Chapter Thirty-Two: Who Protects Whom

Flicking the cigarette butt into the nearby trash can, he and the other two middle-aged men crossed the street together. The two men also urged Lin Yi to leave quickly, warning him that staying the night could truly put him in danger. In particular, they'd noticed that the companions who arrived with Lin Yi had already left before he came down, and with Lin Yi planning to stay alone, they feared something might happen to him and pressed him to depart as soon as possible.

The three men returned to the villa opposite. The one who had offered Lin Yi a cigarette waved at him again, once more signaling for him to go. Shortly after, the funeral concluded. Lin Yi watched the whole affair, though his attention was fixed on the crowd, searching for any monsters or demons in disguise lurking among them.

With strength enough to crush all opposition, Lin Yi felt sure he could sense the slightest trace of malevolent energy—just as he'd seen through the ill-fated aura hidden in the gold and silver jewelry worn by Li Zhancheng. Yet, to his surprise, he detected nothing at all. He tried running the "Great Cavern Sutra" to the utmost, but still sensed no unusual presence.

How strange—could the Painted Skin Demon have left already? From the three men's account, eleven people in the Talented Scholar's Garden villa district had their hearts burst, a clear sign of a heart-devouring curse at work; it couldn’t be mere coincidence. The "Godslayer Sutra" even had a note on the Painted Skin Demon, and now, as the men said, eleven had died in that exact way in the villa district.

Yet Lin Yi had found nothing, and the mystery left him baffled. Shaking his head, he circled the opposite villa once more, but the "Godslayer Sutra" remained silent; in the end, Lin Yi could only return to his own room.

Watching Lin Yi go back inside, the three middle-aged men who had spoken with him earlier looked grave. They and a few others had to keep vigil that night and could not leave the villa area. Seeing Lin Yi stay instead of leaving, they took the time to knock on his door.

When Lin Yi opened it, they again urged him to go, but when he only paid lip service and made no move to leave, the three men grew annoyed and walked away. After Lin Yi shut the door, he could still hear one of them—the kindly man who had offered him a cigarette—grumbling in exasperation.

“This kid’s never been burned by life, never suffered a loss. We told him it’s haunted, but he still won’t go. Whatever, I can't get angry over him. Spoiled since childhood, never listens. Luckily, with us around, he’ll be fine. If he’d stayed in another villa, I’d be worried for him.”

“Yeah, we’ll just keep an eye on him…”

“With this red mist, everything’s changed. There’s no proof whether it’s a killer or something supernatural, and no one’s taking charge. That’s the worst part… Let’s see what tomorrow brings…”

…

Now, with the red mist blotting out the sky, Lin Yi’s roommates, these three men, and the other locals all sensed the situation shifting. Tales of ghosts and gods, once dismissed, were gaining believers throughout the day. There was simply too much happening—online and close to home—for anyone to pretend otherwise.

Listening to their words, Lin Yi could tell these men were honest and kindhearted. A smile tugged at his lips.

“Because of your goodness, your desire to save me, you sow good seeds and will reap blessings. If the Painted Skin Demon or any other vengeful spirit comes tonight, I’ll help you!”

You reap what you sow. These good men made Lin Yi realize his burden for the night was heavy indeed. He’d wanted to deal with the Painted Skin Demon anyway, but now he was determined to stand guard, ready to act at the first sign of trouble, determined to keep them safe.

As the sun set, an ominous air hung over the villa district. Night cloaked the place in darkness so thick it seemed a black mist had settled, with neither star nor moon shining above.

Today, the skies were overcast.

The streetlamps in the neighborhood cast fierce beams, but their light barely pierced the gloom, making the whole area eerily dark. The villa across the way glowed with harsh white light, a little brighter than the streetlamps, throwing the crimson coffin inside into sharp, unsettling relief and steeping the place in a chilling aura.

Still, with more than a dozen people keeping vigil, they bolstered each other’s courage.

Inside his own villa, Lin Yi switched off the lights and sat beside the window on the first floor, eyes fixed on the villa outside.

Nothing escaped his notice—not the faintest rustle or stir.

The night passed uneventfully.

Not a single specter, demon, or the Painted Skin Demon marked in his "Godslayer Sutra" appeared.

He’d been played for a fool. Lin Yi felt a little helpless.

Throughout the night, while he sat in meditation, his mind cycled through the techniques of the "Great Cavern Sutra" and the "Word of Movement Secret." He sat cross-legged, quietly cultivating the "Great Cavern Sutra." If not for this, he’d have gained nothing from the night at all.

When morning came, after a night of cultivation, he felt clear-headed and refreshed.

“That’s enough, time to go… In broad daylight, no demon or spirit is likely to appear. With the sun shining, the air is much less ominous. Still, the Painted Skin Demon seems to have a taste for carrion. To keep vigil for three days in this summer heat—the corpse will start to rot soon. So perhaps the Painted Skin Demon will show up tonight or tomorrow night?”

Thanks to his cultivation, Lin Yi felt not at all tired; instead, he was brimming with energy and high spirits.

Mulling it over, Lin Yi decided to leave for now.

As he stepped through the villa gates, the three men across the street—his nighttime guardians—were yawning. When they spotted Lin Yi, one of them came over and spoke earnestly, “Glad you’re alright, but son, don’t come back today. Take good advice and keep yourself safe.”

After repeating his admonition, the man left. Lin Yi nodded in agreement.

But, as before, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. He had no intention of backing down; tonight, he’d return and, no doubt, endure another round of nagging from the kindly old men.

They thought they were looking out for him, but in truth, he was protecting them. If they ever discovered the truth, they’d be red-faced with embarrassment.

…

“Ah!”

Just then—a shrill scream tore through half the villa district.

Lin Yi had only just left Talented Scholar’s Garden when the piercing cry shattered the morning calm.

It came from Villa No. 2, near the main entrance.

The scream belonged to a middle-aged woman—anguished and heart-wrenching.

In Talented Scholar’s Garden, eleven people had died; in Villa No. 2, it was the woman’s son—a boy of just over six, the youngest of the eleven. A chubby, adorable child.

A parent burying their child, the mother wept so hard she could barely breathe, her body weak, yet she had kept vigil for her son all night.

Now, her eyes bulged in terror, and after that scream, she collapsed with a gasp.

The crowd erupted, a pot brought to a boil.

Many followed the woman’s gaze—and all of them crumpled to the floor, without exception, paralyzed by fear.

Yesterday, the small coffin had been tightly sealed, but now the lid was gone, reduced to a pile of splinters inside the tent. Red lamplight flooded the tent with a bloodlike glow, instilling fresh dread.

At last, someone dared approach for a closer look.

Inside the coffin, the boy’s body, though his heart had been burst, had been stitched together to appear whole. But now, he was far from it.

His clothes were shredded, his limbs severed.

His head was gone.

Blood soaked the coffin.

“I—I—ugh…” Someone else fainted.

The commotion was out of control—the scene too gruesome. Some fought off nausea and terror, finally gritting their teeth to shout:

“Call the police—!”

As more people gathered, they saw that the blood-soaked shreds of clothing were covered in bite marks.

Bloody handprints everywhere—yet the fingers seemed unnaturally long.

“Was it human… or… not? But this is broad daylight—ghosts… ghosts can’t come out in the day…”

Words like "horrific" and "terrifying" failed to capture the fear gripping everyone’s hearts.

Some guessed it was the work of a ghost, but reason insisted ghosts couldn’t appear during the day. Struggling to make sense of it, people concluded it must be a deranged cannibal, a monster that crept in to gnaw the corpse.

Before long—

The wail of sirens.

The police arrived, stunned and horrified by what they found. Some officers vomited on the spot.

The case was swiftly escalated, and calls were made to the special authorities.

…

On the road, Lin Yi’s phone rang—it was Murong Xingyao, checking in to see how he’d slept the night before. Lin Yi knew the underlying question: had anything happened?

Once assured Lin Yi was fine, Murong Xingyao suggested they meet for a meal sometime, then urged Lin Yi to add him on Weixin before hanging up.

Today, Lin Yi had an assignment—he was headed to the World Trade Tower to take the Occult Investigation Bureau’s entrance test.

“My strength was that of a B-rank, second-tier fighter before—now I’m A-rank, first-tier. This is bound to shock An Miaoyi… But there’s no need to keep a low profile. To become a full-fledged member of the Bureau as soon as possible, I’ll pull out all the stops! No matter if you’re A-rank potential or S-rank, I’ll take them all down! Anyone in my way—no mercy!”

He set out with high spirits.

Now flush with cash, Lin Yi hailed a taxi rather than taking the bus.

The cab driver was quite the chatterbox. Lin Yi found himself in a daze, thinking the bald, burly driver somehow reminded him of Murong Xingyao.

The World Trade Tower wasn’t far from Antique Street.

Antique Street bustled with people, but the World Trade Tower was nearly deserted.

The reason was simple: the place had terrible feng shui—too many had died there.