Volume One: The Field of Eight Coffins Chapter 56: Separated Once Again

Various miscellaneous items were strewn haphazardly across the floor, as if the place had been ransacked by thieves. These things must have been thrown about by Fei Yao during her frantic search. Judging from the state of disarray, one could easily imagine the terrifying scene that had unfolded here.

The furnishings and layout of the attic followed the interior decor styles of the late Qing and early Republican periods. Upon entering, there was a main hall, with several rosewood armchairs arranged around it. In the very center of the hall hung a painting and a pair of vertical couplets. In the pitch darkness, we merely swept our flashlights over them and didn't examine the painting or the couplets closely. To one side of the hall stood a row of old-fashioned cabinets, reminiscent of the herb drawers in a traditional apothecary.

Apart from these, there were no separate rooms here, so after taking a cursory look around, my third uncle gestured for us to follow him upstairs.

From what the teahouse attendant and Xu Ruoxi had mentioned earlier, I knew there were several rooms on the second floor, including the one with the dressing table—the only room Fei Yao had not entered during her return.

The memory of the black cat came back to me, and I couldn't help but turn to Xu Ruoxi. "By the way, what happened to that strange black cat afterward?"

Xu Ruoxi seemed momentarily confused, so I reminded her, "The black cat that used to lick the mirror—the stray Fei Yao took in."

She shook her head. "After that day, the cat disappeared. No one’s seen it since. Maybe it just ran off—it was a stray to begin with."

I nodded, recalling how my third uncle had once said black cats were prone to attracting evil spirits, and how I'd been entangled with one myself during our first foray into an abandoned building. Could everything that happened here be related to that black cat as well?

This thought in mind, I turned to ask my third uncle if we should consider the black cat as a clue. But as I turned around, I realized he had already found the staircase and had begun his ascent to the second floor.

I hurriedly called Xu Ruoxi to follow. There had already been several incidents when I failed to keep up with my third uncle during these investigations, and each time, something had gone wrong. This time I was determined not to lose sight of him.

But as we stepped onto the stairs, my third uncle, who had been proceeding cautiously with his flashlight, suddenly quickened his pace. Without concern for the darkness ahead, he took two steps at a time and dashed up to the second floor.

All I saw was his figure flashing around the corner and vanishing. My heart leapt—just what I had feared. Trying to look after Xu Ruoxi had slowed me down, and if I lost contact with my third uncle, the consequences were all too clear.

I rushed forward, but my stride was too long; Xu Ruoxi, who was still holding onto the Black Tiger Knot on my waist, stumbled and nearly fell as I pulled her along.

By the time I turned to steady her, my third uncle had utterly disappeared.

Cursing under my breath, I hurried Xu Ruoxi up the stairs and onto the second floor.

I couldn’t tell if it was my imagination, but as I reached the landing, I thought I heard a cat’s meow.

I shivered and shone my flashlight ahead. The corridor in front of the rooms was empty—no sign of a cat, nor of my third uncle.

I slapped my forehead in frustration, silently vowing that next time I went ghost-hunting with my third uncle, I’d tie us together with the Black Tiger Knot so we couldn’t get separated. He certainly had a knack for ditching me; we’d only explored three haunted houses so far, and every time he’d left me behind.

Xu Ruoxi also noticed my third uncle was missing and asked, her voice trembling, "Where… where’s Mr. Li?"

I cursed inwardly. Mr. Li, indeed. If I saw him again, I wouldn’t let him off so easily. Annoyed, I replied, "You were too slow. How should I know where he went? Did you hear a cat just now?"

"A cat? No, I didn’t."

I nodded, signaling for Xu Ruoxi to stay quiet. I swept my flashlight around and listened intently to the surrounding sounds.

The cat’s meow did not come again, making me suspect it had been a hallucination.

"Strange..." Xu Ruoxi suddenly muttered.

I paused and whispered, "What is it?"

She pointed at the floor. "Right there—Fei Yao had scattered a lot of stuff here before. Where… where did it all go?"

"Maybe Fei Yao came back after all. Never mind that, let’s find my third uncle." Waving my hand dismissively, I led the way toward the rooms, flashlight in hand.

Xu Ruoxi hesitated, but seeing me move on, she hurried after me.

Then, another cat’s meow echoed through the air.

I shuddered. This time, I heard it clearly—there could be no mistake.

Xu Ruoxi heard it too. She didn’t speak, just edged closer and nodded at me. In the beam of the flashlight, I saw her face had gone deathly pale, so white it was unsettling.

Her appearance startled me more than the meow. I motioned for her to step back—if something didn’t kill me in this haunted house, her face just might.

Was it possible the black cat had returned? If so, I was almost certain that the events here were tied to it. Perhaps my third uncle had also heard the cat on the stairs and had hurried up because of it.

In truth, with the situation so uncertain and only a peachwood sword and the Black Tiger Knot in my possession, I dared not enter any rooms alone without my third uncle.

I signaled for Xu Ruoxi to crouch down. The last meow had come so suddenly I hadn’t pinpointed its direction.

Sure enough, less than two minutes later, another cat’s cry sounded.

At the same time, Xu Ruoxi and I pointed toward a particular room—the sound had come from behind that door. The cat was surely inside.

I steeled myself, gripping the peachwood sword in one hand and the flashlight in the other, and crept forward, ready to open the door. Suddenly, Xu Ruoxi tugged at me from behind, giving me another start.

I turned to see her mouth the words "dressing table."

A chill ran down my spine. Of course—this was the room with the dressing table and the carved antique bed, the very room where the incident had taken place.

I hesitated. If this was the room, it was very likely my third uncle had found his way there as well. I had no reason not to go in.

I gestured for Xu Ruoxi to wait at the door.

Gently, I pushed the door open a crack. The hinges, probably rusted from years of neglect, let out a piercing creak that echoed through the empty attic.

I shone my flashlight through the gap and glimpsed a shadow flickering in the beam’s halo…

(End of this chapter)