Ch. 173 - Counting On Yang Ming

"I've already been there and didn't find any clues," Fang Xiu said calmly.

Ma Xingbang didn't believe him. But he didn't dare accuse Fang Xiu of lying. Instead, he said tactfully, "What if you missed something? I'll take a look."

He carefully pushed the door open to check. He looked around and immediately spotted the shredded pieces of paper. He was momentarily pleased.

However, after a closer inspection, he realized they were blank and felt deceived.

"What a waste of good white paper, why tear it up?"

He threw the papers away and left.

After a brief exploration, the group quickly found another office. The sign on the door read: The President's Office.

Fang Xiu's eyes flickered, thinking,'So Zhou Qingfeng moved his office here?'

Yang Ming was the most naive of them all, but even he thought they should check it out. He felt there might be some secret hidden inside.

Fang Xiu didn't care much. Although he had already seen it, he thought they might really find something he overlooked this time.

So, they soon entered the president's office. Naturally, they saw the note left by Zhou Qingfeng.

"To the lucky one in God’s Plan, want to know the real story? Want to know what the Specter really is?"

"You've come this far, you must be full of questions. Don't rush, my friend, I have left everything at room 520, building C. Everything you want to know is there. Go, seek it."

"When you find the truth, it is also time for you to make a choice."

"Follow your heart, and accept the gifts of fate."

The note was signed by Zhou Qingfeng.

After they read the note, the expressions on everyone's faces were different.

"The lucky one in God's Plan, is he talking about me? It seems Zhou Qingfeng is a decent person; he even left me a gift," Yang Ming mumbled.

Bai Qi's face darkened immediately, "Idiot! Is the gift the point? Shouldn't we be focusing on who Zhou Qingfeng is? What's the real truth of the world? And why he knew that you would come?"

"Oh Bai, why think so much? Just go to room 520 and see," Yang Ming said carelessly.

Only Ma Xingbang's gaze flickered. It was just that his face had been taken; otherwise, the others would see his extremely shocked expression.

He muttered to himself, "The stuff was indeed left here, and it was left for Yang Ming? But why him? Is this really part of God's Plan?"

Ma Xingbang seemed to think of something. He quickly suppressed his shock and tried not to show any signs of it.

However, Fang Xiu saw everything.

At that moment, something magical happened again.

"Hey! The words on this are disappearing!" Yang Ming suddenly exclaimed.

The rest hurriedly looked, and the text on the paper began to fade as if it was being erased.

Fang Xiu felt a stir in his heart, realizing this must be Zhou Qingfeng's doing. Everything related to him seemed destined to disappear.

"Could there be something wrong with this paper?"

They examined the paper again, but no matter how much they checked, it seemed to be just an ordinary piece of paper.

They continued searching the president's office for more clues but found nothing. Eventually, they had to move on.

"Xiu, should we follow what the note said and check out room 520 in building C? Honestly, I'm quite curious about what gift the head of this mental hospital left for me," Yang Ming suggested.

Then, Ma Xingbang, who had been silent, suddenly said, "Fang Xiu, the place we are in now is building C. You have been leading the way all this time. Did you already know there was something in building C, and that's why you brought us here?"

"Correct," Fang Xiu replied. He did not hide it, as there was no need.

With Fang Xiu's confirmation, Ma Xingbang felt a bit nervous.

He thought that since Fang Xiu had anticipated finding something here, he must also know about its magical properties. That meant he had another competitor.

"Let's go to the fifth floor," Fang Xiu said calmly, leading them toward the staircase.

About ten minutes later, they found the staircase. They were currently on the third floor and needed to go up two more floors. They stopped at the staircase; a Specter was blocking the way.

They had no idea what kind of Specter it was. They could only see a tangible darkness coiling around the staircase like a static black hole, quietly lying there.

No one dared to walk up the stairs, fearing that something terrifying might emerge from the black hole or that it could suck them in.

At this moment, their gazes turned to Fang Xiu. They had become accustomed to looking to Fang Xiu whenever they were unsure.

"Xiu, what do you say?" Yang Ming asked.

"Let's go," Fang Xiu said calmly. Then he walked straight toward the staircase.

What happened next was astonishing. As Fang Xiu approached, the dark mass started to tremble, then…

It vanished.

"Did it... just run away!?" Yang Ming and the others were shocked. No one expected the Specter to turn and flee at the sight of Fang Xiu.

Only Fang Xiu knew that the Specter fled not because it saw him but because it saw the Specter on his back.

Clearly, the Specter on his back, No Turning Back, was more terrifying than the one on the stairs, and it drove it away.

"Go upstairs."

At his command, everyone started climbing the stairs.

Perhaps it was the deterrence from No Turning Back; they reached the fifth floor without encountering any danger.

Upon reaching the fifth floor, the environment changed drastically. It was unlike any part of the mental hospital they had been in before; it was a room with a depressing, pale yellow hue.

The ceiling and walls were a decaying yellow. The lights in the fixtures were dim and kept making a buzzing noise.

The floor was covered with a thick layer of musty, yellowed carpet. There were two paths in front of them, one to the left and one to the right.

Everyone looked at Fang Xiu again, but Fang Xiu looked at Yang Ming.

"Xiu, why are you looking at me? Which way should we go?" Yang Ming asked.

"What do you think we should do?"

Up to this point, Fang Xiu hadn't used his reset ability. So, he could only guess. Since the gift was meant for Yang Ming, Zhou Qingfeng must have set many obstacles to prevent others from reaching it—like the fork in the road in front of them.

So, the best choice now was to leave it to Yang Ming.

"You're asking me?" Yang Ming seemed surprised. "Can't you just foresee which way to go?"

"Foreseeing the future comes with significant side effects; I can't foresee everything. Now, we need to rely on God's Plan."

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