Chapter 63

Possessed by an Evil Spirit 3: Tales of the Town

Angell and the others arrived at an old, small psychiatric hospital, reputedly quite ancient.

Jiu Yi and the others, learning they were headed to a psychiatric hospital, became disinterested and left midway in their car. Only Angell, Mo Fei, and Aust remained. They left Ais in the car and went to the second-floor visiting room. Aust took out a laptop and played a video for Angell – surveillance footage from the day of the car accident.

The footage was silent, but it was clear the collision was intense, even causing the camera to shake slightly.

"That looks like a pretty serious accident," Mo Fei observed. "Those people must be badly injured, right?"

"Yes, they were all seriously injured, with the least injured lying in bed for half a year," Oss said. "So it strikes me as odd. Generally, those who survive great calamities tend to cherish life more, but it's rare for someone to transform into a completely different, devilish being post-disaster."

Angler smiled and said, "Oss, people's brains are wired differently, and everyone's thoughts are unique. It's impossible for outsiders to fully understand."

Oss shrugged, nodding in resignation – that was indeed the case.

"Who is that person?" Angler pointed to another car that arrived at the scene of Ma Kai's accident and the person who got out, asking Oss.

"Oh, he was a passerby. He called for an ambulance," Oss replied. "Those injured were quite fortunate. Shortly after the accident, a passerby called for help, as they were already incapable of doing so."

"Does that mean they were almost certainly doomed if no passersby had called for help?" Anger suddenly asked.

Smuggling paused for a moment, exchanging a glance with Mo Fei. They found Angler's comment peculiar, as if there was more to it.

"Angler, do you suspect those passersby?" Mofei asked.

Angler crossed his legs and thought for a moment, "Undeniably, if any one of them hadn't received help from a passerby, or if the passerby who came to their aid had been a bit slower, and with countless other coincidences, those who were rescued and eventually possessed by demons might have already died, right?"

Oss paused, then nodded, "Indeed... that's one way to put it."

"That settles it then," Angler said with a smile. "This 'Devil's Bend' is a frequent accident site, but there haven't been any fatalities, right?"

Oss also flipped through his records and said, "Indeed, there haven't been any!"

"It's quite illogical, isn't it?" Angler asked Oss and Mo Fei. "Multiple accidents occur in a row, each resulting in serious injuries, and coincidentally, during that brief golden window for rescue, a passerby happens to be there to help and call the police... I must say, it's incredibly illogical. If it's always such a coincidence, then Devil's Bend shouldn't be said to be possessed by a demon, but rather by a god of luck."

"Uh..." Oss, taken aback, replied, "Angler, that makes some sense... but those who rescued the victims are quite diverse, with no obvious commonalities."

"Both the deceased and the rescuers share implicit commonalities," Angler explained. "The common point among the deceased is that they all had accidents at Devil's Bend, while the commonality among the rescuers is that they happened to be at Devil's Bend to assist those in accidents."

"Uh..." scratching his head, Oss asked, "What does that indicate?"

"Instead of investigating the relationships among the deceased, you might want to look into any connections between the rescuers," Angler suggested with a smile. "The occurrence of continuous accidents in a prone area and the coincidental rescues at the same location... both scenarios are essentially similar in nature."

"The rescuers..." Os pondered for a moment, then picked up some files to review before rushing out to make a call.

With nothing else to do, Anger stood up and walked outside with Mo Fei. Following him to the large courtyard, Mo Fei saw Anger looking up, staring at the hospital's facade in a daze, and asked, "Anger, is something on your mind?"

Anger smiled and said, "Well, Mo Fei, this psychiatric hospital's part-time style is quite unique, a European style from long ago, probably about two hundred years old."

"That old?" Mo Fei, piqued with interest, strolled slowly with Anger in front of the hospital, on the crossroads, and asked, "Why is there such an ancient building?"

"It's not truly ancient, but rather a replica," Anger explained with a smile. "The building looks quite run-down, but in fact, it has only been here for a few decades. You can see the characteristics of that era in its internal structure. The exterior’s imitation of antiquity seems intentional."

"Oh," Mo Fei nodded, taking a closer look at the psychiatric hospital, which resembled an ancient European building, and found it somewhat odd.

"This building reminds me of something that happened a long time ago," Anger suddenly said.

"What kind of event?" Mo Fei asked.

"Hmm, something like a secret auction," Angler replied.

"Secrets can be auctioned?" Mo Fei exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes," Anger nodded and continued, "I was once invited to a small town that, decades ago, became deserted overnight. The townspeople locked their doors and left, never to return."

Anger pondered, then said, "It's undeniable. If any of those involved in accidents at Devil's Bend hadn't been aided by passersby, or if the help had been a bit slower, and considering numerous coincidences, those who were supposedly 'possessed' might have actually died, right?"

Os, after a moment of reflection, nodded. "True... it can be viewed that way."

"Exactly," Anger affirmed with a smile. "Devil's Bend is known for frequent accidents, but there have been no fatalities, correct?"

Os searched through his records and confirmed, "Indeed, no fatalities."

"That doesn't quite add up, does it?" Anger asked Os and Mo Fei. "Numerous accidents, each leading to serious injuries, yet each time, during the critical window for rescue, someone just happens to be passing by, able to save them and call for help... It seems highly improbable that it's always so coincidental. If it's truly that fortunate every time, then Devil's Bend should be known for blessings, not demonic possessions."

Os, taken aback by this reasoning, replied, "Anger, your point... it makes sense, but... the rescuers are quite diverse and don't share any apparent common traits."

"The victims and rescuers share an implicit commonality," Anger explained. "The commonality among the victims is their accidents at Devil's Bend, while the rescuers share the coincidence of being at Devil's Bend to save the accident victims."

Os, scratching his head, asked, "What does this signify?"

"Rather than investigating the relationships among the victims, perhaps investigate the connections among those who rescued them," Anger suggested with a smile. "The frequency of accidents and the frequency of timely rescues in an accident-prone area are surprisingly similar."

"The rescuers..." Os pondered for a moment, then picked up his documents and quickly went out to make a call.

"Haha," Mo Fei couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Anger, you have quite an imagination!"

Anger smiled and responded, "Yes, Mo Fei, this psychiatric hospital's architectural style is quite unique, reminiscent of European designs, possibly around two hundred years old."

Mo Fei pulled Anger to sit down on a long bench and asked, "Anger, did you uncover any secrets?"

"It's not genuinely ancient, more of a replica," Anger clarified with a smile. "The building appears decrepit, but its history here spans only a few decades. The interior structure shows characteristics of that era, while the exterior’s aged appearance seems intentionally created."

"Oh," Mo Fei nodded, taking a closer look at the hospital, which resembled an old European building, and found it somewhat peculiar.

"This building reminds me of something that happened a long time ago," Anger suddenly said.

"What event?" Mo Fei inquired.

"Well, it involved an auction of secrets," Anger replied.

"Secrets can be auctioned?" Mo Fei asked, surprised.

"Yes," Anger nodded. "I once visited a small town that was suddenly abandoned decades ago. The residents locked their doors and left, never to return."

"Were they driven out by something frightening?" Mo Fei speculated.

Anger nodded, "That's why my friend asked me to visit, to investigate what exactly happened there."

"They started an activity to buy secrets?" Mo Fei pondered. "Also to solve the mystery more quickly?"

"Right. They had limited manpower and not much time, so to gather more clues quickly, they needed to involve more people," Anger explained. "That's why they organized this event."

"And what happened then?" Mo Fei asked. "Did you find that secret?"

"I did," Anger affirmed, nodding. "Those people didn't flee the village on their own; they were murdered."

"Murdered?" Mo Fei furrowed his brows slightly, waiting for Anger to continue.

"Those old houses were like a scene of a mass murder," Anger said calmly. "Even though it had been several decades, the brutality and horror of it were unforgettable."

"So the village's destruction was because all those people were killed?" Mo Fei asked. "But where were their bodies?"

"We eventually found a mass grave in the woods behind the village... with about eighty coffins buried there, mostly children and the elderly. All of them were murdered, and that village had only around a hundred people in total."

"Murder?" Mo Fei was shocked. "That's practically a massacre."

"Indeed," Anger nodded. "Later, we went deeper into the forest and found another burial site."

"There were more bodies buried there?" Mo Fei asked.

"Yes, but that site contained only one coffin," Anger revealed. "Inside the coffin was a single person, and the coffin's interior walls were covered in scratch marks."

Mo Fei frowned. "Does that mean the person was buried alive?"

"Exactly!" Anger confirmed. "And on the coffin lid, it was clearly written - 'Murderer', in four large characters."

"Was that person the one who massacred the villagers?" Mo Fei mused. "That's indeed a significant secret."

"Mo Fei," Anger said, "but I believe that man was innocent, possibly wrongfully accused."

"Why do you think so?" Mo Fei asked, puzzled.

"Next to his coffin, it was written that he wasn't the killer," Anger shrugged. "The writing was in black, looking like it was made with blood."

"Did you solve that mysterious case?" Mo Fei inquired.

Anger gently shook his head and said, "Not quite. My friend's unauthorized use of the land drew attention, and eventually, it was sold."

"Really sold?" Mo Fei asked, puzzled. "Even though the case wasn't clear?"

"Yes, sold," Anger confirmed. "The offer was too high to refuse. Subsequently, the entire village was dismantled... leaving nothing but empty land. Everything, including the bodies, disappeared."

"Who bought it?" Mo Fei wondered. "And why do such a thing?"

Anger shrugged, "Reportedly, a successful businessman wanted to relocate the town to create a horror-themed park, something like 'Seven Days of Horror Town.'"

Mo Fei smiled and said, "That's quite an idea."

Anger nodded in agreement.

"Anger," Mo Fei suddenly asked, "why did you think of this story?"

Anger stroked his chin, pausing before speaking, "Mo Fei... the total population of that town was 106. Most of the bodies in the first graveyard were buried together, mainly mothers, children, and the elderly. That implies the burials were organized by family, totaling around 25 families, 80 people."

Mo Fei, a bit startled, said, "So... with only one body in the other grave, does that mean 25 people survived?"

"Exactly," Anger replied. "It suggests one person from each family survived, excluding the one buried alive."

Mo Fei furrowed his brow, pondering.

"It's also possible I'm overthinking it. At the time, I didn't delve deeply into the case due to its age... This current case somehow reminded me of that incident."

"Hmm..." Mo Fei nodded, "It is indeed quite peculiar."

"By the way, Mo Fei, that town had a name, quite fitting for the story," Anger added.

"What was it called?" Mo Fei asked.

"Devil's Bay," Anger said with a meaningful smile.