Chapter 1 The Haunting Shadow

Even more chilling was the lingering smile on Yao Shunyu's pale face, as if, just like Luo Yunshan had said, he was living a beautiful dream from which he would never awaken.

Jiang Cheng had seen similar scenes before, but this time it felt especially eerie. He subconsciously thought of the Joyful Pavilion located deep in the mountains.

Yao Shunyu... very likely died in that building.

Looking at his phone screen, Number 13 felt an ominous premonition creeping between his brows. "What a terrifying way to kill someone. It's somewhat similar to Number 3's ability, but much stronger."

At least in everyone's memory, Number 3 could never weave such a massive and terrifying dream, let alone travel thousands of miles to lure someone into a dream and kill them within it.

"Any other discoveries?" Jiang Cheng asked Luo Yunshan. "In the time frame of Yao Shunyu's death, did anyone nearby hear any strange sounds? Like static on a radio, or..." Jiang Cheng paused, lowering his voice, "the noise of musical instruments?"

Luo Yunshan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Probably not. The soundproofing in his room wasn't very good. We asked the tenants living nearby, and no one heard anything strange, but it's possible they didn't pay attention."

"Also, we found security footage from the area. He hadn't come out since he checked in, and he checked in late at night, all by himself."

"How long was he planning to stay?"

"Just one night. He paid for one night. According to the landlord, when this person came to get the key, he mentioned that he would be leaving before dawn."

Jiang Cheng keenly sensed something was off, and his brow furrowed slightly. "Why would the landlord be so attentive to Yao Shunyu's affairs, when they only met once?"

Luo Yunshan nodded at Jiang Cheng, his tone a mix of praise and suspicion. "We thought of that too, but I can tell you, the landlord is not involved. The reason he paid so much attention to Yao Shunyu was simply because the latter's behavior was too strange."

"According to the landlord's recollection, this person checked in around midnight and seemed very nervous. He was sensitive to light, always standing in darker areas, and constantly turning to look behind him. The landlord asked if he was expecting friends to join him, and Yao Shunyu's expression instantly changed. He took the key and hurried away."

"He didn't seem short on money. The landlord showed him a few nicer rooms, but he wasn't interested at all, choosing only the most secluded one. The landlord was worried he wouldn't like the old facilities in the room, and offered to show him the room together so he could switch if he wasn't satisfied, but he refused."

Checking in at midnight and leaving before dawn, combined with Yao Shunyu's wary behavior, Jiang Cheng was certain that Yao Shunyu had sensed something and was fleeing from some pursuer.

But from the looks of it, he still failed.

Jiang Cheng recalled Li Bai's last phone call. Li Bai on the other end of the line also seemed to be running from something, filled with fear, unease, vigilance, and a helplessness that words couldn't describe. She said... the mission wasn't over yet.

"Do you know the whereabouts of the other person? Li Bai," Jiang Cheng asked.

Hearing Jiang Cheng mention Li Bai's name, a strange look appeared on Luo Yunshan's face, then he shook his head. "No. We followed the phone number you gave us and found the user of the number, but the person isn't called by that name, and doesn't know any Li Bai. It's a university professor, over 60 years old, and... and a man."

This sentence sent chills down Jiang Cheng's spine. It was as if overnight, everything had changed. Everyone closely connected to him was being eliminated in some incomprehensible way. Lin Wan'er had disappeared, Wu was missing, Yao Shunyu, who had come out of the mission with them, was dead, and Li Bai had vanished without a trace. Only Fatty remained by his side.

"What do we do next?"

Number 2 looked at Luo Yunshan. He had direct contact with the higher-ups, and the mission arrangements required him to take the lead.

"Rest well today. We need time to consolidate the information we've gathered from different sources. The people being transferred here are also on their way. If all goes well, we'll continue into the mountains tomorrow. The higher-ups have arranged for us to rescue Lin Wan'er and the others. Alive or dead, we need to find them," Luo Yunshan said.

Unexpectedly, Number 13 snorted coldly, retorting without any regard for politeness: "The higher-ups are really concerned about the whereabouts of those Frozen Disciples, aren't they?"

Luo Yunshan didn't avoid the question, directly admitting, "That's right. Those guys are too dangerous, and they're only one step away from being completely corrupted. Wherever they appear in any city, it will be a disaster. We can't afford that kind of loss."

Number 13 wanted to argue, but was stopped by the more rational Number 2. Number 2 turned to look at Luo Yunshan, speaking in a low but very formal tone. "Elder Luo, please convey to the higher-ups that the Scarlet Society will fully cooperate in this matter, with only one request: that any news, good or bad, be immediately communicated to us. We are willing to pay any price for it."

"I hope everything goes smoothly. Next time we enter the mountains, we'll find the missing people." Luo Yunshan sighed softly, then turned to look at Jiang Cheng. "You're special. The other side is influencing you through things within your door. Now I believe that you've really seen, and even been to that Joyful Pavilion. The scent of the incense pouch and the smell of wine on you don't lie."

"You must be careful. The degree of influence may become stronger, but there's only so much we can do. You'll have to rely more on yourself."

"I've personally selected a few reliable people, all disciples, to stay by your side during this time. I hope they can be of some help to you."

Luo Yunshan meant well, but Jiang Cheng decisively refused. "Thank you for your kindness, but I don't think it's necessary. How do the people you've chosen compare to him?" Jiang Cheng gestured with his eyes towards Number 2.

After a pause, Luo Yunshan exhaled. "Naturally, they are not as good as him."

"The other side's ability can affect the things within my door, and we can no longer deal with it using conventional methods. Having these people by my side will only create more variables," Jiang Cheng said frankly.

The conversation wasn't pleasant, but it was concise and effective. Luo Yunshan had other matters to attend to, so he left first. Before leaving, Jiang Cheng added Luo Yunshan's contact information and, by the way, got a picture of Yao Shunyu.

This time they were assigned to a better hotel in the town. Jiang Cheng and Fatty were still in one room, and Numbers 2 and 13 were next door. The people Luo Yunshan had arranged were also in position, but they were only responsible for the perimeter and the corridor. Perhaps Luo Yunshan had given special instructions, as they didn't bother Jiang Cheng and the others.

This time the room was larger, and the facilities were more convenient. Fatty seemed extremely tired, talking to Jiang Cheng on the bed and comforting him, but soon fell asleep himself.

Jiang Cheng was also very tired, but he couldn't sleep. Various fragmented and bizarre images kept swirling in his mind: the mountain village, the cave, the torch-bearing team, the cliff, the Joyful Pavilion...

But even more incomprehensible, and even frightening, was the elusive figure.

The figure had appeared twice already, and each appearance was accompanied by various omens. Most importantly, only he could see it. Could that person be the mastermind behind all of this, the master of the Joyful Pavilion?

Too much information flooded Jiang Cheng's mind, making it impossible to distinguish. And the rumors of Mount Xixie, that mysterious tomb... could the so-called Joyful Pavilion be... in a tomb?

The more Jiang Cheng thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He had personally seen those torch-bearing people walking into the canyon, their bodies gradually descending, disappearing little by little. The rumors of a ghostly banquet in the mountains had been around for a long time, which coincided with the scene he had seen in the illusion.

Illuminated night, singing and dancing in search of joyous banquets, jade necks, crimson lips, fox eyes, snow-deceiving and stunning faces. Those missing people had all been invited to the Joyful Pavilion to attend a ghost feast.

Recalling the extreme extravagance of the Joyful Pavilion, Jiang Cheng still felt lingering fear. That feeling, while extremely prosperous, was like a moon in the water, a flower in a mirror, making people feel unreal, easily shattered, like an exquisitely crafted paper figure. No matter how gorgeous the makeup, it gave a pale feeling.

Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng was eighty or ninety percent certain that the guests he had seen in the Joyful Pavilion, the dancers with their enchanting dances, the musicians playing their instruments with all their might, were not living people.

Beneath the seemingly prosperous atmosphere was a sinister deathly aura, like a tomb sealed for thousands of years, exuding an air of decay everywhere.

Jiang Cheng suddenly felt a chill all over his body. He even suspected that he had never left the Joyful Pavilion. The current him was actually in an ancient tomb, and everything before him was just a虚无illusion.

He wrapped himself tighter in his clothes, stood up, and planned to find a thick coat to wear. He remembered that the backpack Luo Yunshan provided had thick clothes and a blanket.

The backpack was lying on the floor behind the door. As he walked over and bent down, his eyes inadvertently swept over a small mirror hanging behind the door. The next moment, his whole body felt like he had been thrown into an ice cave.

Not far behind him, behind the curtains, stood a dark figure.

Jiang Cheng quickly turned around, assuming a defensive stance, staring intently at the position of the curtains. But he didn't see any dark figure. After a few seconds, Jiang Cheng adjusted his breathing and quickly turned his head to glance at the mirror. A scene that made his hair stand on end appeared: the dark figure was actually closer to him, pressed tightly behind the curtains. The bottom of the curtains was a few centimeters off the ground, revealing a pair of black shoes.

He subconsciously wanted to wake Fatty, but he didn't. The current situation was extremely bizarre. Waking Fatty would not only not help solve the problem, but would also drag Fatty into danger.

He was sure that as long as he didn't wake Fatty, then whatever happened later would be his own affair. The other side... the other side didn't seem interested in Fatty either, it was just there for him.

The other side's target was only himself.

If it was a blessing, it was not a curse; if it was a curse, it could not be avoided. There were so many experts near him, yet none of them had noticed the other side's arrival. This was enough to illustrate the problem.

But before acting, Jiang Cheng made a bold move. He turned on the phone camera, pointed the lens at the position of the curtains, then adjusted the angle and put down the phone. He cautiously walked towards the curtains alone.

Jiang Cheng had already considered that he might disappear next, so what he needed to do was leave as many clues as possible, at least to warn others.

He was getting closer and closer, the dark figure was still there, only a thin curtain separating them. Jiang Cheng held his breath and reached out to pull open the curtains.

Behind the curtains... was empty. There was nothing there.

Just as Jiang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, his breathing suddenly stopped, then he slowly lowered his head. A pair of footprints suddenly appeared on the floor under the curtains.

The footprints were wet and muddy, as if they had come from a mountain trek.

It was that guy!

There was no mistaking it!

He never thought the other side would haunt him so persistently, tracking him all the way here from the mountains.

Now that things had come to this, it would be a lie to say he wasn't afraid, but fear was useless. The immediate priority was to figure out the other side's purpose. From the previous times, the other side's appearance meant that something terrible was about to happen.

Like a harbinger of doom.

After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Cheng still didn't choose to wake Fatty. Looking at Fatty's sleeping face, Jiang Cheng felt very complicated. Wu had disappeared, and if something happened to him, then Fatty...

Sorting out his thoughts, Jiang Cheng retrieved his phone. He first checked the video he had just filmed. To his surprise, the video actually captured the dark figure, but it looked very unclear. The figure, height, and other details were indistinguishable, as if they had been blurred. The only thing clear in the picture was him, slowly walking over, then pulling open the curtains. The overall video was full of the sense of sight of a low-budget horror movie.

Then he steadied his mind, returned to the album, and found the saved photo of Yao Shunyu. A bold guess surfaced in his mind: since this dark figure was repeatedly approaching him, what about Yao Shunyu and Li Bai? Were their disappearances also related to this dark figure? Would this dark figure also appear in Yao Shunyu's photo?

Seeing the sleeping face in the photo, Jiang Cheng forced himself to shift his gaze, searching around the bed. Because the background in the photo was relatively dark, the search was more difficult. Jiang Cheng could only zoom in and carefully check. He originally thought there wouldn't be anything to find, but as he zoomed in on one area by the bed, Jiang Cheng's expression slowly changed. He moved closer to the screen. After a few seconds, Jiang Cheng's body suddenly froze, then began to tremble violently.

He didn't find the dark figure, but he accidentally found something else, no, that wasn't right, he recognized something else!

On the bedsheet of the bed Yao Shunyu was lying on, Jiang Cheng saw a flower, a very familiar flower. Although it was inconspicuous, Jiang Cheng noticed it. It was an orchid pattern, printed on the bed sheet, almost washed away.

The same pattern as on the bedsheet in the small inn he had stayed in before!