Chapter 114: This Qiao Qiao Is Not So Cold

In that fleeting moment, each person reacted differently.

Furukawa Satoshi remained silent for the time being.

Qiao Qiao leaned in closer, scrutinizing the woman’s appearance carefully.

Asano Ariko was startled but soon began to examine the woman’s features just like Qiao Qiao.

Hashimoto Kotone, however, took several steps back, pressed her back against the wall, covered her eyes, yet peeked through her fingers at the screen. Eventually, she cowered in the corner, trembling.

She probably looked just like this when she watched low-budget horror films in the past.

“This is indeed that woman,” Qiao Qiao confirmed, comparing with the deceased’s profile attached in the file.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Metropolitan Police Department and exorcists, once an incident was classified as supernatural, the police would provide exorcists with information inaccessible to ordinary people.

“The videotape doesn’t seem to carry any spiritual energy,” Asano Ariko activated her spiritual sight and carefully examined the tape and the recording equipment.

Following the recent incident with the game company, Asano Ariko was cautious.

“Indeed,” Qiao Qiao nodded.

When he first entered the inn, he had already scanned the place.

Although there were some residual spiritual energies, they posed no significant threat.

Even normal living environments emit a slight amount of spiritual energy.

It was a natural phenomenon, and none of the energies Qiao Qiao detected harbored any resentment.

It was quite safe.

Still, to be on the safe side, he casually lit a soul-pacifying incense stick to dispel the residual energies.

“Master, is this enough?” Furukawa Satoshi, curious at how Qiao Qiao had started working with barely a word, asked.

“No, this is just a simple cleansing ritual,” Qiao Qiao explained, then glanced at Hashimoto Kotone, who was still curled up in the corner.

“Hashimoto-san, it's no longer playing. You can open your eyes now.”

Only upon hearing this did Hashimoto Kotone timidly stand up.

“Let’s go to the site—the filming location,” Qiao Qiao said.

This vengeful spirit wasn't particularly strong.

As long as they found its hiding place, it would be easily dealt with.

The real challenge was getting Hashimoto Kotone to take action.

As the Chinese proverb goes, the best way to dispel fear is to confront it.

If one can face their fear head-on and overcome it, they can conquer their inner demons and transform successfully.

Soon, Furukawa Satoshi led Qiao Qiao and the others to the abandoned sewage treatment plant.

Mount Hiei is the headquarters of the Tendai sect, a Buddhist school originating from Mount Tiantai in China, with a long history in Japan.

But Mount Hiei was vast.

Even with Enryaku-ji Temple and Hiyoshi Taisha Shrine, many areas in the mountainous region remained relatively undeveloped.

Several decades ago, there were still villages nestled among the mountains.

This sewage treatment plant had been built to serve those villages.

Later, when the villagers relocated to central Kyoto, the treatment plant gradually fell into disuse.

Not far away lay an abandoned village, once inhabited but now overrun by creeping vegetation, evoking a post-apocalyptic atmosphere.

“D-Do you think this place is haunted?” Hashimoto Kotone clutched Asano Ariko’s hand nervously and glanced around.

“I’d actually prefer if it were haunted,” Qiao Qiao, following behind Furukawa Satoshi, smiled upon hearing Kotone’s words.

“If the vengeful spirit isn’t here, then we’re in trouble.”

They entered the sewage treatment plant.

Since it had only been abandoned a few years ago, the structure was still intact; if connected to a power source, it could still function.

“Hashimoto-san, please use your spiritual sight to inspect this sewage treatment plant,” Qiao Qiao patted Kotone’s shoulder, causing her to shiver.

“Ins-Inspect?” Hashimoto Kotone had studied spiritual sight techniques, but activating it meant seeing many things normally invisible, which terrified her.

It was as if the familiar world suddenly became strange and frightening.

Still, with Qiao Qiao and Asano Ariko nearby, Kotone summoned her courage.

Upon opening her spiritual sight, her eyes shimmered with tiny stars.

In her vision, the once ordinary abandoned sewage treatment plant became entangled with faint strands of spiritual energy.

Following the increasing density of this energy, she moved forward.

Passing through a door, she saw it.

Tangled like tree roots, the spiritual energy coalesced.

In a room devoid of sunlight.

At its center stood a woman.

She wore red, with short, withered hair, her pale face stained with two streaks of bloody tears.

Her pupils lacked sclera, and she noticed Hashimoto Kotone.

“Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-Jo-san...” Kotone hurriedly called for help.

But at that moment, she realized she was utterly alone.

“???”

Without knowing when, Qiao Qiao, Asano Ariko, and Furukawa Satoshi had all vanished.

Even the door behind Kotone was shut tight.

“Help, help, help me!” she pounded on the door.

But there was no response.

The vengeful spirit grinned widely, muttering incessantly.

“Why me? Why me...”

It slowly floated toward Hashimoto Kotone.

“D-Don’t come closer!”

Instinctively, Kotone wanted to curl up and cover her head.

But she quickly realized that doing so would be the end.

She stepped back two paces, pressing her back against the door.

Click.

At that moment, her foot struck something.

Looking down, she found a handgun.

?

Why was there a gun here?

Without overthinking, Kotone immediately picked it up.

She could sense a faint spiritual energy emanating from the weapon.

She didn’t know how to check if it was loaded or how to disengage the safety.

But facing the approaching spirit, she couldn’t afford to hesitate.

All she knew was to pull the trigger.

Bang—

A bullet fired from the muzzle.

Though she hadn’t aimed carefully, it still struck the spirit.

Sizzle—

White vapor rose from the struck area, and the spirit’s movement halted.

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