Chapter 135: Awaken, Zhong Xiao Yi!

Chapter 135: Awaken, Zhong Xiao Yi!

Zhong Yi immediately grabbed a phone and entered the password. The device unlocked instantly. Instead of delving into its contents right away, he continued reading the notebook.

"My memory is deteriorating. I realized I need to document everything.

My name is Li Xin, born on November 23, 1989. I'm a police officer. Sometimes I feel like a janitor, but in my lucid moments, I remember I came here to investigate the disappearances at the East Mountain Hot Springs.

There were three others who accompanied me, but their names now escape me. I hope they are safe and have left this place.

Lately, my days have been a blur. Try as I might, I can't recall why I stayed here. The only thing I remember is opening a door one day and seeing footprints made of water.

Perhaps, I shouldn’t have opened that door."

"Oh, I think I uttered a phrase back then. I greeted the footprints that appeared before me."

"It responded."

"It inquired if I was afraid and if I wished to aid others."

"My duty has always been to assist others, so I affirmed my willingness."

"When I snapped back to reality, I noticed a line written by my hand on the ground: 'Stay away from the water.'"

"That was my advice to them. One heeded my warning and steered clear of the water; I believe he survived."

"I also guided the other two on how to escape alive, but my memory of them is hazy. If you happen upon this note, please inform me if they made it out."

"Later, I realized no one could see me, yet I was constantly repeating certain tasks as if I had been doing them forever, even though this was my first time here."

"I documented the recurring events of my days. While my memories as a police officer became clouded, my daily tasks grew increasingly lucid."

"At 5 a.m., it's my work shift. I'd head to the storeroom, don my janitorial uniform, and tidy up the trash generated therein."

"By 6 a.m., I'd push my cleaning cart outside, sweeping the corridors and the plaza."

"Cleaning felt peculiar. Many janitors would repetitively clean the areas I had just finished. Perhaps age has clouded my vision and dulled my agility, leaving spots untouched. They, out of kindness, never addressed this and would diligently clean up after me."

"My colleagues here are indeed warm-hearted and responsible individuals."

"Despite the repetitive nature of the job, I find contentment here."

"Once cleaning is done, I get to rest."

"Important to note, if guests arrive, I need to draft a set of guidelines for tourists in the storeroom and include it in the gift boxes handed to them. It's a task I must complete."

"I wish for their happiness here, guiding them on what's permissible and what isn't."

"I hope they heed my advice."

"It's only fitting to operate within set boundaries, much like I do."

"I’m well-aware of what can and can't be done in this place."

"The notes ended here, with the subsequent writings becoming erratic, characterized by distorted script. Zhong Yi strained to discern them, grasping the essence of a few lines."

"I am not a janitor."

"I am a police officer."

"...Janitor."

"Police officer..."

This page was nearly torn to shreds. After squinting to decipher its content for a moment, Zhong Yi turned to the next page.

The handwriting on this page was markedly clearer and visibly distinct from the previous one. Zhong Yi scrutinized it, realizing it was penned by the same instrument. He even began to suspect that it was the work of the very same hand.

"I am a janitor."

"I am no longer among the living."

"I'm aware of my demise."

"Hence, I can't dine at the restaurant."

"I can't go home."

"I'm confined to this hot spring hotel."

"At least, that's what I initially believed."

"However, one day, hunger gripped me, so I ventured to the restaurant."

"I knew the deceased shouldn't frequent eateries, for if they do, they must consume all that the chef offers."

"Yet that day, the chef had no meal prepared for me; he didn't even acknowledge my presence."

"Perhaps I was still alive? I yearned to visit home."

"But first, driven by hunger, I wanted to eat. At least, when I returned home, my family wouldn't be as anxious about me."

"Tourists arrived, carrying food with them. I could smell its tantalizing aroma."

"Since the chef wouldn't serve me, I contemplated approaching the visitors for a bite."

"It seems I've forgotten certain things."

"A tourist has vanished."

"Fear began to claw at me, but I reminded myself: I am still alive, I didn't do it. Why else would the chef not prepare meals for me?"

The subsequent notes grew chaotic, and for several pages, the disorder persisted. Zhong Yi flipped through them until he finally landed on legible writing.

"I've unearthed some secrets. The recurring disappearances in this hot spring resort are not without cause."

"It wasn't my doing, nor was it the janitor's."

"The janitor and I are anomalies here. Ghosts won't purge us, and we can't turn human either. Consequently, neither humans nor ghosts can perceive us."

"We no longer possess physical forms, existing only as consciousness. When we move, footprints filled with hot spring water are left behind."

"This place isn't the world we once inhabited, nor do I think it's the netherworld. I've heard tales of the underworld's horrors, ruled by malevolent spirits. While ghosts exist here, they lead structured lives. Only one feeds on humans, so this isn't the netherworld."

"I believe we're caught in some liminal space, or a realm deliberately crafted, akin to a barrier—its purpose? To provide premium human offerings for the ghosts."

"Extended immersion in the springs turns one into a ghost. Mostly, the hotel is safe; ghosts show little interest in its inhabitants."

"Or perhaps, ghosts dislike venturing into the hotel, though they'll enter when compelled."

"Ghosts prefer to hunt at night, consuming human flesh but sparing the soul. These souls are reborn in this ghost-crafted world, leading lives unaware of their demise, sticking to their routine."

"However, they can't leave this spectral domain, or at least, I've never seen a soul leave and return."

"The manager is privy to all this. He willingly serves the ghost, enticed by its promise of a new body for resurrection."

"Half of the hotel staff have been consumed. The ghost isn't insatiable; once sated, it remains stationary. I suspect it's disinterested in this world it created, oblivious to its profound mutations."

"Some ghosts, convinced they're human, believe they should expel other ghosts from this hotel they consider home."

"Yet, some humans, deluded into believing they're ghosts, serve the spectral."

"My thoughts are spiraling into chaos. If I could recall my own name, I'd continue documenting my observations."

"My name is Li Xin."

"I am a police officer."

"I hope that what I do can save many more."

Zhong Yi flipped a few more pages, only to find incomprehensible symbols and repetitive mumblings. He kept turning until the last page, where he found a few hastily scrawled lines.

"I must keep it well preserved. Someone is coming, and they will find it."

"I need to hide it, so it can help others."

"#￥%#&&… The ghost has awakened."

Seeing this, Zhong Yi was jolted awake, immediately lifting his head to glance at Officer Xiao Li's phone.

At this moment, he realized there might not be anything useful on the phone, but he still decided to check.

In the notes, Officer Xiao Li repeatedly typed his name and the reason he came to the East Mountain Hot Springs. However, the latest date was a week ago. It seemed Officer Xiao Li had forgotten his own affairs.

Reading this, a thought suddenly struck him.

Most of the staff here are villagers from nearby areas, they wouldn't stay in the hotel but would commute to work as usual.

If that's the case, then the influence of this haunted hot spring hotel might not be limited to just the hotel.

——It might encompass the entire East Mountain Village.