Chapter 88 Beating Drum

Just before sunset, people on the once-busy street began to pack their bags. Stores began to lock their doors.

Lee Nianzu caught the attention of one of them and asked, "This uncle, what's the urgency?"

The middle-aged man said, "You must be new here. Most people don't stay until it's dark."

Tian Xiang asked, "Why?"

The middle-aged man said, "This street is haunted."

Yu Lei said, "I thought it was the courthouse that was haunted?"

The middle-aged man said, "No, the courthouse is only part of it."

Zheng Tingfeng said, "Please explain to us." He reached into his robe and took out a small piece of silver.

The middle-aged man quickly grabbed the piece of silver and said, "I haven't seen it with my own eyes, but I heard that when night falls, this street is haunted. I don't know how or when the eerie event will occur. If you want to know, you can walk around after sunset." He pushed his stall vendor cart away from the hunters.

Zheng Yaozu frowned and looked around, "It seems that before sunset, we will be the only ones on the street." He turned to Guozhao Zhiqiang. "Will we wait here or walk around?"

Lee Nianzu said, "Since it leads to the court, let's go down the street."

After sunset, the seven hunters walked down Justice Street toward the courthouse. As they prepared to merge into Justice Street, they saw a frightened woman running towards the courthouse screaming in horror.

The woman screamed, "Help me! Somebody help me please…."

A butcher chased after her with a butcher knife, "You slut, you're going to die tonight."

The seven hunters quickly followed. The woman ran to the courthouse, then she knocked on the door in horror. After knocking more than a dozen times, but no one answered the door, she picked up the drumstick and began to beat the drum. The door opened, and two guards stepped out, and the seven hunters had just reached the open door when the lady entered. Then the man rushed in with his butcher knife.

When the seven hunters arrived, the woman was lying on the floor crying, and the butcher refused to let go of the butcher knife and yelled at the woman uncontrollably. Between the woman and the butcher, stood two unsheathed guards.

The young judge tapped the desk hard and pointed at the butcher holding a butcher knife, "How dare you bring a weapon into the courtroom. Guards, confiscates his butcher's knife."

When two guards tried to confiscate the butcher's butcher knife. The butcher chopped off one of the guard's right hands. The woman screamed in horror as the guard's hand fell to the floor. Four guards fight the man. The butcher then proceeded to attack the four guards.

Judge Chen shouted, "You seven people go quickly."

The butcher started slashing at the four guards, then walked towards the woman. The butcher was seriously injured when he was attacked by the guards. He grabbed the woman's hair, pulled her head back, and slit her throat. The butcher started attacking Judge Chen. Judge Chen did his best to defend the butcher. The butcher swung the last blow at Judge Chen, the butcher lost his butcher knife in his hand, Judge Chen saw the opportunity, seized the butcher knife, swung the knife at the butcher, cut the butcher's upper chest, and then Judge Chen ran down the small steps to get away. On the fifth steps down the small steps, the butcher grabbed the hem of Judge Chen's robe, and Judge Cheng stumbled to the ground. When Judge Chen landed, the butcher's knife was inserted into his left chest. The young judge lay on the ground, and he looked at the seven hunters, blood spurting from the corners of his mouth.

As fast as it happens, Judge Chen reappeared in front of his desk, and four guards stood in front of the judge.

Judge Chen looked at the seven hunters and said, "Young man, is there anything you need to report?"

Before the brothers could speak, they heard the woman scream calling for help again. After a while, there was a knock on the door, the two closest guards opened the door, and the woman ran in, begging the judge and the four guards on the floor to help her.

The woman screamed, "Save me! Please!"

Everything that happened right before the hunter's eyes, happened again and again. The cycle repeats over and over again.

Yu Lei, "What's going on here?

Tian Xiang, "It's an eternal cycle."

Zheng Yaozu, "The question is, who created this eternal cycle?"

Zheng Tingfeng, "They must not realize that they are dead. So, they relive this moment over and over again."

Guozhao Zhiqiang, "No, there are seven people, at least one should know that he is dead. Let's go back to the inn."

The screaming woman rushed past them as the seven hunters walked down the street, and a moment later the butcher caught up, and as they reached the crossroads, they heard fast-beating drums.

The seven hunters sat in Golden Lotus Inn after dinner, and then two women walked over with a smile.

Zheng Yaozu, "Look, beauty." Everyone looked at the door. The two shy ladies went upstairs with a smile.

Yu Lei teased, "No matter how beautiful those women are, our senior brother won't look at them. He only had eyes for brother Deming."

Guozhao Zhiqiang said coldly, "What did you just say?"

Yu Lei, "I'm sorry, I'm just joking."

Guozhao Zhiqiang, "You say it again."

Yu Lei bit his lower lip, but repeated it again, "No matter how pretty the ladies are our senior brother will never look at them. He only had eyes for Brother Deming."

Both Tian Xiang and Zheng Yaozu sneered at the same time at Yu Lei.

Tian Xiang, "You are a genius."

Yu Lei dumbfoundedly asked, "Am I?"

Tian Xiang, "Yes."

Yu Lei joked, "Then kissed me and accepted my love."

Tian Xiang slapped Yu Lei on the forehead and said, "Keep dreaming."

Lee Nianzu said, "Everyone, close your eyes." Guozhao Zhiqiang closed his eyes. "What do you all remember when we first met that woman?"

Guozhao Zhiqiang said, "She ran past us and didn't look at us."

Tian Xiang, "We're right in front of the stairs. She looked past us; her eyes only looked ahead."

Lee Nianzu said, "Watch the guards."

Zheng Tingfeng, "He didn't even look at us."

Lee Nianzu said, "We are inside the courtroom. Gen, what did you see?"

Gen said, "When I walked up to him, the guard ignored me."

Zheng Tingfeng said, "The butcher ignored us."

Lee Nianzu said, "But Judge Chen spoke to us not once, but twice."

The seven hunters widened their eyes.