The Uncanny Valley Traveling Guide

Faster, faster!

The group hurried towards the direction of the cottage, and when Wen Zheliu saw the bright flame shining through the window, he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Flame light, flame light symbolizes safety.

Zhou Qing asked blankly: “Are we….in time?”

“I’m not sure,” He Qin said.

When the group pushed open the unlocked door, there was no smell of blood inside, which reassured everyone a little. However, the living room was empty. Only Bai Hao, Gao Xinghan, and Ke Wenyan were present. At the table stood Marianne, who, instead of sleeping upstairs, lit the candles one by one.

Not seeing Du Zijun and Mu Tuo around, Wen Zheliu’s heart sank deeply.

Zhou Yao asked, “Where are Mu Tuo and Miss Du—where did they go?”

“Naturally, they are where they should be.” Marianne said with a smile as she straightened up from the table.

He Qin’s expression was indifferent. He sidled unobtrusively to block a person1.

“You lied to us,” Zhou Qing suppressed her anger. “And you three traitors! What advantage did she give you to betray the human camp?!”

When the three of them heard this, a mechanical smile with the same curvature appeared on their faces.

Bai Hao said, “What benefit did she give us?”

Ke Wenyan said, “You might as well take a guess.”

Gao Xinghan continued: “Try guessing it even though you’ve passed the level.”

Zhou Qing’s complexion changed.  She isn’t a fool and could definitely see that something was wrong with the three of them.

“What’s going on here…” She couldn’t help taking a step back, “The three of them…how did they become one person?”

Wen Zheliu’s expression was complicated, and he said softly: “There has never been any Lu Hai, Lin Fangfei, Xiong Lin, nor Ke Wenyan, Gao Xinghan, Bai Hao… From the beginning to the end, you have been the only one, haven’t you, Miss Jenny?”

Marianne and the three humanoid creatures showed surprised expressions for the first time. Wen Zheliu had already taken out the silver photo frame pendant, and he said to Marianne: “Do you still remember the question I asked on the first day I arrived here?”

Marianne blinked and smiled as she said, “Of course I remember. You asked me what my full name was, and then I told you my name.”

“Then this photo frame pendant must belong to your sister, Jenny Hill.” Wen Zheliu nodded slightly toward the three humanoid creatures.

“That’s right.” They spoke in unison, and the three male voices that were either gentle, loud, or flat actually had a slightly coquettish nasal tone that was unique to girls, “You’re really the smartest person I’ve ever met.”

“What… what do you mean?” Zhou Qing was completely confused. “Why are they not human anymore? Why did Jenny appear again? She is Marianne’s sister? But what does she have to do with the murder in the town?”

“Let’s explain it from the beginning.” Wen Zheliu sighed, “It wouldn’t be unraveling the mystery if it wasn’t thoroughly explained, would it?”

“Let’s see… let’s begin with the small town in 1740, after all, that’s where it all began.” Wen Zheliu moistened his dry lips with the tip of his tongue and arranged his words, “The small town of Arlington in 1740 has beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides, making it an isolated geographical location. Marianne Hill and Jenny Hill are a pair of sisters living in this small town. ”

The flames were roaring, the fireplace was blazing, and the newly added firewood branches made a slight “crackling” sound.

He went on to say: “It’s a pity that the good times don’t last long. A letter of appointment brought the newly appointed sheriff, and at the same time it brought his dandy nephew and several idle young men who were unemployed in the city.”

Speaking of which, the expressions on the three human faces remained numb and lifeless as Marianne bent her beautiful neck and slowly wiped the condensed candle tears dripping from the candlestick.

“The residents of the small town have already complained about the behavior of this group of people. What’s worse, they have been appointed as the local guards and have the power to do evil.” Wen Zheliu lowered his eyes. The young man’s long, thick eyelashes cast a compassionate shadow on his cheeks: “In an isolated environment with the lack of regulations, the untamed authority is like a beast out of an iron cage…”

“Then, according to the priest’s records, the first victim, a young female believer named Theresa, appeared in the church.  The second was Jenny Hill, the daughter of the townspeople who were out fetching water,” He Qin said, looking up at the scene in the living room. “The church stationed in this remote area had no way to deal with this. The priest temporarily led them to flee Arlington in order to protect the safety of the rest of the church.”

A dark wind blew across the hall, and the candle flames danced faintly in the wind. In the light of the flames, Wen Zheliu seemed to see some distorted ripples flashing across the faces of the three people.

“Theresa survived. She may have been seriously injured, but she still survived. Jenny Hill was different. Her sister, who came out to fetch water with her, escaped the guards’ siege, but she died in this atrocity.” He Qin said, “It’s a tragedy.”

The three faces were in a trance, and they murmured: “Yes…they were drunk, and the stench of rot was exuding from all over their bodies. I still remember how powerful they were…”

The fire in the fireplace burst into flames, and six burly, hideous, and laughing figures appeared vaguely in the turbulent black fog, surrounding a bright and faint flame flickering timidly. The black fog surged, and the flame screamed in terror, but it had nowhere to escape. It was soon held up in mid-air by the rising evil fog, which took turns penetrating the body, tearing up the bright flame, and scattering into countless faint sparks.

Everyone was silent.

Wen Zheliu gently exhaled and continued: “They tore off your pendant and lace belt. Your bow and sleeves, as well as your underwear and a lock of hair, were ripped apart…”

He paused to avoid the subject and said, “Your death has caused great pain to your family. You’re from a single-parent family. Your frail and sickly mother couldn’t bear such a blow and died of illness. Some townpeople sympathize with you, but there are others… who think your mother is foolish to let her two daughters go to the stream in the evening to fetch water. They think you’re foolish to dare go out at sunset and wear a dress with lace ribbons and bows, which is no different from seduction. They don’t think your death is worth pity.”

He also remembered what “Gao Xinghan” said during the exchange of information, revealing the most sincere look as Jenny’s medium.

“That was the dress my mother sewed for me,” the three faces grimaced, “and I love the way she looks so happy when she sees me in my beautiful dress…. They ruined her and ruined it all… ”

Wen Zheliu said: “And after you died, out of guilt and pain, your elder sister Marianne found some evil cult magic from somewhere and used it to call your soul back to the world. To pay the price, she also became a ghostly spirit that lost her body. The magic likewise caused the guards who had harmed you to mutate into that inhuman and ghostly appearance, and it should be them who went on a killing spree in the town.”

“The sheriff is dead, and the townspeople who hurt your family with gossip are also dead. The rest fled, so you occupied the sheriff’s residence and turned it into a jungle illusion, relying on passing tourists to feed monsters as a way to maintain the vitality and strength of the magic formation.”

He Qin muttered to himself: “And the evil magic you speak of is not so much magic as it is a contract. Although it grants you extraordinary power, it also imposes certain types of deal binding—after all, you can’t kill all the travelers passing by at once. If they can solve the mysterious massacre in the small town within a certain time limit when they arrive here, and reveal the true identities of Jenny Hill and Marianne Hill, you have to let them go; otherwise, they’ll be at your disposal, right?”

“Seven days.” Wen Zheliu continued, “The roundtrip of the town’s wagon should be the time limit for us to solve the puzzle. Of course, during these seven days, you can neither kill all the travelers, nor can you let them know the answer easily, resulting in the existence of the moles. Jenny Hill, disguised as travelers, used fake identities to mix among the living and created the deliberate death of a couple in an attempt to sow discord between the team; through the tip-off from her sister, Marianne Hill used rewards to lure travelers to go out on night patrol, increasing our chances of encountering monsters and causing trouble in the house…but you all failed.”

Marianne’s fingers trembled as she peeled off a large piece of wax stuck to the candlestick.

“The moles have all been caught, and we also know your identities. It’s over.” He Qin put one hand on the hatchet and said calmly, “The customs clearance conditions have been met. It’s time to let us go.”

Even though he said so, the system prompt hadn’t arrived yet, and the group didn’t have the confidence in their hearts.

Marianne was silent for a moment, and trembling, she picked up the wine glass and drank it all at once, then threw it on the table. Everyone could see with their naked eyes that blood-red wine flowed down her translucent throat, then wetted her clothes, and the rest, following the position she was standing in, soaked in a bloody halo on the carpet.

Her face was as white as paper, and at this moment, she turned back into a real ghost.

She said: “Okay, you have indeed met the conditions; you can…”

“…No.” Unexpectedly, the three faces flatly refused, “No. It’s not enough—you don’t know enough!”

“The magic of the evil cult not only allows us to take revenge, but at the same time imprisons us here so that we cannot escape nor be freed from it. We need power! We need power! Revenge has been achieved! Why should the wronged souls who died of injustice be imprisoned and forced to stay here forever?!!” The three human faces roared loudly, the jaws were torn to almost three times the size of a normal person, and the blood and muscles burst from the corners of the lips to the skin, revealing three bloody mouths like an abyss, “—I want you to become my flesh and blood, to be my power to escape from the chains!!”

“What ……!” Zhou Yao froze. The ghost sisters actually disagreed at such a critical moment, which was a surprise that the crowd didn’t expect, “You’re not keeping your word!”

“Jenny!” Marianne turned her head in a hurry, “Let them go, they have already guessed the answer!”

“Go away!!” The spines of the three human heads cracked as they violently turned their heads to look at Marianne, twisting 180 degrees backward almost instantly. “You are also to blame for my death, you abandoned me that day, and now who are you to order me around!!!”

“…Be vigilant.”  He Qin abruptly pulled out his hatchet and Wen Zheliu also had a crowbar in his hand, “Pay attention to the danger!”

Wen Zheliu swallowed: “If nothing unexpected happens, then there should be a chase next… But this room is still a bit small; I don’t know if we should escape outside first…”

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole house shook violently and let out a loud sound!

He lost his footing and almost rolled off the tilted floor. He Qin grabbed his waist and made him stand still. In the eyes of everyone, the three bodies of the moles are making a horrific and terrifying fusion. They screamed with hunger, their flesh and bones creaked, their arms and legs twisted wildly, and they were bent in opposite directions… They are like a piece of meat being kneaded and melted together haphazardly by God. By the time it takes shape, this work is synonymous with the wonder and horror that walk this earth.

Its body is sinuous and bloated, with six human legs supporting the torso of this fleshy centipede. In contrast, its six arms are carelessly inserted into the blood and flesh of this mass of black hair, with bones protruding left and right. It grew three human heads, one hanging below, the second swollen like a broken watermelon, barely held together by the tissue and muscle fibers to connect the original appearance of” Gao Xinghan”. The protruding mouth revealed a pair of gurgling, all-black eyes with no whites—unfortunately, they were placed outside the last human head.

“Blech!” Zhou Qing just glanced at it, and her mental value dropped by 21%. Her head felt dizzy, and she almost threw up, saying, “This is too disgusting!”

But the great transformation of the house has not yet ended. Its ceiling has split straight from the third floor to the first floor, and all the rooms, attics, and walls are compressed flat together, falling in all directions, like a flower blooming in the ruins.  Marianne called out in despair, “Jenny!”

Debris and bricks kept falling down. Wen Zheliu and the others spent a lot of stamina just to avoid the things falling from above. At this moment, a scream came from the opposite side, and Du Zijun scolded: “Idiot! Untie the rope first before anything else!”

Wen Zheliu said pleasantly, “It’s Mr. Du!”

Zhou Qing and Zhou Yao barely grabbed onto a solid wooden beam, and they couldn’t help giving him a strange look. He Qin said in a low voice: “Just before entering the house, I sent a text message to Xie Yuanyuan, asking him to go to the third floor to find those two people as soon as there is a change.”

When “Jenny” noticed the movement, it turned around and roared angrily, three voices overlapping in unison: “No! Don’t touch my things! Power!”

“Wahhh!!!” Xie Yuanyuan, who was cutting the rope with a fruit knife, almost peed in fright. Du Zijun’s back was turned to Jenny. Although he couldn’t see its appearance at all and could only smell a disgusting and bloody smell, he knew danger was approaching. He gritted his teeth and said: “Useless! Why are you so scared?! Let’s f*ck it up, whether it’s a human or a ghost!”

“What to do! I can’t cut it, Sister Du!” Xie Yuanyuan was trembling, almost crying in fright, “I want to go home to my mom!”

Facing Jenny directly, Mu Tuo, who was unable to escape, was already foaming at the mouth, and his mental value was about to drop below the critical point. As soon as Du Zijun slipped off the rope, the heavy and rapid sound of chasing behind him was about to arrive. Zhou Qing stiffened and her voice almost broke: “Danger—!”

“Du Zijun, run!!”

Du Zijun turned around angrily: “F*ck your—”

Jenny let out a loud roar, and blood foamed at her mouth and spattered all over his face!

Du Zijun: “…Mom.”

In a flash, the three heads suddenly froze. Du Zijun didn’t care about it, and he mobilized all the survival instincts in his body. He pointed to the sky and shouted with all his strength: “Look! Look at the fucking plane!!!”

He has seized many opportunities in his life.

Whether it’s the status he fought for in blood and fire or his wealth, his mistress, and his power, he took advantage of opportunities, big and small, to snatch them from all kinds of people. However, today’s bluffing can be said to be an excellent opportunity that he will never forget in his lifetime.

Facts have proven that this move is indeed a move that transcends national boundaries, gender, age, and even life and death. Whether it’s a human being, a ghost, or a god, it will be defeated on the spot by this stupid trick!

At that moment, He Qin and Wen Zheliu moved at the same time.

He Qin’s figure was like a leopard, blurred into zigzagging black lightning in the scattered flames. He stepped on the chair sunken in the sand and rocks, jumped up, and flung the hatchet in his hand!

The cold blade condensed like water, as quickly as a flash of moonlight. He didn’t stop the attack but followed the blade’s direction. At the moment when Jenny’s three heads turned blankly toward the sky, the blade light had arrived!

The corners of his mouth curled up into an evil smile as he whispered, “Laozi is the plane.”

Jenny screamed!

The hatchet that was thrown by He Qin instantly sank into the two superimposed heads. He Qin’s military boots trampled on the sticky flesh and blood in the next second, and rage erupted from every pore. He firmly gripped the hilt of the knife, and the peerless blade rose sharply. The two skulls that were put together immediately splashed with a blood rainbow and flew towards the high moonlight!

Wen Zheliu was following closely behind. He dashed forward, his body pressing to the ground, and slid on the floor with one knee bent. The crowbar in his hand was sharp and agile like a harsh wind. The hook-shaped bend at the top of the crowbar had already pulled the monster’s lower body, and a series of teeth-aching sounds of bones breaking rang out. He actually relied on inertia to break Jenny’s three human legs in succession!

“Ahh! How dare you…how dare you!!” Jenny half-knelt on the ground, howling miserably. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Du Zijun hurriedly supported Xie Yuanyuan with one hand, dragged Mu Tuo with the other, and tried his best to escape in the opposite direction of the monster. Zhou Qing and Zhou Yao in the distance also rushed to meet him.

“Go quickly!” Wen Zheliu shouted, “We’ll protect the back!”

“Don’t try to run…don’t try to run…” Jenny’s six arms covered the bruise all over its body, “I want power; I want to leave; don’t try to run! ”

Under the moonlight, its whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Wen Zheliu was horrified to find that its broken bones had actually been gradually recovering, while the wound that had been cut by He Qin was also writhing in a pile of rotten flesh, and a skull slowly emerged.

This… is fucking bullshit!

“Moon, there’s moonlight today!” Not far away, Marianne shouted at them, “Moonlight is the source of magic power. Under the moon, it will be very difficult for you to defeat her!”

With a calm expression, He Qin took Wen Zheliu’s hand and said decisively, “Come with me!”

He’s blocking Xie Yuanyuan maybe because Marriane doesn’t know of his existence yet.