Chapter 1221: Chapter 814: The Chairs (Part 2)
Aisha was still sharing a bed with Shari, facing each other, and Aisha keenly noticed Shari’s peculiar state.
Shari was devoid of any sleepiness, her eyes filled with fear and hesitation, as though she wanted to tell Aisha something but was afraid.
"Shari, stop dwelling on those things. It will all pass."
Aisha forced a smile, holding Shari’s hand in comfort, recalling how she herself hadn’t fared much better when she first arrived in the Nightmare World.
After saying that, Aisha closed her eyes, intending to sleep, instinctively assuming Shari was merely frightened by the hand-holding ritual and the sudden appearance of the corpse.
But the next second, Shari seemed to gather enough courage, leaning close to Aisha’s ear and whispering so that only the two of them could hear, "I saw the ghost that killed Davi."
Aisha was first shocked, then her eyes shot open, all traces of sleep vanishing, but Shari, whose face was close to hers, gestured for silence, indicating not to disturb the others.
"Aisha, will seeing that thing lead to death?" Shari’s eyes brimmed with tears, her voice barely audible, "I don’t want to die; I... I also don’t want to be abandoned by everyone."
Aisha understood now why Shari hadn’t dared to speak in front of everyone; she was worried about being the next target for the ghost, being abandoned by the team.
Aisha reached out, gently grasping Shari’s arm, as if to give her strength, her tone soothing, "Don’t be afraid, we are all here, no one will abandon you. You’ve seen Mr. Chu and Mr. Musa, they’re good people."
"What exactly did you see?" Once Shari’s emotions had settled slightly, Aisha asked the crucial question.
"It was a ghost, I saw the ghost appear next to Davi, and then... then, in the blink of an eye, she... she vanished." Even recalling the scene, Shari’s heart still trembled in fear.
"Did it involve a corpse wrapped in the Corpse Wrapping Cloth?" Aisha asked softly.
"No, it wasn’t a white corpse; it was black, very thin, like a skeleton. It stood in front of Davi, its arms stretched out, mimicking... mimicking Davi’s movements."
"At the time, we had all scattered, leaving only Davi standing there. She... she seemed unaware we had all run away."
"It was only later that I realized it was Davi; after all, the candle in the room had gone out, it was very dark, and I thought I was seeing things. But... but when I went to find Davi, I discovered she really was gone."
Aisha quickly recalled how, not long ago in the dining hall, it was Shari who first noticed Davi was missing; she had wondered how a newcomer could be keener than the veterans, and now she understood why.
Shari hadn’t spoken up earlier because she knew the ghost was lurking nearby, fearing revenge.
"Nothing like that will happen; your discovery is crucial." Aisha first acknowledged Shari’s contribution, then comforted her, "Shari, just the two of us won’t survive to the end. If Mr. Chu and Mr. Musa can learn this information, they might come up with a better countermeasure, allowing us to finish the task and go home sooner."
"Home..." The word deeply resonated with Shari, who since arriving in this ghastly place, constantly wished to return home.
She once thought it was just a nightmare, but with each passing night, she had no choice but to accept that it was all real.
Those who died here truly died; they never returned to the world they once knew.
"I trust you." Perhaps due to their shared plight, Shari’s trust in Aisha was high, nodding repeatedly.
"Alright, now close your eyes and sleep. Once everyone wakes up, you can recount what you saw in detail."
"Okay."
Aisha extended her arms, drawing Shari into her embrace. Together, they drifted into sleep.
It’s unclear how much time had passed when footsteps sounded outside the door. Alert, Adila and Yang Xiao were the first to wake, and soon the footsteps stopped outside, followed by knocking at the door.
A group of monks was at the door, led by someone Yang Xiao and the others weren’t unfamiliar with, Monk A Zan holding a precept blade. Monk A Zan initially performed a Buddhist ritual, then relayed a message from the abbot, assigning them a task for tonight.
Tonight, they must deliver two corpses to the lakeside and use paper boats to set them adrift.
"Are we all going?" Yang Xiao asked.
Monk A Zan shook his head solemnly, "You will be setting them adrift, while others stay to chant and pray for your safe return."
When Monk A Zan was about to leave, Yang Xiao stopped him, saying that it was still early, and they planned to take a stroll around the town.
Monk A Zan seemed somewhat troubled but eventually agreed after some negotiation, with the condition that they return before nightfall.
Yang Xiao and others readily agreed.
After Monk A Zan left, Shari also plucked up her courage to describe what she had seen: the gaunt black twisted figure. This reminded Yang Xiao of his own encounter, as he had been attacked by this ghost before the task began.
It seemed his judgment was correct: the ghost lurking around them was indeed the true murderer, and Shari mentioned that the ghost imitated Davi’s posture, which also intrigued Yang Xiao.
Typically, ghosts don’t perform meaningless actions; their appearance signals imminent death.
The group departed from the temple, with Adila volunteering to lead the way. Remarkably, just by relying on memory, Adila found the house they had initially stopped at when they first entered the town.
The townspeople around them, upon seeing Yang Xiao and the others, gathered, some observing curiously, others kneeling in obeisance, and some muttering prayers.
Scanning around, every face bore a look of devout faith; it seemed the town’s people were all temple devotees.
Directly asking for chairs might arouse suspicion, so Yang Xiao devised an excuse, claiming the High Monk had appeared in a dream, assigning him the task of sanctifying the chairs he had once sat upon.
This had the townspeople who possessed the chairs scrambling to bring them forth.
This was a golden opportunity not to be missed, and those who managed to bring their chairs escaped, only to return a moment later with ten chairs neatly arranged before Yang Xiao and the others.
These old chairs had been refurbished, some repainted, others wrapped with cloth inscribed with Buddhist scriptures, clearly consecrated at all times.
"One."
"Two."
...
With Yang Xiao mentally counting, he confirmed there were twelve chairs, validating his suspicion that the sinister element wasn’t the ghosts by the lake, but the temple itself.
They were being haunted because of the temple.
However, the supposed "River Immortal Village" curse wasn’t baseless and would certainly be connected to the temple, but Yang Xiao hadn’t yet discovered the link between the two.
Yang Xiao was adept at playing supernatural tricks, teaming up with Musa to "sanctify" these chairs, while those who hadn’t acquired chairs looked on enviously.
After the ritual ended, Yang Xiao and the others split off, chatting up villagers who seemed easier to persuade, actually fishing for information.
After some small talk, Yang Xiao had to admit, the monks’ brainwashing technique was indeed unmatched; these townspeople were devout believers, prostrating in gratitude to the Buddha.
Throughout these conversations, the most repeated stories were about how Buddha used Supreme Buddha Skills to heal and save.
"The Buddha truly possesses spells; my young son fell off a cliff while gathering herbs, his head split open. But the Buddha carried my son to the Buddhist Hall, prayed behind closed doors all night, and the next day, my son himself opened the door and walked out, mostly healed." An elderly man with a receding hairline spoke with a devout expression.
"May I see your son?" Yang Xiao asked, wanting to consult the person in question.
The next second the old man sighed, shook his head, speaking with a voice full of sorrow, "He’s gone; my son was harmed by the vengeful ghost of River Immortal Village, his body is buried on Mito Mountain behind."
