Everyone looked at the obedient little ghost following Gu Jiu.
None of them had expected this seemingly harmless boy to be the boss of the subway station. When Old Hei had mentioned him before, they assumed he was just a pitiful soul who had died tragically in the subway.
“He really is a pitiful one,” Gu Jiu said. “He likely starved to death and was lucky enough to become a powerful ghost after dying.”
In another subway station space, when the little boy had returned to his human-like appearance, Gu Jiu noticed his overly thin frame. His arms, exposed outside his clothes, were so skinny they seemed like they could snap in a moment—clearly a sign of long-term malnutrition.
That’s why she chose to offer him a meal box. The boy’s reaction confirmed her suspicion.
Old Hei asked, “Are you really planning to take him with you? Can ghosts even leave the subway station?”
For such questions, most players had no answer. They only knew that whenever subway ghosts or non-human monsters pursued them, the best option was to get on the train and escape. Boarding the train was the players’ only way to survive. However, whether ghosts could board the train remained a mystery.
Take the hunter from the first station or the little girl Sasha, for example—they couldn’t board the train.
Besides, no player would ever think of taking a ghost along, would they? After being chased by ghosts for so long, most players developed a psychological fear and aversion toward them. Who in their right mind would voluntarily bring one along?
Gu Jiu’s idea was certainly unique, but whether it was possible was another question.
“We’ll try,” Gu Jiu said.
After all, how would they know it couldn’t work unless they tried?
Li Jing reminded her, “The effect of the Hypnotic Smoke Pipe only lasts three hours. If you want to keep controlling him, remember to spray him with the smoke again after that.”
Using the Hypnotic Smoke Pipe was simple: just press the button in the middle, and green smoke would spray directly at the target.
Gu Jiu nodded.
After all the chaos, it was only 4 a.m.
The group decided to continue resting. As long as no danger presented itself, they didn’t need to rush to leave. Resting and regaining energy seemed like the wiser choice.
Gu Jiu sat on the mattress, and the little paper figures she had placed around the room began crawling back toward her. They curiously observed the little ghost standing in front of the mattress. A few of them even ran over to tug at his pants.
“Don’t touch randomly—it’s dirty,” Gu Jiu scolded.
The paper figures obediently withdrew their hands and scurried back to the edge of the mattress, quickly climbing up.
Not far away, Old Hei asked curiously, “Gu Jiu, what are those little paper figures? Are they props you made?”
“No, they were a gift from Ah Ji,” Gu Jiu replied, her brows softening with a gentle smile. “Ah Ji is my partner. Her name is Lu Ji.”
Old Hei nodded in understanding, secretly speculating that this Lu Ji must be a player with a special awakened ability.
Learning about the utility of these little paper figures, Old Hei grew enthusiastic about helping Gu Jiu find her partner. He resolved to recruit Lu Ji into their group, believing it would strengthen their team and improve their chances of survival.
The group rested until 10 a.m., with no unexpected incidents.
Old Hei and the others were in great spirits. “Normally, we’re lucky to rest for five or six hours. This is the first time we’ve slept this long and feel so energized.”
“It’s thanks to him,” Gu Jiu said, pointing to the little boy leaning against the wall.
If not for the boy trapping the other ghosts from the subway station in another space, this place wouldn’t have been so peaceful.
Old Hei was intrigued by the alternate subway station space and asked, “Gu Jiu, do you think we should check out that other subway station space? I suspect there might be some clues in there.”
Gu Jiu thought about it for a moment and regretfully shook her head. “I’m afraid he won’t agree.”
The “he” she referred to was, of course, the little boy.
In the alternate subway station space, the little boy didn’t appear as a ghost. Instead, he resembled a normal human being—he felt hunger and needed food, and nothing there could harm him. It was clear that space likely belonged to him. His powers seemed even stronger in that domain.
Gu Jiu had managed to subdue the little boy using specific methods.
At that time, in the other subway station space, the boy likely hadn’t expected her to barge in. Being his home turf, he didn’t take Gu Jiu seriously at all. In fact, if he had wanted to, he could have kept her trapped there forever.
However, Gu Jiu had distracted him with a meal box and caught him off guard with the Hypnotic Smoke Pipe, which was particularly effective against ghosts. That was how she succeeded in subduing him.
If the boy had self-awareness now, he would undoubtedly scold her for being despicable and shameless, tricking even a child.
Old Hei turned to the boy and asked, “Will you take us into that other subway station space?”
The boy didn’t respond and continued to look obediently at Gu Jiu.
Gu Jiu smiled and asked, “Xiao Hui, would you be willing to take us there?”
The boy’s name was Xiao Hui. He didn’t remember his real name but vaguely recalled that a woman had called him Xiao Hui in the past, so Gu Jiu had decided to call him that as well.
Xiao Hui shook his head but still didn’t speak.
Although the boy was obedient under the control of the Hypnotic Smoke Pipe, it seemed communication was limited. Did this mean entry into the alternate subway station space required the boy to be conscious?
The group decided to test their theory.
They waited until the Hypnotic Smoke’s effects wore off. Then, using a special rope, they tied Xiao Hui up to prevent him from escaping and began negotiating with him.
Old Hei repeated his earlier question.
Xiao Hui rolled his eyes—or rather, gave them a black stare since his eyes were entirely black, devoid of whites.
“If you don’t take us there, we’ll kill you!” Li Jing threatened, deliberately putting on a fierce expression.
Xiao Hui grinned. His innocent, childlike smile was made eerie and malevolent by his ghostly features. He replied, “If you enter, I’ll kill you all. Do you still want to go?”
“Then we’ll just use the Hypnotic Smoke to force you to take us in.”
“You can’t.” Xiao Hui’s gaze turned malicious. “If it’s not my will, none of you can enter.”
“Then how was Gu Jiu able to get in before?” they asked, pointing to her.
Reluctantly, Xiao Hui explained, “She tore through the space barrier herself to enter.” So it hadn’t been his doing.
Old Hei turned to Gu Jiu, asking for details about her previous entry.
“At that time, he deliberately separated us into different spaces. The barrier to that alternate subway station space was probably the weakest, which allowed me to enter by sheer luck,” Gu Jiu said.
In other words, it wasn’t that her Lingyuan Blade was particularly powerful—it was just a coincidence.
The group sighed in disappointment. Such a coincidence might not happen a second time.
When Gu Jiu used the Hypnotic Smoke on Xiao Hui again, he became quiet and obedient once more.
Looking at the little ghost’s docile demeanor, it was hard to believe he had been the arrogant and malevolent little boss from earlier. Truly, appearances could be deceiving, even for ghosts.
With the little boss under control, the group decided to conduct a thorough search of Station 18.
They combed through every corner meticulously, not even sparing the hidden crevices. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find a single ghost—all the supernatural entities here had already been sent to the alternate subway station space by Xiao Hui.
While Old Hei and the others were wandering around the lower level of the station, a train arrived at the platform.
The train doors opened, and a group of players stepped out. Seeing people already at the station, they greeted them warmly, asking, “Did you just arrive here too?”
Old Hei replied, “No, we stayed here overnight.”
Hearing this, the newcomers looked delighted. “Is it safe here?”
“It should be safe enough,” Old Hei said.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Gu Jiu descended the stairs with Xiao Hui in tow.
The newly arrived players stared at Old Hei, their expressions seemingly questioning, This is what you call safe?
Although caught off guard by the situation, Old Hei remained calm. “This little ghost is currently under our control. He’s quite well-behaved now.”
Hearing this, the newcomers observed Xiao Hui closely. Seeing him obediently following Gu Jiu like a younger brother, they felt reassured.
This group of players had just come from Station 25.
They had rested there for a few hours but were soon chased back onto the train by ghosts, once again repeating their daily cycle of riding from station to station, searching for clues.
The next train was due to arrive in fifteen minutes.
The newcomers, still friendly, greeted Old Hei’s group and began exploring Station 18.
Gu Jiu, with Xiao Hui in tow, approached Old Hei. “When the next train arrives, let’s head out.”
Everyone glanced at Xiao Hui, immediately understanding her purpose. They were about to test whether they could take Xiao Hui, the little boss of Station 18, with them. If they could, it would be an intriguing development.
Excited by the prospect, they all stared at Xiao Hui with burning anticipation.
“What if it doesn’t work?” Li Jing asked. “Will we let him go?”
It was hard to part with a captured little boss. After being tormented by ghosts and monsters ever since boarding the death train, this was the first time they had managed to capture one. Naturally, they were reluctant to let him go, as he could prove useful later.
Everyone else shared the same sentiment. The sense of power and control was a rare luxury in their dire circumstances.
“What else can we do?” Gu Jiu shrugged. “We can’t exactly kill him, can we? That would be such a waste.”
The group paused at her words. Why would killing the little boss be considered a waste?
“Well,” Gu Jiu explained, “Xiao Hui is still a little boss. He can suppress most of the ghosts in Station 18. If we ever need a safe place to rest, we can come back to Station 18 and rely on him.”
The group: “.…” What a good idea—why didn’t we think of that?
Old Hei burst out laughing. “That’s a great idea! But once we leave and Xiao Hui regains his senses without the Hypnotic Smoke, he’ll go back to being a little boss. If we run into him again, there’s no way he’ll fall for the same trick twice. Catching him a second time won’t be easy.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “Don’t worry, I have a plan.”
Gu Jiu didn’t reveal her plan, but her confident expression made it clear she had everything under control.
The other players were itching with curiosity, desperate to know what she had in mind but hesitant to press her for details.
When the next train arrived, the players who had just arrived at Station 18 were still searching the upper level. On the lower level, only Gu Jiu’s group was present. As the train doors opened, Gu Jiu tried to lead Xiao Hui onto the train. However, the little boss, still under the influence of the Hypnotic Smoke, stopped at the door, a look of resistance flashing across his face.
Seeing this, Gu Jiu immediately understood—Xiao Hui, as the boss of Station 18, could not leave this place.
She reached out and gently patted Xiao Hui on the head. “Alright then, we’ll come back to Station 18 to see you tomorrow. You stay here and behave, okay?”
Xiao Hui nodded obediently. “Big sister, I’ll wait for you to come back.”
With that, the group left Xiao Hui behind and boarded the train.
As the train began to move, they could still see Xiao Hui standing at the platform, waving at them with his little hand. His well-behaved demeanor left the group of players deeply touched.
“If only all ghosts were this cute and well-behaved.”
“That’s an illusion—it’s just the Hypnotic Smoke. Don’t overthink it,” Li Jing reminded them.
As the pipe’s previous owner, Li Jing was very familiar with its effects. He had used the Hypnotic Smoke frequently in the past to deal with ghosts. The tool could be extremely useful if wielded correctly. However, Li Jing’s combat-oriented personality didn’t favor support-type tools, which was why he had gifted the pipe to Gu Jiu as compensation.
He hadn’t expected Gu Jiu to use it so skillfully. Her sharp instincts had led her to target a little boss on her very first try.
The train sped forward, quickly arriving at Station 17.
The station was eerily quiet as Gu Jiu stepped off the train without hesitation.
Old Hei, who knew she was searching for someone, realized she intended to comb through the subway station one stop at a time. Thinking about the rumored abilities of this “Lu Ji,” Old Hei clenched his teeth and decided to stick with her.
After all, they were already struggling to survive aboard the death train, with no clear direction for finding clues. They might as well help Gu Jiu search for her partner first. Finding her could prove advantageous for everyone.
After some discussion, Old Hei and the others agreed to join Gu Jiu in her search.
The lower level of Station 17 bore remnants of blood and human tissue, filling the air with a sickening stench of death.
After some inspection, Pang Hou reported, “These traces are at least three hours old. A large-scale battle and multiple deaths occurred here around that time.”
Gu Jiu listened but remained calm, her expression unreadable.
Suddenly, she turned her gaze to the staircase leading to the upper level. Her eyes flickered with alertness as she sent out two of her small paper figures to investigate.