Chapter 88: The Head’s Malevolent Spirit

  The shrill scream pierced through the stillness of the night, echoing far into the distance.

  "Master?" Lu Fei's face darkened. Was this head-monster a creature summoned by someone? The saying "Dead men tell no tales" flashed through his mind. This thing had to be destroyed without delay.

  He raised his whip, channeled his energy into it, and struck down forcefully.

  "Aah—"

  The head shrieked in pain, pleading desperately, "Please, I beg you, spare me... I won't hurt anyone again..."

  Its pitiful voice was so convincing, it sounded more like a helpless woman than a monstrous entity. But Lu Fei remained unfazed, relentlessly whipping the creature.

  Black smoke wafted from the head, its voice grew weaker, and it turned its eyes to Liu Fugui, tears streaming as it accused him bitterly. "I served you so well, yet you're this heartless. I curse you..."

  The words made it sound as if it were a scorned woman abandoned by a faithless man. A conflicted look crossed Liu Fugui's round face, hinting at some regret. However, he turned away without intervening.

  Tiger, initially worried that Liu Fugui might beg for mercy on the creature's behalf, felt reassured seeing his resolve. His opinion of Liu Fugui improved a bit.

  As every tactic failed, the head lost hope and revealed its true, hideous nature. Its eyes burned with venomous hatred.

  "My master will kill you all! Skin you alive, rip out your tendons, and feed your flesh to the dogs..."

  Lu Fei's whip kept lashing, unwavering.

  When the black smoke dissipated, the head's skin began melting like wax, leaving behind a pale skull.

  Lu Fei finally paused, but to be cautious, he took a talisman and slapped it onto the skull. It remained motionless, confirming its demise.

  "It should be dead now." He let out a sigh of relief.

  Liu Fugui slumped down, his expression complicated.

  "Boss, what exactly was that thing?" Tiger couldn't help but ask.

  "It must be some kind of evil spirit forged by dark arts. I'm not sure exactly what kind, though." Lu Fei frowned. "I've heard of a South Asian witchcraft called 'head-thrown sorcery.' At its peak, a severed head can fly on its own, known as a 'flying head.'"

  "This wasn't a flying head?"

  "No. A flying head can't attach itself to another body, and it always has a string of dangling internal organs, blood-soaked and revolting."

  Lu Fei waved his hand to clear the stench in the air. The whole room reeked of decaying flesh, making it difficult to breathe.

  "No more questions for now. Let's get out of here—prolonged exposure to corpse fumes can be toxic."

  And, with the head's dying call for its master, Lu Fei feared that whoever was behind this might show up. Creating such a monstrosity was no small feat; its master was bound to be formidable.

  Without further delay, the trio hurried out of the apartment. However, Liu Fugui lingered near the sofa for a moment, seemingly picking up something before joining the others.

  Once outside, the cool night air filled their lungs, washing away the suffocating stench.

  The entire complex lay silent, its darkened windows giving off an eerie, lifeless vibe. The head's final screech had not disturbed anyone, deepening Lu Fei's suspicion that the whole area was problematic.

  The three men made their way out, quickly hopping into their car and driving off without looking back.

  Soon, they were on the main road, the sinister complex shrinking in the rearview mirror. They collectively exhaled in relief.

  Tiger rolled down the window, letting the crisp night air wash over them, carrying away the last traces of the sickening stench.

  Silence settled over them.

  "If it weren't for you, Boss Lu, and Tiger, I'd be finished this time," Liu Fugui said with a shudder. The night's ordeal weighed heavily on him. Who could have foreseen that a seemingly lucky encounter would turn into such a nightmare?

  "Boss Lu, what exactly was that thing? Why could it still move even after losing its head?" He couldn't wrap his head around why he was so unlucky.

  "I think it was some kind of head-based malevolent spirit, used to drain human vitality. For what purpose, I'm not sure, but it can't be anything good," Lu Fei mused.

  "This feels similar to a corpse-rearing ritual, but the head and body weren't from the same source. It was more like... attaching a head to someone else's body to act as a person."

  "That's why, once the head was severed, the body decayed immediately."

  "What? So I've been sleeping with... a corpse all this time?" Liu Fugui's face turned ashen, his entire being crumbling. He'd rather it have been a ghost.

  For once, Tiger didn't mock him. Instead, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tossed one to Liu Fugui.

  "Here, smoke this. It'll mask the smell."

  "Thanks." Liu Fugui, surprised, took the cigarette, his hand still trembling as he lit it.

  Moments passed, and the smoke drifted into the star-strewn sky.

  Finally, Liu Fugui's nerves steadied. "No matter what, I survived. They say the greater the ordeal, the greater the blessing afterward. We're all going to have a bright future, mark my words!" He tried to sound upbeat.

  "Hey, Old Liu, I thought you ran earlier. Why'd you come back?" Tiger asked, genuinely curious. It was the one thing that had changed his opinion of Liu Fugui, proving he had some guts after all.

  "Bullshit! I wasn't running; I was looking for a weapon!" Liu Fugui puffed up, reclaiming his bravado. "I'm loyal to a fault! You two were fighting in there; how could I abandon you? That's not who I am!"

  "I figured, what the hell, if I die, so be it! Better to fight and go down swinging."

  "Yeah, right. Still hard to believe," Tiger chuckled.

  "Believe it or not, I did come back!" Liu Fugui said with a huff, before breaking into a sly grin. "Now that we've faced death together, Boss Lu and I are practically blood brothers. From now on—"

  Bang!

  Suddenly, the car jolted with a loud crash. It felt as if they'd hit something.

  Tiger's expression changed as he slammed on the brakes.

  "What was that?"

  All three men paled and stared out the window.

  The road was deserted, bordered by pitch-blackness with no streetlights—a remote stretch.

  "I kept my eyes on the road. There was no one ahead! Maybe it was an animal darting across. I'll go check."

  Tiger reached for his seatbelt.

  "Wait, Tiger! Don't go out!" Lu Fei's eyes darted around the dark surroundings, a sinking feeling in his gut.

  "Roll up the windows."

  "Got it."

  Tiger complied without hesitation.

  Lu Fei gripped the willow whip tightly, scanning the shadows outside.

  Liu Fugui, tense from Lu Fei's serious expression, swallowed hard. "Boss Lu, is there something wrong?"

  Bang!

  Before Lu Fei could answer, a grayish hand emerged from the darkness and slapped against the window.