Chapter 284: The Giant Train

The night was deep, and the clouds obscured the moon.

On the outskirts of Hua City, near the West Train Station.

Autumn cicadas emitted weak, dying cries from unseen places.

Under the night sky, the entrance to the abandoned subway station stood silent, its old tin roof punctured with holes, sealed by tangled webs. Across the street, the train station lay in darkness.

Due to the severe haunting incident that led to the closure of the West Train Station, this subway station connecting the city center to the West Train Station ceased operations three or four years ago.

In front of the subway station entrance, the staircase leading down was blocked by disordered barricades, a rusty iron gate wrapped in chains, secured with a large lock and a metal sign reading “Service Suspended.”

Further down, beyond the iron gate, the stairs descended into a deep, consuming darkness.

“Tap-tap-tap-tap-!”

From afar, the light sound of shoes tapping against the stone pavement echoed.

A girl wearing a brown wool coat and round-toed leather shoes, leaning on a cane, accompanied by a maid carrying a suitcase, limped over and paused before the subway station.

“Ah-Hua.”

Jiang Li called softly, gesturing to Ah-Hua, who promptly handed her a pair of bolt cutters.

Gripping the cutters, Jiang Li bypassed the barricades and approached the iron gate, swiftly cutting through the chains.

Turning back to return the cutters, she noticed Ah-Hua staring at her with a peculiar expression.

“What is it, Ah-Hua?”

Ah-Hua adjusted her glasses, muttering, “Nothing, I just think you’ve gotten quite adept at breaking and entering, Miss, after spending so much time with that Lu Yibei.”

That little bastard has corrupted you… Ah-Hua thought.

Jiang Li tilted her head, puzzled, “Didn’t I often do this when investigating gambling games before?”

“But you used to hesitate a bit.”

Jiang Li’s lips parted slightly, silent for two seconds before saying, “You’re overthinking it. Let’s go inside and take a look.”

With a creaking sound that grated on the teeth, the dark red rust flaked off the iron gate, and the long-sealed subway station opened once more.

Jiang Li descended the stairs, with Ah-Hua pulling the suitcase close behind, their figures soon swallowed by the darkness.

In the aftermath of prosperity, the once unbearably crowded subway station seemed vast, like a giant maze, empty and desolate. Towering stone pillars cast large shadows on the ground, and the air was filled with the strange smell of dust and mold.

On the platform, the ground was polished terrazzo, reflecting an unknown source of dim light. The model on the advertisement lightbox against the wall had a face blurred and distorted by moisture, as if glaring with wide eyes and an open mouth.

Litter and paper scraps were scattered on the ground, among them lay a yellowed League of Legends S12 poster.

Its former owner might have been an “e-sports youth,” but unfortunately, that year’s competition was canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances.”

In the darkness, nocturnal creatures moved stealthily, fleeing with shrieks when caught in the pale beam of a flashlight.

Jiang Li watched the rats and bats retreat, nodding slightly, “Looks like this is the place.”

In abandoned underground structures like this, filth and decay are the norm; the absence of hauntings is abnormal.

And this subway station was clearly abnormal, indicating Jiang Li had come to the right place.

Here was one of the rumored entrances to the casino.

Years ago, when she first began investigating the gambling game, the first clue she received from the haunting at the Mahjong parlor pointed here.

But when she arrived, the subway station had already ceased operations, and the gambling game wasn’t something one could join casually.

The game required an invitation, and at that time, Jiang Li didn’t know how to obtain one.

Jiang Li, holding a flashlight, searched the subway station for a while before finally finding the lone ticket machine in a corner.

When the subway station ceased operations, all equipment and machinery had been removed, leaving only this solitary ticket machine, abandoned in the corner.

On the wall behind the dust-covered ticket machine was a crude graffiti.

The dark red graffiti looked like the work of a mischievous child, yet it possessed a strange allure, making it hard to look away.

Jiang Li retrieved the chip she had gotten from Lu Yibei from her jacket pocket and inserted it into the ticket machine. The chip fell inside without making a sound, as if it had dropped into another dimension.

The next moment, the long-idle ticket machine suddenly lit up without a power source, displaying a route that didn’t exist on Hua City’s map.

[Hua City Train Station (West) → Lanruo Inn Customs Shop → Cinnabar Pharmacy → Dream Come True Entertainment City

Time: 1:11-2:22

One-way fare: 3  Balance: 10

Purchase +[1]-ticket Confirm/Cancel]

Just as the haunting chat group indicated, everything from gambling to drugs was present… Jiang Li thought.

She stared at the ticket machine’s screen, her heart racing, breath slightly erratic, lost in thought for a moment before reaching out with a trembling hand to add the ticket quantity and click “Confirm.”

With a soft “beep,” the screen changed, and the ticket slot dispensed two black, gold-embossed, nameless travel cards.

Immediately, four white chips with the denomination “1” rolled out of the coin return, and Jiang Li picked them up, noticing they were significantly lighter than the white chips with the denomination “10.”

Although the starting capital was less, she could only begin with the slot machines requiring the least gambling funds, but having these was enough. Jiang Li thought fiercely, clutching the chips tightly.

Jiang Li had always had a question in her mind.

She couldn’t understand how the casino belonging to a haunting could brazenly shuttle between cities right under The Midnight Watchers Society’s nose.

After all, aside from the cities completely occupied by hauntings, the edges of every city under The Midnight Watchers Society’s jurisdiction were protected by barriers jointly set by three catastrophe-class psychics from the society’s headquarters.

Although these barriers couldn’t completely prevent individual hauntings from roaming between cities, they could prevent large-scale haunting migration events.

To a certain extent, they eliminated the possibility of hauntings using cities as bases to expand their territories through the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts.

Yet, under such circumstances, Dream Come True Entertainment City managed to accomplish the feat of changing cities for events every so often.

This was one of the reasons Jiang Li couldn’t find them for a long time, and why The Midnight Watchers Society knew of their existence, conducted several raids, but couldn’t eradicate them.

Jiang Li waited for a long time at the abandoned subway station, hoping to uncover the secret behind this.

However, when the train to Dream Come True Entertainment City arrived, she didn’t discern anything valuable…

At 1:06 AM, inside the abandoned subway station.

“Whoo-!”

A high-pitched sound suddenly echoed from the pitch-black tunnel, a sound so peculiar it seemed like someone was mimicking a steam whistle.

Immediately, a gust of wind howled from the tunnel, pouring a cold, deathly scent accumulated over years into the subway station.

Jiang Li and Ah-Hua stood side by side on the platform, gazing into the direction of the wind, their eyes deepening. The gust swept up the litter, swirling thick dust behind them.

Something was coming, and the psychic energy fluctuation in the subway station surged.

“Thump-thump-thump-thump-!”

Soon, heavy footsteps echoed from the tunnel, as if a large, elite army was sprinting along the tracks, but the pace was far faster than human.

The entire subway station trembled, dust falling from the ceiling.

Suddenly, a gust of foul wind swept through, and a pair of hands, several times larger than normal, emerged from the tunnel, followed closely by a massive head.

It was a haunting resembling a giant.

Its enormous head was covered in matted hair, long locks obscuring its face, its eyes as large as basins seemingly lacking eyelids, staring wide open, its huge mouth slightly ajar, revealing dark yellow fangs.

Its emaciated body was densely covered with muscular human legs, crawling along the tracks, causing vibrations.

Below its waist, countless crimson tendons spread out like webs, entwining the green train cars, as if fused together.

Inside the elongated train cars, dozens of passengers sat scattered, including a few psychics and hauntings, but mostly ordinary people.

Judging by their attire, there were wealthy merchants dressed in luxurious clothes, shabby homeless people with lethargic expressions, ordinary office workers, and even a few students in school uniforms.

It was impossible to tell at which station they would disembark.

Using a haunting with part of the Hundred-Armed Giant’s power to pull the train, what are they up to?

Moreover, these ordinary people dare to board the train upon seeing such a scene? Jiang Li wondered, then gently shook her head.

Ordinary people might see a different scene; hauntings of this level always have ways to deceive their eyes.

Jiang Li stared at the “train,” lost in thought, until a crisp sound of a whip cracking and a low haunting wail snapped her back to reality. She noticed a man wearing a top hat and white mask, dressed in a tailcoat, sitting on the giant haunting’s back.

There’s a suppressed psychic energy fluctuation-is he a psychic or a haunting? Jiang Li wondered, eyeing the man.

The “train” stopped, and the man stood up on the giant haunting’s back, removed his hat, and bowed slightly to Jiang Li, “It’s a pleasure to see you tonight, madam! Welcome aboard the Giant Train.”

“This train will depart in three minutes. Please bring your belongings and board in an orderly manner. Complimentary snacks, fruits, drinks, and various books are available on board for your enjoyment.”

“Lastly, I wish you a pleasant evening.”

With that, the man sat back down, gazing forward, waiting silently.

Meanwhile, on the green train cars, the crimson tendons wriggled, accompanied by a sticky, slippery sound, opening the door before Jiang Li.

Jiang Li steadied herself, glanced at the open door, then turned to Ah-Hua, speaking seriously, “Ah-Hua, are you sure you want to go with me? You can still leave now.”

“Miss, what are you saying? If it weren’t for Madam taking me in back then, I wouldn’t know where I’d be sold by traffickers. Since you returned, I’ve decided to follow you wherever you go,” Ah-Hua replied.

“…” Jiang Li was silent for a moment, then nodded, “Alright, let’s go.”

With that, the two boarded the train side by side.

As Jiang Li and Ah-Hua stepped onto the train, two shadows lurking by the door suddenly transformed into wisps of smoke, darting like lightning towards the platform, quickly vanishing into the pitch-black subway station.

The man seated on the giant haunting’s back watched the shadows depart with eyes hidden beneath his mask, furrowing his brow slightly before retracting his gaze, swinging his whip to drive the Giant Train forward.

Hauntings hitching a ride on Dream Come True Entertainment City’s train to cross The Midnight Watchers Society’s barriers and wreak havoc in cities were all too common; the man was unfazed and uninterested in dealing with them.

Besides, if they went down to cause trouble, it was the city’s The Midnight Watchers Society that would have headaches, not him. His duty was merely to drive the Giant Train.

The next morning, at Hua City University of Technology, inside the Liberal Arts Building, Lu Yibei was slumped over a desk, fast asleep.

He was utterly exhausted.

The previous night, he spent the first half meticulously studying Jiang Li’s haunting directory, familiarizing himself with the distribution of hauntings in Hua City, and the latter half learning sword techniques from Qing Ji in a dream.

He hadn’t slept a wink all night.

“Ding-!”

The bell for the big break rang, jolting Lu Yibei awake. He wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and stared blankly at the empty podium, lost in thought.

He had just had a nightmare, dreaming that Jiang Li lost all her money gambling and even put him up as a stake.

Ridiculous!

What relation do I have with her? Why would she use me as a bet!?

Even in a dream, that’s not allowed!

Lu Yibei thought angrily, slowly rising and heading toward the hallway. As he passed by Yang Yi and his group, he was drawn to their conversation and stopped.

“I’m telling you, that haunting game is really safe. Last night, a buddy in my chat group tried it, and nothing happened. Look, here are the photos he took.”

Yang Yi said, showing his phone to the group.

Having gone through two reviews and a bounty from the haunting chat group, Lu Yibei now felt uneasy whenever he heard the words “chat group,” sensing Yang Yi was dragging his buddies onto a path of self-destruction.

Moreover, putting the chat group aside.

Is there really a haunting game that’s safe?

Lu Yibei thought, craning his neck to take a look, and saw the eerie picture on Yang Yi’s phone screen.

The picture showed a crude, ugly doll with red thread sewn across its chest, stabbed with a fruit knife. The red thread seemed to have bled from soaking in water, spreading across its chest like blood from a knife wound.

The doll’s appearance alone was haunting enough to scare someone to death if hung outside at night.

“…”

Staring at the somewhat sinister photo, Lu Yibei fell silent, feeling a bit annoyed, and silently complained.

Luck really varies from person to person.

He encountered a flyer-distributing rabbit head on the roadside and hadn’t even taken the flyer before a series of misfortunes befell him.

Yet the person who made that creepy thing didn’t get into trouble-it’s just unfair!

As Lu Yibei pondered, ready to further study the picture on Yang Yi’s phone, a large, dark hand suddenly blocked his view.

“Yang Yi, that guy is sneaking a peek at your phone.”

The slightly awkward Chinese reached his ears, and Lu Yibei frowned slightly, looking towards the voice, seeing the dark face.

“…”

Darn black uncle!

With the foreign friend’s reminder, Yang Yi paused, looking at Lu Yibei with a peculiar expression, asking, “Lu Yibei, do you need something?”

“…” Lu Yibei was silent for two seconds, then, adhering to the principle of maintaining good relations among classmates, said expressionlessly, “I’m fine, but I think you’re about to have a problem.”

“What do you mean?” Yang Yi frowned.

“I see your cheeks are yellow, your forehead is dark…”

Yang Yi laughed, interrupting, “Haha, Lu Yibei, are you saying I’m about to have a bloody disaster? I didn’t know you could read faces.”

“Should I give you a reward for seeing calamity? Haha!”

“Is that so?” The nearby green tea sister, dressed provocatively, exclaimed, “Lu Yibei, can you read mine too? See if I’m about to get lucky.”

Lu Yibei, “…” Do you think I’m a blind fortune teller on the street? You want me to read you just because you ask? Did you pay?

“You…” He glanced at the bitch sister, “Wow! Impressive, your bones are quite peculiar-did you escape from a horror movie?”

“???” The bitch sister tilted her head, seemingly not understanding Lu Yibei’s words.

“As for you…” Lu Yibei pointed at Yang Yi, “I don’t actually know how to read faces. What I said earlier is what traditional Chinese medicine describes as symptoms of kidney yang deficiency and internal cold.”

“I suggest you get some herbal medicine to regulate it and go to bed early…”

As he spoke, Lu Yibei gestured towards Yang Yi’s phone.

“Stop messing around with these things, or you’ll end up… no, I mean, you’ll die from exhaustion!”

Yang Yi, “…”

This…

We’re all literature majors, but why does it feel like I can’t out-talk him?