Gu Jiu went back to take a nap and didn’t wake up until almost noon.
When she got up, Chai Yingying and Tan Lan brought over a packed lunch, all specialties from the food street of the ancient town. These were the very dishes Gu Jiu had previously tried and enjoyed.
The two girls sat across from Gu Jiu, resting their chins on their hands and watching her eat with unblinking eyes, their attention entirely fixed on her.
Lu Ji frowned. What was wrong with these two?
“What are you staring at?” Gu Jiu asked.
The two replied in unison, “Looking at your beauty.”
Gu Jiu nodded and smiled warmly at them. “Hmm, you both have excellent taste.”
At her shameless response, Chai Yingying and Tan Lan found it amusing yet couldn’t disagree. Even as fellow women, they were awestruck by the young lady’s beauty. Every move she made was picture-perfect, and even the simple act of her eating felt like an artistic performance.
After Gu Jiu finished her meal, the two girls diligently cleaned up, treating her entirely like the young lady of a noble house.
Just as she finished lunch, her phone buzzed again with a message notification—a new Death Notice had arrived.
Once again, it was set in the Xiao Qiao Inn, where ghosts and monsters roamed freely. The level of danger was no less than the deadly haunted house mission from the previous night.
However, the players were not particularly frightened. Calmly, they gathered around Gu Jiu, ready to follow the young lady as she effortlessly crushed the ghosts and led them to victory.
Perhaps their success had been too easy, as by evening, yet another Death Notice arrived.
Under normal circumstances, multiple Death Notices in a single day would leave the players exhausted and on edge. But now, they remained composed, knowing that if things got too dangerous, they could always use Spirit Communication Cards to escape.
Before nightfall, they cleared another challenge.
As the players glanced at the dimming sky outside, they sat in the corridor, resting and chatting while listening to the distant sounds of the bustling ancient town.
“Today’s Death Notices have been unusually frequent. Including the one at midnight, there have already been three. Do you think there’ll be another tonight?”
“I think it’s possible.”
Someone mentioned, “By the way, didn’t that ghostly groom say he’d come tonight to escort the young lady into Youdu City?”
At those words, everyone turned to look at Gu Jiu, who was calmly drinking milk. A hint of worry crept into their expressions.
A ghost capable of making even zombies retreat and traveling with such an imposing entourage—clearly, the ghostly groom was no ordinary spirit. If not for the lack of further clues after their brief encounter, the players would have assumed he was the boss of this game world.
After all, among all the Death Notices they had experienced so far, only this ghostly groom carried the aura of a true boss.
One of the players couldn’t help but glance at Gu Jiu, only to find the sullen-looking girl by her side—Lu Ji—casting a cold gaze back. Since everyone knew the two were a couple, they naturally understood what Lu Ji’s expression meant. Awkwardly, they smiled at him and quickly averted their eyes.
It was human nature to admire strength, and Gu Jiu was not only powerful but also a stunning beauty. Feeling drawn to her was understandable.
But no matter how captivating she was, knowing she already had a “girlfriend” meant no one would dare act foolishly. Besides, Lu Ji was also a force to be reckoned with.
Still, they couldn’t quite understand why the ghostly groom had appeared as a male version of Lu Ji. Could it really be as Chai Yingying had jokingly suggested—that even ghosts discriminate against same-sex couples?
They couldn’t deny that the groom’s fleeting appearance, with his striking face and commanding presence in the sedan chair, left an indelible impression. He was no ordinary ghost. That one glance was enough to etch him into their memories.
The players were filled with mixed emotions as they awaited the arrival of night.
As the streetlights of Xiao Qiao Inn lit up, their soft glow shrouded the inn in a hazy aura, adding to its antique charm.
At some point, the distinct bustle of the ancient town gradually faded, replaced by a chilling silence that made one’s heart race. The players instinctively looked out the window at the sky, which was pitch black, devoid of stars, and imbued with an ominous sense of foreboding.
A notification chime broke the silence, signaling a new message on their phones.
The players’ scalps tingled as they hurried to check their screens.
[Youdu City.]
Seeing these three words, all the players felt a mix of dread and inevitability: the moment had finally arrived.
Gu Jiu stood up and began heading downstairs.
“Ah Jiu,” Lu Ji called out, stopping her in her tracks.
Gu Jiu turned to look at him and said, “Ah Ji, let’s go. Running away isn’t a solution.”
“I’m not running away,” Lu Ji replied softly. “I just don’t like…” — you being so close to him, or being… taken to Youdu City in this way.
Gu Jiu tilted her head and smiled at him. “Then what do you suggest?”
Lu Ji stayed silent, not following her. He simply stood there, watching her leave.
The other players had initially followed Gu Jiu, but seeing Lu Ji stop, they glanced back in confusion.
Chai Yingying, glancing between the departing Gu Jiu and the unmoving Lu Ji, quickly ran over. “Lu Ji, what’s going on? Did you and the young lady have a fight?”
She couldn’t help but doubt it. With their personalities, could they even fight?
After all, while the young lady was domineering and arrogant, she treated Lu Ji exceptionally well. Meanwhile, Lu Ji, like a doting spouse, prioritized Gu Jiu above all else. Their personalities complemented each other so perfectly that a fight seemed nearly impossible.
Lu Ji didn’t answer. After a long pause, he finally lifted his foot and followed the group.
—
Gu Jiu descended the stairs, crossed the courtyard on the first floor, and arrived at the main entrance of Xiao Qiao Inn.
The inn remained eerily quiet, with no sudden appearance of vengeful ghosts or immediate dangers—at least for now.
The players followed Gu Jiu, nervously eyeing the tightly shut front door. According to the inn’s usual operating hours, the door should remain open until midnight, yet now it was firmly closed…
Suddenly, there came a knock.
A slow, deliberate knocking echoed through the still night. It was the kind of knock that could only belong to a ghost—a rhythmic, bone-chilling sound that struck fear into the players’ hearts.
Gu Jiu said calmly, “Open the door.”
Jiang Ze and Chai Yingying exchanged glances before stepping forward to open it.
With a creak, the door swung open. Everyone looked outside and immediately saw two figures standing at the threshold—ghosts dressed in red and green.
Their attire was festive, but their pale, deathly faces were painted with two garish patches of bright rouge. They wore frozen, eerie smiles that made them look disturbingly grotesque.
Not far from the inn’s entrance stood a grand procession resembling a wedding entourage. Eight ghosts carried an ornate sedan chair, and the imposing lineup exuded the aura of a king’s retinue—a ghost king’s retinue.
The two ghosts at the door stepped back slightly and bowed courteously, gesturing for them to board the sedan chair.
The players hesitated. These ghosts weren’t attacking, instead acting strangely polite, which unsettled them even more. It felt like a ploy to lure them to Youdu City, where they would surely meet their demise.
“Are we really supposed to get in the sedan chair?”
“But there’s only one sedan chair. How are we supposed to fit?”
“…”
Gu Jiu listened to the players’ whispered discussion, then stepped forward, walking straight toward the ghostly procession.
“Young Miss!” Chai Yingying grabbed her hand. “Are you really going over there?”
Gu Jiu smiled faintly. “The sedan chair has come all the way to pick me up. Wouldn’t it be rude to refuse?”
Rude? That’s not the issue—it’s clearly very dangerous!
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine,” Gu Jiu reassured them, flipping the situation around. “If all goes well, we might clear the level tonight.”
The players froze in surprise, their emotions vacillating between astonishment and joy as they stared at her.
Gu Jiu waved her hand at them. “I’m off. You all should act according to the situation.”
She walked to the front of the procession and, under the watchful gazes and respectful gestures of the ghosts, stepped into the sedan chair. The curtain fell, concealing her figure.
Lu Ji stood silently, watching her leave without looking back. His expression was dark, and his hands at his sides slowly curled into fists.
The ghosts lifted the sedan chair and began their journey. They moved silently through the bustling ancient street, their pace quickening with every step, until they finally disappeared at the end of the road.
The players stood at the inn’s entrance, watching the procession fade away, utterly bewildered.
Only now did they fully grasp that the sedan chair was there solely to pick up Gu Jiu. None of them were included. But if that was the case, why did their Death Notice read “Youdu City”? Didn’t that imply they were also supposed to go to Youdu City?
One player hesitantly asked, “What about us? Are we not going?”
The others were just as uncertain. They glanced at the message on their phones, then at the now-empty street outside, feeling increasingly uneasy.
Finally, Chai Yingying suggested, “How about we wait in our rooms for the young miss?”
“Are you sure she’ll come back?”
Chai Yingying replied confidently, “You all have no idea how capable she is! She’ll definitely come back. Honestly, whether we clear this level might still depend on her.”
Just as she finished speaking, they saw Lu Ji turn and reenter the inn.
Chai Yingying and Jiang Ze exchanged a look. They knew Lu Ji was likely in a terrible mood and chose not to bother him out of consideration.
Although some players doubted Chai Yingying’s words, they truly had no idea what to do next. They didn’t know where Youdu City was and certainly didn’t dare leave the safety of Xiao Qiao Inn. So, they decided to stay and wait.
The group shut the inn’s doors and went back upstairs.
No one dared return to their rooms to rest; in a situation like this, staying together felt safer. If anything happened, they could respond quickly as a group.
Jiang Ze, not seeing Lu Ji among them, glanced at the room where Gu Jiu and Lu Ji were staying and asked quietly, “Sister Chai, should we go check on him?”
“Better not.” Chai Yingying waved her hand. “Lu Ji may be upset, but she’s still a powerhouse. She knows what she’s doing; no need for us to meddle.”
—
Gu Jiu sat inside the sedan chair. Compared to the paper sedan chair from the first night, this one was far superior in quality—comfortable and steady, without the slightest sway.
She lifted the curtain and saw that the procession was moving at an incredible speed. The streets on either side blurred past her, receding rapidly into the distance, as though she had traveled across vast mountains and rivers in mere moments.
Ahead, a massive city gate loomed into view.
Above the city gate were three ancient characters: Youdu City (幽都城).
The city was eerily quiet. The ghostly guards stationed at the gate wore full armor, resembling soldiers from ancient times. They stood tall and exuded an imposing presence.
Gu Jiu cast a glance at these guards, immediately sensing the dense ghostly power emanating from them. These were powerful entities—any ordinary player would be utterly crushed if they faced them.
Resting her hands on her knees, Gu Jiu couldn’t help but think: if it weren’t her and Lu Ji who entered this world, but other players instead, the outcome would likely have been disastrous. The entire team would have been annihilated, leaving no survivors. This world would forever be remembered by players as one of the most notorious and deadly game worlds.
—
Youdu City, Ghost Emperor’s Hall.
A lone figure appeared in the dark, expansive hall.
The Ghost Emperor, seated on the throne at the hall’s far end, opened his black eyes. In the darkness, his pupils glowed a blood-red hue.
He gazed at the figure who had entered, his expression calm to the point of coldness. “I knew you would come.”
Lu Ji stepped forward, his face showing no surprise at the layout of this hall. It was identical to the design of the Dark Hall—an unmistakable replica.
With a piercing gaze fixed on the Ghost Emperor seated on the throne, Lu Ji ascended the steps, one deliberate stride at a time.
He didn’t say a word. When he reached the throne, he extended his hand, summoning a streak of black flame in his palm.
This black flame was not the destructive flame from two nights ago. Instead, it was the flame of fusion—a power meant to reclaim the strength he had once abandoned.
The Ghost Emperor could already feel himself fading away.
His face showed a mixture of relief and reluctant yearning. He sighed softly. “I truly wanted to keep her here… I even thought about falling in love with her.”
“Dream on!” Lu Ji’s voice was ice-cold as he glared at him. “You’re nothing more than a discarded fragment of me.”
The Ghost Emperor showed no trace of bitterness. Instead, he said quietly, “You refuse to be a destroyer. So, you’ve been gathering fragments of power from different worlds, intending to return them to the Sea of Rules… But you’ll never control the Sea of Rules. In the end, you’ll still be forced to become a destroyer… and she will die too.”
As Lu Ji’s emotions surged, intricate black markings began to appear in his eyes—an involuntary manifestation of his inner turmoil.
Moments later, the Ghost Emperor vanished without a trace.
Lu Ji stood alone in the vast hall for a long time before slowly sitting down on the throne. As he settled into the seat, his attire began to transform…