Luò Wǎn also felt the overwhelming pressure, which was causing a ringing in her ears. With a pale face, she said, "Don't ask any more questions. Let’s go.”
But with Shěn Jī's terrified scream, everyone froze. Shěn Ji pointed at the walls of the studio, screaming, "They're moving! They´re moving!”
Lǐ Dàlù turned around to see that the female corpses suspended in the glass containers on the walls, immersed in the liquid, had suddenly come to life. Their countless eyes were glaring fiercely at Lǐ Dàlù and his group, as if they were determined to protect their precious space.
"Her eyes moved, and she smiled—she smiled!” Shěn Jī, terrified and her nerves frayed, collapsed into Shàngguān Liúyún's arms.
Luò Wǎn and Lǐ Dàlù tightly held each other's hands, retreating slowly. Meanwhile, the fingers of the female corpses began to twitch and clench into fists. Some of them even started to giggle. Xiǎomù turned around to admire his “masterpieces,” and Luò Wǎn noticed that the corpses were striking the same poses as those in the oil paintings, as if they were waiting for Xiǎomù to paint them.
Lǐ Dàlù's heart was racing with unease. The scene was too bizarre—an array of female corpses vying for attention, striking poses from the paintings in the liquid, all directed towards Xiǎomù in the studio with a disturbing mixture of allure and menace. The beauty of it was horrifying, a terrifying beauty that made the situation all the more unsettling.
Xiǎomù, however, began painting on the white canvas with intense concentration. To him, the entire world seemed to fade away, leaving only his art and his focused expression.
Lǐ Dàlù signaled the others to quietly make their escape. They moved slowly towards the door. Shàngguān Liúyún opened it, trying to help Shěn Jī out.
Everything proceeded silently, with everyone wary of disturbing the room full of submerged corpses and the entranced Xiǎomù absorbed in his painting among them.
At this moment, even with a gun or a rocket launcher, Lǐ Dàlù wouldn't dare provoke the infatuated corpses. The best strategy was to retreat—escape was the wisest option.
If they couldn't fight, at least they could run!
Shàngguān Liúyún was dragging Shěn Jī to the door, which was already open. Halfway there, Shěn Jī, startled by the cold night air, suddenly woke up and shouted loudly,
"Where am I?"
If looks could kill, Lǐ Dàlù's glare would have turned Shěn Jī into a roasted pig.
There was no time left. The corpses in the painting room all turned their heads, glaring angrily at the four. Meanwhile, Xiǎomù's brow furrowed slightly, as if he was displeased with the unprofessionalism of his undead models.
From the glass containers, countless hands emerged, penetrating the bulletproof glass as if it were air. Then came the long, slender legs. Strangely, as soon as the corpses encountered the air, they began to decay. The once vibrant faces, like the most beautiful blooming flowers, withered instantly into a ghastly grey. Hair fell out, teeth loosened, and skin aged and wrinkled, turning into a mass of decay.
Once removed from Xiǎomù's specially formulated liquid, they were just ordinary corpses. Yet, seeing so many of these ordinary corpses slowly emerging from the containers and flowing toward the door was undeniably unsettling.
Lǐ Dàlù shouted, "Run!" and grabbed Luò Wǎn, sprinting towards the rooftop. When he reached the door leading to the rooftop, he yanked it open and made a few steps outside, only to suddenly rush back in, colliding with Shàngguān Liúyún, who was carrying Shěn Jī. Shàngguān Liúyún, looking worried, demanded, "Why aren't you going down?"
Lǐ Dàlù pointed to the staircase and said, "If you're so brave, you go first!”
Shàngguān Liúyún peeked outside and was horrified to see the staircase packed with silhouettes, stretching all the way from the rooftop down to below. The shadows were pushing upward, and there were so many people—where did they all come from?
Running down now would be suicide!
Shàngguān Liúyún and Lǐ Dàlù, both grim-faced, retreated and stood side by side, placing the women at the edge of the rooftop. Lǐ Dàlù handed Shàngguān Liúyún a heavy iron rod, which he had somehow retrieved from the ground below. They both gripped the rod tightly, facing the relentless tide of advancing corpses.
It was clear that the iron rod was no match for the sheer number of bodies, and fighting them off would likely lead only to their deaths. Yet, at this moment, there was no other choice. With women needing protection behind them, they had to stand firm. If men didn't rise to the occasion now, they would have failed in their duty.
Luò Wǎn gently stood up, feeling the night breeze brush against her face. She looked down at the parking lot below, where the lights seemed very bright. The cars appeared as small as ants from her vantage point.
She had resolved in her heart, If the situation seems to be not right, I'd better jump down from here to avoid dragging down these two men. They can escape if they can. I'm so weak, and I was choked in the water just now. I can't walk at all. Staying here will just be a burden.
Shěn Jī, however, clung tightly to Shàngguān Liúyún, her voice trembling with weakness. At this hour, her voice sounded grating, like a knife scraping against an eardrum.
The female corpses continued to emerge from the studio, the encircling group growing smaller and smaller. Lǐ Dàlù and Shàngguān Liúyún's fingertips had turned pale, their grips on the iron rods tightening further.
The corpses were all expressionless, but as the circle grew smaller, even if they weren't devoured, Lǐ Dàlù and the others would be pushed out.
Lǐ Dàlù suddenly said, "How did your family end up building a house in such a gloomy place? It's bound to attract so many vengeful spirits."
"How can I be to blame? I didn't build the house." Shàngguān Liúyún replied irritably.
As the two spoke, trying to ease the terrifying atmosphere, the female corpses suddenly ceased their movements and turned their heads to gaze at a particular spot. Luò Wǎn and the others followed their gaze and saw Xiǎomù standing on the other side of the rooftop, high up like a bird with its wings spread. With his arms outstretched and a smile on his face, he looked over at them.
"No!" Luò Wǎn screamed, "Don't, Xiǎomù! Don't stand there; it's dangerous!"
Shàngguān Liúyún dropped the iron rod and tried to run over, but Lǐ Dàlù grabbed him tightly and pulled him back. Shàngguān Liúyún struggled and shouted, "Calm down and get down, Xiǎomù! We can talk this out; just come down!"
Xiǎomù, with that beautiful smile, looked quietly at Luò Wǎn and said softly, "Brother, Luò Wǎn, I can't turn back anymore."
In those few short words lay an endless sorrow. The grave mistake had already been made, leaving no room for a second chance. Right was right, wrong was wrong, and what's done is done—there was no such thing as turning back. They often say turning back is a safe haven, but where is there really a chance to turn back?
He stood in the wind, which tousled his hair, and a faint smile curved his lips. If he jumped, all the grudges, entanglements, heartbreak, pain, helplessness, and misunderstandings would dissolve into nothingness. Then his brother and Luò Wǎn wouldn't have to die, wouldn't have to be torn apart by these vengeful spirits.
"Xiǎomù, don't do anything stupid!" Luò Wǎn's voice had changed, filled with urgency and desperation. The female corpses hurried toward Xiǎomù, eager to reach him. Though they had all met their end at his hands, they still clung to their infatuation with him.
"Brother, if there's a next life, could you let Luò Wǎn be mine? Will you still be my brother?" Xiǎomù said with a smile to Shàngguān Liúyún. His mischievous grin was just like the time he had taken a big bite out of an apple before giving it to his brother.
Shàngguān Liúyún broke free and ran toward Xiǎomù. In that moment, he understood clearly that, no matter what wrongs Xiǎomù had committed against him, he would never hate or blame him.
This was the true bond of blood.
In his heart, Xiǎomù would always be his brother—the one who depended on him, who he cared for deeply, and who was lovable, mischievous, and kind. No matter what Xiǎomù had done, he would never be disappointed in him.
Shàngguān Liúyún now understood clearly why their grandmother chose death to redeem Xiǎomù's soul. If your loved one suffers in hell and loses their way, you would be willing to give anything to save them.
As Shàngguān Liúyún ran, he shouted, "Xiǎomù, don't be afraid!"
Xiǎomù smiled with contentment, his gaze shifting towards Luò Wǎn. He didn´t speak, but his unspoken apology conveyed a thousand words. He hadn´t intended to hurt her; he simply loved her and wanted to preserve her beauty in its entirety.
Luò Wǎn watched him from afar, silent as tears slowly streamed down her face. She knew she couldn't save him anymore; such a transgression could not be undone by anyone but him.
But that night, he plucked a flower for her and gently placed it by her hair. She turned to him with a smile amidst the glowing fireflies, and they walked hand in hand along that road. The road seemed so long, yet how had they reached the end so quickly?
Xiǎomù let go of his hand, his body falling backward like a large bird diving into the night sky, performing a beautiful flying motion. His soul was finally free to soar, no longer constrained by the past. Xiǎomù looked up and saw his brother's tear falling down. Shàngguān Liúyún watched Xiǎomù's face tilt backward. He reached out his hand, but Xiǎomù was already falling. That tear welled up in his heart, chasing after Xiǎomù.
Xiǎomù looked up, and his brother's tear fell very quickly, cooling as it landed in his own eye, like his brother's affection following him. Xiǎomù's eyes grew moist, and tears fell. In the tearful light, he saw the smiling faces of his mother and grandmother in the sky. All the protection was meant to redeem his soul. That single tear of repentance was enough to prevent him from falling into the abyss of hell and allow him to be reborn.
On the rooftop, countless female corpses, full of sorrow and despair, leaped off one after another. Once they left the rooftop, they transformed into countless fleeting starlights.
In their hearts, they had already lost their attachment and obsession. They had all achieved true liberation. Luò Wǎn and Lǐ Dàlù stood quietly behind Shàngguān Liúyún. The dazzling shooting stars illuminated the night sky, reflecting the tears in Luò Wǎn's eyes, making her look exceptionally beautiful.
