Chapter 59 (1/2)
Tang Luo entered the third floor.
He had only just stepped off the stairs, the flashlight in his hand not even in time to shine at the surroundings yet when a black shadow flew out of the darkness and attacked him in the head.
It moved lightning-quick, so much so that people couldn’t react at all.
In fact, they wouldn’t even be able to get a clear look at what exactly it was before they took the hit.
Well, in the case of regular mortals anyway, not Tang Luo.
Tang Luo reached out and grabbed it.
As though it had sent itself right into his hands, he easily caught the black shadow that was assailing him.
It began to struggle furiously. The amount of strength it exhibited was practically as though what Tang Luo was holding was a vibrating pump.
“A bat?”
Tang Luo looked at the true form of the black shadow in his hand. It wasn’t some kind of strangely-shaped creature but an ordinary bat. Apart from the blood-red sheen in its eyes, there was nothing special about it.
He tossed it aside casually. The bat in his hand was sent flying at an even higher speed than earlier. After crashing into the wall, it turned into a pile of bloody mangled flesh.
The renovation work on the third floor was basically complete. Not only were there rooms, but even the doors had been installed.
However, there was rubbish everywhere. There was construction debris left behind from renovation works in the past, as well as quite a lot of household waste.
Homeless people had probably lived here before.
Tang Luo noticed a few people who were lying motionless on the floor.
He went over and glanced at them. These were dry and shriveled up corpses whose skin stuck to their skeletons. The clothes on them were very new, however.
“They’ve been sucked dry.”
Tang Luo squatted down and checked their bodies. There were two obvious bloody puncture marks on each of the corpses in places such as their necks and limbs.
Their blood had probably been sucked dry by that bat earlier.
The identities of these people didn’t require much elaboration—they were naturally the members of the supernatural enthusiasts’ group, Wang Shuishui’s companions.
“A bat spirit? Doesn’t really look like it though.”
Tang Luo looked at the splotch of blood on the wall.
A tiny bat like this couldn’t even count as a wild mountain spirit.
“Ahhhh!”
Before Tang Luo could make any further discoveries, a scream came from downstairs. It started out strong and then weakened.
Tang Luo took a couple of steps back. Then, he stepped on the floor with his right foot, creating a large hole right through the thick and solid floor.
Together with falling rocks, he landed on the second floor.
Upon landing, the form of Wang Shuishui and an unknown man hugging entered Tang Luo’s sight.
The two of them were locked in a passionate kiss and hug.
The way that the man was exerting so much strength, it was as if he wanted to knead Wang Shuishui’s entire self into his body.
The exposed half of Wang Shuishui’s face was contorted and filled with shock and fear. Her eyes involuntarily rolled up.
Tang Luo took a step forward, reached out, and grabbed the man’s head. He pulled him over, as though he was catching hold of a little chick.
After bringing him close, Tang Luo took a glance and said, “He’s dead. He can’t be saved anymore.”
Then, he applied force in his hand. The man’s head broke into pieces. There was no blood at all, as though it was just an empty shell.
A wisp of black aura rose from him and swiftly disappeared.
The corpse that had fallen onto the floor also visibly shriveled until it reached a state of erosion by wind.
In just a few short seconds, it turned into a pile of ghastly white bones.
Wang Shuishui laid limp on the floor, her eyes tightly shut.
Tang Luo helped her up and shook her a few times, waking her up.
Wang Shuishui opened her eyes, which were now dull and murky. Then, a foolish smile appeared on her face and drool dripped down the corners of her lips.
“Yin energy has entered her brain and turned her into an idiot. She can’t be saved anymore either.” Tang Luo reached out, gripped Wang Shuishui’s neck, and pressed on it, rendering her unconscious.
Then, he went back upstairs to check out the area.
Apart from the corpses there, he didn’t find anything else.
“The headcount doesn’t tally. Where are the others?” Tang Luo wondered.
Compared to the number of people in the group who had confirmed their attendance, the number of people Tang Luo had seen was a few short.
‘It’s unknown where they currently are. Or were these the only ones who came? All of them are already here?’
Wang Shuishui had already turned into an idiot. She naturally wasn’t able to answer Tang Luo’s questions.
He expended a bit of power of virtuous merits and woke the woman pretending to be an animated corpse up in advance.
A few minutes later, Tang Luo walked toward the neighboring villa.
According to what the woman pretending to be a ghost said, they had set out in two teams.
One of the teams stayed in this particular villa to do the setup while the rest were stationed at the other villa.
The villa at the other side was actually the true main course that they had spent a significant amount of effort on.
This one here was just an appetizer.
The other villa’s degree of completion in construction was even lower than the first one. Even the enclosing walls of the courtyard were only half-built.
It was a bare-bones house where only the structure was fully constructed. All the doors and windows were in place, though.
When Tang Luo pushed open the main door of the villa, he unexpectedly saw a figure standing right in front of him. There was even a hint of a smile on his face.
At the same time, resentful and accusing sobbing could be heard coming from the corner.
This figure wasn’t anyone else but Tang Luo himself!
A full-length mirror capable of showing a person’s reflection from head to toe stood right opposite the doorway at an area not too far off.
There was even a red candle that had already burned considerably lit up in front of it.
It felt as if some kind of horrifying ritual[1] was being held here.
Tang Luo ignored the mirror and the candle and walked over to the corner. A black audio player smaller than the size of a hand sat there.
It was even blocked from sight by other things. Evidently, it was one of the elements of the so-called main course.
What a shame that they had run into Tang Luo, someone who was here to subdue and vanquish demons to earn merits, instead. This was equivalent to making eyes at a blind man.
“Is anyone there?” shouted Tang Luo.
The place remained silent. No one answered him.
His gaze swept across the surroundings casually, but he didn’t see anyone on the first floor. Tang Luo headed to the second floor.
He had only just reached the intermediate landing of the stairs and turned when he saw another figure.
To his surprise, it was yet another full-length mirror.
In the darkness, Tang Luo’s blurry form was vaguely reflected in the mirror.
Tang Luo continued his way up and checked out the whole villa.
Mirrors had been placed at several turning points and other similar corners.
Had they probably wanted to set up a mirror-themed haunted house?