Chapter 34: An Extra Person

Chapter 34: An Extra Person

Upon hearing Lin Qiushis statement, Ruan Nanzhus thin lips moved in an attempt to speak, but Lin Qiushi immediately raised his hand in a stop gesture, giving the other no chance to object. He interrupted, You and I both know youre not in the best condition right now. Furthermore, if you go up and something happens to you, what are we supposed to do then? Besides, you cant always accompany me through the door worlds.

Ruan Nanzhu grew oddly silent at Lin Qiushis words. After a few tense moments had passed, he swiveled around and pointed at Cheng Qianli, Youre going up with him.

Surprisingly, Cheng Qianli didnt raise any complaints, and he obediently agreed.

Xu Jin looked like she wanted to interject, but in the end, she never spoke up. She had truly wanted to persuade Lin Qiushi from going, but no matter how long she wracked her brains for any excuse to stop him, her mind kept coming up blank.

With the matter now settled, the four quickly found the wooden ladder near the temple. Standing at a height of more than ten meters, the ladder was almost as tall as the temple.

So, this is it, huh? Lin Qiushi reached out with his hand and firmly pressed on the ladder, ensuring it was sturdy enough to support both him and Cheng Qianli.

Mhm. Ruan Nanzhu added, If anything happens or if you feel somethings wrong, come down right away. Your safety should be your number one priority; focus on staying alive, and nothing else.

With the nod of his head, Lin Qiushi stepped on the wooden ladder.

The wooden rack looked fairly old, but fortunately, it was decently strong and stable; it didnt feel as though it would collapse under them as they climbed it.

As Lin Qiushi took slow, cautious steps, ever-so-carefully making his way up, he directed a question at the young boy, Cheng Qianli, youre not scared of heights?

Cheng Qianli: Im not scared of anything but ghosts.

With that, Lin Qiushi was rest assured; he thought everything would be fine. Cheng Qianli could instantly think on his feet and respond to stressful situations quite well. At the mere age of 16, this boy was at the peak of his youth, overflowing with energy and quickly reacting to anything. In fact, had the boy not narrowly grabbed and protected Lin Qiushi when he was shoved off the ladder as they were climbing up the same platform last time, Lin Qiushi surely wouldve died.

The winds grew even fiercer the higher up the ladder they went, forcing Lin Qiushi to reduce his speed. As he steadily advanced forward, he surveyed the area, assessing the situation around him.

The ladder was no less ten meters tall, leading to a wooden platform connected to the top of the temple. While positioned at the highest point on the ladder, he was able to behold a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding scenery. Whether it was the magnificent temple or the mysterious jungle, everything was clearly captured by his eyes. Although he had already seen the same sight when they were at ground-level, looking at the scenery from this angle was a whole new experience, allowing him to genuinely appreciate such a beautiful view.

Seeing that Cheng Qianli was close to reaching the top as well, Lin Qiushi glanced down at the kid and reminded, Once youre here, be careful.

Cheng Qianli bobbed his head and hummed, Okay.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Qiushi braced himself as he hoisted his body directly onto the platform. He had originally thought there would be half-devoured, decaying corpses; however, he discovered that the platform was empty of what hed expectedthere was nothing.

Well, that wasnt necessarily correct; there wasnt exactly nothing. To be precise, the corpses had been utterly devoured, from their hair down to their bones. Only the gory puddles of concealed blood, messily caking the platform and dripping through the cracks on the floor, revealed the grisly horrors that had transpired.

The roof of the temple shouldve have been visible from where Lin Qiushi was standing on the platform; however, within moments, a thick layer of fog blanketed the terrain, cloaking everything in his sight; before long, the scenery before his eyes turned hazy, distorting like a mirage.

Lin Qiushi stepped aside, giving way to Cheng Qianli.

Once Cheng Qianli stepped onto the wooden platform, he gave his surroundings a quick once-over, only to be rendered speechless. The despondent fog that had unexpectedly creeped up on them left him frozen in place, frightened out of his wits, Its only noon, but this fog

He spun around to face Lin Qiushi, a look of panic swept over his face, Are we still going through with this?

Lin Qiushi hesitated for a moment, before peeking downwards.

Both Xu Jin and Ruan Nanzhu were intently watching them from down below. Seeing that the two had climbed onto the platform, they waved at them.

Because they were too far away, he couldnt make out their expression clearly, but he somehow sensed they were filled with worry and agitation.

Yeah. Lets go. Lin Qiushi swallowed hard, and determination glinted in his eyes Its just as sister Zhu Meng said, we need to take risks in order to survive.

En. Cheng Qianli grunted in assent.

The two cautiously treaded forward, gradually approaching the roof. Eerie music drifted to their ears, resounding throughout the air. The nearer they got to their destination, the louder and more piercing that inhuman song became. It was as if the person playing the instrument was within arms reach.

At long last, Lin Qiushi crossed over from the platform to the roof of the temple.

Upon stepping onto the roof, Lin Qiushi paused slightly. The was something different about the ground; the surface beneath his feet felt a bit off, rather strange.

Cheng Qianli presumably held the same thoughts as him, for he suddenly began stomping on the ground, Fuck my life. Please dont tell me this is what I think it is.

Who knows. Lin Qiushi grimly replied. In any case, this roof is far from normal.

The surface of the roof was neither too hard nor too soft; if they had to describe it, it was more elastic and tensile, like a springy trampoline. According to what they concluded about this temple earlier, if the entire temple was the body of the drum, then shouldnt the roof of the temple, which technically represented the top of the drum, be made of human skin too?

Having now confirmed their suspicions, Lin Qiushi and Cheng Qianlis faces became twisted, their expressions darkening with solemnity.

At a steady pace, Lin Qiushi marched onwards, only to discover that each step he took generated a clear, reverberating sound of a percussion. It was the same sound he heard the day before yesterday, just before the rain of blades poured down from the skies.

So, it wasnt that someone was playing the drum, but that someone was actually running across the roof instead?

In the depths of this thick, ominous fog, the sound of music guided them. Although the temple wasnt exactly enormous, Lin Qiushi felt as though he had been wandering aimlessly for centuries. No matter where he turned to look, all he would see was hazy mist; it was like there was nothing else around. Just when Lin Qiushi began doubting whether he was simply circling the same spot, a different image emerged before his eyes.

It was the shadow of someones back. A young girls silhouette.

Long black hair cascaded down her back, veiling most of her body. With her figure shrouded, it was almost impossible to identify the other, but Lin Qiushi immediately recognized her by her clothesshe was wearing the same exact clothes as the girl he saw in the illusion.

Where are you? The young girl called out. She repeated, Where are you?

Lin Qiushi and Cheng Qianli held their breaths in. They were both aware that the girl before them couldnt possibly be human.

Where are you? She was the source of that music. The girl seemed to have perceived their arrival, for she abruptly stopped playing the instrument. She then uttered, Someone has come.

She slowly turned her body around, revealing her entire self.

A face without skin. Strips of flesh and tissue flimsily hanging from her cheeks. Blood dyeing her face scarlet, ever-so-often dripping to the ground. Both eyeballs carved out, leaving black holes in its place. Such a harrowing sight couldnt be described in mere words. She cried aloud, Its so painful.

Lin Qiushi didnt dare waste time. He promptly grabbed a dazed Cheng Qianli, quickly pulling the other to his side, and whirled around to make a fast escape.

Cheng Qianli had long been scared shitless by this nightmarish scene; his entire body was stiff, and his eyes, vacant. With Lin Qiushi forcefully hauling him away, the petrified Cheng Qianli had no choice but to numbly follow.

The two ran like hell; their feet pounded on the rubbery surface of the roof, each footstep issuing a crisp beat of the human skin drum.

Its so painful. The young girls voice rang from behind them. Once again, she called, Where are you?

The sound of the drum grew louder and louder, nearer and nearer, gradually increasing in tempo. Lin Qiushi felt as if an oppressive weight was crushing his body, forcing him to the ground. His body was on the verge of collapse, and he fought for breath, desperately gasping for air in between his heavy pants. He pushed his body to the extremes, but he still couldnt force himself to run faster. The agonizing pain from a lack of oxygen assailed his body, causing him to choke For the first time in his life, Lin Qiushi realized just how weak and burdensome his body was.

Lin Qiushis strength was failing him. His body grew unbearably exhausted, and he grew sluggish, his pace slowing down greatly. He threw a sharp glance behind him, but didnt spot the young girl who shouldve been chasing after him.

Huff huff huff. His heart was racing wildly, pounding roughly against his chest. Hunched forward, he breathed in violently, sucking as much cold air into his lungs. Just when he finished catching his breath, he heard a soft voice.

The voice came directly from his back. The little girl whispered, Why arent you beating the drum?

Lin Qiushi stiffly turned his head, only to come across a grotesque face with two bloody, abyss-like holes staring deeply at him.

Kek kek kek kek! Caught off guard by this hideous sight, Lin Qiushis bent over in a fit of coughing; the wracking coughs violently tore into him, increasing in intensity with each passing second. His body stumbled forward and he fell to the ground, hard. His outstretched hands braced against the floor in an attempt to alleviate the impact, only to come into contact with elastic skin.

It was extremely supple to the touch. And warm, just like the temperature of a living human being. Lin Qiushi lowered his head, trying to calm his palpitating heart and stop himself from coughing. The girl behind him laggardly heaved her body towards him, freakishly crawling until she was right in front of him.

Where is she? The girl asked, crookedly cocking her head to one side. It was as if those were the only things she could say. Its so painful.

Sweating profusely, Lin Qiushi looked up, directly facing the little girl and finally getting a closer look at her appearance.

The young girl had no legs; they had been ripped off. With her missing limbs, she could only crawl with her hands, sluggishly dragging her bloodied upper half across the ground. Her skin had been savagely peeled off, exposing the festering, deep red textured flesh, raw pink tissue, and viscous blood underneath. Her eyes had been cruelly dug out, leaving behind two gory, cavernous holes with residual pulp. As of this moment, those black, gaping holes were watching Lin Qiushi indifferently, awaiting his answer.

Lin Qiushi suddenly recalled the writings in the diary. He swallowed hard, his thick spit painfully sliding down his throat, before replying to the girl, She is looking for you.

The girl fell silent.

She has always been looking for you. Lin Qiushi tentatively continued, As long as you both exist and until one of you leaves this worldshe will always be looking for you.

The girl straightened her body, then stretched out her hand and furiously slapped the surface of her drum.

Meng Yu: Well, you arent exactly wrong.

Soon after, the four returned to their rooms. After quickly washing up, they crawled into bed. Since Ruan Nanzhu had already decided earlier that day to sleep on Lin Qiushi bed for the night, Cheng Qianli was forced to sleep by himself.

Xu Jin had long grown apathetic to this situation. Constantly witnessing those two people scatter dog food in front of her caused her to grow numb. She didnt seem to be in such high spirits today. She barely said anything the entire day, and even now, she fell asleep faster than usually after tucking herself into bed.

Just when Lin Qiushi thought Ruan Nanzhu had fallen asleep, the other leaned closely into him, his warm breath tickling his ear, and murmured, What are your thoughts on the tour guides words today?

The others might be right. Lin Qiushi whispered back. Something might happen tonight

I believe otherwise. Ruan Nanzhu said. But Im not certain. Well see after tonight.

Lin Qiushi tenderly caressed the top of the others head, How are you feeling now?

Ruan Nanzhu hummed indolently, Much better. Now, go to sleep.

Okay. Lin Qiushi shut his eyes.

Whenever Ruan Nanzhu slept next to him, Lin Qiushi slept so peacefully, and tonight was no different. Lin Qiushi slumbered through the entire night and didnt wake up once until the next morning.

The one who looked as if he didnt have a restful night was Cheng Qianli. With dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, he commented, Big brother Linlin, youre really brave, you know that?

Lin Qiushi: How so? What do you mean?

Cheng Qianli was beyond gobsmacked, What do you mean by what do I mean?! Dont tell me you forgot all about the bloody handprints we saw under the bed yesterday?!

Lin Qiushi: Whoops, looks like he really did forget. Nevertheless, he still acted as if he didnt just completely trash that horrifying memory out of his mind. With false sincerity, he solemnly declared, I havent forgotten; how could I ever forget about something that important?

Cheng Qianli: Werent you scared?

Lin Qiushi, who was unreservedly lying through his teeth without so much of a blink of an eye, confidently responded, Would being scared solve anything? He firmly patted Cheng Qianli on the shoulder and offered heartfelt words of encouragement to the boy, You must be brave!

With wide eyes sparkling with pure admiration, the simple-minded Cheng Qianli gasped in sheer awe, before vigorously nodded his head, unaware that he had just been fully deceived.

After Lin Qiushi gave the boy a meaningful pep-talk, he guiltily sneaked over to Ruan Nanzhus side and meekly whispered, Hey Nanzhu, did you also remember the bloody handprints from yesterday?

Yeah, grunted Ruan Nanzhu.

Lin Qiushi: Were you still able to fall asleep next to me? Werent you afraid?

Ruan Nanzhu expression showed that he didnt have a single clue as to what Lin Qiushi was talking about; with a slight look of confusion on his face, he replied, Im not afraid of ghosts. Im afraid of what the source behind the bloody handprints could do to you.

Lin Qiushi: As expected, this big brother was truly worthy of being called Boss.

Because of the tour guides ominous words yesterday, insufferable apprehension had corrupted everyones minds. It was only after everyone gathered in the morning, only to find that the so-called victim hadnt appeared, that their minds were at ease.

There were thirteen people yesterday, and there were thirteen people today, not more nor less.

Thank goodness. That tour guide really gave us a heart attack. Someone within the crowed breathed a sigh of relief.

Yeah. Fortunately, there isnt one less person. One after another, everyone began thanking the heavens, their reassured voices resounding throughout the room.

However, Lin Qiushi noticed that after discovering the number of people hadnt decreased, a dark expression clouded Ruan Nanzhus visage. He didnt touch his breakfast like usual, and his eyes trailed over to the crowd, scrutinizing every person.

Whats the matter? Lin Qiushi was slightly taken aback.

It wouldve been better if someone died. Ruan Nanzhu growled, in a foul mood. I didnt expect to encounter something this troublesome again.

What do you mean? Lin Qiushi was bewildered.

Ruan Nanzhu offered a short explanation, Vital NPCs generally do not lie.

Then At Ruan Nanzhus statement, Lin Qiushis eyes widened in realization, You mean to say that one individual amongst the thirteen of us isnt human?

If someone died yesterday, things wouldve been much easier to handle. Ruan Nanzhu ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. Unfortunately, that isnt the case anymore.

He picked up a glass of water and took a sip, Now, things have gotten even more complicated. How annoying.

This matter was indeed quite troublesome. Four days had already passed since they came here, yet Lin Qiushi didnt even clearly remember everyones faces, let alone their names. Needless to say, trying to find who amongst them wasnt human wasnt going to be an easy task.

Seeing that nothing happened the night before, everyone seemed very optimistic and carefree.

With the exception of Ruan Nanzhu and Meng Yu, of course.

At first glance, the grave expression marking Ruan Nanzhu and Meng Yus faces were somewhat similar. Their brows were drawn together in a slight frown, and their eyes flashed with faint indifference and pensiveness.

Within moments, the twos line of sight collided with each other. Without missing a beat, Meng Yu casually stood up and sauntered over to Ruan Nanzhu, directing his usual gentle smile at the other, Would you mind coming outside with me for a small chat?

Not at all. Ruan Nanzhu answered with a professional smile of his own. Turning to his side, he told Lin Qiushi, Wait for me for a while. Ill be back soon.

Thereafter, he left with Meng Yu.

What happened? Cheng Qianli and Xu Jin, who were coming back after grabbing some breakfast, ran into Ruan Nanzhu and Meng Yu as they were heading out. The boy didnt hear what Ruan Nanzhu said earlier, so naturally, he was unaware of Ruan Nanzhus forbidding suspicion. Like everyone else, he rejoiced at the fact that no one had died yesterday night.

Lin Qiushi had originally wanted to update him with this news, but he suddenly hesitated. In the end, he decided it was best to leave the boy in the dark until Ruan Nanzhu returned, and simply said, Meng Yu had something to tell him.

Oh, okay. Cheng Qianli distractedly bobbed his head, no longer asking any questions.

Xu Jin took a seat beside Lin Qiushi and curiously probed, Big brother Linlin, the two are spending time alone. Arent you jealous?

Lin Qiushi: Jealous? Why would I be jealous?

Xu Jin Well, arent you and Zhu Meng

Were just friends. Lin Qiushi cut her off.

Xu Jin: Friends???

Lin Qiushi: Its just a platonic friendship Cant a man and a woman just be friends?

Xu Jin fell silent, before saying, Big brother Linlin, you truly are a good man. Its just that youre a bit too foolish and forgiving.1

After a few minutes had passed, Ruan Nanzhu and Meng Yu returned, grimness no longer showing on their faces. Although their expressions didnt carry any smiles, they certainly seemed to be in a better mood than before.

So, what did you guys talk about? Cheng Qianli nosily wondered.

Ruan Nanzhu: Children shouldnt speak unless spoken to. Just why is this child always asking so many questions, aiya. He then turned to look at Lin Qiushi, Would you like to know what we were discussing?

Cheng Qianli: This is too much, ah

Lin Qiushi timidly nodded.

Ruan Nanzhu slyly narrowed his eyes, the corners of his mouth drawing a lovely arc. Kiss me, then Ill tell you.

Lin Qiushi was struck dumb: Hah???

Bitterly clenching her fists and averting her gaze, Xu Jin hatefully glared at the ground, sorrow and longing raged inside her.

Translators Comment:

Idk if its just me, but whenever Im reading/translating Xu Jins parts, I cant help but want to rooot for her, lol.

1Original: . The literal translation is Its just that your hairs a bit green. This is referring to a green hat or the act of being cuckolded. This is part of an expression that translated into something like: To live a decent life, you must have a little green on your head. It pretty much means as long as youre tolerant and close your eyes to certain stuff, you will lead a happier life, which is basically the equivalent of ignorance is bliss. Chinese explanation: Link 1 || Link 2