After listening to Lu Chu’s explanation, everyone else opened their eyes and stared at the skull, lost in thought.
Yuan Kejie asked doubtfully, “You mean this skull was left by the original owner who built the house, or by someone who moved in later?”
Lu Chu shared his guess, “I think it was left by the person who built the house. The real question is why, after several owners, it ended up with its jaw broken and hidden in a torn sofa. That’s something we need to figure out.”
“Could it be,” Yuan Kejie pondered, “that the last owner of the house found it somewhere, discovered that the house was indeed as strange as the rumors said, and had a magician break the jaw out of fear, but still met an untimely end?”
Lu Chu thought for a moment, then shook his head. “While that’s possible, there’s one thing I’m not sure about: the scene we’re seeing in this room. What time period is it from? The 21st century or some time in the past?”
A haunted house shows what it wants its occupants to see.
But those scenes might not be reality; they are mostly illusions.
“We can’t conclude anything until the very end,” Lu Chu continued. “We should use the key to open the room and look for new clues.”
“That makes sense, but Lu Xiaochu,” Yuan Kejie said, pointing at the skull, “what should we do with this skull? Discard it or take it with us?”
As Ro Qi turned the skull towards Lu Chu, its hollow eyes fixed on him, Lu Chu felt a chill down his spine as if something flashed through his mind.
He frowned and approached the skull.
Not knowing what he intended to do, Ro Qi lifted the skull higher so Lu Chu could see it clearly.
Following an intuition, Lu Chu extended his right hand over the skull, closed his eyes, and sensed something faint from the skull entering his mind.
Once he felt this, Lu Chu directly touched the skull. The moment his hand made contact, the information in his mind became clearer.
After a moment, Lu Chu opened his eyes and looked at the others. “Its jawbone is in the locked room.” He then took the skull from Ro Qi, holding it with his bare hands, one hand supporting it from below and the other on its top. “If we reattach the jawbone, this spiritual medium can be used again.”
Ro Qi discarded the sponges she had used to hold the skull.
Yuan Kejie widened her eyes, “Lu Xiaochu can communicate with spirits?!”
Lu Chu shook his head and smiled. “Not really, at least not before now.”
Yuan Kejie was speechless. “Then… then why can you use this skull?”
“It might be related to my constitution,” Lu Chu explained. “Think of our local feng shui masters and Taoist priests. To develop their skills, they need innate spiritual potential.”
Yuan Kejie seemed to understand.
Lu Chu continued, “Foreign spiritual communication is similar to our Taoist practices. To successfully communicate with spirits and become a magician, you need an innate energy field. The stronger the field, the stronger the abilities.”
Yuan Kejie became more excited, “So, your body might have a strong energy field?”
Lu Chu nodded. “This energy field is innate. Although you can’t use it proficiently without training, in special circumstances or when touching certain objects, it can manifest.”
In this case, the “skull” served as a special spiritual medium, resonating with Lu Chu’s strong energy field, leading to what just happened.
Moreover, Lu Chu felt that his energy field or spiritual ability was related to him personally and not limited to this game.
Hearing this, Yuan Kejie eagerly rubbed her hands, “Let me try too! Maybe I’m also chosen!”
Ro Qi rolled her eyes, “If you get possessed, we won’t help you.”
Yuan Kejie pouted, “Qi Qi, don’t be so heartless. I know you love me.”
Ro Qi raised an eyebrow, “Who are you?”
Lu Chu chuckled, “You can try, but it’s best not to touch the skull directly. Confirm that it has transmitted information to your mind first.”
Yuan Kejie asked cautiously, “What happens if I’m unsure and touch it?”
Lu Chu shook his head. “I don’t know. I’m not deeply familiar with foreign spiritual systems.”
Yuan Kejie weighed the risks and waved her hand, “Then I’d better not…”
Ro Qi, carrying an iron rod on her shoulder, looked disdainfully at Yuan Kejie, “Wasting time.”
Yuan Kejie noticed her weapon, “When did you find the rod? What about your little shovel?”
Ro Qi replied coldly, “Just found it. I threw the shovel away.”
Yuan Kejie clasped her hands, “Qi Qi, I admire your dedication to weapons.”
Ro Qi ignored her and turned to Lu Chu, “Let’s use the key to open the door and enter the room.”
Lu Chu took the keys from the skull’s eye socket.
7 took the keys and approached the door they intended to open. He compared the keys to the keyhole and found three suitable ones, trying each in turn.
“Click—”
The door unlocked.
As the door opened, a musty, decayed smell filled the air, and Lu Chu felt the skull in his hands become inexplicably excited.
Yuan Kejie looked at the skull and asked uncertainly, “Do we have to keep carrying it?”
Lu Chu glanced at the skull and nodded. “I feel that even if we find the jawbone and it becomes a complete spiritual medium, my energy field can suppress it. Carrying it will likely be useful in our investigation.”
“If you think it’s safe, we trust you,” Yuan Kejie said. “Let’s go in and see.”
Lu Chu agreed, “Alright.”
Ro Qi, with the iron rod in one hand and a phone lighting the way in the other, led the group inside, followed by Lu Chu holding the skull, and the others entered one by one.
The room was a large bedroom with a unique decor. Time had worn down the once luxurious wallpaper and plush carpet, making the patterns and original colors indistinguishable. The large windows were coated with thick dust, blocking the outside view.
Wang Heng pointed at the windows, seemingly having an epiphany, “Windows!”
Yuan Kejie looked at him puzzled, “Yes, they’re windows. So?”
“We can climb out through the windows since there’s no door!” Wang Heng said excitedly.
This time, Yuan Kejie didn’t wait for Ro Qi to roll her eyes. She spoke earnestly, “Brother, watch more TV, go out more often, and you’ll see the world is quite interesting.”
Wang Heng was confused, “Wha… what do you mean?”
With no answer from Yuan Kejie, he turned to Lu Chu for an explanation.
Lu Chu smiled but said nothing.
Yuan Kejie said, “Go check the windows yourself.”
Wang Heng approached the windows, full of excitement, and opened one. He expected to see the starry night sky and the city’s lights, but outside was a murky, sticky darkness. Something seemed to be moving in the darkness, emitting heavy breathing.
Wang Heng was stunned.
While he was in shock, Ro Qi stepped forward and shut the window. A moment later, bat-like creatures crashed against the glass.
Yuan Kejie reassured Wang Heng, “Brother, in horror movies, doors and windows in haunted houses are just for show.”
Then she turned to Ro Qi, “Qi Qi, I miss Song Gui and Qian Zhen.”
.
During these events, Lu Chu had moved to the bed in the center of the room.
The strongest spectral presence was around the bed, though the ghost hadn’t appeared.
7 asked, “What did you find?”
Lu Chu replied, “The red-haired ghost should be near the bed, but she hasn’t shown herself or attacked us. I’m wondering why she led us here.”
Hearing this, Yuan Kejie looked at the bed but saw nothing. She suggested, “Why not find the jawbone for the spiritual skull first? Since it’s a medium, it might help.”
Lu Chu had the same thought. He closed his eyes, placed his right hand over the skull again, and gently rubbed it, following its lead to a corner of the room.
Seeing this, the others held their breath, not wanting to disturb him.
Lu Chu walked to a corner, then stopped, turned counterclockwise a few times, and finally pointed at a wooden floorboard, “Can someone give me a suitable tool to pry up this floorboard?”
Ro Qi had discarded her small shovel for the iron rod, which wasn’t suitable for prying.
Ro Qi said, “Wait, I’ll go back and get the shovel.”
She was about to retrace their steps when 7 spoke up, “No need.”
Ro Qi stopped.
7 approached Lu Chu, crouched down, extended his hand, and with bare hands, tore the wooden board apart.
