Chapter 7

The rope began to be pulled taut with force. The people on shore looked behind Old Gao in horror.

Trouble!

Old Gao’s heart seized in fear. He surged up from the water with a splash and frantically swam for the shore. With the rope helping to pull, he should have been quicker, but a tremendous force from below wound itself up around his waist, legs, and torso, making it impossible to break free.

Old Gao looked back and nearly pissed himself into the pool. Great, thick strands of black hair, like living aquatic weeds, were surging up from below, coiling around him.

Worse still, two pale, bloated arms were slowly emerging from the swirling vortex of black hair. The moment he saw them, that slick, cold, slippery sensation on his neck felt permanent.

“That key is definitely important!” Xiao Song was overjoyed. “Quick, throw it up here!”

Old Gao wasn’t stupid. He screamed hoarsely, “Save me, or I’ll throw the key back! Pull, pull harder!”

Xiao Cheng and Old Man Xu each flanked the scrawny Xiao Song, all three of them pulling on the rope, grunting and heaving, playing tug-of-war with the ghost in the water. The ghost’s strength was terrifyingly great. Old Gao was dragged to the shore but they couldn’t pull him any further up. He even began to sink back down, slowly, inch by inch.

The bloated arms in the water grew closer. The thick, swirling vortex of black hair seemed to hide a monstrous, horrifying creature.

Xiao Song saw that Old Gao’s face was twisted with terror, saw him instinctively reach out, trying to grab onto him. In an instant of ruthless decisiveness, Xiao Song actually reached out and snatched the key from Old Gao’s clenched fist! The key was slippery from the water; Old Gao couldn’t hold onto it at all.

Since he was grabbing the key, he naturally couldn’t keep pulling Old Gao. The rope went slack. Old Gao let out a blood-curdling shriek, glaring at Xiao Song with pure venom. “You’ll die a terrible death!”

Xiao Cheng and Old Man Xu hadn’t expected Xiao Song to just let go. Still pulling with all their might, they all tumbled backwards.

Old Gao was in despair. He couldn’t resist the ghost’s power at all. He was about to be pulled under!

Suddenly, a tanned hand reached over, grabbing Old Gao’s wrist. Tremendous strength hauled him back toward the surface. Old Gao, tears and snot streaming down his face, cried with sudden joy. Through his tear-blurred eyes, he saw that the one who had grabbed him was that short girl with the thick, long braid!

Yun Zouchuan knelt on one knee, half-crouching at the pool’s edge, one hand gripping Old Gao’s wrist, the other braced against the pool steps, her brow furrowed with effort.

“Pull him a little higher!” Zhu Ming yelled, gripping the metal skewer. Yun Zouchuan exerted more force, hauling him up a bit more.

A pair of pale, swollen, rotten-looking arms broke the water’s surface, tightly wrapped around Old Gao’s waist, nearly crushing him. Zhu Ming’s fingers tightened; she gripped the metal skewer, then fiercely stabbed it at the pallid arms!

Like a hot knife through butter, the skewer pierced the rampaging ghost’s body with almost no resistance. The pale arms paused. Then, the vast expanse of black hair, nearly covering the entire pool, began to churn madly.

The black, long hair coiled around the murky pool water, rolling and roiling, occasionally revealing filthy trash and waterlogged clothing. A piercing red, like blood, flickered in and out of sight.

A pair of resentful eyes appeared within the strands of hair, glaring viciously at Zhu Ming, as if saying: I’ll remember you.

Zhu Ming tilted her head. She pulled out the skewer and aimed straight for the eyes. The ghost—whose luscious, thick hair would make countless corporate slaves drool with envy—abruptly shrank back, retreating grudgingly.

Old Gao felt the pressure on his body vanish. The next second, with a splash, he was hauled onto the shore. Yun Zouchuan released him, shook out her hand, and then simply walked away, not bothering with the aftermath.

Zhu Ming raised the metal skewer. The tip was damp and pitch-black, not like blood. A bit of murky, fishy, foul liquid dripped down.

During his frantic struggle for survival, Old Gao had swallowed a lot of water. He lay on the ground, retching and vomiting. Coughing several times, his eyes went red, and he lunged at Xiao Song. “You son of a bitch! You bastard!”

Xiao Song, pinned beneath him, blustered with bravado, “I didn’t do it on purpose! My hand slipped! It slipped!”

“Bullshit! I saw you. You weren’t even trying! You were just afraid I’d drag you down to die with me!”

Shouting and brawling, they tangled together. Xiao Cheng tried to pull them apart. Old Man Xu stopped him instead. “Let those with grievances settle them.”

The situation had indeed been urgent, but Xiao Song’s actions were truly despicable.

Miss Zhao stood to the side, her face dark, watching Xiao Song and Old Gao claw and shout at each other. Her expression was terribly gloomy and overcast. She said nothing.

Zhu Ming, being close, had also gotten splashed. She didn’t want to watch others fight—annoying. She tossed the dirtied skewer away and went to sit back at the dining table, continuing to play with ants.

Xiao Cheng gave up on mediating. He strolled over. He had something he was intensely curious about: the metal skewer.

He had already inspected these skewers. They weren’t special in any way. Logically, they shouldn’t be able to deal effective damage to a ghost. Moreover, everyone’s abilities were restricted, and Zhu Ming should be no exception. So it couldn’t have been her own supernatural ability at work.

Then how?

Xiao Cheng crouched down next to Zhu Ming and asked, “Miss, what’s your name? I wanted to ask how you did that just now.”

“Zhu Ming.” She flipped an ant onto its back. Satisfied, she stopped her actions and extended a hand toward Xiao Cheng. “Tuition fees.”

Xiao Cheng felt his pockets—empty. He shamelessly said, “Could I ask what your mission is?”

“Descend the mountain.”

Xiao Cheng’s eyes lit up. He said, “Our missions are the same. In that case, why not cooperate? Miss Zhu, this is your first time in a dungeon, right? You might not know this: missions are often related to hidden mysteries within the dungeon. The task is to descend the mountain, but we’re trapped by a barrier. We should investigate why the barrier appeared and find a way to break it. This process will definitely involve attacks from ghosts. If you know how to harm ghosts, wouldn’t sharing that with everyone be better?”

Who didn’t know that logic? Zhu Ming raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s your ability?”

That was a bit private, but considering this dungeon restricted abilities and had no player-versus-player setup, Xiao Cheng told her. “My ability is simple. It’s somewhat similar to our current situation: barriers.”

“Sounds somewhat useful,” Zhu Ming judged callously. “How about this: I tell you the intel I know, and you owe me a favor. At the same time, you must tell me whatever intel you learn.”

Xiao Cheng said, “It can’t be anything immoral, illegal, or against the law.”

Zhu Ming: “…”

Xiao Cheng: “?? Why did you go silent?”

With a flick of her metal skewer, Zhu Ming pointed at the weeds and ant colony at the tile seam. “Pay attention here.”

Xiao Cheng’s eyesight wasn’t great—too much late-night gaming. He squinted and stared. Just as he was about to crouch down, someone else beat him to it.

It was Xiao Xue. She swiped her fingertip across the deep black grime and brought it to her nose. “It’s blood.”

Xiao Cheng’s expression changed. Only then did he notice that the grime in the cracks of several nearby tiles was darker than elsewhere. Even the cracks in the wood planks had some deep, stubborn stains that couldn’t be scrubbed away. And there were so many ants here… The ants were drawn to the bloodstains.

Zhu Ming curved her lips, looking very satisfied. Next, she wouldn’t need to explain.

Xiao Xue glanced at the shiny new metal skewer above, her gaze flickering. “An accident happened here.” Though how serious it was, she still didn’t know.

Xiao Cheng had a sudden realization. “I get it! The female ghost was stabbed to death with a skewer, then her body was dumped in the pool. The skewer, contaminated with her blood from life, is seen as the murder weapon. Many vengeful ghosts fear murder weapons, so that’s why it could repel her! No wonder the old man and I searched the garden for ages but couldn’t find any signs of a hidden corpse or bloodstains.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xiao Cheng noticed Zhu Ming and Xiao Xue looking at him with the same expression… the look one gives an idiot.

Xiao Cheng: “Did I say something wrong? Dump the body in the pool, make it look like the victim drowned, and the murderer gets away scot-free!”

Zhu Ming stood up, casually tossing the skewer back into the holder. She shook her head. “It’s time to check the basement. Some things need further investigation before I’m sure. As for the skewer…”

Zhu Ming let out a cold laugh. “I also used a little extra trick. Keeping it secret for now.”

The weather was growing hotter and hotter. Everyone was drenched in sweat. Zhu Ming felt like she was starting to stink. Frowning, she slipped away. She couldn’t stand it anymore; she was going to take a bath!

Xiao Cheng stared at the bloodstain between the tiles, thinking for a while until the gears finally clicked.

The amount of bloodstains on the ground wasn’t extensive, but it wasn’t just a few drops either. It wouldn’t be enough for an adult to bleed to death. A metal skewer is thin and long; it must have struck a vital spot. To dump the body in the pool and fake a drowning accident, one would have to first pull out the skewer. A body freshly dead, dragged to the pool over some distance, would definitely still drip blood. Secondly, a wound to a vital spot would be conspicuous; even if the puncture was small, a careful examination would discover it.

So the idea of someone getting killed with a skewer at the barbecue and then the killer faking a drowning was not valid.

After figuring this out, Xiao Cheng felt a sense of relief. But immediately after, he was troubled by another question.

Zhu Ming said she used “a little extra trick” on the skewer. But all Awakened’s supernatural abilities were shackled. She should be no exception. So what trick did she use?

…

Poolside.

Xiao Song finally managed to pry Old Gao’s hands off him and complained, “It’s not like you died. Was that really necessary? It’s almost dark. Are we going to the basement or not?”

“I see you clearly now. I didn’t die today because I was lucky. If this keeps up, I’ll be screwed over by you sooner or later!” Old Gao’s hand trembled as he pointed at him. “You bastard!”

Xiao Song’s eyes flickered. He couldn’t be bothered to argue.

Speaking of the key, naturally, they had to hurry and use it to open the door and investigate. Old Gao swallowed his anger for now, but he still couldn’t help grumbling, “My pants are nearly ripped to shreds, and my watch got waterlogged. That cost me a full twenty thousand!”

Ah, his current image was truly disgraceful. He complained incessantly, tugging at his rumpled clothes.

The group headed together toward the basement. Old Gao clutched the key he had risked his life for and refused to let go. As they passed the barbecue grill, everyone grabbed a metal skewer for self-defense. They didn’t know how Zhu Ming had done it, but following her lead couldn’t hurt.

Miss Zhao was more meticulous. Seeing Xiao Cheng conversing with Zhu Ming earlier, she fell a step behind to ask what they had talked about.

Zhu Ming, having quickly showered and changed into fresh clothes, her damp, shoulder-length hair loose, leisurely caught up. Yun Zouchuan, who had disappeared for who knows how long, also reappeared.

Seeing them approach, Old Gao’s attitude improved considerably. He forced a smile and thanked the two.

Zhu Ming looked him up and down. “My advice: if you’re going to bathe, do it while it’s still light.”

Hearing this, Old Gao hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to shower first or go to the basement.

Zhu Ming didn’t offer a second warning. Whatever choice others made, the consequences were ultimately their own concern.

Unfortunately, before they could even reach the basement door, they were stunned to see the scorching sun begin its descent westward at an impossibly fast speed. Judging by the pace, it would be completely dark in just three minutes!

“Crap! Everyone, hurry back to your rooms!” Old Man Xu bolted. “The night is often the domain of ghosts. The resting areas are relatively safe. Everyone, find a way to take shelter first!”

Those living on the first floor could get back to their rooms the fastest. Miss Zhao, in Room 1004, was already standing inside her doorway. Xiao Song, at the door, said anxiously, “How about I stay with you? Two people together is safer.”

Miss Zhao pressed her lips together. Her stiff body language betrayed her reluctance. “No one can be sure what consequences switching rooms might bring. Please don’t be will-ful.” She then shut the door.

Because the sun was setting shockingly fast, everyone panicked. Zhu Ming and Yun Zouchuan also headed to their rooms. They happened to be next-door neighbors: one in 2004, the other in 2005. Zhu Ming curiously pulled on Yun Zouchuan’s door handle—it wouldn’t budge. Her own opened easily.

Before entering her room, Yun Zouchuan told Zhu Ming, “Someone was spying on me.” She had slipped away from the group earlier precisely to try and find the source of that uncomfortable gaze.

Zhu Ming was shocked. “Wasn’t I the one being spied on?”

All day today, Zhu Ming had frequently felt an eerie sensation of being secretly watched. She’d assumed Yun Zouchuan’s silent departure was due to some incredibly profound, mind-reading boss-employee synergy—that she had gone to find her stalker.

But in reality, she had been looking for her own.

The two looked at each other, each thinking the other was being too narcissistic. Then they each entered their own room.