Chapter 138: The Killer No One Could Imagine

2022-05-20

I shut the courtyard gate behind me and followed the others out. We didn’t have to wait long before two figures appeared—it was Old Xia and Erxiao, the last members of our killer-catching task force. Both of them had blankets in tow, clearly prepared to keep watch all night.

The five of us crouched low as Gu Chen gave out instructions. “I’ve checked out the terrain. The village slopes from west to east. I’ll keep watch on the western end. From the rooftop, I can see the whole area. I’m quick, so I’ll move first if things go down. Old Xia, you cover the east entrance. You’re sturdy enough for it. With you and me on either end, there’s nowhere for the killer to run.”

Old Xia nodded his agreement.

Gu Chen continued, “Wu Meng, you hide three houses down from Old Xia, on the roof. I scoped the place out earlier. You’ll find two gaps in the wall there to help you climb up without much effort—should suit you.”

Clearly, Gu Chen hadn’t been idle. He’d quietly assessed the whole village, even considering my less-than-athletic build. Impressive.

He looked at Captain Zhou and Erxiao next. “Captain Zhou, stick to the center of the village. Erxiao, you cover a spot on my side, a few houses over. For a better view, Old Xia and I will take the rooftops on the south side, while you two take the north. That way, we’ll have every angle covered.”

Gu Chen’s plan left no room for mistakes—everything was organized and airtight.

“Let’s move out,” Gu Chen said. “It’s nine o’clock, everyone’s asleep by now. The killer should still be getting ready.”

With that, the five of us split up and headed for our spots.

Just like Gu Chen had described, I found the gap in the north wall. Using both hands, I grabbed hold and planted my feet, quickly pulling myself up. With a little push, I hopped onto the rooftop where only a thin layer of snow remained—the rest had been swept aside.

Not wasting any time, I dropped down and settled in. Good thing I was bundled up with thick clothes and gloves—otherwise the cold would’ve been unbearable. Lying flat on the roof, I watched the surroundings. From the looks of things, the killer wouldn’t be coming out anytime soon, probably not till late into the night.

If it weren’t for the biting cold, I might’ve dozed off right there. I wondered if Old Xia and Erxiao, tucked in with their blankets, might actually fall asleep up here. Bored out of my mind, I kept watch, fighting fatigue as my eyelids grew heavy.

I drifted in and out of sleep, not sure how much time had passed, until a sudden gust of cold wind snapped me awake. Shivering, I glanced at my watch by the faint light—it was already one in the morning.

But with everything still and quiet, it seemed the killer hadn’t shown up yet.

The wind howled around me. Dim light cast the village in a shadowy, eerie glow. Snow clung to dry branches, creaking softly—a sound that almost felt like whispers in my ear. The night grew colder, and even though others were stationed on the rooftops too, they were out of sight. It felt like I was completely alone in the world.

Just then, I noticed someone staggering out from the eastern edge of the village, far off and hard to make out. But who else would be wandering so late at night? It had to be the killer. Gradually, as the figure moved closer, I could make out more of his shape.

He looked like a shy, honest man. Under the dim streetlight, he slowly approached, clutching something bulky in his arms. It was a bag—and from the opening, a single hand stuck out. A left hand!

Looking closer, I saw his own arm ended at the wrist—where a hand should’ve been, there were only two bone knobs. It hit me all at once: this was the very man who’d first discovered the corpse, the last person we’d suspect—Li Danan was the killer!

Li Danan shuffled slowly, glancing nervously left and right to check his surroundings.

All we needed was for Li Danan to reach Captain Zhou’s position, and we could move in together—trap him right in the middle of our group. I held my breath, not daring to make a sound as he approached.

Li Danan was nearly at Old Xia’s position when a voice rang out of nowhere, as loud as thunder.

“Stop!”

Old Xia’s shout startled me so badly I almost jumped out of my skin. Li Danan jerked too; his bag slipped from his hands, sending the severed arm tumbling to the ground in a spray of snow. Without a second thought, Li Danan bolted, running like a rabbit for the edge of the village.

I silently cursed Old Xia a dozen times before scrambling off the rooftop.

Just then, Captain Zhou shouted from behind, “Li Danan, stop! We all see you—you can’t get away!”

But Li Danan paid no mind, sprinting off into the darkness.

By the time I got off the roof, Gu Chen had already reached my side. He grabbed me and pulled me down, sending me sprawling in the snow—not that I felt any pain. As we ran, Gu Chen called, “Hurry up! At this rate, the killer will be long gone by the time you get down.”

I chased after Gu Chen, with Li Danan running ahead despite missing a hand—still surprisingly quick on his feet.

Soon, even Erxiao caught up and zipped past me. I trailed behind, panting like a dog, unable to keep up as the others raced east. Before long, all I could see were their backs disappearing in the distance.

After half an hour of running, I was completely wiped out. How those guys could keep going was beyond me—I was drenched in sweat, my back soaked through. Out of breath, I slowed to a walk, struggling to follow.

Beyond the village, there were no more streetlights; only a wide, snowy expanse underfoot and utter darkness all around. The wind roared, rattling branches overhead with a wailing sound that sent chills through me. Alone now, even their silhouettes had vanished.

With the creepy atmosphere pressing in, a deep unease stirred in my gut.

Out of energy, I trudged on, following their footprints through the snow.

After about twenty minutes, I found the trail ended at the door of Erxiao Supermarket.

I looked around cautiously—nothing but silence. No shouts, no footsteps, just the wind. I peered out into the distance; the footprints led into the supermarket, but there were none heading toward the highway.

That meant everyone had chased Li Danan right into the supermarket.

But if so many people ran inside, why wasn’t there any noise?

Erxiao Supermarket was still lit up, but through the glass I couldn’t see a single soul inside.

I scanned the area again. Nothing. It was as if everyone had simply vanished, leaving no trace or sound behind. Shaking off my nerves, I crept toward the door. It was half open—someone must’ve forgotten to close it.

Carefully, I placed my hand on the supermarket door and pushed it open.

One glance inside, and there was no one—just aisle after aisle of shelves. But the place only had one entrance. Where could everyone have gone?

I closed the door behind me and wandered through the chilly store—the fire in the middle had burned out, leaving it as cold inside as out. I circled the shelves. Still no sign of anyone.

Had everyone really disappeared without a trace?

I crouched down to examine the slushy marks their snowy boots had left. Following the trail, I saw it stopped beneath one of the shelves.

Brow furrowing, I peered underneath the shelving.

All of a sudden I heard a metallic clanging, like someone tapping a hollow pipe. Leaning in, I realized—the noise was coming from underground. Relief washed over me, but then I remembered something even scarier.

The old Village Chief once told us that Erxiao made monthly supply runs to town, but I’d never seen a warehouse. That meant there was most likely a basement under the store.

But Erxiao always kept to himself, barely interacting with the village. How did Li Danan know about the hidden storage?

A wave of icy dread shot up my spine.

A terrifying thought took hold, and now the only person I could count on was Guan Zengbin, the one still in the village. If something happened to him too, then we were truly finished. I’d only ever considered one possibility before, but it was clear I’d been too naive.

“Heh.”

A cold, chilling voice sounded behind me.

I spun around to see Li Danan standing there, though I’d no idea when he’d shown up.

Seeing my shocked face, Li Danan burst out laughing.

He used his handless arm to tap lightly on the shelf, the hollow sound echoing in the quiet.

Through gritted teeth, Li Danan said, “Heard you were looking for me?”