Chapter 106: Chapter 106: Terror in the Deep Mountains

Goldie Thorne remembered the movie he had just seen that morning. It was about a beautiful female ghost who met a scholar in the wilderness, followed him home, and then ripped out his very heart. He would never forget that bloody scene for as long as he lived.

So damn scary!

At Tang Xiaonan’s words, Goldie Thorne, who was already on pins and needles, broke out in a cold sweat. He grew even more terrified, trembling uncontrollably. His voice shook as he summoned his courage and called out, “Hey… Is that a person?”

“U-Uncle… are you saying she’s not human?”

Patrick Thorne’s voice trembled too. His post-movie trauma was even more severe, and his lips quivered. Slowly, involuntarily, he leaned toward a source of warmth—Adrian Hawthorne, all his usual swagger gone, replaced by a timid, shrinking posture.

“I… I don’t know… Patrick, you go take a look.” Goldie Thorne’s voice trembled even more. The more he stared, the less human the figure seemed, and yet its silhouette was so damn fine. ’What else could it be besides one of *those things*?’

’These things specialize in sucking the life force from able-bodied men,’ he thought. ’And among the four of us, I’m the most robust!’ Goldie Thorne’s pupils dilated, and he could hardly breathe. His hand gripping the flashlight trembled relentlessly. The wavering beam of light only made the shadow appear more sinuously enchanting.

The sound of heavy panting was exceptionally clear on the silent mountaintop. Tang Xiaonan, already frightened, was made even more tense by the uncle and nephew. Her two small, chubby hands clamped tightly around Goldie Thorne’s neck.

“Go… go back to Auntie’s… house…”

“I… I can’t move. That thing’s got my neck… Patrick, you… you take Xiaonan and go… I… I’ll hold it off!”

Goldie Thorne felt a pair of invisible hands close around the throat of his destiny, suffocating him. He could feel his life slipping away, moment by moment.

Though his heart ached for his fleeting youth and the fact he had yet to spend a wedding night with a city bride, Goldie Thorne resolved to sacrifice himself to save his nephew and niece.

Moved by his own heroic sacrifice, Goldie Thorne inexplicably found a surge of courage. He yelled, “Patrick, take Xiaonan and go! Your uncle is going to fight this thing!”

“No… We leave together!”

Patrick Thorne found a surge of courage as well. He hefted a stool to use as a weapon and took a bold step forward. He was determined to protect his little sister, vowing not to let this female ghost get her.

Tang Xiaonan squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to watch the brutal scene she was sure was about to unfold. The expressions of the uncle, nephew, and niece were perfectly in sync—all of them ashen-faced, with teeth clenched.

“It’s just a tree.”

Adrian Hawthorne’s calm voice shattered the suffocating tension. It was like the return of spring to the earth, like the warm sun shining high above. Tang Xiaonan instantly felt her spirits lift.

The uncle and nephew looked awkward and extremely uncomfortable. That had been utterly humiliating, and right in front of Adrian Hawthorne, too. ’That jinx is definitely laughing at us on the inside,’ they thought.

Goldie Thorne chuckled dryly a few times. “I was just kidding. How could there be one of *those things* in broad daylight? Let’s get going… We should hurry home. This wind is making it awfully cold.”

Patrick Thorne belatedly realized he had been hiding behind Adrian Hawthorne—the very person he usually looked down upon. A hot flush rushed through him, and his face burned hotter than if it had been slathered with chili oil. He tried to walk away with feigned composure but forgot he was still holding the stool high above his head, making his movements look bizarre.

The corner of Adrian Hawthorne’s mouth twitched. ’Calling them clumsy bears would be an overstatement,’ he thought. ’They have less guts than a chicken.’

To save face, Goldie Thorne strode over to the shadow—a crooked little tree. He angrily gave it a few kicks, then winced in pain and started swearing. His curses were harsh, but they were interrupted by a delighted cry from behind him.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep