Kaleidoscope of Death

CHAPTER 37: XU JIN'S OLDER SISTER

If this were the real world, the full moon would only appear once every month. However, this was the world beyond the door, a mysterious place where reason and rationality didn't exist. According to the what they've experienced these past few days, they were practically reliving the same moments. Every day, they ate the same meals, visited the same places, and listened to the tour guide speak the same lines.

The next morning, the floor of their room wasn't covered with bloody handprints, and Lin Qiushi's suspicions were confirmed—only on the night of the day they went to visit the pagodas would Xu Jin quietly sneak out in the middle of the night and tear off her skin.

Today, they were going to visit the area surrounded by towers again.

Ruan Nanzhu decided that he would bring out the drum from the pagoda this time. Although this was rather risky on his part, he was left with no other choice since there were no other leads as of this moment. With that being said, he could only take action and hope for the best.

After hours of journeying on foot, they finally reached the group of towers.

Sure enough, the tower that had previously transformed into a bone pagoda, once again, returned to its original appearance. The spire of the pagoda extended far into the sky, reaching past the clouds; almost half of it was shrouded by the heavy mist atop this mountain wilderness.

Before Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu's group headed straight for the top of the pagoda, they handed Xu Jin over to Li Dongyuan, with the excuse that the tower was too dangerous for a girl like her. Since Xu Jin was often afraid, they said it was best for her to remain below for now, under someone else's protection.

Xu Jin opened her mouth in response, seemingly wanting to go with them, but Li Dongyuan interrupted her. Smiling gently, he reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her, "Don't worry. Just wait for them patiently down here with me. They'll be just fine."

Xu Jin nodded hesitantly.

After the matter with Xu Jin was settled, Lin Qiushi and the others proceeded to advance towards the roof. During their climb, Ruan Nanzhu started, "Remember the mural we saw before that incident yesterday?"

"You're referring to the one in the room, right?" Lin Qiushi couldn't forget even if he wanted to.

"Yes," replied Ruan Nanzhu, "I thought a lot about the message behind the mural last night, and I think I finally understand it now."

Lin Qiushi wondered, "So what does it mean?"

As they discussed amongst themselves, they eventually reached the top of the pagoda. Just when they rounded the corner, Cheng Qianli, who was walking up ahead, suddenly halted. Although he didn't utter a sound, Lin Qiushi could clearly see the overwhelming terror filling his wide eyes.

Startled, Lin Qiushi's heart began to beat wildly, and he asked in a whisper, "What's wrong?"

"There... someone's there..." Cheng Qianli stiffly turned his head, immense fear leaking from his voice. "On the drum...someone's sitting..."

Lin Qiushi stepped forward to get a better view, and was soon met with the same sight that paralyzed Cheng Qianli to the spot. It was a woman sitting atop the small red drum. Although the woman's back was facing them, they knew exactly who it was just from the other's clothes.

It was Xu Jin, who was supposed to be downstairs with Li Dongyuan!

Xu Jin was currently half-kneeling on the drum, and her posture seemed disturbingly deformed, abnormally crooked. She slowly raised her hand.

Seeing that she was just about to knock on the drum underneath her, Ruan Nanzhu shouted, "Xu Jin, your older sister is searching for you—"

Suddenly, Xu Jin paused, her hand suspended mid-air.