Chapter 33.1 Ye Family House No. 444 06
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Chen Yang took off the red string and stood face to face with the towering monster in front of him. It was called a monster because of its brutal and inhumane way of killing, showing no kindness or mercy.
In reality, the figure standing before him was still a human, about two meters in height. He wore a green robe and had a vertical-eyed bronze mask on his head. There was a small circular hole, around three to four centimeters in diameter, on the mask’s forehead. It was too dark to see what was inside, but it was probably the third eye of the vertical-eyed being.
The three gruesome cases, He Tao’s friends who had died, and the unconsciousness of Zhang Qiudao and the others were all connected to the bronze-masked monster in front of him. Chen Yang took a few steps back and calmly asked, “Who are you?”
Just as he finished speaking, chaotic screams came from above. The cries of women, men, and children echoed, one after another. Chen Yang was shocked. He was certain that besides them, there were no other people in the Ye Family House. So the voices coming from above now… he had a rough idea of what was happening.
Upon hearing the screams, the bronze-masked monster was provoked and charged at Chen Yang. He was incredibly strong and threw a punch, but instead of hitting Chen Yang, he broke several sections of the iron bars of the cage.
The cage made a loud noise, but the people inside remained unconscious. They couldn’t wake up without their souls. Chen Yang thought for a moment and then turned, taking a few steps and using the wall to jump over the bronze-masked monster. He quickly wrapped the red string around the monster’s neck while landing, and then jumped up, placing his feet on the monster’s shoulders and tightening the rope.
As the ancient coins buzzed, Chen Yang shouted, “Go!”
In the next moment, he rushed towards the bronze-masked monster and instantly burned a black hole on its neck. The monster howled in pain and retaliated by thrusting a bronze stake towards Chen Yang, who was behind it.
Chen Yang let go and jumped away from the bronze-masked monster. He retrieved the red string and looked coldly at it. “Born as a human, but filled with evil. Neither human nor ghost, you shall be destroyed!” He then raised his hands in a Five Thunders mudra and, without using any talismans, recited the incantation of the Five Thunders: “I, following the command of the Five Thunder Heavenly Lord, call upon the divine soldiers of thunder, urgently as the law decrees.”
As soon as he finished speaking, thunder and fire struck the bronze-masked monster. After the thunder and fire subsided, the monster remained unharmed. It angrily attacked Chen Yang. He wondered in surprise, “Not afraid of thunder and fire?”
Since it wasn’t afraid of thunder and fire, there was no need to prolong the fight. Chen Yang pulled apart the red string with both hands, and the ancient coins buzzed in the center, wrapping around the monster’s wrist. He intended to snatch the bronze stake and hammer from its hands. However, the monster was incredibly strong and almost caught hold of Chen Yang instead.
Chen Yang changed his plan and used his agility to trip the bronze-masked monster, successfully escaping from the underground chamber. As he left, he glanced back out of instinct and was astonished to see a child standing where the three corpses were hanging.
The child seemed to have been staring at him all along, and as Chen Yang met his gaze, there was no hint of fear. Instead, the child smiled. The child had a pale complexion, with only terrifying whites in his eyes. When he smiled, it could only be described as eerie.
However, Chen Yang understood that it truly meant no harm.
Returning to the second floor, Chen Yang noticed significant changes. What was once dark was now brightly lit. The rooms, walls, and floors had shed their stains and appeared renewed, resembling a normal household. As Chen Yang reached the staircase, he discovered bloodstains covering the entire area, splattering the walls and ceiling on the way up, and continuing to flow down the steps.
Within the pool of blood lay countless limbs, belonging to children, adults, men, and women. It seemed that many lives had been taken to create such a gruesome scene.
Chen Yang paused for only a minute before hearing the footsteps of the bronze-masked monster behind him, heavier than those of an ordinary person.
Suddenly, his shoulder was tapped, causing Chen Yang to turn around, ready to unleash the red string but he heard the person say, “I am Kou Xuanling!”
Taking a closer look, it was indeed Kou Xuanling’s lost soul. Chen Yang furrowed his brow. “How did you end up here? Where are the others?”
“This is not the time to discuss that. Hurry, let’s go. The bronze-masked monster is approaching. We need to go downstairs, but avoid stepping on the bloodstains. That creature will track you based on the blood trail,” Kou Xuanling said, carefully climbing down the stairs. “Follow me, I know the way.”
Chen Yang looked down at Kou Xuanling and, with his left hand gripping the railing, jumped directly from the second floor to the first floor. Turning back, he saw Kou Xuanling slowly crawling and climbing down the stairs with both legs.
Kou Xuanling: “…”
Landing silently, Kou Xuanling led Chen Yang into the room. Zhang Qiudao and the others were all present. They surrounded Chen Yang, asking for an explanation. Chen Yang asked them to calm down for a moment. “Let Kou Xuanling speak first. Start from what happened since last night. What have you all noticed? Also, why have all of you separated from your souls?”
Kou Xuanling began, “Last night, I heard screams from them,” as he gestured towards a group of ordinary people behind him, presumably the batch of students who had come for the exploration. Their faces were filled with regret and shame, but now no one had the time to blame them. “We were all on the first floor originally. When we heard the noise, we ran upstairs and saw the staircase covered in blood and limbs. It was chaotic, and then everyone scattered in different directions. The bronze-masked monster appeared, frightening them to the point of losing their souls, leaving them trapped in this moment. To protect them, we had no choice but to accompany their souls outside their bodies.”
Chen Yang: “What did you all see at that time? What do you mean by being trapped in this moment?”
“The others didn’t see it, but I managed to see it when I ran upstairs. Allow me to explain,” Hu Yingnan stepped forward, “I saw the bronze-masked monster slaughtering many people. It seemed like the space-time was in chaos at that moment, and everything happened in a flash. I noticed that the victims belonged to different time periods—there were thieves, workers, students, as well as two other families who used to live here. And finally, the last ones were Ye Guoxian’s family.”
“Ye Guoxian?”
“The previous owner of Ye Family House No. 444, also the first gruesome murder case. The entire family of four was killed, and Ye Guoxian’s two sons were tortured and killed in front of the couple. Then, Ye Guoxian’s wife was murdered, and her vengeful spirit emerged due to intense resentment. After that, Ye Guoxian and another woman with a child were all brutally killed, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ᴘɪɴɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ wooden, iron, and bronze stakes, respectively.”
Chen Yang was stunned for a moment but quickly grasped the situation. “I saw three corpses in the basement matching your description. Why did the bronze-masked monster kill them?”
“Because the bronze-masked monster believed that his wife and Ye Guoxian were having an affair, betraying him and making him a cuckold. He even considered his own son a bastard, so they were all ruthlessly killed,” Kou Xuanling explained, handing him a diary. “This diary was found in the room where the murder occurred on the first floor. It belongs to the wife of the bronze-masked monster. However, there are large portions in the beginning and the end that I don’t understand, only the middle part describes how the bronze-masked monster’s family of three seemed to be evading someone’s pursuit, and the kind-hearted Ye family adopted them. However, the bronze-masked monster became increasingly suspicious and irritable. He gradually went mad, suspecting his wife of having an affair with Ye Guoxian and even considering his own biological son a bastard. One night, his wife could no longer bear it and exploded into an argument, provoking the bronze-masked monster. Ultimately, it resulted in a tragic incident.”
Chen Yang opened the diary and recognized the peculiar script at the beginning. “It’s the ancient script of the Shu Kingdom, similar to the script used by the Witch Tribe. I can recognize it.”
In the past, Grandpa Wu had taught him how to recognize the script of the Witch Tribe. He had mentioned that as a practitioner of the Ghost Dao, it was essential to familiarize oneself with the script to gain the inheritance. After all, script was the most valuable legacy of humanity.
“What does it narrate?”
“Let me see.”
After flipping through the entire diary, Chen Yang finally understood the sequence of events. He asked Kou Xuanling, “So, when you mention being trapped in this moment, you mean that your souls were trapped from 1:36 a.m. to 1:46 a.m., the time when the bronze-masked monster tortured his own family and the Ye Guoxian family?”
“Yes. Two previous massacres also happened at this specific time point. If they had hidden in the rooms on the first floor until daybreak, nothing would have happened. But once their feet touched the bloodstains, they would be hunted down no matter where they hid. Moreover, based on what we heard and saw, the number of victims killed by the bronze-masked monster extends far beyond those three incidents.”
Chen Yang nodded, indicating his understanding.
“Some of the deceased had their traces erased, while others did not, but their bodies disappeared. As for those whose traces were not erased, I’m currently unsure of the reason. Those who mistakenly entered or ventured here without permission had their traces ruthlessly wiped away. The ability to trap souls, replay the time from 1:36 a.m. to 1:46 a.m., and erase the existence of others is bestowed upon the bronze-masked monster by its third eye. When it commits murder, blood splatters onto its third eye.”
“When his third eye opens, even time itself comes to a halt.”
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet and gloomy, bordering on terror. The ability Kou Xuanling spoke of was beyond the realm of acceptance for ordinary people. Even Kou Xuanling and the others found it difficult to fathom this horrifying power reminiscent of a deity.
Mao Xiaoli: “Brother Chen, does the diary contain any records about the origin of the bronze-masked monster and its third eye?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s hopeful gaze fixed upon Chen Yang. Chen Yang said, “Knowing the origin, can it ensure a smooth escape from the Ye Family House?”
It could not.
Everyone’s spirits instantly deflated, except for Kou Xuanling and a few others. They knew that Chen Yang’s attitude clearly indicated that he had a solution. They pulled Chen Yang aside into a corner, secretly urging him, “Manager Chen, don’t hesitate. If you have any ideas, speak up boldly.”
Chen Yang: “My partner is waiting for me outside.”
“Oh, congratulations. What? You have a partner?!”
Apart from Kou Xuanling, who was shocked beyond words, the rest remained calm and congratulated the couple, praising their harmonious relationship. “So, Manager Chen, please share your thoughts. We will cooperate.”
Chen Yang: “My partner is outside.”
“…”
“In his presence, I have nothing to fear,” Chen Yang reassured, patting the diary, “Don’t worry, my partner is outside, and he will come find me.”
Witnessing a public display of affection was one thing, but witnessing it amidst a life-or-death situation was another. Everyone remained speechless, silently retreating, as being fed with dog food was not a pleasant experience. Kou Xuanling discreetly tugged at Zhang Qiudao’s sleeve and asked, “Qiudao, who is Manager Chen’s partner? Have we already met? Manager Chen is actually married? How could he make such a rash decision at such a young age?”
Zhang Qiudao: “You’ve already met. His partner has always been there.”
Kou Xuanling: “That’s impossible! So far, the only people I’ve met and who have always been there are Mao Xiaoli and Hu Yingnan. Could it be Mao Xiaoli?”
“It’s not a woman.”
Kou Xuanling: “! ! !”
It felt as if a door slowly swung open before Kou Xuanling, pouring a dazzling light that pierced through his once steely straight heart of a young man.
Chen Yang continued, “You can reclaim your own souls.” Seeing Zhang Qiudao and the others nod, the only challenge now was not knowing the whereabouts of their bodies. Chen Yang proceeded, “All of your bodies are in the basement dungeon, and the entrance to the basement is a half-height door at the far end of the second floor, in a corner. I’ll hold off the bronze-masked monster, and you take the chance to escape.”
Kou Xuanling: “His third eye won’t be easy to deal with.”
“I know, but his third eye is useless against me.”
The bronze-masked monster relied on his third eye for all his abilities and had lived for over a hundred years. Constantly fleeing to escape certain individuals who pursued him, he finally sought refuge in the home of the Ye family.
The entire Ye family, consisting of four members, were devout followers of the Luo Zu Sect. They were friendly towards the bronze-masked monster and his family, who pretended to be members of the same religion. However, Ye Guoxian’s exclusive devotion to the Eternal Mother, while denying other deities, provoked the disapproval of the bronze-masked monster, who was also a fervent believer in the divine eyes of the Vertical Gaze. In addition, his growing restlessness and suspicions of his wife’s infidelity drove him completely mad.
Later, two more families, both of which were members of Luo Zu Sect, moved into the Ye Family House Number 444. Those who were seen as violating the Vertical Gaze God hid in the basement, but they were cruelly killed by the bronze mask monster. Some of the corpses were taken to feed the female resentment, while others were thrown back into the basement dungeon.
The time from 1:36 to 1:46 a.m. made the bronze-masked monster particularly irritable, to the point of losing his sanity. He deemed anyone who intruded into the Ye Family House Number 444 on the second floor during this time as a pursuer and retaliated with deadly force.
It can be inferred that besides going berserk for ten minutes every midnight, the bronze-masked monster regained some sanity during the remaining time and hid in the basement. Previously, when the female resentment pursued He Tao, it was likely because He Tao was investigating the Ye Family House Number 444, which the bronze-masked monster considered as an enemy.
Furthermore, due to the house being renovated twice on the same foundation, the existence of the basement remained undiscovered. Even if it was accidentally found, those who discovered it were dragged inside and killed. Chen Yang had seen the skeletal remains of someone wearing a construction worker attire in the basement earlier.
Chen Yang unraveled all the vague clues, including the identity of the bronze-masked monster, the people pursuing him, the reasons for being pursued, and the later distortion of his character. Almost everything could be found in the diary.
Now, he had to see if the bronze-masked monster’s third eye could be removed from his forehead. Chen Yang held the ancient copper coin on the red string in his left hand and pondered for a moment before saying, “I’ll go out first to deal with the bronze-masked monster. Take the opportunity to reclaim your bodies.” As he walked towards the door, he turned back to Hu Yingnan and said, “Shen Yihui has also arrived.”
Shen Yihui and Hu Yingnan had known each other since childhood, so when Chen Yang heard that Shen Yihui had also arrived, Hu Yingnan frowned with concern. Observing this, Chen Yang threw the soul-summoning bell given by Shen Yihui to Hu Yingnan.
Hu Yingnan: “Thank you.”
Chen Yang grasped the doorknob, ready to open it when he suddenly stopped. He heard heavy footsteps outside the door, prompting him to peek through the peephole. All he saw was a blood-red color. Chen Yang was taken aback, realizing that it was the bronze-masked monster’s eye.
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