Chapter 1: The Old House

The little girl retorted, "Who are you looking for?"

Suddenly, the number jumped again, changing to: 4

The bean sprout looked up with a pair of bright eyes at Huo Jianguo: "Let's go upstairs, my mother is upstairs."

Huo Jianguo smiled and stepped inside

Creak!

Huo Jiangu raised his right hand, intently focusing on the respiratory positioning device

Huo Jianguo stared at the indistinct figure for a while, then stepped out.

At this moment, a childish voice came from inside the door: "Who is it?"

There are three rooms upstairs: one master bedroom and two secondary bedrooms

Subsequently, he glanced at the black watch on his right wrist, which was a respiratory positioning device. At that moment, the surface displayed the number: 1

The woman's head slowly emerged from her long hair, producing a creaking sound from her neck.

I suppose so

After speaking, she ran forward, and then "bang! bang! bang!" she ran up the stairs

Huo Jianguo suddenly felt a pair of eyes from upstairs staring at him. He abruptly looked up and just caught a glimpse of a hunched figure fleeting past the stair railing. However, when he looked closely, there was nothing to be seen.

Huo Jianguo lightly bit his teeth

The entire living room was enveloped in swirling smoke, resembling a thick fog.

The television is on, and the screen is filled with static.

Creak!

Old houses always have some old things

Suddenly, the number changed to: 3

The sound resounded once more

I am Huo Jiangu, introduced by Ye Qian to the library

From the walls and furniture of the house, it seems to have been around for some years

An old Jeep is parked on the east side of the yard, its windows dripping with water, and there appears to be a figure sitting upright in the passenger seat.

The air conditioner is on, and the displayed temperature is 18 degrees; it feels a bit cold in the room

Once again, a sound resonates, close to the ear

He glanced down at his watch, 4:58.

There is a person lying on the ceiling of the room

She is my mother, you can call me Douya

A pale-faced little girl stood on the threshold, looking up with a pair of bright, large eyes at Huo Jianguo. Her voice was tender and youthful: "Uncle Huo, I am sorry for what happened just now; I was also afraid of bad people coming in."

He took out the photo again and glanced at the address on the back: Unit 404, Building 4, Little Lion Community, Tuen Mun, New Territories. Below, there was a line of small print: Name, Qu Si, Age, 30 years old

Her voice trembled

At this moment, Douya was standing in front of the master bedroom door, and she said softly, "My mother is inside"

It is proven that within a radius of two meters, there is only his breath.

Creak!

After a long while, Douya gently knocked on the door.

The stairs emitted a creaking sound

Huo Jianguo tucked the photo back into his pocket and stepped into the community

Yes

He nodded at the bean sprouts

He walked around the community twice

A strange sound suddenly came from inside the room.

He took a slight step back, and the number above remained 2

When there are many old things, strange and unusual events are bound to occur

"What is considered to be, is what it is, and is not what it is not. You put your business card on the peephole, let me take a look." The voice from inside the door carried a hint of sudden anger

As he walked, he glanced at the blue watch on his left wrist. This was a multifunctional watch that could not only tell the time but also sense magnetic fields. At that moment, he was walking in a northeast direction

A few seconds later, with a "click!" sound, the door lock seemed to open, followed by a series of clattering sounds as the chains intertwined.

He is never late, nor does he arrive early; only by being on time can one ensure absolute certainty

Although the room was filled with smoke, it could not conceal the chilling atmosphere that permeated the air; this atmosphere was certainly not merely a result of the air conditioning.

Huo Jianguo pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard

Huo Jianguo looked around, still searching for the pair of eyes that had been staring at him, as well as the figure with a hunched back.

A great deal of information can be discerned from shoes, including many hidden and unspeakable details

Huo Jianguo involuntarily took a step back

Huo Jian returned and supported himself on the stairs, feeling a sticky substance on the surface above, and quickly let go.

He took a light breath and stepped up the stairs

"Are you the new psychologist?" The voice from inside the door was very alert

Where is your ID card? Show it as well

The door is open

Huo Jianguo lowered his head and smiled, saying: "I can understand. Who are you?"

Silence pervades the entire house, making it unbearable

There is still no response inside

Upon entering the living room, he was met with a strong smell of smoke

Creak! Creak!

A solitary gray and white long robe is draped over the sofa, arranged in the shape of a human figure, exuding a hint of eeriness

When did she walk behind him, while Huo Jianguo remained completely unaware

He saw many shoes placed by the balcony, but they were all women's shoes, along with a very small pair of tiger-head shoes, the kind worn by a one or two-year-old child, and a pair of straw shoes, worn by people in the old society

There is no response inside

The banana plants in the yard stood still, while the rocking horse and swing swayed slightly, as if greeting Huo Jiangu.

Bean Sprout suddenly became somewhat anxious, her lips pressed tightly together, her eyes revealing panic

Huo Jianguo took out his wallet, extracted his ID card, and贴 it against the peephole

The ashtray on the coffee table contains only ash, with no cigarette butts.

Huo Jianguo eagerly stepped into the shadow, standing quietly in the shadow at the door, listening to the sounds around him

He did not find it

He stared intently at the door, knowing that at this moment, a pair of eyes was watching him from behind the door

Inside the door, there is a profound silence, and in the shadows, there is nothingness.

He ascended the stairs

At that moment, the time had come. He did not think any further, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.

In front of the wall opposite the sofa, there is a high table, covered with a black cloth, under which the surface is uneven.

Upon entering a household, the first thing one does is to observe the shoes of the family members, which is a habit of Huo Jiangu.

Suddenly, he felt as if something was moving in the space above him in the room

The bean sprout quickly retreated two steps to the side and stood against the wall

Huo Jianguo stepped inside.

The number on the respiratory positioning device immediately changed to 2

The door is crimson red, and there is a peephole in the middle of the door. Above the peephole are three digits: 404

Subsequently, a crack appeared in the door, and a chill breeze rushed in.

A woman, with her limbs adhered to the ceiling, her hair cascading down like a waterfall

At that moment, Huo Jian returned and noticed that she was not wearing shoes, her small feet bare.

As the time was approaching, he arrived at Building 4, Unit 4, and took the elevator to the 4th floor

This is a duplex. The lower level consists of a living room, kitchen, and bathroom, while the upper level features a row of three bedrooms

He glanced at the respiratory positioning device, and the number displayed was 1

The young girl opened the door a little wider, creating some space, and said: "Come in."

Soon, rhythmic footsteps could be heard from inside, seemingly in a light jog

It is dawn, yet it remains very dark

The environment and architecture in the community are rather ordinary, not much different from an average community, which left Huo Jianguo somewhat disappointed

He still needs to wait for two minutes

Huo Jianguo quickly glanced inside; there was no one in the room.

Huo Jianguo glanced at the respiratory positioning device, 2

Room 404 is at the end of the corridor, with a dark passageway at the entrance

He raised his head and immediately gasped in surprise.

He hurriedly turned his head and saw Douya standing behind him, with her finger extended in mid-air

The bean sprouts knocked twice: "Mom, that psychologist... the soul scientist has arrived, do you want to meet him?"

The little girl fastened a thick iron chain to the door and secured it with a bolt, then walked forward, her two ponytails swaying behind her. After taking two steps, she turned her head and said: "What are you still dawdling for? Hurry up and come here."

The number displayed above is 2

Huo Jianguo took a business card out of his pocket and affixed it.

The sky is overcast, and fine rain is drifting.

Huo Jianguo stepped through the door and caught a glimpse of a deep scar on the left wrist of the young girl.

Suddenly, a hard object poked at Huo Jianguo's waist, and he jolted sharply.

The numbers on the respiratory positioning device quickly changed to 1

Douya opened the glass door and waved at Huo Jianguo.

At that moment, there was a creaking sound.

The door to the master bedroom and one of the secondary bedrooms is tightly closed, while the door to the other secondary bedroom is open. On the floor of the room, there is a sandbox toy, which should belong to the bean sprout.

By the time Huo Jian returned after having lunch and arrived at the Little Lion Community, it was already 4:30 PM, leaving half an hour until the agreed time

Suddenly, he caught sight of the respiratory locator on his right wrist, and the number displayed on it had unknowingly changed to: 2

Douya knocked again and said: "Mom"

Melody of Thoughts

A few seconds later, a tender voice came again: "Are you a soul scholar?"