Chapter Five: An Investigation

With my parents away and after much deliberation, I decided to look up information about the Ghost King. After all, no one wants to play those bizarre and terrifying games again. I turned on the computer and aimlessly searched through the browser, but my focus was solely on the Ghost King.

I spent nearly half an hour searching, but almost everything was either novels or films. Just as I was about to give up, I finally stumbled upon an unusual post. The author claimed, "The Ghost King has returned to the mortal world, and humanity will suffer devastation." I continued to read the comments:

"Here to mark this for later."
"Author, go write something else. This won't be popular..."

Still, holding onto a sliver of hope, I sent the author a private message: "Hello, could you tell me more about the Ghost King? I’d like to know." I waited for quite a while, but the author didn't reply, so I shut down the computer.

Looking out at the fading light beyond the window, my mind was not only preoccupied with that damned horror game but also with thoughts of my parents. In the past few days, I had tried calling them, but none of my calls were answered. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn't eaten all day.

I changed clothes and wandered aimlessly through the streets, accompanied by the refreshing evening breeze. Thankfully, my parents had given me five thousand yuan before they left; otherwise, I truly wouldn't know how to survive.

I found myself in a secluded park, holding a freshly bought pancake and sitting on a bench as I ate. Immersed in my meal, I didn't notice someone sitting next to me until my peripheral vision caught sight of him—a grandfatherly figure, holding a tobacco pipe, almost carefree like a sage.

For some reason, this old man reminded me so much of my late grandfather. He lived in the mountains, and my grandmother had passed away before I was born. My grandfather's greatest pleasure was smoking...

I sighed quietly and was about to leave when the old man suddenly spoke, "Child, you’re not clean."

For a moment, I thought, "Not clean? But I showered..."

I pretended not to hear and continued walking toward the park’s exit.

"Child, you must face your fears..." His voice echoed again. I turned to look back, but the old man was already shuffling deeper into the park. I didn’t understand what he meant, so I chalked it up to his eccentricity.

I wandered, pausing here and there. It had been a long time since I felt so leisurely. Watching the city’s nightscape, the intimate couples, the all-night revelry of the bars, I felt out of place, as if I didn’t belong here.

Before long, I made my way home. My first act was to turn on the computer, but the author still hadn’t replied.

Feeling disappointed, I lay on my bed, carefully reflecting on the events of the past few days. There wasn’t much to ponder—just that a figure called the Ghost King had suddenly appeared and was involved in a string of murders.

Just as I was trying to figure out how to escape the situation, a phone call pulled me back into reality.

"Hello?" I answered.

"It’s me, Chen Chen." The voice was deep and magnetic. Even if he hadn’t said his name, I would have guessed.

"What is it?"

"I’ve found some clues. Are you willing to come?" This time, Chen Chen sounded more serious than usual, his tone firmer.

"Of course. Send me the location." I hung up right after.

It was past seven in the evening, the sky already darkening. I deliberately changed into black clothes and admired my reflection, imitating a martial arts hero with a touch of adolescent bravado.

Following Chen Chen’s instructions, I hailed a taxi.

"Kid, what are you doing at Anshan Temple so late?" The driver seemed to suspect I couldn’t pay.

I pulled out a hundred yuan and tossed it onto the passenger seat. "Meeting a friend."

The driver’s eyes lit up at the sight of money and he quickly pocketed it.

"Kid, you’d better be careful. I’ve heard it’s not wise to visit that temple at night..." The driver was a chatterbox, his mouth foaming with words, but it helped ease my anxiety.

Finally, twenty minutes later, we arrived at the foot of Anshan. Though called a mountain, it was barely a few dozen meters high and far from the city; apart from a few monks, no one ever came here.

"Kid, your change," the driver said.

I took the money, but my gaze stayed fixed on the summit.

After the taxi drove off, I sent Chen Chen a message asking where he was. He replied instantly, "Come up the mountain. I’m at the top."

I put my phone away, took a deep breath, and started running uphill. Whether it was my imagination or something else, the mountain and the temple felt eerily strange, and the higher I climbed, the colder it became, as if the temperature were plummeting.

Tonight was overcast, the moon’s light blocked completely, so I walked in darkness. Don’t ask why I didn’t use my phone’s flashlight; the elders always warned that the phone’s magnetic field could attract spirits.

After much effort, I finally reached the summit. The temple stood twenty meters ahead. Its gates were dilapidated, and I could faintly see white handprints. The wind rattled the old bell, its trembling echoing through the air, heightening the sense of uncanny unease.

I whispered, "Chen Chen?"

No one answered.

Just as I was about to call him, someone tapped my shoulder. The shock nearly made me faint; I spun around and swung my phone at the intruder.

"It’s me." My hand froze mid-swing, and only when I saw it was Chen Chen did I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, you nearly scared me to death." I squatted down, gasping for breath.

"Enough, let’s get down to business," Chen Chen said, suddenly serious.

"Recently, I managed to get some information. They say no one comes here except monks, and at night strange sounds can be heard. That’s why I decided to check it out."

I nodded gently, then glanced at the temple gate, thinking, "Sigh, Chen Chen always loses his head at critical moments. Doesn’t he realize the danger? If something happens, we’ll be doomed."