Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Door on the Second Floor Opens

Xiuming’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. Could it be that Gao Yi had obtained some crucial information, and Tao Tao believed the benefits on Gao Yi’s side far surpassed the advantages of their alliance? This advantage wasn’t just about access to food—it was about the corpses... Wait, Black Moon, that book contained something that tempted Tao Tao, perhaps even linked to Guo Zhengxiang’s disappearance. Tao Tao was involved!

But today’s events left Xiuming at a loss. He and Cui Kaixuan had been locked up, almost certainly at Gao Yi’s hands, but then why had they been released? And why was Fei Xin left behind, unconscious for reasons unknown? Was someone performing good deeds in secret?

After waiting for several hours, Fei Xin’s complexion finally regained some color, but she still showed no sign of waking.

They couldn’t simply wait here forever. Xiuming called Cui Kaixuan over.

When Cui Kaixuan saw Xiuming, his face was grim. “The head is gone.”

“The head?” Xiuming was taken aback. “The one in the warehouse?”

“Yes. Let’s talk in Fei Xin’s room. How is she?”

“Her color’s much better, but she hasn’t woken up.”

They entered Fei Xin’s room. After glancing at her, Cui Kaixuan sat to one side, muttering under his breath. Xiuming caught faint snatches of “one, two.”

This fellow had been acting strangely lately. Xiuming knew he would share anything he could, so he didn’t press for answers.

Wait. Cui Kaixuan had said some things couldn’t be spoken aloud. But why not? With the crest here, even if they spoke softly, the ghost woman couldn’t possibly hear them. So, the prohibition must have another meaning.

Regarding his own discoveries, Cui Kaixuan couldn’t speak, and he wouldn’t let Xiuming say anything either.

Why? It was as if they were playing a riddle, forced to deduce everything from each other’s actions…

At that moment, Fei Xin stirred.

Xiuming placed a hand to her forehead. “Fei Xin? Fei Xin?”

Her head shifted, but she lapsed back into sleep.

...

In the murky gloom, two figures gnawed and chewed, the sound of swallowing ceaseless.

“Hehehe... this devil’s head... once eaten, the ghost woman... hehehe.”

Gao Yi’s clothes were tattered and crusted with blood, the streaks across his face making him look monstrous. Clutching the head, he was visibly excited.

“With a body as strong as mine, and this as well... who in this world could possibly stand against me!”

With a crunch, Gao Yi bit into one of the head’s eyes, chewed twice, and swallowed, then went for the other eye, tearing into the remaining parts with abandon.

When all that remained was the shriveled brain, Gao Yi hesitated, then bit down.

Bitter. Viscous...

He gulped it all down, then wiped his mouth. A wave of overpowering nausea threatened to make him vomit back this unnatural meal.

Gao Yi clenched his jaw, forcing himself to endure.

Soon, a heat began to spread from his belly, surging through his body.

Unbearable. It burned—he felt his heart race wildly. With a thud, he collapsed, convulsing, breath coming so fast his lungs felt ready to burst, his chest threatening to explode, death closing in.

Tao Tao gave Gao Yi a passing glance, still coldly gnawing on a corpse.

In her eyes, she might soon have another source of food.

“Help... me...” Gao Yi stretched a trembling hand toward her.

Tao Tao hoisted Guo Zhengxiang’s body and shifted away.

Ever since she started eating corpses, Tao Tao noticed her strength growing, her appetite swelling; she could now move Guo Zhengxiang’s body with ease.

“It’s unbearable!” Gao Yi tore at his clothes, writhing on the floor as if scalded with boiling oil, the inner heat morphing into a wild, consuming restlessness, neither alive nor dead.

Tao Tao licked her lips with satisfaction.

“Hm? Pathetic.” She glanced at Gao Yi, unmoving, then walked over.

He lay there, motionless. She checked his breath.

“Dead?” Tao Tao snorted and turned away.

The instant she turned, Gao Yi’s eyes snapped open, a red glow flickering within. The surrounding darkness seemed as bright as day to him.

“This sensation...” Gao Yi’s lips curled into a smile. “How exquisite.” His entire body felt indescribably invigorated, as though with endless energy. As long as he could eat human flesh, nothing would be beyond his reach!

Moreover, within Tao Tao’s body, he saw a wavering white flame—instinct told him it was a human soul.

Tao Tao suddenly felt a grip at her ankle, and her vision blurred.

...

Dong, dong, dong...

Xiuming looked up at Cui Kaixuan.

“The clock has struck four times. Something’s happened to either Gao Yi or Tao Tao,” he said.

Cui Kaixuan nodded. “We should go check. Take this.”

From his sleeve, Cui Kaixuan produced two half-meter-long iron pipes. One end was sharpened to a deadly point—perfect for letting blood flow.

“Just in case.” Cui Kaixuan handed one to Xiuming.

Xiuming nodded and took it.

They hid Fei Xin behind the bed, covering her with whatever they could find, then stepped outside.

As soon as they opened the door, a distant, inhuman howl echoed from somewhere in the house.

“Careful,” Cui Kaixuan warned, moving ahead.

Xiuming followed.

When they reached the main hall, Xiuming glanced at the mural. The figure had transformed into a dried-up corpse with a blank expression.

Its empty eye sockets stared at them, the twisted mouth seeming almost to speak.

Xiuming and Cui Kaixuan exchanged a look, then peered further inside.

The great red door remained tightly shut.

“Let’s check the clock beneath the second floor,” Xiuming said, holding a candle in one hand and gripping the iron pipe in the other as they moved toward the stairs.

The withered corpse in the mural seemed to watch their backs as they faded into the darkness.

Halfway down the stairs, they saw the clock—both the hour and minute hands pointed to twelve.

“What could this mean?” Xiuming wondered aloud. What was the significance of this clock?

Cui Kaixuan replied, “Wait here. I’ll go up and look.”

Soon, his voice came from above. “The door in the middle of the second floor is open!”

Xiuming hurried up. Sure enough, the middle door on the second floor now stood ajar.

They exchanged glances, then stepped inside.

At that very instant, as Xiuming and Cui Kaixuan entered, a shadowy figure glided silently up from below...