CHAPTER 57: CHAPTER 40: CLOCK SHOP (PART 6)

"How could a living person suddenly disappear just because of taking a picture?"

Xu Yichao felt a shiver run down his spine, overwhelmed with a lingering fear. Even though he had experienced strange events as a child, what had just happened was still beyond comprehension for him.

Compared to the shattered meat seen at the butcher shop and being chased by the Butcher, such bizarre occurrences that defy logic and science chilled him to the bone even more.

It’s like someone summarized the difference between foreign horror and domestic horror.

In foreign horror, ten people go climbing, and only one returns.

In domestic horror, ten people go climbing, and eleven return.

The feeling is completely different, and the level of horror can’t be compared!

The urge to urinate surged along with the chill straight to his brain; Xu Yichao shuddered, took out his phone, and grew restless.

"Why is there still no signal? It’s only half-past six, and it’s darker than dawn—what do we do? Maybe we should report to the police immediately?"

Xu Yichao gazed imploringly at Sang Que, completely relying on her as the backbone.

"I told you to report to the police earlier," Sang Que sighed, not continuing to debate further.

They were already here; she certainly couldn’t leave just like that.

Sang Que walked to the center of the street, looking towards the seven-story building not far away.

The village is rife with strange tales, usually quiet, but today the atmosphere was eerie, and all had been awakened.

Instead of exploring one by one and increasing their risk, it was better to go straight for the leader and capture the chief thief!

Sang Que pointed with her knife, "I’m planning to go there once. If I don’t find what I’m looking for, I’ll leave the village immediately."

"Ah? No, what exactly are you here for? Are you actually an elusive Mao Mountain Disciple, here specifically to exorcise and slay ghosts to save everyone?"

"Knowing too much won’t do you any good." Sang Que casually dismissed, "If you want to leave, go ahead by yourself, you shouldn’t be trapped here."

Xu Yichao was unaware he had a protective ’wife’ on his back. Thinking about what he had experienced earlier and the abrupt disappearance of Huang Zhongyu just now, he couldn’t help but shiver.

Sang Que is a good person, able to slay ghosts, and at critical moments, she would save him; he must follow Sang Que; otherwise, he wouldn’t escape the village alive.

In those horror movies and games, isn’t it always the ones who end up alone that die?

"I’m not leaving, I-I... I’m not someone who abandons teammates lightly," Xu Yichao said, sticking his neck out.

"Then let’s go."

Sang Que did not refuse, walking towards the Skywell Building, Xu Yichao indeed very useful to her, knowledgeable about various matters in Xujiawan Village, plus the Paperman little girl capable of giving warnings.

"How much do you know about that tall building?" Sang Que asked with a grave expression.

The photo studio was safely exited, but the butcher shop’s ’once you enter, you will be chased by the Butcher’ buff was still there; she needed to find out in advance what issues might arise at the Brother Watch Shop.

Xu Yichao hastened to follow with a pry bar, illuminating the road ahead with a flashlight. The closer they got to the Skywell Building, the thicker the fog grew. There was always a sense that something lurked behind the old furniture piled along the street edges, and whenever the chilling wind swept up some paper, it made one’s heart skip a beat.

"That building is a Skywell Building owned by twin brothers named Xu Zhenxing and Xu Zhenping. The first time I ate chocolate was when their Brother Watch Shop below the building had its grand opening. Nobody knows what the two brothers did traveling far and wide to earn so much money, but many in the village envied them, saying all sorts of things."

"Before the Yu City District developed, our village was considered the most prosperous area around, often holding large markets. I remember their watch shop had good business, and together with the seven-story Skywell Building they built, each floor with six rooms—all rented out, the monthly rent alone was a significant amount. The brothers wore large gold watches on their wrists and big gold chains around their necks."

"When I was in elementary school, my parents bought a house in the city, and we moved. The two brothers should have remained the wealthiest in the village at that time. It was during my middle school years when I suddenly heard from my grandfather that the brothers were set up into acquiring the vice of gambling, lost their vast wealth, and ran away with heavy debts."

"Their wives and children stayed in the village, and the rent collected each month was used to pay off debts, barely getting by. It wasn’t until last year, when the demolition notice for Xujiawan Village came out, that the brothers returned to the village, helping clear out the tenants from the building and negotiating compensation. However, in less than half a month..."

Xu Yichao paused, "I didn’t see it myself, my grandma just heard about it. At that time, there were barely any people left in the village, as most had already moved, so not many knew about this. They said that overnight, the brothers’ entire family—from the elderly to the young—were killed with no survivors."

"From last year until now, indeed no one has seen any of their family members appear again. Some say it’s fake, that the brothers staged the murder scenario to avoid debt collectors, ran off with the compensation money, and started fresh elsewhere."

Sang Que acknowledged softly, feeling like something was watching them amidst the surrounding mist, akin to the Wandering Soul encountered in Black Mountain Village’s graveyard, occasionally making small noises.

"What’s the online rumor about the Brother Watch Shop?" Sang Que pursued.

Xu Yichao scratched his head, "I’m not too sure, it’s mostly related to massacres and disappearances. I seem to recall Grandma Temple Guardian saying something, that the Skywell Building is surrounded on all sides, accumulating yin energy that disperses with difficulty, and with bad feng shui, the people living there often fall ill and invite trouble."

"Not discussing superstitions, that building only gets light from the central skywell. It’s reasonable for those living on the top floors to be alright, but for those below who rarely see sunlight, getting sick is understandable. Oh, right, Fatty Li from the butcher shop, that compulsive liar and her parents, all these outsiders have lived in the Skywell Building."

"Hold on! Let me think," Xu Yichao suddenly had a burst of inspiration, slowly recalling, "I haven’t really read through the famous creepy posts about our village online, but they mentioned the butcher shop, paper shop, tailor shop, photo studio, clinic—most of the bosses and related people at these places are outsiders, all having rented in the Skywell Building!"

"Whoa—" Xu Yichao suppressed a ’damn’ in his throat, eyes widening in shock at this astonishing discovery, the need to urinate surged desperately.

"We’re here."

Sang Que’s calm voice reached him, Xu Yichao raised his head, the towering Skywell Building at the street’s edge was pitch black, deathly still.

The faded advertisement signs swayed with a creak, the cold wind blew scattered paper, while the disheveled burglar windows and rusty roll-up doors suffocated with a terrifying atmosphere.

Xu Yichao shivered, turning to run off.

Sang Que looked on in confusion and Xu Yichao shouted in panic, "Don’t look! I drank too much water!"

Sang Que: ......

Running behind piled-up discarded furniture at the street edge, Xu Yichao relieved himself in a mix of humiliation and despair, cursing himself for drinking so much water before leaving, now embarrassing himself in front of the goddess, but he couldn’t hold it in any longer!

Next time he’d wear adult diapers, at least then he wouldn’t be trapped by the need to pee if a ghost cornered him indoors.

After relieving himself, Xu Yichao felt invigorated, exhaling deeply; now he wasn’t afraid to go in and find things with Boss Sang.

"Boss Sang, what exactly are you looking for...!!!"

Turning around, Xu Yichao bumped into something that made his heart almost explode.

The Butcher in rubber overalls stood crookedly behind him, raising the pig-killing knife overhead to bring it down viciously.

"Ah————"