Chapter Seventeen: The Gathering of Ghosts

  Qin Zhong suddenly found that on every footprint, a certain illusory figure seemed to be growing, and this figure seemed to be the kind of growth produced by the energy gathering mentioned by Mark. And in the entire scene, the things that happened in an instant all seemed unexpected.

  At the other end of the corridor, a radio suddenly turned on, its sound crackling. Logically speaking, it seemed impossible to receive signals from the ground or air in such an underground place, but after all, those strange and unusual events had occurred.

  "Everyone be quiet, it seems we really can't get out. Let's head inside and avoid these energy growths." Qin Zhong said, his hands forming a knife-like shape as he headed towards the other end of the corridor.

  Four people back to back, what's even stranger is that the skeletons lying in the corner of the wall seem to be growing rotten flesh, as if everything is turning upside down. Gradually, each skeleton grows into a corresponding corpse, and the corpses gradually turn into human shapes, seemingly without any signs of decay or rot, but seeing these things here, and not just one or two, it's a bit too much to take in.

  "Director, what are these? How can they still turn into humans? This seems like a chat about strange and weird things."

  "Hmm, let's keep quiet for now. Once they all become human-like, these ghosts will probably use the yang energy to find us. Let's not speak and see if these ghosts won't attack us for a while. We'll deal with them once they've fully transformed." Qin Zhong said.

  Mark was also shocked and sweated, muttering to himself: "I've only heard of ghosts forming, but I've never seen one before. This time I really saw it, what an experience."

  Qin Zhong and the others continued to head deeper into the corridor, because some of the skeletons inside had not yet undergone any changes. Just as they were walking in, they suddenly heard the sound of an iron gate being pushed open.

  A small Japanese military doctor, wearing a white coat and a Japanese military uniform, walked out from the iron gate. When he saw Qin Zhong and others, he seemed to be abnormally excited: "Want Xi, are you several here to do experiments?"

  Qin Zhong and the others were stunned, this person can speak human language, that's definitely not an ordinary ghost, I'm afraid that Mark's cross won't work either. He glanced at the person who came out with a slanted eye, really without a shadow, Qin Zhong was now fully spirited, his hands tightly grasping the kitchen knife again, ready to fight back.

  "Come on, there are a few Maludas here, and a woman, you can start." The devil's military doctor called out, and then several devil soldiers rushed out of the room next door to him. They were all holding rifles with bayonets that reflected the dim light, and they charged straight at Qin Zhong and the others. Two burly men rushed towards Meng Na, either one of whom could have swallowed her whole.

  Qin Zhong saw that things were not going well, he knew that these few were not human, and their behavior proved that they could see the people around him, and what to do with the people around him, he was powerless, but he couldn't just watch, so he raised his knife and chopped down, the twin blades flashing with electricity, the ghosts who came at him retreated in succession, but the places on their bodies where Qin Zhong had chopped them open instantly healed.

  Mark saw that Qin Zhong's kitchen knife was useless, so he immediately swung his own cross. Every time the cross hit a place, the skin would peel off from that place. Although it caused great pain to these ghosts and stopped them for a while, soon they, along with the ghostly military doctor, charged at several people again.

  Qin Zhong suddenly felt that this was not a good idea. If they continued like this, then the few of them would all be thrown away here.

  "Director, what should we do? We can't beat them!"

  "Can't beat you, is there a better way?"

  "No."

  Qin Zhong looked at Meng Na again, and Meng Na shook her head: "If Father were here, there might be a way, but he's not."

  "Hmm, it seems we still have one last trick left." Qin Zhong said, but just as a few people were discussing this, many devils and what seemed to be Chinese people who had already been experimented on appeared in the corridor, all heading towards Qin Zhong.

  "Hurry up and say it, what's the final move?"

  "Run! Keep running with me until we can't run anymore." Qin Zhong was trying to buy himself some time, he wanted to carefully recall the things his grandfather had written in his notes, which one of them could match what was happening now, but no matter how hard he thought, he just couldn't think of it.

  But he suddenly thought of a problem, those Chinese people who were killed by the devils should be wronged ghosts, this time they should be more vicious, how could they listen to the devils' words and come with the devils to chase themselves.

  Qin Zhong hadn't even had time to think it through when he found that behind him, too, there were several piles of strange white bones. These white bones seemed to have grown out of the ground, and each pile's posture was almost identical, all in a kneeling position. Next to each pile of bones stood a Japanese military sword.

  Qin Zhong suddenly thought of a scene, that was the spirit of Bushido in Japan, how glorious it was for them to commit suicide, but these white bones were slowly growing, from the bones grew flesh and blood, which meant that before long these white bones would become ghosts with knives in their hands, threatening Qin Zhong and others.

  Mark gazed intently, wanting to use his cross to directly knock the standing white bones to death, but it was useless. Just as several people hesitated, the eerie atmosphere of the entire corridor transformed into a more vivid historical flashback.

  But the situation is urgent now, Qin Zhong had no choice: "Follow me and run, quickly, don't stop." Qin Zhong led the way in front.

  The three people behind him followed closely, while those who were chasing them were the vengeful spirits of the devils, carrying newly assembled skeletons, crazily pursuing with a rattling sound.

  Qin Zhong suddenly remembered something and turned back to ask: "Are vengeful spirits scary, or are they not scary?"

  "Of course, the vengeful spirits are much more powerful, and it depends on what kind of spirits the remaining ones are. Generally speaking, the energy of the remaining spirits is not enough to compete with the vengeful spirits."

  Qin Zhong listened to Mark's words and suddenly remembered that his grandfather's notes had also said so, so he asked Mark again about this matter. In the end, Qin Zhong seemed to have a way.

  He suddenly turned his head back: "You continue to run forward, if not, then turn back, I'll go with those vengeful spirits, maybe they are our saviors."

  Just as Qin Zhong was running backwards, his body seemed to be tightly pinched by the ghostly soldier, and Qin Zhong felt a numbness in his arm, but he could still move. He swung his arms and slashed out with two knives, cutting deep wounds on the ghost's body. As the ghost recovered, Qin Zhong again dove into the den of vengeful spirits, where there were souls that seemed to be kin, and dark, gloating ghosts.

  Qin Zhong didn't know how to communicate with those vengeful spirits, he just spoke a few words in his own language: "If you want revenge and want to see our peaceful lives now, then you must fight hard, absolutely cannot let these devils be arrogant."

  "Roar!" Those vengeful spirits, who seemed to have been experimented on, appeared to understand Qin Zhong's words. They slowly drifted towards the ghostly bodies of the devils and tightly hugged them: "Roar!"

  "Ba Ga, your family members, don't you want them anymore?"

  "Don't believe the devils, your family members are completely safe outside," Qin Zhong said, and with a flick of his wrist, the two kitchen knives in his hand flew towards those devils, trying to slow down their souls' speed as they rushed towards him.

  Mark dragged the cross to protect Mona, with Big Tooth behind him, constantly waving his hand and trying his best to shake off the ghost's grasp on his hand, shaking and running at the same time.

  When the wronged souls and those devils were tormented together, Qin Zhong could finally put his feet down. He asked Mark: "Tell me, what's next?"

  "How was I supposed to know? The cross didn't work either, what could I have done?"

  "Hmm, so we can only wait for death?" Qin Zhong's words were not just idle talk, but a thorough and utter truth: "Look at these vengeful spirits helping out now. I've come to realize that those ghosts are even more vicious vengeful spirits. Think about it, if the ghosts left, would their souls need to stay here?" Chapter 17: The Gathering of Ghosts

  Qin Zhong suddenly found that on every footprint, a certain illusory figure seemed to be growing, and this figure seemed to be the kind of growth produced by the energy gathering mentioned by Mark. And in the entire scene, the things that happened in an instant all seemed unexpected.

  At the other end of the corridor, a radio suddenly turned on, its sound crackling. Logically speaking, it seemed impossible to receive signals from the ground or air in such an underground place, but after all, those strange and unusual events had occurred.

  "Everyone be quiet, it seems we really can't get out. Let's head inside and avoid these energy growths." Qin Zhong said, his hands forming a knife-like shape as he headed towards the other end of the corridor.

  Four people back to back, what's even stranger is that the skeletons lying in the corner of the wall seem to be growing rotten flesh, as if everything is turning upside down. Gradually, each skeleton grows into a corresponding corpse, and the corpses gradually turn into human shapes, seemingly without any signs of decay, but seeing these things here, and not just one or two, it's a bit too much to take in.

  "Director, what are these? How can they still transform into humans? This seems like a chat in a strange and wonderful tale."

  "Hmm, let's keep quiet for now. Once they all become human-like, these ghosts will probably use the yang energy to find us. Let's not speak and see if these ghosts won't attack us for a while. We'll deal with them once they've fully transformed." Qin Zhong said.

  Mark was also shocked and sweated, muttering to himself: "I've only heard of ghosts forming, but I've never seen one before. This time I really saw it, what an experience."

  Qin Zhong and the others continued to head deeper into the corridor, because some of the skeletons inside had not yet undergone any changes. Just as they were walking in, they suddenly heard the sound of an iron gate being pushed open.

  A small Japanese military doctor, wearing a white coat and a Japanese military uniform, walked out from the iron gate. When he saw Qin Zhong and others, he seemed to be abnormally excited: "Want Xi, are you several here to do experiments?"

  Qin Zhong and the others were stunned, this person can speak human language, that's definitely not an ordinary ghost, I'm afraid that Mark's cross won't work either. He glanced at the person who came out with a slanted eye, really without a shadow, Qin Zhong was now fully spirited, his hands tightly grasping the kitchen knife again, ready to fight back.

  "Come on, there are a few Maludas here, and a woman, you can start." The devil's military doctor called out, and then several devil soldiers rushed out of the room next door to him. They were all holding rifles with bayonets that reflected the dim light, and they charged straight at Qin Zhong and the others. Two burly men rushed towards Meng Na, either one of whom could have swallowed her whole.

  Qin Zhong saw that things were not going well, he knew that these few were not human, and their behavior proved that they could see the people around him, and what to do with the people around him, he was powerless, but he couldn't just watch, so he raised his knife and chopped down, the twin blades flashing with electricity, the ghosts who came at him retreated in succession, but the places on their bodies where Qin Zhong had chopped them open instantly healed.

  Mark saw that Qin Zhong's kitchen knife was useless, so he immediately swung his own cross. Every time the cross hit a place, the skin would peel off from that place. Although it caused great pain to these ghosts and stopped them for a while, soon they, along with the ghostly military doctor, charged at several people again.

  Qin Zhong suddenly felt that this was not a good idea. If they continued like this, then the few of them would all be thrown away here.

  "Director, what should we do? We can't beat them!"

  "Can't beat you, is there a better way?"

  "No."

  Qin Zhong looked at Meng Na again, and Meng Na shook her head: "If Father were here, there might be a way, but he's not."

  "Hmm, it seems we still have one last trick left." Qin Zhong said, but just as a few people were discussing this, in the corridor appeared even more devils, and also some Chinese people who seemed to have already been experimented on, all of whom were heading in Qin Zhong's direction.

  "Come on, what's the final move?"

  "Run! Keep running with me until we can't run anymore." Qin Zhong was trying to buy himself some time, he wanted to carefully recall the things his grandfather had written in his notes, which one of them could match what was happening now, but no matter how hard he thought, he just couldn't think of it.

  But he suddenly thought of a problem, those Chinese people who were killed by the devils should be wronged ghosts, this time they should be more vicious, how could they listen to the devils' words and come with the devils to chase themselves.

  Qin Zhong hadn't even had time to think it through when he suddenly found that behind him, too, there were several piles of strange white bones. These white bones seemed to have grown out of the ground, and each pile of bones was almost in the same posture, all kneeling. Next to each pile of bones stood a Japanese military sword.

  Qin Zhong suddenly thought of a scene, that was the Bushido spirit of Japan, how glorious it was for them to commit suicide, but these white bones were slowly growing, from the bones grew flesh and blood, in other words, before long these white bones would become ghosts with knives in their hands, threatening Qin Zhong and others.

  Mark gazed intently, wanting to use his cross to directly knock the standing white bones to death, but it was useless. Just as several people hesitated, the eerie atmosphere of the entire corridor transformed into a more vivid historical flashback.

  But the situation is urgent now, Qin Zhong had no choice: "Follow me and run, quickly, don't stop." Qin Zhong led the way in front.

  The three people behind him followed closely, while those who were chasing them were the vengeful spirits of the devils, carrying newly assembled skeletons, crazily pursuing with a rattling sound.

  Qin Zhong suddenly thought of something and turned back to ask: "Are vengeful spirits scary, or are they not scary?"

  "Of course, the vengeful spirits are much more powerful, and it depends on what kind of spirits the remaining ones are. Generally speaking, the energy of the remaining spirits is not enough to compete with the vengeful spirits."

  Qin Zhong listened to Mark's words and suddenly remembered that his grandfather's notes had also said so, so he asked Mark again about this matter. In the end, Qin Zhong seemed to have a way.

  He suddenly turned his head back: "You continue to run forward, if not, then turn back, I'll go with those vengeful spirits, maybe they are our saviors."

  Just as Qin Zhong was running backwards, his body seemed to be tightly grasped by the ghostly soldier, and Qin Zhong felt a numbness in his arm, but he could still move. He swung his arms and slashed out with two knives, cutting deep wounds on the ghost's body. As the ghost recovered, Qin Zhong again dove into the den of vengeful spirits, where there were souls that seemed to be kin, and dark, gloating ghosts.

  Qin Zhong didn't know how to communicate with those vengeful spirits, he just spoke a few words in his own language: "If you want revenge and want to see our peaceful life now, then you must fight hard, absolutely cannot let these devils be arrogant."

  "Roar!" Those vengeful spirits, who seemed to have been experimented on, appeared to have understood Qin Zhong's words. They slowly drifted towards the ghostly bodies of the devils, tightly embracing them: "Roar!"

  "Ba Ga, your family members, don't you want them anymore?"

  "Don't believe the devils, your family members are completely safe outside," Qin Zhong said, and with a flick of his wrist, the two kitchen knives in his hand flew towards those devils, trying to slow down their souls' rapid rush towards him.

  Mark dragged the cross to protect Mona, with only his big teeth behind him, constantly waving his hands and trying his best to shake off the ghost's hand that was grasping his own, shaking as he ran.

  When the wronged souls and those devils were tormented together, Qin Zhong could finally put his feet down. He asked Mark, "Tell me, what's next?"

  "How was I supposed to know? The cross didn't work either, what could I have done?"

  "Hmm, so we can only wait for death?" Qin Zhong's words were not just idle talk, but a thorough and utter truth: "Look at these vengeful spirits helping out now. I've come to realize that those devils are even more malevolent vengeful spirits. Think about it, if the devils left, would their souls need to stay here?"