Chapter 6: A Hasty Return

In the evening, when Xu Dan lost control, his body was just as immobile as it was now. But at least back then, he could still manage a shout or two. Now, things had taken a turn for the worse...

A creature—something indefinable—stood right before him. Endless terror welled up inside, yet not a single sound escaped his lips. What could be more suffocating than this? Most agonizing of all, his mind remained painfully lucid.

Thus, after staring into the eyes of this “woman” for a brief, unbearable moment, Qi Yan could endure no more of the biting cold and bone-deep fear. His eyelids were the only part of his body he could still move.

He closed his eyes. It was the only action left to him.

But even with his eyes shut, the ceaseless wailing of countless infants still echoed in his ears, as if he were surrounded by a horde of lustful wild cats. The cries pierced through his eardrums, seeping directly into the core of his being.

Then came a splitting headache, a torment of the spirit from which he could neither escape nor free himself.

In such a state, every second stretched into eternity, time itself losing all meaning. In reality, it lasted barely a minute, but to Qi Yan, it felt as though he had endured an entire day of torture.

A gentle breeze brushed across his cheek. Abruptly, all the infants’ cries vanished, ending as suddenly as they had begun.

When Qi Yan opened his eyes again, everything had returned to normal. No strange sounds, no chilling presence, no terrifying “woman” cradling her monstrous infant.

Regaining control of his body, he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his thin vest was nearly soaked through. His mind was a blank, but after a brief rest, he made a single decisive move: he hurled the amulet in his hand with all his might onto the road below...

…

Dong Ye had barely managed to doze off in his chair when Qi Yan’s sudden entrance startled him awake.

“Achoo—where have you been just now?”

“We have to go—go, go, go… We’re heading home. There are still a few hours till dawn. Stay here, I’ll head back to the hotel for our luggage. Give me your room key. As soon as Xu Dan wakes up, we’ll catch the first flight out! I can’t stand another minute in this cursed place.” Qi Yan, his face deathly pale and drenched in sweat, spoke with wild urgency, offering no further explanation.

Dong Ye hadn’t quite processed what was happening, but seeing Qi Yan’s panicked state, he pressed, “What’s going on with you?”

Qi Yan steadied his breathing, forcing himself to remain calm, swallowing hard. “You really don’t want to know, and you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I don’t want to explain. The only thing that matters is getting out of here—fast.”

Truth be told, even without further explanation, their journey was nearing its end.

Dong Ye frowned. “But… our return flight isn’t until the day after tomorrow.”

“Change it! If there aren’t any seats on the regular flight, contact Zhang Ruijia. Her agency and several other provincial agencies have jointly chartered a direct flight from New Chou to Chiang Mai. It’s more expensive, but there should be seats available. Hand over your room key, quickly.”

“Calm down. At the very least, we’ll have to wait until morning.” Dong Ye, though not as jumpy, had felt uneasy ever since dusk. The sense of looming danger was still vivid, and after what happened to his girlfriend, it was hard not to be frightened. Still, changing their plans so suddenly would take some doing.

Qi Yan patted his forehead and took a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll go back to the hotel and pack, then I'll return to the hospital to wait it out with you.”

So, after a hasty and simple discussion, Qi Yan left the hospital alone and took a taxi straight to the hotel.

Fortunately, the hotel wasn’t far from the hospital, and even at this late hour, the lights of the star-rated establishment glowed brightly.

Qi Yan headed straight to his room and gathered up his toiletries and other belongings. He had a large suitcase, and the clothes he’d accumulated over the past few days he simply bundled together and stuffed inside. But when he opened the case, he nearly choked on his own saliva...

Right on top, atop a pair of beach shorts, lay the very amulet he had hurled from the hospital balcony—the one he’d thrown as far as he could!

He staggered back several steps, the exquisite artifact now seeming to him like a death sentence.

No one but himself and the hotel staff had access to his room card. The amulet’s details were identical, and his suitcase was locked. With so little time in between, it couldn’t possibly be a prank. Besides, if all he had just experienced was real, then this sinister object’s return was no surprise.

For a moment, Qi Yan stood frozen. Then, as his terror peaked, it transmuted not into collapse, but into anger—he had a resilient mind.

Without hesitation, he clenched his jaw, hurled the amulet to the floor, and grabbed the ashtray from the nightstand. One word: smash!

Even if the amulet’s shell was sturdy, after several determined blows, it was reduced to fragments, both the acrylic casing and the powdery core inside.

Sweeping all the debris into the trash bin, Qi Yan resumed packing at lightning speed. Before leaving, perhaps out of some superstitious impulse, he covered the trash can with a heavy tray from the room before heading off to pack Dong Ye’s luggage as well.

Once everything was finished and he’d checked out, he wasted not a minute and took a taxi straight back to the hospital.

As for Dong Ye, luck was on their side—they were able to change their tickets, with a flight set for nine o’clock in the morning.

According to international flight regulations, they needed to be at the airport three hours early.

The two of them sat in the hospital room, exchanging anxious glances. It was only now that Qi Yan recounted the bizarre happenings on the balcony, though even in words, it was hard to convey.

Dong Ye could hardly believe it, but he knew Qi Yan well—the guy was a staunch atheist, fond of jokes but never of this kind, and if he was acting, his performance was far too convincing. Coupled with what had happened to Xu Dan, Dong Ye could hardly doubt it any longer.

“Isn’t this literally seeing a ghost?” Dong Ye muttered, exhausted. He’d always heard that this country was rife with the supernatural, but never imagined things could be this extreme. In less than a day, such wild twists and turns—what was supposed to be a pleasant trip had ended in chaos.

At long last, morning arrived. Xu Dan woke up, looking much better than the night before.

They skipped breakfast, hastily checked out of the hospital, and took a cab straight to the airport.

Once through security and finally airborne, surrounded by so many other passengers, Qi Yan’s taut nerves finally began to relax. He didn’t even know when he fell asleep.

Dong Ye and Xu Dan were little better off; if anything, the two of them had suffered the real harm.

Who could have guessed? They’d arrived full of excitement and anticipation, yet their departure was so frantic and bedraggled, their spirits depleted and two of their number injured.

But leaving Thailand wasn’t the end; on the contrary, everything was only just beginning...

Qi Yan’s seat wasn’t by the window, but by the aisle.

A flight attendant passed by with the beverage cart, quietly offering drinks to the passengers.

Across the aisle to his left sat a young man, scholarly and refined in appearance.

Since Qi Yan had sat down, the young man had been quietly observing him. Now, with Qi Yan fast asleep, the young man’s gaze grew even more intense, a frown deepening on his face.

“This presence... what is he carrying with him?”