Chapter Thirty-Two: Astonishing the Entire Exhibition

All the canvases were unveiled, and the contents within sent chills down everyone’s spines. It seemed as if every person present could hear the pounding of hearts around them, but not a single word was spoken. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to speak; rather, they were too frightened for words. Someone tried to stand and applaud, only to realize that their legs had gone weak and couldn’t support them.

After a long silence, someone finally initiated applause—it was the bespectacled man who had made critical remarks earlier. His eyes were full of admiration, and though his hands trembled uncontrollably, he still managed to rise and clap. With his lead, the other judges around him immediately followed suit, rising to their feet and joining in the applause. Soon, the audience and the artists joined as well, and in an instant, the sound of applause filled the entire exhibition hall.

The bespectacled man began his commentary: “These paintings are clearly the work of the same artist. To make something as innocent as a doll-like little girl and a teddy bear appear so horrifying—this person must have reached the pinnacle of both artistic and horror mastery.”

“Giving a mere score of one hundred would be an insult to these works—we’re simply unworthy to judge them.”

“It’s so strange. The subjects are so ordinary—the little girl is even quite cute—so why is it so terrifying?”

The judges all launched into lively discussion, and in the end, every single one awarded a perfect score.

The host on stage dared not even look at the paintings. He kept his gaze fixed on the audience, noticing that several people had fainted from fear. He immediately contacted the organizers, and a team of medics rushed in to carry the stricken out for treatment. Clearly, the organizers had anticipated that someone might pass out from fright.

“If the same person painted all these, then who is this artist?”

“Yes, who indeed?”

Curiosity began to stir, and all eyes turned toward the row of artists.

Ruan Miao, witnessing the situation, couldn’t help but smile. She was about to stand and bask in everyone’s envy when a man suddenly jumped up, patted his chest, and grinned smugly.

“My name is Cai Xushuang. I’m the creator of these four pieces.”

Ruan Miao was stunned when she saw him. Who was this guy and where had he come from?

The host invited Cai Xushuang to the stage to present him with the prize. Since the top four pieces were all from the same person, he would receive four generous cash awards.

At that moment, Ruan Miao could bear it no longer. She stood up and pointed at Cai Xushuang. “Have you no shame? Do you really think you painted these? Do you even know what you’re claiming?”

With that, she walked up onto the stage, pointing at the paintings. “These works are mine! I painted them!”

She roared in anger, but the crowd remained unmoved.

“She must have gone mad from fright sitting down there just now.”

“Who is this woman? Trying to steal someone else’s prize?”

“Ah... Blinded by greed, clearly.”

Nobody believed Ruan Miao. Not for any rational reason, but simply because she was the soft-spoken, delicate type—a picture of innocence, not someone you’d associate with the macabre. Cai Xushuang, on the other hand, had a somewhat sinister look about him, fitting perfectly the mental image of a horror artist. Coupled with the power of first impressions, everyone naturally assumed Ruan Miao was the impostor.

Cai Xushuang had initially felt a pang of guilt, but seeing the crowd’s support gave him confidence. He pointed at Ruan Miao and said, “What’s your problem? I poured my heart and soul into these four paintings, and now you’re putting me in a very difficult position.”

After being frightened away from the concert in Well City, Cai Xushuang had developed a psychological aversion to the place and fled to Spirit City. To make some money, he’d bought a horror painting at a low price and submitted it as his own. He had planned to win a cash prize, but when things unfolded this way, his greed got the better of him, and he decided to brazen it out. At worst, he’d be thrown out—he had nothing to lose.

Ruan Miao was left speechless by Cai Xushuang’s shamelessness. Now she truly understood the saying: a tree without bark will surely die, but a person without shame is invincible.

Seeing her fall silent, the audience was only more convinced of their assumptions and began to rain insults upon her.

“Unbelievable—how shameless can you be?”

“Someone pours their heart into their work and you claim it’s yours? Who could tolerate that?”

“You look so sweet—how can your heart be so rotten?”

Listening to their accusations, Ruan Miao suddenly laughed. She turned to the audience and said, “Let me show you something, and you’ll understand!”

Under the curious gaze of everyone present, she pulled out a doll—a meticulously crafted, eerily expressive doll that was unmistakably the one depicted in the paintings.

The moment she produced the doll, the entire hall was thrown into shock. Only then did everyone realize how it was possible to create such terrifying images: the paintings had a real-life model.

It was by painting from this doll that such horror was achieved!

No one doubted Ruan Miao any longer. All were awestruck by the doll, unable to imagine such a terrifying thing existed in the world.

But no one was more shaken than Cai Xushuang. He stared at the doll in disbelief, his mind flashing back to the concert in Well City... At the time, he’d only glanced at it from afar as he ran away, never getting a close look, but now, instinctively, he recognized this doll as being one and the same.

It was unmistakably the same doll!

Just as he was scrutinizing it, trying to be certain, the doll suddenly moved!

Its uncanny eyes abruptly fixed on Cai Xushuang, who was so terrified that he collapsed onto the floor, trembling all over.

The audience assumed that Cai Xushuang’s collapse was due to his exposure as a fraud, and began to jeer.

“You, the fake artist—get out of here! Just the sight of you is disgusting.”

“Get lost! Get lost!”

Amidst a chorus of boos, Cai Xushuang scrambled to his feet and beat a hasty retreat. He wasn’t embarrassed—he was terrified. The doll’s actions at the concert were still vivid in his mind; how could he not be afraid?

At last, Ruan Miao was able to accept her prizes with full legitimacy—a total of four awards, coming to one hundred and ten thousand yuan.

Holding the check, she was nearly giddy with joy. Never in her life had she seen so much money at once, and she knew she owed it all to Feng Tianlin, that doll.

After handing her the check, the host said, “According to the contest agreement, your four paintings will be exhibited in rotation under your name throughout China. Is that acceptable to you?”

“No problem at all,” Ruan Miao replied without a moment’s hesitation.

Of course it was fine—her doll was meant to spread fear, and a traveling exhibition suited that purpose perfectly.

Finally, Ruan Miao left the exhibition hall with her check. She flicked it with her finger, as if speaking to the air: “This time, I owe you a big thank you.”

A strange, barely perceptible laugh echoed in the air: “Hahaha.”

The exhibition’s extraordinary impact was all thanks to Feng Tianlin. Had it been only the four paintings alone, they would never have produced such an effect. Feng Tianlin had released his own aura into the hall, and since humans are instinctively afraid of eerie supernatural presences, everyone had been terrified. Combined with the inherent horror of the paintings, the result was utterly overwhelming.

“Let’s go—I deserve a good meal!” check in hand, Ruan Miao skipped away, deciding to treat herself to dinner. The bank was long closed, so the check would have to wait until tomorrow to be cashed.