Chapter 676: Chapter 533: Rewind
"Back again?" Although he was somewhat prepared, upon actually laying eyes on the Old Ghost, Yang Xiao’s heart still sank with a lack of courage.
He immediately withdrew his head, restored the curtains, leaned against the wall, and his heart thumped wildly. His good sister in a drama robe had involved the Old Ghost in her schemes, but it was clear the Old Ghost had also set its sights on her. It was uncertain who would consume whom.
Since becoming an Angel Envoy, the Daoist robe old ghost had been the most terrifying opponent he had encountered. In front of this entity, Yang Xiao felt utterly incapable of any resistance.
Should he run out or stay in the room? Yang Xiao’s internal struggle was fierce. The recent life-threatening events had completely confused his judgment, and it was during this moment of hesitation that a chilling sound came from the corridor outside the door.
"Scrape—"
"Scrape—"
The dull sound of friction on the floor, not touching the ground, grew closer and precisely stopped outside his door. Gray mist pressed through the crack, desperately trying to seep inside.
His last scrap of hope shattered, Yang Xiao quickly took out the Soul-Capturing Mirror, activated his powers while running towards the full-length mirror, and hid in the Mirror World.
Yet, this time the Mirror World, which served as a safehouse, provided little sense of security to Yang Xiao. He threw open the room door, dashed down the corridor, all the while calling out for his good sister in a drama robe. However, she did not respond, which infuriated Yang Xiao to the point of almost stamping his feet in anger.
"Scrape—"
"Scrape—"
The scraping sound followed behind him. The Old Ghost had indeed pursued him into the Mirror World. The ghostly handprint on Yang Xiao’s back grew colder and more sinister, like a brand left by the Daoist robe old ghost. As long as the brand remained, the ghost would haunt him forever.
There was no use in hiding.
Yang Xiao firmly believed his good sister in a drama robe would not abandon him. After all, if he were to die, she too would be consumed by the Daoist robe old ghost. Her absence meant she must be constrained by some kind of limit. As soon as she broke free from it, she would undoubtedly come to save him.
With his good sister temporarily unreliable and his own abilities no match, Yang Xiao decisively thought of his good brother, the Mirror Ghost. If he could lure the ghost behind him to face the Mirror Ghost, perhaps he could buy some time for himself.
"Good brother, are you listening?" Yang Xiao shouted while running, his voice urgent but warm, "I’m bringing you some warmth!"
Meanwhile, a stiff figure shrouded in gray mist followed closely behind him, maintaining a distance of about 20 meters. Everywhere the figure passed, a strange force caused large chunks of plaster to fall from the walls, the surface to become mottled, and iron fixtures for light bulbs to rust over as if decades had passed in an instant. Doors on both sides decayed rapidly, thoroughly riddled with holes from the force’s erosion.
While taking advantage of running into the stairwell, Yang Xiao glanced back. Emerging from the fog was a decrepit figure in a worn Purple Gold Taoist Robe, its dry skin clinging to bones already turned a horrific black-purple, the sort that would give one nightmares at a mere glance.
At just that look, Yang Xiao, already flagging in strength, found fresh energy and bounded down towards the lower floors, covering four steps at a time with haste. Only the sound of whooshing air filled his ears. He had never run so fast before—his body hurried forward while his soul seemed chased from behind, the oppressive dread brought by the Daoist robe old ghost was terrifying.
But when he reached the ground floor at top speed and burst out of the stairwell, the scene before him was shocking: a thick grey fog spread across the open doorway of the apartment complex. The sinister leaden fog seemed to suck away the soul with prolonged stares.
The sight struck fear into Yang Xiao, coupled with an inexplicable sense of familiarity. He had seen such a world before, within task worlds, and not long ago.
It was the world outside after the collapse of the task world, now overtaken by gray mist. As the erosion spread, the Daoist robe old ghost emerged as well.
It was the Ghost World that had given birth to the Daoist robe old ghost, and now, that world was invading his own Mirror World!
He absolutely could not... must not go out!
Yang Xiao was certain, stepping into the mist, even with a Ghost Lantern in hand, would result in getting lost. Even if he wasn’t caught and killed by the Daoist robe old ghost, he would completely disappear from the world he knew.
The stairwell echoed once again with footsteps quick as death. The Daoist robe old ghost was on his heels again. Yang Xiao didn’t hesitate any longer and immediately ran towards the other end of the corridor to take a different staircase up. All he could do now was buy time.
Waiting for things to improve wasn’t a good strategy, but it was Yang Xiao’s only path to survival. He didn’t even know what else he could do when confronted by the Old Ghost other than to run.
As if led by some unseen force, he found himself back on his own floor. The corridor resembled hell, with most of the plaster peeled off walls, and doors, shimmering with decay, were now pocked with cracks and holes. Several had even collapsed.
Without daring to hesitate, Yang Xiao sped along until something on his right caught his attention—there was a door, a door set in the crumbling wall. Unlike the neighboring doors, this one... was intact.
The Daoist robe old ghost had passed by only recently, leaving the corridor in horrific disarray, yet this door remained untouched. It didn’t seem like the work of the Old Ghost, but more like some power had resisted its decay.
His good sister in a drama robe wouldn’t bother with such a triviality, so there was only one conclusion—Yang Xiao’s eyes lit up—it was the Mirror Ghost!
That sly old thing was hiding behind this door!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Yang Xiao pounded his fists on the door, "Open up, open the door! I know you’re in there!"
