My Iyashikei Game-Novel

471 Soundless Truth

“Boss Gu has a child?” Han Fei looked into the small room. “I assume with his personality, he would have sent his own child into the well.”

“The child is already dead, or rather he is in the same state as I am, neither human nor ghost. We linger in this world to bear the altar’s curse.” The old man pitied the child. “This apartment building is an altar and it is used to hide the boy, to bury the Truth here.” The old man coughed and his body flickered, “I can’t stay here for long, you need to bring Truth and Conscience out as soon as possible.”

“How?”

“Just like how you brought the picture out from the well. To gain the Truth, you have to embrace it.” Boss Gu’s building was protected by the altar. The old man’s body started to disintegrate.

“Got it.” Han Fei looked down into the small room under the board. He took out a chain from his inventory and placed a paper doll beside the chain. “You brought a chain with you? Where did you put it?” The old man was shocked. Han Fei ignored him. He had the paper doll hold one end of the chain while he leaped into the small room. The small room was covered with pictures. There were children and adults. They were all forced to smile. “A boy has been trapped here all this while?” Han Fei walked to the child. The boy still didn’t give any response. He couldn’t hear, see or smell anything. For him, the world was like a small black box.

“Hurry up!” The old man urged him. Han Fei used Soul-depth Touch to gently hold the boy’s arms. “There’s no emotion at all?” Soul-depth Touch could sense the strongest and deepest emotion within the other party but Han Fei could only feel nothingness from the boy. He was like a lifeless puppet, allowing Han Fei to do anything to him.

“Perhaps the boy thought I’m Boss Gu.” Han Fei picked up the boy and looked at his face. The boy lost his eyes, ears, and nose. He only had a mouth left but most of the time, such was the truth. He could have screamed until his lungs were sore but he wouldn’t know what was beside him. It could be Boss Gu or it could be chilly walls. Truth was lonely, trapped inside this dark room. Only those who dared to challenge the altar would see the Truth.

“How do I make Truth speak?” Han Fei had no idea how much the boy had been tormented, he probably didn’t dare to speak anymore.

“Just bring him out first.” Han Fei picked up the boy and realized there was a red sweater underneath him. The sweater was real. “He has worn the old lady’s knitted sweater?” This small detail held Han Fei’s attention. He also found the red sweater in Room 13. The hanging woman and her child had once received Boss Gu’s help. They arrived at this city together but the child soon disappeared at the mall. The red sweaters had connected many things. Han Fei suspected the child called Truth was related to the hanging woman. Han Fei brought Truth out from the dark, small room. He walked towards the mud-like Conscience. When the monster who had Boss Gu’s face saw Truth, he immediately shrunk to the corner and didn’t even dare to breathe.

“With both Truth and Conscience, it’s over for that Gu Bastard this time. Even the altar wouldn’t be able to help him now.” The old man hissed, it was time to collect the debt. Taking out the wishing can, Han Fei placed Conscience and Truth in it. Then Han Fei left with the old man. The neighborhood didn’t look like it had changed but just as Han Fei crawled out from the balcony window, there was thunder in the sky. A large shadow surfaced at the lake.

“The Truth has seen the light. The boss will hurry back soon. We better don’t run into him before we can get Truth to speak.” The old man offered Han Fei much advice, he really wanted Boss Gu to die. Han Fei raced back to the van.

“You’re back so soon? You got the evidence?”

“Drive back to my rental.” After giving the waiter the address, Han Fei shuffled towards the old lady, “Granny, do you remember when you knitted this sweater?” The old lady’s calloused hands touched the sweater and then she made a strange gesture. She reached both her arms forward as if to hug a child. “It’s getting cold, you need to wear more layers.” She started to mumble to herself. Everyone in the car thought the old lady had gone senile but Han Fei was intrigued. Han Fei took out the wishing can and released Truth. He placed the boy in the old lady’s arms. Truth who was unresponsive suddenly moved his lips when he was close to the old lady. “It’s working? He is familiar with the old lady?”

Han Fei didn’t force Truth. The old lady hummed a lullaby as if she was rocking a real child. “Drive slower, let Truth have a good sleep.” Han Fei looked at Truth in the old lady’s arms. The whole van of people looked at Han Fei in confusion. They had no idea who Truth was but no one dared to ask. The van drove through the night and stopped before Han Fei’s rental.

“Get down.” Han Fei waved. He had Brother Snake’s people scout ahead before he helped the old lady down from the van. Truth lay in the old lady’s arms, enjoying the momentary peace. The gang members held the umbrella for Han Fei who led the old lady to the apartment. Once they approached the building, Truth started to respond for the first time. His body started to tremble like he was very afraid.

“Hush, don’t cry. Granny will knit many clothes for you.” The old lady was nervous. She kept trying to comfort Truth but it was to no avail.

“Granny, come with me.” Han Fei felt Truth was really related to the woman in Room 13 so he picked up speed. The other men had no idea what was happening so they just followed behind Han Fei.

“We’re here, this is the room!” Han Fei kicked down the door and entered the room with the old lady. The temperature started to drop and something awakened inside the empty room. Han Fei led the old lady to the bathroom. He placed Truth on the pile of papers with strange symbols. The balls of paper rolled to the ground and they gathered towards Truth. The paper then parted like a wave and a pair of burned hands reached out from the paper pile and hugged Truth from behind. The strange symbols on the waste paper slowly disappeared. A woman with tear marks on her neck slowly appeared. She didn’t say anything and hugged Truth tightly like he would disappear once she let go.

The pupilless eyes had no more tears left. Instead, two rows of resentful blood leaked out from the woman’s eyes and fell on Truth’s face. Truth slowly raised his head. His lips moved and he uttered, “Mom, please don’t cry.” Truth who only had a mouth managed to sense his mother’s presence. The hanging woman refused to let go. In his mother’s embrace, Truth finally spoke.

“Mom, I saw dad and many brothers and sisters. They are all dad’s children and they are all living inside me.” A child’s voice echoed inside the room. The hanging woman knew that Truth wouldn’t be able to hear her so she only hugged him tighter.

“Many brothers and sisters went through the same thing as we did. When dad was doing charity, he met their mothers. Then they used the lowest price to trade for the things they want. Some brothers and sisters left before they were born. They are envious of me who have seen the world.” Truth’s words carried no emotion. He was not happy or sad. He couldn’t get any reply. He continued to explain himself. “Mom, can you bring me to the garden beside the river? My brothers and sisters always say they want to go there. They say that is where their bodies and dad’s secret are buried.”

At this point, Han Fei rushed over, he had to interrupt this reunion. “The tragedy on your child is still happening to others. To stop this, we need to stop the boss, I need Truth’s help.” Han Fei could empathize with the hanging woman. Her child had been turned into a monster with a mouth and endless spirits lived inside him. Her heart must be tormented but now was not the time to deal with that. “Let Truth speak, we need to find evidence on Boss Gu.” To send Boss Gu away, Han Fei had done everything he could. He took out the wishing can and looked at the woman with sincerity. “It is nighttime, the perfect time for us to make our move.”

When Han Fei first appeared at this rental, he had attracted the hanging woman’s attention. The woman had many chances to kill Han Fei but due to various reasons, she didn’t. Because of that, she managed to reunite with her son. After some hesitation, the woman entered the wishing can with Truth.

The wishing can was only a Grade G Cursed Item but it exuded a presence scarier than the paper doll, a Grade F Cursed Item. If Han Fei continued to fill up the can, it could replace the wishing well. Han Fei sighed in relief after the woman entered the can. He helped the old lady up. “Quick! We need to get to the garden beside the river!”

The group of people rushed downstairs. When they reached the corner between the 2nd and 3rd floor, a door opened. A man in pajama walked out grumbling, “What is all this noise? Do you know what time is it? You…” The man’s blurry eyes slowly focused on the people in the corridor. They were all gangsters in black clothes. The man took a deep breath and slapped himself. “Why am I sleepwalking again? Where are my glasses? I can’t see anything without them!” Then he slowly retreated back into his room. As he was about to close the door, Han Fei grabbed the man’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry!” The man cowered beside the shoe rack.

“Don’t worry, I just want to tell you that.” Han Fei pointed at the woman’s slippers on the ground. “Certain things shouldn’t be shared.”

“Okay, I will buy my girlfriend a new pair of slippers tomorrow. Thank you!”

“You do you.” Han Fei didn’t waste time and led Brother Snake’s people back into the van. If he could get the evidence, then he would have the upper hand for the first time in the memory world. Han Fei had passed this garden many times but he had never entered it because the place gave him the creep. “It is just an abandoned park but it has such thick Yin energy, I knew something is wrong with this place.”

In the storm, Han Fei’s group entered the park. With Truth leading the way, they arrived at the manmade brush deep inside the garden.

“Han Fei, are you sure the evidence is here?” The waiter was afraid of Han Fei but he had to ask. From his perspective, all they did that night was to ferry an old lady around and then they somehow arrived here.

“We better get to moving, we need to find the thing before dawn.” Han Fei studied the swaying swings in the rain. He grabbed the shovel and started to dig. If Han Fei didn’t appear so imposing, Brother Snake’s people would have run already. After all, they only agreed to help Brother Snake and not come digging at the garden at night. About half an hour later, a lot of toys were found inside the hole. Each toy had its own name.

Other than these things, Han Fei found a well-sealed box. Inside the box was the account box that detailed the embezzling Boss Gu had done in the name of charity. These things were left behind by Boss Gu’s younger brother as a way to save himself. Unfortunately, he was killed by his brother before he could use them.

“When he wanted to start a new project, he joined hands with gangs to bully the local merchant; his private hospital has many deaths; his charity work is just a way to earn money; he even raped several young female benefactors through his charity, this man is truly the worst.” Boss Gu was only good at one thing, which was to be evil. The reason he was so successful was the altar and the well.

“The God inside the altar is helping such a person. There is no reason for such a foolish God to exist.” Han Fei had found concrete evidence. He had the power to help change the fate of everyone inside the memory world.