Kaleidoscope of Death

Chapter 36: Midnight

Ruan Nanzhu had always been sensitive to his surroundings, so it wasnt as if he didnt notice Xu Jins strange behavior. Yet, he still feigned obliviousness and simply sat at the table, completely indifferent; his expression didnt fluctuate in the slightest the entire time. After dinner was over, Ruan Nanzhu signaled to Lin Qiushi, beckoning him over to a remote corner.

Whats the matter? asked Lin Qiushi.

Something might happen tonight. Stay on your guard. Ruan Nanzhu cautioned. And be sure to wake me up if I end up sleeping too deeply.

Whatll happened? Lin Qiushi wondered. Is it related to Xu Jin?

Unable to give a definite answer, Ruan Nanzhu vaguely replied, Its just a speculation.

Oh, okay. Lin Qiushi nodded, no longer continuing to press for answers. Ill be careful.

The atmosphere in the room that night was eerily unnerving. Like a frightened puppy, Cheng Qianli huddled himself under his covers, not daring to cause any more trouble. Ruan Nanzhu, as usual, fell asleep early. It was just Lin Qiushi who was left alone, restless and staring into darkness, struggling to get some shut-eye.

Despite closing his eyes, he couldnt be any more awake. In the stillness of the night, his ears were even more sensitive to noise. The delicate movement of the leaves and grass, the cool breeze, and even the glimmering moonlighthe could hear everything. What he was experiencing was difficult to describe in mere words. Every sound he captured was like a piece of a fractured puzzle, slowly being put together, allowing him to paint a full scenery in his mind.

But this state of tranquility was soon shattered.

An abrupt rustling burst his eardrums, rippling the serene image being painted in his mind.

In the dead of the night, where everything seemed so ordinary, sudden sounds like this were always foreboding. He clearly heard someone climb down from their bed and plod about. They quietly made their way to the entrance of the room, the floorboards creaking underneath their weight, and carefully pushed the door open.

Lin Qiushi cracked his eyes open a slit, only to see Xu Jin leave the room.

Nanzhu. Nanzhu. Lin Qiushi gently shook Ruan Nanzhu in an attempt to wake him from his deep sleep, but Ruan Nanzhu remained motionless; it was like he was in a coma, rather than sleeping. He roughly shook him a few more times, but Ruan Nanzhu still didnt show a response. Giving up on waking the slumbering Ruan Nanzhu, Lin Qiushi instead called out to Cheng Qianli, but who knew that Cheng Qianli was also someone who slept like the dead.

If he delayed any further, he might lose sight of Xu Jin. After hesitating for a split second, Lin Qiushi got up and decided to investigate alone, putting himself in a risky situation.

He quickly put on his shoes and cautiously trailed after Xu Jin.

Xu Jin made her way down the long corridor and exited the bamboo hut they were currently lodging in. Judging from her direction, she seemed to be venturing deep into the wilderness.

Not daring to follow her into the dark jungle at this ungodly time, Lin Qiushi just watched her from afar.

But just when she reached the entrance of the jungle, she halted and raised her head, gazing up at the radiant full moon in the dark skies. All of a sudden, she began pulling off her clothes.

Lin Qiushi was stunned by this scene. He certainly didnt expect Xu Jin to come outside just to strip.

First was her jacket, then her T-shirt, and finally her undergarments. Xu Jin completely removed her clothes; her pure white skin was now fully exposed, glistening under the pale moonlight like lustrous ivory, exuding an alluring brilliance. It was such a surreal sight. But of course, the gentlemanly Lin Qiushi didnt dare continue to watch her. I didnt see anything; I saw nothing¹. Once she began pulling her clothes off, Lin Qiushi immediately averted his gazethat was, until a sharp sound came from her direction.

It was the sound of cloth tearing, the distinct noise that velcro makes when its ripped apart. Bewildered, Lin Qiushi instantly cast a glimpse at her from the corner of his eyes, only for this one glance to cause his blood to run ice-cold.

Xu Jin was still stripping. But after taking off all of her clothes, she actually began to peel her flesh off.

She firmly grasped her hair and viciously pulled, gradually ripping apart the skin from the top of her head, to her neck, down to her body. Her originally smooth skin was butchered before his eyes, transforming into a gruesome monstrosity. Her crimson muscles, pink tissues, and gory flesh hung from her white bones, which peeked out from beneath her bloodied organs.

She stripped herself completely, turning into a blood-red, skinless creature. She seemed to have noticed Lin Qiushis horrified gaze, for she whipped her head around and grinned wickedly in his direction. The garish grin spilt her hideous face into two, and her bloody lips opened wide at an unimaginable angle. Lin Qiushi could clearly see the inside of her mouth, both her blood-stained teeth and scarlet tongue.

If this was before, Lin Qiushi wouldve been utterly paralyzed on the spot at this grisly sight. But experiencing several horrific encounters built up his tolerance, and he was now composed enough to withstand this scene. But even so, his entire body couldnt help but stiffen from the overwhelming fear engulfing his heart.

Big sister. Big sister. Mirthful titters spilled from the freakish mouth of the monster before him. She crooked her head to the side and slowly dragged her legs over to where Lin Qiushi was hiding. Where are you? Where are you?

Lin Qiushi didnt dare stay here any longer. He whirled on his heels and ran like hell.

He sprinted all the way back to the bamboo huts, and after returning to his room, he began to aggressively slap Ruan Nanzhu. But Ruan Nanzhu was dead to the world; no matter how hard Lin Qiushi hit him, he wouldnt respond.

By now, the viscid footsteps had reached the corridor outside.

Thump. Thump. Thump. The skinless monster knocked heavily against the door. She dropped to the ground, her crazed eyes peering inside the room through the crack between the door and the floor. Open the door. Open the door.

Lin Qiushi was seriously beginning to regret that damned curiosity of his right now.

Fortunately, the persistent banging stopped after a while. Lin Qiushi had just relaxed his body and breathed a sigh of relief, when an abrupt crashing sound came from the window. He instantly twisted his head, only to see that hideous creature trying to crawl in through the window.

Oh, fuck me! He couldnt help but curse loudly. Lin Qiushi stepped back, trying to stay as far away from the window as possible.

That gory monster easily climbed inside through the window. Now sprawled across the floor of their room, she stretched her hands wide and began groping around.

Seeing her crawling posture, a thought popped into Lin Qiushis head, and he hurried back to bed.

Where are you? Where are you Although it was Xu Jins voice, it still made penetrating shivers run down his spine. Still laying on its stomach, the creature fumbled around the floor. She sluggishly dragged herself towards Lin Qiushis bedside, but she seemed incapable of standing on her two feet. With her blood-red, skinless hands, she could only squirm about and aimlessly touch underneath his bed.

Lin Qiushi was relieved to know his speculation was correct. When he and Cheng Qianli slept together the other day, they woke up to see bloody handprints smearing the floors under the bed. But now he realized it wasnt because the monster was being merciful; rather, it was being she simply couldnt stand!

She furiously slammed her palms on the bed board again and again. Her chilling voice was only a breath away; there was but a thin, wooden frame separating Lin Qiushi from that creature. She relentlessly clawed and scratched at the wooden post with her bloodied fingernails, generating a harsh screech. At the rate she was going, she was bound to create a deep gash in the bed board.

Lin Qiushi shut his eyes and pretended he couldnt hear anything.

Who knew how long those disturbing noises persisted for. By the time everything had calmed down and tranquility was restored in the air, the first hints of dawn had long embraced the skys horizon.

Xu Jin had once again returned to the room, and she was already wearing her fresh white skin.

Ruan Nanzhu, who was awakened by the bright glare of the sun, lifted his hand and rubbed his eyes. He then turned to greet Lin Qiushi.

Did you sleep well? Lin Qiushis voice was a bit strained, and his face, haggard.

Yeah. Still a tad disoriented from his sleep, Ruan Nanzhu had yet to regain full consciousness. But after seeing the unsightly expression on Lin Qiushis face, he snapped to his senses. Whats wrong? The other barely opened his mouth, before Ruan Nanzhu immediately came to a realization. Something happened last night, didnt it?

Lin Qiushi shot a furtive glance at Xu Jin, who was sleeping peacefully in her bed, before lowering his voice into a hushed whisper, Ill tell you when we go out.

Ruan Nanzhu briskly nodded.

The two quietly climbed out of bed and left to find an isolated area. Once they were sure no one was eavesdropping, Lin Qiushi told Ruan Nanzhu what he saw and heard last night.

While listening to the others account, Ruan Nanzhu frowned, his lips formed a straight line. Why didnt you wake me up?

Lin Qiushi: I did call you. Multiple times, in fact. You just never woke up.

Oh. Ruan Nanzhu uttered. Well, looks like our guess was correct.

Xu Jin was apparently the younger sister looking for her older sister. Now that they had the bronze key, all that was left to do was to bring the younger sister to her older sister. As long as they acted according to the script, the door should immediately appear afterwards.

So, what exactly is the deal with Xu Jin? Is she even aware of her identity? Lin Qiushi was a tad puzzled at this, and he couldnt quite fathom the situation. He thought that if Xu Jin consciously knew she wasnt a human yet still displayed such realistic reactions, then she truly was a remarkably terrifying actress. But if she didnt know, how could the events that transpired last night be explained?

Perhaps she only becomes the younger sister under certain conditions, surmised Ruan Nanzhu. For instance, maybe she can only transform at nighttime. Do you remember anything that caught your eye last night?

Lin Qiushi contemplated for a moment, before finally recalling something that stood out in particular at the time. There seemed to be a full moon last night. He was easily able to recollect this detail for the moon that night was unusually bright; it was as though it was daytime. He didnt even need any light as he trailed after the other, since he could clearly see the entire scenery before him.

Hmm. Ruan Nanzhu thoughtfully hummed. I see.

The two conversed with each other for a bit longer, before returning to the dining hall.

One after another, the other members got up from their beds to eat breakfast. Seated patiently, Lin Qiushi waited in the dining hall, when he soon spotted Cheng Qianli and Xu Jin arrive.

Not even bothering to pay any attention to Cheng Qianli, Lin Qiushi focused in on Xu Jin. From her appearance, she seemed to have had a more-than-decent rest. No one couldve possibly imagined that she was the monster who crawled all over the floors of their room last night.

I saw those bloody handprints again. Cheng Qianli fearfully mumbled, noisily slurping on his congee. Did you guys see them too?

Lin Qiushi responded, Yes.

Cheng Qianli: But the funny thing is, I didnt hear any sounds. Just what the hell is that thing, ah? That thing wont climb into our beds, right? Just this morning, he got out of bed, only to be met with the horrific sight of blood-red handprints splotching the entire floor of their room. It looked as if something was deliberately crawling on the ground. It was downright creepy, to say the least. He didnt even want to think about what ghastly events had transpired right after they had slept, much less think about what dreadful being had crawled around their room last night without them noticing.

Who knows. Ruan Nanzhu said. If youre that curious, how about you keep watch tomorrow night, hm?

No thanks. Cheng Qianli instantly declined, his face paling.

Although Lin Qiushi was well aware of what was going on, he couldnt say anything. As he watched Xu Jin, he discovered that Xu Jin didnt act any differently nor did she exhibit any strange behavior from the usual when Cheng Qianli narrated what he saw. On the contrary, her body trembled violently, and she genuinely seemed terrified.

Were visiting the temple again today. Ruan Nanzhu stated. Lets hope nothing bad happens.

Lets hope. Lin Qiushi nodded grimly.

As before, the tour guide promptly appeared before the crowd and led them to their destination.

This was everyones third time coming to this temple. As of right now, not a single person present was terrified or curious like when theyd first arrived here; rather, they were somewhat on-edge, tired and irritated. Frankly, everyone wanted to leave this place as early as possible.

But everyone couldnt help but notice something strikingly different about the atmosphere this time; unlike their previous visitations, there was no music playing. The others didnt know why this was the case, but Lin Qiushis group of four clearly knew the reason. Because the bone flute that played the music was safely tucked in one of their bags.

Should we try to bring Xu Jin to the roof and see what happens? Lin Qiushi proposed, slightly hesitant.

Thats probably the best idea for now. Ruan Nanzhu replied.

And so, they began discussing their plans of going up to the roof once again. Xu Jin wordlessly listened to them, but when she heard that all four of them would be going up to the roof, she suddenly acted up, strongly refusing.

I dont want to go. Im so scared. Bursting into endless tears, Xu Jin frantically shook her head. I really dont want to go. Dont force me to go

Why dont you want to go? Far from his usual domineering attitude and unsympathetic tone, Ruan Nanzhu surprisingly responded to Xu Jins vehement opposition with an ever so gentle voice.

Im scared. Xu Jin hiccuped, tears streaming down her cheeks. I feel like if I go upIll die.

Lin Qiushi opened his mouth to say something, but stopped upon seeing Ruan Nanzhu nod in understanding, If thats the case, you dont have to go up.

Xu Jins shoulders sagged in relief.

Lin Qiushi certainly did not expect Ruan Nanzhu to yield so easily. Rather perplexed, he decided inquire about the others decision the moment he got the chance.

According to how the original story plays out, she should be quite eager to go up. But seeing how shes strongly resisting, means theres definitely another reason behind it, explained Ruan Nanzhu.

Another reason? Lin Qiushi repeated confusedly, unable to come up with any answers.

Ruan Nanzhu said, I dont have a clear basis right now; I cant seem to figure out what that reason is either.

Lost in their thoughts, they sat in the temple, brainstorming for any possible leads or explanations and trying to find what exactly they had missed. Meanwhile, Cheng Qianli and Xu Jin wandered around the temple.

After ambling about for a while, Cheng Qianli suddenly ran over to them, saying that he found something.

What is it? Ruan Nanzhu glanced at him.

Cheng Qianli continued, Remember how the other day we saw a lot of small rooms with statues inside them, but all of the rooms were all locked? Well, I found another small room, and the door is actually open

Ruan Nanzhu: Did you go inside and have a look?

Scratching his head, Cheng Qianli smiled sheepishly, I didnt dare to.

Ruan Nanzhu: Then lock the door.

Cheng Qianli: Shouldnt we go inside and check it out? He lowered his voice so that Xu Jin wasnt able to eavesdrop on his conversation with Ruan Nanzhu. I noticed that behind the statue in that room were murals.

This culture seemingly used murals as a central means of documenting significant events, a way of preserving history and maintaining traditions. If they were able to find more murals, perhaps they would be able to discover why Xu Jin adamantly refused to go to the roof.

Lin Qiushi and Ruan Nanzhu shared a look, before standing up and patting their backside, Lets go have a look.

Ruan Nanzhu nodded.

Thereupon, the individuals began walking towards the room Cheng Qianli pointed out.

The room was quite narrow and could only accommodate around five to six people. It was too crowded to go inside together, so Cheng Qianli and Xu Jin stood outside while Ruan Nanzhu and Lin Qiushi went in. A statue veiled in a scarlet cloth stood in the very center of the room. From the outline of its figure, one figured it was merely a statue of Buddha or something similar. Ruan Nanzhu entered the room and disregarded the monument, stepping passed it and walking to the wall behind it.

Sure enough, there was a mural on the innermost wall. Its just that they couldnt make any sense of it, for it was just a jumble of undecipherable scribbles and cryptic symbols. Utterly dumbfounded, Lin Qiushi tilted his head in absolute confusion. At his side, Ruan Nanzhu knitted his brows in concentration.

Lin Qiushi didnt dare disturb the other, so he simply observed the room instead.

The room was very small, and there wasnt much to see. If he had to say, the only thing that caught his attention and was probably worth noting was the statue covered with the scarlet cloth. The statue was around the size of a human being, and it stood tall in the middle of the room.

Lin Qiushi was just about to remove his gaze, when he froze and blinked distractedly. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, so he rubbed them vigorously. But after blinking several times and rubbing his eyes, he realized he hadnt just imagined italthough it was almost imperceptible, the statue before him was actually moving!

Nanzhu. Without batting an eyelid, Lin Qiushi lightly tapped Ruan Nanzhus hand. Lets leave.

Ruan Nanzhus attention was still wholly focused on the mural. He said, I want to examine it for a while longer.

Lin Qiushi was struck with an idea and calmly persuaded, Hows this, Ill take a picture of it with my phone, and when you go back, you can examine at it as much as youd like. As he spoke to the other, he noticed the red cloth on top of the statue rustle ever so slightly, as though something would soon pop out from under it.

Ruan Nanzhu perceived Lin Qiushis odd behavior. He swept his narrowed eyes around the room, and immediately having detected that something was amiss, he briskly nodded and walked away.

Lin Qiushi heaved a sigh of relief.

As soon as they left the room, the statue began quaking intensely. Just before Lin Qiushi shut the door behind him, the scarlet cloth fell to the ground.

Underneath the blood-red cloth was actually one of the skinless monsters theyd seen previously in the main hall of the temple. The hideous creature was gripping a long, sharp knife in its hand, and its originally stiff body began to unwind.

Holy fuck! Thank goodness we left when we did. Lin Qiushi was dripping in cold sweat, frightened out of his wits.

Wait a second Cheng Qianli seemed to have discovered something just then and his voice grew dreadfully fearful, Since when have all of the locks come undone for the rooms in this hallway?

Lin Qiushi was taken aback for a moment. He scanned the area, only to find that the locks were all scattered on the ground of the corridor; it looked as though someone had deliberately opened the doors. He hurriedly stepped forward and picked up a fallen lock, turning it over. His face instantly blacked, and his mood turned foul, It was forcefully destroyed by someone.

The sound of more and more cloths dropping to the ground echoed all around. Lin Qiushi surveyed his surroundings to find the source of the noise, only to find that three to four more cloths had fallen to the ground, revealing those grotesque monsters underneath. But, of course, what attracted their attention werent the creatures per se, but those long, sharp blades in the hands of those creatures.

If those blades decided to cut them down, no doubt they would be skewered to death like pigs.

The four turned on their heels and madly dashed out of there, trying to flee from this place as quickly as possible. As they made their escape, they ran into a few other people in the group, who greeted them at first sight. Before long, everyone was gathered in the main hall. Some individuals broke down as they shakily described what they had witnessed, pointing in the direction of the corridor with a trembling finger.

Are we just going to wait in here to die? Someone in the crowd voiced, wanting to leave this temple.

Did you forget about that person who ran out before? retorted someone else.

Another person added, But it isnt raining right now

The whole hall was filled with noisy clamors and agitation.

But they soon didnt have any more time to think of how to proceed, because the monsters slowly appeared in front of everyone with their long swords. Ruan Nanzhu realized something was terribly off about this situation, so without wasting a second, he hollered, Run! Get out of this temple!

Lin Qiushi followed him closely at his heels, and the four rushed out of the temple.

Some of those who were beside them hurried out of there successively, but there were others who hesitated, suddenly recalling the blond-haired youth who was butchered alive by the rain of blades.

Unfortunately, that moment of hesitation was their downfall. Those who didnt leave the temple immediately were captured by those monsters.

As of this very moment, the people who had escaped outside finally realized the purpose of those long, sharp knives in the monsters handsit was actually a tool used for skinning.

The blade glinted in the air, piercing the top of their skulls. Excruciatingly slowly, the blade buried itself even deeper, gradually cleaving their heads, tearing into their flesh, and ripping their skin apart. Plaintive cries accompanied the gruesome sight of supple human skin being separated from two sides, revealing the raw flesh and crimson viscera underneath.

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! Despairing shrieks erupted from the mouths of the male and female who were captured by those monsters. With every mournful scream, their throats turned sore and their voices, hoarse; the two hysterically struggled for their lives, but they were completely restrained, unable to escape from the creatures tenacious claws. Only after the last skin on their body had been peeled, did they take their last breath and surrender to death.

The crowd outside turned deathly silent at this horrifying scene.

Skingive me the skingive memy little sister The young girls voice came from the roof of the temple. Within the darkest depths of the temple, where the crowds eyes could not reach, a pair of bloodstained hands emerged. The hands tenderly caressed the freshly peeled skin, and brought it closer. It appeared as though it was looking for something, but no sooner, the hands flung the thin skin to the ground in disgust. Not mine. Not mine The voice grew sharper and more demented, penetrating the crowds eardrums; it was beyond painful to hear.

After the remaining two individuals in the temple were skinned alive, their bodies were chopped into pieces. It was at this moment Lin Qiushi finally realized where the lumps of meat on the wooden platform came from.

The monsters that had just killed two people turned their heads around, their eyes narrowing in on the crowd outside.

Everyone held their breaths and stared into the creatures dark, sinister pupils. A feeling of oppression and death suffocated them. Lin Qiushi even caught the stench of urine wafting in the airsomeone had peed their pants out of fright.

Screech The sound of the sharp blade dragging across the ground was harsh on their ears. In the end, one of the members could no longer endure the pressuring terror; frenziedly screaming at the top of their lungs, they ran away into the jungle.

Although the rest did not move a single muscle, the deep fear in their eyes revealed their current emotions.

Shuddering, Cheng Qianli distressingly asked if the monsters would come out and kill them all, as well.

Ruan Nanzhu replied, Calm down, dont worry. They cannot kill everyone at once.

Yet what they didnt expect was for the monsters to abruptly stop at the edge of the temple. They seemed to have been obstructed by an invisible barrier. Seeing that they could not step foot outside, they withdrew from the entrance of the temple and began roaming around.

Everyone sighed in relief at this scene.

It seems they cant leave the temple. Lin Qiushi remarked. Except for whenits raining.

It appears so. Ruan Nanzhus brows remained furrowed. He glanced at Xu Jin. We seemed to have overlooked something very important.

Something important? Lin Qiushi repeated, Something important A thought popped into his mind, and he widened his eyes in surprise, Didnt we forget to take that drum away?

If the elder sister was the one trapped in the temple, that meant that her skin was the one peeled off to be made into a drum. Furthermore, the drum was supposedly in the hands of the younger sister. That being said, could it have been that when she was looking for her younger sister, she was actually searching for her own skin?

Tsk, I actually forgot about the drum. Ruan Nanzhu clicked his tongue. Sure enough, Im far from my best condition; I cant even think correctly. He had unexpectedly forgotten something of such importance. To think that when they had left, none of them had the sense to take the drum away too.

Its fine. Its not your fault. Lin Qiushi said. If anything, none of us know what the conditions for death are. In any case, there was a possibility that if we had taken the drum, we wouldve died.

Ruan Nanzhu simply shook his head, no longer speaking.

Having witnessed two of their members being skinned alive, no one wanted to reenter the temple. Who knew whether those monsters were still roaming about inside, lying in wait for them?

Everyone sat near the entrance of the temple with a bleak expression, silently awaiting the tour guides arrival.

The man who had desperately ran out into the jungle soon returned to the temple. But he seemed to be in some sort of a trance, somewhat absentminded; he mumbled incoherently nonstop and cagily shifted his crazed eyes, like a lunatic.

This incident seemed to have affected everyone quite badly.

Lin Qiushi was faring rather well, both mentally and physically. He occasionally struck up a chat with Cheng Qianli to ease the tension. Xu Jin didnt utter a sound for a long time; her lifeless eyes merely gazed into the distance. Cheng Qianli even called out to her, but it was like she couldnt hear a thing.

If this was before, Lin Qiushi wouldve probably thought she had long lost her composure to fear and that the incident took a great toll on her, but after all that happened last night, he thought otherwise.

Was Xu Jin genuinely terrified? Was she really afraid of those monsters, or of something else?

Of course, presently, he had no answers to such questions.

The tour guide arrived on time. Her face remained as neutral as ever upon seeing two fewer individuals in the crowd. With a wide smile on her face, she led everyone back to their residences.

Almost everyone refused to eat dinner tonight. Many just returned to their bedrooms early to sleep.

Unlike the others, Li Dongyuan couldnt care any less for what had happened; he didnt seem to be affected in the slightest. He quietly ate his meal, and asked Ruan Nanzhu to step outside with him for a small chat.

No one knew what they discussed, but when they returned, their faces were much brighter.

Sleep well. Ruan Nanzhu bid them good night, before going to bed. Its best not to wake up tonight.

Lin Qiushi nodded.

Good night. Cheng Qianli yawned and shut his eyes.

Good night. Lin Qiushi turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness.

¹ . Literal: See no evil, hear no evil. Those familiar with the saying would know that the full proverb is: See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, which refers to turning a blind eye to what is morally wrong. LQSs pretty much just saying I didnt see anything or Evil thoughts begone, since peeping on a girl stripping is obviously improper. LINK