In order to evade the lingering ghost near the supernatural bus, the group had no choice but to enter this dimly lit forest.
The forest contained a narrow path, winding and twisted, not too long, with the end visible at a glance.
At the end of the path stood an ancient mansion, seemingly abandoned for ages and rarely visited. Yet, hanging on its doorway were two red lanterns, glowing faintly red at this mont. From afar, they resembled a pair of eerie eyes, unsettling and strange.
The forest was incredibly silent, stepping into it felt like entering an entirely different world, giving rise to a feeling of unreality.
What puzzled people further was that the ghost appeared incapable of stepping into this area; it was inexplicably barred from the forest, and did not follow anyone inside. Moreover, even the supernatural raindrops outside avoided this forest, not a single drop fell here.
Because of this, a few passengers who otherwise might have been killed by the ghost unexpectedly survived, turning misfortune into fortune.
Yang Jian briefly observed the people who entered the forest at the mont; there were indeed quite a few.
Including the surviving Fourth Floor ssengers from before, there were nearly twenty people in total.
It seed that despite the bus stalling, the number of passengers killed by the ghost was not as high as imagined.
That made sense.
After all, those who boarded the supernatural bus were mostly ghost tars; although their powers varied greatly, they all possessed so degree of ability to protect themselves.
The danger had just begun, and they managed to escape into the forest quickly, significantly lowering the death rate.
Had it not been for this forest blocking the ghost's approach, most people would likely already be dead by now.
"I don't want to move forward anymore. I've decided to wait here in this forest until the supernatural bus restarts, and then figure out a way to rush back. If we continue forward and the bus leaves, there's a chance we'll be trapped here. Anyone willing to join ? I'm Wan Zhou, I possess the Ghost Domain, and can bring people onto the bus in the shortest ti."
A ghost tar nad Wan Zhou suddenly stopped at this mont, unwilling to delve deeper into the forest. He planned to temporarily seek refuge here and wait for an opportunity to return to the bus.
As soon as he said this, many others halted, looking at him in surprise.
"Are you serious?" Soone asked imdiately.
Wan Zhou replied, "Of course I am. Would I joke about this sort of thing? Besides, I need people to help fend off ghost attacks so there's no mishap when boarding the bus. Are you seriously planning to follow Yang Jian to that mansion? They have their own goals; I certainly don't share them."
After surviving the earlier peril, now that things felt slightly safer, so people began to change their plans.
Earlier, the intention was to follow Ghost Eye Yang Jian and find a way to survive. Now, upon further reflection, Wan Zhou's proposal seed much more pragmatic.
"Count in, I'll stay with you."
"I agree with your plan too."
A small team quickly ford, choosing to follow Wan Zhou's proposal.
In response.
No one paid attention.
After all, they were strangers; whatever soone wanted to do or wherever they intended to go was entirely their own decision. There was no obligation forcing them to head toward the mansion.
"Idiots."
Zhou Deng cast a glance, muttering this silently to himself.
Would this forest truly be safe?
Don't be so naive.
A place that even a ghost couldn't enter certainly harbors unimaginable terrors. The danger had yet to surface—nothing more.
Which is why staying long in this forest was absolutely not a wise choice; it was imperative to leave quickly.
Leading the way, Yang Jian refrained from using the Ghost Domain, even opting to close his ghost eye. During his earlier use of the Ghost Domain, he felt sothing in the forest was watching him—a deeply chilling sensation. He didn't want the ghost eye to wander unnecessarily, avoiding provoking entities best left undisturbed.
"Move quickly, we must leave this forest as soon as possible. This place is abnormal and lingering too long might invite trouble. Right now, the danger hasn't arisen yet, and this is an opportunity for us." He urged in a low voice.
Hearing this warning, Li Yang's pupils contracted slightly, and he instinctively quickened his pace.
Other ssengers, seeing Yang Jian hasten his steps, followed suit, afraid of lagging too far behind.
They reached the middle point of the forest.
Both ahead and behind were blackened, sparsely-leaved ancient trees. The trunks of these trees weren't thick, sowhat slender—but they were densely packed, standing as though deliberately arranged.
Furthermore, the forest was devoid of any bushes.
The ground was covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves and dead branches.
A thin mist perated the forest, resembling a veil of gloom, adding a cold, eerie atmosphere.
"Was the path deliberately cleared or sothing? Not a tree blocks the way, nor a single fallen branch marks the trail..." Yang Jian noted while rushing forward, continuing his observations.
"These trees aren't even species seen in daily life—dead yet not truly deceased."
There were so many irrational elents; he couldn't possibly count them all.
Even so, they hadn't encountered any dangers during their journey thus far.
At least, everyone walking along the path remained safe—no one t a grisly fate in this forest.
And so.
With tension mounting, Yang Jian finally erged from the forest onto a vast clearing. Ahead in the clearing stood a grand old mansion—the very eerie building seen earlier from the road.
"This is the place," he murmured.
Yang Jian pulled out a photograph for comparison.
In the photo was a woman seated on a red wooden bench, smiling faintly, with snow-white hands exposed.
No matter how one looked, she appeared an extraordinarily beautiful woman. Yet, upon closer inspection, her seemingly perfect smile carried an unnatural stiffness, and the placent of her hands and feet was strangely awkward—like a lovely doll, positioned at soone's whim before being photographed.
What caught Yang Jian's attention was the background.
The backdrop was a much newer mansion—traditional Chinese-style architecture, identical to the one before him. However, the mansion in the photo appeared newly constructed, whereas the one in front of him looked aged, as though abandoned for many years; even the paint on the gate was faded, leaving a grayish-white look.
"The photo was definitely taken here—there's no mistake," Yang Jian inhaled deeply, his nerves tightening.
Every clue pointed to this mansion, as though it was the epicenter of the supernatural activity.
Of course, it likely wasn't the root cause—more likely, it was deeply entangled with it.
Connections to the Ghost Post Office, Ghost Cabinet, and even the Ghost Painting all ran through this place.
"What kind of deranged mind would build such a mansion here? Back in the day, owning a place like this ant you were from a wealthy family."
Zhou Deng also exited the forest, gazing at the mansion with a hint of awe.
Yet, as he spoke, his focus lingered on the two red lanterns hanging from the doorway, an unmistakable intent to grab them.
This guy was eyeing the red lanterns.
He was tempted to take the two lanterns hanging on the mansion's entrance.
"Those are probably supernatural objects—red lanterns. I wonder what their use is."
Zhou Deng looked at Yang Jian, "How about splitting them? One for each of us. After all, with you here, I surely can't claim them all for myself."
Yang Jian replied coldly, "Don't act recklessly. disrupt the mansion's equilibrium, provoke a supernatural incident, and I'll hold you accountable. If you want those lanterns, wait until I leave—then take them at your leisure."
"Fair point. I'll wait until we're gone," Zhou Deng nodded, reluctantly averting his gaze.
"Captain, should we open the door and go inside?" Li Yang asked softly.
Yang Jian surveyed the surroundings, noting the enclosing walls and that there was no alternative route inside, except for climbing over the wall.
Despite this possibility, he felt climbing the wall would be reckless, like inviting catastrophe.
"Open the door; we'll enter through the front gate." He abandoned the thought of scaling the walls.
"Understood."
Li Yang promptly approached the aged, faded wooden door.
The sa door featured in Yang Jian's photograph.
Considering potential dangers behind the door, Li Yang seed the ideal choice to handle this.
"Don't use any supernatural power prematurely," Yang Jian cautioned.
"Got it." Li Yang reached out, touching the weathered wooden door.
Nothing unusual happened.
Applying so strength.
The door creaked and slowly swung open.
The door wasn't even locked—it had rely been shut casually, as if the mansion's owner had only stepped out montarily and intended to return soon.
As the door opened, the first thing revealed was a spirit screen, obstructing everyone's view.
"Stay close."
Yang Jian gripped his fractured long gun tightly and strode ahead, taking on the greatest risk himself.
Being the team captain, he felt it his responsibility to take the lead. He had no intention of forcing others to scout the way for him.
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