Category: Her Prey [Infinite]

Chapter 33 The Four Seasons Train (10)

The darkness loomed.

Zhu Ming gripped Yin Yu, her expression as dark as the night sky. “You’re not trustworthy.”

“Mingming, I’ve never lied to you,” Yin Yu said, smiling confidently. “Everything has its pros and cons. Come on, make your choice.”

The wind howled at the tunnel entrance.

Just as the darkness swallowed the last vestiges of light, Zhu Ming yanked Yin Yu into the carriage. Simultaneously, she threw the blade behind her, piercing the other Yin Yu, who had silently approached and was about to push her out of the train.

Yin Yu slammed the window shut, but she was a step too slow. The thick darkness grazed her back, the sound of sizzling flesh making Zhu Ming wince.

Yin Yu stumbled forward, falling into Zhu Ming’s arms.

Zhu Ming froze, her arms full of the soft, warm body, Yin Yu’s scent filling her senses. She quickly regained her composure and pushed Yin Yu away angrily. “Just because I saved you doesn’t mean we’re suddenly best friends! Get off me!”

Yin Yu clung to her like glue. Slightly taller than Zhu Ming, she easily wrapped her arms around Zhu Ming, holding her tightly. She lowered her head slightly and asked, “Are you sure you want me to let go now?”

Zhu Ming’s face was covered by Yin Yu’s long hair. She pushed it away, her voice cold. “Let go!”

Yin Yu: “Alright.”

She loosened her grip slightly, pulling back a little, the lingering scent of pear blossoms finally fading. Zhu Ming breathed a sigh of relief.

Then her face paled. Glancing down, she caught a glimpse of pink lace. “Wait,” she said quickly.

Yin Yu looked at her innocently, her nose brushing against Zhu Ming’s cheek. “What’s wrong? You told me to let go.”

Without waiting for an answer, she suddenly gasped, as if realizing something. “Oh, I understand! Mingming is shy! But earlier, you asked me to seduce you!”

Zhu Ming: “…………” Was she never going to let that go?

Zhu Ming’s face flushed. She gritted her teeth. “I was testing you! Don’t twist my words!”

Yin Yu chuckled softly, her hands lightly resting on Zhu Ming’s body. “A good deed should be seen through to the end. The back of my dress has been… compromised. If I let go now, I’ll be exposed. And you’re the one who ripped my collar. You should take responsibility.”

Faced with such shameless coercion, Zhu Ming’s resolve crumbled. “Can’t you just… hold it yourself?”

Yin Yu replied, “Lifting my arms hurts. And I’m afraid you’ll abandon me.”

Zhu Ming was speechless. Damn it, this woman was so troublesome.

But Yin Yu wasn’t lying. The entire back of her dress, from the collar to her waist, had been dissolved by the darkness, revealing raw, burned flesh. Blood stained her white skirt, a gruesome sight.

Just moving must be excruciatingly painful, yet Yin Yu didn’t seem to notice, her movements unaffected, only her face slightly pale.

Zhu Ming briefly considered letting her suffer the embarrassment of being exposed, but the thought of her being seen by these strange entities filled her with a strong sense of… protectiveness.

She didn’t think she was being soft-hearted or anything. She just… hadn’t lost all sense of decency.

Unable to shake Yin Yu off without exposing her, Zhu Ming resigned herself to being clung to. Since Yin Yu’s back was so badly injured, she avoided touching it. She placed her hands on her hips and said, her tone grumpy, “Move down a bit! You’re blocking my view! And let’s be clear, this is out of necessity! If you try anything funny, our cooperation is off! Don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Yin Yu slipped off her high heels, making her slightly shorter, and wrapped her arms around Zhu Ming’s waist, smiling. “Don’t worry! Since I offered to cooperate, I won’t go back on my word. Although you’ve wounded my heart deeply, Mingming… you’re too strong. I have no choice but to submit.”

Zhu Ming: “…” Her fists clenched.

The other Yin Yu, her body impaled by the blade, her white dress stained with blood, looked at them weakly. “Mingming, are you really going to cooperate with a ghost and kill me? You’ll regret it… Without me, my companion won’t open the window to carriage 60 for you. And the furthest carriage with a participant is 44. If you want to reach the back of the train, it will take a lot of time.”

Zhu Ming snorted. “Enough with the charade! I told you, I already knew which one of you was the ghost before you entered! I was planning to kill Yin Yu with your help, then deal with you! But you, you sly fox, just stood there watching, not lifting a finger!”

Yin Yu: “?” Was that really not directed at her?

The sly fox made a last-ditch effort. “No, you’re mistaken… cough, cough… how did you know?”

Zhu Ming, with Yin Yu still clinging to her, stepped forward and retrieved her blade. The sly fox collapsed to the floor, seemingly on the verge of death, but still clinging to her act.

Knowing that to expose a persistent ghost, you had to crush all hope, Zhu Ming said, “Didn’t I say? No matter how similar, a ghost is still not the original. Even if you can copy someone’s physical abilities and memories, you’re still not human. Humans and ghosts are natural enemies. The moment I said I had a way to tell you apart, your killing intent was undeniable. How foolish.”

What made Yin Yu so chilling was that she harbored no overt malice towards Zhu Ming. She wanted to extract her soul as casually as one might pluck a flower, without ill intent, simply to achieve her goal.

Yin Yu leaned against Zhu Ming’s shoulder, smiling. “You’re so mean, Mingming. You knew who the real one was and still attacked me.”

Zhu Ming, unabashed, poked Yin Yu’s face with her finger. “I said it was obvious which one of you was the ghost. I didn’t say it was you.”

The sly fox finally dropped the act. Her body twisted and contorted, transforming into a short, dark male ghost.

The thought that this thing had been impersonating Yin Yu made Zhu Ming feel both amused and disgusted. She wiped the black blood from her blade and stepped back, creating some distance.

This was a headache. Having Yin Yu clinging to her made it difficult to move. And she didn’t know what this sly fox ghost’s abilities were. She tried to push Yin Yu away.

Having reverted to his true form, the sly fox’s injuries vanished. He moved his body, a sickening squelching sound as five or six new arms sprouted from his sides.

He chuckled hoarsely. “You two are enemies, yet you chose to cooperate. How interesting.”

What was so interesting about it? He had already stated the reason himself.

Zhu Ming was still fixated on the strange, spotlight-like objects in carriages 1 and 60. She had a feeling this train wouldn’t be easily stopped, and those unique features in those two carriages must have a specific purpose.

If Yin Yu died, her companion, seeking revenge, might block access to carriage 60. Even if he didn’t, reaching carriage 60 would take more time.

Having years of her life stolen, Zhu Ming was furious. She wouldn’t let this go unpunished!

As Yin Yu had said, there would be plenty of opportunities to settle their score later. But this train… she wanted to blow it up now!

However… She looked at the sly fox, silent. Her gaze made him uncomfortable.

He shifted nervously. “What are you looking at?!”

Zhu Ming’s eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t you try to lure me into cooperating with you?”

The sly fox: “Huh?”

Whether someone was intelligent or foolish, omniscient or ignorant, strong or weak, as long as they had desires and emotions, their actions would reveal something. The sly fox shouldn’t have immediately turned hostile after being exposed, because he wasn’t facing ordinary participants, but two people who had a score to settle!

“According to the younger sister, ghosts can copy human memories. You clearly knew about the conflict between Yin Yu and me. You could have used Yin Yu’s information to lure me into cooperating with you. Even if I chose to work with Yin Yu to complete the instance, you knew there were greater incentives you could offer.” Zhu Ming pressed him, her voice sharp. “Why did you immediately give up on that approach? What are you afraid of?”

The sly fox glanced nervously at Yin Yu, stammering, “I don’t know what you’re talking about! Don’t make wild guesses! I’m a ghost! I’m going to kill all of you! Waaaaah!”

Zhu Ming: “…”

The sly fox backed away, wailing, frantically pounding on the door. Help! He wanted to escape! He wanted to leave this carriage immediately!

It wasn’t time yet. The doors wouldn’t open. And now that he had been exposed and reverted to his true form, even if the doors opened, he couldn’t move to another carriage.

Zhu Ming slammed the blade against the wall, her voice sharp. “What are you so afraid of?! What can she do to you?! What’s her ability? What’s her purpose? What is she?!”

The sly fox, his multiple arms wrapped around his head, sobbed uncontrollably. “I don’t know! Don’t ask me! I really don’t know!” While impersonating Yin Yu, he could use her abilities against her, but not anymore.

His behavior was too strange, too frantic, as if his mental defenses had completely crumbled. What had he learned from Yin Yu’s memories?

“Don’t bother asking. He won’t tell you.” Yin Yu chuckled softly, her breath against Zhu Ming’s ear. Zhu Ming’s earlobe flushed. She immediately pushed Yin Yu away, turning to face her, blade at the ready.

If Yin Yu’s abilities were dangerous, and she could use them now…

Seeing Zhu Ming’s wary, distrustful gaze, Yin Yu clutched her chest, the torn collar of her dress slipping off her shoulder, her tattered clothes making her appear vulnerable, though no one dared underestimate her.

Yin Yu tilted her head. “Mingming, I said I would cooperate, and I will.”

Zhu Ming: “Really? I don’t believe you.”

Yin Yu smiled. “You know I’ve never lied to you.”

Zhu Ming stared at her coldly for a moment, then finally lowered her blade.

It was true. After Yin Yu left, Zhu Ming had repeatedly replayed their time together, realizing that Yin Yu, that manipulative bitch, had never explicitly lied. She had simply avoided answering certain questions or answered selectively. She had never even said “I love you”… But was “I like you” any better? Shameless!

Zhu Ming glared at her, a surge of impatience rising within her. “The red ticket. I want it. Now.”

The sly fox frantically pulled out the red train ticket and slid it towards Zhu Ming. One ticket acquired. He retreated further into the corner, wishing he could become invisible.

Seeing Zhu Ming obtain the red ticket, the younger sister grew anxious. She didn’t know the nature of Zhu Ming’s relationship with the beautiful, seemingly vulnerable woman. She was afraid Zhu Ming wouldn’t help her identify her real brother. “So, which one of them is my brother?”

Zhu Ming glanced at the two innocent-looking men. “This ghost is a better actor than that sly fox. But it’s still easy to tell them apart. Have you noticed? Even though the ghosts desperately want the participants’ train tickets, during the day, they can only obtain them through deception. They can only steal them at night.”

The sister nodded. “Of course! Otherwise, they could just overpower us during the day when we can’t use our abilities and take our tickets for free!”

Zhu Ming said, “Exactly. During the day, find a ghost and have your brothers show their tickets and say, ‘I won’t trade my ticket for anything, but if anyone can take it, they can try.’”

The sister’s eyes widened in understanding. Of course! No matter how similar they appeared, their true natures were different. The voluntary trade rule applied between participants and ghosts, but ghosts weren’t bound by such niceties when dealing with each other.

One of the brothers exclaimed happily, “That’s so simple! Why didn’t I think of that?!”

The other brother sighed, then, with a swift movement, slipped his hands free from the ropes. He grabbed a nearby passenger and said, “Since you’ve figured it out, I have no choice. I’ll just take this person hostage. Little sis, blame that woman for exposing us! We could have all coexisted peacefully!”

The sister’s eyes widened in fury. “Let go of my brother!”

The exposed brother transformed, revealing his true form: a male ghost, his cause of death unclear. He looked at the sly fox with disgust. “You’re an embarrassment to all ghosts!”

The sly fox retorted, “You’re so much better? You’re all talk and no action!”

The ghost roared, the windows rattling from the force of his voice. Green flames ignited around him. “Just a few women! I’ll show you how it’s done!”

The sly fox remained silent.

Zhu Ming reversed her grip on the blade and chuckled coldly. “You think you’re the only one who can use fire? I can too!”

She flicked her finger at the flaming ghost. A tiny spark flew out, then fizzled and died midway.

The flaming ghost: “…Pffft! Hahahahaha!”

Zhu Ming: “…Laugh my ass!”

Enraged, she lunged forward, swinging the blade. A flash of crimson fire erupted. The flaming ghost, cunning, grabbed one of the brothers and used him as a shield. The brother screamed, the scene descending into chaos.

Suddenly, the brother’s screams stopped. His body blurred, and the next second, it was the sister who appeared in the flaming ghost’s grasp.

The ghost froze, his body momentarily dissolving from the impact of the substitution. The sister spat on the ground. “Idiot, we have abilities too.”

The siblings’ combination technique: Substitution!

Tsk. The flaming ghost’s eyes narrowed, and he threw the sister at Yin Yu. “You think you can kill me with such useless abilities? Dream on!”

His dissolving body reformed rapidly in the green flames. Zhu Ming seized the opportunity and swung the blade downwards, a surge of Yang fire erupting, clashing violently with the Yin flames like oil hitting water. The flaming ghost raised his hands, gathering his flames in defense. Zhu Ming’s blade was blocked.

Sizzle, sizzle. The flaming ghost winced, surprised by the intensity of Zhu Ming’s seemingly weak flames.

Damn it! His Yin fire was being neutralized! The blade would come down any second now!

His eyes darted towards Yin Yu, who had just helped the younger sister up. Yin Yu was clutching her torn dress, her movements restricted.

If one hostage wasn’t enough, he would take another. If he captured Yin Yu, the siblings wouldn’t dare use their substitution technique again, or they would hurt her in the process.

He released his hold on the blade and lunged towards Yin Yu. Yin Yu smiled at him, then, with a swift movement, swung herself around a luggage rack, using the momentum to launch herself towards Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming instinctively reached out to catch her… and caught a handful of slippery… blood.

Yin Yu landed in her arms, smiling. “Ghosts are so cunning.”

Zhu Ming shoved Yin Yu towards the flaming ghost, her voice cold. “Don’t get in my way!”

Yin Yu twisted in midair, landing gracefully, ducking under a blast of green fire aimed at Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming’s vision blurred momentarily, a stinging pain in her eyes. Their positions shifted. The flaming ghost was now between them. Zhu Ming lunged forward, but the flaming ghost abruptly stopped and turned to chase Yin Yu instead. Zhu Ming chased the flaming ghost, who chased Yin Yu. They ran in circles.

Yin Yu blinked, then suddenly changed direction, running straight towards Zhu Ming. The flaming ghost instinctively followed. At the same time, Zhu Ming turned around and threw the blade—just as Yin Yu crashed into her arms, the blade grazed Yin Yu’s shoulder and pierced the flaming ghost’s abdomen!

A few strands of hair drifted to the floor.

Zhu Ming stumbled backward from the impact, Yin Yu still in her arms. They quickly separated, grabbing luggage racks and vaulting over seats, reaching the flaming ghost before he could pull out the blade.

Zhu Ming grabbed the hilt of the blade protruding from his abdomen. Crimson flames ignited along the blade. She pushed down hard, slicing through his body, then twisted the hilt, turning the blade upwards. Yin Yu, waiting beside her, grabbed the blade and, following the line Zhu Ming had created, sliced upwards, cleaving through his chest, splitting his spine, and severing his head!

The flaming ghost was split in two from the bottom up, the two halves falling to either side.

Chapter 32 The Four Seasons Train (9)

Legs said indignantly, “We can’t just sit around and wait! We need to open the engine compartment and stop the train!”

They all agreed, but what could they do? They had no idea where the red ticket was.

Wenren Tu suddenly said, “Wait, aren’t we forgetting something? When a participant dies, their train ticket should go to a ghost. They all want the tickets. So what’s the point of them having them?”

More importantly, did the ticket retain the original participant’s information after being acquired by a ghost? Or would it change… and turn red?

Yes! Perhaps the red ticket they needed was the one obtained by a ghost! This thought rekindled their hope. At least they had a new lead.

But how to find the ghost with the red ticket became their next challenge.

They had no clues, and this spring cycle was almost over.

Wenren Tu glanced back at Zhu Ming. She knew Zhu Ming held grudges and wouldn’t let things go easily… Judging by her quiet demeanor, she was definitely plotting something.

Night passed, and the fifth round of summer arrived. The corpse vanished, and the carriage returned to its pristine state.

As luck would have it, just as they discovered the clue about the red ticket, someone poked their head through the window above.

It had always been Zhu Ming traveling between carriages. This was a first. It was one of the five-person team. He asked, “Hey, friends! Anything strange happening in your carriage?”

The participants in carriage 1 exchanged glances. Wenren Tu said, “What a coincidence. Yes, there is.”

The newcomer, a young man with blond hair, looked around the carriage, his face lighting up. “Great! You must have found a solution! Can you tell us?”

Wenren Tu said, “Not a complete solution. You had a sudden death in your carriage too, right? We’ve figured out that this train steals a year of the participants’ lifespans for every cycle of four seasons. That’s why that person died. The red train ticket might be able to stop the train, but it’s probably in a ghost’s possession. We haven’t figured out how to find it yet.”

The blond man was stunned, then said, “A year of lifespan? Sudden death? No one died in our carriage. We have an extra person!”

It seemed the other participant had been right. The ghosts’ abilities had evolved after the first day.

According to the blond man, they had been in carriage 37 for two “day-night” cycles. But at the end of the fourth cycle’s daytime phase, as they entered the tunnel, the lights had flickered. When they could see clearly again, they were shocked.

Because one of their five members had become two!

This had caused chaos within their group. The two individuals had identical train tickets and invitations, their mannerisms, their memories, everything the same. They couldn’t tell who was the ghost and who was the human.

They had no choice but to tie them both up.

Fortunately, it hadn’t happened again the following night.

The group had tried various methods to distinguish between the two. Since one of them had entered the instance with his younger sister, they asked her to test them with information only they would know. But both brothers answered every question perfectly.

Desperate, they decided to seek help from others.

But not only did they not find a solution in carriage 1, but they also received another piece of bad news: they were losing years of their lives just by riding this train! How terrifying!

Of course, the news of the strange occurrence in the blond man’s carriage didn’t improve the mood in carriage 1.

Zhu Ming stroked her chin. “No wonder I didn’t see any dead bodies in your carriage, but the atmosphere was strange.” They had been facing away from her, and she hadn’t looked closely, so she hadn’t noticed the duplicated person.

Wenren Tu joked, “This sounds familiar. It’s like the story of the Six-Eared Macaque in Journey to the West. He transformed into Sun Wukong, and no one could tell them apart. In the end, Buddha himself had to intervene. The ghosts on this train have evolved such abilities? They’re quite ambitious.”

The blond man’s mood darkened further. He could barely manage a weak smile. They had a Six-Eared Macaque situation, but no Buddha.

Their five-person team was made up of unrelated participants who had banded together. The only actual relationship was between the siblings. Now that her brother was… duplicated, the sister wouldn’t abandon him, or rather, them.

After several cycles, their food coupons were running low. Before discovering the window trick, they had each been focused on their own survival, resulting in residual ghosts in almost every carriage.

And since they weren’t acquainted in the real world and hadn’t formed strong bonds, no one was willing to risk collecting food coupons for two people who might be ghosts.

The five-person team was on the verge of splitting up. They wanted to separate from the siblings. The blond man felt it was disloyal, but if carriage 1 had no solution, then his own survival was more important.

Everyone was silent. Even the man’s own sister couldn’t tell which one was real. What could they possibly do?

Zhu Ming, having rested enough, stood up. “I’ll go take a look.”

Some things needed to be seen firsthand.

She continued, “I’m wondering, if the ghosts have evolved such an ability, why haven’t they duplicated everyone? By the way, which carriage are you in? Was there anything unusual about the carriage before you entered?”

The blond man thought for a moment. “We’re in carriage 37. Unusual? What could be unusual about a carriage? Oh, right! I remember another participant was in carriage 37 before us. He was looking through the window, asking for help. But he was dead when the doors opened.”

If that was the case, carriage 37 might actually have the red ticket!

Zhu Ming said, “Okay, I’ll go with you.”

“Wait, take this.” Wenren Tu tossed her the blade. “I don’t need it.”

Without another word, they split up. Wenren Tu, strong with her abilities but weak in hand-to-hand combat, stayed in carriage 1. Zhu Ming, more adaptable and agile, was better suited for unpredictable situations.

Climbing out of the carriage and onto the roof, Zhu Ming felt the cool breeze against her skin in the summer heat and looked out at the vast expanse of forest. “I must have been Spider-Man in a past life,” she sighed.

Carriage 37 was towards the back of the train. They quickly made their way there, but before reaching it, someone poked their head out of a window and called out:

“Blondy! We’re here!”

The blond man looked down, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

This was carriage 33, a relatively safe carriage where they hadn’t collected many food coupons. The person calling out to him was one of the other members of their five-person team. And there were other Awakened individuals in the carriage as well.

“Even his own sister can’t tell them apart! Do you really think someone else can? We weren’t even close to those siblings to begin with. It’s better to split up. They’re family. If the sister wants to take care of two brothers, that’s her business. It has nothing to do with us. Blondy, you’re not going back, are you?”

On one hand, there was a safe, new group with no strange occurrences. On the other, there were the indistinguishable siblings. The blond man was torn. Joining carriage 33 was the safer option, but they had fought together before. Was it right to abandon them now?

An idea struck him. “I just heard something in carriage 1. This train steals a year of our lifespans for every cycle of four seasons! The other participants probably don’t know yet. Since I’m outside, I’ll go tell them.”

He turned to Zhu Ming. “My friend, carriage 37 is all yours! I’ll go warn the others who are alone!”

He hurried off, eager to escape before his former teammates could pressure him to choose a side. Hehe, he wouldn’t choose just yet. He would see if there was a way to solve the siblings’ situation first!

The blond man’s willingness to inform the others saved Zhu Ming the trouble. She knocked on the window of carriage 37. “I’m from carriage 1. I asked you about the red train ticket earlier. Remember?”

The younger sister, recognizing her, opened the window. “Of course! Did Blondy send you? Is this happening in your carriage too?”

Zhu Ming shook her head. “No, but this is a rare opportunity. I can’t miss it.”

The sister looked surprised. Zhu Ming explained about the train stealing their lifespan and their theory about the red ticket being the key to opening the engine compartment.

“The red ticket is likely in the possession of a ghost who obtained a participant’s ticket.”

Zhu Ming sat in front of the two bound brothers, observing their expressions. “But finding that ghost is the problem. Blondy said you two are identical. I’m guessing that after a ghost’s ability evolves, it might become indistinguishable from a human. If it’s impersonating a deceased participant, possessing the ability to appear human during the day, it’ll be very difficult to identify.”

The two brothers simultaneously asked, “What does that have to do with my brother becoming two people?/Why wouldn’t the ghost transform into someone else?”

Zhu Ming’s eyes curved into a smile. “Because the rules only evolved after the first day. People died during the first three cycles, and the number of participants clearly decreased. This means that even if a ghost obtained a train ticket on the first day, it couldn’t disguise itself as a human. It was still bound to its seat.

The second day is different. The new rule allows a ghost with a train ticket to appear human. You two happened to be in this carriage, and you’ve already been through several ‘nights.’

The ghost had to reveal itself on the second night. When you all realized there was a new ‘person’ who hadn’t been there before, you naturally captured it. To avoid immediate exposure, it had to disguise itself as one of you.”

The doors opened at night, giving participants the opportunity to move between carriages, but they couldn’t climb outside during the tunnel sequence to check if there were any extra people in other carriages. This made identifying the ghost difficult.

So the situation in carriage 37 was both fortunate and unfortunate. Regardless, one of these two men was a ghost, and that ghost was the most likely candidate to have the red ticket!

The sister felt a wave of dizziness. She desperately needed to identify her real brother. Now, with only the two of them in carriage 37, it would be difficult for her to survive the remaining three and a half days alone.

“But how do we tell them apart? They’re exactly the same! They answer every question identically, even their little habits are the same! I can’t just kill one of them to see if they turn into a ghost, can I?” she asked, her voice filled with anguish.

Zhu Ming leaned forward and took their train tickets. “Of course not. I encountered a ghost disguised as a human in the previous instance. They were flesh and blood, even decapitation didn’t reveal their true form. They only changed after being exposed.”

The sister looked at Zhu Ming. “Give them back their tickets. I’m worried it’s bad luck not to have it on you.”

Train tickets had been specifically emphasized in the train etiquette rules. She didn’t want to accidentally harm her real brother. So after checking them, Zhu Ming returned the tickets.

Zhu Ming fanned herself with her hand, thinking. “Let me think.”

The younger sister stared intently at her brothers, not daring to relax.

“By the way,” Zhu Ming asked, “didn’t they resist when you tied them up?”

Both brothers answered simultaneously, “I’m not stupid! What if they mistakenly attacked me?”

Zhu Ming smiled. “True, and there’s nothing we can do during the day, with the conductor watching.”

She handed them back their tickets. “I know how to tell them apart.”

The sister asked eagerly, “How?”

Zhu Ming said, “This is a world ruled by rules. Naturally, we use rules to solve the problem.”

Just as she was about to explain her method, she noticed two reflections in the window.

Zhu Ming: “…What the…？！”

She turned to see two Yin Yus looking down at them from the roof, smiling. “Hi, Mingming!”

A wave of annoyance washed over Zhu Ming. One Yin Yu was enough. Now there were two! Which ghost had such terrible taste as to copy her?

She felt a surge of nausea, though she managed to suppress it, but the look of disgust on her face was undeniable.

The two Yin Yus, seemingly oblivious, said, “I’ve encountered the same situation. My companion is quite troubled.”

The other Yin Yu added, “Does Mingming have a good solution? Tell us!”

Zhu Ming snorted. “If I tell you, won’t that make me lose face?”

Suddenly, an idea struck her. If she could lure Yin Yu inside, she wouldn’t be able to move to another carriage. No matter how long she stayed outside, she would have to return to carriage 37 for the “night.”

And Zhu Ming had just entered this carriage herself… This was the perfect opportunity to…

She coughed. “Both of you come inside. This method requires the help of other passengers.”

One Yin Yu asked, “Really? Is Mingming tricking me?”

The other Yin Yu said, “Mingming is so cunning these days. Will you try to attack me?”

Annoyed, Zhu Ming snapped, “Enough with the ‘Mingming’ already! Are you coming in or not? If not, get lost! I’m trying to find a ghost among these two. What would I gain from tricking you?!”

The two Yin Yus, one human, one ghost, seemed to be on surprisingly good terms. They smiled at each other and climbed into carriage 37, one after the other.

The five-person team had cleared out some seats earlier. The two Yin Yus sat down, one on the left, one on the right.

The Yin Yu on the left asked, “So, Mingming, how do we tell them apart?”

The Yin Yu on the right added, “Don’t even think about tying me up.”

Zhu Ming rolled her eyes. She scrutinized the two women. They were identical, from their hair to their shoes, even the tear she had made in their white shirt dresses was in the same spot.

Zhu Ming remained silent. The two Yin Yus were also patient. The younger sister, feeling uneasy with the strangers present, asked, “Don’t you have a method? What should I do?”

Zhu Ming waved her hand dismissively. “Take your brothers to the back. The method you used isn’t the same as theirs.”

The younger sister, confused but having no other option than to trust Zhu Ming, took her brothers and moved away.

Outside, it was midsummer, the sunlight bright and dazzling, the lush forest a sea of green, rippling in the wind.

The woman in the white dress was a cloud against the green backdrop, her eyes smiling at Zhu Ming, seemingly without suspicion. The window behind them was open, the wind blowing from where Yin Yu sat, ruffling Zhu Ming’s hair.

Zhu Ming’s hand slowly moved to the blade at her waist. She looked at the two Yin Yus and said slowly, “I do have a way to distinguish between human and ghost, but there’s no need for such complications with you two. Because I already knew who the ghost was before you entered carriage 37.”

The Yin Yu on the left asked, “Oh?”

Zhu Ming’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Actually, it doesn’t matter which one of you is the ghost. I can just kill both of you. But… since we’re all participants, we can’t let ghosts interfere in our affairs. So, Yin Yu, let’s kill the imposter first, then we can settle our score.”

The Yin Yu on the right asked, “Then tell us, which one of us is the ghost?”

Zhu Ming abruptly drew her blade, its dark surface gleaming menacingly, and pointed it at the Yin Yu on the left. “No matter how good the disguise, it’s not the original. It’s obvious which one of you is the ghost.”

The left Yin Yu smiled wryly. “I knew this would happen.”

The right Yin Yu smiled sweetly. “Well, if Mingming is willing to cooperate with me, I’m happy to oblige.”

The moment she finished speaking, all three of them moved simultaneously.

The two Yin Yus were identical, even their abilities were the same. If they fought each other, it would likely be a stalemate. But with Zhu Ming joining the fight, the left Yin Yu was quickly overpowered.

Of course, fighting in the carriage during the day would be punished. The invisible conductor, ever vigilant, swung its baton indiscriminately at all three unruly passengers.

They instinctively climbed out the window and continued fighting on the roof of the train. It was easy to confuse the two identical figures, but Zhu Ming, her eyes locked on the left Yin Yu, never made a mistake.

Yin Yu was a difficult opponent. Being chased by a copy of herself and Zhu Ming, when she couldn’t win, she shamelessly ran away, even in the limited space on the roof, making them chase her breathlessly.

So persistent! Zhu Ming squatted down, catching her breath, then resumed the chase, running, then resting, then running again…

Time passed. Zhu Ming looked ahead and her face paled. The tunnel! They were approaching the tunnel!

She sprinted towards carriage 37, leaving the two Yin Yus behind. Understanding instantly, they stopped fighting and rushed back. They knew Zhu Ming intended to trap them outside and kill them both!

During the chase, the right Yin Yu had mostly been observing, participating minimally, while the left Yin Yu had borne the brunt of their combined attacks. So the right Yin Yu reached the carriage first and climbed back in, Zhu Ming close behind.

The right Yin Yu didn’t close the window to prevent Zhu Ming from entering. After all, the younger sister was still inside, and she wouldn’t listen to a stranger, especially one who might be a ghost.

But just because she entered the carriage didn’t mean the fight was over. The moment she regained her footing, Zhu Ming turned and grabbed the left Yin Yu as she was sliding through the window, trapping her.

Yin Yu’s momentum was stopped, her upper body falling backward, out of the carriage.

Zhu Ming leaned out the window, one knee on the windowsill, pinning Yin Yu down, her left hand gripping the window frame, her right hand tightly clutching Yin Yu’s collar.

The window was too narrow for the right Yin Yu to intervene. She stepped back to watch.

The train whistled as it approached the tunnel, the green mountains and the bright sunlight rapidly receding.

Yin Yu’s body and legs dangled outside the train. She looked up at Zhu Ming, her hair whipping wildly around her face like a black flag. She smiled. “Oh dear, I’m about to fall. Are you going to push me into the tunnel, Mingming?”

Only Zhu Ming’s grip on her collar and her own precarious hold on the window frame prevented her from falling. If Zhu Ming let go, she would plummet into the darkness.

And they were about to enter the tunnel.

Yin Yu knew what Zhu Ming was thinking. She wanted the darkness to consume her, to dissolve her into nothingness.

Zhu Ming stared into her eyes. “What are you?”

Yin Yu smiled, her hands gently caressing Zhu Ming’s hand on her collar. It was a warm, strong hand, its knuckles white. She didn’t answer the question, instead saying,

“Are you really going to do this? If I die, no one will open the window to carriage 60 for you. I know you’re a clever girl, even though they call you slow and stupid. I knew the moment I saw you, you were just a misunderstood, trapped child.

Come on, Mingming. Make your choice. My life… or the possibility of the truth.”

With that, Yin Yu let go of Zhu Ming’s hand. She spread her arms wide, her long hair swirling around her like a dark cloud, her white skirt billowing like mist, her body falling backward, Zhu Ming’s hand the only thing between her and the abyss.

Zhu Ming stared at her, her eyes unwavering. Yin Yu showed no fear, offering no resistance, not even trying to persuade her. She simply looked at Zhu Ming with those knowing, dark eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Zhu Ming’s grip on her collar tightened.

Rip.

A button popped off Yin Yu’s shirt dress, smooth skin brushing against Zhu Ming’s fingertips, as Yin Yu fell a little further.

The right Yin Yu, having watched enough, said, “What are you waiting for, Mingming? Don’t tell me you’re being swayed by a ghost’s words? Since we’re working together, I’ll naturally have someone open the window to carriage 60 for you.”

The falling Yin Yu echoed her words, unclear whether she was agreeing with her counterpart or simply asking Zhu Ming, “Will you cooperate with Yin Yu, Mingming?”

Zhu Ming didn’t answer, didn’t move.

The tunnel loomed closer, the darkness swallowing carriages 33, 34… They were about to reach carriage 37.

Chapter 31 The Four Seasons Train (8)

And now that they knew about moving between carriages through the windows, they could easily escape the carriages where they had collected food coupons, making it easier to survive the five days.

However, the mission required them to survive for five days. If one “day-night” cycle counted as one day, the mission should have been completed already. So, how was time calculated in this instance?

She voiced her question.

Wenren Tu nudged Zhu Ming. “Do you have any energy left?”

Zhu Ming looked at her. “Why?”

Wenren Tu said, “Why don’t you go outside again and ask the other participants if they’ve found any clues we’ve missed. If anyone wants to join us, bring them here.”

Zhu Ming rolled her eyes. “Am I your errand girl now?”

Wenren Tu replied matter-of-factly, “I hereby appoint you as a temporary employee of the Paranormal Affairs Bureau.”

Zhu Ming punched her. “You’re just an intern! You can’t appoint anyone!”

Perhaps because of the Bureau’s reputation, Jia-jie, hearing their conversation, spoke up. “Are you Bureau employees?”

Wenren Tu nodded.

Jia-jie said, “Don’t go out. We’re about to enter the tunnel.”

Zhu Ming looked ahead. Indeed, the tunnel entrance was approaching rapidly.

Jia-jie held up her wrist, showing a simple watch. “You asked about how time is calculated here. I know. One daytime cycle represents one season and lasts for one hour and fifty minutes. One nighttime cycle is one tunnel and lasts for ten minutes. We’ve been through three cycles, each with the same duration. So, one cycle of four seasons is eight hours, three cycles are twenty-four hours. That’s probably what constitutes a day here.”

Everyone was silent. They had experienced so much, yet only one day had passed.

“Not bad,” Wenren Tu said. “As long as we have enough food coupons and find an empty carriage, we can just wait it out.”

If she hadn’t said that, Zhu Ming wouldn’t have thought twice. But now…

Was it really… that simple?

The train entered the tunnel, completing the twenty-four-hour cycle. The fourth round of seasons began.

Round four, spring. Carriage 1 occupants: Zhu Ming, Wenren Tu, Jia-jie, and Legs.

Zhu Ming climbed out of the carriage again.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. If it weren’t for this nagging unease, she would have just stayed in the carriage and rested. She had enough food coupons to last a while.

She knocked on the windows of carriages that might contain participants, asking about the red ticket. No one had seen it.

Knowing they could move between carriages through the windows, several lone participants asked Zhu Ming to take them to carriage 1. Zhu Ming instructed them to collect most of the food coupons from two carriages and leave one carriage empty and safe, then, one by one, she helped them move to carriage 1.

But some were wary of her. And now that they knew about moving through the windows, they could avoid the ghost-infested carriages themselves and didn’t need to team up with Zhu Ming and the others.

Including the group of five. They had their own team, and everyone needed food coupons. Having too many participants in one carriage had its pros and cons. After considering their options, they decided to stay put and manage on their own.

Zhu Ming didn’t mind. She was happy to help, but she wouldn’t force anyone. She preferred having fewer people to worry about.

After helping the other participants relocate, she returned to carriage 1 to rest, exhausted. Wenren Tu was fast asleep, impossible to wake, useless.

There were now seven participants in carriage 1. They verified each other’s invitations and tickets. Everyone had enough food coupons, so they bought plenty of food and water, agreed not to take any more coupons from carriage 1, and went to sleep.

More than a day had passed in real-time. They were all exhausted. Since there were no ghosts at night in carriage 1, they decided to sleep as much as they could.

Legs woke up briefly, feeling hungry, ate a little, pulled on her down jacket, and drifted back to sleep. After some time, she was jolted awake by a thud. She opened her eyes to see a figure lying on the floor in front of her.

The train had just exited the tunnel. Sunlight streamed in through the windows.

The fifth round of spring had arrived.

Legs stared at the figure on the floor, unable to believe her eyes. She hadn’t interacted much with this person, but how could someone die so suddenly?

She was certain there had been no ghosts last night.

One of the seven participants had died silently, more terrifying than being killed by a ghost in front of everyone.

At least in the latter scenario, they knew the cause of death. Now, no one could be sure how this person had died.

Jia-jie picked up the deceased’s invitation and train ticket. The invitation clearly stated “mission failed.” The train ticket turned to ash and vanished before their eyes.

Jia-jie flicked her hand. “A living person’s ticket is green. I thought it would turn red after death, but it just disappeared.”

The mystery of the red ticket remained unsolved.

Jia-jie squatted beside the body, staring at it thoughtfully, chewing on her fingernail, then suddenly started to undress the corpse.

Legs, unsure what to do, looked at Zhu Ming, who had already climbed out the window again, seemingly sensing something wrong with this carriage.

But Zhu Ming just waved her hand. “I’ll go ask the other carriages if anyone else has died suddenly. You guys continue.”

A moment later, she returned.

Legs asked quickly, “Were there other cases of sudden death in the other carriages?”

Zhu Ming shook her head. “I didn’t find any, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. If it occurred in a single-occupancy carriage, the body might have already been reset.”

She looked at Jia-jie.

Jia-jie was still squatting beside the body. While Zhu Ming had been gone, she had stripped the corpse’s upper body and was examining it closely. The others were a bit apprehensive.

One participant said, “If three cycles of four seasons count as one day, then it’s possible for the ghosts’ power to increase after the first day. It’s the second day now, and he died right at the transition between day and night. But there were no similar incidents in the other carriages. Could it be that each carriage has its own unique dangers?”

Zhu Ming instinctively felt he was onto something, but not entirely. She asked, “Why would they be different? Besides the carriage numbers, what else is different about these carriages?”

She had walked through several carriages and was certain they were all the same. If there was a difference… it would be between carriage 1 and carriage 60.

Wenren Tu walked to the front of the carriage and pointed at a small object near the left window. “The other carriages don’t have these. There’s one on the right side too. They look like cameras.”

Zhu Ming said, “No, they look more like lights. And other carriages don’t have them. Carriage 60 does, on either side of the back window.”

She had been to the back of the train, hanging there for a while, and had noticed them. They looked similar to the ones in carriage 1.

They had switches, but nothing happened when she flipped them. She didn’t know their purpose.

Suddenly, Jia-jie held out her hand towards Wenren Tu. “Lend me your blade.”

Wenren Tu handed it over. Jia-jie’s hand trembled, and she dropped the blade, the loud clang echoing through the carriage. The invisible conductor dutifully punished the unruly passenger.

Jia-jie rubbed her wrist. “I can’t. You do it. The blade is too heavy for me.”

Judging by the way she had been staring at the body, Zhu Ming knew it wasn’t anything good. Having just finished a massacre, she wasn’t in the mood to work. She sat down to rest.

Wenren Tu sighed and went over to the body, picking up the blade. “Where do you want me to cut?”

Following Jia-jie’s instructions, she sliced open the body, blood spilling onto the floor. Then she cut open the lungs, revealing blackened, withered tissue. Jia-jie said, “He died of lung cancer. Look at his fingers, his fingernails, his teeth. You can see he was a smoker. It’s not uncommon for smokers to die of lung cancer, and his lungs confirm it.”

Legs was surprised. “But he looked perfectly normal when he entered the carriage! He didn’t seem weak or pale like a cancer patient! And lung cancer isn’t immediately fatal, is it? Doesn’t cancer take time to develop?”

Now that she looked at the corpse’s face, however, it did have a deathly pallor.

Having determined the cause of death, Jia-jie went to wash her hands. “Yes, that’s the problem. Even if he already had lung cancer when he entered carriage 1, he shouldn’t have died so quickly.”

The corpse, its chest cavity open, lay on the floor. Legs covered it with its clothes. There was nothing else they could do.

The discovered cause of death only deepened the mystery. There seemed to be more to this than met the eye. And no one was in the mood to mourn the dead. Who knew if they would be joining him soon?

Zhu Ming suddenly asked Jia-jie, “How’s your health, Jia-jie?”

Jia-jie, a little puzzled, adjusted her glasses. “I’m in average health. I’m older, so I can’t compare to you young people.”

Zhu Ming then asked, “Do you have a regular sleep schedule?”

Jia-jie coughed. “I’m usually quite busy, so it’s not very regular.”

Zhu Ming continued, “Since entering this carriage, have you noticed yourself feeling more tired, your digestion slower, your physical condition worse?”

Jia-jie looked at Zhu Ming, considering her words. Her face paled. She was the oldest one here. If everyone was experiencing the same changes, she would be the most affected.

Zhu Ming’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint in them. “I see. This train isn’t as simple as it appears.”

Jia-jie suddenly remembered something and pulled out her invitation. Seeing their expressions, the others gathered around curiously.

Jia-jie grabbed her hair in frustration. “I know what this symbol is! I’ve dealt with a lot of occult cases, but I didn’t realize what triggered this instance when I entered. But now it seems so obvious. It’s a peach! A longevity peach!”

Legs exclaimed in surprise, “No wonder! I received my invitation just a few days after attending my grandpa’s birthday celebration! I thought it was because I watched Journey to the West with my nephew that day and triggered something related to Sun Wukong’s peaches of immortality! But what does a longevity peach have to do with his death?”

“Everything. This instance isn’t about surviving by begging for scraps from ghosts,” Zhu Ming said, flicking a food coupon. “It’s about stealing our lifespan!”

Realization dawned on Wenren Tu. “This man already had lung cancer cells when he entered the instance. It was early stage, so he didn’t exhibit any symptoms, but without treatment, he would have died within a few years—those years have been rapidly consumed on this train! That’s the real cause of his death!”

A chill ran down their spines. Even if they were healthier than the deceased, the thought of their lifespan being unknowingly drained was terrifying.

And the train… continued to move forward, without stopping.

Zhu Ming stared at the invitation, reading each word carefully: [We cordially invite you to our world: The Four Seasons Train. Mission: Survive for five days.] “I thought this instance was simple and safe, that we could just relax and wait for the mission to end once we figured out how to move between carriages. It was all a distraction. The Four Seasons Train… four seasons… it represents the passage of a year.”

They had already experienced four cycles of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. That meant everyone on this train, even those still alive, had lost four years of their lives!

Zhu Ming gripped the invitation, wanting to rip it to shreds. This was the first time she had been tricked so thoroughly.

Wenren Tu tried to calm her down. “Don’t be angry! Anger only shortens your lifespan!”

Zhu Ming: “…”

Chapter 30 The Four Seasons Train (7)

It was unclear how long a day-night cycle lasted in this instance, but Zhu Ming, Wenren Tu, and Legs were all exhausted. Their rest was fragmented and insufficient, especially since Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu had to fight their way through each carriage.

Not only was Zhu Ming, who relied more on physical combat, physically tired, but Wenren Tu, whose abilities were energy-intensive, was also drained.

They had enough food coupons to rest in carriage 8, but Yin Yu had taken all the coupons and left them with a carriage full of ghosts. How utterly shameless.

Wenren Tu’s head bobbed as she drifted off to sleep on the sofa. Legs, half-asleep, looked across the table at Zhu Ming, who was wide awake, staring out the window.

Wasn’t she tired? What was she thinking about? … Legs couldn’t understand. But it was good that Zhu Ming was awake. Legs felt safer knowing someone was on watch. She closed her eyes and drifted off, a soft snore escaping her lips.

Night fell.

The train entered the tunnel, the lights flickered, and the carriage filled with ghosts.

Zhu Ming closed the window and kicked Wenren Tu and Legs awake. Wenren Tu gasped.

The ghosts, robbed of their food coupons and too afraid to retaliate against Yin Yu, glared at them resentfully.

So, they hadn’t managed to get the train ticket from that woman, but now they were here, three of them. Perfect!

“Since you know her, you can pay the price for her!” one of the ghosts yelled.

Zhu Ming’s eyes narrowed. “What did you say? Who’s paying for whom?”

The ghost: “You’re paying for her!”

Swish—the woman in black drew her blade, her eyes burning with fury. “Her?! She’s not worthy!”

She lunged forward, swinging the blade, a flash of crimson fire erupting as the ghosts swarmed her.

Wenren Tu was stunned. “So it really wasn’t a lighter trick…” She snapped her fingers, a small spark of electricity appearing. “Next time, I’m asking the vendor if they sell portable chargers.”

Legs gulped and asked, “It’s too crowded! I can’t run! Wenren, can I stay close to you?”

…

Nine minutes later, a figure wreathed in flames stood before the slowly closing doors, black and red blood splattered across the carriage, the stench of burning flesh filling the air.

Wenren Tu and Legs clung to the luggage racks, unwilling to descend. The floor was covered in blood and dismembered bodies, a gruesome scene of carnage. The entire carriage was a bloody abattoir.

The terrified ghosts huddled by the opposite door, restrained by the rules from fleeing to the next carriage.

The flames gradually subsided, revealing the figure at the center. Zhu Ming ran her fingers along the blade, her blood-stained hair matted and tangled, her black clothes torn and tattered.

But she looked up at Wenren Tu and smiled, her anger spent, her face radiating a sense of exhilaration.

Her eyes gleamed brightly. “I like this place.”

She spread her arms wide, blade in hand, as if wanting to embrace all the ghosts. “I like this place!”

If asked why, perhaps it was because here, she could unleash her fury without restraint.

Things were different now.

Wenren Tu watched as the train entered a world of white, the blood and gore vanishing, the carriage returning to its pristine state. She watched as Zhu Ming, for the first time in a long time, smiled a genuine smile. Yes, things were different.

Ever since returning from the last instance, Zhu Ming had been despondent. Even though Wenren Tu had tried her best to cheer her up, and Zhu Ming had played along, feigning cheerfulness,

Wenren Tu had still seen the listlessness in her eyes. Zhu Ming’s smiles had been for her friend’s sake, her actions merely going through the motions. She had even lost interest in fighting, as if all joy had been drained from her life, everything meaningless, adrift in apathy.

Wenren Tu hadn’t known how long it would take for Zhu Ming to regain her spark, perhaps a year, two years, three?

Zhu Ming was stubborn. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been hung up on Yin Yu for so long.

But now?

Look at her, energized and arrogant, her abilities finally unleashed. So the little brat had been holding back all along!

When had the change begun?

Oh, she remembered now. It was when they entered carriage 8 and saw that woman in the white shirt dress. That was when Zhu Ming had snapped out of her daze, her demeanor shifting instantly.

She had run off to fight with renewed vigor, returned with enough energy to be angry, and then, at night, had been enraged by the ghosts’ taunts. Getting angry also took effort, you know.

Wenren Tu understood. She had solved the mystery.

Yin Yu’s reappearance had made Zhu Ming despondent. Then who had rekindled her spirit? It was obvious, wasn’t it?

Wenren Tu suddenly slapped the luggage rack. “Zhu Ming!”

Crack, crack, thud—the conductor attacked, sending her tumbling onto a seat. Wenren Tu rubbed her arm, wincing.

Zhu Ming: “?”

Wenren Tu gritted her teeth. “Tell me! Who is she?!”

Zhu Ming averted her gaze. “Just… you know… that person.”

Wenren Tu pressed her. “Who? What person?”

Zhu Ming mumbled, “Yin… Yu.”

Wenren Tu: “I knew it! That two-timing, manipulative bitch! I’ll kill her!!!”

Ignoring the conductor’s attacks, she grabbed Zhu Ming and forced her to sit down.

Even though her body ached and throbbed from the invisible blows, she didn’t care. “Tell me everything!”

Zhu Ming yawned, exhausted from the fight. It had been exhilarating, but now she was tired. “What’s there to tell? I just ran into her again… Don’t talk nonsense! There was no… two-timing…”

Wenren Tu, exasperated, counted off on her fingers. “Tell me the truth! Are you still hung up on her?!”

Zhu Ming looked shocked. “What are you talking about?! How can you even say that?!”

Wenren Tu accused, “Your eyes lit up the moment you saw her! I saw it with my own two eyes! Don’t deny it!”

Zhu Ming argued, “That was the fire of hatred! Hatred! Do you understand?!”

Wenren Tu didn’t believe her. “Lies! Your little flame almost went out earlier, and you let her go!”

Zhu Ming: “Bullshit! I was letting go of the past, resolving my inner demons! I told her never to appear before me again, or I’d kill her! Who knew she would be so persistent?!”

Wenren Tu: “And what about just now?”

Zhu Ming: “She’s not an ordinary person! We’re evenly matched! There was nothing I could do!”

Wenren Tu looked at her suspiciously. “Really? If you’ve decided to let go, why were you so depressed?” Unlike her, who had cried and moved on, Zhu Ming had been moping around, only regaining her spirit at the sight of Yin Yu.

Zhu Ming insisted, “…I… just… I just lost my sense of purpose for a bit! You know I’ve been wanting to see Yin Yu again. But after seeing her, I realized she’s not worth it! I want to sever all ties with the past! I don’t have any expectations of her anymore! She’s the one who keeps showing up!”

Wenren Tu slapped the table. “Fine! You can’t fall into the same trap twice! Don’t forget, she said she doesn’t love you! So, who is this Yin Yu? You even asked Wenren Bai to look into her, but the Bureau’s system has no record of her. Now that she’s reappeared, and you’ve fought her twice, have you discovered anything?”

Zhu Ming shook her head. “I only know she’s persistent and difficult to deal with. And she has an accomplice. I asked her about her purpose, but she refused to tell me. But she’s willing to be chased by me just to appear. With such persistence, she’ll reveal her intentions eventually.”

Wenren Tu nodded, understanding, and went to the window, preparing to climb out.

Zhu Ming: “???”

Wenren Tu cracked her knuckles. “We didn’t switch carriages so we could go and beat her up, didn’t we? Don’t worry! I’ll help you! We’ll finish her off!”

Touched and amused, Zhu Ming pulled her back. “Can’t you at least let me rest first?”

…

After resting for over an hour, like an unsatisfying nap, Zhu Ming felt even more tired.

Wenren Tu and Legs were also tired, but with so many ghosts in carriage 8, they couldn’t expect a peaceful night.

Zhu Ming climbed out first, going to the back of the train to find Yin Yu. Yin Yu was still in carriage 57. Zhu Ming tried to open the window from outside, but realized that while it was possible to move between carriages through the windows, she couldn’t enter if the window wasn’t opened from the inside.

The carriages after 50 were empty. Asking a participant in a nearby carriage to open the window for her and then moving one carriage at a time would take too long. Zhu Ming reluctantly gave up on the idea of confronting Yin Yu for now.

She went to check the carriages further up the train.

Carriage 7, empty. 6, bloodstains. 5, empty. 4, empty. 3, empty. 2, empty… Carriage 1, occupied!

Zhu Ming climbed onto the roof and knocked on the window of carriage 1. The woman inside looked up, startled. “Who’s there?!”

Zhu Ming smiled. “A participant. Can you open the window? We… um… a few of us want to come in.”

The woman, between thirty and forty, had light brown hair tied back in a low ponytail. She looked gentle and kind. She wore black-rimmed glasses and had delicate features. She looked at Zhu Ming warily. “Show me your invitation.”

Zhu Ming held it up.

The woman asked, “You can move between carriages through the windows? How many of you are there? Do you have enough food coupons?”

Zhu Ming answered her questions.

The woman then asked, “Why do you want to enter carriage 1 specifically?”

Zhu Ming replied, “Carriage 1 is closest to the engine. We’re curious.”

The woman said, “Fine. I’ll let you in, but you have to promise not to drag me into any fights when you collect food coupons. I don’t like fighting.”

Zhu Ming made an “okay” sign. Seeing the woman open the window, she went back to get Wenren Tu and Legs.

“There’s someone in carriage 1.”

Wenren Tu said excitedly, “Perfect! We can go straight to the front!”

Remembering the state of carriage 2, Zhu Ming said, “This person is a little strange.”

Wenren Tu: “Strange how?”

Zhu Ming: “All the ghosts in carriages 1 and 2 are still alive. Based on our previous deduction, she should have started in either carriage 2, 4, or 6. I think carriage 2 is the most likely.”

The woman didn’t look injured or distressed. To survive, she needed food coupons, and to get food coupons, she had to deal with ghosts.

Wenren Tu said, “Maybe she’s a defense-type Awakened or has some protective items.”

Zhu Ming nodded. “That’s possible. But the ghosts in carriage 2 are acting strange. Their eyes are unfocused, their movements stiff, and most importantly, they’re all… green. Like they’ve turned into grass spirits.”

Wenren Tu made a sound of disgust. “Her ability sounds dangerous. But we’re all participants, so there shouldn’t be any conflict.”

Zhu Ming said, “True. Let’s go then.”

Moving between carriages through the windows wasn’t easy. Wenren Tu managed to climb onto the roof with Zhu Ming’s help.

But Legs struggled. She couldn’t pull herself up, the sight of the tracks blurring beneath her making her dizzy. “My legs are too short!” she wailed.

Zhu Ming sighed and asked Wenren Tu to hold her legs while she reached down and pulled Legs up. Legs was small and light, not difficult to lift, but once on the roof, the movement of the train made her nervous. She clung to Zhu Ming’s arm as they moved.

When they reached carriage 1, Wenren Tu entered first to help them in, Zhu Ming supporting Legs from behind.

Finally, Zhu Ming climbed in herself. As she leaned against the window, catching her breath, she glanced back and saw a small, dark head poking out of a window far down the train, looking in their direction.

…Who was that? Couldn’t be Yin Yu, could it? Zhu Ming instinctively flipped them off. The figure returned the gesture.

Inside carriage 1, a peaceful, even welcoming atmosphere prevailed. The passengers looked at the three newcomers with unusual enthusiasm.

Since the carriage was full, Zhu Ming, Wenren Tu, and Legs found seats by the aisle.

“I’m Wenren Tu. What’s your name?” Wenren Tu asked the woman who had let them in.

The woman with the ponytail replied, “Call me Jia-jie.”

“How long have you been in this carriage, Jia-jie?”

Jia-jie glanced at her. “Are you interrogating me?”

Wenren Tu smiled. “No, no! Just curious.”

Jia-jie replied, “I switched carriages after entering and have been here ever since.”

Wenren Tu gestured towards carriage 2. “You did that? That’s impressive!”

Jia-jie adjusted her glasses. “Just my ability. It’s not that impressive if I couldn’t even kill them.”

While Wenren Tu continued chatting, Zhu Ming walked to the end of the carriage. Like the other carriages, there were two doors, one at each end. Looking through the small window, she saw a small compartment, and beyond that, a solid metal door with a digital display and a card reader. The engine must be behind that door.

She had tried looking into the engine compartment from outside, but the windows were one-way; she couldn’t see anything.

If they could stop the train, keeping it perpetually in “daytime,” could they then collect food coupons freely without worrying about the ghosts’ attacks at night?

But it seemed that metal door wasn’t easy to open.

Jia-jie confirmed her suspicions. “I also wanted to check the engine compartment. The door to the compartment opens at night, but to open the metal door to the engine, you need something.”

“What?”

Jia-jie: “A red train ticket.”

They all looked at each other, pulling out their tickets. They were all green. The only red thing they could think of was the food coupons.

That path blocked, Zhu Ming narrowed her eyes, thinking. Something about this train felt… off.

Although the cycle of collecting food coupons during the day and fighting ghosts at night seemed challenging enough for most participants, the ghosts here were mostly weak. They might be a threat to ordinary people, but not an insurmountable obstacle for Awakened individuals.

Most Awakened would likely exercise restraint, carefully choosing their targets, realizing that the ghosts couldn’t refuse trades. Targeting the weaker, more hesitant ghosts wasn’t particularly dangerous.

Chapter 29 The Four Seasons Train (6)

Zhu Ming’s face went through a kaleidoscope of emotions before settling on anger. “So you dare show your face again! You’re really determined to make an enemy of me! Fine! Don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

Yin Yu asked curiously, “Ruthless how? Like last time?”

Wenren Tu looked back and forth between them, suspicious. “Last time? What last time?”

Zhu Ming coughed, covering her mouth. “Don’t spout nonsense! Back then, I thought you were a fake, so I didn’t…”

Yin Yu’s smile was cryptic. “Weren’t you testing me?”

Zhu Ming: “…”

Her face hardened as she strode towards Wenren Tu and snatched the blade, Zhanqiu. “Cut the crap! I wasn’t going to bother with you, but you just had to show up! You’re like a bad penny! What are you planning?!”

Unfazed by her hostility, Yin Yu replied innocently, “What if I don’t tell you?”

…Right. She had said that last time, that she wouldn’t tell her.

If Yin Yu hadn’t reappeared, Zhu Ming wouldn’t have cared about her schemes. But she had reappeared, which meant her plans were definitely related to Zhu Ming. She couldn’t ignore this.

If Yin Yu wouldn’t talk, fine. She would make her talk!

Zhu Ming held out her hand. “This is a robbery. Hand over your food coupons.”

Yin Yu blinked, glanced at Zhu Ming, then suddenly slipped sideways, grabbed the edge of the window, and slid out of the carriage like a fish, landing on the roof!

Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu were stunned. So, it was possible to leave the carriage!

“Give me the blade!”

Wind rushed into the carriage. Without hesitation, Zhu Ming grabbed the blade and climbed out after Yin Yu, landing on the roof of the train. From this vantage point, she saw a sea of golden autumn colors.

Fields of wheat rippled like waves, interspersed with red maples and golden leaves. The autumn air was crisp and clear, the sky a brilliant blue. The dark green train was the only man-made object in sight.

The train wasn’t moving very fast, but as long as it was in motion, the wind blew from front to back.

Only now, standing outside, did Zhu Ming realize how long this train was. It was difficult to see the end, at least fifty carriages!

Yin Yu stood at the front of the train, the wind whipping through her hair. She brushed her bangs aside and calmly tied the belt of her windbreaker.

She said, “Mingming, although I didn’t fall in love with you, I was quite fond of you. Did you really think I wanted to kill you?”

Zhu Ming’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained cold. “Are you done with the bullshit? Like I still care about you. If you’re scared, just say so.”

Who knew if this was another one of Yin Yu’s tricks? Playing the victim, trying to gain sympathy? And who needed her to keep emphasizing that she didn’t love her?!

Yin Yu smiled faintly. “How hurtful. In that case, I can’t let you go.”

They would see who wouldn’t let whom go.

Zhu Ming charged forward. The distance between them closed quickly. Yin Yu sidestepped the blade, but that was a feint. Zhu Ming’s real target was her legs!

Wearing high heels in an instance? Let’s see how you handle a fall! Especially since Yin Yu was slightly shorter than Zhu Ming, but the heels made her taller. It irritated Zhu Ming.

Yin Yu raised an eyebrow, deftly jumping back, avoiding Zhu Ming’s sweeping leg. She glanced at the blade in Zhu Ming’s hand and turned to run towards the back of the train, her windbreaker billowing like wings, her movements light and graceful.

Zhu Ming wasn’t about to let her escape. She gave chase. The high heels slowed Yin Yu down, and Zhu Ming quickly caught up.

Closing the distance, she raised the blade and swung it down, her attack fierce and merciless. If Yin Yu didn’t dodge, her arm would be severed!

Yin Yu, not fast enough to escape, suddenly stopped, spun around, and leaned back, not only avoiding the blade but also moving into Zhu Ming’s arms!

So close.

Zhu Ming was startled, even catching a whiff of Yin Yu’s perfume amidst the wind. The close proximity brought Yin Yu’s unforgettable face into sharp focus, her smiling eyes and cherry lips mere inches away.

Zhu Ming abruptly stopped, instinctively grabbing Yin Yu’s waist to steady herself. Beneath her hand, Yin Yu’s waist felt delicate and pliant.

Someone wielding a blade could kill an intangible being, but a long, heavy weapon was difficult to maneuver in close combat. Everything had its advantages and disadvantages. Zhu Ming quickly reversed her grip on the blade, but she was too slow.

Yin Yu’s fingers, like orchids, flicked towards Zhu Ming’s throat. Zhu Ming knew how strong those delicate hands were. One flick could crush her windpipe!

Zhu Ming instinctively pulled back, protecting her throat, and jumped back. Yin Yu twisted away, avoiding Zhu Ming’s upward kick.

Zhu Ming landed gracefully, blade at the ready, but Yin Yu had already created some distance between them.

This time, there was no escape. They had reached the end of the train. If Yin Yu retreated any further, she would fall off.

But Yin Yu didn’t retreat. She stood her ground, her windbreaker open, revealing the graceful curves of her body beneath the long skirt.

“You’ve become much stronger in these past few years, Mingming. Perfect timing. My blade has arrived. Let me see how much you’ve improved.”

The window below opened, and a blade was tossed up. Yin Yu caught it, twirling it expertly. It was a thin, flexible blade that vibrated in the wind, humming softly when she flicked it.

Zhu Ming wouldn’t underestimate it.

In the strong wind, the two figures, one in black, one in white, faced each other.

It was unclear who made the first move, but a flash of silver filled the air.

Zhanqiu was heavy and powerful, while Yin Yu’s blade was light and agile. They exchanged several blows, the clang of metal echoing through the air.

So fast.

Zhu Ming’s clothes were sliced open in several places, the bloodstains quickly blown away by the wind. Her high ponytail came undone, her hair whipping around her face.

Yin Yu, using her usual tactic, closed the distance between them. Her white blade flashed, momentarily blinding Zhu Ming, creating an opening. With a flick of her wrist, Yin Yu’s blade bypassed Zhu Ming’s defense and darted towards her left eye.

Zhu Ming should have dodged. If she had, Yin Yu would have slid the blade towards her neck.

In that split second, Yin Yu had already anticipated Zhu Ming’s next move: she would defend her vital point and counterattack, either with a sidestep and a slash or a low sweep to Yin Yu’s legs.

Yin Yu was confident she could handle either scenario. Zhu Ming wouldn’t be easily defeated. They were evenly matched, this fight far from over.

But Zhu Ming didn’t dodge.

As the sharp tip of the blade approached her face, she didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink. She pushed forward with Zhanqiu, deflecting Yin Yu’s blade. The blade slid upwards, its tip still aimed at her face—but Zhu Ming’s goal wasn’t to push the blade away completely. There wasn’t enough time. She only needed to deflect it slightly, enough for the tip to graze her skin, avoiding her eyes and piercing her forehead instead of her skull!

Thwack.

The blade pierced the skin between her eyebrows. A trickle of blood ran down her face.

Yin Yu’s eyes widened in surprise, then understanding, but it was too late.

The moment the blade pierced Zhu Ming’s forehead, Zhu Ming kicked her hard.

Thump.

Yin Yu stumbled backward.

Zhu Ming had put all her strength into that kick, sending Yin Yu flying. And the train, relentless, continued to move forward!

Yin Yu slid backwards, unable to stop. They had been fighting at the very back of the train. In an instant, she reached the edge and started to fall. Reacting quickly, she grabbed a railing, about to regain her footing on a lower ledge, when a cold blade pressed against her neck.

Yin Yu looked up.

Zhu Ming crouched on the roof of the train, silhouetted against the sky, her hair whipping around her face, the blood from her forehead trickling down her nose and staining her cheek, making her expression unreadable.

“Don’t move,” Zhu Ming said, “unless you want me to chop off your hand and let you fall to your death.”

Yin Yu smiled. “I didn’t expect you to become so strong in these seven years, Mingming. You used to be such a well-behaved child, never fighting back even when bullied.”

Zhu Ming’s lips twitched sarcastically. “I had to. The thought of seeing you again one day gave me endless motivation to train. I always thought you were strong, so I never let my guard down, afraid that I wouldn’t be able to beat you to a pulp when we met again. But now… it seems my memory exaggerated your strength. You’re nothing special.”

Seven years ago, at eighteen, Zhu Ming had been weak and helpless. The terror of Yin Yu had driven her forward. That nightmarish glimpse, she didn’t know what Yin Yu was, but she knew she was powerful.

Zhu Ming had trained relentlessly, transforming herself.

Whatever Yin Yu’s purpose, whatever she was planning, Zhu Ming would uncover the truth.

With the blade at her neck, Yin Yu couldn’t move. She dangled precariously from the back of the train, swaying in the wind, but she didn’t seem discouraged.

One hand gripping the railing, the other holding her blade, she calmly brushed her hair back from her face. The wind was strong, ruining her hairstyle.

Her windbreaker was long gone, lost during the fight. A footprint, courtesy of Zhu Ming, stained her long skirt. Despite her disheveled appearance, she remained composed, which irritated Zhu Ming.

Yin Yu sighed. “You’ve changed so much, Mingming. Not only can you see through others’ lies, but you’ve also learned to lie yourself. I was quite surprised when I saw it in the last instance.”

Zhu Ming used the tip of her blade to lift Yin Yu’s chin. “Anyone who’s been hurt by lies learns to fear them. And to recognize lies, you have to learn to lie yourself. Yin Yu, why are you talking so much? Are you trying to stall?”

Yin Yu smiled faintly. “Oh dear, you’ve seen through me. In that case, let me teach you something else—it’s not good to be too focused on one thing. No matter how much you hate someone, you should always be aware of your surroundings.”

Zhu Ming frowned. She suddenly heard a rustling sound approaching, so close it meant… she couldn’t dodge!

The branches of the tall trees lining the tracks, heavy with golden leaves in autumn, swept across the roof of the train. A branch struck Zhu Ming’s back.

At this speed, even thin branches and leaves were dangerous, enough to knock her off the train, especially since she was precariously perched at the very back. She lost her balance and started to fall, the world spinning around her. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed something, clinging to it desperately.

When she regained her grip and looked up, she realized she was clinging to Yin Yu’s waist, her face pressed against the footprint on Yin Yu’s skirt.

Zhu Ming/Yin Yu: “…”

Simultaneously, they raised their blades, the tips pointed at each other’s throats.

A black kite joined the white kite dangling from the back of the train. Yin Yu’s grip on the railing loosened. “Want to die together?”

Zhu Ming didn’t want to die with her. “Die alone.”

Yin Yu said, “I’ll count to three, and we both lower our blades. One, two, three.”

Neither blade moved.

Zhu Ming snorted, using her blade to threaten Yin Yu while she climbed up, her movements awkward. Yin Yu’s grip finally slipped. Zhu Ming jumped to the side, using Yin Yu’s leg as a foothold to reach the railing. But Yin Yu wasn’t giving up so easily. While Zhu Ming was grabbing the railing, she wrapped her legs around Zhu Ming’s waist.

Their positions reversed. Now Zhu Ming was holding onto the train while Yin Yu clung to her.

“Let go!” Zhu Ming tried to shake her off.

“Don’t be so stingy. I didn’t kick you when you were holding me,” Yin Yu said, slithering around her, moving from the front to her back.

They struggled again, but their blades were useless at such close range. They were locked in a stalemate, one trying to climb up, the other pulling her down, neither gaining any advantage.

The close proximity made Zhu Ming’s body stiffen. Unable to shake Yin Yu off, she grew increasingly frustrated, finally lowering her head and biting hard into Yin Yu’s shoulder.

Yin Yu gasped, her body trembling, tightening her hold on Zhu Ming.

The faint taste of blood filled Zhu Ming’s mouth. She paused, realizing that Yin Yu, known for her cold heart, even had unusually cold blood.

Yin Yu’s soft body pressed against hers, her light fragrance mingled with the scent of blood. At this moment, she felt like a recurring nightmare, clinging to Zhu Ming, refusing to let go.

Tsk.

Yin Yu tilted her head, her hair brushing against Zhu Ming’s cheek. The half-dried blood on Zhu Ming’s face smeared onto Yin Yu’s skin. Zhu Ming’s warm breath tickled her neck. Yin Yu felt a strange mix of discomfort and arousal. She chuckled softly. “Mingming, I know you don’t trust me. How about this, we each climb up on our own. Is that acceptable?”

Zhu Ming, gradually calming down, realized it would be difficult to defeat Yin Yu in this situation. She glanced at her and nodded in agreement.

Yin Yu reached out and grabbed the railing.

Warily eyeing each other, they separated, each holding onto the train, and moved to opposite sides of the carriage.

Through the window, Zhu Ming saw Yin Yu begin to climb, then stop and move forward instead.

What was she doing?

Right, she had an accomplice!

Zhu Ming climbed onto the roof and looked towards Yin Yu, just in time to see her climb through an open window into a carriage. Zhu Ming tried to follow, but couldn’t.

Even with the window open, she couldn’t enter. There was a hidden rule on this train: a participant could only move one carriage per day-night cycle.

This was why they had been progressing so slowly. They had tried entering multiple carriages when the doors opened, but it didn’t work. Once inside a carriage, they couldn’t leave until the next round.

Yin Yu, having composed herself inside the carriage, smiled at Zhu Ming. “Still want to fight? Next time.”

Zhu Ming glared at her. So she was running away because she couldn’t win. It seemed she wouldn’t be getting any useful information from Yin Yu this time.

Unable to follow, Zhu Ming decided to observe.

Besides Yin Yu, there was another person in the carriage who was clearly a participant, likely her accomplice. But this person was shrouded in mystery, wearing a white mask with a black digital display where the eyes should be. Apart from their gender and height, nothing else was discernible.

And besides the two of them, the carriage was empty. It was “day,” yet there were no ghosts present. This meant the masked person had eliminated all the ghosts in this carriage.

Zhu Ming looked back, walking along the roof of the train.

Yin Yu had entered carriage 57. There were three more carriages behind it. The train had a total of sixty carriages.

Even if the participants were spread out, there were definitely no fewer participants in this instance than in the previous one. Zhu Ming walked along the roof, checking the situation in each carriage.

Carriage 60, empty. 59, empty, bloodstains. 58, empty. 57, two people. 56, empty. 55, empty. 54, bloodstains. 53, empty. 52, empty. 51, one person. 50, bloodstains…

The situation in the carriages after 50 wasn’t good, but thankfully, there were more survivors further up the train.

There must have been deaths, but she didn’t see any bodies. She wondered if they went to the same place as the dead ghosts.

Having surveyed the train, Zhu Ming returned to carriage 8.

Wenren Tu and Legs were eating sunflower seeds, sitting at the four-seater table Yin Yu had cleared.

Seeing Zhu Ming return, Wenren Tu said excitedly, “What took you so long? Who was that woman? You looked pretty roughed up! She’s strong! Did you… you know…” Wenren Tu made a slicing motion across her neck. “…finish her off?”

“No.” Zhu Ming placed the blade on the table, her tone grumpy. “You didn’t even help me when I was fighting outside.”

Wenren Tu looked innocent. “I was watching! I saw you knock her off the train. Clearly, you didn’t need my help.” So she hadn’t bothered.

“Besides, do you think everyone can climb trains like they’re climbing into bed like you two?” Wenren Tu said defensively. “Moving one carriage and fighting every night, I haven’t slept at all! I’m exhausted! And that woman left a whole carriage of ghosts! We still have to fight them later! I need to conserve my energy!”

Besides, only those who lacked strong abilities resorted to physical combat. Wenren Tu didn’t think it was shameful that her hand-to-hand skills were slightly lacking. She was still much stronger than ordinary people, just not as strong as a freak like Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming pouted. There were more pressing matters to discuss.

She described the situation in the rear carriages. “I was thinking, since we don’t know how long this train is, it might be better to head towards the front. There are only a dozen or so carriages in that direction, and the engine is at the front. We might find something there.”

Wenren Tu said, “Based on the carriage numbers we were assigned, it seems the participants are placed in every other carriage, starting from carriage 2. That means there were initially 30 participants on this train.”

Zhu Ming said, “But there are only a dozen or so left alive. I saw five people grouped together in carriage 32, probably an alliance. The rest are mostly alone. After all, more people means more food coupons needed, and more food coupons mean more ghosts at night.”

Wenren Tu asked, “Only a dozen or so left on the entire train?”

Zhu Ming leaned back against the sofa, her arms crossed, her mood sour. “Not necessarily. I forgot to check the front carriages.”

Sensing her mood, Wenren Tu said, “It’s fine. We’re heading that way anyway. You said you won against that woman. Why are you so upset?”

Zhu Ming didn’t answer. How could she explain?

That she was sulking because she hadn’t managed to get any information out of Yin Yu? That would make her seem petty.

Chapter 28 The Four Seasons Train (5)

Staring at Zhu Ming and the candy in her hand, the ghost reluctantly handed over its food coupons.

Under the golden autumn sky, Zhu Ming smiled. “Don’t worry, the competition won’t be too fierce. The carriages are cramped; there’s not enough space for too many ghosts.”

They needed to leave some opportunities for others, and they also had an invalid with them. This time, they planned to eliminate only half the ghosts in the carriage.

Perhaps their arrogance was too much for one ghost to bear. A tall, thin woman in bell-bottoms, who had been silent until now, walked over and handed Zhu Ming her food coupons. “Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll be happy to oblige.”

As soon as she handed over her coupons, the other ghosts who had been considering vying for the train ticket quieted down, as if her presence alone eliminated any hope for the rest of them.

That reaction was… interesting.

Wenren Tu zipped up her backpack and shook her head at Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming sat down. “It seems everyone else is reluctant to trade. We’re very democratic here. If you don’t want to trade, that’s fine.”

This ghost was different.

Night arrived as scheduled. The perpetually moving Four Seasons Train entered the dark tunnel. The lights flickered, and the ghosts reappeared.

Thanks to her accelerated metabolism, Legs had recovered from her illness. She huddled behind Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu, close to the door, ready to jump into the next carriage—wait, why were there so many ghosts in carriage 15 too?!

Wenren Tu suddenly remembered. “Oh, these are the ones I didn’t finish off last time!”

Legs despaired. She wanted to press herself against the door to carriage 17, but the aisle was packed with ghosts.

Because of the bell-bottomed ghost who had appeared earlier, the number of ghosts that appeared at night wasn’t as high as Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu had anticipated, only about a dozen or so.

But the crowded aisle made it difficult for them to move, hindering Legs’ ability. She had to hide and provide support, leaving the fighting to Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu.

Zhu Ming looked at the ghosts, her expression hardening. She said to Wenren Tu, “I didn’t go all out before because you weren’t here. Now that you are, I want to see what I can really do. Atu, if I lose control, it’s up to you.”

Wenren Tu smiled. “Don’t worry, I’ll electrocute you, just like when we first met.”

She unbuckled the long blade at her hip and handed it to Zhu Ming. “I’m not good with this. Here.”

Zhu Ming smiled and drew the blade. “Thanks.”

Contrary to their expectations, the ghosts in the carriage weren’t aggressive, seemingly reluctant to attack. Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu decided to make the first move. They couldn’t just leave these ghosts for the next unlucky participant who entered carriage 16.

Wenren Tu flicked her wrist, and a silver chain shot out from her bracelet, wrapping around a ghost. The ghost convulsed as electricity coursed through it.

Zhu Ming, avoiding the electrified chain, jumped onto the back of a seat and swung the blade. In a flash, the bell-bottomed ghost looked up and grabbed the blade with her bare hand!

Clang—

The blade struck her palm, the sound like metal against stone. So hard! This ghost was different from the little girl. She was strong!

Zhu Ming stared at the bell-bottomed ghost, whose skin had turned grayish-white. She quickly retreated, jumping off the seat. A ghost lunged at her, but she flipped over its back and landed beside Wenren Tu.

Wenren Tu retracted her silver chain. The ghosts facing them, seeing the bell-bottomed ghost stand up, backed away.

“Looks like we have a tough one here.” Zhu Ming smiled, flicking the blade. “Atu, normal attacks can’t penetrate her defense. Why don’t you give it a try?”

Wenren Tu stepped forward. “Alright.”

She shot out her silver chains again. The chains had limited range, but the bell-bottomed ghost didn’t dodge. She even stepped forward and grabbed them!

“How arrogant,” Wenren Tu frowned, sending a surge of electricity through the chains… The current stopped abruptly when it reached the bell-bottomed ghost. She looked at Wenren Tu impassively and tied the two chains together.

Wenren Tu: “What the…?”

She yanked on the chains, pulling Wenren Tu forward. Zhu Ming couldn’t help but laugh. “Looks like her defense isn’t just tough skin, it’s like… stone.”

Wenren Tu was completely countered. Gripping the back of a seat, she yelled, “Stop watching and do something!”

Zhu Ming’s expression turned serious. “I haven’t used my full power in a long time, Atu. Don’t hold back if I lose control.”

Wenren Tu said quickly, “I know, I know! Hurry up!”

Zhu Ming took a deep breath, stretched her legs, and aimed her fingers, like a gun, at the bell-bottomed ghost. A tense silence filled the carriage. Everyone backed away. The bell-bottomed ghost, looking wary, yanked on the chains, pulling Wenren Tu in front of her as a shield.

She pressed her arm against Wenren Tu’s throat, almost choking her. Trapped against the large, insulating form, Wenren Tu couldn’t move.

A few small ghosts whispered behind them. Wenren Tu yelled, exasperated, “What are you looking at?! Come here and let me electrocute you! Zhu Ming! Hurry up!!!”

“I know! Shut up! Almost ready!”

Finally, the burning Yang energy coalesced. Poof—a spark ignited, then sputtered and dwindled, finally settling into a weak, tiny flame at Zhu Ming’s fingertip.

Zhu Ming: “…”

Wenren Tu’s jaw dropped. “Zhu Ming… are you hiding a lighter in your hand and trying to trick me?”

Zhu Ming looked surprised. “I think my ability has… atrophied from lack of use… I was holding back…”

Apparently, her full power and her restrained power were the same.

Zhu Ming coughed, extinguishing the flame. Her face hardened. “It doesn’t matter if I don’t have any abilities. Let her go, and let me handle this!”

She lunged forward again, using the blade as a feint to distract the bell-bottomed ghost and force her to release Wenren Tu. The blade was knocked away, but Zhu Ming, with a swift movement, wrapped her arms around the ghost from behind!

Sizzle, sizzle—nothing Yin or evil could withstand the burning Yang energy. Few people could store such intense Yang energy within their bodies, not even Wenren Tu with her lightning, but Zhu Ming could!

The bell-bottomed ghost winced, her brow furrowing. She kicked Wenren Tu away and tried to pry Zhu Ming’s arms off.

Zhu Ming’s fingertips ignited, and she struck several pressure points on the ghost’s body, leaving burn marks. But the burns weren’t deep. Her defense was truly formidable.

Wenren Tu, having fallen to the floor, scrambled up and watched as the bell-bottomed ghost slammed Zhu Ming against the wall.

The carriage couldn’t be damaged! Zhu Ming’s back hit the wall hard, the impact sending a jolt of pain through her, a metallic taste rising in her throat.

“Go deal with the other ghosts!” she yelled to Wenren Tu. As the bell-bottomed ghost moved forward to slam her against the wall again, Zhu Ming slipped out of her grasp.

She kicked off the wall, using the momentum to propel herself forward. She chuckled coldly, knowing the bell-bottomed ghost wasn’t invulnerable. The burns on her back were proof of that.

The bell-bottomed ghost frowned, touching her back, realizing her situation wasn’t good. She turned to leave.

Seeing an opening, Zhu Ming jumped and grabbed her again from behind. If it weren’t for the ghost’s thick defenses, she could have channeled her flames directly into her body, incinerating her from within. But judging by the burns, her defense was about to break!

But this time, the bell-bottomed ghost didn’t try to shake her off or slam her against the wall. She grabbed another ghost, looked up at Zhu Ming, her eyes cold and empty.

Then, she started tearing into the ghost she held, biting and ripping.

The ghost screamed as the bell-bottomed ghost devoured its essence, the burns on her back rapidly healing.

No wonder the other ghosts were so afraid of her, giving up the hunt as soon as she appeared. Those who had already traded their food coupons had no choice but to participate, otherwise, she would have been the only hunter tonight.

Wenren Tu also noticed this, but she could no longer focus on clearing out the smaller ghosts. The rejuvenated bell-bottomed ghost was even more ferocious now, her limbs cracking ominously. She twisted her arms and neck 180 degrees, suddenly turning to face Zhu Ming!

She slammed Zhu Ming against the back of a seat again, their hands locked in a struggle. Damn, this ghost was as strong as Yun Zouchuan! Zhu Ming couldn’t overpower her!

Worse, the carriage doors had opened. They only stayed open for about a minute. If they missed this window, they would have to face the bell-bottomed ghost again!

Zhu Ming’s body was forced backward, exposing her throat.

Across the terrifying ghost, Wenren Tu’s eyes met Zhu Ming’s. A silver chain shot out, wrapping around Zhu Ming’s leg. Just as the bell-bottomed ghost lunged for her throat, electricity surged through the chain.

Zap—

The bell-bottomed ghost froze.

No matter how thick her skin, her mouth wasn’t made of stone!

Zhu Ming also convulsed from the shock, but she was used to it, and lightning was particularly effective against evil entities. So, while trembling, she continued to crane her neck forward, pulling one hand free and shoving her fingers into the bell-bottomed ghost’s mouth.

A small flame flickered to life and entered the ghost’s body.

Wenren Tu immediately cut off the electricity. Zhu Ming grabbed the back of the seat, twisted her leg around the bell-bottomed ghost’s waist, and slammed her to the ground, falling with her.

The doors were closing.

Wenren Tu, still holding the chain, dragged Zhu Ming towards carriage 15. She knew Zhu Ming was probably still numb from the shock and couldn’t run fast.

Zhu Ming’s head banged against the floor as she was dragged along. “Can you be a little gentler?!”

Wenren Tu, without looking back, yelled, “I’m afraid you’ll get stuck in the door!”

Just in the nick of time, they slid into carriage 15. Legs, a blur of motion, retrieved the discarded blade.

Zhu Ming looked back at the bell-bottomed ghost, who was clutching her stomach and trembling. She stared at Zhu Ming silently, her grayish-white body curling into a ball just as the doors closed completely.

Zhu Ming, her face impassive, flipped her off, her middle finger still twitching.

Finally, she was dead.

Wenren Tu glanced back. The ghosts waiting in carriage 15 all backed away.

A moment later, as Zhu Ming recovered from the shock, the train entered winter.

The temperature plummeted. Looking at the snow falling outside, Legs, clutching her full backpack, pulled out a down jacket and handed it to Wenren Tu. “Put this on, Atu-jie! It’s warm!”

But there were only two down jackets? It seemed they had run out of food coupons. Legs offered the other one to Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming waved it away. “You wear it. This windbreaker is fine for me.” She wasn’t really cold.

“But it’s freezing!” Legs said worriedly. “And you’re injured!” She glanced at Zhu Ming’s ankle. Her pants were still torn, but the wounds were gone.

Perhaps her accelerated metabolism had healed them quickly. Legs didn’t think much of it.

The unexpected difficulty with the bell-bottomed ghost annoyed Wenren Tu, but after recovering, she and Zhu Ming resumed their antics.

Legs thought that after their encounter with the bell-bottomed ghost, they would be more cautious, but she was wrong. They showed no restraint!

She knew Zhu Ming was strong and Wenren Tu was powerful, but together, they were a chaotic force.

“This is a robbery! Hand over your food coupons! Hey, you think I want your coupons? I don’t! Ow! Which asshole hit me?!”

Conductor: That would be me!

Their mission seemed to be annoying the ghosts to death. They selectively collected a few food coupons, not many, mainly because Wenren Tu had already swept through this carriage, and many ghosts were expected to appear at night.

The surviving ghosts from her previous visit glared at her resentfully.

Legs worried. What if there was another bell-bottomed ghost among them?

While Zhu Ming was in the bathroom, Wenren Tu smiled and patted Legs’ shoulder. “What’s wrong? Worried something will happen?”

Legs was embarrassed. She wasn’t the main fighter here and felt she had no right to question their methods. “What if you get injured?”

Wenren Tu’s smile faded slightly. “If we don’t eliminate the stronger ones, what about the people who enter this carriage after us? You know better than anyone that not all Awakened are combat-oriented.”

Legs paused, realizing that Wenren Tu, usually cheerful and playful around Zhu Ming, had a cold, calculating look in her eyes as she observed the human-faced ghosts.

Perhaps their arrogance was deliberate… Wenren Tu was a member of the Paranormal Affairs Bureau. How could she have forgotten that, blinded by Wenren Tu’s boisterous personality?

A wave of gratitude washed over Legs. She, too, was being protected!

Just as her gratitude reached its peak, Wenren Tu muttered, “We’ve taken care of the strongest ones. Leaving a few ordinary ghosts shouldn’t be a problem for them, right?”

Legs deflated slightly. “If it were me, I’d still have a problem with it.”

…

Night fell, the ghosts reappeared, and Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu, working together, unleashed their pent-up frustration from carriage 16.

They continued to the next few carriages without encountering any particularly strong opponents, making smooth progress, but they hadn’t encountered any other living participants.

Until they reached carriage 12, in the second round of autumn. The carriage was empty of ghosts, but…

All three of them covered their noses, staring in shock at a plump man who was pulling up his pants, his face flushed. “What are you looking at?! Haven’t you ever seen a man use the bathroom?!”

He was human, a living participant…

There were no ghosts in this carriage, only the participant, and… several pixelated puddles on the floor.

It was a scene Zhu Ming would never forget. The three of them reached a silent agreement: leave. Now.

No one wanted to fight here, and no one wanted to eat here.

Zhu Ming took the ghost’s usual seat and opened the window, letting the wind blow through the carriage. This autumn journey felt incredibly long.

As night approached and the train entered the tunnel, Zhu Ming looked expectantly at the door. There were no ghosts in carriage 12, so they hadn’t collected any food coupons.

The plump man yelled, “Close the window!”

Zhu Ming instinctively slammed the window shut, but Wenren Tu was a step too slow. The darkness outside surged in through the gap, thick and viscous like asphalt. Wenren Tu quickly closed the window, severing the tendril of darkness. The black, asphalt-like substance landed on her hand, sizzling and burning her flesh.

“Ow!” Wenren Tu hissed, instinctively summoning electricity, which slowly, agonizingly slowly, dissipated the darkness.

But the burning wasn’t the worst part. She had instinctively inhaled… Wenren Tu’s face turned green, and she almost vomited.

The plump man, long past caring about embarrassment, snorted. “Survival of the fittest.”

None of them dared argue with him. They quickly fled carriage 12. Zhu Ming wished she could erase the memory entirely. As for the plump man, they tactfully avoided mentioning teaming up. He clearly wasn’t their kind of person.

Legs, her face pale, mumbled, “How could anyone… eat… that… just to avoid being chased by ghosts…? Why… does the bathroom… even need… food coupons…? Ugh…”

Zhu Ming/Wenren Tu: “Ugh—”

They continued their journey, finally escaping the suffocating stench after a few more carriages.

The second round of winter. Carriage 11. Bloodstains, no ghosts.

The third round of spring. Carriage 10. Several ghosts waiting.

The third round of summer. Carriage 9. Empty. Wenren Tu and Zhu Ming resumed their ghost-provoking antics.

Then, at the end of the third autumn “night,” they entered carriage 8.

This carriage was strange. It was filled with ghosts, almost all of them present and visible.

But they were all quiet, their faces pale and listless, their eyes unfocused, showing no intention of attacking. Their docility made Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu hesitate. Should they strike first?

Something was amiss.

Wenren Tu walked ahead, scanning the carriage.

Who was that?

She noticed a woman with long hair, wearing a white shirt dress and a khaki windbreaker. Judging by her appearance and demeanor, she was a living person, another participant.

And she looked familiar, yet Wenren Tu was sure they had never met. It didn’t make sense. She wouldn’t forget such a beautiful woman.

The strangest thing was that the ghosts weren’t attacking, even though there was a participant present. They couldn’t possibly be showing mercy just because she was beautiful. There was only one explanation: this woman was powerful, perhaps even a match for Wenren Tu herself.

Wenren Tu quickly assessed the situation.

The woman in white sat by the window, the three seats beside her empty. A teacup sat in front of her, containing a small amount of light brown liquid. A faint scent of milk tea lingered in the air.

Wenren Tu subtly gestured behind her back, signaling Zhu Ming and Legs to behave themselves, then sat down opposite the woman. Just as she was about to greet her, she noticed Zhu Ming’s expression turning strangely distorted.

Zhu Ming stared at the woman in white, her mind reeling. Real or fake? Another illusion? Illusion… kisses… That’s all you’ve got…

Wenren Tu was embarrassed for her. Zhu Ming, she knew you had been single for years, but you didn’t have to freeze at the sight of every pretty girl!

“Zhu Ming! Zhu Ming!” Wenren Tu called out to her.

Zhu Ming snapped out of her daze, shuddered, and instinctively turned to run—but the doors were closed. She crashed into the door with a thud.

Wenren Tu was stunned. “Why are you running?!”

Zhu Ming was equally stunned. “Yeah, why am I running?” She had no idea what she was doing!

Wenren Tu finally understood. This wasn’t love at first sight; Zhu Ming knew this woman.

The train exited the tunnel, transitioning from summer to autumn, the scenery outside turning golden, the temperature dropping sharply.

Yin Yu opened the window, the wind playing with her hair. She turned to Zhu Ming, smiling. “We meet again, Mingming.”

Zhu Ming: “…”

Damn it! Why did seeing Yin Yu always trigger memories of that illusion? She was going to get PTSD.

Chapter 27 The Four Seasons Train (4)

This instance was different from the last. Within three hours of entering, they were thrust into a combat scenario. Although there were no puzzles to solve or investigations to conduct, making it simpler in terms of gameplay, it was actually more challenging for non-combat-oriented participants.

The accelerated metabolism forced them to collect food coupons, but having food coupons meant facing the ghosts’ attacks at “night.” To starve or to fight, that was the dilemma most participants faced.

If this instance continued with its rapid cycle of hunger and day-night transitions, Legs would be forced to make this choice repeatedly, a fact she was acutely aware of.

She glanced at Zhu Ming, who was quietly watching her, her chin resting on her hand.

Legs knew that if she didn’t prove herself useful, Zhu Ming wouldn’t truly consider her a partner. Zhu Ming seemed strong, and strong people were often arrogant, looking down on the weak.

But Legs really wasn’t good at fighting. She would have to demonstrate her courage and determination, at least showing Zhu Ming she wouldn’t be a burden.

Steeling her resolve, Legs slapped the table. “I want to trade for food coupons!”

Zhu Ming looked at her curiously.

The three at the table stared at Legs in silence for a long moment. The oppressive atmosphere made Legs’ newfound courage waver.

But if she didn’t trade for food coupons, she would starve.

Just as they were about to speak, Legs suddenly stood up. “Wait, I’ve changed my mind.”

She scanned the carriage, carefully selecting her next target. An elderly man, a chubby young woman, and a pregnant woman. Perfect. This group clearly wasn’t a threat. They were slow and would be easy targets.

Legs sat down at their table. “I want to trade for food coupons. What are your conditions?”

The pregnant woman, dressed in a traditional qipao and embroidered shoes, glanced at her companions and giggled, covering her mouth with a handkerchief. “My dear girl, you’re so amusing. Tell us, what do you have to offer?”

After a full day-night cycle, all the participants likely understood the significance of food coupons. Those who came to trade were presumably prepared. The ghosts didn’t bother with pretenses anymore. The first round was the easiest time to trick participants into trading their tickets, a chance that wouldn’t come again.

Legs pursed her lips. “I can trade a fingernail.”

The pregnant woman shook her head. “Just one fingernail? You’re dreaming, dearie. You’ll starve without food coupons. It’s summer now. Haven’t you heard of inflation?”

Legs frowned, glaring at the pregnant woman, refusing to back down. One fingernail wasn’t enough? These ghosts were too greedy.

Zhu Ming couldn’t stand it any longer. She sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Just as Legs was about to give in, Zhu Ming placed a hand on her shoulder and said impatiently, “Aren’t you all forgetting something?”

Relieved that the unfavorable trade had been interrupted, Legs asked, “What?”

Zhu Ming said, “It’s a seller’s market, not a buyer’s market. We are the ones selling. I might not even want your food coupons, even if you beg me to take them.”

Legs stared at her, stunned, then allowed herself to be pulled up. Zhu Ming sat down in her place, gesturing for Legs to sit beside her.

Zhu Ming tapped the table and pulled three food coupons from her pocket. “See? I don’t need these. I’m giving you one chance to trade your food coupons for my life. This is a limited-time offer. Once night falls, I’m switching carriages, and you’ll lose your chance to get a train ticket. So, understand? Food coupons. Take it or leave it.”

The elderly man, the pregnant woman, and the chubby young woman hesitated for a moment, then each pulled out a food coupon. “But you have to trade something in return, right?”

Zhu Ming said, “Of course.”

She handed each of them a piece of candy. That was all.

Three food coupons acquired. Zhu Ming turned to Legs, raising an eyebrow. See? You have to control the narrative.

Legs’ eyes widened in understanding. She had learned a valuable lesson.

Since entering the instance, she had been cautiously observing, only daring to trade for food coupons when she was on the verge of starvation. The shrewd ghosts in carriage 16 must have sensed her desperation and deliberately acted reluctant, forcing her to beg.

Damn, these ghosts were cunning.

As the train continued its journey, the previously silent loudspeaker suddenly crackled to life:

“Attention passengers! Welcome to the Four Seasons Train, number 999! Please observe proper train etiquette during your journey. Failure to do so will result in a re-education session conducted by our esteemed conductor. The second rule of proper train etiquette: all trades must be voluntary!”

After the announcement, Zhu Ming continued tapping the table. “I’ll take two more tables’ worth of food coupons, then I’m done. Remember to bring an offering when you trade. Candies and small snacks are preferred, of course. And remember, all trades are voluntary. I’m not forcing anyone. Limited spots available! First come, first served!”

The ghosts in carriage 17, their eyes filled with resentment, glared at Zhu Ming. What kind of person was she?! Couldn’t she act like a normal human being?

Zhu Ming: Nope.

But she had accurately gauged the ghosts’ desperation for the train tickets. Even if collecting nine food coupons didn’t guarantee her success, not trading meant definitely missing the opportunity.

The ghosts in the carriage stirred restlessly.

Legs was a little worried. “Isn’t this too risky? So many ghosts…” She had only traded for two food coupons last time, enough for a piece of bread and a bottle of water.

Zhu Ming said, “Don’t worry. I’m a highly respected employee of the Paranormal Affairs Bureau…”

Legs’ eyes lit up, instantly reassured by those words.

Zhu Ming: “…’s friend.”

Legs: “W-Well, that’s good too.”

With so many ghosts eager to trade, Zhu Ming waved her hand, instructing those who wanted to trade to raise their hands. She then delegated the task of collecting the food coupons to Legs.

Legs was flattered. “You’re really letting me choose?”

Zhu Ming smiled kindly. “Of course! You’re in this carriage too. What if the ghosts I chose decided to kill you? I’d feel terrible.”

Legs: “…” So if the ghosts she chose decided to kill her, it would be her own fault?

But regardless, she had to perform well! As Legs walked around the carriage, surrounded by eager gazes, a sense of power surged through her. She felt like a salted fish finally flipping over.

She carefully selected two tables of seemingly weaker ghosts. When she returned to Zhu Ming, she found her asleep on the table.

Almost an hour later, the cart rumbled back into the carriage. The black and white vendor barked to announce its arrival. Legs quickly woke Zhu Ming. The food coupons weren’t hers to spend.

Zhu Ming bought two lunchboxes and two bottles of water, spending six food coupons, then two more loaves of bread as a buffer for later, spending another two coupons. She kept two coupons for the bathroom—yes, even the bathroom required food coupons. Their stinginess was appalling!

That left her with only one spare food coupon.

Zhu Ming asked the vendor, “Can I buy things that aren’t on the cart?”

The border collie: “Woof!”

Perhaps that meant yes? Zhu Ming tentatively asked, “I want a backpack.”

The border collie, surprisingly dexterous, used its paws to open a small compartment under the cart and pulled out a backpack. However, the price tag on the bag indicated it cost five food coupons. Zhu Ming couldn’t afford it.

Zhu Ming sighed. “Forget it. I’ll buy it next time.”

She patted the dog’s head. The border collie put the backpack back in the compartment, wagged its tail, and continued to the next carriage.

Soon, another “night” arrived. The train sped into the dark tunnel. The lights flickered, and the ghosts reappeared.

Zhu Ming remained at the pregnant woman’s table, patting the chubby young woman ghost on the shoulder. “I’ll sit on the inside, so the other ghosts don’t try to steal your seat.”

The chubby young woman, no older than thirteen or fourteen, looked at her, momentarily stunned, then switched places. “You’re so nice, big sis!”

Zhu Ming smiled. “You’re welcome. It’s what I should do. Block those other ghosts for me, so they don’t try to ambush me.”

The chubby young woman, who had simply been plump in life, inflated like a balloon in her ghost form, effectively blocking the entrance to the four-seater. “I’ve got it covered! Hurry up!”

The pregnant woman ghost’s lips twitched. Was this woman stupid? But it didn’t matter. She would get that train ticket!

Their eyes gleaming with malice, the two ghosts lunged at Zhu Ming.

With this side blocked by the chubby ghost, the remaining six ghosts, seeing they were losing their chance, turned their attention to Legs.

Six ghosts! And the carriage was cramped, the seats creating obstacles that hindered Legs’ movements.

Legs had never run for her life with such intensity. She felt like she could compete in an obstacle course after this. Adrenaline surged through her as she dodged and weaved, her movements frantic.

She hoped that friend of a Paranormal Affairs Bureau employee wouldn’t die. Please, don’t die! But she was trapped, and there was no sign of activity…

In Legs’ enhanced perception, everything seemed to move in slow motion. As she passed by the chubby ghost’s table again, the chubby ghost suddenly lunged forward. Legs, startled, sprinted away.

The chubby ghost, her face contorted in a grimace, landed on top of the ghosts chasing Legs, pinning them down.

She gasped, “Big… sis… you tricked… me…”

In the cramped space beneath the massive, distorted form, the woman in black slowly retracted her hand, black and red blood dripping from it. She looked up at Legs and smiled, unaware that her blood-splattered face looked more terrifying than any ghost.

“Sorry, I was a little slow.”

Legs, too grateful to be angry, said quickly, “Not slow, not slow! As long as you’re alright!”

As long as Zhu Ming was okay, this “night” was as good as over!

…

Five minutes later, the doors of all the carriages opened simultaneously.

In carriage 16, two ghosts glared at them hungrily; they were the ones Legs hadn’t dealt with in the previous round. In carriage 18, four ghosts glared at Zhu Ming, their resentment practically tangible.

“To the front!”

Zhu Ming wiped the blood from her hands and stepped into carriage 16, Legs close behind.

The two hungry ghosts in carriage 16 were delighted to see their prey return!

But before they could act, a third person entered from the other door.

The two ghosts paused. Three people? Could they handle that?

They didn’t have to ponder for long. The newcomer placed a hand on each of their shoulders. Her short, blue-and-purple streaked hair bounced playfully. She smiled. “My, my, Zhu Ming, you look a bit worse for wear.”

Legs watched in surprise as a flash of blinding purple and white light erupted. The two ghosts convulsed violently.

Heavenly lightning, a bane to ghosts. They shrieked in agony, trying to attack, but the newcomer was enveloped in a protective layer of lightning, making them afraid to touch her.

A moment later, the ghosts dissolved into black ash. The woman in the crop top brushed the ash from her hands and stretched languidly. “I’m exhausted. And who’s this little miss?”

Legs quickly introduced herself.

Wenren Tu smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you! I’m Wenren Tu, Zhu Ming’s best friend.”

…

The three participants in carriage 16: Zhu Ming, Wenren Tu, and Legs.

The train exited the tunnel, transitioning from summer to autumn. Golden fields stretched as far as the eye could see, a soothing sight. But with the change of seasons, the temperature in the carriage dropped sharply.

The remains of the two dead ghosts vanished without a trace, leaving two more empty seats in the carriage.

Zhu Ming went to the sink to clean the bloodstains from her clothes. Legs looked curiously at Wenren Tu, wondering if she was Zhu Ming’s friend from the Paranormal Affairs Bureau.

“Why could you bring your blade in, but I couldn’t bring my crowbar?” Zhu Ming grumbled.

“Probably because of a spirit binding technique. And it’s my bonded weapon,” Wenren Tu said, patting the long blade at her hip. “It’s good that you’re here. Fighting alone wasn’t much fun. Those little ghosts are surprisingly tenacious.”

She patted her bulging pockets, filled with food coupons. She had initially been placed in carriage 14. After testing the side effects of the food coupons, she had gone to carriage 15 and started collecting them on a large scale. Aware of her limitations, she had only taken half the carriage’s coupons.

But that didn’t mean she had killed all the ghosts in that carriage.

“Sometimes, being too strong is a curse,” Wenren Tu said, a hint of smugness in her voice. “I only killed a few ghosts instantly, and the rest started running away, either clinging to the ceiling or shrinking themselves and hiding in corners.”

Her ability had a major drawback: she couldn’t use it remotely. And since she couldn’t damage the train itself, her ability couldn’t be used on the seats or walls. Her hand-to-hand combat skills were average, so after chasing them for a while, she gave up.

But now Zhu Ming was here.

Zhu Ming washed her face. “Actually, I was waiting for you too. There were too many eyes watching outside, so it wasn’t convenient to talk. But now that we’re here, I think it’s time to tell you.”

“Huh? What’s so secretive?”

“My ability is back.” Zhu Ming lowered her voice instinctively.

Wenren Tu’s eyes widened in delight. “Since when?! Does your grandma know?!”

Zhu Ming shook her head. “It came back after we left the last instance. I wasn’t planning on telling anyone. They’ll find out eventually.”

Actually, Zhu Ming’s ability had been sealed shortly after awakening seven years ago. She had never truly used it.

Legs, listening quietly, was confused. Did that mean Zhu Ming hadn’t had any abilities before?

Suddenly, she sneezed. “Achoo!”

Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu looked at her simultaneously.

Legs rubbed her nose, about to speak, then sneezed again and again.

Wenren Tu said, “Probably caught a cold from the sudden temperature change.”

Zhu Ming shrugged. “Maybe. At this rate, the next season will be winter.”

Just then, the loudspeaker crackled to life again:

“Attention passengers! Welcome to the Four Seasons Train, number 999! Please observe proper train etiquette during your journey. Failure to do so will result in a re-education session conducted by our esteemed conductor. The final rule of proper train etiquette: keep your train ticket safe! Lost tickets will not be replaced! Lost tickets will not be replaced! Repeat, lost tickets will not be replaced!”

The last few words were distorted, as if the announcer was desperately trying to drill this into every passenger’s head.

Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu exchanged glances. They both understood.

Legs, her nose running, her body weak from sneezing, wondered if the cart sold medicine and how expensive it would be. She found a seat and sat down to rest. Besides the sneezing, her throat was sore and itchy, her head dizzy, another symptom of the accelerated hunger.

Damn it, even illnesses progressed rapidly here. She couldn’t do anything in this state.

Thankfully, Zhu Ming and that Wenren Tu woman were strong. She would try her best, and they surely wouldn’t abandon her. Legs consoled herself, seeing that Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu had also found seats and were resting, not as ostentatiously as in the previous carriage.

Were they being considerate of her illness? Legs felt a pang of guilt and a surge of gratitude for the reliability of the friend of a Paranormal Affairs Bureau employee.

Halfway through their autumn journey, the border collie vendor returned with its cart.

Wenren Tu quickly spent all her food coupons, buying not only food and water but also fever medicine for Legs, three light jackets and two down jackets in preparation for winter, and a backpack.

Despite its small size, the cart seemed to have everything.

The temperature was around 10 degrees Celsius, which Zhu Ming found perfectly comfortable, but she didn’t refuse Wenren Tu’s offer of a long black windbreaker.

Legs, having taken the medicine and put on a jacket, felt drowsy. Just then, Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu stood up.

One said, “This is a robbery!” The other opened her backpack.

Legs was jolted awake. Wait, what? A robbery? Robbing who?

Who else but the surviving ghosts in carriage 16?

Not only Legs, but even the ghosts in the carriage were stunned by this move. They had seen people courting death, but not like this.

“Trading food coupons is voluntary,” one of the ghosts said, remembering the key rule. “I’m not trading! Hehe, you’re clearly up to something!”

These two were either incredibly stupid or incredibly strong. Judging by the fact they had survived two “nights,” it was likely the latter. This ghost knew that missing this opportunity was regrettable, but there were other people on this train. With enough patience, he would find another target.

But Zhu Ming said, “No, we’re trading with you. And I decide what we’re trading.”

The ghost glared at her, silent, trying to intimidate her with its gaze.

Zhu Ming smiled faintly. “Don’t look at me like that. You can’t actually refuse, can you? During the spring, on the first day, a ghost told me that to get food coupons from others, I had to trade something in return. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but then… the train etiquette rules said all trades must be voluntary.”

Why emphasize that specifically? It was easy to realize that ghosts couldn’t force trades. Was it really necessary to state it explicitly?

It wasn’t until Zhu Ming and Wenren Tu decided to rob the ghosts in carriage 16 that she finally understood.

If a player was too strong, and the ghosts refused to trade food coupons, the player would starve to death, and the ghosts would get a free train ticket—that was unreasonable. If that were the rule, as long as the ghosts cooperated, all the players would die.

So the rule about voluntary trades applied to what the players offered, while the ghosts couldn’t refuse a player’s request to trade for food coupons!

Chapter 26 The Four Seasons Train (3) p2

Ghosts, especially vengeful ghosts, were often driven by malice and obsession. As Zhu Ming had said, they knew none of them would back down easily.

The little girl crunched on her lollipop. When the male university student ghost clutched his stomach and doubled over in pain, she extended her claws and slashed at his chest and abdomen. He screamed and scrambled back, desperate to reach the bathroom!

The little girl giggled. No one knew the effects of her candy better than she did. It worked on everyone, not just Awakened, but other ghosts as well. Of course, they all knew each other’s tricks and wouldn’t eat anything offered by another ghost. They had that annoying big sister to thank for that.

“You think you can compete with me in your current state? Get lost!”

The pigtailed ghost, her mouth filled with sharp teeth, knew the consequences of the candy, yet she had chosen to take the risk. She wasn’t about to be intimidated by a few words.

While the little girl was gloating, she lunged forward, tackling her and rolling on the floor.

They grappled fiercely.

They were both ghosts, their fighting styles similar. The little girl, having been Awakened in life, retained her abilities after death, but she was young and inexperienced, no match for the pigtailed ghost’s cunning. Neither could gain the upper hand.

The intelligent, beautiful wife ghost looked anything but intelligent or beautiful now. Her face, like her husband’s, was covered in cracks. She noticed from the corner of her eye that Zhu Ming had moved to the seat closest to the door and was watching the fight with amusement, one leg crossed over the other.

The wife ghost quickly said, “Stop fighting! We’ll miss our chance! She’s not as easy to deal with as you think! Let’s kill her first, then we can discuss who gets the ticket!”

She had a point.

The little girl and the pigtailed ghost glared at each other, then released their holds, their bodies covered in wounds. Several pairs of sinister eyes turned to Zhu Ming.

Even without eyes, the little ghost glared at her. “You’re so mean, big sister! Trying to turn us against each other!”

Zhu Ming was even meaner. “What are you talking about? Don’t you enjoy a good dogfight?”

Enraged, the ghosts, already filled with resentment, needed no further encouragement. They lunged at Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming, who had been pretending to be injured, stood up. “Sitting for so long makes my legs stiff. Time to stretch.”

The family of three surrounded her, the pigtailed ghost attacking her legs, while the two male university student ghosts… well, they were too busy running to the bathroom to care about killing anyone.

Zhu Ming cracked her knuckles. Without her crowbar, ranged attacks were inconvenient. But that was fine…

Under the dim lights, the woman in black moved with feline agility. She grabbed a luggage rack, arched her back, and sprang into the air, twisting her body mid-jump to land precisely behind one of the ghosts. Quick as a flash, she grabbed their heads, one in each hand, and slammed them together.

Crack! The two adult ghosts slumped to the floor, a searing pain shooting through their skulls. The Yang energy radiating from this woman was terrifyingly intense!

They landed on top of the pigtailed ghost. The little ghost, who had missed Zhu Ming and crashed into the window, bounced back and lunged at her face.

Zhu Ming landed on the pile of three ghosts, her knees pinning them down. Instead of dodging, she reached out and grabbed the little ghost’s clawed hands.

The little ghost froze, experiencing this for the first time in her ghostly existence.

Zhu Ming smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t have that kind of fetish.”

With a swift twist of her wrists, she bent the little ghost’s claws backwards!

A sharp cry of pain. Black smoke rose from where the little ghost touched Zhu Ming, and the sizzling sound of burning flesh filled the air. The little ghost frantically swiped at Zhu Ming with her other hand. But Zhu Ming caught it, twisted her wrist, and directed the ten sharp claws towards the ghost beneath her feet.

The husband ghost, caught in the crossfire: “ARGH!!!”

The claws pierced his back, right through his ghostly heart. Black smoke billowed from the wounds and the points of contact with Zhu Ming. His face contorted in agony, burns and claw marks appearing on his translucent body as if he were still human, black and red blood oozing onto the floor. He died instantly.

Zhu Ming’s knees relaxed, and she kicked the husband ghost’s body aside, still holding the little ghost’s hand.

The little ghost, terrified, seeing her mother next, thrashed wildly, trying to pull away.

Her claws were sharp and slippery. Zhu Ming lost her grip. Just as she was about to grab the little ghost again, she heard a creaking sound.

She turned to see the doors at both ends of the carriage swinging open. All the carriage doors, simultaneously, opened.

Zhu Ming blinked, looking from one end of the train to the other.

Carriage 17 in front, carriage 19 behind, both empty of ghosts.

A participant stumbled into carriage 17. She had come from carriage 16. The ghost pursuing her hadn’t crossed over, remaining at the doorway of 16, glaring at her.

Through the open doors, Zhu Ming saw blood splattered across the floor of carriage 20. The occupant was likely dead. There was movement in the carriages further down the train, but she couldn’t see clearly.

Zhu Ming wondered if she should switch carriages.

Beneath her knees, the wife ghost was now sizzling and screaming, though she hadn’t dissipated yet.

A sharp pain in her ankle. Zhu Ming looked down to see the pigtailed ghost, having crawled out from under the wife ghost, biting her ferociously.

Zhu Ming raised an eyebrow. A moment later, the blood dripping from her ankle landed on the wife ghost, burning holes in her translucent flesh. At the same time, the pigtailed ghost lost all her beautiful, sharp teeth.

The pigtailed ghost: “…”

While Zhu Ming wasn’t looking, the little ghost grabbed her mother’s arm and tried to pull her away. At the same time, Zhu Ming noticed that the doors, which had been open for less than a minute, were slowly closing!

Zhu Ming pressed her hand against the back of the wife ghost’s head, channeling a surge of Yang energy, a small flame igniting. A soft poof sounded as the wife ghost’s eyes, ears, and nose began to bleed. She went still.

Having wasted time watching the fight, she didn’t have time to deal with the remaining ghosts. Zhu Ming lunged towards carriage 17, just making it through the closing door.

The little ghost, having witnessed both her parents die, bristled with rage, her form distorting as she clawed at the closing door between carriages 17 and 18, screaming. Even though the door wasn’t completely closed, an invisible barrier prevented her from entering carriage 17.

Zhu Ming narrowed her eyes. “Want to join your parents? I’ll help you.”

She stepped forward to finish off the little ghost, but found herself blocked by the same invisible barrier. She couldn’t go back.

Unable to perform her act of kindness, Zhu Ming felt a twinge of regret.

She turned to see a young woman looking at her warily. “Hello, I’m a participant. Are you too?”

Zhu Ming nodded, showing her invitation.

The girl’s expression relaxed slightly, though she still seemed apprehensive. She said, trying to be friendly, “You’re so strong! Is your ability attack-based? Those ghosts couldn’t even touch you. You’ll definitely complete this instance.”

Zhu Ming blinked. “What about you? What’s your ability?”

The girl replied, “Speed enhancement.”

That’s how she had managed to evade the ghosts so far, by kiting them.

“That’s pretty good too,” Zhu Ming said politely, then sat down to rest. Although she had destroyed the pigtailed ghost’s teeth, the sharp fangs had left deep wounds on her ankle.

The girl sat in one of the empty seats across from her and introduced herself. “Because I’m fast, my friends call me ‘Speedy Gonzales,’ which I think is awful. I asked them to call me ‘Leggy Goddess’ instead, but they said that was false advertising. So they just call me ‘Legs.’ You can call me that too.”

Zhu Ming asked, “Do you want to team up?”

Legs nodded eagerly. “The instance has just begun. I’m not much of a fighter, but I might be useful later.” Fighting wasn’t her forte, but running was.

Zhu Ming said, “I’m Zhu Ming. Teaming up is fine, but I have a companion in this instance. I need to find her.”

Legs replied without hesitation, “These carriages are all the same. I’ll go with you.”

“Can you tell me what happened to your finger?”

Legs’ face paled, and she held up her left pinky finger, the flesh torn and bloody, the nail missing.

If it had been injured by a ghost during the “night,” the injury wouldn’t be limited to just her pinky finger.

“I traded my fingernail for food coupons,” Legs said. “What did you trade? You don’t seem to be missing anything. Don’t tell me you traded your train ticket! You didn’t, did you? That looks important!”

Zhu Ming stared at her, stunned. “I didn’t trade it. I’ve just realized… you can’t judge a book by its cover. Or a person by their apparent timidity.”

She would never have guessed Legs, who seemed so timid, would be so ruthless towards herself.

Just as they finished speaking, the dim lights above began to flicker again. They stopped talking, their eyes scanning their surroundings warily.

Zhu Ming leaned on the table and looked out the window. A bright, almost blinding white light was approaching the front of the train. They were about to exit the tunnel!

As they burst out of the white light, the scenery outside abruptly changed from absolute darkness to a lush summer landscape. The temperature inside the carriage also rose sharply.

At the same time, the sounds of chatter and activity filled the air. The people who had disappeared during the “night” reappeared.

Sitting beside Legs were three tall, dark-skinned men in ragged clothes and straw sandals. Beside Zhu Ming were three men in traditional Chinese jackets with long braids, chatting and laughing.

Interesting. The people in this carriage seemed to be dressed in rather old-fashioned clothes.

Perhaps due to some lingering Qing dynasty customs, the men and women were seated separately, even in death adhering to social norms, a testament to the deep-rooted influence of societal expectations.

Chapter 26 The Four Seasons Train (3) p1

As long as she was willing to bet food coupons, the three university students were happy to play.

But they never expected Zhu Ming’s hand to be so terrible, her card playing skills practically non-existent!

The male student almost won with a straight, but the pigtailed girl discreetly stepped on his foot, signaling him to hold back. Oblivious, Zhu Ming cheerfully slapped down an ace when they played singles. “Anyone want this?”

The three shook their heads.

Zhu Ming continued, slapping down another card. “A king!”

They shook their heads again.

Zhu Ming, beaming, “A ten! A pair of sevens! Three threes with a four! A six! Hahaha! I win!”

The pigtailed girl forced a smile. “You’re so good at cards! We’re not sure we can beat you. Want to bet?”

Zhu Ming looked at her suspiciously. “But my hand wasn’t good. Are you letting me win on purpose?”

The pigtailed girl quickly denied it. “Of course not! What would we gain from that? You’re overthinking it.”

Zhu Ming said, “Let’s play a few more rounds. I’ll bet candy, but I don’t want your food coupons yet.”

The male student didn’t understand. “Why not? What do you want then?”

Zhu Ming smiled sweetly. “This candy was a gift, so I need to prepare some return gifts. What if you lose your food coupons and get upset and refuse to bet anymore? So, let’s bet something else first. Bring out any snacks you have. Once I have enough return gifts, we’ll bet food coupons.”

The pigtailed girl stared at Zhu Ming, her smile strained. This woman with the high ponytail and the half-dyed hair was a walking disaster!

But!

If they refused, Zhu Ming wouldn’t play, and they wouldn’t get anything.

The pigtailed girl forced a wider smile. “Fine, we’ll do as you say. Don’t worry, we’re just playing because we’re bored. We don’t have any ulterior motives.”

Zhu Ming beamed. “That’s good, that’s good! I was afraid you’d find me annoying! You’re so kind and patient! Unlike me. If I met someone as fussy as me, I’d just resort to violence.”

The pigtailed girl: “…”

To avoid arousing Zhu Ming’s suspicion, the three university students had to play carefully, letting her win some rounds and lose some, all while making it seem natural, as if they weren’t deliberately throwing the game.

It was exhausting. They had never been so tired playing cards.

The pigtailed girl felt like her skin had aged several years.

After a few rounds, their wins and losses were roughly equal, though Zhu Ming had won the most. The pigtailed girl tentatively suggested, “You’re so good. Want to bet food coupons now? Don’t worry, even if we lose, we’ll keep playing. We won’t ignore you.”

Zhu Ming, thoroughly enjoying herself, readily agreed. “Sure! I lost the last round, but I’m confident I can turn the tables and defeat all three of you! However…”

The pigtailed girl’s heart skipped a beat. “However what?”

Zhu Ming leaned back, her left hand resting on the back of the chair, one leg crossed over the other. She held a piece of candy in her raised right hand. “I lost three candies to you in the last round. To celebrate our friendship and to boost morale for the next game, let’s eat some candy together!”

The three university students fell silent, staring at Zhu Ming with identical expressions of suspicion, a tense atmosphere settling over the small table.

Zhu Ming didn’t back down, her smile widening. She flicked the candy in her hand. “Is there something wrong with this candy? I remember the little girl’s mother saying it was okay to eat a little of your food… Did I miss something? You’re all so kind. You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

The pigtailed girl took a deep breath. “Of course not! It’s just a piece of candy. It’s nice to share.”

The three university students seemed to have made up their minds. They unwrapped their candies along with Zhu Ming and, to reassure her, ate them first.

Zhu Ming held her candy, about to put it in her mouth, as the little girl watched quietly, sucking on her lollipop.

Just as the candy touched her lips, Zhu Ming suddenly frowned and exclaimed, “Ouch! My tooth hurts!”

The university students: “…”

Zhu Ming winced and sighed dramatically. “Oh dear, I almost forgot about my cavity. Just looking at candy makes my tooth ache. I can’t eat this. One of you eat it for me.”

She tossed the candy onto the table and turned to the dumbfounded little girl, smiling. “Little girl, even if you’re not human, remember to brush your teeth, or you’ll get cavities like me and won’t be able to eat candy.”

The little girl almost couldn’t keep a straight face. “Big sister is right.”

“I can’t help it. I’m just a sweet, caring big sister.” Zhu Ming handed the snacks she had won from the university students to the family. “These are my return gifts. Eat up! If you don’t, you’re not giving me face.”

The little girl asked innocently, “But if we eat them, what will you eat, big sister?”

Zhu Ming said, “I’ll eat what they lose to me next. I’m so good at cards; I’m sure they’ll lose.”

The beautiful, intelligent wife pulled the little girl closer and glanced at Zhu Ming. “What if big sister keeps losing? Let’s save these for her, sweetie.”

The pigtailed girl glared at the family, then turned to Zhu Ming, her patience wearing thin, her expression dark. “Are you done with the pleasantries? Can we play now?”

“Fine, fine. Look how impatient you are. Let’s bet food coupons this time,” Zhu Ming said magnanimously.

They shuffled and dealt the cards again. The three university students exchanged glances, relief evident in their eyes. Finally, this was almost over! They wouldn’t have to endure this annoying woman any longer!

“Three of a kind with a single!” Zhu Ming threw down four cards and held up the remaining three. “Anyone want these?”

The three shook their heads.

An inevitable victory unfolded once again. Zhu Ming beamed. “A pair of kings! Anyone? Four, five, six, seven! Anyone? A six! Anyone? A nine! Wow! I win again!!!”

The university students forced smiles and applauded weakly. “Very impressive. Since you won, the food coupons are yours.”

Zhu Ming happily collected her winnings.

They hadn’t been playing for long, but Zhu Ming was already hungry again.

The university students, desperate to stop playing cards with her, offered her some snacks. She couldn’t eat candy, but surely a few biscuits were fine?

Zhu Ming: “No, I’m on a diet!”

The pigtailed girl: “…” She had never met such a fussy and difficult woman.

The scenery outside remained unchanged. Zhu Ming leaned back in her chair, resting. Then she noticed the landscape beginning to shift.

As the train steadily moved forward, the distant mountains drew closer. They were approaching a tunnel entrance at the foot of a mountain!

The monotonous scenery finally changed. Two identical guard posts appeared on either side of the tunnel entrance, while the mountains, looming larger and larger, continued to stretch endlessly in both directions.

The first hint on the invitation: Beware the darkness!

And that tunnel entrance, like the gaping maw of a monster, was pitch black!

HOOOOOORN—

The train whistled and plunged into the tunnel without hesitation.

One carriage, two carriages, three carriages… Zhu Ming watched as carriage 17 in front of her was swallowed by darkness, then her own carriage, 18.

In an instant, the carriage was plunged into absolute darkness. The lively, peaceful scene vanished completely, replaced by an unnerving silence.

Flicker, flicker.

The lights above sputtered, momentarily plunging the carriage into darkness, then casting a dim, yellow glow, as if the old wiring was malfunctioning.

During one of these flickering moments, a cold hand grabbed Zhu Ming’s wrist.

Buzz—

The dim lights stabilized, casting a yellow glow within the carriage, the only source of light in the long, dark tunnel. Outside, the darkness was absolute, giving the disorienting illusion that the train was hurtling towards an unknown destination. Perhaps even the center of the earth.

Zhu Ming looked at the three people at her table. The pigtailed girl and her two companions had revealed their true forms.

Their pale, grayish faces, their dark eyes, and the undeniable aura of death surrounding them clearly revealed their identities.

They were ghosts. Or rather, everyone in this carriage, except for Zhu Ming, was a ghost! But now, the other passengers were gone, only the ghosts from the two tables where Zhu Ming had won food coupons remained, ready to collect their prizes.

The pigtailed girl’s smile widened into a grotesque grin, her voice a shrill shriek. “We’ve been waiting for this! You took our food coupons, now you’ll pay with your life!”

Zhu Ming twisted her wrist, and the ghostly hand gripping hers began to smoke and sizzle. The male student yelped and quickly let go.

Zhu Ming smiled sweetly. “But I’m Awakened.”

A cold sensation against her waist. The soft, cuddly little girl stared at Zhu Ming with empty eye sockets, her voice a chilling giggle. “But big sister, I was Awakened too, when I was alive! That little trick won’t kill me. Remember not to trust little kids next time… although you probably won’t have a next time!”

Her hands transformed into claws and swiped at Zhu Ming’s stomach. Zhu Ming quickly twisted away, grabbing the little ghost’s hair and yanking her back.

The little ghost, her short arms and legs flailing, her hair sizzling, shrieked, “What are you waiting for?! Get her!”

Her parents, also transformed into ghosts, lunged at Zhu Ming from both sides.

So this was what “night” meant. The daytime rules against fighting and loud noises no longer applied. The ghosts’ abilities, and her own, were restored!

Zhu Ming swung the little ghost like a weapon, smashing her into the two adult ghosts. She vaulted over the back of her chair, escaping their encirclement. The pigtailed girl yelled from behind her and gave chase.

Zhu Ming noticed that the pigtailed ghost had no legs. They were neatly severed below the knees. She moved surprisingly fast, using her arms to propel herself forward, even faster than the two-legged ghosts.

The doors at both ends of the carriage remained closed. The aisle was narrow. Zhu Ming grabbed a luggage rack, swung herself up, and flipped over the ghosts’ heads, landing on the other side.

She let out a soft cry and collapsed onto a seat, as if she had twisted her ankle.

The pigtailed ghost’s eyes lit up. “Where do you think you’re going?!”

Zhu Ming didn’t run. She yelled, “Wait! You’re trying to kill me for my train ticket, right? But I only have one ticket, and there are six of you! How are you going to divide it?!”

The six ghosts stopped, exchanging dark glances.

Yes, how would they divide it?

Just then, as if on cue, the three university student ghosts’ stomachs growled loudly. Their faces turned even paler.

The candy they had eaten during the “day” was taking effect.

The carriage rattled slightly.

Zhu Ming said, her voice laced with mock concern, “What’s wrong? Upset stomachs? You shouldn’t have gotten involved. That family tried so hard to warn me not to accept food coupons from others. If you hadn’t interfered, I would have been their easy target. Now look… you were too greedy. You worked so hard to join this little party, but you’re not going to let go so easily, are you?”

The family: She’s got a point.

The university student ghosts: Indeed.

The two groups of ghosts glared at each other. The little girl threatened, “Her Yang energy is so strong! You can’t even get close to her! I suggest you back off and don’t interfere!”

The pigtailed ghost’s eyes burned with rage. “Anyone can talk tough! We’ll see who gets the ticket!”

 

Chapter 25 The Four Seasons Train (2)

Zhu Ming looked at her as if she were an idiot. “Are you stupid, or am I?”

The old woman huffed. “Such a rude young lady! No manners!”

Zhu Ming retorted, “You’re about to die, and you’re talking about manners?”

She stood up, waving her train ticket. Countless eyes fixated on it. “Who wants to give me food coupons? Of course, I’m not trading this directly.”

“Miss,” a young woman with pigtails said, flashing a bright smile. “If you don’t want to trade your ticket for food coupons, how about we play a game?”

Finally, someone reasonable. Zhu Ming moved to their table. The three people at this table looked like university students and hadn’t tried to tempt her with food.

As she left, the old woman and the couple glared at her back but didn’t follow.

The girl with pigtails said, “We’re playing a little game. If you win, we’ll give you all our food coupons. If you lose, you give us your ticket.”

“What game?”

“Cards.”

She took out a deck of cards, shuffled it, and said, “We’re playing a simple game of combinations. Fives of a kind, three of a kind with a pair. Whoever gets rid of all their cards first wins.”

Everyone had their own agenda. Zhu Ming wouldn’t agree so easily. “How do I know you three won’t team up and cheat?”

The girl said, “You can deal.”

Zhu Ming took charge. “No. I want to change the game.”

She suggested a simpler game of guessing high or low.

The pigtailed girl exchanged glances with her companions and said, her eyes downcast, “Fine. We’ll play your game.”

Zhu Ming suddenly stood up. “Actually, I don’t really need food coupons. Sorry to bother you. Enjoy your game.”

“Wait!” the girl with pigtails said quickly, afraid she would go to another table. “Then we won’t bet your train ticket. We’ll bet something else.”

“Something else?” Zhu Ming looked at her, a playful smile on her face. “I don’t have anything else to bet. And we’re all students. Gambling is illegal, you know? Focus on your studies.”

The girl with pigtails was getting anxious, desperate to keep her at their table.

One of her companions chimed in, “If you go to other tables, you’ll have to meet their demands to get food coupons. It’s better to stay here with us. We can play something simple.”

Zhu Ming: “?”

The pigtailed girl stamped on his foot. “Idiot!”

Zhu Ming couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, I see. So you’re all waiting for me.”

The pigtailed girl said, “Miss, you might not be able to meet other people’s demands, but we’re easy to negotiate with. How about this, you find something unimportant to trade with us? We’re all young people. Let’s help each other out. We don’t want to see you starve to death.”

Just as she was trying to persuade Zhu Ming, the door to carriage 18 opened.

Accompanied by a rumbling sound, a small cart filled with goods rolled in.

“Woof!”

Zhu Ming leaned out to see… a cute black and white border collie pushing the cart, wearing a small bib.

As everyone knew, border collies weren’t dogs.

Her stomach growled at the sight of steaming lunchboxes and freshly cut fruit. The invitation had clearly stated that food coupons were needed to purchase items from the cart.

Zhu Ming seemed to be the only normal person in the carriage. Seeing her lack of reaction, the canine vendor continued pushing its cart into the next carriage without pausing.

The girl with pigtails seized the opportunity. “The vendor will come back around. Do you want to trade with us for food coupons?”

Zhu Ming thought that was a good idea and sat back down, the occupants of the other tables looking slightly disappointed.

“What kind of unimportant things are we talking about? Give me some examples,” Zhu Ming asked.

The pigtailed girl licked her lips. “Like your voice, your hearing, your eyesight, or your hair, your fingernails, your clothes… Just throwing out ideas, of course! Don’t worry! Anything you have, you can trade!”

Zhu Ming considered it, then said, “I do have something I can trade, but I don’t like taking advantage of people, so let’s play a game, as I suggested earlier. If you win, I’ll give each of you my… chips. If you lose, you give me all your food coupons.”

The strange university students’ faces lit up. “Deal! What are you betting?”

Suddenly, a cute little girl from the next table stumbled over and hugged Zhu Ming’s leg. “Don’t trust them, big sister! They’re bad people! Ah!”

As soon as she finished speaking, the sound of a whip cracking echoed through the air. Crack! The child, as if struck by an invisible force, fell to the ground, crying.

But the louder she cried, the more she violated the train etiquette rules. Invisible attacks rained down on her. Zhu Ming quickly scooped her up and covered her mouth.

The little girl, about six or seven years old, soft and cuddly, tears welling up in her eyes, tugged on Zhu Ming’s sleeve. “Don’t listen to them, big sister! Come with me!”

The pigtailed girl’s face darkened. “Even if you go with them, miss, they might not be as easy to negotiate with as we are.”

Zhu Ming stroked the little girl’s head. “She’s right. If I go with you, will you give me food coupons?”

The little girl nodded vigorously. “Big sister, I don’t want to be their accomplice anymore! Actually, this train—”

An invisible force silenced her. Her face turned red, unable to speak, she could only look at Zhu Ming pleadingly.

“Miss, give her to me,” the little girl’s mother, a young, intelligent-looking woman, said, reaching out. “She’s just a child, so naive… She didn’t mean to interrupt you.”

How could Zhu Ming refuse such a gentle beauty? She carried the child over to their table.

The pigtailed girl didn’t stop them, perhaps due to the train etiquette rules, but she glared at the family with hostility.

Unlike the previous family of an old woman and a middle-aged couple, this family was much more appealing: a young, handsome husband, an intelligent, beautiful wife, and a cute, well-behaved daughter.

“You seem different from the others,” Zhu Ming said with a faint smile. “Tell me what you can.”

The little girl leaned against Zhu Ming, her soft hair pleasant to the touch. Sniffling, she said, “You’re so smart, big sister! We are different. Maybe it’s because, as long as the three of us are together, we’re happy.”

The wife smiled at her daughter and handed her a lollipop. “Silly girl, don’t you think it hurts? Have some candy. Daddy and Mommy will talk to big sister.”

She looked at Zhu Ming, her eyes filled with sadness and bitterness. “Miss, you’re different from all of us. You have a train ticket. I don’t know how you got it, but don’t trade it for food coupons.”

“Why?” Zhu Ming raised an eyebrow.

The wife replied, “Because to get food coupons, you have to trade something in return. They might start small, but they’ll ask for more and more. You’ll become weaker and weaker, and eventually, you’ll die on this train.”

“But if I don’t trade for food coupons, I can’t buy food, and I’ll starve to death.” Zhu Ming glanced at the lollipop in the little girl’s hand. “Are you offering me free candy?”

The wife shook her head, unfazed by Zhu Ming’s attitude. “No. If anything, I hope you’ll eat less of what others offer you. You must have noticed… everyone here…”

Her voice trailed off, almost drowned out by the rhythmic clatter of the train.

Her eyes were filled with fear and anguish. She shook her head with a bitter smile. “The rules prevent us from telling you directly, but I think you understand. Of course, if you’re really hungry, it’s alright to eat a little. The consequences aren’t severe, maybe just some diarrhea.”

Zhu Ming agreed wholeheartedly. “That old woman earlier was practically forcing oranges on me. Even if they were ordinary oranges, her attitude was terrifying. I’m just a normal, weak girl. Of course, I’m wary in a strange place like this.”

“Yes, they’re too eager,” the wife sighed. “Perhaps they all have unfinished business. But our family has come to terms with our situation. As long as we’re together, nothing else matters.”

Hearing his wife’s words, the husband embraced her. “Honey, I’ll always be here for you and our daughter.”

The little girl, lollipop in mouth, climbed over to join them. The family hugged tightly, a heartwarming scene.

Zhu Ming waited for them to separate before speaking. “So, how are you planning to help me? Words are useless without action.”

The little girl sat back down beside Zhu Ming, smiling sweetly. “Of course we have a way, big sister! We can also trade! As long as it’s mutual, we can play any game and trade anything! How about this, you give me a kiss, and I’ll give you my food coupon.”

That was easy enough. Zhu Ming picked up the little girl and kissed her soft cheek. The little girl giggled, pulled a food coupon from her pocket, and handed it to Zhu Ming. “Keep it safe, big sister! Don’t lose it, or you’ll have to trade with someone else again!”

Then the wife asked Zhu Ming to braid the little girl’s hair, and the husband asked her to take the little girl to wash her hands. They traded all their food coupons to Zhu Ming.

Just then, the cart returned.

Rumble, rumble—

The canine vendor pushed the cart, standing on its hind legs.

“Vendor, I want to buy something.”

“Woof!”

Every item on the cart had a price tag. Three food coupons were enough for a bottle of water and a lunchbox. The prices were outrageous.

Not one to pass up a chance to take advantage of the situation, Zhu Ming patted the vendor’s behind while it wasn’t looking.

The border collie: “…”

Fortunately, the vendor was generous and didn’t seem to mind. It barked and continued on its way.

As Zhu Ming ate, the wife said, “We only have three food coupons, so we can’t help you much. Eat slowly and make it last. Here are some candies. Eating them during the day is fine. If you’re really hungry, eat some candy to tide you over. Try not to trade with anyone else for food coupons.”

“I don’t have to trade for these candies?”

“No, only food coupons require trading.”

“Thank you.”

Zhu Ming quickly finished her meal, then, with the bag of candy and the remaining water, returned to the university students’ table, ticket in hand.

The pigtailed girl’s face lit up when she saw her.

The wife stared at her in surprise.

Zhu Ming smiled at them over her shoulder. “Sorry, I want to buy a lot of things, so I need more food coupons. By the way, you said I could trade anything I have, right?”

The pigtailed girl nodded eagerly. “Yes! Don’t listen to that family’s nonsense! Everyone is the same! Why are we the bad guys? We want to help you too!”

The little girl quickly said, “But the cart only comes once a day, big sister! It’s useless to trade now!”

The pigtailed girl interrupted her. “Little girl, don’t interrupt the adults. Even if she can’t use the food coupons now, she can save them, can’t she?”

That was true. Zhu Ming tapped the table. “We were interrupted earlier. Sorry to keep you waiting. Who asked me what I was betting?”

The male university student spoke up. “Me. What are you betting? Don’t tell me it’s that bag of candy?”

His tone was dismissive, as if annoyed by her stinginess. Zhu Ming, ever so thoughtful, replied, “Since I said I would trade something of mine, of course I’ll keep my word, unless you specifically want to bet the candy.”

The male student’s face brightened. “Sure, sure! What are you willing to trade?”

Zhu Ming held up her right hand. “A slap.”

Silence descended upon the table. After a moment, the pigtailed girl, as if questioning her own hearing, asked, “What did you say?”

Zhu Ming smiled sweetly. “A slap. Didn’t you hear me? Whoever wins against me gets a slap from me. I guarantee it’ll be loud and clear. One not enough? Two? Three is my limit. My hand will hurt.”

The pigtailed girl jumped to her feet, her voice shrill with anger. “How dare you insult us like this!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she stumbled and fell back into her seat, her pigtails askew, as if someone had struck her on the shoulder.

“Ow!” She glared at Zhu Ming. “No good deed goes unpunished!”

Zhu Ming chuckled, wiggling her fingers. “It’s just an offer. Take it or leave it. If you don’t want to trade, that’s fine. After all, the little girl said the cart only comes once a day.”

Regardless, Zhu Ming’s offer was insulting. Even the most patient person would be enraged. But the pigtailed girl was even more tolerant than Zhu Ming had expected. After a moment, she forced a smile. “Don’t joke around. Just bet the candy. It’s yours anyway.”

Zhu Ming said, “I didn’t realize you were so eager to give me your food coupons.”

The pigtailed girl and her companions’ smiles faltered. Damn it! Now that she had realized their eagerness, she would probably refuse to play again!

Zhu Ming, never one to disappoint, picked up the cards and expertly shuffled them. “Since you’re so sincere, I’ll graciously accept. I’m bored anyway. Come on, let’s play that simple game you mentioned.”

“Fine,” the pigtailed girl said through gritted teeth.

The cards were dealt. Zhu Ming’s hand was terrible, but she smiled and said, “I haven’t played cards in a while. Let me practice a few rounds. If I keep losing, I won’t be in the mood to bet.”