Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 115: Nightmare
Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were silent for a long time.
Since their entry into the Owl, this was the first time they had wavered in executing their task.
The Starving Ghost misunderstood their silence and forced a smile. “Uh, I understand. Don’t feel troubled. I’ll leave now.”
Without waiting for their response, he turned into a wisp of black mist and disappeared swiftly and cleanly.
Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were too late to react, left standing there by the Ghost Spring.
“What should we do?” Xu Wang asked Wu Sheng, feeling a bitter taste in his heart.
Wu Sheng smoothed his furrowed brows and said firmly, “I’ll listen to you.”
Xu Wang suddenly squatted down, sighed heavily, and cursed as if venting his frustration. “Who chose this damn task!”
Advisor Wu, who had made the decision to go to the left wing of the Western Courtyard in front of the Ghost Mansion for his team captain, wore an innocent face, pretending to have temporary amnesia.
“What would happen if we don’t poison?” Xu Wang asked, making up his mind and looking up.
Wu Sheng replied realistically, “We’ll fail the task.”
Xu Wang refused to give up. “But Lao Qian and Xiao Kuang haven’t found the badge yet.”
Wu Sheng pondered for a moment, then outlined a burden-free, beautiful future for his team captain. “If Lao Qian and Xiao Kuang can’t find the badge, and we wait for the badge without poisoning, ultimately letting other teams successfully submit their tasks first, then we won’t have wronged Xiao Hungry, nor Lao Qian and Xiao Kuang.”
Xu Wang wished to shake hands tightly with him. “I knew you would understand me…”
Wu Sheng squatted down with him. “Don’t frown. You’ll lose all your luck.” Although his words were teasing, his hand tenderly stroked Xu Wang’s head.
Xu Wang was surprised. “Since when do you believe in luck?”
Wu Sheng said helplessly, “Since you started looking so worried.”
Xu Wang: “……”
Wu Sheng: “Stop overthinking. Let’s just wait.”
Xu Wang: “I don’t want to harm Xiao Hungry, but I also don’t want Lao Qian and Xiao Kuang to fail. They must be desperately searching for the badge right now.”
Wu Sheng: “Then let’s pray that right after Lao Qian and Xiao Kuang find the badge, someone immediately submits their papers. The time difference shouldn’t be more than one second, so we won’t even have time to poison.”
Xu Wang: “Aren’t the details of your wish a bit too specific…”
……
Eastern Courtyard, the Underworld, Dream Ghost’s residence.
In the courtyard, a sweaty head flew in the front, followed by a disheveled male ghost.
Inside the house, Kuang Jinxin hid by the door, intensely controlling the severed hand, sweat beads forming on his nose.
After throwing several stationeries to no avail, Qian Ai finally used his last [(Illusory) Quit While You’re Ahead] to lure the Dream Ghost from the bed inside the house to the courtyard, initiating a “romantic chase” around the courtyard.
Under normal circumstances, the Dream Ghost wouldn’t easily leave its bed.
Unless the situation was special.
Like being lured away by [(Illusory) Quit While You’re Ahead], taking away the pillow and bedding.
When the bed was left with only a wooden plank, even a Bed Loving Ghost couldn’t withstand it.
Thus, the first step of the tactic, luring the ghost away from the mountain, was successful.
Unexpectedly, the Dream Ghost’s bed was enchanted with ghost magic, and no matter how the severed hand circled the bed, it couldn’t touch it!
Qian Ai didn’t know the specifics, only that he was running out of breath and his legs were about to break, with no movement inside the house!
He dared not shout to communicate, fearing the Dream Ghost would realize someone was still inside, so he could only call out to his partner through telepathy—Xiao Kuang, hurry up!
“Whoosh—”
The Dream Ghost leaped into the air and landed in front of Qian Ai, blocking his path.
Qian Ai immediately stood still, like countless times before, calmly controlling [(Illusion) Quit While You’re Ahead]. This illusory stationery, although mixed with some bitter memories, was truly handy to use. Regardless of what ghost magic the Dream Ghost used, whether it was the “Life-Claiming Long Hair” or “Heart-Plucking Ghost Claw”, all were absorbed by him, a perfect combination of defense and counterattack!
The Dream Ghost’s face was pale, and in its slender phoenix eyes, the base color was the pain of prolonged nightmares, but at the surface, it was full of murderous intent!
He didn’t speak, remaining gloomy and silent throughout.
Now, he stared at Qian Ai, and his severed hair, which had been cut off for the 101st time, fell to the ground as black silk.
Qian Ai put his hands on his hips, adjusted his breathing, and shook his head. “How many times has it been? Can’t you see, my defense is unsolvable? Be sensible, stay quiet, and give yourself and me a break, won’t you?”
At first, he was quite intimidated by the Dream Ghost, not daring to even look back while being chased. But as they fought, Qian Ai’s feelings towards the Dream Ghost subtly changed. Not to say they became friends, but at least he became more familiar and could exchange glances.
Unfortunately, the Dream Ghost was sparing with words.
“Ding—”
[Owl: Congratulations on finding 5/23 Ghost Mansion badge!]
The moment Qian Ai heard the ding, he was overjoyed, knowing without further prompts that Xiao Kuang had found the badge!
“Xiao Kuang, well done—” Qian Ai, nearly suffocated, finally could shout loudly!
Of course, he wasn’t foolish; after shouting, he turned to run, as per the strategy he and Xiao Kuang had set beforehand—grab the badge and run!
But just as he started, he felt darkness before his eyes.
It was the severed hair that had entangled his head!
Qian Ai immediately reached up to grab it, but the hair didn’t budge and even tightened more!
Qian Ai was horrified!
It was impossible. The previously severed hair, once cut, was cut. Its essence had been absorbed by the illusory stationery, and unless he wanted to counterattack, the severed hair couldn’t come back to life!
But now, the hair was like countless snakes, wrapping his head into a black mummy!
A few steps away, the Dream Ghost bowed his head, his eyes hidden in his hair. His slender figure looked so thin it was as if it could be blown away by the wind. But Qian Ai, looking closely through the remaining strands, saw his lips silently mouthing some ghost magic, just like the countless times he had attacked before!
Qian Ai immediately closed his eyes and summoned [Quit While You’re Ahead], but there was no response.
He finally realized the problem—the duration of [Quit While You’re Ahead] had ended!
The power of the stationery was too strong, so its duration was naturally short, and thus the Dream Ghost’s magic started to take effect!
Qian Ai had just sensed something wrong when his body, along with his head, was flung into the air by the hair, drawing a perfect arc at a high altitude and rapidly falling towards the roof of the Dream Ghost’s house!
Kuang Jinxin used four stationeries to break the ghost magic and allowed the severed hand to touch the badge. Just as he was about to slip out of the house, he heard a loud “bang” from above.
A huge hole was smashed into the roof, and Qian Ai crashed into the room, landing directly on the Dream Ghost’s bed!
“Qian Ge!” Kuang Jinxin’s heart tightened, and he immediately ran to the bed.
“Don’t come here—” Qian Ai shouted loudly, struggling to breathe but still sternly warning his teammate. “Don’t get on the bed!”
He couldn’t afford to have Kuang Jinxin get involved too.
Startled by the shout, Kuang Jinxin finally came to his senses, realizing he would be just delivering himself to the enemy, and immediately activated [(Defense) Lost in a Five-Mile Fog]!
Instantly, the entire courtyard of the Dream Ghost was enveloped in a thick fog. Inside the house and in the courtyard, everything was shrouded in white fog, obscuring people, ghosts, and houses, all in impenetrable mist!
The Dream Ghost, ready to enter the room, suddenly lost direction in the fog and couldn’t find his way home.
Kuang Jinxin stood still and silent, not making a sound, to avoid alerting the Dream Ghost.
He knew his defense stationery was only a temporary measure. To truly save Qian Ai, he had to get him off the bed!
But he had no idea about Qian Ai’s current condition. Since crashing into the room, Qian Ai had been silent, and Kuang Jinxin could only faintly hear rustling noises, as if someone was having a nightmare on the bed!
On the bed, Qian Ai was trapped in an endless nightmare.
But he didn’t realize it.
For Qian Ai, he just fell into the room, onto the bed, and then countless hands suddenly grew from both sides of the bed, clasping each other tightly like straps, immobilizing him completely!
“Let me go!” Qian Ai yelled but couldn’t hear his own voice!
Startled, he struggled fiercely, but suddenly another hand stretched out from under the head of the bed, covering his mouth and nose!
Qian Ai suffocated for a moment, trying to break free, but his entire body was immobile!
In the next moment, countless little ghosts crawled out from under the bed. The hands holding him were those of the little ghosts hiding under the bed!
The little ghosts had a green complexion, skinny and bony, emitting eerie laughter as they climbed onto his stomach and legs.
As they climbed on him, the hands that were holding Qian Ai naturally loosened.
Qian Ai knew he should immediately flip them over, but his body stiffened uncontrollably.
“Get… off…”
The little ghost stood on his chest, making it difficult for him to speak. Though he was obviously scolding, it sounded more like a plea.
The little ghost squatted on his chest, leaning close to his face, mockingly laughing, “Hehehe.”
Qian Ai was frantic, angry, and scared. His scalp felt like it was exploding, and his blood vessels were about to burst. He bit his own tongue hard and, amidst the severe pain, finally realized the anomaly—how could he see his own body!
His invisibility cloak shouldn’t have worn off so quickly… Qian Ai’s eyes widened in realization. This was a dream! A nightmare created by the Dream Ghost’s bed—a literal ghost pressing down* on him!
*Sleep paralysis (as explained before).
Whether he could use stationery in a dream, Qian Ai didn’t know.
But at the moment, he couldn’t think of a better way to escape!
Clenching his teeth, Qian Ai used his last ounce of strength to lift his arm and activated a stationery!
Instantly, all the little ghosts heard the sound from hell—
[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Ah, Dropped Money] on you~~]
With this reminder, all the little ghosts’ pockets, hidden linings, and secret compartments turned inside out, dropping gold ingots, silver bars, large copper coins, clinking and clattering all over the floor!
The little ghosts were shocked and terrified, their originally pale, ghostly faces twisting even more grotesquely. They all scrambled to the ground, frantically picking up the money!
Qian Ai felt a bit guilty, thinking that these were offerings burned for them by their living relatives.
In the face of money, the distinction between humans and ghosts vanishes, as they both share the same pain.
But in the face of survival, Qian Ai could only sympathize with the little ghosts for a second, then jumped off the bed and ran, shouting as he ran—
“Xiao Kuang, Xiao Kuang, Xiao Kuang—”
“Here, here, here. Wake up fast!”
Did he really call someone over?!
Qian Ai was surprised, but suddenly felt dizzy. When he opened his eyes again, he saw Kuang Jinxin standing by the bed, holding his head, and shaking it hard.
Qian Ai immediately jumped off the bed, not daring to touch it again!
Kuang Jinxin immediately dispersed the fog. Qian Ai’s shouting would definitely attract the Dream Ghost, so the fog was useless now!
Sure enough, as soon as the fog cleared, they saw the Dream Ghost already at the door.
It stood there motionless, looking at Qian Ai and then at the empty bed, tilting its head as if puzzled.
Qian Ai pulled Kuang Jinxin behind him, frowning at the Dream Ghost. “Do you always have the nightmare I just had on that bed?”
The Dream Ghost narrowed its eyes, gazing gloomily at him.
“You call that a nightmare?” Qian Ai sneered, then stood tall and proudly educated the Dream Ghost. “Let me tell you what a real nightmare is. Just two words—no money!”
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