Nightmare Apostle

Chapter 862: Chapter 629: Death Trial_2

But just as Yang Xiao poked his head out from under the covers, he realized something was off. Why had the room gone dark?

There were no candles in the bedroom, true, but there were some in the adjoining hall, watched over by Xiang Fengchen. How could...

As his eyes gradually adjusted, a chill ran through Yang Xiao as he realized something was wrong. The darkness in the room wasn’t just ordinary darkness; it was covered by a layer of strange grey fog, swirling continuously as if something was moving within it.

Why hadn’t anyone warned them about this happening?

Yang Xiao didn’t suspect Xiang Fengchen of foul play, or that he intended to kill him and the Director. He wasn’t that foolish. The lack of warning only meant one thing: Xiang Fengchen was either incapable or wasn’t allowed to intervene.

Either he had been taken down, or if he had tried to warn them, he would have been the one to die. Anyway, this was something Xiang Fengchen couldn’t handle.

If that was the case, then the situation was serious indeed, and Yang Xiao couldn’t understand it either. The mission had already concluded tonight, so what was going on?

The problem perhaps didn’t originate from their location. Yang Xiao quickly thought of Chang Chuchu. Could it be that she realized she didn’t have much longer to live and decided to jump into a trap, dragging everyone else down with her? But it wasn’t just Chang Chuchu in that house. Jiang Qingluan was also watching her, a very capable woman, both brave and strategic, who wouldn’t allow Chang Chuchu to act recklessly.

Fang Zhou was a newcomer but was emotionally stable. As for Lou Huixiang, he was just a bit selfish and not used to trusting teammates, but he wasn’t foolish enough to court death.

His thoughts raced, but it only took a moment. Yang Xiao smelled a hint of danger in the fog, a rancid scent mixed with blood, which reminded him of the Ancestor in the Sleeping Gold Pavilion.

He couldn’t just sit here waiting to die. He must take action. First, Yang Xiao ensured he had all his items—candles, Paper Money, and incense; everything was there. With his mind somewhat steadied, he tiptoed out of bed, trying to make no noise.

In this unclear situation, it would be foolish to light the candles or incense right away. Yang Xiao pricked up his ears, listening carefully.

There were no strange sounds, nor breathing noises. Yang Xiao moved slowly, pausing with each step, heading toward the bed he remembered Nalan Shuo was sleeping in.

He had to check on Nalan Shuo. In this mission, the only person he could truly trust was Director Nalan.

The few meters’ distance took him half a minute to walk. Visibility in the fog was extremely low, not even a meter. He saw the bed where Nalan Shuo was supposed to be sleeping, but it was empty, the covers tossed aside. Yang Xiao leaned closer but saw no signs of a violent struggle nor bloodstains, which somewhat relieved him.

He reached his hand inside the covers; it still retained some warmth, indicating that Director Nalan had also woken up not long ago.

But what puzzled Yang Xiao was why Nalan Shuo, upon waking, hadn’t sought him out immediately. Was there no time, or had he encountered some other trouble?

He quickly moved to Xiang Fengchen’s bed next. His covers were completely cold, indicating he had been gone for some time.

Yang Xiao speculated that perhaps Xiang Fengchen had ventured out during the night while they were asleep and had run into some trouble.

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. This old fellow liked to keep secrets to himself. Confident in his prowess and possessing the Divine Turtle Shell, and considering the mission was already completed tonight, it was possible he had some grand scheme in mind.

It’s known that the greater the risk taken on a mission, the better the Resentful Eye obtained. This time, the Resentful Eye might very well be the Divine Turtle Shell, an item of no great use to Yang Xiao, but for a Feng Shui Master like Xiang Fengchen, it was a tremendous temptation. One of the great regrets of Xiang Fengchen’s master before his death was that he had never laid eyes on this treasure.

After he mentally sifted through these thoughts and ideas about Xiang Fengchen and his master, Yang Xiao held his breath and started walking towards the bedroom door. It was at this moment he suddenly heard a very faint "creak" nearby, as if a heavy object was leaning on something. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Yang Xiao immediately stopped in his tracks, listening intently, but then the sound vanished.

Without further hesitation, Yang Xiao took out the remaining piece of Life Burning Incense and a Fire Starter, placing them together close to his chest for easy access.

"Tap."

Yang Xiao was stunned for a moment.

"Tap."

Another sound came, this time seemingly from the direction of Nalan Shuo’s bed, as if something had stepped down from the bed, first one foot hitting the floor, followed by the second.

If it had come from Xiang Fengchen’s direction, Yang Xiao wouldn’t have minded, but it was different with Nalan Shuo; this matter could very well be related to the Director’s life or death.

Rustle rustle...

Simultaneously, from another direction, approximately the hall, a similar subtle noise emerged, as if something was carefully moving.

The two noises were almost sequentially made, trapping Yang Xiao here, with no choice but to retreat to his own bed, and once caught in a pincer attack, there would be no chance left.

Taking out the Life Burning Incense and Fire Starter, Yang Xiao brought the tip of the incense near the Fire Starter, ready to light it at any moment. He decided to take a risk; he stood still to observe the situation first. The thing in the hall continued moving towards him, whereas the activity near Nalan Shuo’s bed had ceased.

With determination, Yang Xiao headed towards Nalan Shuo’s bed. As he approached, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from behind him, and almost instantly, a large hand covered his mouth from behind while another controlled the elbow he had instinctively raised.

Relying on the familiarity the other had with his moves, Yang Xiao could almost assert that this person was undoubtedly Nalan Shuo, and he didn’t believe that his Director would be killed so easily. freewebnøvel.coɱ

Nalan Shuo didn’t explain but turned and walked away, Yang Xiao quietly followed behind him, now able to see Nalan Shuo’s back.

The two moved slowly, taking more than a dozen steps, and at this moment Yang Xiao’s unease grew. This bedroom wasn’t that large; they had walked more than a dozen steps without hitting a wall, nor seeing a door or a bed, what kind of bedroom was this?

Yang Xiao cursed inwardly, something was wrong with this place. He quickly deduced that the ghost couldn’t kill in the bedroom and could only twist the environment here to take him somewhere else.

Simultaneously, rustling noises emerged again from the direction of the hall, and this time it was chasing after them.

Realizing this might be his last chance, Yang Xiao pretended to comply, following the other’s steps faster and faster, then suddenly pushed the other person hard. As "Nalan Shuo" fell and involuntarily turned halfway, Yang Xiao saw a horrifying scene.

This person wasn’t Nalan Shuo at all – that thing had a twisted, ferocious female face, with wet, disheveled hair sticking to the face, somewhat familiar.

In an instant, a figure flashed into Yang Xiao’s mind like lightning; he had seen this face tonight, in the utility room on the first floor of Sleeping Gold Pavilion.

That ghost substitute, marked as human flesh by Jiang Qingluan, leaving behind a Blood Map clue, which he was tasked to resolve with cremation ashes!

Yes, it was her, Yang Xiao remembered clearly, that ghost maid standing rigidly at the corner of the table with deformed small feet!

What’s going on?

Wasn’t she already dealt with?

How... how did she find her way here?