Chapter 90: The Rattle’s Secret (Part Two)
A warm scene suddenly flickered through Shen Yu’s mind.
It was the same cozy pink bedroom.
Little Yun Han lay on her bed, gazing through the window at children happily playing outside under the bright afternoon sun.
A gentle woman with long hair and round glasses sat beside the bed, smiling warmly.
"Hanhan, don’t you want to go outside and play too?"
The little girl nodded pitifully.
"Mom... how much longer will my fever last? I want to go to the amusement park."
"You can’t run around while you’re sick."
Her mother lovingly brushed the girl’s bangs aside.
"You need to rest first."
Then she reached into a nearby cabinet and took out a stack of colorful paper.
"Come."
"I’ll teach Hanhan how to fold paper cranes."
The little girl’s eyes sparkled.
"Really?"
"Mhm."
"If you fold one thousand paper cranes, your wish will come true."
"Really?"
"Then I’ll wish to get better!"
The woman chuckled softly.
"Then let’s begin."
Mother and daughter sat side by side, carefully folding one paper crane after another.
Laughter filled the little room.
Warmth.
Peace.
Home.
After some time, the woman glanced at her watch before gently patting Yun Han’s head.
"Hanhan."
"Mom has to go teach class."
"You stay home and be good."
The little girl’s smile instantly faded.
"But... Mom..."
"I’m scared."
The woman’s heart softened.
"My silly girl."
She reached into a drawer and pulled out a tiny rattle drum, placing it carefully into Yun Han’s hands.
"If you’re scared..."
"Just shake this."
"Mom and Dad will come back as soon as we hear it."
Dong.
Dong.
Dong.
The little girl immediately shook it excitedly.
"A rattle drum!"
Her innocent laughter echoed through the room.
...
The memory ended.
Shen Yu slowly opened his eyes.
His expression had become considerably heavier.
"A thousand paper cranes..."
He silently looked toward the red coffin in the center of the courtyard.
At that very moment—
The two middle-aged tombstone villagers seated at the head table slowly stood.
Their movements were stiff.
Mechanical.
As though invisible strings were pulling them upright.
One of them raised a rusted shovel.
His cracked stone lips split into an eerie smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
"Thank you all for attending today’s wedding banquet."
"The auspicious hour has arrived."
"The joint burial ceremony..."
"Begins now."
"GOOD!"
"GOOD!"
"GOOD!"
Instantly—
The entire courtyard erupted into manic cheers.
Laughter.
Screams.
Applause.
The tombstone villagers pounded their bowls and tables wildly.
"Hehehe..."
"Hahaha..."
"Begin!"
"Seal the coffin!"
Behind Shen Yu...
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
The stone tablets growing from everyone’s backs suddenly became much heavier.
Cold stone fingers slowly emerged.
One.
Then another.
Dark-blue stone arms crawled out from inside the tombstones.
Their icy hands wrapped around Shen Yu’s shoulders.
Lucian’s waist.
Iron Mountain’s neck.
Even Mo Han’s arms.
"Damn!"
Mo Han’s expression changed dramatically.
"The thing behind us..."
"It’s coming out faster!"
He immediately activated Future Echo.
His pupils trembled.
A familiar voice echoed inside his head.
"It’s the joint burial..."
"Once the burial begins..."
"The things inside the tombstones awaken."
"If the coffin is completely sealed..."
"They will crawl out completely."
"It’s the joint burial..."
Shen Yu stared at the red coffin.
His eyes narrowed.
Before he could continue speaking—
Mo Han suddenly finished his sentence.
"If the coffin is sealed..."
"The monsters inside the tombstones will completely emerge."
Shen Yu looked at him in surprise.
Exactly the same words.
Not even a single difference.
A strange thought surfaced.
Without hesitation, Shen Yu wiped the blood from his forehead onto his finger and silently wrote another line on his arm.
Mo Han’s ability may be hearing voices from the future.
"What are you standing there for?!"
"Stop them!"
Mo Han shouted.
He immediately rushed toward the two officiating tombstone villagers.
Iron Mountain followed without hesitation.
Lucian drew close behind.
Shen Yu also charged forward.
But after only a few steps—
CRACK!
The stone figures behind them suddenly accelerated.
More bodies crawled out of the tombstones.
Cold stone arms tightly wrapped around Shen Yu’s shoulders.
Another pair grabbed his waist.
His movements immediately became sluggish.
Iron Mountain roared as he tried to break free.
Lucian struggled desperately.
Even Mo Han nearly fell to the ground.
Shen Yu’s face darkened.
"Not good..."
"The harder we interfere..."
"The faster they revive."
Mo Han gritted his teeth.
"So what now?"
"If we stop the ceremony..."
"They awaken faster."
"If we don’t stop it..."
"They awaken anyway."
He looked almost desperate.
"This..."
"There isn’t any solution at all."
The moment those words left his mouth—
A strange feeling washed over him.
Why...
Did this sentence feel so familiar?
As if...
He had already said it countless times.
Shen Yu’s thoughts raced.
Perhaps...
The answer was never stopping the joint burial.
Maybe...
The correct choice was surviving it.
Escaping it.
Breaking away before the resurrection completed.
His gaze slowly shifted back toward the red coffin.
There...
Perhaps...
Lay the true answer.
At the same time—
Mo Han looked toward a small side room on the eastern side of the courtyard.
"There!"
"No one has searched that room yet!"
"Everyone!"
"Follow me!"
Immediately—
Two completely different choices appeared.
Shen Yu sprinted toward the red coffin.
Mo Han, Lucian, and Iron Mountain rushed toward the small room.
Different directions.
Different paths.
Halfway there—
Mo Han suddenly realized Shen Yu wasn’t following.
His expression changed instantly.
"Shen Yu!"
"Shen Yu!"
"Where are you going?!"
"Didn’t I tell you to follow me?"
His voice carried genuine panic.
Ever since entering this nightmare...
He had subconsciously concluded one thing.
Following Shen Yu...
Was the safest choice.
Every Future Echo that reached the end...
Contained Shen Yu’s voice.
So if Shen Yu left—
Everything he had been relying on would disappear.
Ignoring him, Shen Yu continued running toward the deep pit.
He was only a few meters away from the coffin.
Then—
His footsteps suddenly halted.
His pupils contracted.
A line of poetry echoed inside his mind.
"Helplessly the flowers fall...
Yet the swallows return once more."
Swallows...
Return.
Return...
Cycle.
A terrifying realization struck him.
If...
He truly had experienced countless loops...
Then wouldn’t the Shen Yu from the previous cycle...
Have reached exactly the same conclusion?
He would have charged toward the coffin.
Raised Yun Han’s favorability.
Tried to break the cycle from there.
Yet...
He had still failed.
Otherwise—
Why would another Shen Yu now exist with no memories?
That meant...
Repeating the same decision would only recreate the same ending.
"I’ve been thinking exactly what my previous self thought..."
Shen Yu muttered.
"If I repeat his choice..."
"I’ll repeat his failure."
His eyes became frighteningly calm.
"So..."
"This time..."
"I’ll choose differently."
Without another second of hesitation—
He abruptly turned around.
Instead of jumping into the burial pit—
He sprinted toward Mo Han and the others.
Seeing Shen Yu change direction—
Mo Han finally let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Good!"
"You finally came to your senses."
"Staying together is obviously the safest option."
Inside, he silently rejoiced.
Just as expected.
If Shen Yu survived until the end...
Then following Shen Yu’s decisions could never be wrong.
Shen Yu caught up with the group.
"No more arguing."
He immediately looked toward Lucian.
"Mo Han."
"Lucian."
"Did either of you use your abilities to check what’s inside that room?"
Mo Han snorted arrogantly.
"Hmph."
"Who’s the leader here?"
"Me or you?"
He crossed his arms, preparing to lecture Shen Yu once again.
But before another word could leave his mouth—
The old wooden door of the side room slowly creaked open by itself.
Creeeak...
A freezing wind poured out from the darkness inside.
All four of them instinctively stopped in their tracks.