Doomsday Asylum Chapter 44

Yue Yue looked at the two in shock, suddenly realizing that she had fallen into a trap.

Her clothes were stripped off, leaving her special parts exposed, causing her to feel ashamed and furious. Veins bulged beneath her snow-white skin, her eyes filled with terrifying gloom.

Ning Xin lifted the covers and walked over, hardly believing her eyes.

“How… how could this be? What’s going on?”

Nie Ran released his grip, and Yue Yue tried to escape, but was blocked by Dawnbreaker’s blade.

“Speak, why did you disguise yourself?”

“Because…”

He gritted his teeth and looked at the two. Suddenly, he exerted force, smashing against the blade. Blood gushed out.

His frail body collapsed to the ground, blood staining the skin and floor red.

He stared with eyes full of intense resentment.

Ning Xin jumped in shock and crouched down, wanting to touch him, but his body crumbled like rotten tree branches, flesh and bones collapsing into a muddy mess, evaporating within minutes, leaving nothing behind.

“He didn’t die, did he? Where did he go?”

Nie Ran put away Dawnbreaker and said calmly, “He will come back.”

Anyway, they finally confirmed that Yue Yue was the person they were looking for, and her hostility was not light.

Ning Xin stood up, looking at him with a smile.

Nie Ran was puzzled, “What are you laughing at?”

“You acted quite convincingly that day. I was actually scared by you, thinking you wouldn’t come back.”

He chuckled dismissively, “Whether I come back or not, do you care?”

“You said it yourself. There are only three people in the asylum so far. It won’t work without anyone.”

She said this, thinking of another person, “What about Lang Xiao? Aren’t you two together?”

Lang Xiao was prone to losing control at night. Instead of causing trouble by bringing him along, Nie Ran found a place for him to stay.

But he didn’t want to talk about it and took a step forward.

“I’ve co-operated so well; I deserve some reward.”

The atmosphere suddenly became ambiguous.

“W-what reward?”

“What do you think? We’ve been here for almost ten days.”

Under the lamplight, Nie Ran’s tall and straight figure was wrapped in a dark sweater, accentuating his solid and charming masculine charm, with handsome and attractive features.

The night emboldened Ning Xin, and she swallowed hard, opening her mouth.

“I…”

“Ahwoah! Ahwoah!”

Calls came from downstairs, and the two looked out the window. A barrel had rolled in unnoticed, shimmering with white light, and the sound was coming from inside.

Without asking, they knew who was inside.

Ning Xin sighed, turning to go downstairs to bring him in.

Nie Ran blocked her path. “You haven’t finished what you were saying.”

Her courage fading, she began to play dumb.

“What? I forgot. I’ll tell you another day.”

Ning Xin slipped under his arm skilfully and escaped the room, bringing Lang Xiao back.

Nie Ran stood on the stairs, watching them, even his temper fading.

Was it because he hadn’t done well enough to move her?

The old man’s words from the square that day echoed in his mind.

“…But tactics are just tactics. Patience and sincerity are what truly matter. Whether you truly love her, women can feel it. Trust me, they’re much more sensitive in this regard.”

Patience and sincerity…

Nie Ran sighed and descended the stairs.

With Yue Yue mysteriously disappearing, Ning Xin was unwilling to sit idly by.

The next morning, the three of them entered the city again, attempting to find her whereabouts.

The city was still bustling and lively as before, but unfortunately, after walking in circles, they had no harvest.

Ning Xin remembered the restaurant where she first met him and led the two inside.

The restaurant was open for business, with a few scattered people sitting in the hall.

They chose a window seat, and the waiter quickly came over to pour tea for them, asking what they would like to eat.

Ning Xin looked at the wooden signs on the wall listing the dishes and randomly ordered two, then asked, “Where’s the girl who used to work here?”

“The girl?”

“Big eyes, fair skin, very thin, covered in frostbite on her hands and feet.”

The waiter shook his head, “I haven’t seen anyone like that. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

Seeing his sincere expression, Ning Xin had to give up.

The dishes were served one after another, looking delicious and smelling fragrant.

However, the three of them still didn’t dare to eat much, sitting at the table looking around, trying to find the woman who scolded her that day.

People at the nearby table were chatting, and Ning Xin didn’t pay attention at first until Nie Ran coughed a few times to remind her.

She listened carefully for a while, feeling increasingly uneasy.

A man in his forties, wearing a straw hat, said:

‘Did you hear the noises on the street last night? The authorities have invited Taoist priests to perform rituals! That monster is truly terrifying. How many people has it killed? It even enjoys skinning women! My daughter dares not go out casually anymore, fearing she might be targeted by it.’

Ning Xin approached curiously and asked:

‘Big brother, what monster are you talking about?’

‘You don’t know yet? Are you from out of town?’

‘Yes, I’ve heard something scary. Could you please tell me more about it?’

The man began to explain:

‘It’s a long story. It started over thirty years ago, and rumors of a monster have been circulating in several towns within a hundred-mile radius. It’s said that it can shapeshift into anything—sometimes a little girl, sometimes a young man, and it can even turn into an old man. Regardless of its form, its purpose is to deceive and bewitch people, luring them to be eaten. If it’s a man, it disembowels them and eats their heart. If it’s a woman, it even skins them. This way, when it transforms again, it can wear their skin directly!’

Ning Xin remembered the blade that Yue Yue had taken out last night, and couldn’t help but shudder.

‘Why does it eat people’s hearts and skin them?’”

“He’s a monster, what else can he do? He relies on these things to survive.”

The two of them exchanged words, and suddenly an old man with white hair at the next table laughed.

“No, no, no, where would there be any monsters? It’s all just rumours.”

Everyone turned their attention to him, asking, “Do you know more about it?”

The old man approached with his tea, stroking his beard.

“This person isn’t a monster, he’s a pitiable soul. Do you know that the street in front of the door used to be called Hibiscus Alley? Before it was renovated, it was a real Red-Light District, filled with prostitutes.

Every now and then, Hibiscus Alley would produce a baby, and they were all boys. Some were sent to the countryside, and some that nobody wanted were thrown into unmarked graves. As for the girls born there, the prostitutes would raise them themselves, to continue earning money.

This was an unspoken rule, but rules are made to be broken. There was a new prostitute named Xu who was sold there. She gave birth to a son in her first year there. She couldn’t bear to get rid of him, so she lied and said he was a daughter. He wore girl’s clothes from a young age and even had his hair in braids, fooling people for several years.

Unfortunately, she didn’t live long. She died after five years. The child was too old to be given away, but nobody could bring themselves to kill him. Moreover, he had a pretty face that some clients liked, so they kept him around, hiding his true identity. As he grew older, he began to fend for himself. For a while, he even became famous in the city and took on a particularly nice name, Wan Yue.

When Wan Yue was around ten years old, Hibiscus Alley was demolished. The prostitutes either married and left or went elsewhere to make a living.”

Wan Yue started serving people at a young age, and he fell ill. All the money he earned went to the old madams, and he ended up wandering the streets, almost begging for food.

He tried to find work, but nobody wanted him; everyone avoided him because of his illness. Even his former clients turned him away, refusing to recognize him. Nobody was willing to lend a hand.

After wandering the streets for a few months, he suddenly disappeared one day. People said he went to the countryside to serve as a fake wife to an old widower, just to have some food to eat.

But that old widower was no good either; he liked to drink and would beat and curse Wan Yue whenever he got drunk. Eventually, Wan Yue was seen being chased out, beaten and bloody.

As time passed, Wan Yue’s mind began to deteriorate, driven mad by the abuse. He started talking nonsense every day and even ran around naked.

The old widower became even harsher towards him and wanted to kick him out.

After tormenting him for nearly half a year, one day the villagers woke up to find the old widower’s head hanging from a tree at the village entrance, and Wan Yue was nowhere to be found.

After that, several old madams and prostitutes who had once worked in Hibiscus Alley were killed and skinned one after another. Some said they saw Wan Yue nearby covered in blood, holding a piece of human skin, and running away whenever someone appeared.

Since then, nothing more was heard about him. However, the story continued to spread, becoming more and more fantastical, until someone turned it into a tale of a monster eating people.

During this time, some people suddenly died in the city, and this story was brought up again, causing widespread fear, even among the authorities.

It seemed highly likely that Wan Yue was indeed the same person as Yue Yue.

Unexpectedly, his story turned out to be like this. After hearing it, Ning Xin’s mood became complicated, and she remained silent for a while.

At that moment, someone entered the room, and with a glance, she recognized the woman from last time.

Ning Xin hurried over, wanting to ask the woman about Yue Yue’s whereabouts.

However, the woman was very busy and pushed her aside, completely ignoring her, and addressed all the customers in the lobby:

“I’m really sorry, but we have an important guest coming today, so we can’t accommodate everyone. Please settle your bills if you’ve finished eating, and if not, please go eat at another place.”

Everyone was forced to leave the restaurant, and Ning Xin was curious about the “important guest” mentioned by the woman, so she stood at the street corner to watch.

Not long after, several old-fashioned Ford cars arrived from the direction of the city gate.

Although they were considered old-fashioned in her eyes, the cars were brand new, shining black, attracting envious glances from many passers-by.

Behind the cars were several groups of soldiers dressed in military attire, reminding Ning Xin of the warlords depicted in Republican-era television dramas.

The cars stopped outside the restaurant, and the doors opened, and many people got out.

They were all dressed in deep blue uniforms, with smooth and crisp fabric, obviously of much better quality than the ordinary soldiers behind them.

The most eye-catching among them was a man adorned with numerous gold medals on his chest.

He was tall and slender, with a cold demeanour, wearing a hat that partially revealed short hair and a snow-white face.

Ning Xin felt that he looked very familiar and couldn’t help but stare at him.

Before entering the building, the man seemed to sense something and glanced back at her.

As soon as Ning Xin saw his eyes, much larger than those of an average person, she recognized him.

It was Yue Yue!

He was dressed in men’s clothing, with short hair, but what was he doing back? Wasn’t he crazy?

Ning Xin was puzzled, but Yue Yue smirked, revealing a sinister smile, and walked into the restaurant amidst the crowd.

The soldiers were all burly men, drinking and eating heartily.

Outside the building, passers-by were still curiously eyeing the cars. Some children wanted to touch them but were scared away by the soldiers left to guard them.

Ning Xin withdrew her gaze and looked at Nie Ran and Lang Xiao, feeling a sense of unease.

“Let’s go back.”

Yue Yue’s appearance this time was probably quite significant.

The day after they returned to the asylum, they heard news from passing travellers.

The army had come from the north, with the main force stationed in the neighbouring town, numbering around fifty to sixty thousand. The ones who had arrived that day were just a deputy officer and his escort, but there were still over a hundred of them.

The deputy officer was young and had distinguished himself in battle, gaining favour with the general.

He had a refined and handsome appearance, but his personality was cold-blooded and ruthless. It was said that at his peak, he could kill over a hundred prisoners of war in a single day, blunting his swords in the process.

His arrival with the escort was to take over all the affairs of the city and turn this small town into the general’s domain.

If someone is unwilling… there is no “if”. The main force is lurking several kilometres away, ready to strike at any moment.

　　All the officials in the city have surrendered and relinquished their authority.

　　There were also a few who were unwilling, and they were shot in the head by that white-faced deputy.

　　In addition, the deputy blocked the city gates and imposed taxes.

　　Those who specially came from the countryside to sell chickens and vegetables, people without household registration, were all driven out.

　　Now the town has become a prison, outsiders can’t get in, and insiders can’t get out.

　　The deputy has not withdrawn yet, stationed there, nobody knows what he still wants to do.

　　Ning Xin looked at her asylum, suddenly wanting to move away.

　　After finally having such a comfortable residence, if it were to be destroyed again, where would she go to cry?

　　The three sat in the living room, discussing countermeasures.

　　Nie Ran has always been aggressive, “Catch the thief first, catch the king, I’ll go into the city and kill him now.”

　　Ning Xin smiled bitterly, “But can you kill him? If it’s like last time, not only did he not die, but he also came back even stronger. How many times can we handle that?”

　　”He is trapped in this world, so he must have his weaknesses.”

　　”But what are his weaknesses?”

Ning Xin tried hard to recall every moment she spent with Wan Yue, hoping to analyse something from his behaviour, but unfortunately, apart from being overly scheming, he didn’t seem to have any weaknesses.

His body obviously can change, his physical weakness cannot be considered a weakness, and he still has an army and weapons.

Character?

Ning Xin thought for a long time, her head throbbing.

Lang Xiao suddenly spoke up.

“I think he smells strange.”

“Smells?”

Ning Xin was puzzled.

When Wan Yue was picked up, he was dirty, but he didn’t have any odour.

“Yeah.”

Lang Xiao nodded, “There’s always a strong smell of blood on him, very noticeable, haven’t you smelled it?”

Ning Xin and Nie Ran glanced at each other, shaking their heads.

The latter said, “We don’t have your dog nose, besides, what kind of weakness is that?”

“His smell of blood is different from the ordinary, it’s…”

As Lang Xiao was halfway through his sentence, the main door was knocked on loudly.

Ning Xin held her breath and listened carefully, faintly discerning that there was more than one person outside.

Her heavy heart turned tense, and she walked towards the door, but Nie Ran grabbed her shoulder.

“I’ll go.”

With that, he took the lead and opened the door.

Today, the snow fell heavily, and the cold wind wrapped around goose feather-sized snowflakes, making it impossible to keep one’s eyes open.

Outside stood more than a dozen soldiers, neatly lined up in two rows.

The man who appeared to be the chief wore a fur hat and spoke gruffly:

“Which one of you is Ning Xin? Deputy Xu wants you to come over.”

Deputy Xu?

The old man in the tavern mentioned that Wan Yue’s birth mother’s surname was Xu, so it must be her.

Nie Ran asked, “What does he want with her?”

“No need for all this chatter, if you’re asked to go, then go. If not, I’ll make sure you do,” the man replied sharply.

The other person pulled out a gun from his waist, pointing it at Nie Ran’s head, and asked:

“Who’s Ning Xin? Come with us.”

Lang Xiao gritted his teeth, almost ready to rush forward, but Ning Xin stopped him.

“It’s me,” she said.

The officer raised his chin, and two soldiers approached to escort her.

Ning Xin said, “Didn’t you say you were inviting me? Is this how you invite people, with such rough manners?”

She had delicate features, not particularly beautiful, but very graceful.

The officer, accustomed to dealing with men, chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

“If you behave, we can also be gentle.”

“I’ll behave, of course,” Ning Xin smiled and prepared to go with them, but Nie Ran grabbed her.

“I’m going with you,” he said.

“No,” the officer refused without waiting for Ning Xin to speak. “Except Ning Xin, no one is allowed into the city.”

“Then she’s not going either,” Nie Ran said coldly.

The officer threatened to pull out his gun again, but Ning Xin quickly grabbed Nie Ran’s hand and shook it gently.

“Let me go, it’s okay.”

“Are you crazy?”

“You’re crazy?”

“They’ve all come to the door, can we still pretend not to know?” Ning Xin said.

“Then just kill them all, there are only a dozen or so people.”

“There are only a dozen or so here, how many will come after we kill them all? Can you handle that?” Nie Ran pounded his fist on the door, leaving a deep dent in the alloy door panel.

“Do you know what you’re getting into?”

The soldiers began to urge them, and Ning Xin blinked playfully, speaking in a volume only they could hear.

“You forgot? He won’t die, and neither will I. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely come back alive. Take care of Lang Xiao.”

She put on her coat, wore her hat, and followed the soldiers.

Her figure grew smaller and smaller in the snow, eventually being covered by the heavy snowfall.

As the passer-by said, the city gate was indeed sealed off, with strict inspections for anyone entering or leaving.

Led by the soldiers, Ning Xin entered the city and walked straight along a road.

About half an hour later, they arrived outside a mansion.

The mansion still retained the architectural style of the late Qing Dynasty, presumably once belonging to some official or local gentry. Now it was requisitioned by Wan Yue and turned into his residence along with his subordinates.

The mansion was extremely large, and after passing through several gates, Ning Xin finally stopped in a small hall.

Inside the hall, there was only a set of table and chairs, quite spacious.

The officer told her to wait there and then left with the soldiers.

Ning Xin surveyed the room, even counting the few spider webs, but still no one came.

She peeked out quietly and saw soldiers guarding not far away, evidently unable to leave on her own.

Feeling tired from standing, she sat down on one of the chairs, deep in thought.

Why did Wan Yue send someone to find her alone?

To kill her? That seemed excessive.

With so many soldiers at his disposal, he could easily have the asylum razed with a single command.

Suddenly, his eerie smile from that day flashed in her mind, sending a shiver down Ning Xin’s spine as she rubbed her arms.

Unknowingly, it had turned dark outside, and someone brought in a few candles to light up the room.

The person quickly left again, leaving Ning Xin staring at the flickering candlelight, worrying about whether Nie Ran and the others were safe at the moment.

“Sister.”

With a familiar call, someone walked in through the side door.

She stood up and turned her head, seeing the person’s face, finding it hard to believe it was Wan Yue.

Wan Yue was dressed in a deep red silk pleated long skirt, with a white fox fur coat on top.

He wore high-heeled leather shoes and a white fox fur hat, with a few curls of hair falling on his shoulders, and pearls and diamonds shining brightly.

He was made up, with delicate eyebrows and red lips. His eyes were still large and clear. Despite the bold makeup, there was still a hint of innocence and simplicity about him.

He could be considered a great beauty, but at a height of one meter eighty, even with high heels, his broad shoulders that couldn’t be covered by the fox fur coat made him appear somewhat awkward.

“Sister,” he spun around, “do I look beautiful?”

Ning Xin’s mouth twitched. “Beautiful, very beautiful.”

“You’re lying.”

She raised her hand immediately. “I swear to God, no lies.”

Wan Yue stared at her for a moment, then suddenly restrained all expression and coldly sat on another chair.

“Complimenting me as pretty and cute to my face, obedient and well-behaved, but conspiring to kill me behind my back, what a deceitful viper.”

Ning Xin sighed. “Wasn’t it you who struck first?”

Though she had conspired with Nie Ran, it was only after Wan Yue pulled out a knife that she watched Nie Ran attempt to kill him.

He was the deceitful one, so why was he blaming her?

Wan Yue said, “When did I want to kill you?”

“That knife you pulled out that night, I doubt it was for shaving,” Ning Xin retorted.

“I…”

Wan Yue suddenly stopped, his face darkening.

“I’ll give you two choices now.”

More choices? That was great.

Ning Xin suppressed her inner joy. “Go on.”

“First, stay here, like those few days before, as my sister. I’ll provide you with good food and clothes, guaranteeing no one will harm you.

Second…”

A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. “If we can’t be friends, then we can only be enemies.”

Ning Xin’s mind raced, and she immediately said, “I choose one.”

Wan Yue raised his head, but before he could speak, she quickly added, “But could Nie Ran and Lang Xiao come too?”

His expression changed instantly, and he firmly refused.

“No.”

“Why not? Although they eat a lot, they’re strong. You can assign them to do the heavy work, like hired laborers. You won’t lose out,” Ning Xin argued.

Wan Yue sneered, “Do you think I’m stupid? Besides, what’s so good about those smelly men anyway?”

Ning Xin wasn’t sure whether to remind him that he was also one of those smelly men.

Considering what the old man in the tavern had said, she chose to stay quiet.

“Sister…”

Wan Yue stood up again and held her hand. “Just the two of us, happy together, okay?”

Ning Xin certainly wanted to say no, but the result of saying so might be losing her head. Even though the Ghost Emperor had said she wouldn’t die during her tenure, she didn’t want to endure that kind of pain.

“Alright, I’ll stay.”

Wan Yue quietly looked at her, seeing that she had no other requests, and happily took her hand.

“Let’s go, let’s have dinner.”

The two of them moved to another room, where a round table was set up.

Once seated, the soldiers began serving dishes, completely ignoring Wan Yue’s attire.

There were dishes of beef, lamb, fish, fried, stir-fried, and deep-fried, with over a dozen varieties.

Ning Xin usually cooked her own meals, and Nie Ran could cook as well. However, they were both self-taught, and no matter how good they were, they couldn’t compare to professional chefs. She couldn’t help but sneakily swallow several mouthfuls of saliva while watching the dishes being served.

The table was full of dishes, but there were only the two of them dining.

Wan Yue enthusiastically served Ning Xin dishes, and with just a few chopsticks, her small porcelain bowl was piled high.

“Thanks to you for treating me the other day, today I can treat you. Please, eat,” he said.

Ning Xin’s hand twitched, but her mind didn’t respond.

Could she eat the food in this illusion?

She looked at the pot of chicken with pig stomach in front of her, remembering the rumours of Wan Yue skinning people, and immediately lowered her head, retching a few times.

Wan Yue’s face alternated between black and white. When she straightened up, he returned to his smiling demeanour.

“Don’t want to eat meat? Then have some soup,” he said, serving her a bowl of soup.

It seemed she had no choice but to eat. Ning Xin gritted her teeth and started to force herself to eat.

The imagined scene of halfway through the meal turning into human flesh didn’t happen. On the contrary, the taste was quite good.

Ning Xin restrained herself and ate a small bowl. Wan Yue then took her to another room.

This time, it seemed to be his bedroom, beautifully decorated and divided into two sections.

The inner room had a bed, a dressing table, and a wardrobe.

The outer room had a large wooden tub and several wooden shelves holding towels and other items.

While Ning Xin was still inspecting the room, Wan Yue rolled up his sleeves and stirred his hand into the wooden tub.

“The water temperature is just right. Sister, let’s take a bath together.”

“T-take a bath together?”

Ning Xin was caught off guard and choked, leaning against the wall as she coughed.