Chapter 9 (1/2)

Xiao Tangqiu, “………..”

Tang Mianmian scolded, “……… See! I told you so!”

They both sat up at once. The couple was also shocked and asked in horror, “What happened?”

The screams didn’t stop, sounding more and more agonizing instead. It brought a chill down their spines. What excruciating torment did this person have to endure to scream out so terrifyingly?

Xiao Tangqiu hesitated before saying, “Let’s go take a look.”

Lu Xiaotao was afraid and tried to stop him, “What if it’s dangerous?”

“We have to at least find out what is it we’re dealing with.” Xiao Tangqiu was also really frightened, but he tried to stay as calm as possible. “What if it’s our turn next?”

The couple was still considering whether to go or not. Tang Mianmian grabbed Xiao Tangqiu’s arm, his teeth chattering from fear, “Let’s go. I’ll go with you…….. I don’t want to die without knowing why or what’s going on.”

The two of them groped about in the dark, slowly finding their way out of the room. They realized that the house was already crowded with people. The twins had followed Luo Mansu out of their room. Lu Dadong and Zeng Jinping was there as well. Only the guy in the suit was nowhere to be found.

Xiao Tangqiu immediately guessed who the screams belonged to; the suspicions in his heart grew stronger.

Without saying a word, Luo Mansu headed out the door with the diesel lantern in his hand. The rest of them followed  behind him, hearts filled with dread.

They followed the screams to the back of the house. It was at this point that the screams suddenly stopped.

Luo Mansu raised the diesel lantern. The light from the lantern illuminated the surrounding area. Ding Tiantian and Ding Mimi suddenly screamed, “Ahhhh!”

Xiao Tangqiu’s face turned ghastly pale. Tang Mianmian turned his head away and hugged Xiao Tangqiu tightly, “Fuck! That scared the hell out of me!”

Not far in front of them laid a body that had been scorched black. The clothes on the body were completely burned off. None of the skin remained intact; there were many parts where the skin seemed to have melted off, revealing bits of charred flesh hanging off the white bones inside. It was a terribly cruel way to die.

Xiao Tangqiu could feel his stomach churning. Although he had played many horror video games, he had never seen a dead body in person. If it wasn’t because he hadn’t eaten much all day, he probably would have vomited his guts out. The twin sisters’ ability to withstand such a gruesome sight was much lower than Xiao Tangqiu. When they had finally stopped screaming, both girls ran off to the side and started vomiting.

Luo Mansu examined the body and calmly analyzed, “He was burned alive. It doesn’t look like this is where it happened. He must’ve struggled to crawl all the way here…….”

Hearing that, they all turned pale. No one doubted Luo Mansu’s words. Xiao Tangqiu had also discovered the long trail of ash behind the corpse that must have been left when that person struggled to crawl back here before he died.

Zeng Jinping’s voice trembled as he spoke, “That…..that’s Jiang Zihan…….”

“Jiang Zihan? The dude in the suit?” Luo Mansu didn’t look surprised. “What the hell happened earlier?”

Xiao Tangqiu thought about it; the man in the suit seemed to be a bit obsessed about cleanliness. It did sound like something he would do…….

“We told him not to go too far…… to just do it somewhere nearby………” Zeng Jinping seemed preoccupied as he continued, “He also looked like he was scared to go to the restroom. He said that he would just do it in the back of the house……. Then, a short while after he left, we heard the screams.”

“So you don’t know what happened?” Xiao Tangqiu couldn’t help but ask.

Lu Dadong had been shivering from the moment he saw the corpse, He appeared to be wound up tight. “How are we supposed to know what happened to him? Or are you accusing us of murder?”

“I don’t mean that,” Xiao Tangqiu frowned. “Calm down.”

“Calm down?! How do you expect me to calm down?! How am I supposed to be calm when I’m stuck in this dreadful place?” Lu Dadong trembled all over as he burst out, “I wanted to go with him earlier, but I was too scared…… If I did, the corpse lying here would’ve been me!”

“That’s enough!” Luo Mansu coldly interrupted Lu Dadong. “I want to have a look at the place where it happened. Does anyone want to follow me?

“Have you gone mad?! You’ll die!” Lu Dadong stared at Luo Mansu in disbelief. “Jiang Zihan was burned to death. You’re not afraid?”

Luo Mansu ignored him. His eyes swept over them, wanting to know what they thought.

The twins had finally stopped vomiting. They shivered and said, “We’re scared to go.”

Lu Dadong and Zeng Jinping shook their heads. Xiao Tangqiu paused for a moment before saying, “I’ll go with you.”

“Little…… Xiao Tangqiu!” Tang Mianmian looked horrified as he pulled on the corner of Xiao Tangqiu’s shirt. “It’s too dangerous……”

“How will you catch the tiger without entering the tiger’s lair? You head back first, I’ll go with him.”

“Can’t you go tomorrow?” Tang Mianmian pleaded.

Luo Mansu impassively explained, “By the time we get up, the body might’ve disappeared.”

Although they weren’t exactly sure what he meant, Luo Mansu’s words sent a shiver up their spine