Chapter 31: The Eerie Wooden Building

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When Wen Su heard the final results of the vote, she smugly said to Huan Xiao, “See? I told you we should choose Brother Qiang. Anyone who chose the right side has foresight. Those who chose the left are all afraid to die. Even if they survive this round, they’re bound to die in the next one.”

If the people who had chosen the left side heard that, they would certainly fly into a rage and chase Wen Su down to beat her.

But Wen Su had deliberately lowered her voice, so only Huan Xiao could hear her.

Huan Xiao merely smiled and asked, “Would you dare say that to their faces?”

“What’s wrong with you, Xiao Huan? You used to be so obedient. Why have you become so defiant?”

Wen Su disliked being talked back to. In anger, she shoved the oar into Huan Xiao’s hands and said, “Row the boat yourself. I’m not suffering for you anymore.”

Her emotions came and went quickly. By now, Wen Su had completely forgotten the terror she had felt after pushing Li Yanshu into the river and had returned to her former self.

Seeing this, Huan Xiao took the oar and began rowing.

She rather liked riding in a boat. It was only the surrounding scenery that left much to be desired.

The sky was the same unchanging dark gray, and on either side lay the same barren gravel banks. Only at the forks, when they had to choose a route, could they see anything different. The phone’s description had been an outright scam!

She had actually looked forward to seeing some breathtaking scenery here.

Seeing Huan Xiao offer no resistance and obediently row the boat, Wen Su smiled in satisfaction. “That’s more like it. I’m telling you, newcomers ought to be a little more obedient. That way, veteran players will be willing to take them along.”

Huan Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Wen Su, are there ghosts in the real world too?”

“Why are you asking? Have you encountered one?”

In truth, Wen Su was a complete admirer of beauty. She simply enjoyed talking to attractive people.

As long as there was no conflict, she was perfectly happy to chat with Huan Xiao.

Huan Xiao had noticed this, so she had no intention of letting such a valuable opportunity to gather information pass her by.

“No. But I often see stories about hauntings on forums and in the news. If ghosts exist in the real world too, wouldn’t we be in great danger?”

“How could that be? Ghosts in the real world can’t compare with the ones in the game… But if you ever encounter one, run as fast as you can. Even a ghost from the real world could kill you in an instant.”

Wen Su sat opposite Huan Xiao with her arms folded, like a spoiled young lady.

Whenever she had nothing to do, she could not help noticing the coffins on the bank. She cursed them as ill omens and felt a chill run through her, desperate to find something else to occupy her attention.

Talking to Huan Xiao was a highly effective way to divert her gaze.

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To be honest, someone as beautiful as Xiao Huan seemed entirely out of place in this eerie and dangerous setting. Of course, the fact that she was wearing pajamas probably contributed to that impression.

Even so, Wen Su still thought she herself was prettier. She could easily rank first in the world. Second place could be reluctantly awarded to Xiao Huan.

“Other than spirit manipulators, are there any other ways to get rid of ghosts in the real world?”

Wen Su’s thoughts had been wandering freely, and Huan Xiao’s question caught her off guard. She came back to herself and shook her head.

“Don’t think about anything else. Even in the real world, only spirit manipulators can deal with ghosts.”

“What about celestial masters, Taoist priests, monks, and people like that?”

“Impossible. Environmental pollution in the real world is growing worse by the day, and spiritual energy has become so thin that it is practically nonexistent. In this world, ghost energy is the only true power.”

Wen Su spoke with absolute certainty, as though she had specifically investigated the matter.

Huan Xiao was silent for a moment before asking, “Then what about those people online who specialize in exorcisms…”

“Most of them are frauds. The few who are genuine are spirit manipulators moonlighting on the side. After all, they can’t let their clients know they’re using ghost energy, can they?”

After hearing Wen Su’s explanation, Huan Xiao fell into thought.

“What? Are you thinking of joining a team of spirit manipulators? Stop fantasizing. It’s impossible. They won’t take in ordinary people.”

Wen Su deliberately emphasized the words “ordinary people,” hoping to undermine Huan Xiao’s confidence.

But Huan Xiao was not affected in the slightest.

She nodded to show that she understood.

Seeing that Huan Xiao was still unwilling to give up, Wen Su intended to persuade her out of the idea. What if Huan Xiao went looking for spirit manipulators and somehow managed to seize an opportunity? What then?

At that moment, the players’ voices drifted over.

“Oh my God, what is that thing up ahead?”

“It’s red… Is someone getting married?”

A commotion broke out ahead, and Wen Su and Huan Xiao looked over as well.

An ancient building had appeared in front of them.

It was a three-story wooden structure, decorated inside with red cloth and radiating an oddly festive air.

…Why could they see inside the building?

Because it had been built directly over the river, half on the left bank and half on the right, with an opening in the middle for passing boats.

The surrounding land was still nothing but bare gravel, making the building look utterly out of place.

There were many people bustling about inside. At first, the players were delighted to see them. It was the first time they had encountered living people since they began rowing.

But after getting a clear look at those people, everyone felt a chill run down their backs.

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Every person moving about ahead was wrapped in black cloth from head to toe, refusing to expose even a patch of skin. Only a narrow slit had been left where their eyes were covered, allowing them to see the outside world.

They looked like black mummies capable of walking.

Most importantly, they were exactly like the coffin bearers.

…They were finished. They had entered the coffin bearers’ lair.

That was the thought in every player’s mind.

If they could have taken back their decision, there would certainly have been people eager to turn around and choose the road on the left.

Even encountering a new kind of ghost would be better than walking straight into the coffin bearers’ home.

“Brother Qiang, what do we do? Should we row back?”

Red Hair, who had been rowing the boat, had already stopped.

What he had not expected was that the wooden boat beneath them began sliding forward on its own. Even when he rowed in the opposite direction, it made no difference. He could not stop the boat from heading toward the wooden building.

Seeing this, Huan Xiao freed her hands and set the oar aside.

When Red Hair realized he could no longer control the boat, he panicked. He grabbed the companion beside him and began shouting.

“What do we do? It’s over, it’s over! They’re sending us straight into the coffins!”

“Stop shouting. Be quiet.”

Brother Qiang remained calm. “We only have to pass through the building. As long as we act carefully and avoid triggering the ghosts’ killing conditions, there shouldn’t be any serious problem.”

Red Hair realized that he had made a mistake. He hurriedly wiped his nose and said, “Brother Qiang is right. We’ll definitely make it through.”

The players began discussing the situation openly.

The coffin bearers on the bank followed them like ghosts. On the black-and-white photographs attached to the coffins, countless pairs of eyes watched the living people on the water…

Wen Su anxiously returned to Huan Xiao’s side and asked, “Xiao Huan, don’t you feel as though those photographs are watching us? She won’t come back, will she?”

Whenever Wen Su saw Li Yanshu’s photograph, she could not stop recalling the resentful look in his eyes as he fell into the water.

It was like a venomous snake, lingering in her mind and refusing to disappear.