The night grew darker.
Most of the townsfolk went to bed early, unlike the hustle and bustle of big cities.
To the east of the town, a slaughterhouse covering an area of about 500 square meters had opened in the most remote corner.
The slaughterhouse was brightly lit, but there were no houses within a hundred meters of it, making it look particularly eerie in this empty wilderness.
“Ugh!!!”
Faint whimpers emanated from the slaughterhouse.
“Why won’t you eat, huh?! Are you looking down on me? You bitch!”
The unshaven, drunken butcher grinned ferociously and whipped the bruised woman on the ground. A pot of stewed meat still lay on the table in the room.
Facing her husband’s abuse, the woman trembled, her face twisted in pain.
But she still didn’t say a word. Huddling in the corner, she held a thin youth tightly within her embrace.
The black-haired boy watched all of this with a numb expression.
“Don’t blame your father…” the woman murmured between the butcher’s beatings, with a somewhat neurotic expression on her face.
“He will become better… we just need to endure a little…”
“It will get better… it will… go back to how it was before…”
He would turn back into the poor but gentle husband in her memories.
The woman muttered under her breath, maniacally hugging her son in her arms, as if she was grasping on to her last hope.
“You leeches! How did I end up with you two?! Things are looking up for me now! How long will you continue to drag me down?!”
“Especially you, little bastard! You even hit someone in school today! You’re fucking tired of living, huh?! You’ve caused me so much humiliation!”
The butcher’s eyes were blood-red as he swung his whip. Feeling as if he hadn’t vented enough, he continued to punch and kick his wife and son with his hands and feet.
Seeing the fearful expressions on his wife and son’s faces was his greatest joy.
Looking at his mother’s bruised face and the swelling of her numerous wounds, Yuan Ping gritted his teeth and tightly grasped the blade hidden in his sleeve. His pupils trembled in rage.
The woman seemed to have noticed something and reached out to hold Yuan Ping’s hand. “It will be fine… everything will be fine…”
Yuan Ping, held in his mother’s arms, glanced at his mother’s unfocused eyes with some sadness. He suppressed the sobs in his throat, stopped moving, and continued to let the man who did not deserve to be called his father punch and kick him.
How could it possibly get better?
We’ve passed the road of return a long time ago, Yuan Ping thought, his dark eyes filled with emptiness.
Soon, the butcher pulled the black-haired boy out of his wife’s arms. He couldn’t stand the boy’s expressionless face, so he cursed and whipped him. Blood splattered with every vicious swing.
Yuan Ping numbly and skillfully shielded his head with his arms to protect against fatal injury and silently endured the butcher’s fury.
After being beaten near-unconscious, Yuan Ping dazedly raised his eyes to look at the butcher and spotted countless vicious ghosts clinging on his back, greedily sucking his brain.
Those were all foreigners who had been killed by the butcher.
The butcher stewed their bones and drank their brain matter, and they retaliated in kind.
Soon, it would be over. All of this would be over soon.
All sin would be put to an end.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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“It’s alright as long as you don’t resist… Look, he’s left now…”
“Keep it up… my child, he loves you… and he loves me too… he loves us…”
Yuan Ping’s mother smiled gently, but the bruised purple of her face twisted it into something terrifying.
Yuan Ping listened expressionlessly to his mother’s repetitive persuasion. The ghosts floating in the slaughterhouse were reflected in his dark pupils.
The blood-stained pale faces were smiling eerily at the suffering of their family.
Early the next morning, Yao Ye was urged into the car before he was even fully awake and they drove to the slaughterhouse.
Reluctance was written on Yao Ye’s face, but he had no choice but to accept his fate since he had already agreed yesterday.
The car cut through the whole town and drove for a long time before reaching the slaughterhouse.
Looking at the slaughterhouse standing alone in the wilderness, Yao Ye couldn’t conceal his disgust.
How could such a small place call itself a slaughterhouse?
It was awfully shabby.
Yao Ye followed Father Yao into the slaughterhouse, and they were greeted by a big man with a flattering smile on his face.
“Welcome, Boss Yao, welcome! This way, please. I’ll give you a tour of the slaughterhouse. It will definitely meet your requirements!”
The butcher led Father Yao and Yao Ye into the slaughterhouse, while the driver stayed outside waiting.
The interior of the slaughterhouse was very dim. Behind the entrance gate stretched a long corridor that led directly to another large slaughter room.
The humid air in the corridor was laced with a strong bloody smell. Both Father Yao and Yao Ye couldn’t help but frown; they couldn’t stand the strong smell.
The butcher seemed unaware and was excitedly giving an introduction. Father Yao couldn’t say it directly, so he signaled Yao Ye with his eyes to behave properly and not embarrass others.
Yao Ye looked at the greasy flesh on the big man’s face and curled his lips.
Was this Yuan Ping’s father? There wasn’t much of a resemblance. Regardless of how he presented himself, Yuan Ping was rather handsome, so how was this brute before them so ugly?
Thinking of Yuan Ping, Yao Ye immediately asked, “Hey, where is Yuan Ping? Why haven’t I seen him?”
The butcher, who had been chatting with Father Yao, was stunned for a moment when he heard this. He turned to look at rich young master Yao Ye, and the flesh on his face twitched. He then forced out a smile that he thought was kind.
“Oh, young master, looks like you are acquainted with my son, Yuan Ping. It’s truly unfortunate, but Yuan Ping was injured yesterday while helping me move things. I’m afraid he won’t be able to come out to see you now, hahaha!”
Yao Ye raised an eyebrow and haughtily declared, “Okay, then I’ll go see him. After all, we are classmates. I should visit him if he is sick.”
As he spoke, Yao Ye looked naturally towards a small room on the other side.
“Is that room his?”
“No!!!” The butcher roared the moment he saw Yao Ye preparing to go to that room. The flesh on his face shook.
Yao Ye was startled. Dissatisfied, he glanced at the butcher.
“You only need to say ‘no’. Are you trying to deafen me and scare me to death by shouting so loudly?”
The butcher regained his composure upon hearing this. He quickly smiled apologetically and explained humbly that it was a utility room that contained all sorts of garbage and was extremely unsightly. He didn’t want Yao Ye to see something so dirty, so his reaction was a little extreme.
Yao Ye remained dubious, but Father Yao didn’t want to delve into details. After all, who didn’t have an unkempt place in their home?
He graciously smiled and patted Yao Ye’s head, saying, “Oh, my boy can get a little troublesome. Mr. Yuan, let’s continue our conversation. You can ignore him; let him play by himself.”
Yao Ye was subdued, and his request to visit Yuan Ping was disregarded. He could only act as a third wheel as they toured the slaughterhouse and its cold storage.
Clink!
Just as Father Yao and the butcher were earnestly discussing the slaughterhouse’s development direction, the sound of glass beads hitting the floor emanated from the dark corridor nearby.
Yao Ye turned his head curiously. As if drawn by the sound, he walked over step by step.
Swoosh!
A pale hand emerged from the darkness.
Yao Ye was startled and abruptly regained his senses. It was only then that he realized Father Yao and the butcher had disappeared at some point, and he had ventured into an unfamiliar corridor.
This corridor matched the gloomy atmosphere of the entire slaughterhouse with its bare walls, damp moss, and even water dripping from the ceiling. Yao Ye got a few drops of water on his clothes, which he found absolutely disgusting.
He sidestepped the dripping water and continued moving forward.
The corridor ahead was dimly lit and shrouded in hazy darkness, making it difficult to see what lay within.
“Hey! Is anyone there?”
Yao Ye, recalling the arm he’d seen earlier, was strangely spooked. He carefully peered into the dark corridor ahead.
Thud, thud, thud, thud…
Suddenly, rapid and eerie footsteps echoed from behind.
Yao Ye turned back, but there was nothing there.
Was it an illusion?
Yao Ye was about to turn his head back in surprise when he remembered the horror movies he had watched before, and he wondered if, upon turning around, he would face something terrifying.
In many movies, characters would discover something behind them, then look back to find nothing there. When they turned back again, they would slaughtered by the monster.
With this thought in mind, Yao Ye gulped. He stood stiffly in place and slowly turned his head back.
“Phew! Thankfully, there’s no…”
Yao Ye looked at the empty corridor before him and heaved a sigh of relief. But in the next moment, his eyes widened.
A bloody head had suddenly dangled down from the ceiling. It was a face devoid of features. All that was left was a layer of bloody muscles right in the middle of Yao Ye’s line of sight.
“AHHHHHHH!!!”
Yao Ye was so terrified that he collapsed on the ground, helplessly watching as the monster, hanging from the ceiling like a soft-bodied creature with only a mass of soft flesh and a bloody appearance, dropped to the floor.
Thump—
A slimy sound accompanied the monster as it wriggled its disgusting body and crawled toward Yao Ye. The bloody cavities of its “eyes” were turned directly towards Yao Ye.
Yao Ye had never seen such a horrifying sight before. His face turned ghastly pale, and his mind went blank.
He scrambled to his feet and ran. He darted around the room, not knowing where he was headed. A rusty iron door appeared before him.
Yao Ye stared at the iron door in a daze. As if he had been captivated, he slowly placed his hand on the door handle.
“Don’t move,” a slightly hoarse voice sounded from beside his ear, and a rough hand covered Yao Ye’s palm.
Yao Ye snapped out of his trance. Feeling the warmth on his hand, his fluffy hair immediately stood on end, and his face paled even further in fear.
The black-haired boy gently removed Yao Ye’s hand from the doorknob before letting go.
Once his hand was released, Yao Ye immediately pressed against the wall like a frightened squirrel, his face a portrait of fear.
“Sob sob… sob… don’t… don’t come closer…”
Yao Ye clung to the wall and refused to budge, weeping with the grace of rain-kissed pear blossoms.
Seeing Yao Ye’s pitiable state, the black-haired boy, Yuan Ping, fell silent for a moment. His face, hidden behind messy hair, blushed slightly, and he spoke hesitantly, “You… shouldn’t be here. Let’s go. Your father is looking for you outside.”
Yao Ye’s rationality returned somewhat, and he hiccupped between sobs, scolding, “You’re a bad guy! None of you are good people! Hiccup!”
“Sob… I’m going to tell my dad not to give you any money! I didn’t want to come in the first place!”
“I’m never coming back again! There are ghosts here! You poor bums are deliberately trying to scare people!”
Yao Ye couldn’t stop crying and continued venting his emotions childishly.
Yuan Ping silently accepted Yao Ye’s accusations. When Yao Ye had nearly exhausted his anger, Yuan Ping carefully suggested, “Let’s go. Your father is really searching for you outside.”
Yao Ye glared at Yuan Ping in fury and fear, yet he couldn’t suppress his emotions. When Yuan Ping approached, trying to lead him away, Yao Ye forcefully grabbed a handful of Yuan Ping’s disheveled, medium-length hair.
“What the hell was that?! Were you trying to scare me on purpose?”
Yuan Ping was yanked so hard that he staggered as he walked forward with Yao Ye. With a calm tone, he tried to console him, “It’s alright now. Let’s go.”
As they left, Yao Ye continued to hurl all sorts of accusations at Yuan Ping.
Yuan Ping remained composed, although his body slightly and honestly stiffened as Yao Ye got close.
He led Yao Ye to the entrance of the slaughterhouse, with his arms and legs almost moving in unison, before stopping.
Yao Ye, who had been terrified to tears, didn’t have the presence of mind to think further. His earlier outburst had been an instinctive venting of his emotions.
Now, seeing the light by the gate, Yao Ye sprinted towards Father Yao and tossed all thoughts of Yuan Ping to the back of his mind.
Father Yao was engrossed in conversation with the butcher and hadn’t noticed Yao Ye’s disappearance. He simply assumed that he was out playing.
“Dad!”
Yao Ye wailed and threw himself into his father’s arms, giving Father Yao a fright.
Yao Ye was speaking incoherently, appearing somewhat disturbed.
Upon touching Yao Ye’s forehead, Father Yao noticed an abnormally high temperature.
He started to worry and promptly half-dragged, half-carried Yao Ye back to the car, rushing to a nearby hospital.
The butcher was interrupted before he could even finish what he was saying. Father Yao had not even left a contact number. Taken aback, he stood dazed for a while before his features contorted into a menacing look.
“Damn it! Rich people are all bastards!”
Yao Ye was swiftly brought to the hospital. He developed a high fever and was bedridden for three full days, only regaining consciousness on the fourth day.
Upon waking up, Yao Ye explained why he had been crying and inquired about Yuan Ping’s situation. After all, it was Yuan Ping who had come to his aid. He had even antagonized Yuan Ping in his terror. It would be truly merciless if he did not repay the other’s favor.
Upon hearing this, Father Yao appeared conflicted.
“Yuan Ping and his family are no more. A huge fire broke out in the slaughterhouse last night.”
Yao Ye was left in shock.
That was unexpected!