But just as Yang Xiao poked his head out from under the covers, he realized sothing was off. Why had the room gone dark?
There were no candles in the bedroom, true, but there were so in the adjoining hall, watched over by Xiang Fengchen. How could...
As his eyes gradually adjusted, a chill ran through Yang Xiao as he realized sothing was wrong. The darkness in the room wasn’t just ordinary darkness; it was covered by a layer of strange grey fog, swirling continuously as if sothing was moving within it.
Why hadn’t anyone warned them about this happening?
Yang Xiao didn’t suspect Xiang Fengchen of foul play, or that he intended to kill him and the Director. He wasn’t that foolish. The lack of warning only ant one thing: Xiang Fengchen was either incapable or wasn’t allowed to intervene.
Either he had been taken down, or if he had tried to warn them, he would have been the one to die. Anyway, this was sothing Xiang Fengchen couldn’t handle.
If that was the case, then the situation was serious indeed, and Yang Xiao couldn’t understand it either. The mission had already concluded tonight, so what was going on?
The problem perhaps didn’t originate from their location. Yang Xiao quickly thought of Chang Chuchu. Could it be that she realized she didn’t have much longer to live and decided to jump into a trap, dragging everyone else down with her? But it wasn’t just Chang Chuchu in that house. Jiang Qingluan was also watching her, a very capable woman, both brave and strategic, who wouldn’t allow Chang Chuchu to act recklessly.
Fang Zhou was a newcor but was emotionally stable. As for Lou Huixiang, he was just a bit selfish and not used to trusting teammates, but he wasn’t foolish enough to court death.
His thoughts raced, but it only took a mont. Yang Xiao slled a hint of danger in the fog, a rancid scent mixed with blood, which reminded him of the Ancestor in the Sleeping Gold Pavilion.
He couldn’t just sit here waiting to die. He must take action. First, Yang Xiao ensured he had all his items—candles, Paper Money, and incense; everything was there. With his mind sowhat steadied, he tiptoed out of bed, trying to make no noise.
In this unclear situation, it would be foolish to light the candles or incense right away. Yang Xiao pricked up his ears, listening carefully.
There were no strange sounds, nor breathing noises. Yang Xiao moved slowly, pausing with each step, heading toward the bed he rembered Nalan Shuo was sleeping in.
He had to check on Nalan Shuo. In this mission, the only person he could truly trust was Director Nalan.
The few ters’ distance took him half a minute to walk. Visibility in the fog was extrely low, not even a ter. He saw the bed where Nalan Shuo was supposed to be sleeping, but it was empty, the covers tossed aside. Yang Xiao leaned closer but saw no signs of a violent struggle nor bloodstains, which sowhat relieved him.
He reached his hand inside the covers; it still retained so warmth, indicating that Director Nalan had also woken up not long ago.
But what puzzled Yang Xiao was why Nalan Shuo, upon waking, hadn’t sought him out imdiately. Was there no ti, or had he encountered so other trouble?
He quickly moved to Xiang Fengchen’s bed next. His covers were completely cold, indicating he had been gone for so ti.
Yang Xiao speculated that perhaps Xiang Fengchen had ventured out during the night while they were asleep and had run into so trouble.
The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seed. This old fellow liked to keep secrets to himself. Confident in his prowess and possessing the Divine Turtle Shell, and considering the mission was already completed tonight, it was possible he had so grand sche in mind.
It’s known that the greater the risk taken on a mission, the better the Resentful Eye obtained. This ti, the Resentful Eye might very well be the Divine Turtle Shell, an item of no great use to Yang Xiao, but for a Feng Shui Master like Xiang Fengchen, it was a trendous temptation. One of the great regrets of Xiang Fengchen’s master before his death was that he had never laid eyes on this treasure.
After he ntally sifted through these thoughts and ideas about Xiang Fengchen and his master, Yang Xiao held his breath and started walking towards the bedroom door. It was at this mont he suddenly heard a very faint "creak" nearby, as if a heavy object was leaning on sothing.
Yang Xiao imdiately stopped in his tracks, listening intently, but then the sound vanished.
Without further hesitation, Yang Xiao took out the remaining piece of Life Burning Incense and a Fire Starter, placing them together close to his chest for easy access.
"Tap."
Yang Xiao was stunned for a mont.
"Tap."
Another sound ca, this ti seemingly from the direction of Nalan Shuo’s bed, as if sothing had stepped down from the bed, first one foot hitting the floor, followed by the second.
If it had co from Xiang Fengchen’s direction, Yang Xiao wouldn’t have minded, but it was different with Nalan Shuo; this matter could very well be related to the Director’s life or death.
Rustle rustle...
Simultaneously, from another direction, approximately the hall, a similar subtle noise erged, as if sothing was carefully moving.
The two noises were almost sequentially made, trapping Yang Xiao here, with no choice but to retreat to his own bed, and once caught in a pincer attack, there would be no chance left.
Taking out the Life Burning Incense and Fire Starter, Yang Xiao brought the tip of the incense near the Fire Starter, ready to light it at any mont. He decided to take a risk; he stood still to observe the situation first. The thing in the hall continued moving towards him, whereas the activity near Nalan Shuo’s bed had ceased.
With determination, Yang Xiao headed towards Nalan Shuo’s bed. As he approached, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly ca from behind him, and almost instantly, a large hand covered his mouth from behind while another controlled the elbow he had instinctively raised.
Relying on the familiarity the other had with his moves, Yang Xiao could almost assert that this person was undoubtedly Nalan Shuo, and he didn’t believe that his Director would be killed so easily.
Nalan Shuo didn’t explain but turned and walked away, Yang Xiao quietly followed behind him, now able to see Nalan Shuo’s back.
The two moved slowly, taking more than a dozen steps, and at this mont Yang Xiao’s unease grew. This bedroom wasn’t that large; they had walked more than a dozen steps without hitting a wall, nor seeing a door or a bed, what kind of bedroom was this?
Yang Xiao cursed inwardly, sothing was wrong with this place. He quickly deduced that the ghost couldn’t kill in the bedroom and could only twist the environnt here to take him sowhere else.
Simultaneously, rustling noises erged again from the direction of the hall, and this ti it was chasing after them.
Realizing this might be his last chance, Yang Xiao pretended to comply, following the other’s steps faster and faster, then suddenly pushed the other person hard. As "Nalan Shuo" fell and involuntarily turned halfway, Yang Xiao saw a horrifying scene.
This person wasn’t Nalan Shuo at all – that thing had a twisted, ferocious female face, with wet, disheveled hair sticking to the face, sowhat familiar.
In an instant, a figure flashed into Yang Xiao’s mind like lightning; he had seen this face tonight, in the utility room on the first floor of Sleeping Gold Pavilion.
That ghost substitute, marked as human flesh by Jiang Qingluan, leaving behind a Blood Map clue, which he was tasked to resolve with cremation ashes!
Yes, it was her, Yang Xiao rembered clearly, that ghost maid standing rigidly at the corner of the table with deford small feet!
What’s going on?
Wasn’t she already dealt with?
How... how did she find her way here?
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