Chapter 105: The Mute Stone Silkworm

At that awkward moment, Shican placed a plate of food in front of Luo Hanya. Luo chuckled nervously, muttering that he was starving, thanked him, and proceeded to devour the meal ravenously, completely ignoring Manluo sitting beside him, who was staring daggers at him.

Originally, Luo Hanya had been feigning hunger, but unexpectedly, the script contained a vivid sense of starvation. As soon as he relaxed, his stomach truly began to rebel. Moreover, the dishes before him looked genuinely appetizing—one meat dish, one vegetable, and a soup, each bursting with flavor and color, carrying an indescribable artistic aura.

The vegetable dish was a tender, vibrant medley of eggplant, green pepper, and potato, enhanced with some coastal ingredients. The glossy eggplant, fiery green pepper, and golden potatoes melded perfectly, accentuating the pepper’s sharpness and igniting Luo’s appetite. The meat dish was a seaweed and fish belly hand roll: fresh, flaked fish belly wrapped in delicate seaweed without any seasoning, yet the fish’s natural aroma mingled exquisitely with the seaweed’s fragrance—a true culinary masterpiece. The final touch was a simple, elegant oyster soup, rich and fragrant yet light on the palate, soothing the stomach with its nourishing warmth.

Luo Hanya ate with relish, unable to help but shout his praise aloud. Within minutes, the meal was gone. He greedily licked his lips and asked Shican, “Did you cook all this?”

Shican remained silent, merely nodding.

“Thank you. You’re an excellent cook,” Luo said sincerely.

Shican’s grotesque face trembled, his unusually large right eye widening. Luo smiled, seeing a storm of emotions in that eye—pain, sorrow, confusion, even gratitude.

Luo patted Shican on the shoulder, saying nothing, but silently gave him a thumbs-up.

“Mute! Aren’t you going to clear the dishes?” Manluo snapped coldly.

Shican seemed to awaken from a trance, glancing fearfully at Manluo before clumsily gathering the dishes, nearly dropping a plate in his panic. Luo caught it just in time, returned it to Shican’s hands, then sat back down and asked Manluo with a smile, “Which room am I staying in?”

Manluo’s face remained stern. He cast a sidelong glance at Luo and barked, “You haven’t registered. No room for you!”

“Then, ‘host,’ please register me,” Luo said evenly, no longer bothering with pretense now that the mask had slipped.

After a short wait, Manluo pulled out a yellowed, tattered registration form from the drawer.

“Here it is.”

The form exuded a faint scent of decay, like a devil’s contract sealed long ago.

“Just a signature?”

“Yes.”

“Why are there no other names on it?”

“Heh.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just sign it and stop wasting time if you want to stay!”

Manluo’s voice was arrogant and commanding.

Luo knew all the power was in Manluo’s hands now, so he briskly scribbled two characters on the form—“Ba Ba.”

“Ba Ba… is that your name?” Manluo’s eyes flickered with suspicion.

Luo inwardly stifled a laugh.

“Shican, show this gentleman to his room.” Manluo hesitated, as if understanding something, then handed Shican an old-fashioned key. “Room 13 on the second floor.”

Luo blinked in surprise. “Why that room number?”

“Are you afraid of thirteen?” Manluo asked coldly, locking eyes with Luo.

“No, no… I just wanted to know what day it is.”

“Friday. Why?”

“N-nothing…” Luo forced a grin, cursing silently.

Though he wasn’t superstitious about the number thirteen, nor did he believe in taboos or ghosts—especially as these were foreign customs—it was a nightmare scenario scripted for him. Friday the 13th: the blackest of black Fridays, fraught with danger and cruelty. Manluo had clearly caught on to Luo’s little ruse and deliberately assigned him this ominous time and room.

Shican nodded and motioned for Luo to follow him toward the stairs.

From behind came Manluo’s voice again: “Sir, remember not to open windows at midnight or wander around outside.”

“Okay…” Luo responded without interest, dragging out the word carelessly.

Shican carried the kerosene lamp, its dim, flickering light casting shadows on the stairs as they moved between darkness and light. Beyond the lamp’s glow, all was swallowed by blackness, punctuated only by steady breathing and the creaking groans of the wooden floorboards beneath their feet.

Turning a corner, they reached the second-floor hallway. Shican led the way, the faint lamp swinging like a guide through the underworld, beckoning lost souls toward the unknown abyss.

Perhaps due to the overwhelming darkness and lack of landmarks, the corridor seemed endless to Luo. Shican vanished, leaving only the lantern’s glow to lead him onward.

“Sir, why have you come here?” a sudden voice startled Luo. He instinctively sought its source but found himself engulfed in total darkness—the lantern had disappeared.

Luo took a deep breath and stood firm, calling softly, “Shican? Are you there?”

“I’m right in front of you, sir,” came the voice nearby. Shican, still hunched, held the kerosene lamp.

“You… you can talk now?”

“Why not?” Shican slowly turned, bringing the light close to his face. “Sir, I’m perfectly normal…”

The dim light illuminated Shican’s terrifying face, now ghostly and sinister. Even stranger, from each of the grotesque growths on his face sprouted smaller versions of Shican, all simultaneously asking, their voices layered and echoing deep in Luo’s mind: “Sir, do you think I’m normal?”

“Normal! Absolutely normal!” Luo forced a smile through his fear. “You’re just a normal person!”

Shican’s right eye stared deeply into Luo’s, then he slowly faded into the darkness.

Luo exhaled and instinctively stepped forward—but bumped into something.

He fixed his gaze and saw a familiar figure standing before him. “Shican? How did you suddenly appear here?”

Shican looked puzzled at Luo’s collision, uttering “ah ah” sounds and gesturing as if to ask why Luo had bumped into him.

“Sorry, I was distracted,” Luo chuckled, keeping silent about the strange encounter, pretending nothing had happened.

Shican paid no mind and began fumbling in front of a door. The sound of a key turning in a lock followed, and the door opened—this was Room 13.

Shican motioned for Luo to enter and rest, then slowly stepped back and exited, pausing to glance once more at Luo.

Suddenly, Luo noticed a strange flicker in Shican’s eyes, something indescribable that made his heart skip a beat.

…