Chapter 809: Chapter 603: Thirty Minutes
"Tonight, we’re on guard against him," Yang Xiao guessed.
"He’s already tangled with a ghost, and the ghost can share his vision. We cannot be discovered as we approach the well," Nalan Shuo explained.
"I understand, the key tonight lies solely in Zhang Songde, but to prevent suspicion, we can’t speak openly. Once we break silence, the consequences are unpredictable," Yang Xiao realized.
"That’s the idea. If all goes well, with the help of this Divine Turtle Fragment, I can suppress the Evil Qi from the well, send the ghost back, and save Zhang Songde’s life. No one will die tonight," Xiang Fengchen whispered, "The ghost died in the well in the courtyard, that well is the root of it all."
"How long will you need?" Such matters were extremely dangerous, and the longer they dragged on, the greater the risk. Time was critical.
"Thirty minutes." With a profound gaze, Xiang Fengchen spoke in a deep and powerful voice, "If the two of us work together, unless something unexpected happens, thirty minutes should be enough."
Nalan Shuo pulled out a strip-wrapped cloth pouch from his bosom and unfolded it to reveal three sticks of incense. He handed one to Yang Xiao, "These incenses were given to me by Jiang Qingluan. That girl is not simple. If something unexpected happens tonight, go find her."
"Stop dawdling, get ready, we leave in one minute." Xiang Fengchen found a large celadon bowl and checked both the Fire Starter and the stick of incense obtained from Nalan Shuo. Success or failure depended on this one action; carelessness was not an option.
"Little Yang, don’t be nervous. I wouldn’t do this if I wasn’t confident. Remember, after the two of us leave, you stay inside."
After a pause, Nalan Shuo gently patted Yang Xiao on the shoulder, "Remember, no matter what happens tonight, do not get involved. Even if there is an accident, it’s very unlikely for the ghost to kill both of us old fellows at once. No matter who survives, you must cooperate with the survivor and try to leave this haunted place alive."
Nalan Shuo turned to look at Xiang Fengchen, who was preparing the Fire Starter, "Evil Mage, our previous agreement still stands, right?"
Xiang Fengchen lifted his head, his mouth twisting into an ugly smile, "It stands. If you die, I’ll protect Yang and get him out of here."
"Director, don’t talk about such unlucky things... this is too ominous," Yang Xiao suddenly had an ominous premonition, sensing that tonight’s events might be more dangerous than he thought.
"Alright, no more talk. The old are prone to worry. You just do what you need to, and Mr. Xiang and I will take care of the rest."
Hearing this, Yang Xiao subconsciously frowned; this was the first time he had heard the Director refer to Mr. Xiang in this way.
"Go," Nalan Shuo smiled.
Now shouldn’t be too dangerous to go out, considering the two known ghosts: one, the ghost that killed Gong Banlan, was isolated outside the courtyard; the other, the ghost in the well, now clung to Zhang Songde.
Even so, he instinctively observed each window and door for a moment to ensure there were no anomalies before quietly opening the door. As he walked into the courtyard, he instinctively glanced at the water well in the corner. Whether it was psychological or not, the previously eerie feeling had vanished, and the well now rested quietly there, looking completely ordinary.
He looked up at the sky; no dark clouds, only a fairly round moon hung high at the edge of the sky, the thin moonlight pouring down—it was truly a rare, good weather.
There was almost no wind, and the surroundings were immersed in the stillness of the night.
Without further hesitation, he walked towards the middle room where Jiang Qingluan and Chang Chuchu were staying. He reached the door, knocked, then leaned in to the crack, and quickly told them about Gong Banlan being a ghost, mentioning that there might be danger tonight but not to worry, as Nalan Shuo and Xiang Fengchen would team up to handle the night’s trouble without anyone else’s help. It was best for everyone to quietly rest.
To avoid accidents, Yang Xiao emphasized that they should not go out, make noise, or look outside, to prevent attracting the ghost’s attention.
Throughout, no one in the room responded, which was expected from such cautious people. Yang Xiao wasn’t surprised; he just needed them to understand and asked them to knock on something to give a response.
A few seconds later, there came a tapping on the table from inside the room, but it was only twice, and then no more. Receiving the response, Yang Xiao left and headed for the last room.
It was Zhang Songde’s room on the right, the main event of the night.
It was nerve-wracking to think that just beyond the door was a ghost. He couldn’t even be sure of the situation inside.
The closer he got to the door, the more intense the uneasy feeling; his mind uncontrollably conjured images of extreme gore, three corpses lying inside in tragic states, while at the moment, a bloated Drowned Ghost, dripping wet, lay in wait behind the door, for him to approach.
The intense unease caused Yang Xiao to consciously lighten his steps as he drew near. The room was deathly quiet, but he could feel it—someone, or something, was watching him through the crack of the door, aware of his approach.
When he was 3 meters from the door, Yang Xiao halted his steps, his gaze falling on the Gate God on the door.
He remembered Xiang Fengchen mentioning that it was the Gate God that had saved Zhang Songde’s life. But since the ghost had been "invited" inside, the Gate God couldn’t hold it off for long. Once the water sullied the Gate God’s eyes, Zhang Songde’s life would be over.
Indeed, upon closer inspection, the Gate God appeared mostly fine except for the painted pupils that were eerily moistened, as if the ink had started to diffuse, resembling dilated pupils blurred out. Both images of the Gate God were similar.
