The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 35: Gu Family’s Village

A few minutes later, the five of them walked out of the forest and were met with the side ridge of the Li Mountain. It sat there like a slumbering giant against the backdrop of the bluish gray sky. Night would soon fall upon the quiet valley.

They found a dried pond. On its left was a farming field circled by bamboo fences, and it had been fallow for so long that weed had claimed it completely.

Beyond the pond and the field was a small village. A dozen and more shabby houses made of mud bricks scattered along the declining slope toward the bottom of the mountain like stairs.

A winding cobbled path connected the front yards of the houses until it reached the top of the slope, where a structure of black bricks and white roof tiles sat. They could somewhat tell that it was a traditional ancestral hall.

The five of them made it past the field along the dirt path circling the pond, arriving at the entrance to the village.

Night had driven away daylight. There was no one in the village, and all they could hear was the chilling wind, the faint chirps of insects, and strange noises they could not identify.

Officer Huang took out a flashlight to light the cracked stone stele under his feet. The word ‘Gu’ had splintered. It looked like a bad omen.

“Wait, wait...” Fat Jun paled, his throat constricting. “I...I suddenly feel ill. I may go crazy any second. Why don’t I return to the basement of the villa and tie myself up? I’ll stay put.”

Gao Yang was getting goosebumps as well. This was an empty village where a terrible homicide and a strange disappearance of all its residents had taken place. Now that they had gotten this far, however, they had to push ahead, for the effort they had invested if for nothing else.

With one hand in his pocket and the other hand holding a flashlight, Wang Zikai sauntered ahead, kicking the bamboo basket in his way with no trace of fear at all.

Qing Ling’s expression was impassive as usual, but her eyes and movement made it clear that she was wary.

“Are you really that scared?” Officer Huang asked Fat Jun.

“There’s something wrong with this place, Officer Huang.” Fat Jun looked around wildly like a bird scared by arrows. “A fortune teller told me that I’m the kind of person who attracts impure beings, and that I should avoid places with too much yin energy. This is a perfect example of that. It’s discomforting...”

“I don’t believe in spirits. You can go back if you’re scared.” Officer Huang didn’t force him to stay.

Fat Jun turned back to check the direction they had come from. There was no light source in the sky, and the resulting darkness seemed teeming with countless dangers. While he was still hesitating, the other four resumed their advance. Left on his own, Fat Jun felt as if the air around him had dropped a few degrees in temperature. With a shudder, he quickly caught up to the others. “Hey, wait for me...”

All five of them walked up the hill and soon reached the ancestral hall at the edge of the village.

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It was built against a bluff. The front door was guarded by two small fierce-looking stone lions. The cyan brick walls were covered in moist moss, and the black finish of the door was peeling off. Above it was a plaque obscured by dirt and spider webs. It took some straining to make out the words written in traditional Chinese: Gu Ancestry Hall.

Officer Huang walked up to the black door and grabbed one of the lion door knockers, carefully knocking thrice.

Thud, thud, thud.

The dull sounds echoed in the dark, ancient and profound.

“We’ve knocked on the door. It should be okay for us to enter, right?” Officer Huang turned to ask Fat Jun.

Fat Jun was trying and failing to hide his big body behind Gao Yang. His round face popped up as he said, “Don’t, don’t ask me... How should I know?”

Officer Huang inserted the brass key into the lock. “Yes, this is the right door.”

He took a deep breath and turned the key. The soft crack sounded thunderous in their ears.

This can’t be good, Gao Yang thought.

As expected, Officer Huang smiled bitterly and explained, “I think the key broke.”

“Get out of the way! Stop faffing about!” Wang Zikai was eager for action. He rushed forward and kicked the door open.

Bam! His kick was so violent that half the door broke off and topped to the ground, making a puff of dirt rise up.

“Son of bitches! Your grandpa is coming[1]!” Wang Zikai charged in headlong.

Everyone else exchanged a look before catching up to him.

Inside the door was a square courtyard surrounded on all three sides by two-story buildings. It was the kind of architecture only seen in the past. Above them was a skylight. Faint luminance streamed down to the courtyard, right onto the abandoned well.

The well was facing the opened door of the ancestral hall.

“That’s it? Where’s the enemy? Lizard monsters?” Wang Zikai stood under the skylight with a foot on the wall of the dried well, visibly disappointed.

Officer Huang threw Gao Yang a glance. “Do you know how to use a gun?”

Gao Yang shook his head. Then he was reminded of something. “But I have Replicate.”

“Alright.” Officer Huang handed him a handgun.

Gao Yang took it and held Officer Huang’s hand at the same time.

A second later, he had successfully replicated Officer Huang’s level 3 God of Firearms. Knowledge about firearms, experience in shooting, and all kinds of muscle memories rushed into his mind.

He held the gun with his right hand and pointed it down, opening the magazine to check the bullets before loading it again. There was no pause in the series of actions.

“It’s a type 92 handgun with 15 bullets and an effective range of 50 meters,” said Officer Huang. “Don’t waste the bullets.”

“Actually...my Replicate can only be used for three seconds.” Gao Yang smiled bitterly.

“That’s...short,” Officer Huang said in surprise.

Wang Zikai guffawed. “That’s right! Men should aspire to be long-lasting!”

Gao Yang gave him an eyeroll. I’m regretting saving you!

“Let’s hope that we won’t face any difficult enemy.” Officer Huang threw Fat Jun a glance. “Or things we can’t even comprehend.”

Gao Yang and Qing Ling each held their weapon of choice and covered Officer Huang as they advanced into the ancestral hall.

The interior wasn’t anything special. There was a wall cabinet for memorial tablets, covered by a piece of thin white sheer. On top of it was another plaque that read, May the merits of the past pass down to future generations.

In front of the cabinet of memorial tablets was an altar, on which was a candle that hadn’t been burned down, some incense ash, and a few empty plates for tributes.

“Gu Huawen, Gu Huawu...Gu Rongjie...Gu Changxue...” Wang Zikai lit the memorial tablets with his flashlight and read the names from bottom to top.

“Stop it! Stop it already!” Fat Jun quickly ran out of the ancestral hall.

“Loser!” Wang Zikai snorted derisively.

“A family has been killed here, Brother Kai!” Fat Jun was overwhelmed with fear. “Then everyone in the village disappeared! These people must be vengeful spirits now. Are you trying to summon them here?!”

“Hm, that reminds me of a movie I’ve watched.” Wang Zikai stroked his chin. “Is it called A Wicked Spirit? Or An Evil Ghost[2]? Anyway, it’s about a vengeful spirit killing everyone in the village...”

“Enough with that.” Gao Yang stopped Wang Zikai. If this went on, Fat Jun wouldn’t be the only one shuddering in fear.

In fact, Gao Yang had sensed that something was wrong the moment they walked into the ancestry hall, like something was watching him from the dark. However, the system showed that his Luck points hadn’t seen abnormal increase when he accessed it, which meant that there was no incoming danger yet.

He turned to Officer Huang. “What do we do?”

“What did White Rabbit tell you?”

“Find the door for the key,” Qing Ling repeated White Rabbit’s words, “And have a tour.”

“We’ve had a tour. What else are you waiting for? Let’s get out—” Fat Jun blanched before he could finish his sentence. “What’s that sound?!”

Swish, swish, swishswish—

Everyone heard the strange noises. It sounded like countless snakes were quickly slithering through the ancestry hall in the dark.

“Holy! It’s a ghost...” Fat Jun ran out of the ancestry hall with his hands holding his head.

“Stop!” Gao Yang shouted, but it was too late.

Swish, swish, swish! Countless strands of black hair shot out of the dried well at the center of the courtyard. Under the dim moonlight, they looked like clusters of seaweeds thriving at the bottom of the sea, fanning out messily and filling the courtyard. The next second, they rushed toward Fat Jun and wrapped around him, turning him into a human rice dumpling in the blink of an eye.

“Help...” Fat Jun’s eyes widened as he desperately reached out toward Gao Yang.

But it was too late.

1. In China, shit talk between men often involves calling someone your son and grandson or calling yourself their father or grandfather. ?

2. Reference to A Wicked Ghost, a Hong Kong horror film. ?