**Chapter 46: I Will Scare You Too Later**
After Qin Dalin knocked Luxianbei out with a stick, he stood behind a tree, hidden in the darkness, quietly watching her, his gaze shifting several times.
“Eh? That woman from the internet?” After hesitating for a moment, he muttered to himself, “Forget it, it doesn’t matter. If I can’t deliver a person to those guys, I’ll be in trouble.”
That woman from the internet… Time is running out… Can’t deliver a person to those guys…
Repeating the keywords from Qin Dalin’s words in her mind, Luxianbei couldn’t help but furrow her brows slightly.
It sounded like he had been searching for targets online before luring them here to take action?
Can’t deliver a person…
Could it be that those missing girls have all been handed over to someone or to an urban legend by him?
Just as Luxianbei was pondering, she heard faint footsteps nearby, interrupting her thoughts.
Qin Dalin approached Luxianbei, looked around, and then squatted down.
He touched the back of Luxianbei’s head, confirming there was no bleeding, relieved that there would be no bl**d traces, he gently sighed, picked her up, slinging her over his shoulder, and quickly headed towards the old employee building of the power plant.
Once Qin Dalin had her over his shoulder, Luxianbei immediately opened her eyes a crack, beginning to observe her surroundings.
As they moved forward, passing through an archway and entering the old building, the light immediately dimmed, and as they walked a bit further, the last vestiges of light were entirely swallowed by darkness.
In the pitch-black corridor, an indescribable strange smell wafted through the air.
The smell mainly stemmed from the decay of rubbish piled up in the corridor and the mustiness of the moldy walls, but upon closer inspection, there was a faint hint of bl**d mingled within.
Strange; she hadn’t noticed any bl**d smell during the day. There was also a slight spirit energy fluctuation, similar to those minor urban legends at home… Luxianbei thought.
The smell of bl**d seemed to have slowly seeped out from the walls only after dark, silently narrating the terrifying scenes that had once occurred here.
It felt like the spirit energy within her sensed something, stirring restlessly.
Qin Dalin climbed the stairs quietly, not triggering the motion-sensor lights at the stairwell; in the darkness, only his deliberately controlled slow breathing and the subtle sound of his shoes brushing against the ground could be heard.
With Luxianbei on his shoulder, he moved unsteadily forward, her slightly opened eyes surveying the dark, eerie, filthy corridor, her mind uncontrollably wandering.
She began to think—if the person who fell into Qin Dalin’s hands this time was not herself, but the girl who might have been chatting online with him so animatedly, what would happen?
Those naive girls may not have witnessed the cruelty of this world, and they were being deceived by Qin Dalin.
This world has never been short of fools; there will always be someone who is swindled by a few game skins, but the fault isn’t entirely with them, Luxianbei thought.
They innocently arrived in this remote and dilapidated place, without realizing that lurking in the shadows was a “beast” comparable to an urban legend, preparing to give them their last and cruelest life lesson.
Hiding in the darkness, Qin Dalin, who was already prepared, would take them in, meticulously erase any traces of his crimes, and then lead them into this dirty, smelly, old building, where mice and cockroaches stirred in the dark.
They might remain still like Luxianbei was now, or perhaps cry out and struggle.
At this moment, Qin Dalin no longer needed to disguise himself; with the overwhelming advantage in strength, he could easily subdue those restless prey with violence.
They had no room for choice, nor any ability to resist; they could only be cruelly clenched in the palm of this not-so-urban legend-like guy.
In a time when urban legends were on the rise, this old building, long aged, resembled a bloody maw hidden in the corners of the city, briefly opening and closing to devour a young, vibrant life.
And then.
The old building returned to silence; the others closest to it were still two or three kilometers away and would not discover that a girl was trapped inside this building.
As she pondered, Luxianbei had unknowingly been brought to the door of room 401 by Qin Dalin, a sound of keys being jangled came through.
In the dark, her gaze swept over the paper talismans plastered all over the door, briefly furrowing her brow, and carefully she moved her arm, letting it droop soft and heavy down from Qin Dalin’s shoulder, brushing against the door.
“Rip—!”
A sudden sting erupted in her palm, as if she had touched the hot bottom of a pot; half of the talismans on the security door had been torn off by Luxianbei.
You put these talismans here because you’re afraid of urban legends knocking on your door, right? Well, now they’re all ripped!
Today, this lady—no, she meant, today she would be the most terrifying urban legend in the old employee building of the power plant!
However, just stabbing you to d*ath would be too cheap; let me give you something alive… Luxianbei thought, with her mind gradually conjuring a dark plan.
Seeing the talismans being torn down, a tightness gripped Qin Dalin’s heart, his complexion turning pale, and he tossed Luxianbei aside, hurriedly picking up the talismans scattered on the floor, trying to piece them back together.
After a frantic attempt at piecing them together, realizing he had no hope of restoration, his face darkened, and he shouted at Luxianbei, “d*mn it, what have you done?”
“……”
Luxianbei kept her eyes tightly closed, remaining still, as if silently responding to Qin Dalin, “I haven’t done anything! I’m just a beautiful girl who got knocked unconscious by you!”
“Hmph—!”
Knowing that losing his temper at this seemingly a pile of rotten mud girl would be useless, Qin Dalin let out a cold snort, “Forget it, it doesn’t matter, you don’t have much time left anyway!”
“Otherwise, I’ll have to relieve myself of all the pent-up evil fire on you, and tear off one of your arms!”
Cursing as he spoke, he pulled out his keys and opened the door, dragging Luxianbei inside, and with a click, he locked the door behind them.
Entering the room, Qin Dalin switched on the light in the dark, and the bright illumination lit up the space.
The room was about sixty to seventy square meters, a simple two-bedroom layout, decorated very plainly, but filled with many cute handmade crafts; the balcony even had numerous succulent plants and flowers.
The entire room was arranged with distinctive warmth; had she not encountered Qin Dalin in person and learned of those terrifying things he had done through the Blessing God Copper Coin, Luxianbei might have thought that the person living here loved life, living a refined and happy existence.
But all of that was an illusion; behind the beautiful and happy life was another face of despair and cruelty.
Among those missing girls, it was likely that some of them had been deceived by such false appearances.
Once inside Qin Dalin’s home, the smell of bl**d that seemed to seep from the walls grew thicker.
Under the bright light, the pale walls appeared to whisper feebly as if those girls were telling Luxianbei they were hidden within the walls, under the floorboards, inside flower pots, behind the bathtub, and in the corners of drainage pipes…
It bore some resemblance to the whispers that occasionally emerged from a witch’s egg, but much weaker.
There were many sources to the whispers emanating from within the walls; a rough estimate suggested at least a dozen voices.
“……”
Luxianbei stole a glance at Qin Dalin’s profile, furrowing her brow almost imperceptibly.
It seemed that the girls who had fallen into his hands were far more than just the few she’d seen before; those were merely the tip of the iceberg.
Many more girls had gone missing, with no one to follow up or search, quietly disappearing from this world without leaving even a trace of their existence behind.
Luxianbei suddenly felt that the existence of the Urban Legends Chat Group might be beneficial; at least they could provide those foolish girls who had made mistakes with a chance to say, “I won’t let you go even as a ghost,” to correct their errors and punish wrongdoers.
As she thought about the Urban Legends Chat Group, Luxianbei suddenly felt she might have made a mistake.
If only she had checked the urban legend reward website before coming here, to see if there were any relevant bounties; perhaps she could have scored some profit.
Doing good deeds without leaving a name or asking for any money denotes a hero.
She was not a hero; if possible, she wanted it all.
————
Qin Dalin settled Luxianbei onto the sofa, rummaged for some nylon rope to bind her hands, and turned to the bedroom, where he started to fiddle with something, producing dull sounds of heavy objects being dragged.
After Qin Dalin’s figure disappeared from the living room, Luxianbei’s coat immediately stirred, delivering the intricately carved kn*fe hidden in the sleeve to her hand. She quickly cut through the nylon rope, clutching the severed ends tightly in her palm.
Although she had already used the copper coin for divination and wouldn’t encounter any real danger when dealing with Qin Dalin, it was best to seize the initiative early so she could feel more at ease.
Moments later, the noise from the bedroom quieted down, and Qin Dalin’s footsteps returning reached Luxianbei’s ears.
The timing was right… Her eyes darted around; before Qin Dalin emerged, she rubbed her head, feigning a dazed expression while looking around.
“This… where is this…?”
Seeing Qin Dalin walk out from the bedroom, she suddenly let out a high-pitched scream, “Ah! Who are you? Why did you bring me here? Do you want money? I can give it to you, just please let me go, don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me!”
Qin Dalin regarded the girl he had just brought back; her body seemed to tremble as if she were a sieve, her expression dazed, whether from having been knocked out or from fear, he found it somewhat amusing.
Such a timid girl, yet she dared to wander into such a place at night?
What was she thinking?
Contemplating, a smile appeared on his face as he sat down across from Luxianbei, speaking softly, “Don’t be afraid, girl; I’m not a bad person.”
Trying to get close to make the victim lower her guard for the next step of his persecution? Unfortunately, I know your background, Luxianbei thought.
She pulled her legs back a bit, her big eyes warily staring at Qin Dalin, weakly saying, “You… you’re not a bad person, then why did you hit me earlier?”
Qin Dalin scratched the back of his head, “I just thought you were sneaking around near my house and thought you were a bad person, in a moment of panic… I only intended to scare you, I’m sorry!”
Well said! I’m really not a good person either; I will scare you too later… Luxianbei thought, seemingly relaxing her vigilance, letting out a sigh.
“Uh… then, since it’s a misunderstanding, uncle, can you let me go now?”
“Not yet.”
“Why? Didn’t you say you hit me because you thought I was a bad person?” Luxianbei pressed, her voice edged with tears.
“Please let me go? I won’t call the police, I promise!”
Qin Dalin looked at her pitiful face, as if she were a little white rabbit that he could easily mold, feeling delighted, but his expression turned sorrowful.
He pulled out a cigarette pack from his pocket, took one out, lit it, and inhaled deeply, slowly saying, “Actually, I haven’t found anyone who genuinely listens to me for a long time.”
“Will you chat with me? After we finish chatting, I’ll let you go.”
“Haven’t spoken to anyone for a long time?” Luxianbei paused, looking over at the balcony with curiosity, “Sister, don’t you ever talk to the uncle?”
“Sister, weren’t you supposed to live with the uncle?”
Qin Dalin followed Luxianbei’s gaze; the balcony was empty, the curtains tightly drawn, and the various plants in the flower pots appeared dead, casting large shadows on the floor.
He stared blankly at the balcony, as if recalling something terrifying, his pupils quivering slightly, until he felt the hot ash from the cigarette fall onto his pants, causing his thigh to hurt, jolting him awake.
Qin Dalin jumped up from the chair, revealing his vicious demeanor.
“d*mn it, you don’t appreciate the good face I show you, and you still try to play clever with me? Is there someone on that balcony?!”
Luxianbei feigned a frightened expression, shrinking back, plaintively saying, “But I clearly saw a lady right there…”
As she spoke, Luxianbei recalled the description from the missing person’s poster for Chen Siqi, reiterating softly, “She wore a white dress, black peep-toe shoes, and carried a small red bag; look, she’s right there!”
Listening to Luxianbei’s words, a chill ran down Qin Dalin’s spine, and he felt goosebumps all over.
He remembered every girl he had harmed; they often appeared in his dreams, seeking vengeance, yet he still lived well.
She knew the girls’ attire was not surprising; it was written in the news and on the missing persons posters!
Hadn’t the police before used this method to test him?
After a brief panic, Qin Dalin soon calmed down, glaring at Luxianbei with his ruthless demeanor.
“Shut up! Do you really think once you’re in this room you can leave completely intact?”
He roared, grabbing the ashtray from the table and lunging at Luxianbei. Just as he was about to pounce and start hitting her, Luxianbei sidestepped, dodging effortlessly.
The ashtray barely missed hitting her head.
Qin Dalin lunged at Luxianbei again, only to have her evade him once more, still just barely missing.
“Are you still dodging? I’m going to k*ll you!”
“Uncle, I don’t want to dodge either! But I’m really scared and can’t control it!”
Who told you your movements were so predictable? I even had the extra energy to create the illusion that “just a bit more, next time I can hit you.” Luxianbei internally added.
Qin Dalin’s expression darkened; he lunged again, only to be evaded, then again, and again, continuously attempting to hit her but being easily avoided by Luxianbei each time.
She was like a slippery little loach, or a ghost that floated unpredictably.
Qin Dalin sensed something was off, stepping back a few paces while holding the ashtray, looking Luxianbei up and down, only then realizing this girl remained completely unfazed in the face of such danger, showing no expression at all, just like…
Like a dead person?
The thought flashed through his mind alongside the ripped talismans at the door; Qin Dalin’s face turned pale as he shakily shouted, “W-Who exactly are you?!”
“Me?” Luxianbei replied calmly. “I could be Chen Siqi, or Zhang Huihui, or Fang Liqin, or countless corpses buried beneath Happy Neighborhood…”
As she spoke, without a hint of emotion, she murmured to her coat, “Coat, turn into a tattered white dress?”
Upon receiving her command, the coat stirred slightly and transformed into a filthy, ragged dress that hung down.
Luxianbei also conveniently released the nylon rope in her hand, revealing her intricately carved kn*fe as she stepped forward.
Spirit energy surged, and fierce winds whipped through the air, her white hair becoming disheveled, with her crimson eyes glinting ominously.
It was as if the lights above flickered in response to Luxianbei’s spirit energy fluctuations, constantly flashing.
Suddenly, the faint spirit energy fluctuations hidden in the surrounding walls were activated, and the room echoed with the mournful weeping of girls akin to wailing ghosts.
In an instant, Qin Dalin’s body shuddered as if struck by lightning, stumbling back several steps to lean against the wall.
Looking at Luxianbei, who held a kn*fe, his expression completely unraveled, his features twisted as if being molded by an invisible hand.
The visual effects were overwhelming—the spirit energy fluctuations of the urban legend had a real mental impact on humans, and he was in a state of utter disarray.
“Y-You, don’t come closer, I-I don’t want to k*ll you all…”
In the middle of saying so, he suddenly slapped himself hard, “It’s all me, it’s my fault; I shouldn’t have gambled. If I hadn’t gambled, I wouldn’t have walked down this path.”
“N-No, it’s all their fault! They tricked me into that gambling game; I lost everything, and the only way to stay alive is to serve them, or else they…”
Luxianbei, “…… What kind of gambling is this stimulating? You can bet away your freedom? Forget it, I’ll focus on the main event first!”
“Shut your mouth! I didn’t ask you these things! Tell me, where is my ancient sword? Speak, and I’ll spare you!”
“Ancient sword?” Qin Dalin paused for a moment, hastily shaking his head, “N-No, I can’t tell you!”
“Then go d*e!”
Luxianbei shouted, her toes barely touching the ground; utilizing her somewhat lackluster flying ability, she hovered for a few seconds and drifted towards Qin Dalin.
Seeing this, Qin Dalin’s pupils dilated sharply, his chest heaving violently, he yelled in terror, “In… Li, Li…”
Before he could finish, a strange gasp escaped his lips, froth gushed out, his neck twisted, and with a thud, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Luxianbei, “……”
What… he got scared to the point of fainting?
His mental fortitude is really weak; how could he have killed so many people?
d*mn it, what to do now? I didn’t even have time to clarify where the ancient sword is!
Luxianbei cursed internally, rubbing her slightly swelling abdomen.
She had no idea that directly knocking someone out like this could provide such a significant replenishment of spirit energy—it was almost on par with a third of the core essence of an urban legend.
She approached, flipped the unconscious Qin Dalin onto his back, checked for a pulse, confirming he was still alive, then used what was available to tie his hands and feet with nylon rope, and single-handedly lifted him up, tossing him onto the sofa.
“Clink—!”
At that moment, something suddenly slid out from Qin Dalin’s pocket, falling to the ground with a slight sound.
“Hmm?”
Luxianbei stepped forward to pick up what had fallen out of Qin Dalin’s pocket and frowned at the item.
It was a beautifully crafted round token, red and white in color, made of some kind of metal; it felt cold in her hand, one side engraved with the number “10,” and the other with a complex pattern of an inverted seven-pointed star, faintly emanating a weak spirit energy fluctuation.
“Chip? Is this the chip Qin Dalin lost at his gambling house?”
“And there’s spirit energy fluctuation…”
“Tsk! A mere ordinary person gambling with urban legends, how could he not lose!”
Luxianbei muttered to herself, silently stashing her plunder in her pocket.
Gambling was not something she would ever partake in; she had no intention of gambling in her entire life; she simply intended to tuck this token away until she found out where that gambling house was so she could exchange the token for cash.
With the token secured, Luxianbei sat down in the chair, boredly playing with her phone while waiting for Qin Dalin to wake up so that she could continue her friendly inquiries.
Time passed little by little. At eleven-thirty at night, noticing her phone battery dwindling to ten percent, Luxianbei panicked and was about to put it away to conserve the last bit of power when suddenly, the lights in the room went out, and an eerie wind began to whistle outside.
Two spirit energy fluctuations suddenly entered Luxianbei’s perception, quietly making their way down the corridor toward room 401.
Urban legends were coming! Were they the urban legends predicted by the copper coin?
The intensity of the spirit energy was about 1 Mr. Rabbit each; there were two… that makes around 2 Mr. Rabbits!
Weighing her chances against what seemed to be a slight overpowering force of around two Mr. Rabbits, Luxianbei assessed that it might be dangerous and decided to hide and observe the situation before making further plans.
The next moment, a premonition flashed through her mind.
**[They are about to cross the door]**
Her expression shifted slightly; she immediately got up, looked around, and swiftly darted into Qin Dalin’s bedroom. Just as she took a few steps out, she stepped into the void and fell.
The next moment, the temperature in room 401 dropped suddenly; white frost inexplicably appeared on the glass windows. The locked security door remained unopened, yet a soft “creak” sounded from the door hinge, accompanied by two light, floating shadows gliding through the security door and entering the room…
