My House of Horrors

The middle-aged man also did not know how to respond. He had managed his stall for half his life already, and this was the first time he had come across such a request. “If you have nothing else, go. I don’t sell the kind of cleaver you want.”

“Then, can you sell me the cleaver you normally use?” Chen Ge was determined. Before the livestream, he had to obtain a cleaver regardless of whether it turned out to be useful or not.

“How am I going to operate this stall if I sell you my cleaver?” The middle-aged man just finished when a young man with dyed hair pushed through the crowd. He looked about nineteen, and his jacket was tied around his waist as he yawned. When the young man appeared, the middle-aged man slammed the cleaver on the cutting board. He wiped his hands on his apron and walked toward the young man. “You still know your way back home? Where were you last night‽”

“Karaoke with a few friends, then the internet café.” The young man put on his earphones like he was trying to tune the man out.

“Then, why didn’t you answer your phone?” Years of chopping pork meant that the middle-aged man was much more muscular then the young man. He yanked the earphones out directly. “I’m talking to you!”

The young man used his hands to cover up his ears instead. He stood before the middle-aged man and said nothing.

“Have you gone mute? I’m asking you why you didn’t come home yesterday night! Didn’t even answer your phone, what were you thinking?” The middle-aged man was loud, and the customers even started to persuade him. The young man glared at the middle-aged man before finding an opening to grab the earphones and run out the market.

“Come back here!” The middle-aged man could not chase after him since he had a business to run. He picked up the cleaver and cleaved a bone in half angrily. Looking at how angry he was, Chen Ge very understandably took back his money and left with the chicken.

After leaving the market, Chen Ge was looking for his bicycle when he was approached by the young man from earlier. “I hear you’re looking for a cleaver?”

“Yes, but not a new one. I need one that had been used for a long time already.”

“I have one at home. Follow me, but don’t let my father spot us.” The young man led Chen Ge to a building near the market. He asked Chen Ge to wait him outside and soon came out with an object wrapped in red cloth.

“My grandfather was a butcher, and he planned to carry this knife with him to the grave, saying he was not going to let his children do the same job as he did. However, my stubborn dad insisted on keeping the cleaver. From then on, bad luck has followed us. He lost his business, and my mother passed away. In the end, he had to sell pork at the market to make ends meet.” The young man gave Chen Ge the cleaver. “The cleaver is cursed, so I’m not going to ask for much. A hundred, and it’s yours.”

Chen Ge was intrigued by what the young man said. He pulled the red cloth back and took a close look at the cleaver. His Yin Yang Vision twitched like his eyes were pricked by needles. They only recovered several seconds later.

The red cloth wrapped around a forty-centimeter-long single blade. Perhaps because it had tasted too much fresh blood, the blade was a dark red color. There were grooves running down the blade, and the wooden handle looked like blood veins with lingering red lines.

Chen Ge tried the cleaver, and it was heavier than expected. “This cleaver sure is unusual.”

The blade was no longer sharp, but the air around it had not changed.

“When I was small, I saw my grandfather enter the pig sty with this cleaver, and none of the pigs dared make a sound.” The young man looked at the red cloth and extended his hand toward Chen Ge. “If you’re satisfied, pay up.”

“Not bad, this is the kind of cleaver I’m looking for.” Chen Ge passed the young man a hundred and left the young man his phone. “If your father asks about the cleaver, tell him to call me.”

“What does this have to do with him?” the young man asked emotionlessly and entered the room with the money.

“Your father is quick with his words and temper, but it must be difficult on him as well. Based on my knowledge, there are no butchers near Jiujiang. To ensure fresh stock, he has to wake up every day at 3 am to get the ingredients from outside of Jiujiang or he might miss the opening of the morning market.”

…

With the chicken and cleaver, Chen Ge returned to New Century Park. He still had some time, so Chen Ge looked at the list he had prepared the previous night.

A live cock, a cleaver, and salt… I have those already. The three-star mission will be dangerous. If I cannot return safely, all this is pointless. Chen Ge tried to bring as many trump cards as he could. He took out his black phone and scrolled to the very bottom. His eyes landing on the Wheel of Misfortune.

Honestly, he was scarred by this specific feature on the black phone. When I finished the expansion mission, I earned a lucky draw chance. The Haunted House has been in business for a while already, and I have collected enough screams to trade for another lucky draw chance. I won’t be so unlucky as to get a Baleful Specter twice, right?

Chen Ge had always stayed away from this kind of game, which depended fully on lucky. If not for the pressure from a three-star mission, he probably would have continued to ignore this function on the black phone.

Two chances, perhaps I might really get something that’ll save my life. Chen Ge’s finger tapped on the screen, and the wheel started to spin. As the wheel spun, Chen Ge clasped his hands together. Please, not another Baleful Specter!

“Ding!” The needle finally stopped. “Congratulations for winning a unique item—The White Valentine’s Candy (Seven percent chance of this appearing when Zhang Ya’s affection level has reached ‘Crazy about you’).

“Sincerity, Purity, Clarity, Romance. When you receive this present, your relationship will advance to the next level.

“White Valentine’s Candy: The sweet taste dances on your tongue. When you finish the candy, Zhang Ya will appear.

“You have received the present Zhang Ya was unable to gift when she was still alive. Zhang Ya’s affection toward you has increased slightly.”

Chen Ge had a bad feeling in his heart. He sat on the steps. I’ve received the present Zhang Ya was unable to gift when she was still alive. Goodness, this sounds so weird.

A draft blew against Chen Ge’s neck, and he turned back to see a candy package was sitting behind him. The design of the bag was similar to the one Chen Ge had found in the dance studio at Western Jiujiang’s Private Academy. He opened it, and there was one piece of white candy inside. Weirdly enough, the candy had the face of a crying girl on it.

This face looks like one of Zhang Ya’s roommates. Don’t tell me she has made one of her roommates into candy!

Putting the candy back into the bag, Chen Ge felt like he needed to evaluate his situation. Even though I didn’t get a Baleful Specter, it is still related to one. Is it because I’m close to the Haunted House that I keep getting this weird stuff?

He patted the dust on his body as he stood up. He washed his face, placed the chicken in the room, and then left New Century Park on the bicycle.

According to the introduction on the black phone, there are many kinds of rewards I can get from the lucky draw. In terms of probability, it’s about time I get something good. Chen Ge stood before the rising sun and tapped on the screen. The wheel turned rapidly and stopped after a few seconds.

What is it? The sun fell on Chen Ge, gilding him.

“Congratulations for winning a rare item—The Crying Tape (Three percent chance of winning!).

“When he played the tape for the first time, he realized that something was wrong. The empty tape was filled with white noise that could not be erased. He tried every method to remove the white noise, and he heard the sound he made before he died.

“Lucky Specter’s Favored, you have won another Rare Baleful Specter!

“Note: After winning five Baleful Specters, the title of Specter’s Favored will be upgraded!”

…

Chen Ge sat on the roadside with a cigarette dangling on his lips. Looking at New Century Park, which was 3,000 meters away, he sighed. “I shouldn’t have wasted my energy to come so far.”