《Exorcist's Self-Cultivation》 Chapter 1 001, Inquiry medical record Humanity''s oldest and most intense emotion is fear. And the oldest and most intense fear is that of the unknown. Only by epting your own sins and passing through that ck abyss will you find eternal wonder and glory awaiting you. ¡ªExcerpt from: Howard Phillips Lovecraft ... May 15, Friday, 18:08. North Brook District, private psychological counseling clinic. A sharpened pencil was held by a slender hand, pausing on the form on the paper. Du Wei lifted his head to look at the pale and haggard Caucasian woman sitting across from him. "Ms. Aisha, now you may continue with the topic we were discussing." "Okay... okay, Dr. Du Wei." Aisha closed her eyes, sinking into her memories, "You know, my job is programming, and I need to deal with some work matters even after hours, so recently I entrusted an agency in hopes of finding a rtively remote and quiet house." "Half a month ago, the agency told me there was a suitable house avable, and the price was rtively low as well. Its only issue was that it appeared a bit rundown due to long vacancy." "I have significant expenses, so I quickly signed the lease." "Yet after living there for a week, I found something off about the house." "Every night at twelve o''clock, the lights would ominously dim, almost to the point where you couldn''t see people''s faces." "The taps in the bathroom often turned on mysteriously as well." "The TV would suddenly change channels, and I couldn''t even watch my favorite ''Survival in the Wild'' series." "And yesterday, these problems got worse." ... "Dr. Du Wei? Are you listening?" "Hmm? Yes! I am listening." As Du Wei wrote down notes on the form that said, "Suspected auditory hallucinations, signs of schizophrenia, etc.," he nodded to indicate for her to continue. Meanwhile, he shifted his gaze away from Aisha''s hair. Well... Not much hair indeed. Aisha was somewhat nervous, pausing momentarily before she resumed speaking, "I feel like... there might be something... something in my room." When speaking of something, her tone was tortured, as if she was fearful yet resisting something. "Dr. Du Wei, do you believe in ghosts, I mean... evil spirits in this world?" Du Wei stopped writing and calmly met Aisha''s gaze as he countered, "Ms. Aisha, do you know why there is light in the world?" "Um... why?" "Because the sun is primarilyposed of hydrogen, which ounts for over 70% of its mass. Under high temperature and pressure conditions within the sun, hydrogen atoms undergo nuclear fusion reactions, thereby emitting arge amount of light and heat." Aisha: ??? ... "I''m a psychologist, and I can only tell you that this might be a sickness." "This is terrible, Dr. Du Wei, you don''t know what has happened to me, you can''t deny my experiences. I have definitely encountered an evil spirit." "But I''m just a private psychologist. If you have indeed encountered an evil spirit, you should be seeking out a priest, not me." "But... but I can''t be sure." Hearing this, Du Wei helplessly said, "So I actually can''t provide the solution you''re looking for. In my view, the lights dimming might be due to the recent hot weather, causing unstable voltage due to the neighbors'' air conditioning." "As for the bathroom faucet mysteriously turning on, maybe you forgot to shut it off. After all, you are a programmer who works overtime until two or three in the morning, so being somewhat mentally out of it is normal." "Regarding the TV changing channels, you could call customer service for repairs, or you could try the method of us Easterners ¡ª give the TV a solid smack. If that doesn''t work, then I suggest you simply get a new one." Du Wei ced the pencil down and spread his hands in a calm gesture, looking at Aisha. She clearly was unable to ept this and said angrily, "Dr. Du Wei, I know many people wouldn''t believe what I''ve been through, which is why I only told you!" Du Wei nced at her and said indifferently, "So I can''t solve your problem, can I?" With that, he tore the piece of paper off and handed it to her. The form on the paper read as follows: Name: Aisha Kleeman Age: 26 years old Gender: Female upation: Programmer Condition: Auditory hallucinations and uncontroble visual hallucinations due to split personality Rmended medication: Risperidone, nzapine, Quetiapine Personal suggestion: Increase the dosage ... Clearly, Aisha could not ept this result. Clutching the paper, her face haggard, she whispered low, "I shouldn''t havee to you, you''re just a psychologist, you have no personal experience, you don''t understand what I''ve been through at all, in that house, there''s definitely something special, perhaps I really should pay a visit to the church." Du Wei nodded in agreement, "I think so too, of course, you could also go to a psychiatric hospital to register, they might give you a different answer." Aisha left¡­ And after Du Wei saw her off, the sky had already grown dark. Based on past experience, no other clients woulde, so he directly closed the door of the psychological counseling clinic and went back to his room upstairs. The house he rented was the most suitable nearby, with reasonable space and a decent flow of people. The first floor had been transformed into a clinic, and the second floor was a ce to rest. He pulled out a thick case history book from the bookshelf, and on thetest page, Du Wei filled in Aisha''s information and symptoms. He didn''t know if it was an illusion, but since he had opened this psychological counseling clinic, those who came for consultation or treatment all seemed to have some peculiarities. Each one believed they had encountered something unclean, whether it was ghosts, Evil Spirits, or demons. To Westerners, should these all be one and the same? Having finished recording E''s symptoms and about to close the case history book, it seemed as if he remembered something and flipped the pages back to the first one. ... January 12, Sunday, 10:12 AM. Name: Mia Age: 25 years old ...(Gender, upation omitted) Condition: Paranoia caused by fear of dolls, with a tendency for self-harm¡ªspecifically manifested as iming to have discovered a doll named Annabelle at home, unable to discard or destroy it, tormented mentally and physically every night; also, showed palm-shaped bruises on lower limbs with her family''s support. Rmendation: Immediate hospitalization ... February 17, Friday, 1:23 PM. Name: Reagan Age: 12 years old Condition: Severe split personality¡ªspecifically manifested as feeling like a man named Hoddy, who appeared to the little girl after ying a Spirit Summoning game, an imaginarypanion, as per her parents'' narration. Rmended medication: None Personal suggestion: Parents should spend more time with the child, give more love and attention to a child left behind. ... February 28, Tuesday, 2:09 PM. Name: Billy Age: 16 years old Condition: Coulrophobia¡ªspecifically manifested as believing that a clown-like creature devoured his missing younger brother, constantly living in fear and anxiety. Rmended medication: Nitrazepamn/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Personal suggestion: File a police report directly ... ... Chapter 2 002, Knock on the door As a private psychologist, Du Wei encountered all types of patients in "this New York," including not a few like Aisha who always believed Evil Spirits were out to get them. If he had a choice, Du Wei still hoped he could return to China to be a so-called psychologist, or even return to his original profession as a forensic doctor. Unfortunately, he had no choice. He had just taken a flight to New York, hoping for a quiet vacation, but uponnding, he discovered the world had changed. Aside from the name, this New York waspletely different from the one in his memory. When he called his familiar friends, the numbers were either disconnected or the people on the other end didn''t recognize him; even the sexes and personal lives didn''t match up, and the passengers on the same ne had all changed as well. This was a world both strange and familiar. ... When night fell. 23:50. After taking a shower, Du Wei turned on hisptop to browse the inte. Since arriving in this world, he had developed a new habit. Browsing online information, checking out some posts, understanding the lifestyle and living conditions of most people. Soon, a post titled: Shocking¡ªAt Midnight, Man and Woman Flee Home Bare-Handed with Baby in Tow? sparks Du Wei''s attention. So, he clicks to enter. However, upon entering, he sees a snapshot photo of a man and woman with a naked baby running out of a house; the background is exceedingly dim. "That''s indeed... revealing..." Du Wei is somewhat speechless but continues to look on. Oddly enough, the house in the photo, along with the dim background, merges into one silhouette. The only rity is the open wooden door of the house. The house seems very old with three steps leading up to the entrance about five centimeters high. The wooden door is pulled open, and the scene inside is blurry, but there seems to be something or someone near the door inside. Du Wei widens his eyes and looks carefully for two minutes. Suddenly... He sees what appears to be a person standing in the dim light inside, also peering out the door. This... Du Wei shakes his head. In any world, clickbait and photo maniptors are just as annoying. He scans thements below the post, a string of supposedly friendly greetings to the poster''s female rtives, not sparing insults directed at the poster themselves. At this moment, the lights in the room suddenly flicker... Hiss... He can faintly hear the sound of electricity, and then the lights throughout the room dim. Theptop screen suddenly goes ck as well. "Voltage instability?" Du Wei frowns, thinking that tomorrow he should call property management to have a maintenance workere over. After restarting theptop, the screen is simply ck with no apparent issues. At this moment, the clock on the wall ticks from 12:00 to 12:01. ... May 16th, Friday, 2:08 am. Thump thump thump... Thump thump thump... Thump thump thump... A series of knocking sounds arise. Rhythmic, and very clear, echoing inside the house like a sinister sound. Du Wei, who was deep in sleep, furrows his brows, barely opens his eyes, shakes his head, but is still very groggy. He nces at the clock on the wall. Knocking at this hour? The next second, Du Wei freezes. The knocking sounds as if it ising from inside the house. "Something''s not right." As a psychologist, Du Wei is ustomed to staying calm. He lives on the second floor, yet he hears knocking. This means the person knocking is inside the house, at the door on the second floor? Could there be a burr? ``` ... The news has been reporting a spate of home invasions and murders... The world outside China is indeed very chaotic. But surely a thief wouldn''t knock on the door... That would be too absurd. Outside the door: thump, thump, thump... The knocking continued with unnerving regrity. Throwing off the covers, Du Wei regained hisposure, slipped on his cotton slippers, and pulled a box out from under the bed. Inside was a handgun. He had bought it a long time ago; it was powerful, easy to maintain, and seldom needed repairs. Once, he had even dabbled in firearms at a local club back in China, and he was quite urate within a three to four-meter range. He released the safety catch. Then Du Wei walked to the door and peeped through the peephole. However...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Outside was pitch ck, and he could see nothing. Yet the knocking persisted. Could the knocker be very short, or crouching outside the door? An image shed through Du Wei''s mind: A small thief, less than one and a half meters tall, sneaking into his room to steal, but upon discovering that all the valuables were in his bedroom, began to knock, squatting down to avoid being detected, hoping to give him a nasty surprise with this ridiculous behavior? In that case, this thief might suffer from some unknown psychological disorder... Then, he pointed the gun at the door and flung it open... Whoosh... Outside, a chill wind blew, and all was deathly still. But the knocking continued. He took a deep breath, still very calm, and fumbled for the light switch on the wall, turning on the indoor lights. As before bedtime, the lights were dim, possibly due to unstable voltage. But at least it was bright enough to make out the room. "Could it being from downstairs?" Following the direction of the sound, Du Wei made his judgment. So, he proceeded downstairs with the gun in hand. As he passed the bathroom... The sound of running water cascaded. Living alone meant that, apart from the bedroom and front doors, he kept no other doors closed. Instantly, he could tell that most of the bathroom was shrouded in darkness under the dim lighting, with only the sink area clearly visible. The faucet was on, the sink was overflowing, and vast amounts of water were spreading on the floor, seeping into the drain. "What''s going on here?" Confusion arose in Du Wei, but the knocking from downstairs persisted and he didn''t pay it too much attention. After all... a thief was more troublesome. Passing by the bathroom, he confronted the staircase, submerged in the dimness. Looking further down, it was even darker. He could barely make out the vague outline of a door. Du Wei set his foot on the stairs, prepared to descend. With a gun in hand, he wasn''t afraid of the average burr. But at that moment, a sudden thought struck him. The knocking he had heard in the bedroom was inside the house, while the knocking he heard after opening the door was outside. It is well known that the transmission of sound requires mediums such as solids, liquids, or gases, and the speed varies with the medium. The general principle is that solids transmit sound faster than liquids, which are faster than gases. Yet, despite the distance between floors, the knocking sounded as if it was right next to him. This world... Seemed to be concealing something beyond his understanding, and now, he hade into contact with these things... ``` Chapter 3 003, unable to eliminate May 16th, Saturday, 11:09 AM. New York, North Brook District Church, reception room. Sitting opposite Du Wei was Father Tony, dressed in in clothes, with a silver cross pendant hanging from his chest. "Dr. Du Wei, you mean to say that you have encountered some inexplicable, bizarre events, is that correct?" "Yes." "Good, then do you still remember the specific manifestations?" Du Wei took a deep breath, his eyes calmly looking at Father Tony, and slowly said, "I remember clearly, it was after midnight, the room''s lights became very dim, and at the same time, myptop also went ck. At 2:08 AM, I heard knocking sounds outside the house on the second floor, and the faucet in the washroom turned on by itself." "I have had the maintenance personnel check, and no electrical faults were found. After reflecting, it''s not possible that I turned on the faucet, and as for the knocking sounds outside, the security camera showed no one." "Father Tony, I suspect I may have encountered something unclean." Father Tony, who was over fifty years old, knitted his brow upon hearing this and then slowly rxed it. He made the sign of the cross in front of his chest, then opened the Bible, looked at the young and handsome psychologist, and asked him, "Dr. Du Wei, before I provide an exnation, I want to ask you a question. Do you believe in God in this world?" After a moment of silence, Du Wei calmly said, "I am a firm believer." Father Tony nodded, then with a solemn tone, said, "In that case, Mr. Du Wei, bearing in mind the issues you have described, I suspect that an uninvited guest hase to your home." Du Wei''s body stiffened for a second, and then he asked, "Do you mean, a ghost? Or an evil spirit?" "Yes, but please do not be afraid, I am just suspecting it for now, after all, you are a psychologist, um... you should understand what I mean." There was silence for a moment... "I am very certain that there is no problem with my psychological state." "Also, I would like to ask, if it''s as you say, and an evil spirit has appeared in my home, what should I do?" Du Wei looked at Father Tony with utmost calm, his mind constantly pondering the events he encountered, which were almost identical to what Aisha had mentioned the previous afternoon, except that the TV changing channels did not happen since he never watches TV and didn''t own one. If what she was saying was true, and the Evil Spirit was real, the Evil Spirit he encountered was very likely brought by her. Father Tony rubbed his forehead and slowly said, "If it really is an evil spirit, the best solution would be aplete Exorcism Ritual, which has a high chance of destroying it or binding it within a certain medium to ensure your safety." Du Wei frowned, "Exorcism Ritual? Can you perform it?" Father Tony shook his head, "I am only a priest. The Exorcism Ritual requires a professional Exorcist, and presently, there are no Exorcists in New York." Du Wei asked in confusion, "Why is that?" Father Tony replied, "Due to some special reasons, I am not entirely clear about the details. I only know that the previous Exorcists responsible for New York died in session, and the Church is still gathering people. It won''t be possible for someone toe in the short term." "Moreover, even if there were an Exorcist avable, in order to conduct an Exorcism Ritual, it would first need to be confirmed that you genuinely encountered an Evil Spirit, and after obtaining permission from the Church, the procedure could proceed, which would take at least a week''s time..." Du Wei narrowed his eyes... Which means, by the time the responsible Exorcist arrives in New York, I would first have to confirm that I genuinely encountered an Evil Spirit, then wait at least another week to perform the Exorcism Ritual. And before all this, I still have an indeterminate amount of time to wait... He remembered the state of Aisha when she hade to the clinic yesterday, haggard, weak, and her mental state had seemed very abnormal¡­n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om And she had transformed into this within just one week from being a normal person. The situation in his own home, for some unknown reason, seemed to be much more serious than what Aisha had encountered. Thinking of this, Du Wei couldn''t help but ask, "What exactly is the Evil Spirit?" After a moment of thought, Father Tony opened the Bible and exined, "The Evil Spirit has been present in this world for a very long time, and we don''t have many solutions for it. They are eerie and terrifying but also closely rted to us. Often, their objectives are chaotic, which might be to kill a person, possess someone''s body, or simply to do something. However, regardless of the reason, to us, Evil Spirits are always malevolent." Feeling that this exnation might be hard toprehend, Father Tony used a metaphor. "You can think of Evil Spirits as viruses! Except that the former thrives on human emotions like fear and dread." "The more fear and dread, the faster they grow, and the stronger they be. Once they reach a certain threshold, they will act." Saying this, Father Tonymended Du Wei, "Your ability to remain calm throughout has been impressive. That Evil Spirit clearly cannot draw much power from you, and this might suffice until a new Exorcist arrives." Du Wei shook his head and said, "I feel that I might not make it until then." Father Tony assumed his words had made this young psychologist feel desperate, so heforted him, "Rest assured, as a servant of the Lord, I will guide you." With that, Father Tony stood up, turned his back, and struggled to pull a book from the shelf, fumbling behind it for a moment. Then, he took out a ten-centimeter long silver crucifix coated with green rust. This crucifix appeared very ancient, its surface covered in dust, seemingly left untouched for many years. "Beyond the Exorcism Ritual tobat the Evil Spirit, there isn''t any effective solution, but in a sense, we can resist it marginally." "This is a weapon left by an Exorcist, once used in Exorcism Rituals, it has absorbed some of the Evil Spirit''s essence. For just a thousand dors, it could be yours." As he finished speaking, Father Tony shrugged like the younger people do, then with both hands on either end of the silver crucifix, he pulled with effort. A scraping sound. Its true form was revealed: a dagger. "Besides resisting the assault of Evil Spirits, it can also serve as a weapon for self-defense in case you encounter ill-intentioned people." Du Wei looked deeply at Father Tony, then took out his wallet from his pocket. Having been a psychologist for so long, he had plenty of money. "A thousand dors is nothing, but I need to know why it can resist the Evil Spirit, and why you would sell me something that seems so precious?" Father Tony coughed and said, "This crucifix is an item distributed to the clergy by the church. You know¡­ We have many such items, so in a sense, it isn''t that precious." "As for your other question, it''s actually quite simple. Because it has the essence of the Evil Spirit, another Evil Spirit will feel it ispeting for its target. Only when one suppresses the other will they make a move against you." "Of course, this crucifix dagger likely won''t hold off for long, maybe a day or two, maybe longer, maybe shorter." Du Wei nodded, took out his bank card, and handed it to Father Tony. "By the way, I have another question. Has ady named Aisha Kleeman visited the church?" "No, she hasn''t." ¡­ Chapter 4 004. Tom and Roy After leaving the church. Du Wei wrapped the silver cross dagger in white cloth and secured it close to his body, then drove back in his newly purchased Subaru Impreza. Upon arrival, he parked the car opposite the street from the psychological counseling clinic. He didn''t choose to get out, instead, he lit a cigarette and slowly started smoking. Normally, Du Wei never smoked in the car, but today was different.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om His gaze calmly passed through the car window,nding on the psychological counseling clinic across the street, as he recalled the advice Father Tony had given him before sending him off. "At first, the Evil Spirit will only appear at night, so the daytime is essentially safe, but not precisely." "Don''t delude yourself into thinking that moving will rid you of it; it''s futile." "The longer you are in contact with the Evil Spirit, the more easily you''ll be able to see it; you must stay calm." ... After exhaling a smoke ring and taking a deep breath. Du Wei stubbed out the cigarette, the experiences from yesterday to today ying through his mind like a movie. "I should never have boarded that ne!" Du Wei took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. As a psychologist, he should always keep his mindset in check to avoid making mistakes. At this moment. A blond Caucasian in a police uniform came over and knocked on the car window. He wore a smile on his face, looking quite familiar. "Hello, are you Dr. Du Wei?" Du Wei pressed the window switch, looked at the police officer outside, and asked with curiosity, "Hello, I am Du Wei. May I help you?" The other shrugged and said, "As you can see, I''m Officer Tom, in charge of security around here. I''d like to ask you about some matters regarding Miss Aisha. Is it convenient for us to sit down and talk?" Du Wei paused for a moment, matters concerning Aisha? "Let''s talk in the car." "Alright, if you insist." Tom chuckled casually and then came over, opened the passenger door, and sat down. "Hey, this car is pretty cool, did you just buy it?" As soon as he got in, Tom started making conversation as if he was quite familiar, yet his eyes were fixed on Du Wei, observing his every move. Du Wei looked at him calmly and said ndly, "The second generation Subaru Impreza just hit the market, 2.5T engine capacity, all-wheel drive, 19,600 dors. I bought itst Friday from the downtown Subaru dealership. Butpared to that, I think you''re more interested in matters regarding Aisha, aren''t you?" "Ahah..." Tom gave an awkwardugh and then covered it up, "If you insist, then let''s talk about Miss Aisha." While speaking, Tom took out his New York police badge and search warrant, and a photo of Aisha, and handed them to Du Wei. "On May 15th, at 6:08 PM, Miss Aisha came to your psychological counseling clinic and stayed for about an hour. During that time, did the two of you have any close contact or do something?" Looking at the photo of Aisha, Du Wei confirmed Tom''s identity, checked the search warrant... He looked up at Tom and didn''t answer the question but said with an exceedingly calm tone, "Your words carry a very obvious leading nature; you want to find out something from me, yet you can''t ascertain it, so you are probing because you know that actually, between Aisha and me, there is only a normal patient-doctor rtionship." Tom lost the smile on his face, nodded and said, "That''s why I don''t like dealing with psychologists. It makes me feel as if I have no privacy before you folks, like I''m naked." Du Wei neither agreed nor disagreed as he continued, "After Miss Aisha arrived at the clinic yesterday, her emotions were very unstable, so I spent ten minutes trying to counsel her. Then she told me about her experiences and some of her thoughts, after which I performed an analysis of her condition, but clearly, she didn''t ept my opinion." As he spoke, Du Wei asked, "And now, Mr. Tom, if I''m not mistaken, something has happened to Miss Aisha, right?!" Although it was a question, there was a tone in his voice that suggested he already knew the answer. Tom nodded, "She''s dead, around 10:20st night, um... her death was very strange." At this point, Tom''s expression turned odd, as if he were trying to suppress the urge to vomit. Seeing this, Du Wei spoke thoughtfully, "She must have died a terrible death, and you''ve ruled out the possibility of homicide?" "Yes, Dr. Du Wei, our surveince revealed that when she was leaving the rental house, the door suddenly closed in a bizarre way, snapping her head off in an instant, very... very..." Tom stumbled, using the word "very" twice without being able to finish his sentence. Du Wei, however, gave him a deep look, the image already forming in his mind. And he made a bold guess. After her encounter with him yesterday, the Evil Spirit, for some unknown reason, had set its sights on him, and perhaps its power had umted to a critical point, so it had started to act. The likelihood of the Evil Spirit changing targets was high, but itrgely depended on the premise that the previous victim was already dead. At this moment, Officer Tom paused and then, looking at Du Wei, asked, "Getting back to our earlier conversation, what exactly did Miss Aisha talk to you about?" Du Wei looked at him and said, "Do you believe in the existence of Evil Spirits in this world?" Tom shook his head, "Dr. Du Wei, you must understand that I''m trying to investigate the cause of Miss Aisha''s death, not to hear you tell bedtime ghost stories." Du Wei smiled, "That''s precisely what she and I discussed." ... Tom chose silence... Soon after, both men got out of the car, ending the rather unpleasant conversation. "Alright, regardless, thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Du Wei. By the way, are you really not going to invite me to sit at your ce?" "It''s still inappropriate." Before leaving, Tom left his business card. Du Wei casually stuffed the business card into his wallet and, as usual, walked up to his own front door. Just then, the neighbor next door happened to open their door and step out; seeing Du Wei, they seemed startled, their body going rigid. "Uh... Hello, Dr. Du Wei, your dark circles are quite severe. Did you not sleep well?" Du Wei turned to look at the neighbor, a girl of mixed Caucasian descent, with smooth skin, a petite but curvy figure, and very refined and distinctive facial features. By his standards, she was undoubtedly a beauty. "That''s right, Miss Roy, are you going on a long trip?" Du Wei''s gaze lingered on the ck suitcase that Roy was dragging. The suitcase wasrge and could hold many items, but its size also meant it was presumably quite heavy. However, if it was just clothes and simr belongings, an adult woman should still be able to manage it. Roy nodded with a smile, her moist blue eyes sparkling, "You guessed right. I''ve bought a ticket to Scolyn and I''m supposed to stay there for about a week. I need to go now, else I''ll catch the big storm that''s about to hit the city, which wouldn''t be good for traveling." After speaking, Roy struggled with the ck suitcase as she got into a taxi. Du Wei watched her leave, then his expression turned pensive. That suitcase seemed a bit too heavy... Chapter 5 005, Who is outside the door? He inserted the key, turned it. Click... Pushing open the door, a cold breeze blew in. Du Wei''s gaze was serene, as usual, he walked in. There wasn''t the sudden drop in temperature one might imagine, nor the spine-chilling cold described by third-rate horror writers that would make one''s blood run cold. Everything seemed to have remained unchanged. Du Wei hung up the ''Open for Business'' sign and then took out theptop from the first floor, sitting on the coffee-colored sofa where he received patients, and booted up the web browser. Father Tony had said that when an Evil Spirit sets its sights on someone, running is useless, as it would only provoke it to strike earlier, resulting in a quicker death. So staying at home for the time being was a choice that couldn''t be said to be good or bad, at least, home was a familiar ce, which was morefortable than an unfamiliar location. He typed "Evil Spirit" into the web browser''s search bar and pressed enter. Soon, Du Wei''s eyes were met with post after post and wiki entries about Evil Spirits. There were over fifty pages. Du Wei picked out a few older posts and began reading. ... July 14, 1978, Tuesday. Conas State, suburban town, the Roger family¡ªcollective disappearance. As an oil painting enthusiast, Roger was very fond of collecting famous paintings. On July 2, 1978, he purchased an oil painting from an unnamed merchant, painted by the artist Barov¡ªnamed, Another Door. In the early hours of July 14, Roger''s neighbors heard some strange noises, like two people arguing. The noise continued for an hour, followed by silence, and about ten minutester, the neighbors heard Roger''s cries of pain. The neighbors knocked on the door to inquire, but received no response. The following morning, the family of four had vanished from the human world, with no one knowing where they had gone to this day. ... December 2, 1989, Friday. Jedecra State, the Evil Spirit Mary incident. Evil Spirit Mary was a piece of folk horror lore from Jedecra State. On December 1, a girl of the same name, Mary, conducted a Spirit Summoning game with her ssmates at school. Their method of Spirit Summoning appeared to be some kind of Voodoo Cult ritual; ording to recollections from those present, they ced a piece of paper in the ssroom, and everyone contributed items like hair, fingernails, blood, and so forth. After the Spirit Summoning Ritual concluded, they all heard a woman''s sinister voice; she¡ªit¡ªsaid a name: Mary... On December 2, Friday, all who had participated in the Spirit Summoning game suddenly began screaming frantically during ss. The others tried to restrain Mary and the others, tying them to chairs and calling the police. But the chairs, as if affected by some mysterious force, eerily floated in mid-air, then upturned, and crashed to the ground. Except for one lucky survivor, all others died on the spot from broken necks. That survivor was the girl named Mary. After the incident, the school was closed off until it was eventually demolished in this century, and a hospital was built on the old site. Note: The Evil Spirit Mary incident ispletely true; all relevant information can be verified, and it is hoped that the truth behind the Evil Spirit Mary incident will be unveiled soon. ... "Spirit Summoning games..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om After reading the information about the Evil Spirit Mary incident, Du Wei frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the words "Spirit Summoning games." For some reason, he suddenly thought of the little girl Reagan who came for a psychological consultation with her parents on Friday, February 17. She too had yed a Spirit Summoning game. The former nearly died, while thetter developed severe dissociative identity disorder, thinking she was a man named Hoddy... Wait a minute... What if, it''s not a split personality? ... Du Wei suddenly had the urge to see that little girl again, to understand what had happened to her, maybe his initial diagnosis was wrong, maybe she really encountered an Evil Spirit... But just at that moment, a distress post caught his attention. The post was published at 4:10 a.m. today. The poster was someone with the username Conan Doyle, a username Du Wei remembered clearly, as this person had left the mostments under the thread he readst night wishing ill upon the poster''s mother. After clicking in. The content was as follows: I am Conan Doyle, and I have encountered something iprehensible. It was probably a little after 3 a.m., I work as a voice actor, so my working hours are mostlyte at night. I heard a very regr, very... eerie knocking sound? This was almost impossible, because for professional reasons, my work is done in a professional-level recording studio at home, and under normal circumstances, even if someone fired a gun outside, the sound wouldn''t reach the studio. But the situation was just that weird. At the time, I didn''t think much and just opened the "door" of the recording studio, went to the living room to prepare to open the door, because anyone who would knock at my door at this time must have something very important." But it was only a momentarypse in judgment, by the time I got to the door, I suddenly realized that something was wrong. So, when I approached the door, I didn''t open it; instead, I looked through the peephole to see outside. It was very dark outside, an unnaturally dark... [So I took a picture] Du Wei''s hand scrolled on the touchpad, and then he saw the photo. The photo taken by this poster named Conan Doyle was directly aimed at the peephole and used the sh, allowing a view outside the door through the peephole. Next, he saw an eye filled with bloodshot veins, with a dted pupil. ... I am Conan Doyle. When I saw that eye, I almost peed my pants. Immediately afterward, I returned to my room. I was very scared, filled with terror, as I had never encountered something so dreadful, something that only exists in novels and horror movies. But then, I heard footsteps... The sound wasing from the direction of the recording studio, as if it knew where I was and was heading towards my room... I immediately dialed the emergency number, but for some reason, the signal on my phone seemed to be affected by some kind of maic field and became very poor. I couldn''t get through on the phone... Stranger, if you see this post, please be sure to call the police, my address is in the North Brook District... And now, it''s in my room... ¡ª4:40 a.m. Scrolling down, there were responses from people, 80% of which expressed disbelief, using the poster of making up ghost stories, and so on... However, Du Wei''s expression froze, he scrolled back to the top of the post, and read it carefully once more. Then, he took a deep breath... A bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead. He might have made a mistake about something from the very beginning. In his house, there were two Evil Spirits... Chapter 6 006, Media The deserted first floor of the psychological counseling clinic. Du Wei hung up the phone, his face calm, betraying no hint of the unusual emotions within him. He had just called the police of the North Brook District only to learn that a man with the ID named Conan Doyle had suddenly gone missing. The exnation given by the other side was vague, using only words like "disappeared" without confirming whether Conan Doyle was dead. Under such circumstances. Whether he was dead or had simply disappeared, the distinction was no longer significant. ¡­ The knocking sounds were just as eerie. The same post and image seen online. The only difference was that Du Wei did not peer through the peephole to check outside. In his conversation with Father Tony, some information about the Evil Spirit had been revealed. Firstly, encountering an Evil Spirit always involved a trigger, either a Spirit Summoning Ritual oring into contact with some medium rted to the Evil Spirit. Evil Spirits didn''t arbitrarily kill, otherwise the world would have been in chaos long ago. After carefully reflecting on his experiences over the past two days, Du Wei came to a conclusion. Then, he took out a pencil and a clean sheet of paper, and started writing. [Name: Du Wei] [Age: 25] [Gender: Male] [upation: Psychologist] [Symptoms: Suspected presence of two Evil Spirits at home, has encountered unexinable supernatural events] [Prescribed medication: None] [Rmendations: None] Afterwards, Du Wei looked at the paper, a flicker of thought and doubt crossing his eyes, "Firstly, the presence of the two Evil Spirits in the house can basically be confirmed. The first one is likely brought by the dead Aisha, with the medium only conjectured to be after she shared her experiences with me, thus marking me for the Evil Spirit." "As for the second Evil Spirit, the triggering medium should be the photo from yesterday''s online post. When someone sees the photo, they get marked by the Evil Spirit, specific details unknown." "However, there are two doubts that I cannot exin." After some thought, Du Wei wrote down the names Aisha and the ID Conan Doyle on the other side of the paper. Under their names, he wrote dead and missing. Aisha faced the most severe situation with the Evil Spirit because she was dead. Whether she would be an Evil Spirit after death was unknown. It was highly unlikely! Otherwise, the number of Evil Spirits in this world would keep increasing, and the current peace would be impossible to maintain. After encountering an Evil Spirit, Conan Doyle hadpletely disappeared, and his fate was no better. If Aisha''s death was due to being haunted by an Evil Spirit for a long time, leading to the Spirit''s power growing stronger until it killed her, then Conan Doyle''s disappearance was rather unusual. Because the Evil Spirit he encountered started to act immediately. Du Wei had a headache, his mind full of scattered thoughts and images. He lit a cigarette and smoked thoughtfully, trying to piece together an answer. Instinct told him, if he could find this answer, he might be able to create a chance for himself to escape from the Evil Spirits. The current situation was that both Evil Spirits were after him, yet he was the one who had survived best, which was clearly odd.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Whether it''s Aisha''s or Conan Doyle''s situation, both are a bit different from what I''ve encountered." "Both Evil Spirits obviously have the power to strike at me." "It can''t be that I''m more special than others, so the Evil Spirits let me safely get through the night, only to attack others instead." "The only difference between me and others may be just one thing." "That is, I''m targeted by twopletely different Evil Spirits." "One after the other¡­" "There is no concept of who came first among Evil Spirits, otherwise I''d be dead already, so is it¡­ bnce? Opposition? Competition for a target?" Du Wei''s index finger trembled, burned by the cigarette butt. ¡­ May 16th, Saturday,te night at 22:59. At home, on the first floor. After mounting the new television on the wall, Du Wei connected the satellite dish''s signal cable and pressed the remote control. The next second, the television screen disyed the words ''Auto Searching.'' Channels shed by one after another. The television was functioning normally. Du Wei set the remote control down and sat on the sofa, his dark eyes a pool of calm. "As long as I wait until midnight, my theory can be confirmed. If everything is as I suspect, maybe I can hold out until the arrival of the exorcist." "But there is another problem. As the Evil Spirit ims more victims, its power only grows stronger. Clearly, the logic behind the actions of the two Evil Spirits is not the same." He told himself this and touched the crucifix dagger that was close to his body. It was somewhat strange. No matter that it had been close to him for nearly 10 hours, it remained ice-cold, seemingly unaffected by his body temperature, without the slightest sign of warmth. What Du Wei had to do next was wait¡­ He started watching a program at random¡­ ¡­ Late at night, 11:59 PM. The clock hands on the wall halted at this moment. Suddenly¡­ A faint buzz of electricity sounded. All the lights dimmed at this instant. It was clearly perceptible to Du Wei that there was something indescribably different about the room. It wasn''t a difference in temperature one could feel, but rather an unsettling intuition. This sensation was like something had been added to the room, but you couldn''t immediately detect where it was, only instinctively feeling an indescribable irritation. Taking a deep breath¡­ Du Wei said to himself, "It''s here!" Then, he turned to look at the television. As expected¡­ The screen''s brightness was very dim at this time, and it started changing channels on its own. The images shed by like slides in a projector, sometimes reversing as if searching for something. Following that¡­ Du Wei stood up and walked to the second floor. Normally at this time, he would be resting upstairs. The staircase was mostly shrouded in dim light, but it was clear enough to see and ensure he didn''t miss a step. One step¡­ Two steps¡­ In its due course¡­ The sound of running water came from the bathroom. As Du Wei reached the second floor, he saw under the dim light, the bathroom faucet facing him. The tap was on, and the basin was gradually filling with the water pouring out. It was as if an invisible person was there using it, making one feel as though someone unseen had appeared in the home. Du Wei''s expression remained unchanged, as if he had seen nothing, and he walked straight into the bathroom. Then, he did something just as he had done before. Standing in front of the basin, he first looked at his reflection in the mirror. Slightly long ck hair, fair skin, a well-defined face, a standard handsome guy. What stood out the most were his cold and calm eyes, as if they would never waver. He washed his face and turned off the faucet. Then, he used a towel to dry his face. Following that, he bowed his head toward the bottom of the basin. A face appeared there, startlingly upon it. Chapter 7 007, Trigger The dim light in the room flickered uncertainly. Most of it was shrouded in shadow, with the dark corners being particrly gloomy. In the restroom. The image in the mirror froze on the moment Du Wei lowered his head to look at the sink. He maintained this posture for nearly a minute. At the bottom of the basin. There was a wrinkled woman''s face, so pale that it seemed to have been painted with ayer ofcquer, her eyes wide open as if straining with great effort, so much so that they were filled with blood vessels. But at this time, these blood vessels were a dark brown color, having congealed long ago. While Du Wei was looking at this face, it was also looking at Du Wei. Yet in the mirror, there was only himself. Then. Du Wei reached out towards the face and pressed down. The feeling from his fingertips.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Nothing there. His fingers went straight through the water''s surface, pressing on the plug at the bottom of the basin. A gentle push! All the water in the basin instantly flowed away, and what was eerie was that the face, although it had no physical entity, seemed to merge with the water, twisting into a vortex shape, carried by the water into the drainpipe. ... "No physical entity? Or is it that the manifestation of the Evil Spirit is not what I imagined, merely an illusion..." This is what Du Wei said to himself in his heart before he walked up to the bedroom on the second floor, pushed open the door, and went in. Click... He closed the door behind him. However, just then. Knocking sounds began from outside the door... Thud thud thud... Thud thud thud... Thud thud thud... Du Wei''s body instantly stiffened, he twisted his head to face the bedroom door directly, his dark pupils slightly dted, and his breathing became a bit rushed. He could hardly keep calm! "How can this be?" Du Wei struggled to calm himself down. In front of him. As if there was someone behind the bedroom door, they were really knocking forcefully, very regrly, causing the wooden bedroom door to tremble slightly. Something wanted toe in... Previously, there were only the sounds of knocking, with no other abnormal changes, but this time waspletely different. It''s as though it jumped from lv1 to lv5 in an instant. Everything was safe yesterday, despite the strange urrences; they did not affect him that much. But today waspletely different; it was like he was under some kind of stimtion. Moreover, Du Wei racked his brains but couldn''t figure out why the Evil Spirit would suddenly enter the inside of his house. Du Wei took a deep breath. ording to his guess,st night Aisha and Conan Doyle died or disappeared under the attack of the Evil Spirit, while he himself remained unharmed, probably because the two Evil Spirits were fighting and counterbncing each other. The first Evil Spirit was brought by Aisha; it was the first one that set its sights on him. The second Evil Spirit was attracted by the post''s photo he had seen inadvertently. Two invisible hunters had set their sights on him as prey, leading to some kind of bnce, which is why he was able to survive safely. But now... The idea of bnce should be correct, after all, Father Tony, a rtively professional person in this area, had made a simr exnation when selling the silver crucifix dagger to him. Du Wei''s mind was frantically thinking and spinning. "Where did the problem lie?" Wait a minute... There was something wrong with Conan Doyle''s plea for help... Du Wei felt a slight chill in his heart, but the greater the pressure, the more serene he became. He even took out the medical report he had made for himself and wrote a note in the bottom column. [The Evil Spirit has multiple targets, but a singr purpose. To achieve its goal, it employs means beyond themon person''s imagination.] There wasn''t a single reply from the person who posted the thread from beginning to end, only curses from the readers. As a result, both Conan Doyle and himself were targeted by the Evil Spirit, and now anyone who saw the photo might be a target as well. Who could guarantee that the first post was really made by a human and not by the Evil Spirit itself? When he was at home that afternoon and found Conan Doyle''s plea for help, was it genuinely posted by him? The same kind of post, the same photo! Why hadn''t he considered that it could all be the doing of the Evil Spirit? The train of thought in Du Wei''s mind was crystal clear. There must be some form of checks and bnces among the Evil Spirits; otherwise, it would be impossible to exin how he had survived the first day. The current situation, however, was different, yet upon careful analysis, one could find an answer. He had triggered some condition and personally let the Evil Spirit into his home. "It was that photo, the eyes behind the peephole..." [I saw it at the same time it saw me] Du Wei wrote down this sentence on the paper. It was somewhat ridiculous how some mechanisms of the Evil Spirit seemed to be somewhat simr to the logical calctions of aputer. Thinking this, Du Wei took a deep breath. If he could restore that bnce, perhaps every problem would be solved effortlessly. But he didn''t have that capability now. Unless he was targeted by another Evil Spirit and joined another group of hunters, but under the current circumstances, that was simply impossible. Du Wei told himself to stay calm in his heart. He even used hypnotism and suggestion to temporarily forget the emotion of fear. Because fear and dread are the nourishment that fuels the growth of Evil Spirits. [I am attempting to use a silver cross dagger in an attempt to fight the Evil Spirit] Then, he reached into his clothes and pulled out the silver cross dagger he had bought from Father Tony. If this thing worked, he promised himself to pray at Father Tony''s ce every week, but if it didn''t work, he hoped to be an Evil Spirit after death and have a talk with him! Du Wei held the silver cross dagger in one hand and pressed it directly against the door. At this moment, the door was still being banged on. And as Du Wei pressed the cross dagger against the door, it seemed to have provoked the displeasure of the Evil Spirit on the other side, making the knocking sounds even more intense. It even became utterly irregr. Previously it was knocking, but now it sounded like pounding. Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang! Bang bang bang! The door was nearly broken down, and Du Wei even saw that the screws of the door lock were showing signs ofing loose, and the doorknob was turning. [Effectiveness: Invalid] This was something Du Wei said in his mind, and he didn''t write it on the paper. Because the bedroom door wasn''t made of very sturdy material, a crack had now appeared, and he had to brace against the door with all his strength. Through the crack, Du Wei saw that the light outside had be very dim and somber, as if there were many grey, dusty particles, like smog, making everything blurry and unclear. As those lights flickered madly, an eye, through the gap, stared intently at Du Wei. Then... With a snap, all the lights, as if unable to bear it, went out in an instant... The whole house was plunged into darkness. The sound was deathly still, and a chilling breath from outside the door could be felt entering the bedroom. Chapter 8 You have been eroded. May 17, a rainy Sunday morning at 7:10. "I''m still alive..." Du Wei pushed open the door, looked at the gloomy sky outside, the drizzling rain, and took a deep breath. What happenedst night had almost rewritten his entire worldview and cognition. In the darkness, the Evil Spirit that had first set its sights on him was still at the peak of its power, while the second Evil Spirit, triggered by a photograph, had failed to break through the door. He was still alive. He felt the stack of medical records in his pocket and thought inexplicably of Aisha, who had already died. The first Evil Spirit was brought by Aisha, with the suspected medium of cognitive contagion, and its characteristic was information. For now, its harmfulness seemed rtively minor, but if it weren''t for the second Evil Spirit, it would have probably made its move already. And its potential for strong contagion could not yet be determined... The second Evil Spirit, drawn by the photo in the post, was confirmed to be spread through the photo, with its characteristic being the line of sight. The second Evil Spirit was more dangerous, and from what happened with Conan Doyle, it was known to have a very strong capability to spread and a tremendously strong malevolence. This meant that as it killed more people, its power grew stronger, and the bnce was tipping more and more in its favor. ... Based on what happenedst night, it seemed that the standoff between the two Evil Spirits mightst for a while. This could be considered good news. Du Wei lit a cigarette and stood smoking slowly at the doorway. At that moment, the neighbor''s door opened with a creaking... a grating sound that set one''s teeth on edge. "Du... Mr. Du Wei, good morning." Roy stood at the doorway with an umbre, greeting him. "Hmm... good morning." Du Wei turned to look at her, his gaze filled with surprise. Today Roy was wearing a ck dress that made her delicate features even more exquisite. The parts of her skin not covered by the dress were so white they were almost dazzling. "I thought you had gone out. Howe you''re back?" "The heavy rain caused flooding that destroyed the road to Scolyn, so... you know, it''s quite bad." Du Wei nodded his head, looking at her calmly, and said, "That is indeed quite bad. What time did youe back?" Roy chuckled, "Past midnight; the city traffic was horrible. If I had known it would take this long, I would have just stayed home." Du Wei nodded slightly, showing understanding.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Then, as Roy opened her umbre, she shrugged at Du Wei: "I''m heading to the supermarket now. Mr. Du Wei, if there''s something you need to buy, I can get it for you." Du Wei nced at the wet umbre in her hand for a second... Looking into Roy''s blue eyes, bright as crystals, he suddenly smiled, "Sure, why not? Get me a pack of cigarettes." Roy seemed a bit surprised that this neighbor didn''t have the reserve characteristic of Eastern people, but her surprise swiftly turned into a smile. "Alright, see youter then, Mr. Du Wei." "See youter." Watching Roy leave, Du Wei''s expression returned to calm. He threw the cigarette butt into the trash can, adjusted the brim of his hat, and walked into the rain. He crossed the street, opened the car door, sat in the driver''s seat, and started the engine. Soon, the car''s heater blew away the chill from his body. Then, with a press of the elerator, he headed towards North Brook Church. ... 7:25 in the morning. Inside the North Brook Church reception room. Du Wei pped a silver crucifix dagger down on the mahogany table in front of Father Tony. The silver-rusted cross dagger collided with the wooden table, producing a crisp sound. Crack... "Father Tony, I need an exnation, why the dagger I bought for a thousand dors didn''t bring me any help." Du Wei''s face was somewhat icy as he stared intently into Father Tony''s eyes, which seemed to be covered with ayer of frost, bing extremely frightening. He didn''t care about the money, but he did care about his own life. He took out a pistol from his pocket and with a click, disengaged the safety. "My friend, please calm down!" Father Tony was startled by Du Wei and hurriedly stood up, "This dagger can''t be useless, it is an exorcist''s weapon, my friend, I am willing to guarantee it with my life, you can tell me what happened to you, you must believe me, I am a priest of faith." Du Wei stared into his eyes and slowly said, "Last night, I was attacked by an evil spirit..." After he finished recounting the events of the night. Father Tony looked somewhat embarrassed, "Two evil spirits?" Du Wei nodded calmly and said, "Yes, and you don''t seem surprised. Has this happened before?" Father Tony was silent for a while and then said, "As you suspected, there indeed have been simr incidents, but..." "But what?" "In 1962, in Vosloda State, something simr happened. A little girl was possessed by seven evil spirits. Each spirit treated her body as a vessel and fought over her life. Itsted until 1974 when the girlmitted suicide by jumping off a building." "But your situation is different, you are currently only at the stage of being haunted by evil spirits." "What if I leave my house and go somewhere else, what will those two evil spirits do?" "It''s useless, they will still cling to you." "Even during the day?" "Days are rtively safer, because it consumes a lot of the evil spirits'' power, so..." "Okay, I understand." Du Wei nodded and calmly looked at Father Tony, "If I want to control the evil spirits, what do I need to do?" Father Tony frowned and said, "It''s very dangerous, Dr. Du Wei, I don''t rmend that you do this." For some reason, every time this Asian young man stared at him with a calm gaze, Father Tony felt a chill in his heart. "This... Okay, if you insist." Father Tony opened a drawer and took out two items. "Holy Water can be very harmful to evil spirits. A Shroud can be used to restrain their medium, but it won''t work on the evil spirits in you, they''re too wicked." "I know." Du Wei looked at the Holy Water in front of him, contained in a ss bottle, and at a piece of Shroud folded up, about one square meter in size. Are these the tools an exorcist uses? "How much?" "Two thousand dors, these items are made specially for exorcists, the price is already very reasonable." "Twenty dors." "No, the price you''re offering is too low, fifteen hundred dors." "Twenty-five dors." "One thousand dors, that''s the lowest I can go." "One hundred dors." "Alright, taking into ount ourst transaction, five hundred dors, that''s really the lowest price I can offer." "Deal..." In the end, Father Tony seemed to remember something, his face changed slightly as he said, "By the way, I must remind you, Mr. Du Wei, you are not quite yourself now, you''ve be too detached. If I''m not mistaken, you may be getting eroded by the power of the evil spirits." Du Wei paused, "I have noticed." Chapter 9 Patient 009 with money North Brook District, moderate rain, feels like 19¡ãC. Everywhere the eyes could see was shrouded in gloom. A brand-new luxury high-performance Subaru Impreza drove through the rain, scattering puddles across the road. Inside the car, Du Wei sat in the driver''s seat, while an opened medical record sat on the passenger seat. The record contained the following information: April 19, Saturday, 15:35. Name: Alex Sex: Female Age: 26 Condition: Extremely severe anxiety leading to hallucinations and auditory delusions¡ªspecifically manifesting as unknowingly causing destruction of external environments, such as: tables, chairs, televisions,puters, cosmetics, etc... and the fantasy that everything is being controlled by some mysterious force. Prescribed medication: Flupenthixol Melitracen Tablets Rmendations: None at the moment ... Beep... The call connected. "Du... Dr. Du Wei?" "Yes, Miss Alex, hello." "What can I do for you?" "You had scheduled a psychiatric consultationst week. My house is currently being renovated, so I was nning to visit your home for a follow-up to understand your current situation." "That''s quite unexpected, I''m at home right now, you cane over anytime, by the way, have you had your meal?" "Not yet, I''ll be there shortly." ... Ten minutester. Furman District. A Caucasian security guard stopped Du Wei. "Hey, sir, this is an upscalemunity, no unauthorized personnel allowed." He approached the driver''s door of the Subaru Impreza and knocked on the window. "I am Dr. Du Wei, a psychiatrist from North Brook District. I''m here for a follow-up visit at the invitation of Miss Alex." Du Wei pressed the window switch and handed his psychiatric license to the guard. "Miss Alex''s psychiatrist? Please wait, I need to make a phone call to confirm." With that, the Caucasian security guard stepped into the booth and dialed Alex''s number. Shortly after, the security guard gave an okay sign through the ss, and the electric barrier slowly rose, clearing the way. Du Wei gently pressed the elerator and coasted into Furman District. ncing around, all the houses were detached homes, not the usual apartment blocks found in othermunities. In the North Brook area, such a house would probably cost more than 700,000. Without a doubt, Alex was a very wealthy woman. But for Du Wei, this woman was trouble¡­ ... Thump thump thump... After parking the car, Du Wei came to the front door of Alex''s house and knocked... The next second. The sound of the door lock turning echoed. "Dr. Du Wei, thank you so much foring to see me in such terrible weather. Pleasee in." Behind the door stood a very fashionable woman with shoulder-length silver hair, her face brimming with excitement. She had a great figure, wearing an oversized sweatshirt that inadvertently outlined her beautiful curves. She seemed to be wearing some sort of ultra-short skirt because it was covered by therge sweatshirt, leaving only her smooth, pale, and perfectly straight legs visible. "Hello, Miss Alex." Du Wei nodded, greeted her, and took a subtle nce around the room. Um... The decoration was very luxurious, all high-end products. Tables, sofas, flooring, home appliances, they all spelled luxury and expense. Du Wei even noticed that the clock hanging on the wall was an antique from thest century, priceless. However, the hour hand was always stuck at two o''clock, as if it were broken. Alex curled her lips and said, "Dr. Du Wei, I would prefer you to call me by my name rather than dy.'' It makes me feel like our rtionship is more like friends." After a minute of silence, Du Weiplied, "Okay, Alex." "That''s more like it, Du Wei." Dispensing with the formalities, Alex weed Du Wei in and had him sit on the sofa. "Would you like something to drink? A soda? Coffee? Or perhaps some red wine? I still have two bottles of Musigny Winery''s grand cru in my cer. Would you like some?" Du Wei politely replied, "Coffee will be fine." "Sure," Alex said with a tender smile, her slender waist twisting as she headed toward the kitchen. Watching her leave, Du Wei started to feel a headacheing on. As a rather famous psychologist in North Brook District, Alex had sought him out on the 19th ofst month. It started as an ordinary psychological consultation, but this woman seemed to have taken an interest in him. Frankly speaking, Du Wei knew he was handsome, and his unique experiences from childhood made him quite distinct. When he graduated, his mentor had given him this evaluation: reclusive, rational, and always capable of keeping his cool. Rather than a psychologist, he seemed more suited for criminal investigation. To others, terms like reclusive, rational, and calm often signified a certain charisma. Good looks, money, charm. All of these factors were lethal attractions for women. But Du Wei had no interest in her. The rtionship between doctor and patient made it difficult for him to enter into any further association. So previously, he had maintained a cold demeanor toward Alex, who was an even wealthier individual. His decision to meet with her today was certainly not for any simple reasons. Du Wei had seriously analyzed his situation; to restore the bnce between the two Evil Spirits, he needed to introduce a new force¡ªthe third Evil Spirit. He had searched online for a long time for incidents involving Evil Spirits in the Brook Area, which were not asmon as he had expected; perhaps the authorities were at work, hiding certain information. After reviewing the case of the deceased Ms. Aisha, Du Wei turned his attention to his own patient records. He suspected that many of the individuals in the files who believed they had encountered Evil Spirits were telling the truth.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om However, some of them were either too dangerous or too far away for him to approach. Therefore, after careful selection, Du Wei set his sights on Alex. At that moment, Alex returned with a coffee pot and some pastries. "Imported coffee beans from Ethiopia. I think you''ll like them," she said. As she poured coffee into Du Wei''s cup, Alex looked at him and said, "If you have timeter, we could have dinner together. There is a high-end restaurant nearby where I''m a VIP member." Du Wei shook his head and slowly said, "No need, let''s get to the point. Alex, how have you been feeling recently? Do you still asionally have hallucinations or destroy things in your home?" Alex sat down, thought for a moment, and replied, "No, there hasn''t been any. Since ourst meeting, my symptoms have lessened a lot. It''s been several days now without any hallucinations." With a slight smile, she added, "I''ve been taking my medication on schedule, as you instructed. You are a very reassuring man." Du Wei automatically filtered out her ttery, faintly furrowing his brows before speaking, "Okay, then besides that, how is your sleep pattern? If I remember correctly fromst time, you told me that after midnight, the pain from your hallucinations made it nearly impossible for you to sleep." Alex nodded, "Yes, at that time, no matter how much sleeping medication I took, I would wake up promptly after midnight. I started to suspect I was experiencing some kind of supernatural event beyond my understanding." Continuing, she said, "As for my sleep habits, everything is normal now. Every day at two o''clock sharp in the afternoon, I take a nap and then wake up at four." Chapter 10 010, Hallucination Alex''s home. Du Wei looked up at the antique clock hanging on the wall, instinctively wanting to check the time, but then he remembered that the hands of this clock had long since stopped. So, he could only take out his phone and nce at the time. It was now 12:01 AM. Then, he calmly looked at the beautiful woman across from him, "Alex,bining what you have said with my observations, it seems that your condition has been effectively controlled and alleviated. However, I would still like to understand more about the hallucinations you mentioned." Alex shrugged, her oversized sweatshirt hanging loose, revealing a wide expanse of smooth corbone. "Well, if you insist, um... in fact, I''d rather not talk about these issues, because it makes me feel like our rtionship is merely that of patient and doctor. You know, I would much prefer to have lunch with you, or talk about something interesting." It must be said that Alex is a very beautiful woman. In high school and college, countless men went crazy pursuing her, like the thousand love letters, singing songs they thought were romantic under the dormitory building, and so on... But for her, those people were too superficial. She preferred men like Du Wei, calm and full of attraction. What a pity... Alex looked at Du Wei''s calm ck eyes and sighed softly in her heart, feeling somewhat disheartened that her charm seemed to have no effect on this man. Then, she slowly recalled, "About the hallucinations, they happened the day after I first destroyed the furniture in my home due to my anxiety disorder."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Du Wei hummed and asked, "At that time, did you do anything? Or did you encounter anything?" Alex shook her head, "No, I was in very low spirits at that time. Even the furniture and appliances were bought for me by my father." Du Wei continued, "What about the specific time?" Alex frowned, "It waste at night on April 3rd, um... to be precise, the next day. Because on that day, the people responsible for moving the appliances and furniture damaged my antique clock. The lock core''s manufacturing process has been lost, its hands can no longer move, and I lost over half a million." "Okay, please continue about the hallucinations you saw," Du Wei said. Du Wei took out a pencil and the medical chart, adding a note on Alex''s page: [April 4th, midnight, first hallucination] "I remember hearing a very regr, eerie sound, and it seemed to be mixed with some somber whispers." "Then, I encountered something iprehensible. I saw a ck shadow standing at my door, beckoning to me, and I uncontrobly followed it. I tried to run away, to turn back, but I saw..." At this point, Alex''s face looked a bit troubled, her hand lightly touching her forehead, seeming in great distress. Du Wei calmly guided her state, "Rx, Alex. Tell yourself it''s daytime, there are no nightmares, no fear. You''re just recalling, thinking rationally." "Huff..." After taking a breath, Alex closed her eyes and continued, "I saw myself lying in bed, as if my soul had left my body. I was led by that shadow, out the door, into an utterly dark space." "There was no up or down, left or right, nor any sort of light. I could only hear a very regr, eerie sound, constantly in my ears." "Do you remember what that sound was?" "I can''t remember." "Hmm?" "Because each time I woke up, I couldn''t recall what the sound actually was. I only vaguely remember it was a very regr sound." "Dong dong dong? Like this?" Du Wei imitated the knocking sound he had heard, tapping on the desk. Alex opened her eyes slightly, shook her head, and said, "It''s somewhat simr, but not the same. I can be sure that it was definitely not the sound of knocking." "Okay," Du Wei replied and then added another note to his remarks: [Hallucinatory symptoms are evident, but do not rule out...] "Another question, Alex, how do you determine whether your current state is really returning to normal?" This question seemed to touch a sore spot for Alex, as she said discontentedly, "Dr. Du Wei, you should know that I have no need to lie to you, and I think you ought to believe me." This time, she used the doctor''s suffix, obviously not very pleased. However, Du Wei still said calmly, "As your doctor, I very much hope that you can return to normal, rid yourself of these pains that ordinary people cannot understand, but rtively speaking, we need to undertake a more rational exploration and inquiry, don''t you think?" "I admit, you are quite right," Alex replied, frowning and asking, "So, what will you do? Or rather, what should I do?" Du Wei closed the case file, ced it along with the pencil on the sofa beside him, and then looked at her seriously. "From a psychological point of view, any non-pathological disease triggered by external factors hastent elements. When exposed to the right environment or some stimulus, thesetent elements can be activated, causing the patient to exhibit pathological behaviors." "Are you suggesting that my condition hasn''t improved? It''s just hidden?" Alex asked. "You could think of it as not having triggered a certain mechanism yet." As Du Wei looked into Alex''s eyes with his calm,ke-like gaze, she couldn''t help blushing slightly and leaned back. "I will cooperate with you," she said. Du Wei looked at her deeply. By now, he had a vague idea in his mind. It was highly likely that Alex might have encountered some kind of iprehensible supernatural event. But unlike the usual cases of being haunted by an evil spirit, Alex''s experiences seemed a bit unusual. So after some thought, Du Wei said to her, "Based on your ount just now, your hallucinations ur during deep sleep at night while your consciousness remains clear. In our Eastern culture, this is called ''ghost pressing on the bed.'' "Ghost pressing on the bed?" Alex looked at Du Wei with a somewhat odd expression, "Aren''t you a psychologist?" Du Wei replied matter-of-factly, "If you don''t like that term, I can also exin the rtionship between consciousness and dreams from a psychological perspective, or tell you from a physiological perspective that this is a perfectly normal phenomenon." Alex shook her head, "Let''s not, continue please." Du Wei nodded and continued, "First off, your daily routine is normal now. To verify whether you have truly returned to normal, I need to know what you are like when you''re asleep to determine your state." "This... isn''t this moving a bit too fast? I''m not ready yet... I mean, are you sure you won''t do anything to me while I''m asleep?" "Furthermore, I can''t fall asleep before midnight except for naps, which is quite an ungentlemanly request. However, if you n to apany me all day, I think I might consider it," she said. As she spoke, an enticing smile appeared on Alex''s fair and pretty face. She casually flipped her hair, causing an irresistibly charming sensation. Chapter 11 011. Spirit Vision (Asking for recommendations even though no one is watching) ``` 12:21 PM. The psychological counseling clinic. Neighbor Roy stood at the door, holding a ck stic bag that seemed to be bulging with many items. Knock, knock, knock... "Dr. Du Wei, are you there? I''ve bought the cigarettes you wanted." "Dr. Du Wei? Pleasee out to collect them." After calling out twice, there was no response from behind the door. Frankly, Roy''s impression of Du Wei was quite profound, but she didn''t know much about him, only that he was a handsome and charismatic psychologist who had moved over this year. This kind of man had a strong appeal to women, and had Roy not already had a boyfriend, she wouldn''t have minded pursuing Du Wei. Knock, knock, knock... After knocking on the door again, Roy was certain Du Wei was not at home, so she sighed with disappointment. She took out a pack of cigarettes from the stic bag intending to leave them in the mailbox at the door. But the next second, she changed her mind, wrote a note instead, and slipped it through the door gap. [The cigarettes are at my ce, pleasee to pick them up] After doing this, she turned and walked away. Her form-fitting ck long dress entuated her beautiful figure, making her a beautiful girl in any man''s eyes, save for the ck stic bag in her hand which slightly spoiled the scene. Just then, as if someone from behind had grabbed it, the note that was stuck in the door gap was yanked inside. ... Meanwhile, at Alex''s ce. After being warmly invited, Du Wei could only agree to have lunch together. Of course, the meal was ordered by Alex over the phone from a nearby restaurant. Otherwise, Du Wei wouldn''t dare to eat food made by a woman who led such a luxurious lifestyle and kept her figure and skin so exquisitely well-maintained. "Alex, are you really sure you will take your nap promptly at 2 PM?" After finishing his meal, Du Wei wiped his mouth and surveyed the room''s setup while casually asking. Alex shed an enchanting smile, "I''ve never hidden anything from you, have I?" Du Wei was silent for a while before nodding, "Yes." ... 1:55 PM. After the meal, Alex became quitezy, lying on the sofa gazing at Du Wei with a gentle look. What annoyed her was that the man in front of her hardly ever let his gaze linger on her, instead giving more attention to some of the furniture. "If you like this furniture, I can give you a set. I remember those sofas and coffee tables in your house seem to have been provided by the agent when you rented, right?" Du Wei paused momentarily, shifting from standing to sitting. He wasn''tfortable leaning against the sofa, so he leaned forward slightly and shook his head gently at Alex. "No need, I really like my current furniture and do not like to change them arbitrarily." It was just an excuse. The real reason was that he didn''t want anyone to enter his house or have any physical touch. Because only he knew how terrifying the two unseen Evil Spirits in his house were. Especially the second Evil Spirit, which could target anyone. At that moment, Du Wei nced at the time on his phone: 1:58 PM. He calmly said, "Two more minutes." Alex blinked, "Yes, in two minutes I''ll fall asleep. Are you sure you won''t do anything to me?" As Du Wei watched the phone''s clock, he uttered two words, "No!" "Well, that''s quite disappointing." ``` Alex made a regretful expression, but inside, she breathed a slight sigh of relief. At the same time, she noticed that Du Wei didn''t seem to have a wristwatch and kept checking the time on his phone, which sparked an idea in her mind. One of a man''s favorite gifts must be a name-brand watch, right? However, just as this thought surfaced in her mind, the very next second, her eyes closed and shey down on the sofa, breathing steadily, entering a state of sleep. Meanwhile, Du Wei furrowed his brow, a sh of iprehension crossing his face. "Are you really asleep, Alex?" He noted that the time was now 14:00. At that moment, the entire house was eerily quiet, with only the faint sound of Alex''s breathing. Du Wei put his phone back in his pocket, then walked over to Alex. He looked at her with a very serious gaze. The human senses are very sharp, if someone stares at another person for a long time, thetter will sense it, or get an uneasy feeling. Some people even sense the outside world in their sleep. For example, a gaze or a movement, etc. But Alex didn''t move at all, sleeping very deeply. She did not react like a normal person. Du Wei frowned: "Deep sleep? Why at this time?" Then he thought for a moment and extended a hand to Alex''s shoulder, the touch was delicate and smooth as if caressing some kind of sleek stone. "Wake up, Alex." What answered him was silence. Du Wei''s heart sank; this state was definitely not normal. It was absolutely impossible for a person to be talking normally one second and the next, be unable to be awakened by any amount of shouting. Unless they were dead. At this moment, Du Wei''s heart jerked, and a sharp ringing noise filled his ears, forcing him to bend down, cover his ears, with a very unsightly expression on his face. He heard a sound. Tick tick tick... This is...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Du Wei suddenly looked up, his eyes darting to the antique clock on the wall. Somehow, the hands of the clock had started moving again, ticking forward bit by bit. Tick tick tick... Tick tick tick... Regr, eerie, rigid, mechanical. All sorts of adjectives to describe the sound he was hearing shed through Du Wei''s mind, and suddenly he saw something strange before his eyes. He saw a shadowy figure standing behind Alex on the sofa, looking at him with an empty gaze. Du Wei took a deep breath, his gaze remaining calm as he watched the presence of the shadow. At this moment, the scenery inside the room underwent many changes in Du Wei''s eyes. The light became gloomy, as though shrouded in ayer of dim haze, and many already dark corners became pitch ck, like an invisible gaping maw, emanating some kind of malice. Du Wei also saw many ck, thread-like fments, simr to spider silk, emanating from Alex''s body, who seemed dead asleep, linking to the shadow as if the two were one and the same. "Soul?" he thought calmly to himself, asking and answering in his mind. "It''s probably not." At that time, the words of Father Tony as he left the church came to mind. [When the power of the Evil Spirit starts to erode you, you will be more susceptible to their attacks. As the erosion deepens, both your body and spirit will undergo some abnormal changes.] [We call this phase Spirit Vision.] Chapter 12 012, where is the hour hand pointing? Being corroded by an Evil Spirit is a terrifying ordeal. Sanity gradually copses, the mind bes muddled, and the person fills with negative emotions, from despair to madness, until the final stage: death at the hands of the Evil Spirit or possession of the body. The way to dy this erosion is to remain calm and control one''s emotions. This is also the only method ordinary people have when facing Evil Spirits. And to rid oneself of this state, one must eliminate the rted Evil Spirit. In Alex''s room. Du Wei''s expression had returned to calm, and that inexplicable pain had disappeared as soon as he entered Spirit Vision. Of course, lying on the sofa in front of him was Alex, still as if dead, and that mysterious dark shadow remained as before. Threads of ck, fine fments emerged from Alex''s body and gradually merged with the dark shadow, conjuring in his mind the image of a creature¡ªa leech. Then, he took out the silver cross dagger from his clothing and approached Alex. He shook the cross. As he drew closer, some of the ck fine fments snapped and then, as if alive, attempted to merge again. All the while, Du Wei kept his gaze on the dark shadow standing behind the sofa. He noticed. The outline of the shadow was somewhat feminine, with limbs, but noplete facial features on its head. Where the eyes should be, there were two empty holes, and looking into them revealed an indescribable eeriness and horror. Clutching the silver cross dagger, Du Wei slowly drew it out as he approached the shadow. But all along, the shadow remained motionless, its attention not on Du Wei but fixed on Alex. Scrape... He drew out the dagger. Whoosh... Du Wei swung at the shadow. The next second, he felt an emptiness as the dagger passed right through the shadow with no effect whatsoever. But... At that moment, the shadow moved. It raised its head, looking at Du Wei, and their eyes met. Du Wei''s scalp tingled, the emptiness recing the eyes seemed to pulse with malevolence and greed.N?v(el)B\\jnn "This thing doesn''t seem to be an Evil Spirit." The thought shed through Du Wei''s mind, and he immediately chose to step back. The shadow''s gaze followed him, as if triggering some mechanism. Then. The light in the room dimmed a shade further. Many areas had bepletely dark, with only a nearby region visible. Both the door and the windows were shrouded in ayer of ck mist. Du Wei took a deep breath, recalling the conversation he had with Alex earlier. If his guess was right, the hallucinations Alex saw were no different from what he was seeing. If there was a distinction, it was that hers were more severe, even the concept of space was blurred and indistinct. Putting it in Father Tony''s words: "Evil Spirits have the ability to disregard space." ... Fortunately, the changes in the room were limited to this. The shadow continued to stare at Du Wei but made no further odd movements, which eased his mind. Then, once again he cautiously moved closer to Alex, cing the silver cross dagger on her chest with one hand, while the other hand reached into his pocket, thumbing open a ss bottle containing Holy Water. The shadow kept its hollow gaze fixed on Du Wei. But inexplicably. When the silver crucifix dagger was ced on Alex''s body, many thin ck threads snapped like they had encountered fierce mes, yet the dark figure made no movements. "It has no effect on it?" Du Wei furrowed his brows and quickly extended his other hand, dousing the dark figure with Holy Water from a ss bottle. Hum... An indescribable sound drilled into Du Wei''s ears, causing him to involuntarily cover them. By the time he looked up again, there was nothing in front of him. The dark figure hadpletely vanished. The fine ck threads extending from Alex also seemed as if they had never appeared. "Is that it?" Du Wei nced at the Antique Clock hanging on the wall and said calmly, "No, not yet." Tick tick tick... The hands of the already damaged Antique Clock were moving non-stop in an extremely regr rhythm. In the eerily silent room, only the sound of the moving minute hand could be heard, and its minute and second hands were always ovepping. In a certain sense, this was already defying the rules of mechanical construction. "Is this the medium? Does it exist in physical form, or is it attached to it?" Du Wei took out a Shroud and spread it out, walking step by step towards the Antique Clock. But he stopped one meter away. He looked down at his right leg, where a pale, rotting hand emerged from the ck mist on the floor and clung to his ankle tightly. It was a woman''s hand, mostly decayed, with bones visible, but the slender fingers, well-kept rounded nails, and the wedding ring on her ring finger, all attested to its identity. Du Wei noticed some letters engraved on the ring: val¡­... Then, he took out a handgun, cocked the safety, and pulled the trigger at the hand! Bang!!! The hand was blown to pieces in an instant! Seeing this, Du Wei narrowed his eyes, "It''s actually physical?" Logically speaking, Evil Spirits are formed from certain deceased people or special existences, and they are often intangible, even though they can affect reality, their essence should not have any physical manifestation. But as his gaze swept over the floor, he was slightly taken aback. There were no bullet holes on the floor¡­ Where did the bullet go? "Completely iprehensible¡­" Dimly, a thought surfaced in Du Wei''s mind. Apparently, he had run into trouble. Without hesitation, he quickly approached the Antique Clock, stepped on a vase, and took it down. The whole Antique Clock felt very heavy in his hands, with a structure made of wood and metal that looked very ancient. Some angelic patterns and crucifix engravings with a church style appeared holy and dignified. Yet, on the back of the clock, there was a relief of a goat''s head. Goats are often metaphors in certain church cultures, symbols of evil and demons. "Presenting holiness to conceal the evil behind it?" Du Wei remembered a phrase used to describe certain pathological criminals from a psychology book he had read many years ago. "Now, it''s time to end this." Then, heid out the Shroud on the ground and ced the Antique Clock on top of it. As Father Tony had said, Holy Water could temporarily dispel Evil Spirits, and the Shroud could iste their power. These weremon tactics used by Exorcists and alsomon in Exorcism Rituals. However, at that moment, Du Wei''s body stiffened abruptly as a smooth, well-moisturized hand rested on his shoulder. ncing from the corner of his eye, behind Du Wei stood Alex, expressionless with bloodshot eyes, raising a silver crucifix dagger high, aiming straight for his head. Chapter 13 013, Median Strip Thud... Alex''s body heavily fell to the floor. With her eyes tightly closed, her lovely features seemed twisted in pain. As her center of gravity shifted, her bent legs slowly parted, assuming a lying position. Du Wei exhaled a murky breath, walked over to her, snapped shut the silver cross dagger, and tucked it into his clothing. Behind him, the bizarre Antique Clock waspletely wrapped in a Shroud, and all the strange changes around it had vanished. Everything seemed to have returned to normal. ... Struggling to open her eyes, the back of her head and back faintly ached. Alex frowned and murmured, shaking her head slightly as she sat up from the couch. Opposite her, Du Wei, with a cool expression, was toying with a ring that faintly bore inscribed letters...val? "You''ve slept for over an hour, Miss Alex." "That long?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Alex rubbed her shoulders, feeling as if something had happened while she had been asleep. "I''m really sorry to have kept you waiting so long." "It''s fine." Du Wei smiled at her and slipped the ring into his pocket. "First off, congrattions are in order. Your illness has improved. For the following period, as long as you take your medication regrly, there should be no issues." "I''ll take the medicine on time, but are you sure you didn''t do anything to me while I was asleep?" Alex felt the soreness in her body and looked at Du Wei with a strange expression. Du Wei said somewhat helplessly, "Rest assured, I truly didn''t do anything to you." "Alright..." Alex felt a bit down, and then she noticed something beside Du Wei wrapped in brown linen, a familiar shape. "What is this?" Alex was puzzled, recalling that when Du Wei had arrived, he didn''t seem to have brought anything other than his medical case. After a moment of silence, Du Wei said, "This is your family''s Antique Clock." "Ah?" Alex looked surprised and asked, "What do you mean? Do you like this Antique Clock that much?" Du Wei''s face stiffened as he replied, "Yes, I n to buy it." Alex''s expression turned even more puzzled, and she cautiously asked, "You''re going to buy this mid-18th-century Antique Clock? Do you know how much it costs?" Du Wei: ¡­ Mid-18th century? That sounded rather expensive... "How much?" He looked into Alex''s eyes, feeling quite reluctant inside. Originally, he had ample time to take the abnormal Antique Clock away, but doing so would certainly cause a lot of trouble. Furthermore, even if he told Alex that her problems were caused by the Antique Clock, it would be hard to believe and would only lead to more trouble. After all, in the eyes of most people, the world is scientific, and evil spirits are just ancient legends, text in novels, images in movies. And he hade as a doctor. But if he were to buy it with money¡­ He might have money, butpared to Alex, the wealthydy, there was a stark contrast between a poor man of moderate means and one with financial freedom. Not to mention, just the furniture in Alex''s home alone could probably buy out his psychotherapy clinic. Alex, unaware of Du Wei''s thoughts, said with a slight smile, "It''s not expensive. I got it at an auction along with a batch of antiques. I originally nned to give it to my father, but then I found the Antique Clock quite interesting and kept it at home. I don''t remember the exact price; it should only be eight hundred thousand." Actually, Alex remembered very clearly that the price of the Antique Clock was one million eight hundred thousand. However, she thought that telling Du Wei the real price might frighten him. There''s a saying that the gap between the rich and the poor is not just mary, but also a difference in values. She didn''t want Du Wei to feel a gulf between their living situations, so she deliberately deducted a million. Du Wei, unaware of the woman''s kindness in front of him, fell silent upon hearing the price of eight hundred thousand. The exchange rates between currencies in this world haven''t changed much. Eight hundred thousand dors converted into the currency of the East generally requires multiplying by about six or seven times. Hmm... That is a huge sum of money. Du Wei really wanted to say he was sorry to disturb, but considering his current situation, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Can I take out a loan?" "Pfft..." Alexughed, looking at Du Wei with a yful gaze, "Actually, it''s broken now, and the technique to repair it has been lost. Its value isn''t as high as I mentioned, probably just about two hundred thousand. I can sell it to you for a bit less if you want." With that, she leaned forward, moving closer to Du Wei, and said seriously, "In fact, if you just ask, I could give it to you." Upon hearing this, Du Wei couldn''t help but recognize what Alex was suggesting. He gave a wry smile and rubbed his forehead. "I will transfer the money to you right now." Upon hearing this, a genuine tenderness shed across Alex''s eyes. She felt like she was in love. ... In the afternoon, at 16:34. The rain had intensified, and the sky had turned even more overcast. Du Wei was driving his Subaru Impreza on the road. On the passenger seat, an antique clock, tightly wrapped in a shroud, was securely fastened by a seatbelt. After purchasing the antique clock from Alex, Du Wei was feeling quite conflicted. He had always been a rational person, not one to let certain things affect him, but this time he really owed a great favor. Granted, he had also solved a problem for Alex. But for her, everything was done unconsciously. He had checked the price of this antique clock and only found an auction record for ater one from the 18th century that looked even more worn, at one million three hundred thousand. But Alex had sold it to Du Wei for just two hundred thousand. And as a price for the favor, on Tuesday the following week, which was the day after tomorrow, he had agreed to spend the whole day with Alex. Du Wei sighed deeply and nced at his face in the rearview mirror. Calm, indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about anything. But actually quite handsome... ... At this moment. Around the mental health clinic, istion tape had already been put up. Many pedestrians stood around watching, and reporters began to arrive one after another. Several uniformed officers from the North Brook District were maintaining order; otherwise, these daring reporters and the public might do something out of line. Take photos and post them online? That would undoubtedly cause amotion. "Fuck!" Officer Tom threw the burned-out cigarette butt on the ground, stomped it out with his foot, and his facial expression was incredibly grim. "Damn it, the weird cases these past couple of days outnumber my visits to the Red Light District this month." At that moment, he looked up and saw a brand-new Subaru Impreza parked across the street. His face darkened immediately, and he hurried over. "Hey, Dr. Du Wei, I had someone notify you, but your phone has been unreachable. If you don''te back soon, I might have to put out a warrant for you." Du Wei opened the car door and stepped out. The first sentence he heard made him frown. "What do you mean?" Tom turned his head and gestured towards the house behind him cordoned off with tape, "Two pieces of really bad news, your neighbor Roy has been found dead at home. Before dying, someone saw her passing your front door, so now you''re connected to this case." Du Wei''s brow furrowed, "And the other?" Tom looked him in the eyes and said, "I have to say, it''s a miracle that you''ve been neighbors with this kind of person and are still alive." As he said this, he moved closer to Du Wei, staring intently into his eyes: "Roy was a cultist. We found a lot of blood and some special symbols and ritual arrays in her home. You know, these people have water in their heads, and I can''t guarantee that her friends won''t have some dangerous ideas about you, like, ughtering you." Chapter 14 014, The Disappearing Head 16:58. At the bathroom door in neighbor Roy''s home. "Dr. Du Wei, are you sure you want to take a look?" Tom looked at the expressionless Eastern man and shrugged his shoulders before asking again. If it weren''t for the high danger of this matter, if it weren''t for wanting to make this man realize his situation, if it weren''t for the fact he said he had studied forensic science, he would never have agreed to bring him to the scene. Listening to Tom''s words, Du Wei calmly nced at him and said, "Why not?" Tom shook his head and said, "The scene inside is very bloody, even I, an experienced police officer, find it nauseating and ufortable. You, an ordinary person, if something frightens you, well... you know." Du Wei reached for the bathroom doorknob, looked back at him, and said, "I''ve dissected bodies at school that are probably more than the criminals you''ve caught in your lifetime. And while you''re advising me, the corner of your mouth involuntarily trembled, and your eyes subconsciously squinted. Though it was subtle, it was obvious¡ªyou want me to go in." As he said this, he looked squarely at Tom, "Do you have anything else to add?" Tom''s mouth twitched, "No... nothing more." One shouldn''t deal with a psychologist. These people are truly more disgusting than the bloodiest of bodies. Click... He pushed open the bathroom door. The lighting inside was very dim, and there wererge dark brown stains on the floor. Next to the toilet, something twisted like a pretzely quietly. If it weren''t for the two arms forcefully bracing against the edge of the toilet, it would be hard to tell it was a person. Du Wei frowned, the air filled with the smell of blood and some sort of vomit, involuntarily reminding one of a ughterhouse. He had majored in forensic science at university andter chose to give up due to certain reasons. Otherwise, he would certainly have been an excellent forensic doctor by now. Click... He pressed the light switch on the wall. Instantly, the ringly white light brightened the entire bathroom. Du Wei scanned the corpse propped up by its hands against the toilet, a ck dress covering what had once been a slender figure, now twisted in several coils as though wrenched by some monstrous force. Her arms werergely purple-red, with the muscles on her forearms bulging out in ces. Looking further back, one could only see a cross-sectional wound. Therge pool of blood on the floor had spread out from the position of the toilet. Although it had already solidified, it wasn''t hard to imagine how ferociously the blood had sttered at the moment of injury.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om It was clear, the likelihood this was the work of the Evil Spirit was greater. Du Wei coldly retracted his gaze from the body and nced at the bathroom''s arrangement, then turned to look at Tom. "Where is her head?" "We''ve searched the entire house, but we couldn''t find it anywhere." Du Wei took note of this in his mind, nodded and asked, "Has anyone of your people entered this room?" Tom''s face showed some difort, "No, this case is a bit special. We don''t n to enter before the experts arrive, so as not to disturb the scene." Du Wei nodded, "Judging by the coagtion time of the bloodstains on the floor, it''s been over an hour. But without inspecting the body first, I can''t confirm her exact time of death." Tom acknowledged and then closed the bathroom door with disgust. Roy''s death was too horrific and bloody; even the most experienced police officers couldn''t help but feel psychological difort. "We can''t touch the body before the coroner arrives. They will take care of the rest." Tom took a deep breath and slowly said to Du Wei, "Also, you''ve been Roy''s neighbor for a long time. How much do you know about her?" Du Wei''s expression remained calm as a series of previous discoveries shed through his mind. For instance, she had left with a heavy suitcase, yet when they met again the next day, she imed that due to the rainy weather, she returned home after midnight and did not continue her journey. However, in fact, it hadn''t rained at allst night; the actual rainfall started at 6:16 AM. Du Wei was absolutely certain of the time, as he had almost stayed awake all night. And he saw Roy again after 7 AM; her umbre was wet. If she really had returned home at midnight, the umbre would definitely be dry. Of course, this couldn''t prove anything, he looked at Tom and said indifferently, "Not much, as far as I remember, Roy is a very solitary person. Although we are neighbors, we''re not close." "Okay, others have said the same. However, we''ve discovered that Roy had a boyfriend. Have you seen him?" Tom frowned and led Du Wei out of the bathroom. As they walked, Du Wei shook his head, "I haven''t seen him, what''s his name?" Tom replied, "Not sure, this person''s information only exists in Roy''s diary, and he''s referred to only by pronouns, without a real name." As he spoke, Tom asked again, "Also, this morning, when you saw Roy, what did you talk about?" After thinking for a moment, Du Wei said, "It was just a neighbor''s greeting early in the morning. She told me she was going to the supermarket and asked if I needed anything. She offered to bring it back for me." "So?" "I asked for a pack of cigarettes, the ck Forest kind for five dors a pack." "Alright, my friend... I think you should feel fortunate." When Tom heard the name of the cigarettes, his expression suddenly turned odd. Du Wei raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?" "I think you''ll understand once you see it, given your intelligence," Tom sneered and led Du Wei to a storeroom, pushing open the door. The room was empty, with an open ck stic bag on the floor. The room was devoid of a single ornament; the bare walls were exposed, and the ceiling had been removed, revealing the brown concrete roof. The floor, the walls, and even the ceiling were covered with red symbols drawn with paint. They were inteced with each other, resembling some sort of puzzle, yet seemingly following a specific pattern, simr to some of the Arrays of the Turin Cult. Du Wei stared at those symbols for a while and then suddenly sniffed, "There are traces of blood in there." Tom looked at him in surprise, "How do you know?" Du Wei''s face showed an odd expression, but he still spoke calmly, "I''m very sensitive to the smell of blood... I can distinguish it no matter how old it is." Tom clicked his tongue in amazement, "Well, now I believe you might really have majored in forensics in college." Then he put on gloves, walked over to the stic bag, parted it, and took out a pack of cigarettes, shaking it at Du Wei. "This is..." Du Wei didn''t look at him but kept his gaze on the open ck stic bag. Inside the ck stic bag were two sharp knives, deodorant, antiseptic, cleaner, air freshener, and an unopened ck dress, along with a bottlebeled Ethoxyethane. "Ether, huh..." Du Wei''s eyes turned slightly chilly, he was an exceedingly intelligent man and naturally cautious of Roy''s abnormal behavior. Asking her to buy cigarettes for him was, in fact, also an attempt to test the waters. What he hadn''t anticipated was that the woman had apparently nned to make a move on him. "See what I mean? If you hadn''te back when that woman was already dead, I might be setting up quarantine tape in your house right now," Tom said, whistling humorously as he tossed the cigarettes to Du Wei. Du Wei casually put the cigarettes into his pocket, touched the handgun he carried close to his body, and his face remained expressionless, filled with indifference. Chapter 15 015, Bus "Dr. Du Wei, regarding you, since both Aisha and Roy''s death cases are somewhat rted to you, please make sure to keep yourmunication lines open at all times during theing period," "If you encounter any trouble, please remember to call the police or contact me." "Also, regarding the situation at Roy''s house, please keep it confidential, as it rtes to your personal safety." "Besides, are you really not going to invite me over to your ce?" ... As the evening approached, the rain continued to pour. The professional personnel responsible for collecting the body arrived at the scene, took the body away, and sealed the entire house, prohibiting entry. All along, Roy''s missing head was nowhere to be found. After giving Du Wei some instructions, Tom and the others packed up and left. It was then that Du Wei made his way to his brand-new Subaru, opened the car door, and took the antique clock wrapped in a shroud from the passenger seat. Click... He turned the key and pushed open the door. Perhaps due to the continuous rain, the temperature inside the house was quite low, giving off a damp and chilly feel that was quite ufortable. At that moment, Du Wei''s brow suddenly furrowed, and he looked up at the second floor. Tap... Tap... At the top of the second-floor staircase, there were unusual sounds as if someone was walking.N?v(el)B\\jnn With a bang, The door behind him closed automatically, as if an invisible giant hand had fiercely pulled it shut. With a snap, The clock that hung on the wall had tilted and fallen to the floor, shattering its hands and scattering ss shards out in an arrowhead pattern on the floor in front of Du Wei. "It seems you killed Roy," With a calm tone and an unchanged expression, Du Wei spoke as if he didn''t care about the abnormal changes happening in the house. He directly walked to the wall where the clock had hung before. At this moment, the atmosphere inside the house was eerily silent, with faint and barely audible sounds whispering in his ears. From the corner of his eye, he also saw something mist-like. Calmly, Du Wei hung the shrouded antique clock on the wall, then untied the death knot, pulling both sides apart, the rotten woman''s arm that was stuffed at the bottom also dropped to the floor. But Du Wei did not pay any attention to it, instead focusing on the hands of the antique clock, his gaze very cid. Tick, tick, tick... On the clock face, the hands that had already stopped, ovepping each other, seemed to be infused with a new soul and power the moment the shroud was pulled apart, starting to move again. At the same time, Du Wei felt something abnormal in the house. This abnormality was hard to put into words, as if everything in front of him was pitch-ck, yet his feet stood on solid ground, creating a sense of contrast as if he couldn''t see, but could feel. In Du Wei''s perception, the entire house was filled with traces of Evil Spirits, something he was already aware of and therefore ustomed to, but now, as the shroud was removed and the evil antique clock began turning once more, The whole house became much quieter and more ordinary. The so-called bnce scale seemed to be tilting toward a positive angle. But Du Wei knew that even the calmestke surface often conceals whirlpools and undercurrents. If it wasn''t for the Exorcist responsible for New York taking time to arrive, if he wasn''t entangled by two Evil Spirits, if he wasn''t searching for a sliver of a chance to survive, Du Wei would not want to deal with these sinister matters at all. "Ding, ding, ding..." At that moment, Du Wei''s phone began to ring. ``` Pulling out his phone, the contact wasbeled Avery. Du Wei raised an eyebrow and pressed the answer button, "Good evening, Avery." "Phew, good evening, listen, I just got some news. Something dangerous happened in your area, right?" "Um... a neighbor died." "My God, I asked around, and heard it was some kind of psycho killer, the victim was a woman, and she died horribly. It''s very dangerous, and I''m really worried about you, you understand?" Hearing the concern in Avery''s voice, Du Wei fell silent for a moment before saying, "Don''t worry, the police will handle this." Avery spoke anxiously on the other end, "But what if something happens? Why don''t youe stay with me for a few days? I''m in a high-end district, the security is very strong, much safer than where you live." "No need, that''s not appropriate." As Du Wei spoke, he picked up a broom and began sweeping up the fragments of the clock, intentionally avoiding the rotting woman''s arm. The appearance of this thing was bizarre. Evil Spirits normally don''t have physical forms, but in Avery''s house, this strange Antique Clock had apparently produced a woman''s arm. And it could be taken care of with a single bullet. Clearly, this thing was not normal. Even the existence of an Evil Spirit seemed more scientific byparison. "Alright, Avery, that''s enough for today, I''m a bit tired and getting ready to rest." "Okay... if you change your mind, you cane to my ce anytime." Du Wei hummed in response, and then abruptly hung up the phone. Incidentally, he nced at the time. It was time to eat. ... Late at night, 10:25 PM. The rain in North Brook District was growing heavier, and as this city''s sewer system was poorly constructed, many streets were already submerged, with water levels rising in lower regions, submerging the majority of parked vehicles. At a street with less pooling water. "Damn it..." A man dressed in an Armani suit was standing under an umbre, rooted to the spot. A gust of wind made his umbre-hand jerk, causing him to stumble and get drenched in the rain. "Cursed weather, cursed taxis, why haven''t theye yet." The man cursed as he wiped the rainwater off his face, shivering involuntarily as the cold wind blew. At that moment, two beams of light shone from a distance. A public bus appeared,ing in and out of sight, stopping in front of him. Instinctively, the man looked up. It was an old bus that seemed like a relic from the ''70s or ''80s, but it looked well-maintained, otherwise it wouldn''t still be in service. The front door of the bus opened, the interior lighting was dim, and he could vaguely make out a uniformed driver and three passengers, two men and a woman, it seemed. However... This doesn''t seem like a bus stop, does it? The man turned his head to look and suddenly noticed, not far to his left, a pole with a bus icon on it. "Huh, did I miss it just now?" The confusion only lingered in the man''s mind for a moment before he dismissed it. He desperately needed a shelter from the rain, no matter where the bus was going, he didn''t want to wait like an idiot in the rain for that even more idiotic taxi. "Fuck, I''m definitely going toin about that damn taxipany, just you wait!" Folding his umbre, the man stepped onto the bus. In an instant, the door closed, and the entire interior was concealed by the door, leaving no trace to be seen or sound to be heard. ``` Chapter 16 016, Nightmare "Drip..." "Drip..." "Drip..." Moist, cold dropletsnded on his forehead, trickling down his cheeks and gradually soaking the pillow and the bedsheets below. The air became heavier and heavier, as ifcking oxygen, making it almost impossible to breathe, forcing him to open his mouth for heavy gasps, trying to maintain the oxygen supply to his lungs. "Ha... ha..." Du Wei felt as if something was pressing down on him, making himpletely immobile in bed, and no matter how hard he struggled, it was all in vain. He knew he was having a nightmare, but he couldn''t control himself to wake up. This was unimaginable. Any normal person, upon realizing they''re in a nightmare, would instinctively resist due to their body''s inherent nature, causing them to wake up from the dream. Like the sudden sense of weightlessness in sleep or unexpected heart palpitations. And those who specialized in studying human psychology and consciousness often could escape the dream in their subconscious or change the dream. But Du Wei couldn''t do it, or rather, he was trapped in a deeper level of dreams, only able to wait for the physiological awakening. His consciousness was chaotic, barely able to think, only enduring the experiences of the nightmare in a dazed state. Droplet after droplet of an unknown liquid fell on Du Wei''s face, some of it seeping into his eyes and mouth, an extremely unpleasant sensation. He felt a physiological revulsion, the smell of the unknown liquid making him instinctively agitated to no end, trying to scream, but it was useless. His past calm and rationality seemed like the poorest facade in the dream, and once pulled aside, what was exposed was an utterly ordinary soul, no different from you or me. Du Wei felt he was about to suffocate, unable to breathe. The fear brought on by the physiological effects was hard to suppress, difficult to remain calm in the face of it. Especially in dreams, where people are at their most vulnerable and most helpless. "Whoosh..." Du Wei let out a breath, his chest heaved violently, his body involuntarily arching upwards as he suddenly opened his eyes to see a woman dressed in nun''s habit hovering above him, opening her mouth, dripping dark brown blood from her fierce fangs. Body parallel, eyes met. It stared fixedly at Du Wei, its mouth curling into a bizarre smile filled with malice. Du Wei felt a sharp pain in his heart, an immense fear welling up from the depths of his core. His once clear and calm deep ck pupils suddenly constricted, and his eyeballs becameced with denseworks of blood vessels. ... May 18th, Monday, 2:19 a.m. Inside the bedroom on the second floor of the psychological counseling clinic. Suddenly, Du Wei sat up in bed, breathing slightly hurried, his face an abnormal shade of pale, like that of a patient recovering from a serious illness. He stretched out his right hand to support his forehead, rubbing it gently. "What a weird dream..." Du Wei''s voice was hoarse, his eyebrows tightly furrowed, disying great difort. Thinking of what he had experienced in the dream made him feel nauseated from the bottom of his heart, his stomach contracting faintly, with a strong urge to vomit. Throwing off the covers, Du Wei put on his slippers, intending to go to the bathroom. But as he reached the door, he stopped in his tracks. The bedroom door, which had been intact, had been destroyed two days ago during an encounter with the second evil spirit and he had taken it down. The new wooden door had not yet been delivered. So, at the moment, the bedroom''s entrance to the second-floor space waspletely unobstructed. And there, on the floor at the doorway. A basketball-sized object was quietly ced on the ground, with some shadows fanning out behind it, much like congealed bloodstains. Du Wei took a breath, his eyes turning extremely cold. He pressed down on the bedroom''s light switch with one hand, while the other hand pulled out a pistol from the pocket of his pajamas.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "I don''t have the habit of throwing things around, so is it the Evil Spirit again?" As the light turned on in an instant, the pistol''s safety was also released. However, what entered his view... Was a human head covered in dried blood. The shadows were chestnut hair, tangled with some bloodstains, appearing like weeds. Du Wei''splexion instantly took on a strange color. "A human head?" He held the gun and drew out the silver cross dagger that he kept on him, moving closer. "Is it Roy?" From such a close distance, Du Wei could see clearly the face of the head. The originally delicate features were now twisted beyond recognition. Therge amount of blood that had coagted under the skin presented a soy-sauce color. Only the eyes were wide open, revealing their original azure hue. And the massive wound below the head looked as though it had been brutally torn apart by an immense force. It was Roy... Du Wei''s eyes regained their calm as he walked over, not even ncing at the washroom. He had grown to calmly face these horrifying events that transcended reality, even reaching a point where he could ignore them to a certain extent. After all, whether it''s the Evil Spirit or some other strange creature, their powerrgely stems from human terror and emotions¡ªthe more violent the emotional fluctuation, the faster one dies. At that moment, inside the washroom. The light was normal, and the faucet had not mysteriously turned on by itself. Twisting the tap, clear and cold water flowed out. Du Wei washed his face, his mind bing clear. He stared at the bottom of the wash basin, took a deep breath, then turned and walked out of the washroom, back into the bedroom. Tap tap tap... The only sounds in the house were footsteps. Outside, the rain continued to fall without any sign of abating. And thetest weather forecast indicated that this kind of relentless downpour would persist for theing week. ... Early morning, 6:20. Du Wei drove away from the heart consultation clinic in his Subaru Impreza, heading straight for the church where Father Tony was. When he arrived, there were already several people praying in the church. Du Wei had no particr faith, nor did he have a liking for the church''s practices, so he just nced at Father Tony on the church''s podium and then found a corner to sit down in. At that moment, a woman sitting in front, with her head lowered and sobbing, caught his attention. From the back, the woman had a slight hunch, her ck hair tied into a ponytail, with a tank top that exposed her shoulders. Her skin was on the yellower side, suggesting she might be of Asian descent. In the West, praying is a very sacred act. When someone is praying and can''t control their emotions, leading to sobbing or crying, it often means that person is experiencing a pain and torment that ordinary people can''t endure. Du Wei remembered seeing some cases where killers and their family members, while praying, would be so emotionally agitated due to inner turmoil and anxiety that they ended up being reported and caught by thew. Of course, a priest would not do such a thing, because as a person of faith, a priest would never go against his principles and betray the secrets of any confessor. Watching the woman, trying to guess the reason for her sobs, suddenly, Du Wei''s eyes became dry, and a sharp buzzing sound filled his ears. Spirit Vision... Chapter 17 017. Golden Brooch Spirit Vision is the aftermath of the initial stage of an Evil Spirit''s corrosion. In some sense, as the corrosion by the Evil Spirit deepens, a person will experience more or less change, both physically and psychologically. At first, one will gradually start to see some strange phenomena, which mostly exist in the form of illusions. At this stage, Exorcists call it Spirit Vision. When the corrosion reaches deeper levels, it is simr to having Yin and Yang Eyes, allowing one to directly see Evil Spirits, but that depends on whether it wishes to be seen. It cannot be denied that the Evil Spirit has self-awareness, even though it is not a being in the conventional sense of understanding. Unlike Yin and Yang Eyes, Spirit Vision does not bring about any other changes to a person; instead, it causes them to sink deeper until their soul can find no rest and they die at the hands of the Evil Spirit. If it gets more severe, the person corrupted by the Evil Spirit will exhibit even more abnormal changes, which, of course, are seldom benevolent. They are a prelude to possession by the Evil Spirit. However, most people generally break down mentally at the Spirit Vision stage, lose control of their emotions, and are ultimately killed by the Evil Spirit, with few moving on to the next stage. After all, even the most experienced and resolute Exorcist would not dare to let themselves be haunted by an Evil Spirit, thereby allowing it to corrode and upy them, from the physiological to the psychological. Du Wei had always been telling himself to perceive Spirit Vision with the information he knew, to maintain a calm state. He knew what he had to do, and he was even more aware of his purpose. So no matter how bizarre and terrifying the things Du Wei saw through Spirit Vision were, he could face them calmly and solve the predicaments with his own methods. But at this moment, after entering the state of Spirit Vision, the sights he saw made him extremely ufortable and shocked. The woman with her back to Du Wei was sobbing softly, her shoulders twitching from time to time, clearly revealing the sadness within her heart. However, in Du Wei''s eyes, the scene waspletely different. Behind the woman, numerous gray particles and floating matter emerged into the air, almost enveloping Du Wei within. These dark particles converged together, taking on a misty form, with the description ''gnashing its teeth and waving its ws'' fitting perfectly. Without a doubt. The woman sitting in front of him was definitely rted to something eerie. It could be the Evil Spirit or possibly the Antique Clock she bought from Alex. But that wasn''t the most important thing. The most important thing was, through the dark mist, Du Wei saw an illusion about himself. He saw a dpidated street with only a few houses around, resembling a poor neighborhood. On the street surface, due to the torrential rain, the water had overflowed past his calves. He was standing under a streemp, drenched to the skin, pale-faced, his left hand supporting the light pole, his Right Hand clutching a Golden Brooch made mainly from gold, extremely delicate and luxurious in design, and thrust it forcefully towards his neck. In an instant, the sharp end of the brooch pierced into his neck, puncturing the artery and vocal cords, spewing blood out, staining the water at his feet a striking red. Then, his own body fell to the ground, gradually submerged by the umting water. As the rain continued to pour more heavily, his body was slowly carried by the water, as if there was some abnormality underneath. With a ''plop,'' Du Wei saw his own body turn over, eyes, mouth, and nostrils filled with mud, the features almost unrecognizable, looking particrly gruesome. "Huff... huff... huff..." Du Wei covered his chest, bowed his head, his breathing exceedingly rapid, his eyes full of confusion and shock. What exactly had he seen?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om An illusion? Or some kind of omen? Or perhaps it was some unknown malevolence, trying to undermine his sanity, but why was it that he saw himself dying? "Sir, sir, are you okay?" At this moment, the woman sitting in front of Du Wei noticed his difort and leaned over with a concerned look in her eyes. "It''s nothing, just feeling a bit unwell." Du Wei took a deep breath, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and waved his hand, indicating that he was fine. While speaking, he also took a look at the woman''s features. Her facial features had the softness characteristic of Easterners, but her eyes were brown, suggesting she was of Asian mixed-race. Seeing this, the woman did not pay Du Wei any more attention, turned her head, and seemed to lose herself in thought. However, this time she no longer sobbed softly, as though afraid of disturbing others. ... As the prayer time came to an end. People began to leave one after another. Father Tony also noticed Du Wei, his face showing surprise. He was about toe over to greet him when the mixed-race Asian woman stood up. "Father, the church over there¡­ When can¡­" The Asian woman looked back at Du Wei, who was sitting behind her with a cold expression, and hesitated to speak. Father Tony frowned slightly, nodded at her, and then said to Du Wei, "Mr. Du Wei, please wait a moment, I have some matters to attend to." With that, he gestured to the Asian woman, "Mrs. Mina, please follow me." "Okay, Father." As they spoke, they walked inside. Du Wei watched their actions with a faint flicker of thought in his eyes. He muttered softly, "The church over there? Is it because she encountered something strange and is seeking an exorcist?" Just now, in the presence of this woman, Du Wei unintentionally entered a state of Spirit Vision and saw an illusion of his own death. And now, she had brought up the church¡­ As Du Wei pondered, he subconsciously reached into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes, only to find it was the ck Forest brand that Roy had previously bought. After considering for a moment, he put it back into his pocket, intending to throw it away. At this instant, the woman known as Mrs. Mina rushed out, her eyes filled with grief and anger. After ncing at Du Wei, she left without looking back. "Mrs. Mina, please wait¡­" After Father Tony came out, he called out to her urgently, but shepletely ignored him, as if she had been provoked. "It''s over so soon?" Du Wei stood up and looked at Father Tony with a somewhat puzzled expression. "Yes, I didn''t expect Mrs. Mina to be so resolute," Father Tony sighed, turned to Du Wei, and said, "Let''s not talk about that. Do you have any business here today?" Du Wei nodded slightly, "Indeed, I had a very strange dream. I suspect it has something to do with an Evil Spirit." As he spoke, he pondered for a moment, then added, "Also, if possible, I''d like to find out about Spirit Vision." Father Tony said with some surprise, "Regarding Spirit Vision, I don''t know much, but I''ll request rted information from the church. As for the dream? What exactly did you dream about? Was it about Evil Spirits?" "Yes, I dreamed about a nun¡­" Chapter 18 018, The Nun (recommended for collection) In the church, the room where Du Wei firstmunicated with Father Tony. With an expressionless face, Du Wei recounted that bizarre dream from beginning to end. His memory was excellent, so he was able to recall every detail very clearly without worrying about missing anything. However, after Father Tony heard the whole story, his face turned extremely unsightly. "Are you sure what you described was actually wearing clerical clothing, and not some other attire? You know, many uniforms resemble the clerical clothing worn by religious officials." "I''m certain, and moreover, I saw fear in your eyes. What are you afraid of?!" Du Wei locked eyes with Father Tony, discerning fear and trembling within them, as if the meekestmb had encountered a ravenous tiger. "You wouldn''t understand, Mr. Du Wei..." Father Tony grasped his trembling right hand, trying to calm himself down, but it was to no avail. The fear originating from within was very difficult to ovee. "Take a deep breath, Father. Keep your breathing rhythm steady, get a hold of it. You''ll find that emotion is merely a human bodily mechanism," Du Wei said, frowning slightly as he calmly looked at him, trying to use suggestion to help Father Tony escape this state of fear. At the same time, he became even more curious: Why such a big reaction from Father Tony after hearing about the nun-like entity he dreamed of? Could it be that this entity was even more dangerous than an Evil Spirit? After all, even when he previously mentioned being targeted by two Evil Spirits, Father Tony had only expressed surprise and confusion. For Du Wei, this had already revealed a lot of information. But now... He couldn''t help feeling that the troubles guing him were not diminishing but seemed to be multiplying instead. At this point, Father Tony, following Du Wei''s advice, finally managed to stabilize his emotions. He took a deep breath. "Ah..." Father Tony looked at Du Wei and said with emotion, "Please forgive my earlier loss ofposure; the thing in your dream is too horrifying. From now on, please don''t use direct terms to describe it. I don''t want any association with such an entity." "Direct terms you mean?" Du Wei raised an eyebrow. He took out the medical case history and a pencil he carried with him, wrote down two letters on it, and then ced the paper on the table, sliding it towards Father Tony. Father Tony looked at the paper which read: T N It meant The Nun, but Du Wei only wrote the initial letters. "Yes, don''t bring it up again." Father Tony sighed and continued, "As you know, certain Evil Spirits have the ability to spread. Once you learn about them, they will target you." "And certain entities, even more dreadful than Evil Spirits, have a stronger capacity to spread. Once youe into contact with them, even through a name ornguage, they can propagate, bing a conceptual and terrifying existence." Du Wei frowned and said, "If, as you im, I have just mentioned the direct terms rted to it, then you must be targeted too." Father Tony replied, "That''s why it''s not its name, just a term." With that, Father Tony tapped the letters on the paper, looking at Du Wei very gravely, "It''s a curse, an unbreakable curse." Du Wei said calmly, "So you''re saying that I''ve been targeted again? How does itpare to an Evil Spirit?" "It''s many times more dangerous." Clearing his throat, Father Tony collected his thoughts, then spoke in aplex tone, "I mentioned to you before about the Exorcists in North Brook and the rest of New York." Du Wei nodded and said, "Yes, several groups of them have died. The new Exorcist sent by the church hasn''t arrived yet, which is why I''ve run into so much trouble." Father Tony pondered for a moment, then said, "Actually, six groups have died, a total of thirteen elite exorcists. The Church might not send anyone over for some time, at least not until a more capable exorcist is found." Hearing this, Du Wei couldn''t help but feel some irritation: "So Father, you''ve already reported my situation to the Church, haven''t you? But as you said, even if the Church confirms that I am indeed gued by an Evil Spirit, it''s going to take a long time before they send someone to deal with it, is that what you mean?" "I''m very sorry ¡­" "Then, tell me why." Du Wei wanted tosh out, but he knew it had nothing to do with Father Tony, whose role was perhaps just a logistical staff in the church responsible for providing information and supplies to exorcists. "Don''t tell me it has to do with the ghostly thing I''ve been dreaming about." Father Tony said helplessly, "That''s the truth. At first, no one knew how this thing appeared in New York. Later, some spected it might be a horrific presence inadvertently triggered by someone, but by then it was toote. Thirteen exorcists died in incidents rted to it." "Anyone who''s had more direct contact with it has met with mishaps." "Since its appearance, over two hundred ordinary people have died because of it." Having said that, Father Tony made the sign of the cross over his chest and closed his eyes in prayer. Yet Du Wei''s face remained calm, no trace of disturbance in his eyes. Over two hundred people may seem like a lot, but really, spread across all of New York, and even in the North Brook District, it wouldn''t cause any stir. After all, the Evil Spirits had many ways to kill: car idents, mishaps¡ªthings no ordinary person would think too deeply about, at most assuming there was a serial killer atrge. Furthermore, these victims had little to do with Du Wei; to put it bluntly, their rtionship was nothing substantial. His thoughts wereposed. Du Wei rubbed his forehead and asked Father Tony, "Then Father, the Church surely wouldn''t ignore such a terrible incident happening in New York, but no designated exorcist has been sent to deal with it. What''s the reason for that?" Father Tony sighed and said, "Because, thest exorcist used some method to restrain it. But looking at your condition, I''m guessing that this constraint is weakening, and soon it will take action."N?v(el)B\\jnn "Alright, I think I need this method." Du Wei was troubled; the two Evil Spirits in his home, plus a mysterious Antique Clock, were troublesome enough. And now, for some unknown reason, he had be involved with something even more terrifying. When exactly had it happened ¡­ Upon hearing Du Wei''s words, Father Tony shook his head and said, "I''m sorry, Dr. Du Wei, due to certain reasons, I can''t tell you the method to restrain it. Only the Church''s exorcists are privy to such critical information." "Is that so?" Du Wei looked into his eyes and noticed Father Tony''s eyelids were trembling slightly, his gaze drifting. He then looked at his hands, intertwined and rubbing against each other slightly. Clearly, it was just an excuse. So, he suddenly smiled, "What do I need to give in exchange?" Father Tony seemed surprised, as if unsure of how to respond, his mouth opened slightly, then he fell silent once more. Du Wei wasn''t in a hurry, just calmly watching him, as if the person who was anxious wasn''t him but Father Tony. About three minutes passed. Father Tony sighed and said, "If you insist, I do have a favor to ask of you." After speaking, he added, "It concerns Mrs. Mina. Her brother, Luke Conan Doyle, disappeared two days ago. What''s certain is that Evil Spirit, the same one that attacked you, was the one who went after him." "Of course, that incident is past, but its ramifications aren''t over yet. Mrs. Mina''s husband also encountered an Evil Spirit event during the rainy night yesterday. ording to hisst message, he was on a peculiar bus at the time, which was at 2:12." "Evil Spirits are contagious ¡­" "So, I want you to ride this bus, find out information about it, and try to limit its actions." Chapter 19 019, Bus Station Platform After hearing Father Tony''s words, Du Wei fell silent. He felt some resistance, and at the same time, he was reflecting. Anyone or anything rted to an Evil Spirit meant trouble and danger. Although he had resolved the trouble with Alex, it didn''t mean he had gained what could be called experience. Compared with exorcists who specialized in dealing with these events, he wasn''t professional at all and didn''t wish to be more so. After a long while, Du Wei stood up, looked into Father Tony''s eyes, and calmly asked, "Can I consider this a deal? I investigate the bus, find a way to restrict its movements, and then you''ll tell me the information I want?" "Yes, Mr. Du Wei." Father Tony also stood up, speaking earnestly, "You probably can guess my identity, but currently, the church has been slow in sending an exorcist. In the North Brook District, as well as other areas of New York, strange urrences are happening one after another; I need help." Du Wei scoffed, "So you think I can help you?" Father Tony nodded and said, "Yes, Mr. Du Wei, you are a very professional psychologist. Among all the people I''ve met who were troubled by Evil Spirits, you are the most calm and rational. If I didn''t know about your situation, I wouldn''t even associate you with Evil Spirits." Du Wei shook his head, "But the payoff isn''t proportional to the effort I''d be investing; your sincerity is not enough." Just telling him how to restrain something that had killed six exorcists in charge of New York¡ªbut even if he knew, what use would it be? There were no exorcists in New York now, was he supposed to take on the role himself? What a joke! He was a psychologist, not insane! Father Tony said through clenched teeth, "I can offer you artifacts belonging to an exorcist, more useful than what I sold you before." Du Wei said coldly, "I''m quite poor right now." "For free." "How useful?" Du Wei was somewhat tempted, but he still didn''t agree immediately. "About that..." Father Tony fell silent for a minute, his voice dropping a tone, "Let''s put it this way, the Holy Water I gave you before was diluted with water, and the Shroud was one that had been discarded." Instantly, Du Wei''s expression darkened, "What about the silver crucifix dagger?" Father Tony said awkwardly, "It can definitely be used for self-defense, right?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Upon hearing this, Du Wei rubbed his forehead with one hand and directly pulled a gun out of his pocket with the other. The pitch-ck muzzle was aimed straight at Father Tony. "If it''s about self-defense, my gun is more useful, don''t you think? Father Tony!!!" Du Wei said, grinding his teeth and enunciating every word. Father Tony''s face turned exceptionally pale, and he quickly raised his hands, saying, "Oh, Mr. Du Wei, please don''t be rash. It indeed used to have an effect on Evil Spirits, it was just a mistake. Besides, the items I provided youter were helpful to you, right?" Du Wei sneered, "How do you know that?" Father Tony replied, "Because the Spirit Vision symptoms you have are getting worse. There''s only one possibility; during this period, you''ve had direct contact with Evil Spirits again." Du Wei coldly looked at him and said, "Give me what I need, I want the best." Father Tony breathed a sigh of relief, "Of course, and I will also send the church''s information about Spirit Vision to your email." ¡­ May 18th, Monday afternoon, 13:01. Du Wei parked his car across from the mental health clinic, took a package from the passenger seat, slung it over his shoulder, and locked the car. When he reached the door, he looked up at his neighbor Roy''s house. Every window and door was sealed with tape. The istion tape hadn''t been removed either. But that was the only thing that could be done; Officer Tom had said the day before that this kind of bizarre murder case could only be archived and left unresolved in the end. Of course, the investigation would surely continue for a while, so until the matter was concluded, Du Wei might receive a summons from the police at any time. Pausing for a moment, Du Wei stood at the front door, thought for a bit, tossed the cigarettes Roy had bought into the trash bin, then opened the door and walked into his own house. Inside, the house remained as he had left it that morning. Only the Antique Clock on the wall kept ticking, its hands ovepping in a steady rhythm. Du Wei put the backpack on the sofa and grabbed some food and water from the fridge. He had barely eaten in thest two days, and facing a haunted bus required him to be in top condition; otherwise, he could encounter very troublesome situations, even if Father Tony had provided something for an escape, it wasn''t guaranteed to be safe. Sitting on the sofa, after eating, Du Wei took a sip of warm water, opened his backpack, and took out the case files for consultation. He flipped to his own entry. [Name: Du Wei] [Age: 25] [Gender: Male] [upation: Psychologist] [Condition: Suspected presence of two Evil Spirits at home, has encountered unexinable paranormal events] [Prescribed Medication: None] [Suggestions: None] Below that, he added more information: [Current Status: Severe Spirit Vision phenomenon, entangled by an unknown curse, extremely dangerous] [Resolution: Counterbnce the power of the Evil Spirits, wait for the arrival of the Exorcist] [Pending Tasks: Investigate the information about the unknown bus, find a way to restrict its movements] ¡­ Having finished writing, Du Wei ced the medical record in the cab. ording to Father Tony, he needed to board that bus; when the time came, he would not bring anything with him except the items in his backpack and his cellphone. Because anything else would only cause trouble. 2:20 PM. Du Wei received a text from Alex, reminding him to keep his promise for tomorrow. In the message, the other party also yfully used the word "date." After replying with an okay, Du Wei put down his phone and started to think about what he should do next. When facing a matter, he liked to have both the foreseeable and the unforeseeable under control and then analyze to find a solution. When he first graduated, he had worked at a medical institution, and it took him only half a year to climb to the position of deputy director. This was mostly due to his way of doing things. ¡­ Toward evening, the rain lessened a lot. But the sky was still overcast, obviously brewing something. asionally, lightning shed, carrying a hint of oppression that made it hard to breathe. Du Wei stood under an umbre at the dpidated street corner, by an abandoned bus stop sign. [The strange phenomena caused by certain items and matters are collectively referred to as Evil Spirit events. Most of these are far less dangerous than actual Evil Spirits, but there are very few exceptions.] [People who are eroded by Evil Spirits and enter the stage of Spirit Vision are more likely to directly see these things. And yet often, regr people can''t see anything.] [As the erosion of the Evil Spirit worsens, Spirit Vision will advance to the second and third stages. In the second stage, the Evil Spirits can be seen more directly; in the third stage, certain phenomena will ur that are iprehensible to ordinary people.] The above was from the internal information about Evil Spirit erosion obtained from Father Tony and the church. As Du Wei contemted this in his mind, he lit a cigarette for himself. He drew slowly on his cigarette, sending out rings of smoke. On the ground, the cigarette butt, having burned out, was gradually washed away by the rain. When the time reached 8:00 PM, Du Wei took out a small mirror, the size of a baby''s palm, from his pocket. Its style was ancient, and it was full of cracks. If thrown on the ground, probably no one would pick it up. However, it was once a medium for the presence of an Evil Spirit, butter on, it became rtively harmless after an Exorcist from the church eliminated the Evil Spirit within it. Holding the mirror in front of him, Du Wei''s face was reflected in the cracked mirror, creating dozens of distorted faces of various sizes. And the eerie part was that every single face carried a faint smile. The real Du Wei, outside of the mirror, had a calm expression. Then he heard a sharp buzzing in his ears and felt a faint pain in his heart. Putting away the mirror, Du Wei exhaled a puff of smoke; by now, he had grown able to endure the anomalies brought about by Spirit Vision. At that moment, in the night, amidst the veil of rain, two beams of light shone through, growing closer and closer. An old-looking bus gradually came to a stop in front of Du Wei. With a squeak... The front door of the bus opened while the back door remained still, as if no one was going toe down. Du Wei nced at the driver''s position but could only see a back silhouette because this old-style bus had a special istion window to protect the driver from harm. He tossed the cigarette butt on the ground. With his backpack on and the umbre retracted, Du Wei boarded the bus. Chapter 20 020, The passenger who suddenly broke in On the bus. Although it was an old-fashioned bus, the specific model might date back to thest century, the interior was maintained very well. The seats were neat and tidy, the windows were very clean, and aside from the dim lighting inside the bus, everything else waspletely different from what one would expect. There wasn''t even a hint of the sweat odor and exhaust smell that usually filled ordinary buses. Du Wei nced at the passengers inside the bus and then withdrew his gaze. He pulled a coin out of his pocket and dropped it into the fare box on the bus. After that, he wiped the water stains off his chest. That spot was hiding an extremely miniature invisible camera. The investigation begins... He silently said in his heart, without any intention ofmunicating with the driver, and emotionlessly walked towards the back seat of the bus. The space inside the bus wasn''t veryrge, so one had to stay alert and watchful. And the back seat offered a clear view of the entire bus interior. His steps were neither hurried nor slow. Passing the third row, Du Wei took a quick nce at a man sitting by the window using his peripheral vision. Out of all the passengers he had briefly scanned, only this man left the deepest impression on Du Wei. The man was dressed in a ck suit and wearing a baseball cap, which looked out of ce, and the long brim of the hat covered most of his face, obscuring his features. However, the skin that was visible was unsettling to look at. It was like he was a patient with vitiligo;rge patches of startlingly white skin were spread across his body, and the man kept his head against the window as if he were asleep. He continued walking towards the back of the bus. Further back sat an African American couple, both without much expression, their hair damp with moisture. They looked up as Du Wei walked by, then remained still. Without stopping, Du Wei reached thest seat, chose a spot next to the window, pulled up the hood of his jacket, ced his umbre next to his right hand, and then fell silent. A man with vitiligo, an African American couple, Du Wei, and the bus driver. There were only five people on the entire bus. Of course, there might only be one. ... The bus doors closed. It moved forward slowly. Du Wei took a nce outside the window; the rain was falling harder. It was already night-time when he got on, and the sky had turned even darker, making it nearly impossible to see any distinct structures, only vague silhouettes. Where this bus was headed, Du Wei wasn''t sure, but that was irrelevant to him. He had only two objectives. Uncover its information. Limit its actions. For the first objective, there was no need for Du Wei to do anything; he just needed to calmly wait for the bus to gradually reveal the hidden evil intent, with everything being recorded by the invisible camera on his chest. In the end, the camera and the stored footage would be handed over to the church by Father Tony. As for the second objective, He could only wait for now. But what struck Du Wei as strange was that ever since he boarded the bus, ''Spirit Vision'' had involuntarily disappeared. Generally, ''Spirit Vision'' was a by-product of being eroded by the Evil Spirit. Whenever he encountered anything rted to the Evil Spirit, or touched anything connected to it, he would involuntarily enter this state. He couldn''t help but entertain a thought in his mind. Perhaps it was a ''safe period'' right now. Under the cover of night, the rain grew heavier and heavier. In the distance, one could only see the bus steadily moving along, crossing streets, and turning onto a more remote route. ... Linda felt she was quite unlucky to be standing on a rural bus stop tform in such rainy weather, holding an umbre, waiting for thest bus that might not evene. As an outdoor livestreamer with over a hundred thousand followers, she was coaxed by her audience into doing a ghost-hunting show and went to the most terrifying deserted mansion in Esselgreen to look for paranormal activities. But the result was nothing at all, no ghostly figures, no strange sounds; aside from a higher number of mosquitoes, there was nothing else. Had she known this would be the case, she felt she should have arranged for some people in advance to create some special effects for the show, even if her followers saw through it, it would have been better than a bunch of people saying it was boring in the live chat. "Damn this weather, when will there finally be a bus, I''m almost frozen to death." After grumbling, Linda tightened her clothes, her umbre could only block rain but it couldn''t provide her with any warmth. She nced at her phone''s livestreaming app and saw many messages mocking her. [What happened to the ghost-hunting? Are we just watching you get bitten by mosquitoes?] [The guy above is retarded, right? Who these days watches female streamers for the program''s content?] [+1] [Seriously though, it''s really too dangerous for a streamer to be in the suburbs in this weather, I think she needs a man''s protection, like me, I''m well-built and strong.] [What''s the use of being strong, I have a gun.] [Like as if you''re the only one.] Linda saw thesements and thought helplessly: "I was nning to edit this live stream and upload it online, but now it seems I''d better not. It will just make people think I''m an idiot." At that moment, two dim headlights appeared in the distance, shining on Linda''s face as she looked down at her phone. She instinctively looked up and saw an almost vintage bus slowly driving through the rain, its dim headlights in the darkness, not only reminiscent of the eyes of some feline animals but also subtly unsettling. However, she didn''t think much of it and instead felt excited. "Hey... over here, here, someone''s here." As she spoke, she lifted her phone and aimed the camera at the bus as it approached, telling her viewers: "Great, thest bus I''ve been waiting for has finally arrived. I thought there wouldn''t be any buses in this kind of weather. Looks like I can make it home and get a good night''s sleep." [Rainy night,st bus, aftermarket, tsk tsk, is this like the death bus routine?] [Maybe it''s like the streetcar desire...] [???] [???] [Genius!] Linda was somewhat speechless; she remembered this genius viewer was from some small Asian country. Despite being a streamer, she actually wasn''t as open-minded as others thought. So seeing these kinds ofments, she felt somewhat disgusted. Just as she was about to remind this viewer not to discuss sensitive topics or else they would be banned, the bus slowly stopped in front of her. The sound of the bus door opening... For no apparent reason, Linda felt a chill wind blow across her and involuntarily shivered. She looked inside the bus and could only see dim lighting and the figure of the driver; the rest of the bus was silent, as if, besides her, there were no other passengers. She didn''t mind, considering taking a bus in such dismal weather was luck enough. Even though the bus seemed a bit old, it was definitely much better than staying in that abandoned mansion, getting blown by the wind, rained on, and bitten by mosquitoes. So, she stepped onto the bus and peered through to see four passengers, feeling a bit more at ease. A ck couple, a weirdo wearing a cap, and a handsome Asian man sitting at the back wearing a pack.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It seemed she wasn''t the only one out of luck in this weather. She shrugged nonchntly. Then, she turned her head toward the driver, who was separated by a partition window, and could only see the slightly hunched figure. Was it an elderly driver? She thought for a moment and asked with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Driver, how do I buy a ticket?" As her words fell, Linda suddenly felt a chill down her spine, her hair stood on end, and she was covered in goosebumps. And inside the bus, as soon as she uttered those words, everyone simultaneously looked up, staring at her with nk expressionless faces. Chapter 21 021, Next stop In the back of the bus, Du Wei watched expressionlessly as the white woman posed a question to the driver. Knowing that there was something wrong with the bus, he never intended to interact with anyone on board, so he hadn''t spoken a word. As for the so-called ticket, he had only tossed in a coin. The driver neither gave him a ticket nor made any gesture, and the same was true for the other passengers. Apparently, no one cared, as if there was no such thing as a ticket. Therefore, Linda''s actions made him somewhat anticipate what would happen next. ... After questioning the driver, Linda had an eerie feeling, as if she had asked a question she shouldn''t have. She nced at the door, which had slowly closed, making it impossible for her to get off now even if she wanted to. At that moment, the driver extended his hand to point at the fare box, then retracted it. "Okay¡­ okay." Linda sighed with relief, quickly took out her wallet, and threw a ten-dor bill into it. She didn''t dare ask for change and hurriedly walked to the back of the bus. During this process, Du Wei noticed that the driver''s body had not moved at all, only mechanically extending his hand to point at the fare box. Normally, when a person or animal moves a limb, it moves the whole body, as stretching out a hand would inevitably cause the shoulder des to move due to muscle action.N?v(el)B\\jnn Even a corpse can''t ignore the physiological mechanics of its structure. But this driver hadn''t. Itpletely defiedmon scientific knowledge. Du Wei shifted his gaze away from the back of the driver, it seemed certain that on this bus, the driver was currently showing the most problems. As for the other passengers... Du Wei nced out of the corner of his eye at the white woman walking towards him, and then at the rest of the passengers. It seemed like everyone was behaving abnormally, but he couldn''t pinpoint what was wrong. "Hey... handsome, can I sit here?" Du Wei''s thoughts were interrupted, and he looked up with a cool, calm gaze at the white woman who had spoken. She felt ufortable under his scrutiny, "Uh, hello, my name is Linda." Linda thought it strange that all the people on this bus seemed so indifferent, as if they were all self-centered, with no desire to interact much with others. Du Wei remained silent, not saying a word. He didn''t want to stand out too much before things were over. Not knowing the true nature of all the "people" on board, blending in seemed the safest way. Linda didn''t expect this handsome man in front of her to have zero intention of speaking with her, making her feel rather awkward. Is aloofness the trend among attractive men these days? So, she sat in thest row, on the window side to the right, far from Du Wei. After she sat down, the driver started the vehicle and began driving towards the next stop. Seeing this, Linda breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out her phone to look at the viewers in her live stream. Many viewers became active after Linda boarded the bus, especially after seeing the aloof Du Wei, as numerous female viewers started to send a barrage ofments. [Oh, this Asian man is so handsome.] [While he''s not white, his looks really match my taste.] [Strongly requesting the host to get his contact info, I want to sleep with this cool Eastern hunk.] Linda was somewhat speechless; within a short while, the live streaming room had been swamped withments from many female viewers, making her feel a bit ufortable¡ªa reaction these women wouldn''t normally evoke. But honestly, this aloof Eastern man really looked handsome and so charismatic! She felt a stirring in her heart too, but after some thought, she let go of the idea. Such a cold man seemed difficult to approach, and if she were rejected, it would be too embarrassing. Normally, that would be okay, but now, she was live streaming. Being humiliated in front of countless viewers¡ªshould she even continue streaming? However, Linda didn''t notice one of thements in the live streaming room. [Isn''t this Du Wei, the doctor from New York''s North Brook District? A friend of mine has seen him for psychological counseling before. Why has he suddenly shown up in Esselgreen?] Esselgreen is a city located more than fifty kilometers away from New York. It would take an hour by normal vehicr travel. And even longer by bus. Next to her, Du Wei took out his phone and checked the time; it was 20:14. From boarding to the first stop, only 14 minutes had passed. If the interim stops were subtracted, the first station took around ten minutes. Due to the heavy rain outside the window, the scenery was not visible, so it was impossible to estimate the speed. Nevertheless, Du Wei felt that with this weather, the speed was probably around 50. At that moment, he casually nced at Linda sitting at the furthest right, her head lowered, looking at her phone, not knowing what she was doing. A faint sound came through, as if she weremunicating with someone. Then, Du Wei no longer paid attention to her, because at that time, the man sitting in the front, wearing a duckbill cap and a suit that seemed out of ce, and who suffered from albinism, walked over. The duckbill cap covered the upper half of his face, leaving only his mouth and nose visible, the expression on which was stiff and utterly devoid of emotion. His gait was also strange, as if he had difficulty with his legs, always dipping his left shoulder slightly when he walked. He was limping. With an equally expressionless look, Du Wei watched him but subtly lifted his chest so that the hidden camera could record the entire process and the man''s face. The man with albinism didn''t look at Du Wei; he just walked until he stopped at the back of the bus, staring at Linda on the far right. Linda instantly looked bewildered, uncertain how to react as she regarded the man. "Excuse me, is there something you need?" Noticing that his gaze was firmly locked onto her, she spoke up to inquire. However, the man with albinism remained silent, continuing to look down at her, creating an eerily strange atmosphere. From the corner of his eye, Du Wei observed the two while also watching the actions of others on the bus. Others referred to the African-American couple. Strangely enough, the couple seemed immersed in their own world, turning a blind eye to the scene unfolding in the back of the bus. Suddenly¡­ The man with albinism moved¡­ He extended his right hand,rgely covered in white patches, and pointed at Linda, his mouth curving into a peculiar smile. Then he turned his head andpsed into silence. Immediately, Du Wei furrowed his brows. So far, nothing out of the ordinary had happened on the bus, except for these peculiar passengers. But he could not theorize what these passengers were up to¡­ What exactly they wanted¡­ Moreover, Du Wei noticed that the man with albinism was standing near the exit of the bus. Could it mean that his destination had been reached? Chapter 22 022, Scarecrow At this moment, Linda was utterly confused and perplexed by the behavior of the man with vitiligo wearing a duckbill cap. But since he had already turned his head away and was no longer looking at her, she didn''t think too much about it, only feeling that perhaps besides the skin condition, there might also be something wrong with the man''s mind. She continued interacting with her live stream audience, but many viewers were sending messages filled with supernatural elements, talking at length about the terrifying urban legends of buses, casting a very spooky atmosphere in the live stream. So, Linda had no choice but to reply with half-heartedments every now and then, trying to change the subject. Actually, she was not very brave, especially in such weather, on such a strange bus, she was even less willing to discuss topics of the supernatural. Most of the time, the source of fear is multifaceted. Some people are afraid of the unknown. Some are simply afraid of the dark. Some have a fear of heights. Others fear the ocean. Simply put, it''s ack of security. A bus is a closed space that''s always moving, and no matter what, it cannot provide the sense of security thates with standing on solid ground. And Du Wei, who was sitting on the far left by the window, was multitasking, watching the time on his phone while also observing the man with vitiligo. At 20:20, he could distinctly feel the bus slowing down and graduallying to a stop. The rear door opened, and a gust of cold air blew into the bus, hitting Du Wei and Linda, who were sitting in the back, instantly making them feel a bone-chilling cold.N?v(el)B\\jnn Outside, the rain poured down heavily, the sky was frighteningly dark, and in the distance, one could vaguely make out an expanse of wheat fields, with a small house lit up somewhere far off within the fields. Watching the man calmly, Du Wei''s heart filled with deep suspicion. He had lived in New York for a year or two, and before he was afflicted by the Evil Spirit, he too had driven around, exploring the entire city and its suburbs. However, to his disappointment, the city called New York was not at all as grand as he had imagined. At best, it seemed like a second-tier city. But the suburbs of a second-tier city had no so-called wheat fields. So where on earth was he now? He immediately opened the GPS on his phone, only to find that it was constantly shing. ... At that moment, the man standing by the rear door gestured to Linda, as if he wanted her toe with him. But Linda was even more confused by the man''s action and shook her head without a second thought. Joking aside, getting off the bus in the middle of the night with a strange man would be madness unless she lost her mind! Seeing this, the man with vitiligo seemed somewhat angry, emitting a heavy, raspy breathing noise from his throat. "Ding..." A sharp and urgent bell rang out inside the bus. Everyone''s eyes turned to the front of the bus, where the driver, who had only shown his back, had pressed the bell. As the bell stopped ringing, the man with vitiligo stepped off the bus without hesitation, stood outside, raised his head, and looked at Linda inside the bus. Throughout the entire time, Du Wei had been observant of the man. While in the bus, due to the duckbill cap, he had not been able to clearly see the man''s face, but now, from his higher vantage point and with the man looking up into the bus, Du Wei had a clear view. He saw. Under the duckbill cap was a face covered with white patches, reminiscent of a certain moth, but the sight of his eyes brought about an extremely nauseating sense of difort. Where one would expect to find eyes, there were two round balls made up of straw, irregr and somewhat coarsely textured. But no matter how one looked at it, it invoked an instinctual fear. In an instant, Du Wei felt his stomach churn, and a sharp buzzing sound filled his ears as he directly entered into a state of Spirit Vision. Now, he saw the man outside the bus was actually a corpse, and behind him stood an entity made of straw, just like the scarecrows made by farmers to prevent birds from pecking at their crops. Two bundles of straw were thrust into the back of the man''s head, connecting the two. There was no doubt that this entity was manipting the corpse. Du Wei also noticed that the Scarecrow''s left leg had a wound from some kind of de, and though it was a straw body, it was not hard to understand why the man''s left shoulder had sagged when he walked before. After taking a deep breath, Du Wei felt his scalp tingle¡ªwas this thing also an Evil Spirit? Linda, on the other hand, was terrified into a stupor, trembling uncontrobly, even dropping her phone to the floor. It wasn''t until the bus doors closed and it started moving forward that she slumped to the ground, gasping for air violently. "Heh¡­" Linda breathed with difficulty. During those few seconds of eye contact, her mind went nk. She had been unable to even scream, nearly copsing entirely. Then she twisted her head, covering her mouth as she looked at the other people inside the bus. The driver seemedpletely unaware of what was happening behind him, continuing to drive. The ck couple was cuddling together, seemingly as if nothing had happened. Her gaze then shifted to Du Wei, sitting expressionless on the left, which only heightened her sense of terror. More coincidentally, Du Wei was also looking at her, which scared her so much that she immediately pressed her back against the bus body, her eyes full of fear and caution. Du Wei looked away, no longer pouring his attention on her, and he felt slightly relieved internally. He had been worried that this unfamiliar woman would start screaming in fright, but unexpectedly, she managed to keep a bit ofposure, which was arguably the best possible oue in this situation. After that, the entire bus fell into a silence akin to death. Under the night sky, the bus continued to move forward as if it would never stop. Du Wei rubbed his temples, starting to think. Based on the current situation, Father Tony had made a grave error in judgment. He assumed that the bus was haunted by an Evil Spirit. But in reality, this was not the case. The most abnormal thing at present seemed to be the passengers inside the bus. A man with vitiligo was actually a corpse controlled by a Scarecrow. A ck couple that remained in their own world the whole time showed no abnormal behavior, because as the bus doors closed, he had exited the state of Spirit Vision. And the remaining woman seemed the most normal in appearance. Du Wei had seen Linda''s phone screen¡ªshe appeared to be a streamer, and for now, she seemed like an ordinary person who unwittingly boarded the bus. Du Wei exhaled, stopping his contemtion. For the time being, he could only be sure of two things. First, the bus didn''t seem to pose a danger; it was the passengers that were potentially dangerous, as they might not be human. Second, the bus had the ability to iste the state of Spirit Vision. It seemed to follow certain rules, as evidenced by the peculiar Scarecrow that got off the bus as soon as the bell rang, without making any other moves. Suddenly, Du Wei turned his head to nce at Linda. Shaking, she held her phone and slowly edged closer. With fear in her voice, she asked in a barely audible whisper, "I know your name is Du Wei, and you are a psychologist, right?" Chapter 23 023, push her down When Linda uttered Du Wei''s name and upation, his expression carried a hint of surprise. Clearly, Linda understood his meaning and whispered, "I''m a broadcaster; it was the viewers who messaged me privately." Concise and clear. Du Wei nced ahead, saw that no one was paying attention, and nodded imperceptibly. "Do you know where this bus is heading? I''m really scared, that monster from just now, you must have seen it too." As she spoke, Linda''s face still showed lingering fear, and her throat moved with difficulty. Then she added, "My viewers told me that an hour ago on the North Brook news segment, the police announced a car ident, the victim was that man we saw just now." Du Wei narrowed his eyes and gestured for her to be quiet with a shushing motion. Afterward, he typed something on his phone and then tilted the screen toward Linda. [Where did you board this bus?] Seeing this, Linda sighed with relief, thinking thatmunication was possible and this Asian man must be sane. Therefore, she also took out her phone, shut down the live broadcast app, opened the notes app, and began typing. [It was the outskirts of Esselgreen. Dr. Du Wei, can you help me? I''m really scared.] [I''m sorry, I can only remind you to remain calm and not make any deliberate actions. Now, please return to your seat and wait quietly.] After putting his phone back in his pocket, Du Wei no longer paid attention to Linda. The current situation was quite eerie; had it not been for his desire to get information from Linda, he probably wouldn''t have bothered to advise her on what to do, given his personality. Of course, Du Wei knew that the advice he offered Linda was just his conjecture; whether it would help was still unclear. After all, up until now, the bus had exhibited no abnormalities, making it impossible to discern what it intended to do. Even its destination and the next stop were unknown. The only certainty was that those who encountered this bus, be they human or not, might be in any city, at any location. It could only be said that this bizarre bus defied all logic. Linda opened her mouth but seeing that Du Wei was no longer engaging with her, she immediately felt anchorless. Just an ordinary woman, she was already calm enough not to scream in madness from such an ordeal, yet the only person she could be sure was sane and seemed very reliable was unwilling to pay her any heed, leaving her somewhat at a loss. What should she do? With no choice, Linda cautiously made her way back to her seat while watching Du Wei. She felt that this psychologist must know something. Because his gaze was so tranquil, it was easy to be influenced by it during eye contact. While Linda got lost in her thoughts... With a hiss¡ªthe bus came to a stop. Not much time had passed since itst halted. Du Wei frowned, noticing that the ck couple inside the bus had no intention of leaving, yet there was no sign that the front door was opening. "What''s happened?" He asked himself, suddenly recalling something he had ignored. In an instant, Du Wei gasped, immediately turning his gaze toward the rear bus door. As expected... The next second, the back door opened... Outside, the heavy rain continued unabated, forming puddles on the ground. A man in a suit with a duckbill cap, dressed ludicrously, stood in the rain. His eyes were reced with straw balls, and his body soaked by the rain, he stood in the mud, looking up into the bus. Du Wei met his gaze, knowing that the figure wasn''t actually looking at him but at Linda because, just before, it had tried to persuade Linda to get off with it. It was clear that its target was Linda. And Linda herself was also very frightened and afraid; her whole body was nearly curled up into a ball, staring out the window in horror. What was happening? Why had the bus returned to the original point? Could it be that this eerie man had set his sights on her? Linda didn''t possess the ability of Spirit Vision like Du Wei, so to her eyes, the man was nothing more than a corpse with its eyes reced by straw, unaware of why it appeared on this bus. She couldn''t see behind the man, where a Scarecrow presence lurked. At this moment, Du Wei was also puzzled¡ªif on this bus, Evil Spirits or other unknown entities were subject to some form of restraint, then they were undoubtedly wary of the ghostly bus. But now, for what reason had the bus returned to thest stop? Du Wei didn''t think it was due to the influence of a Scarecrow. Because if it had that kind of power, it wouldn''t have decisively left the bus after the driver pressed the bell. Could it be... Did the bus want Linda to get off? As Du Wei pondered, the ck couple suddenly stood up and directly approached Linda. The ck woman, with a nk expression, said, "You shouldn''t stay on this bus, it will only lead to our death." Linda''s mind went nk, and she asked subconsciously, "What do you mean?" The ck woman pointed at the man outside the bus and said, "He just wanted you to get off, didn''t he?" Linda immediately shook her head, "No, that''s absolutely not okay, I can''t get off." The ck man said impatiently, "Hey... Listen, we don''t want to throw you off, because that would mean murder, but you have to understand, at every stop, Evil Spirits or people get on the bus and some get off. And this damn ghost thing has obviously targeted you; if you don''t get off now, something terrible might happen, and then we all might die." When he said this, the ck man pointed at the corpse standing outside the bus door, his face wearing an ugly expression, clearly recalling some unpleasant memory. Seeing this, Du Wei thought to himself, "This ck couple seems to have spent a long time on the bus, knowing some hidden things." And the terrible things he mentioned seemed to cause them great fear and resistance. Then Du Wei nced at the man outside the bus who was drenched, his suit now crumpled, with his trouser legs covered in mud. Unknowingly, he had entered the state of Spirit Vision. He saw the eerie Scarecrow tilting its head and beckoning to him with a smile drawn by a graffiti pen, emanating an insidious eeriness. It was targeting him. This thought shed through Du Wei''s mind. At this point, the ck couple seemed impatient, stretching out their hands to grab Linda''s clothes, trying to push her outside of the bus. "No, you can''t do this, this is murder." Linda resisted frantically, but could not withstand the strength of two people; her heart filled with despair, she hugged the seat, refusing to let go. God knows what would happen once she left the bus. Seeing this, Du Wei frowned, noticing that the driver had not made any move regarding the events happening inside the bus. As if he simply didn''t care at all. In his ears, a sharp buzzing sound was somewhat weakened, but the vague pain in his heart grew more noticeable¡ªa change caused by the eerie Scarecrow.N?v(el)B\\jnn It seemed thatpared to Linda, he had also be one of its targets. He had to do something. Thinking this, Du Wei stood up, one hand reaching into his pocket, while the others immediately turned to look at him. The ck couple gave him a warning look, signaling him not to meddle. Linda, as if grasping at hope, was too excited to speak. With an expressionless face, Du Wei looked at the ck couple, pulled out a handgun from his pocket¡ªthese two weren''t Evil Spirits, so bullets were much more useful than anything else. "I think, it would be best for you to return to your seats." Chapter 24 024, bang... The atmosphere inside the carriage was unbearably tense. Linda hid behind Du Wei, her hands tightly clutching the seat, refusing to let go. With a backpack on and a gun in his hands pointed at the ck couple''s heads, Du Wei''s face was utterly indifferent. The ck couple, facing the dark muzzle of the gun, felt chills all over and instinctively raised their hands, stepping back. "Hey... buddy, calm down a bit, can you put that thing away?" The tone of the man in the couple immediately softened, unable to believe that the Asian man in front of him was carrying a gun. Even in a country where possessing guns ismon, people rarely choose to carry them around. Having a legal gun doesn''t mean the police won''t intervene. If discovered, one would be subject to scrutiny from all sides until it is confirmed that the purpose of carrying a gun is not threatening and won''t lead to arbitrary acts of violence. Only then will you be left alone. But even so, it would be recorded in the files. If a shooting urs, you would be one of the primary suspects. The ck man inwardly cursed "fuck," looking at Du Wei with his cold expression and backpack, he couldn''t help but think of the cold-blooded killers in some movies and TV shows. "Everything we said was true; this woman needs to get off, or else something terrible will really happen." "I know, so now, move back immediately, back to your seats." Du Wei first nced at the driver who had shown no reaction at all, then nodded at the ck couple with the same indifference on his face. He stepped forward, forcing the two people back. At such close range, just pulling the trigger would instantly kill them. However, his goal was not to kill, for that would only bring endless troubles, and he was not ready to spend the rest of his life in jail. Besides, if he really wanted to kill someone, he wouldn''t use such a low-level method. In his phone were stored the pictures from the posts that Conan Doyle sent, which were used as the medium for the Evil Spirit''s spread. Killing someone silently and without a trace was shockingly simple. "Alright, Asian man, you''ve won, but you''re going to get us killed." The ck couple, seeing Du Wei''s cold expression and the gun pointed at their foreheads, could only reluctantly return to their seats. Seeing this, Du Wei turned away from them and looked towards the eerie corpse standing outside the rear door. To be precise, it was the Scarecrow behind the body that only he could see. At this moment, the phenomena of Spirit Vision on Du Wei''s body intensified, the humming in his ears had diminished substantially, but the throbbing pain near his heart became more pronounced. Most importantly, he could clearly feel the malevolence in the eyes of the eerie Scarecrow outside the door in the rain, staring intently at him. Apparently, as opposed to Linda, its target seemed to have suddenly shifted, from Linda to himself. Spirit Vision isn''t merely a visual effect in the conventional sense, but something like a sixth sense or intuition. He could even feel that outside the vehicle, the falling rain, the muddy ground, and the oppressive wheat field, all seemed to be filled with tant evil intent. The most intense was the eerie Scarecrow manipting the corpse. Thus, in the incredulous gaze of the ck couple and Linda, Du Wei calmly aimed the gun at the corpse''s head and pulled the trigger. Bang... A gunshot rang out. Unexpectedly, the head of the corpse was blown apart by the shot, and the impact of the bullet carried chunks of decaying flesh backwards, sans any trace of blood, as if it were hollow inside. But then Du Wei''s brow furrowed because even though the corpse had lost its head, the eerie Scarecrow seen under the Spirit Vision remained unaffected. "It seems I misunderstood, the corpse is not your medium." Du Wei''s gaze was cold and unaffected, feeling no surprise. Last time, in Alex''s house, he encountered a rotting woman''s arm that could be destroyed by physical means. Now it seemed, there were significant differences between Evil Spirits. Yet, his action had infuriated the iprehensible Scarecrow, which began to stride forward, its movements perfectly mirroring those of the corpse, as they made their way to the bus door. The ck couple inside the bus was terrified, frozen for a minute before reacting to Du Wei''s decisive gunshot. "My God, what have you done? You lunatic, close the door quickly, if we close the door, we''ll be safe for now." Du Wei nced at them before turning back and putting away his gun, then he pulled out a ss bottle from his backpack. Inside was the Holy Water distributed to the New York Exorcists by the church, not the diluted, inferior kind given by Father Tony before. By this time, the corpse, having lost most of its brain, had reached the bus doors. Inside the bus, Linda was on the verge of copsing, her only shred of sanity causing her to cover her mouth, trembling violently as she chose to whimper softly. In stark contrast to her, Du Wei''s face was calm, as if everything was under control, just like the most skilled Exorcist. He unscrewed the bottle and sshed the Holy Water directly onto the corpse, or more precisely, onto the sinister Scarecrow behind it. He acted swiftly, without the slightest hesitation. The next second, the corpse with most of its brain blown away fell on the back door of the bus, and the terrifying Scarecrow, as if it had seen the most frightening thing, detached from the corpse and rushed into the brooding wheat field. Seeing this, everyone was stunned. "My God... this..." "How did you do that?" "Superpower? Magic? Are you Superman?" Neither the ck couple nor Linda could see the eerie Scarecrow; in their eyes, the corpse had been causing trouble from the start. So, when Du Wei took out a bottle and poured the water on it, effortlessly disposing of the corpse, their minds were muddled, unable toprehend what had happened. "I am a psychologist," Du Wei said coldly as he kicked the corpse aside, then calmly closed the bus door. In an instant, the bus, as if receiving a signal, began to slowly move forward. Left behind, a duckbill cap was lifted by the wind, drifting towards the brooding wheat field and finallynding on the head of a Scarecrow, covering most of its face. ... The bus traveled smoothly in the rain. Inside, Du Wei walked up to the ck couple, who, frightened, quickly leaned back, regarding him with fearful eyes. Compared to the corpse, this mysterious Asian man seemed even more terrifying. After all, a person who carried a gun was certainly no good man. "Now, can we talk about this bus?" Du Wei surveyed the two from a position of authority, looking down at them. "What... what do you want to know?" Finishing his question, the ck man''s voice trembled as he added, "I mean, I''ll tell you everything I know." Du Wei pointed at himself and then at Linda, who was still immersed in fear, and then at the couple, saying, "We can now be certain we''re all human, so there''s no need for you to be too scared." "Now, tell me how you got on this bus and everything you know."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 25 025, Shell "Well, Doctor, I don''t think you''ll believe this, but if it hadn''t been for this damned heavy rain making taxi fares too expensive, we never would''ve chosen to wait at the bus station in downtown Yard City. After we got on the bus, we didn''t notice anything wrong," "You mean Yard City, over two hundred kilometers north of New York?" "Yes, is there a problem?" "No, please continue." "Right, at first, we did the same as you, tossing a Coin and simply taking a seat. At that time, there were two other... people? I can''t be certain." "They got off?" "Yes, a woman in a drab dress with withered hair got off first, then at the next stop, another person got on. He must''ve been a programmer because he was wearing a id shirt and carrying aptop bag." "And then?" "Then, the remaining person gestured to the programmer toe off the bus as he got off." "He didn''t follow them off, so something terrifying happened afterward?" "Exactly..." Du Wei and the ck man quickly went back and forth, summarizing the events. He began to think. Considering the eerie Scarecrow from earlier, the woman in the drab dress could also be some kind of Evil Spirit. After a moment of thought, he asked, "Tell me what happened next." The ck man licked his lips, recalling with terror, "At first, we didn''t think anything was wrong, but when the bus stopped again, we saw that person once more." "He gave off a strange feeling, I can''t remember what he looked like at all, I only knew he was male. That programmer was curious, asking how he had caught up to the bus, then the programmer realized something was wrong." "But by then it was toote. As he approached the bus door, the man gestured for him, and the programmer moved his legs to get off, just like a puppet." "I wasn''t sitting where I am now, so I was close to the programmer. I grabbed him and hastily closed the bus door." "Because I saw that outside was a cemetery, my grandmother was a believer of the Turin Cult, so... you probably understand..." Du Wei nodded, "Continue." The ck man took a breath and said, "Then, the bus kept moving forward, stopping again in the same ce. That ghostly man was still standing by the cemetery, and we all were terrified, desperately pulling at the rear door." "However, the man who had gestured suddenly appeared inside the bus; his body was rapidly decaying. Can you imagine that sight? I even saw a bunch of worms crawling out of his mouth, and the whole bus''s lights turned a ghastly pale." Du Wei calmly asked, "And then that man, whose face you can''t remember, took the programmer away?"N?v(el)B\\jnn The ck man''s expression was very strange, "I can''t be sure because the lights kept flickering and finally plunged into darkness. When the lights came back on, they had disappeared, and everything was as if nothing had ever happened." At this point, he pointed at the bus lights overhead. Du Wei also looked up, "An old built-in light, looks like something from thest century." "What about the driver? Was he, like this time, showing no reaction at all?" "He''s a dead man..." The woman among the couple looked up at the driver''s seat and emotionlessly uttered. After listening, Du Wei paid no more attention to the ck couple; he decided to take a look and collect more information. It wasn''t that he didn''t believe them, but he had his own agenda. Du Wei had chosen to ride this bus to investigate and limit its movements. He needed the invisible camera on his chest to record everything to exchange for what he wanted from Father Tony. Watching Du Wei''s retreating figure, the ck couple exchanged nces and simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. In their eyes, the indifferent and self-proimed Doctor Du Wei brought pressure almost as distressing as the Evil Spirit. Because the man''s calmness when firing a gun was really no different from the most cold-blooded assassin. And Linda, curled up in the back seat, had also regained some sanity by now. She looked at Du Wei with grateful eyes, but her look towards the ck couple was filled with deep hatred. Gratitude was only momentary and would dissipate quickly with time. And hatred, like wine, settles and ferments, bing only more concentrated over time. ... Du Wei made his way to the driver''s seat, peering at the driver through the partition window. From this angle, he could clearly see the driver''s face. Pale and cold. It was covered in wrinkles; obviously, the man was elderly. Of course, Du Wei had not forgotten the moment earlier when Linda had inquired about bus fare and the driver had pointed to the coin box. He slid his hand into his clothing, gripping the cross-shaped dagger but not drawing it. In fact, the object had been re-immersed in Holy Water. Although he did not understand the principle, ording to Father Tony''s exact words¡ªit indeed couldbat Evil Spirits. Du Wei adjusted his position and studied the old man carefully. He noticed that, even as the bus moved, the driver''s hands were always tightly grasping the steering wheel, yet there were no signs of any movement, and his feet were not on the gas pedal. However, the bus''s route seemed to change asionally, and its speed was gradually slowing. "So the driver is just a prop, and the bus is moving on its own?" Du Wei silently questioned in his mind before abandoning the idea of doing anything to the driver, like dousing him with thest half-bottle of Holy Water. Because he suspected that the bus itself was an Evil Spirit, or a simr entity, just like the Antique Clock hanging in his own home¡ªa type of strange existence. The driver, in a sense, could be considered a medium. Du Wei didn''t want to find out what would happen after touching the medium, because that would mean facing unknown dangers. So far, the investigation had yielded enough information. As for limiting its actions, Du Wei only nned to wait until after the rain stopped. By now, he had roughly deduced the pattern of the haunted bus¡ªit was rted to the torrential rain. Simultaneously, anywhere it was raining heavily, the bus could appear, which was evident from the ces where Linda and the ck couple had boarded. Therefore, it was very possible that the bus might stop in a normal city once the rain ceased. Thinking of this, Du Wei furrowed his brows. A thought shed through his mind: what if the rain never stopped? Or rather, if the bus kept appearing in cities where it was raining... In that case, it would be an endless loop of bus routes. If it were so, he might have to resort to thest method avable. But Father Tony had limited knowledge of the bus, so whether that method would be effective was another matter. Du Wei took a deep look at the driver holding the steering wheel and turned, intending to return to his seat. And then, at that moment... Suddenly... The sound of a sharp brake hissed into the air. The already slowing bus came to an abrupt stop. Du Wei instinctively looked outside and saw around ten white youths, around seventeen or eighteen years old, standing outside the bus, holding ck umbres, and simultaneously lifting their heads to look at him. In an instant, their eyes met. Du Wei entered a state of Spirit Vision directly, even with the bus doors still closed, which waspletely different from his previous experiences. His expression turned somewhat unsightly. The bus doors slowly opened... The next stop had arrived... Chapter 26 026, full house afterwards Some rain water drifted in along the bus door, and the whistling of the wind caused the temperature inside the bus to drop significantly. The ck couple looked outside following the sound, and as soon they could see clearly, their faces immediately revealed an inescapable horror. The dozen or so white men and women outside, dressed in neat and fashionable attire, held old-fashioned ck umbres. As they looked toward them, they also expressionlessly raised their heads to look up. The gaze of each person was filled with deathly stillness and numbness, giving off a very strange feeling, like facing a pile of corpses. Behind them, under the gloomy pitch-ck sky, amidst the torrential downpour, the silhouette of a school could vaguely be seen. Du Wei took a deep breath. Theoretically, this public bus has a limiting effect on Evil Spirits, and unless he used that mirror, it should not be possible to involuntarily enter Spirit Vision before the door opened. But now... Feeling the sharp buzzing in his ears and the diminishing pain in his heart. He could be certain¡ªthese people were either all Evil Spirits or some simr eerie existence. Du Wei looked emotionlessly at those things lining up, boarding one by one, and turned to head towards his seat. His stride was steady, and even his breathing did not change much, always maintaining a calm demeanor. However, in such a scene, this seemed even more odd. Passing by the ck couple, he saw their bodies trembling slightly, their expressions extraordinarily panicked, fixing him with aplex look. Du Wei saw the plea for help. When a person bes desperate about external things, they instinctively seek all possible help they can find. To exaggerate a bit, it''s like a drowning person desperately grasping at thest straw. But often the reality is, there is no so-called straw, all they can grab hold of is the body of the rescuer, desperately clinging on, only to drown together in the end. Therefore, Du Wei''s pace did not falter; he didn''t even bother to look at them again, heading straight back to his seat and sitting by the window. To his side, Linda waspletely terrified, curled up into a ball, virtually losing the ability to move. She was an intelligent woman, but she had no experience in facing this kind of situation. Facing Evil Spirits, most people only have a dead end. Du Wei nced at her briefly, then stopped paying attention and calmly observed this group of "passengers." He counted, fourteen in total. These things boarded the bus and did not retract their umbres but continued to hold them, cing the umbre on their shoulder as they sat down, blocking their upper bodies, looking very eerie. At that moment, Du Wei furrowed his brow, suddenly thinking of a problem. This bus was of an old model with not too small a space, but the seat arrangement was quite scattered, so there were only sixteen seats. Counting himself, Linda, and the ck couple, that made four people. Adding the fourteen new passengers made it eighteen in total. There weren''t enough seats. What to do with the two extra people? There aren''t any standing tickets on the bus, right? The next moment, Du Wei saw: From front to back, as these passengers sat down one after another, when they reached the ck couple''s seats, two of the expressionless girls holding ck umbres stopped. The ck couple felt their breath halt; unmasked malice roamed over their bodies, filled with spite and oddity. The woman from the couple copsed, screaming and crying out loud, venting the fear in her heart. "Don''te over, you ghostly things, don''te over!" Apart from crying and screaming, she had no idea what she could do in this situation, and couldn''t even think of seeking help from others. Like Du Wei, for instance. Whereas the ck man still retained some reason; his emotions were also near copse, but with a fierce grit of his teeth, he immediately turned to jump into the rear seats and then stood in the empty aisle, panting heavily, not daring to utter a word. Seeing this, the woman seemed to think of something as well, a glimmer of desire for life shing in her eyes. Just when she thought to imitate her boyfriend''s behavior, a pale hand rested on her shoulder. ``` Soundless, breathless. As if electrocuted, the ck woman''s body stiffened, her facial expression frozen like a puppet''s. From Du Wei''s perspective, with his Spirit Vision, he could see more. He saw two unemotional girls, one of whom, when she ced her hand on the ck woman''s shoulder, something seemed to invisibly change. This change was difficult to put into words. Du Wei could only describe it with more logical terms. That is, at the moment of contact, the ck woman and the non-human girl became one entity. Then, Du Wei saw the girl sit on the ck woman''sp, back against chest. The other girl also sat down on the adjacent seat, their upper bodies obscured by two ck Umbres, leaving Du Wei unable to glean any more information. The rest of the eerie passengers with ck Umbres continued to sit down one after another, each of their upper bodies hidden from view, creating an oddly harmonious aesthetic. Soon, one girl walked to thest row. She sat between Du Wei and Linda. Du Wei was expressionless, but his peripheral vision kept stealthily watching the girl on his Right Hand, smelling a certain rotten scent. This was the scent he most loathed during his forensic dissection ss in college. Even though the girl''s upper body was hidden by a ck umbre, Du Wei still felt ufortable. So, after some thought, he pulled out the umbre that had been leaning against the window, slowly opened it, and draped it over himself. Coincidentally. Du Wei''s umbre was also ck, and when it covered his upper body, it was as if he had always been part of this group of passengers. Inside the carriage, at this moment, only the ck man standing in the aisle and the emotionally copsing Linda seemed out of ce. One stood in the hallway, at a loss, the other curled up in the corner, quietly sobbing. It was then that Du Wei furrowed his brow. He looked up at the front door of the bus, which was now closed. But why were they still stationary? Could it be... the seats? He had a vague guess and his gaze toward the ck man turned strange. "He''s done for," Du Wei silently told himself. Indeed... The next second.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The back door opened. Outside, the darkness was chilling, and the torrential rain beat against the ground, sounding loudly, while cold air gushed into the bus, seemingly triggering some mechanism. All passengers, except for Linda, lifted their heads and fixed their gazes on the ck man. "What... what does this mean?" The terror in the ck man''s voice was palpable as he swung his head back and forth, looking at everyone. "Huh..." Right after speaking his first words, his expression turned stiff and petrified, as if something had gotten lodged in his throat, leaving him to emit only a strange guttural sound... Du Wei watched indifferently as the ck man, seemingly deprived of his will, stepped down from the bus through the back door, instantly drenched by the downpour. Yet, he seemed oblivious to it all, stepping forward with mechanistic movements, walking towards the school whose silhouette was just visible. ``` Chapter 27 027. Another seat (asking for recommendation tickets) In the heavy rain. The bus slowly traveled along an endless road. Inside the bus. Linda seemed to have had a breakdown,pletely losing the will to survive, sobbing softly. Meanwhile, Du Wei held an umbre, covering his upper body, his face calm and indifferent. He nced at the time disyed on his phone, it was now 9:13 p.m. More than half an hour had passed since thest stop. There was no immediate danger inside the bus, but there was absolutely no cell signal, so looking at the time was all he could do. Besides, separated from him by one seat, Linda seemed to havepletely fallen apart, stopping her sobbing and all other actions. But being in a state of Spirit Vision, Du Wei had a faint feeling of unease, and a sense of irritability slowly welled up inside him. The more severe the erosion by evil spirits, the deeper the phenomena of Spirit Vision became. Consequently, the "sight," hearing, and sensations that came with it would increase. And this, in turn, would elerate a person''s emotional breakdown. But what puzzled Du Wei was that Linda, sitting a seat away, didn''t seem to show any Spirit Vision phenomena, indicating that the other beings on this bus were different. He deduced a possibility, that he was constantly in a state of Spirit Vision, possibly due to some form of oppression brought by these passengers. Just as the human body instinctively reacts to certain external factors, like getting goosebumps from a sudden drop in temperature or bing dizzy and lightheaded from the heat. Regardless, being in a state of Spirit Vision for an extended period would increasingly impact Du Wei, and he would gradually enter the next stage. He recalled the information about the erosion by evil spirits provided by Father Tony from within the church. "It seems that I am now already in the second phase, perhaps even close to entering the third phase." His mood was somewhat heavy. The first phase of Spirit Vision gave the ability to see, the second phase deepened that concept, and the third phase would bring about unknown phenomena that even church personnel couldn''t ascertain. Unknown was synonymous with uncontroble. Du Wei narrowed his eyes, feeling that it was time to leave this bus. Spirit Vision was not a superpower but a burden that drained his own energy. As for restraining it, given the current circumstances, it didn''t seem very realistic. This bus did not conform tomon sense; it could appear anywhere in the rain, disregarding distance, and had no physical requirements for propulsion¡ªno need for fuel. It didn''t even require a driver¡ªit was itself some sort of entity akin to an Evil Spirit, iprehensible and indestructible. To restrain this eerie bus, perhaps only an exorcist from the church would know what to do. Of course, this was assuming that the exorcists from the church were indeed powerful and had adequate means. Casually ncing at the pair of slender, beautiful legs under the umbre beside him, Du Wei''s brow furrowed as he reached into his pocket, caressing the baby-palm-sized mirror covered in cracks. [This mirror once served as a medium for an Evil Spirit''s existence, but after the spirit was destroyed by an exorcist from the church, the residual power made it somewhat controble. If you encounter extreme danger, shatter it, and its power can bring you to safety, but the precondition is that no other evil spirits are attacking you.] These were Father Tony''s exact words. Suppressing the urge to crush the mirror right now, not considering the bizarre bus, there were at least fourteen passengers who could either be Evil Spirits or some other terrifying entities. Any rash action could likely make the situation even more dangerous. "Now is not the time," He told himself this in his mind, reminding himself to stay calm, patiently waiting for an opportunity. ... Late at night, 10:38 p.m., the torrential rain continued. The speed of the bus slowed, showing signs ofing to a halt, but this indication had been ongoing for ten minutes. A sweat broke out on Du Wei''s forehead; he had been in a state of Spirit Vision for a full hour. His body could hardly take it anymore, and his breathing had be much quicker. Ten minutes earlier, the bus began to slow down, and the interior lights dimmed even further. The bus, which was already dim, was now plunged into darkness. All that was visible were the pitch-ck surfaces of umbres, and the atmosphere became even more eerie. This situation had never happened before. Under the influence of Spirit Vision, Du Wei instinctively felt that the bus might have entered an area so dangerous that even it perceived it as a threat, hence this bizarre change. "Half an hour at most. If there''s no suitable opportunity, I must crush the mirror and leave, or I''ll only be facing a dead end." Du Wei gritted his teeth, calcting the maximum amount of time he could hold on.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The ghostly entities within the carriage were putting too much pressure on him. Spirit Vision consumed his own physical and mental strength. The longer time dragged on, the sooner he would copse into unconsciousness. And Spirit Vision wasn''t something he could control at will; it was a passive state. As long as there were Evil Spirits around, it would be passively activated. In other words, even if the entities in the carriage that might be Evil Spirits had no ill intentions toward him, their mere presence would slowly torment Du Wei to death. Du Wei wiped the sweat from his forehead, while the hidden camera on his chest continued to record. Suddenly... Du Wei felt the vehicle shake violently, followed by a sharp braking that sent him lurching forward involuntarily. He leaned back instinctively and barely managed to keep his bnce. "Have we reached the next stop?" Du Wei let out a long sigh of relief in his mind. He watched the back door, guessing based on the previous pattern and the words of the deceased African-American couple that at this stop, some passengers should disembark. Aside from him and Linda, the other presences on the bus were from the previous group of passengers. Their destination should be the same, and they would leave together. He would wait until the next time someone like Linda boarded, and that would be his chance to escape. A draft of cold air blew into the carriage, carrying with it a stench of decay. Du Wei''s expression darkened¡ªthe back door had not opened... He abruptly looked toward the front door. "Damn it!" He cursed silently to himself, only to see the front door wide open and a tall figure stepping on board. He appeared to be male, wearing an old-fashioned coat that hung down to his knees, and his palms and head were wrapped in mildewed bandages without a single gap showing. At over two meters tall, he nearly touched the ceiling when he stood up, giving off an overwhelming sense of oppression. Immediately upon boarding, he walked towards the back of the bus. Du Wei''s heart pounded violently, and as the man took steps, the effects of Spirit Vision grew stronger. Even this bandage-wrapped man posed a much greater threat than the fourteen previous entities carrying ck Umbres. "Evil Spirit?" Du Wei''s eyes were cold as ice. Now there was another passenger on board without a seat. With the remaining seats upied by himself and Linda, this ghostly entity''s target must be one of the two of them. A choice between two? No, he didn''t like being passive. And he liked even less the idea of someone else deciding his fate. Du Wei closed his umbre, raised his head, and looked towards Linda on the right, somewhat surprised to find that Linda was also looking up at him withplex eyes. Her gaze revealed a touch of unwillingness and even resentment. Du Wei understood her message and then noticed that the wide-open front door hadn''t closed... So, Du Wei picked up his bag and stood up. Under Linda''s incredulous gaze, he left his seat and headed towards the front door. Linda was filled with confusion. She admitted to herself that she had had many thoughts just now. This doctor named Du Wei was a mystery, and he had a gun. She felt certain that Du Wei would force her to give up her seat, or even kill her with a single shot. Human nature doesn''t stand up to trials. So, she resented and was unwilling to ept. But now, watching Du Wei pass by the bandage-shrouded tall man, Linda quietly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling thankful and even a touch of pity. She thought to herself that if she could survive after Du Wei''s death, she would definitelymemorate him annually as her way of making amends. Then Linda''s face twisted in horror as she saw another dark figure slowly stepping aboard at the front door. This time, there were two passengers... Meanwhile, Du Wei had reached the front of the bus. He nced at the shadowy figure, who was petite, presumably female, but dressed and adorned like the bandaged man. Both were Evil Spirits... Then, the door closed. Du Wei breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the driver. Many people''s thoughts fall into amon misunderstanding: on any vehicle, besides the passenger seats, there is actually one more. Chapter 28 028, Andrew Dowqui Mistaken assumptions are built on norms, fixed patterns of thinking and cognition. If a bus can hold sixteen passengers, then how many seats are there in total? Most people would think there are sixteen. But Du Wei thought there should be seventeen. The driver''s seat should also be counted, even if in a certain sense, this is a BUG. At this moment, inside thepartment. Du Wei pulled out a silver cross dagger and struck the partition window fiercely.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om With a crash, ss shards scattered all over the ground. Reaching in, he pushed open the lock of the driver''spartment with the back of his hand and then gripped the driver''s arms. When he touched them... It felt hollow. It was as if he had grabbed a skin suit, and the sensation transmitted to Du Wei''s fingers gave him a jolt of terror for the first time. He had thought it was a corpse, but it turned out to be just skin. Without time to think further, Du Wei forcefully dragged the driver out of the seat and tossed him aside, leaving him limp on the floor, nothing more than a thinyer of skin besides the clothes. Then, he took the driver''s seat, ced his hands on the steering wheel, and pressed the door close button. Now, Du Wei was ying the role of the driver. With a creak... The front door of the bus instantly shut. In the bus, thest woman who boarded, wrapped in bandages, stood still and nced at Du Wei, then turned and walked towards the back. At this instant, the seat that had been Du Wei''s was now taken by the first male passenger, the tall figure with a head and palms wrapped in bandages. Thest female passenger walked towards Linda, who was in a daze, reached out her hand, and pressed it on her head. Click... Du Wei saw in the rearview mirror of the bus that Linda''s head was removed, and what was eerie was that there was not a single trace of blood at the wound, and no blood spurted out as one would expect. Then, it unwrapped the bandages around its head, revealing nothing inside, stuffed Linda''s head in, and re-wrapped the bandages... The process was repeated, and the entire torso was filled in turn. It was as if it were making nesting dolls... Du Wei took a deep breath, withdrew his gaze, and no longer paid attention to it. The bus had already begun to move slowly, heading towards the next stop. For some reason, once he took the driver''s seat, his Spirit Vision began to fade gradually. Although he didn''t understand the principle behind this phenomenon, it was ultimately good news. ... Midnight, 11:21. The bus slowed down and came to a stop. This time, the passengers holding ck umbres started to disembark one after another. Du Wei let out a slight sigh of relief. He nced at the rearview mirror and noticed that the two bandaged entities, which are likely Evil Spirits sitting in the seats originally upied by him and Linda, showed no intention of getting off. "Looks like I''ll have to wait for the next one, or maybe the one after that," Du Wei silently told himself in his heart that the chance to leave was approaching. In fact, he didn''t want to stay another moment. If it weren''t for the fact that his Spirit Vision automatically disappeared as soon as he sat in the driver''s seat, and he felt a faint sense of security, he would have already crushed the mirror. Sitting in the driver''s seat of the bus, Du Wei dared not rx and remained vignt, on guard for any dangers that might arise at any moment. He still had plenty of items in his backpack, enough to handle some emergency situations. Suddenly... Du Wei noticed, out of the corner of his eye, the human skin lying on the ground, or more precisely, the half cross that was protruding from his chest pocket. It was covered in rust, but he could vaguely make out the borate relief¡ªsome kind of inscription from the church and angelic patterns. This is¡­ Du Wei furrowed his brows and looked at the silver cross dagger held in his right hand, the inscriptions and patterns on its surface were essentially simr. "It''s something from the church." Du Wei felt an ominous sense and, after pondering for a moment, bent down to pull over the clothes that were originally on the human skin. Besides the rusty cross, Du Wei also found a small booklet in the pocket. The first page read: [Name: Andrew Dowqui] [Date of Birth: November 09, 1856] [Date of Admission: October 14, 1871] [Duty: Exorcism] The second page read: [In 1873, assigned by Bishop Matthew to Jedecra State, resolved fourteen Evil Spirit incidents by 1882 and was awarded the Steel Medal by the church] [In 1883, due to severe Spirit Vision phenomenon, underwent Evil Spirit Transformation. After years of the church''s baptism, the hidden dangers were eliminated, but he lost the ability of Spirit Vision and could only go to Yard City to serve as a bishop] [In 1885, due to an Evil Spirit incident in Yard City, influenced by the Evil Spirit, Andrew Dowqui re-entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision; baptisms were ineffective and in August of the same year, he was enrolled into the Hunters] At this point, an unusual light shone in Du Wei''s eyes. The first two pages of this booklet narrated the life of Andrew Dowqui, but they revealed a great deal of secretive information. For instance, Evil Spirit Transformation and the Third Phase of Spirit Vision mentioned in the second and third points. In this segment of information, the word ''again'' was used, corresponding to Evil Spirit Transformation in the second point, suggesting that there was some connection between the Third Phase of Spirit Vision and Evil Spirit Transformation. Moreover, Du Wei noticed that when Andrew Dowqui re-entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision, the baptisms were ineffective, and he was incorporated into a group known as the "Hunters." What exactly were the Hunters? And what does the so-called Evil Spirit Transformation mean? Also, Father Tony, who had him board this public bus, was there a connection to this Hunter? Du Wei carefully pondered; the first two questions had no immediate answers, but regarding Father Tony... He thought it was highly unlikely because when the request was made, the goal was only to have Du Wei investigate and contain the two bizarre buses. If Father Tony was aware of the existence of Andrew Dowqui, there would be no need to hide it from him. Because doing so would onlyplicate matters, a superfluous move. With this thought, Du Wei turned to the third page. The pages following the third were filled with information written by Andrew Dowqui himself, akin to diary entries. Du Wei quickly flipped past the initial information, directly searching for entries about this public bus: [1899: June 28] [I''ve received a letter from Matthew. He wants me to investigate a public bus haunted by an Evil Spirit. I have agreed, though my feelings areplex. After so many years, he has entered the higher echelons of the church, leading all Exorcists, while I have be this neither human nor ghost figure,piled into the Hunters. I know this is my fate; my life is destined to struggle against these evil entities. Even if one day I be an Evil Spirit and lose my self-awareness, I will have no regrets] ¡­ [1899: June 30] [I''ve finally found that bus. I attempted to destroy its medium, but regrettably, I failed. It seems as though its medium can never be destroyed] ¡­ [1899: July 1] [It appears that the bus only emerges on rainy days. Today, the rain is particrly heavy. With no other choices, I decided to board the bus and try to destroy it] ¡­ [1899: July 1] [It''s the middle of the night. I''ve spent an entire day on the bus. I''ve discovered that this bus seems to be ferrying Evil Spirits to their destinations. The bus itself seems to be something more terrifying than the Evil Spirits, but I can assure, it''s definitely not an Evil Spirit. It follows its rules, and neither human nor Evil Spirit can defy it] ¡­ [1899: July 2] [It''s now midnight. I am unable to leave this public bus. I feel I''m bing a part of it. I am resisting. Remember, time... time... must remember the time...] Chapter 29 029, Get off Du Wei pocketed Andrew Dowqui''s booklet. He had already learned a portion of the true nature of the bus incident; at this moment, his heart was extraordinarily calm. Then, he nced down at his phone, which had lost its signal, and the time was 11:34. Only 26 minutes remained until midnight. Midnight is a subtle time. It signifies both beginning and end.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It can also be interpreted as life and death. Most horror films and novels like to use midnight as a divide; frightening events often ur at this time. Although Du Wei could not understand why Evil Spirits or ghosts favored this time of night for their appearances, it was clear this was indeed what he was encountering. Midnight truly was out of the ordinary. Andrew Dowqui was undoubtedly a very capable Exorcist, or perhaps the term Hunter would be more appropriate. After midnight, he died on the bus, bing part of something else, and so much time had passed since then. The only things that could prove his existence, aside from a piece of human skin and the booklet recording his information, were probably just a list with his name on it somewhere in the church. Du Wei ced Andrew Dowqui''s silver cross dagger into his backpack. He guessed that Andrew Dowqui might not have brought other Exorcism items against Evil Spirits because of the special upation known as Hunter. A Hunter could be understood as a predator. The church''s purpose is to spread faith andbat Evil Spirits. Hunters should be established specifically for the hunting of Evil Spirits; they may possess strengths and abilities beyond ordinary people, which was mentioned in the booklet¡ªEvil Spirit Transformation. At that moment, the bus slowed down and gradually came to a stop. Outside was pitch-ck; a crossroad could vaguely be seen. Du Wei looked at the time on his phone; there were 12 minutes left until midnight. The rear door opened... The two passengers sitting in thest row, wrapped in bandages, stood up and walked down. Du Wei sighed in relief, but at that moment, a cold wind blew against his face and the front door also opened slowly. A man dressed in a decent ck suit, walking with a cane, came on board. He wore a white mask without features on his face, and pinned to his chest was an exquisitely designed,vish and luxurious,pletely golden brooch. If not for the unmasked malice Du Wei felt emanating from him, he might have thought him to be a noble gentleman from high society. It was an Evil Spirit, and this brooch... Du Wei''s face turned very gloomy. Staring intently at the Golden Brooch, Du Wei held the mirror tightly in one hand while beads of sweat formed on his forehead. He was all too familiar with this Golden Brooch. Previously, in the church in North Brook, he had seen ck particles emanating from Mrs. Mina and uncontrobly entered a state of Spirit Vision, where he witnessed an incredibly bizarre Illusion. He stood on a street that seemed to be in a slum, leaning against amppost, with one hand holding the Golden Brooch, stabbing it into his neck, dying in the rain. The Golden Brooch, identical to the one the Evil Spirit was wearing on his chest. "Could it be that I will die here?" A thought shed through Du Wei''s mind, lingering relentlessly. "Wrong, the timelines don''t match up." The Evil Spirit was also looking at Du Wei. Though the mask obscured his face, the unmasked malice gradually made the atmosphere deathly still. Du Wei looked up too, staring coldly at him. Even if the Illusion was real and he really died, it would be after getting off the bus. If the Illusion was fake, then it mattered even less; he only needed to consider whether the Evil Spirit would make a move against him. But obviously, it wouldn''t! Because this eerie bus had its own rules. It wasn''t an Evil Spirit, but some kind of existence that was simr to an Evil Spirit, yet above it. There was some kind of mechanism at work. The Evil Spirit was merely a passenger, wishing to kill another passenger in the case of insufficient seats. Only that other Evil Spirit, whose appearance no one could recall and who had spoken through the African American couple, could vite this rule because it had forced its way onto the bus. The rest of the Evil Spirits seemed willing to abide by this mechanism, otherwise, they would have taken action already. Instead of waiting for new passengers to board and then only acting when there weren''t enough seats. What''s more, his current identity was that of a driver. In the end, After staring at Du Wei for a while, the Evil Spirit moved to a seat and sat down, its posture elegant, yet the malevolence emanating from it intensified. The bus continued to drive. Ahead, one could vaguely see a slum with dpidated houses and a worn-out street. It was almost identical to the illusion Du Wei had seen. Through the rearview mirror, Du Wei looked at the Evil Spirit, his eyes cold as ice. He directly pressed the button to open the rear door. During the journey, the moment the back door opened, the whooshing wind blew in. The Evil Spirit seemed shocked that Du Wei would do such a thing, appeared to be enraged and the lights inside the bus began to flicker wildly, as if about to lose power. Du Wei didn''t even look, and even rang the bus bell to urge it on. At this moment, he was grateful that his role was that of a driver. He remembered when that creepy Scarecrow tried to take Linda off the bus, it got off without hesitation when the bell rang, as though failing to get off would lead to some unknown consequences. Putting together the details from Andrew Dowqui''s diary, one could surmise that if an Evil Spirit refused to get off the bus, the true horror of the bus itself would reveal itself. That was a force that an Evil Spirit could not resist. Indeed, after Du Wei rang the bus bell, the Evil Spirit with a cane and a white mask devoid of facial features stood up, slowly made its way to the door. It was resisting, trying to dy. Du Wei pressed the bus bell again, urging it. It hesitated, gave Du Wei a deep look, then stepped off. Du Wei breathed a sigh of relief, tried to control the bus, turning, elerating, decelerating. Just as he had surmised, he had no influence over it... It seemed all he could do was to press the bus bell, and control the opening and closing of the front and back doors. The slum up ahead was getting closer, and the speed of the bus gradually slowed down, ready to stop. He nced at the time, it was 11:58 PM. Then, without a moment''s hesitation, he crushed the mirror. ... May 19th, 8:00 PM. "I am Du Wei, and I''m still alive." "By crushing that mirror, I managed to get off the bus, but the time as I perceive it seems to be skewed. Four hours on the bus tranted to an entire day in the real world." "The current time is 8:00 PM, the same time when I boarded the bus." "That bus seems to possess some sort of idealistic power, affecting both space and time. Now, I find myself in the eastern city of Manlu, 150 kilometers away from North Brook District of New York City." "But I''ve run into trouble, I''ve discovered that I seem to have entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision." Chapter 30 030. Become an Exorcist? ``` Under the night sky, a light drizzle fell. Compared to the past few days, the rain had lessened. Du Wei walked down the dimly lit street, umbre in hand, backpack on his shoulder. Looking at the palm of his right hand, Du Wei''s eyes carried an unusual hue. He was now in a state of Spirit Vision, and what was different from before was that after getting out of the car, he had been maintaining this state and could even control it. Moreover, he keenly noticed some unknown changes in his right hand. An eerie sense of astonishment filled him. ording to Andrew Dowqui''s brochure, he deduced that he had entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision and the disturbing phenomenon of Evil Spirit Transformation had urred. Neither human nor ghost¡ªa term from hunter Andrew Dowqui''s journal, describing the process of Evil Spirit Transformation. Du Wei was getting ustomed to this change. He was well aware of the current situation¡ªbeing gued by an Evil Spirit, and also touching upon a connection with a presence that couldn''t be described in words¡ªthe Nun. He didn''t want to die in obscurity, nor did he want to die at all. So he needed to resolve these issues. That''s why he had agreed to Father Tony''s trade. But now, he didn''t have much hope for the Exorcists of the Church. Maybe the Exorcists could deal with the two Evil Spirits at home, but whether they could handle the Nun remained an unknown. Du Wei felt that this unknown was likely not much greater than zero. He needed the power tobat Evil Spirits. Compared to the Church''s Exorcists, hunters seemed more like the elite of the elite, taking on the mission to hunt down Evil Spirits, wielding power and abilities far greater. Of course. Du Wei scoffed at the so-called mission; he wasn''t a man of faith, nor could he believe in anything¡ªthat was the mindset of a psychologist. To see through appearances to the essence, to always maintain calm and reason, to identify the medium of the Evil Spirit''s existence, to analyze its trigger mechanism, and then find a way to restrict and resolve it. This was the answer Du Wei had for himself. Of course, he knew that trying to fight the Evil Spirits now was like a fool''s dream. When he was on the bus, although facing each passenger seemed effortless, in reality, off the bus, any Evil Spirit that wanted him dead wouldn''t need to exert much effort. This was an innate advantage. He needed to further the process of Evil Spirit Transformation. As for matters that cameter... such as baptism at the Church... those would be dealt withter. Du Wei lit a cigarette for himself, slowly drawing on it, exhaling plumes of smoke. The state of Spirit Vision quietly faded, and the strange sensation in his right hand disappeared with it, making everything seem normal. ... May 20, 5:32 AM. In the North Brook District''s church in New York, mist lingered after the rain; there was no wind. A Volkswagen sedan parked outside, and after Du Wei got out, he sent a text message to the car rental agency, notifying them to collect the vehicle. This car was rented from a rental agency in Manlu, and once done, the chain''s agency would send someone to pick it up, which was quite convenient for those in need. ``` Standing at the church entrance, Du Wei gave Father Tony a call. A few minutester, the door was pushed open. Father Tony, with tired eyes, walked out and immediately brightened upon seeing Du Wei. "You''ve disappeared for a full day and night, Mr. Du Wei." "Actually, for me, it hasn''t been that long." With a sigh, Du Wei took the hidden camera out of his pocket, "Let''s go inside. I have something I want to talk to you about." ... Once inside Father Tony''s room, the two took their respective seats. "First of all, regarding that bus, I encountered trouble beyond your imagination. Arge part of the information you gave me was useless, and even misled me. You owe me an exnation for that." Du Wei pulled out the SD card from the camera, tossed it to Father Tony, and broached the subject, Father Tony took the SD card and said with a frown, "Dr. Du Wei, as you said, I don''t know much about it. In fact, this matter has troubled me for a long time. But as you know, New York is without an Exorcist right now, and the pressure from the Church is significant... I''m sorry." Du Wei looked at him calmly and said, "I can believe your exnation because I indeed didn''t restrict its movement. However, as your partner, I believe you need to take some responsibility. And you must fulfill the promises you made to me." Father Tony gave a wry smile and said, "My friend, I''d rather you not use that kind ofnguage to look at this. I truly didn''t conceal anything from you. As for my promise, I will fulfill it. But would you agree if I submit the information to the Church first?" After thinking for a moment, Du Wei said, "Of course, my friend. But as you know, I''m currently in a lot of trouble... Well, I might end up dead at the hands of the Evil Spirit at any moment, so the items you gave me before..." "They were for you to begin with; you don''t need to return them to me." Father Tony inserted the SD card into a card reader and plugged it into hisptop. Du Wei shook his head, "No, you''ve misunderstood. I mean, I used up a bottle of Holy Water on the bus. You need to replenish that for me and, also, I need information about the hunters." Frowning, Father Tony said, "That''s not a problem, but the hunter... Where did you hear about that? I don''t recall ever mentioning it to you, did I?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om At this point, Father Tony''sputer had read the information on the SD card. He clicked on a video file, which showed what happened after Du Wei boarded the bus. Hearing this, Du Wei rubbed his forehead and said, "The end of the video will exin, but I can tell you in advance, that driver is a member of the Church''s hunters¡ªAndrew Dowqui." "What? Bishop Andrew? Are you sure?" The color drained from Father Tony''s face, and he quickly scrolled to the end of the video to see the scene where Du Wei pulled the human-skin-covered Andrew Dowqui from the driver''s seat. "Fuck, how could you do this! He was a bishop, the most devout believer. Mr. Du Wei, you''ve gone too far!" With a cold smile, Du Wei said, "What do you think I could have done in that situation? The bus was full of Evil Spirits. If you were in my ce, would you have given up the hope of surviving for some ridiculous so-called respect?" Continuing, he said, "I must say, Father Tony, you''re really not fit to be an Exorcist. Your character limits you. Indeed, it''s quite good to be a logistician rather than an Exorcist." Father Tony remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "You''re right. As for the information on hunters, I''m not clear on that either. My position in the Church isn''t high enough to ess such core secrets. But what I can tell you is that the status of hunters is quite awkward right now." "Oh?" Du Wei raised an eyebrow, "Why? As far as I know, hunters are supposed to be those who specifically hunt Evil Spirits. They face more dangers and should be more respected." Father Tony''s expression wasplicated as he organized his thoughts before speaking, "Those who walk with Evil Spirits will eventually be transformed by them. Their will may be corrupted, their faith may suffer spiritual corruption, and they be uncontrobly dangerous." "In fact, there are only five hunter members in the Church right now, all confined to the dungeons beneath Church Headquarters." "Only in case of a Demon Spirit event are they allowed to take action." "We fear them because, in a way, hunters are another kind of Evil Spirit." Expressionless, Du Wei''s eyes flickered with an indiscernible emotion as he spoke in a deep voice, "I see. Thank you, Father Tony. I was thinking that if the Church stationed hunters in New York, my problems would easily be solved." Father Tony slowly shook his head, "That''s impossible. But don''t worry too much, the time you''ve been afflicted by the Evil Spirit is short; it shouldn''t have a major impact. Moreover, while you were gone, I received notification from the Church. A new Exorcist will arrive in New York this week." "By the way, I see great potential in you. Your calm and wisdom have amazed me. Have you ever considered bing an Exorcist?" Chapter 31 031. Missed Appointment (Please Favorite/Recommend) ``` Leaving the church. Du Wei smoked a cigarette, backpacked, and walked on the main street, repeatedly pondering information about hunters. One bad news, one good news. The bad news was that the church''s attitude towards hunters now was wholly different from that of thest century; they almost treated hunters like evil spirits and remained vignt. If he exposed that he had entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision and encountered an Evil Spirit Transformation, he could be sure that the church would definitely send someone to capture him, even throw him into an underground prison. The good news, however, was that no one knew about this. Father Tony didn''t seem to notice his change, only thinking he was an ordinary person eroded by an evil spirit who asionally entered Spirit Vision. Or rather... An Exorcist in preparation. Yes! For the time being, his identity was that of an external associate.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om As for how to restrain "It"¡ªthe nun. Father Tony told Du Wei the method, but it required some preparation and time. "It" was something more fearsome than an Evil Spirit, a concept of horror akin to memetic concepts in certain novels... ... "Ding..." The ringtone of the phone sounded. As Du Wei prepared to walk home, he took out his phone and, after seeing that the contact name was Alex, he couldn''t help but feel a bit of a headache. He knew why the other party was calling. In fact, after getting off the vehicle, he found a time discrepancy, and there were already more than 20 missed calls from Alex. Well... He had missed his own appointment. On the bus, there was a lengthy period when the phone had no signal, and he had preemptively removed the SIM card to prevent uncontroble situations. "Hello... Alex, good morning." Du Wei didn''t like dealing with non-patient women, he was not good at it, and his words seemed insincere. Therefore, the female voice on the other end of the line wasced with a sneer. "Mr. Du Wei, Dr. Du Wei, you must be very busy, right? Yesterday was our date, and what did you do? I called you more than 20 times, from morning to evening, tell me, you did that on purpose, didn''t you?" Du Wei''s eyelids twitched wildly, and he hurriedly said, "I can exin." Alex scoffed coldly, "Exin? How can you exin? You stood me up for the entire day on our first date. Using your Eastern expression, are you the King of Pigeons?" Du Wei responded with a bitter smile, "I''m really sorry, but I truly hadn''t anticipated this." Alex let out a sardonicugh, "Then please tell me, what were you doing yesterday? From morning to evening, didn''t you n your time at all? Don''t you know that not giving a single exnation and suddenly standing up a girl makes you look very... I don''t want to say foulnguage." Du Wei was bombarded furiously, yet not once did he get angry. The whole matter from start to finish, though not his fault objectively, made Alex the victim; instead, he yed a role leaning towards that of a scumbag. "Where are you now, I''lle find you!" Du Wei looked around at the nearby streets. "North Brook District, Pedestrian Street number 17." Alex hung up the phone immediately, seemingly ready toe and chastise him. Du Wei stood still in ce,plying. Fortunately, it was not raining anymore; otherwise, he felt he would definitely look like an idiot. ... He smoked one cigarette after another. Passersby kept casting peculiar nces towards Du Wei, who had been standing in ce for half an hour. If not for the branded clothing he wore, some might have mistaken him for a homeless person. ``` At that moment, the sound of screeching brakes filled the air. A ck Aston Martin One-77 pulled up at the street corner, prompting gasps and stares from many onlookers. The One-77 was thetest model, with a price tag of around 10 million, and it wasn''t just purchasable off the shelf¡ªone had to ce an order a year in advance. Those who could afford such elite luxury cars were among the social elites of the entire New York. Du Wei nced at the car, the kind he couldn''t afford in a lifetime of work, and then turned his attention elsewhere. He was very poor now, almost cleaned out after that strange deal with Alex and the antique clock. During this time, besides looking for ways to deal with the trouble he found himself in, he was nning to make some money by contacting past patients he had treated. Suddenly... A woman''s voice filled with resentment rang out, directed at Du Wei. "Don''t you even deign to give me a nce? Am I really that unattractive?" Taken aback, Du Wei turned his head to see the door of the Aston Martin One-77 open with Alex sitting inside, her face a picture of annoyance and helplessness. "Is this your car?" Du Wei was somewhat dumbfounded. He remembered thest time Alex came to his psychotherapy clinic, she had driven a brand-new convertible BMW M4... Alex asked in confusion, "Why would you ask such a strange question? Hurry up and get in. I don''t want to be gawked at like a monkey; it makes me pretty ufortable!" Du Wei''s mouth twitched, and he reluctantly made his way over. He got into the passenger seat, and the door closed. Alex stepped on the gas and the One-77 sped off like a ck specter down the street, drawing the gaze of many. Surveying the luxurious interior of the car, Du Wei couldn''t help but ask, "What about that convertible M4 you drovest time?" Alex replied nonchntly, "Oh, that one? I drove it once and didn''t like it much, so I just left it in the garage." Left it in the garage... Just drove it once... Du Wei had always thought he wasn''t short on money, but Alex''s words suddenly brought on aplex swirl of emotions. So it was a new car that hadn''t been registered... "By the way, aren''t you going to give me an exnation?" Alex cocked her head and huffed at Du Wei. She had spent an hour on makeup for their date yesterday and had specially splurged over a hundred thousand on a new dress, even securing a reservation at the most upscale couple''s restaurant in the center of New York City. And what did this man do? He actually had the audacity to stand her up... Hearing Alex''s words, an embarrassed Du Wei said, "I''m really sorry... I had other thingse up, and then some unforeseen circumstances arose, so I missed our date..." "So that''s what it was... Other things, no wonder," Alex replied with an oh, giving Du Wei a meaningful look. "So to you, other things are more important than our date?" After thinking for a moment, Du Wei said, "In a sense, yes, because that matter is indeed very important to me." Alex said displeasedly, "Fine, I choose to forgive you. But I hope that if something like this happens again, you''ll let me know in advance instead of leaving me to sit like an idiot in a couple''s restaurant all day. Do you know what? Those damn waiters even wanted to ce a doll opposite me. Were they mocking me?" Du Wei didn''t reply and, looking at the direction they were heading, asked, "Where are we going now?" "Of course, we''re going on a date. You did remember to get me a gift, didn''t you?" As she spoke, Alex continued, "I even went to your ce to deliver the gift. Since there was no mailbox, I could only leave a note. I guess you would see it when you get home!" "Hm? Du Wei, why aren''t you speaking?" "You look a bit pale, are you sick?" Chapter 32 032, Note "I''m fine, Alex, it''s just..." "Just what?" "Nothing, I mean, I forgot to prepare a gift for you." "Well, that''s to be expected, but I didn''t forget." Alex''s luxury sports car cruised down the street, turning heads and looking incredibly cool. Inside the car. Du Wei, with a calm expression, casually took the gift box prepared by Alex and put it into his backpack, then gazed continuously at Alex''s face. Her features were exquisite and fair, and she looked even more beautiful and captivating with makeup. She was a remarkably attractive Caucasian woman who would be considered wless even by Eastern aesthetics. But in the Spirit Vision state, Du Wei noticed that there were misty ck particles swirling around Alex. And then, he saw an Illusion. ... The location was Alex''s home. The time was deep into the night, and the room was dimly lit by a singlemp. Alexy quietly on the couch, wearing a ck Cheriti camisole dress, her slender and beautiful figure fully disyed. Then, her body eerily floated up as if controlled by some force, her limbs bending at unnatural angles against the joints... Suddenly... Du Wei''s eyes felt a bit dry; the Illusion ended there. Seeing this, Alex asked him in confusion, "Are you sure you don''t need me to take you to the hospital?" Du Wei rubbed his eyes and replied, "No, thank you." He had seen Illusions twice while in the state of Spirit Vision. The first time, he saw himself holding a Golden Brooch, stabbing it into his neck in a suicide. The second time, it was about Alex... He felt it might signify something, foresee the future? Unlikely... A sign? After some thought, Du Wei raised his eyebrows and said while looking at Alex''s slender figure, "By the way, do you have a ck Cheriti camisole dress... Its design is roughly..." As he spoke, Du Wei described the style of the ck camisole dress he had seen. "Huh? How did you know that!" Alex, while driving, casually exined, "That''s a dress I bought for a date, I don''t think I''ve mentioned it to you, have I?" "You haven''t, but I took a look at the Cheriti official website, and a dress worth over a hundred thousand was bought two days ago. Thinking about it, it must have been you who bought it." "Hmm, I didn''t expect you to be so attentive, discovering even this." "It''s a pity though, my makeup today isn''t suitable for that dress. I''ll wear it for you another day; I think you''ll definitely like it." Alex didn''t dwell on it, getting sidetracked by Du Wei''s casual excuse. Du Wei also smiled faintly but started pondering deeply in his mind. His reason for asking was just to verify how credible the Illusions he was seeing were. Now it seemed that a part of them was based in reality. It could be interpreted as some sort of power of Spirit Vision. But it was uncontroble and there was no way to know if everyone entering the Spirit Vision state had such abilities. Rationally speaking, it''s highly unlikely; otherwise, the Evil Spirit would have beenpletely dealt with by now. At this thought, Du Wei furrowed his brows. So, will Alex die at the hands of an Evil Spirit? ording to the Illusion, the Evil Spirit that would kill her in the future was the same one that killed Roy, in other words, the most threatening one in his own home. Therefore, Du Wei calmly said to Alex, "Do you believe that ghosts exist in this world?" "Hm?" Alex, who was driving, was taken aback by Du Wei''s sudden question, appearing somewhat surprised. She turned her head and said with a smirk to Du Wei, "Is this a new pick-up line trend? If I say I don''t believe, are you going to tell me you encountered some messed-up things, then share some weird news stories trying to scare me, making me think you''re more mysterious?" "Hey, you should know that a lot of people are after me. Tricks have no meaning; you can be more direct." At this point, Alex gave Du Wei a meaningful nce. If it had been any other man, she would''ve coldly stopped the car and kicked him out long ago. But with Du Wei, could she take it as a straight man finally getting a clue? Then, Du Wei took out a silver cross dagger from his pocket, the very first one Father Tony had sold to him. He also took out a bottle of Holy Water from his backpack. "What is this?" "A silver cross dagger soaked in Holy Water and a bottle of Holy Water for Exorcism." Alex: ??? ... Afternoon, 15:28. An One77 parked across the street from the psychological clinic. The car door opened, and Alex reluctantly walked Du Wei to the door. "I had a great time today, thank you." "Oh, and I still don''t believe in ghosts, but I really like the gift you gave me." Looking at the calm-faced, extraordinary Du Wei, Alex''s heart fluttered. Even though she didn''t understand why this man would give her such a unique gift, she happily epted it. She valued the sentimental significance more. Hearing this, Du Wei nodded and said to her, "If you run into any trouble, remember to call me anytime." The silver cross dagger and Holy Water he gave her were church-standard items capable ofbating Evil Spirits. If that Evil Spiritid a hand on Alex, doing as he had said should keep her safe. The premise being, Alex would heed his instructions, take a bath with the Holy Water when she got home, and carry the silver cross dagger with her. "Alright..." Alex gave Du Wei an ''okay'' gesture with a smile, then turned and got back into the car. Du Wei watched her leave, then turned, pushed open the door, and walked in. Inside, there was silence, and the lighting was dim. Du Wei threw his backpack onto the sofa and opened the windows one by one. Soon, the room became much brighter. If not for the knowledge that there were two Evil Spirits and an eerie Antique Clock inside, Du Wei would already be receiving patients seeking psychological counseling. These past few days, he had received quite a few appointments and follow-up consultations from patients he had met before. At that moment, Du Wei frowned. He sensed something wasn''t quite right. The sound of the clock hands moving became slower and slower. Suddenly, he looked up at the Antique Clock on the wall. He saw a piece of paper twisted into a ball, stuck in the clock face, exactly jamming the ovepping hands. The hands were struggling to move, but to little avail; they grew weaker and weaker. Finally, they came to aplete stop. Drip, drip, drip... From the upstairs bathroom, there was the sound of dripping water as if the faucet hadn''t been tightened properly. The TV on the first floor turned on automatically, flickering with static as if it had lost the signal. Bang...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om All the windows and doors shut simultaneously. The entire house fell into darkness. Some bnce had been broken with the halt of the Antique Clock, and from the shadows, an unhidden malice surged towards Du Wei. Chapter 33 033, thats it? Inside the house. Du Wei looked at the antique clock on the wall with an expressionless face, then turned his head to check the tightly closed doors and windows, his eyes extremely calm. He directly entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision. At the same time, an eerie and unusual sensation appeared on Du Wei''s right hand. At this moment, under the state of Spirit Vision, the entire interior of the housepletely changed. He saw a shadowy figure standing at the door, its facial features indiscernible, only a pair of numb, cold eyes lingered in his mind. This was the second Evil Spirit. On the sofa sat a woman, staring at the television screen, her skin very smooth, but covered with dark brown spots. The antique clock on the wall was wrapped in threads like spider silk entwining the note, seemingly trying to remove it, but to no avail. Du Wei took a deep breath, and for no apparent reason, he suddenly remembered a meme that had been popr online¡ª"Times have changed, old man." Ever since he heard that Alex had been at his doorstep, although he didn''t know why this woman and Roy were different, not dying at the hands of the Evil Spirit, he became vignt. Evil Spirits possess intelligence; they have their own set of behavior rules and triggers, but they are not mechanical puppets. Therefore, before he entered the door, he had ced a bottle of Holy Water in his pocket, and the silver cross dagger he got from Andrew Dowqui was also ready at his side. He was well-prepared. Therefore, Du Wei was not at all panicked; in fact, he had long been ustomed to the presence of Evil Spirits, his emotions showing no fluctuations. Pulling out the silver cross dagger, although it had been subjected to decades of wear and tear, its edge was still sharp. Du Wei took out the Holy Water from his pocket, sprinkled it on the surface of the dagger, then threw the rest at the woman sitting on the sofa. With a hiss... it was as if it had been corroded by sulfuric acid, a puff of white smoke arose, and a woman''s scream echoed in Du Wei''s heart. Then she disappeared. But he knew, Evil Spirits did not die that easily. Turning around, he held the dagger in his left hand and stepped towards the door. From the beginning to the end, the most dangerous one was the Evil Spirit at the door. Its spreading ability was the strongest, capable of influencing the physical realm, and it had killed the most people. "Come, let me see why those who enter the Third Phase of Spirit Vision and undergo the Evil Spirit Transformation are called ''hunters''." Du Wei''s right hand stroked the surface of the dagger, his face expressionless, and the Evil Spirit at the door seemed to sense something, blinking and then disappearing instantly. Thump, thump, thump... Thump, thump, thump... Thump, thump, thump... The scene before his eyes distorted, and a shrill, piercing buzzing noise filled his ears. Du Wei frowned, he found himself in the innermost part of the upstairs restroom, the outside door locked, with persistent knocking that grew stronger and stronger, as if something was about to break through the door and burst in. "Is this an illusion?!" He silently said to himself, then walked over to the washbasin. The faucet wasn''t turned off and was still flowing with water, gradually bing fuller and murkier, slowly turning a crimson red and overflowing the entire basin. Smelling the blood in the air, Du Wei held his breath in disgust and directly plunged his right hand into the basin. In an instant, the blood in the basin seemed to boil, the odious scent potent, with a thick mist of red vapor enveloping the ce. "It seems I can touch it now?" Du Wei felt as if his right hand had grasped something and pulled it out directly, revealing a woman''s face. At the same time. He felt that under this state of Spirit Vision, his right hand was showing a tendency to undergo an Evil Spirit Transformation, although it was barely noticeable, it certainly existed. "I think I understand now." Du Wei narrowed his eyes, ignoring the banging on the door behind him, instead examining the woman''s face he was holding in his right hand. This was the first time he had been in such close contact with an Evil Spirit, and he even had the upper hand. The woman''s face was a bizarre white, as if painted with ayer ofcquer, wrinkled, her eyes wide open, bloodshot, appearing extremely horrifying and unsettling. But... This had no effect on Du Wei, it hadn''t scared him before, let alone now. He thought for a moment, then pressed the woman''s face back into the basin, opened the plug, and let it wash away into the drain. The threat this thing posed wasn''t particrly great; at most, it built up energy from the negative emotions it caused by scaring people, until it reached a tipping point where it could be considered a real threat. Du Wei didn''t think he would be scared... Moreover, he needed the presence of these Evil Spirits. Then, Du Wei turned to look at the bathroom door. Bang Bang! The door trembled as the force of something hitting it caused screws to graduallye loose. Since it was the bathroom, the materials chosen during the renovations weren''t of the best quality. "Maybe I should rece all the doors in the house with iron ones?" Du Wei thought of a dark joke, then shook his head and yanked the door open. He stabbed out with the knife in hand. Into thin air. The scene around him changed once again. Du Wei''s eyes were dry, and he gripped the dagger a little tighter, realizing he had returned to the living room on the first floor. Everything was as usual. Except that the doors and windows had all been shut, it seemed as if nothing had happened. Instead, it was he himself, holding a dagger, like some murderer out of a TV drama. "Gone?" Du Wei fell silent for a minute, then exited the Third Phase of the Spirit Vision. Truthfully, he used to hope that all the Evil Spirits in his house would be wiped out, left to bother someone else. But now, he very much wished there were more Evil Spirits at home. Spirit Vision was a manifestation of being corroded by an Evil Spirit, and the Third Phase represented an Evil Spirit Transformation. From prey to hunter. Although Du Wei was still a green hunter, not yet able to truly kill an Evil Spirit, he was no longer the powerless him of before. So he needed to interact with Evil Spirits, to elerate his own corruption. At the very least... to be able to contain that strange thing that could not be described in words¡ªthe Nun. Just thinking of the horror that Father Tony had mentioned about it when he left the church made Du Wei''s heart sink slightly. He was not yet a true hunter... He sighed, walked over to the wall, and removed the wad of paper that was stopping the hands of the antique clock. Click-click-click... The hands started moving again, still ovepping as before: the second hand, the minute hand, the hour hand.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om He unfolded the paper. It contained the following message: Dear Mr. Du Wei, this is our first date, although you stood me up, which made me very angry, I will personally take this up with you when you appear. Also, you seem to never wear a watch; could it be because you don''t like them? Well... you never mentioned this to me, so I went ahead and got you a watch. I hope you like it¡ªAlex. ... After reading the message on the note, Du Wei felt a bit of a headache. She got him a watch? Thinking it over, Du Wei went over to the couch and opened his backpack. There were a lot of things inside. Two bottles of Holy Water¡ªFather Tony had replenished them and given him two more as a reward for agreeing to be an Exorcist. A bottle of Bone Powder¡ªpowder left over after killing certain special Evil Spirits, to be ignited before use. A white cloth¡ªmade by the church, the exact method of production was unknown, but the shroud that Father Tony had given him came from it, with stronger effects. A book¡ªcontaining records of Exorcism Rituals and some information on Evil Spirits. And finally, the gift box from Alex. Du Wei took it out and opened it to take a look. Hmm... A Patek Philippe luxury watch, a replica of the tenth anniversary model. Worth over three hundred thousand... Chapter 34 034, Sense of suppression Late at night, 10:10. In the high-endmunity of Furman, North Brook District. Many wealthy people choose to settle here, not only because of its reliable security resources, but also its geography and the potential for appreciation in the future. Even an ordinary house requires over 700,000 dors. And Alex''s house, though not overly luxurious, would stillmand a price tag of over a million dors to secure. At this moment, in her home, Alex, who had a date with Du Wei all day, was in high spirits as shey in her upscale bathtub, letting the hot water ease the fatigue from her body. Compared to many other rich girls, she did not like to act all high and mighty. Hence, after graduation, she chose to live on her own in the North Brook area of New York. "Dear Mr. Du Wei, I wonder if you''re asleep now?" Seemingly reminded of something, Alex suddenly smiled and talked to herself. Throughout her life, she had never been attracted to a man, but unexpectedly, she met Du Wei. "An interesting Eastern gentleman." Standing up from the bathtub, the warm water flowed down her smooth, fair skin, rosy through the white, making her appear even more alluring. The epitome of a fair-skinned and rich beauty fit her perfectly. Casually wrapping herself in a towel she took from the bathroom rack, Alex went into the living room. On the coffee table in the living room, There was a silver cross dagger and a bottle of Holy Water. Of course, in Alex''s eyes, these were nothing more than a cross and so-called Holy Water. She didn''t quite believe in all that hocus-pocus. If it weren''t for Du Wei''s insistence that these two items were gifts from the church and cost nothing, Alex might even think that this Eastern man had been swindled. Subconsciously, Alex picked up the bottle of Holy Water and examined it. Although these two gifts might not be worth as much as a single cosmetic item to her, Anything from Du Wei was considered more luxurious than any other gift. Suddenly, the chandelier in the living room flickered. It was brief, but Alex noticed that the brightness seemed to decrease, dimming the room a bit. "What''s going on? Is it broken?" Alex frowned, stood up, looked up at the chandelier overhead, and then helplessly shook her head, "Forget it, I''ll have someone from the property managemente tomorrow, or maybe I''ll just buy a new one." With that, she didn''t give it another thought. However, as she settled down again, a knocking sound came from outside the door. Thump thump thump... Calm, rhythmic. "Bang..." Startled by the knocking, Alex identally overturned the ss bottle with Holy Water, scattering ss shards all over the floor. "Just a moment, please." Alex felt a bit distressed, not because the broken bottle sshed her with water, but because she was so careless as to damage one of the two gifts Du Wei had given her. Damn it, who could be knocking at thiste hour! She had few friends in North Brook, and if someone was to visit, they would have called in advance. The only ones who could be so impolite were probably the property''s security staff. It seems I need to consider moving to another house orining about those idiotic security guards! As she thought this, Alex couldn''t help but outline an enchanting smile on her lips. Perhaps, being neighbors with Du Wei wouldn''t be such a bad idea? She wrapped her bathrobe tightly and donned a coat before approaching the door. Generally, more expensive houses have two doors: one for fire safety and one for security. Alex first peered through the peephole to check outside. It was dim, she saw nothing. The knocking had also stopped. Immediately, Alex furrowed her brow and asked, "Is anyone there?" She received no response. "Strange... Did I hear wrong?" Shaking her head in bewilderment, Alex didn''t dwell on it, but as she turned around, she noticed that, at some point, the chandelier''s light had returned to normal. ... Meanwhile, elsewhere. Du Wei''s home was pitch-dark, eerily silent. He wasn''t feeling well and seemedpletely exhausted.N?v(el)B\\jnn Spirit Vision greatly drains one''s energy. Moreover, frequent contact with Evil Spirits can easily make a person''s spirit fragile. Although Du Wei, being a psychologist, was quite good at self-regtion, fatigue and weariness still prompted him to turn off the lights and rest early. In the living room on the first floor. The Antique Clock on the wall kept ticking in its endless cycle. From the shadows, a piece of paper gradually emerged from under the sofa, slowly moving towards the corner as if an invisible hand was manipting it. Upon closer inspection, the note read¡ª"Cigarettes are at my ce, pleasee and get them." Gradually, the note moved under the Antique Clock. A gust of wind picked it up, covering it over the clock face. But just as the note touched the clock face. A snap sounded. The note instantlybusted. In less than a second, it burned to ash. ... May 21st, Thursday, 5:20 AM. "Huff..." Du Wei woke from his dream, exhaling a long breath of stale air, his disheveled hair sticking to his forehead, giving off an air of decadence. He was sweating profusely, his heart racing abnormally, appearing utterly haggard. "Damn it! It''s that dream again!" Du Wei rubbed his throbbing forehead, his eyes ice cold. Clearly. He had experienced the same dream again. In the dream. It was still his own house. Hey on his bed, as if pinned down by a ghost, unable to open his eyes or move, only feeling something silently hovering above him, and from the tip of his nose, the dripping of sticky, cold liquid. At the end of the dream, he saw. The thing wearing a clergy nun''s attire, floating above him, eyes meeting eyes, bodies parallel. And this time, the dream was somewhat out of the ordinary. Du Wei realized that the distance it hovered above him was shrinking. Based on the current rate, in no more than a week, it would make direct contact with him. Although it was a dream, it certainly was not a good omen. "Looks like I need to figure something out, can''t put all my hopes on the church''s Exorcist." He sat up in bed, his deep-set eyes staring intently at his Right Hand. In the dream, this was the only limb unaffected. Spirit Vision... Evil Spirit Transformation... Du Wei''s expression turned cold, then he chuckled, pulled out his phone, and walked towards the door. When he reached the top of the second-floor staircase, his gaze drifted across the living room and lingered for a moment under the Antique Clock. He saw a small pile of ash, as if something had been burned there. The phone call connected at that moment. ... "I had that dream again." "Hmm... your voice sounds a bit off, are you..." "Don''t worry, I''m all right, but Father Tony, I need your help now. Of course, you could also see it as, me helping you." "What do you mean?" "I need to find some work to do, the kind that involves Evil Spirits." Chapter 35 035, Familiar Woman (Please Collect and Recommend) 10:31 AM. Du Wei, holding a stack of papers, sat down on the sofa. Opposite him were the restrained-looking Mina and her child. Initially, before the oppressive feeling of that dream had set in¡ªyesterday, to be exact¡ªDu Wei had nned to get in touch with some of his former patients whose medical records seemed quite strange and were possibly rted to an Evil Spirit. For instance, on January 12, Mia and her family came to consult about their condition, apanied by a family member. They imed that a doll that could not be destroyed or lost had appeared in their home¡ªAnnabelle. For instance, on February 17, a little girl named Reagan, after a session of Spirit Summoning, believed she was a man named Hoddy; her parents, however, said Hoddy was an imaginary friend conjured up by Reagan. For instance, on February 28, the boy who suffered from coulrophobia¡­ But after having that dream, Du Wei temporarily suppressed the idea, as it required time. So, he decided to make preparations on two fronts. ... Recollecting his thoughts, Du Wei nced at Mina opposite him, then filled out the following information on the form on the paper. [Name: Mina] [Age: 34] [Gender: Female] [upation: None at present] [Condition: Specifically, having dreams about the death of her brother and husband, with sleeping time increasing and always feeling like there''s an unseen person following her] With thest word written, Du Wei put down the pen. "Father Tony has told me about the general situation over the phone, so, Mrs. Mina... no, Mrs. Mina, I may need to discuss some details with you," As he spoke, Du Wei nced at the child leaning against Mrs. Mina. This was a 14-year-old blonde girl, looking down, seemingly somewhat introverted. Mrs. Mina sighed involuntarily upon hearing Du Wei''s words, "I will tell you everything." Her expression was somewhat vacant, as if lost in reminiscence, and she looked more aged than she actually was due to a slight hunch in her back. "Mr. Exorcist, I... I don''t know how to exin, what I''ve encountered is veryplicated. The church seems to have been considering it all this time, and they haven''t given me a definite answer, so actually, it''s just me who feels that I''ve encountered an Evil Spirit," Du Wei nodded calmly, "I''ve heard about this from Father Tony, but I am someone who resolves issues, so please don''t worry about it." "Okay..." Mrs. Mina rxed a little bit and then continued with some anxiety, "The thing is, my brother, Luke Conan Doyle, died in an incident involving an Evil Spirit. It was about after midnight on the second day that I dreamed about him." "I remember it very clearly, the dream was set in his recording studio at home. Um... he was a voice actor, specializing in dubbing for certain shows, you are aware of this profession, aren''t you?" Du Wei hummed in acknowledgment, gesturing for her to continue. "That''s good, I was worried you wouldn''t understand the scene I''m describing." Mrs. Mina''s expression eased slightly but then tensed up again, "The recording studio wasn''trge, but it had good sound instion. He was standing outside the recording booth, expressionless and soaking wet, as if he had been through a rain shower." "At that time, I had already lost contact with him, and I had reported it to the police, so the first thing I did was ask him where he was. He didn''t answer me, instead, he pointed at the recording studio''s door, as if hinting at something." "Then, what devastated me was that the moment he pointed at the door, the studio''s door opened. His whole body seemed to be yanked by some force at high speed, and the next second he was inside the studio, with the door closing behind him." "But I found that my perspective had also entered the studio." Hearing this, Du Wei couldn''t help but picture the scene of the studio in his mind, its cramped space symbolizing urgency and psychological oppression. Mrs. Mina continued, "I saw him unnaturally floating up, then his whole body twisted together, from head to toe, his clothes melding with his flesh into a contorted mass. Blood sttered all over the studio, and I just watched him, powerless. I wanted to scream, but couldn''t make a sound. I wanted to escape, but found that I couldn''t move my gaze." "Blood... more and more of it. Soon, I realized that the blood on the floor of the studio was rising frantically. I could even feel that stench and sticky sensation crawling over every inch of my skin." "After I woke up, I waspletely drained, as though I had died." "I almost fell apart, Exorcist sir, I told my husband about it, but he simply wouldn''t believe me. What should I do?" Mrs. Mina finished speaking and couldn''t help but sob softly, her face buried in her hands, her body shaking uncontrobly. And Du Wei just hummed calmly, in reality, he couldn''t empathize. However, as an "Exorcist," it was natural for him to appear a bit more sympathetic. So, Du Weiforted her, saying, "I understand your fear and dread. Rest assured, I will do my utmost to help you resolve this. Please tell me what happened next." "Hmm, thank you, Exorcist sir." Mrs. Mina expressed her gratitude and then said, "Later, I had another dream, this time about my husband. He was the director of arge auction house. I''m not clear about the specifics, but I suspect his death had something to do with an auction item." "Arge auction house? Did he work at Berson in the heart of New York City?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Yes, at Berson Auction House." "Hmm, that certainly is arge auction house. And what was the auction item?" With this, Du Wei frowned, for he had asked Alex afterward where the Antique Clock was purchased, and it was indeed from Berson Auction House. And also being an auction item... Subconsciously, Du Wei nced at the Antique Clock hanging on the wall. The ovepping hands were still revolving tirelessly, as if they would never stop. Mrs. Mina was unaware of Du Wei''s thoughts, she was just recalling the events in her dream and continued to describe. "It was a Golden Brooch, my husband had mentioned it before. It dates back to thest century and seems to have some religious significance, with a series of letters on it that someone intentionally ground off, leaving only a faint ''va'' visible; of course, he wasn''t sure." "Oh, right, thest time I saw him in the dream was before thest time we met, it was raining that day. I dreamed he was on a bus, wearing that Golden Brooch on his chest." "I waved at him, but he just pointed at the Golden Brooch, then as if trying to tell me something, opened his mouth and shouted loudly, but I couldn''t hear anything." "Then, he seemed desperate, no longer paying attention to me, instead he frantically mmed his body against the bus door. I guess he was trying to escape, but it was to no avail." "I kept calling his name in the dream, but he couldn''t hear me at all, and he kept hitting, quickly bleeding profusely. I was powerless and could only watch him bang against the door until he... until I woke from the dream." "And yesterday, I had another dream..." "It was about myself¡­" Chapter 36 036, Possessed by an Evil Spirit? 10:50. When Mrs. Mina mentioned that she had dreamt about herself, Du Wei put down his pencil, ceasing his writing on the paper. Sitting across from him, Mrs. Mina''splexion turned exceptionally ghastly, her eyes zed and limbs shaking uncontrobly, as if afflicted by some sort of illness. Du Wei knew this was a natural reaction when faced with a terrifying fragment of experience. Thus, he spoke calmly, "Please stay calm, Mrs. Mina, otherwise our conversation may not proceed normally, and besides, you wouldn''t want to frighten your child, would you?" As his words reached the air, Du Wei nced at the blonde little girl who kept her head down, silent. For some reason, he always felt that this little girl was eerily calm. Unnaturally so, for a child of her age. After a moment''s thought, Du Wei entered into the state of Spirit Vision. Before his eyes, wisps of ethereal ck spider silk-like things still clung around Mrs. Mina; of course, they were illusory. And her daughter, she was the source... Du Wei saw that when the blonde little girl kept her head down, her body harbored a kind of profound malice. "Please continue," he prompted. Du Wei absent-mindedly rubbed the pencil in his hand and suddenly smiled. At the same time, he exited the Spirit Vision state, his bodyrgely unaffected as long as he didn''t enter the Third Phase. Moreover, in his own home, even with the presence of an Evil Spirit, he didn''t need to worry about his own safety. At this moment, Mrs. Mina across from him wasn''t swayed by Du Wei''s words back to rationality; instead, she teetered on the edge of copse, struggling to stay calm, yetpletely unable to suppress that innate fear. "I... I... Mr. Exorcist, I''m feeling very..." "Frightened?" "Yes, very afraid, very scared..." "Then let''s keep it brief. Did you dream that you died?" "...Yes, I died three dayster." "Why three dayster?" "Because I saw the calendar." "So... in the dream, did your image give you any hints? Like how your brother pointed at the door, or your husband trying to convey a message to you?" "Don''t speak..." "Hmm? What do you mean?" "In my dream, my image gestured to me to be quiet, not to speak." Du Wei frowned, pondering, yet found it difficult toprehend the hint of silence. The hint Luke Conan Doyle left for Mrs. Mina before his death was a door, which, although not easy to exin, bes quite understandable when considering he died at the hands of an Evil Spirit in his own home. Hearing, seeing, and certain actions like opening and closing doors, even inviting it into one''s home, all these can be mediums that trigger an Evil Spirit to kill. As for Mrs. Mina''s husband, he should be rted to thest Evil Spirit Du Wei encountered on the bus. The same Golden Brooch, and for some unknown reason, he might have be one of the Evil Spirits he had witnessed; the message he wanted to convey could be rted to the Golden Brooch. Is it the letters on it? ... Retracting his thoughts. Du Wei looked at Mrs. Mina and said with as gentle a tone as possible, "I''ve basically gathered the specifics of your situation, Mrs. Mina. I must say, your dream is extraordinary. From what you''ve described, I can confirm that both your brother and husband died at the hands of an Evil Spirit." Mrs. Mina became somewhat agitated, "Thank you, Mr. Exorcist. The church has always disbelieved my dreams, they even refuse to deal with this matter." Du Wei spoke indifferently, "I willmunicate your situation to the church. However, the problem now is, you might die, and I temporarily don''t know what exactly the Evil Spirit around you is." As he said this, he nced at Mrs. Mina''s daughter without leaving a trace, but the other party kept her head down and showed no abnormal reaction. She seemed to be fearing something... Mrs. Mina paused for a moment, then asked, "I''ve heard from Father Tony that an Exorcism Ritual should be able to solve the problem I have, right?" Du Wei shook his head: "In theory, yes, but first we have to confirm the presence of the Evil Spirit, locate it, and then we can eliminate it, whether it''s through an Exorcism Ritual or some other method. This is what I hope you understand." "It has to do with the person who you always feel is following you, the one you cannot see." As he said this, Du Wei''s gaze was on the daughter of Mrs. Mina. Disappointingly, she had no reaction, still like a child with autism. Mrs. Mina, not noticing Du Wei''s action, furrowed her brows and said, "But after entering your house, I couldn''t feel its presence anymore, as if it had never appeared." Honestly, Mrs. Mina felt that if the Exorcist didn''t mind, she could pay rent for a room; it didn''t need to berge, just big enough for her and her daughter to live in. The sense of safety in Du Wei''s home was something she hadn''t felt for a long time. Du Wei, however, just nodded nomittally and then fell silent. He was very clear in his mind, if there really was an Evil Spirit around Mrs. Mina, it was likely behaving extremely docilely... In a ce upied by two exceptionally terrifying Evil Spirits, plus a strange Antique Clock and himself, the hunter... The safety was imaginable. Of course, this only referred to the daytime, not the night. Seeing Du Wei silent, Mrs. Mina didn''t dare to make a sound and disturb Mr. Exorcist; she could only wait anxiously. After a good while, Du Wei finally spoke, "Pleasee out with me, there''s something I want to discuss with you."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Uh... okay." Mrs. Mina stood up following Du Wei, and called to her daughter, "Kelly,e..." "No, no, no." Du Wei waved his hand and said, "Mrs. Mina, what I meant was just you and me, as for your daughter, let''s leave her here; she''ll be fine." Mrs. Mina was a bit troubled, but didn''t say much more: "I understand." She soothed Kelly. "Just wait a little while, Kelly, mommy will be back soon, okay?" The blonde little girl, Kelly, bowed her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito''s: "Mommy, I''m a little scared." "Don''t be afraid, Kelly, Uncle Exorcist''s home is very safe." ... Outside the psychological counseling clinic. Du Wei closed the door and said to Mrs. Mina who looked somewhat bewildered, "What I''m about to tell you might be hard to ept, but please try to stay calm, can you do that?" "Please go ahead." Du Wei hummed affirmatively, then said calmly, "If I''m not mistaken, your child Kelly... well, there''s something not quite right with her." "What?" Mrs. Mina''s face darkened: "Mr. Exorcist, Mina has been traumatized recently, she''s be quite shy, but she is very normal." However, Du Wei replied calmly, "So, Mrs. Mina, can you still feel that invisible person now?" "This..." Mrs. Mina''s face turned very ugly in an instant, and she stepped back, shaking her head, "I don''t believe it, Kelly is fine, she couldn''t possibly be the Evil Spirit." In a t tone, Du Wei said to her, "I think you''ve misunderstood; I''m not questioning her existence, I just believe that your daughter has been possessed by the Evil Spirit." Chapter 37 Pick a soft persimmon. "Exorcist, Sir, please forgive me, but I cannot agree with what you''re saying." "My child is perfectly normal; how could she possibly be possessed by an Evil Spirit." "Mrs. Mina, I am not joking with you, and I have the capacity to resolve this matter." "Resolve it? An Exorcism Ritual? Kelly has been through enough shock as it is, and I still don''t know how to exin to her that her father died out of the blue, and we can''t even find the body!" "Please calm down. A person possessed by an Evil Spirit, to a certain extent, is no longer the daughter you remember. She might even threaten your safety. Think about the dream you had..." "We still have at least three days." "Good, then I suggest you seriously consider it." "I will, Exorcist, Sir." ... Ten minutester. Opening the door, both of them entered the house. Mrs. Mina, looking at her daughter and although strongly disagreeing with Du Wei''s words, couldn''t help but feel somewhat unusual. She took a deep breath, smiled, and tenderly took Kelly''s hand, saying, "Hey, sweetheart, it''s time to go home." Kelly, with her head down, responded with a sound of acknowledgment. Seeing this, Du Wei shook his head and said, "If you change your mind, you can call me at any time. Until then, what I''ve given you should offer some help." "Thank you..." Mrs. Mina paused as she was leaving, and then left without looking back. Du Wei watched her departing figure and that of the blonde little girl named Kelly, his gaze deep and profound. He had just had a conversation with Mina, but the oue had not been favorable. However, he understood. From a psychological perspective, this is called self-deception. But... For Du Wei, he hadn''t lost anything. In New York, he was currently the only exorcist; she would eventually seek him out. And that time, he suspected, woulde in less than three days. "Just wait a bit... there will be a result..." Du Wei reassured himself inwardly, contemting increased contact with even more dangerous Evil Spirits to elerate the Evil Spirit Transformation as his current n. With it, he intended to confront the source of the curse¡ªthe Nun. He disliked depending on others, preferring to be in control, even if from the shadows. The matter with Mrs. Mina was merely an opportunity to assimte into his Exorcist role. With that in mind, Du Wei returned to the sofa. Casually, he picked up the medical case history and on Mrs. Mina''s information page, under the column for her condition, he added a note. [Remark: Suspected of being corrupted by an Evil Spirit, Spirit Vision state manifests as dreaming of Evil Spiritsmitting murder, but it is unclear whether it is limited to those with a special connection, continued observation necessary] Then, he flipped through the pages to the very beginning, pausing at the earliest entries. "The doll named Annabelle... the imagined Hoddy... the monster with the form of a Clown..." Du Wei lit a cigarette and, while smoking, absent-mindedly tapped his fingers against the table, producing a crisp and regr sound. He felt he needed to choose one and attempt contact. "In some legends, a doll is synonymous with curses and oddities, indestructible and inescapable. For the time being, I haven''t encountered such a case." "Hoddy... is rted to Spirit Summoning games... I really wanted to contact it again before, but now it seems that the girl named Reagan has been possessed by an Evil Spirit for quite some time, in a much more serious state than Kelly''s." "As for the monster with the form of a Clown... it seems to have a physical presence..." Du Wei exhaled a puff of smoke and flipped to the page regarding Annabelle. "It seems to be the least dangerous." Having made his decision, Du Wei was ready to perform a follow-up on the condition. This family hadn''t experienced any deaths, because in recent times, he had still been receiving updates about their condition. Of course, his initial judgment was that the fear of the doll induced a delusional persecutionplex, with indications of masochistic tendencies. Possibly, they haven''t yet stopped the medication... Du Wei massaged his forehead, took out his cell phone, and went to his contacts, pondering over how to phrase hismunication with them... And just then. The ringing of an iing call sounded. Caller ID¡ªOfficer Tom. Du Wei hesitated for a moment before pressing the answer button. Next, he heard the other party''s voice, desperate and agitated. "Hey, Dr. Du Wei, where are you right now? You need toe down to the station, you know? You''re in big trouble!" As he spoke, he corrected himself, "Never mind, don''te to the station, this matter is too sensitive, let''s meet somewhere else." "Can''t you tell me over the phone?" "Of course not, I remember there''s a caf¨¦ near your house; I happen to have a couple of tickets, let''s meet at the caf¨¦." "Alright, as you wish..." ... Twenty minutester. In the caf¨¦ near Du Wei''s home. In the most secluded corner by the window. Officer Tom, in in clothes, looked around warily, ensuring no one was eavesdropping before he finally rxed. Du Wei, not quite understanding the situation, asked directly, "Officer Tom, can we start now?" "Of course!!" Tom licked his lips, staring at Du Wei with bloodshot eyes, as if he hadn''t slept well. "Mr. Du Wei, first you need to exin to me why every woman who has had contact with you either disappears or dies mysteriously. Are you a female killer?" Du Wei asked with a frown, "A female killer?" "Heh..." Tom gave a coldugh and pulled a photo from his clothing, cing it on the table and pushing it toward the Asian man across from him. "How do you exin this?" Du Wei nced at the photo and then fell silent. He felt a headacheing on, not knowing how to exin. The person in the photo was Linda, the woman who had died on the bus. Tom crossed his arms, fixating on Du Wei, "I''m really curious how you managed to appear on the outskirts of Esselgreen all of a sudden. If it weren''t for this woman named Linda who was live streaming at the time, and viewers recorded the video causing somemotion online. The NYPD probably still wouldn''t know that another woman had mysteriously disappeared, and you were at the scene." "Seriously, Mr. Du Wei, there are some things I''ve only recently been exposed to, but they''ve already instilled an unbearable fear in me." "Please tell me, where is this person named Linda." "Right now, all evidence points to you; you''re the prime suspect, the number one criminal suspect! Spill it!" As he said this, Tom tried to discern something from Du Wei''s face, but to his disappointment, could the Asian man be expressionless? Not a hint of emotion revealed, making all those self-taught criminal psychology and micro-expressions techniques utterly useless. "She''s already dead." Only then did Du Wei withdraw his gaze, frowning and shaking his head. Then, looking up to meet Tom''s eyes, he calmly said, "Also, if it''s really as you say, and I''m the prime criminal suspect right now, then we should be meeting at the police station, not in a caf¨¦, Officer Tom. Are you staring at my face, trying to analyze my micro-expressions?" His tone was casual, yet it carried a sense of mockery. Tom''s face turned ugly in an instant. "Fuck! I''m interrogating you, not the other way around!" Du Wei looked at him, silent. Tom''s mouth twitched, and he cursed again inwardly. Their eyes met! Clearly, Tom had failed; he clenched his fists and said helplessly, "You may not realize how terrifying the situation you''ve encountered is. Regarding the video, the authorities havepletely locked it down now, but you need to know, you''re really in big trouble." "What kind of trouble?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "... Trouble that might overturn your understanding, on a logical level, or perhaps, a faith level." "Did you know? There are ghosts in this world we live in." "Hm! I know that!" Chapter 38 038, Annabelle (Modified) "Hmm... I know you don''t believe... What?!" Tom was startled for a moment, as the words Du Wei had just said shed through his mind. This... Furrowing his brow, Tom''s gaze towards Du Wei was filled with difort. It was as if he was burdened by some earth-shattering secret that, aside from himself, the rest of the world seemed to be aware of. "This isn''t scientific. How could you know that there are ghosts in this world? You shouldn''t believe in such things!" "Why shouldn''t I know? Why shouldn''t I believe?" Yes! Why shouldn''t he believe?? "No!" Tom choked on Du Wei''s words, and violently shook his head with a flushed face, saying, "You are a psychologist, a well-educated social elite. You should be a firm materialist, believing in science. How can you believe that there are ghosts in this world?!" Du Wei said speechlessly, "Tom, what exactly are you trying to say?" Tom opened his mouth... What had he been about to say again... "Fuck!" Annoyed, he hammered the coffee table and red at Du Wei with bloodshot eyes. "I want to tell you that there are ghosts in this world. Miss Aisha, Roy, as well as Linda whom you met on the bus in Esselgreen, all died at the hands of a ghost." Speaking through gritted teeth, Tom continued, "And the church, you know about that, right? They have exorcists among them, and I''m not talking about the kind from novels or movies. You get it? They call this ''Evil Spirit''." Du Wei nodded slightly, saying indifferently, "Of course I understand, because I am an exorcist." Tom''s face turned stiff: "You''re an exorcist? Aren''t you a psychologist?" "Who told you a psychologist can''t be an exorcist?" Du Wei gave him a curious nce and said, "If you don''t believe it, you can go to the church in North Brook District and ask the priest there for confirmation." "Also, Officer Tom, if you just wanted to inform me of these things, I think we can end our conversation here. In fact, I''m about to handle an evil spirit incident right now, I''m very busy..." Having said that, Du Wei stood up, ready to leave. Seeing this, Tom quickly stood up as well: "Wait, I''m just having trouble epting that you''re an exorcist. However, I do have something to tell you. It''s about that cultist, Roy." "Please speak." Du Wei thought for a moment, then sat back down. On the other side, Tom organized his thoughts before speaking: "I remember warning you before that you might face retaliation from the cultists... erm, I''m referring to Roy''s associates." Du Wei frowned and said, "Hmm, I remember she had a boyfriend. Did you find him?" "Not yet!" Tom shook his head: "But I''ve found out some information. Recently, many cultists have entered New York, rted to Roy, so I suspect they mighte looking for you." Du Wei nomittally said: "Perhaps."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Aren''t you afraid? They are cultists! Their minds are muddled, who knows what they might do. Aren''t you worried?" Du Wei said indifferently, "Will you have officers stationed at my doorstep to ensure my safety?" "Uh..." Tom coughed a few times and said, "The New York police don''t handle these matters well, so all I can do is warn you..." Du Wei spread his hands, saying, "See, even you know you can''t help me, yet you''re still asking if I''m afraid. To use an Eastern phrase, it''s like taking down your trousers to fart,pletely unnecessary." "However, I do appreciate the warning, and I''ll be careful." With that. Du Wei stood up, went to the counter to pay, and Tom thought for a moment before following him. At first, when Tom found out that evil spirits and exorcists existed in the world, his disbelief turned to shock, then to fear. This was a normal psychological progression for anyone. "Wait a moment, Dr. Du Wei, I have another question I''d like to ask." Outside the caf¨¦, Tom stopped Du Wei. "What question?" "For an ordinary person like me, how can I avoid contact with evil spirits, or what should I do if I encounter one?" "Find me to handle it..." "Uh, aside from that, do you have any professional advice aftering into contact with the Evil Spirit?" Upon hearing this, Du Wei pondered for a moment and said, "Then try to stay in well-lit areas, and, daytime is the safest." After finishing hisst sentence, he lit a cigarette, lowered his head, and left. On the spot, Tom watched Du Wei''s receding figure and couldn''t help but twitch the corners of his mouth. Stay in well-lit areas, what kind of advice is that? Buy a ne? Wouldn''t it be easier to just follow the sun! ... Elsewhere. After leaving the caf¨¦, Du Wei headed towards his home. As he walked, he picked up his phone and dialed the family that had been tortured by that doll named Annabelle. "Beep..." A minuteter, the call was answered by a man''s voice, a family member. "Hello, this is Du Wei from the psychological counseling clinic; we had contacted each other online before." "Oh, hello, Dr. Du Wei, I''m sorry, may I ask what you''re calling about?" "Uh... I wanted to find out if there''s been any improvement in your girlfriend''s condition." "Thank you for your concern, you''re truly a qualified psychologist. Following your advice, she has been taking her medication regrly. Apart from sleeping a little longer, everything else is fine." "Sleeping a bit longer means?" "That is, she sleeps for about 14 hours, sometimes not waking until after midnight, and starts to rest only during the day." When Du Wei heard this, he frowned and exhaled a puff of smoke. "So, what about Annabelle, the doll? Where is it now...?" "That doll, ah, I almost forgot to tell you, I discovered its secret yesterday. Every time I threw the doll away, my girlfriend would go out in the middle of the night to pick it up, and we even had an argument over this." "Is that so? Is it at your house now?" "No longer, this morning, just so happens that the owner of the Horror House nearby was collecting some old dolls to set up some scary scenes, so I sold it." "You sold it???" "Yes, is there any problem?" "No, but could you give me the address? I mean, the address of the Horror House." "Sure¡­ okay." ... After hanging up, Du Wei nced at the address in the text message, his expression turning somewhat strange. Should he be called carefree or too trusting of his own misdiagnoses before encountering the Evil Spirit... "Annabelle was actually sold!" Du Wei stubbed out his cigarette butt and tossed it into the trash can, rubbing his slightly painful forehead. This was unexpected. He could never have imagined something like this happening. It''s just that Annabelle couldn''t be discarded, couldn''t be damaged. No matter how far it was thrown, it would find its way back to that family and continue to torment them. "And the Horror House... I hope not too many peoplee into contact with it..." If Du Wei dyed any further, Annabelle might be more and more difficult to deal with. Keeping the victim in a prolonged state of sleep had already confirmed that its power was umting strength, and its purpose was obvious. [Some Evil Spirits attempt to control people''s bodies to achieve possession and certain evil objectives.] [And Evil Spirit Transformation requires contact with the Evil Spirit, solving or investigating an Evil Spirit incident is the most direct way, like that eerie bus.] Du Wei muttered under his breath, "Going to the Horror House toe into contact with Annabelle, if possible, maybe I could capture it..." He looked at his pale right hand; the two Evil Spirits at home would actually elerate the transformation process, but he had already contained the source of one, and the growth of the other was not as fast as he had imagined. Therefore, he needed to make contact with more dangerous Evil Spirits to speed up the process. Chapter 39 039, Horror House (Modified) Psychological counseling clinic. After returning home, Du Wei grabbed his backpack and checked the antique clock on the wall one more time. Having confirmed there was no issue, he prepared to leave. He was fully prepared, ready to face any emergency situation. He closed the door, crossed the street, approached the Subaru Impreza, opened the car door, settled into the driver''s seat, and started the vehicle to drive away. Not long after he had left, five ck sedans slowly stopped at the doorstep of his neighbor, Roy. Two minutester. Several women dressed in ck uniforms stepped out of the cars, looking up and surveying their surroundings. It seemed they were looking for something... Then, they turned their gaze towards the psychological counseling clinic, whispering among themselves. ... 2:40 PM. New York, Ondo Area''s amusement park.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After parking his car, Du Wei, with his backpack on, hurried toward the Horror House. Today was Thursday, and there weren''t many visitors to the park, so it wasn''t overcrowded. ncing around, only the more popr, major attractions had crowds gathered around them. "Good day, sir. Would you like to try the thrilling skyscraper ride?" "The big roller coaster, just one minute, will give you the most thrilling view experience." "Thank you, no need!" Politely declining the staff''s enthusiasm, Du Wei finally arrived at his destination. Annabelle''s Horror House. The whole Horror House looked quite old; the exaggerated gargoyle reliefs at the entrance were damaged and fading, and the staff standing by the door seemed listless. However, there were still a fair number of men and women seeking thrills. In the short time Du Wei stood observing, four college student-like individuals entered,ughing and joking among themselves. Meanwhile, Du Wei stood at the entrance, looking inside. The entrance hallway, deliberately kept dark to block out light, was pitch-ck, too dark to see one''s hand in front of the face. [Spirit Vision] Without hesitation, Du Wei immediately entered Spirit Vision state. He needed to ascertain the general situation to adjust his response measures ordingly. Then, under Spirit Vision, the entire vibe of the Horror House changed for Du Wei. If before there was no unusual aura, now, there was an intangible sense of gloom and oppression. Although that was all, it was enough. "I can be sure, it''s in there," Du Wei concluded silently to himself, then approached the staff member. "Excuse me, does this Horror House have any special scary scenarios?" The staff perked up upon hearing this and said with a smile, "Hello sir, we''ve got the Undead Mummy, the horror waxworks zone, Ghost iming Lives, Dead Spirit Doll, and Ferocious Ghost Street. We have horror scenes beyond your imagination." Du Wei noted the term "Dead Spirit Doll" the staff member had mentioned. He inquired, "The Dead Spirit Doll sounds interesting; is it a new scene?" "Yes, sir. It was just set up this morning. The feedback from visitors is that it''s extremely frightening, almost as if it''s a real Dead Spirit Doll." Du Wei nodded and then continued, "With so many scenes, are you sure they all fit inside the Horror House?" The staff member exined, "Though our Horror House may not lookrge, it was actually the first project developed by the amusement park. Besides the above-ground setup, many terrifying parts are on the underground level." "Where is the Dead Spirit Doll? Is it also on the basement level?" "Yes, sir, if you want to experience a thrilling and exciting horror journey, the Horror House is definitely your best choice, and the price is cheap." Du Wei smiled, took a bill out of his wallet, and handed it over to the other person. The staff politely took the money and handed back the change and tickets together. "Here is your ticket. After you go in, there will be a ticket storage box. Just throw your ticket in there to start this thrilling journey. Have fun!" ... He walked into the pitch-ck passage of the Horror House. In his vision, not a glimmer of light could be seen. Whispering, elusive and weird sounds reached his ears, mixed with the shrillughter of a woman, sounding very unsettling. In the face of these sound effects and the environment deliberately concocted by the Horror House to create a terrifying atmosphere, Du Wei was expressionless,pletely unaffected. "Such low-level sound effects and poor setup! Why would anyone likeing to ces like this for thrills?" Du Wei couldn''t understand. Whether in the past or the present, he never found any interest in horror houses or haunted houses. He remembered that when he was a forensic major in his student days, a junior girl invited him to watch a horror movie at the cinema, which seemed to be called "Deadly Ghosts Jiangyin". He forced himself to watch halfway through and had already figured out the entire plot progression, feeling no sense of horror whatsoever. Later on, the girl invited him again, and he thoroughly rejected her. That was the only horror movie he had ever seen. Compared to horror movies, horror houses seem even more lowbrow. As he went deeper, dim lights began to appear around him, and he could vaguely make out the things in front of him. In front of the ticket storage box stood four university students he had seen before, discussing something in low voices. When Du Wei arrived, one of the Caucasian men greeted him, "Hey, sir, want to go in together?" The other three also looked towards Du Wei. "Why should we go in together?" Du Wei found it strange; if these people came to the Horror House for fun, why would they invite him? The Caucasian man said awkwardly, "Actually, this is the oldest and scariest Horror House in the Ondo Area, and we''re a little afraid... hesitant about whether we really want to go in and experience it..." "I don''t quite suggest you go in with me. Of course, I also don''t suggest youe to this Horror House for fun; it''s best to leave quickly." As Du Wei spoke, his face was expressionless; he disliked the idea of other people following him when he was doing something. Moreover, there truly existed an Evil Spirit inside this Horror House; even though no one knew, the danger was imaginable. However, upon hearing Du Wei''s words, the others felt as if they were being looked down upon. "Hey, mister, we''ve bought tickets," said the Caucasian man, waving the tickets in his hand while the other three shrugged their shoulders. "Forget it, Bob, let''s just go with the four of us; it''s all about seeking a thrill anyway." Bob, the Caucasian man, nodded and stopped talking to Du Wei. After they all ced their tickets in the storage box and the hidden door in the wall slowly opened. The light inside was very dim, and in the vast shadows, some outlines could be seen, as if hiding something. Du Wei didn''t bother to say more, followed by dropping his ticket and walking in as well. Seeing Du Wei follow, Bob inwardly looked down on this Asian man, but he didn''t think much of it and took it as having an extra person for more security. But the next second, Bang! The door closed heavily! Darkness engulfed the surroundings in an instant. Utter silence... In the darkness, Du Wei furrowed his brows. At the moment the door shut, under the state of Spirit Vision, he felt something unusual, as if with the closing of the door, the entire Horror House had be cut off from the outside world, turning oppressively gloomy and somber. He suddenly felt that this trip to the Horror House seemed to have undergone an uncontroble change. Chapter 40 040. White-faced Makeup (Revised) "Huh..." The moment the door closed, one of the girls, wearing jeans and a tight T-shirt, let out a cry of surprise, startled by the sudden noise. Du Wei nced back at her, noticing her sallow skin and dyed pink hair. Her features weren''t very pronounced, and her nose even seemed somewhat copsed, suggesting she might be of mixed race. He pushed at the door, only to find it securely locked, a sinking feeling in his heart. Seeing this, Bob said in a low voice, "Once the entrance is closed, aside from the staff, it can only be opened again when someone elsees in. We can''t possibly open it from the inside." "Is that so..." Du Wei frowned, looking at the closed door with a somber gaze. Suddenly, he had the feeling that not even the staff would be able to open this door anymore. The abnormalities had begun as soon as he entered the Horror House. Taking a deep breath, Du Wei shouldered his bag and continued walking forward. He disliked suddenplications, even more so uncontroble idents. Furrowing his brow in thought for a moment, he recalled that many tourists had already entered the Horror House before his group had arrived. Fear and dread, are the breeding grounds for the Evil Spirit. He nced at Bob and the others, his gaze lingering on the girl who had just cried out, "You''d better keep quiet and not disturb certain things." "Are you trying to scare us? That''s not funny at all." The girl''s face was a mix of embarrassment and defiance. She wanted to retort, but felt ashamed about her earlier behavior and didn''t know what to say in return. "Forget it, let''s not bother with him. The guy with the bag seems really weird," said another girl, patting her shoulder, exchanging a few words with Bob and his group before moving on. Meanwhile, Du Wei had already reached the first attraction in the Horror House, steps ahead of them. It was a Japanese-style single-room wooden hut, built at half the size of a regr house due to space limitations. It looked crude, with deliberately aged and spiderweb-covered windows and a roof withrge damage, while the walls were deliberately sshed with something that looked like blood, presenting a jarring dark brown color, akin to psoriasis. Next to it hung a sign with bloody big characters¡ªHaunted House Thrills. Du Wei stood in front of the Haunted House, expressionless, but with a hint of solemnity in his eyes. It wasn''t that he was frightened by the deliberately created horror environment, but rather, under the state of Spirit Vision, he saw apletely different scene. In the state of Spirit Vision, the feeling the Japanese Haunted House gave him was utterly transformed. While the man-made setting remained unchanged, the overall atmosphere felt even more oppressive and sinister, especially the tatami mat bed in the Haunted House... Underneath it, Du Wei saw a woman with White-faced Makeup, hiding in a secretpartment, her head peeking out from below... Spirit Vision didn''t mean X-ray vision; it was like visually facing the presence of the Evil Spirit. In other words¡­ it was not human. Considering this, Du Wei furrowed his brow. In the past, the Evil Spirits he had encountered could also see him under Spirit Vision, aware of his presence... But this thing¡­ showed no reaction whatsoever... "Could it be a Ghost?!" Du Wei remembered what Father Tony had written in the book about Evil Spirits. [The Evil Spirits possess intelligence, purpose, and the ability to spread, and there are simpler entities we call Ghosts, which we have always suspected might transform into new Evil Spirits] [Simplicity means crudeness, Ghosts only embody a singr evil, but their danger is not to be underestimated] But what about the staff? Why was there a Ghost instead? An idea began to form in Du Wei''s mind, but with insufficient information, he couldn''t draw any firm conclusions. Ever since he had entered the Horror House, the feeling of unease inside him grew stronger. His aim was only to make contact with Annabelle, and if possible, to try and catch it. But now, a Ghost had appeared in the Horror House. The turn of events was subtly surpassing his expectations. Just then, Bob and his group also arrived in front of the Japanese Haunted House. Looking at Du Wei, standing motionless with an emotionless face, the mixed-race girl he had previously rebuked clicked her tongue. She felt she should regain some face. "Sir, if youe to the Horror House, how can you not go in?" As she spoke, the half-blooded girl shrugged her shoulders and took the lead, walking in and saying, "You''re not scared, are you? If so, I suppose you wouldn''t mind me going in first to check it out for you?" "Hmm ... Lisa, I guess he definitely wouldn''t mind." Bob smiled following her statement. He meant no harm; it''s just that people of their age often have a bit of impetuosity and like to show off. Du Wei turned his head and gave them an expressionless nce, unconcerned. Instead, his gaze shifted toward the girl named Lisa, who was walking into the Horror House to sit on the tatami bed. "If I were you, I wouldn''t touch that." "Huh?" Lisa turned her head subconsciously, though she had already sat down on it, and wonderingly said, "Why? Isn''t this one of the Horror House experiences? There are supposed to be staff dressed as ghosts under the tatami." Unlike Du Wei, they had known about the Horror House from the beginning and were roughly aware of all the processes inside. However ... Under the condition of Spirit Vision, Du Wei saw the Ghost under the tatami bed with White-faced Makeup, as if it had received some sort of signal, squinting and curving the corners of its mouth into a strange smile. The smile widened into a ghastly grin, like it had been torn open, and it stretched out a hand, grabbing toward the surface. Yet, the girl saw nothing at all, instead knocking on the bed, muttering to herself, "What''s going on, aren''t there any staff here? Or has this experience been canceled?" She was feeling very strange, and even somewhat bored. But in the next second!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Invisible hands suddenly grabbed her ankles, but in the following moment, as if sensing something, they retracted back. "Hiss ..." The half-blood girl Lisa took a sharp intake of breath, a chilling sensation crawling up her spine from her legs, sending goosebumps all over her body. "What was that?" She quickly stood up, shaking her legs in horror, herplexion deathly pale. "What''s wrong?" Bob looked at her curiously, walking up and giving her a tug. "Something just now ... my ankle felt like it was grabbed, sort of like ... like the hands of a dead person." Lisa, dragging Bob, ran out from the cabin, looking back at the tatami from afar with an ashen face. "This Horror House seems a bit abnormal. I recall from before they said there were staff under the tatami with Ghost makeup who would pull apart a hiddenyer to scare people with a scream when somebody sat down ... but just before ... something felt very wrong." Bob said curiously, "Maybe it''s a new way of scaring people, don''t make a big fuss over it, that''s how Horror Houses are." "Is ... is that so?" Lisa''s face eased a little, and she somewhat agreed with the notion, yet she still felt very strange. She had clearly seen nothing, but felt like her ankles had been grabbed by hands. She could even sense that those hands wanted to pull her down. The rest of the group, a man and a woman, chuckled and said, "Maybe the staff were just ying a prank on you, catching you unawares, don''t be so dramatic." "Maybe, but I wasn''t scared," Lisa said, nodding her head and feigning indifference. "I just wasn''t prepared ... you know, just like that ... " Hearing this, Du Wei said without a trace of emotion, "This Horror House is a bit off. I suggest you all head back to the entrance and stay there without moving." Lisa said with impatience, "There you go again. If you''re too scared to go on yourself, can you stop with the snide remarks? And the same to you¡ªI suggest you keep as far away from us as possible." With that, she shook her head and added, "Also, sir, do you know? Your behavior is really ungentlemanly toward ady." "I am not joking with you!" "We''re not joking with you either. Just go; nobody here wants to be with you because you''re such a killjoy!" "Fine then, as you wish." Du Wei watched the four people with a calm look, his tone very cold, and turned to leave. Good words are wasted on the dead. There was no point arguing if they wouldn''t listen. Moreover, he no longer wanted to focus on Annabelle; instead, he nned to quickly find a way to leave. This Horror House hadpletely exceeded his understanding and even gave him a feeling that it was only slightly less dangerous than that bus. If trouble arose, he wouldn''t be able to make it out alive himself, let alone worry about others. That wasn''t his style. Chapter 41 041, Back to Back (Revised) After Du Wei left, the four of them rxed quite a bit. After all, a man with a nk expression uttering depressing remarks every now and then was truly annoying to them. "Should we wait for a while before moving on, so we don''t run into that Asian guy again?" "Also, I know you''re pretty scared of ces like the Horror House, but your idea to invite that man earlier really seems quite bad now." Lisa said this with a curl of her lip, but for some reason, she felt like the temperature had dropped a bit after the man had left, sending chills through her. Maybe it was just her imagination... "That works, I was thinking more people would mean more safety, but since it''s like this, then it''ll just be the four of us." Bob nodded. He had actually been pursuing Lisa, so naturally, he would go along with her. After thinking for a bit, Bob suddenly suggested, "Oh, by the way, do you guys want to try out this ghost house segment? It seems pretty thrilling." "Let''s not, we''re not interested in these low-end scary programs." The other two simultaneously shook their heads. They were a couple who had just started dating and had experienced horror houses before, so they declined Bob''s suggestion. Seeing this, Bob could only give an awkward smile and say, "Then let''s walk a bit slower. I remember after the segment with the Undead Mummy and the Horror Wax Museum, it should get even more exciting. I''ve heard it''s the ssic segment of the Horror House." "Agreed." "Me too." And as they discussed their next steps, what Du Wei saw with his Spirit Vision, the ghost with White-faced Makeup, suddenly slipped her deathly pale and overly white hands through the tatami bed, floating up slowly in a strange manner. Her eerie smile widened, tearing to the roots of her ears, her head lowered, allowing her ck hair to fall in front of her face, which only added to her ferocity. Then... She leaned against the back of Lisa, who was hugging her arms across her chest. It looked... like the ''back-to-back'' game they yed as children... The group continued to walk forward. But gradually, Lisa felt her body getting heavier and her pace involuntarily slowed, soon she was left behind by Bob and the others by some distance. She felt very ufortable, as if she was being dragged by something. She could even feel the temperature dropping lower and lower, apanied by the faintly discernible eerie music of the Horror House. Her expression became somewhat distorted. First, her legs started to hurt, then her neck felt itchy. The worst was her back; there was a mmy, cold, and damp feeling, like being in misty weather, running outside causing her clothes to soak, giving her goosebumps. The problem was, she hadn''t sweated at all. She felt ufortable all over. "What''s wrong with you? You look really ufortable..." At this point, Bob noticed her condition, turned his head to ask her, and called out to the other couple, "Wait up, she''s falling behind." "Hey, Lisa, are you feeling okay?" Lisa shook her head and insisted, "I''m fine. My feet just hurt a bit, maybe from when one of the staff grabbed me too hard in the ghost house." With that, she bent over, hitched up her jeans, and there, on both ankles, were dim, bruise-like handprints, ominously darkening as if they were some sort of tattoo or Mark. Seeing this, Lisa swore, "Damn it, once we get out, I''m definitely going toin about these staff members." Bob also saw the bruise on Lisa''s ankle and said worriedly, "It looks pretty serious; how about we leave now, go to the drugstore, and get some medicine to take care of that." However, the male of the couple said, "It doesn''t look that serious to me. If we leave now, wouldn''t the ticket be wasted?" He wasn''t very acquainted with Lisa, only joining because his girlfriend and Lisa were best friends. His intention was simple: the Horror House... a scare could give him a chance to make a move, especially as they had recently started going out and hadn''t gotten that far yet... But his girlfriend, not pleased, said, "Lisa is hurt, I think we should listen to Bob." At this, Lisa gritted her teeth, not wanting her best friend to argue with her boyfriend because of her, so she said, "No need, I don''t think it''s a big deal. Let''s just wait until we get out." "Are you sure?" Bob spread his hands out to her, his eyes inquiring. "Of course!" Lisa thought about it, and aside from a bit of pain, there wasn''t really anything serious; it wouldn''t affect her mobility. Since the lead thought it was no big deal, Bob could only nod and say, "Then let''s continue on. Just a few more steps and we''ll reach the Undead Mummy section, where you can take a break sitting on one of the Pharaoh''s coffins." "I''d rather not, I''m kind of sick of those things right now." Lisa rolled her eyes and continued walking with the others. ... Meanwhile, Du Wei had already arrived at the Undead Mummy section. But he encountered something strange; under the Spirit Vision state, he didn''t detect anything unusual, yet instinctively, he felt there was something off about this section. There was a strange scent in the air that seemed very familiar to him. Looking at theyout of the entire Undead Mummy section, Du Wei''s brows were tightly furrowed. The design of the entire section was very crude. It could even be described as pdash, with just a simple,rge Egyptian-style wall relief: Some eerie legends and beings from fantasy like creatures with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake, or some animals with half a human face and half a wolf face. Then, there were just haphazardly ced ten Egyptian Pharaoh''s coffins¡ªactually painted on the surface. Each coffin was in a semi-open state, and inside you could vaguely see mummies wrapped in brown, old shrouds, simr to the ones seen in movies and TV shows. If it weren''t for the deliberately created dim lighting and the asional chilling wind sound, Du Wei might even feel that this didn''t seem like part of a Horror House. "Thump, thump, thump..." Carrying a bag, Du Wei knocked on the coffin closest to him, peering inside. With a click, as if triggered by some signal, a Mummy sat up straight from within the coffin, arms outstretched, emitting a terrifying roar from its throat. "Not a staff member?" Du Wei looked at the Mummy calmly and pushed it back down, ncing at a certain flickering area in the middle of the coffin, and he shook his head secretly. "Infrared sensor."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "It looks like just an ordinary scare section, and even under Spirit Vision, I didn''t find anything wrong, but why do I feel that something is amiss?" With furrowed brows, Du Wei walked toward the next coffin. He knocked... Just like before, a Mummy sat up and roared. "Continue..." Without stopping, Du Wei felt he was catching onto a clue, something about the staff members he had thought about while in that Ghost House. This point could affect his next actions. Three coffins... Four coffins... Soon, Du Wei arrived at thest coffin. As usual, he knocked... But the Mummy did not sit up. Ity motionless within the coffin, dead silent... With his head down, Du Wei looked coldly at the Mummy, his pupils more obscure under the dim light... Drawing the silver cross dagger he had received from hunter Andrew Dowqui, he directly sliced open the shroud wrapped around the Mummy''s face with the sharp edge. The next second... Du Wei saw an eye, extremely wide and bloodshot. It was the body of a staff member... "I think I probably know what''s going on in the Horror House now. All the sections have likely been taken over by Ghosts or Evil Spirits, and some of the frightening props have also been reced with real corpses." Chapter 42 042. Collide with a Spirit (Revised) Tap tap tap... The sound of footsteps gradually quickened. After leaving the section with the Undead Mummy, Du Wei hurried deeper into the Horror House. Under Spirit Vision, he bypassed any area without abnormalities without even giving it a nce. "I need to find a way to leave quickly." But the increasingly bizarre Horror House cast a growing shadow over his heart. Suddenly... When he reached a narrow corridor, Du Wei stopped, his dark pupils slightly contracting as he scrutinized the scene before him. The corridor was about one and a half meters wide and two meters high, and it stretched into a cross shape. Every three meters, there was an old chandelier swinging, making the light flicker continuously as if there was a shortage of electricity, making it seem somewhat dim. The floor was covered withrge patches of dark brown stains, which looked very much like the residue of coagted blood. On both sides of the corridor, positioned where the chandeliers hung, were two dpidated doors covered in rust. Du Wei watched the iron doors calmly, noticing that each one had a rectangr small iron window near the top that could be opened. Clearly, this was deliberately arranged by the Horror House, to add to the atmosphere. As for these iron doors... Du Wei remembered seeing simr iron door images in articles about prisons from thest century he read two years ago; they were nearly identical in design. And under Spirit Vision. In the center of the narrow, cross-shaped corridor, Du Wei saw a little girl, about seven or eight years old, dressed in a Lolita-style dress, standing in the dark corner where the light did not reach, waving at him... The little girl''s face bore a smile, and her clear blue eyes looked innocent and wless, a sight that could easily evoke a sense of fondness. But the blood-stained hem of her dress and her extremely regr, mechanical waving motion gave off a spine-chilling feeling. "She doesn''t look like a ghost, but more like an Evil Spirit..." Du Wei reminded himself internally, bing alert; he could feel the unmasked malice and viciousness, like coldke water. After a moment of silence... He turned and walked away without hesitation... Dealing with Evil Spirits was not as simple as one might imagine; without knowing their medium, it was a very troublesome matter. To eliminate an Evil Spirit or "catch" it, one must find the medium rted to the Evil Spirit; there was no other way. The Exorcism Ritual was merely a method to drive away spirits clinging to persons; without knowing the medium, the failure rate could be as high as eighty percent. Du Wei indeed wanted to elerate his own Evil Spirit Transformation to gain more confidence when facing the nun, which is why he approached Annabelle. But under the current circumstances, his objective had shifted to finding a way to live and escape the Horror House. Not to mention confronting an unknown and terrifying Evil Spirit head-on... Tap tap tap... Footsteps hurriedly retreated, growing more distant. Meanwhile, in the corridor, the face of the little girl, the Evil Spirit in the dress, maintained the same smile, mechanically continuing to wave her hand... Only now, the bloodstains on her skirt became more ring, as if they were bleeding out. ... On the other side. Bob and his three friends also arrived at the Undead Mummy section. "Look... these Pharaoh''s coffins are so fake, could it be they just brushed ayer of paint on them..." The girl in the couple nced at the ten Pharaoh''s Golden Coffins on the ground, curled her lip, and turned her head to stare non-stop at the huge wall carved with Egyptian reliefs. "Such ridiculous reliefs, this section doesn''t seem very interesting." "You reckon? The reviews online said this part is really scary. Maybe you can greet the mummies in the coffins, who knows, they might give you a surprise." Her boyfriendughed as he walked up to her side, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, and nodded towards the coffins, "Babe, want to give it a try together?" "Whatever..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Seeing the couple walking towards the Pharaoh''s Coffins, Bob thought for a moment and then said to Lisa, "You seem out of sorts. Are you feeling unwell?" Lisa shook her head, her face pale, "I don''t know why, but I feel a little weak. Just walking this short distance feels like I ran a kilometer with a weight on my back." Bob expressed his concern timely, "In that case, Lisa, you should rest a bit. Once the two of them have had their fun, we can leave early." Lisa squatted on the ground, waving her hand, "Forget it, they''re in the middle of their fun..." As she spoke, she pointed at the two people who had reached the front of Pharaoh''s Coffins and were eager to try. "You see, she will definitely get scared and then dive into her boyfriend''s arms, tsk... she just loves this kind of scenario." As her voice faded, Sure enough... Lisa''s friend peered into the coffin at the mummy and waved, "Hello, are you a staff member?" The next second, the mummy wrapped up in shrouds suddenly sat up, raising its hands high and let out a terrifying roar from its throat. "Whoa!" The girl immediately retreated, trembling all over, and her boyfriend promptly opened his arms, consoling her, "Don''t be scared, it''s all fake." "I wasn''t scared at all." "Hmm-hmm, see, it''s just an automaton." Seeing this, Bob opened his mouth with a very surprised expression. Lisa said with a yful tone, "Look, how boring the act is..." Bob spread his hands in agreement, "Indeed, very boring, and now, I don''t feel scared at all." Hearing this, Lisa spoke in a strange tone, "Hey, you might not believe it, but I kind of miss that guy with the backpack from before." "Why? Didn''t you really hate him?" "Of course, that guy was such a buzzkill." Lisa clicked her tongue and said, "But don''t you find it had a real horror movie vibe with him warning us to leave quickly? Although I think his behavior was like a clown, it was oddly out of ce." "Haha, now that you mention it, I suddenly miss him a bit, too." Bob immediatelyughed along, feeling that his rtionship with Lisa seemed to have grown a bit closer. He squinted, thinking to strike while the iron was hot and say more things that she would like, but a sudden scream interrupted his train of thought. "Fuck! What the hell is this, someone''s dead in the coffin!" "What did you say? There''s a dead person?" Bob instinctively stood up, just in time to see his two terrified, panic-strickenpanions. Just a moment ago, the couple had reached thest coffin, thinking to finish this section and then find a quiet ce to rest, but what they saw had horrified them beyond belief. Inside the Pharaoh''s Coffin, the mummy that was originally lying there was wrapped up tight in a shroud that was somehow shed open, with strips of cloth and fragments all over the ce. Revealed in front of them was a corpse, drenched with fresh blood, eyes wide open, and an expression of sheer horror. Chapter 43 043. Stranded (Revised) Hispanion''s words did not earn Bob''s trust. After all, to him, they were a couple who had just gotten together, and their acting abilities were questionable¡­ Therefore, his first reaction was to think that they were joking or trying to liven up the atmosphere. "A body? A dead person?" he made a helpless expression, "Friends, this isn''t funny. The Horror House is filled with bodies and dead people, ok?" "I agree," Lisa even shrugged her shoulders, her expression full of teasing, "But, your expressions just now were pretty on point, like actors in a horror blockbuster, pretty cool." "Damn it, we''re not joking with you, someone really died!" "Hmm? Are you sure you didn''t see it wrong?" Seeing their faces filled with horror and their bodies incessantly trembling, Bob could not help but feel an odd sensation in his heart¡ªthey didn''t seem to be lying. "Nonsense, can''t we even tell if it''s a real body or not?" Hearing this, Bob and Lisa exchanged a look, both with a somewhat somber expression on their faces. Standing up, they walked over to thest coffin. Bob, with a grimace, cautiously peeked into the coffin. He saw a corpse, grotesque and terrifying, even the blood had not coagted, as if it had just died recently. In a sh, a chilling shudder ran through him, as if he had been electrocuted, and his heart started to pound violently out of fear. Lisa''s expression was even worse. She had already been startled before and was not in a good state; the dim lights deliberately arranged around, along with the subtle and eerie music, had always made her a bit paranoid, and her emotions immediately became tense. After seeing the body in the coffin, her face turned as pale as paper, and she couldn''t help but back away several steps, falling to the ground, nearly unable to breathe. "My God, how could someone die here?" Bob took a deep breath and managed to say, "Never mind that now, guys, we need to get out of here and call the police, let''s call the police right away." As he spoke, he shouted to the others. The couple and Lisa all nodded, with only one thought in their minds¡ªrun. After such a terrifying incident, no one dared to stay; they immediately started running towards the way they hade. They were just students after all; even though they normally watched horror movies, that did not mean they could remain unfazed in the face of a real dead body. Panic, being at a loss, even unable to think, was the normal reaction of a person. Among the four, the couple was ahead, while Bob and Lisagged behind. At that moment, Lisa was seriously out of strength and was only able to move her legs by pushing herself, so she quickly fell a good distance behind the others and could only watch their backs from afar. Gasping for air, she wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling her body bing heavier and heavier, as if she were carrying a weight, and her pace grew slower and slower. Keep in mind, she usually liked to run as a form of exercise; this kind of situation was almost impossible to ur. "What''s happening to me!" Her heart grew even more panicked. The dim lights in the Horror House and the vast shadowy areas seemed to ignite all her emotions. "Wait a minute, I''ve fallen behind! Wait for me, hey! Can''t you hear me?" Lisa bit her lip, not daring to stop, yet unable to project her voice very far due to herck of strength. No one heard... Lisa watched Bob and the couple moving further away, her eyes brimming with tears, as she desperately ran forward, trying to keep up with them. However, she failed to notice that the stride of her steps was getting shorter and shorter, even slower than a normal walk. "Damn!" Lisa panted heavily, stopping and looking down; she could run no farther. She was soaked in sweat, as if she had been pulled out of the water. Just then, she suddenly noticed something extra in the shadow under her feet, bloated and deformed, as if a person was standing back-to-back with her... ¡­ Meanwhile. Du Wei''s face also looked terrible as he returned to the cross corridor flickering with dim light. Ten minutes earlier, he had turned around to leave, trying to bypass the area from elsewhere. But to his surprise, no matter which way he went, he always ended up back where he started, even after entering the "Spirit Vision Third Phase," nothing had changed. This was very abnormal... Looking at the shadowy corner across the corridor stood the little girl in the western dress, the blood on the hem of her skirt growing more congealed and slowly soaking the ground, Du Wei''s calm gaze became even deeper. "Spirit Vision" was a phenomenon that only manifested after being eroded by an "Evil Spirit." The first phase, direct gaze at the "Evil Spirit." The second phase, deepening. The third phase, as the erosion became more thorough, "Evil Spirit Transformation" began to emerge. This was also the hunter''s confidence when facing an "Evil Spirit." Unteral and vertical. At least so far, under the state of "Spirit Vision," apart from the unusuallymunicable "Evil Spirit" at home, there hasn''t been any "Evil Spirit" capable of deceiving "Spirit Vision." A thought shed through Du Wei''s mind, and he adjusted his breathing a bit. An "Evil Spirit" can''t deceive "Spirit Vision," but it can deceive oneself. The five senses are the easiest to mislead. Thus, Du Wei nced at the dark corridor, the flickering, rickety chandeliers, and the iron doors on both sides under each chandelier and said in a low voice to the "Evil Spirit." "Deceiving a person''s five senses is a very simple matter. During my college days specializing in psychology, I conducted simr experiments." As though exining to the "Evil Spirit," Du Wei spoke patiently, "Psychological suggestions and environmental arrangements canpletely deceive the five senses, like the ''Infinite Corridor'' for instance." "But that''s theoretical. In reality, no matter how perfect the arrangement, it is impossible to create a real ''Infinite Corridor.'' After saying that, Du Wei paused and then continued, "Now, looking at the lights in this corridor and its environmental setup, in addition to the eerie sound effects inherently present in the ''Horror House,'' it''s not hard to understand..." "It''s actually psychological suggestion..." Du Wei suddenly smiled a bit and continued to speak, but this time, he was speaking to himself. "After I first came back here and then went in another direction, that makes it twice, and this corridor is T-shaped. I think I already know how to leave this ce." With that, Du Wei took a long look at the "Evil Spirit" and then stepped into the corridor. In an instant. It felt as though he had entered a cold storage, the temperature inside the entire corridor was very low. The frequency of the chandelier above his head swinging was elerating, and the dim lights were flickering, very blinding. Du Wei, expressionless as if he felt nothing, casually took out a bottle of "Holy Water" from his backpack. During this process, he had no intention of concealing his thoughts. Across from him, the little "Evil Spirit" girl''s mechanical beckoning suddenly paused, the smile on her face instantly disappeared, her expression turned incredibly ferocious, and her eyes were filled with malice and resentment. But perhaps sensing something, in the blink of an eye, she disappeared into the shadows. Then, a continuous creaking, the teeth-grinding sound of doors opening, arose! All the iron doors at that moment flew open! Du Wei''s footsteps suddenly stopped, and he furrowed his brow. The corridor was originally part of the ''Horror House'' scenery, purely for scaring people. Normally speaking, behind every door, there should be some setup or workers dressed as ghosts.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om But now, all the workers had been reced by "Evil Spirits" and "Ghosts," and the orchestrators of the scare tactics hadpletely changed. Therefore, he turned his head and expressionlessly looked at one door on his left. Into his view... Within the shadow, a person with a slumped right shoulder was facing away from Du Wei... Chapter 44 044, Diè„¿ow膿iyè„¿ (modified) Inside the cross-shaped corridor. Du Wei halted, his right hand holding a bottle of Holy Water, his left hand gripping the silver cross dagger he had gotten from the hunter, Andrew Dowqui. Some Evil Spirits are capable of influencing reality, even manipting the human body. He had witnessed this already. Looking behind the rusty door, standing in the shadows, with its back to him, Du Wei made a judgment under the state of Spirit Vision, which was more urate and direct than the sixth sense. "It''s a corpse." He thought for a moment, leaned in closer and began inspecting carefully, making out the clothes on the body with the help of the flickering, dim light. What puzzled him was that he seemed to see some threads. "This is the second staff member''s corpse I''ve encountered." Then, he turned his head and nced at the iron door on his right. Behind this door was another body, but the scene that met his eyes was even more horrifying. Behind the rusty door, wrapped in darkness, stood a white female dressed in hot shorts and a snug T-shirt, on tiptoe in the dark, her eyes wide open, empty. Her posture was very strange, as the tiptoeing forced her body to lean forward. Her already-tall stature, due to her racial advantage, made her appear over one meter seventy in height, incredibly imposing. From Du Wei''s angle, their gazes met directly. Under the Spirit Vision. He saw a face flickering in the dark behind the white female, it was that Evil Spirit girl, still bearing resentment and a deathly stillness. "This body belongs to a tourist." Immediately after, Du Wei''s eyebrows subconsciously furrowed as he looked closely at the white female''s neck. Even though the light was dim, and most of the woman''s body was shrouded in darkness, as if covered by a thin veil, Du Wei still noticed a faint blue-ck strangtion mark around her neck¡­ Upon a closer look, he could see the tough steel wire embedded into the flesh of her neck. There was no doubt, she had been strangled to death¡­ And the tough steel wire¡­ Du Wei sheathed the cross dagger and casually took out a lighter. Click¡­ A bean-sized me sprang to life. Du Wei stood at the entrance of the iron door, just one step away from entering the cell. Through the light of the lighter, Du Wei finally made out the general situation. The so-called white threads were extremely fine steel wires used for hanging¡­ The steel wire wrapped around her neck, extending backwards into the darkness, pulling her body up slightly, which exined her tiptoed stance¡­ And that Evil Spirit girl¡­ Du Wei had a vague feeling that he was catching on to something, but he was unsure if the other party was leading and hinting at him again. From the moment he had stepped into this cross-shaped corridor, he had known why he had returned to the starting point twice. Enjoy exclusive content from empire This was supposed to be a segment of the Horror House, simr to the concept of being trapped in an endless loop, except it was man-made and the design was rtively clever. The swaying, flickering lights, the almost imperceptible eerie sounds, and the vast shadowy areas, along with the corroded iron doors on either side of the corridor, were all deliberately creating an atmosphere to mislead one''s hearing and senses. Moreover, the corridor itself is cross-shaped. If every entrance is arranged exactly the same, then subconsciously, one would take the evil spirit little girl standing at the center as a point of reference. Thinking this, Du Wei was quite certain that there must have been other references, or say staff members, acting as this coordinate before the appearance of the Evil Spirit. "I know where your medium is." Not looking at the corpse behind the iron door on the right anymore, Du Wei pocketed his lighter and walked forward expressionlessly with his bag on his back. He walked at an even pace. Each iron door he passed housed a gruesome corpse, whether it be an employee dressed as a ghost or a visitor who hade to have fun. Moreover, under Spirit Vision, the frequency at which the evil spirit little girl appeared increased, and sometimes she even lingered for a moment, waving at Du Wei from inside the iron doors with an increasingly ferocious expression. Yet Du Wei remained utterly calm, his demeanor growing ever more serene,pletely ignoring its existence. This segment was originally controlled by the staff, but now for some reason, all the staff had been killed by the Evil Spirit, and the leader had be the Evil Spirit. From human to ghost, it is almost a dead end with no solution. Man-made arrangements affect hearing and perception. The presence of an Evil Spirit is to let you deceive yourself.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om If it were someone else, by now they would probably have fallen into terror and fear, with a slim chance of escape. But what was here was an excellent psychologist, a church''s exorcist-in-training, a hunter who had undergone Evil Spirit Transformation... ... This corridor was not long, but it was very narrow. Walking through it, a slight movement of your body would bring you up against the iron doors. The figure of the evil spirit little girl had returned to the center of the cross-shaped corridor. She was already extremely horrifying, with half her face looking as if crushed by a heavy object, flesh muddled, and blood covering her entire skirt. As Du Wei walked towards her, expressionless and step by step, it opened its mouth and let out a piercing, sharp scream filled with a deep resentment. In an instant, all the chandeliers started to flicker wildly and shake, then exploded with a bang, plunging the whole corridor intoplete darkness. At the same time, under Spirit Vision, Du Wei saw that the corpses inside each iron door hade to the doorway, staring at him with vacant, chilly eyes. He was silent for a while, staring at the Evil Spirit, and said calmly, "Evil Spirits possess intelligence, so you''ve been trying to mislead me, but now, I have found you." To kill a person, an Evil Spirit must go through the stages of triggering a medium, absorbing emotions like fear and terror, and then taking action... These are the so-called rules. "And the medium is right here." As his words fell, Without any hesitation, Du Wei took a step forward, and the evil spirit little girl instantaneously disappeared, leaving the corridor in dead silence. At this moment, Du Wei took the ce of the Evil Spirit, standing at the intersection at the center of the cross-shaped corridor. He looked up at the ceiling while lighting his lighter. With the faint light, Du Wei saw that a piece of the ceiling above had been removed. A girl''s corpse, entwined in fine steel wires and dressed in a western gown, was suspended upside down above him. Her head hung downwards, her face covered in congealed blood clots. One of her eyes was gone, reced by a hollow, deeply silent gaze that met Du Wei''s. Du Wei''s gaze was utterly calm, not a hint of emotional fluctuation on his face. He scrutinized carefully; each steel wire spread out in different directions, forming a fan shape, like a spider''s web, dense and chilling to the core. Chapter 45 045, Seems unsolvable? (Massive update) Looking at the corpse dangling from the ceiling, Du Wei''s gaze lingered on the thin steel wires used for the suspension, following their scattered directions. The wires that wrapped around the body formed a spiderweb-like structure on the ceiling, spreading out densely, corresponding to four channels. "No wonder both the staff and tourists'' bodies are wrapped in steel wires, so this is your method of control," Du Wei withdrew his gaze, his mind very calm, he had basically uncovered the secret of the Evil Spirit. Rtively speaking, it truly was inescapable, horrifically lethal. But as long as one could analyze it rationally, identify the medium, its most obvious weakness would be apparent. As the medium exists in this manner, it cannot leave this channel, its range of activity limited to here. Even moving within the channel was impossible. That was also why, in such a confined space, it preferred to appear behind the iron door, manipting the corpses to scare people. Du Wei couldn''t help but think of Bob and the others who had entered the Horror House with him, if it were them, they would probably break down mentally under such a desperate situation and end up dying at the hands of the Evil Spirit. Stopping his thoughts. Du Wei then prepared to make a move to leave, searching his backpack for the bottle of Bone Powder¡ªthe remains of some Evil Spirits needed to be lit to use. He nned to take down the body and burn it. After the recent changes, the entire channel was now in total darkness, except for a faint light from Du Wei''s lighter, barely revealing some objects, the rest plunged into deathly still darkness. Suddenly, Du Wei''s eyes grew cold as he sniffed a foul smell of blood. It wasing from behind him, growing increasingly pungent. The corner of his eye, aided by the light of the lighter, noticed a ck shadow spreading on the ground. "Huff¡­" It was as if someone breathed out, blowing at the lighter once, and in a moment, that small me went out. Then, in the pitch-ck darkness where one couldn''t see their own hand, there came a crisp "bang" sound, as if something had shattered. ...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "The time is now 16:03." Bob, gasping for breath, leaned against the closed door, taking out his phone to check the time. Their faces all bared the flush of strenuous exercise, along with exhaustion and tension. "Wait, where''s Lisa? Did you guys see her?" Bob, propping the door and catching his breath with his head lowered, suddenly turned back but noticed that, without knowing when, Lisa from their group had vanished. "I didn''t see her, probably behind us!" The man from the couple said weakly, waving his hand, and knocked forcefully on the door: "Is anyone there? Open the door, there''s a dead person inside!" However, there was no response. The Horror House''s settings were such that you could only leave afterpleting it; if you wanted to exit in the middle, you had to contact the staff. Moreover, there was at least a ten-meter distance from this door to the outside of the Horror House, and many soundproofing arrangements had been made in the middle, hearing anything would be a miracle. Bob clenched his fists and banged on the door, muttering damn it under his breath! "No, we need to find Lisa. Someone inside the Horror House has already be a victim, it''s very possible that the murderer is still inside. Leaving Lisa alone definitely spells trouble." That man, however, objected: "Do you realize what you''re saying? It''s dangerous in there, alright, and now we go back for her? What if we run into the killer?" Bob said incredulously: "Friend, that''s precisely why we can''t abandon Lisa." "Is that right? Now you remember not to leave her behind, then why didn''t you lead her when we were at the back just now?" Speaking of which, the man added: "And who doesn''t know you like her? If you want to go find her, then you go by yourself. Anyway, I''m going to call the staff to open the door and call the police." Hearing this, Bob''s face became very unsightly, flushed with red. Indeed, he had run very fast earlier,pletely ignoring Lisa. But that''s the normal reaction for anyone in such a situation, to think of oneself first. Moreover, he only liked Lisa; the two of them were not together. So, after regaining hisposure, Bob immediately felt guilt and annoyance. "Forget it, I''ll go alone." "I''ll go with you." The girlfriend within the couple clenched her teeth and, feeling very sorry for her best friend, nodded at Bob. Then, she frowned at her boyfriend. "You''ve disappointed me. Maybe I need to rethink our rtionship." "Fuck!!! What do you think this is, heroism? Someone''s been killed! Can''t you be calm for once? What we need to do right now is to protect ourselves!" "If that''s the case, I dere that we''re broken up!" Having said that, she turned and walked back, and Bob didn''t nce at the man again, following her directly. Watching the two leave, the man''s eyes burned with anger. "Fine, you all are heroes, and I, a pitiful coward who''s afraid of death, won''t join you!" As he spoke, he took out his phone and dialed the staff''s number. "Dudu..." A busy signal; he couldn''t get through at all. "What''s going on?" Only then did he realize his phone had no signal; he shook it vigorously, but to no avail. "Damn it, I swear this is thest time I evere to a shithole like Horror House in my life!" The man was so angry he felt like smashing his phone, but after a second thought, he gave up on the idea and put it back in his pocket. However, just then... "Click..." A sound resembling mechanical gears turning started. He lifted his head, his eyes shifting from confusion to surprise and excitement. The door they hade through opened... There was no one there. The weird music that he had found boring, along with the deliberately dark lighting, now seemed incredibly wee. It was strange that the door opened without anyoneing in or any staff present under normal circumstances, but at that time, he didn''t think much of it. "Thank God." As he entered the door, the next second it slowly closed, the vast shadow swallowing him up. The eerie music continued, but the lighting suddenly became a bit brighter, as if the electricity had been insufficient before, causing the lights to dim. Continue reading at empire Soon the door closedpletely, leaving only the sound of it sealing shut. ... Boom... Du Wei watched dispassionately the burning body not far away. The fire illuminated the entire cross-shaped corridor, casting his shadow unnaturally long and strange. At his feety shattered ss bottles and arge spread of water stains. He poured out another bottle of Holy Water, using just a bit to clean the bloodstains on his hand from contact with the body, then pulled out a white cloth from his backpack, designed for dealing with Evil Spirits, and carefully wiped his hands dry. In his backpack, the burnable Bone Powder was now reduced to half. Chapter 46 046, Basement Level 1 Entrance (Pinned in group number comments section) The firelight illuminated the cross-shaped passage, and the intense heat caused beads of sweat to slowly emerge on Du Wei''s forehead. He grew impatient and stepped back. Just as the lighter was blown out, he had smashed the ss bottle filled with Holy Water and brought down the medium of the Evil Spirit girl, her corpse that is, dousing it with the special Bone Powder given by Father Tony and set it aze. For Du Wei, he never acted without preparation, preferring to calmly analyze the situation, find a solution, and keep himself in a state of security. Only when absolutely necessary or faced with an emergency would he consider skirting the edge of death. And regarding the Evil Spirit in the cross passage, Du Wei had no intention ofing into much contact with it from the start. Had it not tried to kill him by controlling the scenes set up by the Horror House itself, things wouldn''t havee to this point. "It''s time to find the exit and quickly leave the Horror House." Once certain no fire would erupt, Du Wei stuffed the half-empty bottle of Bone Powder into his backpack and walked away. His footsteps receded into the distance... But after he left, the corpse suddenly made a "snap" sound, and mes violently surged up, seemingly wanting to spread elsewhere. However, constrained by theck of sufficient fuel, they were extinguished. ... Meanwhile, in front of the Japanese-style haunted house. Bob and hispanion also arrived here. "What''s going on? Why haven''t we seen Lisa yet? Moving forward is the area with the Undead Mummy. Could something have really happened to her?" Anxiety and confusion filled Bob''s face, and his tone revealed his immense irritation. "Should we keep going forward? I''m getting scared." The speaker was Lisa''s best friend, and although they were close, she felt torn in this situation. It wasn''t hypocrisy, but reality. For instance, a person afraid of heights might venture up a 100-meter hill to help a friend in trouble. However, if they realized the distance was actually 1,000 meters, coupled with unknown dangers during the climb and the sight of their worst fear below, most people might weigh the risks and rewards. Fear and fright are instincts; controlling these instincts and being controlled by them are both normal. Therefore, when Bob heard her words, he didn''t react with anger. He was also considering whether to continue moving forward. Just ahead was where the bodies of the crew members had been found... "Maybe... maybe we should..." Bob licked his lips, a struggle fleeting across his eyes. Looking ahead at the dimly lit area, shadow-covered corners made Bob hesitate. He told himself¡ª"You''re just a college student, Lisa isn''t your girlfriend, and you''ve done enough. This is something professionals should handle." Thinking this way, he felt somewhat relieved. But acknowledging this aloud would be embarrassing, as Bob had talked too tough before. Even though he recognized it was a hasty decision, backing out now was difficult... So he thought for a moment and decided to pass the decision onto someone else. "Do you think we should keep moving forward?" "After all, it''s better to leave this kind of thing to the police." "What do you think... huh?" There was no response. With a puzzled expression, Bob turned his head and scanned the area; his face went pale in an instant... fuck!!!! Lisa''s best friend, who had just been speaking with him, was now nowhere to be seen. "Hey... this isn''t funny, where are you?" Suddenly, a faint breeze blew by. Bob couldn''t help but shiver, feeling his sweat turn cold and sticky, and his back crawl with goosebumps. What the hell is going on? At this moment, Bob also realized that something was not right. Gritting his teeth, he said, "No matter what you want to do, I''m getting out of here... I will call the police... I swear, I definitely will." After he finished speaking, he started to run. Yet, just a few steps after he started running, Bob opened his mouth in horror, disbelievingly staring at the road he hade from. "Where''s the road?" The road that was originally there had simply vanished, and all that could be seen were shadows engulfing everything in sight. It was as if he had been teleported to an entirely different ce, experiencing some sort of spatial discement. The spine-chilling sound effects and eerie music that had been barely audible before hadpletely disappeared, leaving the surroundings in utter silence. But this kind of silence made Bob feel even more afraid and on the verge of copse. The sound effects and bizarre music in the Horror House, however intimidating they might be, were man-made. When you know the truth, you might still find it creepy, but at least there is somefort in that knowledge. But now, Bob felt as if he had plunged into an ice cave, losing all his reasoning and ability to think.N?v(el)B\\jnn ... 16:56. Inside the Horror House, at the entrance of the underground level. A sign that read ''Ambrose Wax Museum'' was covered in aged cracks, with many cobwebs obscuring the lettering, making it difficult to read. Du Wei stared at the sign for quite a while before he could decipher the letters. Expressionless and silent, he seemed gloomy. Annabelle had been ced in the Dead Spirit Doll section, which was also on the underground level. The exit was also on this level, but it was located at the deepest part of Ferocious Ghost Street, where an elevator was avable for people to leave. To get to the underground level, one had to enter the deepest part of the Horror Wax Museum and descend through the entrance. This was also the path visitors had to take if they wanted to leave the Horror House, barring any calls to the staff or unforeseen events. Of course, under the current circumstances, the entrance they hade through was no longer an option. All of the Horror House''s sections had been reced with ghosts instead of people, and these ghosts could manipte the original staging. There was no going back; the only option was to keep moving forward in search of a way out. His only goal now was to leave. As for the Evil Spirit Transformation... If he could make it out alive, it might bring about an unexpected change for himself. For instance, after taking that bus and getting off, he entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision directly. Though there might be some reasons he had yet to think of, elerating the degree of Evil Spirit Transformation was surely inevitable. Byparison, whether he could contact Annabelle was no longer important. In fact, under these circumstances, Du Wei even felt that not encountering her would be the best oue. "It probably took three minutes..." He estimated the time he had spent contemting, took a deep breath, and then calmly walked in. This time, he did not produce Holy Water or anything else but drew his gun instead. As soon as he entered, he detected a peculiar smell. This persistent odor was distinctive to wax figure creation and would normally fade slowly over time with long-term cement. Though the Horror House had been around for a while, it clearly refreshed its inventory frequently, bringing in brand new wax figures to scare visitors. Du Wei scanned the wax figure closest to him, looking a bit strange. This wax figure was dressed stylishly, much like current college students ¨C jeans and AJ sneakers ¨C but it appeared iplete, as if its facial features were still wrapped in wax, not yet revealed. But one could tell that it was a Caucasian male, seemingly young in age. What made Du Wei feel uneasy was that he thought he had seen this wax figure somewhere before. It looked very familiar... Chapter 47 047, its Annabelle (asking for votes and favorites) "Why do I feel this sense of familiarity?" Read exclusive chapters at empire Du Wei muttered to himself as he scrutinized the wax figure of the white male with a scrutinizing gaze. His memory had always been excellent. He could generally remember the plots of books he had read over the past five or six years, and images and videos that made a deep impression were even less likely to be forgotten. People who evoked a sense of familiarity in him were usually those he had met several times or talked to. As he looked at the blurry face of the wax figure, Du Wei squinted, pulled out a silver crucifix dagger, and stabbed it straight in. As soon as the dagger pierced the wax seal covering the face of the figure, he felt a sense of resistance. It was like he had hit the soft tissue of a human body. Du Wei''s hand paused for a moment, then he pulled out the dagger, bringing out a strand of fresh blood. "Is it a person?" Staring at the blood stained on the dagger''s de, Du Wei''s expression was very subtle. "Bob, or another man?" In the Horror House, the only men Du Wei had encountered were these two; it was impossible for others to appear here, so it had to be one of them. So, Du Wei simply used the dagger to cut open the sealed wax covering the face of the wax figure, this time he controlled the force so skillfully that he did not hurt the skin. "Is it you?!" When the face of the wax figure was revealed, Bob''s other malepanion came into view. Of course, he was already dead. Du Wei looked at the corpse turned into a wax figure, his gaze flickered slightly, then he regained his calm and indifference. He was somewhat puzzled as to why this body had appeared in the Wax Museum. Now, every aspect within the entire Horror House was controlled by Evil Spirits or ghosts, and all the thrills and horror that people wanted to experience were very real. But even if one really encountered an Evil Spirit and died at their hands, they shouldn''t appear right in front of him. "This doesn''t make sense." Du Wei silently said to himself, and no longer looked at the body turned into a wax figure. Earlier, when he was lingering outside the Wax Museum in Spirit Vision state, he did not detect the presence of an Evil Spirit. Initially, he was somewhat puzzled, but now he thought that this situation was somewhat simr to that of the Undead Mummy. With this in mind, Du Wei walked toward the other wax figures. Each wax figure was lifelike, with a variety of forms. Some were students, some were children, and others were working staff and adults of different identities. The deeper he went, the more chilling it became. All the wax figures, from initially serene poses, became increasingly fierce and horrible. The facial expressions of each wax figure carried fright and tension, their eyes wide open as if they had seen something incredibly terrifying. Looking eye to eye with a workman''s wax figure, Du Wei stared emotionlessly into his eyes.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om After a moment of silence... He paused, then said to himself, "The Undead Mummy and the bodies in the Horror Wax Museum were caused by Evil Spirits, but so far, I have only encountered one ghost and one Evil Spirit. That means, including Annabelle, there are at least two more Evil Spirits in the Horror House." "Are they all on the first basement level?" But there was no way to retreat anymore. Du Wei took a deep breath. Further down were the stages of the Ghost iming Lives and the Evil Spirit Doll, as well as the exit in the area of Ferocious Ghost Street. No longer paying attention to these wax figures, Du Wei headed straight for the entrance to the first basement level. It was located at the very back of the Wax Museum, a wooden Ground Gate hidden in the floor, marked by handprint marks drawn in red paint on the side. Lifting the Ground Gate, what met his eyes was darkness, with the faint outline of a staircase constructed of old wooden boards. After adjusting to the dim light, Du Wei went straight down. A sudden snap... With the wooden ground gate closing, a burst of dust was stirred up. The entire wax museum once again returned to its previous state, a deathly silence pervading the space. At this moment, all the figures made into wax statues seemed to receive some kind of signal and turned their heads in unison, looking towards that ground gate. ... "Eek-creak..." Walking up the old stairs, although Du Wei was very careful, he still couldn''t avoid the squeaking, frictional sound of the wooden structure caused by his movement on the rudimentary stairs. Unlike what he had imagined, the stairs weren''t very long, probably no more than two or three meters, but because they were covered by shadows and their full extent obscured, they gave the impression of being much longer. Tap... Flicking his lighter, Du Wei descended the stairs and surveyed his surroundings. It was so dark it sent chills down his spine, the feeble light from the me barely illuminating the small space directly in front of him, as if everything else faded into nonexistence. The air was stuffy, and the ground was covered with dust. After only taking a few steps forward, Du Wei looked back and could no longer see the stairs he hade down. His heart sank slightly; the space wasrge, but it was obvious that he hadn''t reached the thrilling part of the Horror House setup yet. Moreover, here... Under the state of Spirit Vision, he found nothing abnormal, which meant there was no presence of Evil Spirits. But this did not lessen the vignce in Du Wei''s mind. Because he detected a faint scent of blood. During his university days when he majored in forensic science, apart from attending regr sses, he spent the rest of his time dealing with corpses. With time, this had almost be an instinct. Now, upon detecting the scent of blood, Du Wei looked around at the pitch-ck environment and involuntarily conjured up an image in his mind. In the darkness beyond his sight, there might be bodies either lying down, standing, or piled on top of each other, each with a horrific death, dripping with blood. "I need to speed up." Shaking his head, Du Wei crouched down and, using the faint light from the lighter, inspected the ground around him. He needed to find a way out. "Found it." In the dim light cast by the lighter, Du Wei saw many messy footprints. Although there weren''t too many, it was clear that the people who had previously been here must have been frightened out of their wits by the oppressive darkness surrounding them. Next, he found the most concentrated set of footprints, all moving in one direction, and followed them. The Horror House would not create an environment with no way out; its purpose was only to provide visitors with a sense of thrill and let them enjoy the fun ofpleting the challenge. If there really was a dead end, it would be a mockery of its visitors, and it would be almost impossible for it to have stayed in business until now. Therefore, with a bit of time, he was certain to find an exit. Moreover, Du Wei did not sense the presence of Evil Spirits, so he followed normal logic and, after some analysis, chose the quickest path. Three minutester. Du Wei touched a cold, damp metal door, and with his lighter, he waved it around nearby and saw a handle. He grabbed it and lightly pulled. The sound of mechanical operation immediately followed. The next second, blinding light flooded in. Du Wei turned his face away, shielding his eyes from the light, and after getting used to it, his pupils abruptly narrowed. He saw that before him was a room styled like something from the midst century. What was surprising, however, was the multitude of dolls recing the areas that should have been decorated with ornaments. And at the doorway of the room was a chair ced. Under the Spirit Vision state, a woman in a filthy, unkempt gown was sitting there, facing sideways to Du Wei, watching the door outside expressionlessly. In her arms, she held a doll about forty centimeters long, withrge eyes and cheeks painted with rouge, maintaining a smiling arc that felt exceedingly eerie. It was Annabelle... Chapter 48 048, Wooden Man (Modified) ``` The room was silent, deathly quiet. The atmosphere was oppressive, suffocating. Du Wei''s expression remained unchanged. In his Spirit Vision state, he realized he was facing a very bad situation. It could even be said that since encountering the Evil Spirit, this was the most difficult situation he had faced. Two Evil Spirits... The Evil Spirit Doll Annabelle, as well as the woman sitting in the chair, holding it. The woman was sitting sideways, so from this angle, Du Wei could even see her ashen face, full of cracked wrinkles. He tried to keep calm and nced at the position of the door, which was about four or five steps away. Then, he tentatively pocketed his lighter. His eyes were fixed on the side-sitting Evil Spirit facing the door and the Evil Spirit Doll Annabelle it held. Your next chapter is on empire Nothing unusual happened. From start to finish, both Evil Spirits seemed as if they hadn''t seen Du Wei at all, always facing the door. Du Wei let out a slight sigh of relief and took a half step back, reaching behind him to feel around. Instead of the cold steel he expected, his hand touched a hard, damp wall. Where was that iron door? Du Wei''s breathing became a bit rapid, but realizing this, he immediately adjusted his state and returned to normal. At this moment, his face was somber, but his heart was exceptionally calm. He guessed that the moment he passed through the iron door, Annabelle and this Evil Spirit had likely made their move against him. Some Evil Spirits have the power to affect reality. Not like those he had encountered before in the cross-path of Horror House, which used the original setup of the house to affect people''s senses. But they could truly distort space, on a physical level. Previously, the only Evil Spirit Du Wei had encountered with such ability was the one drawn to his home by an online post, but now, he had met another. "Is it Annabelle, or is it her? Or perhaps both have this ability?" Du Wei analyzed, trying to find a solution. Without knowing the medium of the other Evil Spirit, he couldn''t make a judgment or decision. "But fortunately, it seems to be safe for now." Du Wei quickly shifted his train of thought, but just then, with an inadvertent nce, he saw¡ª all the dolls in the room, of various forms and sizes, had at some point all turned to face him. Mimicking humans, there were few animal-shaped ones, and in this context, they looked like some sort of dwarfish people.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om What made it even more chilling was that, because of the angle, Du Wei had only seen them generally before and hadn''t noticed the specific appearance of these dolls. Now, as they faced him, he realized that what should have been the eyes of the dolls had been sewn shut, the surfaces caved in as if the artificial eyeballs had been removed. "Huh..." Du Wei exhaled, turning his expressionless face away, the rationality he had always maintained was slightly shaken. In an instant. A gaze met his... The woman sitting on the chair, who was sideways to Du Wei, had moved her position silently, along with the chair. A creeping oppressiveness spread from the heart, and it seemed as if the light in the room itself was affected, dimming a few degrees. Du Wei could visibly see arge shadow spreading in the corner, as if it were some kind of living thing. Fine sweat covered his back, and the damp strands of hair on his forehead clung to his skin. However, apart from this, the woman made no other unusual movements, just staring straight at Du Wei. Despite the significant distance between them. Yet Du Wei felt an incredibly thick, gloomy oppressiveness. He didn''t make any other movements, maintaining his current action. He even started to slow his breathing, controlling all emotions to keep himself in a state of calm and rationality. From this distance, Du Wei could see the woman''s entire visage. Her skin was shriveled with wrinkles, wrapping around her bones, and her hair was like dried brushwood, resembling wild grass. She wore a filthy, disheveled long dress, many parts of which had sumbed to putrid mold, as if buried in the ground for a long time. The only difference was the woman''s eyes. Though her gaze was empty and grim, her eyeballs did not look dehydrated like her skin, but rather quite full, except the skin around her eyes hadpletely sagged, giving her a particrly fearsome appearance. ``` Du Wei couldn''t help but recall a corpse he had once dissected in his mind. A middle-aged worker had died suddenly near the underground heating pipes at work, his body''s moisturepletely evaporated, leaving only ayer of skin by the time it was sent to the dissecting room. Besides the eyes, there was no difference between this Evil Spirit and that corpse. Under the influence of Spirit Vision, the oppressive feeling it gave Du Wei was very strong, making it hard not to be affected... "But why, up until now, it still hasn''t made a move? Just standing there, motionless, staring at me, what are they trying to do?" Du Wei quietly asked himself, his ck pupils growing more profound. Vaguely, he felt he might have grasped some sort of pattern. So, he thought for a moment and took a step towards the door. Thud... The sound of footsteps dissipated... As Du Wei moved his position, the next second, the woman facing him suddenly moved forward the same distance. Under the state of Spirit Vision. He couldn''t even see any trace of movement, as if it was an instantaneous spatial discement,pletely irrational. Also. As the woman''s position shifted, the dolls ced in the room seemed to be affected too; the fine thread used to sew their eyes burst apart at one end. It seemed much like a chain reaction. But Du Wei didn''t think so. Even, he looked thoughtfully at those sinister dolls, and at Annabelle, along with the Evil Spirit holding her. "It''s about bnce." Du Wei mused, like the bnce of power initially between the two Evil Spirits in his home, as well as the confrontation. When two Evil Spirits set their sights on the same target, there was no such thing as firste, first-served; they would confront each other until one suppressed the other before they would make a move on the target. The only difference was, the targets of the two Evil Spirits in his home were himself, while the targets of Annabelle and this Evil Spirit were not himself. They had already been in the process of confrontation before he entered this ce. Otherwise, the moment Du Wei entered, it definitely wouldn''t be as safe as it was now. Having thus cleared his thoughts, he could easily jump out of the thinking trap and find out the murder mechanism. It could be understood that the killing mode of the Evil Spirit in the cross-shaped passage was limited and followed a mechanism. As for the rules... Finding out the rules and mechanisms, there might still be a slim chance of survival. If Annabelle and this woman belonged to the parts involving the Evil Spirit Doll and the Ghost iming Lives respectively, then it might only be necessary to cross Ferocious Ghost Street to reach the original exit. As for whether the exit had also changed... This was unknown. But Du Wei had no other choice, for this was the only hope. Looking at the woman sitting in the chair, holding Annabelle, Du Wei came up with a strange thought in his mind. She seemed to have almost the same objective as his initial one, wanting to capture Annabelle. Only, he aimed for Evil Spirit Transformation, while she herself was an Evil Spirit, what then was her purpose? Du Wei quietly suppressed this thought, deciding to do something to test the theories. He remembered that he had just taken a step back and was feeling the iron door behind him. "Rted to movement?" Thinking about it, he stretched out his hand and waved it slowly. Regrettably, nothing unusual happened. The woman and Annabelle remained as they were, without any change. So, Du Wei took another step, returning to his original position. The next second... Something that shocked him urred; the woman holding Annabelle suddenly moved towards him just a bit. The distance she moved was exactly the same as the distance he had returned to his original position. Seeing this, Du Wei''s expression turned extremely grave. He roughly knew what the rule was. Chapter 49 049, dont move... (modified) It''s very simr to a game called "Red Light, Green Light" that I yed when I was a child. One person faces away from the others, starting to count "Red Light, Green Light, 1, 2, 3"; as they turn around, everyone else must not have any bodily movements; as they turn back, the movement restriction for everyone else is lifted; the first one to touch that person is the victor. Of course, those are the rules of the game yed among people. The "game" between the Evil Spirit and Du Wei, however, had different rules. But certain aspects were not too dissimr. Thinking of this, Du Wei began to calcte the distance between himself and the door. About four or five steps. But the distance to the Evil Spirit was even closer. Especially since, in order to analyze its mechanism, he had already taken a step. At this moment, Du Wei was less than four steps away from the evil spirit sitting in the chair, and Annabelle. The iron door that had been behind him had vanished without a trace. There was only the door which represented the way to survive, and it was blocked by the Evil Spirit. What was even more insoluble was that Du Wei knew clearly that although he had figured out the mechanism, it had, in turn, made the situation even more dangerous. As soon as he took a step, whether he moved forward or backward, the sinister woman sitting in the chair would move the same distance towards him. To put it simply, if he moved in any direction by two steps, it would be able to touch him. As for what would happen after it touched him... Du Wei thought that it probably wouldn''t be like some novels where it wants him to grant it release or help it fulfill some unresolvedst wish. Because that sounded utterly ridiculous. He silently said to himself, "This is an almost inextricable predicament, but there''s a glimmer of hope. Maybe I can take a gamble." The first thing he could be certain of was that this bnce had been in ce before he arrived. Although he didn''t know why, in what should have been the stage of the Ghost iming Lives, Annabelle suddenly joined the mix, but he felt that this was the key to making the current situation unsolvable. Both Annabelle and the Evil Spirit wanted to kill him. Because that was the only way for one to overpower the other. Otherwise, they would keep confronting each other like this. The disappearance of the iron door was to seal off his way back. When he took a step back, the position of the woman changed; she wanted to kill him before Annabelle did. The rule within this bnce seemed like a BUG, but it was actually predicated on the situation where the two Evil Spirits were in a deadlock. "So, as long as I find a way to break this deadlock mechanism, everything could change." It sounds quite simple... At this thought, Du Wei directly entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision. He extended his Right Hand and stared calmly for two seconds. The clean and neat Right Hand gave an eerie sense of astonishment. Then, Du Wei took a step forward, simultaneously taking out Holy Water and a white cloth from his backpack, stuffing one into his pocket and holding the other in his left hand. He didn''t even look at the Evil Spirit in front of him and headed toward the door. Thud... One step. Just one step, and the distance between that woman and Du Wei was instantly narrowed; such proximity only made the sense of oppression and the gloomy aura grow even heavier. The lighting in the entire room also plunged dramatically. It was as if, of twomps, one was suddenly blown out. The threads that sewed the doll''s eyes shut also snapped even more, andrge shadows enveloped it, hiding within the dark what seemed to be something wriggling. Just like a venomous snake trapped in a small cage, trying to wriggle out to deliver its lethal fangs. Under the Third Phase of Spirit Vision, Du Wei could see more information, and the sense of terror and peculiarity intensified. To maintain hisposure, he suppressed all emotions of fear, trepidation, unease, and panic, and held his breath. Then... Without any hesitation, Du Wei took another step forward. Still heading towards the door. It''s just that, on this straight line, an Evil Spirit just happened to be in the way. As he took that step, a horribly grotesque face with wrinkles and folds distorting its features suddenly appeared before Du Wei. A man and an Evil Spirit were almost pressed together, no more than twenty centimeters apart.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om As if responding to some signal! The lights in the room rapidly dimmed and were swallowed up byrge swaths of shadows. The only spot still illuminated was where Du Wei now stood. At the same time, in the darkness, the sound of threads snapping, pop... pop, could be faintly heard. Without looking, he knew that those dolls that gave him an ufortable feeling, with their eyes sewn shut, were nearly all undone, just a final restraint away frompletely breaking the bnce. But Du Wei''s attention was no longer on those dolls. The seated Evil Spirit, too, had undergone a change, no longer staring nkly at Du Wei like before. On its face, an eerily strange smile appeared out of nowhere. So close they were almost touching, Du Wei woulde into contact if he moved even slightly. However, a secondter... Du Wei reached out his Right Hand. With Spirit Vision in the Third Phase, a body part transformed by the Evil Spirit can make direct contact with an Evil Spirit, but clearly, in such a situation, making contact would undoubtedly lead to very bad things. So, Du Wei''s target was something else. He swiftly grabbed the Evil Spirit Doll, Annabelle. Actually, even without entering the Third Phase of Spirit Vision, he could still seize Annabelle. Because Annabelle itself is both a medium and an Evil Spirit. However, Du Wei did not like to gamble; he preferred to be fully prepared, to maximize his advantage as much as possible to make the desired oue¡ªinfinitely more likely. The moment his Right Hand grasped Annabelle, Du Wei felt as though he had grabbed a block of ice, the chilling aura nearly made him shiver. Only an Evil Spirit canbat an Evil Spirit. A Right Hand transformed by an Evil Spirit can touch, but not confront. Then, without any pause, Du Wei snatched Annabelle from the woman''s embrace in the chair. In an instant, the bnce was broken. It immediately lunged at Du Wei. "It seems I was right," he muttered. The rules of the game ''Red Light, Green Light''pletely failed. With a thud... The bottle containing Holy Water shattered on the ground, its contents sshing in all directions. Sss... The Evil Spirit, the first to bear the brunt, was drenched in the Holy Water. As if sshed with sulfuric acid, dense white smoke rose from its body, momentarily stalled. Seizing the opportunity, Du Wei dashed towards the door. At the same time, Annabelle, held in his Right Hand, began to undergo some peculiar changes. A cold and gloomy sensation crept up Du Wei''s Right Hand at an astonishing pace, quickly spreading from his palm, his wrist, towards his elbow. Du Wei couldn''t help but grunt, draping the white cloth issued by the church to the Exorcists in New York, meant for Exorcism, over Annabelle. He burst through the door, looking utterly disheveled, and fell heavily to the ground. With this momentum, Annabelle was wrapped up in the white cloth. Behind him, in the room, the Evil Spirit watched Du Wei with a gaze filled with immense malice. The vast shadows had now devoured all of the room''s light. Once again, their eyes met, but Du Wei remained calm. Chapter 50 050, huh, Lisa... (modified) In the room, the Evil Spirit stared intently at Du Wei, its eyes filled with undisguised malice. Behind it, a vast shadow covered it, apanied by an unusual sound that resembled objects falling to the ground. Du Wei knew clearly, it was those strange dolls making the noise. Because after the white cloth used to counter Evil Spirits was draped over the Evil Spirit Doll Annabelle, a particrly malevolent feeling began to emanate. Clearly, a single white cloth for countering Evil Spirits was not enough to subdue Annabelle, or to say, it was extraordinary, more terrifying, and bizarre. He locked eyes with the woman inside the door. Silence prevailed, neither making any other move.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It didn''t move, Du Wei didn''t move either, just deadlocked like that. It seemed as if the game of statues was still continuing. But Du Wei knew it wasn''t so, the bnce had been broken, and naturally, the rules built upon it could not continue to be effective. After the bnce was disrupted, Annabelle''s power took the upper hand. He reached a conclusion and was also very curious about how the situation would evolve next. "Will it be eradicated?" With the current methods, even Du Wei found it difficult to eradicate an Evil Spirit, in most cases he could only analyze the medium and rules, to protect his own safety as much as possible. Unless absolutely necessary, he would not act without being confident he could handle the situation. And the known condition was¡ªEvil Spirits could counteract each other. Soon after, Du Wei was disappointed. From within the shadows, that Evil Spirit seemed to abandon the thought of continuing the standoff. Du Wei could only watch calmly as it, with its body eroded by Holy Water and pockmarked to reveal brown bones beneath, slowly retreated into the shadows. It had left... "What a pity." Du Wei felt some regret, if he could have seen an Evil Spirit eradicate another, perhaps he would''ve found other means to deal with such situations in the future. Including the curse contracted for reasons unknown, from the nun. ording to Father Tony''s own words, the nun''s horror was even worse than that of Evil Spirits, and it could even spread in a sickly manner through text, speech, information, cognition, and so forth. Merely thinking of the name could provoke a response. All negative emotions, including fear, panic, and the like, became sources of its power. The Church suspected it was a terrifying existence identally encountered by someone and couldn''t even confirm whether it was an Evil Spirit, only referring to it as such. A total of two hundred ordinary people had died at its hands. The Church had sent six waves of elite Exorcists tobat it, totaling thirteen, including the previous one who had used some unknown method to subjugate it. From start to finish, Du Wei never let down his guard, always maintained his reason, andpleted the transaction with Father Tony, whether it was to investigate that bus or to find Annabelle, all to figure out a way to resolve this problem. It could be likened to a bnce scale. The Exorcists arriving this week could be considered a weight, and the Evil Spirit Transformation was like adding another weight. "It''s time to leave." Du Wei exhaled a sigh of turbid air and looked down at Annabelle, wrapped in the white cloth. He could clearly see its outline. About forty centimeters in size, with two ponytails, and with disproportionately small limbs. "It''s struggling..." There was even an invisible force trying to lift the white cloth covering it, and faintly, many human faces could be seen. So many that it was instinctively unsettling, giving a sense of creeping nausea. "Seems like there are a lot of souls inside?" Du Wei was somewhat surprised, yet he also felt his thoughts be clearer. So many people had died in the Horror House, both visitors and staff, with all these deaths, some abnormal presence was bound to ur. Now, it appeared that the souls of these deceased were mostly inside Annabelle. "Given enough time, you might be so dangerous that the entire city would fall." Du Wei had read about Evil Spirits in a book, which mentioned that dolls, in many cultures, were equated with the eerie. Some could even attract purely evil Ghosts and Evil Spirits. And behind him, in the house hidden within the shadows, the noise became louder. Rustle rustle rustle... Something was about toe out. Du Wei nced behind him and then back at Annabelle. He took off his backpack, which now contained only half a bottle of Bone Powder and a book about Evil Spirits. The original two bottles of Holy Water had been used up. So... After gazing at the half bottle of Bone Powder for about five seconds, he reached out, took the Bone Powder out, and unscrewed the lid. "The Church allocates a certain amount of this stuff to Exorcists annually, but sometimes it runs out of stock. It''s best used after lighting it up; otherwise, it''s only slightly stronger than Holy Water," those were Father Tony''s exact words. The next moment. Du Wei didn''t hesitate and directly poured the remaining half bottle of Bone Powder onto the white cloth. Hiss... Just like when the Holy Water touched the Evil Spirit, wisps of white smoke, as if corroded by sulfuric acid, immediately began to rise from under the white cloth. All their faces contorted hideously, mouths agape in silent agony, yet one could imagine the piercing screams. Then, like leeches encountering salt, all the faces slowly settled, and the bulging white cloth returned to normal. He knew it was only temporary... With an expressionless face, Du Wei tightly wrapped up Annabelle, tied a dead knot, and stuffed her into his backpack, zipping it closed. Then, with the backpack on, he walked toward Ferocious Ghost Street. Surviving and walking out was all Du Wei wanted to do now. Catching Annabelle was an ident; although it was sessful, it did not make Du Wei feel safe. On the contrary, he felt the sense of a needle-prickling crisis. Because after capturing Annabelle, the sense of strangeness given by Horror House did not diminish. The only slight reassurance was that the Evil Spirit Transformation was spreading faster, starting from his right hand. ... Meanwhile. The Horror House environment is divided into two levels: above ground and underground. The above ground is where most of the scary sections are, whilst underground is more rudimentary, only set up with Dead Spirit Doll, Ghost iming Lives, and Ferocious Ghost Street. Among these, Ferocious Ghost Street and the exit are located at the same ce. As long as one crosses through Ferocious Ghost Street to the very end, they can take the elevator back to the surface, and the thrilling adventure of the Horror House would thus conclude. In Ferocious Ghost Street. A Caucasian male student in a uniform looked pale, trembling as he watched the buildings on both sides appear in his sight under the gloomy lighting. "Damn it, how did I end up here, wasn''t I walking back..." Because of extreme nervousness, Bob swallowed hard, his entire demeanor on the verge of copse. After Lisa disappeared, and her best friend vanished strangely, Bob realized something was amiss. He felt that there might be something unclean in this Horror House. Ghosts... or rather, Evil Spirits... "I should have listened to that Asian guy..." Bob muttered in pain. Facing the gloomy and terrifying Ferocious Ghost Street, Bob felt a sense of despair. Just now, after he left the Japanese-style haunted house, he immediately ran back, using all his strength. But when he passed through a shadowy corridor, to his surprise, he didn''t find the door he came through but the Ferocious Ghost Street, which was supposed to be on the underground level and thest scare section of the Horror House. "There couldn''t be ghosts here as well, right?" Bob''s face turned exceptionally pale, as if he had lost a lot of blood. "If I can get out of here, I swear I''ll nevere to this kind of godforsaken ce ever again!!!" He spoke to himself, his eyes filled with terror as he scanned his surroundings. "Maybe I should look for the exit elevator, I remember the guide mentioned it''s at the very end of Ferocious Ghost Street." As the name implies, Ferocious Ghost Street is a street haunted by ghosts, straightforward inyout, but mostly cloaked in shadows due to the lighting. This effect was deliberately created by the staff of the Horror House. But to Bob, it only made him more fearful, unable to discern his exact location. Was it the middle? Or the ends? He was conflicted, his instincts telling him not to go further, but he also knew that under these circumstances, finding the exit and leaving as soon as possible was the right choice. However, just then... He caught sight of a familiar figure through the shadows. Slender, but seemingly with a twisted foot and moving strangely, it ambled out of the shadows... "Huh, Lisa...?" Chapter 51 051, Human or Ghost The moment Bob caught sight of Lisa, a hint of surprise surfaced in his heart, immediately followed by a thick sense of caution. He hastily took a step back, "How did you get here?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Having just encountered a supernatural event, even the most thick-skinned would be sensitive. Moreover, Bob was naturally cowardly; his reaction was even more intense. But Lisa, clenching her teeth, retorted indignantly, "Hey, are you still a man? Didn''t you see that my leg and hand are injured? Instead of asking me how I got here, you should be helping me, ok?" As she spoke, she pointed at her leg and inhaled sharply. Only then did Bob notice that Lisa, having encountered some unknown situation, had various degrees of abrasions on her hands and feet, with her legs being more severely hurt. The jeans Lisa was wearing were rubbed with many bold slits, revealingrge patches of skin. But now, that exposed skin was dripping with blood, as if scraped against something. A section of the pant leg seemed to have disappeared, with a clear bruise the shape of a palm visible on her ankle. Despite Lisa''s words, Bob didn''t immediately go to her aid; instead, he stepped back several paces, maintaining what he deemed a safe distance. "Don''te any closer. How am I supposed to know if you''re human or a ghost?" "What do you mean human or ghost? What nonsense are you talking about?" Lisa sneered coldly, "When we were running back just now, you didn''t wait for me, leaving me alone at the back. Now that I finally run into you, you''re asking if I''m human or a ghost?" Bob felt embarrassed, but his gaze was firm, "Haven''t you noticed something''s off with this Horror House? If you can''t prove you''re human, then I am sorry, but I can''t help you." He still liked Lisa, which was why he attempted to inquire andmunicate under these circumstances. With furrowed brows, Lisa said, "Off? What''s off? We''re ssmates from the same department. Your name is Bob, you like to y basketball, and your dream is to join the team, but because of your height, you just can''t make the cut." "Also, your basketball skills really are quite lousy." "Uh... knowing all this, you really are Lisa?" "Who else could I be, a ghost? Come here and help me." As she said that, Lisa bit her lip. The injuries on her body were severe, and any slight movement caused her such pain that she would gasp sharply. Bob hesitated for a moment and didn''t approach her, instead, he stared at the ground by Lisa''s feet. Both of them stood in the shadows, where no shadows could be seen. So, he asked again, "I... I have onest question for you, how did you get here?" At these words, Lisa''s expression also became perplexed. "Actually, I''m also puzzled. It feels like something attacked me, and when I opened my eyes, I found myself here." She seemed to be struggling to think, but her head was heavy and fuzzy, preventing her from recalling how it had happened. Upon seeing this, Bob nodded at her and said, "I believe you, Lisa, because I don''t know how I got here myself." As he spoke, he stepped forward and reached out to support Lisa by the hand. The moment he made contact, he felt something off about it. "Why is your hand so cold?" "The air conditioning has been on the whole time, plus we are on the basement level, aren''t your hands cold too?" "Ah? Are they?" "They really are." Shocked, Bob touched his own arm, and indeed, he felt a faint chill at his fingertips. ... At this time, Du Wei had also arrived at Ferocious Ghost Street. He carried a bulging backpack, looking more like a traveler rather than a tourist. He nced at the signs hanging on both sides of the street. The signs, with bloody fonts, read ''exit'' and maliciously, were marked with two crosses. It was as if they were saying, this way is impassable. He continued forward, his pace neither hurried nor slow. He had exited the Third Phase of Spirit Vision, and his right hand, which had exhibited symptoms of Evil Spirit Transformation, deepened after his encounter with Annabelle. The transformation into an Evil Spirit had initially been limited to the palm of the right hand, but now there was a tendency for it to spread to the wrist. "The idea is right, and, if the exit hasn''t changed, I should be able to escape alive." Du Wei pondered for a moment, thinking it might be better to put Annabelle at the head of the bed in the bedroom, but this thing could attract evil souls, so he had to handle it with care. It would be best to encase it in some sort of containment. As he was contemting, suddenly, Du Wei''s brow furrowed. Half was shadow, half was the street bathed in light. A man was supporting a woman, slowly making their way towards him, expressions of surprise on both their faces. "You''re the Asian with the backpack, how did you get here too, is it the same for you?" The two were none other than Bob and Lisa. Upon hearing Bob''s question, Du Wei fell silent for a moment, an unusual look in his eyes. Under the state of Spirit Vision, he saw that both of them had undergone some changes, more or less. Lisa''s facial changes were the most noticeable, with her lips turning purplish-blue, her tongue protruding, and most of her body showing mechanical-like twisting damage, as if something had squeezed her violently. Bob''s condition was less obvious, but it was clear that his head was somewhat deformed. Are they both Ghosts... Du Wei knew that in certain circumstances, when a person dies, there''s a small chance they might turn into a ghost. At first, their memory remains, and they believe they''re still alive. But soon, they would discover their secret and be just like the first female ghost he encountered. The Bob and Lisa in front of him were still in the phase where they thought they were alive. "This is tricky." Du Wei silently thought for a moment, now all the things he had that could deal with Evil Spirits were used up, all that was left was a silver crucifix dagger he had gotten from Andrew Dowqui. Unlike before, the dagger could indeed inflict some damage on Evil Spirits, but its power to resist them was more apparent when in the form of a cross. So, most of the time, Du Wei simply used it as a cutting tool. Using this thing to deal with two Ghosts... Du Wei thought about it, then discarded the idea, instead stepping back, intending to leave this ce. He had achieved his objective and saw no need to put himself in danger by confronting Ghosts. Watching Du Wei step back, Bob and Lisa both seemed puzzled. "Hey, Sir, why are you backing away, aren''t you here just as inexplicably as we are?" "Forget it, let''s not follow him, I always feel like there''s something off about this guy." Listening to this conversation. Du Wei remained expressionless and quickly backed away. But the next second. In the state of Spirit Vision, he suddenly sensed a strange presence behind him, simr to that of Bob and Lisa. He turned his head to look. A man with a rigid expression and a notch on his face; another woman in a condition quite simr to Lisa''s. It was that couple! Du Wei watched them with a nk expression as they excitedly waved at him, or more precisely, at Bob and Lisa behind him. "Bob, Lisa, you''re actually still alive, that''s really great." "We''re okay, how about you guys? How did you end up here?" In front and behind, four Ghosts who didn''t know they were dead. And in the middle was Du Wei. Moreover, they were closing in. At that moment, his forehead was covered in a fine cold sweat. Chapter 52 052, Peers Du Wei looked calmly at Bob and the others who approached him, not showing the slightest bit of strange emotion. "Sir, did you also suddenlye here?" The speaker was Bob, who had the most contact with Du Wei, so after hesitating, he greeted him. But he was still a bit scared. Because the feeling Du Wei gave him was very wrong. His face was always overly calm, and his eyes were filled with rationality, as if he would never do anything that didn''t align with his values. His temperament was also very special, conveying a hint of strangeness amid the coldness. Bob thought that if this Horror House adventure were a movie, then this Asian man would definitely y a highly intelligent, extremely cold-blooded criminal. However, after hearing what Bob had to say, Du Wei did not reply immediately but turned to ask the others a question. "Is it the same with you all?" In the face of insufficient information, this was a clever response, leading and probing with skill. Bob nodded and answered, "Yes, I went through a shadowy passageway and came out on Ferocious Ghost Street." Lisa followed up, "I can''t remember how I got here, but it should be the same as you all." The man part of the other couple said, "I was about to make a call at the entrance, but there was no signal on my phone, and suddenly the door opened. I walked through the door and ended up here." The remaining woman spoke thoughtfully, "I''m like Lisa, and it seems like we''ve all been injured a bit." With that, she raised her arm. Following her gaze, Du Wei saw that her arm had clear signs of injury, with some of the skin peeled away, blood dripping, and arge area of bruising. "These injuries must have been caused bypression and friction," thought Du Wei silently. Back when he majored in forensic science, he was very interested in cases of mechanical asphyxiation deaths and had specifically studied them for a time. Under the Spirit Vision state, Lisa and her best friend both appeared simr, with purplish lips, protruding tongues, and their bodies showed signs of injury caused bypression and friction. [Asphyxiation is caused byck of oxygen, resulting in cyanosis from the face to the neck, and may also cause congestion of internal organs and umtion of blood.] The judgment of mechanical asphyxiation, however, needs to be made based on the actual situation, and the manifested forms are not the same. But Du Wei could roughly guess how Lisa and her friend had died. "It must have been a very narrow space, only enough to fit one person, forcibly stuffed inside, causing mechanical asphyxiation." At this point, the others had shifted their attention. Coupled with Du Wei''s vague reply just now, they instinctively felt that they were all the same. Lisa, even more so, took her best friend''s hand, concerned as she said, "This ce is too dangerous, I think I''m mentally unstable, once we get out, I''ll definitely find an experienced psychologist to help me adjust."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Me too." Her best friend shrugged but winced because of the pain in her neck. "What a damned ce! Let''s get out of here quickly!" "I agree." "So do I." The speakers were Bob and the remaining man, respectively. It''s just that their memories retained some parts from before they died, so that man wasn''t very nice toward his ex-girlfriend, even appearing a bit indifferent. At that moment, Bob seemed to suddenly think of something and turned his head to look at Du Wei. "Right, sir, would you like toe with us?" He was hesitant, after all, this man had warned them earlier not to enter the Horror House, instinctively wanting to leave together. Du Wei was silent for a second, "Of course you can." Lisa, who heard this, frowned slightly and cast an unpleasant nce at Du Wei, but under the circumstances, she chose not to say more. The group continued forward. While in the state of Spirit Vision, Du Wei noticed that the further they walked, the stranger and more eerie the feeling around the four of them grew. For instance. Lisa and her best friend had been sticking close together since they met, and their angle was very strange, forming a V shape almost as if they were about to stand back to back. Another man''s walking posture became increasingly rigid, very mechanical, as if he were a rusting machine with joints that seemed to be slowly seizing up. The only one who seemed normal was Bob. But that was the most abnormal sign... How exactly had he died? Du Wei pondered for a while, unable to ascertain, he could only suspect that his death was due to a severe blow to the head, a mechanical form of death. Therefore, he deliberately slowed his pace, trying to fall behind the others. He knew that although it seemed rtively safe for now, this was only because Bob and the others hadn''t realized they were already dead. After all, no one could be certain if, in the next second, they would be aware of this fact and then turn into ghosts... cing hope on the ephemeral and unknown was what Du Wei detested most, second only to corpses and blood. But then, Bob seemed to notice that Du Wei''s pace was a bit slow and turned his head to say, "Sir, you''d better pick up the pace, otherwise, you might encounter unforeseeable danger." Du Wei calmly replied, "Why do you say that?" Bob licked his lips, and in that instant, as seen by Du Wei through his Spirit Vision, blood flowed from his mouth, mixed with saliva, thick and nauseating. "Because I suspect there really are ghosts in this Horror House..." "Oh? How did youe to that conclusion?" Upon hearing the word "ghost," everyone simultaneously stiffened and turned to look at Bob. Bob said nervously, "It''s because the way we appeared on Ferocious Ghost Street is so strange,pletely unscientific. Other than ghosts, I can''t think of any other exnation." Lisa nodded in agreement, saying, "That''s right, I feel the same way. Back in the Japanese-style haunted house, I felt something grab me, andter, I found two blue-tinged handprints on my ankle." After speaking, her face darkened as if she had thought of something. However, Du Wei noticed that, under Spirit Vision, the eerie and abnormal aura around Lisa and her best friend had intensified. It seemed... Any second now, a terrifying transformation might ur. The remaining man added, "I feel the same, because I remember clearly trying to call the staff, but couldn''t get through at all, and then suddenly the door opened." "You must know that besides the staff, the door only opens when someone enters, but I didn''t see anyone." "Moreover, I appeared on Ferocious Ghost Street in the blink of an eye, as if I''d teleported." As he spoke, in Du Wei''s eyes, the man who had originally been made into a wax figure at the Wax Museum underwent a change. His facial expression seemed to freeze, and his hands and feet became so stiff that his walking posture turned downright stiff and awkward, looking bizarre yetical. Moreover, Du Wei discovered that the changes he witnessed in his Spirit Vision were now manifesting on the man. This meant that they were on the verge of transforming into fierce ghosts... Chapter 53 053, Corpse (Please Recommend & Bookmark) Witnessing the change in the four individuals, Du Wei knew that if he didn''t do something soon, they would immediately erupt and transform into fierce ghosts. So, he took a deep breath and calmly said, "I think there''s a problem with your thinking. Why do you associate everything with ghosts?" He looked at Lisa and continued, "The blood cirction in the lower limbs of humans is prone to issues. If someone were to grab you at this time, it''s quite easy for a palm print to appear and, due to poor blood flow, it can seem somewhat ck." Lisa said impatiently, "But I''ve always been healthy, and I like to exercise. It''s impossible for what you''re describing to happen." ncing at her, Du Wei indifferently replied, "When there are issues with blood cirction in the lower limbs, hands and feet can be cold. In severe cases, there can even be partial tissue death. Are you sure your body is really that healthy?" "Uh... I..." Lisa touched her hands, which indeed felt a bit cold, and she said doubtfully, "It does seem simr to what you''re saying, but I haven''t had this problem before, and even if I were ill, it couldn''t have started just after entering the Horror House, right?" Du Wei continued, "Scientifically speaking, it''s indeed impossible, but haven''t you noticed that the temperature inside the Horror House is very low? Moreover, we are on an underground level... Temperature can cause the condition I described." In reality, what he said was half-true, half-false because he had blurred the essential points. Just like a swindler, he would never assert anything with certainty, instead leaving things vague, forcing you to ponder on your own. The more you think, the easier it is to waver. Then, Du Wei turned to the man and said, "I have seriously studied the structure of the Horror House. In fact, this is one of the reasons I came here. The Horror House is divided into two levels - the ground level and the underground level. The entrance is on the ground level, and the exit is underground, requiring one to take an elevator to leave." Pausing for a moment to organize his thoughts, he continued, "The distance between the ground and the underground is merely three meters in height, and why do you think that the door you entered was really the entrance?" "As far as I know, the Horror House has recently rearranged some sections. If the door you entered is actually a mechanism, after exiting, you will find yourself on Ferocious Ghost Street, which is a very likely possibility," he said. He was lying. But there were few loopholes. The man thought for a while and said, "But that''s just your conjecture, and you mentioned earlier that you came to the Horror House for your own reasons?" Du Wei nodded and replied, "Yes, many staff members have died here, and I am here to investigate this matter." Hearing this, everyone fell silent. After a long while, it was the man''s ex-girlfriend who broke the silence, "We also encountered the corpse of a staff member; actually, we suspect that there''s a murderer in the Horror House." Du Wei turned his head to look at her and said meaningfully, "That''s also why I stopped you froming in earlier." Under the state of Spirit Vision, the peculiar changes in the four people slowed down a bit. Their condition also reverted to how it was when he first encountered them. They started to seem somewhat human again. Seeing this, Du Wei breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as though he was walking a tightrope, where a slight misstep could lead to a fatal fall. However, just then, Lisa posed a question. Her voice was low, carrying a strange emotion, "Are you a police officer? Or a detective?" He was silent for a moment before replying calmly, "You can think of me that way, but in reality, I am a psychologist." "Hm?" Lisa stared at Du Wei, "A psychologistes to investigate this kind of thing?" As soon as this was said, the others also cast strange nces, staring intently at Du Wei. A kind of intense oppression, along with an evil intent that had not yet surfaced, emanated from them. Du Wei''s breathing momentarily halted. Under the state of Spirit Vision, he saw that each person''s face had taken on a ferocious appearance. In the shadows, it brought the kind of chills that make the hair stand on end. He knew that these four people were on the verge. If he couldn''t exin this loophole, it was very likely they would turn into evil spirits right away. And he had run out of solutions. With this in mind, Du Wei said softly, "I work closely with Officer Tom, and I''ve been involved in many homicide cases." "At his request, I''vee to this Horror House." After he finished speaking, he added another sentence, "My mental health clinic is in North Brook District, at 109 Queen Street. If you don''t believe me, you can check it out after we leave." As his voice trailed off. The malicious aura slowly receded, and the fierce expressions of the four people he saw under the Spirit Vision also softened. At this moment, Bob, who was standing to one side, looked at Du Wei and said after taking a moment to size him up, "North Brook District? Are you Dr. Du Wei? I know you, my cousin has been treated by you." Du Wei furrowed his brows and asked, "Your cousin?" Bob nodded: "Yes, her name is Aisha Kleeman, she was a programmer." Du Wei fell silent for a while before he finally said, "Hmm, I remember her." Bob said with some regret, "It''s a pity, she died. The person in charge of her case was Officer Tom. I think I can believe what you say." Du Wei nodded and stayed silent.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The others also fell into an eerie calm. They continued walking forward. Du Wei silently calcted the distance and the critical point at which these four people, who did not know they were already dead, would discover the truth. About five minutes had now passed. Ferocious Ghost Street was a total of fifty meters long, and at this pace, they should have almost reached the end. He faintly felt it was like ck humor. The so-called Ferocious Ghost Street segment, in the end, truly involved walking with fierce ghosts. Only, these fierce ghosts had not yet realized the fact that they were dead. Soon... Under a dim light, an elevator decorated with frightening fierce ghosts appeared before Du Wei. He nced at the others, saw them merely looking down, showing no reaction, and grew quietly alert. Bob pressed the elevator button. A cold breeze swept over them. The space inside the elevator was very cramped, and mirrors deliberately covered all four walls. But in the mirrors, there was only Du Wei. "Let''s go, Dr. Du Wei." Bob said in a low voice, the others didn''t speak and directly entered the elevator. However, Du Wei''s gaze was somewhat unusual; one hand pressed against his clothes, ready to draw out the silver cross dagger, although he knew it wouldn''t be of much use, it helped him stay calm. Being locked in the gaze of the four people, Du Wei grew silent. He was contemting the chances of surviving if he chose to escape by retreating in this situation. In the elevator, four fierce ghosts who had reached the critical point, and without means to contend with them, his right hand which had undergone Evil Spirit Transformation would be of no great use. Even a mere movement from him might trigger their transformation into fierce ghosts. "There''s no turning back now." He muttered to himself, then stepped into the elevator. An utter silence pervaded, eerily quiet. The elevator had only buttons for floor 1, floor -1, and for opening and closing the doors. After pressing the button for floor 1, the elevator started to rise slowly. Under the gloomy elevator light, Du Wei''s reflection in the mirror was expressionless. At that moment, Bob suddenly pointed upward and said, "Dr. Du Wei, I can see my body." Chapter 54 054, Elevator (previous chapters have all been changed) In the sealed elevator, the moment Bob pointed upward and voiced that he saw his own corpse. All the people in the elevator, including Du Wei, raised their heads. It was the same mirror. However, due to the lighting and the deliberately arranged environment, it appeared very eerie. The mirror was above, facing down. Standing in the very center of the elevator, Du Wei looked up to see, in the mirror, Bob lying quietly in a dark elevator shaft. His head seemed to have been crushed by some heavy object, his face turned sideways towards Du Wei. The face was full of dried blood, the body stiff, although he had been dead for some time. Du Wei roughly estimated his time of death to be about half an hour earlier. Then, he lowered his head and looked around, his pupils suddenly constricted. The four fierce ghosts that had just surrounded him had disappeared without a trace. "Where?" The four people who had just been in the elevator were now gone. Even under Spirit Vision, there was nothing. But the sensation of terror and oppression that suffocated one grew even stronger. An extremely cold chill was quietly spreading in Du Wei''s heart. The next second, Du Wei''s face tensed up, he was now in the very center of the elevator, with the floor beneath his feet normal, and apart from the elevator doors, there were four mirrors stuck to the inside of the elevator. And now, opposite him. The mirror reflected another man. Only this time, his appearance had turned into the one seen earlier in the Wax Museum. Standing calmly in the mirror, hisplexion stiff, like a wax figure. With an expressionless face, Du Wei nced at him, then turned his head to look at the mirror facing the elevator doors. In this mirror was Lisa, but strangely, what was shown in the mirror was a scene. The location was the Japanese-style Horror House. Lisa was looking down at the shadow on the ground, her expression unusually terrified, and behind her, there was a female ghost with White-faced Makeup. The posture of the person and the ghost was back to back. Then, Du Wei saw the female ghost floating with her feet in the air, looking as if she was being carried on Lisa''s back. Next, her feet touched the ground, and she stood up, carrying Lisa on her back and walking into the Horror House. Throughout this process, Lisa seemed to have lost her volition, her expression remained frozen in terror, without screaming or any struggle. Finally, the female ghost carried Lisa on her back and slowly crawled into the narrow space under the tatami bed. "So this is how you died." In the suffocating, confined elevator, Du Wei spoke softly, his voice very cold and carrying a strange emotion, making it rather unsettling. After speaking, he turned again to look at thest mirror. In the mirror, reflected was the narrow hiding ce under the tatami bed in the Japanese-style Horror House. Inside were two corpses. Lisa''s best friend, along with another corpse facing away. The two were positioned back to back, forcibly stuffed into a space that barely fit one person. Her expression was frozen, her torso distorted, her chest even more severelypressed inward. Her lips were purple, her tongue protruding. The cause of death could have been mechanical asphyxiation or injuries due to thepression of body organs. But that was no longer important. "These are thest moments of the four people before they died, it seems my previous conjecture was correct," Du Wei watched the mirrors calmly, looking from one to another. The mirror reflected the scene just before the death of the four fierce ghosts. But each scene was different. The originally normal Horror House had suddenly changed due to some unknown issues. Furthermore, he had been at the front to leave the Horror House, but unexpectedly encountered the man made into a wax figure at the Wax Museum. And Bob had died mysteriously at the bottom of the elevator shaft, right where Du Wei was. The known situation was that the Horror House had gone beyond reality, controlled by evil spirits and ghosts, and its original structure and arrangement no longer matched the present. Lisa and her best friend had died at the hands of the White-faced Makeup ghost. Bob and another man died from something else. It could have been an evil spirit, or perhaps an even more sinister presence. Moreover, from beginning to end, he hadn''t detected any trace of it. Whatever it was that he couldn''t even detect under the Spirit Vision state must be truly terrifying... Du Wei felt that it could be even more dreadful than the Evil Spirit on the bus. After entering the Horror House, when he realized that things were beyond his control, his goal had shifted from elerating the Evil Spirit Transformation through contact with Annabelle to simply surviving and getting out alive. Therefore, many arrangements and elements were to be avoided if possible. To say that the avoided elements didn''t have the presence of evil spirits or ghosts, Du Wei felt, would be deceiving himself. The thought that such a frightening thing lurked in the Horror House, undetected by him, gave him chills to the bone. At this moment. Du Wei exhaled a heavy breath, nced at the elevator doors, and noted that the two-story height still hadn''t been reached. This sole exit had also undergone uncontroble changes. Then, he looked at the mirror again, his face slightly pale. In the mirror, the heads of the four corpses had somehow all twisted around. The eyes of each corpse stared fixedly at Du Wei, radiating a faint and vicious malevolence.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om What was even more horrifying was. Du Wei noticed that in the mirror, his own reflection was absent. "Am I dead already? Or am I also in the mirror?" He breathed more rapidly for a moment. All his resources had been used up; even the solitary silver crucifix dagger couldn''t bring about a fundamental change. This feeling of powerlessness was even more severe than during the time on the bus. At least back then, he had a way to leave. But now... mping down on his teeth, Du Wei''s mind was flooded with frantic thoughts. He was trying to find a way to survive. But one by one, his ideas were dismissed. If it had been at the start, with enough Holy Water and Bone Powder, he wouldn''t have been this passive, and wouldn''t have been driven into a corner by four newly formed fierce ghosts. "Wait a minute... Perhaps, I could consider letting Annabelle out." A spark of inspiration came to Du Wei''s mind. In some literature, it was recorded that dolls could attract certain purely malevolent ghosts and evil spirits. Earlier, he had witnessed the soul bound to the Evil Spirit Doll Annabelle; if he released it now, it might change the situation. Evil spirits would counterbnce each other. But Annabelle was clearly much stronger and more malevolent than these four fierce ghosts. A bnce of power was unlikely to happen... "It should be about suppression or binding." Chapter 55 055, Leave (Want Tickets) Releasing Annabelle was the only feasible n that Du Wei could think of. No matter what, he had decided to do just that. Moreover, the four fierce ghosts in the mirror had already begun to change, stretching out their hands toward Du Wei as if they wanted to drag him into the mirror. He had no other choice! So, taking a deep breath, Du Wei took off his backpack and unzipped it. With his left hand, he lifted the white cloth, while his right hand dove in, grabbing hold of Annabelle''s physical form. The next second, Du Wei tore off the white cloth that was restricting Annabelle, and the atmosphere in the entire elevator became immensely oppressive. The faint light flickered wildly, casting an exceptionally eerie glow on Du Wei''s face. Crack... The light went out. The entire elevator plunged into pitch darkness, foreboding and frightening. Du Wei could clearly feel that something terrifying was awakening. ... May 21, 17:30. Outside the Horror House, the sun was already leaning towards the far west. But due to several days of torrential rain, the temperature hadn''t risen much. At the exit, the elevator door opened. Du Wei came out holding his backpack, looking extremely pale. "I''m still alive." He nced at the sky and the surrounding tourists, took out his cellphone from his pocket, and dialed Officer Tom''s number. A few secondster, the call connected. On the other end, Tom''s voice was very surprised, "Dr. Du Wei, why are you suddenly calling me? What happened?" "Listen,e to the amusement park in the Ondo Area immediately, I''m waiting for you at the exit of the Horror House, a very terrifying Evil Spirit event has urred here..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "What? Dr. Du Wei, did you say an Evil Spirit event?" "Yes, bring enough people, because I suggest we immediately seal off this ce, or else something unimaginable will happen." After finishing, Du Wei hung up the phone, stuffed it back into his pocket, and lit himself a cigarette. His hand was shaking, appearing very abnormal. After a long while, and exhaling a puff of smoke, he finally calmed downpletely. Recalling the scene in the elevator just now, Du Wei couldn''t help feeling a tingling on his scalp. He looked down at the backpack he was holding in his hand. Inside, Annabelle was wrapped and restrained by the white cloth again. For this, he had paid a certain price. "This thing... is unnaturally evil." Just now in the elevator, the moment he released Annabelle. Piercing wails echoed throughout the elevator. Under the Spirit Vision state, all he could feel was that the four fierce ghosts seemed to have entered the Evil Spirit Doll that was Annabelle. But what followed was, Annabelleshing out at Du Wei. Du Wei could only forcefully grab it with his right hand, wrap it back in white cloth, and bind it tightly. And as a result... His right hand, besides still being usable, lost all sense of touch and pain, as if it had be a corpse. "Compared to being able to walk out alive, this price is eptable." Du Wei looked at his own right hand and let out a soft sigh. Besides that, this unexpected trip to the Horror House had also elerated the process of his Evil Spirit Transformation. At this rate, he estimated that by tonight, it would spread up to his elbow. Thinking this, Du Wei continued smoking while he nced back at the Horror House behind him. In Spirit Vision mode, the Horror House still looked the same as before, exuding a faint sense of eeriness. Although it looked startling, it wasn''t that terrifying. However, this was a disguise. Only by entering the Horror House could one discover how horrifying the inside was. "Only slightly better than that bus." Du Wei looked at the entire Horror House and exhaled a puff of smoke. Just then, as if he had seen something, his expression suddenly darkened. Outside the Horror House, a dusty window had been opened, and on the ss, there were the clear prints of a human palm. "Something has already gone out." Du Wei threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stamped it out, his entire demeanor became very somber. It seemed that this matter wouldn''t end so easily. ... 18:01. More than ten police cars entered the amusement park. Right away, they began evacuating the visitors. Of course, the amusement park was about to close at this time anyway, so no one felt puzzled and everyone cooperated by leaving. At the exit of the Horror House. Officer Tom, with his men, looked conflicted as he faced Du Wei and then at the restrained staff. "Dr. Du Wei, I hope we don''t meet as often in the future, because it would be very ufortable for me, you know..." Du Wei remained silent, looking at him expressionlessly, not uttering a word. Officer Tom felt uneasy under his stare and quickly waved his hands, saying, "I''m just joking, buddy." Du Wei finally spoke, "Actually, I don''t want to be in touch with you too much either, but if I hadn''t called you, I think you would have regretted it." "You... you are right." Tom knew what Du Wei was referring to, so he turned to the bewildered staff and asked, "Where is the owner of the Horror House? Why haven''t we been able to get in touch with him yet?" The staff member replied, "I don''t know either, actually I don''t have his contact information because I only started working here yesterday." "What?" Officer Tom frowned and continued, "What about the staff before you? Don''t they know either?" Du Wei interjected, "They all died inside." Tom''s expression darkened, instinctively sensing that something was wrong. Du Wei felt the same, but he was just too calm to show what he was really thinking. Then, Tom told the staff, "A very serious murder case has happened in this Horror House. We hope you can keep it confidential. Also, please stay reachable at all times because the police may need your cooperation." "Okay, okay..." Upon this, Tom nodded, gestured to Du Wei, and the two walked away a distance. Then, Tom asked quietly, "What''s the situation inside now?" Du Wei didn''t intend to hide it from him, "Full of Evil Spirits and Ghosts. All the staff including the visitors are dead inside. You can think of it as hell in the human world." Tom''s eyes turned cold as he said, "I think I understand, but why did youe here?" He noticed that Du Wei was carrying a bulging backpack, as if hiding something inside. "Also, what is in this bag?" "I came here to investigate an evil doll," Du Wei nced at him and added, "As for what''s in the backpack, you probably don''t want to see it." "The doll you mentioned?" "Yes." "Well, I really don''t want to see those disgusting things. You know, they''re too dangerous for ordinary people." "So, Mr. Du Wei, what would you suggest we do with the Horror House? This matter feels very tricky, and you''re the expert, so..." "I suggest you seal it off. Don''t let people go in to die anymore, although it might not be very effective..." "This... I''m responsible for the North Brook District. To close up the Horror House, I need to discuss with the people from the Ondo Area. Why do you say it won''t be effective?" "Because before I left, some dreadful things had already gone out." Chapter 56 056, Exorcist Qualification Certificate "Dr. Du Wei, when you said something has left, what do you mean?" "The Evil Spirit, or something else..." "If that''s the case, can you, um... I mean, as an Exorcist, would you choose to do something?" "That''s why I asked you to seal off the Horror House..." "Well, you''re nothing like the Exorcists I had in mind." "So, finally, I want to ask, what''s the point of sealing it off? Do you expect us to keep those things locked inside the Horror House?" "They can''t be contained; the lockdown is for people, to prevent them from going in..." ... Watching Du Wei leave, Tom turned to the others and instructed, "Prepare some istion tape, encircle the entire Horror House, and also..." Upon hearing these words, everyone immediately looked at him, waiting for what was to follow. Tom paused briefly before continuing, "Inform the person in charge of the amusement park, negotiate with them to cordon off the area around the Horror House, and if possible, it would be best to shut it down." As soon as he finished speaking. One of his subordinates asked, "But shouldn''t we investigate inside the Horror House? ording to the information we''ve got, many tourists have gone missing inside. If we don''t provide a resolution, it might lead to discontent among the people of New York." Tom looked at the subordinate''s face and said, "That''s why you need to handle the situation and also contain the news online. As for other issues, I willmunicate with the police in the Ondo Area." "As for you? You want to investigate inside the Horror House? Do you need me to introduce you to Dr. Du Wei? I suggest you go see him for a check-up!" "No, no thank you." ... Elsewhere. Du Wei also got into his car, ced his backpack securely in the passenger seat with the seatbelt, then started the vehicle and headed towards the church in North Brook District. He needed to find a special container to put Annabelle in. Otherwise, that thing might escape. After all... Its initial target was Du Wei''s patient, and if it couldn''t be restrained, it might make things a mess again. Moreover, Du Wei''s original intent was to make contact with Annabelle, to elerate the process of Evil Spirit Transformation, and to take it back home if possible. After all, Evil Spirit Transformation is a result of the Third Phase of Spirit Vision. And Spirit Vision is a state that appears after being invaded by an Evil Spirit. Fundamentally, the deeper the invasion, the quicker the transformation into an Evil Spirit. "I need to get in touch with more Evil Spirits, try to bring them into my house without upsetting the bnce; maybe I should find a way to attract some of them to me?" Driving, Du Wei pondered over everything that had happened these days, as well as some thoughts on Evil Spirit Transformation. The terror and dread of the nun always cast a shadow over his heart. Even with hisposure, he couldn''t resist that innate sense of oppression. However, his right hand... Du Wei furrowed his brow, ncing at his right hand. It looked no different from before, but once he entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision and underwent Evil Spirit Transformation, it appeared utterly pale, like a corpse. For some reason, he always felt like there was something wrong with this hand. And there was no mention of this in Andrew Dowqui''s booklet either. As Du Wei was mulling over these thoughts... Suddenly, his phone rang. The contact on the screen was Alex. Du Wei was momentarily stunned; after leaving the Horror House and calling Officer Tom, he had checked his call log and hadn''t missed any calls. So, he pressed the answer button.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Good afternoon, Alex." "Good afternoon! How''s your day been?" "... Very exciting." "Hm? What kind of thing has excited you? You seem to be always calm; forgive me for not being able to imagine what would be so fascinating to stir you up." "Just a trip to the Horror House." "Tch, that''s a shame. If you ever go to the Horror House again, please remember to call me. I''d love to see what it''s like." "Let''s not, I probably won''t be going to such a ce again any time soon." "By the way, is there something else you needed?" "Ah? Nothing else?" "Alright, I''m a bit busy, let''s chat next time." "..." ... On the other end of the phone. In the Furman District, at Alex''s dressing table. "Were all your emotional intelligence points exchanged for IQ points..." She looked at the phone call log with a troubled expression. Well... itsted three minutes. If she didn''t know that Du Wei''s personality was naturally aloof, and he didn''t seem like someone who had been in a rtionship, she would definitely have sworn. "Am I not pretty enough?" Alex put down her phone and took a look at herself in the dressing table mirror. Glossy and attractive, full of charm, with delicate features. Whether by western or eastern standards of beauty, she was the archetype of a gorgeous woman. "Maybe I should''ve looked for him earlier." Alex stood up, looking somewhat vexed at the ck strapless dress from Cheriti that she was wearing. She had nned to wear this ck strapless dress and ask Du Wei out, as there was a popr romance movie that had recently been released - a good opportunity to grow closer to him. Unfortunately, Du Wei said he was busy. "Forget it, I shouldn''t have started dressing up, picking clothes, choosing makeup from the morning." "Tomorrow morning, when he''s not busy, I''ll ask again." Thinking this, Alex took out her phone and booked another movie ticket. She was increasingly feeling that being neighbors with Du Wei was a better choice. At the very least, it would be more convenient to get in touch! ... On the other side. Du Wei was indeed very busy; he had driven all the way to the church in the North Brook District before stopping the car. Alex''s thoughts, he was well aware of them, but he simply didn''t have the energy to consider these things. The curse that hounded him like a death sentence made it hard for him to breathe. Even, to avoid being killed by the Evil Spirit, he maintained hisposure most of the time and rarely showed too much emotion. "Let''s talk about it after a while, if I can live through this week, I need to make some money to pay her back." Du Wei looked at himself in the rearview mirror of the car, said this to himself, then unbuckled his seatbelt and walked towards the church with his backpack in tow. Unexpectedly, he didn''t see Father Tony inside the church. The church wasn''t veryrge, mainly serving as a contact point for Exorcists as well as a supply delivery point, so it hadn''t been stocked very well in the beginning. The entire church had only Father Tony. So, Du Wei made a call. The call was quickly connected. "Aren''t you at the church?" "I''m on my way back. The church has delivered a batch of supplies, so please wait for a moment." "Alright." After hanging up, Du Wei went to the prayer hall and found a seat at random. At that moment, the hall waspletely empty, making it very quiet. About ten minutester, Father Tony entered with a heavy,rge box in tow. "I''m delighted to see you, Mr. Du Wei." "Same here." As Du Wei spoke, he noticed that Father Tony seemed to be struggling with the box, so he stood up, approached, and helped him with it. "Is this the supply delivery?" "Yes, Holy Water, Bone Powder, and some special new things." Father Tony was quite satisfied with Du Wei''s attitude. In fact, he couldn''t really find fault with the young man: calm, rational, and very intelligent. Although he hadn''t encountered many Evil Spirits yet, he was bound to be an experienced Exorcist eventually. "Oh, right, Mr. Du Wei, no... I should say Exorcist Mr. Du Wei, your Exorcist qualification certificate has been approved by the church, and it was sent along with the supplies. Would you like to have a look?" Chapter 57 057, Mounting Cabinet (vote! I want them all) In the church, it was still the same room. Du Wei took the Exorcist qualification certificate from Father Tony''s hands. He had actually seen this thing before. It was different from the information booklet of Andrew Dowqui, being more finely crafted, and the material had been changed to real leather. At first nce, one of the church''s representative symbols could be seen: the Crown of Thorns. Upon opening it, the first page had the following information. [Name: Du Wei] [Date of Birth: February 3, 1994] [Date of Admission: May 20, 2020] [Duty: Exorcism] The second page read: [Entered the mysterious bus on May 17, 2020, and uncovered some important information, rmended for church membership by Father Tony from the local church in North Brook District, New York] Below that was a nk space. Du Wei closed it and casually slipped it into his pocket. Seeing this, Father Tony said with a smile, "The church ces great importance on the information you''ve uncovered, so the approval of your qualification certificate was very quick, the fastest I''ve ever seen." Du Wei nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it was very fast. When exactly is the new Exorcist supposed to arrive this week?" Compared to other matters, he was more concerned about when he could rid himself of the dangers brought by the nun. Father Tony''s expression turned much more serious, fully aware of Du Wei''s current troubles, and said, "They are still preparing some things on their side. They should arrive by Saturday at thetest, noter than the weekend." Du Wei asked with some confusion, "Some things? For dealing with it?" Father Tony replied, "Yes, the previous Exorcist used special items to contain it, but clearly, it''s too evil. We''ll need to use even more powerful items to restrain it again, or even seal it away." "Seal it? That sounds very magical." "The church just calls it sealing. In practice, it is about finding its medium and confining it together with the medium, keeping it in ces most people wouldn''t go to." Du Wei showed a look of understanding, indicating he got the point. At that moment, Father Tony noticed the bag Du Wei was carrying and frowned. "Mr. Du Wei, what exactly do you have in your backpack? It gives me a rather strange feeling." "Yes, that''s one of the reasons I came to see you," Du Wei said. He then organized his thoughts and began to exin, "Regarding a previous patient of mine, she was tormented by an Evil Spirit Doll, so I managed to capture it, um... but now I need a container, preferably something that can iste its power, prevent the Evil Spirit inside from getting out." Father Tony looked at Du Wei and said, "I think I understand, but I really advise against keeping this thing on you, especially since you already have two Evil Spirits entangled with you, along with a terribly dreadful curse." Du Wei spoke indifferently, "I have my own ns." Father Tony had no choice but to say, "Very well, please wait a moment. I need to go up to the attic; New York hasn''t had an Exorcist for so long, many things have been thrown up there." After saying that, he walked out. Seeing that he didn''t seem to want Du Wei to follow, he waited in the room, asionally ncing at therge, heavy box. Inside were supplies sent by the church: Holy Water, Bone Powder, and some new items that Father Tony had mentioned. Holy Water had always been effective. As for Bone Powder, it originated from certain special Evil Spirits that had been killed. These two items had helped Du Wei a lot and were alsomonly used by Exorcists. He had previously heard Father Tony say that the process of making Holy Water was itself an Exorcism Ritual, which is why it could harm Evil Spirits. As for Bone Powder, its production method was a secret within the church, not well known, but the fact that it came from a special Evil Spirit killed illuminated how difficult it was to produce Bone Powder. Of the Evil Spirits Du Wei had encountered so far, very few could be killed, and the two in his home were exceptionally strange. One had always been just a blur of a ck shadow, asionally revealing a pair of eyes, and that was only rted to mechanisms. The other had only a woman''s face that appeared in water. He had always felt that the presence of these two Evil Spirits was more bizarre and terrifying than others. Although one of them, due to its spreading mechanism being limited to those who knew the information, would be stopped dead in its tracks from spreading further¡ªthe Evil Spirit brought by Aisha. But the other could post online by itself, with an incredibly horrifying contagion: just seeing its photo made one a target, and it would move to slip notes into houses, be seen through the peephole, or be noticed by the sound of knocking. Compared to the rest, the two Evil Spirits in his home seemed exceedingly absurd and strange. If it weren''t for that Antique Clock, Du Wei estimated that the two Evil Spirits would not be as well-behaved as they were now. After a short time, Father Tony walked in carrying something. "I''ve found what you need, Mr. Du Wei." As soon as he entered, Du Wei noticed that he was carrying a box covered by a ck cloth, which was dusty, suggesting it had been stored for a very long time. Father Tony lifted the ck cloth, scattering the dust and revealing the object beneath. It was a small ss-mounted cab, with each frame silver-ted and engraved with Biblical text and some symbols representing sanctity. "Cough cough, this is something left over from a long time ago. It''s called a sealing cab, meant for storing media associated with Evil Spirits, but it can also be used to contain the Evil Spirit Doll you''ve caught." Seemingly choked by the dust, Father Tony couldn''t help but cough a few times and waved the air. Du Wei looked at the sealing cab, noting that its height and size were quite suitable to contain Annabelle. Thus, he said to Father Tony, "This is indeed what I need, plus most of my supplies are used up. I need some restocking." Father Tony seemed surprised as he said, "All used up? It was just an Evil Spirit Doll, but that seems normal, after all, Evil Spirits truly are troublesome..." After a moment of silence, Du Wei said, "Actually, there are other Evil Spirits, and I still haven''t resolved Mrs. Mina''s issue." "Hmm? Oh! Are you certain?" Du Wei knew he was asking whether the incident involving the Evil Spirit that Mrs. Mina encountered was real.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om So, he replied, "Yes, her daughter is already possessed by an Evil Spirit, and it seems she can dream of the scenes and timing of her death caused by the Evil Spirit." Father Tony''s face took on an unusual expression as he said, "I see. Tell me what you need." Looking at his expression, Du Wei raised an eyebrow and responded, "A sufficient amount of Holy Water, Bone Powder... and I''m very interested in the new items you mentioned. Are they used for fighting Evil Spirits?" "Yes, but they''re not quite the same," replied Father Tony. Chapter 58 058, The entrance of Roys house When Father Tony opened the hefty box and took out the new gadget he mentioned, Du Wei''s expression was slightly astonished. "A lighter? And a Cartier one at that¡­ Can this thing really deal with Evil Spirits? I think it would be more suitable for lighting cigarettes." "No, no, no, Mr. Du Wei, it doesn''t light." "Then what''s the point?" ¡­ ncing at the lighter Father Tony was showing him, Du Wei didn''t know how to connect this item withbating Evil Spirits. The silver-white case was divided into two parts, resembling the design of a Zippo lighter, but the engraved patterns were of a very ancient style; the upper half was a clock, while the lower half was two intertwined anchors. It wasn''t a branded item, but most importantly, it didn''t light¡­ Father Tony said to Du Wei in an uncertain tone, "I''m not entirely sure about this lighter either, because the church hasn''t tested it. But it''s theorized that when it does light, it inflicts some damage on Evil Spirits." Speechless, Du Wei said, "But it doesn''t light." Father Tony replied awkwardly, "It will light when you''re up against an Evil Spirit." "And then? What does the so-called damage look like?" "I''m not quite sure, since I''m just a logistics person. However, it probably has something to do with its owner." "Please exin." "Its owner was a retired teacher who died in March this year, and after he passed, the church collected this lighter while gathering some items. Since the mirror I had here had already been used by you, the church sent the lighter over as well." "I see, but what do you mean by collecting? Is the church looking for these special items?" "Yes, they all possess somewhat peculiar powers... it''s possible that they once served as mediums for Evil Spirits, but I don''t know the specifics." "Alright then..." ¡­ After leaving the church, Du Wei carried an extra handbag and a disy cab in his hands. These were given by Father Tony, containing supplies from the church; as for the lighter, it was tucked away in his pocket. He was in dire need of money now. Although, since bing an Exorcist, such items were normally dispensed without the need to purchase them. However, Du Wei was also responsible for dealing with certain Evil Spirit incidents in return. For instance... The matter concerning Mrs. Mina and her child. Reaching his brand new Subaru, Du Wei opened the door, started the sedan, and slowly left the church, heading home. By this time, the sun had already set, and the sky was very dim. Although only a single day had passed, the events experienced seemed excessive and cumbersome. The matter alone of the Horror House had left Du Wei drained and nearly cost him his life inside. He felt that once he got home, he should take a bath and rx properly. ¡­ It was 20:10 in the evening. On the street opposite the psychological consulting clinic. After parking his car, Du Wei locked the doors with his belongings in hand. Upon arriving at the entrance, he noticed five ck sedans parked at his neighbor Roy''s house. But there were no people to be seen. "Doesn''t look like police cars..." Staring silently at the cars for a moment, Du Wei then turned to nce at Roy''s house. Like the psychological consulting clinic, Roy''s two-story house had a small half-story attic, but it was now cordoned off with tape, and the police had hung a ''No Entry'' sign on the door. After Roy died, the situation was artificially controlled; in fact, besides those in the know, it didn''t cause much of a stir. Essentially, in everyone''s eyes, it was just another murder case, nothing out of the ordinary. It even failed to significantly affect the people living nearby or the shops along the street. Everything was as usual. After watching for a while and not detecting anything unusual, Du Wei opened the door and entered the house. At the same time, he subconsciously entered the state of Spirit Vision. What met his eyes was the faint moonlight and the light from the streetmps spilling into the room, which was somewhat reassuring. The sound that reached his ears was the ticking of the Antique Clock, the sound of the hour hand moving.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It seemed that the evil spirits at home were quite well-behaved. "Phew..." Du Wei let out a sigh of turbid air and pressed the light switch. In an instant, the room became brightly lit, and all the arrangements were just as they were before he left. Then, he walked over to the sofa, put down his handbag and disy case, and took off his backpack. He unzipped the backpack, and therey Annabelle, tightly wrapped in white cloth, silent within. "I need to put it into the disy case." Du Wei said to himself, knowing that it was a very troublesome matter, needing to enter the Third Phase of Spirit Vision and grasp Annabelle with his Evil Spirit Transformed Right Hand. Otherwise, once the white cloth was lifted, it could possibly escape. Thus, Du Wei opened the disy case and simultaneously entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision; with his left hand, he grabbed the white cloth, while his Evil Spirit Transformed Right Hand reached for Annabelle. The next second. The white cloth was lifted, and the Evil Spirit Doll, about 40 centimeters long, was revealed in front of Du Wei. It was modeled after a girl, with two ponytails, disproportionate facial features,rge eyes, and something like blush on its cheeks, which made it appear somewhat creepy. But since Du Wei had previously sprinkled half a bottle of Bone Powder on it to quiet it down, the effect was almost like that of sulfuric acid. So now Annabelle resembled something corroded, its surface riddled with countless small pits, giving it an odd sense of grotesqueness. Anyone else probably would have considered it just a discarded doll because it was so ugly. But Du Wei knew all too well how terrifying and evil it was. Fortunately, everything went smoothly. Du Wei barely felt anything out of the ordinary, easily locked Annabelle into the disy case, and throughout the whole process, not the slightest change urred. The lights didn''t flicker. Spirit Vision also didn''t reveal anything amiss, not even an overt hint of malice. "Something isn''t right." Du Wei frowned as he looked at Annabelle inside the disy case, its silence was a bit too much, almost indistinguishable from a random doll on the street. If he hadn''t grabbed it himself, Du Wei might even think he had targeted the wrong thing. "Very strange..." For some reason, Du Wei always felt that Annabelle wouldn''t just quietly allow itself to be enclosed in the disy case. "I should be more cautious, perhaps putting it next to the bed in the bedroom isn''t a very good decision." As Du Wei said this, he also nced at his Right Hand. The Evil Spirit Transformation had spread to half of his arm, but the skin of his entire Right Hand looked cold and lifeless, like that of a corpse that had just died. This had never been mentioned in Andrew Dowqui''s booklets. He knew that some unknown changes were urring in his body. Chapter 59 059, Look inside North Brook District, 21:08, the weather turned overcast. In the first-floor reception room, where Du Wei''s taxidermied disy case was hung up on the same wall as the Antique Clock. From the position of the sofa, one just had to look up to meet Annabelle''s gaze directly. Meanwhile, in the second-floor washroom. Having finished his ablutions, Du Wei changed his clothes and stepped out. Of course, the silver crucifix dagger he had received from Andrew Dowqui was always kept close to his body. Although this item seemed somewhat superfluous to Du Wei, at times it indeed proved to have unexpected effects. Before returning to his bedroom, Du Wei paused, turning his head to nce downstairs. Great swathes of shadow obscured the view below, with only the mechanical and highly regr sound of ticking... the rotation of the minute hand, heard. But... Still, no anomalies urred. Du Wei hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the door and entered the bedroom. Being constantly on high alert had taken a toll on him, especially since bringing Annabelle home, not a single abnormality had materialized in the whole house, which was very strange. Of course, what he found strange was that both the Evil Spirits and the Antique Clock had shown no reaction whatsoever to the presence of Annabelle, as if theypletely ignored her. ... "This is highly abnormal," Du Wei muttered to himself, turned, and pushed open the bedroom door. The door was the same as before, with arge hole broken into it, obviating even the peephole installed by the previous tenant when the apartment was leased, allowing him to glimpse the outside with just a quick look. One could say that its symbolic significance was greater than its practical function. ... Meanwhile, next to the Mental Health Clinic¡ªthat is, at Roy''s house. On the second floor, in the room that Du Wei and Officer Tom had entered, the walls and ceiling were covered with strange symbols and patterns. On the floor was drawn a Hexagram Array in blood, with a candle ced at each point. A group of women wearing ck uniforms and with numb expressions murmured inarticte words in low voices like they were performing some sort of ceremony. Their tones were awkward, and some of the vocabry had shifted meanings, bing veiled references to something else. Time ticked away, bit by bit. The woman who appeared to be the leader walked to the window and yanked the curtains open. From her position, she could easily see the state of Du Wei''s bedroom across the way. "The lights are out; he''s already lying in bed," she said. "Can we be sure that Roy''s death is rted to him?" another asked. "There''s almost no way to dismiss the connection. At the time of Roy''s sacrifice ceremony, there weren''t seven people, so she set her sights on this man, who had the most contact with her, but..." She paused there, looking towards the others. In the room, besides her, stood seven expressionless women of varied races and ages, all d in ck uniforms. Clearly, they were the Cultists Officer Tom had mentioned before. "...before she died, Roy had bought him a pack of cigarettes. Of course, she also prepared Ether and tools, but this man had gone to make a house call at his patient''s ce. By the time he returned home, Roy was already dead." "And we still haven''t found her head." "The ritual must not be interrupted, prepare yourselves," the leader said. "Nere, you go. Follow the ritual and start the operation at this time tomorrow." "I will offer his flesh and blood to the Veda..." After speaking, these uniformed ck-clothed women left the room one after another. A few minutester, the candles on the floor abruptly extinguished all at once. ... Nere remembered that it had been five years since she had joined the Veda Sect, and during these five years, her thought process had undergone an immense transformation. She knew how cruel and evil the things she did were, killing and sacrificing, each of which was enough for her to die countless times over. But still¡ª Nere reveled in it, for in her worldview and value system, only through death could the ignorant and foolishmoners return to the embrace of the Vedas and achieve salvation for their souls. Hmm¡­ Even though she still couldn''t establish contact with the Vedas given her status, she believed that as long as she sacrificed enough people, she would eventually receive a response from the Vedas. While the rest of herpanions waited in the car, Nere slowly walked in the night to the door of the mental health clinic. She held a higher position than Roy in the Veda Sect and had long since passed the stage of killing merely for sacrifices. The sacrificial ritual required selecting targets, leaving marks, and acting at the appropriate time. Only in this way would the Vedas be pleased. "Roy''s sacrificial ritual was really a mess, no wonder she ended up dead," Nere muttered under her breath as she drew a short dagger, about ten centimeters long. "Return to the embrace of the Vedas." Chanting to the Vedas in a low voice, Nere extended her left hand, which had distinctly protruding knuckles and a palm full of scars from cuts, looking extremely rough. Hiss¡­ The dagger made a cut across her index finger, and blood immediately began flowing from the wound. In the teachings of the Veda Sect, physical pain was a necessary condition for the liberation of the soul, and blood and wounds were the only ways for the faithful to demonstrate their devotion. Then, she crouched down and began drawing a set of symbols at the bottom of the door. In their teachings, once these symbols werepleted, it signified that the Vedas had noticed the sacrificial target and would watch over the soul of the one to be sacrificed. After the sacrifice waspleted, the soul of the sacrificed would belong to the Vedas. Soon, the symbols were finished. Just as Nere was about to get up to leave, she suddenly thought she heard a sound. Rustle, rustle, rustle¡­ It was as if something behind the door was rubbing against the wooden surface. She found it strange, so she stood up and looked through the peephole. All she saw was pitch-ck darkness, as though something was lurking within, but it was impossible to see clearly. Darkness, profoundness¡­ Different from the normal darkness brought on by ack of light. If a room ispletely dark without any light, one''s vision would still extend forward when looking into it. But Nere didn''t feel this way. "Very strange, it''s as though something is blocking it." Nere was certain that no one was in Du Wei''s house, and that this man was also asleep by now. If he chose toe downstairs, she would have heard footsteps or some other noise.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Maybe he''s put something over the peephole." She told herself this and turned to return to the car. Meanwhile¡ª On the first floor of the mental health clinic, the disy case mounted on the wall, which locked up Annabelle, suddenly began to shake. The new television set turned on by itself as if short-circuiting and switched to ate-night program. But just then, the hands on the Antique Clock mounted on the wall hesitated for a moment, and the ovepping hour, minute, and second hands shifted out of alignment, looking just like an ordinary clock. As if sensing something, the disy case calmed, and the television shut off instantly. And when everything had ended, the hands of the Antique Clock returned to their original state, continuing to ovep and move in a mechanical and regr motion. Chapter 60 060, Dong Dong Dong Drip¡­ Drip¡­ A woman dressed as a member of the clergy, in a nun''s habit, floated above Du Wei''s body, opening her mouth to let droplets of dark brown blood slowly fall from her fierce fangs. The thick, damp, and icy liquid slowly dripped onto the tip of his nose. Du Wei only felt a bone-chilling coldness creeping down from his nose, slowly spreading across his face. He tried to open his eyes but simply couldn''t. This was the third time he had had this nightmare. At the beginning, he waspletely unable to resist; the entire dream was torture, with only his right hand able to move. The air grew heavier and heavier, as ifpressing his lungs, making Du Wei''s breathing more and more rapid, each breath an exertion of his full strength. In the dream, he told himself that ording to the previous pattern, if he waited a little longer, he would be able to open his eyes, and he would see the nun getting closer and closer to him. And then, he would wake up from the dream. But after a long time, not only had Du Wei been unable to open his eyes, but he also discovered something extremely terrifying. His right hand had actually touched something ice-cold. Sharp, stabbing... "This is strange..." When he was in the Horror House, his right hand, which had undergone the Evil Spirit Transformation due to prolonged contact with Annabelle, experienced some abnormal changes. His entire right hand was like a corpse''s¡ªaside from being able to move it, he had no sensation whatsoever. Let alone the sense of touch... "Is it a nail?" Suppressing his confusion about the sensation, Du Wei envisioned the object that was moving back and forth on his right hand. "Why is it so fast..." He was referring to the distance. Although he knew that this so-called nightmare was actually due to the insolvable curse of the nun, the previous two times the distance between them was still substantial. Even if he had the nightmare two or three more times, the distance should not have shortened to the point where she could touch him. More sinister still was the fact that Du Wei could clearly feel that when the nun touched his right hand, he seemed to be suppressed, losing even the control over his own right hand. Completely powerless to resist... This was more terrifying than the intense fear of being suffocated to the point of breathlessness¡ªas if he had be meat on a chopping board, to be picked at will, and yet he was unable to open his eyes, unable to see anything. ¡­ Meanwhile, elsewhere. On the streets of North Brook District. Five ck sedans were driving forward. Nere sat in the passenger''s seat, quietly watching the dark and gloomy sky outside, as lightning asionally streaked across, followed by the roar of thunder. "It''s going to rain soon, how much longer until we reach the Sofitel Hotel?" "About ten minutes." The driver replied to Nere and then elerated forward. Their destination was the Sofitel Hotel located at the junction of North Brook District and Ondo Area, one of the Veda Sect''s footholds in New York. Of course¡­ The guests at the Sofitel Hotel were also their next targets for sacrifice. And this time, there would definitely be many more than before. Considering this, Nere said in a low voice, "Praise Veda." Hearing this, the others nodded: "Praise Veda." The car continued onward. Nere stroked her left index finger, where the wound still throbbed in pain, yet her expression was numb, her eyes indifferent. Belief can strengthen a person''s conviction. Yet, a twisted and abnormal faith that aims for chaos can corrupt everything about a person. From spirit to body, from external to internal. This is wrong... But for cultists, it''s routine, even enjoyable. Nere felt the same, when suddenly she frowned and stared intently at the rearview mirror of the passenger seat. The mirror reflected her pale face, numb and gaunt, which easily brought to mind a patient recovering from a serious illness. What caught Nere''s attention, however, were her eyes. The whites were bloodshot, and the brown irises seemed much deeper than usual. "What''s going on?" Nere looked quite perplexed, as she had been resting well and it had been a long time since shest experienced bloodshot eyes. "Hey, can you guys see if there''s something in my eyes?" As she spoke, Nere turned her head to address the others sitting in the back seat. "It looks like an infection, or maybe an irritation." Thepanion in the backseat stared at Nere''s eyes for a while but didn''t notice anything unusual. "Alright, if it hasn''t improved by tomorrow, I might have to make a trip to the pharmacy." Nere said to the others and settled back into her seat. The others didn''t respond, looking down in silence¡ªit was evident that their rtionship wasn''t very close. However, what they didn''t notice was that, after making eye contact with Nere, their eyes began to show some changes as well. It looked as though a dark shadow had fallen over them, making their eyes seem much deeper. And, densely threaded with blood vessels. On the street, the car continued to drive forward. ... 11:38 PM, the destination¡ªa suite in the Sofitel Hotel. Nere stood in the bathroom, taking off her ck uniform, revealingrge swaths of pale skin. If not for the scars scattered across her body, she would undoubtedly be a very attractive mature woman. She stood under the showerhead and turned on the water. Soon, a fine, warm stream of water soaked her from head to toe. "This is so nice..." Nere, with her eyes closed, looked very rxed, as even the most vicious cultist couldn''t help but bask in materialforts. "It''s a shame, I need to rest early, I have to deal with that psychologist tomorrow." She muttered to herself quietly, and Nere quickly finished her shower. However, just as she was putting on her bathrobe and walking out of the bathroom, she suddenly heard a mechanical and highly regr sound by her ear. Knock knock knock... Knock knock knock... Someone was knocking at the door... Nere frowned, for apart from when the Veda Sect''s followers were gathered to partake in the sacrifice ritual under the bishop''s orders, they usually were spread out among other areas, with very little contact with one another. Logically, there shouldn''t be anyone knocking at this hour. "Who''s out there?" Nere walked to the door and looked through the peephole. The hallway lights were dim, but she could tell there was no one else there, only the door directly across¡ªinside were her twopanions. "What''s going on?" Nere had an uneasy feeling that something was not right¡ªthe knocking continued even though she couldn''t see anyone outside. After thinking it over, she pressed her ear against the door, but the eeriness was that she didn''t feel the vibrations typically associated with knocking. "Ruth? Corelle? Is that you?"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 61 061, Contagious? In the suite, the knocking continued. Thud, thud, thud... Nere''s expression turned incredibly strange as she peered through the peephole and saw nothing but emptiness. In the two opposite suites lived Bishop Ruth and the driver, Corelle. Neither of these two were the type to enjoy pranks, so it was improbable that they would engage in such a boring act. Of course, even if they used to have a penchant for jokes, it''s likely that the habit had been eradicated since joining the Veda Sect. "Huff..." With a resigned sigh, Nere removed the safetytch and grasped the door handle. "Whoever you are, you''ve seeded in angering me," she said. With these words, she turned the knob and flung the door open. Outside, there was no one. In the hallway, the lights were still on. The sounds of the knocking ceased abruptly. "What is going on?" d in a bathrobe, Nere poked her head out to survey the hotel corridor, which was luxuriously decorated and spacious, with a lengthy hallway. She nced quickly from one end to the other and saw the elevator banks at both ends. "No one was knocking?" There wasn''t any cover to hide behind, and with such a long corridor, though someone could have potentially run to the end to hide, But... What would be the point of knocking, just for a joke? That would be too malicious. "Whoever you are, don''t let me catch you, or I guarantee you''ll die a terrible death," Nere said sternly, then turned and went back into her room, mming the door shut behind her. Then, she returned to the bed and took a look at herself in the mirror that sat on the bedside table. In the mirror, Her eyes were more bloodshot than ever, as if she had been staring wide, without blinking. Strangely though, she noticed that her brown irises no longer seemed as deep as before. It was as if she had removed colored contacts, losing ayer of sheen. "Is this good news? Maybe it''s not a fungal infection, and it could just be from ack of resttely," she mused. Nere, who was initially upset by the "prank," felt somewhat relieved at the change in her eyes. She even gave herself a smile and muttered, "If it really were a fungal infection, others who rode in the same car might get infected by me." "Time to turn off the lights." And with that, she put the mirror back and pressed the bedsidemp switch. Click... The suite was instantly shrouded in darkness. However, the next second, with a snap, the lights flicked back on. "Huh? Did I just see something?" Nere sat up abruptly from the bed, staring at the doorway with a weird look in her eyes, panic etching her face, seemingly at a loss. Just as the lights went off and the room fell into darkness, she thought she saw a silhouette sh by the door. Very much like the shadow of a person... For some reason, Nere felt a very strange sensation inside, an unfounded feeling that had emerged all of a sudden, which irritated her, and she desperately wanted to know what it was that she had seen. So, while keeping her gaze firmly on the doorway, she pressed the light switch again with her hand. Click... The lights went out. "fuck?" Nere''splexion turned extremely ugly in an instant, and she couldn''t help but exim in shock. The moment the lights went out, because her gaze had never shifted, she saw that thing this time. It was a shadow, indistinct in form, its gender unclear, and even its outline was blurry¡ªthe only identifying feature was a pair of eyes. They were dense with blood vessels, carrying an unmasked malice. Nere couldn''t help but shudder, even though she was a follower of the Veda Sect and had personally killed at least dozens of people, she had never experienced anything like this. "I should look for the bishop, only she can resolve this kind of issue." In the Veda Sect, ordinary believers served merely as executioners, while the more core information was held by the bishop, Ruth, who gave orders. Thinking of this, Nere immediately pressed the light switch, but to her utter horror, the lights did note on, and the whole room was plunged into darkness. "Damn it! Damn it!" Nere frantically pressed the switch, but it had no effect whatsoever, as if the power was cut off, leaving the entire suite deathly silent. I''ve got to run... That thought of escape surged in her heart, and she immediately tried to get off the bed. Suddenly... At that moment, the bedsheet, as if controlled by some force, wrapped her up from head to toe. She tried to resist, but her typically strong body, even stronger than that of an adult man due to regr training, was useless. Not only did she not break free, but the bedsheet wrapped even tighter around her. Then.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om In the darkness, the crisp sound of breaking bones echoed... And then there was a series of continuous, tight sounds, as Nere, covered in the bedsheet, floated in the air, twisting like a wrung towel, her head and feet spinning, hiss... Blood was instantly squeezed out, soaking the bedsheet and dripping onto the bed. Following that was a thud... the sound of something heavy falling onto the bed. Outside the door... In the suite of the driver who had made eye contact with Nere, Corelle''s room. She''d just gone to bed at that moment, still semi-conscious between sleep and wakefulness. Suddenly, she frowned, faintly hearing a very regr and mechanically precise knocking at the door. ... May 22nd, 7:09 AM. It was a rainy day in North Brook District. Du Wei sat by the window, a weary expression on his face as he watched the scene outside. The dense thunder and the incessant drip-drop of raindrops against the window were extremely irritating. That ominous bus only appeared on rainy days and could ignore space; as long as it was raining in a city, it might appear there. "I hate rainy days." Du Wei let out a sigh of relief and shook his head. The nightmare hadsted too long, and his mind and body were so tense that there was hardly any room for rxation upon waking, the whole bedsheet soaked through. The sense of crisis brought by the nuns was almost suffocating him, and he could only strive to regte his own condition, constantly maintaining the good qualities a psychotherapist should have. That is¡ªcalmness, sanity, and an observer''s perspective on the unfolding events. He walked out of the bedroom. Into the bathroom. Du Wei turned on the faucet and quietly watched the bottom of the washbasin. The fine flow of water quickly rose. He saw no trace of that familiar, wrinkled woman''s face. Du Wei washed his face, and when he looked up again, the reflection in the mirror had returned to his usual appearance: a pale, stern face with well-defined features, exceedingly charismatic. Apart from the eyes being too calm, giving an oddly prating sensation, his appeal to any woman was far greater than that of an ordinary man. "Wait a minute, I think I smell blood... " Chapter 62 062, Freezer First floor. Du Wei stared at the four women''s heads lying on the floor, his face extraordinarily indifferent. Each head seemed to have been yanked off by some immense force. Their facial features were twisted in a gruesome snarl, and although the blood had coagted, the trails of blood spread across the floor indicated that when the heads hade into the house, they must have been drenched in fresh blood. "Why are there so many heads in my house?" Du Wei muttered to himself, then looked up again, his face full of confusion. This was a crucial question, one that carried deadly consequences. Evil Spirits are contagious; the more people they kill, the stronger they be, fueled by fear and terror. The Evil Spirit brought by Aisha spread through knowledge of its existence. The Evil Spirit from the posts spread through sight and hearing, with no other methods of transmission found so far. On the first day, the two Evil Spirits were in a state of bnce, neither overpowering the other, so everything was safe. On the second day, the Evil Spirit from the posts killed Mrs. Mina''s brother¡ªLuke Conan Doyle, and the scales of bnce began to tilt. If it weren''t for the addition of the even more sinister Antique Clock thereafter, there might not have been any ''after'' to speak of. Thinking this, Du Wei''s heart sank slightly as he turned his head to gaze at the Antique Clock and Annabelle hanging on the wall, lingering especially long on the former. Annabelle itself had been corroded by Bone Powder and was now locked in a cab; if it still had the ability to leave the house to kill, then its targetst night should have been himself. The Antique Clock had not shown many aberrant signs so far; although it was the most mysterious, it was not very likely. There was also that ring engraved with the letters ''val''... Du Wei couldn''t help butugh a little; he felt like he was clutching at straws, unable to stop himself. A single slip and he wouldn''t even know how he died. "It shouldn''t be them." He calmed himself down. Taking a deep breath, he made his judgment. The Evil Spirit brought by Aisha was tightly restricted by Du Wei; as long as he didn''t speak of it, it couldn''t leave the room. Remaining was only the incredibly contagious Evil Spirit that could go online and make posts. Having thought this through. Du Wei walked to a doorless cab on the first floor, took out a roll of trash bags, and began to clean up. He detested the smell of blood and corpses, a problem that arose in his junior year of college after dissecting a particrly unusual corpse. That''s why he switched to bing a psychologist. Each head was separately bagged by Du Wei, who then meticulously cleaned up the bloodstains. Although calling the police was the best option at this time, in reality, Du Wei had no way of exining why there were inexplicably four heads in his house. Even Officer Tom, who was aware of the Evil Spirits, would likely harbor suspicions and think that he was involved in the incident. Moreover... There were just too many inexplicable things in the house. A rotten woman''s arm brought about by the Antique Clock, and Roy''s missing head. All these things, if discovered, would lead any sane person to conclude that Du Wei was an incredibly cold-blooded, terrifying serial killer. However, while Du Wei was wiping the bloodstains with a disposable towel, his phone suddenly rang. The caller was Officer Tom. Looking at the phone screen, Du Wei was silent for a while before he finally pressed the answer button. "Good morning, Tom." "Actually, it''s not a good morning at all, Mr. Du Wei. Do you know? I am currently putting up quarantine tape at the Sofitel Hotel, and you would never guess who the deceased is." "I truly don''t know." "It was those cultists, four women died at once, each wrapped in a sheet, twisted to death like wringing out a towel, and the room was covered in blood, I almost puked! Fuck!!!" "Damn, I''m about to lose it, it''s been a month since I''ve been to the Red Light District, I... I... Fuck!!!" "Hello? Mr. Du Wei, are you listening?" "Uh... yes, I''m listening." Du Wei nced down at the four garbage bags at his side and asked in a calm tone, "Let me guess, are their heads missing?" "Uh... yes, how did you know?" "... Just a guess." "Well, I suggest you be careful, because I got the surveince tapes from the hotel staff. There were 20 of them in total, and now there are just 4 dead, the rest are probably still in the North Brook District." "Right, I will send some information to you now. I suspect this is an evil spirit incident." ... After hanging up the phone, Du Wei carried the four garbage bags upstairs. The house he rented included a small half-floor attic, mostly used for storage. Although, there really wasn''t much to store. When he reached the far end of the second floor, Du Wei looked up and saw the handle on the ceiling. He then casually took a hook that was ced to one side, hooked it on the handle, and pulled gently. Creak... A grating sound of wooden structures rubbing against each other filled the air. Then, a simpledder dropped down. No dust... Because Du Wei had already been up in the attic a few days before. The attic wasn''t very spacious, with a vertical height of only two meters, and directly opposite was a windowpane, even though mostly obscured by old curtains, it still allowed in a faint light. Scattered around were some discarded furniture, a sofa, a table, a bed, and a few broken tablemps. Beyond that stood an old-fashioned chest freezer about a meter high, with the lid on top. It was left by the previous homeowner, apparently for storing food. A few days earlier, Du Wei had fixed the freezer, and it was working properly. Rustle... The lid of the freezer was pulled open, revealing a ck stic bag inside. "Maybe, I should find time to dispose of all this stuff, just need to be a bit careful," Du Wei said to himself, as he tossed the rest of the garbage bags in as well, and after pulling the lid shut again, the faint smell of blood had dissipated quite a bit. ... Meanwhile, elsewhere. Mrs. Mina''s house was inplete disarray. The furniture was overturned, and the floor was littered with broken cups, tes, and some small appliances. The family portrait that hung on the wall had also fallen to the ground, the ss shattered, exposing the photo inside. Mrs. Mina, her husband, and their daughter Kelly, who had been possessed by the Evil Spirit. It looked like a scene from after an earthquake.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Mrs. Mina sat on the floor, staring in terror at her daughter standing opposite her. Kelly''s childish face was utterly expressionless, her eyes pitch ck, oozing malice. "Mommy, why did you take me to see that psychiatrist again?" Chapter 63 063, Curse At 8:09 AM, the intensity of the rain lessened. A ck Cayenne was parked outside the door of the psychological counseling clinic. Alex, wearing a ck Cheriti slip dress, perfectly outlined her slender figure. However, what caught the eyes the most were her long, straight, and well-proportioned legs, with skin so fair that it stirred desires. She stood in the misty drizzle, holding an umbre, opposite Du Wei, whose eyes betrayed a hint of surprise. As was his habit, he entered Spirit Vision to confirm there was nothing unusual about Alex before he breathed a sigh of relief. He asked, "How long have you been waiting?" Just now, he had nned to go to Berson Auction House to investigate matters rting to the Antique Clock and the Golden Brooch, but just as he closed the door, he happened to run into a smiling Alex. It had to be said that her dress for the day was indeed eye-catching, and even someone as aloof as Du Wei couldn''t help but take a few extra nces. Upon hearing this, a fervent look briefly red in Alex''s eyes before vanishing. She looked at Du Wei and replied nonchntly, "I just arrived two minutes ago. I was nning to give you a surprise. It''s quite a coincidence to bump into you leaving, isn''t it?" "Is that so?" Du Wei paused for a moment, then nced at the ground beneath the Cayenne; there weren''t many wet spots, it was clear the car had been parked there for quite some time... "Well, it really is a coincidence. But what''s with your hair? Did you dye it?" When he said this, Du Wei''s tone inevitably carried a trace of perplexity. Before, Alex had silver hair that looked sharp and vigorous, and her upbringing in an affluent family added an extra touch of elegance to her demeanor. But now, her silver locks were dyed ck, and that sharpness hadpletely vanished; she looked softer and more maturely intellectual. "I just suddenly felt a change of hair color might suit me better. Besides, it''s not important. Hey, I''m wearing that dress I mentioned to youst time, do you think it''s pretty?" Alex tilted her head, exposing arge expanse of her fair shoulder, which was particrly eye-catching. "Hmm... very pretty, but..." Speaking, Du Wei steadied his emotions and spoke in a soft tone, "I have some matters to attend to today... I may need to visit Berson Auction House." Alex was momentarily stunned, feeling quite annoyed. Was he going to stand her up again? However, she maintained a nonchnt demeanor on the surface. She asked casually, "Berson Auction House? Why would you go to a ce like that? Is it because the staff members there have good figures, or because they are pretty?" Du Wei shook his head, "I don''t know whether the staff members are male or female. I just want to talk to the person in charge to find out more about the Antique Clock."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Alex breathed a sigh of relief and pressed, "Is it very important to you?" Du Wei nodded, "Of course." Hearing this, Alex revealed a yful smile, sizing up Du Wei as if she weremitting every detail of him to memory. "Although I don''t know why you''re interested in the Antique Clock, I might have to disappoint you, darling. The person in charge of Berson Auction House might not give you the information you want..." "Let''s talk in the car." After saying this, Alex pursed her lips at Du Wei and opened the car door. Du Wei automatically filtered out the word "darling," sighed helplessly, and followed her in. Once the car door closed, Du Wei sat in the passenger seat, with Alex beside him. Being so close, he could faintly smell a light fragrance wafting over. It was the scent of shampoo... He didn''t ask why Alex had switched to another car but instead started inquiring about the Berson Auction House. "Why wouldn''t they tell me the information I want?" "Because that information is kept confidential from ordinary people. Unless you suddenly see a dramatic increase in your assets, it''s nearly impossible to get it." "What if I want to get this information from another source? There should be a way, right?" "Indeed, there is." Alex nodded slightly and smiled faintly, "But that would consume a lot of your energy and time, at least a week, though I could help you inquire about it, needing only half a day." In fact, it was true. The antiques she had previously purchased from Berson Auction House had cost her about several tens of millions, shrinking her wallet by a third. Consequently, she had be a top member of Berson Auction House, registered in branches in every city. For her, checking the information of an Antique Clock was just a matter of speaking up. Hearing this, Du Wei fell silent. He was ruminating on how nice it was to be wealthy... Seeing this, Alex thought her words might have been inappropriate and quickly said, "What I mean is, having money makes resolving anything simple, um... I''m not trying to show off to you, I''m saying that there are a lot of things money can do in this world." "For instance, luxury items have no meaning to me personally, I have enjoyed everything. I understand the importance of money, but I am also clear that I don''tck money. What Ick are the things that money can''t buy." "Du Wei, you know what I want, but I don''t want it to affect our rtionship, so I think, we can take it slow." Hearing this, Du Wei silently nodded. He then said, "I owe you a favor." Alex said helplessly, "You don''t need to be so formal with me; in fact, I have my motives too." After speaking, she suddenly gave Du Wei a sly smile, appearing quite bold. "How about a date? I bought tickets for the cinema this afternoon." "I could, but this afternoon I might buy some things and might not be able to apany you for long." "Ah? No problem, I''ve booked the entire venue, from morning till night. You can watch whenever you want." "Alright..." ... On the streets. Alex drove the car, taking Du Wei along towards the cinema. Therefore, Du Wei didn''t resist and followed her into the cinema. The movie started soon afterward. Contrary to the hackneyed plot of a date, Alex didn''t choose a horror film but picked a psychological romance movie about a psychiatrist and their patient. This made Du Wei somewhat ufortable, but he found this type of film more eptable than a horror movie. Alex, on the other hand, appeared very excited, asionally chatting with Du Wei. While Du Wei responded, he was pondering in his mind about what he should do next. In two days, the Exorcist from the church would arrive, and by then, he would confront the nun. No matter the oue, this matter deserved a resolution. Of course, he preferred to rid himself of the curse and live well, ideally tackling the few Evil Spirits at home, and the longer he could hide his hunter identity, the better. Because the church''s attitude towards hunters experiencing an Evil Spirit Transformation was very subtle, locking them in dungeons seemed like punishment, but it was more akin to control. It might seem like there''s no difference between the two, but in reality, they are dissimr. A hunter undergoing an Evil Spirit Transformation is like a gun, very lethal but also prone to misfiring. Punishment is aboutplete suppression, while control is dancing on the edge of a knife. In such a scenario, Du Wei needed time. The urge to investigate the Antique Clock and Golden Brooch had surfaced yesterday when he heard about the origin of the Golden Brooch from Mrs. Mina. Because he suspected that the nun''s curse might be rted to these artifacts. Chapter 64 064, That ring In the cinema. Du Wei quietly pondered. The antique clock and the golden brooch were of a simr kind. In addition to both flowing out of Berson Auction House, they also shared a simr characteristic. That is, the letters that had been half-erased... val... The only difference was that, on the surface of the clock there were no letters, but rather engravings of angelic patterns along with holy items such as church-characteristic crosses. On the back was a relief of a goat''s head. At that time, Du Wei surmised that these carvings might represent sanctity and evil, showing holiness on the front, but hiding extreme evil behind. In many religions, the goat''s head is an implicit or explicit indicator of demons. And dreaming of the nun had only happened after obtaining the antique clock. Thinking of this, Du Wei nced at Alex. In the dim light of the projection hall, apart from him and her, all the seats were empty. Thus, with no obstacles, Du Wei could very directly see Alex''s fair and beautiful face. "Why is she fine?" Du Wei silently asked himself. He had unwittingly fallen under the curse, while Alex had not been affected in the slightest and, to date, setting aside her family background, social status, and considerable wealth, she was the most normal person he had encountered. The nun wouldn''t have any so-called gender discrimination, would she... "Is it the ring?" Du Wei thought, slowly rifying the timeline and events in his mind. The existence of the antique clock must be more special. That ring and the golden brooch shared more simr characteristics. val... The letters could be understood as a message, pointing directly to the curse, or could be interpreted as a medium. As for that women''s ring, it had always been stuffed in Du Wei''s wallet... The antique clock seemed more like an imprisonment device, containing the ring, or even that half-rotten woman''s arm. Moreover, its secrets were obviously not limited to this. Previously, when his home was being invaded by the Evil Spirit, Du Wei knew his condition was beginning to be abnormal, but that was just the beginning. Yet, when he came into contact with the antique clock, he directly entered a state of Spirit Vision. That said, the degree of the clock''s corrosion had explosively increased at some moment, just like during the journey on the bus and the contact with Annabelle. Thinking of this, Du Wei couldn''t help but be bolder in his thoughts. If the antique clock was imprisoning the ring, then its very existence was extremely strange. In Du Wei''s mind, he always harbored a sense of caution towards the antique clock. Previously, when it was jammed by that bundle of notes, causing the outbreak of the two Evil Spirits in his home, Du Wei had mistaken it for an item rted to the Evil Spirit. But now, with careful thought and deliberation, he discovered many inconsistencies. A clock is an observation and recognition of time, each tick representing the passage of time. He had seen almost future death scenes during two uncontroble Spirit Vision states. Also rted to time... "There might be a big guy in my house..." Du Wei unintentionally murmured softly. Alex to the side didn''t hear clearly, and curiously uttered an "Ah?" asking, "What did you just say?" Du Wei shook his head and said, "Nothing, just thinking about some things." Alex blinked, "Some things? Is it about Berson Auction House? I''ve already given word, I should be able to have the information by afternoon. I''ll send it to your phone, don''t worry too much." Du Wei didn''t exin, just smiled and said, "Alright." Seeing him smile, a rare urrence, Alex felt a sudden stir in her heart. Her bright eyes shined even more dazzlingly under the light of the screen. She bit her lip, with only one thought in her head¡ªI want to sleep with him. But immediately following that, Du Wei''s phone ringtone suddenly rang out urgently. "Sorry, I forgot to turn on silent mode." Du Wei quickly said to Alex and then nced at the contact disyed on his phone: Father Tony. Seeing this, Alex gently said, "It''s okay, I can wait for you for a bit." Du Wei hummed in response, "I''m going to step out by the theater entrance to take a call." Alex nodded in affirmation, her gaze following Du Wei as he left his seat and stopped at the entrance of the projection hall, not going outside. "His emotional intelligence doesn''t seem to be as low as I imagined." ... On Du Wei''s side, after he pressed the answer button, Father Tony''s anxious voice came through from the other end. "Mr. Du Wei, something may have happened at Mrs. Mina''s ce, can you stop by her house?" "Happened? What do you mean?" "Half an hour ago, I received a call from Mrs. Mina, but I didn''t get to answer it before they hung up, and I''ve been unable to get through ever since." "I''m worried that the Evil Spirit might have made its move." "I got it, I''ll go." "Thank you so much, please hurry as fast as you can, and if possible, you might try the Exorcism Ritual." "Alright." Having said that, Du Wei hung up the phone, turned his head, and met Alex''s gaze squarely. He walked up to her, somewhat sheepishly saying, "I probably won''t be able to watch the movie with you to the end, I need to head back home and then take care of some things." Alex rolled her eyes, "Hey, baby, this is supposed to be a date, and you''re bailing halfway through the movie? I might start doubting my charm here." Du Wei pondered for a moment, "I''ll apany you next time." Alex snorted, "Next time? When exactly would that be?" Du Wei thought it over and said, "Probably next week, I might be quite busy this week." Alex couldn''t help butugh, "You really don''t like to push yourself, do you?" She was a very attentive woman, at least towards Du Wei. Although a bit annoyed, it was just for a moment before she calmly said, "Alright, next week then. Hmm... Should I drive you home?" "Sure." ... 11:06. The psychological counseling clinic. After seeing Alex off, Du Wei slung on his backpack and locked the door behind him. Before departing, he hung a sign at the door that read: Please leave all letters at the door, do not slip them through the crack. This was to prevent someone from triggering mechanisms set by the Evil Spirit.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om He did not want to return home only to find an extra head there. Just as Du Wei was about to turn and leave, he inadvertently noticed a row of symbols near the bottom of the door. The letters were dark brown, appearing to have been written some time ago. Immediately, Du Wei''s expression darkened, and he bent down to scrape off some of the letters. Smelling the faint odd odor from his fingertips, his eyes turned much colder. "It seems that those four Cultists have been to my house. They tried to do something but ended up triggering the Evil Spirit''s mechanism." "Are they targeting me? Or are they seeking retaliation because of Roy''s death?" "I must say, you''ve picked the wrong person!" Letting out a scoff, Du Wei touched the handgun he kept close and turned to head across the street towards his new Subaru. He didn''t have time to deal with these people for the moment; after handling Mrs. Mina''s issue, then he would have time to y with them. Chapter 65 065, Only one quilt North Brook District, noon, and the rain was still falling. A brand-new Subaru Impreza was driving on the road, sshing uprge chunks of mud. Du Wei sat in the driver''s seat, ncing at the gloomy sky outside the window. ording to thetest weather forecast, New York would be experiencing this kind of rainy weather for the next few days, apanied by heavy rain and lightning. In other words, when the church''s exorcist arrived, and preparations began to deal with the possessed nun, they would be carried out on a rainy day. "This is not a good sign," he murmured, turning the steering wheel and driving onto another road. ... Mrs. Miina''s home was located in the central region of the North Brook District. Although the area was not bustling, the housing prices were not cheap. Du Wei had once considered opening his psychology counseling clinic here, but after considering the cost-effectiveness, he abandoned the idea. After he parked the car, Du Wei, carrying his bag and holding an umbre, walked slowly in the rain. Across from him was a small, independent two-and-a-half-story vi which looked quite a few years old, but was equally valuable. In front of the vi, there was a sheltering eave. After putting away his umbre and cing it in the rack at the entrance, Du Wei walked up and stared quietly at the door. In his Spirit Vision state, he felt an odd sense of oppression, yet for some reason, it seemed very faint. The only sound that could be heard around him was the fine rain, and the vi in his sight appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary, as if he didn''t know that Mrs. Mina''s daughter had been possessed by an Evil Spirit. If it hadn''t been for the fact that his Spirit Vision had reached the Third Phase, Du Wei guessed he might not have noticed anything wrong at all. He checked the time on his phone; twenty minutes had passed since Father Tony informed him of Mrs. Miina''s disappearance. "The chances of her surviving are not great," Du Wei said, turning the doorknob. Click... It was the sound of the door being locked... Du Wei frowned; most vi lockse with anti-theft and memory features, and without a key, unless one resorts to force, the likelihood of picking the lock sessfully is virtually zero. After a moment''s thought, Du Wei turned and walked along the wall, looking for a suitable entrance. Before long, he arrived in front of two windows on the right side of the vi. One of the curtains was not drawn tightly, allowing a view inside. However, due to the angle, Du Wei could only vaguely see that the furniture in the room had been moved, the sofa was overturned on the floor, and broken dishes and bowls were everywhere, as if it had just experienced an earthquake. Unlike the New York he remembered, this city was ind and not near any earthquake zones. Thinking this, a trace of contemtion shed in Du Wei''s eyes, "Could it be the noise made by the Evil Spirit?" In the book given to him by Father Tony, there was a record of such situations. [Some powerful Evil Spirits possess extremely terrifying abilities, enough to affect the surrounding environment, and to a certain extent, they can even distort space and time.] Recalling the information in the book, Du Wei took a deep breath, "It looks like things have gottenplicated. I hope to find some clues to give an exnation to Father Tony." At this moment, Du Wei no longer had any hope for Mrs. Miina''s survival. He had warned her before but was rejected. Although Mrs. Miina also felt that her daughter was abnormal, she was stubbornly unable to make a decision, insisting on giving an answer before her destiny of death arrived. Therefore, Du Wei felt neither guilty nor ufortable. He only did what he had to do. So, Du Wei looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then took out the silver cross dagger from his pocket, pulled out the de, and stabbed hard along the edge of the ss. Crash... The ss window shattered on cue, with shards everywhere. Du Wei rolled over and crawled in, not bothering to consider whether the surveince cameras caught the act. After all, Officer Tom would surely understand. ¡­ Inside the vi. Du Wei picked up the family photo from the broken frame and casually tucked the silver cross dagger into his pocket. In the photo were Mrs. Mina and her husband, both smiling and holding the hand of their daughter, Kelly. The photo must have been taken not long ago, as Kelly looked almost the same as when he hadst seen her¡ªjust as delicate and lovely, with a few faint freckles still on her face. What caught Du Wei''s attention, however, was Mrs. Mina''s husband; he was tall, with an ordinary appearance but a piercing gaze, radiating the aura of a societal elite.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "He''s almost identical to the Evil Spirit on the bus, wearing a mask. If you ignore his face and the golden brooch, you can almost be certain it''s the same person." As he said this, Du Wei''s gaze suddenly fixed on the man''s right hand on the back of Mrs. Mina''s husband in the photo. "A strange tattoo¡ªwhy a hexagram?" In many literary works, the hexagram often carries an auspicious meaning. But in the church''s records, the hexagram is a symbol of certain cults. Just as the church''s symbols are the Crown of Thorns and the Sacred Burning Holy Grail, the Turin Cult''s emblem is an abstract face. The upper half of the hexagram represents man, while the lower half represents woman. Its original meaning was not very pleasant, but rather eerie. Therefore, most people would not get a tattoo of this pattern, even in modern times, as they would alter the design from its original simplicity to something more conforming to contemporary aesthetics. "Perhaps I should look into Mrs. Mina''s husband," Du Wei mused as he folded the photo and slid it into his wallet before walking further into the house. What could be confirmed at this point was that things with the letters ''val'' were somehow connected to the nuns, although the details were unclear; but they likely possessed some eerie powers. For instance, during his Spirit Vision state, Du Wei could asionally see visions of future deaths. However... He couldn''t yet determine whether this ability was brought about by that ring or the Antique Clock. He walked through the rooms one by one. Soon, Du Wei reached the bedroom on the second floor. He tried the doorknob, and it wasn''t locked. Pushing the door open, Du Wei''s expression changed slightly as he saw something he wasn''t supposed to see. "It seems this bedroom belongs to Mrs. Mina." The decor around was simple yet featured a dressing table next to the bed, with dresses and lingerie hanging in an open wardrobe on the wall. Du Wei nced around briefly, found nothing of note, furrowed his brow, and turned to leave. Suddenly, he turned back, fixing his gaze on the bed in the bedroom, his dark eyes turning cold. "A bed with a pink butterfly quilt, women''s clothing; even if the husband is missing, or even dead, that just happened two days ago." Psychologically, in a normal marital rtionship, even after one spouse suddenly passes away, the other would cherish memories of their shared life. In reality, some hold on to their partner''s clothing and other items, even keeping the urn at home as a constant remembrance. Yet, Mrs. Mina''s bedroom had no men''s clothing or personal items, which was quite illogical. Unless she hadn''t slept in the same bed as her husband for a very, very long time. One could even boldly specte that she and Kelly weren''t sharing a bed either. Du Wei vaguely felt that the information Mrs. Mina had given him earlier was one-sided, and there were definitely important details she hadn''t shared. Experience tales with empire Chapter 66 066, Dong? (Please recommend and favorite) Under the state of Spirit Vision, Du Wei quickened his pace considerably. Beyond the mansion''s interior decorations, what he saw were strands of ck particles converging into threads like a spiderweb, disjointed and intermittent. He felt he had grasped at some crucial clue, but theck of information prevented him from making an urate judgment. If he could just figure out everything that had happened to Mrs. Mina, he would understand why so many strange things had urred to her. When he arrived at the door with a pink heart sign hanging on it, Du Wei stopped. On the sign was written: Kelly''s den. Of course, that wasn''t important; what was important was that he seemed to hear some kind of eerie noise. Thud... Thud... It sounded like someone pacing back and forth, but something was off. Because the sound was very muffled, more like objects colliding with each other. It also resembled the sound of knocking on a table, After a moment of thought, Du Wei reached out with his right hand, grasped the doorknob, turned it calmly, and slowly pushed open the door. The next second, his eyes turned extremely cold and his expression exceedingly grim. He saw that a corpse was hanging from the ceiling, a sturdy rope tied at one end to the chandelier''s fixed anchor and at the other tightly bound to the corpse''s ankles. Blood had spread down from the ankles, already showing signs of having partially coagted, clearly indicating a time of death either shortly before or after Father Tony''s phone call. "It''s Kelly..." In Kelly''s bedroom, many dolls were ced around, and right in the center of the room, a Hexagram Array was drawn with blood. A candle was burning at each point, creating an extremely sinister atmosphere. "But what was the sound I just heard?" Under the state of Spirit Vision, Du Wei had not seen anything abnormal; even the room was devoid of the intermittent ck threads he had seen previously. There wasn''t even a trace of wind in the room, the windows closed, the curtains drawn, the candles on the floor burning steadily, Kelly''s body not swaying in the slightest, and since the body was hung up, it couldn''t possibly collide frontally with any object. "Something is not right." Du Wei scanned the room with an unppable gaze, thought for a moment, and then stepped inside. After surveying Kelly''s body for a few moments, his gaze began to move downward, eventually settling on her face, ckened by candle smoke. The skin appeared somewhat dry, with fine wounds and peelingyers of skin on the tip of the nose and the lips. Drops of thick blood converged downward, but due to coagtion, had formed bead-like clots at the tip of her nose and corners of her mouth. This resulted from the heat of the burning candles. Next, Du Wei examined the Hexagram pattern drawn in blood and the candles ced at each point. In the center of the Hexagram patterny a puddle of coagted blood, looking fierce and nauseating. The candles had burned down by more than half, suggesting that the scene had been arranged around the same time as Kelly''s death. So, Du Wei took out his phone and snapped a photo. Although he had recently been studying up on Exorcist knowledge, many details, especially the more secretive information, were still unclear to him. More professional matters should be left to more professional people. Like Father Tony, for instance. Beep... The call connected promptly. Du Wei spoke calmly, "I''m Du Wei, Kelly is dead, but her death is unnatural, someone has set up a Hexagram pattern in her bedroom. I''m sending you a photo now, if you find anything, please let me know immediately." On the other side of the phone, Father Tony fell silent for a moment before saying, "What about Mrs. Mina?" Du Wei said, "Her body has not been found yet, but I suspect she has withheld some information from me, and... the chances of her survival aren''t very high." Father Tony heaved a sigh and replied, "I understand. Do your best to investigate the truth. The church is very concerned about you. As for the hexagram pattern, I need to check the church records; I seem to have seen it somewhere." "And... could you not hang up the phone? I want to know about Mrs. Mina''s fate as soon as possible." "Why? It will affect me." "Mr. Du Wei, this is a secret I find extremely difficult to disclose. Please, will you do this for me?" "...When necessary, I will hang up the phone." "No problem, I will cooperate with you." Du Wei pressed the power button to turn off the phone''s screen and did not end the call but put it into his pocket. Although Father Tony did not say what his secret was, Du Wei had a good guess. After all, during their first encounter, when Du Wei informed him about an incident with the Evil Spirit, his response had been very officious, following church procedures: report first, wait for the church''s confirmation... Even though this was based on the fact there were no exorcists in New York. However, when he was informed that Mrs. Mina''s daughter was possessed by the Evil Spirit, Father Tony practically discarded the so-called procedures and hoped that Du Wei could handle and resolve the situation. It was probably an old melodrama... Of course, this was not important to Du Wei. It was merely a matter of hanging up the phone when necessary. Thinking this, Du Wei briskly pulled back the curtains. Stay updated with empire Gloomy light streamed in through the ss windows, which showed no sign of having been opened. Du Wei frowned and muttered, "Strange." The sound he had heard had vanished the moment he opened the door. Spirit Vision in its Third Phase had not revealed any signs of the Evil Spirit''s presence; it seemed certain that the thumping sound was unrted to the Evil Spirit. "A person?" Du Wei silently pondered, his gaze sweeping over every possible hiding spot. Kelly''s room had only a very low bed, a wardrobe, a shoe rack, a desk for studying, and a small piano. If someone were hiding in this bedroom, the wardrobe was the likeliest ce. With this thought, Du Wei approached the wardrobe and gently opened it. However, his discovery was disappointing. The wardrobe contained nothing but some children''s clothes; there were no secretpartments to hide a person. "This bedroom has a suffocating and eerie feel to it; perhaps I shouldn''t stay here any longer." At that moment, the phone in his pocket came alive with the sound of pages being turned, and Father Tony reminded him from the other end, "Mr. Du Wei, I just found the church records about the hexagram pattern. Many cults use this pattern, and their worshippers are often extremely evil beings, but they are so well-hidden that the church cannot identify them specifically."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Can you find out which cult it might be? I seem to have been targeted by these peopletely." "Uh... I''ll look further. Oh, and you should be careful. In recent months, there have been strange messages at the church. These cultists appear to be looking for something, conducting sacrificial rituals in various ces." "Understood." Father Tony''s words did not bring much help to Du Wei; they only made him more puzzled. Could it be the work of cultists? It did not seem likely; there were indeed signs of the Evil Spirit''s presence in this vi, only it seemed to have concealed itself and was not in this bedroom. Du Wei shook his head and got down on the floor to check under Kelly''s bed. At that moment, his eyes narrowed slightly. There was also a hexagram under the bed, but it seemed very old and somewhat faded... Chapter 67 067, Unable to Leave Mansion''s second floor. In Kelly''s room, Du Wei retracted his gaze and stood up. The only sound he could hear was the rustling of rainwater striking the ss in fine droplets. He had tentatively ascertained one thing, that Kelly or rather, Mrs. Mina''s family had likely been marked by cultists a long time ago. Otherwise, it wouldn''t exin the existence of a hexagram pattern beneath the bed. After all, Kelly''s bed was quite low, and under normal circumstances, few people would lower their heads to look underneath, making the likelihood of discovering the hexagram very slim. As Du Wei walked toward the door, he nced solemnly at the hexagram patternid out with six candles, passing by the hanging corpse of Kelly. Also a cultist... Could it be rted to Roy? Du Wei couldn''t be sure, he could only specte,bining the information at hand to analyze. He pondered as he exited Kelly''s room. However, just as he stepped outside the door, a sharp buzzing noise suddenly rang in his ears, and his heart felt a prickling pain. Du Wei stopped in his tracks, hisplexion faintly pale. Under the state of spirit vision, he saw a scene. An utterly dark room where he could barely make out himself sitting at a table, seemingly looking down at something. In an unseen corner, it seemed as though someone was whispering in a low voice, the words indistinct but the tone strange, familiar, and filled with cold malice. Then, from the darkness, a pair of pale, slender hands reached out, slowly descending towards his oblivious neck. The perspective was from above; thus, Du Wei watched from a powerfully oppressive angle as the hands grasped his neck, while he seemed to feel nothing, allowing those hands to twist forcefully. Crack... The neck was twisted, the head tilted to one side, resting on the chair. What followed was the sight of Du Wei''s expressionless, pale face. Throughout this process, Du Wei could even see the calm in his own eyes, as if unaware of any anomaly right up until death. "Huh..." Du Wei shook his head, striving to rid himself of the dizziness and nausea brought on by the change in perspective. At this moment, his heart was full of confusion and iprehension. "Why did I see my own death scene again? And in this mansion, could there be something I''ve overlooked?" He found it odd; asionally being able to foresee death scenes in the state of spirit vision had urred before, and this was utterly unprecedented in the Church''s records on spirit vision. So, when he learned that Mrs. Mina could dream of death scenes, Du Wei''s feelings were quiteplex, a sense of finding someone of his kind. But now... Du Wei dismissed the thought, feeling that Mrs. Mina''s dreams and his own vision of future death scenes were influenced by something. It might be the Evil Spirit, or it might be something else. After all, during a certain period, Mrs. Mina''s husband had possessed the Golden Brooch... Du Wei retracted his thoughts and considered leaving. His purpose foring here was merely to investigate Mrs. Mina''s life or death, but now he had suddenly seen his own death scene, which already posed a threat to his safety. Thest time he saw his own death scene, he directly encountered a terrifying Evil Spirit wearing a mask and a Golden Brooch on the eerie bus. If it weren''t for figuring out the rules of the bus, he would have had nowhere to run. Even on that bus, he could have been killed by the Evil Spirit at any moment. Now, Du Wei had seen his own death scene, and he could no longer continue his exploration. The vi, which seemed calm and even had traces of Evil Spirit disappearing, appeared to hide extremely horrifying dangers.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Over the phone line, which was still open, Father Tony heard no response for a long time and asked, "Mr. Du Wei, what happened on your end? Why have you seemed to stop?" Hearing Father Tony''s words, Du Wei paused for a moment and replied calmly, "I''m sorry, but it seems we can no longer continue investigating Mrs. Mina''s case." "Why? Mr. Du Wei, Mrs. Mina, she..." "She may already be dead." Du Wei cut him off, continuing coldly, "Father Tony, you should be very clear about this, shouldn''t you?" "Alright, I respect your decision..." On the other end of the phone, Father Tony''s voice carried an uncontroble pain as hepsed into silence. And Du Wei quickly turned around, walked out of the room, and headed straight for the stairwell without hesitation. Throughout this process, he remained silent, his expression exceedingly impassive. Although he knew, the vi harbored many secrets, such as why Kelly, who was originally possessed, ended up dead in such a manner in her bedroom. And how the Evil Spirit came to be involved with the Mina family in the first ce. And the hexagram pattern in the bedroom, the one under the bed could be perceived as having been targeted by a Cultist before, but what about the second one? It was evident, based on the congealment of the blood in the pattern and the burn time of the candles, that it urred not long ago. An Evil Spirit killing didn''t involve setting up so-called rituals and symbols, but rather when a medium triggered it, it would lead to a death stage. So, it was very likely man-made. This meant that before Du Wei entered the vi, others may havee in. Thinking of this made Du Wei''s mood much heavier. He vaguely felt that he had be entangled in an exceedingly evil event. "I must leave now, this matter ends here." With that thought, Du Wei hastened his steps down the stairs. However, as he arrived at the stairwell, hisplexion suddenly turned extremely unsightly. The stairwell he came by had vanished. In its ce was a smooth floor, and solid walls. Your next read is at empire This kind of scene was hard to describe with words, eerily extreme, simr to the experience of hitting a ghost wall within the Horror House, within the cross-shaped passage, a sensation of being unable to leave due to the structuralyout and misleading by the Evil Spirit. But now it was different, there was truly no way back. Du Wei took a deep breath, entering the Third Phase of Spirit Vision, his right hand began to exude an eerie sensation, and his skin turned so pale it was devoid of any color, resembling the texture of a corpse. He walked to where the stairwell had originally been ording to his memory and reached down to explore. Yet what came back was solid floor, and the walls were the same. "It seems that when I walked out of the room, I must have triggered some kind of mechanism." This sentence, he said to himself, while taking out his phone from his pocket, the screen showed that the signal hadpletely disappeared. Meaning that Du Wei had lost his only means of contact with the outside world. At the same time, under the state of Spirit Vision, the entire second floor of the vi gave off apletely different feeling to him. Oppressively so, like the dark, overwhelming foreboding thates just before a storm. Chapter 68 068, Keep Silent At this moment, inside the church in North Brook District. Father Tony was rapidly flipping through a book, and when he came to a certain page, his eyes were filled with shock and anger. "I''ve found the records about the Hexagram pattern, it''s a sacrificial ritual of the Veda Sect, I must report this to the church. Mr. Du Wei, your decision was right, you need to leave immediately." "Mr. Du... Mr. Du Wei?" Father Tony turned his head, and when he saw that the phone screen showed no signal and the call had been automatically disconnected, his face was full of astonishment and panic. "Damn it! Inside that vi, there is an Evil Spirit that has sessfully possessed a body!" ... Elsewhere. Footsteps resounded in the vi. Du Wei stood emotionless at the entrance to Kelly''s bedroom, remaining silent, not uttering a single word. Outside the window, it was gloomy, dark as if it were night, obscuring the view outside. In Kelly''s bedroom, on the Hexagram pattern, the candles ced at the angles were still burning, casting a dim yellow light on Du Wei''s face, making it seem somewhat ferocious. His gaze was icy, fixed on the burning candles, and on Kelly''s corpse. Something was terribly wrong... Du Wei clearly remembered that the candles ced on each angle of the Hexagram pattern had burned down by more than half, but now they seemed just lit. The candles had only burned down a little bit. Kelly''s body was the same, the blood that was supposed to have clotted was dripping down. He began to think, "So, am I experiencing an illusion? Is what I see the vision of Kelly''s death? Or is this all real?" The killing process of the Evil Spirit usually starts by triggering a medium, getting targeted by the Evil Spirit, followed by a mechanism¡ªnone of the Evil Spirits encountered so far has been an exception. After some thought, Du Wei couldn''t help but muse, pondering how he had triggered the medium. Lady Mina had mentioned before that in her dream, as she was dying, she gave him a shushing hint. It can be interpreted as a signal not to talk. But when Du Wei noticed the presence of the Evil Spirit getting weaker as he entered the vi, he had spoken and had even called Father Tony. If not speaking was the trigger for the medium, then such a change shouldn''t have only urred on the second floor. He felt that what he was experiencing now was more like some sort of spatial shift. Entering Kelly''s bedroom and thening out again, the surroundings hadpletely changed. It seemed there was some sort of mechanism at y. "Is it the door?" Du Wei gave himself an uncertain answer and decided to test it. Thus, he walked into Kelly''s bedroom without hesitation and closed the door behind him. In an instant. In the state of Spirit Vision, that feeling of utmost oppression intensified, and the malice emanating from Kelly''s corpse became even more apparent, almost tangible. At this moment, in the entire bedroom besides himself, there was only the presence of Kelly''s corpse, and the atmosphere was so heavy it was frightening. The moment the door closed, Du Wei felt a fleeting sensation of being watched, but what was strange was that, other than that, no other anomalies urred. Staring at Kelly''s corpse, Du Wei nced at the time on his phone, it was exactly 11:40. Then, he pushed the door open and walked out again. To his disappointment, in the state of Spirit Vision, the vi''s unusual sensation remained the same as before, with no change whatsoever. "I can''t understand it!" Du Wei shook his head silently, all his thoughts were kept inside his mind. Even though he knew he might have triggered some mechanism, it seemed that the mechanism wasn''t very friendly to him, leaving no chance for turning back. "Let''s keep moving forward, there''s no choice left." Du Wei took a step and walked toward the other rooms on the second floor. He thought about jumping out the window, but for some reason, under the state of Spirit Vision, he instinctively felt it was an extremely dangerous decision. If the vi was hiding profound dangers, choosing to jump out would be like flipping the table and exposing everything. Moreover, the death scene Du Wei had seen was in apletely dark room where he was sitting in front of a table, which hadn''t happened yet. At that moment, he came to a door locked with a padlock and stopped in his tracks. The doorframe and other parts of the room were very clean, yet the padlock looked as if it had been used for a long time, bearing many scratches. Seeing this scene, Du Wei couldn''t help but frown. Was it Mina''s husband''s room? Mrs. Mina''s family of three, with the master of the house seemingly turned into an evil spirit after dying on the bus, only left the mother and daughter. He had now seen Mrs. Mina and Kelly''s bedrooms, and the body of Kelly had been found. The only rooms remaining were the storeroom, a spare room, the study, and the husband''s bedroom. Additionally, in the state of Spirit Vision, ck misty vapors were seeping out from under the doors of the entire house, akin to the most terrifying and sinister gates to hell.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Yet strangely, though the feeling behind the door was equally startling, it seemed more independent and distinct despite the danger, as if it was separate from the vi itself. No matter what, something was definitely behind that door. Du Wei stared at the padlock, a glint of intrigue shing in his eyes. What would happen if I didn''t open the door? He felt he had grasped a key point for leaving, so he turned around and left, heading in the direction where the sense of danger was strongest under the state of Spirit Vision. ... Ten minutester. Du Wei stood in front of the locked door again, his gaze exceptionally brilliant. Just now, he had roughly explored all the rooms on the second floor, finding each to be eerily abnormal and oppressively suffocating. But beyond that, there was nothing else. No evil spirits, no imed dangers, and certainly no body of Mrs. Mina. The feelings perceived in the state of Spirit Vision couldn''t be false. Therefore, all the dangers were just like beasts lurking beneath the water, and as long as he didn''t fall in, he couldn''t die. And everything he had experienced before seemed more like a threat. What does it want to do? Make me afraid? Make me scream? The gesture for silence could mean not to speak, or also to not make any noise. Since the vi became abnormal, he had not spoken a word, only analyzing in his mind, meaning as long as he stayed calm, the horror behind the door couldn''t touch him? Could it be that simple? Du Wei was silent for a while before he turned back to Kelly''s bedroom and headed straight for the body... By now, the candle had burned down by half, casting the corpse''s face in an even more horrifying and frightening light. Suddenly... The body opened its eyes, filled with bloodshot veins, its hollow, numb pupils full of resentment and poison. Du Wei also crouched down to look into the corpse''s eyes, his expressionless face resembling a corpse even more than the body itself. Moreover, he took out a lighter from his pocket, the new gadget given to him by Father Tony. He ced the lighter under the hair of the corpse and gently pressed it. Click... Chapter 69 069, Facing Death When Du Wei pressed the lighter, a bizarre me burst out instantly. The color was a deep red,pletely different from the normal me which was orange at the top and blue at the bottom. Kelly''s hair ignited in a sh, with the foul smell of burning hair permeating the air. The rolled-back me spread along her hair with a boom. Without expression, Du Wei watched Kelly''s body, making eye contact, watching the me roll upwards. He had experimented with the lighter a few times when he had first acquired it. Indeed, as Father Tony had said, it only worked when encountering the Evil Spirit, otherwise, it waspletely useless. "But, where is the Evil Spirit?" Du Wei asked himself in his heart, staring coldly as Kelly''s body was enveloped in mes, making the oppressive feeling grow even stronger during the process. Yet the anticipated appearance of the Evil Spirit did not happen; it seemed to still conceal itself in the darkness. Under the Spirit Vision state, he felt nothing out of the ordinary. This body was not the medium... Quietly retracting his gaze, Du Wei closed the lighter''s wind guard, and the me went out immediately. At the same time, the fire burning on Kelly''s body also started to shrink as if deprived of fuel and eventually disappeared entirely. He needed to leave the vi, but the problem was, he was still under the influence of the Evil Spirit, with neither rtively positive contact nor any discovery of mechanisms. It could be said that among the Evil Spirit events Du Wei had encountered, this one was the most troublesome. Wait... Du Wei furrowed his brow; he suddenly felt a chill, as if a breeze had blown into the bedroom. This inexplicable chill arrived despite him wearing warm clothes due to the rainy weather, carrying a backpack, and having exerted himself quite a bit. Yet, the unwarranted coldness seemed to prate the clothing and seep directly through the skin into his body. Where his gaze fell, the windows were still tightly shut, as though cut off from the world, with darkness reigning outside. So... Was the door opened? The next second. Du Wei turned his head, his gaze as calm as if devoid of any emotional fluctuation. As he expected, unperceived, the bedroom door had indeed been pushed open. Outside the door was pitch darkness, frighteningly so. It was like the bared fangs of a giant maw ready to swallow everything in the dark. After a moment of thought, Du Wei withdrew from the Spirit Vision state and walked straight toward it; the firelight behind him casting his shadow, which appeared extremely elongated, it gradually faded away into the darkness. He was guessing the intentions of this Evil Spirit. Clearly, it seemed not to want to confront him directly, preferring a cat and mouse attitude, intending to plunge him into fear before delivering the fatal blow. Moreover, it was different from other Evil Spirits; no mechanisms had been discovered up to this point and even the trigger medium was unclear. It was like a gamble. However, Du Wei no longer intended to continue the game; although a gamble with the Evil Spirit sounded interesting, it was actually meaningless, low-level, and tedious. It was like navigating a maze, where from start to finish one might take countless wrong turns, but if one knows the destination, it''s possible to pick the fastest and most convenient route. Of course, that would be the ideal situation. But Du Wei was able to make this ideal situation a reality. He had seen his own death scene. As long as he could find that ce or create a simr environment, he could get infinitely closer to the oue. He was courting death... But he believed that he, as seen in his death scene, wouldn''t act in a way that was out of character. In other words, death must be built on the premise that he was actively trying to solve the situation. But clearly, Du Wei had failed. Compared to other people or things, Du Wei trusted his judgment more, so he decided to take that as a premise and try a different method and angle to confront the Evil Spirit in the vi which had not shown itself until now. Walking in the darkness. He pressed the lighter, and a bean-sized me burst into life. The dim firelight cast an absurd shadow on Du Wei''s face. He even took out a cigarette and lit it slowly. ... The second floor of the dark vi. Only the patter of footsteps echoed; everything else seemed to fall into silence, as if soundproof ss enclosed the space, blocking out the fine sound of rain and noise from the outside world. Suddenly... A loud bang. A burst of firelight red in the darkness, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, ttering loudly as itnded. Expressionless, Du Wei stepped forward, using the light from his lighter to inspect the lock that had fallen to the ground. "It seems my shooting is pretty good," he remarked. No longer whispering, he pushed open the door and walked straight in. In this vi, the room with the greatest suspicion was this locked one, so after leaving Kelly''s bedroom, Du Wei hade straight here. As he had said, his marksmanship was indeed good; he had calcted the angle carefully and, after confirming that the bullet wouldn''t ricochet back at him, he hadn''t hesitated to shoot the lock. Though Du Wei knew that doing this might provoke an attack from the Evil Spirit, to some extent, it was also what he wanted. Two lighters, one could only light cigarettes, while the other could be used against the Evil Spirit. He never did anything without certainty. He entered the room. Almost immediately, he could smell a hint of decay. Groping in the darkness, Du Wei''s fingertips brushed against a switch. "Should be for the lights," he guessed. He pressed it gently. The expected light did note on. Du Wei sighed and lit the lighter once more. This time, he saw a table, a chair, and on the table, there was a cylindrical candle. "It looks like this is where I''m supposed to die," he said mockingly, slowly walking over, he took off his backpack and sat down on the chair he had pulled out. And he used the lighter to ignite the candle. At this moment, sitting in front of the chair, the scene almost exactly matched the death scene he had seen under the Spirit Vision. And now, having emerged from the Spirit Vision, he was virtually defenseless. He began to examine the table, curious about why in the vision of his death, he had been looking down at it and what he had been looking at. Given his personality, he definitely would not do something meaningless. The table had drawers, which were also locked. Du Wei thought for a moment, then drew out the silver crucifix dagger he had received from Andrew Dowqui. In his hands, the thing was mostly useless; he had used it more to smash stuff than to fight the Evil Spirit. After breaking the lock, Du Wei was surprised to find two items inside: a diary and a mask. The diary seemed quite ordinary, nothing special at a nce.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The mask, however, was a different story. Its style was not much different from the white, featureless one he had seen on the Evil Spirit with the walking stick, wearing the Golden Brooch, who was suspected to be Mrs. Mina''s husband, on the bus. The only difference was that it had holes for the eyes. Chapter 70 070, Out of Control (Please bookmark and recommend) As his fingertips touched the white mask, what came back was a chilling sensation, tinged with a coldness. The material of the mask was unclear, but its whiteness was striking. On the table, the masky quietly to one side, while Du Wei flipped open the diary. At the same time. Creeeeak... A grating sound of wooden structures friction that set one''s teeth on edge arose. Du Wei turned his head, calmly watching as an invisible hand seemed to slowly close the door. Even without being in Spirit Vision, he could clearly feel a sinister presence slowly enveloping him. It was the Evil Spirit... Just like the first night, the feeling was exactly the same as the one brought by the two evil spirits in his home. It was certain that something hade in. Du Wei took a deep breath, withdrew his gaze, and pulled open his backpack. He pulled out a bottle of bone powder and sprinkled it around himself. If the Evil Spirit intended to attack him, at the very least, it could serve as an early warning. Then, he lowered his head to read the diary. On the first page, there was a signature¡ªMike Stowe. The second page revealed his identity¡ªMr. Mina''s husband, Kelly''s father. Flipping further through, there were bits of everyday triviality with no particr information. But what surprised Du Wei was the secret he discovered about Mike Stowe. He was inhumane. Kelly was adopted by him and Mrs. Mina, solely to ease the impending dissolution of their marriage. "No wonder there was only one nket in the bedroom, and I didn''t see any men''s belongings; they must have not slept together for a long time." Du Wei continued to quickly leaf through the pages. Soon, the diary entry from March 18th caught his attention; it was about the Golden Brooch. ... [March 18, Overcast] [Because of my profession, I often deal with some antiques from the auction house, hmm... I call this faking. Those idiots would never guess that many of the so-called antiques they''ve purchased have been artificially aged. Of course, I can assure them that the certificates are absolutely real, haha. Today, I brought back a strange thing from the auction house¡ªa pair of masks stuck together, the material of which is unknown, somewhat resembling a modern-day artifact.] [This entry was written at 3 a.m. I just experienced something unimaginable, which reminded me of that unbearable past¡ªI was once a cultist of the Veda Sect.] Du Wei''s gaze lingered on the "Veda Sect" for a while, and he couldn''t help but think of his deceased neighbor Roy and the four heads that appeared in his home that morning. "It seems like a clich¨¦ story of a cultist who lost his way and returned to an ordinary life, but unfortunately, it looks like he wasn''t blessed with love or marriage, and instead lived quite a troubled life." Du Wei said calmly, without a trace of fluctuation in his voice, and turned to the next page. [March 19, Light Rain] [I separated the masks and, looking at the Golden Brooch hidden inside, I felt very strange. The masks seemed to be joined together like a container. I put on one of the masks thatcked features and I think I discovered the secret of the Veda.] "The Golden Brooch was hidden inside the mask? That seems simr to the ring, which was found after the Antique Clock showed anomalies. Could it be interpreted that the mask equals the Antique Clock?" Du Wei felt like he was beginning to understand something, and he also noted that in this day''s diary entry, Mike Stowe referred to it with the word ''it.'' Was that the Evil Spirit? So, the object of the Veda Sect''s devotion was actually the Evil Spirit? Or something like it? ... [March 25, Weather Clears] [There seems to be a problem with my mind, I feel like I should see a psychiatrist, but it''s toote. Every night after midnight, I involuntarily put on the mask. Because of this, I even have to lock the door before I go to sleep to prevent Mina and the others from seeing how I look.] ¡­ [March 26¡­] [I''m close to breaking down, I really need help, but I am a betrayer, I can''t go back to the Veda Sect, can''t even contact them. Otherwise, I will surely die.] ¡­ Beginning on March 26, the diary entries started bing erratic, sometimes like the ravings of a madman, without any logical sequence, with entries being either nk or filled with messy drawings. After roughly analyzing, Du Wei concluded that Mike Stowe seemed to be targeted by something after he put on the mask, possibly by an Evil Spirit, and his mental state also became affected, with his logical thinking bing confused. "Keep reading." Du Wei said softly, feeling even more oppressed in this room. A cold and tide-like malice touched him, causing great difort. [April 28¡­] [I know what it wants now, it wants toe out and take over my body, but it seems to be constrained somehow. I think I can still fight it for a while, so I n to kill someone, toplete a sacrificial ritual.] ¡­ [April 29¡­] [The sacrifice was a fat man. When I cut open his veins, I found myself trembling with excitement, as if I had returned to the time when I joined the Veda Sect, wild and unrestrained, like ughtering a pig.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [Written at midnight: I feel fantastic now. After the sacrificial ritual waspleted, it became much quieter, but somehow, whenever I look at myself in the mirror wearing the mask, there''s this unfamiliar, strange feeling. It''s like I''m no longer myself, but then again, what does that matter?] ¡­ [May 03¡­] [I am in great condition, working normally during the day, maintaining the image of a husband and father, while at night, I go out to perform sacrificial rituals. I seem to have adapted to this life.] ¡­ [May 06¡­] [I can''t stop now, the sacrifices seem to be having less and less effect on it. ording to the records of the Veda Sect, I should sacrifice my rtives¡­ Kelly, or Mina.] ¡­ [May 12¡­] [I''ve made a decision and have drawn a hexagram under Kelly''s bed. It''s not satisfied, I know it is targeting me, then Mina, and Kelly is only thest resort, but the sacrificial ritual has started, and I cannot stop now.] ¡­ At this point, the diary ends. Du Wei''s expression turned very cold, Mike Stowe''s diary deepened his disgust for cultists. To borrow Officer Tom''s words, they are a bunch of lunatics with water in their brains, capable of anything. And the initial analysis wasn''t wrong; it''s just that Du Wei never expected the cultist to be the already deceased Mike Stowe. This man, who had once left the Veda Sect to survive,mitted unspeakable acts, sacrificed his adopted daughter, and even nned to sacrifice his wife. If he hadn''t boarded that bus, he might have seeded by now. However, Du Wei didn''t think that Mike Stowe could really have survived. Because clearly, Mike Stowe was influenced by it, and his mental state had problems. Whether it was the sacrifices or something else, they were merely steering him closer to the edge of losing control. It was like torture. Chapter 71 071, What are you afraid of? In the room, apart from the small area illuminated by the burning candlelight, the rest was engulfed in thick, oppressive shadows. Du Wei sat on a chair, closed Mike Stowe''s diary, and stared expressionlessly at the white mask. Aside from the eye holes, the mask was nk at the nose and mouth. The mask felt dangerous to Du Wei; it seemed to harbor something extremely evil. ording to Mike Stowe''s diary, after he wore one of the masks, an Evil Spirit began to haunt him. That Evil Spirit must be from this mansion, but its condition seemed strange. As for the remaining mask, Mike Stowe had not touched it again. That is to say, there should still be an Evil Spirit inside the mask. At this moment, Du Wei suddenly frowned, as if something had invaded his nostrils, causing him great difort. "It''s dust¡­ no, it''s the Bone Powder that can counter Evil Spirits." He looked down at the floor, noticing that the Bone Powder he had scattered around after sitting had been silently brushed away at one corner. Meanwhile, behind Du Wei, in the midst of the shadows, a pair of hands slowly reached out. The hands were fair and delicate; besides that, the owner of the hands was hidden in the shadows, with their body and outlinepletely obscured. Unfortunately for Du Wei, as he was sitting in the chair, from his tilted perspective, the hands reached out directly towards his neck. All was silent. There was not even a wisp of air movement; no one could have reacted in time. Du Wei was no exception. Upon noticing the unexpected gap in the Bone Powder that encircled him, he immediately grabbed the mask without hesitation. Then, he ced it directly onto his face. "In the face of death, you should remain calm." Du Wei told himself this and, the next second, he stood up, pulled back the chair, and looked behind him. In an instant. The fair and delicate hands appeared in front of Du Wei, just ten centimeters from his neck¡ªjust a little bit further and they would have touched his skin. But they stopped. At that moment, the mask obscured Du Wei''s face,pletely concealing any emotion, leaving only a sense of chilling, eerie, and oppressive atmosphere. It was as if, with the mask on, it wasn''t Du Wei, but another entity entirely. Looking at the hands, Du Wei''s voice was low and grave, "Evil Spirit? Let''s just call you that, even though I still don''t know what triggered you. But I''ve pretty much figured out the secrets of the mansion." "And now, I want to do an experiment on you." Having said that, Du Wei took a step forward, entering the third phase of Spirit Vision, and reached out with his Right Hand transformed by the Evil Spirit, attempting to grab hold. Unfortunately, in the next instant, the arms that protruded from the shadows, as if sensing something, swiftly retracted. He caught nothing¡­ "What are you afraid of?" The eyes of the mask, cold in their gaze, grew even icier. Unrelenting, Du Wei walked towards the shadows. He even pulled out a lighter from his pocket, one that could be used against Evil Spirits, and flicked it on. If needed, he was even ready to set the mansion aze. Impacting reality requires a foundation in reality, otherwise, it''s just wishful thinking. Regrettably, as Du Wei operated the lighter, the entire mansion underwent a conspicuous change. The anomalies detectable in the state of Spirit Vision receded rapidly, like a swiftly ebbing tide.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The red me of the lighter was also extinguished quickly. "Was I kicked out of the game?" Du Wei''s voice was filled with surprise; he had not expected such an oue at all. "What a pity." With a sigh, Du Wei looked around the room with a tinge of regret as the candlelight on the table gradually illuminated the surroundings, revealing the room''s true appearance. The setup was of another bedroom, but the walls were adorned with many different masks, each one unique¡ªsome without facial features, others with only a singr feature, or not even resembling a human face at all, but more like that of a wild beast. It was at this moment that Du Wei''s phone rang. After giving it some thought, he took it out and nced at the screen; the caller was Father Tony. There were about a dozen missed calls from when the phone had lost its signal. After pressing the answer button, an anxious voice from Father Tony burst forth from the other end of the line. "Mr. Du Wei, finally the call got through. I''m almost at Mrs. Mina''s house. How are you doing now?" "The situation is very good..." ... After hanging up the phone. Du Wei stuffed the lighter into his pocket and stood silent in ce, as if frozen. Meanwhile, in his mind, there was a feeling of nausea that could not be described with words. It was like the first time he entered the Spirit Vision state, with piercing buzzing in his ears and a faint stabbing pain in his heart. Most distressingly, it felt as though something was forcefully trying to cram itself into his brain, causing excruciating pain as if it were about to split open. A raging irritability was building up inside him, wanting to burst forth, but after putting on the mask, a cold and gloomy chill crept over his skin, spreading from the mask. Madness and reason were forcefully twisted together. Crack... Du Wei forcibly controlled his Right Hand to grab the mask and harshly threw it to the ground; the hollow area where the eyes should be seemed to eerily gaze back at him. "Huff... Huff..." At that moment, Du Wei''s face was terrifyingly pale, drained of all color. "It looks a lot like possession by an Evil Spirit, but it seems not quite the same." "Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to get rid of it at all." Just now, Du Wei had vividly felt an unusual discord in his consciousness and he even couldn''t control his own emotions. Moreover, Du Wei felt that after wearing the mask, it was as if he was manipting a corpse, not his own body. Like a dead person. As if turned into an Evil Spirit but without the powers associated with one. The existence of the mask seemed more like a switch. With this thought, Du Wei shook his head and, withplex emotions, wrapped the mask in an Exorcism cloth and stuffed it into his backpack. The diary was treated the same way. Then, heboriously lifted his backpack and, with slow steps, left Mike Stowe''s bedroom. On the second floor of the vi, everything had returned to how it was when he''d arrived; the stairway that had been reced by the floor and walls now reappeared. "It''s as if I was pulled into a strange space," Du Wei said with a detached voice as he passed by Kelly''s bedroom and nced inside. The sky outside was overcast, but the previously oppressive darkness was gone. The candles were nearly burnt out, and the body was left intact... It seemed that the scene of lighting Kelly''s hair on fire had been nothing but an illusion. Though the Evil Spirit in the vi had retracted its hands backward while he was trying to connect with it, just this act had given Du Wei a lot of information. For example, what the shushing gesture signified... Chapter 72 072, Key Mrs. Mina had once said that when she dreamed of her own death, she had given herself a hint. A gesture of hushing. At the time, Du Wei thought it meant not to speak, because when you spoke, it would trigger the mechanism and then you would be killed by the Evil Spirit. However, Du Wei had spoken on the first floor before, and there had been no problems at all. That''s why he even made a call to Father Tony on the second floor. The deviation urred only after walking out of Kelly''s bedroom. He remembered that he had only nced at the body and saw the hexagram pattern under the bed, then as he walked out the door, the deviation manifested. But now, upon careful thought, it was possible he had been mistaken. The gesture of hushing signified not to speak, or else, one would perish at the hands of the Evil Spirit, but it was not the key to triggering the Evil Spirit; it was to remain silent after the deviation appeared. In other words, the hushing gesture was a protective act after triggering the mechanism. However, Du Wei hadn''t thought of that at the time. Of course, even if he had, it couldn''t have helped him to leave the mansion. Therefore, at that moment, Du Wei chose to skip the middle steps and went directly to the location in the death scene, confronting the Evil Spirit in the most brutal way possible. As for this mask, Du Wei thought that if he was not mistaken, it should be the key to leaving this mansion. This exnation might sound hard to understand, but in reality, if one considered the mansion after the deviation to be a closed-off space, it made sense. In normal conditions, the traces of the Evil Spirit in the mansion were faint, so faint that even the initial stages of Spirit Vision couldn''t detect anything amiss. But when a certain unknown mechanism was triggered, the mansion would transform into what Du Wei had encountered before ¡ª with no means of escape. The Evil Spirit that emerged from the mask turned the mansion after the deviation into a door. The remaining mask thus became a key. Now, besides Du Wei who possessed the mask, anyone pulled into the mansion after the deviation would have no way out, face only a dead end. Of course, there were many parts of this that were difficult to think through. For example, Du Wei still didn''t know why the Evil Spirit hadn''t attacked him from the beginning but waited until he reached that bedroom. It was as if it had some specific purpose in mind. As for what it was afraid of... Du Wei had known that ever since he put on the mask. The mask is the key, together it is the vessel for hiding the Golden Brooch, while separately it is some kind of byproduct of the Evil Spirit''s parasitism. ... 2:20 PM. Outside the mansion, the rain was getting heavier and the weather was turning gloomier. Du Wei sat in the driver''s seat of his Subaru Impreza, with the heater already on, slowly dissipating the coldness and dampness from his body. On the passenger seaty a backpack, which concealed the mask. At this moment, an old Mercedes sedan drove up,ing to a stop on the left of the Subaru. Du Wei then saw Father Tony''s anxious and tense face as he opened the Mercedes door. He gasped, "Mr. Du Wei, I am so sorry, I never expected Mina''s matter to turn out this way..." Du Wei frowned slightly and stepped out of the car too. In the rain, the two men locked eyes for a second. Father Tony was the first to speak, "That hexagram pattern is a Veda Sect sacrificial ritual. Once started, it cannot be stopped; otherwise, there will be a severe bacsh from the Veda they worship." Du Wei nodded and asked, "I more or less know these things, but I want to ask one more question, will a person possessed by the Evil Spirit continue the sacrificial ritual?" Father Tony looked astonished, "You mean Kelly? That''s very unlikely, unless the Evil Spirit possesses another person, otherwise it''s practically impossible." Du Wei hummed in acknowledgment and then asked, "Can it be understood that the Evil Spirit is making a sacrifice to the so-called Veda?" Father Tony shook his head and replied, "No, it only wanted toplete the ritual, the intended recipient of the sacrifice should have been itself." As he spoke, Father Tony looked at Du Wei with a puzzled expression, "Why would you ask such a strange question? Have you discovered something? Right... is Mrs. Mina..." Upon hearing this, Du Wei looked up and pointed to the second floor of the vi, towards Kelly''s bedroom, "She''s there." "What?" Father Tony was startled for a moment, then followed Du Wei''s pointing gaze upwards. Their position aligned perfectly with the window of Kelly''s bedroom, where one could see the top half of the body hanging upside down. But at that moment, beside the window, Father Tony saw the figure of Mrs. Mina. Her face was expressionless, her eyes pitch ck, the skin around her eye sockets looked as if burned red, her hair disheveled, and her pale, slender hands resting on the edge of the window. In an instant, Father Tony felt an overwhelming chill creep over his entire body, and in his damp clothes, he couldn''t help but shudder. The next second. As if sensing something, Mrs. Mina''s stiff body turned around, like some kind of machine, silently walking into the shadows, and then she was no longer visible. Thud... Father Tony copsed onto the ground; some of the muddy water he kicked up nearly reached Du Wei. "She... she..." "She''s already dead. I was watching her the whole time in the car. She was the final vessel and also the Evil Spirit that killed Kelly andpleted the sacrificial ritual." Seeing Father Tony sitting on the ground, Du Wei knew he was in emotional turmoil, so after some thought, he said: "I can introduce you to Officer Tom; he seems quite good at resolving men''s pain." Father Tony, with a sorrowful look, lifted his head, "Thank you, Mr. Du Wei, but I do not need it. I may be just a priest, but I have long been ustomed to these things..." He continued on his own, "She often came to church to pray, sometimes she would confide in me about her pain... like how her life was not happy... and how her child was adopted..." At this, Father Tony suddenly looked up with a hopeful tone, "Her body..." Du Wei shook his head, "It''s pointless, and this vi is incredibly dangerous. Once you go in, you can''te back out, and it''s even less likely that you will find her body." At this point, Du Wei silently added in his mind, "But I will go in again, for another mask." "... Alright, I trust your judgment." ...n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Meanwhile. In the residential buildings of the North Brook District. The lights in the corridor were dim, the garbage can in the corner was dirty and disorganized, and it looked as if someone had kicked it, filling the air with an unbearable stench. In front of the garbage can, an iron door was tightly shut. And behind the door was a horrifying scene that was startling to behold. Five or six cultists of the Veda Sect stood emotionless in the room, surrounding the corpse of a man whose chest had been cut open, with something ced inside. Blood pooled on the floor, forming a sinister hexagram pattern, with a candle at each of the points. At that moment, Bishop Ruth came over, holding a photograph in her hand, of a family of four, two daughters. As she walked over to the corpse on the floor, she muttered softly, "Martin Nickter, diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder twenty years ago, killed his own wife and one daughter, then went on to murder over thirty innocent people. Whether it''s sin or bloodshed, you are a fitting substitute." "But why do the Vedas seem more satisfied with that psychologist?" "The deaths of Nere and the others must have been the work of the Evil Spirit, also because of this man. Could he be favored by the Evil Spirit?" "Even the legendary hunters of the church seem unlikely." Bishop Ruth threw the photo into the chest cavity of the corpse and said softly to the others, "The deaths of Nere and the others will be med on that man. As the original Sacrifice intended for the Vedas, he can''t escape." After speaking, they walked straight out and left at a slow pace. Compared to Roy, these people were even more reckless in killing, with a simple and direct motive, and they didn''t care about the aftermath with the bodies, as if it didn''t matter to them at all. After they left, the body that had been eviscerated began to tremble. Chapter 73 073, Counteraction (Please bookmark and recommend) ``` North Brook District, church. It was the same room they had first met in. Du Wei leaned back in his chair, his gaze as calm as a tranquil spring, while across from him sat Father Tony, looking haggard and decidedly downcast. "You need to rx." "Ah... I will, Mr. Du Wei. In fact, I''m already fine now, aren''t I?" Upon hearing this, Du Wei slightly shook his head, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, lit one for himself, and said indifferently, "I don''t feel that way. Would you like one?" Father Tony awkwardly replied, "That doesn''t align with my beliefs, I don''t smoke." "Is that so?" Du Wei exhaled a puff of smoke and slowly said, "When feeling down, you should find something to buffer that, although I don''t rmend smoking to others, it might suit you better right now." Father Tony chuckled bitterly, "Is this some sort of psychological counseling?" Du Wei answered, "If you''re willing to pay for it, you can think of it that way." "Alright..." Father Tony took the cigarette from Du Wei''s hand, lit it, and after an initial cough, began to smoke with some semnce of proficiency. Once he got used to the sensation of the cigarette, he said in a low voice, "Thank you." Then, feeling even more embarrassed, he added, "I''ve always felt that our rtionship wasn''t that good." Du Wei looked at him and calmly asked, "Why do you feel that way?" Father Tony exined, "Well... because I''ve sold you items twice before, and neither was very useful, although the money... well, there''s not much to say about that." Du Wei gave him a curious look and said, "I was indeed angry, even though I knew you weren''t aware of how terrifying the Evil Spirit I encountered was." Then he added, "But I don''t like being swayed by my emotions. I think about the result, and right now, our cooperation is quite satisfactory." Father Tony sighed in relief but coughed again from the smoke, saying, "Indeed, you are the most rational Exorcist I''ve ever met. In fact, with your current abilities and experience, you would be considered elite in the church." "Hmm... the church values you highly, as you know."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Du Wei felt indifferent towards the church, paused for a moment, and then said, "I know. When is the Exorcist arriving?" "Ah, I was just about to tell you, they will arrive first thing tomorrow morning." "They?" "Yes, quite a few people areing. Oh... that''s right, they will probably go to your house first to help deal with the two Evil Spirits there." ... 3:20 PM. Du Wei parked his car and, carrying his bag, headed toward the psychological counseling clinic. Along the way, he also ordered a storage cab to ce at the entrance. If anyone were to deliver a letter, it would prevent them from shoving it under the door, thereby avoiding a lot of trouble. When he got to the entrance, Du Wei nced at Roy''s house and, seeing that the five ck sedans he had seen before were gone, he no longer paid them any attention. Inserting the key, he pushed the door open and entered. Continuous rainy days had kept the sun hidden for a long time, and the lighting inside the house was as dim as before, making it look somewhat deste. It appeared quite ordinary. Except for the addition of a creepy Antique Clock, two Evil Spirits, an Annabelle possessed by an Evil Spirit, and five human heads in the attic¡ªeverything seemed as calm as before, eerily so. "Has the bnce tipped again because four people were killed?" Du Wei entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision expressionlessly. Unlike the Evil Spirit Transformation described in the records, his Right Hand had developed some abnormalities; in addition to touching Evil Spirits, it had be more corpse-like, devoid of sensation but still under his control. ``` The next second. Under Spirit Vision, everything in the house began to change in Du Wei''s eyes. Ominously dark, the corners seemed to conceal a malevolent gaze. Annabelle, confined within the disy cab and hanging on the wall, resumed the ugly doll appearance he initially encountered, but its eyes appeared fixated on Du Wei no matter how he looked. Apart from the Antique Clock, which continually behaved inconspicuously, essentially all the evil presences in the house were unabashedly exuding malice. Most importantly, Du Wei stood at the entrance, and even though there was no sunlight, the dim light cast on his body also projected a shadow. And that allowed the malevolent gaze in the shadows to silently appear within his shadow. Du Wei lowered his head, ncing at his own shadow. It looked as though someone was stuffed into it, bloated and awkward. He pondered for a moment, casually closed the door, then pulled out the white mask from his backpack and ced it directly on his face. In just an instant, Du Wei''s demeanor underwent aplete transformation, bing even more eerie and rigid, as if he had be someone else entirely. As he put on the mask, the hands of the antique clock on the wall paused for a moment, then continued to move. Du Wei did not notice this, since his gaze was by thenpletely overtaken by the shadow. In the room. Du Wei was practically face to face with the shadow. Wearing the mask, his expression was indiscernible, while the shadow had no features to speak of, merely a human silhouette except for its eyes, making its gender utterly indeterminable. Then, Du Wei stretched out his right hand towards the shadow, grabbing at it, and at the same time, his left hand pulled out the lighter that couldbat the Evil Spirit from his pocket. Both hands ready. A hunter''s Evil Spirit Transformation could confront Evil Spirits. So, could his unique form of Evil Spirit Transformation suppress the Evil Spirit? He was eager to find out. But to Du Wei''s surprise, as he reached out his hand, the shadow also extended towards him, looking like a true shadow. The shadow grasped Du Wei''s right hand directly. It seemed to be exerting force. Regrettably, Du Wei felt no sensation. Conversely, he found himself unable to control his Right Hand, as if he was locked in a sort of struggle with the shadow. "It seems I cannot suppress the Evil Spirit," Du Wei silently sighed in his heart and ced the lighter beneath the arm''s contour of the shadow. With a snap. A red me ignited. It was as if scorched, in an instant, the shadow vanished in front of Du Wei. The cold malice, like a nocturnal tide, seemed to sense something and gradually started to recede. Only then did Du Wei remove the mask, rubbing his throbbing head. Inside this mask resided an Evil Spirit. Every time he put it on, he would feel its influence. It functioned like a key ¨C when reaching a certain threshold, the Evil Spirit inside would emerge. At that point, its first target would be Du Wei. In fact, simply wearing the mask created a connection with it; unless one side was killed, this kind of connection could not be broken. It was just like Mike Stowe. Chapter 74 074, I diagnose myself First floor. Du Wei sat on the sofa, having exited his Spirit Vision state. He held a pencil in hand, looking up at the Antique Clock on the wall, as well as Annabelle enclosed within a mounted cab. On the coffee tabley the white mask made from an unknown material, with only small holes for eyes, along with a special medical record. He felt something off about himself, partly due to the mask and partly from the effects of the Spirit Vision. Long exposure to Evil Spirits was unavoidable in his line of work. So, he thought for a moment, lowered his head, and looked at that medical record¡ªit was his own. This medical record had been updated once, right before he boarded the bus, with additional remarks added. At that time, he had written that he was waiting for the Exorcist to arrive, with the task at hand being to investigate the information regarding the bus and find a way to contain it. But now, the situation had changed; before the Exorcist had arrived, he had already obtained the church''s Exorcist qualification certificate and had entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision, disying symptoms of Evil Spirit Transformation and bing a hunter feared by the church. As for that bus, he had only managed to uncover superficial information; its purpose, the stops at each station, and how to restrict it¡ªDu Wei had no leads on these matters so far. Thus, Du Wei made a new medical record for himself. [Name: Du Wei] [upation: Psychologist, Exorcist] [Condition: Caught in a curse by a horrible being whose name cannot be written in text, established contact with an Evil Spirit within the mask, the longer the contact, the higher the chances of full possession, Evil Spirits brought by Aisha and those within the photographs, the yet-to-erupt Evil Spirits in the Horror House, and another mask''s Evil Spirit] [Hypothesis 1: The trigger for the curse is rted to a ring with the letters "val"... and another item, a Golden Brooch, which, unless one rides the bus, is hard toe into contact with again] [Hypothesis 2: The Antique Clock and the mask belong to the same category of items, seeming to contain rings with letters and the Golden Brooch; these items are somewhat like lighters that canbat Evil Spirits but seem more mysterious and powerful¡ªamong them, the Golden Brooch and the other mask can only be essed via the bus, necessitating another trip eventually]n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om [Hypothesis 3: Concerning the death scenes seen in the Spirit Vision state, this is advantageous, but its urrence seems to be more of a mutation, likely rted to the Antique Clock] [Hypothesis 4: Inside the Antique Clock, a more mysterious Evil Spirit is hidden] [Regarding the clinic''s Evil Spirits: ording to their danger levels, in descending order, are the Antique Clock, mask, Annabelle and the shadow that seems to be on par, and the Evil Spirit brought by Aisha] After writing everything down, Du Wei thought for a moment and then ced his own name before the Evil Spirit brought by Aisha. In fact, with his current abilities, he was already capable of dealing with the Evil Spirit brought by Aisha, but it was meaningless. Because for now, this Evil Spirit posed the least danger, its existence merely meant to elerate the rate of Evil Spirit Transformation. Thinking of this, Du Wei''s mood became somewhat oppressed. There were too many troubles on him. It was no longer about whether he wanted to encounter Evil Spirits or those strange things; now, he had no choice but to do so. It was like walking on a tightrope... In the long term, after the Horror House''s eruption, not one of those Evil Spirits inside would be easy to provoke, and he had only managed to confront one of them back then. Eventually, the likelihood of these Evil Spirits targeting him was probably even higher. In the shorter term, there were the Cultists and the Evil Spirit in the vi¡ªthat one wasn''t incapable of leaving the vi, just temporarily staying there for now. And then, there was all this clutter at home. Of course, even more dangerous was the curse, for in every dream, the nun would get a little bit closer to her, seemingly wanting to possess her rather than simply want to kill her. Following this trend, if she were to dream again tonight, it would mean they were really going to bepletely merged. As Du Wei pondered, increasingly troubled, he suddenly received a call from Alex. After a moment of contemtion, it should be about the antique clock matter he had asked her to inquire about this morning. So, Du Wei pressed the answer button. He said, "Good evening, Alex." On the other end of the phone, Alex''s gentle voice resounded, "Good evening, darling, I''ve found out about the antique clock. Interested in hearing about it?" Automatically filtering out the ''darling'' from her speech, Du Wei replied, "Please go on." Alex''s voice carried a hint of mirth, "The person in charge at the Berson Auction House told me that when the antique clock was brought to the auction, there was also a cab and other items. Most of the auction items were sold and would be hard to trace, so I only investigated the source." Du Wei asked with a frown, "The source? Did all these itemse from the same ce?" Alex responded, "Yes, it was a church located in the suburbs of New York, but it''s been demolished now, reced by a mental hospital." Du Wei paused, "A mental hospital?" Alex continued, "Yes, and it seems to be on the brink of closure too. By the way, why do you always deal with these secretive things? Thest gift you gave me was holy water and a cross, which is quite... um, cool." Unsure how to exin, Du Wei said, "Thanks. Do you have more detailed information?" Alex replied, "Of course, I''ll send it to your email." Du Wei said, "Alright, I''ll hang up now and wait for your email." Alex''s voice carried a note of confusion, "Hanging up? So soon?" Du Wei spoke indifferently, "I''ve got some things to take care of, I''ll call you next time." "Really? Then I''ll be waiting." ¡­ Meanwhile. Within the boundaries of North Brook District, in a small alley. Random piles of garbage emitted a foul stench, and due to the terrain, rainwater had umted enough to cover the ankles. Many garbage bags floated on the surface, drifting further in. The pitter-patter of rain hitting the garbage bags was irritatingly noisy. But at the very end, a muffled groan suddenly sounded. It was as if suppressing pain, making the sound that escapes from the throat through the nasal cavity. Looking further in, a tall man in a raincoat, one hand covering the mouth of a very handsome, Asian-looking man dressed in ck, while the other hand held a sharp knife, slowly pulling it out from his abdomen. After a while, the man in the raincoat dropped the body and walked away with a mechanical, rigid gait, from the contour of the raincoat tightly clinging to the body, it seemed to be shriveled and hollow inside. At the scene, the bodyy in the water, and upon closer observation, it bore a faint resemnce to Du Wei''s appearance. Chapter 75 075, Dream or Reality? 11:33 PM. The first floor of the psychological counseling clinic. Du Wei sat on the sofa, looking up at the Antique Clock on the wall, and at Annabelle. Surrounding him were Bone Powder, Holy Water, a lighter that could fight Evil Spirits, Andrew Dowqui''s silver cross dagger, and that white mask. He had been maintaining this position for a while now. Early tomorrow morning, an Exorcist sent from the church would arrive. ording to Father Tony, they were bringing some special items collected by the church, which could limit the spread of the nun and even reseal her. Of course, their first stop would be the psychological counseling clinic, to deal with the trouble on Du Wei ¡ª the two Evil Spirits he had vaguely mentioned. But anyway, that''s tomorrow''s concern. In other words, for Du Wei, his colleagues couldn''t offer him any help at the moment. Well... This "moment" refers to right now. The biggest trouble for Du Wei was the nun''s unbreakable curse. Each time he fell into a dream, he''d contact the nun, initially unable to open his eyes, just as if he were experiencing sleep paralysis, even with a clear consciousness he couldn''t break free, he could only wait until thest moment, when he woke from the dream, to open his eyes and lock gazes with the nun for that brief moment. Of course, after entering the Third Phase of the Spirit Vision and his Right Hand sessfully underwent the Evil Spirit Transformation, Du Wei had a slim chance of resistance in the dream and could control his own Right Hand. But... Every time he entered the dream, Du Wei found the distance between himself and the nun was rapidly decreasing. Initially, the nun was floating above him, her body parallel, around two to three meters in height. But the second time, this distance shortened by a third. And yesterday, for some reason, it was almost direct contact; the nun touched his Right Hand. He could vividly feel the sharpness of her nails dragging across the back of his hand, causing a thrill of horror. "This is strange." Du Wei stopped looking at the Antique Clock and Annabelle on the wall, instead focusing on his own Right Hand. Pale, with well-defined joints. When not in the state of Evil Spirit Transformation, this Right Hand looked no different than normal, just a regr hand. After entering Evil Spirit Transformation, however, it became like a corpse''s hand, losing all sensation. Yet now, Du Wei couldn''t quite understand why yesterday, in the dream, his Right Hand, which was also in the state of Evil Spirit Transformation, had sensation... It was as if a mutation had urred. Dreams and reality seemed to be blurring together... And tonight, as soon as he fell into a dream, he would definitely be in close contact with the nun. In reality, Du Wei could protect himself from Evil Spirits by using analysis and some items from the Exorcist, even retaliating. But in the dream, he had no chance to fight back, not even able to shake off the dreamscape. Therefore, he nned to stay up all night. Of course, some people call this "cultivating immortality." Moreover, Du Wei had no intention of going back to his bedroom. He nned to stay on the first floor, where the Antique Clock and Annabelle were dangerous too, butpared to the nun, there was nothing safer. The Evil Spirits that Du Wei used to detest so much, at this moment, seemed incredibly reassuring. Even Annabelle, the ugly doll, gave Du Wei a strange sense of kinship. The nun ranked above Evil Spirits, a more dangerous being, with Evil Spirits and such being on the next level down. Further down was Du Wei. At that moment, he took out his phone to check the time, there were three minutes left until midnight, with six more hours until dawn. Therefore, Du Wei pulled out a lighter and lit a cigarette for himself. The smoke was thin... Suddenly, he stared at the smoke he exhaled and chuckled self-mockingly, "If I don''t die at the hands of an Evil Spirit in the future, lung cancer might very well be the death of me." In fact, he didn''t like smoking. At home, he smoked even less, but the pressure from the nun was just too great. It was like walking a tightrope a hundred meters high in the air, where the slightest misstep could lead to a deadly fall and shattered bones. "Huff..." After finishing the cigarette, Du Wei checked the time again and found it was twelve o''clock. Then, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and lit another cigarette. Six hours was not a short time. But when he finished this cigarette too, Du Wei''s brows furrowed. "Something seems off, what am I forgetting?" He abruptly stood up, surveying the first floor of the psychology clinic. There was no sign of anything abnormal. The Antique Clock was properly hung on the wall, and Annabelleid silently in her disy case. There were no shadows, no knocking sounds, the lights didn''t start flickering, the TV didn''t start changing channels by itself, and the water tap in the upstairs bathroom wasn''t turned on, no sound of running water was heard. "This is very wrong." Du Wei nced at the time again; it was 12:03 AM. ording to past patterns, the two Evil Spirits in his house would be active after midnight. Although their activity had decreased a lot since the addition of the Antique Clock and Annabelle, he could still feel that unusual, oppressive atmosphere. But today, it was as if they had made a pact; there was not a single peep from them. Even the mask that had just been brought into the psychology clinic was eerily quiet. Oddly ordinary... Du Wei''s gaze turned cold instantly as he entered the Third Phase of Spirit Vision. The next second, his expression froze, and his breathing came to a halt. The nun from his dreams was sitting right across from him. At this moment, Du Wei was standing in front of the sofa, while the nun sat in the patient''s seat, looking as though the doctor was trying to exin something to the patient. "Is this a dream, or reality?" Du Wei asked himself, forcing himself to calm down and stay rational. Then, he faced the nun and locked eyes with her. In the past, the nun had only existed in his dreams, and Du Wei was never able to see her clearly. But now, at such a close distance, he could see her in full detail. In Du Wei''s eyes, the nun was dressed in clerical attire, her head covered by a veil, with an Inverse Cross hanging on her chest. Exposed were only her hands, gray and wrinkled with sharp nails, and her face, which, at a single nce, sent shivers of terror from the depths of one''s soul. Her face was eerily abnormal, the skin gray and decayed, like that of someone long deceased, with disproportionate facial features, a tightly closed mouth that was a dark purple, and a nose as sharp as a hawk''s beak yet strikingly prominent. The most unsettling feature was her eyes: the sockets were deep-set, almost without visible lids, as if burned by fire, frighteningly ck, and her eyes differed from those of normal people. The whites of her eyes were a dark yellow, and the pupils were like tiny ck dots, cold and merciless, filled with deep malevolence. Du Wei took a deep breath, sweat beads forming on his forehead, then he thought for a moment, lit another cigarette for himself, and sat down.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chapter 76 076, Raise the Stakes (Please bookmark and recommend) At this moment, Du Wei and the nun faced each other, and if one didn''t look at the nun''s face, one might assume they were a doctor and patient. Du Wei was slowly smoking a cigarette, his expression detached, his gaze firmly fixed on the nun. The suffocating oppression made him extremely ufortable, with an urge to run away. But as he stared at the nun, he sharply felt that the nun was staring back at him. Therefore, Du Wei sat down, facing the nun and sizing her up. He was pondering... Why had the nun, who previously only existed in dreams, suddenly appeared on the first floor of his house? Was he still dreaming, or had the Exorcist''s methods to restrain herpletely failed? Moreover, since the nun''s appearance, there had been no movement at all. This, contrary to expectations, intensified the oppressive feeling of being on the brink of death. Du Wei did not believe that this being, more terrifying than an Evil Spirit, had entangled with him for so long just to pay him a visit at his home. "What exactly does it want to do?" He asked himself this question in his mind but couldn''t analyze any useful information. If it wanted to kill him, with the nun''s abilities, it should be terrifyingly simple. The Evil Spirit Transformation of his Right Hand was just an ornament in front of her. Without finding a medium, without anything to fight against her, resistance was a joke. However... "Why hasn''t it made a move yet? Is it because it doesn''t want to, or because it can''t?" A thought shed through Du Wei''s mind, and he felt it was thetter. Then, he turned to look at the Antique Clock on the wall. ...The hands of the Antique Clock, for some unknown reason, were quivering madly. The hour hand, minute hand, and second hand were side by side, trying to move forward but unable to advance past twelve, trembling at that mark. In the showcase, Annabelle also appeared vaguely ferocious, its body gradually distorting as if being squeezed by an invisible hand. In the corner, a certain shadow seemed to want to spread, but couldn''t move forward by even a step, All the evil spirits in the house hade to a standstill at the moment the nun appeared. As for the Evil Spirit that came with Aisha, there was not the slightest movement¡ªit was too weak. The bnce of power at this moment waspletely unequal. The Antique Clock, Annabelle, and the remaining two evil spirits probably wouldn''t hold out for long. Sooner orter, the bnce wouldpletely tip in one direction. And when that moment came, Du Wei felt that he would probably die. Even if he hadn''t seen the vision of death... Du Wei remained silent. He neither attempted to leave the house nor gave up resisting. The curse of the nun originated from the Antique Clock, more precisely, the ring with the engraved letters "val..." The night he touched the ring, Du Wei had a nightmare about the nun. The Antique Clock was more like imprisoning the ring, but then it was identally touched by a worker, which disrupted its structure and triggered the underlying issue. "If there''s a problem with time, then it''s very likely that I''ll have to endure not just six hours, but a much longer period..." Du Wei said this as he took out his cellphone and nced at it. The time was stuck at 12:03. When he had gotten off the bus earlier, there had been a mysterious time distortion, so Du Wei had adjusted the time once. And now, it seemed a simr situation had emerged. All the evil spirits in the house were weights maintaining bnce, counterbncing and confronting each other. But if time was infinitely elongated at this moment, the process of this bnce and confrontation would be meaningless. Because no matter how they confronted each other, with the passage of time, the nun would suppress everything.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om ... "However, that it would fall into equilibrium, this surpassed my imagination, it''s a loophole..." "So it''s not a real nun..." "But the nun that exists in my dreams..." "You could understand it as, a piece of memory..." "It''s actually been following me all along..." "I can''t get away from it..." "But tonight, I must be safe." ... In the first floor room. Du Wei looked expressionlessly at that eerie antique clock. The strength of the nun was beyond his expectation, even though it existed in dreams, it could step out of dreams and intervene in reality. The evil spirit in his house was not as powerful as the nun that existed in dreams, this was a solid fact! But if quality wascking, quantity could make up for it. "I can raise the stakes..." Du Wei said this, reached out to pick up the white mask, and wore it on his face. The next second. Evil Spirit Possession! A bone-chilling coldness immediately crawled all over his body, as if some chaotic emotions or perhaps voices were whispering something at the bottom of his heart. "He" unwittingly sat down on the sofa, his body seemingly upied by another consciousness filled with malice, staring at the nun sitting opposite with thick ill intents. The nun was tall, towering a full head above Du Wei. And "Du Wei" even propped his chin with the Evil Spirit Transformed Right Hand, the other hand resting on his knee, leaning back on the sofa,pletely changing the whole aura around him. He looked, elegantly like a gentleman... During this process, Du Wei could not control his own body, and he was observing his surroundings from the perspective of a bystander. When he put on the mask, Du Wei had not left the Spirit Vision state, and the Evil Spirit Transformation of his Right Hand was ongoing. Ironically. The Evil Spirit Transformed Right Hand, which could touch evil spirits and served as Du Wei''s trump card, had no effect on him after the possession, as if it didn''t belong to him. But now, he was toote to think about these things. Because Du Wei could clearly feel that his decision to raise the stakes had seeded. The other side of the bnce was slowly descending. The bncing act began... At the same moment, the shadow in the corner seemed to have broken free from some kind of restraint, slowly spreading, directly enveloping Du Wei sitting on the sofa, yet it stopped moving closer to the nun. Du Wei only felt a dense malice wrapping around him, unable to shake it off no matter what. He knew, this was the shadow that had always wanted to kill him... Above his head... The lights began to flicker crazily, as if unable to withstand this strange bnce, the bulbs burst one by one with a pop... ss shards flew in all directions... The entire first floor was plunged into darkness in an instant. The only thing audible was the ticking of the clock hands trembling, the antique clock was resuming its movement... And this change, also led to the breaking of the equilibrium... Suddenly, there came a snapping sound, as if something had been opened. "It''s the door of the curio cab..." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!