Exchange

Wu Heng stood in the living room. Through the bedroom door, which was already open, he immediately saw Kirsty crying.

Countless iron hooks dangled from the ceiling, clanging against one another.

The gallows of death spun with a wheezing sound.

Chatterer had Kirsty in his grasp. Tears streamed down her face as she begged desperately.

Kirsty stared at the doorway. At her most helpless and despairing moment, the villa's front door flew open, and a glowing figure appeared in the entrance.

"Dean!"

Kirsty cried out excitedly, hope surging within her. She was terribly frightened.

But then she came to her senses. Dean was just an ordinary person. Despairing, she hurriedly shouted:

"Run!"

"Dean, run! Don't worry about me!"

Kirsty struggled with all her might, trying to wrench herself free of Chatterer's arm, but it was no use. Even a cannon couldn't blast Chatterer's arm open at that moment, much less the strength of a girl.

Hearing Kirsty's words, Wu Heng felt relieved.

But if he had come, he naturally had leverage to rely on.

The door to the hall behind him slammed shut.

The last inch of sunlight vanished, and the way back was gone.

Wu Heng took a deep breath and walked toward the bedroom.

He looked at the Hell Quartet before him. This was the first time he had seen them in person.

He had seen them many times in movies in his previous life, but only when facing them for real could he truly feel their oppressive presence and the atmosphere of pain and distortion they brought with them.

"Do you know a man named Frank Cotton?"

Wu Heng watched the leader of the Cenobites carefully, ready to take out the photo that could stir Nailhead's memories at any moment.

"He escaped from you."

"We know him. Even if he escaped, what does that have to do with you?"

Deep Throat spoke from the wound.

"I've caught him. I want to exchange him for Kirsty."

Wu Heng said.

"Perhaps I'd rather have you."

Deep Throat replied.

"Perhaps. I would rather hear his confession. Perhaps!"

High Priest Pinhead spoke slowly, his calm voice carrying an authority that brooked no refusal.

"That's right. Trade Frank for us."

Hearing this, Kirsty cried out excitedly too.

"Go after Frank. Take him to Hell. Let Dean and me go."

High Priest Pinhead ignored Kirsty and gazed at Wu Heng, speaking indifferently:

"I know you. You will find your way in the end."

"After all, evil seeks evil!"

Wu Heng had long known which path he would take:

"This is the path I chose."

High Priest Pinhead continued, his expression unchanged:

"I need a reason."

Wu Heng understood. Frank was enough to exchange for Kirsty, but it wouldn't save him, the one who had willingly walked into their hands.

"Two."

"Two for two!"

Wu Heng held up two fingers.

"Besides Frank, there's also a woman named Giovanna Dursley."

The High Priest said nothing more. A current of electricity flashed, and the quartet vanished. The room grew bright again.

Wu Heng had already prepared for the worst. Fortunately, Pinhead really wasn't the sort to meddle in other people's affairs. He couldn't be bothered to hold a grudge against Wu Heng, a Cursed Disciple who had escaped the Ice Cenobite.

Perhaps, in Pinhead's eyes, Wu Heng was destined for Hell.

Kirsty rushed over and clung to Wu Heng, sobbing.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here!"

"Let's put an end to all this."

Wu Heng comforted her, then let go.

He didn't want things to go like the stupid scenes in movies, where people escaped danger only to spend ages embracing and crying before being killed by some monster.

He turned to look at the Puzzle Box Kirsty had dropped on the floor.

The Puzzle Box should have returned to its square shape, but it was still an octagon. It hadn't reset.

It seemed Pinhead's team had only left temporarily. They were waiting for him to follow through on what he'd promised.

Wu Heng stepped forward and picked up the Puzzle Box. He felt nothing from it. It seemed he couldn't figure out how to close it; he didn't have the knack for it.

"Dean, don't touch that box. Hurry and get rid of it."

Kirsty hurriedly reached for the Puzzle Box, wanting to toss it away.

"Kirsty, the box hasn't returned to its square shape. They could show up again at any moment."

"We're not safe yet. We have to go to the attic in your father's cabin and get Frank back."

Wu Heng gently took Kirsty's trembling hand, then led her toward the door.

Wu Heng didn't have to bring Kirsty along to the cabin. But only Kirsty could figure out how to close the Puzzle Box.

Only when the Puzzle Box was completely closed could they send the Cenobites back. In the story, they had eventually gone back on their word and tried to take Kirsty with them too. Kirsty had been the one to force the box shut.

"Get Frank back? You said he came back from Hell. My father—"

Hearing that, Kirsty worried about her father and forgot her grief.

"Don't worry. Your father hurt his hand and is at the hospital getting it treated. I had someone stop him from coming home."

Wu Heng's words put Kirsty at ease.

"That's good. Dean, what exactly is going on?"

Wu Heng walked over to Dersen's car, its front end smashed in, and saw that the radiator had cracked. It couldn't be driven anymore.

"It's a long story. I'll explain later. Kirsty, you need to study this box and see if you can close it completely. That's the only way to get away from them."

Wu Heng handed her the Puzzle Box.

Kirsty took it with some trepidation. The thing had already left her traumatized.

"I'm here,"

Wu Heng said.

Those four short words gave Kirsty a sense of security. She slowly calmed down and began to examine the Puzzle Box closely.

They didn't try to hitch a ride. Instead, they walked slowly toward the cabin, giving Kirsty more time to figure it out.

As they neared the cabin, Wu Heng glanced at Kirsty.

Kirsty nodded firmly.

The detectives hiding nearby saw that it was their employer and didn't come out to stop them.

Wu Heng led Kirsty into the cabin and up to the second-floor attic.

He picked up the untouched briefcase from the floor and opened it.

Frank's and Giovanna's hearts squirmed inside a woven bag, still full of life.

Wu Heng looked at the two energy sources with some regret.

But since he had already agreed to trade these Cursed Disciples to Pinhead, he had to hand them over.

High Priest Pinhead hated being deceived more than anything. He usually followed an unwritten set of rules and didn't care if someone escaped within those rules. But if he was truly angered, the second-in-command of Hell could go berserk—and Wu Heng couldn't stop him right now.

Wu Heng thought it over, then touched the two hearts with his left hand and activated Siphon.

After the hearts quickly shriveled to half their size, Wu Heng stopped.

His physical strength had increased by about ten percent.

"Frank and Giovanna are here."

Wu Heng picked up the Puzzle Box, which had transformed into a six-pointed star, and spoke softly.

Electricity flashed across the box. The surroundings quickly darkened. The sculpted deer head hanging at the end of the hallway let out a pained cry, opened its mouth, and spat out a mass of corpse worms.

A baby's giggling and an old man's wails continued to surge up the stairs to the second floor, then burrow into the walls and disappear, as if some group of creatures had passed by.

At last, chains rattled. The domain of the Four-Person Order of Cenobites, led by Pinhead, descended upon the attic.

Wu Heng set the two shriveled hearts on the floor. He clutched the Puzzle Box tightly in his left hand, took Kirsty's hand with his right, and retreated to the doorway.

The quartet emerged from the Hell Portal torn open in the wall.

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