Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 813: Chapter 606: Threat

Nalan Shuo seemed to realize something as his pupils abruptly contracted, and the Drowned Ghost that had been standing before him seemed to find a new target. It moved with stiff steps, slowly making its way towards the space behind Nalan Shuo, as the "pitter-patter" of its footsteps echoed in the silent courtyard.

A few seconds later, Nalan Shuo turned his head, and the scene he least wanted to see still unfolded— the door to their room opened.

Yang Xiao, his mouth full of fragrance, stood behind the door, with the hazy moonlight casting its glow on his face, giving the impression that light pulsed within his eyes.

For a moment, Nalan Shuo felt a sense of despair. Yang Xiao’s actions were equivalent to courting death. Brave, but unwise, as the ghost headed straight for him. Nalan Shuo knew full well the courage required to confront a ghost, yet Yang Xiao stood as solid as rock.

One step, two steps... The bloated ghost, advancing towards Yang Xiao, grew closer with every lumbering move. Just when there were only seven or eight steps left between them, something unexpected happened; with a loud "bang," Yang Xiao shut the door again.

Indeed, what followed matched Nalan Shuo’s prediction. The previous commotion had already attracted the ghost’s attention, so closing the door was utterly futile. The Drowned Ghost now had its sights set on Yang Xiao. It approached the closed door, stood erect for just a moment, then suddenly turned and walked along the wall to the other side, stopping between two images of the Ghost Gate God plastered on the wall.

It raised its pale, bloated hand and started to slap the wall repeatedly.

"Slap."

"Slap."

"Slap."

The sound of the wall being struck was like a death knell in the ears of Yang Xiao, who was hidden behind the door. He knew that door was unlikely to hold back the Drowned Ghost. Now, the most critical thing was to buy time.

Ten seconds, perhaps even less, Yang Xiao faintly sensed something amiss. The thudding grew louder and... it seemed the distance was closing in on him.

He struggled to accurately describe the sensation, as if the wall itself was gradually thinning, with the ghost inching its way into the room through some unknowable means.

"Can the ghost enter without going through the door?" Yang Xiao thought in shock.

"Slap."

"Slap."

"Slap."

The sound of slapping became clearer, and Yang Xiao finally realized; it wasn’t outside the door, it was inside the room!

Turning his head, in the dimness he witnessed a horrifying sight. At the place where the slapping sound had first emanated, something had soaked through the wall, leaving a vague, bloated human silhouette.

The soaked silhouette stood stiffly, its right hand raised, mimicking the action of slapping the wall, identical to the posture of the ghost outside!

"Slap."

"Slap."

With each slap, more water seeped through the handprint on the wall, further defining the wet human silhouette. Yang Xiao instantly understood; once the figure was fully formed, the ghost outside would enter!

Under immense pressure, Yang Xiao maintained his composure. He knew he couldn’t run. If he opened the door and fled, the ghost would certainly catch up and kill him. Not only would he fail to save Director Nalan, but it would also be a senseless death.

If there truly were no other means left, then he would rather die in this room, doing his utmost to buy time for the Director outside.

The worsening situation unfolded even faster than he had anticipated. Barely half a minute later, the candle flame on the table flickered for no apparent reason, and the next second, as if compressed by some invisible force, the flame’s color shifted from its bright orange to a sinister green.

The already dimly lit room grew even darker, and the temperature plummeted rapidly, with a fog seeming to spread from nowhere.

Without taking a breath, Yang Xiao could smell a rotten stench. It conjured in his mind the image of a body that had bloated beyond recognition after soaking in the icy well water, face down.

"Splash—"

"Splash—"

The sudden sound of water startled Yang Xiao to the core. He looked sharply towards another part of the room, the area where the fog was thickest. There he glimpsed a well emerging right beside the bed in the opposite bedroom—a well had inexplicably appeared!

Atop the well stood a wooden windlass crank, with a thick hemp rope dangling below. The rope creaked as it was pulled, accompanied by splashing sounds. Something was climbing out of the well along the rope!

At that moment, Yang Xiao’s subconscious screamed one thought: run, run immediately, open the door, flee anywhere but here, do not wait for death. He knew very well that once the entity from the well emerged, his fate would be sealed.

After all, if even Nalan Shuo and Xiang Fengchen were helpless against such an entity, he stood no chance at all in a face-to-face encounter—it was certain death.

But as he turned and eyed the door before him, he hesitated. More accurately, he regained his clarity. He didn’t dare to open the door, because he didn’t know if opening it would lead to a path of escape or... to facing a ghost.

The well, the sound of water, and the rope being tugged might all be a Blinding Technique. The real ghost might not have entered at all and could be waiting outside for him.

To open the door or not was a tough choice. A wrong decision meant death. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

Yang Xiao reached for the door several times, only to give up each time. He steeled his heart, deciding to stay and gamble. Since he couldn’t make up his mind, he’d prepare for the worst. Even if the ghost did appear in the room and killed him, it would be better than dying outside and causing trouble for Director Nalan.