The Labyrinth of the Monsters

Although Hua's family had a tragic incident, the five of them were too hungry, tired, and sleepy to care. They took the mattresses and pillows from the room and laid them on the floor in the hall, blocking the doors and windows, preparing to spend the night together.

Chubby Jun didn't care about his own weight and insisted on squeezing in the middle of everyone. Officer Huang voluntarily guarded the leftmost position, and the rightmost bed was the bridal bed. Wang Zikai found the quilt too feminine, so he crawled into Officer Huang's bed. From left to right, it was Officer Huang, Wang Zikai, Chubby Jun, Gao Yang, and Qing Ling.

Gao Yang originally wanted to be a gentleman and sleep on the outside, but Qing Ling insisted on sleeping on the right side - her right hand was holding a knife.

Resting his head on a red pillow and covered with a red quilt, Gao Yang glanced at Qing Ling beside him. She was breathing evenly, but her eyebrows were slightly furrowed - it was obvious that she hadn't fallen asleep and was always ready for a fight.

Gao Yang suddenly had a strange feeling, as if this was his wedding night, and his bride was lying next to him, holding a long knife, waiting to go out and fight side by side when dawn broke...

"Smack!" Chubby Jun turned over and slapped Gao Yang's face with his chubby hand.

Gao Yang resisted the urge to kick him and moved his hand away.

In the middle of the night, the five of them gradually fell asleep. After an unknown amount of time, Gao Yang felt someone grabbing his hand.

He was slightly startled and immediately woke up.

Chubby Jun and Wang Zikai's snoring echoed in the darkness, but Gao Yang's attention returned to his right hand. He confirmed that it was indeed being tightly held by a cold and smooth hand. He turned slightly and looked at Qing Ling beside him.

In the darkness, Qing Ling's body was stiff, her eyes wide open, emitting a faint light.

"What's wrong?" Gao Yang asked softly.

"Nothing." Qing Ling pretended to be calm, but her voice trembled slightly.

Gao Yang immediately realized, "You're... Qing Ning?"

Qing Ning didn't speak, but she confirmed it.

Gao Yang didn't know what to say for a moment. She, who disliked men, actually took the initiative to hold his hand. It seemed that she was really scared.

"Aren't you... going back?" Gao Yang didn't know how to communicate with Qing Ning's second personality, "This is not where you should be."

"I know. My sister told me about what happened." Qing Ning said, "Although she closed her eyes, she hasn't slept. I want her to rest for a while..."

Gao Yang was puzzled, "Even if your sister's personality is resting, aren't your bodies still awake?"

"Are you teaching me what to do?"

"I wouldn't dare..."

"I know better than you, so I have to sleep for my sister..." Qing Ning took a deep breath, tightened her grip on Gao Yang's hand, "Don't mind me, I'll be able to fall asleep soon."

"Alright."

After a while, Gao Yang felt that Qing Ning still hadn't fallen asleep, and he also lost his sleepiness, so he turned over to face her.

"What do you want to do!" Qing Ning immediately opened her eyes alertly, "I warn you, don't have any ideas, or I'll disable you."

"You're thinking too much," Gao Yang felt embarrassed. He wasn't a beast, and besides, he didn't have the mind for that in their current situation, "I don't know what will happen this time, and in case we don't have a chance in the future, I want to apologize to you for that matter."

"The matter with Li Weiwei?"

"Yes."

"She was killed by my sister, it has nothing to do with you." Qing Ning didn't look at him.

"I know, but if it wasn't for me..."

"Enough, stop adding drama to yourself."

Qing Ning shifted her body, rested her head on Gao Yang's pillow, curled her long legs up, and pressed her entire back against Gao Yang's chest. Gao Yang could smell the fragrance of her hair. Qing Ning felt that it wasn't enough, so she grabbed his arm and placed it on herself, finally feeling a bit at ease.

"Like this, don't move." Qing Ning took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"You hate men, don't you?"

"In my eyes, you're not a man."

"You might have misunderstood me..."

"Shut up, I'm resting for my sister."

"Okay."

After a while, Gao Yang didn't know how long he had slept. When he woke up, there was light coming through the cracks in the doors and windows. He was still holding Qing Ning, and his entire arm was numb and stiff. Qing Ning, or rather, Qing Ling, had already turned around at some point.

He was about to lift his arm when Qing Ling... no, Qing Ning opened her eyes.

Their faces were only a fist's distance apart, their eyes met, and their breaths intertwined. Gao Yang's hand was still holding her soft waist.

The air was eerily quiet.

"Don't attack me first, I can explain..." Gao Yang's survival instinct exploded.

"No need, I can guess what happened." Qing Ling let go of Gao Yang's numb arm, sat up, and skillfully tied her black hair into a ponytail.

She stood up, stretched her body, indicating that she had rested last night. She glanced at Gao Yang, who was still lying on the mattress, "You worked hard last night."

"It's nothing..."

"Damn!" Wang Zikai, who had just woken up, happened to see this scene. He jumped up, "Are you two for real? In this environment! Under these conditions! You two still have the mood to take care of each other? I think we, the third wheels, are the ones suffering the most!"

Gao Yang sat up, deliberately mocking Wang Zikai, "Are you desperate as a virgin?"@@novelbin@@

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Hitting the snake's seven inches, Wang Zikai became anxious, "Huh? Am I a virgin? I had a girlfriend when I was three years old! When I was booking a hotel room with a girl, you were still playing with toy cars..."

Gao Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Good, successfully changed the topic.

...Early in the morning, the five of them left Hua's house. The Spirit Hall on the hill of Ancient Village was bustling with activity. The sound of gongs and drums, the roar of firecrackers, and the exaggerated wailing of mourners were incessant.

"Are they preparing for a burial?" Chubby Jun asked.

"That's how it is in the countryside," Gao Yang nodded, "Funerals last two days, and the burial takes place on the morning of the third day."

As they were talking, seven or eight strong young men carried out an old black wooden coffin from a shed. In front of the coffin was a man dressed as a Taoist priest, holding a peach wood sword and a bell, performing rituals and leading the way, his mouth mumbling unintelligible incantations.

Following the coffin were several women dressed in mourning clothes, supporting each other and crying exaggeratedly. There were also several men in mourning clothes on both sides of the coffin procession, holding baskets of paper money and scattering it along the way. The other villagers were dressed in black, sending off the deceased in groups.

Before long, the coffin procession arrived at the entrance of the village, passing in front of the five of them.

Old Master Gu, who they had met yesterday, was at the end of the procession. Seeing Officer Huang, he came forward to greet him, "Officer Huang, you're here so early today?"

Officer Huang nodded, "Yes, I can't sleep until the case is solved."

"Take care of yourself. You young men don't look too well."

Gao Yang muttered to himself: How could we look well after nearly thirty hours without food or drink? If I weren't an Awakened Being, with my attributes significantly enhanced, I would have probably fainted from low blood sugar by now.

"Sir, a single coffin for a family of five?" Officer Huang asked.

"Yes." Old Master Gu sighed repeatedly, "Hua's family isn't well-off. They used all their savings to get a wife, and then this happened right after she moved in... This coffin was actually collected by the villagers. Five coffins aren't cheap, and everyone couldn't afford it, and didn't see the need... You know, there are no complete bodies left in Hua's family, it's all a mess, it's better to put them together..."

Old Master Gu didn't say any more, shook his head, and followed the procession.

"Shall we follow?" Officer Huang looked at everyone.

"Sure." Gao Yang had this intention all along.