Chapter 51        The Living Dead

Ye Shaoyang took his time to prepare. Then, the three of them went to the school gate to meet with Old Guo and Li Duo. Ye Shaoyang hopped onto Old Guo’s worn-down Pa.s.sat, while Li Duo and Xiao Ma boarded Xie Yuqing's police car. The two cars drove out of the school and headed south. Before long, they arrived in the hills area. 

“This whole area, including the university campus, used to be a mountain area. But the land was cheap, so more and more universities moved into this area. Now, it has become a city of universities,” Old Guo explained as he drove.

“If not for you, I wouldn't even know they buried the j.a.panese soldiers at Mount Qiuyun. But I did hear from old folks here that this place is haunted. Quite a number of villagers died here. In the end, everyone fled, so the land became abandoned till today.”

Ye Shaoyang shook his head, “Luckily, it is still abandoned. More people could have died, which would form another spirit nest if anyone tried to redevelop this place.”

As they drove further into the mountain, the road narrowed. It was not even paved. Finally, they reached a point where the cars could no longer travel any further. They stopped the car and walked the rest of the way. Xie Yuqing and Old Guo were locals. They knew the place better, so they led the group toward a mountaintop. Soon, Old Guo ran short of breath. He pointed at a mountain at the opposite side as he panted, “That is Mount Qiuyun. Little junior brother, shall we start from the foot of the mountain?”

“No need for that. The bodies are buried right there.” Ye Shaoyang directly pointed toward the valley that connected the two mountains. It was only a spot covered with rocks and gra.s.ses. Nothing about the spot seemed to suggest anything abnormal.

“It seems like just an ordinary valley. How do you know the bodies are buried there?” Xie Yuqing asked.

Instead of explaining, Ye Shaoyang signaled to Old Guo, who took out a bottle of cow’s tears and sprayed it onto everyone's eyes. The sight that appeared before their eyes startled them—thick black and red mist filled the valley.  

“The red mist is the demon Qi. The black one is the corpse Qi. This means that there are corpses and demons underneath that spot, so it must be the right spot.”

Old Guo looked more worried than ever, “The j.a.panese soldiers have died so long ago. Their corpse Qi should have dissipated long ago. How did it linger here until now? Besides, where did the demon Qi come from?”

Ye Shaoyang replied, “The corpse Qi is lingering here for a few more decades than natural. This really proves that something is not right about this place. We should go have a closer look.”

Ye Shaoyang took out his Yin Yang Compa.s.s and led the group toward the spot. He wanted to use the Golden Fengshui Locating Technique to find the source of the corpse Qi. Instead, he noticed a curious little cottage nearby. It was a small cottage house built by the hillside. Vines and gra.s.s covered it. It was as though the hill had swallowed and a.s.similated the house. But Ye Shaoyang noticed something else. The cottage emitted a tiny sliver of demon Qi mixed with corpse Qi. There must be something sinister inside.

Old Guo quickly noticed this too. He a.n.a.lyzed, “ This is a house of the dead. It sits at the south, but it faces the north. This building has no windows. n.o.body can stay here alive.”

“Indeed, this is not a place for the living. Come, let's pay the deceased a visit. Guys, be really careful. Be ready for a fight at any time.”

Immediately, the others felt their hearts thump faster in anxiety. What creature awaited them inside the cottage?

It seemed like any other cottage, except for the lack of windows. The wooden door at the front was locked from the inside. When he stood before the door, Ye Shaoyang could sense a chilly air that streamed out through the crack. Just when he held up his hand to knock the door, it opened by itself.

It was completely dark inside, as sunlight could not enter without any windows. Ye Shaoyang inhaled deeply. He could smell something—a pungent smell that was a mixture of demon and corpse Qi. He sensed danger and instantly grew alert. He quietly signaled for everyone to be alert. He took out a torch from his backpack and switched it on before he entered. Then, he cleared his throat and asked, “Anybody home?”.

Under the faint torchlight, he saw that the interior of the cottage was arranged like any normal village house. It was quite simple, with a dining table, a few tools, and some old furniture. A mosquito net covered the bed at the corner, and it was hard to tell if there was anyone inside.

There was a room at the left side of the living room, which a closed door separated. Some faint noises audibly creaked from the room. Ye Shaoyang could already sense the thickness of the Qi that leaked from the other side of the door. He signaled for everyone to come into the living hall. Then, they sat down on the stools in a circle. Ye Shaoyang walked to the side of the door and intentionally spoke with a loud voice, “I guess it's a kitchen behind this door. Let me go in and see if there's a stove. I’ll boil some water for us.”

Just when he wanted to push the door, it opened and revealed a small figure.

Ye Shaoyang could see the figure clearly under the faint light. It was an old woman. She was as thin as a matchstick, and he could see her bones that stuck out from her body. Her face was all wrinkled, but she had big eyes. Under the light, her eyes looked s.h.i.+ny from the reflection. It was almost like her eyes shone with light. Ye Shaoyang took a step backward. He smiled politely, “Sorry if we disturbed you. We didn't notice there was someone inside. We are on the road, so we came in to get some rest because we thought that this is an empty house.”

“No worries. Since you are already here, stay and get some rest,” the woman answered with a rather weak voice. It made her sound even older than she looked—a creepy voice that sent chills up all their spines.

“Thank you for your kindness,” Ye Shaoyang backed further into the hall and sat down with the group. The thin old woman walked with a hunch. But everyone noticed her bulging stomach. It was as though she was pregnant. Her clothes could barely cover her big belly, which trembled with every step she took.

Ye Shaoyang frowned, as he wondered was inside her stomach.

She slowly approached the group’s sitting location. When she finally stopped walking, she stood and stared at each and every one of them from head to toe with her weirdly big eyes.

“Granny, do you live here alone?” Ye Shaoyang asked.

The old lady simply nodded and turned around. She walked back into the room, as she mumbled, “I’ll boil some water for you to drink.”

Once she was gone, the group nervously whispered, as they discussed what had just happened. Xiao Ma asked in the lowest voice he could muster, “Is she a human or a ghost?” 

Ye Shaoyang shushed Xiao Ma, signaling for him to keep quiet.

Since Xiao Ma was a bit overweight, he was having a hard time sitting on the stool obviously too small for his size. He got up and walked over to the bed and sat on it. Then, he slid open the mosquito net. However, the sight that appeared stunned him. He covered his mouth and ran toward Ye Shaoyang. He could not even speak for a few seconds, and all he could do was point at the bed with a panicked face. Ye Shaoyang went over to the bed. On the bed was a body that laid stiff and straight. A head full of white hair, a dry, thin, matchstick-like body, and a pair of wide-open, impossibly big eyes. Everyone immediately recognized the body.

“Oh my G.o.d!” Xie Yuqing gasped in horror, as she covered her mouth with her hand, “Isn’t this the old lady just now?”

The old woman had just entered the kitchen. There was no way she could be on the bed. They looked closer, but it was indeed the same person. Suddenly, horror filled the air. Everyone could feel gooseb.u.mps cover their bodies, and their hearts started to race.

“What are you looking at?” the voice of the old lady came from behind them. They turned around to see her standing at the door, staring at them blankly. Her face completely lacked emotion. In fact, it felt like her eyes were ice-cold.

How was it possible for her to be on the bed and in the hall at the same time?

If the one that laid on the bed was her, then what was the creature that stood there looking at them? Everyone could feel their spines turn cold and their legs grow weak. If Ye Shaoyang was not with them, they would have immediately fled the house.

“The lady sleeping in the bed looks just like you. Are you sisters?” Ye Shaoyang asked the lady, as though nothing had happened. He was extraordinarily calm, and he could even smile when he spoke. The old lady did not answer. Instead, she offered, “I’ve boiled some water. Are you guys hungry? How about some food?”

“No thank you. We are not really hungry,” Xiao Ma immediately replied. He did not want to eat anything she made, especially when he was not even sure what she was made of. When she heard this, the old lady suddenly smiled and revealed her teeth. Anyone who had reached her age would have no teeth left, but this lady had a mouthful of teeth. And to their horror, she had a complete set of teeth but each tooth was sharp! To be more precise, she had a mouthful of fangs!

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