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Translator's note: Quadrangle courtyards, or "siheyuan," are traditional homes centered around a private courtyard, enclosed by buildings on four sides, emphasizing family unity and harmony with nature.
When everyone emerged from the pink mist, a slowly rotating white hole appeared deep in the City of Lust.
Fang Xiu looked at it calmly, then turned his head and said, "Get on the train."
They all nodded and were about to get on, but Hei Jiji stood out and blocked them.
She said anxiously, "Haven't you noticed? The City of Lust is much more dangerous than the Drum Tower. If Xiu hadn't saved you, half of you would have burned to death."
"So what?" Yang Ming asked, confused.
"So? Isn't it obvious? If I'm not mistaken, the next stop, the Old Mansion, will be even more dangerous than the City of Lust! Each challenge is likely to be harder than the last. Shouldn't we explore that white hole, as it might be a way out? We should look for an escape, not just follow Xiu onto the train. We survived this time, but who knows about next time or the time after that?"
Hei Jiji felt that Fang Xiu seemed to deliberately avoid leaving. He seemed to want to go straight to the final stop, the Lands Between.
The others didn't care about her desire to leave. Zhao Hao even looked puzzled, as if wondering,'How could anyone not trust Xiu?'
Yang Ming laughed heartily, "You said it yourself, Xiu saved us. What are you hesitating for? Why don't you get in the white hole by yourself?"
Then, Yang Ming turned and followed Fang Xiu onto the train. The others did the same, entering one by one.
Hei Jiji stood there, stunned. She couldn't describe what she was feeling at that moment. It was a mix of emotions, as if something had struck her.
The backs of Fang Xiu and the others were deeply etched in her eyes. Gradually, her beautiful eyes sparkled with a strange light.
'So that is the feeling of being trusted? The unconditional trust, with no one questioning Xiu or caring if he was right or wrong?'
She hadn't felt this way in a long, long time. But since when? Probably since the first time she lied.
She was so used to lying before. Now, seeing everyone's trust in Fang Xiu, she felt like a beggar who had been poor all her life suddenly saw a mountain of gold—after all, honesty is golden.
Hei Jiji suddenly became very curious about Fang Xiu. She wondered what kind of man could be trusted so deeply by everyone.
She took a step and followed the others onto the Specter Train.
CLANK!
The train door slammed shut, and the rumble began. The train continued forward, taking everyone to the next stop in the endless darkness.
On the Specter Train, Fang Xiu sat alone, deep in thought.
As Hei Jiji had said, the places this train went to were more dangerous with each stop.
The City of Lust was clearly more dangerous than the Drum Tower. Even Yang Ming was helpless when he got caught, showing how perilous it was. The City of Lust seemed to be thrilling but was actually full of danger.
Lucky for them, Fang Xiu had the power of pain, and he could use extreme pain to awaken people. If any ordinary psychic came here, they would most likely die.
Bai Qi was an exception; he was naturally cold inside.
The second stop was already so dangerous. What about the third stop, the fourth stop, and even the final stop, the Lands Between? If this trend continued, Fang Xiu thought it would be normal to encounter Class-S Specters.
Moreover, the strangest thing was that although these Specters seemed to be dealt with, Fang Xiu didn't gain anything from them. They all disappeared without a trace. So he assumed that maybe all the answers were at the final stop, the Lands Between.
Time slowly passed. Soon, the sign for the third stop, the Old Mansion, turned blood red.
BANG!
The train door opened with a roar. Everyone followed Fang Xiu off the train.
The Old Mansion stop was true to its name. In front of them was an old mansion. The building had a style from a hundred years ago, similar to a traditional quadrangle courtyard. There were two stone lions at the entrance, and two large red lanterns hung from the beams, emitting a spectral red light.
The main door was vermillion, old, and peeling. With the endless darkness around, the building looked like a giant beast lying in the dark, ready to devour.
Before entering, everyone felt an inexplicable fear. Unlike Western gore horror, this was a kind of Chinese horror that gave strong psychological hints.
The unseen Specter was often the most terrifying.
Seeing the Old Mansion, everyone instantly thought of many terrifying images hidden deep in their minds. For example, a bride might be standing inside the Old Mansion. She wore a red wedding dress, a red veil, and embroidered shoes, standing still like a zombie.
Just thinking about such a scene made them all shiver—everybody except for Fang Xiu and Zhao Hao.
Fang Xiu would only get excited by such a scene, and so would Zhao Hao, although it would be a different kind of excitement.
Fang Xiu kicked open the Old Mansion's door, revealing an endless, deep darkness inside.
He ignored everything, his eyes calm as he walked into the Old Mansion. Everyone followed closely behind.
The Old Mansion was deep, with dozens of eerie rooms lined up. In the courtyard was a crooked tree, a dry well, and fallen leaves all over the ground.
Apart from that, there was nothing else.
"Xiu, this Specter seems different from the previous two. The first two appeared directly, but this one seems to be hiding," Yang Ming said, his tone serious.
Fang Xiu's lips curled into a sinister smile. "Hide and seek, huh? Make sure I won't find you."
For some reason, his calm voice made everyone feel that the Old Mansion wasn't that scary after all.
The next moment, a shocking scene occurred. Fang Xiu's black hair suddenly turned into long silver hair, and countless strands began to float, defying gravity.
Then, like millions of silver snakes, the hair spread out like a tide in all directions.
The silver hair spread into every room and every corner of the Old Mansion, covering everything. It looked like a giant spider web in the darkness.
Everyone stepped back, avoiding the snake-like silver strands.
Hei Jiji watched the impressive scene, her eyes glowing with excitement. She murmured, "That is so cool! I must dye my hair silver!"
In the next second, Fang Xiu suddenly turned his head. His calm gaze pierced through the darkness, looking at the old well in the yard.
Countless silver strands floated around the well. These strands seemed to sense a threat, always circling the well.
"Found you!"
WHOOSH!
The silver strands shot into the well like wild pythons.
Moments later, the hair pulled back, dragging out a figure—a humanoid Specter.
This Specter was strange, with skin dry like tree bark yet showing a hint of paleness. His eyes had rusty nails stuck in them, and his ears too. It was as if he had suffered brutal punishment in life.
He remained still, wrapped in silver hair, like a corpse.
But Fang Xiu didn't let him play tricks. He pulled out the scalpel, ready to act.
Just then, the Specter moved. He raised his dry arm, reaching for his eyes.
SQUELCH!
He pulled out the nails from his eyes, revealing blood-red eyes. These eyes had no pupils, only holes left by the nails, and there was foul-smelling blood slowly oozing out.
Everyone tensed up, knowing a fight could break out at any moment.
In an instant, something terrifying happened. Everyone's vision went black—they could see nothing. They were plunged into deep darkness without a glimmer of light.
Even Fang Xiu couldn't see. He tried to activate his Blood Pupil, but it failed. It was as if he had gone completely blind.
He frowned slightly, 'What kind of attack is this? When the Specter opens his eyes, everyone is plunged into darkness?'
"I can't see!"
"Me neither!"
"I think I'm blind!"
Zhao Hao and Liu Shuai panicked. Not just them, even Bai Qi felt uneasy. Facing a terrifying Specter while blind made everyone feel utterly vulnerable.