This Damned Thirst for Survival

Jiang Luo sits on the floor, hiding under the nurse’s desk. Finish reading the news in the newspaper.

The Chainsaw Massacre, a psychopathic killer with a passion for violent aesthetics, was arrested at great cost to the police, and was taken to the nearest hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during his arrest.

But Jiang Luo remembers that, locally, the three hospitals were mental hospitals, and it must be said that the details of this vision are vaguely darkly humorous.

The Third Hospital is now a living hell, because the Chainsaw Massacre has escaped and he is on a rampage in the hospital.

Jiang Luo looked at his patient’s clothes, and there he was, a ready prey for a killer, a defenceless patient who had to flee helplessly.

Jiang Luo laughed coldly, wiped the scalpel clean, and continued to search for something to use.

In the cupboard were several bottles of anaesthetic and a few unused syringes. Jiang Luo fills the syringes with anaesthetic, and as the patient’s coat has no pockets, he pulls the bloodstained white coat off the hanger.

The moment the white coat dropped its hand, a hissing cry for help came from the stairs at the end, “Help!”

The sound of footsteps approaching quickly, urgently and nervously. Jiang Luo hides under the nurse’s desk, balling up his white coat in his hands and peering at the source of the noise.

A middle-aged male doctor came running this way in a panic, covering his arm, which was broken. Blood spurted from his broken arm, and he stumbled on his feet, shouting, “Is anyone there? Help!”

“Atsu, Atsu, Atsu.”

Behind him, the sound of leisurely footsteps sounded.

The sound of the chainsaw followed with a violent “buzz”.

The doctor’s expression grew even more grim, but he hadn’t taken more than a few steps before a chainsaw was sawed into his back.

“Aaaahhhh-!”

Blood spurts like flowers in bloom, screams of pain pierce the ears, and the middle-aged doctor hasn’t lost his life. He slumped to the floor and fought his way towards the nurse’s desk, his bloody handprints leaving a sinuous, twisted trail on the tiles.

The man behind him with the chainsaw followed him unhurriedly.

Blood dripped from the tip of the chainsaw, making a watery ticking sound. The doctor scrambles to the side of the nurse’s desk, his sinewy face turned sideways, and he meets Jiang Luo’s eyes, who is hiding.

His eyes widened and he made two “ho-ho” noises in his throat and was about to speak when a chainsaw sliced off his head.

The head rolled a short distance in front of Jiang Luo, splattering blood, some of it even onto Jiang Luo’s face.

Jiang Luo, who was drenched, subconsciously closed his eyes, “……”

How to say it.

Even if he knew that it was an illusion and that all these doctors and patients were fake, he was still very, un, upset.

The killer demon walked over to the body.

Jiang Luo held his breath and quietly hid back again.

At this angle, all he could see was the dead middle-aged male doctor, and the half-remembered white coat on the murderer.

And the murderer will not see him as long as he does not bend down and bow his head.

“Another one dead,” the murderer said to himself, “this time killing a doctor, next time a patient.”

He took a step, walked a few steps around the body and suddenly said with interest, “Hmm? Why are you staring at the nurse’s desk.”

The corpse whose eyes were wide open and staring dead in the direction of the nurse’s desk was certainly not likely to give him a reply.

The killer demon crouched down and slowly turned back, looking towards the nurses’ desk.

But a gust of wind suddenly came from behind, and the dark-haired youth quickly, viciously and steadily inserted the syringe into the back of the murderer’s neck, pushed the anaesthetic into it, and then flew off down another corridor.

The killer demon smelt a fresh scent from his bath and in the twinkling of an eye, the dark-haired youth was already thirty metres away from him.

Jiang Luo turned back before turning the corner as the killer rose from the ground, pulled the anaesthetic off his neck and gave him a soft but slightly nervous smile.

Jiang Luo would recognise that face even if it was ashen, and it was indeed Chi You.

Jiang Luo’s plan to lure Chi You out was part of Jiang Luo’s plan, and seeing that it was halfway successful, Jiang Luo turned his crimson lips towards the killer, his black hair flying behind him, and he disappeared around the corner in an almost provocative manner.

The sound of the killer’s chainsaw rang out again.

Jiang Luo ran as fast as he could, his breath not changing in the slightest. He shakes his white coat violently in the air and puts it on backhanded, instantly completing the transformation from patient to doctor.

Jiang Luo wipes the blood off his face with his sleeve, but as he runs, he realises that there is no way ahead and he has reached a dead end.

“……” he cursed lowly, recognizing his physique once again.

As the sound of chainsaws approached from behind, Jiang Luo picked a room on his left and went inside, locking the door behind him at the first opportunity.

Looking back, there were several iron beds in the middle of the room, on which lay bodies wrapped in white body bags, so it was clear that Jiang Luo had entered the morgue by mistake.

Jiang Luo didn’t have time to poke around much before he pushed the cupboard and other heavy objects against the door to block it. He went to the corner, removed the mop head and took the wooden stick and turned it twice in his hand as an attack weapon.

At that moment, the killer also chased him to the door.

In the corridor, the killer looked at the rooms to the left and right and asked himself, “Where is it?”

The end rises like a psychopath, and Jiang Luo curses in his mind, “Fucking pervert.

The killer began to test the rooms one by one to see if anyone was in them.

There were only four rooms around, and soon the murderer reached Jiang Luo’s door. He gripped the handle and pressed down on it, but the door did not open and was locked from the inside.

The killer demon smiled, “I found you.”

The chainsaw slammed on the door.

The movement was so loud that even Jiang Luo was taken aback, his heart beating a beat faster. After he reacted, he stared at the door with a black face.

The anaesthetic did not take effect.

But that’s to be expected.

The sound of metal scraping as the chainsaw sliced through the iron door was deafening and sparks flew. But after two minutes, as if realising that sawing the door was not working, the sound of the chainsaw suddenly stopped.

There was silence outside and Jiang Luo pursed his lips, his eyelids fluttering twice. He slowly steps away from the door and walks around the room.

Jiang Luo lifted the green cloth covering another wall in the morgue, only to find that there was a small back door hidden behind it.

He instantly understood where the killer had gone.

Jiang Luo let out a “fuck” and the next moment a chainsaw was thrust into the back door.

Jiang Luo immediately turned around, moved the object blocking the front door out of the way and managed to run out the moment the killer split the back door and came in.

Chi You walked out of the morgue and watched his back with a low chuckle, patting away the crumbs of dust that had fallen from his white coat.

The white coat was unblemished and spotless, and Chi You chose to ignore the blood stained above it as he stepped after it.

He was handsome and elegant in his bearing. Instead of bloodstained clothes, he seemed to be wearing a tailored suit. In his hand was not some murderous chainsaw, but red wine that smelled faintly of wine.

Apart from the new and old blood splattered on Chi You’s face, he looked like he was preparing for a big party.

Chi You had just come around the corner when two patients bumped into him head-on.

They lost their strength in an instant, unable to scream when they were so scared, and both fell limp to the ground, backing up on their hands and knees.

The look of terror, the helpless look of panic and struggle before death, only arouses the brutal desire of the psychopathic killer.

Chi You has seen this look many times before.

He ignores the two patients indifferently and heads straight after Jiang Luo.

Even if Chi You used to love such a look, now you feel disinterested.

The only dark-haired young man who could hold his interest was just ahead, fleeing constantly, while the rest, were false presences.

*

Jiang Luo was running through the changing room when he was suddenly pulled by a hand.

His scalpel swung over reflexively, and luckily at the last moment he heard Ye Xun whisper, “It’s me.”

Jiang Luo stopped abruptly, cold sweat rising, and was pulled into the changing room by Ye Xun and squatted down.

Jiang Luo looks over to see Lu Youyi scowling at him, and a tall, dead ghost crouching beside him.

Jiang Luo lowered his voice, “When did you guys get in?”

“You mean this hospital?” Ye Xun reacted quickly, “I came in ten minutes ago, and when I came in, I met Lu Youyi and the dead ghost.”

Jiang Luo figured out that he was pulled into the illusion at about the same time.

Ye Xun said, “We are all here at the same time, so someone must be trying to target us. Who it is is not certain now, but I think that it is not necessarily the illusionary realm that we have entered.”

Jiang Luo questions, “Hmm?”

Ye Xun asks Jiang Luo for a scalpel and gives a gentle pressure on the fingertip and blood flows out.

“There was pain, the images were real,” he said calmly, “I was chanting the Crucifixion Sutra in my mind, but I could still feel the pain, the ghostly visions couldn’t do that.”

Jiang Luo humbly asks, “So this is?”

“More like an illusion,” Ye Xun frowned, “an illusion from the Qi Men Dun Jia.”

Jiang Luo was thoughtful, “Tell me more about it.”

“Qi Men Dun Jia also has illusions, but this one is different from the illusion,” Ye Xun said, “while the illusion is fake, the illusion seems to be real, and if we die here, it means that we are really dead. If we die here, it means that we are really dead. It’s like this suit, because we are wearing it, it turns into a sick suit. Like this scalpel, it is essentially something that can cut a person and can therefore become a scalpel.”

Jiang Luo understands, “the illusion is realized on the basis of the real, like this hospital building, which is in fact the very building in the practice dormitory.”

The illusions in Qimenjian are more like other-worldly spaces, where an extraordinarily realistic scene is opened up on top of the original one. ①

“And those bodies out there?”

“Illusions,” Ye Xun affirmed, “are exactly what makes illusions in Qi Men Dun Jia so difficult to break; there are real things and false things, and if you are not careful you can get lost in them. If you are trapped in an illusion, you will either be killed by the illusion, or die of hunger and thirst, or die of suicide if you can’t bear it.”

“Qi Men Dun Jia?” Lu Youyi whispered, “Hasn’t the Qi Men Dun Jia been lost long ago?”

“Yeah,” Ye Xun sighed, “so who laid down the illusion?”

Jiang Luo also frowned.

He had thought earlier that the illusion was too real, but he had never imagined that it had something to do with magic. Could it be an illusion set up by Chi You?

Unlike other dead evil spirits, Chi You died with the same memories he had when he was alive, and more than that, he became stronger and possessed the body of a stone statue of an evil god – Chi You has the power to do this, any way you look at it.

And Chi You himself said that it was a small punishment for him.

It also brought Ye Xun into the mix as an audience.

Jiang Luo, however, feels that it is not Chi You, but someone else.

He knew Chi You as well as he knew himself. Bringing them in for a game of chase would have been fine, but to trap them in an illusion with no room to struggle would have only made Chi You feel bored.

It’s more like Chi You knew they were going to encounter the illusion, so he played the role of the biggest villain, a murderous demon to punish Jiang Luo.

If not Chi You, who else could it be?

Lu Youyi couldn’t help but sigh, “If only Qi Ye were here, their family would have learned some of everything, maybe they would have known how to break the illusion.”

Jiang Luo’s head bowed and he slowly looked up, “The Qi family?”

“Yes,” Lu Youyi said, “the Qi family has learnt so much, so many books in the family’s collection, the art of Qi Men Dun Jia, they should know something about it.”

After a few moments, Jiang Luo smiled, “You’re right, the Qi family is good at everything.”

Before the competition, Qi Ye was suddenly detained by his elders at Qi’s house to prevent him from taking part in the mission, so it was Ye Xun who was on the mission with them.

Looking back now, the move has become intriguing.

Jiang Luo thinks of Chi You and his gambling.

One of them is not to raise thoughts of destruction against the Chi family.

So, there’s something else going on here with the Chi family.

Or rather, the Chi family’s tactics have not yet been used.

Footsteps sounded again outside the hallway.

Several people were instantly silenced as their breathing slowed.

“Atsu, Atsu, Atsu.”

The footsteps were slow and unhurried, as if they were walking in the back garden.

Those who can make such footsteps are never the doctors, nurses and patients who are being chased.

Here comes the killer demon.

Ye Xun The expressions of several people are stony.

Jiang Luo winked and approached Ye Xun, saying in an airy tone, ” Ye Xun, do you remember our plan?”

Ye Xun said hesitantly, “You’re going to finish off the faceless monster here?”

Jiang Luo nodded, “As you said, this illusion relies on the regulation of the entire practice building to exist, then the floor plan of the building and the location of the electrical boxes will not change. I’ll go and distract the faceless monster, and we’ll proceed as planned.”

In the previous plan, Jiang Luo would run to the unoccupied sixth floor. Every time Jiang Luo ran past a floor, Ye Xun would extinguish the lights on the ground floor, thus luring the faceless monster to the sixth floor.

Once Jiang Luo has reached the sixth floor, Ye Xun will use the change in lighting to trap the Faceless Monster on the sixth floor so that it cannot go anywhere else. Dead Ghost and Lu Youyi will wait at the end of the sixth floor to set up and work with Jiang Luo to take out the Faceless Monster.

The electrical box was the main priority in the plan and Ye Xun, with his calm nature, was the best person to do this.

Ye Xun hesitated, and Jiang Luo said softly, “After five minutes, you start putting out the lights. You only have to keep the light on each floor for me for half a minute, even if something happens, half a minute is enough for me to run through each floor.”

The look on his face told Ye Xun that he had already made up his mind. Ye Xun’s expression firmed up and he gave Jiang Luo a deep look, “Be safe.”

Jiang Luo tugged at his lips, “Don’t worry.”

After preparing this plan during the day, they put on their watches and Jiang Luo matched the time with them, ready to leave the changing room.

“We’ll go with you first to lure away the killer.” Ye Xun said.

Jiang Luo thought, “If you lure him away, how am I going to get Chi You to go one-on-one with the faceless monster?

He took the lead and got up, “I’ll go out first.”

Jiang Luo went to the door, listened to the sounds in the corridor and when he surmised that Chi You was about fifty metres away, he didn’t hesitate, pulled the door open and ran out.

Not far away, the killer showed a smile and his footsteps changed from slow to fast as he went straight after him.

The sound of chainsaws behind them has an unmistakable sense of urgency and oppression.

Ye Xun a few people also went out the door, Lu Youyi shouting behind the killer, “Come and kill us!”

But the killer demon didn’t even look back, as if he wasn’t interested in chasing them, and soon disappeared after the dark-haired youth.

Ye Xun was worried but didn’t want to waste the time Jiang Luo had put himself in danger for, “You guys go up the west stairs to the sixth floor first, I’ll go find the electricity box.”

They split up and moved in two directions. Ye Xun soon found the electrical box in the hospital, which, as suspected, was located in the same place as the trainee dormitory building. Ye Xun took a deep breath and waited for the five minutes to expire.

The dead ghost and Lu Youyi walked to the stairway and were about to climb up when they saw a damp humanoid trail at the stairs.

Jiang Luo had spoken of this human mark only a short time ago, and Lu Youyi remembered it clearly. He froze for a moment, and then said with a full-body shiver, “This mark, wasn’t it on the first floor?”

The dead ghost frowned and suddenly slammed a heavy fist into the humanoid trail.

“There was a bang and the wall cracked like a spider’s thread.

A strand of black hair is revealed inside.

Lu Youyi’s heart jumped and he subconsciously pulled the dead ghost back two steps.

Soon the wall came crashing down and what was inside moved and stiffened out of the wall.

A ghastly white face, long straggly hair and bloodshot eyes.

There are also a few familiar faces.

Lu Youyi came out and said, “Fu Yuaner!”

Wasn’t this the same victim they had built into the wall by the murderer in the second level of the National Student Natural Science Competition?!

Lu Youyi remembers that Fu Yuaner’s body was taken away by the tournament.

How did she get here?

“How did you get here?” Lu Youyi stuttered, “No, how can you move!”

Fu Yuaner did not say a word as she walked fleshily towards the two Lu Youyi men, her hair becoming longer and longer, crawling towards them from the walls and the floor.

The visitor is not good.

Lu Youyi dragged the dead ghost and ran up the stairs, “Shit, shit, shit! Let’s talk about it, we helped you catch the murderer before, okay?”

As they climbed to the middle of the stairs, a sudden surge of thick hair from inside the wall caught Lu Youyi by surprise and wrapped around his neck.

Lu Youyi struggled with his hair, his face flushed red, as the dead ghost violently yanked it off and backhanded him as he flew upwards to escape.

“Cough cough cough,” Lu Youyi rubbed his neck, hard and confused, ” Fu Yuaner Why did you want to kill us ……”

She was just a corpse!

*

Xiao Fen in Ye Xun’s arms suddenly moves.

Ye Xun looked down in surprise, ” Xiao Fen ?”

Xiao Fen breaks free from his arms and takes a step towards the stairs.

Ye Xun, disturbed, exclaimed, ” Xiao Fen ?”

The eyes of the disgruntled doll rolled as the soul belonging to Wang Xinhui, once absorbed by it, sensed the presence of its bestie Fu Yuaner, and its nose shrugged as it froze, “Find her, find …… her.”

Xiao Fen gradually walks away.

Ye Xun was anxious but could only watch Xiao Fen disappear from his sight.

He’d love to go after Xiao Fen, but right now it’s clear he can’t.

He is to be in control of the electrical box and whatever happens, he is not to leave.

*

Jiang Luo ran for a full five minutes, and when the time was up, he headed up another flight of stairs.

The sound of a chainsaw never stops behind him, and Jiang Luo takes time to look back to see that the killer is still following him with ease.

Very good.

He pulled up his lips and ran to the stairwell.

Chi You followed slowly and deliberately.

Jiang Luo had run halfway up the floor when his ankle was suddenly gripped by a pair of hands. He reflexively broke free, but the next time he took another step, his foot was again grabbed by a pair of ghostly hands.

He looked down and, goodness gracious, green and white ghostly hands appeared on each step, emerging from the ground, each hand waving incessantly, ready to grab hold of something.

Jiang Luo breathed a sigh of relief and gasped as he stepped on these hands and ran up the hill, but even though he was not afraid of these ghostly hands, he was still delayed a little.

By the time he ran to the sixth floor, the lights had gone out to the third floor.

Jiang Luo stands on the edge of the sixth floor, the light shining brightly from above him as he calms his slightly rapid breathing and stares at him coldly.

“Why aren’t you running away?” Chi You raised an eyebrow in surprise, his smile gentle, “Are you prepared to be killed by me here?”

As he spoke, he was already in front of Jiang Luo.

The smell of blood was overwhelming.

They were both wearing the same bloodstained white coats, both slender and tall, only one was taller and the other slightly shorter.

The shadows draw long, thin shadows in the light.

Chi You looks down at Jiang Luo, the chainsaw slowly raised in his hand, the sound swift and fierce and unnerving.

Like the next moment, the dark-haired youth would be sawed in half from his head, blood spilling out and about to wither.

But the dark-haired youth remained motionless, looking at him calmly and sensibly.

Chi You didn’t see the panicked look he wanted to see and said with some disappointment, “You don’t look very scared, which makes me a little sad.”

“Since you’re not running away, well, then I’ll just have to,” Chi You shrugged helplessly, like a really bloodthirsty psychopathic murderer with a raised smile, “kill you.”

He got so carried away with the game that he completely forgot his earlier words about bringing Jiang Luo into his power and being a hero to save her.

The lights on the fourth floor went out and the figure of the faceless monster appeared on the edge of the fourth floor, staring intently at Jiang Luo.

Two floors, one minute.

Jiang Luo withdrew his downward glance and suddenly snorted and lifted his eyes, smirking, “I don’t run away because I think it’s boring.”

Chi You asked with interest, “So?”

Jiang Luo suddenly pulls down his collar, Chi You obediently lowers his head, and in between his good-natured, interested look, the dark-haired young man sneers towards him, his lips are luscious and compelling, and he suddenly raises his head and forces a kiss on the murderer’s lips.

Chi You’s pupils snapped shut.