Translator: CinderTL
"Doctor," Fatty said suddenly, as if struck by a revelation, "I think I understand now. We're trapped because of that ghost. And that ghost's ability has a casting range. As long as we get far enough away from it, we can escape."
This was obvious, so Jiang Cheng ignored him.
"Those people are in trouble," Huai Yi said, gazing into the darkness where Luo He and the others had vanished.
"Not necessarily," Jiang Cheng replied. "If they're smart enough, they'll realize the problem as soon as they notice we've disappeared."
"They can split into groups again. After all, it seems the ghost is only targeting one person at a time, not everyone."
"Luo He?" Chen Qiang seemed to have reached the same conclusion, since he had received the first Ghost Call.
"It's probably him."
"I think we should hurry," Huai Yi said, his eyes fixed on the tunnel, not daring to look away for a moment, fearing the path would vanish again in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, Jiang Cheng and the others were only speculating. No one could guarantee the ghost wouldn't kill Luo He and the others first, then return for them.
It was best to leave as quickly as possible.
After what had just happened, Huai Yi had developed a psychological aversion to the tunnel.
As they entered the branching tunnel, a distinct sense of age washed over them.
The walls on either side were covered with marks left by tools, and patches of black, as if scorched by fire or scarred by explosions.
The deeper they went, the wider and taller the tunnel became, until they finally reached a vast space—a train station built entirely within the tunnel itself.
The station's footprint was enormous, hollowing out nearly the entire mountain.
For a moment, they even questioned whether the station had ever truly existed or was merely a product of temporal distortion.
The empty platform stood deserted, with no trains in sight, only a single track leading into the unknown darkness.
"Now... what do we do?" Pi Ruan asked, rubbing his arms. The cold wind, seemingly from nowhere, sent shivers down his spine.
"We've come this far. Let's go take a look," Jiang Cheng said, staring at the station.
Fatty's lips twitched. "What the hell do you mean, 'we've come this far'? This isn't a tourist trip. Judging by the doctor's words, we're supposed to bring back souvenirs too."
Hearing this, Chen Qiang hesitated before saying, "Shouldn't we wait a bit? Rushing in like this could trigger some danger."
"Staying here is more dangerous," Jiang Cheng replied, then strode toward the station.
After a moment's thought, Chen Qiang understood Jiang Cheng's meaning. This place, like the endless Ghost Wall they had encountered before, did not exist in the real world.
In other words, the Ghost Station's existence was also limited.
If they failed to board the Ghost Train on time, no one could predict the consequences.
As Chen Qiang took his first step, a sound suddenly echoed from the tunnel behind them.
Footsteps.
And it sounded like there were quite a few people.
Soon, a figure emerged from the tunnel. "Hello, everyone," Fu Fu said with a smile. "Little Earthworm, you're still alive? Damn, you're one lucky bastard!" She squinted at Pi Ruan.
Pi Ruan, upon seeing Fu Fu, reacted like a mouse confronted by a cat. "Holy shit, stay back! Are you human or a ghost?"
More people emerged from the tunnel one after another: Zhao Xingguo and his two subordinates. Finally, a face devoid of all desire appeared, and Jiang Cheng's eyes flickered with emotion.
It was Luo He.
He hadn't died.
Not only was he alive, but he looked remarkably well. Not a single scratch marred his skin, and he still clutched the black-covered book he never let go of.
Fatty Huai Yi craned his neck, peering down the tunnel they had come from. After a long while, no sixth person emerged.
Had they been ditched?
They speculated.
Or had someone already been killed and replaced?
Seeing everyone staring back at the tunnel, Luo He calmly said, "We ditched them. No need to worry."
"Ditched them?" Huai Yi asked curiously. "How did you do it?"
Zhao Xingguo and the others fell silent, all turning to Luo He with a mixture of wariness and a subtle hint of fear in their eyes.
Only Fu Fu, who had come with Luo He, tilted her head, her delicate features contrasting sharply with her crude and overbearing personality.
Luo He smiled and pulled out a phone from his pocket—the phone of the previous missing person.
The moment Jiang Cheng saw the phone, the slight frown on his face eased. He had probably figured out Luo He's method.
At the same time, he couldn't help but admire his ruthlessness.
"I made a call, and the ghost following us vanished," Luo He said casually.
After a moment's hesitation, Fatty asked, "It was that simple?"
"Yes, it was that simple."
"The Ghost that had been following us was Na Ruhu," Jiang Cheng said. "You called back the number he had called you from."
"That's right," Luo He didn't deny it. "I couldn't distinguish which Ghost had infiltrated our group. This one was peculiar; it could deceive our eyes and alter our perceptions—perhaps that was its ability."
"So, I had no choice but to call back Na Ruhu's number," Luo He explained. "Fortunately, the phone rang on the Ghost itself. Once exposed, the Ghost wall naturally collapsed."
Hearing Luo He's method, Fatty couldn't help but swallow hard. This guy looked harmless, but his methods were ruthless. If he had guessed wrong, it would have been Fatty who was doomed.
With a single glance, Jiang Cheng knew what was going through the fat man's mind. "It's not as miraculous as it sounds," Jiang Cheng said. "If you were in his shoes, you would have done the same. After all..." Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes, "...it was him the Ghost was targeting. Since there was no way out anyway, he might as well take a gamble."
"If he won, everyone would be happy. If he lost, he'd just reincarnate a bit sooner," Jiang Cheng said indifferently. "It would save him from suffering."
After hearing Jiang Cheng's words, Fatty suddenly felt that Luo He was nothing special.
Luo He, having been exposed, didn't get angry. He simply nodded calmly. "That's right."
As the ground began to tremble, a lamp flickered to life in the distant darkness, accompanied by a rumbling sound growing louder.
"The train's coming!" Linghu Yong announced.
Without needing to discuss it, everyone began sprinting toward the platform. Despite Pi Ruan's frail appearance, he ran faster than a dog.
But just as he was about to leap onto the platform, the scene before him sent a chill down his spine.
The waiting room door, which had been silent moments before, swung open.
One person, then two, then more and more emerged from the waiting room. They seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, without any prior warning.
There was a beautiful woman in a qipao, a well-dressed man wearing glasses, and many others in ragged clothes with numb, withered faces.
People from clearly different eras had gathered together at this eerie station.
With a blast of the train's whistle, the train slowly came to a halt.
"May 5th" was written on the front of the train.
(End of the Chapter)
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