Chapter 0004: Who is he

At this moment, I also have some doubts in my heart. Uncle Li is a very meticulous person. In the more than half a year since my father passed away, he has kept the store in perfect order. How could such a basic mistake as forgetting the keys happen to him?

This street is considered part of the old town in Taiyuan City, as it is filled with fortune tellers and people engaged in the business of cultural relics and calligraphy. Therefore, it is referred to as Antique Street, although this is a more flattering term; the vast majority of people prefer to call it "Street of Charlatans"

Indeed, Uncle Li is laughing, and his laughter is particularly eerie. His mouth is stretched wide, with the corners nearly reaching his ears, as if his mouth has been horizontally slit open, revealing all his teeth, exuding an indescribable sense of horror and ferocity

After tossing and turning for most of the night, I am utterly exhausted at this moment, yet I know it is not time to sleep. Out of boredom, I can only take out my phone and enter a game, preparing to play a few rounds

Listening to this sound, I feel an indescribable familiarity, yet at the same time, I cannot recall where I have heard this sound before

I silently cursed under my breath; Uncle Li was acting very strangely tonight, completely unlike the Uncle Li I was familiar with. I dared not stay here any longer. Resolute, I decided to take advantage of the moment when the door opened to make my escape. Just as Uncle Li had not yet reacted, I gathered my spirits and, despite the weakness in my body, dashed forward and forcefully opened the door with a loud "bang".

I do not know what she warned me to be cautious about, but I do feel a sense of relief. I have a vague premonition that the Uncle Li who just shared a room with me seems to be different from the Uncle Li I am familiar with

Without any warning, a series of strange laughter erupted behind me, resembling the croaking of a drake, the sound hoarse and dry.

Uncle Li shook his head and said expressionlessly: "No."

A long-lost warmth and emotion surged within me. After my father passed away, I have been living alone in this world, experiencing the vicissitudes of life. Only Uncle Li has genuinely cared for and supported me.

At this moment, I felt a bit uneasy; the laughter I heard was truly distinct, definitely not an illusion. Could it be that the thing that patted me on the shoulder in that alley has caught up with me?

I quickly approached and said, "Uncle, why aren't you opening the door and waiting inside?"

The mysterious woman seemed to glance at me over her shoulder, then said three words to me before turning around and leaving with Uncle Li.

You, come with me

Perhaps due to being awakened in the middle of the night, Uncle Li's voice sounded somewhat hoarse, different from usual

Perhaps due to the immense fright I experienced tonight, my nerves finally relaxed after getting into the taxi. Throughout the journey, my mind felt hazy, and I nearly dozed off against the taxi seat. I waited until just past 4:00 AM when the taxi finally arrived at the entrance of Antique Street. The road here is narrow, and vehicles cannot enter at all, so the driver could only stop at the intersection.

... ...

Just like that, I sat there wide awake until around 4:30 AM, when I suddenly heard a "crack crack" sound coming from outside the door. Immediately after, the door opened, and Uncle Li, who had just left with that mysterious woman, unexpectedly returned, looking utterly exhausted

I muttered to myself, turning around with some confusion

However, I did not think much about it; upon encountering this matter, my nerves became somewhat disordered, and how could I still pay attention to these things

This time I heard it very clearly, and I turned around and asked Uncle Li: "Did you really not hear anyone laughing?"

After paying for the ride, I got out of the car, dragging my weary body. I do not know why I suddenly feel so exhausted; I can only comfort myself in my heart, telling myself that it is the endless bizarre events of the night that have left me utterly drained.

The mysterious person raised a hand and pointed at Uncle Li, their voice was very pleasant, a woman's voice, albeit slightly cold.

This night has been filled with anxiety, and even now I do not know what is tormenting me. I feel uneasy, and the fear of the unknown is driving me to the brink of collapse. I truly do not want to continue feeling this way for even a moment longer; all I can think about is resolving the issue quickly and finding a way to get the hundred-edged blade out.

I am covered in goosebumps, could it be ...? ... Was it Uncle Li who was just laughing outside the door?

What is the rush? At this hour, where can we find someone? Let's wait a bit; once my acquaintances open their business, I will take you there.

No

Outside the door, a figure cloaked in a robe stands quietly, their face obscured by a black veil, presenting a peculiar appearance that makes it impossible to discern their features, or even to determine whether they are male or female

Cannot open

Moreover ... ... he is laughing ! ! !

At this time, there were naturally not many pedestrians on the street. I dragged my heavy body, bending over and winding through the narrow path. When I was almost at my destination, I saw a person standing at the entrance of my family's shop from a distance. Due to the darkness, I could only make out the general outline of this person, but I quickly deduced from their height and build that it was Uncle Li. I was surprised that he had rushed over in the middle of the night after hearing about my incident.

When the game was loading and the phone screen turned black, the figure of Uncle Li standing opposite me was reflected on the phone screen. I noticed that Uncle Li's reflection looked a bit strange; the shadow seemed to be fluctuating as if something was swirling and rising around him. I couldn't help but lean closer to the phone screen to take a closer look, and upon doing so, I was stunned.

Uncle Li stood right in front of me, still expressionless; where was there a smile on his face

I am not sure if I misread the situation, but after hearing my question, Uncle Li's expression clearly froze for a moment, and then he awkwardly smiled and said: "I forgot to bring the keys, please open the door quickly, let's go in and talk."

Today, Uncle Li is truly acting strangely, in stark contrast to his usual self

Uncle Li's reflection on the collection screen was entwined with something resembling smoke.

I am enveloped by an inexplicable fear

At this moment, Uncle Li in the room clearly showed a displeased expression. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he swallowed all his words and walked out dejectedly.

Gagagaga... ...

This Uncle Li... should be the Uncle Li that I know.

After entering this room, Uncle Li clearly became somewhat agitated, pacing back and forth intermittently. For some reason, even when he occasionally glanced at me, he only looked at my back and would sometimes blink his eyes, which was in stark contrast to his usual calm demeanor.

I feel a chill in my heart

Uncle Li's face flashed with a hint of anxiety: "You encountered so many things today; the door that is knocked on at midnight must not be opened under any circumstances"

Be careful

The aura about him is something I am familiar with, and his wrinkled face always carries a friendly expression. Most importantly, he just opened the door himself, which indicates that he has a key, while the one just now did not have a key

I had been slightly hunched over, but in an instant, I straightened up. Turning my head, I saw only Uncle Li behind me, and I couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, did you just laugh?"

However, this thought merely flashed through my mind, and I did not delve deeper into it. I responded with a simple "oh" and then turned around to open the door

Uncle Li shook his head and urged, "Hurry up and open the door. It's late at night, and you're still standing outside after encountering this situation. Aren't you just looking for trouble?"

Once again, laughter echoed behind me

I suddenly stood up, carefully observing Uncle Li for a moment, and only then did my anxious heart gradually settle down

At that moment, a knock on the door sounded unexpectedly from outside

I don't care whether it can be opened or not, it's definitely better than being stuck with you!

Gagagagaga... ...

Gagagaga... ...

Did I hear incorrectly

I was suddenly alert and quickly stood up: "I will go open the door!"

For a moment, I couldn't delve deeper into the matter and hurriedly opened the door to enter the shop. I heard Uncle Li mention that something had happened in our store. As long as I didn't actively open the door, generally nothing could come in, which eased my mind a little. Feeling heavy and genuinely exhausted, I simply found a place to sit down before asking Uncle Li when we would go find an expert to resolve my issues.

Something is not right

However, what confuses me is, who was that thing just now

Knock knock

My scalp began to tingle, and my already heavy body trembled slightly. After a long while, I finally mustered the courage to raise my head and look at Uncle Li.

After closing the door, I sat weakly on the sofa, lost in thought about everything that had happened today. Now, I find myself somewhat confused by a series of bizarre events. I can only hold tightly to the dagger in my arms, which is, after all, a blade that has taken countless lives. Even though it carries an ominous aura, it does provide me with considerable comfort at this moment

That eerie laughter echoed once again