Black-and-Blue Handprint

Perhaps because Xiao Yi took too long to go downstairs to throw out the trash, Uncle Ye and Aunt Zhang couldn't sit still and came downstairs with a flashlight to look for her.

Seeing Xiao Yi and Jiang Yue together from afar, Aunt Zhang's worried expression immediately turned into a relieved smile. She tugged on Uncle Ye's clothes, "Old Ye, let's wait here for a bit. Don't disturb the children."

Jiang Yue had already seen the couple before Aunt Zhang spotted them.

"Uncle Ye, Xiao Yi is here!"

That shout could be heard by half the building.

It would be inappropriate for Uncle Ye and his wife to pretend they hadn't seen them.

"Xiao Jiang, just got home?" Uncle Ye was quite composed. His daughter was still young, and he didn't actually have any matchmaking intentions. He just wasn't in a position to overrule his wife.

Aunt Zhang was as enthusiastic as ever, "Xiao Yue, you're back! Why don't you come in and sit for a while? Xiao Yi, don't you have a lot of study-related questions for Xiao Yue?"

Xiao Yi, with her mother's straightforward and enthusiastic personality, hooked her arms around Jiang Yue's biceps, holding on tightly. It looked like she was kidnapping him; there was no way he wasn't going.

Jiang Yue still had some doubts and concerns, but after thinking about it, he didn't refuse. He was already home anyway, and sitting at Uncle Ye's place for a few minutes wouldn't delay anything.

When they arrived home, Aunt Zhang firmly pressed Jiang Yue onto the sofa, then kept bringing snacks and fruits to the coffee table until it was overflowing.

To be honest, Jiang Yue felt a warmth in his heart seeing Aunt Zhang's enthusiasm.

In this world, there weren't many people who genuinely cared about you. Those who gave their all without reservation were even harder to find.

They were just neighbors, and to be treated this well, Jiang Yue felt indebted.

"Uncle Ye, I'd like to have a word with you privately."

The previous incident was truly bizarre. Jiang Yue was worried that the ghostly entity might have done something to Xiao Yi. If there were any lingering effects, this family might never find peace, and could even be in mortal danger.

He wasn't sure at all if the Hundred Evils Immunity Halo had managed to eliminate that ghost just now.

"Wife, take Xiao Yi to the study. Let the two of us old men have a chat."

Only Jiang Yue and Uncle Ye were left in the living room.

Jiang Yue didn't rush to speak, rubbing his face with his hands.

After a long while, he looked up, his eyes meeting Uncle Ye's with sincerity.

"Uncle Ye, what I'm about to say might sound incredible. If you don't believe me, just consider it the ramblings of a junior."

Seeing Jiang Yue's seriousness, Uncle Ye's curiosity was piqued.

"Xiao Jiang, go ahead and speak. I'm an open-minded person."

"Well, downstairs just now, Xiao Yi... she encountered something unclean."

"Something unclean?" Uncle Ye didn't immediately grasp the meaning.

"You... you mean?"

"An evil spirit," Jiang Yue said gravely.

"I just returned to the neighborhood from outside..." Jiang Yue recounted the events of earlier, omitting nothing except the Hundred Evils Immunity Halo.

Uncle Ye's expression shifted with Jiang Yue's narration. By the time Jiang Yue finished, he was like a wooden post, completely speechless.

"Uncle Ye, the murder case today, wasn't that in Building 8, Unit 2?"

"You mean? The victim's resentment didn't dissipate, and they became a ghost? Wandering the neighborhood and harming people? This... how is this possible?"

It was one thing to see such things on TV, but for someone who had received a formal scientific education, it was difficult to accept such things quickly and calmly in reality.

"In folk terms, this is called 'asking for directions,' and it is indeed bizarre. It's no wonder Uncle Ye is reacting this way. Normally, if Xiao Yi hadn't been led to Building 8, Unit 2, she should have been fine. But if she had been led there, then..."

"What would happen?" Although Uncle Ye was eight parts disbelieving, he couldn't help but ask.

"Separated by yin and yang."

The answer was cruel, but Jiang Yue had to be cruel this time.

"Uncle Ye, go ask Xiao Yi. Ask her if the person asking for directions touched her, like holding her hand, patting her shoulder, or putting an arm around her waist."

Even if he didn't believe it at all, Jiang Yue's description was so chilling that Uncle Ye didn't dare to be careless. After all, asking wouldn't hurt.

He hurried into the study and asked Xiao Yi a few questions.

When he returned to the living room, Uncle Ye's expression was noticeably more solemn.

Clearly, Xiao Yi had told him many details, which completely matched Jiang Yue's description.

The person asking for directions, Building 8, Unit 2, it was extremely cold, a gust of wind blew, her eyes suddenly couldn't open, and when she opened them, the person asking for directions was gone...

These details, late at night, were indeed eerie.

Most importantly, the place where she and Jiang Yue met was clearly some distance from the entrance of the building's unit. Throwing out trash would only involve the trash can by the unit door; she wouldn't have walked that far!

"Xiao Jiang, Xiao Yi said that the person asking for directions, patted... patted her shoulder."

Jiang Yue suddenly stood up, his face turning grim.

"Uncle Ye, quickly have Aunt Zhang take Xiao Yi to her room. Have her take off her clothes and check her entire body for any marks, especially on her shoulder where she was patted."

Uncle Ye was also flustered this time. Jiang Yue's actions and expression had thoroughly frightened him.

He ran back to the study again, said a few words, and then hurried out, pacing anxiously in the living room.

Even the most powerful people, when faced with inexplicable strange events, will always be overcome by fear.

"Ah!"

Not long after, Aunt Zhang and Xiao Yi let out simultaneous screams.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Uncle Ye's voice trembled as he hurried towards the study.

"The handprint, the handprint... a black-and-blue handprint!" Aunt Zhang's face was ashen, her eyes filled with a fear as if she had seen a ghost.

Jiang Yue could no longer afford to be discreet and followed them into the study.

A black-and-blue handprint was imprinted on Xiao Yi's right shoulder, just like a birthmark!

What was clearly different from a birthmark was that this handprint carried a strong aura of death! It exuded a chilling halo, instantly instilling inexplicable fear and making one's hair stand on end!

"Old Ye, what is this?" Aunt Zhang, being a woman, was already somewhat flustered by the shock.

Uncle Ye walked over, holding a rag, and rubbed the handprint forcefully a few times.

It was in vain.

The chilling handprint seemed to have seeped into the skin and flesh, showing no sign of fading.

No matter how atheistic one was, facing such a terrifying and bizarre event, it was hard not to be shaken.

"Xiao Yi, you haven't gotten a tattoo, have you?"

Aunt Zhang glared at him: "What are you saying? We bathed together yesterday, my daughter and I. She's been under our watchful eyes all day today. A tattoo? How could you even think of that! How old is Xiao Yi?"

Xiao Yi, who had been confused earlier, finally felt a little worried seeing her parents so tense.

"Brother Jiang Yue, is Xiao Yi possessed?"

"Yes, Xiao Yue, what exactly is going on?" Aunt Zhang was beside herself.

Asking Jiang Yue to explain clearly put him in a difficult position.

He had only been exposed to these things a few days before Uncle Ye and the others. He had heard many strange folk tales from his grandfather when he was young.

Resentment manifesting as malevolence was a common rumor among the folk, but Jiang Yue himself had never witnessed it firsthand before.

Until...

He personally experienced the ghost wall just now.

That pale, bloodless hand, that strange girl asking for directions, that face hidden in the darkness, looking timid and shy...

"Uncle Ye, you guys wait, I'm going to make a call."

He found Officer Han's number in his contacts and dialed it without regard for whether it was an appropriate time.

Officer Han had been working non-stop these past few days. He had just finished interrogating Sun Bin, the murderer in the New Moon Bay case, and was leaning back in his office chair, exhausted, trying to organize his thoughts.

When his phone rang and he saw it was Jiang Yue, he answered immediately.

"Officer Han, I want to confirm, was the victim in the New Moon Bay case today a female student from Star City Third High School? Living in Unit 2, Building 8?"

"Yes. You should be able to find out about things in your neighborhood, right?"

"Officer Han, I need your help with something very important. Could you send me a photo of the victim? It doesn't have to be a crime scene photo; a photo ID or a casual photo would be fine!"

"This..." Officer Han hesitated.

Setting aside discipline for a moment. The deceased should be respected, and distributing a photo of the victim felt morally wrong.

"Officer Han, if I told you that a monster more terrifying than the Year Eater has appeared, would you still hesitate?"

"What?" Officer Han's exhaustion vanished instantly, and he sat up straight.

"Xiao Jiang, you're not joking, are you?" The psychological trauma left by the Year Eater hadn't even subsided. If there was something even more intense, Officer Han felt he would break down in minutes.

"Would I joke about something like this?" Jiang Yue sighed. "Waiting for your photo."

After hanging up, Jiang Yue held his phone, switching it from his left hand to his right, and then back to his left, appearing somewhat anxious.

Officer Han, after all, was clear-headed. A few dozen seconds later, he sent a photo ID of the victim.

Upon opening it.

Jiang Yue's expression changed drastically.

It was that face!

Even in the ID photo, it carried a hint of timidity and shyness, a very recognizable expression.

"Xiao Yi, come and see, was this the older sister who asked you for directions?"

No matter how slow Xiao Yi's reflexes were, under this atmosphere, she was clearly frightened. She hesitantly looked at Jiang Yue's phone.

"Ah! It's her!" Xiao Yi's face instantly turned pale, she covered her eyes with both hands, screamed, and burrowed into her mother's arms.

Uncle Ye's family had overheard Jiang Yue and Officer Han's phone call, so they naturally knew whose photo it was.

He asked with a trembling voice, "Xiao Yi, look again, is it her?"

Xiao Yi kept burying herself in her mother's embrace, trembling and terrified: "I don't want to look, I don't want to look!"

"Old Ye, are you trying to scare the child even more?!"

Jiang Yue's ears twitched suddenly, and his expression changed immediately. He raised a finger with a grave look and pressed down with his other hand in the air, making a shushing gesture.

Through the security door, Jiang Yue heard the sound of the elevator opening.

Then--

Thump, thump, thump...

A strange knocking sound, sometimes light, sometimes heavy.

It felt like a mischievous child was playing a prank outside the door.

The people inside held their breath to the absolute minimum.

Uncle Ye's family of three wore expressions of pure terror.

They trembled like quails, their faces ashen, completely consumed by fear.

Their upper and lower teeth chattered, and they didn't even dare to look towards the door.

It was as if a single glance in that direction would invite boundless terror to swallow them whole.

Their hearts leaped into their throats.

Thump, thump, thump...

The irregular knocking sounded again!