Volume 3 Chapter 2 Part2 (1/2)
Illusions, Lies, Truth Volume 3: In the Name of G.o.d, Part One
Original novel in Chinese by: 御 我 (Yu Wo)
Chapter 2: Pract.i.tioner, Part 2—I'll Help You See—translated by lucathia (proofread by Lala Su)
This isn't real. This isn't real…
Jiang Ziya took several deep breaths and finally discovered what was wrong. What happened to the stench that's so terrible that I was scared to even open my mouth? Even if I'm more used to it, I can't possibly take several deep breaths here, right?
”This isn't real.”
Jiang Ziya walked back and continued drawing the picture that was on the wall. The corpse actually stood up. First, it wandered all around the room it was in. Then, it even walked out of the room, circling around Jiang Ziya. However, there was no change in the smell. The closest the corpse got to him was twenty or so centimeters, and it looked like it was taking measure of Jiang Ziya.
After that, a strange, dragging sound came from behind him. Jiang Ziya froze. When he turned his head to look, an arm stretched out from the entrance of the dark staircase. Two rotting corpses crawled out and then stood up with the same stiff posture, slowly rocking back and forth while ambling to Jiang Ziya's side.
Jiang Ziya sucked in a deep breath, reminding himself that ”no stench meant it wasn't real,” and then he stopped paying any attention to those three walking corpses. He earnestly continued drawing.
After he finally finished drawing the picture, Jiang Ziya closed the notebook and turned around, preparing to head downstairs. Suddenly, from behind him came hurried footsteps. He jerked his head back and saw that one of the corpses had rushed forward. What kind of rotting corpse has that kind of speed? You might as well call it a sprinter!
With the opponent's attack came a strong wave of unease. Jiang Ziya felt that if he didn't run, he would truly get killed. He hurried toward the stairs not caring that it was dark. He rushed right down them.
The moment he stepped into the darkness, light burst before his eyes. Lu Yang and the other two people were still standing in the staircase. When they saw him, Lu Yang smiled and said, ”Done drawing? Then, let's go.”
Jiang Ziya's feet came to a stop. He halted a few steps down and looked at the three of them.
”Why aren't you coming down? It's time to go?” Lu Yang asked in confusion.
Jiang Ziya opened his mouth, no mirth in his tone at all as he said, ”I don't believe that Lu Yang would have me stand and draw all by myself in a place where there's a corpse! What the h.e.l.l are you?”
Lu Yang's mouth pulled into a wide smile, wider and wider, until his mouth pulled right apart, all the way to his ears. Blood dripped down his cheeks, and through the gaping chasm that was his mouth, white teeth could be seen…
Jiang Ziya's face darkened. Even though this wasn't all that scary compared to all he had seen before, this time, it was a very familiar face, making him feel that it was a bad omen. Looking at it made his heart tremble with anxiety. He felt like Lu Yang might truly be in danger… Blarghhhh!!
He roared, ”You're nothing! Don't you go around pretending to be anything!”
Sunlight suddenly streamed through the empty windows, s.h.i.+ning on the humanoid figure, which immediately disintegrated into dust.
In an instant, all three of them vanished until no one was left. Jiang Ziya wasn't surprised. He had known it wasn't real. He frowned. The question now was, where had Lu Yang gone? Were the two policemen who had arrived earlier real or fake? When had they fallen into a barrier dimension?
”Jiang Ziya! Ziya?”
At this time, hurried footsteps came from upstairs, accompanied by Lu Yang's voice.
Jiang Ziya turned around. He watched as Lu Yang, Hu Lican, and Fang Da rushed down from the floor above. Only then did he say in shock, ”So you were actually upstairs?”
Lu Yang said anxiously, ”I followed behind you to go upstairs, but the moment we stepped foot onto the seventh floor, you disappeared! When I turned my head to look downstairs, even the stairs were gone. No matter how I searched, I couldn't find the exit!
”Then, these two guys came to crash the party!” Lu Yang glared at the two policemen.
He was searching around on the seventh floor? Jiang Ziya looked at the three of them. Then, he thought about the corpse that had crawled up and walked around him, followed by the two corpses that joined it later on. Don't tell me that was the three of them?
”I was also on the seventh floor earlier. I saw three corpses walking around. Was that you guys?”
Hearing that, Lu Yang stiffened and asked, ”Did you stand there without moving?”
Jiang Ziya nodded and said, ”Yeah, I was drawing the sigil that was on the wall.”
To the side, the two policemen said in disbelief, ”How can you still draw under those circ.u.mstances?”
Jiang Ziya didn't know how to explain it. There were always strange things happening around him. Just now when Jian Zhi had been there, an angel had kept hitting him in the face with wings!
Lu Yang's expression turned extremely ugly. He coldly said, ”I'm not going to cla.s.s today. I'm going to head back to Qing Wei Gong. Ziya, help me take leave.”
Jiang Ziya was taken aback. How rare, this eternally obedient student actually wants to skip cla.s.s. ”Okay.”
”Can we still have the investigation team come over here?” Hu Lican was still wary of the paranormal phenomenon from just now. Even though it wasn't the first time he had run into something like this, and it was how he had gotten to know Lu Yang, this kind of s.h.i.+t was something he could never get used to. The newbie Fang Da was even s.h.i.+vering to the point that his teeth were clattering!
Lu Yang said impatiently, ”No problem, as long as there're lots of people. If that pract.i.tioner can ensnare an entire team of police, then you don't have to seek me out anymore. Seal the case and call it closed. Better that than to have more lives lost.”
Hu Lican rubbed his nose. He could tell that this brat was furious, so he didn't make a fuss over it. He just said, ”Roger.”
”We'll be leaving now.” Lu Yang pulled Jiang Ziya, wanting to leave. He was choking with anger because of this first mission. He must be a moron to have chosen this mission for Jiang Ziya to join him on.
After walking halfway, Lu Yang couldn't help but turn his head in worry and warn them, ”Hu-gē, you guys should follow me out right away. Don't wait here. When your people come here, make sure none of them end up by themselves. Don't have any of the police patrol at night. Let me keep an eye on things here.”