At around nine in the morning, three people sneaked into the village.
Just as when Ning Qiushui and his two companions had entered the village last time, the villagers watched them with guilt in their eyes. And because of that guilt, none of them would meet the three newcomers' gazes. The moment their eyes met, the villagers would look away, pretending to concentrate on their work.
Ning Qiushui knew these villagers were in league with the Spirit Medium and her people.
Otherwise, the Spirit Medium could never have reached Mi Lan's house so quickly the afternoon before last.
Some villagers must have tipped her off.
Sure enough.
Ning Qiushui and Liu Chengfeng, who had been lying in wait near the Spirit Medium's residence since early that morning, saw a figure in coarse hemp clothing run from the village entrance straight to a mansion beside a temple in the western part of the village.
The mansion's grounds were even larger than the temple's.
Two exquisitely carved stone lions stood at the main entrance, looking exceptionally fierce.
Before long, the villager emerged from the gate with the Spirit Medium, and they hurried toward the village. Ning Qiushui wasn't sure whether he was imagining it, but her back seemed even more hunched, and her steps less steady.
Only after confirming that they were far away did Ning Qiushui and Liu Chengfeng sneak into the Spirit Medium's residence.
The moment they entered, they felt a faint, elusive chill, along with an unpleasant smell hanging in the air.
Ning Qiushui had smelled it on the Spirit Medium before.
It was difficult to describe. It was like the stench of decay, yet also like a jumble of all sorts of things mixed together.
The Spirit Medium's residence was large. Standing in the middle of the courtyard, Ning Qiushui looked around and immediately said in a low voice,
"They can't buy us much time. Split up and search!"
"Got it!"
Liu Chengfeng nodded.
Then Ning Qiushui went left, while he went right.
The two quickly searched all the places the Spirit Medium used in her daily life, but found almost nothing.
"Nothing but talisman papers for suppressing ghosts and some Buddhist scriptures that make no sense."
Ten minutes later, Liu Chengfeng stood before Ning Qiushui with his hands on his hips, panting.
He was growing anxious, his eyes flicking toward the main gate from time to time, as though terrified someone would come through it.
"Damn it, I haven't felt this guilty about sneaking around in ages! The last time was eleven years ago, when I stole my martial uncle's wine...!"
Ning Qiushui was speechless.
Just as he was considering whether to leave, his eyes suddenly strayed toward a corner of the grounds.
It was in the southwestern corner of the garden.
Hidden among thick flowers and greenery, it was a room that anyone would instinctively assume was used for storing rubbish and odds and ends.
"Let's check that room."
Ning Qiushui pointed.
The two immediately went over to the unremarkable little room.
Unlike the other rooms, this one was actually locked.
"Huh, that's strange... She usually lives here alone. Why lock it?"
Liu Chengfeng scratched his head.
Then he deftly took out his wire and jabbed it into the keyhole.
As he worked, he made some strange noises:
"Oh... oh... yes... almost there... that's the feeling... coming, coming, coming!"
With a click, the lock sprang open.
Beside him, Ning Qiushui gave Liu Chengfeng a peculiar look. Liu Chengfeng had no idea why.
"Buddy, what's with that look?"
Ning Qiushui shook his head, pushed open the door, and went inside.
The room was so dark that they could barely see anything. A strange smell filled it-the same one that clung to the Spirit Medium.
After fumbling around for quite some time, Ning Qiushui finally found the light switch.
Click-
The instant the light came on, he froze.
The sight inside the room sent goosebumps crawling over both men's bodies!
Three rows of shelves stood in the pitch-black little room, lined with enormous glass jars.
Inside those glass jars... were human heads!
The heads were submerged in a strange liquid, their eyes wide as they stared fixedly at the two men!
"Holy shit..."
Liu Chengfeng's legs began trembling uncontrollably again.
"Wait!"
Ning Qiushui examined the heads in the jars closely, then suddenly exclaimed in a hushed voice,
"These heads... they're all alive!!"
Liu Chengfeng's eyes bulged.
"What the hell?!"
Ning Qiushui's expression turned grim, and a chill began creeping over him too.
He couldn't comprehend what he was seeing.
These heads had clearly been severed from their bodies. How could they still be alive?
Yet even submerged in the jars, they could blink!
They could even... speak!
"It hurts so much..."
"Boohoo... please take me away... it's so dark here... where is this...?"
"Has someone come to save us...?"
"Will someone kind please save us...?"
Terrifying cries and sobs echoed ceaselessly through the dark room, sending both men's hearts into a frenzy!
"Buddy, turn off the light, now!!"
Liu Chengfeng seemed to have realized something and shouted at Ning Qiushui.
But Ning Qiushui made a gesture for him to be quiet.
"Shh-"
Seeing Ning Qiushui's serious expression, Liu Chengfeng knew better than to say anything else.
Soon, after standing still and listening intently, Ning Qiushui walked to a corner of the room, lifted a cloth covering something, and brought out a brand-new glass jar.
When Liu Chengfeng saw the jar, his eyes went wide, and he couldn't utter a single word!
Because the head he saw inside the jar belonged to none other than... Bai Xiaoxiao!
P.S. That's all I'll write for today. I still need to get some rest.
Before you continue