Chapter 50: Stop 22: Song Yuan

Chapter 50 - Station 22: Song Yuan

Simon interlaced his fingers, a crucifix nestled between his thumbs, emitting a faint luster of platinum and white.

His countenance took on a compassionate holiness:

"I cannot see the malevolent spirit within the portrait, but through Mr. Di Chen's and Mr. Meng Liangchen's sacrifices, I realize that the portrait serves as a vessel for the spirit to consume flesh and souls. As long as the vessel remains, the allure for blood and spirits will persist."

"Therefore, I will borrow the power of the Lord to seal the vessel with a curse. This way, even as we pass through mirrors and glass, we will no longer be tempted."

Ruman was somewhat skeptical:

"Will this really work? I'm genuinely afraid someone else might get hurt..."

"If you're worried, you can wear this until Father Simon seals the portrait."

Unexpectedly, Ada pulled out a polished grass ring from her sleeve. Her demeanor remained cold, yet she seemed more lenient towards Simon:

"This is a grass ring I've woven. If an evil presence is nearby, the ring will burn; the closer it is, the faster it will burn. It can harm the malevolent spirit, but if it does ignite, it would be best for you to flee promptly."

Everyone was awestruck as they each received one, but Yan Qiling's was personally handed to him by Ada.

The man seemed surprised by her enthusiasm and, with great composure, slid the grass ring onto his left index finger. He even lifted his hand to admire it, politely saying,

"Thank you very much, I really like it."

Ada couldn't believe it and deeply inhaled the scent in the air, revealing a look of uncertainty and fear behind her black veil. Her light brown eyes, hidden beneath the veil, showed a hint of profound dread.

Lost in her own emotions, Ming Yiyang found this highly displeasing. Unable to contain himself, he turned to Yan Qiling and asked,

"Do you still need this? Isn't the unity ring enough for you?"

The man was slightly surprised and chuckled,

"It can ward off evil spirits, and it's Miss Ada's kindness. It would be ungrateful to decline."

Ming Yiyang became even more annoyed.

He wanted to say that his home was filled with better items; if Yan Qiling wanted to play with them, he could hang them on a Christmas tree.

Yet, he also found himself perplexed. Why did it bother him so much that Yan Qiling accepted something from someone else? What right did he have to be anxious about it?

Qi Yongxin proposed the plan of changing rooms again. For a moment, the Golden Joy Amusement Park no longer felt oppressive; everyone saw a new glimmer of hope in their orderly planning.

"After breakfast, we'll check out of the suite. That way, we'll have at least eleven room keys in our possession."

Qi Yongxin took the initiative to calculate:

"We can pair up or form groups of three. We can set specific time slots and room numbers now to avoid too many of us crowding into a single room and drawing attention from the staff."

The blue-robed Taoist, who had been listening attentively, touched the tassels on his ear and expressed his approval:

"Mr. Qi's arrangement is quite thoughtful. I have no objections. But I'm a little worried that if we agree on everything now, these attendants might stake out our chosen rooms. How about we split into groups first and then each occupy a range of rooms? That way?"

Ruman promptly spoke up:

"I agree, I share this concern! I think we should divide into four groups – two floors with rooms on both sides. Each group can take one side, and at night, we can randomly choose any room within our designated range. This way, we won't run into each other."

Qi Yongxin, open to suggestions, responded:

"You all have valid points, I have no objections."

This discussion was not kept away from the waitstaff and chefs, as their plans were mostly transparent. As for the specifics of execution, that was up to each individual to consider.

Si Shuhao was somewhat disinterested in their conversation.

She felt that she might not have slept well last night, as she woke up with a slight headache and dizziness. She even suspected that she had a fever, but after checking her forehead several times, it didn't feel hot.

Now, she even felt a bit cold.

She couldn't help poking the Taoist next to her, who had taken off his down jacket, and whispered, "Do you feel like the hotel's heating isn't as strong as it was yesterday?"

Chi Zihe pretended to take it seriously, feeling the air, then replied with two words, "Not at all."

Si Shuhao could only rub her hands together and tuck them into her coat pockets, feeling a bit down.

Last night, she was so warm that she had to drape her coat over the chair, but now she needed to put it back on just to feel comfortable, yet her palms were still cold.

...Was she really not running a fever?

Disbelieving, she pressed her hand against her forehead again. It felt normal, with no abnormally high temperature.

Lost in thought, she missed the conversation around her. When she refocused, she heard Rao Haocang say,

"The ski resort's entrance uses an electromagnetic lock. If we can isolate its power source, the door will unlock by itself, and we can simply push it open..."

Before he could finish, Si Shuhao was jolted by a sudden piercing scream from a woman, which actually made her ears ring!

Damn.

What a scream queen.

She looked in shock at the source of the noise.

There, Ruman had leaped up from her chair, frantically tugging at her thick coat as she cried out in pain. Rao Haocang was hurriedly trying to help her remove it.

The waiter standing beside them wore a smile on their face, holding the teapot as if nothing had happened.

The first thing Ruman did after taking off his coat was to give the waiter a resounding slap.

Then, he rolled up his sweater sleeve, revealing the skin that had turned white and blistered from the scalding hot water.

"You blind or what? Pouring such boiling water into my husband's sleeve!"

Rao Haocang was so angry that he spoke without filtering his words.

In response to his fury, the waiter displayed an awkward expression in a mechanical and slow manner.

However, this expression hardly seemed genuine, as the waiter's lips kept curling up uncontrollably, making their expression shift between difficulty and happiness, resembling a robot with completely malfunctioning emotional control.

Holding the teapot, the waiter offered a perfunctory apology in a leisurely tone:

"Terribly sorry, my hand slipped. I apologize for causing harm to your esteemed spouse. I'll have the chef prepare a new breakfast for the both of you. Please don't hold it against me further, thank you for your understanding."

Was that even human-like speech?!

Rao Haocang was so enraged that he wanted to throw a punch, but his wife, who had quickly reacted, held him back.

Ruman's face paled as she signaled him discreetly to observe their surroundings.

The three kitchen assistants, who were originally smoothly preparing dishes at the live cooking station, now held their knives, eyeing them eagerly. Their faces radiated delight, as if they would seize any opportunity to make Rao Haocang pay dearly should he make a move.

Rao Haocang took a deep breath, his expression changing as swiftly as a book's page. He composed himself from his extreme fury and said coldly, "We don't need the customized breakfast anymore. Please fetch a first-aid kit."

Disappointment was evident in the eyes of the kitchen assistants and servers. The head chef, however, remained fully focused on his culinary tasks.

Yan Qiling leaned back with his chin in his hand, watching the scene unfold while an additional thought crossed his mind.

He seemed to have grasped the rules governing these "people."

Regardless of what happened, these "people" still acted as "employees" of the hotel. They could only harm guests by committing "mistakes" within the scope of their job duties.

To inflict fatal harm, they would require a legitimate and reasonable excuse.

Seeing the waiter actually bring a first-aid kit and place it in front of Ruman and her husband, Yan Qiling knew his assumption was likely correct.

His gaze flickered towards the chef before swiftly returning to the buttered toast on his plate.

With his hands clasped in his pockets, Chi Zihe asked,

"Have we finished eating? Should we set off now?"

They had arranged to go together as a group of four to check on Song Yuan's condition in the cold storage.

As they stood up, Chi Zihe specifically informed Ruman,

"We'll head to the basement to fetch some tools. We'll meet you outside the underground garage later."

Ruman, who was waiting for her husband's help with the bandaging, nodded worriedly,

"Be careful."

The moment the four of them left the West Tulania Restaurant, all the hotel staff who had been moving about between tables and chairs glanced in their direction for a brief second before quickly resuming their usual activities.

-

Chi Zihe stealthily passed the wooden lump he had been holding close to his chest to Ming Yiyang.

"Remember, if anything happens, call Man Du. No need for fancy tricks; just tap its head twice then."

No sooner had the Taoist withdrawn his hands than he sensed a slight weight in his sleeve, as if something had been secretly slipped inside.

Ming Yiyang, standing before him, promptly placed the wooden lump into the inner pocket of his down jacket without altering his expression.

"I got it. You guys go fetch the tools. I'll hold the door open here."

The tall figure of the young man leaned against the open alloy door of the freezer, while a chilling white mist drifted out from within. Yan Qiling ventured into the depths of the cold storage to search for Song Yuan's body, and Ming Yiyang was tasked with keeping the door from closing.

Chi Zihe led Si Shuhao into the garage, glancing back repeatedly as they went to fetch a shovel. Upon their return, they were shocked to find the freezer door firmly shut!

Both he and the girl froze, then hastily rushed upstairs, yelling dramatically:

"Help! Someone, quick! Yan Qiling and Ming Yiyang are trapped in the freezer!"

Trapped inside the freezer, the two were oblivious to the chaos outside.

Pork hung in neat rows from hooks within the cold storage room, while Song Yuan's corpse was stuffed at the end of the array, carelessly tossed into a desolate corner of the spacious warehouse.

The joints of the corpse were encrusted with crystal frost, and its flesh had turned stiff and black, resembling a plump, northeastern frozen pear.

Upon glimpsing the corpse's purplish-blue palms and rough, chapped fingers, Yan Qiling could instantly confirm that this was not Song Yuan, but the rumored waiter who had been tied up in the storage room and had now mysteriously vanished.

Presumably, his identical twin brother was the solitary waiter left behind.

Contemplating for a moment, he used his nails to grip the relatively clean fabric on the back of the shirt, skillfully flipping the bloodstained clothing label. A smile tugged at his lips.

Sure enough, it was from that brand – he hadn't remembered incorrectly.

As he rose to leave, he noticed Ming Yiyang approaching, his footsteps squeaking on the frost-coated floor. Ming Yiyang asked,

"What are you doing?"

Ming Yiyang appeared indifferent as he said,

"I heard you call me over."

"I didn't speak."

Yan Qiling replied nonchalantly.

The two of them weren't in a hurry and walked back to the entrance of the cryogenic room side by side.

Sure enough, the alloy door was firmly shut.

Ming Yiyang tried to turn the handle, but it wouldn't budge.

The young man let out a soft chuckle.

"It's locked from the outside. It seems they want to freeze us to death in here. We can only wait for Chi Zihe to come and save us now."

With that said, he took out the wooden lump that Chi Zihe had previously stuffed into his pocket, which was called "Mandu."

Not a hint of panic could be seen on his face due to being trapped.