Cursed Mansion [Completed]

16. The lin...

yibo's heart is beating at million miles per second and his mind racing. the lin's word hit him like a great force of wind when he articulate that the wolf is indeed lord wei ying.

"you mean that the wolf snarling right next to you is lord wei ying?!" said yibo.

"indeed." said the lin.

zhan holds his rifle with a tighter grip, still aiming at the target.

"we have no time for fairy tales! i give you one last warning... if you don't move out of the way, you'll die along with the wolf." said zhan.

the lin releases a peal of raucous laughter that reverberates around the forest atmosphere.

"hnngh...!" said qiren.

yibo find himself exasperated with the very aggravating lin. zhan and Mr. qiren seem to share the same sentiment.

"what are you laughing for? this is not funny!" said yibo.

"my brave boy..." said the lin.

lin makes effort to stifle his overflowing laughter.

"you can believe that a ghost roams wei mansion and possesses people... you can trust the corpse was reanimated within the bowels of wei mansion... and yet... you can't accept that a man is turned into a wolf? i think you should reconstruct your faith in this. in truth, i tell you no lie." said the lin.

 'he is right. i think he might be telling the truth. a lot of strange, inexplicable occurrence have happened since i came to wei mansion.' thinks yibo.

"since you all doubt my words, perhaps then, you'll believe when you see with your own eyes..." said the lin.

the lin fades back into the shadow and returns promptly with a lighted candle.

'what is he doing??' thinks yibo.

yibo, zhan and qiren all watch in silence- though zhan still keeps his rifle pointed- at the lin. he carries what looks like an incense bowl in which the candle sits stop.

"i do not trust that this is the lin we seek..." said zhan.

the moonlight together with the faint light from the candle offers little illumination to the lin's act. he lays a long black cloth on the whimpering form of the wolf.

the lin lifts his head up to the moon and begins to recite an incantation in an unknown language.

the wind begins to pick up speed and the wolf writhes violently beneath the cloth. its chilling growls rumble along with the wind.

the wind has grown turbulent and the wolf agitated. seems like there is one more dreadful secret that delays to be uncovered!' thinks yibo.

yibo hold zhan in fright - who himself is looking on at the sight in dread - as the wolf threshes and growls increases.

"everybody. move back." said zhan.

the growls of the wolf gradually die down till all is silent - including the wind. the lin smirks smugly at yibo.

"will you do the honors, boy?" said the lin.

yibo look at the still, unmoving cloth- fright and panic gripping him at once.

'i fear to know what is underneath the cloth...' thinks yibo.

he step forward towards it.

"no, yibo! don't go any closer!" said zhan.

"hnngh...!" agreed qiren.

zhan and Mr. qiren call out to yibo not to grt any closer but yibo is overcome by an all-consuming desire to find the truth.