Returning home from Wang Po’s place, Lu Chu couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
He had to go to the old school tonight to take some night shots, and he had a feeling that something was going to happen.
Once back, Lu Chu first helped the old lady boil something that looked like dried grass in vinegar. They poured the steaming concoction into a foot bath basin. The old lady sat on the sofa, rolled up her pants, and placed her feet on a small stool to soak them in the hot broth.
This was supposedly a very effective folk remedy.
The old lady was genuinely kind. She chatted and laughed with the young people, especially enjoying the sweet-talking Song Gui, who made her laugh non-stop.
While the old lady soaked her legs, Lu Chu made her bed so she could go straight to sleep after the foot bath.
“You have a good grandson,” Song Gui remarked, glancing sideways at Lu Chu with a half-smiling expression.
Clearly, Song Gui considered this kind of “filial piety” unnecessary. He thought they would eventually leave, so it was better to solve the puzzle and return to the “rules” of their reality, resting for the next round of the “game” where they might find a way out of this deadly game.
The old lady, even happier, proudly said, “My grandson has always been the most obedient and filial among the children of his generation.”
Lu Chu smiled gently, not looking at Song Gui, and said while tidying up the foot bath basin, “You flatter me.”
——————
That night, as they were about to head out after cleaning up, the old lady stopped them.
She asked nervously, “It’s very late. Where are you going at this hour?”
Song Gui replied, “Granny, we’re going to some places in the village to take night shots. We’ll be back soon.”
The old lady disagreed, “The countryside at night isn’t as peaceful as you think. It’s better not to wander around.”
They were ready to go and couldn’t back out now, so the others took turns explaining, “Don’t worry, granny. We’ll be careful. We’re just going to take some pictures and will be back soon.”
The old lady was still against it, but she liked Song Gui a lot over the past few days, finding him reliable and clever. After his repeated assurances, she reluctantly agreed to their outing.
So, they carried their equipment to the yard of the old school.
The village at night was exceptionally quiet, and this place was particularly desolate, perhaps due to some past unclean events, adding a sense of eerie gloom. Standing in front of the main gate, they exchanged glances. There were no sounds of chickens or dogs, no streetlights, only the faint light of their flashlights and a half-moon in the sky.
Yang Cheng laughed dryly, “I have to say, why do I feel so uneasy?”
He Mingde scolded him, “Shut up. Don’t scare yourself.”
Song Gui looked inside and said, “We’re several grown men here, full of energy. It’s not easy to run into ghosts. Besides, we’re here to shoot ‘supernatural’ events. If we encounter something unscientific, it might make a good story.”
“Story or not, I choose to stay alive,” Li Jia Peng sighed, “How did I end up with you reckless guys? Qi Li is the reliable one, quiet and diligent.”
Song Gui laughed, “Reliable? He’s just zoning out, not caring about anything.”
Seeing that they were getting off track, Lu Chu interrupted, “Didn’t we agree to leave quickly after shooting? The village is not very safe at night. We’re in the middle of nowhere. Even if nothing supernatural happens, there could be other troubles. We shouldn’t waste too much time outside.”
Song Gui turned to Lu Chu and teased, “Other troubles? Like me dragging you into the woods?”
Lu Chu: “……”
Qi Li, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up, “Let’s get started.”
Li Jia Peng opened the door, and Song Gui shrugged and followed Yang Cheng inside.
Even during the day, this place was desolate enough, and at night it was even eerier. The sound of footsteps on the thick grass was particularly unsettling. In this creepy atmosphere, everyone instinctively lightened their steps.
They had discussed the shooting sequence during the day, so they went straight to the room that used to be a classroom without stopping.
Opening the door, the same rows of broken desks and chairs as during the day were there, the moonlight faintly shining through the window cracks, casting a bleak light on the dilapidated wood.
Yang Cheng coughed to muster courage, “So, shall we split up?”
He Mingde agreed, “Sure.”
Everyone went about their tasks.
Taking advantage of the busy time, Lu Chu repeatedly checked the details of the desks and chairs, making sure not to miss any important information.
Regarding this “round,” Lu Chu still hadn’t figured out what the requirements really meant.
The so-called “snake slaying” could be about solving the mystery of Guo Jianping’s sudden death twenty years ago, or “snake” might be a metaphor, and he needed to find and kill this so-called “snake.”
“Hey!” Lost in thought, Lu Chu was startled by Yang Cheng suddenly appearing behind him and patting his shoulder. However, Lu Chu didn’t show any signs of being scared.
Yang Cheng pouted, “Really, little brother, aren’t you scared at all?”
Lu Chu had only regained his sight a few days ago and was used to sudden touches and sounds from the unknown. His sharp hearing made Yang Cheng’s small actions unscary. But seeing Yang Cheng’s low spirits and his intention to find another chance to scare him, Lu Chu waved his hand in surrender, “Actually, you scared me. I freeze and become speechless when I’m scared.”
Yang Cheng looked at him for a few seconds, nodded, “I believe you!”
Lu Chu chuckled.
Yang Cheng also laughed, “No more jokes. I’ll go check the next room.”
Lu Chu nodded, “I’ll go with you—”
“Lu Chu.”
Lu Chu was taken aback. He turned and saw Qi Li looking at him.
Yang Cheng laughed and patted Lu Chu’s shoulder, “Since Qi Li needs you, I’ll go alone.”
With that, he left the room.
This was the first time Qi Li had actively spoken to him since this round began. Lu Chu was uncontainably happy and walked towards the man, smiling gently, “What’s up?”
Qi Li glanced in the direction Yang Cheng had gone and shook his head slightly, “Nothing.”
The atmosphere was awkward. Lu Chu wanted to say something, but the man pushed him against the wall.
Despite the flashlight’s strong light, the large, dilapidated classroom still had dark corners, especially with everyone busy and not paying attention.
Qi Li was taller and stronger than Lu Chu. Pinning him against the wall made it feel like he was enveloping Lu Chu entirely.
Perhaps because of their time spent escaping and relying on each other, Lu Chu didn’t mind such actions and instead chuckled, “What are you doing?”
Qi Li’s voice was calm as he whispered in Lu Chu’s ear, “I remember what I promised you.”
With that, he slipped a note into Lu Chu’s hand in a concealed corner and then moved away, pretending to sort things out. Lu Chu tried to talk, but Qi Li ignored him.
“I remember what I promised you…”
Lu Chu realized it must be about the questions he asked Qi Li during the first round.
Qi Li meant he would tell him everything he knew.
Qi Li had too many mysteries surrounding him.
Right… the note he just gave.
Lu Chu turned his back, pretending to search for something, and secretly opened the note, using his flashlight to read it.
The note had only two sentences.
**”From birth to death, don’t trust anyone.
I will find you.”**
What did it mean…
“Lu Chu, come help me,” Song Gui’s call interrupted Lu Chu’s thoughts.
Lu Chu put the note in his pocket, composed himself, and walked to Song Gui, who was muttering instructions.
After a while, a strange smell made Lu Chu frown.
The faint yet pungent smell was unforgettable. Lu Chu first looked at the somewhat distant Qi Li and found him also looking at him, as if he had been watching for a while.
Song Gui noticed and asked, “What are you staring at?”
Lu Chu asked, “Song Gui, do you smell that?”
“Smell what?”
“Blood.”
The smell of blood, faint at first, was becoming stronger.
Song Gui frowned, “I don’t smell anything. How could there be blood here… unless…”
“No!” Li Jia Peng suddenly shouted, running over, “Yang Cheng went to the next room earlier. I thought we were almost done here and planned to move to the next room, but I found the door locked from the inside!”
He Mingde casually said, “So what if it’s locked? Maybe Yang Cheng did it to scare us.”
Li Jia Peng was anxious, “But blood is seeping out from under the door!”
“What did you say?!” He Mingde yelled, running to the next room, with Li Jia Peng following closely. Qi Li also put down his work and went over. Seeing this, Lu Chu wanted to follow, but Song Gui grabbed his arm.
He turned to see Song Gui smiling, saying softly, “It has begun.”
Lu Chu could understand Song Gui’s detached attitude of just completing tasks. He might become like this someday, numb to the cycle of life-and-death games. But as a former “player,” he couldn’t laugh and say, “Hey, look, someone else died.”
Breaking free from Song Gui’s grip, Lu Chu walked out.
Song Gui licked his lips, “Still a righteous kid, huh.”
He followed Lu Chu.
The door next door was indeed locked from the inside. The old wooden door had a large gap at the bottom, from which a thick, dark red liquid was slowly seeping, emitting a foul smell.
He Mingde tried to push the door, but it didn’t budge, so he started ramming it with his body. The others joined in to help.
With the combined force of several grown men, the old lock and a small piece of the door broke off with a “creak.” He Mingde looked around at everyone, swallowed hard, and hesitated to open the door, calling out, “Yang Cheng?”
No response. He Mingde’s voice began to tremble, “Yang Cheng, what are you doing in there? Scaring us is not funny.”
Drip, drip—
The only reply was the clear sound of water droplets falling.
Impatient, Li Jia Peng pushed open the ajar door, and the flashlight’s beam shot into the room.
Drip, drip—
Drip, drip—
What they saw made everyone hold their breath.
The floor was covered with snake corpses, neatly cut into segments, with pale flesh turned outwards, scattered all over. The snakes’ bodies were soaking in thick, sticky blood, emitting a nauseating smell. In the middle of the room, Yang Cheng’s body hung in the air, his neck wrapped with a snake’s corpse, blood dripping from it.
Blood dripped onto the mutilated snakes below, making a dripping sound.
Li Jia Peng’s eyes reddened instantly, “Yang… Yang Cheng?”
As if responding to Li Jia Peng’s call, Yang Cheng’s body moved slightly, blood seeping out and mixing with the snake’s blood below.
In the combined light of the moon and flashlights, everything seemed to slow down. The snakes’ corpses began to squirm and reconnect, slowly forming a complete snake. Yang Cheng’s body fell from mid-air, breaking into pieces of flesh and bone, covering the writhing snake’s body. Gradually, visibly, they turned into a pool of blood.
