Chapter 84: The Missing Lamps

Chapter 84: The Missing Lamps

When the light sparked off, Lin Qiushis brain hadnt even reacted before his body leapt forward. He wanted to put out the lamp like yesterday, but his frantic motions ended up knocking the oil lamp right over. Though the wick was extinguished, the lamp still hit the floor with a crisp clang, and the oil too spilled all over.

The room once again sank into silent darkness. Lin Qiushi was half-kneeled by the window, and felt a bad feeling risingabove his head came the sound of fingers scratching at window paper. They scratched relentlessly on; it was apparent that more than one person was trying to pierce their window.

Lin Qiushi held his breath and steeled himself. Glancing up, he saw by moonlight countless pairs of childrens hands patting and poking and digging at their window. The next moment, there came a rip. Lin Qiushi saw a pair of pale, kid-sized hands burst through that thin paper, reaching right in.

As if this were a signal, that tiny pair of hands began to work open a hole in the window paper. Behind that hole appeared a childs stark white face. The child opened its blood red maw, and let out harsh, hiccuping cries.

The child started trying to squeeze in from the window. Its eyes were thin black lines, and its pupils were completely invisible; with colorless, water-bloated skin, it looked nothing like a human at all.

It reached out, trying hard to crawl inside the room through that ripped-open hole. In moments it was halfway through, and was soon about to be all the way in.

Lin Qiushi couldnt help but back away. The childs cries though reminded him of something; he quickly recalled the words from the hint, and speedily chanted: Ive said it once Ill say it twice, my baby cries with all his might, if you see this chant this thrice, and hell sleep on til morning light.

The moment these words were said, the childs motions noticeably slowed. But it was still trying hard to crawl inside the house.

Lin Qiushi sped through the second chant, then the third chant. After the third time, the little ghoul that had almost made its way in finally halted. It hung completely motionless on that window paper, as if it had fallen asleep.

The tightness in Lin Qiushis chest loosened. Because hed seen the townspeople speak this chant for protection at the sacrifice, hed brazenly read the hint aloud. He hadnt thought it would be this effective though.

The ghouls body was stuck in the window, and could no longer enter even a centimeter more.

But Lin Qiushi still wouldnt move. Through the window paper, he could still see the tall incisive shadow of the Landlady outside their room.

She paced back and forth in front of the window, waiting in agitation for something.

But when she discovered the ghoul had gotten stuck and no longer seemed to be moving, she descended into an immense fury. Lin Qiushi saw her grab and pull at the ghouls body, dragging it out bit by bit. Then that white face appeared behind the window, angrily searching inside the room. She even began to spit curses under her breath.

Lin Qiushi half-squatted under the window, and didnt dare move.

This was a perfect blindspot; the woman couldnt possibly see him from her angle. The womans dark eyes loped around the room, and when they failed to discover what they wanted, a long, low, angry roar emanated from her throat, as if from an enraged beast.

Lin Qiushi pretended he saw nothing, and heard nothing.

They stayed in that stalemate for a long time; the woman did not leave, and Lin Qiushi did not move.

The woman seemed certain there was someone awake in the room, and stood at the window completely refusing to move. It wasnt until there came a bright rooster call from the courtyard that Lin Qiushi heard footsteps leaving outside. Accompanying these footsteps was the sound of a sharp weapon dragging along the groundLin Qiushi recalled the long knife hed seen the woman use to chop up bodies in the courtyard yesterday, and suspected that was what the woman held in her hand.

Unquestionably, if he hadnt reacted fast enough, hed have been dead where he stood.

Lin Qiushi looked at Gu Longming, who still slept soundly on the bed, and couldnt help but develop a kind of respect for the guy. At the same time he confirmed his own thoughts.

Where Gu Longming slept was visible to the woman outside. If she could have made a move on Gu Longming on the bed, then Gu Longming would surely be dead.

Which was to say there were at least two conditions for the woman to kill. One was that the person had to be awake, and two was that she had to see that person.

Having sat at the side all night, Lin Qiushis legs had gone a bit asleep. He stumbled up to standing, massaging his numb thighs as he returned to the bed. Through the broken window paper, he could see the faint dawnlight.

It was almost morning, but Lin Qiushi hadnt slept all night. He got back in bed, and after a short nap, felt Gu Longming starting to get up.

Fuck, oh fuck. Fresh from a dream, the first thing Gu Longming saw was the broken window paper at his side. He shouted a few times in surprise, and hurriedly shook Lin Qiushi awake. Linlin, Linlin, the window papers broken! Its broken!

Lin Qiushi opened his eyes, in mild exasperation. I know.

Gu Longming was shocked. You know?

Mh. Lin Qiushi explained, last night, the little ghouls and the woman all came.

Gu Longming, He still had a chickens coop of a bedhead as he stared at Lin Qiushi, utterly at a loss. His brain, having just awoken, couldnt fully work out everything Lin Qiushi just said.

And so Lin Qiushi leaned against the headboard and simply explained to Gu Longming what had happened last night.

After listening, Gu Longmings expression was complicated. He struggled for a while and only got out, youre a fucking badass, arent you. After that, scared, so she stared at me from the window all night then? At the thought of that pallid face, staring at him all night with that haunted gaze through the window paper, Gu Longming couldnt help but shiver.

Yes, Lin Qiushi said. So she stared at you. Its not like you lost anything by it.

Gu Longming, dont say that. After all Im just a poor high school girl whos not even eighteen yet.

Lin Qiushi, A 180cm bodybuilder high school girl, maybe.

As Gu Longming and Lin Qiushi got out of bed, they took this time to discuss what happened the night before. Lin Qiushi also told Gu Longming that the hint could put the little ghouls to sleep.

Gu Longming tsked in awe at this, and said, youre way too ballsy. What would you do if the hint was what killed you?

Lin Qiushi, boldly hypothesize, prudently verify, right? If its a curse, then the townspeople wouldnt have chanted it. Since theyd chanted it and nothing happened, then its effects likely arent negative.

Gu Longming could understand the logic, but he thought that people who could react before anything happened and actually say this chant out loud had to be very few in number. Plus, to see Lin Qiushi still look so calm after experiencing the night before, he couldnt help but commend, as expected of Obsidians people. Badass.

Lin Qiushi, its not that major. Hed actually been scared at first too, though hed quickly calmed down after.

Right, who do you think swapped out the oil lamp in our room? Lin Qiushi suddenly asked.

Dont know, Gu Longming said. I think there are two suspects: its either the Landlady, or its someone in our group.

Lin Qiushi pointed at the floor. I accidentally knocked over the lamp you stole yesterday.

Gu Longming waved a hand. No problem. Well go see if there are lamps in the other rooms.

Yan Shihe, neutrally, oh, seems like the oil lamp mentioned yesterday isnt a death condition after all.

His words prodded the transfixed crowd. Two people looked relievedclearly the two who did not throw their lamp away. Everybody else got up one after another, leaving in a frenzy, likely hoping to find and bring back the human lamps theyd tossed away yesterday.

Lin Qiushi had thought theyd at least be able to find one or twobut after a while, those who returned to the room all looked pale. Someone lost control and started swearing. Eavesdropping, Lin Qiushi found out that the oil lamps theyd thrown away had been gathered by somebody and then collectively destroyed.

Fuck, somebody wants us dead, somebody wants us to die in here somebody was cursing. If I find them I swear to god!

How could they, how could they, somebody else was sobbing helplessly. What do we do now?

Once he saw this, Yan Shihe seemed to lose interest in what was to happen next. He got up from his chair and politely bid the group goodbye.

Lin Qiushi and Gu Longming exchanged a look, and also got up to leave.

They came to a more remote corner and began to discuss what to do next.

Lets go steal another lamp, Gu Longming said. Seems like theres nothing else we can do.

Lin Qiushi sighed, its all my fault. If I were more careful last night, I wouldnt have knocked the lamp over.

Gu Longming shook his head. Actually, I think youre great.

Lin Qiushi, hm?

Gu Longming, to tell you the truth, inside the world of the doors I very rarely sleep.

Lin Qiushi, You call your ability to conk out the moment your head hits the pillow rarely sleeping?

Gu Longming became a bit embarrassed, awkwardly announcing, its not until I came in this door and slept in the same room as you that my sleep quality went up. I dont know why either. All I know is I sleep damn well with you.

Lin Qiushi, After listening to what Gu Longming had to say, Lin Qiushi sank into a long, long silence. He felt that he had long been misunderstanding some very fundamental thing; if what Gu Longming said was true, then it wasnt Ruan Nanzhu who was the Sleeping Pill Fairy

Gu Longming seemed completely at a loss with Lin Qiushis silence. Finally, Lin Qiushi let out a long sigh. I thought youd always slept that well.

Hahaha, Gu Longming laughed dryly. Though you know sleeping through the night is safer, whos actually that big-hearted, huh? Besides, if you really sleep through the night, you end up missing important hints.

Speaking of hints, Lin Qiushi recalled what happened last night. If you cant sleep on til morning light, youre the crybaby in the night. If theres a crybaby, the lamp lights up and draws the woman over. He spoke lowly, but it doesnt seem like she can enter the house, so only the little ghouls come in. But the ghouls are scared of that spell The moment they heard the spell, in fact, they fell right asleep.

Currently, there were two death conditions. First was not using a human lampthose people died whether or not theyre awake. Second was using a human lamp but failing to fall asleep. There was still a small chance of surviving this one, as long as you read the spell three times before the ghoul got into your room

Dont you think that the relationship between the woman and the little ghouls is a bit strange? Lin Qiushi said. If the human lamps are a restraint on the ghouls, then why does she make so many of them?

This made sense to Gu Longming. Right, and shes not providing us with all those human lamps, more like she's

They said the same thing at once: Using it herself.

With this thought through, Lin Qiushi realized, remember the shrine?

Gu Longming nodded. What about it?

Lin Qiushi said, Id thought something was off last time I went in, I finally know why!

Gu Longming, what was wrong with it?

Lin Qiushi, think carefully. Dont you think it was too bright in that shrine?

There was only one door after all, and none of the windows had been open. Theyd gone into the shrine when it was overcast, but inside had been bright as day. Now that they were thinking about it, it was likely the work of the oil lamps.

Gu Longming, I didnt even notice until you mentioned Were used to modern lighting after all, I really didnt notice anything wrong with the oil lamps.

Lin Qiushi, so

Gu Longming, so?

Lin Qiushi chuckled. What do you think would happen if we put out all the lamps inside the shrine

Gu Longming was shocked by Lin Qiushis suggestion. Are you serious? No way, right? If Lin Qiushis conjecture was correct, then that meant the human lamps had some sort of suppression effect. If the lamps went out, then whatever they sealed away would probably all come outand who knew what the hell would happen after that.

Dont be so nervous, Lin Qiushi said warmly. Im only joking.

Gu Longming, No, its right now that youre joking.

I really am just kidding. Seeing that Gu Longmings expression was still tense, Lin Qiushi laughed. Seriously, relax. Im not the type to do something like that.

Gu Longming peered at him in doubt.

Lin Qiushi just changed the topic, asking, when do we go steal the lamp?

Gu Longming finally breathed. Whenever, man. Why dont we go take a look now?

Lin Qiushi, sure thing.

Seeing Gu Longming finally relax, he felt an inexplicable sense of giddy mischief. But if he thought about it, this was how Ruan Nanzhu usually teased him, wasnt it



Authors Note:

Who knew? Ruan Nanzhus existence was actually protecting the readers from fright /cackles