Translator: CinderTL
A faint heartbeat stirred Chen Qiang's nerves. He hadn't expected Pan Du, who looked as good as dead, to still be alive.
Even more bizarrely, Pan Du's eyeballs suddenly twitched.
"Though he still has a heartbeat, he's completely unconscious," Linghu Yong said, watching him. "He doesn't respond to external stimuli."
"I know," Fatty said, staring at Pan Du on the bed and swallowing nervously. "Basically, he's a vegetable."
"But a vegetable's body temperature wouldn't be this low," Jiang Cheng said, withdrawing his hand. Even a brief touch had revealed a stark difference between their temperatures.
Based on Jiang Cheng's experience, Pan Du's body temperature resembled that of someone who had died only a few hours ago. Though still warm, it was significantly lower than that of a normal person.
"And look here," Jiang Cheng said, lifting Pan Du's shirt. The others could clearly see the purplish-red patches of cadaveric lividity already forming on his skin.
"Cadaveric lividity doesn't appear on living people," he continued.
"So is he alive or dead?" Fatty asked.
Before Jiang Cheng could answer, a calm voice spoke, "His body is dead, but his spirit is trapped elsewhere."
The man who spoke was Luo He. Whether it was an illusion or not, everyone felt a sudden sense of calm as his voice echoed through the room.
"So... he's still dead?" Pi Ruan seemed to share Fatty's confusion, clearly displeased with Luo He's cryptic answers.
"I don't know," Luo He replied, his gaze meeting Pi Ruan's. "But I think it depends on how quickly we resolve this supernatural event."
"If we act fast enough, before his body decomposes, there might still be a chance to revive him."
Luo He's demeanor was enigmatic, but one thing was clear: he held life in utter disregard.
Indeed, Pan Du was nothing more than a stranger to him—two people who had crossed paths at a specific moment in time, with no prior connection.
No one dwelled on his callous tone. What mattered was whether his words held any truth.
Zhao Xingguo pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Mr. Luo makes a valid point. Pan Du was in the room with us all night. If a ghost had attacked, there's no reason it would target only him."
"He was targeted deliberately. As for the reason..." He paused, then suddenly turned his gaze in a specific direction. "I suspect it has something to do with the altar."
The first scene they encountered where a ghost had attacked was the altar set up by the Taoist. The Taoist's corpse was still there.
"Did we touch something we shouldn't have in the altar, and that angered the ghost?" Pi Ruan whispered, glancing at Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng was deep in thought, trying to connect the dots. He dismissed Pi Ruan's question with a casual reply: "You could think of it that way."
Dawn broke, but staying cooped up in the room to ponder was pointless. They needed to go out and search for clues.
As for Pan Du, everyone agreed he should stay put. Since the ghost hadn't killed him on the spot, the chances of retribution later seemed slim. In other words, he would remain in his current state until the supernatural event concluded.
Not long after leaving the building, they followed the corridor and found a place that resembled a dining hall. Crippled Liu had led them past here earlier, so they recognized it.
The black wooden gate stood open, revealing a long table and several wooden benches inside, enough to seat a dozen people at once.
The dining hall was dimly lit and sparsely furnished. The table and floor were stained with years of accumulated grime. Some of the stains looked like dried bloodstains, while others appeared moldy.
This clearly wasn't where the Feng family ate. It looked more like a servants' mess hall.
A black pot sat on the long table, with mismatched bowls and chopsticks scattered haphazardly along its length.
Before they could get closer to examine it, a strange shuffling sound echoed from the depths of the mess hall. Then, a dark curtain was lifted, and a figure emerged, leaning heavily on a cane.
"You've come at just the right time. Sit down and eat," Crippled Liu called out. "I made porridge this morning. Make do with it."
He lifted the lid of the pot, and a rich, savory aroma instantly filled the room, permeating every corner with its enticing fragrance.
"It smells amazing!" someone exclaimed, swallowing hard.
"Damn, what is that?" Pi Ruan's eyes were glued to the black pot. Since arriving in this world, he hadn't eaten a thing.
To make matters worse, he hadn't eaten before entering this world either.
Fatty, however, seemed to have recognized the scent. His thick eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he said, "It smells... it smells like snake meat soup, but it's far too fragrant."
Hearing this, Fu Fu pouted. "Well, since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. Anyway, I'm starving. Do what you want."
With that, she walked over and sat down first. Crippled Liu immediately ladled her a full bowl of porridge, his wrinkled face turned toward her.
Luo He followed, and it was clear Zhao Xingguo wanted to stop him, but under Crippled Liu's gaze, he hesitated for a moment.
"She's right," Jiang Cheng said. "Since we're here, we should make the best of it. If someone wanted to poison us, it would be hard to avoid."
With Jiang Cheng's words, the others reluctantly walked over. But their attitude vanished after the first taste of the snake meat stew.
It was too delicious.
The group quickly finished the entire pot of snake meat stew. In the end, Pi Ruan claimed the pot and repeatedly scraped the bottom with a spoon.
It was hard to imagine what kind of delicacy would make someone of his status behave like that.
"I'm full," Fu Fu said, wiping her mouth with satisfaction and wearing a strange smile.
Jiang Cheng swallowed the last bite of his meal, put down his bowl and chopsticks, and asked Crippled Liu, who was clearing the table, "We'd like to take a walk around Feng Manor today. Is there anything we should be aware of?"
"The situation around here isn't peaceful," Crippled Liu said, his one eye open. "Everyone in town knows about what happened at the manor. If you insist on going out, remember not to mention you're from Feng Manor."
"And another thing," Crippled Liu's tone suddenly turned stern, his entire demeanor changing. His hunchback seemed to straighten slightly as he stared at Jiang Cheng and said solemnly, "Make sure you're back before nightfall."
"Is there some significance to that?" Pi Ruan asked timidly, seeing no one else respond.
"Once night falls, the manor gates close, and no matter who knocks, they won't open," Crippled Liu said, his gaze fixed on Pi Ruan. "No one can call open the gates of Feng Manor at night."
(End of the Chapter)
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