Chapter12: A close call

"That's right. The streamer has fallen into the hole..."It took me over ten seconds before my feet finally touched solid ground again. The nearly vertical pit was about three meters deep, with small hand- and footholds dug into the walls at intervals for climbing."I should be on the first floor now." The space at the bottom of the pit was narrow, but I could hear the sound of wind, so I wasn't worried about suffocating.Crouching down, I carefully groped forward, keeping the talisman close to my body.Without the camera, Liu Banxian wouldn't be able to know my situation immediately, so I could only rely on myself now.Raising my arm, the faint glow from my phone screen became my sole guide. Its illumination extended only a few dozen centimeters ahead, and I was terrified it might suddenly reveal a face staring back at me.I hadn't crawled far when the wall to my side recessed inward. Turning my head, I saw a double-faced Buddha statue carved into the wall.One face looked kind and benevolent, while the other was menacing and fierce. I had no idea which deity this represented. Taking a quick photo with my phone, I continued forward.After crawling for more than ten meters, I finally saw a faint glimmer of light. I turned off my phone and approached quietly, concealed in the darkness."Old man, there's a lot of noise from Room 203. That young man probably won't make it out alive.""Serves him right for getting involved with that troublemaking woman.""Ah, such misfortune..."The conversation was faint. I crept closer, eventually seeing the scene ahead: a fork in the underground passage. One path led into deeper darkness, while the other connected to the first floor of the inn.Standing inside a room were the elderly couple, mixing cement and sealing off the passage that linked the underground tunnel to the first floor."Seal it up. Let's never do this kind of thing again.""Dear, I still want to see our son one more time.""That brat won't come back. Sigh..."Lying flat in the tunnel, I barely dared to breathe. It was evident that the couple had dug the tunnel. But why?After they left, I stood up, turned on my phone, and headed toward the other side of the fork.The ground was muddy and damp. At the end of the path was a shallow well covered with wooden boards.Lifting the heavy boards, a putrid stench immediately assaulted my nose."Oh my God!"Inside the well, a dark mass came into view. For the average person, the natural response would be to close the lid and leave. But not for me.This stench—I'd smelled it before at crime scenes. It was the smell of corpses.Turning my phone brightness to maximum, I finally saw the source of that dark mass: not moss or algae, but tangled hair and partially decomposed bones.My face turned pale as I estimated the number of victims based on the scattered skulls visible amidst the hair."There are at least four bodies!" My scalp tingled as I fought back the urge to vomit. Covering the well again, I hurriedly returned the way I came. "Call the police! This is a major crime!"Stumbling and tripping, I sprinted back toward the vertical shaft, climbing up the footholds with all my might.But before I could reach halfway, I heard the sound of a door opening above."Xiao Feng?"Looking up in confusion, I locked eyes with a face at the shaft's opening.A horrifying scar marred the man's face. "It's that old man!""Damn it!" My escape route blocked, I released my grip and jumped back down, turning to run toward the fork. "The passage to the first floor isn't fully sealed yet. That's my way out!"I sprinted wildly, kicking away the wooden boards the old man had used to cover the opening, and emerged into a room connected to the tunnel.The room was cluttered with miscellaneous items, with two sealed iron barrels in the corner. Without stopping to inspect further, I dashed toward the door.Grabbing the doorknob, I pulled it open—only to see the stout elderly woman standing in the hallway."I was wondering why I smelled something foul earlier. So, you lifted the well cover," she said, a meat cleaver gleaming in her hand. "I'm waiting here for my son, so I'll have to trouble you to stay quiet!"She swung the cleaver. I slammed the door shut. "I'm screwed. Trapped from both sides. If I don't die by ghosts, I'll be killed by humans instead.""Bang!" The old woman furiously hacked at the door lock. From the tunnel came the sound of the old man's approaching footsteps. Surrounded and exhausted, I was completely at a loss.Time ticked away, despair brewing. Just as the scar-faced old man emerged from the tunnel, the sound of police sirens blared outside the Peaceful Inn."Inside! We've received a report of illegal activities here!"Ten minutes later, I was crouching with my hands over my head amidst the chaos in the Peaceful Inn. Although disheveled, I wore a relieved smile that even the SWAT officer watching over me couldn't stand."Be serious. This is a major case!""Understood, understood."Ironically, my rescue was thanks to a viewer who reported the inn for illegal activities. Just as I was cornered, police arrived like divine intervention.Hearing the commotion, I cried for help. With their assistance, the elderly couple was apprehended.What followed was an all-night operation by the city's police department. The Peaceful Inn was sealed off, and the investigation team worked tirelessly until morning to gather evidence and arrest the couple.Bathing in the morning sunlight, I had never felt more elated. "What a night..."Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification from the Hell Show app:"Live-stream task: Survive the night in Room 203 of the Peaceful Inn—completed. Scoring begins...""Live-stream task completed: 1 point earned; peak viewers exceeding 100 for the first time: 1 point earned; first-time total gift value exceeding 100 Nether Coins: 1 point earned; completing the Underworld's commission: 1 extra point earned.""Total score for this live: 4 points.""Underworld's commission? Could it be about bringing justice to the victims and resolving the vengeful ghost's grievances?" Recalling the phone call from the woman at the beginning of the task, I wondered, "Was this live stream her commission?"To this day, I am still unsure whether ghosts truly exist. I've tried to use logical reasoning to explain everything I encountered last night, but with my limited knowledge, it's impossible to make sense of it all."Streamer points: 4 in total. Would you like to redeem items? Currently available options include:100 grams of pure gold (genuine, fair trade; costs 1 point)Five drops of premium ox tears (apply to the eyes to gain the ability to see ghosts; costs 1 point)Amulet of Fulfillment (a legitimate talisman; note: wear the chain around the neck with the amulet hanging at the chest; do not hang it on the waist or pocket it; costs 2 points)Fortune-enhancing charm or love-seeking charm (costs 1 point)Heaven's Eye Manual (a guide to developing various clairvoyant abilities such as tracking, judgment, foresight, x-ray vision, and remote viewing; costs 3 points)Meihua Divination Manual (partial copy; costs 3 points)Materials for crafting a Kuman Thong (costs 4 points)..."There was an array of items, but one immediately caught my eye—Heaven's Eye Manual.Don't ask me why—I absolutely won't admit it was because of the words x-ray vision. "If this thing works as effectively as the talismans, wouldn't I be able to, hehe...""With 4 points, I'll redeem the Heaven's Eye Manual and 100 grams of pure gold."This was the first time I'd ever sent a message to the Hell Show. The response was swift: "622843... Remember this account number. We've opened a personal account for you at Jiangcheng(River city) Central Bank. All redeemed items have been placed in your personal safety deposit box. The password is your date of birth.""Your next live-stream task will be released in three days. Please keep an eye on your inbox."Thus, the first live stream for the Hell Show finally concluded. Though questions and regrets remained, staying alive was the most important thing.I had already given my statement to the police last night, so I should've been free to leave. However, the SWAT officer watching over me made no indication of letting me go."Officer, I'm just an ordinary citizen. If there's nothing else, can I leave now?""Captain Tie specifically instructed us not to release you without her permission. Sit tight and behave yourself.""Captain Tie? Isn't Captain Zhang in charge of the Criminal Investigation Division? We've had drinks together before. No need to make this so formal."Because of my unique line of work, I'm well-acquainted with the Criminal Investigation Division. Sharing a drink or two isn't unusual."Captain Zhang was transferred. Captain Tie is now in charge. Let me tell you, she's nothing like Captain Zhang. Be careful, or she might throw you into a cell."The SWAT officer, who was barely in his twenties, practically radiated admiration whenever he mentioned Captain Tie.But I'm no rookie. Having weathered countless storms, I'm not easily intimidated.Stretching my stiff legs, I teasingly said, "Every time you mention Captain Tie, your eyelids twitch, and your eyes roll upward. It's as if you're imagining her in your head. Let me guess—you have a crush on her? Is Captain Tie a woman?""You're observant. What a waste you're not a cop," came a clear, crisp voice behind me, like a cool mountain spring."Captain Tie!"Turning around, the first thing I saw was a pair of polished women's boots. Since I was squatting, my gaze traveled upward, lingering on a strikingly exaggerated hourglass figure, and finally settling on a breathtakingly beautiful face with a faint, enigmatic smile."And you are?""Gao Jian. Remember that love letter from five years ago?"Racking my brain, a name surfaced from the depths of my memory: "Tie... Tie Ningxiang?"She was my senior by one year at the police academy, widely acknowledged as the campus beauty—more stunning than even Ye Bing.As for the love letter, it was actually a misunderstanding. During freshman year, I had bet with someone to write a love letter to the reigning campus queen, Tie Ningxiang. However, the letter was confiscated by our drill instructor and ended up being read aloud in front of the entire class.Frankly, I never expected her to remember. To me, it was just a silly prank."G-good day, Senior!"The honorific slipped out naturally; back in the academy, many lined up just to get a word with her."Were you the first to discover the bodies?""Yes.""Oh." Pretending to be casual, Tie Ningxiang asked, "What were you doing in a place like this in the middle of the night?""Live streaming is trendy these days. I wanted to start a paranormal-themed show. This remote area seemed perfect for the vibe."Tie Ningxiang's sharp eyes scanned me from head to toe before a faint, soul-stirring smile appeared. "The report I received says the police were responding to allegations of illicit activities. Care to explain?""I..." Speechless, I couldn't organize my thoughts before two officers escorted a pale and trembling Xiao Feng out of Room 203."Officers, he was with me last night," Xiao Feng said weakly, wrapped in a blanket. "He's so bad! I can't even stand now.""What the—misunderstanding!" Feeling the piercing stares of everyone around me, I couldn't defend myself."Anything else to say?" Tie Ningxiang tilted my chin with her handcuffs, her tone gentle but commanding. "Junior?""Well..." Overwhelmed by her imposing aura, I awkwardly replied, "If I said she was possessed by a ghost and we fought all night, would you believe me?""Cuff him! Take them all to the station!"...After giving two separate statements and undergoing technical verification, it was confirmed I hadn't done anything improper. Only then did Tie Ningxiang let me go.As for the Peaceful Inn's hidden corpse case, it remains under investigation. Due to the time lapse, many clues have been lost, making evidence collection challenging.Initial findings suggest the elderly couple only handled the corpses—the true killer is likely their son, Lu, who left for work a year ago.This theory was first proposed by me. Why? Because I once answered a similar question during my Hell Show interview, and in that scenario, the murderer was also a psychopathic son.In front of Tie Ningxiang and her team, I couldn't mention the Hell Show. With some evasive reasoning, I managed to justify my deduction, earning their approval.As for when Lu will face justice, that's not my concern. After all, I'm a detective, not a cop.