Mysterious Awakening - Chapter 83: The Faint Echo of a Cough

Was this Huanggang Village?

Miles glanced around, his gaze wavering as he took in the village’s landscape while journeying down the primary access route.

The entirety of Huanggang Village felt like a blend of antiquity and modernity.

The front part of the village was adorned with recently constructed rural villas, pleasing to the eyes. Yet, the latter half was dotted with aged homes, some made of earth, others wooden structures over a century old. These ancient homes were a mix of occupied and deserted. Some housed the elderly, while others lay abandoned with dilapidated windows, semi-open doors, and interiors so dark that they defied the intrusion of sunlight.

An uncanny vibe enveloped the area.

But then, that wasn’t unexpected.

This was a typical scene in many villages. The discomfort only set in when the thought of a real ghost lingering in such a place crossed one’s mind.

“Hello, Rain?” Miles thought it best to gather some information, so he dialed his satellite phone.

“Miles, good timing on your part. There were some loose ends from our previous conversation. Regarding Zhao Kai Ming’s files, his psychological profile seems concerning. He’s probably difficult to work with. Be cautious. Avoid conflicts if you can. After all, he’ll be your colleague,” Rain answered, referencing a file on Zhao Kai Ming.

“You’re a bit late with this advice. Zhao Kai Ming has already stirred trouble, and frankly, I can’t stand having him as a colleague,” Miles retorted. “Currently, I’m in a place called Huanggang Village, on the outskirts of Dachang City. There have been rumors of supernatural occurrences here. Do we have any records of this place?”

“I’ll do my best to assist, but my access is limited. I can only ask a fellow worker to look it up,” Rain replied.

“And who does have access?” questioned Miles.

Rain answered, “You do. As soon as you take over Dachang City, you’ll gain access to those records. This includes not only the accounts of paranormal activity but also the details of other ghost tamers.”

“Alright, do your best to find those records for me. If you succeed, send them immediately. Also, once this situation is resolved, I’d like to join HQ. Could you facilitate that?” Miles inquired.

Though dealing with supernatural incidents at HQ could be perilous, if he managed to control a second ghost and postpone the revival of the fearsome one this time around, he might consider joining.

The perks of leadership were significant, allowing for substantial flexibility in managing operations.

Indeed, it was a goal worth pursuing.

When Miles revealed his aspiration to join HQ, Rain responded with enthusiasm, “Once you give your consent, I can quickly set up a meeting for you. Following a brief training period and a psychological evaluation, you could assume your new position. It should take about a week.”

“That sounds acceptable, but my intention is to succeed Zhao Kai Ming as the leader of Dachang City,” Miles clarified.

“That… that’s not within my jurisdiction. It’s a decision for the higher-ups,” Rain responded.

“And if Dachang City were to lose its city head?” Miles probed.

“If a city head is absent, priority is usually given to a local,” Rain explained. Suddenly understanding his implication, she exclaimed, “You can’t act rashly! I’m not fully aware of your disagreement with Zhao Kai Ming, but it shouldn’t cause conflict. The overall objective must be kept in mind.”

“Don’t worry, I have the bigger picture in mind. Also, don’t forget to check the records for me. This paranormal event falls under your responsibility too. At the moment, I’m working for free. It’s only fair you assist me,” Miles reasoned.

“You’re right. I’ll help you as much as I can. Indeed, resolving the paranormal issues is our top priority,” Rain agreed, nodding affirmatively.

“Good. We’ll speak again later. Unless it’s essential, try not to call me. I’ve already arrived in Huanggang Village, and a ghost encounter could happen at any time.” With that, Miles abruptly hung up.

Rain frowned at this and immediately relayed the situation to Team Leader Build.

Upon hearing her report, Build laughed. “Is this really a problem? Once Miles passes his evaluation and becomes a ghost tamer, we can easily reassign Zhao Kai Ming. Having Miles oversee Dachang City will certainly be more advantageous since he’s a local. Your main task now is to support him in handling the paranormal incidents in Huanggang Village. I’ll handle the specific records.”

“If he manages to resolve two paranormal events on his own, making a small exception for him won’t be too much.”

This assurance comforted Rain.

“If you survive, everything else will fall into place. If you don’t, all words are meaningless.”

Miles, holding his satellite GPS phone, thought back to the chilling sight of Right’s end. Could that be his fate too?

Upon entering the village, Miles noticed Zhang Han, Ye Jun, and a few others from the Cockroach Club. Their expressions were grave, suggesting they had stumbled upon something important. His presence elicited minimal attention; they acknowledged him with only a cursory glance.

Turning his gaze towards them, Miles narrowed his eyes.

In his line of sight was a house with its door left wide open. Funeral wreaths flanked the entrance, and a crowd of villagers, clad in mourning attire, had congregated. Women and children were on their knees in front of a richly red coffin, their sobbing resonating throughout as they burned joss paper in grief.

Clearly, a death had occurred, and the village was immersed in the proceedings of a funeral.

Miles glanced at the memorial portrait perched in front of the coffin. It depicted a striking man decked out in a suit.

“A funeral at such a time, how unfortunate. Isn’t this just complicating matters?” grumbled a middle-aged man named Zhang Han, within earshot of Miles. He drew deeply from his cigarette, his mood visibly sour.

Indeed, stumbling upon a funeral and hearing the mourning cries of the villagers was hardly an auspicious beginning to their visit.

“Maybe we should burn the coffin for safety. What if the body inside starts wandering at night?” someone suggested.

Ye Jun shot the speaker a disdainful look before retorting, “And who’s going to do that? Mention such a thing in front of the villagers and we’ll undoubtedly face their wrath. We wouldn’t just be grappling with potential supernatural issues; surviving in the village itself would become a challenge. If it’s an ordinary corpse, it’s irrelevant. Haven’t we seen enough dead bodies by now?”

“We shouldn’t stir up unnecessary drama over a death. It’s not the dead we should fear but the ghosts that allegedly haunt this village.”

“Still, we’re largely uninformed about the situation in this village. I suggest we conduct an investigation. Let’s interview the villagers about any peculiar happenings. With our experience, we wouldn’t immediately succumb even if we were to encounter a ghost. We just need to be ready to respond collectively at the first hint of anything suspicious, including a real ghost,” another person pitched in.

“The village isn’t excessively large or small, which could make group action cumbersome. Let’s split into pairs for the investigation,” was the group’s collective decision.

“That seems reasonable; let’s proceed on that basis.”

Following a round of discussions, the Cockroach Club members concluded that they needed to band together, explore the situation at hand, and then establish their next course of action based on what they discovered.

Miles, not being a part of their group, was naturally excluded from their strategic planning.

Taking a glance at the coffin situated in the mourning hall, he withdrew another phone, snapping a photo. His objective was to capture the memorial portrait, with plans to forward it to Rain later. He intended for her to look into who the deceased was, the cause of death, and any suspicious elements surrounding their demise.

Occurrences of the paranormal were never without their hints.

If the deceased’s cause of death was unusual, the likelihood of a ghostly involvement escalated. The manner of death could even provide clues about how the ghost might murder.

This was a crucial clue.

Miles observed that none of the Cockroach Club members seemed to consider this. He wondered whether it had not occurred to them, or if they merely dismissed it due to their strength in numbers.

“I’ll familiarize myself with the surroundings and find a place to lodge,” he resolved internally.

He promptly embarked on a walk around the village with his luggage, learning about the layout of the area, familiarizing himself with the roads, and remaining alert to any peculiarities.

“Miles, do you mind a quick chat?” Zhang Han from the Cockroach Club had separated from the others and approached him.

Miles turned to face him, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “Zhang Han? What’s up?”

Zhang Han greeted him with a smile. “It’s evident that you can’t tackle this paranormal event on your own. What if we join forces, collaborate? What’s your take on it?”

“Why not look to your club members for assistance? Why approach me?” Miles questioned, resuming his stroll.

“I believe in partnering with the most competent. Truth be told, you outshine the others. I reckon we’d have the best shot at success if we teamed up,” Zhang Han proposed earnestly.

Miles countered, “It’s premature to make that call. We’re here on the whispers of a paranormal incident. I can’t validate whether a ghost truly exists here. The ghost could have deserted the village by now, considering their mobility.”

“If a ghost indeed inhabits this place, then we can discuss teaming up.”

Zhang Han offered an awkward chuckle, saying, “That’s fair enough.”

Suddenly, in the midst of their conversation, a frail, wheezing cough resonated from behind them. It sounded alarmingly close as if someone critically ill were right behind them.

“Who’s there?”

The sound prompted Zhang Han to break into a cold sweat. As he spun around, though, he found no one in sight.

All that lay before him was a decrepit wooden house in the direction of the sound.

The house, seemingly deserted, was in poor shape, with the majority of the roof tiles caved in and half the front door missing. The interior was dark and damp, looking so inhospitable that not even domestic animals or stray dogs would choose to seek refuge in it.

“Are we this unlucky?” Zhang Han mumbled under his breath.

Miles’s gaze flickered subtly before he approached the wooden house and kicked the door open.

With a resounding crash, the decrepit door, weakened by age, fell to the ground, revealing the interior.

Inside, save for overgrown weeds, the place was desolate.

“No one’s here?” The corners of Miles’s mouth tightened slightly.

“Could it be a ghost?” Zhang Han queried.

“I’m not sure. I didn’t sense any danger. It might have just been an old man passing by who coughed. This village is riddled with tiny paths, and it’s quite typical for villagers to wander by. Getting scared over nothing will just stir up our own fears,” Miles said. “You shouldn’t trail behind me any longer. If there truly is a ghost here, come and alert me. Only then will I contemplate forming an alliance with you.”

Miles had never planned to confront the ghost single-handedly. He’d purposefully kept the club members informed so he could utilize a strategy of using them as bait for the ghost while he remained unseen. Thus, he had no intention of leading the attack.

“Since you’ve put it that way, I won’t press further. Best of luck, then,” Feeling a wave of discomfort about the area, Zhang Han made a hasty retreat.