In the empty guidance hall, three black figures illuminated by lanterns looked at each other for a few seconds.
Joan was the first to speak, her soft voice echoing in the dimness: "Carolon, is your bathroom blocked?"
"It's not like I haven't had this suspicion before. Maybe it's a dead rat in a corner."
Fan Ning said, holding up a lantern and leading the way to the activity hall on the short side of the "L" shape on the first floor: "But it's a bit strange... When I came here more than half a year ago, there didn't seem to be such an obvious stench..."
"You mean this unpleasant smell has suddenly become stronger in the past six months?...Hey, wait for me." Qiong quickly followed the two people in front of her.
Fan Ning's "Zhu" spirit felt much stronger than the other two, and he was more familiar with this place. At this time, while exploring the way in front, he explained the original functional layout of each floor of the museum to the two people behind.
Although in this case, the environment was more terrifying than last time, his expression at the moment was quite relaxed.
It's just an art museum that has been in disrepair for a long time. Last time I came here alone, nothing happened. This time there are three knowledgeable people.
This event hall used to be mainly used for auctions, conferences or some small performances. It can accommodate about two hundred guests. Now the auditorium is covered with a thick layer of dust. When walking through it, it is obvious that the skin will encounter spider webs from time to time.
Feel.
A few people walked around the hall twice in the darkness, but found nothing strange.
"This place is suitable to be used as a chamber music hall in the future, but it is only small at best. I'm afraid the symphony cannot be performed here." Qiong held a lantern, stood on the empty stage, and commented while looking at the two people below.
"I have never thought of building a symphony hall here, it is too unrealistic." Fan Ning responded, "Even if it is converted into a chamber music hall, more aisles and cast and crew lounges will be needed behind the stage. In terms of cost,
Not cost-effective. My idea here is to maintain the design of the event hall and build a rehearsal hall and recording studio on the first floor directly below..."
He continued to think about himself: "Well, in the first stage, the orchestra's formal performances are mainly invited to major concert halls, and a separate building will be built on the short side of the L-shape that is connected to it...Besides this
For external expansion, my financial ability and risk resistance must be taken into consideration..."
"Caron, does your art museum have a telephone?" Joan suddenly asked an incomprehensible question.
"What do you mean?" Fan Ning asked in surprise.
"Why do I feel like I heard a phone ringing upstairs..." Qiong tilted her head in confusion.
"...Can you stop scaring me by being a fool?" Even though Fan Ning was already a fifth-level knowledgeable person, he couldn't help but swing the lantern in his hand a few times and glanced at the dark door of the event hall.
.
He thought that when he checked his father's office on the second floor, there was indeed a phone box on the table, but the wire had been broken on the ground, and he had stepped on it.
Fan Ning closed his eyes and listened carefully for a few seconds in surprise, and then said: "Where is the sound of the phone upstairs? Joan, did you hear it wrong? In an environment that is too quiet, people may be confused by some people around them.
The noise floor is too sensitive.”
"Caron, it seems like it really happened. I'm not sure if I heard it too." Sheeran spoke at this time.
The three of them couldn't help but get closer.
This moment really made Fan Ning look nervous. It's not that he was afraid of some kind of ghosts. In this world of mysticism, if there are any evil spirits in this art museum, it is within the acceptable range.
…
He was purely cautious. The system of this world is too chaotic. Every time he experienced several battles, he encountered factors beyond his expectations. And the knowledgeable people who often come in and out of the mysterious field may die when they die.
More inexplicable than ordinary people.
This art museum had previously hidden many secrets, and Fan Ning was now very worried that an existence that no one could understand would suddenly appear somewhere.
After listening carefully for about ten seconds again, Fan Ning still shook his head in confusion: "I really didn't hear anything. You know, my 'candle' phase spiritual sense is much stronger than yours."
Xilan said: "The sound was vague and intermittent. I really heard it just now, but it seemed different from what Qiong said. Now I hear nothing..."
Qiong also said at this time: "It's not necessarily the sound of the phone, it can only be said to be similar to a sharper ringing sound...and it's not necessarily upstairs. I just asked you like that in my first reaction. How do you feel about people?"
Without external stimulation, it is easy to change the way of description when listening repeatedly..."
Her tone gradually became less confident as she spoke: "Caron's spiritual sense is so strong that he didn't even hear it. Maybe we are hallucinating..."
"I heard a short piece again!" Sheeran was sure this time. "Joan's later description was more accurate. It was a sharper sound, but it was too weak. It was much weaker than the violin at the beginning of Carloen's symphony.
The high A is still weak”
"But I feel like the direction is not upstairs, but the far end of the other side of this floor...it's gone again."
"The far side on the other side? Mobile exhibition hall?" Fan Ning suddenly looked solemn.
He remembered that when he came to the art museum half a year ago, this was the direction he initially headed.
At that time, as he walked, he felt that the stench was getting stronger and stronger, and his heart gradually became hairy. Later, the blocked path gave him a reason to retreat and change sides.
"Go and have a look over there, everyone, please be careful." Fan Ning took out the baton from his clothes and led the way out of the door of the event hall, his spiritual sense was already in full force.
Sheeran skillfully pulled out the military automatic pistol. She has done a lot of shooting exercises in the past few months according to Fan Ning's instructions. As for Joan...she has tried the suggestions given by Fan Ning, but judging from the training results, she
His talent has nothing to do with shooting.
In the long and dark gallery, three people walked slowly in a group.
The putrid smell mixed with the musty smell was indeed getting stronger and stronger.
Fan Ning held the baton and slowly opened the way, Qiong was in the middle, and Sheeran stepped back holding the gun, staring at the darkness behind.
I have to say that in this environment, the back is just as uneasy as the front. The three of them marching like this gave each other a lot of psychological support.
"Did you still hear it?" Fan Ning asked once during this period.
“I haven’t heard anything since I left the event hall,” both said.
The walls on both sides were empty, just like before. Occasionally, there were some graffiti that had not been cleaned up, or stains like meandering water that entered the aperture of everyone's lanterns.
After walking around the corner of the corridor and arriving at a place with a wider view, the two little girls turned back, showing the same dumbfounded expressions that Fan Ning had before.
Under the weak light of the lantern, the field of vision was filled with easels, picture frames, tables and benches, dismantled doors and windows, and plaster objects stuffed in the gaps: portraits, geometric objects, fruit models, and facial features models.
A little taller than Fan Ning.
"Qiong, can you control the light of first acquaintance with these things and move them away?" Fan Ning asked.
"They are all too different and independent. It is a bit difficult to define them as wounds, but I can try. The three of them stand together and walk against the wall."
Fan Ning walked to the wall and propped up a slanted wooden door. Under Qiong's control, the scattered small objects slipped to the gap on the other side. Several people squeezed in and continued amidst the unpleasant smell.
Push forward and open all the tables and windows
The open space gradually closed in, and the three of them followed the wall and entered the long and narrow corridor again.
Then everyone discovered that there were far more debris than they thought. The three of them hurriedly held on and stumbled nearly twenty meters away, but there was still no end.
After a while, several people leaned against the wall and rested for a while, surrounded by debris on three sides. Their arms were still supporting several key points to prevent large objects from falling down.
Fan Ning's spiritual sense followed the gap and it might take more than twenty meters to reach the end of the pile.
"Caron, this is really exhausting. What is going on? Is this your warehouse? Did you pile up the things?" Joan asked breathlessly.
"I really don't know." Fan Ning looked helpless, "This direction is a mobile exhibition hall that serves freelance artists. I don't understand why there was so much debris piled up in the end. This is probably all the easels, doors and windows in the entire art museum.
, tables, chairs and sketching props.”
He couldn't help but have a strange thought: The Special Patrol Office had previously sneaked into the art museum and searched for the fragments of the audio series. Have they been here before?
Logically speaking, if there is really something hidden in this direction, the pile of debris in the corridor, which is as tall as a person and more than 40 meters long, is unlikely to be able to stop them. On the contrary, it might even give priority to the Special Inspection Office's attention.
to this area.
If you know that there is a piece of gold hidden on the opposite side, ordinary people can make up their minds and take the time to get it. It is a bit annoying at best.
"I heard that sound again."
"I also seemed to hear it. It wasn't a phone call, but some kind of sharp ringing, but the volume was very light."
The two little girls spoke again one after another.
"If you think you hear something strange, speak up immediately."
Fan Ning scanned the bodies of the two people with his spiritual sense. The various light, shadow, and colors represented very healthy meanings.
This made Fan Ning very confused. Could it be that it was his own conductor's ears that had the problem?
"In which direction? Is it upstairs or this direction?"
"I can't tell clearly, and it's gone. It's too weak. Sometimes I think it's a whisper, sometimes I think it's in the distance, and sometimes I think it's in my mind..." Sheeran said.
"Move out first." Fan Ning continued to lift a window in front.
After a few minutes, everyone got out of the pile of debris and the corridor became empty again. The three of them carefully checked everywhere.
"Carolon, if there is something hidden behind the wall, can you find it?"
"My spiritual sense cannot penetrate thick objects, but I can definitely detect something strange like a hidden grid."
There are many doors leading to mobile exhibition halls or small rooms on both sides of the corridor. Several people checked carefully, including every part of the walls and corners, until finally, they reached the end of the long corridor on the first floor - above here.
The second floor is where "Moonlight Night on the Dnieper" once hung.
"Did you notice when the smell became lighter?" Qiong asked.
"It's probably because my nose is gradually getting used to it. It does seem to be worse than before." Sheeran sniffed a few times deliberately.
"It's possible that there's nothing here at all. Let's take it back first, and then go to the second and third floors to check." Fan Ning motioned for everyone to leave.
But as we turned back, the stench gradually became stronger again!
Fan Ning stared at the darkness ahead, his eyes flashing.
That was the pile of debris that the previous few people had spent great efforts moving through.
"Go back and stick to the other wall. Qiong, please clean up the small things again." He walked closer, bent down and stretched out his hands, and once again opened a long table next to it. The dust fell, making several people choke.
A cough.
This time, after only moving a few meters, everyone found a door on the wall.
The door was closed, but the handle was severely rotted. Fan Ning tried to twist it, but found that it was not locked. The door body and the wall were slightly stuck, so he kicked it a few times and pushed it open.
This is a relatively regular circular exhibition hall with a diameter of less than ten meters. The room is empty and the wood pulp-colored wallpaper has fallen off in large areas. In the center of the room is a small ring-shaped collection display counter. The walls are also surrounded by glass showcases, so you can see inside.
Exposed rusted lighting gas light pipes.
Seeing this scene, Fan Ning had some impressions. This double-circular display room is not used to store oil paintings, but is an installation art exhibition hall. It also displays some small sculptures, handicrafts, prints, and sandstone paintings.
.If I remember correctly, there should be several rooms like this nearby.
A few people walked around it for a few times and then left. Sure enough, after carrying the debris and walking about ten meters forward, everyone saw another door.
"I just heard that strange sound again, and this time it felt very close." Joan said softly next to her.
Fan Ning supported the easel behind him with one hand and unscrewed the door handle again with the other hand. Sheeran held the gun and stared unblinkingly at the crack of the door that was gradually opening.
A thicker and thicker stench assaulted their nostrils, and the three of them almost felt sick after taking a breath.
But it was very quiet in the darkness. Fan Ning took a few steps in, frowned and looked around before retreating.
The layout is basically the same as the previous room.
Then, a few people moved forward and opened two more identical doors, but there was nothing unusual.
The uncomfortable smell that could not find its source was still strong. Fan Ning stood there and thought for several minutes, and then said: "Go back to the second room."
Everyone groped around again, and beads of sweat gradually appeared on Qiong's forehead.
She watched Fanning repeatedly circle the smelly room and asked, "Caron, did you find anything?"
"Do you think this room is not round enough?" Fan Ning stood by the wall, lowering his head for a while, then looking up, looking around.
"It's quite round." Qiong tilted her head in confusion.
"No, you come to where I'm standing."
The two gradually discovered that the other half of the room was a circle, while the half where Fan Ning was standing seemed to be an ellipse, slightly deflated. Since there were glass showcases and gas light pipes on the walls, and the lights were dark, this was only ten meters away.
is extremely unnoticeable in diameter.
"Is it possible that there were deviations during construction?" Sheeran asked.
"No, I'm pretty sure that those round rooms before were really standard circles." Fan Ning said firmly.
"Caron, there are traces of the secret ritual here." Joan stood next to Fan Ning at this time, facing the wall, and her nose was almost touching it.
"The remains of the secret ritual? Are you saying that someone has been here recently? Was he responsible for this foul smell?"
"The source of the smell has nothing to do with it." Qiong shook her head: "This is not the kind of executive secret ritual, but another type of continuous secret ritual. It should have existed for several years, and it is not accurate to say that there are residual traces.
Well, its effectiveness is not over yet, but it has reached its end.”
"Its function should be simple and crude isolation, isolating specific things and also isolating inspiration, but this does not prevent it from having a higher level. If it lasts for such a long time, if it does not reach the final stage, I will do it because of your reminder.
Being so close, I can't detect the so-called residual traces."