Death Spiral [Infinite Flow]

    Xu Rendong looked up. As Lian Qiao said, in this row of red lanterns, only the one at the stairway is extinguished.

    It's daytime, so the lights shouldn't be lit. But the maids did not blow out the lanterns because it was dawn, so all the lanterns were still lit. The sun was shining brightly, and the light of the candle in the lantern was very dim due to the sunlight. At first glance, it was difficult to perceive the flickering light of the candle.

    If it wasn't for Lian Qiao's amazing eyesight, he wouldn't be able to see that there was another one in this lantern that was different.

    Xu Rendong said: "I'll climb up and take a look."

    The lantern was hanging high on the eaves, even Lian Qiao, who was 1.85 meters tall, could barely reach the bottom of the lantern. Xu Rendong found a stool, climbed up the railing, reached out and took off the lantern.

    The lantern is huge. He held it in his arms and climbed down cautiously. The two looked down at the lantern, and saw that the red lantern was empty, like a big mouth, with only a brass candlestick at the bottom. There were still a few solidified candle tears on the candlestick, which seemed to have been extinguished for a long time.

    Just looking at this lantern, I can't see anything. Xu Rendong took down the lanterns on the left and right sides together, and now he found something strange.

    It turned out that the two lanterns on the left and right were lit with candles with thick bowls. The candle was more than ten centimeters long, and it could burn for at least a day or two.

    Obviously, the candle at the entrance of the stairs did not burn out by itself. Someone took the candle.

    "Why take away the candle?" Lian Qiao touched his chin, very puzzled, "Is there anything special about this candle?"

    Different?

    This sentence made Xu Rendong suddenly enlightened: "Ishijian wears?"

     Even Qiao understood: "Let's go to the ninth floor and see." Then he limped upstairs.

    Xu Rendong stopped him, made him wait in place, and ran to the ninth floor by himself. Sure enough, the lanterns at the stairs on the ninth floor were also extinguished. He took off the lantern and saw that the candle inside was also missing.

    It looks like there is something wrong with the candle.

    Xu Rendong was about to go to see if the candle at the entrance of the stairs on the eighth floor was still there, but when she turned around, she bumped into someone head-on.

    The old lady with little feet is still wearing that red dress, her round body is tightly wrapped in the red dress, which is both ridiculous and weird. She didn't know why she was crazy, but at this time, a thick layer of white powder was applied to her face, like an unevenly painted earth wall, and the powder fell out when she grinned.

    This old lady with little feet was too old to tell her age, but at this time she was wearing heavy makeup and dressed like a funeral paper figure. How to see how strange, shocking.

    "Guest, aren't you seated yet?" The old lady stared straight at Xu Rendong, her eyes gloomy.

    The old lady smiled: "Everyone is waiting for you below."

    This sounds strangely uncomfortable. Xu Rendong couldn't continue to explore in front of the old lady, so he said, "Let's go then."

    So the little-footed old lady stretched out an arm and hooked Xu Rendong's arm. Xu Rendong only felt that he was entangled in a wet and cold dry branch, and a cold and damp feeling climbed up his arm.

    Although I feel disgusting, I don't want to turn my back on this little thing. Xu Rendong kept his face calm, and let the old lady support him, and went downstairs layer by layer.

    Lian Qiao should have been waiting for him on the third floor. However, only on the fourth floor, Lian Qiao greeted him: "Brother Rendong, guess me—"

    His voice stopped abruptly when he saw the old lady.

    No need for Xu Rendong to wink at him, Lian Qiao immediately changed the subject and greeted the old lady.

    The old lady chatted with him, suddenly noticed something, and asked him with slanted eyes: "This guest, where did your crutches go?"

    Lian Qiao was standing against the wall, and his expression changed slightly.

    Xu Rendong flicked away the old lady's hand and walked to Lian Qiao's side, pampering and scolding: "Look at you, you have to be coquettish. Okay, let's make a joke. ."

    These words were very light, like a whisper between lovers, but they just happened to be heard by the old lady. A look of disgust appeared on her face.

    "..." Xu Rendong shivered with disgust at his sudden numbness.

    The old lady with little feet couldn't stand it any more, and said dryly: "Guests, please come to the table with the old man." She turned her head and went downstairs by herself.

    The two supported each other and followed the old lady slowly downstairs. Xu Rendong recovered from the numbness and asked him, "Why are you running up here alone if you are not waiting for me on the third floor?"

    "I'm idle anyway." Lian Qiao whispered, "Guess what I found?"

    Xu Rendong thought about it and said, "Is there a problem with the candle?"

    "Yes." Lian Qiao leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "The lantern facing the stairs, the candle inside is different from the other lanterns. It is a Hollow circle."

    Lian Qiao clenched his fist loosely and made a ring: "It's about this big."

    Xu Rendong said: "I was also looking at the lanterns at the stairwell when I went upstairs just now. Except for the ninth floor and the third floor where we live, the lanterns on other floors are all lit. The candles should still be there."

    "Our lantern on the third floor was still on last night. If it went out last night, we would have noticed it. That is to say, the candle on the third floor disappeared today. "  Xu Rendong frowned: "Is it taken away by someone, or disappeared?"

    "I don't know. But it's possible..." He stopped before he finished speaking, and seemed to be caught in some kind of thinking.

    Xu Rendong looked over at him and waited quietly for his next words. However, until the two came to the open space in the hall, even Joe did not say what he said.

    A dozen round tables have been placed in the open space, all covered with bright red tablecloths, and the dishes have not yet been served. There were people sitting at two of the tables, and the rest of the dozen or so tables had empty stools.

    Everyone had a gloomy face, maintaining a dead silence. After all, only 20 of the 81-person team had died. Who would be in the mood for a banquet at such a time?

    At this time, seeing the little-footed old lady with heavy makeup, everyone's complexion changed, and their eyes showed various expressions such as confusion, fear, and disgust. Only Shi Jianchuan had a calm demeanor, beckoned with a smile, and let Ren Dong Lian Qiao sit at his table.

    Iwami Chuan had two empty seats beside him. I don't know that he specially reserved it for Rendong and the others, but no one wants to sit with him. Xu Rendong didn't care about this, and sat down beside him with Lian Qiao.

    Someone asked at the table: "What are you doing, why are you here so late?"

    Xu Rendong said lightly: "My friend has inconvenient legs and feet, so of course he walks slowly." He looked around, "Everyone is here?"

    Ishimi Chuan said with a smile: "The living are here, the dead are here, I don't know."

    When everyone heard this, they could not help but glanced around, as if the empty tables and chairs were really filled with fresh ghosts who had just died. Although the noon sun was shining straight down, everyone felt a gloomy backside and a chill.

    One person said angrily: "Why are you scaring people? Is this necessary?!"

    Iwamizumi shrugged: "It's not like this place hasn't been haunted."

    "Stop arguing." Xu Rendong had already seen Ishi Jianchuan's irritating skills, and spoke out to discourage the quarrel that was about to break out, "The old lady is here."

    Everyone turned around, only to find that the old lady in red with little feet was holding a glass of wine and walked between the two tables.

    "It's a great honor for all the guests to be here today." The old lady laughed so red her lips were almost grinning behind her ears, and the wrinkles on her face were terrifyingly deep. She raised the wine glass over her head, "Not much to say, I'll give you a toast."

    Everyone looked at each other, and their eyes fell on the small wine glass in front of them. The wine is orange-yellow like amber, with a fragrant aroma that looks very attractive. But who would dare to drink the wine prepared by the old lady in red with little feet?

    No one made a move, and the atmosphere stiffened for a while. The old lady was not angry, she drank the wine happily, and then clapped her hands, "Let's serve the food." Then a beautiful maid came out of the hall holding the dishes.

     Before those maids approached, a fishy smell was already blowing. Xu Rendong frowned and was about to speak, but found that Lian Qiao was staring straight at the tray in the maid's hand, with a strange look in his eyes.

    "Lian Qiao?" Xu Rendong whispered.

     Even Joe didn't answer.

    Ishi Jianchuan turned his head and gave Xu Rendong a thoughtful look.

    The maids walked to the table one by one and put the dishes down. Xu Rendong was shocked when he saw it. I saw that all the dinner plates were full of dead fish and rotten shrimp. The white maggots wriggled, and the stench made people almost vomit.

      Some people even couldn't bear it, and reached out to grab the rotten fish that the maggots were twisting.

    Xu Rendong frowned and was about to stop, but heard Shi Jianchuan say: "Don't talk, take care of yourself."

    Xu Rendong turned his head in surprise, but saw that Shi Jianchuan slapped off Lian Qiao's chopsticks with a slap, and said with a smile: "...and your friend."

    Xu Rendong then reacted, and quickly held down Lian Qiao to stop him from eating the dishes on the table. Lian Qiao struggled for a while, and asked in confusion, "Brother Rendong, what are you doing?"

    Xu Rendong said: "If there is a problem with the dish, don't eat it."

    Lian Qiao swallowed: "But it smells so good..."

    Xu Rendong grabbed his restless hands and said solemnly, "Be obedient."

    Lian Qiao stopped struggling, but kept glancing at the dishes and gulping at the dead fish and rotten meat.

    It seemed that Lian Qiao had been bewitched, and only relied on a trace of remaining reason to reluctantly suppress his appetite. The others were not dissuaded and were already feasting on the food. They devoured the rotten dead fish bit by bit, and some even lost their chopsticks and directly held a fish head with their hands, biting the bones of the fish.

    Maggots keep falling out of the fish head. The yellow-white juice flowed down the corners of the mouth, and those people had long since ignored their composure, and were rushing to eat, their faces were full of drug-like intoxication.

    This is not the way to go. Xu Rendong's brain is running fast, and his hands are not empty. He took out the climbing rope from his backpack and tied Lian Qiao's hands again.

    Lian Qiao was very unhappy about this, and scolded uncharacteristically: "What are you doing? Why are you tying me? Why don't you let me eat?"

    Xu Rendong tied a slip knot, the more Lian Qiao struggled, the closer the knot was drawn. This is the way even Joe himself taught him. But at this time, Lian Qiao had already forgotten how to break free from the knot. He twisted and even bit his teeth, completely losing his sense of being an adult.

    While Xu Rendong and Lian Qiaola were pulling, Ishi Jianchuan's leisurely, almost lazy voice came from the side: "Why do you need to spend all this time? You can give him another one, right? already."

    Xu Rendong didn't understand: "What?"

    Ishimi asked: "What floor did you take?"

    Xu Rendong suddenly felt blessed: "Did you take the candle in the lantern?"

    Shi Jianchuan heard this, but his eyes showed surprise: "Don't you take it? Then why are you okay?"

    Xu Rendong chewed the meaning of these words and finally understood. He immediately pulled up Lian Qiao, dragged Lian Qiao and turned his head away.

    Lian Qiao kept struggling. The old lady in red with little feet also noticed the difference and chased after him: "Guest, where are you going?"

    Xu Rendong said casually: "Go and have a briefing. What, do you want to follow?"

    The old lady with little feet was stunned for a moment, and then sneered: "No, no. Please do your own thing."

    Xu Rendong dragged Lian Qiao and walked towards the stairs without looking back. Seeing what happened, Shi saw that he got up and followed. The old lady with little feet frowned and reached out her hand to stop her: "Mr. Shi, why, do you want to leave the table too?"

    Ishi Jianchuan said with a smile: "I'm going to watch the fun."

    The old lady asked, "Isn't it lively enough with so many people here?"

    Ishi Jianchuan threw a swipe at the gobbling crowd, and said lightly, "A bunch of dead people, it's boring."

    The old lady had a strange look on her face when she heard this. Don't stop him, let him go.