Unlike Zuo Qing, who couldn't hide her panic, Jiang Cheng's face showed almost no emotional fluctuation. He discovered the anomaly in Shi Liaozhi's footprints—his footprints were reversed.

Immediately, he connected it to the actions the fatty had made.

The little beggar walked backward while pointing at the ground, and what he wanted to hint at was this.

A ghost's feet are reversed.

Shi Liaozhi was indeed an impostor. The real Shi Liaozhi had long died in the attic. Jiang Cheng had always been puzzled about how Shi Liaozhi escaped, but now he finally had the answer.

After discovering the anomaly in the mirror, Zuo Qing subconsciously glanced at Shi Liaozhi's position. Unexpectedly, Shi Liaozhi seemed to sense something and suddenly turned his head, his eerie eyes devoid of any emotion.

"What are you... looking at me for?" Shi Liaozhi approached Zuo Qing step by step, the cold feeling emanating from him almost tangible, instilling fear from the bottom of her heart.

You Qi couldn't see Shi Liaozhi's face from where he was standing. He subconsciously wanted to mediate, but after taking a few steps, he felt a chill and involuntarily stopped.

Jiang Cheng retreated silently. Behind him was the window, and if necessary, he could jump out to escape.

Zuo Qing's face was pale as she watched Shi Liaozhi approach step by step.

Escape!

She had to escape!

But she needed a good enough reason, one that wouldn't anger the ghost, or she would die too.

Just then—

"Dong! Dong! Dong!" Someone knocked on the door.

The knocking was slow and not particularly forceful, but it seemed especially abrupt in the silent environment.

Shi Liaozhi was drawn by the knocking and actually stopped, slowly turning his head towards the door.

As he turned, Jiang Cheng looked at the door. In the dim moonlight, a figure was projected onto the paper door, but what made Jiang Cheng frown was that the figure was very bloated.

A chilling sensation exploded in his mind. It was so quiet at night, yet no one had heard the person's footsteps. Zuo Qing's slender fingers trembled incessantly, and something flashed rapidly in her pupils.

Could it be... could there be more than one ghost?

The more Zuo Qing thought about it, the more terrified she became. The escape plan she had just formed was now drowned in fear. She couldn't even be sure if what she was seeing was an illusion.

What if... what if Shi Liaozhi wasn't a ghost, and the anomaly she saw was just the ghost's trick to make her escape the room, while the real ghost was actually guarding outside the door?

The one outside... was the ghost.

Panic could greatly destroy a person's will. Even though Zuo Qing had received training, how could human strength contend with the fear that came from the depths of her heart?

She didn't have time; she had to make a decision quickly.

"Is... is anyone there?" A voice came from outside the door. Jiang Cheng frowned. It was actually the fatty's voice, but his voice sounded a little strange.

After a moment, not hearing a response, the fatty continued, "The middle-aged woman sent me, saying... saying that Young Master Huang has fallen ill again and needs... needs a doctor to see him." He paused and continued, "Please open the door for me."

The fatty's voice sounded very uncomfortable, as if it was being squeezed out of his throat little by little.

Hearing the fatty's voice, Shi Liaozhi, who had been staring at the door, suddenly retreated a few steps, his eyes filled with fear. After a few seconds, he lowered his voice and said, "Be careful, it might... might be a ghost."

Looking at the door, Zuo Qing also sized up the Shi Liaozhi in front of her, who had suddenly become normal. She seemed to be making a choice as well.

She wasn't a hesitant person, but this choice concerned life and death.

A figure flashed by. You Qi's eyes widened as he saw Jiang Cheng walk up and pull the door open.

Shi Liaozhi, who was standing next to Zuo Qing, reached out as if to stop him, but it was too late.

The door opened.

In the dim moonlight, the fatty stood in front of the door.

There was no one around, and the night was as silent as death.

The moment he saw the fatty clearly, You Qi felt a chill behind his head. He saw that the fatty was soaking wet, his lips were blue, and water was constantly dripping from his trouser legs, gathering into a small puddle on the ground.

The moment he saw the door open, the fatty's dim eyes lit up. "Mr. Hao..." the fatty said excitedly, "Please come with me. Young Master Huang has fallen ill again and needs a doctor..."

Jiang Cheng stared into the fatty's eyes, not speaking or moving.

The fatty seemed anxious. He reached out and grabbed Jiang Cheng's wrist, trying to pull him out, but Jiang Cheng stood straight and didn't budge.

At this moment, Shi Liaozhi also walked over, but he seemed very afraid of the fatty, so he merely劝d, "Mr. Hao, isn't it too late today? How about we go tomorrow... go tomorrow?"

The moment he saw Shi Liaozhi, the fatty's face became extremely ugly, the color gradually fading from his face, as if it had been coated with frost. He shook Jiang Cheng's hand, but in the end, he didn't let go.

"Mr. Hao." Staring into Jiang Cheng's eyes, after a moment, the fatty's slightly bluish-purple lips moved, "Be obedient..."

The next moment, Jiang Cheng no longer hesitated and stepped out of the room.

The fatty's eyes welled up with excitement, but he didn't dare to show it. Then, the two switched positions, and Jiang Cheng directly pulled the fatty away.

"I'll go see Young Master Huang's illness too," Zuo Qing said, as if she had been granted amnesty, and walked out of the room in a few steps.

Next was You Qi.

He was slow to react, but that didn't mean he was stupid. Besides, even a fool would know what to do at this moment. He didn't even dare to look at Shi Liaozhi and ran out directly, shouting at the people in front, "Wait for me, I... I'll go too!"

Now only Shi Liaozhi was left in the room. He stood blankly in front of the door, with no intention of leaving.

Gradually, a hint of resentment that couldn't be concealed formed in his eyes. He stared fixedly at the fatty's broad back, and then, the fourth drumbeat sounded.

The drumbeat came from the direction of the attic.

Shi Liaozhi's figure gradually became illusory, and finally, he disappeared abruptly.

"Hoo—" Chen Qiang, hiding in the forest not far away, let out a long sigh. At the same time, when he looked at the fatty, a special feeling also surfaced in his eyes.

An Xuan and Xia Meng were by his side. The few of them crouched down, hiding behind a dense thicket of bushes. From the outside, the concealment effect was very good.

Recalling the scene from not long ago, Chen Qiang still had lingering fears.

That bluish-purple, unblinking face was still replaying in his mind countless times.

The rotting corpse soaked under the red wooden boat... was Shi Liaozhi.

What Shi Liaozhi had encountered and why he had become like this was no longer known. The important thing was that he was dead.

And after his death, a ghost impersonated him and mixed into the room.

After realizing this, they immediately judged the way out of this play: leave the room, the farther the better. The ghost would kill the people who remained in the room at the last drumbeat.