Looking up at the thirty or so corpses hanging from the ceiling, their feet still swaying slightly, sent chills down my spine. All women, their long hair draped over their faces, they hung there ominously.
Their heads drooped downward, eyes wide open - it felt like dozens of pairs of eyes were staring straight at me.
I immediately drew my Copper Coin Sword, but there was nothing around me except occasional gusts of chilling wind. Or was it just too dark to see anything clearly?
"Who killed them?" I demanded, turning toward Nova.
Nova shook her head as if to say she didn't know, but remained completely silent.
"What the hell is wrong with you? Is something threatening you? Nod if that's the case," I said.
Nova immediately nodded frantically, confirming my suspicions. Something had indeed emerged in this mansion and slaughtered all thirty people.
Was it the female corpse in the red dress? Nova and Zephyr had Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts, but the rest of Nova's family didn't. It wasn't impossible that she would strike first.
"Is it a female corpse?" I pressed.
Nova remained silent. Losing patience, I tried to pull Nova up to leave, but she resisted. After some struggling, she finally leaned close to my ear and whispered, "I can't leave. I can't speak. She's captured Zephyr and killed nearly all of Nova's family. Only Zephyr and I remain now."
"Her? Who is she?" I asked.
Too terrified to speak again, Nova just glanced upward toward the second floor, indicating that both "she" and Zephyr were up there.
No way. Zephyr had my Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts. How could that female corpse possibly get near him?
But no matter how I pressed, Nova refused to speak another word. Gripping my Copper Coin Sword tightly, I gathered my courage to head upstairs. If Zephyr's tattoos proved ineffective, that was my responsibility - I had to save him.
Just then, Nova clutched my shirt desperately, trying to stop me from going up, clearly worried for my safety.
I reassured her it would be fine. With the Copper Coin Sword in hand, I should be able to defend myself. The only problem was I didn't have any black dog blood this time. I'd have to bite my finger and smear the blood on the sword instead.
I'd often watched Stella bite her finger to recite incantations and cast spells, thinking it looked easy. But when I tried it myself, the pain shocked me - biting your own finger hurt like hell.
As my blood coated the sword, the Copper Coin Sword suddenly began vibrating violently, emitting a strange, faint glow. The hilt grew scorching hot, burning my palm so badly I immediately dropped it.
What the hell? What's happening? Why does the sword feel like it's on fire?
The Copper Coin Sword landed upright, and when I picked it up again, it was no longer hot and felt much lighter in my hand.
With no time to ponder this now, I gripped the sword and headed upstairs.
The second floor was even darker. I turned on my phone's flashlight, but it barely helped - the darkness in this room seemed to devour the light. Still, I could see a little.
"Zephyr! Where are you?" I called out, but received no response. I had no choice but to search room by room. Nova's mansion was enormous, with over a dozen rooms on this floor alone.
Just then, a sudden wailing sound erupted through the house - ghostly and piercing.
The horror intensified as the corpses hanging from the ceiling began dropping down one by one. Their bodies moved stiffly, exactly like jiangshi, then started hopping toward me.
These corpses' sudden zombie-like transformation must be connected to that eerie sound. They were clearly being controlled by something, as they ignored Nova downstairs despite her being closer to them, and came straight for me.
Now I understood - something was trying to kill me! Whether it was the woman in the red dress or something else, this had been a trap from the moment Nova called. That's why she insisted I come alone.
The corpses quickly surrounded me, their faces shrouded in hair, hands stiffly outstretched as if to strangle me. Judging by their fatal wounds, they too appeared to have been strangled to death.
They lurched forward with eerie groans, but I wasn't afraid. I swung the Copper Coin Sword - with a sickening thud, one head rolled to the ground. Though recently deceased, surprisingly little blood spilled from the severed neck.
Being already dead, they showed no fear, continuing their advance. One by one, I decapitated them with my sword. Each body twitched briefly before collapsing motionless.
All thirty fell within moments. I gained new appreciation for this Copper Coin Sword - far more effective than I'd imagined. Not just for exorcisms, but razor-sharp against physical threats too, its evil-suppressing properties clearly intact.
"Who the fuck is doing this? Show yourself!" Losing patience, I kicked open a door and roared in fury.
Something powerful was at work here. If my Tattoos of Gods and Ghosts weren't effective, this likely wasn't an ordinary corpse - and I trusted my tattoos completely.
After kicking open the eighth door, I finally found Zephyr - sitting cross-legged on the bed, eyes tightly shut as if in deep sleep.
"Zephyr! Wake up! Wake up!" I called his name repeatedly, but he showed no response. No matter how much I shouted, he wouldn't wake.
Forget it - I'd carry him downstairs first. But just as I reached to lift him, his eyes suddenly flew open - and those eyes... they burned with unmistakable murderous intent!
True to that look, he pulled a fruit knife from beneath the covers and stabbed at me in one swift motion.
Caught off guard, I couldn't completely dodge the attack. But my reflexes kicked in and I twisted sideways.
The blade that should have pierced my stomach instead scraped across my left ribcage. It didn't penetrate deeply, but still drew blood - crimson immediately staining my clothes.
"You little brat!" I roared. Here I was trying to save him, and he stabs me in the back?
This Zephyr was just a boy. Why would he do such a thing? And while I'm rescuing him? Unless... was he possessed by some ghost again?
"Tch. You actually dodged. Should've been fatal." Zephyr laughed darkly - his voice utterly unlike a child's, yet not sounding ghost-possessed either.
I pressed a hand to the wound, blood soaking through my fingers. Worse, I felt numbness spreading from the injury through my body. My heart sank - the blade was poisoned. This kid played dirty.
But why betray me? I couldn't make sense of it.
"Wondering why I stabbed you?" Zephyr's voice suddenly changed, growing ancient and raspy - exactly like... like Nova's grandmother's voice.
"You weren't possessed yesterday at all? It was all an act?" I gasped.