Thank you, Jennyisfake, for the Kofi. Here are your Kofi chapters. (1/3)
Changsheng Building
Chapter 219: Intrusion and counter-intrusion
The shop was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the stench of decay. An oppressive silence was spreading.
Everyone was shocked by Wen Jianyan’s suggestion.
His entire logical chain was coherent, and the reasoning process was smooth and almost flawless. But… it led to a terrifying conclusion.
[Invade the ghost woman’s world through the bronze mirror in the warehouse.]
It must be understood that all their efforts up to now have been to trap the ghost woman inside the television, preventing her from invading the real world.
But now, they were being asked to actively enter the ghost woman’s world… This was practically courting death.
How crazy must one be to make such a suggestion?
Seeing the dressing table painted with mottled red paint inside the television, and the stiff, cold figure of the woman in the red dress, a chill ran down their spines.
They had tried desperately to avoid her, and now they had to actively confront her…
No one knew what the outcome would be.
They couldn’t help but look at the one who proposed the idea.
The young girl in a dress stood before them, her slender fingers intertwined, amber eyes downcast as if waiting for their response. She still looked pure and frail, but this seemingly timid appearance inexplicably gave the others a chilling feeling.
This girl was really quite mad.
Amid the silence, a faint “sizzle” was suddenly heard, startling them. They turned towards the sound, seeing the lamp wick inside the blackened lampshade flicker.
Their hearts sank.
They knew what this meant.
Under the light, the blurry glass door began to clear up, revealing a scarlet figure approaching closer.
Clearly, looking away was no longer effective.
She was starting to appear not just on television but on every reflective surface being watched. Unless all the anchors stayed within the small area covered by the oil lamp, even closing their eyes wouldn’t stop the invasion into reality.
An Xin and the others turned to Qi Qian, waiting for the captain’s decision.
Qi Qian gritted his teeth, struggling with his emotions.
Setting aside how absurd and crazy the suggestion was, if considered purely rationally, Wen Jianyan’s suggestion might indeed be the most effective.
Qi Qian turned his head, his gaze landing on the counter covered by the oil lamp’s light, where a piece of ghost money lay.
It was left there by the customer who had just visited.
Unlike the previous two pieces of ghost money, this one was a glaring blood-red color, with a ghastly face printed beneath the words “Bank,” looking extremely eerie.
The different appearance of the ghost money might indicate that the customer bought something different this time. Previously, ordinary ghost money was used to buy ordinary goods. But now, could this special ghost money mean that what the customer bought could only be purchased with it?
If so, then it aligned with Wen Jianyan’s earlier guess.
The “customer” bought something that existed inside the television.
Qi Qian took a deep breath, gritting his teeth as if making a decision, “Alright, let’s give it a try.”
Even though they had a vague idea, the others couldn’t help but feel a shiver run down their spines at Qi Qian’s confirmed response.
Even before acting, they already had a hair-raising premonition.
Next, they were really going to invade the ghost’s world.
“How’s your vision?” Qi Qian asked.
“I’ll try,” Tong Yao struggled to open her eyes. Although her red-tinted sclera hadn’t faded, she could move her pupils, “Still somewhat affected, but I can barely see. But the ability can’t be used.”
“Not ideal, but it’ll have to do,” Qi Qian sighed. “Although it will be very dangerous, you and Zhang Yu must come along.”
In this instance, darkness was deadly.
The oil lamp on the second floor was welded to the table, so to enter the storage room, they had to use the backup oil lamp brought from the first floor.
Leaving Zhang Yu and Tong Yao by the counter would mean both oil lamps would burn together, depleting the oil twice as fast.
After the previous attacks, they didn’t have much oil left.
No one knew what they might encounter in the ghost’s world, so they had to conserve every drop.
Although Zhang Yu and Tong Yao were in poor condition, they had no choice but to participate in this action.
Both nodded, no objections.
After lighting the backup oil lamp from the first floor, they quickly extinguished the counter lamp. Zhang Yu reached out and retrieved the burning hot lamp oil pan, now only a thin layer of grease remaining.
Under the curse of the handprint on the first floor, Zhang Yu’s hand had turned a deathly cyan, the skin cold and stiff.
Zhang Yu knew his condition was no longer a secret, so he gave up trying to hide it.
Soon, the oil solidified at the low temperature.
Zhang Yu capped the oil pan and pocketed it.
After preparing everything, they moved swiftly towards the back of the shop.
“Click.”
A rusty bronze key was inserted into the lock, turning with a faint metallic sound.
The storage room lock was opened once again.
The door creaked open, revealing a pitch-black room with a sweet, rotten stench, making them almost gag.
Flickering light slowly spread, a yellowish glow probing into the darkness like a finger.
Peering over Qi Qian’s shoulder, Wen Jianyan looked inside.
Not far away, the ominous red dressing table could be vaguely seen.
Though unclear, Wen Jianyan knew there was a bronze mirror on the dressing table, through which they could enter a more dangerous, eerie world.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, suppressing his wildly pounding heart.
Although he was the one who made the suggestion, it was impossible not to be afraid…
Especially since he understood the danger better than anyone else.
The red-nailed hand had given them the storage room key, and the storage room contained a red dressing table identical to the one in the television, along with a bronze mirror connecting the two worlds. This couldn’t be a coincidence.
Everything was connected.
Wen Jianyan had a vague suspicion.
The crisis they faced now might have been “chosen” by them subconsciously.
Having demonstrated their ability to figure out the rules in the first attack, the red-nailed dead had given them the “key” to a harsher challenge. If they entered the warehouse and awakened the ghost in the bronze mirror, the difficulty of the next “customer” attack would naturally increase.
No, it’s more than that.
According to the experience from the previous floor, the ghost woman should also have a piece of ghost money in her hand.
In a sense, the ghost money itself is tied to the difficulty level.
If their operation succeeds this time, they will have two pieces of ghost money, one from this customer and one from the ghost woman. This means…
The danger they face this time will be doubled.
Not just doubled, but tripled!
Although Wen Jianyan didn’t say it out loud, he knew that even though they were on the second floor, the danger level they faced this time was definitely not the average difficulty of the second floor.
Wen Jianyan had no confidence in the success rate of this operation.
It seemed they could only take it one step at a time.
Wen Jianyan collected his somewhat scattered thoughts and followed Qi Qian and the others as they approached the dressing table.
The dressing table was getting closer and closer.
The red paint on it was mottled, looking like blood stains that had not yet dried. On the dressing table, there was an old bronze mirror.
The mirror surface was blurry; even when approaching, one could not see their own reflection.
The ghost woman in the red dress, who had been retreating all this time, was now nowhere to be seen.
Clearly, this was a good sign.
Since the ghost woman’s figure didn’t appear under the gazes of several people, it indicated that her invasion channel had changed. So, what was the use of the mirror in the storage room now? The answer was self-evident.
Qi Qian turned to Wen Jianyan:
“How can we invade it?”
Wen Jianyan shook his head: “Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer to that.”
Although he made the suggestion, it was merely a reasonable hypothesis based on all the clues gathered, the most likely guess.
Qi Qian wasn’t surprised by Wen Jianyan’s answer. He nodded: “Understood, it looks like we’ll have to use trial and error next.”
Zhang Yu, who was beside them, said: “I’ll go first.”
Qi Qian gave him a deep look and nodded: “Be careful.”
Zhang Yu stepped forward cautiously, extending his hand to touch the mirror surface with his fingers.
Regardless of success or failure, this move was extremely dangerous.
Not to mention the possibility of being infected by some unknown curse; if he succeeded, Zhang Yu would become the first person to enter the mirror.
The rules and risks inside were unknown, and the oil lamp was not in his hands. If entering the mirror would cut off the light source, then without the protection of the lamp, Zhang Yu would most likely be the first to die.
However, this action was necessary.
Seasoned anchors often have some legendary-grade items at their disposal, mostly waiting for critical moments of life and death to be used. After making sufficient preparations, they could always endure a few seconds or even minutes of danger.
However, if anyone tried for safety by carrying the oil lamp while attempting, and if they succeeded, the person would enter the mirror world alone, leaving the team in the darkness, leading to certain death.
Even if that person survived, it would mean the annihilation of the team.
After all, one person couldn’t clear a team-based game. In this game, everyone had to prioritize the team.
So…
The team could only use their lives for trial and error.
As for survival, it depended on the anchors’ abilities.
Everyone held their breath, staring intently at Zhang Yu’s actions.
Zhang Yu carefully touched the cold, smooth surface of the bronze mirror with his fingertips, but nothing happened.
Clearly, touching the mirror wouldn’t let him enter it.
Next, his actions became bolder; he tried to lift the mirror from the table but failed. It seemed welded to the table, immovable.
Then, Zhang Yu tried to open the drawers of the dressing table, but they too didn’t budge, as if they were merely decorations.
Zhang Yu shook his head and stepped back.
“What about walking backwards? Could it work?” An Xin had an idea.
After all, the ghost woman had walked backward toward the mirror earlier. So, if they walked backward toward the mirror, could they enter it?
“Let’s try.” Zhang Yu took out the small oil dish from his pocket: “Take it.”
The oil in the dish was almost gone, but if An Xin succeeded in entering the mirror, at least this small oil dish could protect him temporarily while he waited for his teammates to join him.
“Thanks.”
An Xin took the oil dish, holding it in his palm, then walked a few steps away from the dressing table.
He took a deep breath, turned his back on it, and started stepping backward toward the mirror.
Watching An Xin’s actions, everyone’s hearts were in their throats.
One step, two steps, three steps.
An Xin continued stepping backward, unable to see anything.
With a “bang,” his shin hit the wooden stool in front of the dressing table. An Xin stumbled, almost falling. He quickly steadied himself, stepping over the stool, but his back hit the edge of the dressing table, preventing further backward movement.
“How about now? Any change in the mirror?” An Xin asked Qi Qian expectantly.
Qi Qian shook his head.
“…Fine, I give up. It looks like thinking isn’t my strong suit.”
“Let me go next.”
Wen Jianyan suddenly spoke.
Everyone turned to look at him.
In the dim room, the girl in the dress seemed out of place, but by now, no one dared to underestimate her.
She had come to assist as a seer, but as time passed, she seemed to reveal some potential even beyond that, her delicate beauty becoming almost intimidating.
“Okay.” Qi Qian nodded.
An Xin took out the oil dish from his pocket and tossed it to Wen Jianyan.
Wen Jianyan didn’t refuse, holding the oil dish in his hand.
He took a deep breath and stepped toward the dressing table.
Compared to the others, Wen Jianyan was much more familiar with mirrors as a medium. After all, he had encountered them many times in previous instances.
When Zhang Yu and An Xin were trying earlier, Wen Jianyan had been carefully observing the mirror’s image.
He found that neither touching the mirror nor walking backward reflected any image in the bronze mirror.
Except…
For that brief moment.
When An Xin stumbled over the stool, nearly falling, the bronze mirror, which had been blank, suddenly reflected a clear image of An Xin’s back.
But once An Xin stood up, the mirror returned to normal.
Everything happened quickly, almost in the blink of an eye. Only Wen Jianyan, who was closest to the bronze mirror, noticed this fleeting moment.
So…
Wen Jianyan slowly exhaled, lifted his leg, and stepped over the bench painted with scarlet lacquer. Gracefully, he sat down on the bench.
Almost at the same time.
In the blurry bronze mirror, Wen Jianyan’s face was clearly reflected.
“!!”
Sounds of sharp inhales came from behind.
Wen Jianyan paid no attention.
He just stared steadily at his face in the mirror.
In the old, slightly worn mirror, his facial features and skin were shrouded in a layer of bronze-colored light, slightly distorted by the curvature of the mirror, looking both familiar and strange.
“……”
Wen Jianyan stared into his own eyes in the mirror. At that moment, an epiphany struck him, and he recalled the actions of the woman on TV earlier.
What was still missing?
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes and naturally reached out to the dressing table’s drawer.
With a “clatter,” the drawer that Zhang Yu had just tried to pull open with all his might but couldn’t budge now opened easily with hardly any effort.
Inside the drawer was a scarlet wooden comb.
Wen Jianyan reached out and picked up the wooden comb.
A clear system notification sounded in his ears.
[Ding! Congratulations to the anchor for obtaining a hidden item (ordinary) in the instance!]
[Collection progress 1/?]
The Hand of Guidance that had been activated twice in a row was pointing to the direction where the comb was located.
However, this wooden comb was just an ordinary item.
Which means it was not the source of the curse.
Wen Jianyan looked up and stared at his reflection in the mirror.
He sat quietly on the red stool in front of the dressing table, with no one else behind him reflected in the mirror, holding the red comb in his hand.
The next step was the final one.
Wen Jianyan raised his hand, his slender, pale fingers holding the scarlet comb, the stark contrast of colors glaring. Then, he lowered his hand and slowly combed his jet-black hair with the comb.
One stroke, another stroke, and another stroke.
The few people standing behind Wen Jianyan stared intently at the eerie scene before them. The silence was overwhelming, yet it made their backs shiver with a creeping fear of the unknown.
At this moment, Qi Qian’s gaze fell on the door behind them. He seemed to have suddenly noticed something, his brow furrowing sharply.
“Wait, who closed the door?”
As a seasoned anchor, he would never shut the door behind him completely, always leaving an escape route for himself in case of danger.
The others exchanged glances and shook their heads.
They had the same habit and wouldn’t do something so reckless.
Moreover, no one had heard the sound of the door closing just now.
Qi Qian’s frown deepened.
At this moment, Wen Jianyan, sitting in front of the mirror, suddenly paused, his pupils contracting sharply!
He saw…
His reflection in the mirror suddenly pulled up the corners of his mouth and smiled.
In the mirror, Wen Jianyan’s face twisted like melting wax, his mouth curling into a creepy smile as he looked at the real Wen Jianyan.
“!!”
Wen Jianyan’s hair stood on end, a cold sweat pouring down his back. With sheer willpower, he forced down a scream that had risen to his throat.
Just then, a woman’s voice sounded from behind:
“Something’s wrong.”
Her tone was extremely serious.
Even without activating her ability, the sensitivity of a medium was still there.
Everyone immediately became alert.
A door closing without warning, the medium’s warning… all the clues together gave them an extremely ominous feeling.
Could it be…
“Tap, tap, tap.”
Stiff footsteps echoed from the darkness, the lamp inside the lampshade flickering wildly, casting jumping shadows that vaguely illuminated a nearby figure.
“Damn! That female corpse has invaded the real world!” An Xin’s pupils contracted, and he hurriedly said, “Quick, prepare for battle—”
“No.”
Wen Jianyan stood up from the red stool, turned his head towards the direction of the footsteps, and said slowly, “It’s us who have arrived.”
The door in the real world was open.
In the mirror world, it was closed.
And—
“Tap, tap, tap.”
Accompanied by the sound of footsteps, they watched in shock as a stiff, red-dressed female corpse emerged from the darkness, walking forward with the exact same gait they remembered.
She appeared so eerie and terrifying, with an oppressive aura that made their souls tremble and their hairs stand on end.
The darkness shrouded her face, making it hard to see clearly, but from the hand at her side, it was clear…
The female corpse was facing them.
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