deltrittennovels #571 - Police Office
#571 - Police Office
Rainwater dripped from the eaves of the police station, forming a small stream on the cement ground. Tang Yin sat on a bench in the corridor, staring blankly at the rain curtain. Although he wouldn't be arrested on the spot, the fact that an outsider had ridden a motorcycle into the village in the middle of the night would probably be the talk of the village tomorrow.
He shook his head with a wry smile. Great, now everyone he talks to will probably look at him like a criminal. The fluorescent light in the corridor emitted a faint hum, making it seem particularly glaring in the humid air.
The police officer was a typical country uncle, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and big eyes, speaking with a heavy local accent. Before leaving, he ordered Tang Yin to sit here obediently and wait for him to return, not knowing what kind of interrogation he was preparing.
Tang Yin leaned against the wall and closed his eyes, pondering his plan. Baifeng Village was the only way to Wuyin Village, just like Xia Hui and Zhou Zhengxiong back then. Those two reporters took the normal route, so they weren't seen as ominous by the people of Wuyin Village.
"But they still died," Tang Yin muttered to himself, "not because they were outsiders, but because they violated the rules of the banquet."
Ablution, Object Taboo, Bedtime Ritual – these three bizarre rules swirled in his mind. Washing the body, closing the door alone, and sleeping until dawn seemed simple, but they hid a deadly trap. Recalling the fate of those two reporters, Tang Yin couldn't help but shudder.
They originally stayed in Baifeng Village and went to Wuyin Village for an interview that day. Who knew that the weather would be bad, a heavy fog suddenly descended, and a landslide occurred on the mountain road, forcing them to stay in the village. To make matters worse, the people of Wuyin Village immediately began Object Taboo after the fog came, avoiding outsiders like the plague.
"That bastard Zhao Gang," Tang Yin clenched his fist, his fingernails digging deeply into his palm. That guy abandoned his fellow outsiders without saying a word, which was simply disgusting.
His thoughts drifted to Wang Lina, the brave girl who risked a great deal to tell him how to deal with the situation. Although the information wasn't complete, her help was undoubtedly invaluable. Tang Yin took a deep breath and secretly vowed to cherish her kindness.
The sound of the rain gradually subsided, and Tang Yin's thoughts returned to the two reporters. The scene at that time seemed to be right in front of him: in the fog-shrouded square, all the villagers suddenly disappeared without a trace, leaving only two clueless outsiders. And their final choice was to spend the night in the car.
"That decision cost them their lives," Tang Yin said, looking at the dark night outside the window, a chill rising in his heart. Footsteps came from the end of the corridor, the police officer should be back soon. Tang Yin composed himself, preparing to face the upcoming questioning. In any case, he couldn't show any weakness at this critical moment.
The distant village was still sleeping in the rainy night, the scattered lights like flickering ghost fires in the darkness. Tang Yin knew that this was just the first of many trials he was about to face. Those unknown truths were still deeply buried beneath the bizarre rules of Wuyin Village, waiting for him to uncover them.
Tang Yin looked at the drizzling rain outside the window, and the image of that van appeared in his mind. Zhou Zhengxiong's burly figure was at least 1.85 meters tall and probably weighed over 90 kilograms, while Xia Hui was a slender female reporter. He couldn't help but frown, wondering how she found room in that cramped car.
"If they really slept together..." Tang Yin's eyes narrowed, "that would be a violation of the Object Taboo rule."
In the sound of the rain, he continued to sort out the clues. Even if the car doors were locked, whether a van met the standards of Object Taboo was uncertain. Perhaps it was this fatal oversight that led to Zhou Zhengxiong's body being found in the car.
As for Xia Hui, her fate seemed even more tragic. Tang Yin touched his chin, recalling the details of the crime scene. She must have left the car in the middle of the night, violating the Bedtime Ritual rule. What drove her to venture out at risk? To use the restroom? To find other shelter?
"No," Tang Yin whispered to himself, "with her journalistic sensitivity, she probably noticed something unusual and wanted to take the opportunity to investigate."
A musty smell permeated the humid air, making him irritable. Tang Yin continued to reason that, in that emergency, the two obviously didn't have the conditions to bathe, which meant they also violated the Ablution rule.
Subsequently, Xia Hui encountered that terrifying giant wolf. Tang Yin closed his eyes, as if he saw that broken body again, and couldn't help but shudder.
Turning his thoughts to his own experience, Tang Yin couldn't help but smile wryly. He did experience a death that night after leaving the outhouse. The phrase "going outside means death" echoed in his mind, but could that simple outhouse really be considered "inside"?
"In the end, that kind of place should be considered outside," he laughed self-deprecatingly. What's more, he neither bathed nor slept, so he violated all the rules.
But he survived, and this abnormal result made Tang Yin think deeply. What exactly determined life and death? Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind: "Could the key be whether or not he was discovered by that monster?"
Recalling that encounter, when he was discovered, the monster determined that he had violated the rules and immediately launched a chase. But when he was not discovered, even if he violated all the rules, he was safe and sound.
"So..." Tang Yin's pupils contracted sharply, "the essence of Object Taboo is actually a way to avoid that werewolf-like monster?"
The rain outside the window gradually weakened, but the darkness seemed to still harbor unseen threats. Tang Yin's fingers tapped the chair unconsciously. This reasoning seemed to unlock part of the mystery, but what followed were more questions: What exactly is that monster? Why are there such rules? And how many unknown secrets are buried in this strange village?
The lights in the corridor flickered, casting swaying shadows on the wall. Tang Yin knew that to uncover the truth about Wuyin Village, he needed more clues. And now, he must first deal with the upcoming questioning, carefully maintaining his identity as a "suspicious outsider."
Recalling that terrifying night, Tang Yin could still clearly hear the muffled sound of the monster hitting the wooden door. Its strength was so great that the entire outhouse was shaking, and the dilapidated door frame groaned under the strain.
"If that lock hadn't held at the time..." Tang Yin touched the cold sweat, "I would be a corpse now."
While sorting out his thoughts, a key point suddenly emerged in his mind: as long as he could find a safe, enclosed space, he could avoid being killed by the monster. This theory reminded him of Xiao Mie, the mysterious little girl.
He remembered the first time he saw her, she was standing barefoot by the stream in the Shenge River Valley, wearing a slightly oversized white dress. Those big eyes, filled with innocence, were out of place in this strange village. What was even stranger was that even though she was found in a place of Object Taboo, she was never contaminated by the strange aura and lived to the last day.
"That is to say..." Tang Yin's eyes became sharp, "the most important thing in Wuyin Village is to find a room that can be locked and has a bathroom."
But to achieve this goal, choosing the right method is crucial. If he still chooses to enter the village from the Shenge River Valley, it will definitely arouse the villagers' vigilance and suspicion. They will try everything possible to drive this suspicious outsider out.
Tang Yin gently tapped the table, a glint of light flashing in his eyes: "But if I can find a legitimate reason to enter the village through Baifeng Village, the situation will be completely different."
Thinking of this, he remembered Xiao Mie's special treatment again. That little girl was young, which was probably why Hua Lu took pity on her and specially prepared a small house for her.
"But..." Tang Yin suddenly stopped his movements, frowning, "Wait, Hua Lu prepared a place for Xiao Mie in advance? For such a young child?"
This reminded him of the strange arrangements for the banquet held when the village was foggy, as if everything was pre-designed. But this idea was too outrageous, Tang Yin shook his head and decided to put this doubt aside for the time being.
"Maybe Hua Lu hurriedly gave the key to Xiao Mie after the fog started," he muttered to himself, trying to find a reasonable explanation.
The air in the room flowed slightly, bringing a hint of coolness. Tang Yin stood up and walked to the window. If he could get the same accommodation conditions as Xiao Mie, he would be qualified to participate in the Yellow Spring Taboo Banquet. Then he wouldn't have to rely on Wang Lina anymore, he could personally listen to those mysterious speeches, and even directly express his own views.
More importantly, this would allow him to obtain more inside information about the banquet. Tang Yin's gaze turned to the village shrouded in mist in the distance. Those stubborn old people never wanted to reveal the secrets of the village to outsiders who had not attended the banquet. Considering this, his plan seemed to be the only key to opening the door to the truth.
...
As night deepened, Tang Yin sat alone on the old wooden chair, the faint oil lamp swaying in the wind, casting flickering shadows on the wall. His slightly tired face looked particularly pale in the dim light, but his deep eyes sparkled with restless light.
"What is the truth?" he whispered to himself, his slender fingers unconsciously stroking the table. Although reason told him to avoid repeating his last mistake, the desire for the truth deep in his heart grew wildly like weeds.
That creepy monster, and the fact that he had survived by chance - these two mysteries, like two unsolved puzzles, were firmly embedded in the puzzle of the death regression phenomenon.
The most ⊥ new ⊥ small ⊥ say ⊥ in ⊥ six ⊥ 9 ⊥⊥ book ⊥⊥ bar ⊥⊥ first ⊥ hair!
Tang Yin closed his eyes, recalling the scene that night. The moonlight was like water, and he was curled up in that simple outhouse, his heartbeat so loud that it seemed to be able to penetrate the wooden planks. "The monster shouldn't have found me at the time..."
He frowned, his expression solemn: "It just thought that the locked outhouse was suspicious. But if it was really the legendary werewolf, it should be able to find me through its keen sense of smell. Why did it give up halfway?"
The oil lamp suddenly shook violently, and Tang Yin subconsciously reached out to protect the flame. This unexpected survival not only allowed him to escape a disaster, but also made him occupy a very special position in this strange village.
"The rules of the banquet..." He stood up and paced back and forth in the small room. The cool night wind seeped in from the dilapidated window seams, bringing a faint fishy smell. "There are no specific countermeasures against outsiders in the rules. In theory, all outsiders should be excluded."
Tang Yin stopped and looked at the mottled water stains on the wall: "[People who do not have a qualified room are outsiders], [Such outsiders must be excluded] - Under normal circumstances, this system should be perfect." He shook his head with a wry smile, "But I appeared just right like a program loophole."
The moonlight passed through the clouds, casting mottled shadows on the ground. Tang Yin's voice was a little confused: "Since that monster is the executor of the pollution, it should belong to the camp of Qianming God. Why not use divine power to deal with me, this loophole? And with their ability, unlocking this kind of thing should be easy."
Recalling Qin Ming and Granny Rong in the last incident, Tang Yin's brow furrowed even tighter. According to the legends circulating in the village, the resurrected wolf had some kind of exchange with them, but the stories they told were very different. "They are just ordinary people who have accepted the blessing of the wolf..."
The flame of the oil lamp flickered, and Tang Yin's shadow twisted and deformed on the wall. "That is to say, that monster is completely different from Qin Ming and Granny Rong. It is more like an existence that can grant them divine power."
The night wind passed through the treetops, making a rustling sound. Tang Yin clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white: "Although I don't know why that monster wants to grant blessings to the villagers, the so-called blessing should be some kind of restricted divine power."
An unknown bird call came from outside the house, breaking the silence of the night. Tang Yin looked up at the dark night sky outside the window, the moon had been covered by dark clouds at some point. How many unknown secrets are hidden in this mysterious village? And what role will he play in this strange game?
Tang Yin leaned against the wall of the police station, fine beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. The morning light had not completely receded from the darkness of the night, and mottled light and shadows were cast on the floor through the gaps in the blinds.
"The camp that grants the blessing can't even unlock such a small thing?" he muttered to himself, his slender fingers unconsciously tapping the table. This doubt was like a thorn, deeply stuck in his heart. An existence with supernatural powers would make such a low-level mistake?
He shook his head, forcing himself to stop thinking in this direction. "There is too little information, and reasoning like this will only backfire." The most urgent task now is to find that so-called [qualified room].
The old-fashioned wall clock in the police station ticked, and the hour hand pointed to six in the morning. Tang Yin rubbed his temples, this half-hour of reasoning had consumed too much of his energy. Through the window, he could see that the eastern sky had already turned white.
"There are still a dozen hours left." He took a deep breath, the smell of old paper and wooden furniture wafting in the air. Before the fog rises in Wuyin Village, he must find a way to get a lockable house. This task was already difficult, and now time is even more pressing.
"Should I just escape to Wuyin Village?" This thought flashed through his mind, "Just say that I came from Baifeng Village and ask to stay for one night?" But this idea was quickly rejected by him. With the villagers' suspicion, this clumsy lie would only attract more suspicion.
"I still have to find a way to get a recommendation from Baifeng Village." He stood up and began to pace back and forth in the small police station. The morning sun gradually became brighter, illuminating the entire room.
The old-fashioned black telephone lay quietly on the desk, radiating a layer of retro luster, adding a bit of the charm of a 1990s police station to the room. Tang Yin's gaze swept over the wanted posters on the wall, the yellowed papers printed with photos of various wanted criminals.
"This one has already been caught, right?" He leaned closer to one of the wanted posters, the corners of his mouth slightly raised. His gaze shifted to the next one, a typical "bad guy face," with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a fierce appearance.
Suddenly, his expression froze. The last wanted poster prominently displayed the words "Serial Killer." Tang Yin swallowed involuntarily. "This kind of person could very well be hiding nearby?" The thought sent a chill down his spine. In the morning light, the狰狞 face on the wanted poster seemed to be staring intently at him.