Chapter 851: Chapter 624: Stepping on Shadows_2
Turning around, he first arrived at the bathing room. Inside, except for several large bathtubs that had been dragged away, everything remained the same as before. Some wooden shelves lay across the room, some areas were already rotting and moldy, and a screen stood against the wall.
Wandering around the room, Yang Xiao temporarily found no issues. However, once he closed the door and secluded himself within, everything changed. The moment the door shut, an eerie wind arose out of nowhere within the room.
Yang Xiao shuddered violently, but as he looked down at the lantern in his hand, it showed no sign of being disturbed by the wind, which seemed very odd—it only blew on people, and not on objects.
The problem lay within this room; it also hid a Ghost Substitute, or perhaps it was even the true body of the Ancestor, Yang Xiao speculated.
There wasn’t much in the room worthy of his attention; this screen was one of the important items. Approaching, he lifted the lantern for a closer look. The frame of the screen was made of wood, while the surface was made of an uncommon silk fabric, which felt extremely smooth to the touch.
It was at this moment that Yang Xiao noticed something was off. The place was very damp; both the wooden frame of the screen and the shelves in the room showed signs of rot and mold. Yet, strangely, this piece of silk was flawlessly intact, showing no signs of deterioration and not feeling moist at all.
His fingertips gently brushed over the screen, and a chill seemed to emanate through the fabric, as if something was hiding behind it, staring intently at him.
This sensation had barely manifested when Yang Xiao quickly stepped back. After ensuring the incense and lantern were fine, he then carefully circled around to observe the screen from a different angle.
The space behind the screen was very limited, almost flush against the wall, leaving only a gap less than 20 centimeters wide—practically impossible for a person to hide in.
Whether it was psychological or not, distancing himself from the screen made Yang Xiao’s anxiety lessen significantly, like a sixth sense.
After a brief moment of consideration, Yang Xiao decided to take a closer look once more. If it didn’t work out, he would physically move the screen aside.
Moving such a large object recklessly entailed significant risks. Yang Xiao wasn’t afraid of taking risks, but his mission was not yet complete.
The forerunners had set an example for him; he didn’t want to let down the efforts of everyone who had fought with all their might to survive.
Holding the lantern close to the screen, its surface was very clean—devoid of embroidery or any fancy decorations. Under the light, the silk displayed a translucent quality, like the white fabric used in shadow plays.
Suddenly, Yang Xiao had a daring idea. He stepped back, hung the lantern on a wooden rack to secure it, then Holding incense in one hand, he returned in front of the screen. Now, an additional shadow had appeared on it—Yang Xiao’s own.
Facing this shadow, Yang Xiao felt indescribably awkward. He performed various actions as if putting on a play, and his silhouette morphed accordingly.
Fully unfolded, the screen reached a length of 3 meters. Yang Xiao changed his position constantly, moving from left to right. The sound of his feet on the old wooden planks made an odd noise. After listening to it for a while, Yang Xiao noticed something peculiar—the sound was louder when he was closer to the sides of the screen, while it was much weaker when his shadow lay in the middle.
Moreover, there was something odd about the sound itself, a grating "creak" that resembled a tightly stretched rope, ready to snap at any moment.
The shadow on the screen remained unaltered. Yang Xiao decided to up the stakes. He turned to retrieve the lantern. But as he turned, he had a vague feeling that something was amiss, yet couldn’t pinpoint what it was right away.
Scanning the area cautiously, he finally realized the problem—there was another shadow on the wall behind the lantern.
A shiver ran down Yang Xiao’s spine, and he quickly looked behind him. Similarly, on the screen, a shadow lingered.
The shadow on the screen was his, but whose was the one behind the lantern?
The screen, himself, the lantern, the shadow on the wall... there was an orderly arrangement among them. There was nothing between the lantern and the wall that could cast a shadow—where did it come from?
Moreover, the shadow on the wall was unnaturally thin and elongated, not the proportion of a normal person, more like two people stitched together.
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Yang Xiao’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up and could only faintly see a thick beam disappearing into the dim light, right above where he stood.
The pieced-together silhouette, the taut rope, the intermittent friction sounds... At this moment, everything finally clicked in his mind. He had found the anomaly within the room—or rather, the Ghost Substitute.
Indeed, right above his head, someone was suspended in death in this room, right in front of the screen!
Suppressing fear, Yang Xiao stepped slightly to the right. The next second, the sound of the rope friction intensified as the shadow behind the lantern on the wall split into two. Yang Xiao’s remained still, while the upper half seemed to lose its fulcrum, swinging perilously in mid-air.
A chill surged up from the pit of his feet, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. Yang Xiao was certain—he had just had a close encounter with death at the Ghost Gate. The hanged Ghost was continuously attempting to hover above and step on his shoulders; if both its feet found a firm hold, extinguishing the twin embers of life force on his shoulders, then today, he would have indeed met his demise here.
