Hong Kong variety show: Beauty and Bones

Chapter 448 Strange Tales of Yun'an (3)

That evening, both men went home after get off work.

Around 11 o'clock, the sky suddenly turned gloomy, with dark clouds covering the entire county town as if a huge black curtain had been cast over it.

Immediately afterwards, a deafening rumble of thunder grew louder as it approached. The dark clouds and thunder intertwined, like a terrifying torrent that swept in rapidly, enveloping the entire county in a chilling atmosphere.

Before long, a strong wind swept in, accompanied by a pattering rain.

Old Yu tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep.

Left with no other choice, he jumped up and prepared to smoke a cigarette to calm himself down a bit.

Just as he struck a match and was about to light a cigarette, a chilling gust of wind suddenly rushed towards him like a ghost.

In the dim light of the match, a face that looked extremely familiar suddenly appeared.

Old Man Yu took a closer look and was immediately terrified—it was Li Lao Er!

This face was all too familiar to the old man. Li Lao Er was a frequent customer of his restaurant, and every time he would dine and dash, which made the old man both angry and resentful.

Just a few days ago, Li Lao Er was sentenced to death for committing a serious crime. When he was executed by firing squad, Old Man Yu even went to the scene to watch.

The fierce look in Li Lao Er's eyes before he died is still deeply imprinted in the old man's mind, making it unforgettable.

At this moment, Old Man Yu's legs were trembling like a leaf, and he had no idea whether the Li Lao Er in front of him was a human or a ghost.

Li Lao Er stood there expressionless, holding a gleaming knife in his hand, and approached Old Man Yu, who was trembling with fear, step by step.

Old Man Yu was terrified and tried to shout for help, but he found that his throat was blocked by something and he couldn't make a sound.

Li Lao Er walked up to Yu Lao Tou, raised his sharp knife, and stabbed him without hesitation.

……

"Then, I fainted!" Old Yu's face was pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. He described the incident to Detective Zhou in a trembling voice, as if the terrifying scene was still vivid in his mind.

Detective Zhou's face was ashen as he stared intently at Old Man Yu, not missing a single change in his expression.

After listening to Old Man Yu's story, he remained silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "Did you really see it clearly?"

Upon hearing this, Old Man Yu seemed to be pricked by a needle, and suddenly raised his head, staring wide-eyed at Detective Zhou with disbelief on his face.

His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't.

Upon seeing this, Detective Zhou's suspicions deepened.

He didn't believe in the existence of ghosts in this world. Even if they did, he thought it was just people's imagination running wild, and it was definitely not real.

"Of course I saw it clearly!" Old Yu finally came to his senses, his voice unconsciously rising eight octaves, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Although I'm not young, my eyesight isn't failing me!"

Seeing Old Man Yu's agitated state, Detective Zhou's doubts did not lessen. He muttered to himself, "Impossible!" This case was far too bizarre, completely beyond his comprehension.

"How much money were you robbed of?" Detective Zhou asked.

Old Yu seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then, as if he had made up his mind, he answered truthfully: "All my savings, 30,000 yuan, and other valuables in my house have been stolen!"

Upon hearing this number, Detective Zhou raised an eyebrow, thinking to himself: This old man is quite wealthy!

"If it's a ghost, why would it want your money?" Detective Zhou suddenly seemed to have found a loophole and said confidently, "It even takes things of some value. That's clearly greed! How could it be a ghost?"

Old Man Yu was stunned by Detective Zhou's question; he clearly hadn't expected Detective Zhou to question him in this way.

After a long while, he finally reacted, his face showing anger, and he shouted, "How dare you speak like that, detective! Would I lie about something like this? I saw Li Lao Er with my own eyes, he is a ghost!"

Detective Zhou was not affected by Old Man Yu's excitement; he remained calm and fell into deep thought.

Just then, Detective Zhou's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had thought of some crucial clue.

He asked Old Man Yu, "Does Li Lao Er have any close acquaintances, the kind of people he's particularly good friends with?"

Old Yu thought about it carefully and said, "He has a sworn brother named Wang San, and the two of them often hang out together."

With a direction in mind, Detective Zhou immediately arranged for people to investigate Wang San.

After making some inquiries, it was discovered that Wang San had suddenly become financially well-off recently and had bought a lot of nice things.

Detective Zhou made a decisive decision and led his men to search Wang San's house.

However, even after searching Wang San's house thoroughly, he still couldn't find the stolen items belonging to Old Man Yu.

After relentless interrogation, Wang San confessed that he had won the money gambling.

Detective Zhou didn't believe it, so he led a raid and arrested both the gambler and the casino owner. Upon investigation, it was confirmed that Wang San had indeed had a stroke of luck and won a sum of money.

After wasting so much effort, it turned out to be a waste of time. Detective Zhou was so angry that he arrested all of them and locked them up in jail.

Several days were wasted going back and forth, and just as Detective Zhou was scratching his head in frustration, Li Lao Er got into trouble again!

There is a village called Shanghe Village under Yun'an County.

There are two wealthy families in Shanghe Village, and these are the two families that Li Lao Er came to visit this time.

Not only were their money stolen, but they were also murdered!

"Who saw Li Lao Er commit murder and robbery?" Detective Zhou asked.

"Quite a few people saw it, but everyone ran away in fear, and no one dared to chase after them!" a junior policeman said.

"Detective, this case is truly bizarre!"

"What's so strange about it?" Detective Zhou didn't take it seriously. After these two cases, he was even more certain that someone was using ghosts as a pretext to commit crimes.

"Let's go to the mass grave and see. I refuse to believe that Li Lao Er can really climb out of his grave!"

……

There is a cemetery on the outskirts of Yun'an County that is known as the "disorderly graveyard".

The area is overgrown with weeds, the tombstones are crooked, and it's a desolate scene.

After Li Lao Er was executed, his body was buried in this chaotic graveyard.

Aside from the annual Qingming Festival when some people come to burn paper money and pay their respects, no one else is willing to set foot here on ordinary days.

As time went by, the weeds here grew more and more lush, gradually becoming a habitat and breeding ground for snakes.

In the desolate graveyard, jujube trees grow like ghosts, in clumps and clusters, densely packed, as if they were the guardians of this land of death.

Crows build nests in jujube trees, and they stand on the branches day and night, emitting mournful cries that send chills down one's spine.

Even passing by here during the day can send chills down your spine and make your hair stand on end.

This place is filled with an eerie and sinister atmosphere. According to the elders, a long time ago, a woman dressed in red hanged herself on the largest jujube tree.

Since then, faint cries and wails have been heard from the mass graves late at night.

The crying sometimes sounded like a man's wailing, and sometimes like a woman's sobbing, sending chills down one's spine.