Category: Her Prey [Infinite]

Chapter 24 The Four Seasons Train (1)

Besides protective amulets, another reward for participating in the Dark Realm was the enhancement of one’s abilities.

Upon completing a mission, an Awakened individual’s overall abilities would be enhanced. Failing a mission didn’t result in death, but there were no rewards, and it could even weaken their abilities. As time went on within an instance, the restrictions on ghosts lessened, making it rare for participants to survive by simply hiding until the very end.

Wenren Tu said, “I don’t recommend just trying to survive passively. That will only weaken you further, leaving you defenseless in combat-oriented instances.”

Yun Zouchuan nodded seriously. “I understand. Even if it’s just to save time, I’ll try to complete the missions quickly.” Being trapped in an instance for several days was time she couldn’t afford to waste, not with her studies.

Zhu Ming suddenly asked, “How do we find the instance core?”

Hearing this, Wenren Tu knew what Zhu Ming was thinking. “Don’t be impulsive. We still don’t have a clear understanding of the cores, but once a core is destroyed, the entire instance collapses.”

Zhu Ming and Yun Zouchuan had just returned from an instance and wouldn’t be entering another one anytime soon. Wenren Tu slung an arm around Zhu Ming’s shoulder, smiling. “Remember, no matter what happens, I’m on your side. It’s just an ex-girlfriend. We need to move on and embrace a new life. Let’s go to a lesbian bar and find you a new love!”

Zhu Ming rolled her eyes. “Is that all you ever think about? Getting girls’ WeChat IDs for yourself?”

Wenren Tu choked, then defended herself. “I often introduce you to new people too.”

Zhu Ming smiled sarcastically. “Really? How come I remember someone using the excuse of finding me a new girlfriend, then ditching me to chat up pretty girls?”

Wenren Tu chuckled sheepishly. “It wasn’t that bad. Come on, let bygones be bygones. Let’s go!”

The two heartbroken friends went out to drown their sorrows, leaving Yun Zouchuan to look after the studio. They didn’t return until late at night.

Zhu Ming called a rideshare for Wenren Tu. After seeing her off, Azou also went home.

Zhu Ming sat on the sofa, a single dim lamp illuminating the room. The night was quiet. The studio was in a remote location, and there were few cars or pedestrians on the street at this hour.

The lamp probably served no real purpose, but complete darkness felt too lonely.

She sat there all night, wide awake.

Dawn approached.

Zhu Ming absentmindedly rubbed her fingers together. Looking down, she saw a small flame flicker to life at her fingertips.

…

…

August 30th. Yun Zouchuan, backpack slung over her shoulder, stood nervously among the crowd, looking around. This was a significant step into modern society. Starting today, she was officially a high school student!

She was excited about her new life but also apprehensive.

“I think I’m the oldest one here,” she mumbled.

“It’s fine. You look young.” Zhu Ming patted her shoulder and accompanied her to collect her books and find her classroom.

Yun Zouchuan wanted to be a day student, but the studio was too far from Huadu Third High School, so she had to live in the dorms, only returning on weekends.

As the other parents left, Zhu Ming prepared to leave as well. Yun Zouchuan reminded her, “Boss, take care of yourself. Don’t force yourself to cook. Just order takeout.”

“I’ll be fine. Worry about yourself,” Zhu Ming said, her tone gruff. “Don’t call me unless it’s an emergency. And don’t forget to come back on weekends to look after the studio, or I’ll dock your pay!”

Yun Zouchuan: “…” Her salary was already meager. Any more deductions, and she might as well be eating dirt!

Zhu Ming waved goodbye. The studio suddenly felt empty.

But just as she left Yun Zouchuan, Wenren Tu arrived, holding an invitation.

“Got any jobs lately?”

“Do I look like I have any jobs?”

Wenren Tu beckoned her closer. “Perfect! I have a job for you.”

The Paranormal Affairs Bureau was so overwhelmed they were constantly recruiting outside help. It was better to work together than to be trapped in an instance with other Awakened, manipulated and pitted against each other by ghosts.

Of course, due to limited funds and the sheer number of instances, there was no pay for outside help. But collaborating with the Bureau meant having reliable teammates. For those constantly worried about receiving an invitation, this was a good option.

Awakened individuals who had already received an invitation could also seek assistance from the Bureau, but with limited resources, the help they could provide was limited.

“The Bureau has set up a forum to encourage cooperation between Awakened individuals and share information about some of the instances,” Wenren Tu said. “You can check it out when you have time. I’ll send you the link.”

Zhu Ming saved the forum link, a puzzled look on her face. “No pay? I might as well wait for my invitation. My interval is pretty short.”

Wenren Tu smiled. “No salary, but there’s a bonus. Whoever obtains a white protective amulet receives a bonus based on the instance’s difficulty, ranging from 100,000 to 1 million yuan.”

In short, there was money to be made by destroying instance cores!

Zhu Ming’s eyes lit up.

Wenren Tu waved the invitation in her hand. “You come with me to this instance, and I’ll personally give you 100 yuan!”

Zhu Ming: “…Wow, thanks.”

Getting back to business, Wenren Tu explained that this was a newly discovered instance, and they had no information about it. Destroying the core on the first try wasn’t their goal; they were mainly going in to gather intel.

Zhu Ming agreed. Even without the 100 yuan, if Wenren Tu was in danger, she wouldn’t abandon her.

Zhu Ming pressed her fingerprint on the invitation. A moment later, a white invitation appeared beside her as if out of thin air, too fast for her to see how it materialized.

She opened the invitation. A peach was drawn on the inside of the cover. The text read: [We cordially invite you to our world: The Four Seasons Train. Tomorrow night, without fail.]

So, it wasn’t always an immediate entry.

The following night, at midnight, Zhu Ming, holding her crowbar, and Wenren Tu, gripping her long blade, sat on the sofa in the Little Fire God Paranormal Investigations, the familiar dizziness washing over them simultaneously.

After the darkness, they were met with… noise.

Zhu Ming blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting. She found herself sitting on an old, green train, the carriage packed with people… lively, chattering people.

The seats were arranged in groups of four, facing each other, with a small table in the middle. Zhu Ming was sitting by the aisle, next to an elderly woman. Across from them sat a middle-aged couple.

Zhu Ming looked around. Every seat was occupied, men, women, children, elderly, all with luggage, a scene of ordinary life.

Strangely, except for her group, every other set of facing seats she could see had only three occupants.

Wenren Tu wasn’t in this carriage. She didn’t know where she had ended up. Everyone else seemed perfectly normal. Perhaps she was the only participant in this carriage.

Zhu Ming checked her pockets. She had three items: the invitation, a protective amulet, and a train ticket. The gray amulet was small, engraved with the familiar human-headed, snake-bodied totem. Nothing else.

The invitation’s contents had changed:

[We cordially invite you to our world: The Four Seasons Train.

Mission: Survive for five days.

Hints: 1. Beware the darkness.
2. Please observe proper train etiquette.
3. Food and drinks can be purchased from the cart with food coupons.
4. Participants are responsible for the consequences of mission failure.
5. Please discover other rules on your own.

Note: After completing the mission, tear the invitation to leave this world.]

As she was reading, the wrinkled old woman beside her suddenly offered her an orange, smiling kindly. “Where are you going, dearie? Have an orange.”

It looked like a normal orange, plump and fragrant, but Zhu Ming, glancing at the old woman’s gnarled hand, declined. “No, thank you. You have it.”

But the old woman was unusually insistent, practically forcing the orange on her. She placed a whole bag of oranges on the small table and offered some to the couple across from them.

The couple accepted, praising the oranges as they ate. They seemed to be a family, the old woman the mother of the middle-aged man.

Then all three of them turned to Zhu Ming, urging her to eat. “Are you shy, little miss? Don’t be polite! Have an orange! It’s nothing.”

“Are you scared traveling alone, lass? Don’t be afraid! We’re all good people!”

“Just one orange! Eat it!”

Their excessive enthusiasm made her suspicious. Zhu Ming narrowed her eyes. “Huh? What? Sorry, I don’t understand your dialect.”

She glanced out the window. Spring was in full bloom. This instance was different from the last. The scenery outside wasn’t summer. Judging by the instance name, perhaps the seasons would change.

Outside, a vast meadow stretched as far as the eye could see, a stream flowing gently through it, birds singing in the trees, and mountains looming in the distance.

The temperature was pleasant, the scenery beautiful.

The family suddenly switched to standard Mandarin. The old woman smiled. “Oh, you’re an educated young lady! Are you going to university? Eat some fruit, dear. It’s good for you.”

Zhu Ming glanced at her, not bothering to be polite. “Who said I’m going to university? Maybe I’m dropping out.”

The old woman: “…”

Suddenly, a loud announcement echoed through the carriage. “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 first rule of proper train etiquette: no fighting or loud noises in the carriages during daylight hours!”

The announcement silenced everyone, as if these rules were of utmost importance.

A moment later, the noise resumed, chatter, the sounds of eating, the rustling of pages.

Seeing that Zhu Ming truly didn’t want any oranges, the family finally gave up. Zhu Ming closed her eyes, enjoying the momentary peace.

Then she opened them suddenly. The people around her shifted. Zhu Ming looked at the old woman, the couple, and the other passengers, her expression unreadable.

Confirmed. They were all watching her.

Between conversations, while chewing their food, as they turned the pages of their books… seemingly preoccupied with their own activities, the passengers were all stealing glances at her.

Their gazes were filled with barely concealed malice.

Since they wanted to watch, she would let them. She stood up and walked around the carriage.

The others watched her movements surreptitiously, as if no one else in the carriage found anything amiss.

There were 4 rows of 12 double seats, a total of 96 seats. At the end of the carriage were a bathroom and a sink. The doors at both ends were closed, preventing them from leaving. Small windows in the doors allowed them to see the adjacent carriages.

Zhu Ming was in carriage 18, with carriage 17 in front and 19 behind. The scenes in those carriages were identical to hers, peaceful and ordinary, with every set of facing seats missing one occupant.

This likely meant she was the only participant in carriages 17, 18, and 19.

Suddenly, a face appeared in the small window of the rear door of carriage 19. The person, startled at the sight of Zhu Ming, waved and mouthed something.

Too far away to hear anything, Zhu Ming shook her head and sat back down.

That person was probably another participant. The train seemed long, all the participants separated.

She suddenly noticed something: there was only one door between carriages. Opening it led directly into the next carriage. There were no doors to exit the train.

Zhu Ming sat back down.

The old woman, persistent, peeled another orange. “Dearie, are you hungry or thirsty? Have an orange!”

Zhu Ming, lost in thought, tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table. Based on her experience in the previous instance, the early stages of a mission were usually relatively peaceful and safe. And the mission in this instance was simple: just stay alive.

The invitation had instructed them to follow proper train etiquette. So far, there was only one rule: no fighting or loud noises during the day. It also warned them to beware the darkness. Did that mean ghosts would appear at night?

Zhu Ming tried to summon a flame. Tsk, her abilities were suppressed again, and she hadn’t been able to bring her crowbar.

So boring. What could she do? She stared out the window at the unchanging scenery. No matter how beautiful, it became monotonous after a while.

Suddenly, her stomach growled.

Zhu Ming was surprised. She touched her stomach. She was actually hungry! She had ordered takeout with Wenren Tu before entering the instance. It hadn’t even been half an hour. How could she be hungry already?

Not only was she hungry, but her mouth was also dry, as if she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything all day.

She realized the gravity of the situation.

In this instance, the participants’ metabolic rate was greatly accelerated, forcing them to find food.

As if sensing her hunger, the old woman offered her another orange. The couple across from them smiled even wider, opening a lunchbox filled with steaming, fluffy white buns.

“Have some, miss.”

“We’re eating too. They’re delicious!”

“You haven’t eaten anything. What if you get sick?”

But no matter how they tempted her, Zhu Ming remained unmoved. Realizing she wasn’t easily swayed, the old woman snorted and withdrew her hand. “Let’s see how long you can last!”

A moment later, Zhu Ming suddenly asked, “What are food coupons?”

The family exchanged glances, their smiles turning strange again. Not only them, but everyone who had heard the words “food coupons” turned to look at Zhu Ming simultaneously.

The old woman said, “Food coupons? They’re good things, of course! Do you want some, dearie? I have some. I’ll trade them for your train ticket.”

Chapter 23 Reality Check: A Shared Cryfest

Zhu Ming blinked her elaborately made-up eyes. “Don’t you like my loving breakfast? It might be microwaved convenience store food, but I pressed the buttons myself!”

Yun Zouchuan quickly shook her head. “No, it’s just… you like this… it’s terrifying. And strange.”

“How mean!” Zhu Ming poked her forehead playfully and twirled around, her skirt flaring like a flower. “But I think this outfit looks great! Don’t you think it’s pretty?”

It was pretty. The bright pink floral dress, though a little worn, complemented Zhu Ming’s fair skin perfectly. Her hair was in a bun, her face made up, and a friendly smile played on her lips. She looked years younger, radiating youthful energy and beauty.

But… Yun Zouchuan watched her warily, feeling like she had been possessed. “It looks good, but it’s not your usual style.”

Zhu Ming clasped her hands together, basking in the morning sun, a beatific smile on her face. “People should always try new things. It helps us embrace a new life.”

Yun Zouchuan wasn’t entirely sure what that meant, but Zhu Ming had already twirled away.

Throughout the day, Yun Zouchuan was subjected to a series of shocks. Zhu Ming not only hummed cheerfully while cleaning but even showed empathy for the weeds she was pulling in the garden:

“Little weeds, it must hurt when I pull you out, doesn’t it? Don’t worry! It won’t hurt anymore once you’re dead!”

Yun Zouchuan couldn’t take it anymore. Seeing Zhu Ming heading to the kitchen to prepare lunch, she grabbed her bag and the letter, and ran outside. “Boss, I missed a few tutoring sessions while I was trapped in the instance. I’m going to catch up on my homework! You… be careful! If you blow up the kitchen, call 119!”

A stingy, violent boss was one thing, but a sweet, caring boss was unbearable.

Yun Zouchuan spent the rest of the day catching up on her studies.

Unable to contact the outside world while in the Dark Realm, she had missed several tutoring sessions. She took her studies seriously and contacted all her teachers, explaining the situation and asking for the assignments she had missed.

It was 9 p.m. by the time she finished all her homework. She sent the assignments to her teachers online and bought two takeout meals from a small restaurant to bring back.

She had no expectations of Zhu Ming making edible food. As long as she didn’t blow up the kitchen, that was progress.

When she returned to the studio, only the streetlights were on. The living room was dark and empty.

Yun Zouchuan found it strange. Zhu Ming shouldn’t be asleep at this hour. She placed the takeout containers on the table and went upstairs to find Zhu Ming. The door to her room was closed.

Unusual.

Not just now, but all day, Zhu Ming had been acting unusual.

Yun Zouchuan knocked on the door. “Boss, I brought you food. It’s on the table. Eat when you’re hungry.”

There was no response. Pressing her ear against the door, she heard faint music. She shrugged and went to the gym to work out. After a while, she looked up at the ceiling.

The building was old, and sometimes water leaked from the floor above. This spot… the leak was coming from Zhu Ming’s bedroom!

As the boss, Zhu Ming occupied the largest room in the building. Remembering some of Zhu Ming’s past antics, Yun Zouchuan stomped upstairs and knocked on the door again.

“Boss! Boss! Your floor is leaking!”

Still no response. Yun Zouchuan tried the handle. Thankfully, it was unlocked.

She walked in. Loud rock music blasted from the speakers, almost deafening. She turned off the music and looked around. The bathroom door was open.

They were both women, so Yun Zouchuan didn’t think much of it and went to the bathroom to find Zhu Ming.

The bathtub was full of water, two wine bottles floating on the surface. Zhu Ming, still wearing her pink floral dress from that morning, was lying in the tub, slowly sliding down. Every movement sent water sloshing over the edge.

She was clutching a half-empty bottle of red wine. The other half must have spilled into the tub, staining the water red. A few empty bottles, red and white, were scattered on the floor. The bathroom reeked of alcohol.

Afraid her boss would drown and no one would pay her salary, Yun Zouchuan quickly pulled Zhu Ming out of the tub.

The water was ice cold. She knew Zhu Ming’s habits. Having a high body temperature wasn’t comfortable. Zhu Ming tolerated heat but preferred cooler temperatures and often added ice to her bathwater.

The woman, who had been as still as a corpse, suddenly came to life, thrashing around. Yun Zouchuan’s dry clothes were soaked, and Zhu Ming, wet and slippery, was difficult to hold. It took considerable effort to prevent her from sliding back into the tub.

Then Zhu Ming started acting drunk, wrapping her arms around Yun Zouchuan, giggling and babbling incoherently, making Yun Zouchuan so exasperated she almost shoved her back into the tub.

Finally, Zhu Ming quieted down, having spilled most of the bathwater on the floor. Yun Zouchuan pulled the plug to drain the tub. Zhu Ming clung to her neck, no longer yelling, but murmuring unintelligibly,

“Shhh, Azou. Do you hear it?”

After the water drained, Yun Zouchuan wrapped a towel around Zhu Ming, soaking up the excess water. Beneath the towel, Zhu Ming giggled softly and said, “Crackle, crackle… do you know what that sound is?”

Yun Zouchuan sighed. “Are you having auditory hallucinations again? Boss, you never told me what you heard before. How would I know?”

Zhu Ming burst into laughter, a loud, hysterical outburst that ended abruptly.

Her eyes closed, her body went limp, and she fell asleep against Yun Zouchuan.

…

The next morning, Yun Zouchuan cautiously looked towards the stairs, fearing her boss would appear in another shocking outfit.

Thankfully, Zhu Ming looked much more normal today, shuffling down the stairs in slippers, wearing a black T-shirt and pants, and flopping onto the sofa with a listless air.

Or rather, melting onto the sofa. Zhu Ming played with her phone, instructing Yun Zouchuan to make her oatmeal.

Yun Zouchuan breathed a sigh of relief.

But over the next few days, she gradually realized that Zhu Ming still wasn’t quite right.

She was too quiet, too… listless. Her boss had always been lazy, but she had never been this apathetic. She seemed mildly interested in her phone, but not really. It was just something to fidget with. She would put it down and stare into space for long periods.

She no longer nitpicked, no longer asked about Yun Zouchuan’s homework. She seemed… to have lost interest in everything, languid and spiritless.

When had things started to change?

It was… when she had met Zhu Ming at the foot of the mountain after leaving the instance!

Yun Zouchuan remembered now. Before they split up, her boss had been normal, but after descending the mountain, something had shifted. Zhu Ming’s expression had been strange, like she wanted to laugh but couldn’t. Her eyes had been unsettling.

They had left the instance late at night and gone straight to bed. Zhu Ming had started acting strangely after waking up.

Something must have happened before Zhu Ming came down the mountain, but Yun Zouchuan hadn’t been with her and had no idea what it was. She tried to ask, but Zhu Ming just shrugged, watching videos of cats and dogs, claiming nothing was wrong.

Yun Zouchuan decided to call someone.

“Atu-jie! Help! My boss has lost it!”

A bright, cheerful voice answered, “Is she dead?”

“Not yet.”

Wenren Tu replied, “Then what are you panicking about? I’m not even panicking, and I just found out my girlfriend cheated on me! I don’t want to live anymore!”

Yun Zouchuan: “But she’s getting there.”

Wenren Tu: “Huh?”

Yun Zouchuan looked at the woman sprawled on the sofa and sighed. “It’s like this. A few days ago, my boss suddenly changed. She started wearing makeup, dressing up, even wore a little floral dress, and then…”

After listening to Yun Zouchuan’s description, Wenren Tu was puzzled. “There has to be a reason, right?”

Yun Zouchuan replied, “Definitely, but I don’t know what it is. I almost forgot to tell you, the change started in a place called the Dark Realm…”

This time, Wenren Tu listened patiently. After hearing the whole story, her voice turned serious. “So you were in the Dark Realm too. It seems I need to pay you a visit.”

“Atu-jie, you were there too?”

“Yes. Not just me, but many others.” Wenren Tu said, “The Bureau is investigating. It’s complicated, a widespread phenomenon. Wait for me at the studio. I’ll be right there. We’ll talk in person.”

…

An hour later, the glass door of the Little Fire God Paranormal Investigations swung open.

“Where’s Zhu Ming? Big sister is here!”

A woman with short, blue-and-purple streaked hair, wearing a baggy T-shirt with a large skull print, strode into the studio, a smile on her face. Her features were delicate yet sharp, her bangs clipped back to reveal her forehead. She wore thick, black bracelets on both wrists.

It was Wenren Tu, an intern at the Paranormal Affairs Bureau. Despite being an intern, her family head, Wenren Bai, was the director of the Bureau. The Wenren clan was the leading family in the Spirit Realm, so they were always the first to hear any news.

Besides her official titles, Wenren Tu also had another important identity: she was Zhu Ming’s best friend.

She was here to ask about their experience in the Dark Realm and also to check on her friend. She was a busy woman. She sat down opposite Zhu Ming. “Zhu Ming, let’s go to a bar!”

Zhu Ming glanced at her languidly, saying nothing.

Wenren Tu placed something on the coffee table. “Look! It’s the blade you’ve been wanting to play with! I brought it for you!”

The Wenren clan possessed an ancient blade called Haojin, renowned for its power and menacing aura. The blade was rarely used, only wielded by the family head. The Wenren clan had crafted several replicas of Haojin for their members, each possessing considerable power but forbidden to outsiders. Wenren Tu had brought hers.

Zhu Ming showed a flicker of interest, reaching out to touch the blade. “Oh.”

Wenren Tu frowned, turned to look out the window, and exclaimed, “Oh my god! A money truck just crashed!”

Zhu Ming retreated further into the sofa and resumed playing with her phone.

Wenren Tu, looking like she had seen a ghost, pulled Yun Zouchuan aside. “Tell me everything. How you entered the Dark Realm, what happened inside, and what happened after you came out. Every detail.”

This wasn’t normal. What had gotten into Zhu Ming?

Yun Zouchuan recounted everything without reservation, but there were too many things she didn’t know. Even after discussing it, they couldn’t make sense of it.

Wenren Tu decided to talk to Zhu Ming directly. She sat beside her. “Zhu Ming, I got dumped.”

Zhu Ming finally showed some interest, slowly looking up at Wenren Tu. “What a coincidence.”

Wenren Tu sat up abruptly, stunned. “No way! You got dumped too?! When did you even have a girlfriend?!”

A wave of sadness washed over Zhu Ming. “I wasn’t even in a relationship! I just realized today that she never loved me!”

Wenren Tu choked back a sob. “Me too! She said she mistook our friendship for love, that she’s realized she’s straight and wants to get married now! Bullshit! I’ll never fall for a straight girl again!”

“Why do you always fall for straight girls?”

“Why are you still hung up on your ex after seven years?”

They dissolved into tears, sobbing uncontrollably.

Yun Zouchuan: “…”

This wasn’t why she had called Wenren Tu. She put on her headphones, blocking out the wails of misery.

Half an hour later, they finally calmed down. Wenren Tu blew her nose and said, “Okay, I have serious business to discuss.”

Zhu Ming, her eyes red and puffy, burrowed further into the sofa. The crying seemed to have helped, though she was still listless, at least she wasn’t as apathetic as before.

Putting aside her heartbreak for now, Wenren Tu said, “Serious business, serious business. Since you’ve also encountered the Dark Realm, I need to tell you a few things.”

Working at the Paranormal Affairs Bureau, Wenren Tu had access to more information than the average Awakened. She shared the details with Zhu Ming and Yun Zouchuan.

The Dark Realm was an independent dimension whose location was currently unknown. It seemed to be divided into countless smaller spaces, each independent of the other, what the participants called instances.

It had appeared at least three months ago, affecting Awakened individuals worldwide. Once they entered, the only way out was death.

Those who died in the Dark Realm vanished from the real world. The Bureau suspected their bodies and souls remained trapped within the dimension.

The criteria for being chosen to enter an instance were still unclear. They only knew that the elements within an instance were often related to the participant’s past experiences. The time between instances varied from one to three months, heralded by the appearance of an invitation.

There was also a special rule: if Awakened individual A received an invitation but B didn’t, B could press their fingerprint on A’s invitation, increasing their chances of receiving a similar invitation, allowing them to enter the same instance.

Wenren Tu said, “The Bureau is swamped. Not all Awakened can protect themselves. If we let these instances run rampant, the casualties will only increase. We’ve deployed many teams to clear instances, trying to ensure the safety of all participants. But we’re severely understaffed. God knows how many instances there are.”

And rarely were two instances identical. Even if the story and location were the same, the details and rules often changed, preventing participants from developing foolproof strategies. Experience was helpful, but relying too heavily on it could lead to carelessness and death.

Wenren Tu continued, “Azou told me about your instance in detail. Good, we have another piece of intelligence. Did you encounter any noteworthy Awakened individuals in that instance? Like, you know, the murderous, arsonist type?”

Zhu Ming stared at her blankly. Was that a dig at her?

Wenren Tu chuckled nervously. “We need to be wary of enemies from within.”

Zhu Ming thought for a moment. “There was a strange girl in that instance. Her name was Xiao Xue…”

Xiao Xue, who stayed in room 2006, next to 2007, couldn’t have been completely oblivious, given her intelligence. She always spoke at the right time, never offending anyone, never taking the spotlight, but always accurate.

This girl gave Zhu Ming a strange feeling. When she suspected Xiao Song, she had also considered Xiao Xue as a possible traitor, but it turned out not to be her, making her even more suspicious.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away from the Little Fire God Paranormal Investigations…

The sun was shining, a gentle breeze blowing. It was a beautiful day. A young woman in a white dress rode a shared bicycle, weaving through the crowd.

She reached an intersection. Ding! She stopped in front of a small supermarket.

“A bottle of water, please. And can I borrow your phone?”

“Sure. Two yuan. Here’s the phone. The password is 123456.” The shop owner, engrossed in a TV drama, carried a small stool to the back of the store to continue watching.

Bai Lianxue unlocked the phone and dialed a number.

“Ring, ring, ring—”

“Sister, the instance I entered hasn’t been cleared yet. There are only two people of note. One is called Zhu Ming. I don’t know the other person’s name, but she’s very strange…”

A moment later, Bai Lianxue hung up, deleted the call log, put the phone down, and left two one-yuan coins on the counter.

The wind chimes at the entrance jingled as the young woman in the white dress rode away.

The shop owner, still engrossed in his drama, suddenly heard a voice yelling, “Hello! Shopkeeper! Is anyone here?”

A group of students had come to buy snacks. He jumped up and hurried over to ring them up. After they left, he looked at the phone on the counter, a puzzled look on his face.

Strange. Why had he suddenly decided to watch TV? And he had been so engrossed he had even forgotten to take his phone back.

Meanwhile, back at 126 Ping’an Street, South Huadu District, inside the Little Fire God Paranormal Investigations…

After listening to Zhu Ming’s description of Xiao Xue, Wenren Tu asked, “Anything else?”

A flicker of conflict crossed Zhu Ming’s face. “There’s also… Yin Yu.”

Wenren Tu knew the name. Zhu Ming had told her a little about their past. Because of the Wenren clan’s close ties to the Paranormal Affairs Bureau, they had even used the Bureau’s system to investigate the name, but found nothing.

Zhu Ming had been hesitant to search for Yin Yu, still clinging to the hope that what she had heard that night wasn’t the whole truth.

She had been young and terrified by those strange events, instinctively seeking help from the police.

After leaving Yin Yu, Zhu Ming’s abilities had suddenly awakened. She suspected it was related to the agonizing pain she had experienced that night, that perhaps Yin Yu hadn’t truly intended to harm her… but she couldn’t find Yin Yu to confirm her suspicions, and she was also afraid of finding an answer that would only bring disappointment.

This was why she still felt a flicker of unease around Yin Yu, afraid that her choices had been wrong, that Yin Yu had her reasons and she hadn’t given her a chance to explain. If that were true, she would be the one who caused the hurt.

But now, Yin Yu had reappeared, and Zhu Ming had heard those words directly from her: I don’t love you. It wasn’t a misunderstanding.

Perhaps this was a good thing. It was time to let go completely, to erase Yin Yu from her world, to finally say goodbye to that naive, heartbroken version of herself.

So she said, “We couldn’t find anything on her before. I just encountered her in the instance. If she doesn’t appear in the real world, there’s not much we can do.”

As long as Yin Yu didn’t reappear, their paths wouldn’t cross, and her schemes would have nothing to do with Zhu Ming.

Wenren Tu shrugged. “I’ll make a note of it. If anyone from the Bureau encounters her in an instance, we won’t let her off easily. Azou, you should also be careful. Not all Awakened are good people, and not all participants are teammates. Be vigilant.”

Yun Zouchuan nodded. “I’ll remember that.”

Besides the disturbing information, the Bureau had also discovered some good news: instances could be permanently closed.

The method was simple: destroy the instance’s core. But few were capable of doing so.

Yun Zouchuan asked, “What happens to the participants who haven’t completed the mission when the time runs out?”

Wenren Tu replied, “That involves the Dark Realm’s reward and punishment system. Did you notice anything different after you left the instance?”

Yun Zouchuan said, “Yes. My ability seems to have improved slightly.”

“Exactly. That’s the reward for completing the mission. Not only that, but next time you enter an instance, you’ll receive another item along with the invitation.”

Wenren Tu explained, “Protective amulets. Currently, we’ve found two types: gray and white. Gray amulets are common and have limited uses. All participants who complete a mission receive one as a reward. White amulets are rare and only appear after an instance is closed.”

Chapter 22 Reality Check: Zhu Ming’s Lost It

“That’s all you’ve got!”

Yin Yu: “…Is that so?”

Yin Yu didn’t seem offended, only her smile turned a little cryptic. “I thought there might have been some misunderstanding back then, but it seems there wasn’t. That’s fine. No need to hold back anymore.”

She spoke casually, as if discussing something trivial.

But something felt wrong to Zhu Ming. This Yin Yu felt too real, so real it made her uneasy. She suddenly didn’t want to play along with this illusion anymore.

Zhu Ming reached out, grabbed the woman’s slender neck, and said fiercely, “You’re all talk and no action. Just change back already! Change!”

The pulse beneath her palm and the delicate texture of the skin felt incredibly real.

Yin Yu’s hand gently covered Zhu Ming’s, her fingers, one by one, prying Zhu Ming’s hand away from her throat.

She was strong, as strong as Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming: “Change… change back…”

Yin Yu looked at her silently, smiling, her clear eyes filled with complex, genuine emotions. The sunlight danced in her eyes, reflecting like ripples on water. This wasn’t a mirage.

Zhu Ming abruptly let go, jumped off the table, and turned to leave, forcing a laugh. “Ha, what a persistent illusion! Even after being exposed, you still won’t disappear! 2007! Where’s 2007? Forget it. I have things to do. I’m leaving.”

She quickened her pace, and hearing the sound of a chair scraping behind her, she lunged forward, attempting to jump off the roof—THWACK!

Mid-leap, she bounced back, tumbling across the rooftop and landing on the other side. Zhu Ming’s face darkened. She hadn’t expected Xiao Cheng’s barrier, intended to trap someone else, to trap her.

That familiar voice came from behind her, calm and unhurried. “Are you afraid of me?”

Without thinking, Zhu Ming retorted, “Bullshit!”

She jumped up, dropping the pretense, and turned to face the woman standing in the center of the terrace, her voice filled with anger. “Things are different now! I’m not the same weakling as before! You think you can still manipulate me?!”

“Then why are you so nervous?” Yin Yu tilted her head, her long hair falling around her face. She seemed genuinely curious.

Zhu Ming blustered, “I’m not nervous! I was just testing you! It’s good that you appeared. I’ve been wanting to capture and interrogate you. It’s a shame you ran away so quickly back then.”

Yin Yu chuckled softly. “If you want to know something, you could have just asked me directly.”

“Ask you?” Zhu Ming didn’t believe her, or perhaps the lingering doubts in her heart made her uneasy, but she refused to show it to Yin Yu. She refused to appear weak. “If you were willing to talk, why did you run away? You disappeared for seven years! There’s nothing left to say! Your scheme has already been exposed!”

Yin Yu looked at her with a hint of exasperation. “Mingming, I didn’t intend to avoid you. The timing wasn’t right. There was no need for me to appear before you.”

Zhu Ming snapped, “Don’t call me Mingming! It’s disgusting! I was too naive back then, thinking you were a good person. Later, I realized, how could you possibly like someone as withdrawn and stupid as me? You only approached me because of my background, didn’t you?”

Yin Yu considered it, then nodded, smiling. “You could say that.”

Zhu Ming: “…” She could still smile?!

Infuriated, Zhu Ming retorted, “Well, I’m truly honored that you went to so much trouble.”

Yin Yu looked at her tenderly, her gaze the same as it had been seven years ago, a gaze Zhu Ming had been unable to resist then and still couldn’t resist now… It was a gaze that sought to understand her, gentle and accepting, understanding and empathetic. No one could resist being looked at like that.

Zhu Ming took a step back, bumping into the round table. She felt a surge of anger and bitterness. “Why have you reappeared? Just tell me your purpose already.”

Yin Yu took a step closer, her gaze like a thick fog, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “My purpose? If you must know… it’s the same as seven years ago…”

The air thickened, and the sneer on Zhu Ming’s face faltered.

Seven years ago, Zhu Ming hadn’t been in Huadu. Her life, her personality, everything had been different. If her old classmates saw her now, they wouldn’t believe she was the same withdrawn, slow-witted outcast.

Everything had changed because of Yin Yu.

At eighteen, Zhu Ming was a senior in high school in a small town. She had grown up in an orphanage, withdrawn and slow to react, but at least she could communicate and learn, so the orphanage director insisted she attend a regular school.

Her classmates knew she had intellectual disabilities and spread rumors that she was mentally ill, convinced that her lack of expression meant she would become a violent criminal. They said the insane weren’t held responsible for their crimes, so everyone should stay away from her!

But it wasn’t just that. If they had simply stayed away, Zhu Ming would have been grateful.

Then Yin Yu appeared, a safe haven, a place where Zhu Ming could finally relax.

Yin Yu didn’t think she was stupid or hopeless. She was gentle and patient, never impatient. She was genuine, truly listening to Zhu Ming and believing her—she was different.

“Many people say I’m sick, that I have severe auditory hallucinations,” Zhu Ming had confided. “But I don’t think they’re fake. I’m not a psychopath.”

Only Yin Yu had accepted her, offering a different perspective in her role as the school doctor—she believed Zhu Ming wasn’t sick.

Yin Yu praised her, took her to restaurants she had never been to before, gave her flowers from tree branches and perfect fallen leaves, bought her headphones to block out the outside world, promised to take her to an amusement park for her birthday, tutored her after school, and smiled gently as Zhu Ming talked about her future—a future that definitely included Yin Yu.

Warmed by Yin Yu’s kindness, Zhu Ming achieved better grades than usual and got accepted into university. While these grades wouldn’t have impressed most people, for Zhu Ming, it was a beacon of hope in her bleak life.

Zhu Ming fell deeply in love with her. How could she not? But… it was all a lie.

After receiving her university acceptance letter, Zhu Ming couldn’t bear the thought of leaving town and being separated from Yin Yu. She made a decision: she would take their relationship to the next level, making their bond unbreakable.

That rainy night, she mustered all her courage to go to Yin Yu’s place. And what happened?

She drank something Yin Yu offered her and passed out, her body wracked with excruciating pain even in her unconscious state.

She would never forget the burning agony of that night, the feeling of every cell in her body exploding, on the verge of death.

The physical pain was one thing, but in her delirium, she had overheard Yin Yu talking to someone.

Before that day, she had never known Yin Yu had such strange friends, or that she was involved in such shady dealings. She only heard:

“Why not directly extract Zhu Ming’s soul?”

“It’s not time yet. I want to change the plan.”

“Have you truly fallen in love with her?”

Yin Yu’s light laugh echoed, “Love? Can beings like us fall in love with humans? It seems like a novel experience. Unfortunately, I haven’t. What I feel for her isn’t love… Hmm? Awake?”

The words echoed in Zhu Ming’s mind. She forced her heavy eyelids open and looked at Yin Yu. Perhaps because of the torment she had just endured, she saw something beyond Yin Yu’s human form, something she would never forget.

It was a nightmare that haunted her for seven years, the greatest terror she had ever experienced.

Terrified, Zhu Ming lost consciousness again. When she woke up, everything seemed normal.

She was lying in Yin Yu’s apartment. A vase of lilies stood by the window. Yin Yu was in the kitchen, preparing something. The memory of what she had heard and seen, the lingering pain in her bones, made her heart clench. She quietly got out of bed.

She suddenly realized how little she knew about Yin Yu, about her past, about her friends.

She walked past Yin Yu’s bookshelf and saw strange titles: I Ching, Spiritual Interpretations, Nine Hundred Supernatural Powers… She hadn’t thought much of them before, but now they seemed chilling.

Then she saw a piece of paper with birthdates and times written on it, along with her own name.

Zhu Ming felt helpless and devastated.

The love she had dreamed of was fake, her lover was fake, everything was fake. Not only was it fake, but Yin Yu had even intended to kill her.

Her youthful love shattered into pieces.

She didn’t know how she managed to compose herself and walk out of the bedroom. Yin Yu, in casual clothes, placed a freshly made breakfast on the table and embraced her gently. “What’s wrong? You seem unhappy.”

Zhu Ming couldn’t hold back any longer. The pain of betrayal and manipulation rose from the pit of her stomach, making her nauseous.

She pushed Yin Yu away and fled.

Yin Yu didn’t chase after her.

Downstairs, breathing in the fresh air, Zhu Ming’s racing heart finally calmed down. The ground was wet. She looked back and saw Yin Yu standing by the window, watching her.

The gentle smile on the woman’s face was gone, replaced by an indifferent, distant gaze.

It was that gaze that prompted Zhu Ming’s next action—she called the police.

She had learned well in school, to stay away from drugs, gambling, and cults. At that moment, in Zhu Ming’s mind, Yin Yu was some kind of cult member who played with people’s lives.

Perhaps still weakened from whatever had happened the night before, Zhu Ming felt dizzy and disoriented.

She fainted. When she woke up, she was in a hospital. The police hadn’t found anything. Yin Yu and everything related to her had vanished.

Later, the Zhu family found her and brought her to Huadu.

Her past was left behind, buried in that small town.

From that day on, Zhu Ming changed. Once withdrawn and repressed, struggling to connect with and understand emotions, she broke through the barriers around her heart, gaining the full range of human emotions and experiences.

And… she finally understood why Yin Yu had done what she did.

Because after that incident, the strange sensations in her own body intensified. She wasn’t sick. She was Awakened, possessing a special inherited ability, the lost child of the ancient Zhu clan of the Spirit Realm.

Yin Yu wasn’t some delusional cult member, and the strange tales and ghost stories weren’t just stories. She must also have been Awakened. She had approached Zhu Ming because of her bloodline and heritage.

…

Back in the present, hearing Yin Yu admit to her scheme, stating her purpose was the same as seven years ago, Zhu Ming almost exploded.

“Who are you?! What do you want with my soul?!”

Yin Yu took two steps closer, strolling through the flowers like a carefree lady, a stark contrast to this death-filled instance.

“If you wanted to know, why didn’t you ask me back then?” Yin Yu looked at Zhu Ming, slowly approaching, her fingertips brushing against the blooming flowers, her smile unchanged. “How much did you hear? Mingming, you don’t trust me, you’re afraid of me, you suspect me… That hurts.”

Despite claiming to be hurt, there wasn’t a trace of sadness on her face.

Hypocrite!

“Cut the crap! I heard everything I needed to hear! You didn’t love me!”

Zhu Ming watched her warily, her hands clenched. Yin Yu’s approach filled her with an uncontrollable unease.

“Since you’ve reappeared, let’s make things clear. I’m not interested in whatever feud you have with the Zhu clan. What you do has nothing to do with me. I don’t care if you live or die. Yin Yu, I can let go of the past, but don’t use me again, or I won’t be polite. I’m sure the Paranormal Affairs Bureau would be happy to take you in.”

Even if Yin Yu wasn’t some harmful cult member, she was definitely not a good person. The fact that even the Bureau couldn’t find any information on her was proof enough.

But Zhu Ming’s threat didn’t stop Yin Yu. She continued to approach, calm and unhurried, until she stood directly in front of Zhu Ming.

“The Zhu clan? I don’t recall having any feud with them. Mingming, you seem to have misunderstood. This has always been between you and me. I don’t mind telling you. I have nothing to hide.”

Yin Yu stepped closer. Zhu Ming watched her warily. She couldn’t retreat any further; she would fall off the roof.

But Yin Yu didn’t stop. As if completely unaware of personal space, she closed the distance between them, almost touching.

“Stop!” Zhu Ming leaned back slightly. “Just tell me what you want!”

Yin Yu chuckled and leaned forward, her faint, pear blossom fragrance filling the air. Her posture suggested an impending kiss.

Zhu Ming froze, staring at her in terror, her head almost snapping back. Her entire being screamed: STOP!

Thankfully, Yin Yu didn’t cross that line. She simply smiled playfully, her voice soft and close to Zhu Ming’s ear. “Mingming, you exhibit a phenomenon I find very interesting. But back then, you were suppressed, your thoughts easily read. There was no need for prolonged observation. You might not understand what I intended to do, but you should understand what I did do, right?”

Zhu Ming chose to remain silent. If Yin Yu was referring to what had happened after she fainted that night… yes, she had her suspicions, but… she didn’t want to admit she was wavering.

Yin Yu, ignoring her inner turmoil, continued, “As for love… yes, I didn’t feel romantic love for you. You falling for me was an accident. But even now, I’m quite fond of you, just not in the way you understand.”

A surge of anger coursed through Zhu Ming. Her eye twitched. She wanted to slap Yin Yu across the face.

What kind of explanation was that?! A classic player! She had been right to run away!

Unable to contain herself any longer, Zhu Ming threw a punch at Yin Yu’s beautiful face. Yin Yu chuckled softly and sidestepped gracefully, her blue skirt swirling around her like a blooming flower.

“Mingming, this is a fascinating world. We all have our own purposes. I wouldn’t have minded telling you.” Yin Yu stepped back, her eyes curving into crescents, her hands clasped playfully over her heart. “But you hurt me so deeply, abandoning me like that, so I’ve decided not to tell you.”

Zhu Ming: “…………”

Ugh! The audacity of this woman!

Brushing her hair aside, Zhu Ming lunged at Yin Yu, exchanging a few blows.

Splash!

Yin Yu dodged behind the water lily vat, flicking her fingers, sending a spray of water towards Zhu Ming.

Zhu Ming leaned back to avoid it. Just as she straightened up, she heard Yin Yu murmuring thoughtfully, “Come to think of it, Mingming asked me to seduce her as soon as she saw me. Could it be that the illusion she encountered earlier…”

Thump.

Zhu Ming landed hard on her backside. She stood up, her face dark, her voice rising involuntarily. “Yin Yu!”

Yin Yu smiled sweetly. “Yes?”

Zhu Ming brushed the dust off her black clothes, her expression cold. “This is your last chance. Don’t appear before me again.”

If she had held any lingering hope before, hearing Yin Yu admit she didn’t love her had extinguished it completely.

She should have realized how foolish she had been, how blind.

A wave of despair washed over Zhu Ming, draining her of energy. She said, “Whatever your purpose, whatever happened between us, I don’t want to see you again. Pretend we never met. Otherwise, I’ll make you pay.”

She had once vowed never to shed another tear for Yin Yu. And she had kept that promise.

Turning her back, she walked away without a single glance back.

Behind her, Yin Yu watched her go, just as she had on that morning seven years ago.

…

…

The first morning after leaving the Dark Realm.

Dawn broke, and Yun Zouchuan sat at her desk, diligently writing a letter:

“Dear Mom, Happy August!

I’m writing to you today with two pieces of news, one good and one bad.

The good news is that I’ll be starting school in September! The Paranormal Affairs Bureau has been a great help to us isolated Awakened. I have an ID card now, and my school application was approved! I’ll study hard, get into university, get a good job, buy a house, and bring you down from the mountain to live with me.

My boss, Zhu Ming, has been very kind to me. She enrolled me in many tutoring classes to catch up on my education and allows me to work part-time while studying. She even helped me with the high school application process. My base salary will be lower while I’m in school, but I can support myself. Don’t worry, Mom. Please accept the things I sent you.

The bad news is related to something that happened a few days ago. I entered a place called the Dark Realm. It was…

…

That’s what happened. My boss and I got out safely, but I heard that once this starts, it doesn’t stop. It will happen again. Mom, I’m worried about you. Many Awakened have been taken there. Have you? If you have, please tell me! I’ll be worried otherwise.

Wishing you good health and happiness. It would be even better if you decided to come down from the mountain soon! You can always find me at 126 Ping’an Street, South Huadu District. I look forward to seeing you!

Love, your daughter, Yun Zouchuan. August 5th.”

Having finished the long letter, Yun Zouchuan stretched languidly.

The 7 a.m. sun was bright. She was about to make breakfast when she heard cheerful footsteps approaching from behind.

She turned around and stared, dumbfounded.

Who… was that?!

A beautiful woman in a pink floral dress, her face beaming with youthful exuberance and happiness… was carrying a plate of fried egg sandwiches. She skipped over to Yun Zouchuan.

She looked down at the letter. “Oh, Xiao Chuanchuan is writing a letter! Writing a letter so early in the morning on an empty stomach? That’s no good! Come and try the loving breakfast your big sister made for you!”

She put down the plate and made a heart shape with her hands.

Yun Zouchuan shuddered, her voice filled with terror. “B-Boss, if I did something wrong, you can dock my pay! Please don’t do this! I’m scared!”

Chapter 21 Night of Sacrifice (17)

They were strangers, unlikely to meet again. There was no harm in telling the truth. Miss Zhao said, “Actually, I knew Xiao Song and Xiao Yan when they were alive. I’m in that group photo.”

Xiao Song had assigned the rooms when the participants entered the instance. He had known Miss Zhao would be there.

Initially, the four pages in the basement had been complete, without any bloodstains or the photoshopped message, and the group photo had also been in the basement.

The original game was for the ten participants to find the ghost, the one who wasn’t a participant, and offer them to the formation. During the midnight knocking, Xiao Song had told Miss Zhao that she not only corresponded to the housekeeper ghost, but her face was also visible in the photo. He had threatened to tell everyone about their connection if she didn’t cooperate, forcing them to sacrifice her in the ritual. Terrified by the revelation that the ghost was someone she knew, Miss Zhao had no choice but to believe and cooperate with him, framing other female players as the ghost.

Xiao Song had prepared meticulously. He had even placed a fake window in room 1001, disguising it as a guest room, and planted a red swimsuit in Yun Zouchuan’s room as evidence.

He hadn’t directly revealed the formation’s true purpose but had been deliberately vague because anyone with a conscience wouldn’t sacrifice an innocent player. This could lead them to question the situation and discover another way to complete the instance. Sacrificing a ghost, however, was much easier to accept, seeming just and righteous. This would prevent them from looking for other clues.

But when Xiao Song knocked on the door of 2007, the woman inside had said, “Before you go, there are a few things I’d like to say: first, I won’t appear before anyone in the next few days. Second, I’ll dismantle the disguise in your room at night.”

Xiao Song: “…”

Damn it! His entire plan had fallen apart!

If the occupant of 2007 didn’t appear during the day, there would be nine people present, matching the nine participants. If he claimed there was a ghost among them, and then the occupant of 2007 removed the disguise in the housekeeper’s room, his identity would be exposed!

His plan was useless. Xiao Song had been forced to improvise, leading to the events that followed. He removed the fake window, put the housekeeper’s sign back on the door, and pretended to be staying in room 2007.

Due to the rules, he couldn’t directly tamper with the existing clues, only make superficial changes.

As for the “good woman” requirement, he figured changing the formation to something more positive would be easier for the others to accept. With limited time and restricted actions, that was the best he could do.

And the group photo? Well, they needed a good woman now, not a female ghost. Keeping the photo would only encourage them to think, so he hid it.

Of course, a clever person might realize the formation actually required a female ghost, not a good woman. Xiao Song had prepared a countermeasure for that as well: planting the suspicion on Yun Zouchuan and adapting to the situation.

But who would have thought Zhu Ming would sleep in on the first day?!

She was the only anomaly. He had no choice but to direct suspicion towards her. At least she was female.

Damn 2007! Damn Zhu Ming! Those two had ruined his plan from the very beginning!

…

Zhu Ming finally understood. No wonder the clues had seemed so strange. She had thought the ghost was just stupid, but there was a whole other layer to this.

The occupant of 2007 was truly an interesting person.

Zhu Ming said, “You helped him quite a bit, didn’t you, Miss Zhao?”

Miss Zhao replied, “At least that formation wouldn’t have killed anyone. If it had worked on the first day, no one would have died. It was your interference that caused more deaths.”

Zhu Ming: “Bullshit. You’re an idiot. Bye.”

Miss Zhao was furious. “How can you be so rude?!”

Zhu Ming said, “I’m only polite to humans, not to a ghost’s lapdog. Since you know the formation wouldn’t have killed anyone, why didn’t you volunteer? How ridiculous.”

Miss Zhao was speechless.

Zhu Ming pulled over a dining chair and sat down, holding the skewer.

A moment later, the housekeeper’s room door creaked open. Unlike at night, Xiao Song was visible and tangible during the day. When not revealing his ghost identity, he was indistinguishable from a human. And even after being exposed, he wasn’t intangible like at night.

Only when tangible could he be killed. Xiao Song could only die during the day.

He pushed the cleaning cart, nervously making his way to 1004. Even though he was unwilling, he had to play the role of a cleaner. Having exposed his identity and returned to the housekeeper’s room, he was now bound by its rules. When a guest requested cleaning service, he had to comply, no matter how much he delayed.

Yun Zouchuan, along with Xiao Cheng, Old Man Xu, and Xiao Xue, who had entered at some point, all silently watched Zhu Ming and the skewer in her hand.

As Xiao Song reached the door of 1004, Zhu Ming slowly stood up. “I said I would skin you alive. But… I’m a kind person. I won’t interrupt your work.” She grinned.

She stepped aside, politely holding the door open for him, her thoughtful gesture enough to make a ghost weep.

Miss Zhao, her voice filled with hatred, threatened from behind the door, “Zhu Ming! If I don’t die today, I won’t let you get away with this!”

Zhu Ming rolled her eyes. “There’s a long line of people who want me dead. Get in line.”

Xiao Song glared at Zhu Ming, then lunged forward, bursting through the door of 1004. Since reincarnation was no longer an option, he might as well take someone down with him. The more people he killed, the stronger he would become!

Miss Zhao wasn’t about to sit still and wait for death. As a seasoned Awakened, she also possessed items like Old Man Xu. And Xiao Song was much weaker during the day, the sunlight diminishing his power.

Holding a small, gray protective amulet in each hand, she punched Xiao Song in the face before he could attack. He yelped in pain and swung his broom, knocking her to the ground. Then, a skewer appeared in his hand, and he lunged at her.

The amulet blocked the skewer, shattering in the process.

A fierce chase ensued. Zhu Ming stood at the doorway, watching the show.

Finally, after all her amulets were gone, Miss Zhao tricked Xiao Song into leaving the room and slammed the door shut. She was injured and disheveled, but alive, though at a heavy cost.

From behind the door, she gritted her teeth. “You’re ruthless, Zhu Ming! I won’t forget this!”

Zhu Ming ignored her. She stepped forward, blocking Xiao Song’s path as he tried to escape with his cleaning cart. She twirled the rusty skewer in her hand. It was dirty, old, and dull, yet it posed a great threat to Xiao Song, making him instinctively recoil.

Zhu Ming advanced. Xiao Song, pressed against the door of 1004, had nowhere to retreat. He yelled, “Show some mercy—Argh!”

Zhu Ming covered his mouth, raising the skewer. Yun Zouchuan, understanding instantly, stepped forward and plunged the skewer into Xiao Song’s left eye.

“Skinning you alive seems a bit complicated. Let’s keep it simple.”

The skewer, like a magic needle, held Xiao Song in place, despite his struggles and screams. His strength rapidly faded as his body began to rot, starting from his eye socket, then his nose, his skin, his neck, his limbs…

Zhu Ming held up a finger, smiling. “Shhh… Remember this for next time. Don’t disturb my sleep.”

Unfortunately for him, there wouldn’t be a next time. Xiao Song’s body rapidly dissolved into a puddle of putrid blood and gore.

The skewer clattered to the floor, landing in the mess, filthy and disgusting.

Having avenged herself, Yun Zouchuan beamed. “Boss, we should go now.”

“No. Before we leave, there’s someone I need to meet.”

…

Time passed. Noon arrived. The statue was broken, and the barrier vanished.

Xiao Cheng came to find her. “Are you coming down the mountain? Although Xiao Song and the water ghost seem to be dead, there might be other ghosts here. Once the mission is over, the rules will disappear, and it could be dangerous.”

Zhu Ming was delighted to see him. “Perfect timing! It’s time to pay your tuition. After the barrier is broken, don’t leave. Wait for everyone else to finish the mission and descend the mountain, then use your ability to trap someone for me.”

She was really curious about the occupant of room 2007.

Xiao Cheng: “…” He regretted coming to find her.

Worried about the dangers of descending the mountain, Xiao Xue, Old Man Xu, and Yun Zouchuan left together, promising to send Yun Zouchuan back if anything unexpected happened.

Zhu Ming and Xiao Cheng stayed behind. Xiao Cheng, less curious than Zhu Ming, was more concerned about potential dangers, like Miss Zhao causing trouble. So after setting up a barrier around the villa, he kept an eye on room 1004, instead of joining Zhu Ming in her search.

Zhu Ming passed by room 2007 without stopping, heading straight for the terrace.

She had a feeling this person wasn’t in their room, but waiting for her on the rooftop.

The heat was relentless, the midday sun so bright it bleached the world of color.

Zhu Ming climbed the stairs to the rooftop terrace. The bougainvillea and clematis, thriving in the heat, showed no signs of wilting. Their vibrant blooms made the terrace as beautiful as the garden, especially with a certain someone basking in the sunlight.

Yin Yu.

She sat at the small, white, round table, surrounded by flowers, holding a teacup. She wore a simple white French blouse and a misty blue midi skirt. Her smooth, waist-length hair cascaded down her back like a black waterfall, her delicate features unchanged from Zhu Ming’s memory. Bathed in sunlight, she looked less like a living person and more like a beautiful statue carved from white jade.

Zhu Ming stood at the top of the stairs, hesitant to approach. As she gazed at this beautiful scene, her fists clenched.

Another illusion.

After the mission was completed, the rules became unstable. The participants could use their abilities again, which meant the ghosts could likely use theirs to the fullest extent as well.

It seemed even after being broken, that statue could still create mischief.

Ridiculous.

This was the third time. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. She had defeated the housekeeper and the water ghost; she wasn’t afraid of a statue!

However…

This illusion was so realistic. The boss must have put a lot of effort into it. It would be rude not to appreciate its hospitality.

Yin Yu looked up and saw Zhu Ming. She put down her teacup, smiled, and greeted her. “Long time no see, Mingming.”

Zhu Ming walked forward, her knuckles cracking, swept the teacup aside, and sat on the table, directly in front of Yin Yu, her eyes narrowed.

Seeing this, Yin Yu couldn’t help but tease, “The way you’re looking at me makes me think you still have feelings for me.”

Zhu Ming snorted. “If you play your cards right, maybe I do.”

Yin Yu: “…”

She looked surprised, then tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing the elegant curve of her neck. Her lips, the color of pale pink cherry blossoms, curved into a smile. “That wasn’t your attitude when you pushed me away.”

Zhu Ming said, “Come on, seduce me.”

Yin Yu: “?”

Zhu Ming clicked her tongue impatiently. “Why aren’t you as proactive as last time? Or are you trying a new, heartfelt approach this time?”

Yin Yu: “…”

Zhu Ming grabbed Yin Yu’s collar, her grip so tight it wrinkled the pristine fabric. “Let’s see what tricks you have up your sleeve this time. Impress me.”

Yin Yu fell silent. After a long while, she sighed and gently removed Zhu Ming’s hand from her collar.

Oh, taking the subtle route this time?

Zhu Ming chuckled and pinched Yin Yu’s cheek. “That’s all you’ve got?”

Chapter 20 Night of Sacrifice (16)

Xiao Song claimed completing the ritual would break the barrier and allow them to escape, but the remaining participants had dismissed that option. He might be telling the truth, a trapped ghost seeking a way out, but it couldn’t be the only way.

In fact, Old Xu had figured out why their previous attempt had failed.

“The figurine was a fake,” he announced. “I thought about it all night. The plastic figurine was a stand-in for the real one. They’re linked somehow, allowing the real figurine to be hidden safely while the fake one is used in the ritual. But the real figurine is the key. If we find it and destroy it, the barrier will break!”

He stroked his chin smugly. “And I know where it is. It’s in the—”

Zhu Ming/Xiao Xue/Yun Zouchuan: “Pool.”

Old Xu: “…”

Xiao Cheng: “Hahaha! So much for your expertise.”

Old Xu sighed. These youngsters had no respect for their elders. Couldn’t they let him have his moment of glory?

“The concrete platform looked just like the pool,” Yun Zouchuan said. “I thought everyone noticed.” A fake figurine in a fake pool, the real one in the real pool. It made perfect sense.

Zhu Ming stretched. “Water is the medium connecting the two figurines, right? Water is associated with yin, and the dominant position is north. The pool is in the shaded north side of the villa. And the water in the platform smelled the same as the pool water. It wasn’t hard to figure out. I just hadn’t figured out how to get into the pool yet. But now I have.”

“I also suspected the pool was the key,” Xiao Xue said, “but no one else mentioned it, so I thought I was wrong.”

They headed towards the pool.

Old Xu watched them go, stroking his thinning hair. “The younger generation surpasses the older. Xiao Cheng, the future of instance running rests on your shoulders.”

Xiao Cheng: “Huh?”

Old Xu, his eyes crinkling at the corners, didn’t elaborate. He knew his age and experience had carried him this far, but his talent was limited, and he was getting old. He couldn’t improve much further.

Sometimes, those with talent surged ahead. There was no point being envious. All he could do was strive to improve himself, so he wouldn’t have any regrets.

…

As they stepped into the bright sunlight, Yun Zouchuan suddenly yelled, “He’s disappearing!”

The translucent head in her hands began to melt away like ice under the sun. She quickly clapped her hands together, but Xiao Song let out a mocking laugh and vanished completely.

She turned to see Xiao Song’s headless body in the living room rise unsteadily, like a boneless snake. A new head had sprouted from his neck.

He glanced at them, a smug look on his face, and then stumbled towards the housekeeper’s room, his newly formed head slightly askew.

Yun Zouchuan started after him, but Zhu Ming stopped her. “Don’t bother. He’ll be back.”

The pool was as disgusting as ever, filled with trash and murky water, the depths concealing ominous shadows.

And then there was Lao Gao’s body, bloated and decaying after days of exposure to the sun and the water. The stench was unbearable.

Zhu Ming circled the pool, stopping at the deep end where the trash was thickest. “It should be around here.”

The accumulated garbage likely served to conceal the real figurine.

“Who’s going in?” Yun Zouchuan asked. “I’ll pull you out.” She was the strongest, but she couldn’t swim.

“Let’s clear out some of the trash first,” Zhu Ming said. “There’s a net in the storage room.”

The main issue was Lao Gao’s body. Even Zhu Ming, with her strong stomach, didn’t want to swim with a rotting corpse.

They retrieved the net and a hooked pole from the storage room and began clearing the trash, moving Lao Gao’s body to the garden. As the pool became clearer, the water suddenly churned, and a mass of black hair rose from the depths. The water ghost, realizing it couldn’t hide any longer, finally revealed itself.

Xiao Cheng, holding the net, felt a powerful force pulling him forward. He stumbled back, yanking the net out of the water. “What do we do? We’re past the halfway point. The restrictions on the ghosts are weakening.” The pool was the water ghost’s domain. With their abilities suppressed, they were no match for it.

Zhu Ming narrowed her eyes. “A-Zou, get the beer.”

“Okay,” Yun Zouchuan said, and ran to their room.

“There’s something here that can control her,” Zhu Ming said. “Xiao Cheng, you’ve been wondering why we couldn’t find their bodies. I’ve been thinking about it too. The answer might be simple. Their deaths had nothing to do with anyone else.”

Xiao Xue nodded. “None of the clues we found suggested they were murdered. Even the three pages only mentioned the woman drowning in the pond. Actually, the housekeeper probably wrote those pages. A mix of truth and lies is more believable. Thinking about it now, the bloodstains and the message on the back were probably added later by the housekeeper, because they don’t match the real clue.”

Zhu Ming agreed, opening Xiao Yan’s phone. “See this MMS photo? I saw the same one in the housekeeper’s room. This photo gives us a lot of clues. The time is night, the location is the pool, there are beer bottles nearby, and combined with the text messages, it’s not hard to deduce what happened.”

Most importantly, Zhu Ming had smelled a strong scent of alcohol on Xiao Yan’s ghost.

A group of nine young people had come to the villa for a vacation. After a night of partying, they had gone to their rooms. Xiao Song and Xiao Yan had met secretly by the pool. Perhaps feeling down, or perhaps wanting to take their relationship further, Xiao Yan had drunk quite a bit while waiting for Xiao Song…

The details were unclear, but it was likely that things had gotten out of hand, especially with Xiao Yan being drunk and the night air cold. She had drowned, and Xiao Song, either drunk or panicked, had scrambled out of the pool, knocking over the barbecue grill and being impaled by a falling skewer.

They didn’t suspect Xiao Song of murdering Xiao Yan because there didn’t seem to be any animosity between their ghosts, and their relationship drama was irrelevant. What mattered was how they died.

The lingering smell of alcohol on Xiao Yan’s ghost and the fact that the beer in the refrigerator didn’t replenish confirmed her cause of death. Zhu Ming, acting on her theory, decided to try giving Xiao Yan a drink.

“No one killed them,” she said. “The others found their bodies and called the police. There was no need to hide them.”

Xiao Cheng looked slightly disappointed. “No wonder I couldn’t find any bodies in the garden.” All that digging for nothing.

As for why their ghosts were trapped here, why there was a figurine… those questions, like the existence of the Dark Realm itself, remained a mystery.

Yun Zouchuan returned with the remaining six bottles of beer. Zhu Ming took two, one in each hand, and jumped into the pool.

A pair of eyes watched her from beneath the surface, filled with hatred.

The sensation of cold, wet hair wrapping around her was… interesting. As Zhu Ming swam towards the deep end, Xiao Yan’s pale form began to materialize.

Unlike the housekeeper, Xiao Yan seemed unable to speak, but her strength was immense. Her arms wrapped around Zhu Ming’s waist, pulling her downwards.

Zhu Ming opened a beer bottle and smiled faintly. “Can’t reach the surface, can you? I guess I’ll have to offer you a drink this way.”

She poured the beer into the swirling mass of black hair. An ear-piercing shriek echoed through the villa, and the pool water churned and bubbled. The hair where the beer landed dissolved like snow meeting fire.

Yun Zouchuan, standing at the edge of the pool, opened another bottle and tossed it to Zhu Ming. “Careful, Boss!”

Splash! The bottle landed in the water like a small bomb, spraying Zhu Ming in the face. “Hey! Be careful!”

“I want to hit her!” Yun Zouchuan yelled.

As bottle after bottle of beer was poured into the pool, the black hair dissolved, and the water became clearer. Zhu Ming grabbed Xiao Yan’s bright red swimsuit and pulled her upwards, finally seeing her face.

She looked just like the woman in the poster, her eyes filled with hatred. Anyone who died such a senseless, humiliating death would be filled with resentment.

Zhu Ming looked at Xiao Yan, who was coughing up water. She opened the last bottle of beer. “You should blame yourself and Xiao Song. This is your last warning. Give me what I want, and I’ll be gentle.”

Xiao Yan glared at her, unyielding.

Zhu Ming knew that a ghost’s mindset, warped by years of resentment, was difficult to change. Their obsessions consumed them.

“A woman who only thinks about love,” she said coldly, “is destined for unhappiness.”

She shoved the beer bottle into Xiao Yan’s mouth, forcing her to drink.

Weakened by the alcohol, Xiao Yan struggled weakly, like an ant, then dissolved into the water, leaving behind two objects that sank to the bottom of the pool.

Zhu Ming took a deep breath and dove down. Without Xiao Yan’s interference, she easily reached the bottom.

She surfaced a moment later, tossing the figurine and a rusty, pointed skewer onto the deck.

Yun Zouchuan pulled her out of the pool. Soaked and dripping, her hair plastered to her face, Zhu Ming picked up the skewer and headed back towards the villa.

“Comrade, where are you going?” Old Xu called after her. “It’s almost noon! We can break the figurine and leave!”

Zhu Ming twirled the skewer in her hand, a cold smile on her lips. “I have a promise to keep.”

She had promised to skin him alive.

Yun Zouchuan followed, eager to kill the ghost herself.

Despite the heat, the air was humid. Zhu Ming, dripping wet, went to her room to retrieve something, then returned downstairs and began kicking the door of 1004.

“Miss Zhao,” she yelled, “what do you think will happen if I hang this cleaning sign on your door?”

Miss Zhao: “…”

Zhu Ming’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “The water ghost is gone. She tried to kill us, so I killed her. You saw that, right? But you… you’re a participant. It’s not so easy to deal with you. I’m not a bad person. I’m very reasonable.”

Miss Zhao had no choice but to respond. “Everyone looks out for themselves. Xiao Song forced me to do it. If I hadn’t…”

She stopped abruptly, realizing she shouldn’t say too much.

“If you hadn’t, then what?” Zhu Ming pressed.

After a long silence, Miss Zhao said, “You’ve found the figurine. You’ll be leaving soon. Let’s not dwell on the past. I can only tell you that I never intended for anyone to die.”

Zhu Ming scoffed. “Tell me or don’t. I’m hanging this up.”

“Wait!” Miss Zhao yelled.

Chapter 19 Night of Sacrifice (15)

Miss Zhao and Xiao Song breathed a sigh of relief.

That request was easy enough to fulfill. Yesterday, when Xiao Song had revealed he couldn’t open the door to 2007 and then foolishly used the excuse of going to 1004 to cover his tracks, Miss Zhao had started thinking about the flashlight issue.

She had come up with a plan, but she needed a pretext. Hence, the 3 a.m. incident where Xiao Song was supposedly lured out of his room. This gave him a plausible reason for having a dead flashlight—he had taken Lao Gao’s.

Fortunately, Xiao Song had played along, making sure everyone remembered that his flashlight was dead. Now, everything made sense. Even if they remembered Lao Gao’s flashlight, Miss Zhao had an excuse: the housekeeper had taken it along with the other trash. Look, even the broken pieces of Teng Ge’s flashlight in the living room were gone.

But the flashlights provided in the rooms weren’t considered trash.

Miss Zhao turned on one flashlight. It worked. “This is mine,” she said.

She then held up the second flashlight. “This is Xiao Song’s. It died last night, so he threw it away. It’s still covered in dirt.”

She turned it on.

The bright beam was somewhat dim in the daylight, but still clearly visible inside the shaded villa.

Miss Zhao and Xiao Song froze.

Everyone stared at them.

Zhu Ming burst out laughing, a chilling sound. Then, she raised the cleaver and brought it down hard on Xiao Song’s neck.

Thwack—

The blade sliced through flesh and bone. Blood spurted everywhere. Xiao Song didn’t even have time to scream before his head rolled across the floor, coming to rest at Miss Zhao’s feet.

Miss Zhao shrieked, her face turning deathly pale. She collapsed onto the floor, staring at Zhu Ming in terror. She had no doubt that Zhu Ming intended to kill her too.

The sudden violence shocked everyone. The severed head, eerily lifelike, lay in a growing pool of blood by the door of 1004, the door and wall splattered with gore.

Zhu Ming tossed the cleaver aside, wiped the blood from her face, and kicked the headless corpse.

The release of pent-up anger left her feeling strangely invigorated. She took a deep breath. “You’re probably wondering why the flashlight still works. The answer is simple. Lao Gao’s flashlight was never dead. I took the batteries out that morning. Why are you so surprised? It’s not just ghosts that can lie. Humans can too.”

The morning Lao Gao died, while everyone else was by the pool examining his body, Zhu Ming had been the first to search his room.

She had quickly found his flashlight, lying in the corner under the sink, switched off, its batteries full.

Looking at the permanently open door, an idea had formed. She had removed the batteries, creating the illusion of a dead flashlight. No one would be interested in a useless flashlight. It would be left in the corner, forgotten.

But a ghost would be interested. If there was a real ghost among them, without a room or a flashlight, it would eventually be exposed. It would need something to maintain its disguise, and a discarded flashlight was the perfect choice.

After everyone left, Zhu Ming had found an opportunity to replace the batteries. The flashlight remained in Lao Gao’s room. Then, she had deliberately goaded Xiao Song into admitting he had gone to 1004 with his own flashlight. He and his accomplice had been forced to adapt, taking Lao Gao’s flashlight to create their alibi.

Xiao Song had claimed his flashlight had died during the night.

But now, it was fully charged!

The evidence was undeniable. Xiao Song’s true nature was exposed.

Seeing her boss take action, Yun Zouchuan, realizing Xiao Song was the one who had been leering at her, stomped on his corpse repeatedly, her face a mask of fury.

As the realization dawned on the others, the seemingly human corpse began to change, its body, clothes, and even the bloodstains turning translucent.

Zhu Ming kicked the corpse aside, giving Yun Zouchuan more room to vent her anger.

Xiao Song’s head suddenly turned, facing the doorway. The shock and fear from his death vanished, replaced by a look of pure malice. He glared at them, especially at Zhu Ming.

“You think you can kill me? Don’t be naive! I’ll haunt you forever, until you all stay here with me! Hahaha—”

Thud!

His head rolled out of 1004. Zhu Ming’s foot shot out, stopping it.

Xiao Song: “…?!”

Everyone stared at the doorway of 1004. Miss Zhao stood there, trembling, her face ashen. No one had expected her to kick the ghost’s head out of her room. “So he really was a ghost… That’s why my boyfriend, who isn’t Awakened, was brought here. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know he was a ghost. I didn’t know anything about the flashlight. He tricked me into suspecting Zhu Ming.”

Zhu Ming tilted her head, her messy hair falling around her face. She pressed her heel down on Xiao Song’s head, grinding it into the floor. “Really?”

“Really!” Miss Zhao insisted.

“I don’t believe you.”

Miss Zhao: “…”

But since she was offering an explanation, Zhu Ming wasn’t going to be polite. “Miss Zhao, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

Miss Zhao looked at the others pleadingly. Yun Zouchuan was still gleefully stomping on the translucent corpse. Xiao Cheng frowned, unsure whether to believe her. Old Xu, smiling serenely, clearly sided with Zhu Ming. As for Xiao Xue, she simply smiled, her expression unreadable.

Zhu Ming kicked Xiao Song’s head like a soccer ball back into 1004. He roared in anger, his headless body thrashing, but Yun Zouchuan held it down effortlessly.

Zhu Ming smiled. “Miss Zhao, are ants fun to play with?”

Miss Zhao’s expression changed instantly, the mask of innocence and vulnerability shattering. She glared at Zhu Ming, then slammed the door shut without a word.

Xiao Cheng finally understood. Miss Zhao had been acting. He had to admire her quick thinking. She and Xiao Song were much better actors than some of the celebrities on TV. He hadn’t suspected Xiao Song at all and had almost been fooled by Miss Zhao’s performance.

But…

“What’s with the ants?” he asked. Why had Miss Zhao given herself away with those two words?

Zhu Ming cracked her knuckles, realizing Xiao Song’s “tuition fee” might finally be useful. “Remember the skewer I used on the water ghost by the pool? You asked me how I did it. I can tell you now. It was a lie. Two lies, actually.”

Xiao Cheng: “???”

He looked at Yun Zouchuan. She was close to Zhu Ming; she must know, right?

Yun Zouchuan had picked up the discarded cleaver and was now hacking furiously at a certain part of the translucent corpse, though ordinary weapons couldn’t harm it.

Xiao Cheng: “…” He turned to Xiao Xue. She had helped him understand before.

Xiao Xue thought for a moment. “I think I understand. The housekeeper and the water ghost initially wanted us to think there was only one ghost. So when someone found the housekeeper’s blood, the water ghost pretended to react to the skewer, leading us to believe it was her blood. That’s the first lie.

Miss Zhao doesn’t seem that close to Xiao Song. She must have been suspicious of him. Yesterday, she had to pretend he had stayed in her room. Being so meticulous, she must have anticipated having to prove it, so she took the skewer, just in case. Inviting a ghost into your room is dangerous.

Of course, Zhu Ming didn’t do anything special to the skewer. She just told you that, knowing you would tell Miss Zhao. That’s the second lie. Right, Xiao Cheng? You did tell Miss Zhao, didn’t you?”

Xiao Cheng: “…Yes.”

They were all participants, meant to help each other. Miss Zhao had asked, and he had told her… He felt a strange sense of disappointment. He looked at Zhu Ming, incredulous. She had been planning this while he was still completely clueless.

Zhu Ming smiled. “I didn’t think that far ahead. I just knew that whoever was working with the ghost would be paying close attention to the skewer. I used it and threw it away. Most people would assume I had some special ability, not that the skewer itself was important. But the accomplice would be wondering if the blood on the skewer would actually affect the ghost.”

She raised her voice slightly. “Well, Miss Zhao? Did you try it? Did it work? I even skewered an ant for you. Quite noticeable, isn’t it? So thoughtful of me—”

The door to 1004 opened a crack, and a translucent head rolled out. The door slammed shut.

Zhu Ming raised an eyebrow, stepping on Xiao Song’s head just as it rolled towards her. He turned his head with difficulty, cursing. “You kicked me again! You’re dead!” This woman had clearly abandoned all pretense of civility.

Miss Zhao’s muffled voice came from behind the door. “I don’t care. You forced me to do this. You’re the one to blame. It has nothing to do with me.”

Xiao Song’s head was about to explode with rage. Just as he was about to yell again, Zhu Ming grabbed his hair and lifted him up, her eyes cold.

Xiao Song: “…”

“I said I would skin you alive,” Zhu Ming said softly. “Did you think I was finished?”

Xiao Song’s expression turned ferocious. “Foolish! You can’t harm me now! Since I’ve been exposed, I’ll tell you everything! That ritual actually works! My goal from the beginning was to leave this place with you. What’s so hard to understand about wanting to live again? Complete the ritual, let me be reborn through any of you, the barrier will break, and you’ll complete the mission. It’s a win-win!”

He licked his lips greedily, glancing at Yun Zouchuan. “It would be even better if it were her. Her life force is so strong… If it were her… Xiao Yan and I could be reborn together.”

Zhu Ming scoffed. “A pair of adulterous lovers becoming siblings? How touching.”

Even decapitated, he was still obsessed with impregnating someone. Yun Zouchuan was livid. She stepped forward. “Boss, can I have his head? I want to punch it.”

Zhu Ming tossed it to her. “Don’t lose it. We need to find something that can actually kill him.”

Xiao Song’s bravado faltered. Even though Zhu Ming hadn’t done anything yet, he felt a sense of dread.

Yun Zouchuan caught the head, punched it hard, and nodded. “Okay!”

Chapter 18 Night of Sacrifice (14)

…

5:57 a.m.

Zhu Ming stood in the living room and turned off her flashlight.

Dawn was approaching, but the sun hadn’t fully risen yet. A faint light filtered through the windows, dispelling the pure darkness and casting long shadows. Xiao Song entered the living room, humming softly.

Then he stopped abruptly.

A figure stood silently in the dim light.

He saw her at the same moment she saw him.

5:59 a.m. The darkness continued to recede as the sun climbed higher, its warmth intensifying. Zhu Ming’s shadow stretched across the floor.

She smiled brightly. “Found you.”

She raised the cleaver she had been hiding behind her and swung it down towards Xiao Song.

The blade, sharp and clean, freshly taken from the kitchen, glinted in the sudden burst of sunlight at 6 a.m.

Xiao Song yelped, jumping back and turning to flee.

His scream echoed through the villa. “Help! Murder! Help!”

As Zhu Ming tackled him to the floor, the door to 1004 opened. Miss Zhao, her hair uncombed, stared at Zhu Ming in horror. “What are you doing?!”

Zhu Ming smiled at her, the cleaver pressed against Xiao Song’s neck.

Blood trickled down his neck, staining his collar. He trembled, afraid to move.

“Miss Zhao,” Zhu Ming said, “you don’t mind if I kill a ghost, do you?”

Xiao Song stared at her, incredulous. “I’m a ghost? How is that possible?! What’s going on…?”

The commotion drew the others out of their rooms. They rushed into the living room, drawn by the screams, and saw Zhu Ming holding Xiao Song at knifepoint.

Xiao Cheng, confused, tried to intervene. “Calm down! Let’s talk this out!”

Yun Zouchuan, reacting quickly, jumped down the stairs and stood beside Zhu Ming, instinctively taking her side.

Old Xu and Xiao Xue remained silent, waiting for an explanation.

Xiao Song shuddered. “I understand now! You’re the ghost! I was tricked into opening my door last night. Xiao Zhao used a protective charm to block the first attack, and I ran out so she wouldn’t be hurt. Luckily, I was fast enough, and the housekeeper couldn’t catch me. It gave up when I ran outside. I didn’t dare go back, afraid it was waiting for me, so I hid outside. My flashlight died, and I thought I was done for, but then the sun came up! I was so relieved! And now you’re trying to kill me!”

“Is there some kind of misunderstanding?” Xiao Cheng asked. “I was with Old Xu last night. My door wouldn’t open.”

Zhu Ming ignored them, her gaze fixed on Xiao Song. His body was warm, his heart beating, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He was bleeding. But what did that prove?

“You said you stayed outside until dawn,” she said. “Where’s your flashlight?”

Xiao Song looked at Miss Zhao pleadingly. “Baby, help me find it! I remember leaving it near the azaleas in the garden. If you find it, it’ll prove I’m not a ghost!”

Miss Zhao didn’t move. Her face pale, she looked at Zhu Ming, her voice accusing.

“Zhu Ming, are you the housekeeper? Why else would you be waiting for him inside the villa? You said Teng Ge would be the next to die, and he did. You knew the food in the refrigerator wasn’t poisoned. You were able to enter the housekeeper’s room last night, and you refused to destroy your cleaning sign…”

She listed Zhu Ming’s suspicious actions. In this chaotic situation, it was natural for her to trust her boyfriend.

Zhu Ming’s lips curled into a smile. “Nine rooms, nine participants. Isn’t Xiao Song suspicious enough? If you truly believe he’s not a ghost, then do you dare let him into your room?”

Miss Zhao’s head snapped up. “He was in my room last night! What more proof do you need?”

“Did anyone see him enter?” Seeing their desperation, Zhu Ming felt a surge of calm. “Teng Ge, who lived next door to you, is dead. There’s a hallway blocking the view. Unless someone was leaning over the railing, no one could have seen Xiao Song enter 1004. I thought it was strange from the beginning, but you provided him with an alibi, and the others were also suspicious, so I couldn’t be sure.”

She pressed the cleaver harder against Xiao Song’s neck, her eyes darkening. “It would be rather embarrassing to kill the wrong person. You can’t hide it anymore. The appearance of the tenth person proves there’s a ghost among us. But what makes you think there’s only one ghost? Perhaps it has an accomplice, Miss Zhao.”

From the very first day, Zhu Ming had felt as if someone was manipulating events.

She had suspected a traitor among them: Xiao Song, Miss Zhao, even Old Xu.

Xiao Song was the most suspicious. He had found the key but couldn’t swim. He had also been the first to find the crucial clue in the basement: the three pages.

But Miss Zhao was too strange. She and Xiao Song were supposedly a couple, but their interactions didn’t reflect that.

They had secrets. And Miss Zhao had repeatedly refused to let Xiao Song into her room. That morning, after finding Lao Gao’s body, a thought had struck Zhu Ming.

Perhaps it wasn’t a traitor among them, but a real ghost!

But she couldn’t be sure who it was. There were too many uncertainties, and others besides Xiao Song and Miss Zhao were also suspicious. And she lacked concrete evidence.

Lao Gao’s death had given her an opportunity. She had set a trap, just in case.

And then, yesterday, Xiao Song had conveniently moved into 1004 the night before they were supposed to destroy the cleaning signs, giving him a plausible reason for not being able to open the door to 2007.

With the appearance of the tenth person and the note from the storage room, Zhu Ming was almost certain Xiao Song was the ghost. And her probing of Miss Zhao had revealed a flaw in her earlier thinking. There wasn’t just a ghost among them, but also an accomplice covering for it!

There were still many unanswered questions. Why hadn’t the tenth person revealed themselves? Why hadn’t the ghost provided all the clues at once, leading them directly to the ritual…?

But the trap was set. If these two fell for it, it would prove their guilt!

And… the accomplice wouldn’t be helping the ghost without expecting something in return.

Zhu Ming’s eyes narrowed, a challenging glint in them. “Xiao Song has already stayed in your room for two nights. It shouldn’t be a problem for him to enter again, in front of everyone, right? Or are you afraid to let him in because you have something to hide?”

They both knew the truth, but neither could back down now.

When Miss Zhao stepped aside, clearing the doorway, Zhu Ming knew. Never sympathize with your enemy, especially when they’re willing to sacrifice others.

She shoved Xiao Song into the room. “You invited him in yourself.”

Miss Zhao clenched her fists. “Enough! Are you satisfied? What about you? What proof do you have that you’re not the ghost?”

Zhu Ming pulled Xiao Song back out and stepped on his chest. “What does that have to do with me? Don’t forget, you still have one more thing to do—show us your flashlights. I doubt a ghost needs a flashlight. Xiao Song must have had his with him when he went to your room last night. Show them to us, and it’ll prove you’re both human.”

Following Zhu Ming’s instructions would put them at a disadvantage, but… if they could prove their innocence, then Zhu Ming would become the prime suspect! This was her plan backfiring spectacularly. If she was forcing their hand, then they would be ruthless.

A dark glint flickered in Miss Zhao’s eyes. “Fine,” she said, and ran to the garden to retrieve the flashlight Xiao Song had mentioned.

She returned a few minutes later, flashlight in hand. To prove it wasn’t a fake, she also retrieved her own flashlight.

Holding both flashlights, she declared, “Everyone see this? Xiao Song and I are both participants! You’re the ghost, Zhu Ming!”

Zhu Ming held up her own flashlight. “Here’s mine.”

Miss Zhao suddenly realized something.

For some reason, she had been waking up before dawn every day, filled with unease. She needed to be aware of her surroundings. So when she heard footsteps outside her door before sunrise, she had looked through the peephole.

She had seen a figure sitting on the sofa. It was Zhu Ming. Her flashlight beam had been very dim and had gone out before dawn!

Miss Zhao, a clever woman, immediately grasped the key point. “How do we know that’s your flashlight? Maybe you took it from Lao Gao. His was dead. Don’t tell me yours is dead too. Turn it on and let us see!”

“Sure,” Zhu Ming said, and turned on her flashlight. A dim light appeared.

Miss Zhao froze.

Zhu Ming smiled. “Well, Miss Zhao? My flashlight works. That proves it’s mine, right?”

A bead of sweat trickled down Miss Zhao’s forehead. She stared at Zhu Ming, a wave of fear washing over her… Zhu Ming’s flashlight hadn’t died. She had turned it off herself. How? Wasn’t she afraid of what might happen in that brief moment of darkness?

Miss Zhao realized something. This woman had come prepared. She had planned everything, including Miss Zhao’s reactions. In that case… she couldn’t play by Zhu Ming’s rules!

A sense of foreboding filled her. Looking at Zhu Ming’s mocking smile, she knew there had to be another layer to this trap.

What should she do? They had both proven they had flashlights. What other tricks did Zhu Ming have up her sleeve?

No, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t react defensively. She had to interrupt, to disrupt Zhu Ming’s plan!

She gave Xiao Song a look, and he suddenly burst into tears, thrashing on the floor. “Just kill me already! We both have flashlights! We’re both human! The ghost is in 2007! You’re being unreasonable! Even if you’re not the ghost, you’re a traitor! Just kill me!”

Zhu Ming wasn’t fooled. She grabbed Xiao Song’s hair and slammed his head against the floor. “Shut up.”

Xiao Song’s head swam, and he bit his tongue, unable to speak.

Zhu Ming continued calmly, “Kill you? Why would I do that? You have a heartbeat, you breathe, you’re warm. You’re such a good imitation of a human. Killing you would only make me more suspicious. I’m so weak. I wouldn’t stand a chance against all of you. And there’s no rush. We’re not finished yet.”

Damn her! Miss Zhao instinctively took a step back.

This woman was not only cunning but also ruthless. She couldn’t pretend to ignore this anymore. How could a girlfriend stand by and watch her boyfriend being abused?

There was no turning back now. Everyone was watching. If she showed any hesitation, if she refused Zhu Ming’s demands, she and Xiao Song would lose everyone’s trust. They would be trapped…

Zhu Ming didn’t give her time to think. Her eyes narrowed, her voice a mixture of casualness and malice. “Miss Zhao, you reminded me. How do we know where your flashlights came from? Now, it’s your turn to turn them on.”

Chapter 17 Night of Sacrifice (13)

Zhu Ming sat bolt upright in bed.

The voice continued, “Mingming, I’m so scared. Why are you ignoring me? Don’t you want to see me? Mingming…”

BAM!

A loud crash cut off the voice. Zhu Ming jumped out of bed, grabbing a chair and smashing it against the door.

“Enough is enough!”

Using Yin Yu to taunt her repeatedly… even Zhu Ming had her limits.

“Get lost!” she yelled, kicking the door. “Get the hell away from me!”

She had often imagined how she would react if she ever saw Yin Yu again.

But the reality was, they were over. Yin Yu was gone, as if she had never existed. The hurt, the hope, everything was in the past.

Zhu Ming admitted she had still loved Yin Yu at first, but she had gradually learned to let go, to bury that name deep within her heart, to revisit those memories only in the solitude of the night.

The chair, rebounding off the door, clattered to the floor. Zhu Ming grabbed it and smashed it against the door again, a wounded animal lashing out in pain and fury.

The sound of wood splintering echoed through the villa. The force of the impact shattered the chair, scattering pieces across the floor.

Then, silence.

The ghost in the hallway felt a surge of curiosity. It desperately wanted to know what inner demons this person was battling. The rules allowed it to create illusions and lure the participants out, but it couldn’t see what happened inside their rooms.

Despite being on its home turf, with darkness as its stage, it felt a flicker of fear, a chilling sense of danger emanating from behind that door.

How… how was that possible?

It silently approached the door, peering through the peephole. He could see them all, secretly, surreptitiously, leaving them nowhere to hide… A bloodshot eyeball suddenly filled the peephole, the black pupil a bottomless abyss.

The eyeball moved, pressing forward, as if trying to squeeze through.

The ghost recoiled in terror. It was the most horrifying sight it had ever seen. Its icy heart nearly leaped out of its throat. For a moment, it forgot it was the ghost, overcome by a primal fear of the darkness.

Inside the room, the woman pressed against the door smiled grimly as the bloodshot eye retreated from the peephole.

“I see you.”

She raised her middle finger at the peephole. “Bastard, you just wait. I’ll skin you alive!”

The ghost, startled, then enraged, was furious. This was its trick, its way of terrifying the living. How dare a human turn it against him?

No, this was unacceptable. It was a ghost, a powerful ghost. These humans were its playthings, meant to cower and tremble before it!

It lunged at the door of 2004, determined to scare the occupant with its terrifying eye.

But it couldn’t meet the gaze of the person inside.

It saw a middle finger.

It nearly exploded with rage.

…

That night, the secrets of not only 2004 were probed, but all the other guest rooms as well.

Inside room 2005, Yun Zouchuan said to the door, “Stop pretending. My mother would never be here. She hasn’t even come down from the mountain.”

Inside room 2006, Xiao Xue took a sip of water and sighed. She heard her parents urging her to open the door, her younger sister’s frightened but obedient whimpers, and her older sister’s haughty command:

“Get over here and open the door!”

She remained silent. There was no point responding to a fabrication.

When she didn’t answer, the voices outside changed tactics. The haughty tone became pleading and pathetic. “Little sister, I won’t be angry anymore. I’ll be nice to you. I love you the most. Don’t you love me anymore? Open the door!”

Xiao Xue smiled faintly. Even though it was fake, hearing her older sister speak to her like that was a strangely comforting experience.

And then there was room 2007.

The ghost, frustrated by its lack of success, approached the last room, the room of the guest it both hated and feared the most.

What were her attachments? How would she react?

It eagerly peered through the peephole, but saw nothing.

It thought it heard the sound of a distant wind, but it was an illusion. The villa was silent as a tomb, devoid of any emotional response, any change in heartbeat or breathing.

It was as if the occupant of 2007 was a block of ice, impervious to its tricks, her inner thoughts impenetrable.

…

In the darkness, Zhu Ming walked barefoot across the debris-strewn floor. The only chair in the room was broken. She sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes heavy but sleep elusive.

The ghosts were said to grow stronger as time went on. Even they knew to use Yin Yu to tempt her.

Zhu Ming stared blankly ahead, her eyes unfocused. She replayed the events of the instance in her mind, examining every detail.

She had made a promise. She would kill that ghost.

After a while, she stood up and walked to the window, suddenly pulling back the curtains.

The shadows of the trees loomed outside, motionless in the still air, like countless figures buried alive.

Drip, drip.

A pale, swollen arm reached through the window, dripping with a foul-smelling liquid, the soft, decaying flesh pressing against the glass.

A distorted face appeared outside, its nose, mouth, and eyes sunken into the flat plane of its face like lumps of clay. It stared at her greedily, its swimsuit a shocking red, its skin as white as paper.

The window rattled, the sound of flesh and water scraping against the glass sending shivers down her spine. The drowned ghost clung to the window, a slimy, writhing mass, a predator waiting for its prey to emerge from the safety of its den.

Zhu Ming tilted her head, looking at the ghost. A smile touched her lips. “I’ve been wondering… how did you die? You two seemed so in love. It couldn’t have been a crime of passion, could it?”

She turned on the housekeeper’s phone, the bright screen momentarily blinding.

She stared at the MMS photo, then at the timestamp.

5:17 a.m.

So it was that time already.

In the normal world, the midsummer sun would be rising, but here, everything followed the rules of the instance, including sunrise and sunset.

Every day, the sun rose at 6 a.m. and set at 3 p.m.

Day and night were clearly defined, separated by a three-minute twilight zone.

Half an hour later, Zhu Ming checked the phone again.

5:45 a.m.

She went to the bathroom, watching her reflection morph into the drowned corpse.

“I thought about it last night while I was washing my hands,” she said to her reflection. “Tricking Lao Gao into turning off the lights and taking a shower was clever. It would definitely work on someone already on edge.”

Lao Gao’s cause of death was easy to deduce.

The water ghost had killed him.

He was image-conscious, physically weak, and covered in the stench of the pool water. It was natural for him to want to wash. If he had been more careful, he might have survived.

But he had been fooled by the illusion in the mirror, believing he was safe inside his room, that only the flashlight caused the ghostly transformations. So he had showered in the dark.

The water system in the villa was clearly interconnected. All the water sources, except for the bottled water and the water lilies on the roof, had the same foul smell. That was how the water ghost entered the rooms.

She had followed the flow of water through the pipes, entering the showerhead and drowning Lao Gao in her long hair…

After his death, the door to his room had unlocked automatically, and the housekeeper had entered, cleaning up the trash and the water and hair in the bathroom. It had then gone to the common bathroom on the first floor to wash its mop, inadvertently clogging the drain with the long strands of hair.

In the morning, finding the bathroom dry, they had assumed Lao Gao had died in the pool, a victim of the water ghost’s revenge. They hadn’t realized that entering the pool wasn’t a prerequisite for death.

It was a clever trick, preventing them from investigating the pool further and obscuring the true cause of death.

And perhaps, another unsuspecting victim would fall for the mirror illusion and shower in the dark.

Zhu Ming decided to do just that. She turned off the flashlight and turned on the shower.

“Tonight, I’d like to invite you in for a chat.”

The water streamed down, and Zhu Ming stood beneath it, fully clothed, the cold water carrying a faint, unpleasant odor.

When did the change begin? When the water flow slowed, or when the smell intensified?

She turned off the shower, wiping her face. She knew that once the transformation began, it wouldn’t stop easily.

She walked out of the bathroom, her clothes soaked, leaving a trail of water on the floor.

She checked the phone again.

5:51 a.m.

A dragging, slithering sound echoed from behind her, the sound of wet flesh scraping against the floor. Something cold and slimy followed the trail of water, wrapping around her leg.

Zhu Ming turned and shone her flashlight. Click. The light flickered on.

The movement stopped, but the presence remained.

Click. The light vanished.

The cold, decaying hair moved again, coiling around her leg, the sluggish main body moving slowly, like a worm, but the hair itself quick and agile.

Zhu Ming turned on the flashlight, pulling the hair away from her leg, and took a step back towards the door.

She turned off the flashlight, waiting for the rotting ghost to appear. The hair, freed from the light, reached for her again.

The stench of decay filled the room. There was no human voice, only the rustling of hair, the dripping of water, the squelching of flesh against the floor, the clicking of the flashlight, and the endless, internal screaming.

Light and darkness battled, the beam of the flashlight appearing and disappearing in a steady rhythm, the darkness slowly encroaching.

Zhu Ming watched, unblinking.

Finally, the nightmarish ghost reached her leg, its cold, slimy flesh, bloated and decaying, pressing against her skin, trying to engulf her.

It might have succeeded. Once caught in its grasp, there was no escape.

But Zhu Ming turned on the flashlight again.

Disgusted, the ghost recoiled from the light, unable to advance. Zhu Ming helped it along. She grabbed a handful of its long, tangled hair and yanked its head upwards.

The pungent, hospital-like stench of decay filled her nostrils, but Zhu Ming didn’t flinch. She looked at the ghost’s horrifying face with an expression of cold pity. “So that’s how you died. How pathetic.”

She released her grip, watching impassively as the corpse slumped to the floor.

Zhu Ming turned, opened the door, and walked out.

Chapter 16 Night of Sacrifice (12)

The appearance of the crumpled paper ball stunned the surviving participants.

The paper was identical to the three pages they had found earlier, the edges perforated, the indentations matching. This was the real clue, hidden by the housekeeper.

“There are nine of us. The invitation clearly stated that. There can’t be a ghost among us,” Xiao Cheng said.

“This paper is meaningless,” Miss Zhao declared. “If the ritual was a trap, then this clue must be fake too.”

Xiao Xue disagreed. “Maybe it’s not entirely fake. Perhaps it means one of us is acting as a traitor. After all… we don’t know who hung the cleaning sign on Old Xu’s door.”

Perhaps because Zhu Ming had played a key role in uncovering the clues, everyone looked at her.

Zhu Ming suddenly turned and ran, beckoning Yun Zouchuan to follow.

Xiao Cheng was confused. “You’re right. It could be a traitor, or it could be a trick to sow discord. I’ll search the storage room again for more clues.”

Xiao Xue, ignoring him, watched Zhu Ming search the kitchen, dining room, and game room, a small smile playing on her lips. Then, Zhu Ming’s brow furrowed, and she ran outside.

She knew what the problem was.

The villa seemed small, easy to survey, but there were still places Zhu Ming hadn’t personally checked.

The second-floor terrace, the roof terrace, the garden, and the area beneath the pool.

It was only the third day. She still had time.

Zhu Ming ran to the second-floor terrace.

The second floor had seven rooms and a large terrace. Due to the layout, it wasn’t perfectly symmetrical. There was a corner between rooms 2002 and 2003, and the two rooms on the far left were set back. Similarly, there was a corner between 2007 and 2006, and room 2007 and the terrace were also angled.

And to partially obscure the terrace from view, the section of hallway in front of 2007 and the terrace had a solid wall instead of a railing.

This could easily lead to overlooking certain details.

Zhu Ming stepped onto the terrace, the heat of the sun beating down on her. She had been running around last night, woken up abruptly this morning, and hadn’t had a chance to shower. The heat and the lingering sweat made her feel grimy.

She found the staircase hidden behind the plants, the one Xiao Xue had mentioned, and climbed to the roof.

The roof terrace was also filled with plants, offering a panoramic view of the distant mountains. If the weather weren’t so oppressive, it would be a pleasant place to relax.

In the center of the terrace was a large urn filled with water lilies. Mud lined the bottom, but the water above was clear. Nearby, a round table with three wicker chairs sat beneath a closed parasol, offering a small patch of shade.

Zhu Ming approached the table, her brow furrowing.

A teacup sat on the table, filled with lukewarm tea and two lotus petals. Beside the teacup was a lighter.

Zhu Ming hissed softly.

Three minutes later, everyone knew there was a tenth person hidden somewhere in the villa.

All eyes turned to Xiao Song.

There is a ghost among you! There were supposed to be nine participants. If there was a tenth person…

Xiao Song was on the verge of tears. “Don’t look at me like that! I’m not a ghost! My girlfriend is here with me!”

True, he had an alibi. His suspicion level wasn’t that high.

But most of them had alibis. Only Xiao Xue had entered the instance alone. She shrugged. “Perhaps the tenth person is the ghost. Why else would they hide? This is a trick to divide us.”

Xiao Song nodded eagerly. “Exactly! I think it’s the one who took over my room. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you all share rooms tonight? Then we’ll see who can’t get back into their room tomorrow.”

Xiao Cheng stroked his chin. “That’s a simple test. The ghost can’t be that stupid, can it?”

Zhu Ming looked down thoughtfully. Room 2007 was directly below them. “Who knows? Maybe the ghost is even more stupid than you think. I was observing everyone last night when it got dark. Xiao Song, I don’t think I saw you go into Miss Zhao’s room.”

She had seen him turned away the night before last, and she suspected the same had happened last night. She hadn’t waited until the last minute to go to her room; she had been bluffing.

Xiao Song explained defensively, “That’s because I thought we would be leaving after breaking the barrier. I was afraid of being left behind, so I went to 1004 just before you all went to the basement. Miss Zhao let me in because she thought the instance was almost over and it would be safe.”

Humiliated by the questioning, Xiao Song looked around wildly, then grabbed the teacup and smashed it on the floor.

Everyone stared at him. He picked up a shard of porcelain and handed it to Miss Zhao, turning to the others with a dramatic flourish. “Since you all think I’m suspicious, let’s see if I’m human or ghost!”

Miss Zhao reluctantly made a small cut on his hand. A drop of blood welled up, and Xiao Song let out a theatrical scream.

Miss Zhao, embarrassed by her boyfriend’s display, mumbled, “He’s bleeding. That proves he’s human, right?”

Everyone cringed. He was a grown man, and for such a small cut…

Xiao Cheng was speechless. With Teng Ge and Lao Gao dead, Xiao Song was the only other man his age left, but he didn’t like him at all. “I suddenly think… whoever the ghost is, it can’t be Xiao Song.”

Any ghost that pathetic should just go home and sell sweet potatoes.

“Can’t we just knock on the door of 2007?” Yun Zouchuan asked, always the most direct.

“What if it’s another trap?” Xiao Xue explained. “Even if it’s a person and not a ghost in 2007, they’re hiding from us for a reason. Simply knocking won’t accomplish anything. I’m not going to knock. I don’t want to risk it.”

Old Xu, who had been studying the notebook, interrupted. “Aren’t we missing the point? Our goal isn’t to identify the ghost, but to break the barrier and leave. This note might be a distraction, a way to stall us. Actually, I think I know how to break the barrier.”

That piqued everyone’s interest far more than Xiao Song’s dramatics.

“How?” Xiao Cheng asked eagerly.

Old Xu stroked his chin, a smug look on his face. “The barrier is indeed connected to the figurine and the formation, but completing the ritual isn’t the only way to break it. We can also destroy the figurine!”

It was like a bolt of lightning. Of course! If the figurine and the formation created the barrier, then destroying them would break it.

“Of course, we can’t just smash it,” Old Xu continued. “We need to replace the red candles with white ones, replace the offerings with items of yang energy or opposing attributes, burn three incense sticks upside down at noon, and then destroy the figurine. This is the safest method. Simply breaking it might be dangerous.”

Yun Zouchuan looked at the sky. “We still have time today.”

“Yes!” Xiao Cheng exclaimed. “Let’s gather the items and try it in one go!”

Things were suddenly progressing smoothly. They found white candles in the storage room, and the garden provided the necessary offerings.

Zhu Ming, taking advantage of their busyness, went back to her room to shower. She was curious about the occupant of 2007, but since they couldn’t force the door open, there was nothing she could do.

She suspected it was a participant, not a ghost, and that they were the one who had shone the flashlight on her last night. And the lighter… that person had been observing them, perhaps even realizing the ritual was a trap before she did, and had taken the lighter.

They had managed to remain undetected all this time. Someone that clever and observant wouldn’t make careless mistakes. The teacup and lighter on the roof terrace had been a deliberate message, a sign of goodwill, telling them not to waste time suspecting them.

So whether it was a traitor or a ghost, the target was clear. She just lacked concrete evidence.

The thought of that person relaxing on the roof terrace, sipping lotus tea, while everyone else was busy below… it irked her slightly. She had to admire their composure.

When Zhu Ming emerged from the shower, the others had gathered all the items.

Xiao Song, still sulking about the small cut on his hand, was slacking off.

They used the same incense sticks as before. The white candles were from the storage room. The offerings were dried grass, poppies, azaleas, peach branches, and cypress branches.

They returned to the basement. This time, Old Xu performed the ritual himself. He lit the white candles, placed the offerings, burned the incense sticks upside down, and carefully lifted the figurine from the water.

Everyone held their breath, watching intently, hoping nothing would go wrong.

Old Xu took a deep breath and smashed the figurine on the floor.

Crack!

The figurine broke in two. Nothing happened.

Xiao Cheng ran outside to check the barrier. He returned a moment later. “The barrier is still there!”

Old Xu was stunned. “How? It should be broken!”

“Let’s all check,” Xiao Cheng said, panting. “There’s no change at all.”

A wave of disappointment and confusion washed over them. They had been so close.

They had done everything right. Why had it failed?

Perhaps because she had experienced the even more disastrous first ritual attempt, Yun Zouchuan wasn’t as discouraged. She picked up half of the broken figurine and examined it closely. “It’s made of plastic.”

Zhu Ming had suspected it wouldn’t be that easy. There were still too many unanswered questions.

And if they couldn’t complete the mission today, they would have to wait another day. And if they had to wait another day, she wanted to test something.

That afternoon, they continued searching the storage room and basement for new clues. Someone even dared to knock on the door of 2007, but there was no response.

They found nothing. Night fell early once again, and they returned to their rooms, bracing themselves for another long night.

At 2 a.m., the housekeeper made its rounds, knocking insistently on Zhu Ming’s door. She slept soundly.

At 3 a.m., a sudden wave of alertness jolted her awake.

Here we go again. The illusions in this instance weren’t nearly as immersive as the one she had experienced at Li Xiuya’s house. Couldn’t they just let her sleep in peace?

Zhu Ming sighed, turning over and closing her eyes, trying to go back to sleep.

Then she heard a voice from outside.

A voice that often echoed in her dreams, a voice that kept the flame of desire burning in her heart.

A gentle, seductive female voice said, “Mingming, where are we? It’s so dark. Can you open the door and let me in?”

Chapter 15 Night of Sacrifice (11)

The “Please Make Up Room” sign, meant to allow housekeeping staff to enter, was in every guest room, but they hadn’t paid attention to it before.

“I must have been targeted because I brought the ghost’s belongings into my room,” Old Xu said.

He had been attacked last night, used his protective item, and passed out. He woke up to find the cleaning sign hanging on his door.

They checked the other rooms and discovered the sign had originally been in Lao Gao’s room. However, once it was moved to Old Xu’s door, only he could remove it.

Since Lao Gao’s door had been open, there was no way to know who had moved the sign. But whoever it was had acted between midnight and 2 a.m. Suspicion filled the air.

Driven by a need for unity and self-preservation, they decided to destroy all the cleaning signs.

“I see,” Zhu Ming said. “So there really is something wrong with one of you.”

Miss Zhao bristled. “Why us? You’re the most suspicious one. Yesterday, you said Teng Ge would be the next to die, and today, he’s dead.”

Zhu Ming almost laughed. “So I’m wrong for having good intuition? Think what you want. I’m not destroying my cleaning sign.”

“Why? The signs only serve to let the ghosts in. You insist on keeping yours. Could it be…” Miss Zhao eyed her warily, taking a step back.

Unbothered by her suspicion, Zhu Ming said, “Don’t close off your options, Miss Zhao. Who knows when it might be useful.”

Yun Zouchuan chimed in, “Xiao Song didn’t destroy his sign either. Why should Boss have to?”

Hmm? Xiao Song hadn’t destroyed his either? Zhu Ming looked at him. No wonder he had been acting strangely today. He was usually the most vocal, but today, he had been unusually quiet.

“We destroyed everyone else’s signs, including the one in Teng Ge’s room,” Yun Zouchuan explained. “But when it was Xiao Song’s turn…”

That morning, after much discussion, they had decided to destroy all the cleaning signs. After destroying Xiao Xue’s sign from room 2006, they moved on to Xiao Song’s in 2007. That’s when they encountered an unexpected problem.

The door to 2007 wouldn’t open.

Xiao Song’s face paled. He hid behind Miss Zhao, his voice trembling. “I knew I heard something last night! That room is occupied by a ghost! I shouldn’t have gone to your room!”

He had finally persuaded Miss Zhao to let him stay in her room, 1004. They were a couple, so it wasn’t unusual. But during the night, they had heard strange noises from upstairs, as if… someone was walking around.

Due to the villa’s layout, room 2007 was directly above 1004. Now, with the door to 2007 locked, they didn’t know if it was because Xiao Song had slept in a different room or because something else had taken over 2007.

Convinced he was next, Xiao Song couldn’t destroy his cleaning sign.

“I see,” Zhu Ming said, looking at him meaningfully. “I thought you couldn’t get into 2007 in the first place.”

Xiao Song snapped, “What do you mean by that? Don’t accuse me just because you’re suspicious. I know the truth! If you hadn’t stopped us from completing the ritual last night, we would all be out of here by now!”

Zhu Ming chuckled. “I don’t mean anything by it. It’s just a coincidence.”

Since they couldn’t force Zhu Ming to destroy her sign, they let the matter drop.

As she had done the previous two days, Zhu Ming went to the kitchen after waking up. This time, however, she was too late. Only a few dry biscuits, which she disliked, remained.

After forcing down two biscuits, she put the rest away and began examining the clues they had obtained last night.

A-Zou brought out her share as well, and they laid everything on the coffee table: a cell phone, a notebook, a group photo, and a key.

The others gathered around, watching silently.

Zhu Ming ignored them. As long as they didn’t interrupt, she didn’t mind their presence.

She examined the phone. This time, there was no passcode. The wallpaper was a standard system image. There was only one contact, “Yu Ge,” but there were a few text messages:

[SIM1 to Yu Ge: (2:13) Honey, everyone should be asleep by now. I’ll be waiting for you by the pool. Kisses~]

[Yu Ge to SIM1: (2:15) It’s too late. Let’s go back to our rooms. It’s not convenient with her around.]

[SIM1 to Yu Ge: (2:31) I’m not trying to make things difficult, and I don’t want to hurt her. But… I miss you so much. I can’t hold your hand openly like she can TAT. I’m not greedy. Just a little bit of your time is enough.]

[SIM1 to Yu Ge: (2:32) MMS (A photo of a woman’s lower body in a red swimsuit and several bottles of alcohol by the pool)]

[Yu Ge to SIM1: (2:35) Silly girl, I’ll be right down. How can I leave you alone like this?]

Xiao Cheng let out a low whistle. “A secret rendezvous? Interesting.”

Zhu Ming glanced at him, and he quickly retreated.

“I saw that MMS photo in the housekeeper’s room,” Zhu Ming said, recalling the poster. “The woman in the red swimsuit is the same one, but her face is visible in the poster.”

“And here,” Yun Zouchuan said, pointing at the group photo. “This person is also wearing a red swimsuit.”

The photo had been taken by the pool, featuring nine men and women, the same number as the participants. They were all wearing swimsuits or shorts, posing cheerfully. But there was one glaring problem: all their faces had been scratched out.

Zhu Ming stared at the photo, then turned to Old Xu. “Where’s your phone?”

Old Xu handed it to her. “What is it?”

Zhu Ming opened the housekeeper’s phone, zooming in on the wallpaper. She pointed at a faceless man in the group photo. “They’re wearing the same watch. If I’m not mistaken, this is the housekeeper when he was alive. And the woman in the red swimsuit is the water ghost in the pool.”

Xiao Xue, on friendly terms with Zhu Ming and Yun Zouchuan, leaned closer. “Interesting. Who is the housekeeper’s girlfriend?”

The housekeeper and the woman in red were standing together in the photo, but their poses weren’t intimate. Another woman, however, was clearly his girlfriend, her arm around his waist.

Combined with the text messages, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the love triangle.

“Speaking of which, I found a hair clip in my room, identical to the one this person is wearing,” Xiao Xue said, pointing at another figure in the photo.

They realized there were nine people in the photo and nine participants, and each participant had an item corresponding to someone in the photo.

They identified their counterparts, including Zhu Ming, who matched a girl with a tattoo. Most of them weren’t important characters, but three stood out.

Yun Zouchuan matched the woman in red, Miss Zhao matched the housekeeper, and Lao Gao matched the housekeeper’s girlfriend.

“Lao Gao is already dead. That doesn’t prove anything,” Miss Zhao said dismissively.

“True,” Zhu Ming said, putting down the photo and picking up the notebook.

The notebook was thin, filled with handwritten folk tales and strange drawings. The drawings became more defined towards the end, eventually matching the totem in the basement.

The notebook didn’t explain the purpose of the formation, but the folk tales it contained were mostly about reincarnation, ghost children, fertility, and supernatural conception. It wasn’t difficult to guess the true purpose of the ritual.

“Can I take a look?” Old Xu asked. “Maybe I can find something else.”

Zhu Ming took a picture of the notebook with her phone and handed it to him, then grabbed the key and headed towards the storage room.

If she wasn’t mistaken, this key would open it.

…

In the living room, Teng Ge’s body still lay where they had found it, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

His left eye and the back of his head were a bloody mess, as if pierced by a sharp object. Blood had soaked into the carpet.

No one dared to touch the body, so it remained where it was. Passing by, Zhu Ming noticed a flashlight nearby. “Is Teng Ge’s flashlight dead too?”

“It still had a little bit of power when we found the body,” Yun Zouchuan replied, “but it died soon after.”

Having experienced the housekeeper’s attacks the previous night, she knew that even a flashlight wasn’t a guaranteed defense.

Zhu Ming nodded, then raised her foot and crushed the flashlight beneath her heel.

Xiao Song gasped. “He’s dead! There’s no need to do that, even if he offended you.”

“It couldn’t even protect its owner,” Zhu Ming said coldly. “What good is it?”

She was used to getting her way. Those who couldn’t fight her had to endure.

Xiao Cheng patted Xiao Song’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. If it weren’t for Miss Zhu and Miss A-Zou’s efforts last night, we wouldn’t be able to open the storage room today.”

Xiao Song, now a prime suspect, didn’t argue.

The key did indeed unlock the storage room, 1002. Unlike the basement, a cloud of dust billowed out as the door opened.

Yun Zouchuan sneezed repeatedly, covering her nose, waiting for the dust to settle.

Zhu Ming shone her flashlight inside, while Yun Zouchuan stood guard at the doorway, preventing the others from entering.

The small room was crammed with dusty, miscellaneous items. Finding anything valuable in this mess seemed like a daunting task.

Zhu Ming made her way to the back of the room, pulling a plastic sheet off a pile of junk, sending another cloud of dust into the air.

Beneath the plastic sheet was a brand new window with a small curtain. And behind the window… was an old, rusty—no, bloodstained—barbecue grill!

A few minutes later, Zhu Ming emerged, dragging the grill behind her. Xiao Xue, who had been waiting outside, gasped. “Is this the grill that killed the housekeeper? Where are the skewers?”

“There aren’t any,” Zhu Ming replied.

“How can there be no skewers?!” Xiao Song exclaimed. “Did you hide them?!”

Zhu Ming rolled her eyes. “Believe what you want. There aren’t any.”

She had searched the entire storage room. It contained old food, biscuits, and various tools. The only things of note were the new window, the barbecue grill, and a crumpled ball of paper tucked away in a corner.

The paper was the same type as the three pages they had found earlier, just dirtier. Unfolding it, she saw a single sentence: There is a ghost among you. Sacrifice the ghost, and the deity will protect you all!