After putting down the pen, the siblings’ faces were streaked with tears.
Everything they wanted to know unfolded before their eyes, and the truth was more brutal than they had imagined.
Their parents had been conducting research on a certain ancient god. Stories about wishes and their costs circulated around the world, with each deity in the tales bearing different names. However, through various materials and clues, they analyzed that the deities in these stories might be the same entity.
Their research was not driven by any greedy desires, but rather by a scholar’s thirst for knowledge.
About thirty years ago, they learned about Yin Sen and the Autumn Twilight Inn, finding it strikingly similar to the wish stories from various places. Coincidentally, there was a business opportunity in the area, so the couple bought the long-abandoned school and occasionally came to study.
At first, everything was calm; there were no ghosts, no strange occurrences, as if the bloody past was merely a figment of imagination.
One or two years later, their business in the country gradually got on track, and they decided to renovate the place, turning it into their home.
Later, they had their third child.
Life was blissful, almost dreamlike. The mountain air was fresh and tranquil, and they even thought about bringing their children, who were still studying abroad, back home.
But things gradually began to feel off.
Father Luo often locked himself in his study for nights on end, repeatedly searching through documents about the past, even refusing to let his wife touch them.
His personality shifted from gentle and steady to increasingly reclusive. It seemed that apart from the research in the study, he lost interest in everything else in the world, even neglecting the business.
Later, Mother Luo noticed that her husband’s gaze towards her and their youngest daughter seemed to have changed.
Those eyes no longer held warmth and admiration; instead, they were cold, as if assessing some kind of prey. This gaze would appear unexpectedly, and when she tried to scrutinize it closely, it would vanish without a trace.
She sensed something was wrong and wanted to persuade her husband to move away from there.
But, as expected, she was rejected. Father Luo even became angry, insisting that she must stay with him, locking all the doors and windows.
Mother Luo was not a weak-willed housewife; she keenly sensed an unknown force influencing her husband.
To protect herself and her daughter, and to save her beloved, one night, she quietly took her youngest daughter and slipped out of the room.
However, a figure appeared silently at the doorway, like a hunter lying in wait.
In those familiar eyes, there was now nothing but unfamiliar emotions.
【Later I learned that it was all part of Yin Sen’s scheme】
【He lured us here, constructed an illusory paradise for us, and then, at the happiest moment, let the slaughter begin】
【He is a cruel devil entrenched here, and all the souls killed by the devil cannot find release, only to be imprisoned, forever wandering here】
Xiao Lu continued to examine the paper, which contained the information he wanted to know.
【Yin Sen has a basement where he conducts his killings; the basement was filled in by the second owner of the inn, but it still appears at midnight】
【Ritual blade? I’m not sure, but if it’s related to Yin Sen’s secrets, it should be found in the study or the basement】
【If you’re interested in wishes, I have two rules inferred from past legends】
【God does not appreciate lies】
【Do not attempt to pay the price with someone else’s life】
【I know, it’s not easy to persuade someone to give up, but I still hope you can leave here as soon as possible】
【You have already become Yin Sen’s prey】
Xiao Lu folded the paper filled with writing and turned his gaze to the somewhat dazed siblings: “Stay here until dawn; the most dangerous place is often the safest.”
Luo Ning Sheng asked, “What about Yin Sen?”
“If all goes well, he should be very busy tonight and won’t have time to return.”
“After dawn, you can try to leave. Most of the ghosts here cannot go out; Yin Sen won’t be able to pay attention to you for now, and the maid suspected of being able to leave has already been dispersed by me, so she won’t come out for a while.”
“Perhaps this is your best chance. If possible, take Yueyue and the others in my room with you.”
The siblings exchanged a glance and nodded solemnly.
After saying that, Xiao Lu and Cui Yunjin prepared to open the door and leave.
“Where are you going?”
“To make Yin Sen busier.” Xiao Lu’s smile held a hint of mystery that she couldn’t comprehend.
·
They arrived at an inconspicuous room on the first floor.
Where the floor used to be, a door leading down appeared silently, already opened. Someone had entered the hidden basement before them.
This was not surprising; after the earlier attack in the study, Xiao Lu knew that others were also interested in Yin Sen’s secrets.
Perhaps it was Guo and Jiang, or perhaps others from that time.
The downward passage was long and winding, filled with the damp, moldy, and decaying smell. Every aspect was quite unpleasant.
The two carefully descended, only to find that things were more bizarre than they had imagined.
Two groups of people were confronting each other.
On one side were the most suspicious Guo and Jiang, standing next to a woman named Qiqi.
On the other side was Gu Anzhou, who had originally led everyone to escape in the plot. But at this moment, Gu Anzhou looked completely different from their impression; his expression was cold, and he held a bloodied knife in his hand.
On the ground lay a body. From her clothing and appearance, it seemed to be a woman named Tan Xiaoqing, who had come with them. She lay there, blood pooling at her waist, but her chest was still rising and falling.
Xiao Lu and his companion found a corner where they wouldn’t be noticed and quietly observed the situation.
He had originally thought that between Guo and Jiang and Gu Anzhou, Gu Anzhou was the one who resembled the protagonist more. But what was happening now?
Guo and Jiang’s expression was grave: “Anzhou, put down the knife.”
Gu Anzhou remained silent.
Qiqi hid behind Guo and Jiang: “Anzhou, something’s wrong with him; he might have been bewitched by the ghosts. He is no longer our friend. Look at Xiaoqing…”
Guo and Jiang glanced at the powerless Tan Xiaoqing on the ground, struggling to reach into his pocket, revealing a pitch-black gun, though he didn’t know where it had come from.
But he was still hesitating.
Gu Anzhou moved slowly, his eyes alternating between coldness and regret, as if he were battling a ferocious beast within his consciousness.
Qiqi’s voice was soft: “Think of your wish… If this fails, most of the family fortune will belong to your elder brother.”
Guo and Jiang’s gaze trembled as he slowly raised the gun.
Xiao Lu observed this seemingly delicate woman a few more times. Something was off; on the surface, this woman seemed to be attached to Guo and Jiang, but in reality, she was provoking the conflict between Guo and Jiang and Gu Anzhou.
At the same time, her gaze seemed less focused on Gu Anzhou and more on the knife in his hand.
The knife was ancient in design, thin as a cicada’s wing, shaped like a crow’s feather, entirely black, and seemed to bear some strange patterns.
In an instant, the words “ritual blade” appeared in his mind.
Qiqi was also an actor!
She chose to align herself with Guo and Jiang and then quietly guided them to explore the past’s truth, helping her get closer to the ritual blade while gradually leading them away from the fate they could have survived.
She played the role of a delicate and naive flower too well, so well that Xiao Lu hadn’t even realized she was hiding such a competitor.
Who had secretly placed the mirror at the study door was self-evident.
At this moment, the other party was closer to the mission’s goal.
“Don’t be afraid… Jiang, don’t be afraid.” Qiqi’s voice was gentle, her slender fingers climbing up Guo and Jiang’s tense arm, gradually covering his hand that held the gun, as if giving him supportive strength.
“I love you; no matter what happens, I will always be with you.”
She wanted to kill Gu Anzhou.
“Bang————”
The gunshot rang out.
A long line of blood appeared on Gu Anzhou’s cheek as the bullet grazed his face and embedded itself in the wall behind him.
At the last moment, Guo and Jiang’s hand still wavered.
“No, I can’t… Qiqi, he is my good brother…” Guo and Jiang gritted his teeth in pain.
“FU*K!” Qiqi glared at him resentfully, realizing he was a hopeless second-generation heir, deserving of having his family fortune taken by his elder brother.
The gunshot also jolted Gu Anzhou from his struggling thoughts. He blinked in confusion, the coldness in his eyes gradually fading: “Jiang… Qiqi…”
It seemed someone had been whispering in his ear all along, and in his dazed state, he unconsciously acted according to what was said.
What had he done…
“Xiaoqing!”
Gu Anzhou looked panicked at the side, seeing Tan Xiaoqing, who seemed to have fallen into a coma, and he immediately wanted to rush over to check her condition.
“Don’t move! Otherwise, I’ll kill her.” Qiqi’s voice was cold, the dark muzzle of the gun aimed at Tan Xiaoqing’s head.
“You—” The other two looked at him in shock.
Qiqi took a few steps to the side, distancing herself from Guo and Jiang’s reach. She kept the gun trained on Tan Xiaoqing and said to Gu Anzhou: “Give me the knife in your hand.”
Gu Anzhou hesitated and looked down at the bloodied knife in his hand, unable to recall when it had appeared there.
But he could feel the mysterious power emanating from the hilt; this was definitely not an ordinary knife.
“Qiqi, you said… it was for me…” Guo and Jiang looked incredulous.
“Who told you to be a useless piece of mud?” Qiqi’s voice was cold and harsh, completely different from her previous delicate demeanor.
Guo and Jiang: “…”
When did his precious girl turn into this?
“Hurry up! Or I’ll break her leg first.” Qiqi urged coldly, not wanting to waste any more time.
Gu Anzhou’s gaze flickered between Tan Xiaoqing and the knife in his hand, and without any hesitation, he handed the knife over.
He stepped closer to Qiqi.
A determined smile appeared on Qiqi’s beautiful face.
This time, she had completed her mission.
From the very beginning, she had noticed something off about that Ah Lu, but the other party seemed to have no intention of hiding, boldly conducting investigations. This also confirmed for her that this was definitely a newcomer who had just risen and did not yet know how to conceal their brilliance.
Then let her, as a senior, teach the other party a lesson, if the other party was still alive.
Suddenly, she saw Gu Anzhou’s steps toward her pause. A flash of fear seemed to cross his face as his gaze fell behind her.
A hint of suspicion flickered in Qiqi’s eyes.
She was unsure if this was a feint or if something truly was coming from behind.
Before she could confirm, in the next moment, Qiqi felt a chill in her chest.
A long, fair hand pierced through her chest from behind. The hand looked like it had never lifted a heavy object, yet at this moment, it was as sharp as a blade, easily breaking through the protection of flesh and bone.
In its grasp was her heart.
“Damn…” Qiqi collapsed, her eyes wide open.
“Welcome.”
The polite and courteous welcome echoed in the basement, laced with a hint of sarcasm.
The true master of the Autumn Twilight Inn—Yin Sen—finally made his appearance.
He examined the heart in his hand for a moment, then, as if losing interest, tossed it aside.
Yin Sen pulled out a silk handkerchief from his chest pocket and elegantly wiped the blood from his hands: “I’m glad to see you all have brought me such a splendid performance.”
