Chapter 84: The Fragrance of Death
Under the dim, seductive light, Xiao Mei's enchanting eyes fixed intently on Liu Fugui.
His heart pounded wildly, and he quickly averted his gaze from her scarf.
Thankfully, Xiao Mei didn't seem to notice anything unusual. She hummed softly and reached out to wrap her arms around his neck flirtatiously.
"Why did you run off so quickly last night? Have you found someone new and don't like me anymore?"
"No, no, I had an emergency," Liu Fugui stammered as he inched toward the window, avoiding her touch with a nervous smile. "Xiao Mei, I'm a bit thirsty. Could you get me some water?"
"Water? I've prepared something much better for you today, guaranteed to quench your thirst!"
Xiao Mei giggled, threw him a seductive glance, and sashayed into the bedroom.
In the past, this would have thrilled Liu Fugui, exciting every cell in his body. But now, all he felt was fear.
He quickly pulled the curtain back slightly to signal to Lu Fei and Tiger outside.
Through the glass, Lu Fei gave him an encouraging thumbs-up.
Liu Fugui's heart settled just a bit as he nervously sat on the sofa.
"Hey, you! How do I look?"
Her coy voice floated from the bedroom.
Liu Fugui looked up and froze.
Xiao Mei emerged in a strikingly provocative set of lingerie, with scant fabric and thigh-high black stockings. A fluffy tail dangled from her lower back.
The red floral scarf around her neck looked oddly out of place.
"You... you look great."
Despite knowing she was not human, Liu Fugui couldn't help but gulp at her alluring figure.
Outside, Tiger's eyes widened, and he nearly had a nosebleed.
Even Lu Fei felt a rush of heat.
It wasn't surprising that Liu Fugui fell for her so easily.
Xiao Mei knew how to work her charms. While her face was ordinary, her figure was anything but.
"Come here, I'll give you a massage."
She leaned against the doorframe, holding a small glass bottle of massage oil and beckoned seductively.
"Alright..."
Liu Fugui instinctively stood up, then shivered and caught himself. "How about we do it on the sofa?"
"Oh, you want to try something new, huh? Naughty!"
She chuckled and moved over, her hips swaying as she approached.
"Take off your clothes."
Liu Fugui glanced at the window, where two pairs of eyes peeked from behind the curtain.
"Old Liu, do as she says for now. Don't provoke her," Lu Fei's voice whispered through the earpiece.
"Alright."
It sounded as though he was replying to both Lu Fei and Xiao Mei.
He took off his shirt, exposing his pale, flabby belly, and lay on the sofa, tense with fear.
"What about your pants?" Xiao Mei pouted, her red lips pursed.
"I'm too tired today. Just massage me like this," Liu Fugui stammered out, desperately searching for an excuse.
Fortunately, Xiao Mei didn't seem suspicious. She giggled, climbed over him, and straddled his back.
"Tired? Don't worry, you'll be full of energy soon."
She uncapped the bottle and poured the dark brown oil onto her hands.
A strange fragrance filled the room.
"How does that feel?"
Xiao Mei's delicate hands glided across his back, her gaze filled with a twisted affection.
"Feels... nice..."
Liu Fugui's taut muscles relaxed, his face blissfully content. In an instant, he seemed to forget all his fear.
"What's that smell? It's so fragrant," Tiger muttered outside, moving closer to the window as if entranced.
The scent filled their nostrils. Lu Fei felt his head spin and an uncontrollable restlessness spread through his body. He quickly focused his internal energy to clear his mind.
As his mind cleared, Lu Fei's face darkened.
"There's something wrong with that massage oil!"
Tiger was now repeatedly swallowing, eyes glassy as he leaned further toward the window, on the verge of exposing himself. Lu Fei swiftly tapped his forehead with a burst of energy.
Smack.
The sharp sound snapped Tiger back to reality.
"Hmm?"
Inside, Xiao Mei looked up at the window, a hint of suspicion on her face.
The curtain fluttered slightly, but outside was dark and revealed nothing.
A moment of doubt passed over her face, but she returned to her task, pressing her hands firmly over every inch of Liu Fugui's back to ensure the oil covered him completely.
Outside, Lu Fei and Tiger hid behind the curtains, hearts pounding.
They had narrowly avoided being caught.
After a moment, when it seemed nothing was amiss inside, they cautiously peered through the window again.
Now fully aware, Xiao Mei appeared less alluring and more unsettling.
The peculiar fragrance saturated the room.
Xiao Mei massaged Liu Fugui with an odd smile, her eyes fixated on him with a predatory gleam. Every so often, she licked her lips, as though preparing to devour a meal.
The scene, which should have been seductive, instead sent chills down Lu Fei's spine.
"Old Liu, are you okay?"
"Old Liu?"
He whispered, trying to rouse Liu Fugui, but there was no response. The man was completely enraptured, oblivious to everything.
The reaction confirmed Lu Fei's suspicion, and he frowned.
"This isn't good—it's corpse fragrance."
In other words, Xiao Mei was using corpse oil!
Corpse oil was a substance created by cutting the jaw off a dead pregnant woman, burning it with a white candle, and collecting the drippings.
Utterly depraved!
It rendered its victim powerless to resist, ensnared by the one who applied it.
No wonder Liu Fugui couldn't resist Xiao Mei's calls. This wasn't something sheer willpower could overcome.
Obtaining such a substance meant Xiao Mei was no ordinary being.
Lu Fei's temples throbbed.
Now he knew why Liu Fugui was so affected, but the bigger mystery remained unsolved.
What exactly was Xiao Mei?
Squinting, Lu Fei focused on her neck.
The red scarf was tied tightly around it, and she occasionally scratched at the covered area, as if it itched.
Other than that, she looked perfectly human.
Without Liu Fugui's account, it would have been impossible to imagine she could take off her own head.
What kind of being could remove its head and continue to move?
"We need to make her take off her head," Lu Fei thought.
As he pondered, he noticed Xiao Mei stop her massage. A satisfied smile curled her lips, like a chef admiring a finished dish.
She leaned down, cradling Liu Fugui's face in her hands, and brought her red lips close to his mouth and nose.
Danger!
She was about to drain Liu Fugui's life force!