Chapter 38: Leaving

Chapter 38: Leaving

The creatures that ran out of the temple soon returned, lugging along someone they knew very well. It was as Ruan Nanzhu had figured; Xu Jin was stealthily trailing after them in the jungle.

Cutting a sorry figure, she was captured by several monsters and dragged out of the jungle against her will. A mix of pure horror and panic colored her features, and plaintive cries for help spilled endlessly from her mouth. If it werent for him witnessing the disturbing sight of her peeling her own skin in the middle of the night, Lin Qiushi mightve tried to save her. But now, he didnt move a single muscle; he merely watched on as the monsters hauled Xu Jin all the way to the top of the wooden platform and shoved her before the skinless young girl covered in blood.

Save me! S-save me, ahh Having caught sight of Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu standing beside her, her first response was to beg for help. Snot and tears messily streaked her face, and she looked to be seconds away from fainting.

Ruan Nanzhu stared at her indifferently, not even moved in the slightest.

Xu Jin desperately wanted to escape from the monsters clutches, but her hands and feet were bound. The little girl on the platform supported her body with her palms, sluggishly crawling towards Xu Jin. She then extended her arms and pressed her blood-stained hands on the others face, her fingers curling into claws, Give it back to meGive it back

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! A mournful shriek ripped out from her throat. Like a rabid animal, Xu Jin struggled like crazy when she saw the girl paste her palms onto her skin. The girls fingers dug deep into her flesh; soon after, the girl separated her hands, pulling outwards with force, and a crisp ripping sound reverberated in the airjust like that, Xu Jins skin was torn apart.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! NonononoBig sister, stop it, ahhhhh!!! Any ordinary person wouldve long been dead after this, but Xu Jin was still resisting, fighting back with all her might. In fact, she seemed to be regaining strength with each passing second, and the deep fear in her eyes gradually began to subside, soon replaced by another intense emotion Lin Qiushi clearly recognizedextreme reluctance.

At long last, Xu Jins skin was completely ripped off. Caressing the skin in her arms as though it was a precious treasure, the little girl tittered gleefully; her piercing laughter oozed with sheer delight.

Xu Jins gaze fell on the broken drum, and the burning resentment in her eyes grew ever stronger, Why are you doing this? Didnt you already agree to give it to me?! You promised me

Shut up, you liar! The skinless girl viciously roared, murderous wrath engulfing her. The drum beneath her thrummed violently, issuing a thunderous bang. She was incredibly furious, seemingly wanting to eat the person before her alive until nothing was left. Oh, my little sister. My dearest, most beloved little sister. Have you any idea how much Ive suffered searching for you far and wide? Just where have you been? Where were you?!

Xu Jin, who had also become a skinless creature like her sister, couldnt seem to answer her older sisters questions. Even now, she looked so much older than the little girl; no one wouldve guessed they were twins from their appearance.

Fortunately, youve returned. Youre finally back now. As she spoke, she carefully straightened out the flimsy skin she had peeled from Xu Jin, and gingerly put in on her own skinless body. Pure bliss overcame her features, as if she finally got to wear a long-awaited wedding dress. My dear little sister. Have you ever, even for a brief second, missed me after you left me like that?

As soon as that strip of flesh came in contact with the girls body, it began transforming and merging with her, gradually being fitted to her figure. The shape of her body began to change, and from a gory, skinless monster, she soon became a lovely young girl. Now, the little girl looked exactly like the twins Lin Qiushi had seen on the photograph Xu Jin had taken from the diary.

As of this moment, Xu Jin and her sister had completely switched positions. Xu Jin was naked, her flesh exposed and her eyes flaring with bitterness and unwillingness, but she simply could not go against the person before her.

Now donning her new skin, the young girl giggled delightfully and scrabbled around Xu Jin. She ordered the monsters to make Xu Jin kneel before her, then raised her hand and gently stroked the top of Xu Jins head. She laughed mirthfully, Do not be afraid, my dear little sister. Ive prepared so many great things for you. As long as you come back, big sister here will forgive you. Take a look As she said this, she enthusiastically clapped her hands.

Lin Qiushi felt the ground beneath his feet quake. He lowered his head, only to be startled at the sight of the human skin surface underneath him start to squirm and pulse. The masses of skin that were stitched together to create this temple roof began to issue groans of pain, as though alive; it was as if the original dying souls were now trapped inside those gauze-like strips of flesh, now forced to breathe and live a tortuous nightmare.

Kekeke The girl let out a satisfied smile at the anguished moans. She gripped Xu Jins head, and said with a brilliant beam, Hurry up, and show them some gratitude. If not for them, how could I possibly find you?

Naturally, Xu Jin refused to give any thanks. After all, if it werent for Lin Qiushi and them taking her drum, she wouldnt have chased after them all the way here and have been caught by her older sister.

Hurry up, and speak. Speak! The girls smile gradually morphed into a crazed, sinister expression. Why are you so quiet now, huh? I thought you loved to run your mouth, hm? I said, speak! She aggressively seized Xu Jins arm and tugged sharply, nearing tearing off Xu Jins arm.

Xu Jin screamed in pain, and trembling hatefully, she choked out, Thankyou.

Kekekeke. The girl began laughing, once again.

Ruan Nanzhu said, Now that youve found her, wont you tell us where the door is?

The girl nodded at his words, before extending her hand towards Ruan Nanzhu, Give me that bone flute. That is my bone. She then tenderly stroked Xu Jins broken leg, pity filling her eyes. My dear little sister, your bones. Where have you hidden your own bones?

Xu Jin shook her head, I havent hidden them anywhere. It was those people who got rid of them.

The girl abruptly stopped laughing; her face grew stoic, utterly emotionless. The look in her eyes grew incomparably cold as she stared down at Xu Jin, and she frostily spat, Since that is the case, I will lend you some bones to use in the meantime. Once they are all dead, I will chop off their legs and give their calves to you.

Xu Jin remained silent. Currently, she had no skin on her body, so they could barely make out any features or expressions on her ghastly face, but Lin Qiushi was certain that she was completely afraid and spiteful now.

The young girl retrieved the bone flute and flicked her wrist, cutting through the surface of the thrumming drum below her body, and revealing the black, iron door concealed underneath.

If you will. The girl gestured with a polite smile.

Ruan Nanzhu approached the iron door, fished out the key, and opened it. A small slip of paper fluttered to the ground the moment he unlocked it; Ruan Nanzhu instantly reached down to pick it up.

Lets go. With that, Ruan Nanzhu stepped into the open door.

Cheng Qianli followed after him. Lin Qiushi was the third in line, but just when he planned to enter the door, the young girl suddenly ran to his side and smacked his back, hard.

Lin Qiushi was taken aback for minute, until he heard the little girl say, She likes you a lot, so I dont like you at all.

His back was stinging from her slap, but he didnt dare stay there any longer; without missing another beat, he stepped through the door.

After passing through an endless tunnel, the three of them finally returned to reality.

Although he finally managed to come back to the real world, Lin Qiushi felt awful. Just when he was about to open his mouth and say something, a burst of dizziness struck him. He staggered backwards, his mind spinning and his vision blurring, and crumpled to the ground.

*****

Darkness. Boundless darkness. After drifting aimlessly in this cold, dark void for eternities, Lin Qiushi was finally embraced by the advent of light.

As soon as he awoke, he caught sight of Ruan Nanzhu holding his phone, quarrelling with someone on the other end. Unlike in the door world, the Ruan Nanzhu in the real world was constantly expressionless and impossible to argue against; his tone was deadpan, his words, scathing and sly, and his attitude, unbearably domineering. Within seconds, the caller was left speechless, unable to reply.

You woke up? When he saw that Lin Qiushi was awake, Ruan Nanzhu hung up the phone.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

Lin Qiushi nodded groggily, What happened to me

Ruan Nanzhu explained, Acute pneumonia. You were nearly taken to the ICU.

Because he was struck before he left the other world, Lin Qiushi expected to fall ill or become injured, but he certainly didnt expect the repercussions to be so severe.

That little bitch. Ruan Nanzhu was in a foul mood. But at least we got some benefits out of that.

Lin Qiushi repeated, Benefits?

Ruan Nanzhu took something out of his pocket and handed it to Lin Qiushi.

It was a thick journal, and its cover looked rather familiar. Lin Qiushi turned it over in his hand, only to realize it was the diary they had found at the top of the pagoda. Surprisingly, Ruan Nanzhu was able to bring it out with him.

Lin Qiushi opened the journal and flipped through the pages, only to see that the contents had changed. Now, there were beautiful, vibrant paintings that seemed to be telling a story. If not all, the material of the pages seemed to have changed, as well. The pages felt like somewhat like sheepskin to the touch, but based on their experience in the door world, Lin Qiushi guessed the pages probably werent made from sheepskin

Normally, you cant take objects from the door world out to the real world. Ruan Nanzhu added, However, there are some exceptions. Certain items, like the stud earring on your ear or the notebook in front of you, can be brought out; all of the items that can be taken from the door world are very special.

Ruan Nanzhu nodded in understanding, then left.

Lin Qiushis parents divorced when he was in grade school, and they left him, both of them deciding to live with their new families in the end. He practically grew up with his paternal grandmother. When he left for college, his grandmother passed away, and he no longer cared for anything. He felt that everything had left him; there was nothing else tying him down to this place, no more lingering feelings left behind. This was one of his main reasons for moving into the city; because he had no fond memories of his so-called hometown.

A few days later, Wu Qi actually stopped by the villa Lin Qiushi was living at, planning to stay for the weekend. When he came to the doorstep, he seemed to be carrying something to defend himself with. Filled with suspicion and apprehension, he warily followed Lin Qiushi into the living room.

Chen Fei and the others all knew that Lin Qiushis friend was coming over. Upon seeing the other tiptoeing around with his guard up, they couldnt help but want to laugh aloud.

But that brat, Cheng Qianli, was really asking for a beating. As soon as Wu Qi came in, he ran to the door in a flurry and shut it closed, before turning to Lin Qiushi and hissing, How could you just bring someone here unannounced.

Lin Qiushi:

Cheng Qianli: Ahem, so those of us here mainly focus on building our business offline, as it is far easier to recruit capable members that way. Now then, friend, are you interested in making some easy money? Come this way, I shall teach you how to

The suspicion in Wu Qis eyes grew deeper, and the speechless Lin Qiushi didnt know whether to laugh or cry.

Thankfully, Cheng Qianlis older brother appeared at this time. He approached the other and instantly gripped his ear, pinching hard. With a wooden expression, he turned away. Before leaving, however, he apologized to Lin Qiushi and his companion, Sorry, it appears that I forgot to lock up my familys fool.

Cheng Qianli constantly yelped in pain, but he didnt dare go against his older brother. And just like that, the weeping Cheng Qianli, who felt unbelievably wronged at the unfair treatment he was receiving, was dragged upstairs by his older brother, with Toast joining in the fun, loudly whining and yowling in excitement as he trotted happily beside them.

Lin Qiushi tried introducing everyone to each other, Wu Qi, that just now was my friend. He really likes joking around. Anyways, these are my roommates. And this person, right here, is my friend, Wu Qi.

Chen Fei and Yi Manman greeted Wu Qi with a friendly smile, before going back to doing their own things. Wu Qi inspected the house for a while, but he didnt seem to find anything particularly suspicious or concerning. Nevertheless, he still held some doubts, so he insisted on going upstairs to have a quick look. Along the way, he asked Lin Qiushi whether he was taking any specific lessons or workshops to learn more about how the business operated.

Lin Qiushi: No, why would I be taking any lessons? Ive already said its not a pyramid scheme or some grand multi-level marketing operation; theres no shady business going on.

Are you really telling the truth? Wu Qi narrowed his eyes, Then why havent you contacted me for the past month?

I was sick. Lin Qiushi explained. I had to stay in the hospital for a while As a matter of fact, under normal circumstances, his injuries and symptoms wouldve left him recuperating in the ward for three to five months. But it mightve been that the doors changed his bodys constitution, allowing him to recover rather quickly. No more than a month passed before he was discharged from the hospital. The doctor who was attending him during his time there was astonished, exclaiming that Lin Qiushis case was a medical miracle; he even asked Lin Qiushi if he was interested in participating in some clinical trials.

His mind stubbornly set, Lin Qiushi adamantly declined, and the doctor expressed great regret at this. With a heavy heart, he reluctantly let the other go, but not before telling Lin Qiushi that he should immediately return and find him if he ever changed his mind about participating in some medical research studies.

Lin Qiushi could only smile wryly in response.

Why didnt you tell me you were sick? Wu Qis temper sparked after hearing the others story. Lin Qiushi, do you really think of me as your friend?!

Lin Qiushi knew that he was in the wrong, so he hurriedly apologized. It took a long while before Wu Qis anger died down.

As the two continued their mindless conversation that was filled with misunderstandings and miscommunications, the entrance door to the living room was opened, once again. Ruan Nanzhu had come back from outside, and following behind him was a young man, seemingly no older than the age of 20. The young man looked like a child-like doll, incredibly cute and adorable.

Big brother Ruan, is this a newcomer? Chen Fei asked upon seeing the visitor.

En. Ruan Nanzhu briefly introduced the other person. Zhang Mian.

Zhang Mian seemed to have quite the friendly and cheerful personality. He beamed at everyone and greeted them one by one.

Ruan Nanzhu instructed, Chen Fei, you go up with him and give him a lesson first; be sure to show him the ropes around here.

Chen Fei voiced his understanding, before standing up and leading the newcomer upstairs.

Lin Qiushis focus was still on the newcomer, when he suddenly realized the conversation between Ruan Nanzhu and Chen Fei sounded extremely fishy, especially to an outsiders ears. He instantly swiveled his head to face Wu Qi, only to find that Wu Qis expression had long become ugly. Didnt you say you werent taking any lessons here?

Lin Qiushi: Now, how exactly was he supposed to get out of this mess?

Just when Lin Qiushi was running out of excuses and explanations, Ruan Nanzhu walked in their direction. He stopped directly in front of Wu Qi and held out his hand, Ruan Nanzhu.

Wu Qi, who was only 176 centimeters1, was like a feeble mouse in the presence of Ruan Nanzhu, who towered at the height of 190 centimeters2. He grasped Ruan Nanzhus hand in his own and introduced himself, Wu Qi.

I am Lin Qiushis friend, and I can assure you that I will take very good care of him. You do not have to worry about anything. He spoke very naturally, as if he had rehearsed those lines plenty of times before. He slightly raised his chin, Youre also very welcome to visit here anytime.

Wu Qis voice cracked as he gave his thanks.

After finishing his statement, Ruan Nanzhu turned to look at Lin Qiushi. He nodded, then turned on his heels and left the area. For hours, Wu Qis eyes lingered on where he last saw Ruan Nanzhus figure; he didnt utter a single sound the entire time. Finally, he exhaled deeply, Now, Im officially convinced that you havent been caught up in any schemes or shady businesses.

Lin Qiushi: Now you believe me?

Yep. Wu Qi nodded. Does someone who looks like that need to engage in shady businesses or pyramid schemes?

Lin Qiushi: Youre saying Im not good-looking enough?

Wu Qi: No matter how good-looking you think you are, youre still average. But him, on the other handhes literally a national treasure! In fact, precious treasures cant even compare to him, ah!

Lin Qiushi found himself unable to refute. Ruan Nanzhus appearance was indeed different from those of ordinary folks. If Lin Qiushi had to describe it, the other resembled a divine jade statue, flawlessly carved and sculpted to perfection. Every feature of his, from the corner of his eyes down to his sharp eyebrows, seemed to have been elegantly painted on. He was truly as beautiful as a jade, and his grandeur was simply captivating, like a rainbow that always left people in awe at its magnificence.

Although it was difficult to explain what had just happened, in any case, all of Wu Qis suspicions were instantly dispelled. Lin Qiushi made a scrumptious meal for Wu Qi the others in the villa as an apology for disappearing so suddenly.

The newcomer who came with Ruan Nanzhu also sat at the table with them. He had a very outgoing character. Fortunately, he and Chen Fei seemed to have discussed matters in private, so he didnt ask questions that should not have been asked in front of Wu Qi.

After eating, Lin Qiushi saw his friend off, and released his built-up tensions; he was incredibly relieved in his heart.

Lin Qiushi had very few friends, and Wu Qi was undoubtedly one of his closer ones. He naturally did not want their relationship to be ruined, nor did he want them to drift apart because of such a trivial matter.

After seeing Wu Qi off, Lin Qiushi finally had the time to chat with the newcomer, Zhang Mian. Lin Qiushi realized that it was Zhang Mians first time entering the door world, and, just like Lin Qiushi, he somehow encountered Ruan Nanzhu.

Ruan Nanzhu, evidently, took advantage of the time Lin Qiushi was recuperating to take several trips into the door worlds.

Lin Qiushi simply couldnt fathom why the other would frequent the door worlds so much. Nevertheless, he had a hunch that the reason had something to do with Ruan Nanzhus eleventh door.

Translators Comment:

Do keep this in mind as you read further into this story. Mental health is not something that should be made light of, nor should it be easily dismissed. Whenever the author mentions mental health disorders and psychiatric hospitals, she is not necessarily making light of itafter all, its not as though she believes everything she writes about. However, the unfortunate truth is that there are many people who believe mental illnesses do not exist, and are very reluctant to talk about it or seek professional help. After all, to society and most cultures (particularly Asian ones), mental illnesses, like depression, are culturally taboo subjects, a sign of weakness and shame. Of course, that stigma should not be an excuse for any inappropriate behaviour towards those with mental health issues. If you or anyone you know is suffering from mental health issues, there are many ways to get help. Remember, mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, and many people are also willing to listen and offer their support. No one should be ashamed or afraid of seeking help, speaking out, and destigmatizing mental illness.

Now, regarding this arc, unlike that Wang girl in the first door, who was actually a human participating in solving the mystery of the door but somehow got possessed by a ghost, Xu Jin, herself, is the mystery of the door. So, for those who were somewhat rooting for Xu Jin like mesorry, she isnt a possessed human, but the door itself, and she and her door are sealed now that our gang of three completed her tale.

1Around 59, for those who are more familiar with the imperial system.

2Around 63