Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 21 The Dream of Falling into the Water
Carrying the unconscious Bai Yu on his back, An Mu stepped into the black forest shrouded in blood mist, his steps uneven.

At the entrance, the "Rebirth Monument," shattered by the black words, stood silently behind them like a broken seal. Ahead lay a utterly distorted realm of despair.

The ground beneath my feet was no longer solid, but a damp, sticky, and nauseating texture, as if I were stepping on a thick layer of moss and some kind of animal bone that had rotted for who knows how many years. Each step made a soft "crunch" sound, as if I might break through this false ground at any moment and fall into a bottomless abyss.

The surrounding trees displayed postures defying the laws of nature. Their trunks twisted and gnarled, resembling human figures struggling in extreme agony, their black bark covered with circular knots that looked like eyeballs, silently watching these uninvited guests in the dim, blood-soaked mist. The air was thick with the almost tangible stench of blood mingled with the putrid odor of rotting corpses, assaulting everyone's nostrils and stimulating their senses.

"Stay alert, this place... is worse than I imagined." An Mu's voice rang out in the mental link. He adjusted the position of Bai Yu on his back, his gaze sharp as a blade, scanning the dense fog ahead where visibility was less than five meters. "Lan Ce, can you still detect energy reactions?"

“No, Captain.” Lan Ce’s voice was filled with deep weariness and gravity. “The resentment field here has become so thick that it has formed a kind of ‘domain,’ rendering all conventional detection methods ineffective. My instruments are now no different from a brick. We can say that we are completely blind and deaf now.”

“Then let’s use the most primitive method.” Mo Fei held the huge battle axe horizontally in front of his chest, the black bloodstains on the blade gleaming eerily in the blood mist. “Let’s see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and use our intuition to sense the danger.”

They moved forward in silence, their group of three as insignificant as a lone boat in this seemingly boundless, deathly forest.

In this terrifying place abandoned by reality, Bai Yu's consciousness, carried on An Mu's back, is falling into an even deeper dream.

……

Icy.

A chilling cold that pierces to the bone.

Consciousness is like a stone thrown into the boundless deep sea, falling endlessly in absolute darkness... There is no direction, no time, only an eternal feeling of sinking and a chill that constantly erodes the soul.

who am I?
Where am I?

what happened?
Countless fragmented thoughts flickered in the darkness, only to be swallowed up by the cold void the moment they formed, unable to coalesce into complete ideas. He could vaguely sense that his "existence" itself was like a piece of porcelain that had been broken and clumsily glued back together, covered with dense cracks, as if it would fall apart again with the slightest touch.

I don't know how much time passed; perhaps it was a moment, or perhaps it was eternity.

"Tick-tock...tick-tock...tick-tock..."

A faint but highly rhythmic sound pierced through the endless darkness and silence, reaching his ears.

The sound was like the first ray of light at the beginning of chaos, giving his dormant consciousness something to cling to. He instinctively tried to catch the sound and discern its source.

It's the sound of water droplets.

Then, his sense of touch began to return. He felt himself lying on a hard, cold surface, his clothes soaked through, the cold fabric clinging tightly to his skin, making him shiver involuntarily.

bright……

His eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he used all his strength to barely open them a crack.

The blurry light and shadow flickered before my eyes, gradually focusing.

What he saw were rows of roof beams covered in cobwebs and dust, the wooden beams rotten and blackened. Above the beams were broken tiles that let in sunlight. The dripping water was seeping from the gaps in the tiles, falling into a puddle on the ground not far away, splashing up a small ripple.

He struggled to sit up and looked around.

This appears to be a long-abandoned ancestral hall. In the very center stands a clay statue of a deity, its face obscured; half of the statue has collapsed, revealing a decaying wooden skeleton beneath. The air is thick with the unpleasant stench of dampness, mold, and rotting wood.

Strangely, although the ancestral hall was leaking everywhere and he himself was soaked to the bone, the roof tiles above his head were intact, and no rainwater dripped directly onto him.

He looked down at his hands, hands with distinct knuckles, but now they were deathly pale. He felt waves of weakness and dizziness, his mind went blank, leaving only some blurry, fragmented memories.

He leaned against a moss-covered pillar, struggled to his feet, and walked step by step toward the ancestral hall's main door, which was now only half a door panel.

The moment he stepped out of the ancestral hall, the scene before him brought his already chaotic thoughts to a complete standstill.

Outside the ancestral hall lies a world shrouded in perpetual rain.

The gray sky, like a giant pot lid, weighed heavily on people's hearts. Fine, hair-like rain fell endlessly from the sky, draping the whole world in a hazy and sorrowful veil.

Below the sky lay a vast expanse of water.

A murky, bluish-black floodwater had submerged most of the village, leaving only dilapidated rooftops and a few elevated alleyways scattered like islands on the water. Several simple wooden rafts floated slowly on the muddy surface. Some villagers, dressed in coarse linen clothes, walked numbly in knee-deep water, their movements slow and mechanical, like a group of soulless puppets.

Where is this place?
Hell?
He stood blankly on the steps of the ancestral hall. The cold rain was blocked by the eaves of the hall, forming a transparent curtain of rain in front of him, isolating him from the gloomy world outside.

Just then, a splashing sound of water came from afar.

He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a thin figure holding a faded and white oil-paper umbrella, walking through the water towards the ancestral hall.

She was a little girl who looked about seven or eight years old. She wore a faded blue cloth dress, and her bare feet were wading in the cold, dirty water. Her face was somewhat pale, but her eyes were as clear as a mountain stream, untouched by any dust. These eyes stood out particularly well in this gloomy world.

The little girl stopped at the bottom of the steps of the ancestral hall. She looked up, her clear eyes curiously observing him, and then gave a timid smile.

"You're awake, brother from out of town." Her voice was clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in the rain. "I thought you were going to sleep for a long time."

"...Did you save me?" Bai Yu asked hoarsely.

“Yes!” The little girl nodded vigorously. “Yesterday I saw you floating on the water, not moving at all, so I dragged you into the ancestral hall. This is the water god’s territory. Although no one worships here anymore, it’s still safer than outside.”

As she spoke, she handed the oil-paper umbrella in her hand to him again, as if afraid that the rain would splash on him. Then, in a very serious tone, she whispered, "Brother from out of town, you must remember that in our Luoshui Village, you absolutely, absolutely cannot get wet from the rain falling from the sky. The rain here... can 'eat people'."

“Luoshui Village…” He chewed on the name, and familiar fragments of memory gradually surfaced in his mind.

"Rain can eat people?" He looked at the endless curtain of rain, unable to understand the meaning of the sentence.

“Hmm,” a hint of fear flashed in the little girl’s eyes, “If you get soaked in the rain for too long, you will become… become like those uncles and elders in the village, unable to speak, unable to laugh, only able to walk blankly… and then, you will no longer be yourself.”

He followed the little girl's gaze and saw that the villagers walking numbly in the water had empty eyes and stiff expressions, truly like empty shells that had lost their souls.

A chill crept up his spine. This seemingly peaceful world in the rain concealed a terror more bizarre than any flood or ferocious beast.

"My name is Xiaoxi, as in stream. And you, brother from out of town?" The little girl smiled again, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

“I…” He opened his mouth, a vague name echoing in his mind, “…Bai Yu. My name is Bai Yu.”

"Brother Baiyu, what a beautiful name." Xiaoxi laughed happily. "You just woke up, you must be very weak. It's too cold in the ancestral hall, come home with me. My parents have gone on a long trip, and I'm all alone at home. I can boil some hot water for you."

Bai Yu hesitated for a moment. In this eerie place, was a little girl's attempt to be friendly a sign of hope, or a deeper trap? However, he was in terrible shape; a deep-seated weakness made it difficult for him to even stand. Looking into Xiaoxi's clear and sincere eyes, he finally nodded.

"Thank you, Xiaoxi."

"You're welcome!" Xiaoxi held the oil-paper umbrella high, completely covering Baiyu's head, while half of her own body was exposed to the rain.

“You…” Bai Yu subconsciously tried to push the umbrella back.

“It’s alright,” Xiaoxi said nonchalantly. “We people who were born in the village are used to it. As long as we don’t get wet for too long, we’ll be fine. But you’re different. You’re from out of town, you’re clean, and you can’t stand getting even a little rain.”

"clean……"

This word sent a strange feeling through Bai Yu's heart.

Guided by the stream, Bai Yu carefully descended the steps and stepped into the icy water. They proceeded along a relatively elevated flagstone path. Along the way, they encountered several villagers walking in the water. When the villagers saw the stream with its umbrella and Bai Yu behind it, they all stopped and stared at Bai Yu with empty, numb eyes, as if looking at an alien.

That emotionless "gaze" made Bai Yu feel like she had a thorn in her side.

"Why are they staring at me?" Bai Yu asked in a low voice.

“Because no outsiders have come to the village for a very long time.” Xiaoxi’s voice also lowered. “Since that day, the rain has never stopped, and all the roads outside the village have been flooded. No one can go out or come in anymore.”

"That day?" Bai Yu keenly grasped this key word.

“Hmm…” Xiaoxi paused, her eyes darting around. “It’s just… it was a long time ago… Mother wouldn’t let me mention that day.”

Bai Yu didn't press the matter further. He knew that day was probably the root of all the strange occurrences in the village.

Xiaoxi's home is at the far east end of the village. It is a two-story wooden building and one of the few houses in the village that was not submerged by the flood.

Stepping inside, a dry but slightly worn smell hits you, a stark contrast to the damp and chilly world outside. The furnishings are simple, but neatly arranged.

"Brother Baiyu, please sit down first. I'll go boil some water for you." Xiaoxi leaned the wet oil-paper umbrella against the door and then ran into the inner room in a flash.

Bai Yu found a bench and sat down, the deep-seated weariness washing over him again. He closed his eyes, trying to sort out the chaotic thoughts in his mind, while also instinctively sensing the state of his body.

He could clearly "see" that his soul was like a shattered crystal ball, riddled with countless cracks, some of which were so massive they threatened to tear the soul apart completely. Deep within his soul lay an unfathomable darkness, lurking silently like an ancient beast slumbering in the depths of a vast ocean. He could sense the presence of that darkness, even its familiar yet arrogant aura, but he could neither awaken it nor draw even a trace of its power.

He can only rely on himself.

"Brother Baiyu, have some water."

Xiaoxi walked over carrying a rough earthenware bowl, which was half-filled with crystal-clear water and steaming slightly.

"Thank you." Bai Yu took the ceramic bowl, the warmth spreading through his palm and bringing a touch of comfort to his cold body. He drank the water in the bowl in one gulp.

The moment the warm water slid down his throat, a surge of life-giving warmth rose from his stomach and spread rapidly to his limbs, eventually reaching his shattered soul!
His soul was like the parched and cracked earth that had received its first spring rain of redemption.

Bai Yu's body trembled violently. He could clearly feel the cracks that permeated his soul being gently nourished by this warm current. Some of the minute fissures were even slowly healing at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Although the shocking main cracks still exist, the feeling of "repair" is so real and so clear!

The weakness and confusion he felt from the shattering of his soul miraculously subsided somewhat at that moment!
This water...

Bai Yu suddenly opened her eyes, staring in shock at the empty bowl in her hand.

This eerie place called "Luoshui Village" is both a prison that confines him and a chance to heal his soul!
The rain outside is poison, but the water I just drank is the antidote!
A daring idea began to grow wildly in his mind. If he could find the source of this "water," would it mean that his soul, on the verge of collapse, might be completely restored?
His eyes changed instantly, no longer filled with confusion and wariness, but with an intense longing and determination.

He had to stay and find out the secret of this village!
The sky gradually darkened without anyone noticing.

The sound of rain outside seemed to grow louder, turning from a "drip-drop" to a "splash," like countless hands pounding on the roof and walls. The light inside also dimmed, and a small oil lamp lit up the stream. The tiny flame flickered in the wind, casting long shadows of the two people on the wall.

"It's getting dark..." Xiaoxi sat on the small stool opposite Baiyu, resting her chin on her hands and looking at the rain outside the window, softly humming a strange nursery rhyme.

"She's fallen into the water! She's fallen into the water! Grandma Moon has fallen into the river..."

"The fish cry, the shrimp jump, and the water god opens his eyes..."

"Building a new house, marrying a bride, and having clothes made by a stranger..."

"Light the red candles, get into the new bed, and sleep soundly until you reach the middle of the water..."

The nursery rhyme had a simple melody, but the lyrics were strangely eerie, causing Bai Yu's slightly improved mental state to tense up again.

"Squeak-"

Just then, the tightly closed wooden door was slowly pushed open.

Two tall figures walked in against the dim light from outside the door.

"Father! Mother! You're back!" Xiaoxi exclaimed in surprise, jumped off the bench, and ran towards the two figures.

Bai Yu also stood up and looked towards the door.

A man and a woman entered, dressed in the same coarse linen clothes as the villagers, soaked to the bone, with the same numb smiles on their faces as everyone else in the village. They first affectionately patted Xiaoxi's head, then turned their gazes to Baiyu inside the house.

The moment their eyes met Bai Yu's, it felt as if the blood in Bai Yu's body had frozen instantly.

The eyes of those two people...

It was a bottomless, pitch-black darkness.

There was no white in the eyes, no sclera, and no pupils. They were like two deep, ancient wells that could swallow up all light.

They looked at Bai Yu, and the stiff smile on their lips seemed to widen slightly.

That wasn't the friendly smile you give when welcoming guests.

Instead, it was the butcher examining a sacrifice that was about to be placed on the altar.

　I suddenly realized I wrote two chapters of seventeen, and I was wondering why the chapters didn't match up (；^ω^)

　　
　
(End of this chapter)