Chapter 20

The elders in the village used to say that humans knock on the door three times, but ghosts knock four times. If you hear four knocks at night, it might be a ghost knocking on your door.

At the time, it seemed like a story made up to scare children, a superstitious tale. But when they actually encountered it, it was terrifying. They regretted not asking more questions back then, at least to know how to deal with her!

Deuce, Fourth, and Bear huddled together tightly. They were so close that they could feel each other’s bodies trembling uncontrollably, their breathing rapid, and cold sweat dripping from their foreheads. They were clearly scared out of their wits.

Deuce and Bear had already seen the Long-haired Woman once. Even though they were mentally prepared, her twisted appearance still scared them out of their minds. As for Fourth, who was seeing her for the first time, he couldn’t even utter a word of comfort. The image of her twisted body floating closer was etched into his mind, impossible to forget.

Fourth felt something choking his throat. His teeth chattered, and his eyes were bloodshot. “W-what do we do now? I don’t want to die… I don’t want to die…”

Who the hell wants to die here?

Deuce wiped his face. He remembered the elders saying that if you encounter a ghost knocking on the door, you must not ask questions or open the door. You must wait for it to leave on its own, or else no one knows what you might see or invite in.

So, the best thing to do was to do nothing and wait for her to leave.

Deuce said uncertainly, “As long as we don’t open the door, she shouldn’t come in…”

Bear said doubtfully, “How can you be sure? What if she comes in?”

Fourth exclaimed, “We’re definitely going to die here!”

Deuce became more agitated and shouted, “Then what do we do? Do you dare to go out?”

Go out? Of course not.

For a moment, the three of them fell silent.

But just as they quieted down, the persistent knocking resumed outside the door.

“Knock.”

“Knock.”

“Knock.”

“Knock.”

It was still four knocks, with the same rhythm and no change.

Fourth gritted his teeth, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Deuce and Bear. He was filled with resentment and anger. “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t provoked her, she wouldn’t have come after us! This is all your fault!”

Besides Fourth, both Deuce and Bear had dealt with the Long-haired Woman before. Hearing this, their faces turned even more grim. Deuce said, “What do you mean, Fourth? We thought someone had discovered the pretty boy tied up in the house, so we chased after them. Otherwise, who would want to wander around the mountains in this cold weather?”

Fourth said, “Deuce, can you honestly say you have no responsibility for this? When we told you about it, you didn’t take it seriously and said we were imagining things. If we had been more cautious, we wouldn’t have provoked… that thing. I think it’s your carelessness, or maybe you offended her somehow. That’s why she came after us. Otherwise, why would she come after us for no reason?”

Bear gritted his teeth and spat, “Yeah, I saw her before, but she didn’t chase after me. Why did she come after you? Did you offend her somehow?”

Deuce was almost losing his mind. “What the hell are you talking about? Even if I were a pervert, would I dare to mess around at a time like this? Besides…” The Long-haired Woman was so terrifying that he couldn’t even look at her without feeling scared.

Fourth said, “Who knows what you’re thinking? You have a history…”

Seeing that they were about to start arguing, Bear quickly intervened, “Alright, stop arguing. The important thing is to get through this. We still have to get the money tomorrow morning. Do you still want the money or not?”

Fifty million was no small amount. With fifty million, they could do whatever they wanted, buy whatever they wanted. With that kind of money, they could live like kings.

Hearing this, Deuce and Fourth fell silent, suppressing their dissatisfaction with each other.

…What are they talking about? What’s going on? Who is ‘she’?

Lying on the ground, Sudi couldn’t understand what was happening. The three men seemed to be his kidnappers, but they were huddled in the same room with him, not to guard him but out of fear of something. They were even arguing about it. The ‘thing’ they mentioned… could it be the one knocking on the door?

Sudi had wanted to shout for help when he first heard the knocking, but his mouth was stuffed with a cloth, making his cheeks sore and his throat dry. He couldn’t make a sound. These men were very vigilant, preventing any chance of him calling for help. Besides, they were right behind him. Any movement he made would be quickly noticed and stopped. This made Sudi afraid to act rashly, but he was also very anxious, waiting for the right moment to make a move.

Unexpectedly, the three kidnappers not only argued but didn’t even glance at him. They didn’t realize he was awake!

This gave him a chance to breathe.

He squinted his eyes, secretly observing the three men huddled in the corner. Although he could only make out their general shapes, he could tell they were very strong, the kind who did manual labor. He knew he couldn’t beat them, especially since he was tied up and his body was stiff. He wouldn’t get far before being caught. Besides, he felt like his brain was turning to mush. He was probably sick.

The knocking had stopped, but he didn’t hear any footsteps leaving. He was getting anxious, worried that if he missed this chance, he wouldn’t get another.

He struggled and croaked, “Mmm! Mmm-” Help!

As soon as he made a sound, the men pounced on him, pinning him down and covering his mouth!

The man’s hand was rough, smelling of tobacco and dirt. It pressed down hard on Sudi’s mouth and nose, making it hard for him to breathe. He realized he might die here…

But he was only twenty-five, with so much life ahead of him. He hadn’t traveled much, played much, or experienced much. Most importantly, he hadn’t had the chance to repay his parents. How could he die here? If he died, how sad would his parents be…

Sudi didn’t want to die, especially not in this godforsaken place. He struggled desperately, but the more he struggled, the harder the hand pressed down. In his moment of despair, Bear came over and reminded Deuce not to kill him. Deuce loosened his grip, saving Sudi’s life.

The two men were sweating and terrified, their eyes darting around. They listened for any sound outside the door. There was no more knocking or any other strange noises. After a long time, they still heard nothing. The room was so quiet that they almost turned to stone.

Deuce and Bear exchanged glances in the dim light from the window, their bloodshot eyes filled with excitement and relief. “Did she leave? Is she gone?”

“…There’s no sound outside. She must have left.”

Fourth couldn’t hold back. He listened carefully and, hearing nothing, felt a surge of joy. He got up and quietly opened the window. Peering out, he wanted to see if the Long-haired Woman had left. But as soon as he got close, an eye appeared in the crack of the window!-The eye was wide open, the pupil darting around, staring straight at him.

“Ah-ghost!”

With a scream, Fourth’s legs gave out, and he fell to the ground!

The window opened, and a cold, damp wind blew in, chilling them to the bone.

The Long-haired Woman stood at the window, facing them. Her long black hair floated around her, and her pale face was barely visible. The eerie feeling of being watched by her lifeless eyes was overwhelming.

And she was holding an axe! They could even see what looked like blood flowing on the axe…

She gave a creepy smile and said in a chilling voice, “So, you’re here. I’ve been waiting for a long time…”

!!!

She hadn’t left?!

Deuce and Bear were stunned, their eyes wide and mouths agape. They were terrified, forgetting to react.

Fourth was the first to get up. Without a word, he scrambled out, “No, no, no, don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”

“Help! Help!”

With Fourth leading the way, Deuce and Bear weren’t far behind. They ran out, not wanting to be left behind. At this moment, whoever lagged would die, and none of them wanted to die.

They didn’t even think about Sudi on the ground. They were too scared, only thinking about saving themselves.

After running a long way, they still felt the Long-haired Woman’s eyes on them, as if she were looking at a dead person.

…

Gu Feiyin watched as the three men ran out like madmen and disappeared into the darkness. She was stunned. She looked at the Neighbor Miss and the Old Lady standing beside her and said, “It seems you scared them away again.”

Neighbor Miss: “…”

Old Lady: “…”

The two ghosts didn’t even want to look at her, turning their backs to her.

Gu Feiyin didn’t mind. She had come to ask if she could cut down some trees here. If possible, it would be great if they could help her. After all, these men seemed to care a lot about these trees. They kept causing trouble and even threatened to call the police. In the past, she wouldn’t have cared, but now it was different. She was human. If the police caught her, she would go to jail and be fined! She could handle jail, but she was poor and couldn’t pay the fine. Asking for money was like cutting her flesh.

So, even though she had moved to another place to cut trees, she still felt uneasy. After much thought, she decided to find the forest guards and talk to them. If necessary, she could give them ten yuan to smooth things over. They were all human, after all.

But she didn’t expect that the people she found weren’t forest guards but kidnappers who had tied someone up in the house. She had worried for nothing. The young man on the ground looked sickly, barely breathing. If he stayed tied up any longer, he might really die here.

Gu Feiyin quickly removed the cloth from his mouth, and he sighed in relief, coughing dryly. His consciousness was unclear, and he mumbled for help, like he was sleepwalking. Gu Feiyin took out her axe and cut the ropes binding him. After being tied up for hours, Sudi was finally freed, but he had been tied up for so long that he couldn’t get up.

Gu Feiyin wanted to call the police, but she didn’t have a phone. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t. As for leaving, she could leave, but the young man was clearly sick. He could barely stand, let alone walk. She couldn’t carry him. She was just a small, weak human herself. But if they stayed, what if the kidnappers came back? She was just a weak human.

She looked at the two ghosts. They looked back at her, expressionless.

…

The Su family was in chaos. Since the news of Sudi’s kidnapping reached home, the house hadn’t been quiet. Sudi’s agency and the police were there, everyone on high alert. The Su family had quickly raised thirty million, and the agency had provided twenty million. They were ready to negotiate with the kidnappers at dawn.

The priority was Sudi’s safety.

Sudi’s mother had cried so much that her eyes were swollen. She lay weakly on the sofa, waking up at the slightest noise, asking if Sudi had returned. Sudi’s father couldn’t help but sigh, gently patting her back and comforting her, saying the police would bring Sudi back safely and that she shouldn’t worry too much.

Of course, these words were of little comfort.

Sudi’s mother cried for a while, then suddenly remembered something. “A few days ago, I went to the temple to burn incense and had a fortune teller outside the temple read Sudi’s fortune. The fortune teller said my son’s life was good, but he had a thin destiny and was destined to face a great calamity. He might not survive it…” He was destined to die young.

“I was so angry that I turned and left! I thought the fortune tellers were getting more and more outrageous, saying anything to make money… If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have left. I would have given him whatever he wanted, just to save my son’s life!”

Sudi’s father remembered her mentioning the fortune teller outside Puhua Temple. At the time, he had dismissed it, thinking it was just a way to find peace of mind in a scientific society. Who really believed in that stuff?

Now, he couldn’t help but regret it. Better safe than sorry.

Sudi’s father said, “I believe Sudi will come back safely. Good people are protected by the heavens. We’ve never done anything bad, always helped when we could. If there are gods, they will protect Sudi.”

Sudi’s mother cried again, then said, “Tomorrow morning, I’ll go to Puhua Temple and see if I can find that fortune teller. I just want him to help Sudi get through this.”

Sudi’s father agreed. At this point, giving her something to hold onto was better than waiting helplessly.

…

In the dark forest, three figures ran frantically down the mountain, shouting and stumbling. They ran until they were sure no one was following them. Finally, they stopped, still terrified, not even caring about their injuries.

“That thing didn’t follow us?”

“Seems like it didn’t…”

“Damn, what was that? Deuce, that thing definitely followed you! What did you do to provoke her?”

Deuce was agitated. “I told you I didn’t provoke her. I thought she found the guy we tied up and was going to call the police, so I questioned her… Do you think I wanted to bring her here?”

Bear had no more patience. “Alright! Stop arguing!”

Deuce was furious. “Do you think I want to argue? Fourth only cared about himself and ran off. What do we do now? The pretty boy is still up there. Are we giving up the fifty million?”

At the mention of the fifty million, the three men, their faces twisted with fear, became even more furious, their eyes wide with struggle.

The Long-haired Woman was terrifying, but the lure of fifty million was even greater.

Deuce clenched his fists and spat, “Damn it, we were so close to getting rich, and now this!”

Fourth was dejected, covering his face and squatting by a tree. “What do we do? That thing is still there. The pretty boy might already be dead…”

Deuce said, “If he’s dead, good. We only want the money. If she helps us get rid of the body, even better. No evidence. Even if we get caught, we can deny it.”

“Blame it on a ghost? Who would believe that?”

“What else can we do?”

Bear stood silently, his face pale but less panicked than the others. He lit a cigarette and took a few puffs, then said, “Don’t you think something was strange?”

Deuce and Fourth looked at him in confusion. Bear said, “I thought about it. That Long-haired Woman was scary, but she had a shadow! Do ghosts have shadows?”

Ghosts don’t touch the ground and have no shadows. The Long-haired Woman didn’t touch the ground, but she had a shadow…

“Are you sure?” Fourth exclaimed. “So she’s not a ghost? Is she a monster?”

“Impossible. There are no monsters.”

Deuce clenched his fists. “No matter what, I want that fifty million!”

Fifty million was a fortune. Even if they worked their whole lives, they wouldn’t make fifty million. With that money, they could live like kings, never having to work or be looked down on again.

“So what now? Go back?”

“Yeah, maybe she’s gone…”

“We can check from outside. If it’s bad, we can run.”

The three men, unable to resist the lure of money, decided to go back. Bear said the Long-haired Woman had a shadow, so she wasn’t a ghost. If she wasn’t a ghost, she wasn’t so scary.

But her twisted, eerie appearance was still terrifying. As they walked back in the dark, they were afraid, jumping at every shadow and sound.

Deuce clenched his fists. He wasn’t scared. He didn’t fear the dead, so why fear ghosts? This was a scientific society. There were no ghosts.

But his mind kept racing. Every shadow looked like a person, every sound like knocking. He was sweating and getting more agitated. Fourth and Bear were silent, focused on the path.

Deuce wanted to talk to ease his fear, but he kept getting startled by shadows. He saw a clump of grass that looked like a person crouching. His heart raced, and he angrily kicked it, cursing, “Damn it, scaring me-”

He meant to vent, but something felt wrong. It wasn’t grass but soft and resilient, like human skin. The grass seemed to grab his leg-

Deuce’s eyes widened in horror. In the dim light, he saw a pale woman! She wore a sleeveless dress, her skin bruised, her face white as snow, blood tears streaming down, glaring at him with deadly eyes.

Deuce screamed, kicking desperately. He fell, trying to free his leg, but couldn’t.

Fourth and Bear turned, seeing Deuce thrashing and screaming. They were scared. “Deuce, what are you doing?”

“Ghost! There’s a ghost! My leg! Help!”

But to them, it looked like Deuce was just grabbing his leg and screaming. In the dark, it was eerie.

Bear shouted, “Deuce, stop talking nonsense! There’s no ghost! Your leg is fine. Look!” He lowered his voice, “Do you want the fifty million or not?”

Deuce snapped back, seeing no woman, just a clump of grass.