Chapter Fifteen: The Dirge Sung by the Reaper

The atmosphere in the inn grew oppressively heavy, the scent of death hanging so thick in the air that everyone stood frozen, mute and unmoving. In less than ten minutes, two people had died in succession, and the most likely suspect had managed to escape.

“Wasn’t the blond guy just here with us? How did he end up dead so suddenly?”

The doctor pondered for a moment, his voice grave. “He must have slipped away while I was explaining the policewoman’s identity. Perhaps he was merely curious, wanting to take a look, but instead ran right into the woman trying to escape. That’s how he was killed.”

Fang Nian listened in bewilderment, unable to defend himself, so he turned to the bald innkeeper. “Did you call the police?”

The innkeeper nodded. “I did, but the road has been blocked by falling rocks from the mountain. At best, the police won’t arrive until tomorrow morning.”

Fang Nian shook his head with a bitter smile. Now, the ten of them were effectively sealed in, the place clearly designed to be a locked room. That meant the murderer, who had killed two already, was among them. And Fang Nian could guess the killer’s purpose—eliminate everyone in this fashion.

The doctor stepped forward again. “Alright, judging by the scene, the killer must have escaped through the window. As the boss said, the inn’s doors and windows were closed after the policewoman entered, so once the killer escaped, it would be hard for them to return.”

“So, staying here is pointless. I suggest we each go back to our rooms and lock the doors, so the killer won’t strike again.”

Everyone nodded, for dawn was still far off and standing around here was futile. They exchanged goodnights, preparing to retreat to their rooms.

But at that moment, all the lights in the inn suddenly went out, and a few emergency lamps flickered on.

“Is it a power outage?” The bald innkeeper hurried to the front desk, shining his flashlight at the fuse box. “It’s not an outage, the main switch in the storeroom must have tripped. Happens every rainy day. I’ll go take a look.”

The doctor frowned. “No, the killer is outside. This could be their doing, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone.”

“I’ll go with you,” said the burly boy’s father.

“And me.”

The red-haired man also stepped forward.

The innkeeper hesitated, then relented. “Alright, let’s go.”

The three of them left with umbrellas. Fang Nian watched the subtle change in the innkeeper’s expression and sensed he was no ordinary man. There was something off about this inn.

Deciding not to sit and wait, Fang Nian vaulted over the front desk and rummaged through the fallen drawers and cupboards.

Now, only Fang Nian, the child, the doctor, and the girl who had lost her boyfriend remained inside. The girl was deeply unstable, clutching her head and sobbing intermittently. The child, considerate and gentle, tried to comfort her with childish words.

Fang Nian searched the desk for a long time, finding little of substance—mostly registration forms and account books. He flipped through them, finding nothing unusual.

“Everything is meticulously organized. The innkeeper must be quite detail-oriented by nature… Hmm? Wait.”

His gaze fell on a stack of old registration sheets. He flipped through several pages, all records from a year or two ago—nothing stood out. But when he compared today’s registration sheet with the old ones, his pupils contracted instantly.

“This is…”

“I can’t take it anymore! I want to go home!”

Suddenly, the girl who had lost her boyfriend screamed, her emotions collapsing as she burst into tears and dashed out the door.

“Sis…”

The boy ran after her. Fang Nian, startled, jumped up to follow them. As his eyes passed over the doctor, he noticed the doctor was watching him coldly, lips curling in a cryptic smile.

That look sent chills down Fang Nian’s spine, a sense of danger prickling at his heart.

It was deep into the night, heavy clouds veiled the moon, rain poured relentlessly, and the blackout made the darkness even deeper—the visibility was barely ten meters. Looking out, Fang Nian couldn’t see the two who had run, but he spotted a beam of flashlight approaching—the innkeeper and his companions returning.

A sudden roar of an engine echoed as Fang Nian was about to meet them. In the glare of car headlights, he saw only the innkeeper and the burly man returning.

Another burst of engine noise, and an SUV shot out of the garage like a wild beast, charging straight at the two men.

“Danger!” Fang Nian shouted, but the rain drowned out his voice.

“Dad!”

Just as Fang Nian feared another death, the boy suddenly burst from the darkness, running toward his father. The burly man saw the speeding SUV about to hit his child. Driven by paternal instinct, he tossed aside his flashlight and lunged forward, shoving the boy out of harm’s way.

A dull crash echoed—the burly man was struck by the SUV, his body slamming into the windshield.

The violent impact sent the SUV careening out of control, and after several wild turns, it crashed into the wall of the inn’s garage, smashing a huge hole before coming to a halt.

“Dad!” The boy screamed, heartbroken, and ran toward the SUV.

“Danger, come back!” Fang Nian rushed after him, trying to pull the boy back.

But just as the child reached the SUV, smoke began to billow from the vehicle. Seconds later, an enormous explosion erupted, collapsing the entire garage and swallowing the boy along with it.

Fang Nian stood in the icy rain, fists clenched. He knew these people were just pieces in a deadly game, but facing such sudden deaths brought a pain that words could not express.

The rain continued, its usual sound now a mournful dirge, as if sung by Death himself. In just a few hours, fewer than five people remained alive.

When things finally calmed, Fang Nian, the doctor, and the innkeeper returned to the lobby, their faces grave. Aside from the woman who had fled, only the three of them were left.

According to the innkeeper, while they were checking the storeroom’s power supply, the red-haired man accidentally stepped on an exposed high-voltage wire and died.

Now, the terror of death shrouded the small inn, the air so oppressive it was hard to breathe. They all knew that while the events seemed coincidental, none of them really believed that.

“Deadly ID? ID…”

Suddenly, Fang Nian seemed to realize something. He rushed back to the desk and checked the two registration books. Moments later, his expression changed; he had discovered something. His cold gaze turned to the innkeeper.

“Boss, isn’t it time you told the truth? Who are you, really? Or rather, what is your mission?”