Since The Red Moon Appeared

Chapter 17: Vendetta

In the wild and rugged outskirts of the sprawling transportation factory, Qin Ran expertly navigated Lu Xin through a desolate expanse, where the haunting echoes of industry’s glory days lingered amid the forlorn factories and warehouses.
Nature’s reclamation was evident as unruly weeds defiantly pushed through cracked pavements, and corroded remnants of metal stood as silent witnesses to a forgotten era.

After a long journey, they found their way to a subterranean abode – a warehouse with an iron gate adorned in a mesmerizing shade of deep sapphire blue.

“Behold,” Qin Ran proclaimed, drawing in a deep breath that seemed to echo throughout the underground thoroughfare.
His intense gaze remained fixed upon Lu Xin, poised to share the knowledge he had gained.

Undaunted by the velvety cloak of darkness surrounding him, Qin Ran summoned his determination as he exerted force on the aged metal door, its reluctant creaks echoing through the chamber’s tranquility.
As the door yielded to his efforts, a wave of decay wafted over them, assaulting their senses with a pungent odor.
Instinctively, Lu Xin shielded his nose, momentarily retreating in obvious repulsion.
Nevertheless, he compelled himself to gather the courage to peer into its repugnant depths.”

Below them lay an expansive subterranean chamber, a foreboding pit ensconced in cold, unyielding cement and shrouded in stagnant, turbid waters.
Its dimensions stretched to a formidable five meters in length and seven meters in width, descending into the abyss approximately four meters deep.
Sturdy metal rings adorned the pit’s floor, firmly anchored and ensnared by chains that bound what appeared to be human limbs, their sanguine hue provoking a haunting sense of dread that sent shivers of trepidation down Lu Xin’s spine.

In the depths of this sinister chasm, he caught fleeting glimpses of macabre vestiges, decaying flesh in various stages of decomposition.
The unsettling sight brought forth a sudden and chilling realization of the gruesome truth.
“Such horror,” he murmured involuntarily, unable to cloak his unease.

Qin Ran appeared deeply perturbed as he observed, “Brother, how do you manage to remain so composed?”

His eyes bore an unadulterated expression of terror, rewinding to the chilling intrusion that violently shattered the tranquility of his once serene life.
Four assailants forcefully stormed in, leaving him irrevocably scarred by the indelible imprints of their malevolence.
” I was compelled to unveil there mysteries… Yet, those four malefactors… they callously rent into each other’s flesh,” he stammered, recounting the harrowing ordeal.

His voice trembled, evincing the enduring trauma as he continued, “Like ravenous beasts, they voraciously feasted upon their own exposed abdomens and dragged out there own sinue…”

Haunted by chilling memories, Qin Ran slammed the metal door shut, the resonant clang attempting to drown out the fear gnawing at his core.
“What are they?” he implored Lu Xin, his eyes bloodshot and desperate for any answer.

“Please, I just want to know the truth… Please, what exactly are they?”

Lu Xin empathized with the intensity of Qin Ran’s emotions, acknowledging that even the most indomitable soul would quiver in the face of such malevolence.

“This defies all I’ve encountered before, yet its undeniable peculiarity leaves me confounded,” Lu Xin ruminated aloud, his thoughts racing to comprehend the unfathomable.
“Could the culprit be the aberrant Old Cui, or something even more sinister? The pattern left by these assailants might hold clues – one on the first day, two on the second, four on the fourth day… a deliberate progression.”

A sudden revelation struck Lu Xin, prompting him to inquire, “How many days have elapsed since their last appearance?”

With tears welling up in his eyes, Qin Ran confirmed, “Seven days!”

As the foreboding reality of the eighth day loomed over him, Lu Xin’s countenance darkened, and a disconcerting revelation washed over him.
The prospect of eight more individuals arriving on the morrow sent shivers down his spine, unsettling him deeply.

“I must report this promptly,” Lu Xin resolutely declared, recalling Chen Jing’s counsel as he swiftly reached for his satellite phone.

However, Qin Ran’s eyes turned glacial, and with a steely grip on the ax he retrieved from the ground, he aimed it menacingly at Lu Xin, his voice low and merciless, “Young man, I’ve taken innumerable lives.
These few won’t shake my determination.
Whether it’s four, eight, or a dozen, fear does not tether me.
I could forsake this city and traverse distant lands, but do not entertain the notion of scheming against me.”

Qin Ran’s audacious defiance caught Lu Xin off guard, leaving him hesitating, his gaze flitting uncertainly to his bag, “The ax… Even if you brandish two guns, there’s an entire army behind me.
Should any harm befall me, you will not leave unscathed.”

Yet, Qin Ran remained resolute, asserting, “I can solve such an issue myself with enough preparation, but that’s not the crux of the matter.”

With deep concern etched on his face, Lu Xin shook his head, posing a probing question, “If you claim not to fear four or eight, what of sixteen?”

Qin Ran’s facade faltered slightly, responding in a hoarse voice, “Why do you ask?”

In a gentle demeanor, Lu Xin provided an explanation, “You mentioned Old Cui sought you out here, but on the third day, he traced you straight to your home.
Have you thought about how they persistently track you, irrespective of your whereabouts?”

With trembling hands, Qin Ran denied, “That’s inconceivable.”

Lu Xin countered, “The inscrutable nature of this situation should not be brushed aside.”

As time elapsed, the probability of more individuals hunting Qin Ran escalated, and Lu Xin envisioned a grim scenario – an unrelenting pursuit by countless adversaries, impervious to fear, resolute in their quest until he was eradicated from existence.

Qin Ran’s fear became palpable, the ax quivering in his grip, as he confessed with a strained voice, “I don’t want to go back to the wilderness, living without food or water for days.”

Understanding his fears, Lu Xin glanced at the basement, where a gruesome tale unfolded, deepening the gravity of the situation.
In a softened tone, Qin Ran whispered, “Fine, I’ll trust you for now, just please help me!”

Murmuring softly, Lu Xin responded, “As if you had a choice.”

With the tension diffused and resolution found, Lu Xin placed a call, adopting a more resolute, assertive tone, “Hello, Major Chen?”