Under the dimly lit corridor, Lu Yibei stood right in front of the rusty iron door that shut in front of her, as she thought of ways to lure the woman out of the house.
At this mont, the only functioning voice-activated light shone at the end of the corridor, and it was followed by the sound of footsteps that could be heard stomping down from the second floor. Soon, a large, middle-aged woman with dirty clothes could be seen.
The large woman walked down the corridor, and her eyes t with Yibei’s. She visibly frowned and walked over to the Witch briskly, then studied her up and down, as if she was trying to see through her.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hello! I am looking for a man nad Qin Dalin. Can I ask if…”
Before Yibei could finish speaking, the large woman imdiately looked left and right, and interrupted her, “Why are you looking for him?”
“I’m his relative. A close family mber passed away recently, so I wanted to inform him about it,” Yibei lied with a calm expression. It didn’t seem like she was lying.
“You’re a relative?” the large woman’s eyes questioned her as she sneered. “I thought that nasty gambler’s family cut ties with him long ago!”
A nasty gambler? Did he gamble all of his money away? Is that why he lives in a place like this?
Lu Yibei cursed, frowned slightly, and spoke, “He has so bad habits, but blood’s still thicker than water, right? Aha… so, with how things are right now, we thought that we should at least inform him about. Do you happen to know his whereabouts?”
The large woman rolled her eyes, “It won’t be easy for you to find him.”
“Uh, why?”
“He has debt collectors looking for him, so to avoid them, he’ll camp out in those cardrooms to gamble or drink with his friends. He only ever cos back at midnight,” the large woman explained.
“I see. Do you know which unit he lives in? I can wait for him to co back.”
The large woman curled her lips, pointing upstairs impatiently, “Top floor. Unit 401.”
As soon as she was done, she walked past Yibei and walked towards the gate, but stopped before she walked past the threshold.
The large woman looked at Yibei, who was looking at the stairwell. She was silent for a mont, and spoke, “You seem like a nice girl. Listen to – forget about that nasty gambler, and do not enter these houses if you have nothing important to do. Most importantly, do not stay here overnight. You must get out of here before dark; it’s way too dangerous for a young girl like you to be loitering around here!”
A young girl like… ? Is there a problem with ? The Witch wondered, then asked the large woman, “Why? Is there any urban legend around here?”
Hearing the word “urban legend,” the large woman suddenly appeared nervous. She opened her mouth, as if to speak, but stopped herself. She avoided the Witch’s gaze and hurriedly walked out the building.
Looking back at the long, dim corridor, she thought to herself:
Judging by her reaction, I must be correct. Sothing strange must be happening here.
However, why haven’t I felt anything ever since I entered the building? Could it be that they only appear after dark?
Her questions were left unanswered, but she had an idea. She reached into her pocket and took out her copper coin.
Will there be any urban legends in this building tonight? Heads for yes, tails for no.
Flicking the copper coin up into the air, she allowed her premonition to do the work, then reached out and grabbed the coin.
“So, there are urban legends lurking around here.”
Whispering to herself, she turned and walked towards the stairs at the end of the corridor.
Before she left, she wanted to scout through Qin Dalin’s unit.
Walking up to the second floor, it seed darker and damper – cobwebs could be seen gathering in the dim corners, and the walls were mottled with mold.
Walking up another two floors, it seed that the situation was improving, but it was still very dirty and run-down. A thick layer of dust stained the ground, and visible footprints could be seen upon the floor.
The footprints seed to be leading away from Room 401. In fact, it went the completely opposite direction.
Following the footprints, it lead up to Room 420, and from a distance, she could see a door with a crack at the end of the corridor.
There was sobody lurking behind the door. Looking closer, she could see a woman with a large, dark-red birthmark on her face.
Wait, isn’t this the sa woman from earlier? How did she get up here?
These vintage, old-fashioned buildings were usually unreasonable in their architecture. According to her own observation, she only saw one stairwell that accommodated for this entire building.
Could there be secret passages in this building? She wondered as she walked up to Room 420 to ask the woman, but once again, she slamd the door shut before she could open her mouth.
Slam!
Yibei was visibly stunned, then turned and walked towards the other end of the corridor.
Rejected again. I’m not going to try and make contact anymore. You know what they say! Curiosity killed the cat! Well, I already know where Qin Dalin lives – no point trying to pry further.
She quickly stumbled upon Unit 401, but was slightly startled upon seeing the condition of his door.
In the entire building, she observed that all the doors were old and worn out. The door to Qin Dalin’s unit, however, is an all-new security door, which looked incredibly impenetrable at first glance.
Moreover, it was plastered with talismans; its incantations written in cinnabar. The skull of a cow with strange seals carved into it was placed by the door as well.
Reaching out with her fingertips to touch the talismans, she felt a burning sensation and imdiately retracted her hand.
She is now in the state of being an urban legend, and the talismans reacted to her very presence. It ant that these talismans aren’t the ones sold by scamrs – these talismans were ant to deter urban legends like her.
“What the hell was this Qin Dalin up to?! Is an urban legend hunting him down?!”
Knock, knock.
She tried knocking on the door, but received no reply. Sighing, she quietly exited the building.
“Guess all I can do is go ho. I need to make so preparations before coming back here after dark.”
…
Sitting in the bus that drove towards the city, Yibei suddenly recalled sothing as her eyes lit up. Taking out her phone, she opened up her browser and looked up the address of Qin Dalin.
It turns out that his apartnt is the old staff building for the employees of the Huacheng Power Plant. Then, she looked up the query [Huacheng Power Plant Staff Building], tapped on searched, and after scrolling down more than a dozen pages, she could see several strings of noteworthy information.
[Chen Siqi, Female, 18 Years Old. Disappeared near the old staff building located in the Huacheng Power Plant in June 2018…]
[Zhang Huihui, Female, 15 Years Old…]
[Fang Liqin, Female, 17 Years Old…]
With just a single glance, her face scrunched up slightly. They were all missing person reports.
Four or five people disappeared in proximity of the power plant over the last three years, and most of them were woman in their teens to early adulthood. None of them have been found yet.
Moreover, this was after the nights beca long. One person disappearing every year in a remote and dilapidated place like that – it was understandable, yes, but wouldn’t it raise suspicion? Why hasn’t the Night Division investigated that place yet?
No. There were no psychic energy fluctuations nearby. Maybe the Night Division investigated that place before, but found nothing. Without the presence of psychic fluctuations, they probably handed the case over to the police, ruling it out as a serial murder case. I don’t even know if they caught the serial killer.
As she was deep in thought, the screen of her phone dimd, and the black screen reflected a delicate face. Under the noon sun, even without makeup, she looked enchanting.
…oh, so this is what she ant by “a young girl like you…” Was she trying to warn ? Does she know sothing?
She sat up and rubbed her eyebrows. When I go there, I need to find sothing to cover my face! I’m busy looking for Qin Dalin! I don’t want to end up as so girl-obsessed serial killer’s target!
Unless… Qin Dalin is the serial killer.
A sudden thought popped up in her mind. Could Qin Dalin be related to the girls’ disappearance? Was he worried that the girls would haunt him, so he decided to take all those precautions?
Assuming it is true, the police must have done their investigation, but since he is still living there, that ans that he has hidden his tracks well.
Reaching into her pocket, she took out her copper coin and flicked it into the air.
Before the copper coin fell, she reached out to catch it mid-air. Her vision beca heavy, and her gaze flickered in-and-out of reality, as if she was fighting with conflicting thoughts in her head.
“…”
Ti passes.
The Witch caressed her jacket gently and whispered, “Jacket, uh, do you know how to transform into clothes that are, you know, both sexy and innocent? I want to wear sothing that makes people want to jump on just by looking at .”
This isn’t the first ti I used myself as bait. Well, not that I wanted to last ti, but I’m doing it on my own accord this ti!
Hearing her mistress, the jacket imdiately squird, as if it was about to transform on the spot.
“W-w-wait! Not right now!” she panicked as she felt the fabric shift on her skin. “Do it at night! Not. Right. Now!”
The longer sobody lives, the lower their limit of their integrity. However, that doesn’t an that it’s absent.
Although there weren’t many people in the bus, it was way too shaful to change clothes in public!
…
In the afternoon, she ran back to her apartnt in the Happy Community. She searched for her guitar bag, and took all things that could be used in combat with her.
When she ca back, Jiangli was nowhere to be seen. She was a little worried that Jiangli might end up alone at night, which runs the risk of her encountering the sa urban legend last night. Hence, she decided to inform her by sending her a text.
[VACCARIA: Sothing ca up. I don’t think I’m coming ho tonight, so you shouldn’t either. It’s not safe to be alone.]
[Genius Mahjong Girl: What do you an by “sothing ca up?” Can I tag along? 🫰]
[VACCARIA: It’s a private event. No pets allowed.]
[Genius Mahjong Girl: 😊]
…Why did I feel a chill run down my spine?
[VACCARIA: Trade offer: I’ll cook up sothing delicious for you tomorrow.]
Well, I still have three family-sized bottles of vinegar that I borrowed from our neighbour. Maybe I can borrow so dumplings, or crabs!
[Genius Mahjong Girl: 🫰]
Phew! Back to her usual emoji…
After she was done dealing with Jiangli, she pocketed her phone and left the Happy Community. She went straight to the park to find a secluded place to practice her laba.
…
anwhile, in the Lee Mansion.
Tang Han, who was still grounded, kept guard of the bodyguards sent by his father. Whole they weren’t looking, he fiddled with his phone and sent a ssage to soone.
After a while, he received a ssage from sobody nad [Skin]. Putting down his phone, he smiled.
Finally. Everything is going to plan!
Qin-or-what-your-face-is, I hope you’re ready for what I have in store for you tonight!
…
9:10pm, a taxi drove down the road leading towards the Huacheng Power Plant.
It was silent in the car. The only thing that could be heard is the sound of the rushing wind outside the window.
Zhang Shan, through the rearview mirror, eyed the familiar, yet unfamiliar girl who was sitting in the backseat. He held complicated feelings inside of him.
After the girl got in the car and exchanged a few words with him, all she did after was fiddle with her mobile phone. She seed to have no intentions of telling him a story.
Tonight, she donned an apricot-coloured knitted sweater that hung off one shoulder, revealing her delicate collarbones and fair shoulders. She paired it with a denim fishtail skirt and a pair of classic red-white sneakers. She also seed to wear a little makeup, as if she was dressing up for a particular occasion.
Even if he knew that she was an urban legend, he couldn’t help but take second looks at her.
The only problem is…
What business does she have at the power plant?! I have never heard of anything strange happening there!
Did she dress up nicely to have go on a date there?!
That can’t be right! If you’re going on a date, shouldn’t you go to so place like a bar? Or a fancy restaurant? A club, even, or an amusent park, or a love hotel! Why the hell would you go to so place like that?!
Zhang Shan was fighting with his thoughts, and seeing that they were at the halfway point of her destination, he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Hey, aren’t you going to tell any stories tonight?”
“…?”
A hint of surprise was plastered on the girl’s face, as if she was saying: Sothing’s wrong with you, Mr. Taxi Driver! What ca over you today? Why do you want to a spooky story from ?
“Well, if you want to…” she pondered for a few seconds. “I can tell you a story.”
Mysterious disappearances, secret passages, a strange woman with a bloodied birthmark, a runaway serial killer, a door plastered with talismans…
Yibei felt that she might have inherited her father’s talent of telling stories. After all, he was an 18th-rate online novelist.
She combined the stories of the missing person reports she saw on the Internet, and discoveries made by the employees of the power plant, in addition to so fabrications she made up on the spot. Soon, Zhang Shan was pale, and his forehead flooded with cold sweat.
Truthfully, he has heard of these missing girls, but he never made the connection that the disappearances were related to urban legends.
When the storytelling stopped, Zhang Shan realized that the story ended abruptly. The serial killer was still on the loose, and the mystery was still unsolved.
“W-w-what happens next?”
She didn’t answer him, but pointed out the window with no expression, “We’re here.”
“Ah…”
His heart felt troubled after listening to only half the story. However, he was afraid that if he continued to ask questions, he might make the girl angry.
He could only watch as she scanned the QR code for paynt. Then, she got out of the cab, took out a laba from her guitar bag, and played the main the of [Detective Conan]. Illuminated by the cab’s lights, she began walking towards the old staff building of the power plant.
Could it be…
Zhang Shan imdiately understood sothing. His body trembled slightly as his eyes widened.
She’s using herself as bait to find the serial killer!
The ending was ant for to interpret! If you do sothing bad, then, urban legends will co to hunt you down and eat you alive! It is karma, in a way! The light of the underworld shining upon the Earth! How wonderful! I have got to tell this story to my listeners!
He could visibly feel Yibei’s impression in his mind improving. Looking up to find her, she had already disappeared into the power plant. Down its dark, winding path, the sound of her laba playing was tuned out by the ambient environnt.
Realizing that his surroundings have fallen into silence, with the city lights far away from him, he found that his taxi’s lights were the only source of light surrounding him at the mont.
The story the Witch had just told resonated in his mind. He slightly panicked, and felt cold sweat dripping down his temples.
A-a-although that serial killer only targets young girls, what if they have a change of mind…?! They don’t want sweet desserts anymore, and want a taste a sothing a little more old-schooled?! I-I can’t stay here!
He stomped on his clutch, shifted gears, stomped on the accelerator, and skedaddled away in an instant. Truly, he was worthy of the title of being the fastest driver around in Huacheng.
…
Yibei was hiding underneath a big tree by the power plant, observing the building made of red bricks in front of her.
With how her mouth was pouting as half of her head was poking out from behind the tree, she seed a little cute, and a little sneaky.
It was pitch-black, and neither star or moon was present in the sky. It was gloomy, and the dark windows of the building were like maws that scread for help.
At this mont, she could hear the roaring of an engine sounding behind her, and she couldn’t help but be startled. When she turned around, all she could see was a taxi speeding away straight towards Huacheng.
Strong as ever, Zhang Shan.
Seeing him off, she withdrew her attention from his taxi and thought about what to do to attract Qin Dalin.
After all, she didn’t know what Qin Dalin’s thought process is when selecting a target.
Playing the laba is a big no-no. Although it could attract his attention, it might scare him considering that this is a spooky, abandoned location.
Or…
She silently lifted up her skirt and revealed her pristine thighs. She then stretched her leg out from behind the tree, swaying them.
However, after hearing nothing, she retracted her legs with a frown.
Damn it. Was I being too obvious. Do I go out and dance? I know Daydream used to dance with the mories I inherited from her.
Just as she was considering it, a figure erged from the darkness and snuck up behind her.
[Sobody is sneaking up on you. He’s raising a piece of wood towards you…!]
A premonition flashed in her head, and she made a decision on the spot. I need to do my part in this performance. I’ll try my best!
The next mont, a piece of wood as thick as an arm swung out through the dark, hitting Yibei on the back of her head as it shattered into two pieces with a loud slam.
“Ah! T-that hurts…! Wha…”
Before she could ‘register’ what had happened to her, she rolled her eyes and fell to the ground, using the big tree as a support.
The mont she fell to the ground, she peered through her eyes to see who had attacked her – a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a visibly-bleached-through maroon jacket. His hair looked greasy and ssy, and his eyebrows were barely visible. The right side of his face seed be lacerated by so kind of weapon, leaving a long, nasty scar.
The hell did you hit that hard for?! I. Will. Rember. This! I’ll deal with you later! Yibei thought.
TRANSLATOR NOTES:
I may or may not be able to upload this Friday since its assignnt deadline week is next week. As much as I enjoy TLing in my free-ti, I really do need to get started on my assignnts… T_T. Fret not, I’ll be back next week!
As always, if you’d like to support the translation, you can do so by clicking the button below! ^.^
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