Chapter 206 – Nightmare from Ten Thousand Years Ago – Did You Really Just Meet Today? (02)
When everyone chose to side with Bai Tang, Bi Xinzhi felt a little unsure of himself.
He knew his own limitations—aside from being familiar with architectural design, he wasn’t much help in other areas. He didn’t know anything about urban legends, and besides, these types of architectural zones on Lan Xing had long been phased out in the Age of Omniscience. He didn’t know much about Lan Xing’s old districts either.
Fortunately, there was still one girl who chose to stay by his side, which helped restore a bit of his confidence.
Bi Xinzhi glanced at Bai Tang’s group and said, “Don’t say we’re bullying you—go ahead and walk first.”
Qi Jiu let out a cold snort, having seen through Bi Xinzhi’s true nature. “Coward.”
“You—” Bi Xinzhi raised his hand, ready to hit him, but was stopped by Han Nian.
“Senior, let it go. No need to stoop to their level.”
Bi Xinzhi looked at Qi Jiu’s bulging muscles. If they fought, he’d definitely lose, so he accepted the excuse Han Nian offered to save face.
Before everyone lost consciousness earlier, the researchers had shared bits of information about what was inside the cube. Among them, Mu Quyan had learned the most—and knew how dangerous it could be.
He pulled Bai Tang aside and warned, “Stay close to me. If we get separated, find a safe place to hide—I’ll come find you.”
“Okay~” Bai Tang replied cheerfully and even took Mu Quyan’s hand proactively.
A rusty iron door was pushed open with an unpleasant screech.
They stepped inside to find a narrow alley, cluttered on both sides with debris, leaving just enough space for one person to pass through.
Mu Quyan pulled Bai Tang behind him and took the lead into the alley.
Bai Tang followed closely, their footsteps echoing through the silent old district with a clack, clack sound. Each step felt like it landed right on one’s heart—deeply unsettling.
Close behind them were Wei Kexin and Qi Jiu, with Qi Jiu walking behind Wei Kexin like a knight protecting her. Trailing behind were Bi Xinzhi and Han Nian.
They passed through the alley safely and reached its end, where the path split into two: an alley to the left and another to the right.
“Which way should we go?” Wei Kexin asked softly. Being a girl, she couldn’t help feeling anxious in a situation like this.
Bi Xinzhi let out a sneer. As expected, not one of them was reliable.
He stepped forward, glanced down both alleys, and said, “I’ll go right. You can do whatever you want.”
With that, he called for Han Nian and headed into the alley.
Han Nian glanced at them but said nothing. She simply turned and followed Bi Xinzhi.
At the corner on the left side, Bai Tang saw an old rag doll lying on the ground. As if compelled by some unseen force, he squatted down and picked it up.
The doll was filthy, with its left arm and right leg torn off, exposing sparse stuffing. Its two round, black eyes stared at him unblinkingly.
“Don’t pick up things like that…” Wei Kexin quickly knocked the doll out of Bai Tang’s hands.
“Wuu… wuuu…”
The moment the doll hit the ground, Bai Tang heard a faint, ghostly crying sound.
He looked up. The sky above the alley was completely obscured by a dense tangle of electric wires.
“Wuuu… wuuu…”
The crying grew clearer and more distinct. Bai Tang’s scalp tingled, and his palms began to sweat.
“Tang Tang… Tang Tang…” Mu Quyan noticed the sweat on Bai Tang’s palm. He looked over and saw that Bai Tang’s face had turned pale.
A wave of panic rose in Mu Quyan’s chest. He gently wiped the sweat from Bai Tang’s forehead and called out urgently, “Tang Tang, don’t scare me.”
Bai Tang snapped back to awareness—his mental link with the system had suddenly gone dead.
“Ah…”
He let out a startled cry, which sent the rats hiding in the shadows scurrying away.
“There—someone’s there.”
Suddenly cut off from the system and now seeing what looked like a woman’s figure deep in the alley to the left, Bai Tang’s voice trembled as he spoke.
Mu Quyan followed Bai Tang’s gaze and could just barely make out a silhouette passing by and vanishing around the corner.
He gently stroked Bai Tang’s back. “Don’t be scared. You’re amazing, Tang Tang. Let’s go take a look together, okay?”
The boy gave a small nod and gripped Mu Quyan’s hand tightly. With Qiu’er and Xiao A out of reach, only Mu Quyan was left by his side.
Perhaps affected by Bai Tang and Mu Quyan’s reaction, Wei Kexin also took Qi Jiu’s hand.
Qi Jiu patted the back of her hand. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Wei Kexin turned around and gave a pale smile. “Mm.”
The group headed into the alley on the left. At the end was a moss-covered wall, and the stone bricks beneath their feet seemed to cover a sewage drain—the air was filled with a nauseating stench.
They entered a building.
The stairwell was dim and narrow, and a few tables had been stacked in the hallway, blocking their path.
If they wanted to get through, they had to crawl under the tables.
Bai Tang crouched down and followed Mu Quyan through the narrow space. Suddenly, he felt something roll up against his hand. He reached for it and pressed a button—light beamed out ahead of them.
It was a flashlight.
The beam of light pushed back some of the darkness, easing the fear in everyone’s hearts.
Wei Kexin exclaimed excitedly, “Bai Tang, you’re amazing! Who said you were a burden? You’re clearly a lucky charm!”
“Congratulations, Host, on finding a nuclear-powered flashlight.”
Xiao A’s sudden voice startled Bai Tang.
“Xiao A, what happened just now? I couldn’t sense any of you.”
“Don’t worry, Host,” Xiao A replied. “While I was mapping the area, I encountered a magnetic field anomaly. After the explorers entered the old district, the Remnant Shadow was awakened. From now on, there will be many chances to encounter her.” Xiao A handed the map to Bai Tang.
Bai Tang’s eyes widened, struggling to process what Xiao A had said. Remnant Shadow… encounter—surely that didn’t mean they were going to be chased by that thing, right?
Bai Tang handed the flashlight to Mu Quyan. “Here. You take it.”
The rest of their journey went smoothly. They opened the door to the nearest home and began searching for anything useful inside.
Mu Quyan turned on the flashlight and aimed it at the ceiling. Though the small room wasn’t exactly bright, the beam was enough to make the surroundings clearly visible.
“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m sorry—will you forgive me just this once?” Mu Quyan said.
“Mm-hmm~ Just this once, okay?” Bai Tang replied.
Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside the door. Bai Tang thought it was the female lead and the others arriving.
This world was far too dangerous. Remembering how the female lead had started to turn dark after seeing the male lead with him, Bai Tang quickly pushed Mu Quyan away.
“Shh—”
Mu Quyan’s expression changed. He grabbed Bai Tang and crouched beside the bed, using the furniture to block them from the view of whoever was outside.
The person who entered was a woman. She wore a red dress and a red bucket hat—her appearance was gaudy and eye-catching.
She held a switchblade in her hand, and the sharp click as she flicked it open made their scalps tingle.
“Hehehe…”
The woman, still gripping the blade, walked into the room next door.
For safety, they remained where they were, planning to wait until she came back and left before moving again.
They waited a long time, but the woman never returned. There was no sound from the next room either.
“Xiao A, Qiu’er—who was that woman?” Bai Tang asked in his mind.
“That was a Remnant Shadow,” Xiao A replied. “It’s a being formed from intense resentment right before death. It usually won’t disappear until it fulfills the obsession it had in life.”
“Tang Tang, you really have to be careful! If a Remnant Shadow catches you, you’ll die,” Qiu’er said, trembling as she leaned against Xiao A.
“Did you two find anything?” Wei Kexin asked as she came over, swinging her flashlight while looking for Mu Quyan and Bai Tang.
“Huh? Did you see a woman just now?” Bai Tang asked in confusion.
“A woman? What woman? Qi Jiu, did you see anyone?” Wei Kexin turned to ask.
Qi Jiu shook his head. “No.”
“But I clearly saw her…” she went into your room.
Mu Quyan covered Bai Tang’s mouth, stopping him from finishing his sentence.
As long as no one got hurt, there was no need to say it out loud and scare the others. In this kind of space, if someone lost their mind or died, even if their body made it out, they’d still be ruined.
“Let’s make the most of our time,” Mu Quyan said. “Even though we’re connected via brainwaves and don’t feel hunger or fatigue in here, staying too long will strain our minds.”
“Oh, right.” Bai Tang took out the useful items he had found. “I found a few flashlights.”
He pulled them out—three in total. Combined with the one they picked up earlier, it was just enough for each of them to have one.
“Bai Tang really is a lucky charm—too lucky! Qi Jiu and I couldn’t find a thing,” Wei Kexin exclaimed, practically wanting to smother Bai Tang in kisses.
She thought it—and she did it.
Without warning, Wei Kexin threw her arms around Bai Tang and planted a big smooch on his soft, fair cheek.
Bai Tang was stunned. Mu Quyan and Qi Jiu were also momentarily frozen in shock.
“Let go of him! The female lead is being a perv! I haven’t even kissed Tang Tang yet…” Qiu’er, furious, pulled out a straw doll and turned to ask Xiao A, “What’s her name again, that female lead?”
Xiao A replied, “Emmm… I think you need to calm down.”
Mu Quyan’s expression darkened as he pulled Bai Tang back into his arms, using his sleeve to wipe the spot where Wei Kexin had kissed him.
“Miss Wei, please restrain yourself,” Mu Quyan said coldly, his tone as sharp and frigid as icicles in winter.
“I—I just thought Bai Tang was really cute…” Wei Kexin said awkwardly, brushing her hair behind her ear.
“Kexin, don’t cause trouble,” Qi Jiu said, clearly hinting at something between Mu Quyan and Bai Tang.
“I—I didn’t want her to kiss me, really!” Bai Tang hurriedly rubbed his cheek, and the right side of his face quickly turned red.
Mu Quyan gently took Bai Tang’s hand. “I know, it wasn’t your fault. Are you hurt, Tang Tang?”
Bai Tang shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt~”
Mu Quyan softly kissed Bai Tang’s blushing right cheek. Instantly, the boy’s left cheek turned pink too. His teardrop-laced lashes quivered, and his eyes drooped shyly.
Tang Tang was embarrassed.
Bai Tang had feelings for him too. Realizing this filled Mu Quyan with immense joy, and even made him see Wei Kexin and Qi Jiu in a slightly more favorable light.
Wei Kexin, who had been silently observing everything, finally noticed something strange between the two and asked a soul-piercing question: “You two… are you sure you just met today?”
Author’s Note:
A surprise update—shocked? Delighted?