No one noticed Li Zhi’s movement, except for Xu Shu, who was walking at the front. He slightly turned his head but forced himself to look forward again midway.
The shadow on Zhu Zhibo’s back was not tall, with a hunched back and a slightly forward-leaning neck. Its head was noticeably larger than that of an average person.
Their destination, the earth temple, was just ahead, only a few hundred meters away. This section of the road had no forks; they just needed to walk straight. After surveying the environment, Li Zhi slowed her pace, shortened the distance between herself and Gao Shijun, and then spoke in a low voice, “Get in front of me.”
Gao Shijun didn’t know why she made this request, but Li Zhi was undoubtedly the smartest person in the group, so she must have had her reasons! He quickly switched places with her.
Lian Qinglin, noticing that Li Zhi had now moved ahead of him, was about to ask why, but before he could speak, she switched places with him as well.
The group finally noticed Li Zhi’s actions. The previously relaxed and chatty atmosphere vanished, and everyone became tense, especially Zhu Zhibo, who had sensed something was off the moment Li Zhi moved in front of him.
“Mr. Zhu,” Li Zhi asked, “do you know how to do an over-the-shoulder throw?”
Zhu Zhibo began to realize something, his teeth chattering. “Yes…”
“Don’t be nervous. Just follow my instructions.” She waved the lantern in her hand, signaling him to look to the side. “I’ll count to three, okay?”
Zhu Zhibo finally saw the shadow overlapping with his own.
Previously, he had only felt exhausted, his back aching, and every step felt laborious. But now that it was pointed out to him, it was as if he suddenly woke up, becoming acutely aware of the weight on his back.
The hair on the back of Zhu Zhibo’s neck stood on end as he felt a hand resting on his shoulder and legs wrapped around his waist.
No wonder his back ached so much! Zhu Zhibo stiffened, and as he lowered his head slightly, he saw a pair of feet dangling at his sides, swaying with each step he took.
Black cloth shoes with thick soles, swollen, pale feet—it was the old woman he had seen hanging from the willow tree that morning!
“Mr. Zhu!” Li Zhi’s crisp voice snapped him out of his overwhelming terror, and he heard her start counting, “One!”
Overwhelming terror gave way to rage. Damn it, out of all the people here, why him?!
Fury welled up in Zhu Zhibo’s heart, filling him with reckless courage. His muscles tensed, and just as he heard Li Zhi shout, “Throw!”
Wait, where was the promised one-two-three?!
In that instant, Zhu Zhibo had never reacted faster in his life. He reached back with both hands, grabbing hold of something cold and stiff, and flung it forward with all his strength.
The old woman hit the ground, and Zhu Zhibo finally saw her clearly. She was indeed a bloated, swollen elderly woman, her bloodshot eyes bulging out of their sockets, her wrinkled face tinged with a purplish hue. She wore a thick, black cotton jacket, her small frame hunched, and her head was wrapped in a black scarf, making her head appear disproportionately large.
As she hit the ground, her bulging eyes glared with malice as she staggered to her feet.
Everything happened so fast that those ahead didn’t even know what was going on, but they heard Li Zhi shout, “Run to the temple!”
Without a second thought, everyone bolted, not daring to look back.
The earth temple was only two or three hundred meters away now, but as Li Zhi ran, she quickly realized something was wrong. The temple, like a mirage in the desert, remained unreachable no matter how far she ran.
A thick fog had silently crept in around them. When she turned to look back, the guiding lanterns along the road had disappeared.
The surroundings were eerily quiet. She was the only one left.
Li Zhi wasn’t sure if she alone had encountered this ghostly trap or if her companions had been caught as well. She raised her lantern, surveying the area, and gathered a few stones to build a noticeable marker at her feet. Then, she began walking straight ahead.
Li Zhi had always had a good sense of direction. She was certain she hadn’t strayed or doubled back. Yet, after ten minutes, she found herself standing once again at the very marker she had just made.
The markers she had left were now only five steps away from where she stood.
There was a folk tale that said a “ghost wall” could confuse the mind. You might think you’re walking in a straight line, but in reality, you’re just going in circles.
Li Zhi tried again. This time, she marked her path every five steps. Yet, ten minutes later, the marks she had left appeared in front of her again.
What now? Was this thing trying to wear her out?
Li Zhi squatted down by the pile of stones, trying to think of a way to break the cycle.
Before she could come up with a solution, hurried footsteps suddenly came from behind her, and at the same time, the thick, fog-like mist surrounding her began to dissipate.
Chi Yi appeared, drenched in sweat and looking terrified. When she saw Li Zhi, her expression instantly changed to one of relief, and she rushed over, exclaiming, “Zhi Zhi! I ran into a ghost wall too! I’ve been running for so long!”
Li Zhi looked up and saw that the earth temple was now right in front of them. She could also hear the voices of their companions nearby—they had been circling the empty space in front of the temple the whole time.
Everyone was exhausted, but now that they were reunited, they all looked as if they had just survived a catastrophe. Nobody was missing, and the old woman who had been chasing them was nowhere to be found. Li Zhi frowned, scanning their surroundings. Everything seemed normal again, and even the distant guiding lanterns had returned to their rightful places in the dark.
Chi Yi whispered, “What’s wrong?”
“This ghost wall appeared and disappeared so suddenly. What was its purpose? Was it just messing with us for fun?”
Chi Yi replied, “Aren’t there also spirits that like to play tricks but don’t actually harm people?”
Hearing their conversation, Gao Shijun, who was walking ahead, turned and said, “Let’s not think too much about it. As long as everyone’s alive, that’s what matters. Let’s finish our task and head back!”
The final step of the night watch ritual involved offering incense, burning paper, and making offerings in front of the temple statue. This earth temple had clearly been here for many years and, like Guanping Village, was rundown and desolate. Even the statue of the Earth God had deteriorated badly, losing the solemn and dignified appearance it was supposed to have.
Xu Shu placed the offerings on the altar, and the group knelt before the statue to complete the ceremony. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
Though they had been terrified of the corpse yard when they first arrived, now they couldn’t wait to get back there.
According to the ritual, they couldn’t return the way they came, so the group avoided the path with the guiding lanterns and made a large detour around the outskirts of the village. Everyone moved quickly, almost as if they wished they could fly back.
As they passed by a dried-up pond, they heard a strange huffing sound.
Li Zhi had noticed this pond two days ago when they went to select a coffin. The pond had no water, only thick, black mud that emitted a strong, fishy odor. In the mud, there were a few withered lotus stalks, and some ducks were pecking around.
The surroundings were pitch black, and under the dim lantern light, Li Zhi could only vaguely make out a figure kneeling by the pond. It was hunched over, digging into the mud with its hands in a stiff, eerie manner.
The others in the group saw it too, and someone gasped in fear. Lian Qinglin whispered, “Before it notices us, let’s keep moving, quickly!”
The group moved as quietly as they could, terrified of alerting the creature by the pond. Fortunately, they got far enough away without it following them.
It wasn’t until they saw the two white mourning lanterns hanging at the village chief’s courtyard gate that they finally relaxed. Chi Yi was almost moved to tears. “Who would have thought I’d ever be so eager to come back here?”
This cursed place… Was it trying to manipulate them psychologically?
The group pushed open the slightly ajar courtyard gate and stepped inside, only to be startled by a figure walking out from the side.
After a brief scream of shock, they realized who it was and sighed in relief. Li Zhi looked at the person with some surprise. “Mr. Li, why haven’t you left yet?”
Li Jianxi’s cold gaze swept over them, and he suddenly said, “Your shoes are dirty. Wash them before going inside.”
Everyone looked down at their shoes in confusion.
It had rained heavily during the day, and the village roads were muddy. Their shoes had gotten filthy while chopping trees on the mountain. But when they returned during the day, no one had complained about their shoes being dirty. So why was it an issue now?
Still, since an NPC had spoken, no one argued. They found a large water vat by the wall where firewood was stacked, fetched some water, and sat on the stone steps to start cleaning their shoes.
Li Zhi’s brow furrowed quickly as she glanced thoughtfully at Li Jianxi.
Their eyes met for a brief moment before he casually averted his gaze.
Li Zhi slowly walked to the stone steps, sat down, and took off her shoes. The upper and soles were caked with yellow mud mixed with ash from burnt paper offerings—definitely dirty.
She stared at the soles for a few seconds, then turned to inspect the others’ shoes.
The others were already washing theirs, covered in the same yellow mud mixed with burnt paper ash, making their once-expensive footwear look unrecognizable. But when Li Zhi’s gaze fell upon one particular pair, she paused, and her expression subtly shifted.
That pair of shoes wasn’t covered in mud mixed with ash; instead, there was only thick, black sludge clinging to the soles.
Li Zhi said nothing and quickly pulled her gaze back. She lowered her eyes, stood up after a few seconds, and calmly walked toward the house.
Gao Shijun called out, “Hey, Li Zhi! You haven’t washed your shoes yet!”
Li Zhi replied, “I’m just getting something.”
To everyone’s surprise, Li Jianxi didn’t stop her, allowing her to walk inside with her dirty shoes. Moments later, Li Zhi came back out, cradling a black cat in her arms.
Everyone knew what a black cat symbolized, and instantly, the group tensed up. Some of them panicked, shouting, “Why did you bring that out? Take it away! It’ll raise the corpse!”
Li Zhi smiled briefly. In the next moment, without hesitation, she released her grip, dropping the black cat directly into the coffin.
“Meow—!”
The group was scared out of their wits by her action, and Xu Shu reacted the fastest, jumping to his feet. “What are you doing?!”
Before he could finish speaking, the creaking sound of bones shifting filled the air—something they had heard just the night before. The village chief, like an old, rusted machine, began straightening his spine bit by bit, slowly sitting up from the coffin.
Except for Xu Shu, the others were witnessing a corpse revival for the first time, and the sight nearly petrified them with fear.
The village chief’s drooping lips curled into a smile once again, his lifeless, cloudy eyes scanning the room as if assessing his prey for the night.
Suddenly, a voice rang out dramatically from the side, “Dad! There’s a ghost intruding on your turf and bullying us!”
Village Chief: “…?”
Players: “…?”
Li Jianxi: “…”
The eerie grin on the village chief’s face froze for a moment. Meanwhile, Li Zhi pointed toward a “person” sitting among the players with deep conviction and righteous indignation. “This yard can’t hold two ghosts! It dared to intrude on your territory and even tried to steal your offerings! Can you tolerate that? Because I sure can’t!”
The village chief’s eyes rolled back as his head jerked unnaturally toward where she was pointing, his gaze locking onto her target with fierce malice.