PTYS Chapter 48

Xiao Muyu gasped. If she had merely suspected before, now she knew exactly what was happening.

She glanced next door, into the darkness. Despite the dim light, she could still make out the figures of several people in white moving around. Out of the eight people, six had come out of their rooms.

Seeing Shen Qingqiu about to walk far away, Xiao Muyu couldn’t worry about Yang Rui anymore. She quickly slipped into the group, following them downstairs in a daze, keeping pace with the haunting nursery rhyme.

She clearly remembered that the lights were supposed to be turned off after 9 PM, but the streetlights in the large courtyard in front of the orphanage were still on. During the descent, she subtly changed her position, managing to stand right behind Shen Qingqiu.

Under the dim streetlights, the shadows of the people were stretched long and thin, like gaunt, skeletal trees. Their movements were eerily synchronized, creating an indescribable horror, while the nursery rhyme continued until the group stopped, and then the song ceased.

Xiao Muyu noticed that Shen Qingqiu and the other five were now staring uniformly at an empty space in front of them, as if there was something there.

Xiao Muyu squinted and looked again, but saw nothing.

The situation gave Xiao Muyu no time to think. She watched helplessly as the six people formed a circle. Trying to blend in, Xiao Muyu followed them down but couldn’t get close to the circle, her face changing slightly.

Sure enough, the next moment, a little girl’s laughter exploded above her head. The laugh was sweet and cute, but to Xiao Muyu, it felt like knives stabbing into her eardrums. She knew that whatever was here had noticed her.

Xiao Muyu bent over, covering her ears as the sharp pain exploded from deep within them, spreading to her head, so intense that she felt like smashing her head against the ground.

Through the agony, she glanced back and saw Yang Rui had also come downstairs, rolling on the ground in pain just like her. Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu and the other five stood there like wooden statues.

Xiao Muyu’s mood plummeted. Sensitive to sounds, she finally realized why the nursery rhyme felt so familiar. It wasn’t just the melody but also the voice itself that she recognized.

Xiao Muyu, enduring the intense pain, gritted her teeth and angrily shouted, “Shut up! Your laugh is unbearable!”

The little girl’s laughter abruptly stopped, seemingly taken aback that a player would dare speak to her like that, momentarily stunned.

Recovering, she began shrieking again, but Xiao Muyu now had a plan. Despite her pale, sweat-drenched face from the pain, her eyes remained fierce. She continued, “A child like you, laughing so creepily, who would ever think you’re a pretty doll? Who would like you? I came down here on my own merit, so what are you screaming for?”

As soon as she finished speaking, a chilling wind swirled around her, growing stronger and more intense. The old-fashioned streetlamp above her shook violently, the cold wind like a blade cutting Xiao Muyu’s face.

Xiao Muyu could feel the entity’s rage reaching its peak, its killing intent palpable. Despite the terrifying malice, it was clear that this anger was frantic and uncontrolled, like a child’s tantrum.

Xiao Muyu quietly took out the hurricane lamp. Seeing the fierce wind about to engulf her, she softly chanted, “Hurricane lamp, lamp go, light stop, horse halt!”

After the chant, she continued to provoke, “What’s the point of getting angry? The fact is, you’re desperate for attention because no one likes you, isn’t that right?”

The child screeched, ignoring the rotating hurricane lamp in Xiao Muyu’s hand. The wind wrapped around her, slamming her to the ground.

At that moment, the hurricane lamp stopped moving as it hit the ground. Although Xiao Muyu couldn’t see the child hidden in the wind, she could feel its presence trapped within the lamp’s range.

It was indeed a child. The hurricane lamp’s secondary skill only controlled for fifteen seconds, so without hesitation, Xiao Muyu grabbed the little ghost and started spanking it.

She had no other options. Every action she took was a gamble. She had succeeded in her first bet and got the answer she needed. The second was a desperate move.

With each slap, she hit hard, feeling the sting in her own hand. As the time limit approached, she pulled out a stopwatch just in case.

When the little ghost could move again, it didn’t retaliate but instead burst into tears. Xiao Muyu could vaguely see its small figure, crying pitifully.

Yang Rui, recovering from the pain, saw the scene and was stunned, feeling both shocked and awed. She thought, “Is this really something a human can do?”

Xiao Muyu slowly exhaled, her expression remaining stern. “Stop crying. You haven’t even done your job, so what’s the point of crying? A child should correct their mistakes. I’m not within your jurisdiction tonight. If you don’t provoke me, I won’t bully you.”

The little girl’s cries gradually weakened, eventually stopping, with only occasional sniffles. The cold wind also slowly subsided.

Still unable to see clearly, Xiao Muyu retreated to the edge of the streetlight’s glow and took out the raw rhinoceros horn she had drawn earlier, lighting it on the lamp.

Almost instantly, a peculiar fragrance emanated from the burning horn, and thin white smoke swirled around her. Everything before her began to blur, the void’s outlines solidifying.

The little ghost, who Xiao Muyu had spanked to tears, appeared before her in physical form. She wore messy clothes, and her face, though dirt-streaked, looked naive. Yet, unlike the lively child she saw during the day, this little girl had a pallid complexion, blackened eye sockets, and no whites in her eyes. It was truly terrifying. Xiao Muyu had guessed correctly; it was indeed Xiao Jiao.

At this moment, Xiao Muyu’s heart pounded uncontrollably, her limbs cold—not from seeing Xiao Jiao’s true form, but from realizing that Shen Qingqiu and the other six had formed a circle with a significant gap in the middle.

These gaps were now occupied by dolls. Upon a quick count, there were exactly eight!

Each of the eight dolls was a girl, about the size of a one-year-old child. Their skin was snow-white, casting eerie shadows under the light, their large black eyes holding a strange smile.

They sat silently, ostensibly watching ahead, but Xiao Muyu felt their gaze roving around. When she lit the horn, they all turned to look at her.

This was chilling, making Xiao Muyu nearly shudder, but an unfamiliar voice within her warned against showing fear or backing away. She had to stand firm, or she wouldn’t survive the night.

Drenched in sweat, Xiao Muyu stood tall, meeting their gaze without flinching.

The tense standoff, which felt like it lasted an eternity, ended when the eight dolls finally averted their eyes. Xiao Muyu’s muscles ached from the strain.

Before she could relax, one doll floated up, hovering in front of Jia Wenlong and smiling eerily at him. The scene was horrifying.

At the same time, Xiao Muyu noticed the six people regaining awareness, exchanging glances. Except for Shen Qingqiu, the others’ faces turned as pale as ghosts.

Jia Wenlong, hit hardest, was paralyzed with fear, unable to scream, his legs trembling violently. Xiao Muyu noticed that Shen Qingqiu, although looking around, couldn’t see her.

Realizing this, Xiao Muyu understood they were isolated, cut off from the outside.

She watched as Jia Wenlong, shaking like a leaf, was pushed into the circle. His remaining eye filled with terror, he desperately sought help from the others, but no one could save him.

The floating doll had an expressionless face, with blonde hair cascading down to her waist, tied into a long braid with a pink bow at the end.

Pointing at the other seven dolls, she introduced them one by one: “This is Little One, that’s Little Two, this is Little Three… I’m Little Eight. Tonight, we’re going to play a very special game with you. The rule is to guess who is behind you, hahaha. If you guess correctly, you can escape unscathed. If you guess wrong, hehe, we’re still short of dolls, hehe.” She couldn’t help but laugh, seemingly very pleased.

“And also, the audience must follow the rules. Anyone who tries to give hints will face very serious consequences, worse than death!” She finished laughing and then threatened the others like a maniac, truly embodying a malevolent spirit.

This cryptic threat deepened the fear. Xiao Muyu saw Shen Qingqiu frown, while Jia Wenlong’s expression shifted from panic to utter terror. His eyes, wide with fear, suddenly shut, his expression collapsing as he hugged his head, trembling and squatting down.

“Ka go me ka go me…” The nursery rhyme began again, sung by Xiao Jiao. As she sang, the eight dolls started circling Jia Wenlong, no longer sitting but holding hands like children, running around joyfully to the tune.

The boys’ and girls’ joyful, innocent laughter came from their mouths, no longer the eerie silence from before.

In the midst of this childlike laughter, Jia Wenlong’s breakdown and cries were painfully clear, the stark contrast heightening the sense of despair.

The nursery rhyme continued. When the last line was sung, all the dolls stopped. They remained silent, but their eyes were filled with excitement, especially the doll behind Jia Wenlong, staring at him as if he were a snack.

The scene made Xiao Muyu realize what was happening. The dolls were making them play a game, similar to the Chinese game “Drop the Handkerchief.”

She now remembered why the nursery rhyme felt familiar. It was an old Japanese rhyme she had heard of, accompanied by a game. In the game, children selected a “demon” who was blindfolded and stood in the middle. As the song played, they circled around, stopping when the song ended. The blindfolded person had to guess who was behind them. If they guessed correctly, the chosen person became the next “demon.” If they guessed wrong, they continued to be the demon.

These were the game’s rules. Xiao Muyu didn’t know what punishment the dolls had told Jia Wenlong, but it was clear it wasn’t as simple as continuing to be the demon.

The doll’s malevolent, excited voice called out, “Time’s up. Guess who the doll behind you is?”

“I… I don’t know. Tell me, someone, please tell me! Ah—” He cried out hoarsely, collapsing to the ground.

But the other five dared not make a sound, merely watching. No one would risk their life to help in this world; no one would unconditionally save another.

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Author’s Note:

This week’s chapter is skipped. It’s a tough time… All my lovely commenters have left, and I’m scared half to death. So tragic.