Chapter 36: The Malevolent Spirit of the Snowy Mountain 06

Chapter 36: The Malevolent Spirit of the Snowy Mountain 06

The knocking soon ceased, and everything fell silent, the outside cloaked in pitch-black night.

Just as Doctor Feng was about to turn and report no one was there, a violent banging suddenly erupted on the window. A blood-covered woman was sprawled at the window, forcefully pounding on the glass, "Bang, bang, bang."

Her sudden appearance startled Doctor Feng immensely, making him jump back and cry out, his voice trembling, "It's that girl! She's back!"

Xiao B immediately pleaded, "Open the door! She must be injured, falling from such a high cliff, please save her!" She begged Doctor Feng.

But Doctor Feng looked towards Pei Yi. Xiao B then pleaded with Pei Yi, "Brother Pei, we can't just let her die!"

The pounding on the window continued, a harrowing and agonizing sound, "Open the door, please! I've lost so much blood... I'm dying... save me, please... I beg you."

Seeing Pei Yi not responding, Xiao B turned to Zhou You, "Zhou You! Please, I beg you."

Zhou You also said, "Maybe it's really her, Brother Pei."

Chen Mo said, "Brother Pei, let's open the door and let her in." As he spoke, he already approached the door, reaching for the handle. Pei Yi grabbed the doorknob firmly, turning to Chen Mo, "Since when are you so proactive?" Chen Mo always deferred to him, but today was different.

Chen Mo replied, "It's not about being proactive, it's about not leaving someone to die. She's right outside the door, just opening it could save her."

Xiao B also pleaded, "Brother Pei! I beg you! Save Xiao A."

If it were the first time, Pei Yi would have been soft-hearted, but this time was different. On the first night, Ying Jun had knocked just like this, and they listened to his calls until four in the morning. But when they opened the door the next day, there was nothing. If Ying Jun was just an illusion, why couldn't Xiao A be an illusion too?

"Everyone, listen to me. I know we're all agitated right now, and I understand, but I can't open the door."

Xiao B and Zhou You asked, "Why?"

Pei Yi spoke firmly, "Because once I open the door, this game is over, and all of us here will die."

As he said this, everyone's face turned pale. Simultaneously, the knocking outside abruptly stopped.

"See, It can hear me," said Pei Yi. "It knocks frantically when it hears we don't want to open the door, and it moved instantly to the window when Uncle Feng went to check. Guess why It can hear us?"

"Brother Pei..." Zhou You said with a trembling voice, "I'm a bit scared. Please stop talking." He was rubbing his arms, goosebumps already forming.

Pei Yi looked around the room, "Because It is watching us every moment. We're alive only because of certain rules. But if we break these rules, It will come in from outside and devour us."

He recited the rule from the wooden plaque, "'If you have no other option, try to stay inside the house.' This is the last rule. What does it mean? Staying inside is safe only if the doors and windows are securely closed. Once the main door is open, the cabin and the snowy mountain outside become one space. This cabin would then turn into a slaughterhouse."

"Although this cabin is like a coffin, it's safer than the graveyard outside."

After Pei Yi finished speaking, the room fell into a silence as still as death, and no one spoke anymore.

The knocking outside stopped again. It was listening to Pei Yi.

Finally, it was Doctor Feng who said, "It's past two in the morning. Let's... let's go to sleep for now, and wait for daylight."

Zhou You couldn't help but chuckle, "Right, right. Let's go to sleep. We'll continue looking for clues tomorrow, and I'm sure we'll break through this."

Pei Yi glanced at the door and windows, then turned back to his room.

Chen Mo followed, casting a final glance at the door before turning off the lights in the hallway.

The four men gathered together, wide-eyed and restless, far from sleep, nearly driven to the brink of a mental breakdown. Then, another knock at the door made everyone jump; they were all too fragile for any more scares.

But this time, the knocking was faint—

"Old Feng! Old Feng!"

Doctor Feng immediately got up, recognizing his wife's voice. Opening the door, she said, "Both Xiao B and I are quite scared, how about the six of us cram into one room?"

"We only have one big bed in our room, how will you all fit if you come?"

Xiao B from behind intervened, "Never mind, Aunt Wu."

Zhou You suggested, "I think it's a good idea. Maybe the two girls can sleep inside, Uncle Feng next to Aunt Wu, and then another guy next to Uncle Feng." This was an opportunity too good to miss.

Pei Yi, seeing the consensus, said, "If everyone agrees, I have no objections."

Chen Mo also chimed in, "I'll go along with whatever Brother Pei decides."

Pei Yi glanced at Chen Mo, now he's listening to him? "Okay. Zhou, you stay here then."

Zhou You winked at Pei Yi, as if to say thanks.

The girls agreed and went into the room. Pei Yi and Chen Mo left to sleep in the neighboring room.

The girls' room was spacious with two beds. Pei Yi and Chen Mo each took one. Far more comfortable than the other bed, Pei Yi thought, even if it meant sleeping alone.

Pei Yi, perhaps finding the silence too unsettling, thought back to when Chen Mo was about to open the door and asked him, "Chen Mo, did Xiao A really fall from the ski slope by herself?"

Chen Mo was silent for a moment before humming in affirmation. "What's up, Brother Pei?"

"Nothing, go back to sleep."

Chen Mo opened his eyes, which shone brightly in the pitch-black night.

The next day, the third day, everyone, having been up all night, didn't wake up until after 9 am. Aunt Wu, being older and a light sleeper, got up early to make breakfast for everyone.

After finishing, she saw her husband had also woken up and called him out. Outside the cabin, it was still deserted, validating Pei Yi's decision the previous night.

"Old Feng, are we really not going to talk about that incident? It's a crime, after all."

Doctor Feng responded, "What about you? We've played so many instances already. Why are you still so rigid? It's all a game. Even if someone dies, it doesn't matter."

Aunt Wu looked sad, "But I feel it's not that simple."

Doctor Feng patted her shoulder, "I know what you're thinking, but this is too mysterious. What if it's all a misunderstanding? It wouldn't look good if we made a fuss."

"But we saw that kid push someone with our own eyes."

"Not necessarily, we were quite far away. Think about it carefully, there's a lot of room for interpretation here. Since we can't be sure, let's not talk recklessly; besides, if it's true, what if he harms us? I can't lose you," said Doctor Feng, holding his wife's hand.

Aunt Wu sighed, "Then let's leave it at that for now."

Once everyone was up, they sat around the wooden table for breakfast.

Zhou You said, "Brother Pei, Aunt Wu mentioned that there was nothing outside early this morning. It shows that last night... cough. From now on, we must firmly follow Brother Pei's instructions without wavering."

Pei Yi replied, "Why stick to me? Just adhere to the party’s leadership... After breakfast, everyone should get back to their tasks. We need to speed up." He feared time would behave abnormally like it did in the Black Tower instance.

Hence the urgency to make haste.

Xiao B ultimately decided to join Zhou You in searching for the tree, while Chen Mo helped Pei Yi. Pei Yi found a pair of iron pliers in the cabin to pry locks. Each group set off on their tasks.

Watching Pei Yi and Chen Mo together, Doctor Feng felt uneasy, fearing Chen Mo might kill again. He felt compelled to caution Pei Yi, pulling him aside, "Young Pei."

"Hmm?"

"Be careful when you go to check the cable car. Don’t go near the cliff edge."

"I know."

Still concerned, Doctor Feng couldn’t help adding, "What I mean is, don’t let someone push you off."

Hearing this, Pei Yi cast a suspicious glance at Doctor Feng, who nodded back at him, "Just be careful."

Pei Yi understood the implication. They only brought a few slices of bread for lunch. At noon, the sun shone fiercely, the snow’s glare dazzling.

They reached the spot where they had seen the snowman yesterday, but now, it was gone.

Arriving at the cable car, Pei Yi instructed, "Chen Mo, go check the other cable cars for any writings or signs; if there are locks, come to me for the pliers."

"Alright, Brother Pei."

The cable car where they had previously found writings was near the cliff edge, just a step away from the snowy precipice. Heeding Doctor Feng’s words, Pei Yi was naturally cautious, especially given Chen Mo's peculiar behavior.

After prying open the lock, Pei Yi jumped into the white cable car and crouched down to examine the words written on the car wall. The words were in English.

This was particularly embarrassing for him, as his English level was equivalent to that of a primary school student.

Regardless, he decided to note them down. They could be a clue.

"When I am dead，my dearest，Sing no sad songs for me;Plant thou no roses at my head，Nor shady cypress tree:"

After copying them, he tried to leave, pushing the cable car door, but it wouldn’t budge. The lock was definitely pried off and shouldn’t be locked now. It seemed someone was holding the door from the outside, preventing him from exiting.

Crouching low, Pei Yi kicked the door twice, but it remained firmly shut.

This was indeed baffling.

Pei Yi stared at the door in disbelief, and soon, something even more bizarre happened. The cable car he was in started moving. The cable made a crackling noise, beginning to slide forward at a very slow pace, moving away from the high cliff and hanging mid-air.

The cable car was actually functioning…