Wrong Interrogation Room, The First Cracked Case Shocked the World

Chapter 33

Chapter 33: The truth of the haunted house, see the essence through the phenomenon!

Huanggang Village.

Ning Cheng's eyes scanned the village from afar, a sense of unease settling over him. The village presented a curious blend of new and old. Modern, two-story rural bungalows stood proudly in the front, while the older houses in the back exuded a damp, aged feel. A layer of mist and gray shrouded the village, adding to its eerie atmosphere.

"This place would make a great setting for a ghost movie. Xiao Ning, do you see anything?" Zhang Zhengkai, leaning against the car, squinted and lit a cigarette.

Ning Cheng, fresh off solving three major cases in a day, was sharp as ever. Thankfully, Zhang Zhengkai had been taking his lead, proving to be a reliable partner.

"I don't see anything out of the ordinary. It seems like a typical village, with the younger generation leaving, leaving behind children and the elderly," Ning Cheng observed.

"I agree, but why does it feel so cold here? And that gray fog over the village..." Zhang Zhengkai mused, fiddling with his ashtray.

"This village is close to the mountains, and there's a river running through it. The mist is probably just water vapor," Ning Cheng explained.

"Do you really believe in those things?" Zhang Zhengkai chuckled, a touch of disbelief in his voice. "Don't drive in the police car, let's change into plain clothes. We might bump into more ghosts."

"Okay," Zhang Zhengkai agreed, and they both changed into casual clothes before venturing into the village.

Huanggang Village was a typical village for left-behind children and the elderly. They hardly saw any young people, the youngest being a man in his fifties.

"Sir, I heard that your Huanggang Village is haunted. Is it true?" Ning Cheng approached an elderly man squatting by the door, smoking a hookah.

"It's haunted. The ghosts come out at night, it's scary!" The man, Uncle Liu, took the offered cigarette, his face etched with fear. "I suggest you outsiders leave. Don't get involved."

"We're not looking for thrills, just curious. Can you tell us what happened?" Zhang Zhengkai offered the man the rest of his cigarettes.

"Well, if you're curious, I'll tell you," Uncle Liu said, recalling a recent event. "Last month, in the early hours of the morning, I heard dogs barking in the yard. Then I saw something terrifying. There were two ghosts in the air."

"What kind of ghosts?" Ning Cheng asked.

"I couldn't look. I was so scared, I nearly died!" Uncle Liu's hands trembled as he spoke. "They looked like two ghosts, one blood-red, the other pale."

"Have other villagers seen them? When did the haunting start, and where does it usually happen?" Ning Cheng pressed.

"A few others have seen them. It probably started on the 10th of last month, and it's been going on for a month and a half now." Uncle Liu took a drag from his pipe. "The most haunted place is the ancestral house at the back of the village. It's very mysterious."

"There are several statues and spiritual places in the ancestral house. Since the haunting began, there's been no phone signal there, the radio just makes static, and the worst part is there's blood on the walls. It's enough to scare anyone to death!"

"There were some young people from outside who didn't believe in ghosts, like you. But after staying in the ancestral house all night, they saw ghosts. When they woke up, they found themselves in the cemetery."

Zhang Zhengkai suddenly asked, "Such a weird place is still haunted. Didn't you call the police?"

"What's the point of calling the police?" Uncle Liu scoffed, taking another drag from his cigarette. "The police arrest criminals, not ghosts. If we call the police, what if the ghosts want to kill us?"

"Let's go," Ning Cheng said, motioning for Zhang Zhengkai to leave after asking a few more questions.

They walked towards the ancestral house, a growing sense of unease settling over them.

"These old guys are so superstitious," Zhang Zhengkai muttered. "If it wasn't for those scared young people calling the police, we wouldn't even know about this."

"It's normal for older villagers to be superstitious, but young people don't believe in ghosts," Ning Cheng said thoughtfully. "But the stories from the young people and the villagers all match."

"No signal in the ancestral house, two ghosts, bloodstains on the walls, and people waking up in the cemetery after sleeping in the ancestral house. It's all very strange," Zhang Zhengkai said. "Xiao Ning, what do you think is going on here?"

"These mysterious phenomena aren't important. We need to see the essence through the phenomena," Ning Cheng said. "If there were ghosts, those young people who called the police wouldn't be alive. Why let them live? It's just fear that things will get bigger and the police will get involved."

"This news is spreading on a small scale. I think someone is making a fuss about being haunted to cover up something important."

"What are they covering up?" Zhang Zhengkai asked.

"I don't know yet. I'll find out when we get to the ancestral house."

The village wasn't large, and soon they arrived at the ancestral house.

"Old Zhang, do you smell that?" Ning Cheng stopped at the entrance. "It smells like burning incense."

"The villagers said it's normal to offer incense to the statues of the gods," Zhang Zhengkai said.

Ning Cheng looked up at the ancestral house. The walls were mostly made of wood, suggesting a history spanning hundreds of years.

Inside, three statues of deities with green faces and red hair stood solemnly, their eyes like copper bells. The air felt cold and strange, and the longer they stayed, the more uneasy they felt.

The side of the ancestral house was a mourning hall, filled with spiritual tablets. Under the flickering candlelight, the atmosphere was incredibly dark.

"It's 8 pm now," Ning Cheng said. "Perfect timing. Don't ghosts like to come out at night? Let's stay."

He chuckled, noticing that there was no phone signal in the ancestral house.

"Still here?" Zhang Zhengkai swallowed nervously.

"Old Zhang, you've been a police officer for over ten years. Shouldn't you be afraid?" Ning Cheng asked.

"Who says I'm afraid? Just wait, even if there's a ghost, I'll take care of it!" Zhang Zhengkai's voice rose a few decibels as he sat down on a wooden chair in front of the spiritual tablets.

Ning Cheng didn't sit down. He looked around the ancestral house, checking for any hidden mechanisms. He didn't believe in the strange phenomena. It wouldn't be difficult to create them. A high-powered signal jammer could easily block the phone signal.

Two hours passed. Nothing happened.

Then, a few dogs barked outside, and Zhang Zhengkai suddenly stood up and looked around.

"Xiao Ning, did you notice that the door outside the ancestral house is locked?"

"Yes," Ning Cheng said, handing Zhang Zhengkai the gas mask he had prepared in advance. "Put it on."

"What's going on?" Zhang Zhengkai asked, surprised.

"The smell in the house has changed. It's not the original smell. It's making me dizzy."

Zhang Zhengkai's expression changed. He immediately understood the seriousness of the situation. If Ning Cheng hadn't noticed this, he might have been in serious trouble.

He quickly put on the gas mask and, mimicking Ning Cheng, crouched down.

Soon, they saw a horrifying sight. Blood was seeping from the walls of the ancestral house. At the same time, the door to the ancestral house burst open with a bang.

A strong wind blew in, and two ghostly figures entered the door. One was clad in scarlet, the other in pale white.