Chapter 21

In the silent mountain forest, the flashlight’s beam grew dimmer, as if the battery was about to run out. The faint light cast on the gray mountain path mirrored the unease creeping into one’s heart.

Since the big misunderstanding, Deuce had become reticent, his whole demeanor turning suspicious and paranoid. He hunched his shoulders, trailing behind Fourth and Bear, his eyes darting around with a sinister vigilance. Though he gritted his teeth in a show of strength, the veins bulging on his clenched fists and the slight tremor betrayed his inner fear.

Earlier, when he suddenly saw that woman’s face, fear had consumed him, leaving no room for other thoughts. But as he calmed down, he realized that her face seemed familiar.

After pondering for a while, he finally remembered. He had seen that face six months ago.

It was already late that night. He had been having dinner at a friend’s house, drinking a few glasses of wine, chatting and playing cards until past eleven. Realizing it was late, he decided to head home. Since his rented place wasn’t far, just a mile or two, and considering he had been drinking, he chose to walk instead of riding his motorcycle.

On the way, he saw a woman.

She wore a floral dress, makeup, and carried a small bag. She was glamorous and beautiful, the kind of woman who wouldn’t even glance at him on the street. That night, however, a wicked impulse surged within him. Initially, he just wanted to follow her for a while, to look and then leave. But after following her into an alley, seeing no one around, he harbored malicious intent.

The woman resisted, pleading for him to let her go. But he was drunk, and once things started, there was no turning back. The string in his mind snapped completely. He desperately covered her mouth, which was screaming for help, and strangled her neck, hoping she would quiet down. What if someone discovered them? But when he came to his senses, the woman lay lifeless on the ground.

He was shocked, cautiously checking her breath, only to find she was dead!

Deuce remembered that he feared the body being discovered. He used a tricycle to transport the corpse to the outskirts, found a hill, and dug a deep pit to bury her. Luckily, he was poor, living in a place without surveillance, where all sorts of people came and went. It was several days after her death before the police came to investigate. As someone with no connection to her, he naturally wasn’t a suspect. No one suspected him, and he luckily escaped. A week later, he moved, deliberately forgetting the incident.

If he hadn’t seen that woman today, he wouldn’t have remembered that he had killed someone, that a vibrant life had been mercilessly snuffed out and buried in the mountains.

Now, she had come for revenge!

The more Deuce thought about it, the more terrified he became. His mind was filled with the woman’s wide, gray eyes after death. He felt as if the surrounding forest was filled with her eyes, constantly watching him. The sensation of being observed was overwhelming, a chill rising from his feet, a foreboding sense of doom threatening to engulf him, making him wish he could vanish immediately!

Because Deuce was acting so strangely, Fourth couldn’t help but whisper to Bear, “What’s up with Deuce? He looked like he saw something he shouldn’t have, and now he’s all jittery. Did he do something terrible before? I told you that the ghost was attracted by him, but you didn’t believe me!”

Bear also found Deuce’s behavior odd. He nudged Fourth and said, “What can we do? Things are already like this.”

Fourth gritted his teeth, “I’m afraid Deuce will mess things up. We should be cautious. If necessary…”

Bear fell silent, not saying a word, but he clearly agreed with Fourth. What they were doing today was a risky business, something they had invested half their lives into. Naturally, they didn’t want to fail halfway. If necessary, abandoning a companion was not out of the question. With this thought, Bear and Fourth quickened their pace.

Just a few steps later, they heard Deuce’s scream from behind. Turning around, they saw Deuce had fallen headfirst into a snow pit, struggling desperately as if trying to get up. But his head seemed to be pressed down by something, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t lift it out of the pit!

This bizarre scene frightened Bear and Fourth. They hurriedly grabbed Deuce’s legs and pulled with all their might. After several attempts, using all their strength, they finally dragged Deuce out! Deuce felt as if he was being torn in half, clutching his neck and gasping for air, exclaiming in terror, “There’s a ghost! Someone was pressing my head!”

Bear and Fourth felt a chill, the temperature around them seemed to drop. They forced themselves to remain calm, saying, “What nonsense are you talking about? There was no one there. Don’t scare yourself!”

But Deuce vividly remembered the sensation of hands pressing on his head, forcing him into the snow. Those hands were hard and cold, bone-chilling. Even now, moving his neck hurt. He frantically rubbed the back of his neck, trying to shake off the eerie feeling, showing Bear and Fourth, “I’m telling the truth, this mountain is haunted! It’s haunted!”

Bear was growing impatient. Didn’t he know the mountain was haunted? If he could, he would leave immediately. But Sudi was on the mountain. If they didn’t bring him back, where would they find the five million? Just as he was getting frustrated, Fourth tugged at his clothes, eyes wide with fear, nodding towards Deuce’s head. Following Fourth’s gaze, Bear saw a blue-purple handprint on the back of Deuce’s neck!

That handprint couldn’t have been made by any of them… It had to be a ghost!

Bear’s legs went weak, and he stumbled back a few steps. Fourth pulled him, signaling with his eyes: Let’s go.

Deuce had attracted something sinister, and they didn’t want to be dragged into it. As long as they stayed away from Deuce, they would be safe.

When Deuce came to his senses, Bear and Fourth were already far ahead. He cursed under his breath, feeling even more afraid alone, his heart pounding wildly. He hurried to catch up, calling for them to wait, but the two in front ignored him, quickening their pace, soon leaving him far behind.

Deuce’s eyes widened in anger. How could he not realize those two scoundrels were trying to ditch him? No way!

He pushed himself to catch up, closing the distance with Fourth. Smirking with a twisted expression, he slapped Fourth on the shoulder, “Why are you walking so fast? Why didn’t you wait for me?”

Fourth turned his head slowly, saying in an eerie voice, “I’ve been waiting for you all along…”

Deuce’s triumphant expression froze. His teeth ground together, eyes bloodshot with fear. Only then did he realize the person he caught up with wasn’t Fourth-it was the ghostly woman!

Now that he was closer, he could see the scars on her face and body, even the marks around her neck, matching his memories. Her eyes were wide open, blood tears streaming down, staring unblinkingly at him, eerie and terrifying.

Deuce’s legs trembled, and he collapsed to the ground, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to kill you… Please, don’t haunt me!

“I was wrong, I was wrong, I truly was… Please don’t kill me!”

“Help-!”

…

Bear and Fourth finally shook off the jittery Deuce, both sighing in relief. Bear glanced back a few times, unable to resist asking, “Will Deuce be okay?”

Fourth, though scared himself, replied firmly, “Why worry about him? We’re barely keeping ourselves safe. Don’t think too much, let’s find that pretty boy!”

Compared to Deuce, the five million was far more important. Bear quickly put Deuce out of his mind, focusing on their task. The two stuck close together, suppressing their anxiety as they headed deeper into the mountain.

The priority was to bring Sudi back.

…

Sudi knew he had been rescued, but the danger wasn’t over. The kidnappers who had inexplicably fled could return at any moment. Yet he felt so weak, his feverish mind growing more muddled, and eventually, as his body regained sensation, he accidentally drifted into sleep.

He didn’t know how long he slept until he suddenly awoke from a nightmare!

Opening his eyes in frustration, he found himself no longer in the previous house. Around him were shadows of trees, a gray expanse, the air so silent he could hear the cold wind howling.

He was moving, as the trees around him slowly retreated.

Only then did he realize he was being carried on someone’s back! He could feel the frail body beneath him, and when he turned his head, he saw long, straight black hair cascading down the face of the woman carrying him. She walked forward silently…

He was momentarily moved, knowing she had taken a great risk to save him. He wanted to thank her, but his throat was too dry and sore, only allowing a few hoarse sounds. Eventually, he gave up trying to speak. Once they were out, he would have plenty of opportunities to express his gratitude.

Sudi’s mind was foggy, his body weak and limp. Though some time had passed, it only alleviated the numbness from being tied up for so long. His strength as a grown man hadn’t returned at all. By now, even he understood that the kidnappers had likely injected him with some muscle relaxant or similar substance.

Of course, being a man, it was embarrassing to be carried like this by a girl…

As he thought this, a sudden realization struck him! His eyes widened in shock!

-Why was there no sound? With snow this thick, how could there be no sound at all when someone walked on it?!

Thinking this, he felt something was terribly wrong. On the long-haired woman’s back, he felt no jostling, no sensation of movement, as if he were floating… Yes, floating!

Why was he floating?? Why was he floating?!

…Hmm, maybe his mind hadn’t fully recovered.

…

Gu Feiyin was preoccupied, her mind filled with thoughts of her coffin. The person on her back seemed close to death, and if not rescued soon, might really die. She had to get the kid to a hospital first. But if she took him to the hospital and then came back to cut trees for the coffin, it would be daylight. And in daylight, she wouldn’t dare come to cut trees. Besides, she had work in the morning…

It was truly a headache.

Originally, she wanted the Neighbor Miss and the Old Lady to take the kid down the mountain for help. But unfortunately, their skills weren’t enough; they couldn’t even touch the kid’s clothes. If it were her in the past, it would have been a simple matter!

Now, it was impossible. She sighed helplessly.

Neighbor Miss: “…”

Because she was carrying two people, her speed was significantly slower, comparable to a turtle. Overburdened, she could barely see the road, her head drooping in low spirits, nearly crashing into trees several times. Fortunately, Gu Feiyin was quick to stop her, or she might have really damaged her head-if a single tooth was so precious, wasn’t her forehead even more so? She couldn’t afford to fix it if it got damaged.

Gu Feiyin couldn’t afford to relax for a moment.

But there was no choice; the current situation was forcing her hand.

The Old Lady followed with a broom, her pale eyes showing a strange mix of sympathy and relief.

…

Bear and Fourth hurried back, according to their plan. The Long-haired Woman was either harming the pretty boy, still in the house, or had gone to cut trees for the coffin…

Of course, regardless of what the Long-haired Woman was doing, they planned to assess the situation from outside first. If things looked bad, they could always run. Giving up five million was a hard pill to swallow.

They had everything planned, moving cautiously, mentally prepared for anything. But what they didn’t expect was to encounter the Long-haired Woman halfway.

They had been leaning against a tree, resting and discussing their next move, when they suddenly saw the Long-haired Woman floating towards them. Her body was twisted into a strange posture, her long black hair floating in the air. More terrifyingly, there was someone stuck to her back-none other than the unconscious Sudi, their five million!

Bear and Fourth gasped, their faces growing serious. It seemed Sudi was doomed. How could they possibly snatch someone from a ghost? No one dared take that risk.

As the Long-haired Woman floated closer with Sudi, Bear and Fourth’s legs went weak. They cautiously hid in the bushes behind the trees, unable to resist peeking out.

But as they watched, they noticed something odd. Bear was horrified to see that beneath the Long-haired Woman seemed to be another woman? This woman also had long hair, her face obscured, but upon closer inspection, her feet weren’t touching the ground!

Could there be another ghost?!

Fourth felt Bear’s grip nearly breaking his hand. He gritted his teeth in pain, not daring to make a sound, for he too saw the woman beneath the Long-haired Woman. Though he didn’t understand why, his instincts told him she was also a ghost.

Bear and Fourth hadn’t anticipated seeing this upon their return. Had they known, they wouldn’t have come back! Their eyes met, each seeing the fear and despair in the other’s eyes. It took all their strength to keep from crying out, huddling together, hoping the two ghostly women would pass quickly…

Don’t notice us, don’t notice us…

But the woman at the bottom moved too slowly. They waited a long time, and she had only moved a short distance.

And endless waiting bred endless fear and despair.

Bear and Fourth felt their clothes soaked with sweat, their bodies trembling, yet they dared not make a sound. At this moment, they were filled with regret. Had they known, they would never have kidnapped Sudi. Without kidnapping Sudi, they wouldn’t have encountered such terrifying things…

They were filled with dread, regret and despair nearly overwhelming them.

Suddenly, the woman at the bottom stopped. She reached up to her face, doing something, picking and picking…

Bear and Fourth watched with wide eyes, only to see the woman pluck out her own eyes! Then, with a flick of her hand, she stuck them onto a nearby broom!

A hunched Old Lady looked up at the broom, then at the eyes stuck on it. She stood for a moment, expressionless, before lifting the broom and walking ahead…

Only then did Bear and Fourth see, hidden by the Long-haired Woman and Sudi, another strange Old Lady…

So many ghosts?!

But what did they mean by this? Bear couldn’t understand. All his attention was on those eyes, because they were still moving, rolling around, observing three hundred and sixty degrees without a blind spot.

Suddenly, those eyes turned and looked at Bear-

Bear and Fourth felt a chill run through them, as if their throats were being choked, unable to make a sound!

Oh my god, help, there’s a ghost!