Kaleidoscope of Death

Chapter 74: The Right Apparel

Kaleidoscope of Death by Xi Zixu

With people as mirror, one can gain from loss. But Lin Qiushi didnt know yet what to gain from loss meant from the hint.

After the girl who was burned to death last night appeared whole and hale in the restaurant, Lin Qiushi noticed that, in the restaurant, many people were looking on with unsettled expressions. These were likely those living in rooms close to where the incident occurred, and so had seen everything that happened in the corridor, thus knew that the girl in front of them was not human

As for the culprit responsible for getting the girl killedXia-jie was clearly still unaware of what had gone down.

She was still casually chatting with the girl: Wenjing, how was everything last night? How did you and Xiao Mian sleep? Nothing happened, right?

The girl whod burned to death was named Wenjing, and Xiao Mian was the girl rooming with her.

Nothing, Xia-jie. Wenjings smile was tranquil, and she spoke in a slow and languid tone. Nothing happened at all last night

Xia-jie smiled. Thats good.

The restaurant had been somewhat lively at first. But upon Wenjings arrival, it went a bit distressingly quiet. Those who knew what happened last night all began to leave, casting Wenjing disquieted looks as they went.

Xia-jie seemed to notice these strange glances, and stopped to think. Her expression, once smiling, became a touch more severe and cold. Then she got up, found an excuse, and leftit seemed that when it came to reading the room, she was still quite sensitive.

As Xia-jie went, Wenjing didnt try to stop her, only watched on with a small smile, her gaze hair-rising.

Cheng Yixie said, should we go too?

Ruan Nanzhu nodded. Lets.

Not many people were left in the restaurant, aside from Wenjing, who was taking her time to eat. Only a few people on the thick side remained in their seats, completely ignorant to what was going on, judging by their expressions.

But when Lin Qiushis group got to the door of the restaurant, they heard a fierce argument going on outside.

Lin Qiushi went out to have a look, and found Xia-jie and Wenjings roommate Xiao Mian fighting.

Its your fault, its your faultif it werent for what you said, Wenjing wouldnt have died! Xiao Mian was Wenjings roommate, and had seen Wenjings awful death with her own eyes. She was practically broken down, her weeping woven through with resentment and fury. You want to get us all killed! Wenjings come back now to get revenge on you. Fucking bitch, just you wait!

Xia-jie scoffed, and retorted without any airs of politeness, what are you talking about, I got her killed? Did I know breaking mirrors means death? That mouth of yours can eat whatever it wants but dont talk shit now, missy.

Listening in on their conversation, Lin Qiushi quietly asked Ruan Nanzhu, standing beside him: Does this count as Xia-jie killing Wenjing?

Ruan Nanzhu shook his head.

Then what would count? Lin Qiushi didnt really understand what were judged as murders inside the doors.

Typically it only counts if you did it yourself, Ruan Nanzhu explained. Take them for example. Xia-jie genuinely didnt know that breaking mirrors would get her killed.

Lin Qiushi, "

Ruan Nanzhu, she only gave Wenjing a suggestion. As for whether or not Wenjing wanted to follow that suggestion, thats a different story.

Lin Qiushi supposed this was a loophole inside the world of the doors.

According to this then, people who entered doors could ostensibly murder each otherthey just couldnt do it so flagrantly. At the very least they couldnt do it themselves. But beside killing, it was obvious that there were many other methods to get someone killed.

Oh. Lin Qiushi understood.

Xiao Mian was still crying. She seemed to have known that Wenjing girl outside the door. She said, you liar, you bastard, go to hell! its all your fault, you said youd protect us, you said

Xia-jie, coldly, are you three? You believe what everybody tells you? After she said this, she brushed Xiao Mian off with an irritated gesture, then turned to leave.

But then, Xiao Mian took out a bread knife from her pocket, and plunged it at Xia-jie. Though the knifes edge wasnt sharp, its tip was. If it really stabbed somebody it could absolutely kill.

Xia-jies reaction, at least, was quick. With a dash, she dodged Xiao Mians full-frontal assault. She saw the blade in Xiao Mians hand, and bellowed angrily, you want to fucking kill me? Grabbing Xiao Mian by the arm, she threw Xiao Mian harshly against the wall.

Ah! Xiao Mian didnt seem to be Xia-jies rival at all. Her body slammed into the wall with a loud bang, and then she collapsed slack on the floor.

That wasnt enough for Xia-jie though. She grabbed Xiao Mian by the hair and threw her in another direction. She was very strong. Xiao Mian, at 160, looked practically like a doll in her hands.

Seeing such a sight Lin Qiushi frowned and started forward to interfere, when Xiao Mian suddenly let out an awful scream, and bright red blood began pouring down her cheeks.

At this Xia-jie too froze. She hadnt been planning on killing Xiao Mian, just teach her a lesson. Slowly, she picked Xiao Mians body up, and saw that on the frame of the painting Xiao Mian was slumped against, there was a sharp, oddly placed nail. The back of Xiao Mians head had been unerringly punctured by that nail.

No, no I didnt want to kill you, I didnt want to kill you Xia-jie was panicking now. She released Xiao Mians slack body, and took helpless steps backward. I didnt want to kill you, it wasnt me, it wasn't

Lin Qiushi was bewildered as well. He didnt think things would happen like this.

Fresh blood poured endlessly out of Xiao Mians body. Eyes wide open, she stayed glaring at Xia-jie before her with poison and resentment. And then she stopped breathing.

Xia-jie seemed to lose it in an instant. She kept shaking her head and muttering no as she stumbled away from the restaurant, her expression absolutely frantic.

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Watching this, Lin Qiushi felt quite complicated. He asked, does this sort of thing happen often?

Ruan Nanzhu, not often. He glanced at Xiao Mian. This womans just unlucky.

How unexpected, that Xiao Mian would die in such an incident. He approached Xiao Mian and crouched down, closely inspecting the nail that had killed her.

Now this nail is really interesting.

Lin Qiushi, interesting?

Ruan Nanzhu, it wasnt here yesterday.

Lin Qiushi blinked. Are you sure it wasnt? This corner wasnt a very noticeable location. To be honest, had a person not died here today, Lin Qiushi might never have glanced this way once before leaving this world.

But Ruan Nanzhu replied with utmost confidence, of course. This nail was put in here either last night or this morning Was anybody else at the restaurant when you arrived?

Lin Qiushi immediately thought of Luo Qianshui, whod been here before him.

He answered, Luo Qianshui was here first.

Oh. Ruan Nanzhu got up. Is that so.

Lin Qiushi, shes the one who put the nail here? But

He wanted to ask, at first, why she knew Xiao Mian and Xia-jie would have an argument and fight here that would end with Xiao Mian being shoved against the frame. But on second thought, this was the world of the doors. Nothing seemed improbable here. Nobody whod made it to the ninth door was the kindly sortsomeone using some method to predict what would happen today, and then setting things up accordingly? That surely wasnt impossible to do.

As he thought this, Lin Qiushi actually did spot Luo Qianshui and her brother in a corner.

The two stood amid the spectating crowd, difficult to spot if you werent looking. But, when they met Lin Qiushis eyes, Luo Qianshan offered Lin Qiushi a smile, while Luo Qianshui maintained her usual expression of distaste. Then the two left. Like theyd lost interest in what would happen next.

Ruan Nanzhu got up. We should go too. Theres a place I want to check out.

Will Xiao Mian get revenge on Xia-jie? was the matter more pressingly on Lin Qiushis mind. It had been a while since he started entering the doors, but he hadnt really seen any outsiders become ghouls to get revenge To his knowledge there had only been the once, and this time surely wouldnt be anything pleasant to behold. Will we be involved?

No, Ruan Nanzhu replied. The problems her own.

Lin Qiushi finally felt relieved. He asked, where is it that you want to go?

Ruan Nanzhu said, we havent gone to that burning room during daytime, have we?

Ah.

They returned to the thirty-fourth floor, and found the room that kept burning at night.

By day, this room was no different than theirs. It was simply a totally normal single-bed room.

But once inside, Cheng Yixie began to feel unwell and kept coughing.

You smell something burning again? Ruan Nanzhu asked him.

Mh, Cheng Yixie choked out. Its thick.

Looking around, Ruan Nanzhu flipped out a dinner knife from his pocket, and went over to a corner to start peeling away the wallpaper.

Seeing the knife in his hand, Lin Qiushi was startled. When did you get that?

Ruan Nanzhu, when I ate the egg.

Lin Qiushi had been seated right next to Ruan Nanzhu; he shouldve been able to see everything Ruan Nanzhu did. But he hadnt seen Ruan Nanzhu slip the knife away at all, and looked on exasperated, how come I didnt see it.

Ruan Nanzhu shot Lin Qiushi a look heavy with meaning. The things you dont see can fill a book.

Lin Qiushi had no retort.

Peeling the wallpaper off revealed the charred black wall underneath, confirming that there had been a fire in this room.

Lin Qiushi looked around. To his surprise, he noticed an interesting item.

A bronze mirror sitting beside the vanity.

Mirrors were hardly a rare item in this world, but the mirror before him was the first bronze mirror Lin Qiushi had seen in here.

The bronze mirror was only the size of his palm, rimmed with a flowing cloud design. There was even a little handleintricate and quaint.

Lin Qiushi picked the mirror up, and looked down into it.

Likely due to the difference in make, the reflection inside the bronze mirror wasnt as clear as the ones inside aluminum-coated mirrors, It was blurrier and more distorted.

Lin Qiushi skimmed a hand lightly across the mirror surface, and felt a thin layer of grit. He lifted some to his nose, and it smelled slightly singedit wasnt regular dust, but ashes left behind by something burned.

A bronze mirror? Ruan Nanzhu came beside Lin Qiushi and saw the mirror in his hand.

With bronze as mirror Lin Qiushi muttered the hint, one can right their apparel?

Ruan Nanzhu didnt speak, but took the mirror from Lin Qiushi.

But what does it mean by apparel? Lin Qiushi didnt fully understand. Do you think it can see the things mixed in among the humans?

Ruan Nanzhu cocked his head. Well know it once we try it.

Lin Qiushi, mh

They could do that. They already knew of one problematic person, after all. They also inspected everywhere else in the room. In a corner of a bathroom drawer, Cheng Yixie found a photo with a third of it burnt off.

The two people left in the photo was a woman and a child. The woman was smiling sweetly, holding the child in her right hand. Their poses were similar to what Lin Qiushi had seen that day in the corridor. The portion to the childs right, however, was burnt away. It didnt take much to figure out that it belonged to the childs father.

A family of three lived in the condo, Ruan Nanzhu said. And in the end, they only found two bodies. Where did the last one go? As he spoke, his fingers skimmed the edges of the photo. Theres one more. Where did it go?

No one knew the answer. After the fire at the high rise, nearly everybody around had been swapped out. They knew nothing of the fire. Some people didnt even know this building had once been on fire.

After that, Lin Qiushis group wandered around the high rise. Anyone they recognized, they looked at through the bronze mirror.

But to Lin Qiushis puzzlement, the first one they used the bronze mirror on was the inhuman Wenjing. In the bronze mirror however, there were no changes to Wenjings face. She still looked entirely human.

The dead Wenjing was unchanged, and same with everybody else.

Lin Qiushi couldnt figure this point out. Examining the mirror, he said, unless the mirrors not meant for this?

Ruan Nanzhu, what else can it be for?

Lin Qiushis laugh was pained. How would I know? He carefully pondered the phrase in the hint: with bronze as mirror, one can right their apparel Were they misunderstanding the words in some way? Hang on Apparel?

Right their apparel. Ruan Nanzhu realized the same thing Lin Qiushi did, and even spoke up faster. Did we only look at Wenjings face just now?

Lin Qiushi, lets try again?

Ruan Nanzhu, lets.

So they returned to the second-floor restaurant. But Wenjing, whod been sitting here spaced out, had gone.

We came too late. Lin Qiushi felt some contrition.

Ruan Nanzhu though, was quite certain: No worries, shell definitely turn up again.

What does Wenjing want to do, hiding among the humans like this? Lin Qiushi didnt quite get why she came back. To kill? But didnt you say she cant get revenge?

Ruan Nanzhu said, Wenjing cant get revenge, but whether or not this is even Wenjing, we dont know yet. Potentially, the thing before the wasnt even Wenjing, but a ghoul inside imitating Wenjings appearance.

Lin Qiushi thought this made a lot of sense.

As they spoke, they began heading back to the thirty-fourth floor. The elevator opened with a ding. Lin Qiushi saw that the bellhop whod distributed their keycards was inside, smiling politely at them. Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Ruan Nanzhu replied absently.

Cheng Yixie though, suddenly frowned. His gaze fell on the bellhop, seeming somewhat discomfited.

Noticing Cheng Yixies strange reaction, Lin Qiushi felt his heart jump a beat, and pulled out the bronze mirror from his pocket. Concealing it behind his body, he carefully aimed the reflective surface at the bellhop.

Nothing seemed off. Inside the copper mirror, the bellhop still maintained his professional smile. Recalling what theyd just discussed though, Lin Qiushi slowly began to move the mirror, from the top of the bellhops head, to the shoulders, to the waist Until the bronze surface fell on the bellhops feet.

The image in the mirror finally changed.

Inside the bronze, the bellhops feet were flipped backwards.

Heels in the front, and toes in the back; it was a spine-chilling sight.

Lin Qiushi tensed. Noticing his reaction, Ruan Nanzhu too glanced at the mirror in his hand. He also saw the abnormality on the bellhops body, but his expression didnt change at all, and he continued chatting with the bellhop about this and that.

How long have you been working here? Ruan Nanzhu asked.

Two years now, the bellhope replied. Time really flies.

Ruan Nanzhu, two years? Then were you here when the fire happened?

The bellhop replied, not yet. It wasnt until after the fire that I was hired on here.

With another ding, the elevator doors opened.

The bellhop gestured, inviting them to exit first.

Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu left the elevator. Though he didnt look back, Lin Qiushi knew that bellhop remained in the elevator just silently looking at thembecause the elevator doors didnt close. It wasnt until they got to their room door that Lin Qiushi heard another ding, and the tight clenching in his chest finally loosened.

Its him, Ruan Nanzhu said. I wasnt expecting that.

Typically, key NPCs were never the monsters inside the door. But this time the key NPC was clearly different from those before.

I wasnt either, Lin Qiushi said. Yixie, you smelled something didnt you?

If Cheng Yixies expression hadnt changed, he wouldnt have even thought to turn the bronze mirror on the bellhop. Until moments ago, they had only ever been targeting people who came in from outside the door.

Cheng Yixie nodded. Yeah, theres the burnt smell on him as well.

It would appear that there was more than one way to identify the oddity in this persons identity in this door. The bronze mirror was one. To possess a sense of smell as sharp as Cheng Yixies might mean you didnt even need the bronze mirror to figure it out. Of course, this ability also had a distinct flawthat was, if people were all together all the time, then their scents would be difficult to distinguish.

Do you think that bellhop might be the father from the family of three? Ruan Nanzhu sat down on the bed.

Lin Qiushi shook his head. I dont know, but we cant rule out the possibility.

Ruan Nanzhu let the conversation taper off. He fished out a piece of candy from his pocket, peeled off the wrapper, and stuffed it in his mouth. He mumbled around it, do you guys want one?

Lin Qiushi thought this was a bit strange. Since when did you eat candy?

Ruan Nanzhu, Im quitting smoking, arent I?

Lin Qiushi, why are you quitting smoking all of a sudden?

Ruan Nanzhu, you have liver cancer. He said this very matter-of-factly. I cant be smoking in front of a patient.

Truth be told Lin Qiushi had all but forgotten about his own liver cancer. Most people lived in pain with liver cancer, but he was lucky enough to enter the doorshis body now felt stronger than ever.

Lin Qiushi said, alright, give me one.

Cheng Yixie eyed the candy, and also held out his hand.

So three grown men sitting around the bed began eating fruit-flavored candy, and the room was slowly permeated with a faint, fruity scent.

As for clues to the key, it was still quite uncertain. Lin Qiushi thought that the key had a lot to do with the disappeared father from the family of three.

Ruan Nanzhu agreed with Lin Qiushi, and thought that finding the missing father was their top priority.

As the three were talking, there came a sudden knock at the door. Lin Qiushi went over, and saw a familiar face in the peepholeLuo Qianshan.

Luo Qianshan was standing outside their door alone, smiling at the peephole.

Lin Qiushi twisted around to ask Ruan Nanzhu: Its Luo Qianshan. Should I open the door?

Ruan Nanzhu, open it. He for one wanted to see what Luo Qianshan wanted from them.

So Lin Qiushi opened the door. When Lin Qiushi saw him, the smile on his face grew amused. He said, theres something Id like to discuss with you all. Ahmind if we speak inside?

Lin Qiushi, please.

Luo Qianshan nodded at him and entered the room. His gaze fell immediately on Ruan Nanzhu the moment he entered, though it casually moved away soon after. He said, do you have clues to the key yet?

Ruan Nanzhu didnt bother being polite. If thats what you came to ask, you can leave.

Luo Qianshans laugh was pained. Why so aggressive?

Ruan Nanzhu lifted his chin; looking on, he looked just like an arrogant queen: I never waste my breath on the defeated.

Luo Qianshan had no retort.

To have lost in a fight to Ruan Nanzhu was likely a stain on his lifeLin Qiushi wondered, if he found out the lady before him was a drag queen, whether hed feel better or worse.

Im coming with a genuine offer, Luo Qianshan said. My sister and I found the hint to the key.

Hed thought that when he said this, the three people before him would grow excited. But instead, they only looked, one after another, increasingly apathetic.

Stone-cold Cheng Yixie was a given. Ruan Nanzhu had already witnessed countless storms, and Lin Qiushi had prepared himself, and so thought there was really nothing to be shocked by.

So the one who ended up shocked was Luo Qianshan. He said, isnt there anything you guys want to say?

Lin Qiushi, congrats?

Ruan Nanzhu, oh.

Cheng Yixie said nothing.

Luo Qianshan, He was already contemplating the possibility that the three before him had already found the key

Fortunately Ruan Nanzhus next words dispersed his concerns: Alright, what do you want us to trade for your hint?

Luo Qianshan, I

Before he even said anything though, Ruan Nanzhu was leaning over onto Lin Qiushis shoulder, all fragile and breathy. Lets be clear though, I already have a boyfriend, so dont make any unreasonable demands.

Luo Qianshan, Im not. I dont want. His face twitched. Dont be crazy.

Though the person before him was indeed pretty, whod dare make any moves on her when she had skills like that? Any potential future disputes, it wasnt even clear whod be beating up whom.

Ruan Nanzhu scoffed, you dont know a good thing when you see it.

Luo Qianshan, My bad, I apologize.

Authors Note:

Fixed a bugtotally forgot about the revenge scene from the first door _(:)_

Translators Note:

• 3/15/21: the hints for every door can be difficult to translate with all their double meanings. Ive edited this doors clue in Ch. 71 to be: with bronze as mirror, one can right their apparel; with history as mirror, one can understand the tides of fortune; with people as mirror, one can gain from loss. The Chinese, for reference, is: ,
• Ive also changed hotel server to bellhop because. I finally remembered the word bellhop

Names in this chapter:

• Wnjng / Wen(2) Jing(4) /
• Xio Min / Xiao(3) Mian(2) /