Chapter 368: Chapter 315: Killing
Through the mirror, Yang Xiao arrived in another room. The scene he had just witnessed had shocked him, and his hand still trembled continuously as he clenched the Ghost Lantern.
The pressing concern was to figure out where exactly he was. If this was really the real world, where had all the nearby people gone?
The next second, Yang Xiao’s heart jumped again as he heard a chanting sound or maybe something similar to chanting. He was not sure, because the sound was elusive and it was impossible to judge the direction or distance.
Having had similar experiences, Yang Xiao understood that this was the ghost’s doing. It was very likely using the chanting to pinpoint his location.
True enough, about 10 seconds later, that familiar chill began to manifest in the room, behind him.
Yang Xiao resorted to his old trick and dashed toward the mirror he had prepared on one side, escaping the room and appearing in a more distant one.
After two times, Yang Xiao had roughly figured out that the ghost could not follow him through the mirrors. That was probably the only good news.
Soon, the chanting sound continued from outside. Yang Xiao was still physically and spiritually strong; handling the ghost for a short while would not be a problem, but it was not a long-term solution. After a brief thought, Yang Xiao suddenly remembered the Human Bone Staff.
This item, unlike the horsetail whisk, could be used many times with his current level of spiritual power. It damaged the brain but not the person, and even had the ability to track and locate enemies. It was uncertain if it would work against this ghost, but most importantly, the Human Bone Staff could detect evil thoughts, which would help him pinpoint the ghost’s location. This was crucial while escaping.
The moment Yang Xiao held the Human Bone Staff in his hand, he sensed a chilling evil presence lurking in the corridor outside, getting closer and closer to him.
"It works!" Yang Xiao silently thanked the original owner of the Drama Robe a thousand times over. He was lucky to have gotten this treasure through the tips from his good sister.
When the evil presence silently appeared behind him, Yang Xiao immediately activated the Soul-Capturing Mirror, planning to use a large mirror he had previously chosen to escape the place. But as he rushed toward the mirror, something unexpected happened. In an instant, he sensed two evil presences— one in front and one behind. The one behind was naturally the Ghost Envoy following him, but in front of him... there was only a mirror.
At that moment, Yang Xiao’s body was leaning forward; he couldn’t stop, and the mirror also reflected his figure, even his subtle facial expressions clearly visible.
But in the next second, something bizarre happened. The reflection of Yang Xiao in the mirror suddenly changed its posture. Just as his body was about to touch the mirror surface, his reflection in the mirror violently crashed into him. Caught off guard, Yang Xiao was sent flying, and before he could even land, the chill behind him swiftly enveloped him, causing him to lose consciousness instantly.
...
Cold.
Deathly cold.
Like plunging into an icy hole.
Rustling...
And there seemed to be the sound of the wind blowing through leaves. As Yang Xiao gradually regained his senses, he also smelled a scent of soil mixed with plant sap.
Slowly opening his eyes, everything in front of him was dark, and the ground beneath was somewhat soft; he was lying on a piece of land covered with sparse weeds.
This place was no longer the room from before, and Mo Daidai was not in the mood to joke with him like this. Yang Xiao knew he had entered the Nightmare World.
A new Nightmare World.
Zhuwang Village.
As his mind gradually cleared, Yang Xiao slowly sat up. There was no one around, only him. Looking around, he was in a forest, surrounded by densely packed trees that, under the cover of night, seemed twisted and even deformed, becoming unnervingly terrifying.
"Rustle rustle..."
Not far away, a sound arose as if something was approaching him. It was quite dark around and the trees provided cover, making it hard for Yang Xiao to see clearly. He noticed no lights, and for safety, he rapidly moved his limbs and then using both hands and feet, climbed a tree.
After the training he had received from Zhu Yina, Yang Xiao’s agility had improved immensely. He climbed the tree quickly and nearly silently.
Soon, the rustling sound approached. Through some faint ghostly light from an unknown source, Yang Xiao could barely make out several figures emerging from behind a tree.
The figures seemed to know his location and walked straight toward him. Before they came close, Yang Xiao took the initiative to jump down from the tree when he spotted a familiar figure amongst them.
Indeed, it was Tong Han, also part of the group. At that moment, Tong Han was wearing ill-fitting, tattered clothes, and not just her — the entire group was dressed in rags, like a band of beggars.
Seeing someone jump down from the tree, the group wasn’t very alarmed. A few words were exchanged, and everyone confirmed each other’s identities as teammates on the same mission.
Of course, Yang Xiao did not acknowledge Tong Han. They pretended to be strangers, as they had arranged beforehand, operating one in the light and the other in the shadows.
This mission was different from the previous ones, and Yang Xiao felt uncertain, so he didn’t pretend to be a newcomer. He directly asked, "How did you know I was here?"
The leader of the group was a young man with very fair skin and slightly chubby cheeks, giving an impression of an easy-going person, "My friend, your question is incorrect. We only knew there was someone here."
"How did you know there was someone here?" Yang Xiao persisted, noting that there had been no markers nearby and that these people had clearly come for him.
"This place isn’t safe, we should head back first and discuss it later," the young man warmly called out to Yang Xiao. After exchanging a covert glance with Tong Han, Yang Xiao followed the group away.
After walking for about ten minutes, the view suddenly opened up. They had finally left the forest, and a thin crescent moon hung in the night sky.
At that moment, they were halfway up a mountain. The sparse moonlight filtered through the clouds onto the ground, outlining the shape of a village not far from the mountain’s base.
The village was deathly quiet at this moment, no lights whatsoever. From their position, they could perfectly overlook the entire village. Under the cover of night, the village was filled with an indefinable aura of death, the dimly outlined houses resembling rows of graves.
To call it a village seemed an understatement; it looked more like a small town, with a broken stone wall encircling it, and a river cutting across one side of the village.
"Who arrived here first?" Yang Xiao suddenly asked.
"It was me," the young leader replied without turning back, still gazing at the village below the mountain, "From the moment I discovered this village, there has been no sign of life."
After a moment, the young man turned to look at Yang Xiao, his eyes still bright in the night and filled with curiosity as he sized up Yang Xiao, "You’ve noticed it too, haven’t you? The feng shui of this village is off. Bloodshed and killing. It’s a setup for the dead."
