Chapter 32.1 Ye Family House No. 444 05
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Chen Yang and Du Shuo walked together until they reached the next bus stop. When they returned to the inn, it was already around midnight. A new group of people had gathered in the inn’s courtyard, enjoying a lively bonfire dinner.
The innkeeper greeted them as soon as she saw them and said, “Someone is waiting for you.”
Chen Yang glanced in the direction she pointed and saw a stranger. Unexpectedly, Hu Xiang emerged from behind the stranger, waving at Chen Yang and Du Shuo. Approaching them, they discovered that the stranger was Shen Yihui, a lay disciple of Baiyun Temple and a member of the Criminal Investigation Brigade.
“Let’s discuss inside the room,” Chen Yang suggested, taking the lead to open the door. They entered the room and sat together, observing Shen Yihui and Hu Xiang. Chen Yang asked, “Hu Xiang, why did only you come back?”
Hu Xiang sniffled, her eyes becoming teary. “My cousin… they all disappeared.”
Chen Yang furrowed his brow. “What happened?”
Shen Yihui spoke up, “Let me go first.” He carefully organized his thoughts before continuing, “Tonight, Yingnan was going to investigate the situation at Ye Family House No. 444 and informed me as well. Initially, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with Ye Family House No. 444 because I had also conducted an inspection there and found no signs of evil or negative energy. It’s clean. So, even though I didn’t think it was necessary for her to go, I trusted Yingnan’s judgment. But I never expected that they would all disappear.”
“Setting aside everything else, just the fact that there is no problem with Ye Family House No. 444 is incorrect,” Chen Yang stated. “Cleanliness itself is a major issue. Despite three gruesome incidents occurring there, there is no trace of resentment. This clearly indicates a significant problem.”
Shen Yihui ran his hand through his hair and let out a sigh of despair. “You’re right. When I realized that cleanliness was the biggest issue, I tried to send a message to inform Yingnan, but I didn’t receive any response, which made me suspect that something unfortunate had happened to them. I hurried to Ye Family House No. 444 and found Hu Xiang there. Hu Xiang hadn’t participated in Yingnan’s exploration but was waiting outside. However, after that, there was no sound. When I went inside, I found no trace of anyone, I mean, no trace of anyone entering the house and leaving any marks behind.”
In other words, Hu Yingnan and the others disappeared at Ye Family House No. 444, and even the traces they had left from their previous intrusion into the mansion were erased. Perhaps, after some time, people might even forget about Hu Yingnan, Mao Xiaoli, and Kou Xuanling.
It truly was a terrifying ability.
It instilled a sense of fear out of thin air.
Chen Yang looked at Hu Xiang, his expression grave. “Describe everything you know.”
Hu Xiang suppressed her sobs and desperately tried to recall the situation at that time.
“They went inside. I was scared, so I waited in the car outside. I was afraid of falling asleep, so I watched their livestream on my phone. We started livestreaming at midnight, but they didn’t go inside until half-past eleven. There were many people there, not just our group. My cousins went in last. They walked around inside but didn’t find anything. When they went upstairs to the second floor and reached the staircase landing, the livestream suddenly went black. Then I heard terrified screams coming from inside Ye Family House No. 444. Many people were screaming. But the next moment, all the sounds vanished. I was very scared and wanted to gather courage to go inside. However, my cousin told me that if something happened to them, I shouldn’t go in and should inform you and Brother Shen as soon as possible.”
Chen Yang comforted her, “You did the right thing. Do you remember how many people entered the house?”
“Probably… about twenty people,” Hu Xiang recalled the previous night, “In our group, there were seven of us. Besides my cousins, Yang Xiao brought two people from the society club. There were three other groups as well. One group had three people, another had four, and the last group had six. Since we were the first to arrive but the last to go in, I made a note of it.”
“Do you remember at what time they suddenly screamed and at what time they disappeared?” Chen Yang asked.
Hu Xiang: “I remember. I was watching the livestream attentively. The screaming started at 1:36 a.m. and lasted for ten minutes. After 1:46 a.m., everything suddenly went silent, and they all disappeared.”
“They vanished in an instant?”
“Yes.”
Chen Yang found it quite challenging. If it was just ordinary people who were unable to defend themselves, he could understand. However, Hu Yingnan, Zhang Qiudao, Mao Xiaoli, and Kou Xuanling were among them. Kou Xuanling was already a third-ranked Five Thunders Celestial Master, yet he had no means to fight back. This indicated that the situation was truly difficult.
Furthermore, he still couldn’t understand why the previous gruesome incidents left records, while the companions of He Tao died tragically without leaving any traces. What could erase a person’s existence from the world? Besides deities, what else could it be?
However, no deity would be so ruthless and brutal.
“Show me the video, the livestream recorded by Hu Yingnan and the others.”
Hu Xiang took out her phone and searched the webpage. She found the livestream video left behind by Hu Yingnan and handed it to Chen Yang. Chen Yang took it and watched it while leaning against Du Shuo.
Shen Yihui had watched the livestream video countless times before, so this time he didn’t step forward to watch it again.
The video began recording from the moment they entered the courtyard of Ye Family House No. 444. The recording was done by Yang Xiao’s two companions. They were even more disrespectful than Yang Xiao himself, laughing and joking throughout the whole process. At least Yang Xiao approached the superstitions with a rational and serious attitude, but these two seemed more like they were playing and seeking adventure.
After Yang Xiao introduced everything, the two individuals in the video showed their faces, introduced themselves, and included Zhang Qiudao and the others. However, their introductions were quite intriguing. They directly mentioned the Celestial Master status of Zhang Qiudao and the others, clearly filled with mockery.
Zhang Qiudao and the others only glanced at them and didn’t pay much attention. However, the barrage of comments praised their good looks, with some saying that they would even indulge in superstitions if all celestial masters were so handsome.
Chen Yang didn’t quite understand the mindset of young people these days, so he closed the barrage of comments and continued watching.
Ye Family House, with a total of two floors and a spacious courtyard, occupied a significant two hundred square meters in the densely populated Shen City. If it weren’t for its sinister nature, it would probably cost tens of millions to acquire.
The first floor was filled with many people who treated this exploration more like an exciting game. They casually moved the decorations in the rooms, made loud noises, and even fabricated stories about the previous occupants of the rooms.
Zhang Qiudao and the others tried to advise them, but it only angered the group of young people, who immediately surrounded them, wanting to start a fight. It was clear that those young people were no match for Zhang Qiudao and the others, especially with Mao Xiaoli present.
Mao Xiaoli, mischievous as ever, took the opportunity while the group closed in and handed several talismans to Zhang Qiudao, Kou Xuanling, and Hu Yingnan. The three of them took the talismans, glanced at Mao Xiaoli with a bright smile, and then plunged into the crowd, randomly grabbing a few people and forcing the talismans into their mouths, making them swallow.
What followed was utter chaos. Some lost control of their limbs and attacked their companions, while others acted in sync with someone they had previously disliked. Surprisingly, some even developed affectionate feelings towards individuals they hadn’t gotten along with before. Mao Xiaoli had kept a talisman for herself as well. Those who hadn’t fallen under its influence tried to attack them but ended up inflicting injuries upon themselves due to inexplicable reasons.
Chen Yang shook his head and chuckled, while Hu Xiang was quite curious about this scene. She asked Chen Yang what had happened. Chen Yang explained, “Xiaoli drew spirit talismans to play tricks on them. The loss of control was due to a substitution talisman, the sudden affection was caused by the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady’s Union and Harmony Talisman, and the talisman she kept for herself was the Three Days of Auspicious Blessings Talisman, in other words, a talisman for good luck.”
Hu Xiang marveled at the effectiveness of those talismans and felt a tinge of excitement. Chen Yang added, “However, their effects only last for about ten minutes. Xiaoli’s abilities aren’t too advanced yet.”
As expected, after about ten minutes, the talismans lost their effectiveness, and the chaotic scene gradually calmed down. Those who had been affected were astonished but didn’t dare to provoke Mao Xiaoli and the others again. Meanwhile, those who kept their distance, whether due to the strangeness of the situation or out of respect, refrained from tampering with the room’s decorations.
Some people then proceeded to the second floor, to the room where the eerie long-haired woman had appeared on the ceiling, as mentioned by Hu Xiang. Mao Xiaoli and the others remained on the first floor. They entered the room and heard piercing screams and chaotic sounds.
They rushed out and ran to the second floor. However, just as they reached the staircase, the screen suddenly went black, and the sounds became muddled—a mix of crying, pleas for help, and screams. And then, in the next second, everything abruptly stopped.
Chen Yang furrowed his brow, while Du Shuo extended his index finger and dragged the screen backward a few minutes, pausing a second before the black screen. Then he said, “Here, there’s a child.”
Chen Yang lowered his head and indeed spotted a child crouched in an extremely hidden corner near the staircase. The child stared intently in one direction, which happened to be the staircase or the people ascending it.
It was now evident that Ye Family House No. 444 harbored a female resentment, a towering figure wearing a bronze mask, and a little ghost.
Chen Yang switched off his phone and said, “Tonight, Du Shuo and I will go.”
He estimated that they wouldn’t find any clues during the day, since the first three horrific incidents had all occurred at midnight. It seemed to be a significant time, and besides, he believed in Kou Xuanling and the others’ abilities. They should be able to hold out for one night at least.
Shen Yihui: “I’ll go too.”
Chen Yang didn’t object.
Hu Xiang also wanted to join them but was promptly rebuked by Shen Yihui. “You’re just an ordinary person. Going there would be like walking into death. We would have to divert our attention to take care of you. Don’t meddle in this recklessly.”
Upon hearing this, Hu Xiang abandoned the idea. She was also worried about Hu Yingnan.
With the plan set, Shen Yihui left with Hu Xiang, casting a glance at Du Shuo before departing. For some reason, Du Shuo hadn’t caught his attention at first, seemingly concealing his presence entirely. But once he spoke, it was impossible to ignore him.
Shen Yihui understood that this person was probably an expert. The Dafu Branch Office was indeed a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers resided, deserving of its status as the capital city’s branch.
As soon as the others left, Chen Yang quickly asked Du Shuo, “Brother Du, do you know anything? Will Zhang Quidao and the others be okay?”
Du Shuo patted Chen Yang’s head and said, “Go to sleep.”
Chen Yang brushed away Du Shuo’s hand. “How could I possibly sleep in this situation?”
“Can’t sleep?”
Chen Yang silently stared at Du Shuo for a few seconds and then quickly got up and jumped out of Du Shuo’s embrace. “I’m going to sleep now.”
Unfortunately, he was a few steps too slow. Du Shuo grabbed Chen Yang’s ankle and pinned him down, sliding his hand beneath Chen Yang’s clothes along the waistline. With practical actions, he helped Chen Yang fall quickly into slumber.
Once the emotions subsided, Du Shuo carried Chen Yang to the bathroom for a wash and then back to bed, tucking him in under the covers. Chen Yang was in a drowsy state throughout the process. Du Shuo kissed his forehead before getting up and leaving.
With a clear purpose, Du Shuo headed straight for a particular room. Without needing to say a word, the door automatically opened. Stepping into the room, Du Shuo encountered a figure dressed in a green robe wearing a bronze mask.
As soon as the green-robed figure saw Du Shuo, they knelt down and performed a profound and respectful bow, displaying utmost reverence. “Great Emperor.”
Du Shuo remained in the room for a few minutes before leaving. Shortly after his departure, the green-robed figure emerged from the room, accompanied by four or five others dressed in similar attire. They all left the inn, blending into the darkness of the night.
When Chen Yang returned to the room, he was in a drowsy state. Sensing the blanket being lifted and recognizing the familiar scent, he instinctively snuggled into Du Shuo’s arms, grasping his clothes and murmuring, “Where did you go?”
“Went to meet someone.”
“Oh.”
“Go back to sleep.”
Chen Yang settled down and drifted back to sleep.
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