Chapter 22

Bear and Fourth hid behind a large tree, surrounded by foliage that obscured them in the pitch-black night. It was nearly impossible to spot them unless one knew exactly where to look. As long as they didn’t do anything foolish, they could wait for the ghosts to pass and then make their escape.

But who could have predicted that the ghost would pluck out her own eyeballs and stick them onto a broom to see the way? Who could have imagined such a bizarre move?

As the saying goes, “the higher you stand, the farther you see.” The broom was already taller than a person, standing high and rotating with a 360-degree view. How could it not spot the two hiding men?

Caught in the act, Bear and Fourth were frozen in place!

They knew they should run, as far and as fast as possible, without looking back. But their feet felt rooted to the ground, unable to move, especially under the bloody gaze of those eyeballs. They didn’t dare twitch a finger, let alone flee.

The Old Lady, holding the eyeballs, turned and floated directly in front of Bear and Fourth, her hunched figure staring at them. Her face was pallid and wrinkled, like a corpse.

Even the Neighbor Miss, who had been floating forward stiffly, veered off course, her face with two bloody holes turning towards Bear and Fourth, and then she drifted over.

Gu Feiyin, seeing the Old Lady and Neighbor Miss stop, turned her head and finally noticed the two men hiding under the tree.

Bear: “!!!”

Fourth: “!!!”

Bear and Fourth felt their minds go blank, being stared at by three ghosts. The Long-haired Woman’s sinister gaze was particularly unnerving. They felt as if their end was near!

Already scared out of their wits, knowing there was no escape, their legs gave way, and they fell to their knees, kowtowing and pleading, stammering for mercy: “Please, don’t kill me, I beg you… If you spare me, I’ll offer sacrifices to you on the first and fifteenth of every month, and on every holiday. Please, don’t kill me!”

“Yes, yes, please spare me. I’ve never done anything too wrong in my life. I was just led astray this time. As the saying goes, ‘every debt has its debtor.’ I haven’t wronged you. Please spare me… If you must kill someone, kill him!” Fourth’s plea turned, his eyes malicious as he pointed at Bear. “Kill him. He’s got more meat and must taste better. It was his idea to kidnap the pretty boy. Kill him! I was forced into this.”

Bear, in the midst of his kowtowing, was infuriated by Fourth’s words, gritting his teeth in anger: “You didn’t object when I suggested kidnapping the pretty boy. You even brought the anesthetic. You treacherous scoundrel, now you’re blaming me?”

Fourth, eyes red, retorted: “I was forced. You and Deuce were planning the kidnapping right in front of me. If I didn’t join, wouldn’t you have killed me to keep it quiet? Could I refuse?”

“Hah, you weren’t saying that then. You were more excited than us!”

“Anyway, it’s not my fault. I only joined because I was afraid you’d retaliate.”

“If we told you to eat crap, would you?”

“…”

Gu Feiyin hadn’t said a word, and the two were already at each other’s throats, shirking responsibility and wishing the other dead.

It was probably people like this, devoid of humanity and morality, who wouldn’t value others’ lives and would commit such heinous acts.

The eyeballs on the broom rotated, unblinking, staring at the two kneeling men as if they were already dead.

…

Sudi dared not move. Lying on the Long-haired Woman’s back, he couldn’t see the Old Lady standing in front, nor the person carrying him.

Though his mind was muddled, he sensed his situation might not be much better than before, especially hearing the kidnappers’ tearful pleas and mutual blame. This feeling intensified.

He anxiously wondered what kind of being was carrying him to make these reckless kidnappers so terrified, not daring to resist or flee, just kneeling and begging for mercy…

Moreover, he was 6’2″. If an ordinary woman were carrying him, his feet would surely touch the ground. But now, his feet dangled in the air, unable to reach the ground, meaning the woman carrying him must be incredibly tall. And she was floating…

Sudi couldn’t fathom that more than one person was carrying him.

As the kidnappers argued, Sudi cautiously opened his eyes, seeing two men kneeling under a tree. In the freezing weather, they knelt directly in the snow, their pants soaked, seemingly oblivious to the cold, trembling with fear and pleading in despair.

From his vantage point, Sudi felt a strange satisfaction. These people deserved it! When they were in power, they harmed others without remorse, justifying their actions with countless excuses. Only when they themselves were hurt did they understand true pain and regret.

For such people, Sudi felt no pity or sympathy.

As the saying goes, “you reap what you sow.”

His mind foggy, he heard the Long-haired Woman’s cold voice ask, “Do you know Mu Mountain?”

…Mu Mountain? What is that?

Bear and Fourth exchanged confused glances but quickly replied, “Yes, yes, we know. Just spare us, and we’ll tell you where Mu Mountain is!”

Gu Feiyin wasn’t uneducated or naive. Their panicked lies were obvious; they clearly didn’t know.

She sighed, “Seems you don’t know.”

Bear felt the Long-haired Woman’s voice was light, her tone disappointed yet unsurprised, meaning they were useless and could die.

He broke out in a cold sweat: “We, we can help you find it. Whatever you want, we’ll help you find it! Right, Fourth?”

Fourth also pleaded, “Yes, yes, we can find Mu Mountain. Please spare me. I have parents to care for. They’re old and can’t live without me…”

Gu Feiyin pondered for a moment, eyes narrowing: “Are you lying to me?”

Bear and Fourth were terrified, kowtowing repeatedly, swearing they wouldn’t dare lie. How could they deceive her? They wouldn’t dare with all the courage in the world!

Gu Feiyin couldn’t believe them. These kidnappers were committing crimes and would soon be caught and reformed in prison. How could they have the chance to help her find Mu Mountain? It was obvious they were lying, and her dissatisfaction with them grew. If not for them, her coffin might be halfway done!

She frowned.

Bear and Fourth dared not breathe.

Sudi thought he smelled urine. He scoffed internally, and as he reveled in their misfortune, he felt himself being lifted and slid off the Long-haired Woman’s back. His feet finally touched the ground, but the drug’s effects lingered, leaving him too weak to stand. He collapsed into the snow, accidentally swallowing a mouthful.

Sudi: …

But as the snow melted in his mouth, it soothed his parched throat, and he couldn’t help but eat more. Lying on the ground, he shook his head, clearing the snow from his face and eyes, bringing the scene into focus.

This time, he saw the Long-haired Woman’s figure again. She stood sideways, her long hair draped over her shoulders, floating in the air in a strange posture. His heart skipped a beat, and he swallowed hard. Floating… she was really floating?

As he wavered in disbelief, he suddenly widened his eyes, finally seeing another woman beneath the Long-haired Woman!

This woman also had long hair, but she kept her head down, her hair covering her face, obscuring her features…

Of course, what she looked like didn’t matter. Sudi had no mind to delve into that. What shocked him was that she was carrying both him and the Long-haired Woman! How strong must she be? No wonder his feet couldn’t touch the ground… but wait, why weren’t her feet touching the ground either?

He looked at the woman’s feet hovering above the snow, recalling tales of how ghosts’ feet never touched the ground…

Sudi’s heart tightened, and he shivered uncontrollably, realizing that the one carrying him wasn’t human-it was a ghost!

No wonder, no wonder the kidnappers knelt and begged at the sight of the Long-haired Woman, not daring to resist. It was because they were facing a ghost!

His breathing quickened, and he was momentarily stunned, unsure whether to feel relieved or terrified. Relieved that he was saved, terrified that he was saved by a ghost, unsure if he was truly saved or just in another dire situation…

As he worried, the Long-haired Woman floated a few steps, a cold wind blowing her hair wildly, making her look terrifying.

Sudi swallowed, trying to minimize his presence, but suddenly saw, on the other side of the Long-haired Woman, a broom with two bloody eyeballs, still moving as if alive!

He gasped, eyes wide in shock, coughing uncontrollably.

“Cough, cough, cough-”

Gu Feiyin heard the commotion and was delighted. The fainted boy was finally awake, so she wouldn’t have to take him to the hospital. He could go himself, and she could chop wood for her coffin!

She turned to the boy on the ground, smiling kindly. For a kidnapped, injured boy, she naturally showed concern. Neighbor Miss also turned, her two bloody holes facing him. Sudi, his voice hoarse, let out a shrill “Ah-” and fainted again.

Gu Feiyin: “…”

Neighbor Miss: “…”

Old Lady: “…”

Gu Feiyin sighed, “I understand, you didn’t mean it.”

Neighbor Miss: “…”

Old Lady: “…”

Neighbor Miss’s bloody tears flowed more freely, and the Old Lady shook the broom, the chilling wind blowing.

Bear and Fourth, shivering nearby, finally couldn’t take it anymore, rolling their eyes and fainting.

Gu Feiyin: Three fainted at once, great.

For some reason, she thought she saw a hint of despair in the eyeballs hanging from Neighbor Miss’s broom.

She really couldn’t carry three.

Deuce clutched his neck wound tightly, desperately running down the mountain.

As he ran, he kept glancing back to see if that woman was chasing him. His breath was ragged, his stamina waning from the prolonged sprint, and his mind was foggy. He tripped over a rock, tumbling several times before finally grabbing onto a tree to steady himself.

The pain was so intense that Deuce couldn’t get up immediately. He whimpered, clutching his neck wound as he struggled to rise.

The wound was from when he was fleeing from the female ghost. He had accidentally collided with a tree branch, which had been half-chopped, leaving a hand-length stub. He had reacted quickly enough to dodge slightly, but the branch still scraped across his neck, leaving him bleeding profusely, his clothes soaked with sticky blood. But he couldn’t stop; he feared that if he paused, the ghost would catch him and take his life.

He had to keep running, keep running. He didn’t want to die; he wanted to live! He hadn’t yet achieved his dreams, how could he die here?

At that moment, regret washed over him. If he had known it would come to this, he wouldn’t have kidnapped Sudi. If he hadn’t kidnapped him, he wouldn’t have encountered these horrors. But more than anything, he hated Bear and Fourth. They were supposed to be in this together, but they had betrayed him, leaving him alone on the road. They were the ones who deserved to die!

Deuce gritted his teeth, holding onto his last breath as he stumbled down the mountain. He looked around fearfully, dreading that the ghost might appear before him at any moment. Yet, no matter how he ran, it seemed he would never reach the foot of the mountain…

But he dared not relax for a second. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he saw two figures ahead, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin. He recognized those backs immediately-Bear and Fourth!

Despite his hatred for them, Deuce was overjoyed. If he could see them, did it mean he had escaped?

His heart raced with excitement, but given his previous experience of being deceived, he hesitated to trust his eyes. He cautiously approached, clutching his neck, wanting to confirm if the figures were indeed Bear and Fourth. As he got closer, he noticed Bear was carrying someone on his back. Judging by the clothes, it was the pretty boy they had kidnapped that night!

Deuce was surprised to see it was him. They had actually brought Sudi back?

His excitement grew; Sudi represented fifty million. His trembling heart warmed at the thought.

If he survived tonight, he’d be rich!

Deuce quickened his pace, calling out as he ran, “Bear, Fourth, slow down, wait for me!”

Ahead, Bear and Fourth stopped at the sound of his voice. They seemed to exchange a glance, as if communicating silently.

Deuce sneered inwardly, suspecting they were plotting to ditch him. If they dared to provoke him, he wouldn’t hold back. If he suffered, they wouldn’t have it easy either. Though he thought this, he showed none of it on his face. He approached, clapping Fourth on the shoulder, enduring the pain in his neck, and said firmly, “Fourth, I’ve been good to you. Look, I arranged this deal. Tonight was rough, but we’re about to hit it big. Once tomorrow’s over, the world is ours. You wouldn’t want to mess it up at the last minute, right?”

Fourth said nothing, and neither did Bear.

Deuce spat in anger, “Bear, Fourth, let’s not beat around the bush. We’re in this together. If I go down, you go down!”

He threatened them, glaring fiercely at Fourth and Bear.

Fourth and Bear stared back, eerily silent. Their once dark faces were now pale, their eyes lifeless, unblinking, like corpses.

Something was wrong!

Deuce was startled, feeling Fourth’s cold body. He let go, stepping back in fear, his teeth chattering, his whole body trembling. “You’re… you’re not Bear and Fourth!”

Despite their expressionless faces, Deuce saw a strange smile.

Fourth spoke, “I am Fourth.”

Though it was a man’s body, the voice was unmistakably a woman’s!

And he recognized that voice-it was the woman who had been chasing him!

Deuce screamed, abandoning all else, fleeing in terror, stumbling and crawling away.

Fourth chuckled, glancing at Bear, “Old Lady, this one’s a real coward.”

Bear stared blankly, rolling his eyes, carrying Sudi, and continued his stiff march down the mountain.

Fourth shrugged, unconcerned. In the next moment, a dark figure floated out of Fourth’s body, waving a hand and drifting after Deuce. Without support, Fourth’s body collapsed to the ground. Neighbor Miss, now with her eyes reattached, hopped over, jumping into Fourth’s body. Soon, Fourth rose from the ground, though he seemed unaccustomed to walking, hopping after Bear. He tripped over something, falling flat, struggling to rise before chasing Bear into the darkness…

Gu Feiyin was left behind, trudging along the mountain path, her long black straight hair floating eerily, her pale face expressionless, looking particularly unsettling.

Her mind was consumed with thoughts of her coffin, her coffin…

“Wait for me!”

In the distance, the two bouncing figures seemed even more cheerful.