The Villa

31.Fatal Clue

　　Although she was being watched by everyone, Tang wasn't a pushover.

　　A plan flashed through her mind, and she crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair with a defiant look.

　　"Are you sure you want to know this clue?" she asked.

　　The bespectacled man, noticing her strange demeanor, asked, "Is this clue special?"

　　Tang was unfazed.

　　"Of course, otherwise I would have told you already."

　　"The hidden clues I know about the Temple of Binding Nightmares and Fangcun Pond are somewhat dangerous. Those who know them... might encounter something unholy tonight."

　　"Are you sure you still want to hear it?"

　　Her voice, as she spoke, turned strangely ominous, a chilling smile curving her lips, causing the three newcomers to hesitate.

　　If that was the case, it was understandable that Tang wouldn't tell them the clue.

　　In a way, she was even protecting them.

　　Bai, seeing Tang's defiant expression, knew what she was thinking.

　　This cunning woman simply wanted to provoke her.

　　In Tang's mind, the following scenario would unfold - Bai, not wanting to be swayed, would insist on hearing the clue, and then mysteriously die tonight.

　　This would validate Tang's claim, and the remaining three newcomers would be grateful to her, their trust in her reaching a new level, making them easier to control, even becoming her puppets!

　　Of course, Bai saw through all of this.

　　She herself had passed through many Blood Gates, experienced countless betrayals and deceptions, and had met countless people like Tang.

　　But, she still decided to play along with this woman's game.

　　"I'm not afraid, just tell me the clue."

　　"Just so happens I can help you all determine whether this woman who claims to have passed through five Blood Gates is real or fake."

　　The man with the glasses and his team were overjoyed.

　　"Thanks, Bai!"

　　Bai waved her hand.

　　"Don't mention it."

　　The three left the room, and Tang called out to the young woman who was with her, leaving only the four of them in the room.

　　Tang then took out a wooden plaque from her pocket and placed it on the table.

　　The three looked, and indeed, it was the one with Ruan's identity on it.

　　"This, this is the clue I found."

　　Bai pretended to be surprised.

　　"Just this?"

　　Tang nodded.

　　"Just this."

　　She had no intention of explaining to the three, so she put the wooden plaque back in her pocket, turned, and left the room.

　　It seemed, in Tang's eyes, Ning, Liu, and Bai were already dead; talking to them more would be a waste of breath.

　　Once Tang was completely gone, Liu let out a curse.

　　"Damn it, every time I see that bitch's face I just want to slap her!"

　　Bai's fair fingers tapped lightly on the table, and she chuckled softly.

　　"Me too."

　　"But, there's no need to be angry with a dead woman."

　　"She probably won't survive the night."

　　Soon, night fell.

　　Everyone stayed in their own rooms, pondering their escape plans.

　　In reality, most of them couldn't think of anything, because they hadn't received any useful clues.

　　The moonlight outside was still bright and cool, but as it shone through the windows into the room, it seemed inexplicably cold.

　　At some point, Ning, who had fallen asleep, was awakened by a strange noise.

　　He listened carefully, and soon realized that the noise was the sound of that horrifying, charred ghost crawling on the ground, the same sound he had heard last night!

　　The sound of its fingernails scraping on the ground, sharp and piercing, was like a steel needle scratching at Ning's heart!

　　However, this time, the charred ghost didn't enter Ning's room, instead, it crawled past his door, step by step, towards the front...

　　As the sound faded into the distance, Ning quietly got out of bed, opened a crack in the door, and looked out carefully...

　　Even though the corridor was dark, there was a balcony on one side bathed in moonlight, and Ning could see clearly what was crawling on the ground—

　　It was an upper torso, burned to a crisp, the corpse of a child!

　　The corpse's upper body was small, belonging to a child.

　　Its spine and internal organs, dragging behind it, were still visible, but all were black as coal, the entire body emanating a pungent stench, as it crawled on the floor on its two arms...

　　The moment Ning saw the corpse, he suddenly remembered the annotations he saw at the Temple of Binding Nightmares.

　　Those descriptions mentioned that Guangxiu's wife and son were locked in the Misty Rain Temple, and later, the tower was struck by lightning during a heavy storm, igniting a fire that the rainwater couldn't extinguish...

　　He suddenly understood everything, and took out the plaque he carried.

　　—— Guang.

　　"That's right..."

　　"This guy must be Guang... Guangxiu's son!"

　　"So, this supposed guesthouse we're in is actually the Misty Rain Temple that Guangxiu's family built for the village!"

　　Having deduced this truth, Ning's heart tightened!

　　The villagers of the Qiyu Village had actually transformed a haunted house into a guesthouse for them, outsiders!

　　What were they... trying to do?

　　Why were they so eager for them, the outsiders, to die?

　　While Ning was pondering, he heard the sound of a door opening from a room ahead.

　　Click—

　　Soon after, the room emitted a terrified scream from a woman.

　　"No... it's not me... you've got the wrong person... wrong... ahhhh!!!"

　　This voice, Ning recognized it immediately.

　　It was Tang!

　　He didn't know what she encountered in the room, but her scream was incredibly heart-rending.

　　Soon, her screams subsided, and something inside the room started making a chewing sound...

　　Ning listened to this sound, his scalp tingling, and quietly closed his door, returning to bed.

　　Tang's scream had been quite loud.

　　That night, everyone on that floor stayed awake, cowering under their blankets, trembling.

　　Only until dawn broke, did a desperate cry come from the other end of the hallway.

　　"Sister Tang... Sister Tang!!!"