Tong Suo tossed a coin into the well. It vanished into the dark, swallowed.
We waited for a clink, but none came. I stiffened, throat tight, speechless.
"This," Li Yang said, "might be the entrance to the underworld."
"You mean it leads to hell?" I asked.
"I don't know," he said, giving a wry smile.
I felt a mix of disappointment and relief. Our investigation had reached its end—this unfathomable well.
It reminded me of American horror films where the hero, escaping a creepy cave, finds a larger one outside.
To find the truth, we'd have to enter the well, but I knew none of us would.
It was a dead end, the finale.
After a long silence, Tong Suo said, "Since we're here, let's take a photo."
He set up a camera on the well's rim. We clustered for the shot, the flash capturing the moment.
On the way back, Tong Suo seemed down. "That's it?"
"What else do you want?" Li Yang rubbed his brow. "I'm exhausted. I'll rest up."
"Oh, right," he added. "Keep this quiet. I've got a bad feeling. The fewer who know, the better."
"Can I post it on Weibo?" Tong Suo teased.
Li Yang laughed. "If you're not afraid to die, go ahead. China's occult scene may be quiet, but hidden masters exist. If word gets out, we're screwed."
"What's next?" I asked, silent till now.
Li Yang's eyes were vague. "Maybe keep investigating, but I won't risk my life. Damin's gone; I won't make the same mistake."
Three days later, Li Yang moved out, warning me to leave too. The place's yin energy was heavy, harmful over time.
I agreed. Living here, I felt weak, floaty, and foggy, making mistakes at work and getting chewed out.
Staying could kill me.
I contacted my old roommate—our previous place was still available. I paid the landlord and moved back.
My roommate called me an idiot, throwing money away.
I didn't mind. The adventure was worth it, a story for my memoir.
Life normalized. I chatted with Tong Suo and Li Yang occasionally, declining their outdoor group invites.
I tried sealing away those memories and Li Damin's, focusing on my life. But a phone call dragged me into a darker vortex.
It was Li Damin's mother, a refined university professor, elegant and once a beauty. I'd met her a few times. Once, Li Damin caught me staring and threatened to gouge my eyes out.
Her call wasn't unexpected.
Li Damin had been missing for two months, no word. Even careless parents would worry.
I'd avoided his family, but couldn't escape.
Her sobbing voice broke my heart. "Auntie, don't cry."
"Little Liu, you're Damin's best friend. Don't lie—tell me, is he…"
My heart raced. "Auntie, what're you thinking? Damin's fine."
"Then why's he been gone for months? I've asked everyone, hired detectives—nothing. Li Yang said you know where he is. Tell me, is Damin… dead?"
I laughed awkwardly, my heart heavy. If people mentioned missing Li Damin, I'd be the first suspect, like I'd killed him.
"Auntie, don't overthink. He's probably off in some remote place, training in seclusion."
A long silence followed. She said, "Little Liu, I dreamt of Damin a few days ago… in hell, suffering, saying he misses me."
She asked to meet at a café.
I arrived to find Li Yang there, both waiting. It was cold; I shed my coat, sitting across from them.
Li Damin's mother looked haggard, thinner, with more white hair. She forced a smile. "Little Liu, what do you want to drink?"
"Anything."
She ordered coffee and pastries. Li Yang avoided my gaze, head down, brooding.
"Don't be scared, Little Liu. Just tell me about Damin," she said.
I sipped coffee, glanced at Li Yang, who nodded. "Tell her everything. She's his mother; she has a right to know."
I looked at them, leaned back, and lit a cigarette. "Can I smoke?"
Li Yang tossed me a pack. "Stop stalling. I've told her what I know."
I took a deep drag, organizing my thoughts, and recounted everything from interviewing Peng Liang to our underworld experiences.
She listened intently, silent throughout. Over an hour passed as I got lost in the memories.
She nodded. "Thank you, Little Liu, for telling the truth."
"Auntie, I wasn't hiding anything. Our experiences are so bizarre, beyond normal understanding. Even if you believe me, there's nothing you can do. It's beyond us, and I didn't want to burden you."
"I'll judge what's beyond me," she said coldly. "You don't decide for me."
Her words shamed me. I took shaky drags, my mind clouded.
Li Yang cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "My aunt had a strange dream about Damin. It might hold clues."
She said, "The dream convinced me to go through with it."
"With what?" I asked.
Li Yang said, "She contacted a master in Shanghai, arriving soon to perform a 'Yin Viewing' ritual for her."
"What's that?" I asked, puzzled.
Li Yang scratched his head. "Basically, it lets her soul leave her body to visit the underworld, find Damin, and talk to him."
I gasped, looking at her, a chill running through me.
Her eyes locked on mine. "Little Liu, this ritual is critical, and you must be there."
"Me?" I recoiled. I'd just escaped that nightmare, wanting peace, but trouble found me. "What can I do?"
Li Yang shrugged. "Not just you—me too. We'll follow the master's instructions."
I smoked hard, deciding. Damin's disappearance was tied to me. Instead of hiding, I'd face it. If she was doing this, I'd join her.
Li Yang said, "Auntie, tell Old Liu about the dream."
She nodded, speaking slowly.
Her son's disappearance weighed on her, causing sleepless nights. One night, unable to sleep, she sat on the living room sofa, feeling the night drag on.
She decided to buy wine at a 24-hour store to get drunk.
It was cold, but she didn't bother dressing warmly, just wrapping herself in a thick coat. The streets were silent, empty, save for the store's flashing sign.
She entered, the wind chimes ringing, but the store was deserted. She called out, got no answer, grabbed canned beers, left money, and hurried home.
At her building's entrance, she fumbled for keys when someone tapped her shoulder.
She turned and froze. Behind her stood four small ghosts, about 1.5 meters tall, naked, with wild hair, hunched, skeletal—like figures from hell.
They carried a massive red wooden coffin, covered in strange black runes, terrifyingly eerie. A red umbrella-like canopy topped it, the coffin open, as if inviting her in.