Chapter 176
“It’s no use, so don’t struggle. It will only become tighter if you continue.” Mei Xiang’er’s voice seemed to be coming from around two meters in front of her.
The air around her was cold and humid, seeping into her body. Furthermore, there was a scent of wood paint mixed with the stench of rotten corpse and blood which let her guessed her whereabouts. She stopped struggling and raised her chin ahead. She simply asked, “Why?”
“Why? What do you think?”
“I don’t know.”
Mei Xiang’er smiled strangely. Then, the rapping of ironware could be heard. The sound started from afar and grew louder as it came nearer. Ji Yunshu became aware of a cold sensation pressing on her face. She was patted twice by that object. Then, it slowly poked her half-mask.
Mei Xiang’er called her. “Miss Ji.”
‘Huh?!’ Ji Yunshu was stupefied. “You already knew?”
Mei Xiang’er bent down until she was next to Ji Yunshu’s ear and spoke in a dreary tone, “In fact, I already knew you were a woman from the first time I saw you. Miss Ji, you are unlike the rest because you don’t look down on me. Your kindness truly moves me!” After she was done speaking, she grabbed Ji Yunshu’s blindfold and threw it away.
Inside this enclosed place, the damp air was pervaded by a strong stench of decay and blood which assaulted Ji Yunshu’s senses, making her unable to adjust herself despite the recovery of her vision. She had to blink several times before she could get used to it. Yet, when her eyes saw everything, it left her with a suffocating feeling.
Within the dimly lit wooden room, the only source of light was an oil lamp, but it was enough to illuminate the surroundings. The layout of the room was very simple and the size of it made it possible to see everything at one glance. Two big wooden planks, stained by dripping blood from leftover ground meat and sawdust, were placed in the middle of the room along with a sharp butcher knife. In a corner of the room, more than five meters away, there were two bodies piled up and still dripping with blood. Both of their hands were chopped off and their faces were peeled off. They were the two imperial guards that came with her!
Urgh!
Dead bodies weren’t a strange occurrence for her, but this very sight in front of her slammed into her mind like the overturn of seas and rivers without warning. In an instant, nausea rushed forth from the pit of her stomach, causing her to tightly frown as she retched twice.
Seeing Ji Yunshu’s poor appearance, Mei Xiang’er bit her lips in a nefarious manner. She looked at the sharp dagger in her hand and stroked the edge of the blade with her long fingers.
‘Is this woman really the timid Mei Xiang’er I met in the restaurant? This woman is simply a lunatic!’
“Don’t be afraid, Miss Ji. Rest assured. I won’t hurt you.”
“W-what exactly do you want?” Ji Yunshu lifted her head and looked at the other party. Her complexion was still pale.
Mei Xiang’er walked to one of the big planks. She poked the remained flesh on it with her dagger, then she leaned her head to the side with an inquiry. “I don’t know if Miss Ji would be interested in hearing my story?”
Ji Yunshu kept quiet. She endured the painful feeling in her throat.
Mei Xiang’er smiled, then, her dreary voice elevated. She pulled down the collar hiding her neck, revealing the sinister dark red scar. “This scar… was made after someone skinned me alive. Then that person pressed fire on it, leaving behind an extremely terrifying scar. Because of this scar, my livelihood for the past ten years was tremendously difficult. I received cold shoulders, disdain, and endless ridicule! But I have to endure and endure…”
Ji Yunshu didn’t speak.
“So, do you want to know who skinned my neck?” Mei Xiang’er had always kept a smile on her face since the beginning of their interaction. But when she stroked the scar, a malevolent glint flashed through her eyes. She opened her mouth and slowly disclosed. “It was my mother. She was the one who skinned me alive.”
‘What?’ Ji Yunshu was indignant! She didn’t mishear, right?
“You must be thinking, how can such a mother exist in this world? Well, it is real! Because my mother heard people said that only a woman’s skin can help her son becomes a normal person!”
Ji Yunshu digested the other person’s words and she came to a realization. She asked, “That means that person is not your father, but your big brother?”
Mei Xiang’er nodded. “How did you know?”
Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes and slowly revealed, “Depending on the developmental stage of a person, their bones are different. Although he appeared like an old man on the outside, his bones are fundamentally unlike those of an elderly. They are strong and more flexible. Not to mention, the indent that was less than 5 centimeters long on his hands had nothing to do with disease from old age.
“Really amazing! No wonder they allowed you to investigate this case.” Mei Xiang’er applauded and admitted, “Indeed, he is not my father, but my big brother!”
Ji Yunshu firmly stared at her, waiting for her to continue. “He was born with a disease which made his skin all wrinkled like an old man. Everyone around him treated him like a monster. Then, my mother heard someone says that if one applied a woman’s skin on my brother, it will turn his skin back to normal. So, she first peeled off the skin on my chest. Next, she skinned my neck. But it was no use! So, she started using the skin of women’s faces instead.”
“That treatment is complete nonsense!”
“Is it?” Mei Xiang’er sneered. “Even if it was a joke, my mother still believed in it, and she stubbornly clung onto it until her last breath. However, I didn’t believe it! That is until two months ago when I first killed a woman who humiliated me. I also let my brother teach her a lesson. Let her taste the shame of losing her chastity! However, I never expected that there were real miracles in this world!”
“I put that woman’s skin on my brother’s hand, and lo and behold! It actually worked! The treatment really works!”
“Is that the reason why you killed all of them?”
“Yes! But that’s only half of the reason!”
Mei Xiang’er raised her hand and inserted the dagger in the plank. When she came behind Ji Yunshu, she put her hands on Ji Yunshu’s shoulders. “Those women deserved to die! Since they were born, they could have whatever they wanted, never lacking anything. However, it doesn’t mean that they can do whatever they want. Why can they be like that? Why?!” She gritted her teeth and bellowed at the end of her monologue.
Ji Yunshu felt the tightening of her throat. She raised her head; Her eyes unwavering and firm as she declared, “You will have to pay the price for murdering people. Someone will very quickly find this place and drag you two to justice.”
Mei Xiang’er’s expression sank. “Miss Ji, I know you want to resolve this case. That idiot, Gan Chuliang, wished to take the blame for me and willingly helped me dispose of those bodies. In addition, he has already confessed to the crime. Since it is such, why do you still want to continue investigating this case? We are the same, both very unfortunate people. So, why can’t you just let me go?”
“We are not the same!” As soon as those words came out, the mask on her face was flung away. Falling onto the floor, it revealed the long scar hidden beneath.