Chapter 101
Drip, drip.
The soft sound of water echoed in the oppressive silence. The end of the corridor was blurred in the deep darkness, pressing down on him with a silent pressure.
Mo Yi hesitated for several seconds, then walked towards the depths of the corridor following the sound of water.
The long corridor was dark and quiet. The overhead light made a faint hissing sound and the cold white light hit the floor, reflecting a faint light.
The depth of the corridor was like a dark hole, with its mouth wide open, and the sound of water dripping can be faintly heard from the darkness within.
Drip, drip.
Mo Yi deliberately slowed down his pace and headed towards the direction of the sound. There was a dead silence in the long corridor, with only the sound of his own breathing and the monotonous dripping.
The sound became clearer and clearer as Mo Yi approached it, yet the low echo through the narrow corridor made it difficult to discern the origin.
The further he went, the dimmer the lights became.
The air was filled with the familiar smell of blood.
Mo Yi took a deep breath. The cold and dry air slid down his respiratory tract into his chest, and his mind cleared up a little again.
He pulled out his flashlight from the side pocket of his backpack and pressed the switch with a ‘click’.
The beam of light from the flashlight instantly illuminated the scene in front of him.
There were little drops of blood on the ground, trailing from the area under his feet into the darkness deep in the corridor, which had a strange hue under the flickering lights.
Mo Yi crouched down and stretched out his finger to one of the drops of blood.
It was wet, cold, and sticky, but it had yet to coagulate.
He raised his finger and scrutinised his stained fingertip under the light of the flashlight. On the pale tip was a dazzling crimson—it was still fresh.
Mo Yi stood up, lowered his wrist, and the light of the flashlight firmly followed the trail of blood on the ground, stretching out into the corridor.
The smell of blood lingering at the end of the nose became even stronger.
The shape of the blood traces had also changed from round spots to large expanses of blood which were scattered messily on the ground, and the countless footprints from it painted a shocking sight.
The dripping sound grew louder and louder, as if emanating from the surrounding walls and lingering about his eardrums like a curse.
Mo Yi pursed his lips. He stood still before the mess.
The blood here was a bit older. Most of it had dried up and the resulting marks were imprinted on the ground and the walls around him to varying degrees.
The door of the ward closest to the bloodstain was open.
Dried blood was splattered on the ajar door, leaving dark red glaring marks. There was a deep unfathomable darkness inside, and only the blood overflowing under the door was visible.
Mo Yi turned his body sideways and shone the light into the ajar door.
Even though he was mentally prepared, he still couldn’t help being surprised.
The ward was empty. There was only a half-overturned bed and the ground was in a state of mess, as if a large battle occurred inside.
And the most eye-catching thing is the deep pattern on the wall, drawn with blood—
It was a huge butterfly. The half-coagulated dark red blood on the wall had lines twisted both vertically and horizontally, which interlaced to form a strange picture.
Its body was bloated and ugly, and the huge patterns on its wings resembled lifeless eyes, which made chills run down people’s backs when they looked at it.
Mo Yi subconsciously took a few steps into the ward. The sticky blood on the ground made a wet squelch under his feet, and that soft sound under his soles was extraordinarily distinct in this silence.
At this moment, he stepped on something hard.
Mo Yi froze and shone a light on his feet with a flashlight—he spotted a metal key in the pool of blood, which had an old design, and was gleaming under the light of the flashlight.
He bent down and retrieved the key from the pool of blood. His fingers and palm were inevitably stained with blood, and the spotted crimson dyed onto his pale skin made it look rather scary.
The key was made of brass, with one side dyed a deep dark red due to it being soaked in blood, while the other side was the original colour, still shining yellow under the light.
Mo Yi flipped it over and over in his hand, but he found nothing special nor any reliable clues which could reveal the purpose of this key.
Still, it looked like a rather important item.
But according to what he understood of the twisted habits of this game, how could it be possible for such an important item to be placed in such a conspicuous place?
Unless…
Mo Yi lowered his eyelashes. The long lashes casted a deep shadow onto his pale face, completely covering up the thoughtfulness in his eyes.
He had some guesses in his mind.
Subconsciously, his fingers rubbed the smooth surface of the key twice before he moved his fingertips slightly and stuffed it into his pocket.
Using a flashlight, Mo Yi surveyed the entire room, and after confirming that he hadn’t missed any other clues, he turned and left the room, continuing to walk in the direction where the sound of water came from.
The sound of dripping water rang persistently in the empty corridor, as if it was a cold whisper, one drip after another, forming an endless rhythmic tapping, which made people feel a little frazzled.
Mo Yi’s palm holding the flashlight tightened slightly. His cold fingertips touched his palm, his neatly trimmed nails sunk into the flesh, causing slight pain.
His breathing was paced, his steps were cautious and soundless, and he strode forward under the guidance of the flashlight.
The dripping of water droplets gradually became louder.
Mo Yi came to the second fork in this corridor. There were two roads ahead.
The bloodstains which getting thicker and thicker further down the corridor led into the corridor on the right, leaving uneven trails along with several incomplete bloodied footprints, which looked rather dazzling under the dim light of the flashlight.
On the other hand, the corridor on the left only had a dead darkness and a suffocating silence with no light and sound.
Mo Yi frowned. He stood at the fork and pondered for a while.
Then, holding his breath, he listened to the movements in the darkness—the constant dripping was coming from the corridor on the right.
He walked in the direction where the sound came from and focused the flashlight into the darkness, dispelling some of the deep and thick shadows inside, and also illuminating one of the blurred outlines in the distance—
Startled, Mo Yi subconsciously tightened his body.
The vague shadow moved in the darkness, revealing a familiar outline under the light.
Mo Yi’s pupils constricted slightly, and his breathing hitched.
—Jiang Yuanrou?!
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