NIP #631 - Chapter 631
#631 - Chapter 631
Moonlight cascaded like water, enveloping Bai Feng Manor's courtyard in a hazy mist. The shadows of the trees swayed, and the wind rustled through the withered leaves, whispering countless secrets in the night. Hua Lu stood at the end of the long corridor, her figure slender, her back to Wang Lina. A gentle breeze stirred her hair, like scattered ink lines drifting softly.
"Wang Lina," her voice was soft and slow, yet carried an unspeakable weight, "your place is here. The one without a place... is me."
Wang Lina was stunned, looking up at Hua Lu's back, a trace of doubt and confusion flashing in her eyes. She opened her mouth, as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she only listened.
"And Mr. Tang Yin's final resting place," Hua Lu continued, her voice tinged with a hint of bitterness, "should be somewhere outside."
She turned around, the moonlight illuminating her face, a calm and beautiful face, but the slight tremor at the corner of her eyes betrayed her inner struggle and pain. Her gaze fell on the distant courtyard, as if looking through the mist to a more distant place.
"Born in Bai Feng Manor, we cannot hope to spend the future with him. The mire here ultimately belongs to us, while he..." she paused, sighing softly, "he should belong to a freer world."
Wang Lina frowned, her tone somewhat hurried: "...You're lying, I don't understand what you're saying." Her tone carried unwillingness and a hint of anger. "It's not that complicated, if you like each other, just date! If you like him, then make up your mind to do what you should do!"
Hua Lu looked at her, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, but it was a bitter smile. There was no mockery in that smile, only deep fatigue and helplessness.
"It's already impossible," her voice was so light it almost blended into the night wind.
At this moment, a low male voice came from behind them: "Hua Lu is right."
Tang Yin silently thanked Hua Lu in his heart. Her words were indeed the most suitable answer at this moment, and the most appropriate choice.
"Mr. Tang Yin..." Hua Lu turned her head and called out softly.
Tang Yin nodded, his tone calm but with a hint of inquiry: "I have a few questions to ask the head of the Hua family—about the Yellow Springs Feast and the secrets of Bai Feng Manor."
His gaze swept across the surrounding mist, his voice low: "However, I won't open the door."
"Okay, I'll go back first." Wang Lina stood aside, glanced at the two of them, her tone carrying some dissatisfaction. "Tang Yin, after the fog clears, you have to explain everything to me!"
After she finished speaking, she turned and left, her footsteps gradually disappearing into the depths of the corridor.
The night deepened, Hua Lu lowered her head, her tone filled with a hint of apology: "After you were poisoned, what happened in the cafeteria... I need to apologize to you for my behavior towards you."
Her lowered eyelashes cast a shadow in the moonlight, "At that time... I made you a laughingstock."
A glimmer of light flashed in Tang Yin's eyes, but a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "If it weren't for the situation at the time, I would have welcomed it."
Hua Lu suddenly raised her head, her cheeks slightly flushed, "Please don't say that."
Tang Yin didn't stop, his gaze fixed on her: "Then I'll ask you seriously, was that your acting?"
Hua Lu's body stiffened slightly.
"Or rather, was that a mask worn to fulfill the Hua family's mission... is that so?"
Hua Lu bit her lip, and after a long while, she said softly: "...Have you already noticed?"
"The family responsible for managing all the secret affairs that happen at night," Tang Yin said, his voice low, with a hint of inquiry, "This is not just guarding the night and funerals, right?"
Hua Lu's eyes flickered slightly, as if she had been poked in some secret pain point, but soon, she lowered her head, concealing her emotions. "It also includes other unspeakable things at night," she said softly, her tone as flat as if she were stating a fact, but it made people feel oppressed.
Tang Yin's gaze swept across her slightly lowered profile, and a scene of a spider web hunting appeared in his mind—the spider first injects digestive juices, then sucks the prey's remains. This cold and efficient method seemed to have some resonance with the rumors of Hua family's secret arts.
"Spiders are often used to compare poisonous women or enchanting women," Tang Yin pondered for a moment, his gaze turned to her, "And there's also Jorogumo... those vulgar novels based on the same name of the monster, you've heard of them too, right?"
Hua Lu raised her head, a faint bitter smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "Mr. Tang Yin, are you subtly confirming something?"
There was a hint of self-deprecation in her voice, as if she was already used to similar hints and guesses.
Tang Yin nodded slightly, his tone gentle but serious: "The women of the Hua family are destined to bear the family's inheritance from birth. Are you... also like this?"
Hua Lu was silent for a moment, and finally opened her mouth: "When the women of the Hua family give birth to children, the child will become the new family heir, learn the Hua family's teachings and secret arts, abide by various unreasonable rules, and finally become the real head of the family." Her voice was not loud, but it was like a needle piercing Tang Yin's ears.
She looked up at Tang Yin, her eyes complex, as if she wanted to see through his heart, but was afraid of seeing disgust in it.
"...Mr. Tang Yin, you are really gentle," she suddenly said softly, the smile on the corner of her mouth with a hint of bitterness, "You didn't say I was a dirty woman."
Tang Yin was slightly stunned, did not answer, just looked at her quietly.
"But your gentleness makes me suffer," Hua Lu continued, her voice slightly trembling, "Why don't you hate me, so I can completely give up on you."
Her eyes flickered, as if suppressing emotions buried deep in her heart, "I finally understand Wang Lina's feelings now."
Tang Yin lowered his head, pondered for a moment, and then opened his mouth: "Can I ask you one last question?"
"...Please speak." Hua Lu's eyes were lowered, her tone mixed with a hint of fatigue.
"As an elder," Tang Yin paused, and asked calmly, "Do you really have nothing to do with the secrets of the Yellow Springs Feast?"
Hua Lu shook her head, her tone still flat: "Well, I don't know what those elder families are thinking. To them, the maids in the sleeping quarters are just insignificant little people, right?"
Tang Yin's brows furrowed slightly, a trace of suspicion in his eyes: "If that's the case, why were you so sure that you could help me escape?"
Hua Lu raised her head, exhaled a long breath, as if brewing something. After a moment, she opened her mouth:
"I am a descendant of a jealous and superstitious ancient family. I purified your virus through bloodline abilities... Perhaps my abilities can really let you escape alone. That was what I thought at the time."
Her voice was low, with a kind of relieved honesty. The room fell into a brief silence, only the candlelight flickered, like countless secrets hidden in Bai Feng Manor, looming in the night.
Tang Yin stared at Hua Lu, his eyes deep, as if trying to capture more information through her expression. However, Hua Lu's face was as calm as ever, so calm that it made people feel sorry for her. Silence enveloped the two like the night, only the candlelight flickered slightly, making a very slight crackling sound.
After a long time, Tang Yin finally opened his mouth: "Thank you very much, I hope we can see each other again tomorrow. Go back to sleep." His voice was tinged with a hint of fatigue, but still gentle.
Hua Lu raised her head slightly, a trace of struggle flashed in her eyes, then as if she had made some kind of determination, she said softly: "...Mr. Tang Yin, you will not die."
Tang Yin did not answer, just stared at her quietly.
"The spider's protection granted by the Thousand Bright God will definitely protect you." Her voice was soft, but with a kind of unshakable firmness.
Tang Yin curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a helpless smile: "I already know Xiao Mie's identity. Tomorrow, after you receive my signal, tell the truth. Then, let's end this killing game." He paused, his tone low, "If, by then, you are already gone, I will hand Xiao Mie over to the police outside."
Hua Lu's lips trembled slightly, but she forced herself to show a smile: "Thank you, I believe you." After speaking, she turned and left, her back disappearing into the darkness at the end of the corridor.
The room returned to silence, only Tang Yin was sitting on the bedding. He pinched the bridge of his nose, leaned back wearily, staring at the dim light above his head, his mind in a mess.
"Breaking up with two girls at the same time in one night, that's unprecedented." He laughed self-deprecatingly, but the laugh was bitter. The purpose of a breakup trip is not to continue to break up... If I still can't get out, I might as well come in from the Godhood River Valley like last time, meet Wang Lina, and then get tired of her to death. That would be the happiest thing.
But this time it's different. Tang Yin closed his eyes, and Hua Lu's face appeared in his mind. What will happen to her life and death? This question was like a thin needle, piercing his mind, stirring him so that he could not sleep.
"Don't think about it... sleep." Tang Yin murmured, trying to empty his mind. However, chaotic thoughts and worries about the future kept surging like a tide, until the sky turned slightly white, he finally fell asleep groggily.
The next morning, Tang Yin was awakened by the cool air. Opening his eyes and seeing that he was still alive, he breathed out a long breath. The next task is to put an end to all this.
He washed his face, trying to keep himself calm. However, a question popped up in his mind again: Will the wolf go crazy before the banquet? Today, who will be sacrificed again?
He walked out of the room, the fog outside was still frighteningly thick, as if it wanted to devour the whole world. The figure of Old Gao was vaguely shaking not far away, as if he was patrolling. Tang Yin did not rashly say hello, but carefully stepped out, trying not to make any sound with each step.
However, the silence of this world made his scalp tingle. With each step, the rustling of weeds and the friction of gravel would be infinitely amplified, as if the entire Hidden Mist Village could hear his existence.
"Tang Yin..." Hua Lu's words from last night echoed in his mind, "You will not die."
But can her voice really withstand the aura of death in this fog?
He didn't dare to look back, he could only continue forward. He knew that today, everything must end.
...
The dense fog was like a heavy curtain, shrouding the entire Hidden Mist Village in a deathly silence. Tang Yin took careful steps, the only sound in his ears was the light friction between the gravel and the soles of his shoes. Suddenly, a violent panting sound came from the fog, like a heavy hammer blow, striking Tang Yin's nerves.
Tang Yin stopped, his gaze alertly scanning the source of the sound. A figure rushed out of the fog, it was Qin Yi. His face was pale, his eyes were bloodshot, his chest rose and fell violently, as if he was about to explode at any moment.
"Qin Yi?" Tang Yin tentatively called out, his heart sinking. This man's emotions were too agitated, as if he had just experienced an unacceptable shock.
Qin Yi did not answer, just clenched his teeth, his fists clenched white, his breathing short like a wounded beast. Anger burned in his eyes, but beneath that anger, there seemed to be a hint of fear hidden.
"Could it be... the victim is..." Tang Yin was shocked, but he didn't say the words. He didn't continue to ask, just nodded, signaling the two to walk towards the square together.
In the dense fog, the square gradually appeared. Qin Yi's steps were hurried, as if he wanted to vent his anger on every step. Tang Yin followed closely behind, his gaze always vigilantly scanning his surroundings.
Entering the cafeteria, the air was filled with an oppressive atmosphere. Tang Yin's gaze quickly swept around, the glass on the bowl rack was broken, and pottery fragments were mixed on the floor, reflecting the dim light. He almost didn't need to think much to know that this was Qin Yi's "masterpiece" when he lost control of his anger.
But this is not the point. Tang Yin raised his eyes to the direction upstairs, and a bad feeling rose in his heart. He stepped forward, carefully walking up the stairs, his feet stepping on the wooden planks, making a slight "creak" sound. The stairs and walls were covered with shocking bloodstains and wounds, as if some terrible hunt had just happened.
The higher he went, the stronger the smell became. The smell of blood mixed with rot, rushed straight into Tang Yin's nose. He held his breath, pushed open the door of Chen Xiang's bedroom, and a hellish scene appeared before his eyes.
The floor was covered with large areas of solidified blood, like a scarlet ocean. Chen Xiang's body lay quietly supine in the pool of blood, her body covered with neat knife wounds, as if she had been cut into pieces of sashimi. Each wound was the same depth, and the cross-section was neatly almost mechanized.
Tang Yin squatted down and carefully observed the body. His gaze swept over the wounds, his brows furrowed. "The cause of death is blood loss..." he murmured, but this was not the most puzzling thing for him. Strangely, the corpse's face was intact, even clean and almost eerie.
Tang Yin's gaze shifted to the corpse's arm. He noticed that there were no wounds on the outside of the two arms, but when he examined them carefully, he found that the wounds on the inside of the arms were close to the ground, and the hands were placed with the back of the hands facing up and the palms facing down, the hideous wounds extending from the forearm to the palm.
"Why did the wound stop here?" Tang Yin's gaze condensed slightly, he squatted down and observed more carefully.
Chen Xiang's fingers were clenched, forming a strange shape. The little finger and ring finger of the right hand were tightly clenched, while all the fingers of the left hand except the thumb were also clenched tightly.
"Could it be that she was still conscious during the torture?" Tang Yin was shocked. He reached out and tried to gently pry open the corpse's fingers, but the muscles after death were as stiff as iron and could not be shaken.