Chapter 42: Escape Through Peril

Hiss...

I drew a sharp breath, and every hair on my body stood on end.

Thud, thud, thud...

A series of footsteps approached. I turned slightly and glanced out of the corner of my eye. It was none other than Zhou Shunzi.

He stood beside me, gazing fixedly and infatuatedly at the stage.

A foul, putrid stench quickly drifted into my nostrils.

I gripped the rune-inscribed greatsword tightly, preparing to unleash a thunderous strike against him at the crucial moment.

Yet for a long while, Zhou Shunzi made no move.

At that moment, among the pale, illusory figures watching the play, one shadow stirred. It walked over to me and cast a deeply meaningful look in my direction.

This evil spirit actually possessed consciousness?

I followed the specter as it walked outward.

Thud, thud, thud...

The moment I stepped out of the perimeter of the stage, Zhou Shunzi followed closely behind.

In an instant, my scalp went numb. It felt as though I had stumbled right into a ghost's nest tonight.

However, this was no time to dwell on such matters. I followed the shadow for several hundred meters before it finally stopped.

The ghostly figure stood right in front of me, uttering not a word.

It took the form of an elderly man with a complexion so pale it defied belief, and his entire body radiated a dense, oppressive ghostly aura.

"Walk east, and do not stop."

The phantom murmured softly into my ear.

A chilling wind whistled into my ear, causing me to shudder involuntarily.

Was this a warning telling me to leave?

Regardless of the reason, I had to try. I lifted my feet and strode toward the east. Zhou Shunzi attempted to follow, but the phantom stepped directly into his path.

Gurgle, gurgle...

A strange, guttural noise issued from Zhou Shunzi's throat.

Yet the specter remained unmoved, continuing to block his way.

They remained locked in this stalemate for a full few minutes before the sound of Zhou Shunzi's footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

As for me, I pressed on toward the east without once looking back.

Chattering, chaotic noises echoed incessantly from behind. With every step I took, the landscape behind me seemed to collapse; the once brilliantly lit pavilions dissolved into dilapidated, weed-choked ruins of broken walls.

Why did that old man help me? I had no idea.

At this moment, the only thing I knew was that I needed to escape this perilous place immediately, lest I forfeit my life here today.

I secretly bit down hard on the tip of my tongue, and a salty taste of fresh blood flooded my mouth, instantly clearing my mind considerably.

I did not dare to look back even once until I reached the entrance. Catching hold of a nearby vine, I quickly scrambled up to the cave opening.

The old man was already gone, presumably having returned to fetch reinforcements.

I hurried through the cave, not pausing for a single step, and made my way down the mountain.

...

It was already the dead of night by the time I returned.

The old man was not waiting for me at the inn; he must have gone out overnight to find transportation to the ancient capital. I was just about to call him back when I realized my cell phone was missing, likely dropped while I was up on the mountain.

That entire night, I was plagued with anxiety.

With so many malevolent entities gathered in one place, if they were ever to break out and wreak havoc, the consequences would be beyond imagination.

Over these past few days, my luck seemed abysmal. Clearly just a job worth tens of thousands of yuan, why did it attract such ferocious and terrifying things?

And that evil spirit—why on earth did it help me?

...

Thus, I fell into a deep sleep.

It was around ten o'clock the next morning when the old man finally returned, accompanied by Li Yiran.

In tow was also a middle-aged, square-faced, robust man.

Both the old man and Li Yiran treated this middle-aged, square-faced man with the utmost respect. After a brief moment of guesswork, I realized he must be Li Yiran's influential third uncle.

It was said that in the circles of the ancient capital, the Li family reigned supreme above all else.

This third uncle of Li Yiran's was likely the supreme boss of the ancient capital's underworld circle.

"This is Li Sanshui. Back in the day, he was a resounding, heavyweight figure in the Great Xia nation's circle," the old man whispered a reminder in my ear.

Although the old man was a charlatan, he still retained a shred of understanding regarding these esoteric circles.

"Hello, Mr. Li!"

I bowed respectfully to him.

"Let's get down to business. What on earth did you encounter last night?" Li Sanshui lit a cigarette and, dispensing with pleasantries, went straight to the point.

"I suspect there is a nether land buried there!"

I voiced my hypothesis.

"Unlikely. If it were truly a nether land, you wouldn't have walked out alive last night."

Li Sanshui looked me up and down.

In his eyes, no doubt, I was nothing more than a greenhorn who lacked the capability to escape from such an environment.

"I don't know how to explain it to you. If a ghost hadn't saved me last night, I probably would have perished right there." I felt some aversion to his scrutinizing gaze, so my tone carried a hint of edge.

"If such a thing has truly occurred, I cannot resolve it alone," Li Sanshui shook his head. "If Old Liu were here, perhaps he could help settle this matter, but I certainly cannot prop up the sky by myself."

"While it's still daytime, let's go investigate the specific situation first. If there really is a problem, we'll contact Bureau 749. Situations like this are generally suppressed by them," Li Sanshui declared.

"Alright!"

I nodded, then glanced at the old man. Who exactly was this "Old Liu" Li Sanshui had mentioned?

He sounded remarkably formidable!

"No need to rest; we leave right now."

Li Sanshui was decisive and prompt, refusing to grant anyone time to rest as he demanded that I lead the way up the mountain.

Li Yiran stepped forward to support me. Having been assaulted by the nether Qi last night, my constitution was still somewhat frail.

It had not even been ten hours since I left that nether land, and now I had to venture back in.

A three-hour mountain trek was enough to give anyone a headache just hearing about it.

And I had to run the course twice in a single day.

"My third uncle's strength ranks near the top throughout the entire Great Xia nation. Later, whatever my third uncle tells you to do, do not argue; just follow his lead," Li Yiran cautioned me beforehand, fearing I might harbor resentment due to Li Sanshui's domineering attitude.

"Don't worry, I won't," I replied.

I wasn't someone fond of reckless behavior; at critical moments, I knew very well whose instructions to follow.

"That's good!"

Li Yiran nodded and supported me all the way downstairs.

That large black dog also came running over to the old man and me, wagging its tail.

Upon seeing the massive black dog, Li Sanshui offered a rare word of praise: "Such a pure-bred black dog is a rare sight indeed."

I made no reply; the dog wasn't mine anyway.

Seeing that no one answered, Li Sanshui grew somewhat awkward and simply urged us to move on without wasting time.

With that, I took the lead, and our group of four pressed on toward the mountain.

To be honest, my heart was still fluttering with trepidation.

That place was truly not fit for human habitation. The nether Qi was concentrated to the absolute extreme; it was only because I was young and possessed a decent physical constitution that I survived. If an elderly person were sent in there, chances were those malevolent entities wouldn't even need to lift a finger before the nether Qi eroded them—resulting in a half-year illness at best, or kicking the bucket immediately at worst.