Chapter 43: Have You Been Here Before?
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
“Are we really going to change too?” Zhu Miao Miao voiced her confusion with a mix of fear and disbelief. She was haunted by the images of Sister Fei and the meddlesome woman’s altered appearances, a terrifying prospect that seemed all too real.
Granny, with an air of ancient wisdom, solemnly shared her knowledge as she carried a bronze basin toward them. “This building is home to three hundred and sixty-five spirits, yet only the Flesh Immortal receives open adoration. Its influence inevitably alters all residents over time,” she explained. “The Flesh Immortal has a unique power – it can bring your darkest, most hidden thoughts to life through your physical form. The water in this basin will serve as a mirror, showing you a glimpse of your possible future selves.”
Zhu Miao Miao, driven by a mix of curiosity and dread, stepped forward to look into the water-filled basin first.
As she watched, burning joss paper was dropped into the basin, causing ripples that distorted her reflection. Slowly, in the murky water, an eerie vision emerged. The charred figures of two people appeared to be melded onto her shoulders as if they were a permanent part of her.
This ghastly vision surprisingly brought not fear but a surge of deep, emotional pain to Zhu Miao Miao’s eyes.
“These are my parents!” she exclaimed, tears forming. A tragic fire in her childhood had taken everything from her, especially her parents. The deep-rooted longing and grief she harbored for them were now vividly displayed by the mystical powers of the water.
“Believe in what you see; it reflects your inner truths,” Granny advised, her voice tinged with a note of sympathy for Zhu Miao Miao, though she chose not to expand on her statement. She lit another talisman and tossed it into the basin, gesturing for Gao Ming to come forward.
Equally intrigued about what his future might hold, Gao Ming stepped up to the basin in silence. He watched intently as the talisman burned and its ashes fluttered in the air.
As the ashes of the talisman touched his reflection, a startling change occurred. A small drop of blood appeared, and gradually, the water took on a deep red color as if dyed with blood. Suddenly, seemingly propelled by an invisible force, the basin tipped over, spilling the blood-red water across the room and onto the statues of the spirits. In a startling revelation, Granny’s eyes rolled back, showing only white, and a single line of bloody tears trickled down her cheeks. In a dramatic gesture, she pointed at Gao Ming and exclaimed, “You have been here before!”
“Yes, I visited Sishui Apartment this morning,” Gao Ming responded, confused and innocent in his reply.
“No, you misunderstand,” Granny countered, distancing herself from Gao Ming while pulling Zhu Miao Miao along with her. “You have participated in the Flesh Immortal’s worship ritual before, not just visited this place!”
“How could this be my first encounter with such a strange ritual? I had never even heard of this before today!” Gao Ming protested, clearly baffled by Granny’s accusation.
“Granny, we really didn’t know anything about all this,” Zhu Miao Miao chimed in, equally bewildered by the turn of events.
“It cannot be a mistake,” Granny insisted firmly, her pale face fixated on Gao Ming with a penetrating gaze. “Tell me, what is your connection to Situ An?”
“Situ An? Oh, he’s the vice president of the Hanhai Charity Association. I’m just an ordinary person in comparison. I know of him, but we’ve never actually met,” Gao Ming explained. His knowledge of Situ An was limited to what he’d seen on television; the two were in entirely different social spheres.
Zhu Miao Miao, trying to provide some context that might help Gao Ming, added, “The Sishui Street Apartments were originally developed under the auspices of the Hanhai Charity Association. Their goal was to offer affordable housing to the underprivileged of the Eastern District. However, the construction was abruptly stopped after just four buildings were completed.” She continued, “While these apartments are known for their disarray, there’s never been any report of murders here. Interestingly, ever since Situ An became involved with the charity, each year has seen its fair share of strange and horrifying incidents around here.”
Gao Ming, visibly shaken, pondered, “Could Situ An be manipulating the charity’s resources to attract spirits to the Sishui Street Apartments?” He recalled that the Hanhai Charity Association regularly supported the needy, and several residents of the apartments, like old man Zhou Ji they had met earlier, were beneficiaries.
Turning to Granny, Gao Ming inquired, “Have you ever seen Situ An around here?”
“Yes, he has been here. Like you, he wears a black ring and exudes the aura of the Flesh Immortal,” Granny replied, her voice tinged with a hint of a smile. “Of the two worshippers here, one will surely meet their end.”
Gao Ming, with his background in psychology, noticed a subtle shift in Granny’s demeanor. “You seem to dislike the Flesh Immortal. Is it because you follow a different belief? If I were to disrupt the ritual of the Flesh Immortal, or even eliminate the Flesh Immortal, would you trust me then?”
“The Flesh Immortal cannot be killed. Are you trying to provoke me?” Granny retorted, her smile contorting into something more sinister. “But Situ An, you could kill him. If you don’t, he will certainly try to kill you.”
“Do you know where I can find Situ An right now?” Gao Ming asked, his suspicion deepening. Having long harbored doubts about a mole within the Investigation Bureau and now learning that Situ An also possessed a bureau-issued black ring, he became increasingly wary of him.
“You should check the Ghost Market, located on the ninth floor of the first building,” Granny suggested.
As Gao Ming stepped outside to pursue this lead, Zhu Miao Miao attempted to follow, but Granny held her back. “If you go with him, it will be your undoing. You won’t even have the chance to become a ghost after death! Take these three Talismans of Slaying with you. If he consumes the flesh and becomes possessed by the Flesh Immortal, you can use these talismans on an axe to kill him!”
“But Granny, he’s not a bad person,” Zhu Miao Miao protested, feeling uncertain and worried.
Granny tightened her grip on Zhu Miao Miao’s hand, her voice stern. “The Talismans of Slaying can’t kill the Flesh Immortal, but they can kill its worshippers. Remember this: ghosts consume humans, humans consume meat, and meat consumes ghosts. The most terrifying entity in this building is not a spirit or a ghost, but flesh itself. Those who have consumed the flesh are no longer human.”
The three Talismans of Slaying that Granny handed over were a startling, visceral red as if they had been recently soaked in fresh blood. They seemed to pulsate with a foreboding aura, exuding a sense of deadly purpose that sent shivers down one’s spine.
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
“As you seek out Situ An, remember what’s at stake,” Granny cautioned, her gaze lingering on Gao Ming as he prepared to leave. “You’re an ideal candidate for this task – not too frail, yet not too robust. Just right for what needs to be done.” With that, she released her grip, her eyes following Gao Ming’s retreating figure until the door shut behind him, plunging the building into darkness.
Feeling the weight of the situation, Zhu Miao Miao didn’t keep any secrets from Gao Ming and promptly informed him about the Talismans of Slaying.
“Keep them with you,” Gao Ming advised, displaying trust in Zhu Miao Miao and making no move to take the talismans himself. “If our suspicions about Situ An being the mole are correct, you’ll need them to stop him. We’re dealing with a narrative unlike any other, where the rules seem warped, and ghosts are not the only, nor the most frightening, entities we face.”
Although Gao Ming had more questions for Granny, her demeanor had shifted to one of cold wariness after she felt the influence of the Flesh Immortal on him.
With no other leads, Gao Ming and Zhu Miao Miao made their way to the ninth floor.
The moment they ascended to the ninth floor, the atmosphere took a grim turn. The air was thick with the iron tang of blood, and in a corner lay a torn investigator’s uniform, fresh blood still dripping from it. It seemed as though the many investigators who had entered the building had mysteriously vanished as if swallowed up by the building itself.
Gripping the fire axe, Zhu Miao Miao felt out of her depth amidst the gruesome scene. Trained as a firefighter, she was unaccustomed to such visceral horror.
“Stay close,” Gao Ming cautioned her, his voice low. “This place is not safe.”
As they cautiously moved through the ninth floor, it became apparent that something horrific had transpired. Each apartment door stood ajar, smeared with blood, telling a silent story of chaos and violence.
Following the macabre trail of blood, Gao Ming led them towards the end of the corridor in Building B. The short passage to Building A was a grotesque tableau, bathed in blood from floor to ceiling, a testament to an unthinkable slaughter.
The evidence suggested that investigators had tried to flee the horrors of Building A by hiding in Building B, only to be relentlessly pursued and dragged back.
Each bloodied handprint on the walls and twisted railing spoke volumes of the desperation, struggle, and terror that had unfolded here.
“Could this be the Ghost Market Granny mentioned? Where ghosts prey on the living?” Gao Ming wondered aloud, his voice tinged with dread.
The horrific scene overwhelmed them, and as they hesitated, something more sinister stirred in the shadows. In the darkened corridor of Building A, on the ninth floor, eyes filled with malice and bloodlust began to open, sensing the fear emanating from Gao Ming and Zhu Miao Miao.
In the eerie silence of the corridor, shadows shifted ominously. Suddenly, a figure emerged, shuffling forward in worn, muddy rain boots. The figure was draped in a tattered raincoat, the fabric heavy and darkened with what looked disturbingly like blood.
“Could he be responsible for the other investigators’ disappearance?” Gao Ming whispered, eyeing the figure warily.
As the figure stepped closer, the brim of the raincoat fell back slightly, revealing a face mired in blood and contorted by a mix of pain and madness. It was Bai Xiao, his features almost unrecognizable, his eyes bloodshot and wild with an unsettling crimson spread.
Slowly, with a deliberate menace, the hands hidden beneath the raincoat emerged. They gripped two large, sinister-looking bone-chopping knives, glinting dully in the dim light. The way Bai Xiao held them, coupled with his deranged expression, sent a chill down Gao Ming’s spine. It was hauntingly reminiscent of a suspect in a grisly mass murder case that Gao Ming had seen years earlier. The similarity in their expressions – a blend of anguish and unrestrained violence – was striking and deeply unsettling.