Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 23 Echoes in the Rain
"Boom——!!!"

The muffled thunder roared like an ancient beast imprisoned deep within the earth, letting out a defiant cry. The deafening sound pierced through the already decaying walls, causing the small attic to tremble violently, as if it might crumble at any moment in the wrath of heaven and earth.

Outside the window, the continuous drizzle had turned into a torrential downpour. Large raindrops, mixed with fierce wind, lashed the village, already soaked in despair, like countless cold whips. Only a gray-black expanse remained between heaven and earth, its boundaries blurred by the rain.

Bai Yu held his breath, completely hiding his body in the shadows behind the window frame, leaving only an almost imperceptible gap, and stared intently at the two strange figures in the center of the courtyard.

Xiaoxi's parents, those two walking corpses with pure black eyes, stood motionless in the eye of the raging storm. They held no umbrellas, letting the icy rain, cursed by the "mountain god," wash over their bodies. Stiff, eerie smiles remained on their faces, their arms outstretched as if embracing a grand baptism.

Bai Yu's pupils contracted slightly. He noticed that as the rain washed over them, the faint life force that once belonged to the two people was being rapidly stripped away, replaced by a cold, deathly stillness. In their already abyss-black eye sockets, an even deeper darkness seemed to be slowly flowing, tracing the rain down their bloodless cheeks.

They are not taking a bath.

They are "recharging".

A chilling thought surfaced in Bai Yu's mind. These parents were like two "base stations" planted by the "mountain god" within this family, and the incessant rain was the energy source that kept them "running." Whenever thunder roared and the rain intensified, it was time for them to replenish their energy and reinforce the curse.

No wonder Xiaoxi specifically told him not to come out during thunderstorms. Perhaps even she herself didn't know that it wasn't just because of the danger, but also because at that moment, her "parents" were the "monsters" closest to the essence of the "mountain god."

Bai Yu dared not watch any longer, fearing that his spying would be noticed by the two monsters who were communicating with heaven and earth. He silently retreated to the darkest corner of the room, leaned against the cold wall and slowly sat down, trying to calm his heart, which was pounding violently with fear and weakness.

He repeatedly pondered the "last words" he had obtained from the desk.

The drowned saintess's tears transformed into well water, the only "antidote" for this cursed land.

The mountain god, who polluted the village with plague and eternal rain, hated and tried to drown the purity that belonged to the saint.

Two diametrically opposed supreme powers have achieved a strange balance in this small village.

Bai Yu is walking on the razor's edge of this clash of two great forces. He must find the well and drink the "Tears of the Saintess," which can heal the soul—his only hope for survival. To do this, he must first escape from this cage watched over by two "monsters."

Bai Yu didn't sleep a wink that night.

He sat quietly in the darkness, listening to the howling wind and rain outside the window, and the stiff, heavy steps of the two zombie-like figures downstairs as they returned to the house after their "recharging." He pushed all his senses to the limit, like a cheetah lurking in the shadows, patiently observing and analyzing, waiting for his own opportunity.

After an unknown amount of time, as the sky outside the window changed from deep black to a hazy, pale white, the raging storm that had been raging all night finally subsided, turning back into a fine, misty drizzle.

"Squeak-"

The sound of a door opening came from downstairs. Immediately afterwards, two stiff, heavy footsteps slowly walked out of the house.

Bai Yu immediately went to the window and saw Xiao Xi's parents walk out of the yard with the same expressionless faces as yesterday, joining the ranks of villagers walking numbly in the rain. They seemed to have some kind of fixed "job" to complete.

The opportunity is here.

He took a deep breath, sorted out his thoughts which were somewhat chaotic from not having slept all night, and then pushed open the door and went downstairs.

Xiaoxi was sitting alone on a small stool in the main room, swinging her legs, still humming that eerie nursery rhyme.

"...Building a new house, marrying a bride, and having clothes made by a stranger..."

"Good morning, Xiaoxi." Bai Yu's voice was hoarse and weak, as she was recovering from a serious illness.

"Brother Baiyu, you're awake!" Xiaoxi stopped humming as soon as she saw him, jumped off the stool, and smiled brightly. "Did you sleep well last night? Did the thunder scare you?"

"It's alright, just a bit noisy." Bai Yu walked over to her, found a stool and sat down, asking casually, "The nursery rhyme you sang just now was really nice. Could you sing it again for your brother?"

"Okay!" Without any doubt, Xiaoxi cleared her throat and sang the song again in her clear, childlike voice.

"Falling into the water, falling into the water, Grandma Moon has fallen into the river. The fish cry, the shrimp jump, Grandpa Water God opens his eyes. Building a new house, marrying a bride, the stranger makes clothes. Lighting red candles, getting into the new bed, sleeping soundly in the middle of the water..."

Bai Yu listened quietly, each word like a tiny carving knife, leaving cold marks on his heart. Looking at Xiao Xi's innocent face, he found it hard to connect her with this terrifying nursery rhyme filled with themes of death and sacrifice.

"That sounds beautiful." Bai Yu smiled and clapped her hands, then asked with feigned curiosity, "But, brother, I don't quite understand. Why does the 'outsider' need to make 'clothes'? Is it for the bride's wedding dress?"

When Xiaoxi heard this question, she tilted her head and thought about it for a moment. A trace of confusion, which she herself did not notice, flashed in her clear eyes.

“I…I don’t know either.” She shook her head. “That’s how my mother sang it when she taught me. She said that for our village to always be lively, we have to keep building new houses and getting married. That way, the Water God will be happy and won’t flood our homes again.”

"And what about the last line?" Bai Yu continued to guide the conversation, "'Sleeping in the middle of the water,' sounds... a bit cold."

“No way!” Xiaoxi immediately retorted. “My mother said that’s a privilege only the luckiest people in the village can enjoy. Sleeping in the middle of the water will turn you into a fish, so you can stay with Grandpa Water God forever and never get sick or hungry again.”

Turn into a fish...

Bai Yu's heart sank. This story was clearly a lie fabricated by the "Mountain God" to make the villagers accept and continue this terrifying "tradition." And Xiao Xi, as the only one in the village who seemed to still retain "childlike innocence," had long been steeped in this lie, even regarding it as a "blessing."

It was nearly impossible to wake her directly. He had to find another way.

"Oh, I see." Bai Yu looked enlightened. "It seems your village's water god grandfather must be very powerful. So... do you have any other stories in your village? Like, any stories about beautiful fairy sisters?"

He skillfully steered the conversation toward the "saint".

"Fairy Sister?" Xiaoxi's eyes lit up for a moment, but then dimmed again. She shook her head sadly. "No. Mother said that there is only the Water God in our village, not a Fairy Sister. She said that Fairy Sisters are all bad people who will take away the Water God's land and will destroy our houses."

The mountain god even erased the existence of the "holy maiden" from the villagers' memories and slandered her as a "bad person".

Bai Yu's expression remained gentle. He knew that now was not the time to correct Xiao Xi's perception, as that would only arouse her vigilance and resentment.

"Oh, that's such a pity." Bai Yu sighed, then changed the subject, clutching his stomach and letting out a soft "Ouch." "Brother Bai Yu, what's wrong? Is your stomach hurting again?" Xiao Xi immediately came over anxiously.

"It's nothing," Bai Yu waved her hand, but her face looked even paler. "It's just... it's just that I've been in this house for too long and it's a bit stuffy. I want to go to the backyard for some fresh air, maybe that will make me feel better."

"The backyard?" Xiaoxi paused for a moment, glancing instinctively at the back door, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes. "But... it's raining in the backyard too. And, Mother won't let me play by the well in the backyard. She says there are water ghosts there that will drag disobedient children down there."

井！
Bai Yu's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged.

He suppressed his excitement and continued in a weak voice, "It's okay, I'll just stand under the eaves by the back door for a while, I won't get wet. Besides, with a brave child like you here, no water ghost will dare to come out, right?"

This perfectly timed compliment clearly pleased Xiaoxi. She immediately puffed out her little chest and said proudly, "Of course! I'm not afraid of water ghosts! Okay, Brother Baiyu, I'll go with you! But you absolutely mustn't go near that well!"

"It's a deal." Bai Yu silently said "thank you" to the unknown senior in her heart.

Under the "watchful eye" of the stream, Bai Yu slowly walked to the wooden door leading to the backyard. He pushed the door open, and a chilling atmosphere, even colder than that of the front yard, rushed out.

The backyard was small, paved with bluestone slabs, the cracks of which were covered with slippery moss from years of rain. In the corner of the yard stood a long-dead locust tree, its twisted branches reaching towards the gray sky.

In the very center of the courtyard, the ancient well, which the stream called a "forbidden zone," stood quietly.

It was an extremely ancient-looking bluestone well. The wellhead was covered in moss and unknown ferns, and several deep dents, worn from years of rope friction, could be seen on the stones along the well's rim. Unlike the filth and desolation of other places, a layer of visible white steam rose around this well, carrying an aura of holiness and sorrow, keeping out the mountain god's cursed rain and creating a small, unpolluted sanctuary.

Just standing here, breathing the air of this pure land, Bai Yu felt a slight solace for her torn soul.

He knew he had come to the right place.

"Brother Baiyu, let's stand here, okay? We can't go any further." Xiaoxi tugged at his sleeve, pointed in the direction of the well, and earnestly instructed him.

"Okay." Bai Yu nodded. He leaned against the door frame, pretending to breathe in some fresh air, but his eyes were fixed on the ancient well, and his brain was racing, trying to figure out how to drink the water from the well without disturbing the stream.

Time ticked by. Xiaoxi seemed to be getting bored too, and started playing hopscotch under the eaves by herself. Baiyu knew his chances were slim; he had to achieve his goal before Xiaoxi's parents returned.

He suddenly coughed twice more, this time more violently than before, as if he were coughing up his lungs.

"Brother Baiyu!" Xiaoxi was immediately drawn over and looked at him with concern.

"Cough cough... It's nothing..." Bai Yu coughed and pointed to his throat, saying hoarsely, "I'm just... a little thirsty... Xiao Xi, could... could you help your brother get a glass of water from the main room?"

This was an extremely risky test. If the stream refused or insisted on helping him back, his plan would have completely failed.

Xiaoxi looked at his pained expression, her face filled with conflict. She glanced towards the main room, then at Baiyu, and finally nodded firmly: "Okay! Wait for me here, and don't wander off! I'll be right back!"

After saying that, she turned around, took a few quick steps, and ran towards the main room.

It's now!

The instant Xiaoxi's figure disappeared behind the door, Bai Yu mobilized all the remaining power in his body. He no longer concealed himself and rushed towards the ancient well in the center of the courtyard like an arrow released from a bow!

In a distance of just over ten meters, he felt as if he had traversed an entire century.

When he finally reached the well and placed his hands on the cold, slippery edge, a surge of spiritual energy, filled with sorrow and compassion, rushed wildly into his body through his palms!
He looked down. The water in the well was crystal clear, a stark contrast to the murky floodwaters outside. The well wasn't deep; at the bottom, he could even see tiny, shimmering white sediment. The entire surface radiated a holy glow, like moonlight.

He could feel that every drop of water in the well was formed from the endless tears and immortal love of a holy soul.

Beside the well lay a wooden ladle that was already broken. Bai Yu picked up the ladle, scooped up a ladleful of well water that radiated a holy aura, and without even looking at it, poured it directly into her mouth.

The slightly sweet, cool well water slid down my throat.

"boom--!!!"

In that instant, Bai Yu felt as if he were immersed in a warm ocean. That pure and compassionate power, like a million gentle hands, began to soothe, repair, and mend his shattered soul. The tiny, spiderweb-like cracks rapidly closed under the wash of this power. While the massive main cracks that had nearly torn him apart remained, the edges of the wounds, constantly emanating soul power, were covered by a soft membrane of light, temporarily "sealed" away. The excruciating pain that had penetrated to the bone quickly subsided, replaced by a profound sense of comfort and clarity, as if he had been reborn.

His mind, which had become chaotic and sluggish due to the shattering of his soul, regained its former clarity and sharpness at this moment.

Even in the depths of his soul, which had been somewhat repaired, he could faintly sense the sleeping darkness once again.

Dark words.

Although he still couldn't communicate or borrow its power, the feeling of re-establishing a "connection" finally put his mind at ease.

He drank from the well of redemption, ladle after ladle, feeling his rapidly recovering strength.

However, just as he drank the third ladle of water and was about to scoop up the fourth, a childish voice, filled with shock and sorrow, tinged with a sob, rang out clearly behind him like a bolt from the blue.

"Brother Baiyu..."

Bai Yu froze for a moment. He slowly turned around.

Xiaoxi was standing under the eaves of the back door when the earthenware bowl she was holding, filled with water, fell to the ground with a "crack" and shattered into pieces.

Her face no longer held the innocence and naivety of before. Her eyes, which should have been as clear as a stream, were now filled with tears, reflecting Bai Yu's figure, as well as a mixture of betrayal, heartache, and a trace of ancient and vicissitudes of sorrow.

"Why...why did you drink...the saint's...tears?"

　One chapter today!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)