and asked.
“That’s all,” Ge Qing replied.
“That’s all?”
“Yes, that’s all. I wasn’t that curious, plus it was late at night, and I felt really sleepy. Besides, in horror movies, you’re sure to die if you follow someone. I’m not stupid.” Ge Qing folded her arms and rolled her eyes.
“Not following him was the right decision.” Chen Yang nodded.
Ge Qing immediately smiled at him and said, “Brother Yang understands me.”
“Don’t call out randomly,” Mao Xiaoli said to Ge Qing, “I never addressed him so intimately.”
“We’re not comparable,” Ge Qing playfully adjusted her hair, “I’ll call him however I like. Right, Brother Yang?”
“Miss Ge, it’s better if you call me by my name.”
“Brother Yang, you’re too formal.”
“I’m married.”
Ge Qing was momentarily speechless, staring at Chen Yang with obvious disbelief. However, Chen Yang chose not to say anything further, maintaining his distance and displaying his clear refusal. He didn’t feel the need to prove his marital status—it simply wasn’t necessary for him.
Nevertheless, it dispelled Ge Qing’s thoughts about him. After feeling somewhat embarrassed for a while, Ge Qing regained her composure and decided to keep her distance from Chen Yang.
Chen Yang, observing the situation, inquired, “Why did you feel that something was off about Lu Nan during that time?”
“He wasn’t wearing any shoes.”
Feng Yuan and Wei Changping sighed dismissively, showing their disbelief. Ge Qing said in frustration, “Isn’t it strange? He walked out of the house without any shoes and strolled down the street. It was as if he were a lost soul.”
It was only now that they realized something was wrong. Indeed, not wearing shoes may seem ordinary, but considering the circumstances, it appeared strange. Going out alone late at night without any footwear was quite unusual.
“Maybe… he was sleepwalking?” Feng Yuan licked his lips, realizing that even he couldn’t convince himself with this explanation.
Chen Yang asked, “Are you certain he was heading towards that haunted house?”
“I’m not sure. But he was heading in that direction. To be honest, Lu Nan’s ancestral home is quite secluded and close to the haunted house. There aren’t many houses near that haunted house, and the surroundings are filled with ancient locust trees, creating a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere. It’s unlikely that anyone would choose to walk that path late at night.”
“Hold on, did you say ancient locust trees?”
Ge Qing turned to Feng Yuan, who paused briefly before getting up and retrieving a DSLR camera from his backpack in the corner. Operating it while speaking, he said, “I took some photos of the haunted house. Master, take a look.”
Chen Yang took the photos and carefully examined each one. The more he looked, the more his brow furrowed, his expression growing grave.
Mao Xiaoli, unable to contain her emotions after viewing the photos, couldn’t help but gasp, “That haunted house is incredibly sinister. How in the world did you all manage to return from there alive?!”
Feng Yuan’s lips twitched. “Things haven’t improved much even now.”
They were already caught up in this mess, and one person had already died.
Chen Yang said, “Xiaoli means that, according to common standards, you wouldn’t have survived until leaving Bulao Town.”
Feng Yuan and the others were utterly astonished. “What do you mean?”
“Do you know what this is?” Chen Yang pointed to the haunting shadows cast by the rows of ancient locust trees in the photos. The branches were adorned with glossy black crows. “Locust trees, the trees of specters. Ghosts find solace in such places. A large expanse of ancient locust trees has attracted countless lost souls and restless spirits. The air is thick with darkness. Normally, even a brief visit to that area would expose you to its eerie aura, resulting in a severe illness. There’s only one reason why you didn’t succumb after spending a week there.”
“What is it?”
“Something far more sinister had its eyes on you.”
A sudden voice interjected into the conversation. They turned their gaze towards the silhouette of two individuals standing at the entrance. It was one of them who spoke.
Feng Yuan: “Celestial Master Kou and Celestial Master Du, you’ve returned?”
Celestial Master Du?
Chen Yang glanced over and noticed two tall and dignified-looking young men. The first one had a refined and gentle appearance, but there was a hint of detachment, indicating his exceptional status.
This person was Celestial Master Kou.
Walking behind him was a young man who stood half a head taller than Celestial Master Kou. He exuded a calm and aloof aura—this was Celestial Master Du.
Surnamed Du… Chen Yang pondered, his eyes fixed on the unfamiliar face. It was no surprise, considering his husband was a ghost envoy who wouldn’t appear in the mortal realm but instead assumed the identity of a celestial master.
Kou Xuanling approached Chen Yang, his gaze first falling on his waist, but he didn’t spot the waist token of authorization. Then his eyes shifted to Mao Xiaoli, noticing her All Merits Seal—a sixth-grade Celestial Master badge—causing his brows to furrow in displeasure.
“Kou Xuanling. Third-grade Celestial Master.” He took out a plaque engraved with the words “Scripture of Supreme Clarity, Three Caverns, Five Thunders” and hanging from it was a dark-colored tassel.
Judging by his appearance, he couldn’t have been more than thirty years old. Advancing in the celestial master realm was no easy feat—the higher the rank, the harder the advancement. It required not only sufficient cultivation and merits but also strict time constraints. The rules stated that it took three years to progress from All Merits to Alliance Authority, eight years to the next level, and twelve years thereafter. After that, without merits, one couldn’t be promoted.
In simpler terms, reaching the rank of a third-grade celestial master would require at least sixteen years. Kou Xuanling’s youthful appearance indicated that he must have started studying the Dao arts from a young age and possessed extraordinary talent to achieve the Five Thunders Scripture in just sixteen years.
It was through Mao Xiaoli’s account that Chen Yang learned Kou Xuanling was a descendant of the Northern Celestial Master Dao. During the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Celestial Master Dao split into two schools: the Southern and Northern Celestial Master Dao, with the Northern Celestial Master Dao’s founder having the surname Kou.
“Chen Yang.”
Mao Xiaoli: “23rd generation disciple of the Maoshan Sect, Mao Xiaoli.”
Upon hearing those words, Kou Xuanling curled his lip and let out a silent contemptuous smile. He paid no further attention to Mao Xiaoli. Chen Yang swiftly grabbed Mao Xiaoli, who was seething with anger, and whispered softly in her ear, “Ten million!”
Mao Xiaoli took a deep breath. “Yes, ten million. No matter how furious I am at that inhuman creature, I can’t be mad with ten million.”
“What are you discussing?” Kou Xuanling inquired.
Mao Xiaoli smiled. “Oh, nothing much, just figuring out how to communicate with beasts.”
Kou Xuanling: “Which beast are you referring to?”
“Whoever responds, we’ll address them—”
“Xiaoli!”
Before Chen Yang could reprimand her, the other celestial master suddenly spoke up, “We’ve investigated around and found something. Since you’ve also made a discovery, let’s discuss it together.”
Before Chen Yang could grasp the situation, he noticed the Celestial Master Du approaching him. With a direct and composed demeanor, their eyes briefly met. As Chen Yang held Mao Xiaoli’s hand, it seemed to be momentarily singed, prompting him to swiftly retract his hand.
Celestial Master Du continued walking past them, causing Mao Xiaoli and Chen Yang to separate, maintaining a respectful distance. Once he took his seat, he turned to Chen Yang and calmly said, “Du Bei.”
Chen Yang pursed his lips and took the seat next to him.
With limited seating available on their side, there was no space left after the two tall men had settled down. Kou Xuanling took a seat opposite them, while Mao Xiaoli, harboring a dislike for him, chose a single chair situated a bit farther away.
Ge Qing remarked, “So, it turns out you all are unfamiliar with each other.”
“Miss Ge, rest assured, we are all experienced and professional celestial masters,” Chen Yang reassured, then glanced at Du Bei seated beside him.
Du Bei nodded silently.
“Alright, what do you mean by saying that there is something more sinister targeting us?”
Chen Yang turned his gaze towards Du Bei, who kept his eyes lowered, showing no intention of providing an explanation. Consequently, Chen Yang spoke up, “Literally speaking, those entities failed to kill you promptly, indicating that they have ulterior motives.”
Feng Yuan paused for a moment and asked, “Motives? Are you suggesting that they want to exploit us for something?”
“Exactly.”
“But what do we possess that can be exploited?”
“Your identities.”
“What do you mean?”
“If those entities were to assume your identities, masquerading as you, and utilize your social status and connections, it would make it easier for them to conceal their true identities from the government and the celestial masters after committing their murders.”
Demonic spirits, when harming others, inevitably left behind traces of their actions.
The identities of Feng Yuan and the others acted as a protective charm for the evil monsters to conceal themselves.
Wei Changping, who had remained silent until now, spoke up, “Then why was Lu Nan killed in such a horrific manner?”
Ge Qing and Feng Yuan realized the overlooked aspect. If someone intended to exploit their identities, why would they brutally murder Lu Nan?
“The skin is missing,” Chen Yang calmly and matter-of-factly stated this overlooked key point.
The three of them simultaneously shivered. Those entities, in order to utilize their identities, must have needed to remove their skin and wear it as a disguise. It seemed that their initial intention was to impersonate Lu Nan and approach them. Unfortunately, before they could dispose of Lu Nan’s body, it was discovered.
If Lu Nan’s body hadn’t been found, wouldn’t they be unknowingly associating with some eerie entity on a daily basis?
“So, now… those entities are following us, from Miyun Haunted House to Haoyuan Villa? And they are probably wearing human disguises that we can’t even notice?”
“Haven’t there been four murders in the villa area in the past two weeks?”
In simpler terms, at least four demonic s had infiltrated the villa area, lurking with hostile intentions towards them.
“Who do they pretend to be?”
“I don’t know,” Chen Yang calmly replied. “The bodies were severely damaged, making it difficult to identify them through DNA testing before those entities acted. Those entities have been alive for many years… longer than us, and they have taken many lives. Some have never been discovered, and once they wear human skin, you wouldn’t recognize them. Human skin can mask their malevolence.”
They could effortlessly change their disguises.
Ge Qing: “These demonic spirits are practically unbeatable.” Ge Qing sarcastically complained.
Feng Yuan: “Then how do we capture those entities?”
Kou Xuanling: “We have to find them first.”
“How do we find them?”
Kou Xuanling: “By luring them out.”
Just as Feng Yuan and the others were about to inquire about the specifics of luring them out, they noticed the four celestial masters fixedly gazing at them. Understanding their intentions, a sense of horror overwhelmed Feng Yuan. “No way! Are you suggesting that we become the bait?”
Kou Xuanling raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and explained, “The demonic spirits are targeting all of you, so it would be more effective for you to lure them out.”
“Can you not do it yourselves?”
“If we can lure them out, do we really need your assistance?” Kou Xuanling’s expression grew stern. “Let’s resolve this swiftly. If you’re unwilling, there’s nothing we can do. We’ll simply let it drag on until the agreed-upon time expires. But be aware that the initial payment of ten million won’t be refunded. That’s the attitude of our head office—firm and indifferent. They expect cooperation from the employer. If there’s no cooperation, we’ll still collect the payment without completing the job.”
Despite this, there were still many people eagerly offering money to convince the head office to take on their cases.
Chen Yang and Mao Xiaoli watched with envy, their eyes becoming teary.
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