C167 — [ 6.33 — Strange Tales of Fengjia Town]

Boom—

As Zhou Yuan approached, the entire town covered in flesh trembled violently. The writhing mass of flesh let out wailing cries, a piercing sound that seemed to penetrate the soul, making any human who heard it suffer immensely.

Zhou Yuan was no exception.

The ground beneath his feet quaked, nearly splitting open into deep cracks. He almost lost his balance.

Pain twisted his features, forcing him to stop in his tracks. Fortunately, his protective equipment shielded him from the worst effects, preventing him from collapsing in agony like the woman behind him.

But it was far from pleasant. The sound was so intense that his eyes became bloodshot, and his temples throbbed violently.

He had initially planned to use 【Ghost Mask】 to control the Ghost King, but now he realized that this unexpected situation was likely a side effect of the mask.

He could not continue using it—otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. He needed another way.

Zhou Yuan glanced at the Ghost King in the distance, gritted his teeth, and prepared to tear the mask from his face.

At this moment, the Ghost King Gu Yin looked different from the eerie and sinister figure in Zhou Yuan’s memory.

There was no twisted, horrifying grin. His eyes were hollow, filled with an expression of utter collapse—

As if he had seen something that shattered his mind entirely.

What could make a powerful ghost lose composure like this?

Zhou Yuan yanked the mask off, panting heavily, and fled toward the exit.

Right now, he only wanted to put as much distance as possible between himself and the Ghost King.

As he ran, he glanced at the ghostly mask in his hands, still shaken.

He couldn’t comprehend what the Ghost King had seen through the mask—what had caused such a terrifying reaction.

Unable to make sense of it, he forced himself to stop thinking about it and focused on dodging the increasingly frenzied flesh spreading through the town, racing toward the exit.

However, before he could reach it, he heard a man sobbing behind him.

A hoarse, broken voice:

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

The words were barely audible, filled with overwhelming despair.

Zhou Yuan could tell—the owner of that voice had gone mad, murmuring unconsciously.

A glimpse from the corner of his eye made his blood run cold.

The outside world had always speculated that the Ghost King had emotions, but Zhou Yuan never expected them to be this intense.

This wasn’t like any vengeful spirit he had encountered before.

Other ghosts had wept before, but it was always part of their deathly curses—a means of luring victims into their rules of slaughter.

But this…

This was different.

This was raw grief.

A low, magnetic male voice.

Not hysterical, not shrieking, yet filled with so much agony it seemed to seep into the very air.

Even as just a bystander, Zhou Yuan felt a deep, instinctive sorrow creeping into his bones.

Still, he didn’t slow down.

He ran faster, putting more distance between himself and the Ghost King, until the words became distant and indistinct.

The Ghost King was murmuring—

Words that made no sense to Zhou Yuan.

His gut told him the Ghost King had completely lost his mind. His words were disjointed, incoherent.

“I shouldn’t have peeled off your skin… Forgive…”

“It was all my fault…”

Retribution.

This was his retribution.

From the moment he arrived in this world, he had only ever treated the priest with cruelty, tormenting him—

I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry—

The once silent, unfeeling ghost let out a piercing wail, his bloodied fingers clawing at his own face, tearing away the skin—

Until nothing remained.

The once-stable and composed Ghost King had completely lost his mind.

Upon sensing the arrival of the ‘priest,’ He had been repairing His skin, wanting to present Himself in the best possible state.

But now, it no longer mattered.

The priest would never forgive Him.

Scenes from His existence in this world flashed through the vengeful ghost Gu Yin’s mind.

He had mockingly proclaimed countless times that he would flay the priest alive after toying with him.

Each time, He had regarded the human priest with nothing but flippant amusement.

After all, he was just a human—what right did he have to control another version of himself?

Back then, the ghost, consumed by slaughter and revenge, saw the world as nothing more than a ridiculous joke.

But the real joke was Himself.

Never had He considered that when He truly saw the priest’s dead face, He would fall into such utter despair.

A despair far greater than when He had once been torn apart limb by limb.

A hatred even deeper.

He hated His past self.

And He hated His present self.

He had committed unforgivable sins, yet foolishly wished to have the same happiness as his other self.

But it was He who had caused the priest’s death.

His expression grew vacant and hollow. He couldn’t even recall how the priest had died.

All that remained in His mind was the priest’s pitiful, bloodied face.

Beyond that, nothing mattered anymore.

Even His own existence was meaningless.

—Meanwhile—

“Damn it!”

Zhou Yuan was drenched in sweat, exhausted from running, yet unable to find an exit.

Every path leading out of town was blocked by the writhing mass of flesh.

The moment he got too close, the frenzied flesh would lunge at him, trying to absorb him as nourishment for its relentless expansion.

Ever since the Ghost King had gone mad, the entire town had come alive.

Everywhere, flesh let out shrill, agonized wails, writhing toward the central building of the town.

It was like a massive cage of living flesh, seeking to consume the entire town.

Just as Zhou Yuan frantically searched for a tool in his inventory that could help him escape, a deep, bone-chilling sense of danger gripped him.

He looked up—

And his breath caught in horror.

Rifts in space had appeared all over the town, black voids splitting through reality itself.

The ravenous flesh twisted and surged into these rifts, either instinctively devouring everything or desperately yearning for something unseen.

Before Zhou Yuan could react, one of the rifts swallowed him whole.

The mere thought of falling into a space-time rift was terrifying enough. Every hair on his body stood on end.

Activating every protective artifact he had, he braced for the worst—

Then, he landed.

Hard.

Falling from such a height, Zhou Yuan hit the ground with enough force to make his vision swim with stars.

But his instincts kicked in immediately.

Shaking off the dizziness, he leapt to his feet and scanned his surroundings—

Only to freeze in shock.

The town, which had moments ago been a nightmarish landscape of blood and flesh, was gone.

Instead, he stood in a lively, festive town.

Red lanterns hung everywhere, casting a warm glow.

People bustled about, smiling brightly.

Even the sky was clear and blue, no longer tainted by a crimson hue.

“You—you’re that lunatic, Zhou Yuan?!”

A startled voice rang out.

Zhou Yuan turned, spotting a police officer—the same one he had encountered outside the town.

The officer stared at him, his expression flickering between shock and fear.

After all, Zhou Yuan looked utterly disheveled.

In just a few hours, he had gone from a composed investigator to a man who appeared to have endured weeks of torment.

His clothes were tattered, smeared with unidentifiable bloodstains.

He looked less like a survivor—

And more like a murderer.

Zhou Yuan stood there, dazed, staring blankly at the town around him.

For a moment, he wondered—

Was he dreaming?

Suddenly returning from a flesh-covered hellscape to the human world, from extreme terror to an extremely peaceful environment—

Even someone as resilient as Zhou Yuan couldn’t help but feel disoriented, almost on the verge of a mental breakdown.

The ghost domain had not only spread wildly but also brought with it an overwhelming amount of mental pollution. This was one of the main reasons why the human side feared ghost domains so much.

 

Once a fierce ghost unleashed its domain, few humans could escape. Both their minds and bodies would be trapped under its influence, unable to break free.

Zhou Yuan had faced the Ghost King’s domain head-on. The fact that he was only slightly dazed, thanks to the protection of multiple talismans, was already considered a stroke of luck.

In his dazed state, he failed to notice the strange behavior of the townspeople around him.

At first, the townspeople, who had been busy preparing for a wedding, suddenly turned their eyes toward him when they noticed the traces of blood on his clothes.

Dozens of different faces, dozens of pairs of eyes—staring at him with an eerie coldness that sent shivers down his spine.

But just a moment later, as if they had heard something, their lips stretched into wide, uniform smiles.

Their smiles were even brighter than before, filled with joy—so much joy that it seemed almost twisted.

It could feel that the fierce ghost’s presence was rapidly weakening, its spirit crumbling.

For Gu Yin, who was about to hold his wedding, this was the best news possible.

 

And Zhou Yuan, the one who brought this good news, naturally became a welcomed guest.

“Welcome, the wedding will begin at noon.”

With smiling eyes, the townspeople warmly handed him a wedding invitation.

The police officer’s face was full of shock. He tried to stop them but was completely powerless.

These townspeople had been reasonable earlier, accommodating all his requests. But now, they completely ignored his protests.

He had no way to stop them from giving an invitation to a lunatic.

“This is the same madman who tried to attack me outside the town earlier!”

The officer frantically explained.

In response, the townspeople merely gave it a brief thought before shaking their heads in disapproval.

“But he looks perfectly normal. Every guest is a guest. Please don’t be rude to another guest.”

Normal? This is what a normal person looks like?!

The officer stared at Zhou Yuan, who stood there in a daze, his entire body a mess.

It was clear his mind was unstable—he was most likely having an episode.

Yet, the townspeople seemed to be quite satisfied with his state, even somewhat moved. They nodded in approval and said:

“Very spirited!”

 

Just like him—very spirited, in excellent condition.

Faced with the townspeople’s unwavering certainty, the officer hesitated for a long time but ultimately gave up trying to argue.

There were so many people in the town surely this madman wouldn’t dare to cause trouble.

Still, better to stay far away from him, just in case.

With that in mind, the officer subtly distanced himself from Zhou Yuan and followed the townspeople toward the wedding venue.

Although it was a traditional Chinese wedding, the ceremony was being held in a church.

 

That was something he had never seen before. It was a bit unusual.

Watching the townspeople happily walking toward the church, the officer grew more and more curious about the identity of the couple.

They must be extremely important figures to have drawn in such a huge crowd, with every single person smiling so genuinely.

 

They looked happier than most newlyweds he had ever seen—their eyes sparkled with joy.

It had been years since he had witnessed such a scene.

Sighing, the officer instinctively patted his pocket, realizing he hadn’t brought much money with him.

Since he was just an outsider, a small wedding gift should be enough, right?

But the townspeople here were just too kind and simple.

They provided him with a free room to stay in, free food to eat—it made him feel a little embarrassed.

He couldn’t help but wonder if he should give a little more.

But as a low-ranking officer, he didn’t have much savings to begin with. He wasn’t sure what amount would be appropriate, so he decided to ask a local for advice.

By now, the officer had already entered the church.

This church was, without a doubt, the most grand and magnificent building in the entire town.

The inside was even more luxurious than the outside.

Everywhere he looked, there were intricate relief carvings. The main hall was so vast that even a single shout would echo. And the stained-glass windows above the altar—large and breathtaking—cast colorful shadows across the floor.

Simply standing in this place filled one with reverence, as if their very soul was being purified.

The officer admired the sight for a while before turning his attention back to finding a free townsman.

Yet, after searching for quite some time, he found no one available.

Everyone inside the church was busy—moving around, decorating the hall, preparing the banquet menu—completely immersed in their work.

Where did all this work even come from?

These people were here to attend a wedding, yet they were busier than ever, one after another, with no time to sit and rest. And what was even stranger—they all seemed to be enjoying it.

After searching for a long time with no success, the exhausted officer finally sat down in the pews.

Only then did he spot one idle person

“You’re saying you’re unsure how much to give as a wedding gift?”

The officer quickly nodded.

The only idle person in the church was a young man with black hair, and he had a remarkably pleasant voice.

This was the first time the officer had found a man’s voice so pleasing to the ear.

Clear yet gentle.

His personality also seemed kind.

The man had been reading a Bible, but upon hearing the officer’s concern, he calmly closed the book. His slender, fair fingers rested on the cover, the well-defined knuckles visible.

Rather than being indifferent to the officer’s abrupt question, the young man actually took a moment to seriously consider it before answering:

“There’s no fixed amount, but I don’t think it matters whether you give anything at all.”

He looked up and explained in a friendly manner.

The town’s wedding customs were not strict. Today’s wedding, in particular, was arranged in a hurry, so there was no requirement for guests to bring gifts. The officer didn’t need to worry about it.

Seeing the young man’s face clearly, the officer was momentarily stunned before awkwardly thanking him, signaling that he understood.

This young man was almost too handsome.

 

His composed smile carried an undeniable warmth, making people feel an instinctive sense of closeness. He had an aura that was incredibly inviting.

And it was only at this moment that the officer noticed—

The young man was wearing a priest’s robe.

 

Its restrained, form-fitting design complemented his refined aura perfectly.

“Are you the priest here?” The officer couldn’t resist his curiosity.

The priest nodded.

“So, are you the one officiating today’s wedding?”

The officer wanted to hear the priest’s thoughts on this oddly mixed wedding.

 

A traditional Chinese ceremony held in a Western church?

But unexpectedly, the priest shook his head.

 

He wasn’t the one officiating today.

The officer found this hard to believe.

Someone as charismatic as this priest—who wouldn’t want him to officiate their wedding?

In a small town like this, there was no way they had a better religious figure than him.

Immediately, the officer’s mind started connecting the dots—

Was this some kind of hidden deal? Church politics? Suppression?

Before he knew it, he was already feeling injustice on behalf of the priest.

Even though it was their first meeting, the officer couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of goodwill toward the priest.

Someone like him deserved the best treatment.

For such a grand wedding, the priest should be the one officiating.

If he wasn’t, then it could only mean that the people of this town were discriminatory and oppressive, mistreating such a wonderful person!

 

“That’s not the case at all…”

The priest chuckled, amused by the officer’s wild imagination. His features softened into a breathtaking smile.

“It’s because I’m one of the protagonists of today’s wedding.”

The words stunned the officer.

He never even considered the possibility that the priest was the one getting married.

Most religious figures wouldn’t openly get married—let alone someone as young as this priest.

He was getting married at such a young age?

An awkward feeling settled over him, along with a vague sense of disappointment.

He couldn’t help but wonder— who was lucky enough to marry someone like this priest?

Just as that thought crossed his mind, another person sat down beside the priest.

A tall, well-built man.

And not only that—this man casually wrapped his arm around the priest’s shoulders, pulling him closer, as if subtly warning the officer not to get too close.

The officer looked up in shock.

This was a man.

A tall, broad-shouldered, and strikingly handsome man with pale skin.

Even while sitting, he gave off an imposing presence—like a mountain. The muscles in his arm, draped around the priest, were subtly tensed, exuding raw strength.

 

His long hair, though loose, didn’t make him seem feminine. Instead, there was a suppressed ferocity in his brows and eyes—an intensity that couldn’t be hidden, even behind a smile.

A smile that only made him seem more dangerous.

The officer suddenly felt a chill.

There was something hostile about this man.

Not in an obvious way, but enough to send a shiver down his spine —like being stared at by some terrifying predator.

He shifted uncomfortably, unable to understand why the priest was so intimate with this man.

Then, the priest introduced him.

His fiancé.

The officer froze.

His mind went blank for a moment, struggling to process what he’d just heard.

Not only was the priest getting married—he was marrying a man.

But that wasn’t even the biggest shock.

The real question was— why on earth would he choose this intimidating, dangerous-looking man?!

Instinctively, the officer felt that this was something he shouldn’t ask.

So he swallowed his words, forced an awkward smile, and offered his congratulations instead.

“Congratulations on your wedding! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and love.”

The moment he said this, the man—Gu Yin, the priest’s fiancé—visibly brightened.

His previously tense expression softened, and his smile became genuinely happy —almost childishly so.

 

The priest, on the other hand, gazed at Gu Yin with an indulgent, affectionate look.

They were clearly deeply in love.

The officer had nothing more to say.

Suppressing the inexplicable feeling in his chest, he quickly made up an excuse to use the restroom—just to escape the awkwardness.

However, on his way to the restroom, he suddenly spotted a suspicious figure.

That lunatic, Zhou Yuan.

The officer’s instincts screamed danger.

This guy was definitely up to something.

There was no way he could allow him to ruin the priest’s wedding.

No matter what, today was an important day for the priest!

Summoning a courage he didn’t even know he had, the officer decided to follow Zhou Yuan.

Then, he watched as Zhou Yuan disappeared near the kitchen.

And never came out.

The officer had lost track of him.

Confused, he glanced around, searching for any sign of Zhou Yuan.

That’s when he noticed something was wrong with the kitchen.

The walls—cold and faintly stained with blood.

 

The lighting—dim and oppressive.

The air—thick with a suffocating tension.

And on the empty cutting board—

A bone-cutting knife, lying there in eerie stillness.

And—

From the tightly shut fridge, blood continued to seep out from the bottom.

The sight alone made the officer’s mind race with dreadful possibilities.

Flashes of missing person reports flooded his memory, sending a shiver down his spine.

He swallowed hard.

It took him a long moment to gather the courage to crouch down, his hands trembling as he reached for the fridge door.

The cold storage compartment was packed—

Bag after bag of fresh red meat, tightly sealed in plastic wrap.

Yet, blood still seeped through, staining the icy surface.

Plop.

A drop of cold liquid suddenly fell onto the officer’s head.

He froze.

Slowly, he looked up—

And met eyes with a familiar face.

A townsperson.

One who had helped him many times before, always with a kind smile.

 

The smile was still there.

But in their hand, they held a sharp knife, dripping with thick, sticky blood—

A blade that looked like it was just about to stab down.

An unspeakable terror crawled up the officer’s spine.

The townsperson narrowed their eyes, gazing down at him with thinly veiled regret.

 

Then, as if suddenly changing their mind, they pulled the knife back and calmly explained:

“Oh, I was just about to grab some ingredients from the fridge. That’s why I had the knife.”

Their tone was friendly.

But the disappointment in their eyes told a different story.

A story where they had truly intended to strike.

The townsperson wiped the blood off their knife, lost in thought.

The spatial distortions must be messing with their senses.

For a second, they really thought they had found that bastard’s real body.

What a shame.

Meanwhile, the officer collapsed onto the floor, his body refusing to move as he watched the townsperson casually walk over to the other side of the kitchen.

On the table sat a tray of desserts.

The same ones the townsperson had brought back earlier.

They had made it specially for their beloved.

But their beloved had no appetite, only taking a few bites before setting it aside for later.

The town person frowned, distressed.

But soon, their expression softened into a smile.

They picked up a spoon, carefully scooping along the bite marks left by their beloved, and placed it into their mouth.

The sweet taste lingered, carrying traces of their beloved’s scent.

The distress melted away.

A twisted, sickeningly sweet smile spread across their lips.

And in the silence of the deathly still kitchen, the soft sound of laughter echoed —

A laughter too bright, too sweet —

Too insane.

Especially when the town person, after finishing the dessert, began stuffing pieces of broken glass into their mouth.

The officer’s mind went completely blank.

He watched, frozen in horror, as the town person chewed the glass, their lips curling into a soft murmur:

“So jealous… This taste should belong to me alone… I have to cleanse it properly…”

“But… it’s so sweet…”

Their laughter deepened.

Thick, dark blood poured from their torn mouth—

Yet they chewed as if they felt no pain at all, as if savoring the last bit of lingering sweetness —

Until there was nothing left.

A lunatic.

That was the only word the officer’s mind could process.

Not even the suspicious red meat in the fridge could compare to the absolute nightmare unfolding before his eyes.

How…

How did this once friendly, kind town person become this?

Or worse—

Had they always been like this?

A horrifying thought struck him.

Was every town person like this?

His breath hitched.

His mind flashed back to Zhou Yuan’s warning —

“The townspeople might not be human at all.”

Could it be… true?

The officer’s face went completely pale.

If that was the case—

Then he had to get back to the priest.

He had to get him out of this town.

Now.

 

---

TN:

The Officer is about to turn from guest to victim 🥲