Chapter 49: Repeating Space

  Liang Zi saw was forced back again, and he was thoroughly enraged. Our guns were all left behind by Zhang Zhuang's troops, and the bullets were still relatively abundant.

  Liang Zi reloaded his gun while cursing loudly: "Who the hell are you, pretending to be a ghost? What kind of skill is that? If you have the guts, come out! Don't think that just because I've injured one foot, I won't kill you..."

  He scolded loudly for a while, but seeing no reaction, he loaded the bullets and fired several shots into the sky in exasperation. However, the mountain remained a mountain, the grass remained grass, and there was not a single change around us.

  I was scolded by Liangzi like this, and suddenly I had a special idea.

  Let's not talk about why we can't get close to that flashlight for now, but those ghost kids are too strange, aren't they?

  I used to think that the thing was a kind of monster, but after seeing it many times, I felt something was off. Although it looked quite terrifying, it had a mortal body and would die if shot with a gun, so it shouldn't be some kind of vengeful spirit.

  The strangest thing is that they attacked halfway and disappeared, as long as we walked in the direction of the flashlight on the mountain slope, we never encountered them. Could it be... could it be that they were driving us to walk in a fixed direction?

  I shared my thoughts with them, and Zhou Huan and Liang Zi also thought it was possible. To verify my idea, we walked in the direction of the right hand again.

  Three people holding guns and flashlights proceeded cautiously, estimating they had walked about fifty meters when the rustling sound started again, and soon a ghostly child jumped out of the grass.

  This time we were prepared, three flashlights shone on it at the same time, and I took a closer look again. I found that although this thing was standing upright like a human being, those two drooping hands looked more and more like animal claws, only shorter than normal animals. Although I didn't know what this thing was, at least I felt it should be an animal, and my heart relaxed a lot.

  This time everyone didn't fire a shot, slowly retreating back, and when I faced the flashlight on the hill again, I completely calmed down. This matter must be carefully considered, and rash actions can no longer be taken.

  Now that our idea has been proven, the three of us feel safe for the time being. We've had enough trouble lately, so we sat on the ground with our backs against each other to rest.

  I saw Zhou Huan staring at the mountain slope with a flashlight, and I didn't disturb her. Liang Zi and I lit up cigarettes and started smoking, carefully recalling what had happened before...

  After we buried those bones, we continued to move in one direction. Then, for some reason, the black-faced captain suddenly disappeared alone. I think he must have discovered something and was anxious to go and deal with it.

  Furthermore, from the moment I first felt a cool breeze behind me, I reckon that ghostly child was already on my shoulder, it's just that for some reason I didn't notice.

  Right after that, those so-called 'corpse moths' appeared. The thing obviously didn't harm us and should have been startled by something before flying up collectively. It's possible that they discovered the large tomb through their own senses and swarmed around to forage.

  Turned back to think about that ghostly child, the one on my shoulder was just blowing air at me, but never actually attacked me. It was later killed by a bullet shot from afar. Then another one jumped onto Liang's body and was also eliminated by those mysterious bullets.

  Although we encountered many such ghost children later, and some were killed by Liangzi and Zhou Huan, these things never launched a real attack on us from start to finish. At the speed at which they acted, it can be said that it was easy to eliminate us.

  Finally: I should consider the strange flashlight that appeared on the hillside, why we couldn't get through this section of road, and at that time, I was confused and couldn't figure it out.

  After finishing this cigarette, I turned my head and asked Zhou Huan: "How is it? Any discovery?"

  Zhou Huan stared at the flashlight for a while and then said, "Now I can basically confirm that the light on the hillside must be emitted by the flashlight. However, judging from the situation, there is no one in that place, and the flashlight should be placed on the ground or clamped between trees."

  I also looked up and found that the flashlight was indeed motionless. I thought Zhou Huan's analysis was correct, so I continued to ask: "Then what? Go on."

  "Since the flashlight appeared there, it must have been someone who deliberately took it over. The most likely person is the captain, but what happened to him is unknown. As for why we can't get through, I think there are two possibilities: either we didn't move from the original place or the flashlight was just moving."

  Zhou Huan finished speaking and stood up, and Liang Zi and I also got up. The three of us stared at the flashlight in unison, but after a long time, we didn't see any changes.

  "It seems that the logic of moving with the flashlight can be ruled out, now it's just a matter of proving why we don't move from our original position." Zhou Huan said as he turned around and looked towards our back.

  I don't understand what she wants to prove, and followed her to ask: "Isn't staying in place just taking a step back? How can this be proven? It's not possible either."

  "No, I didn't say our bodies won't move, but no matter how we walk, we'll always end up back where we started." Zhou Huan said as she turned around again to face the hillside.

  I don't know what she wants to do either, I inexplicably followed her for several laps, and saw Zhou Huan take two steps back and say to us: "Now, you two shine your flashlights on me, I'll keep walking forward, and the problem will be clear in a moment."

  Liang Zi asked in surprise: "Little sister-in-law, you won't abandon us either, will you?"

  Zhou Huan didn't answer, I knew she couldn't just leave us to fend for ourselves, so I quickly asked: "What do you want to do? Is there something I can do to help?"

  "Stop arguing, I'm just doing an experiment, nothing will happen, you two just wait here for me, remember to keep the flashlight on and shine it on my back."

  Zhou Huan finished speaking and didn't bother with us anymore, raised her flashlight and gun and walked forward in a straight line. Liang Zi and I didn't dare to be careless either, quickly using our flashlights to shine on her back.

  She gradually walked further and further away, her figure becoming increasingly blurred, until all we could see was the light from her flashlight, and then slowly everything in front of us returned to calm once again.

  Another five or six minutes passed and she still hadn't returned, so I started to get anxious, holding the flashlight high up on my toes to look around, but all I saw was weeds.

  "Don't look for her anymore, I told you she'd abandoned us. It seems your little sister-in-law has decided to get rid of you." Liangzi patted my shoulder and said in a somewhat comforting tone.

  I'm too lazy to care about him, I think Zhou Huan wouldn't do something like that, if she wanted to leave, there's no need for her to use such a sneaky way, she must have her reasons.

  Just as the two of us were extremely anxious and about to go back and take a look, I suddenly heard a sigh coming from behind me, followed by a female voice saying: "It seems that I was right after all..."

  The sound came too suddenly, startling both of us. We quickly turned around and shone our flashlights, with Liang even raising his gun.

  After seeing clearly, I was thoroughly stunned. The person who spoke behind me turned out to be Zhou Huan, who was smiling wryly at us with a helpless expression.

  "What's going on? How did you come out from behind?" I quickly asked as I went forward.

  Zhou Huan seemed a bit dejected and shook his head, saying: "I guess I was right, there are indeed some problems with this section of the road from here to the mountain slope where the flashlight is shining."

  "What's going on? Where did you pop up from?" I asked anxiously.

  Zhou Huan surprisingly sat back down on the ground, took out a bottle of water and drank two mouthfuls before saying: "Actually, I didn't do anything else, just kept walking forward, and in the end, I ended up back where I started."

  I was completely confused after listening to her, what's the point of walking and still being able to come back, this is also too hard for people to understand.

  Zhou Huan seemed to have completely relaxed, smiling and saying: "This matter looks quite strange, but it's not difficult to explain. First, the ghost hitting the wall will appear this phenomenon, and secondly, it may be a kind of obstacle method. However, no matter which possibility, I don't have a solution, can only wait until dawn."

  "That's not right, what if it's daylight and we still can't get out?" Liangzi anxiously asked as he leaned in.

  "If we can't get out during the day, we'll just have to accompany these lonely ghosts and wild devils, buried deep in this grass for good." Zhou Huan seemed to have completely given up, with a hint of self-mockery in his tone.

  Looking at her like that, I was also stunned. I know no one wants to spend the night in a place where bones are buried underground, corpse-eating moths fly overhead, and ghost children can jump out of the grass at any time. That's just torture.

  But whether it's a blindfold or a ghostly wall, I don't know how to break through. Just as I was at a loss, I suddenly heard Liangzi say on one side: "Ah, I do know a way to break through the ghostly wall, which is to use comparison, comparison..."

  I was already annoyed to death, seeing him hesitating and stuttering, I asked loudly: "What's the solution, speak quickly, what do you think about spending the night here?"

  "This is what you asked me to say, I said it and you can't get angry."

  "What's wrong with you, are you going to say it or not?" I was really anxious and forgot that Zhou Huan was still there. I glanced at her and saw that she was looking at me with a particularly disdainful gaze, as if saying: "You're also considered a man?"

  Liangzi didn't say it directly, but whispered against my ear: "Washing your eyes with a child's urine can supposedly break the ghostly wall..."

  "What the hell kind of solution is this?" I was so angry when I heard that, I just wanted to kick him.

  Liang Zi had long been prepared and immediately jumped up to hide far away, shouting loudly: "Look at you, look at you! I told you not to be in a hurry, didn't I? Now you're making me say it!"

  Zhou Huan asked me what was going on, and I didn't answer. I thought to myself: First of all, let's not say whether this method is too far-fetched or not. Even if it really works, where the hell can we get the virgin boy's urine from? Are you going to do it or am I?

  "What's going on? Why didn't you tell me?" Zhou Huan curiously continued to ask me.

  "There's nothing much to it, he's just talking nonsense, this method can directly rule out what doesn't count."

  "Come on, say it out loud and see if it works." Zhou Huan still wouldn't let up, insisting that I reveal Liangzi's method.

  I thought about it and felt it was a bit far-fetched, but saying it out loud didn't seem to be a big deal, so I told Zhou Huan about Liangzi's plan.

  She listened and didn't react as strongly as I did, furrowing her brow and thinking seriously for a moment before saying: "I think I've also heard of this kind of thing, although it's not very practical, but there's no harm in trying, maybe it'll really work."