Forbidden Land – CH 134

Zhang Chao took two steps back, staring in astonishment at Li Zheng, listening to his words with disbelief.

He was Li Jiaming!

Li Jiaming was alive!

Zhang Chao was shocked, instantly realizing that this was a trap, a huge trap! He hurriedly said to Lin Yi’ang, “Brother Lin, run! It’s a trap!”

Just as he was about to run, Wang Hong walked up to him, blocking his way, and said, “Lin Yi’ang, keep an eye on him.”

Zhang Chao was stunned, almost collapsing, staring at Lin Yi’ang in utter astonishment, stammering, “You…you…”

Lin Yi’ang lowered his head and said, “Old Zhang, I had no choice; I agreed to them.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Why?”

Li Jiaming smiled and said, “For money. Lin Yi’ang’s family isn’t wealthy. His father gambled and owes over 300,000 yuan in high-interest loans. Only I can help him solve this. I’ve already paid off 100,000 yuan for his father; the rest will be paid after this is done. Lin Yi’ang, what are you waiting for? Quickly, go with Wang Hong and change Zhang Chao’s clothes.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Change clothes? Change what clothes?”

Li Jiaming laughed, “A black funeral shroud, prepared for you.”

Zhang Chao exclaimed, “You…what are you going to do? What do I have to do with you? You…you are going to kill someone!”

Li Jiaming shook his head and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t kill you. Because of your hard work, I’m giving you my final reward.”

Then, Wang Hong took out a black burial shroud from her bag. Despite Zhang Chao’s struggles, she and Lin Yi’ang removed Zhang Chao’s clothes and dressed him in the shroud. Then, they took out a rope and tied him up.

Zhang Chao struggled and cursed loudly.

Li Jiaming watched all this with a smile. Once Zhang Chao, dressed in the burial shroud and securely bound, was placed next to the coffin, he asked Wang Hong, “What time is it?”

Wang Hong checked her watch and said, “9:35.”

Li Jiaming looked up at the moon and said, “Soon. 10:50 today is when the moon is at its fullest and also when the yin energy is at its peak. Let’s wait another hour or so.”

At this moment, Zhang Chao’s phone had been taken away, and he was bound, leaving him no chance to resist or call for help. People often calmed down when they were in the most dangerous situation.

Zhang Chao stared at Li Jiaming and said, “What exactly are you up to?”

Li Jiaming looked at him, smiled, and said, “Alright, anyway, there’s still over an hour until the ceremony. I… I’m just so excited! I’ve waited so long, so very long! I thought there was no hope, but then… you showed up! Haha, I’m really a bit too excited, sorry. Before that moment arrives, I’d like to tell you my story.”

Li Jiaming looked up, his eyes gleaming, seemingly suppressing his excitement. He paced back and forth slowly, saying, “Where should the story begin? Right, it should begin in 2003. First, let me tell you, Wang Hong and I are not members of the Qiushi Society. However, my grandfather is.”

He continued, “My grandfather was a student at the old Zhejiang University and a member of the Quishi Society. During the turmoil of the 1960s, he went to Southeast Asia alone. Using his knowledge of Yin-Yang metaphysics, he practiced feng shui for the wealthy or cured illnesses. Of course, for money, he also did things that harmed people. Soon, my grandfather’s reputation spread throughout Southeast Asia, and many wealthy people would come to him with various difficult problems. Thus, a great deal of wealth began to accumulate. If you ask me why my grandfather had such great abilities—not only could he heal, but he could also harm—well, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of raising ghost children?”

Zhang Chao was taken aback, then remembered that the old man in the mental hospital had told him about raising ghost children. Raising ghost children couldn’t only tell fortunes and cure illnesses, but of course, the powerful ones could also harm people. Raising a ghost child to harm others was an extremely difficult thing. He knew this, so he said, “I know about raising ghost children, so what? I’ve heard that raising ghost children can bring death to relatives. How do you even exist?”

Li Jiaming said, “I didn’t expect you to know about raising ghost children. Heh, that’s right, raising ghost children can indeed bring death to relatives. That’s why my grandma, my dad, and my mom all got strange illnesses and died young. Grandpa knew this, too, but he always tried to protect me. Who knew I was so careless with my life back then? Heaven didn’t take my life, but I almost did it myself.”

He continued, “My grandfather was a member of the Qiushi Society, but he kept a ghost child, which was discovered by the other members, so they unanimously decided to expel him. However, my grandfather knew some secrets of the Qiushi Society. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, two wealthy gentry from Zhejiang, Lu Kaiwu and Chen Qianmin, donated so much money to the Qiushi Society. Was it to study feng shui? What kind of money does studying feng shui require? They were studying something else, which required a great deal of manpower and resources. As for what that thing was, I don’t need to tell you.

“I came to Zhejiang University to study in 2003. On one hand, my grandfather wanted me to stay away from him to avoid being cursed, and on the other hand, he asked me to investigate whether the Qiushi Society still existed and where that thing was now hidden. I always investigated this matter very discreetly. Who knew that I would meet Chen Rong? Hehe, maybe it was fate. I had never been in a relationship before, and after meeting her, I fell completely in love with her. Who knew that she would reject me? I was desperate, really desperate. After returning to Singapore, I couldn’t think straight, and as a result, I really did commit suicide by jumping into the sea because of heartbreak.”

He sighed and continued, “Who knew I didn’t actually die? I was rescued, but unfortunately, I’d been in the sea for too long, and one of my souls was gone. I was like an idiot. Grandpa tried many ways to summon my soul back, and although he eventually did, because it had been wandering outside for so long, it had damaged my very soul. I was still like an idiot, unable to recover.

“Finally, Grandpa came up with a solution: to let a little ghost reside in my body. That way, the little ghost, with its magical power, would repair my soul. Although my soul was repaired soon after, this left a problem. That is, the little ghost residing in my body needed to consume my life force. Since everything I ate was digested, the little ghost could only absorb my life force every day. And once the little ghost was inside me, trying to get rid of him was impossible. This also meant that my lifespan was limited to a few years.

“Grandpa considered many things, but thought that even if I only had a few years left, it was better than being a long-lived idiot. So he used a ritual to let the little ghost reside in my body. In the years that followed, I ate the best tonics every day, but the life force I generated from digesting them clearly wasn’t enough for the little ghost. I didn’t have many days left to live. Look—”

He pulled down his collar and trousers, and Zhang Chao opened his eyes wide in horror. Was this…was this still human?

He was just a skeleton. Completely skin and bones. No wonder Li Zheng, no, Li Jiaming, looked so thin. He was wearing thick cotton pants underneath, but you could still tell his legs were very thin.

Zhang Chao said, “Then why did you set this up and drag me into this? You don’t have much time left; do you think I could extend your life?”

Li Jiaming’s answer surprised Zhang Chao greatly. “That’s right, it’s to extend my life.”

Zhang Chao’s eyes widened.

Li Jiaming continued, “After Grandpa performed the ritual, he was exhausted and knew his time was short. For the next month, he taught me all the feng shui and metaphysics he knew. I have a ghost attached to me; I can not only tell fortunes but also do other things related to raising ghosts. After Grandpa passed away, I deliberately arranged a funeral—actually, it was my grandfather’s funeral. I also had someone deliberately inform Chen Rong, making her regret my suicide.

“Then, I went to a plastic surgery hospital and completely changed my appearance. Of course, I went to the plastic surgery hospital several more times afterward because my body was getting thinner and thinner, and people would definitely notice something strange about my face, so all my flesh is fake. Look, hehe, when I laugh, those two pieces of flesh on my face don’t move, do they?”

Zhang Chao felt nauseous. The thought of this skeletal body sent a chill down his own spine.

Li Jiaming continued, “I’ve always harbored resentment towards Chen Rong about this. You can tell me that Chen Rong’s rejection wasn’t the reason I committed suicide. I could tell myself that, but sometimes, the hatred in one’s heart isn’t so easily mended. So, after dealing with things in Southeast Asia, I returned to Hangzhou and founded an architectural design company. Not only did I have sufficient capital and a large company, but I also genuinely knew more than the average feng shui master.

“The company quickly expanded, and several large projects in Hangzhou were handled by my company. Of course, this was just my job; my real purpose was still to get revenge on Chen Rong. But after a detailed investigation of Chen Rong, I only learned last year that she had an extremely serious illness that made her unable to resist harming others. At that point, I completely understood why Chen Rong rejected me. I no longer blamed her; I remained infatuated with her, just like before, constantly watching her every move.”

Li Jiaming continued, “A few months ago, when I was observing her, you came into my view.”

Zhang Chao said, “At that time, Chen Rong and I were just patient and doctor. Why did you notice me?”

Li Jiaming chuckled, “She took on a patient from Zhejiang University. The patient’s symptoms were that he could see and talk to his deceased girlfriend. Based on my experience, what you’re experiencing isn’t mental illness; you genuinely can see her. I know most people can’t see ghosts, but to see and talk to one is a serious problem. Out of professional instinct, I naturally investigated, and soon I learned something unexpected.

“There’s an extremely yin entity in the swamp west of the school. It’s because of this yin entity that the two coffins unearthed caused three rare cases of corpse transformation. Without that entity, even if corpse transformation occurred, the school’s layout would have destroyed those three entities long ago; they wouldn’t have been lingering on campus. And your seeing your deceased girlfriend’s ghost was also due to the power of this yin entity, which greatly amplified the ghost’s magnetic field, making it visible and even audible.”

He continued, “I heard the gist of Bai Qiu’s death from Lin Yi’ang. It was something like she fell in love with someone else and was then abandoned. As for jumping off the building, it was partly due to her psychological distress and partly because the power of that vengeful spirit was simply too strong. It was all thanks to the swamp’s malevolent creature; the spirit’s power is almost on par with a vengeful ghost. Li Weihao’s suicide further confirmed my judgment. He stole your money, and while he was afraid, he wouldn’t necessarily jump off a building, would he? He was terrified and disoriented, so only a vengeful spirit close to a vengeful ghost could take advantage of him and kill him.”

He continued, “Afterwards, I learned that you also had amnesia. This excited me greatly. I started to suspect that there might still be jiangshis at Zhejiang University. Because, as far as I know, anyone who inhales the corpse energy of a jiangshi will lose their memory of the process. So I deduced that you fainted in the School of Medicine because you walked too fast, and the jiangshi didn’t have time to escape, resulting in you coming face to face with her. That’s why you inhaled her corpse energy and forgot. And then, I actually found a jiangshi! You know, at that moment, I thought of a method from my grandfather’s black magic for transferring a ghost.

“The ritual for transferring a ghost requires two conditions. First, there must be something extremely yin; second, there must be someone to receive the ghost. The person receiving the ghost must be a half-jiangshi. A half-jiangshi is someone who has inhaled the corpse energy of a jiangshi. The corpse energy of a jiangshi is very unique; only by inhaling it can one become a half-jiangshi. You tell me, in this day and age, where would there be jiangshis? I’ve searched for years, even to the deepest mountains and forests, without finding a single trace of a jiangshi. And yet, I found a jiangshi here, and a ready-made half-jiangshi! Can you believe how excited I am?”

Zhang Chao glared at him fiercely.

He smiled and continued, “Later, I kept following you and investigating you. I believe your ability to see Bai Qiu wasn’t just because of the swamp monster; your being a half-corpse was also a factor. The longer you spent with a ghost like Bai Qiu, the heavier the corpse energy within you became. So, later, even though you were alone, you were able to attract ghosts.”

He paused, then continued, “This further solidified my judgment that you’re undoubtedly a half-corpse. Originally, I planned to quickly set a trap for you, bringing you here to perform the ritual to remove the lesser ghost. But Chen Rong was always by your side, and I couldn’t do anything about her. I could only have Wang Hong devise a trap set by the Quishi Society. Why did you encounter Wang Hong repeatedly? It wasn’t because you were following her; it was because she was following you. From what I know about you through Lin Yi’ang and Zhu Xiaoyu, I knew that after seeing Wang Hong, you would definitely follow her out of curiosity, and as expected, that’s exactly what happened.”

Zhang Chao exclaimed in shock, “You bribed Zhu Xiaoyu, too?”

Li Jiaming chuckled, “Having money is one thing. On the other hand, through my investigation of the people around you, I was surprised to discover that Zhu Xiaoyu, a college student, would actually work part-time. Her family isn’t poor; I never imagined she’d choose to sell her body just to live a more luxurious life. Of course, this is a good opportunity. I sent someone to do business with her and took all her photos. Using these as leverage, coupled with the lure of money, she’ll naturally obey me. Think about it, remember when Zhu Xiaoyu threatened to jump off the building at the School of Medicine? Why would she go to the School of Medicine for no reason? It was an act to make you more curious about ghosts and monsters, making it easier for us to orchestrate the Qiushi Society’s fake scheme and lure you into our trap.”

Zhang Chao opened his mouth, saying, “So, Zhu Xiaoyu’s suicide attempt was fake. Then, why did Bai Qiu ask me to save her back then?”

Li Jiaming said, “Ghosts are just thoughts; their intelligence is very low. How would a ghost know it’s acting? However, Bai Qiu’s ghost naturally knows about the powerful spirit in the School of Medicine. When she saw Zhu Xiaoyu go there, she naturally thought of saving her. Actually, even if Bai Qiu hadn’t asked you to go, I would have called you and asked you to go. As for your bad cold the next day, it was because you attracted too many evil spirits. As for Zhu Xiaoyu, she was just feeling bad because she had just started acting and felt she had deceived you. She didn’t sleep all night and got sick the next day; it had nothing to do with any evil spirits.”

Li Jiaming continued, “The story goes that after you entered the Seventh Hospital, I was worried that your half-dead state would gradually disappear and you’d return to normal if you didn’t come into contact with more unclean things and get more sun exposure. But where would I find another half-dead person? Just when I was thinking of a way to get you out of the Seventh Hospital, you were discharged! Haha, just what I wanted!

“Then Wang Hong entered the story. It was the setup from the School of Medicine incident that made you so eager for the mystery. We deliberately pretended to be keeping a big secret, taking advantage of your strong curiosity. The more mysterious it was, the more you wanted to know, gradually leading you into the Qiushi Society’s big trap. Of course, I’m not saying you’re bad, but while you’re very curious, you’re also incredibly timid. Several times, you gave up halfway, not wanting to continue investigating, which almost drove me crazy. I had to resort to sending you scary text messages to keep you from giving up and to persevere.”

Zhang Chao spat and cursed, “You killed the black cat, too! Why did you kill the black cat?!”

Li Jiaming said, “The black cat can see evil spirits, and evil spirits won’t dare approach you. Of course, I’d rather you attract as many evil spirits as possible, so the black cat had to be killed. Besides, Lin Yi’ang was planning to install a camera in your dorm to monitor you around the clock, but the black cat is aggressive towards strangers entering its territory. That coward Lin Yi’ang actually had to try to install it several times because a cat was about to jump up and scratch him, but he couldn’t get it right.

“In the end, Wang Hong had to take matters into her own hands. She lured the black cat out in the middle of the night, intending to kill it, but the first time, the cat escaped. The second time, she killed the cat and skinned it, just to scare you. Hehe, you know, I’m really jealous of you and Chen Rong being together. I really hoped to see your terrified expressions before the game ends; that would make me, hehe, very pervertedly happy. Sending you urns is for the same principle, to scare you. Of course, because of my jealousy, I couldn’t help but hint at my existence to Chen Rong. And Wang Hong’s question, ‘Aren’t you afraid of retribution?’ was actually on my behalf.”

Zhang Chao asked, “Then why did Wang Hong leave the Qiushi Society notebook behind?”

Li Jiaming replied, “Don’t you understand? We staged this Qiushi Society charade to lure you in, with the ultimate goal of what we have today. The Qiushi Society is a righteous organization, attractive to young people like you. The first time, we left the notebook so you’d vaguely know about the Qiushi Society. I didn’t expect that the next time we met, I’d find an opportunity to tell you about the Qiushi Society, especially about the explanation in the school song, which would have convinced you of our identities. But you actually knew about the Qiushi Society! I thought you’d met someone from the Qiushi Society, and I was worried the charade would be ruined, so I pressed you on how you knew. It turns out it was Chen Demao who knew people from the Qiushi Society, but wasn’t actually a member. That put my mind at ease.”

Zhang Chao said fiercely, “And Chen Rong’s medical records, you produced those too? Why did you do that?”

Li Jiaming said, “Actually, I’m still quite infatuated with Chen Rong, but for my rebirth, I had no choice but to tell you her secret. Because I’ve been following Chen Rong, I only found out when she went to Beijing for medical treatment. I went to great lengths and spent a lot of money to get her medical records. That’s when I learned why she rejected me in the past. After you and Chen Rong went to her hometown, I was very worried. Because you were out of my sight, I couldn’t monitor you. What if you spent all your time in the sun, and nothing bad bothered you? What if your semi-dead state disappeared after a while? So, I had to find Lin Yi’ang and tell you this, forcing you to come back quickly. Besides, only when you and Chen Rong broke up, and you were alone, could I easily plot against you. To be honest, someone as smart as Chen Rong, I doubt I could succeed in front of her. So, sowing discord between you two was something I had to do sooner or later.”

Zhang Chao said coldly, “So, as soon as you separated Chen Rong from me, you were already carrying out your plan, and you’re going to implement it this month?”

Li Jiaming nodded and said, “That’s right, I couldn’t wait any longer. Seeing you break up with Chen Rong, I naturally couldn’t wait to do it. It’s also your fault for being so ignorant, knowing nothing about feng shui and metaphysics. Exorcising ghosts and exorcising evil spirits is best done when there’s no moon. Today is Xiaoman; the moonlight is bright, precisely when ghosts are most active. On such days, corpses are most likely to turn into jiangshis. Who would choose this day to deal with unclean things, haha!”

Zhang Chao trembled and said, “Then why has Zhu Xiaoyu been wanting to—”

Li Jiaming laughed loudly, saying, “You must be enjoying yourself, right? I envy you. With my body, I could never have the strength to do that with a woman. I’m still a pitiful virgin, never having experienced anything between a man and a woman. Hehe, but from today onwards, it’ll be the other way around. The reason I had Zhu Xiaoyu seduce you, making you go crazy with her, was mainly to deplete your essence, making your half-dead state even more intense.

“Essence, energy, and spirit are one; if too much essence is consumed, the spirit naturally weakens, and your soul becomes very unstable. To put it bluntly, after these past few days of frenzied lovemaking, scaring you now could easily frighten your soul away. Haha, in your current state, performing the little ghost transfer ritual with you is more likely to ensure success. How about it? After all, I’ve made you feel good; you should be satisfied, right?”

Zhang Chao suddenly remembered that back in Chen Rong’s hometown, it was precisely because he had sex with Chen Rong that his soul was so easily frightened away. So, essence was the source; traditional Chinese medicine wasn’t a lie.

But now, everything was already like this; what could be done?

Li Jiaming laughed. “I’ve indeed expended a great deal of energy, money, and resources to achieve this. Wang Hong is my apprentice and my most capable assistant. Your Lin Yi’ang and Zhu Xiaoyu are both my people. I went to great lengths to pique your interest in the mysteries of the School of Medicine, orchestrated this grand drama of the Qiushi Society, and even had you help the Qiushi Society eliminate its corrupt elements—it was truly a massive undertaking. But for my rebirth, it was all worth it, haha!”

Zhang Chao cursed, “Are you crazy? What kind of little devil transfer is this! Aren’t you afraid of getting me killed? Do you think the police won’t find out?”

Li Jiaming laughed. “You won’t die; you’ll just become the master of the little ghost. Of course, this is a reward for your hard work. I’m also willing to pass on all my knowledge to you and give you a sum of money. Of course, even if you eat a lot of supplements every day, your body will gradually weaken, and you’ll die in a few years. But you can be very rich, and your family can live a very wealthy life. If you’re lucky enough to find another half-corpse to accept the little ghost, then I’ll congratulate you. How about it? Are you happy with this reward?”

Zhang Chao cursed, “You are completely insane!”

Li Jiaming smiled and said, “Whether I’m insane or not, I’m almost there. Wang Hong, prepare the ceremony.”

Zhang Chao looked at Lin Yi’ang and cursed, “You beast, are you trying to ruin me like this?”

Lin Yi’ang smiled smugly. “Old Zhang, just accept your fate.”

Then, Wang Hong took out some strange ritual implements from her bag, including incense, black cloth, a bowl, and a flag. Lin Yi’ang helped her arrange them.

Suddenly, Lin Yi’ang grabbed Wang Hong and, before she could react, swiftly pulled her aside and shoved her.

Wang Hong screamed a few times, then stumbled backward and fell into the large ditch beside her. Afterwards, her cursing echoed.

Startled by this sudden turn of events, Li Jiaming cried out, “Lin Yi’ang, what are you doing?! Your family still owes money to loan sharks, and you’ve done this for me today… I… I’ll give you another million!”

Lin Yi’ang winked at Zhang Chao and said, “Brother, did you hear that? One million? Too bad, I don’t want it! Haha, Li Jiaming, Li Jiaming. I’ve been playing along with you all this time just to see what you’re really planning. Let me tell you the truth, Zhang Chao knows me. I’m all talk and no action; what I say isn’t reliable. You investigated and found out my family owes high-interest loans, but you don’t know how much. Actually, it’s only 100,000.

“You wanted to use me, asking how much I owed. Of course, I said 300,000 or 400,000. Don’t you even know how to bargain in business? The 100,000 you gave me before was enough, and then you gave me another 50,000, so it’s actually 50,000 more. I’m not greedy. I’m out of trouble now. Forget one million; I wouldn’t betray Old Zhang even for ten million. Old Zhang, do you still consider me your brother?”

Zhang Chao said gratefully, “Yes, yes, please let me go quickly.”

Lin Yi’ang hurriedly ran over and untied Zhang Chao’s ropes.

Wang Hong was still in the pit. Li Jiaming wanted to rescue her, but Lin Yi’ang stood in front, and he was too afraid to run over.

Lin Yi’ang laughed loudly. “Li the Madman, you hired a bunch of workers and dug for ages to get this huge coffin out, but you didn’t even fill the pit! Haha, how about it, regretting it now?”

Li Jiaming looked at the two of them, both shocked and panicked.

Just then, they heard footsteps in the distance. They turned around and saw Du Xuemin, Professor Lin, and Brother Yang running towards them. All three were covered in dirty, wet clothes, clearly having swum across the river.

Zhang Chao looked at them strangely and asked, “Professor Du, Professor Lin, Brother Yang?”

Du Xuemin, panting, said, “Ah, all safe and sound. Thank goodness we made it in time! Who are you?” He pointed at Li Jiaming.

Li Jiaming looked at them, then suddenly laughed and said, “You… from the Qiushi Society?”

Zhang Chao and Lin Yi’ang both looked at the three of them in surprise.

Du Xuemin hesitated, remaining silent. Professor Lin spoke for him, saying, “That’s right, you’re the one impersonating us?”

Li Jiaming laughed maniacally. “If the real person is here, then I, being an imposter, don’t need to continue pretending.”

Du Xuemin turned to Zhang Chao and asked, “What exactly happened?”

Zhang Chao replied, “It’s a long story, but he’s raising a ghost child within himself and wants to transfer it to me.”

Du Xuemin said, “Brother Yang, thank goodness you thought of this; otherwise, we would have overlooked it.”

Brother Yang said, “I only remembered it after you mentioned Zhang Chao. In Southeast Asian sorcery, they seek out half-dead people to perform various strange rituals.”

Li Jiaming asked, “Then why are you here today?”

Professor Lin said, “You, as an imposter, know how to pick a day. We, as the real deal, surely know how to calculate dates, right? Besides, if you’re with Zhang Chao, won’t we be with him too? Anyway, nothing serious has happened. I think you should just end it all yourself.”

Li Jiaming was taken aback. “You want me to end it all myself?” he asked.

Du Xuemin said, “Anyway, after you get out, I’ll keep you locked up in the Seventh Hospital. Oh, and there’s another woman in the pit; she’ll be locked up there too.”

Li Jiaming scoffed, “I’m a boss with social standing. You think you can lock me up just because you say I’m mentally ill? You’re kidding. Even if I don’t succeed today, even if I don’t live much longer, I won’t go to the Seventh Hospital.”

Du Xuemin smiled smugly. “You are rich, a big boss, but do you think you’re more powerful than our comrades in the association? Heh, our backing is much stronger than yours, so don’t worry.”

Li Jiaming was stunned, took two steps back, and said, “I heard Grandpa say before that the Central Committee…you guys…really?”

Du Xuemin smiled without saying a word.

Li Jiaming seemed somewhat dazed, his steps unsteady. After a long silence, he said, “Before I enter the Seventh Hospital, let me ask one more question: Is that thing the Qiushi Society discovered in the 1940s… really in the School of Medicine?”

Du Xuemin said, “So you really do know about this!”

Li Jiaming gave a bitter laugh. “No wonder the ghosts have such vengeful energy. It turns out it isn’t just because of this coffin, haha!”

At this moment, the time on his watch pointed to 10:50.

Suddenly, no one spoke. A few seconds of silence, an unusual few seconds.

A deep, muffled sigh came from the heavy black iron coffin behind them.

Li Jiaming glanced at the coffin, his expression tense.

Du Xuemin and the other two were even more tense. Du Xuemin hurriedly said, “Xiao Zhang, you guys get out of here quickly!”

Zhang Chao hesitated.

Du Xuemin shouted, “You two hurry up! We are here to deal with this coffin! Hurry, or it’ll be dangerous!”

Zhang Chao and Lin Yi’ang glanced at each other, nodded, and quickly ran back the way they came.

When they got outside, they saw that the planks had been laid across the river again, presumably re-erected by Du Xuemin and the other two when they came. Zhang Chao and Lin Yi’ang ran out, panting heavily.

Lin Yi’ang said guiltily, “Old Zhang, you…you won’t blame me, will you?”

Zhang Chao hugged Lin Yi’ang tightly, crying, “Don’t say that, Brother; it was you who saved me. We are brothers!”

Lin Yi’ang nodded and cried along with him.

After they finished crying, Zhang Chao looked back at the swampy field. Du Xuemin and the others hadn’t come out yet; he wondered what might have happened to them. Zhang Chao said, “Brother Lin, should we go in and take a look? What’s in the iron coffin? And the School of Medicine’s warehouse—it sounds like they still have something the Qiushi Society found in the 1940s!”

Lin Yi’ang thought for a moment and said, “These things are better left unsaid. Let’s wait a bit longer. After all, the two of us can’t help with these mystical matters. Wang Hong fell into the pit; if no one pulls her out, she definitely won’t get out. Don’t worry.”

Zhang Chao nodded and waited with Lin Yi’ang.

At this moment, Chen Rong walked over.

Having survived a life-or-death ordeal, Zhang Chao knew Zhu Xiaoyu was lying to him. Seeing Chen Rong now, he was extremely moved. He thought that it was because of him that Chen Rong’s medical records were brought out, and that Chen Rong’s grandfather died because of him. After experiencing so much, he felt that Chen Rong was the most beautiful person in the world.

Upon seeing him, he rushed over anxiously, exclaiming, “Chen Rong, you…how did you get here?”

Chen Rong looked at him anxiously as well, asking, “You…you are alright?”

Zhang Chao replied, “Yes, I’m fine; it’s all over. I’m alright!”

Chen Rong said gratefully, “That’s wonderful!”

Zhang Chao asked, “Was it you? Was it you who notified Professor Du and the others?”

Chen Rong asked suspiciously, “What? I don’t know what you’re talking about. What happened? Tell me.”

Zhang Chao turned to Lin Yi’ang and said, “Brother Lin, wait a moment; let’s have some late-night snacks together after I finish talking to Chen Rong.”

Lin Yi’ang frowned and scolded, “Suit yourself!”

Zhang Chao smiled, took her hand, and walked along the riverbank, telling her what had just happened.

As they talked, they reached a steep slope by the river.

Zhang Chao faced the river and said, “Chen Rong, I’ve realized that I really made many mistakes in the past. I’m truly sorry.”

Chen Rong didn’t speak, only looked down at him.

Zhang Chao turned his head and looked at Chen Rong, noticing something was off about her eyes—red, and blood red at that!

Just as he was about to ask Chen Rong what was wrong, a strange slit appeared at the corner of Chen Rong’s mouth. She reached out and pushed Zhang Chao into the river.

“Chen Rong, what are you doing!” Zhang Chao struggled in the river.

Suddenly, a pair of pale, swollen hands, soaked in water, surfaced from his chest, grabbed him, and pulled him down.

“Ah! Help!” Zhang Chao screamed in terror.

Meanwhile, on the bank, Chen Rong’s face gradually transformed into Bai Qiu, then into Li Weihao, then into a monkey, and finally into a long-haired skull.

“I remember now; the one I saw was the woman in ancient costume!” This realization instantly returned to his mind, and the fragmented memories quickly closed. But he continued to struggle and sink.

On the shore, Lin Yi’ang’s voice rang out. “Zhang Chao, Zhang Chao!”

Zhang Chao woke up to find himself lying in a white room.

The Seventh People’s Hospital!

He was shocked and tried to get out of bed, only to find his hands and feet were cuffed.

The door was open, and Du Xuemin stood outside. Du Xuemin spoke in a direction out of Zhang Chao’s sight. “It seems your son’s illness has relapsed. On the night of May 9th, Chen Rong committed suicide by overdosing on medication. Your son even claims to have seen her again and even talked to thin air. This time, it seems his illness is even worse.”

Outside, his mother’s crying could be heard.

Du Xuemin turned his head, looked at Zhang Chao, and secretly winked at him.