**Chapter 94: Join Us, Mingyue**
Zhao Mingyue was hiding a lot of things in her heart. Her story and inner thoughts were nothing like the dim-witted persona she normally displayed. Anyone who had even a fleeting encounter with Zhao Mingyue would never suspect her of having a tragic childhood. That’s right, not even once!
Even Bai Yu thought this girl had a mind full of secrets, but after all, she was just a young girl not even twenty yet.
Hiding in Zhao Mingyue’s shadow, Bai Yu was keeping a watchful eye.
Today, the only courage Zhao Mingyue could muster came from herself.
Taking a deep breath, she walked toward the building compound. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would return here one day, and certainly not to confront these people about what happened all those years ago, how her parents died, and where her sister went.
It was certain her parents’ demise and her sister’s disappearance were tightly woven into the stories of these very people.
But, even knowing that, what good did it do?
Did she have the guts to come back?
Could she even return?
Coming back would likely be a d*ath sentence; even the idea of surviving a near-d*ath experience felt overly optimistic.
Let’s face it, her return would be far scarier than d*ath itself.
Over the years she kept claiming she was searching for her sister, putting in a great effort while juggling school and working to support herself. In reality, it was just self-deception.
Did she truly not know where to find clues?
She did, but what could she do with that knowledge?
She was terrified of this place, frightened of everyone in it, and her courage had long been overpowered by fear. Over time, she started to avoid confronting it, dragging everyone around her into the same avoidance.
Throughout the years, she had been a staunch atheist.
“I mean seriously,” she told others, “How could there be ghosts in this world? When a person dies, they’re just a husk, nothing left!”
Taking another deep breath, Zhao Mingyue stared at the faded and blackened walls of the courtyard, peering through the open gate at the lights glowing in the small building.
After so many years, nothing about this place had changed.
The yard was still filled with that forever-dirty, stinky black mud, rotten boxes piled in the corners containing who-knows-what, and animal entrails dangling in the drainage system.
Everywhere reeked of decay. The entire house looked like it belonged to a world abandoned by time, and the people living here were a bunch of decayed souls awaiting judgment.
“Bai Yu, you know, if nightmares had levels, this courtyard would be the ultimate high-ranking nightmare. Waking up from it leaves me restless for the entire night.”
“I’m here looking for my sister, and this place is the most likely hiding spot of clues.”
“Even so, I’m thinking I’d never want to come back here in my life.”
“So, thank you! When we’re done, I’ll give you a little reward.”
“As for what the reward is, a lady never reveals her secrets.”
Considering all this in her mind, Zhao Mingyue mustered her courage to push open the half-closed door and stepped into the yard.
The door creaked ominously, and within the room, a dozen figures dropped what they were holding and stiffly turned their heads to look at Zhao Mingyue, who was standing at the entrance.
The room was lit by dim lights, and due to the poor lighting, Zhao Mingyue could only see that there were two tables filled with people. From a distance, it seemed lively, and with so many folks gathered, one might think it was a festive occasion.
Just take her grandmother’s ninetieth birthday, for instance—definitely a reason to celebrate!
But upon closer inspection, something felt off. It was a well-known tradition in Ping Shan Village that despite the abundance of people inside and outside, no one spoke. The silence was oppressive, and the atmosphere was heavy enough to choke on.
Feeling the weight of the silence, Zhao Mingyue found herself growing anxious.
As her skin prickled against the chill of her leather jacket, she suddenly snapped to attention.
“Uncle! You said to come back, and here I am!”
“Perfect timing! I have some questions for you guys!”
Steadying her nerves, Zhao Mingyue bravely walked into the yard, ignoring the offerings laid out and headed straight to the entrance.
The room was larger than it appeared from outside, with two tables filled with a dozen figures.
She recognized all of them, and she knew just how to address them thanks to her mother’s teachings—though she had resisted that training back then.
The courage she had just summoned faltered when she saw the unsettling scene before her, and the words she wanted to say got stuck in her throat.
Because those relatives, sharp-tongued and judgmental, had all turned into wax corpses!
Unlike outside, where the mood was dusty and grim, these wax corpses had expressions of either delight or jubilance. Their mouths were wide open, eyes bulging.
Not a single one moved their lips, yet Zhao Mingyue heard a voice.
“Mingyue, why did you take so long to arrive!”
The one speaking was her uncle, sitting at the head of the table, looking at her with a fierce glare and a gaping mouth.
“Exactly, Mingyue! Don’t you know what time it is? If you take any longer, we’ll be done eating!”
“Hey there, kiddo, did you forget to bring something?”
“Isn’t that right? You’re still in school, aren’t you?”
“If Aunt Er had her way, you wouldn’t bother with school anymore! You’ve grown up, you’re of age, and Aunt Er could find you a decent boy to settle down with—it’d be so much better than anything else!”
The moment she stepped into the door, the earsplitting clamor began, only to find out no one was actually speaking.
Those wax corpses hadn’t so much as twitched their lips, showing only the subtlest shifts in their expressions, especially in their eyes.
Those eyes gave Zhao Mingyue the unsettling impression that they were still very much alive.
“Quiet!” her uncle shouted again, “Mingyue, we’ve been waiting for you!”
The eerie silence left her with just that phrase echoing in her ears.
“Why aren’t you coming in? Are you scared? Scared of how we look?”
“Hahaha!” Many of the wax corpses burst into chilling laughter, their voices sending shivers down her spine.
“Don’t worry! As long as you mind your manners, we can forget your past mistakes and even help you become like us!”
A cold wind swept through the room, and while over a dozen people were snickering inside, the already dim lights flickered ominously.
“With so many elders present, why aren’t you speaking up!”
“Come and bless your grandmother for her birthday!”
Amidst the chaos, the mood among the wax corpses grew eerily unstable. Bai Yu communicated in Zhao Mingyue’s mind, revealing that all these wax figures were indeed evil ghosts.
From their reactions, it appeared that only fragments of their memories remained.
“Don’t worry. Your grandmother hasn’t shown up yet, and a couple of places are empty—one is your cousin, and the other one is unclear, but it’s definitely crucial.”
A group of evil ghosts, and what lay on the table wasn’t food—it was all offerings.
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One hour later, there’s another chapter!
