Chapter 293: A Perfect Match!

Inside the master bathroom of the suite.

The moment Lu Yibei grasped the red thread connected to Jacob’s wrist, the wind outside suddenly intensified. The cold breeze of early winter, mixed with the psychic energy fluctuations of the haunting, howled past, gradually sapping the warmth from everyone’s bodies while bringing faint cries that seemed to echo from nowhere.

It was only then that Yang Yi and his group, previously frozen in fear by Jacob’s bizarre actions, snapped back to reality and retreated from the bathroom in panic. Though they couldn’t see the haunting floating outside the window, they could hear it…

They heard the cries carried by the wind, sharp and thin, like a dying stray cat, whimpering and drifting in the breeze. The cries caused a stinging pain at the points where they were connected to the red threads, a pain that quickly spread throughout their bodies, as if being scraped by knives, making them want to roll on the ground in agony.

Coupled with Jacob’s eerie behavior and his current unconscious state on the floor, any lingering doubts they had about Lu Yibei’s claim that the haunting game had indeed summoned a haunting were swiftly replaced by fear.

Their minds now were solely focused on escaping, indifferent to whether Lu Yibei could handle the haunting they couldn’t see.

In the blink of an eye, the master bedroom was left with only Lu Yibei, Du Sixian, and the unconscious Jacob on the floor.

Meanwhile, the haunting floating outside the window was gradually losing ground in the tug-of-war with Lu Yibei over the red thread.

Then, suddenly realizing something, it swung its sharp-clawed arms and severed the red thread connected to its abdomen, letting out a piercing, agonized scream before turning and flying into the night sky.

Lu Yibei, caught off guard by the sudden lack of resistance, stumbled forward. After steadying himself, he instinctively chased after it, reaching the windowsill. Seeing the twenty-story drop, his heart tightened, and he silently retreated.

Though he had barely mastered the technique of short-distance flight while practicing swordplay with Qing Ji in the Dream, he hadn’t yet had the chance to try it in reality. Besides, even short-distance flight required the premise of haunting transformation.

As the cries outside gradually faded, he looked at the haunting boy, now just a small black dot, and then at the dissipating red thread in his hand, his gaze sharpening.

Trying to escape?

In my grasp, you think you can get away?

You think you’re me?

He scoffed inwardly, turning to say something to Du Sixian, but she had already prepared in advance.

An Qing’s training of Du Sixian had some effect after all. Although she was momentarily stunned upon entering the bathroom and seeing the haunting outside the window, she quickly steadied her nerves upon realizing the haunting was preparing to flee. She suppressed her fear, calmed her mind, and took out the disposable psychic artifact used by The Midnight Watchers Society to track haunting psychic energy fluctuations-the Thousand Night Owl.

It was a palm-sized, white paper owl, adorned with gold dust, which upon closer inspection revealed intricate incantations. Legend had it that the Thousand Night Owl could track a haunting for up to a thousand and one nights, depending on the user’s psychic ability.

When Lu Yibei learned of the existence of such a thing, he was relieved that no one had carried such a disposable psychic artifact the night he devoured The Witch’s Egg. Otherwise, he, as the fugitive witch type haunting, would have been captured and possibly tried escaping the asylum a few times.

However, another reason no one carried the Thousand Night Owl at the time might have been simply because there wasn’t one available.

After all, these things were difficult to make, with limited allocations for each operator. Main operators received three per month, while proxy operators like Lu Yibei and non-main operators like Du Sixian received only one.

After Du Sixian infused psychic energy into the Thousand Night Owl, the golden incantations on the paper owl all lit up. When Lu Yibei approached and connected the broken red thread to the paper owl, it vibrated twice, accompanied by a sound like pages turning, and suddenly split into three.

Then, with a cry, one paper owl took flight, transforming into a slender white shadow that rapidly chased in the direction the haunting had fled.

The other two hovered in front of Lu Yibei and Du Sixian, their heads pointing in the direction of the fleeing paper owl, occasionally adjusting their angles.

Lu Yibei, holding the paper owl in both hands, infused it with more psychic energy to make it split further, then turned to Du Sixian, “I’m going after the haunting now. You stay here and deal with those three who ran away earlier, then notify the special task force guys. Once you’re done with the cleanup here, hurry over to support me.”

Pausing, Lu Yibei suddenly realized that chasing alone might be a bit reckless. To be safe, he added, “Oh, and tell them to be quick with the support. I might not be able to beat that thing. If they’re late, they’ll just have to help carry me to The Midnight Watchers Society’s welfare graveyard.”

Although my chances against a haunting with 0.7 times Ms. Rabbit’s strength are high, it’s always good to have a backup plan.

He thought to himself, turning and running out, grabbing the guitar case leaning against the doorway as he passed.

Thus, the clueless teenagers downstairs watched in confusion as the waiter who had won a lot of money fled with a large guitar case on his back, only realizing what had happened after a long while.

Du Sixian watched Lu Yibei leave, then quickly got up and headed to the adjacent small gym. After a few steps, she paused for a couple of seconds, tilting her head.

Does The Midnight Watchers Society really have a welfare graveyard? Why didn’t Qing-Jie mention it to me?

The thought flashed through her mind briefly before she collected her thoughts, turned the corner, and pushed open the door to the small gym.

“Squeak-!”

As she opened the door, seeing the scene inside, Du Sixian’s mouth twitched slightly.

Inside the small gym, five burly members of the special task force were cheerfully tying up Yang Yi’s small group with practiced knots.

In the corner beside them lay a boy who had come along for the free food and drinks, lying there quietly like a salted fish that had lost its dreams and been played with…

“Don’t move around. These knots are complicated. If tied wrong, it’ll hurt you later.”

“Hehehe, more work… Oh wait, it’s Operator Du…”

Du Sixian, “…”

Outside the Golden Sands Hotel, a taxi was parked.

“Bang-!”

With the sound of the car door closing, Zhang Shan watched the teenagers walking away arm in arm, rolling his eyes.

Young people these days!

Even though it was a party hosted by a friend of a friend’s friend, they shamelessly accepted the invitation and came along?

And not only did they come, but they also had the nerve to complain in the car about people being foolish and wealthy? Such thick skin!

Zhang Shan silently grumbled about the departing teenagers, shook his head, and restarted the car. He was about to leave the hotel and wander around, and if there was no business, he would head home early to start his livestream. Suddenly, the car door was pulled open.

He didn’t even see who opened the door and got into the back seat before hearing a calm, steady voice from behind, though it was a male voice, it carried a strangely familiar tone.

“Driver, let’s go!”

Zhang Shan paused, glanced back through the rearview mirror, and upon confirming that the passenger in the back seat was a boy and not someone with pink or white hair, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Hey there, young man, if you want me to drive, you’ll have to give me a destination, right? Or is your idea of ‘drive’ different from mine?”

“Let me clarify, with the nights getting longer, most of those places in Hua City are closed now. I don’t know where any are.”

Hearing Zhang Shan’s voice, Lu Yibei was taken aback, then observed his profile, his expression turning subtle.

In fact, he didn’t necessarily need to take a taxi to track the haunting boy. He had been debating whether to risk being photographed running at inhuman speed through the streets.

But as soon as he came downstairs, he saw the taxi parked outside and didn’t think twice before getting in, only to…

Encounter a familiar face.

What is this? Truly a fateful encounter!

If Zhang Shan were a beautiful, alluring older sister instead of a scruffy uncle, there might have been some side story development by now.

Lu Yibei thought to himself, sneaking a glance at the direction the paper owl pointed, and casually said, “Uncle, head southwest first. I’ll guide you as we go.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Shan furrowed his brow slightly. He had encountered passengers who only knew the general direction but not the specific location before, and there were even those who got in and told him to just drive straight.

However, before setting off, he suddenly caught sight of the guitar case beside Lu Yibei and thought of a very serious question.

“Young man, let me clarify first. I don’t go anywhere outside the city at night!”

Although the boy in the back seat seemed completely unrelated to the haunting girl who occasionally showed up, Zhang Shan felt uneasy whenever he saw a guitar case, almost developing PTSD.

“Don’t worry, we won’t go there.”

Probably not… Lu Yibei added in his mind.

With Lu Yibei’s assurance, Zhang Shan relaxed a bit, shifted gears, and started the car.

The taxi left the Golden Sands Hotel, driving along the deserted streets at night.

In the next few minutes, Lu Yibei transformed into a cold, reserved human GPS. With his guidance and Zhang Shan’s tacit cooperation, the car sped along like a mad dog unleashed, chasing the “scent” of its prey, moving faster and faster, getting closer and closer to the haunting, until it crossed half the city and reached the other side, near Fuchun Road.

Under the night sky, the streets lined with trees cast shadows, flanked by buildings with some age, scattered with a few points of light.

As they continued forward, the number of unoccupied buildings on either side of the street increased, surrounded by buildings with few residents, the surroundings grew quieter, with no insect sounds, the wind stopped here, and the light grew dimmer.

In the dark corners, small piles of garbage were stirred by nocturnal creatures, emitting a foul odor, and in unseen places, perhaps a pipe was leaking, faint sounds of water flowing could be heard.

Though this area seemed more “friendly” compared to notorious places like Shihekou High School or the southern suburb slaughterhouse, being in such an environment, coupled with the passenger behind who said nothing except to guide, Zhang Shan couldn’t help but feel a bit apprehensive.

“Hey, guy, do you believe there are hauntings in this city?”

Starting again, are you? Lu Yibei frowned slightly, calmly replying, “I believe.”

“Well…” Uncle Zhang Shan licked his dry lips and continued, “You see, this place is too deserted, the popularity declines, and when that happens, other things start to…”

“Are you suggesting there’s a haunting nearby?” Lu Yibei tilted his head.

“Maybe…” Uncle Zhang Shan said, “I’m just saying there might be, it’s just speculation.”

“Oh, since it’s just speculation, generally speaking, it doesn’t exist, right?” Lu Yibei nodded, “Uncle, please take a left at the next intersection.”

“Got it!”

Uncle Zhang Shan instinctively responded, skillfully turning the steering wheel, changing direction at the intersection, and then furrowed his brow.

“…”

Wait, why am I listening to him?

Wasn’t I trying to dissuade him just now?

Uncle Zhang Shan thought to himself, continuing to persuade Lu Yibei, “Guy, don’t be skeptical! Let me tell you, I’ve picked up several female ghosts before. That thing, dressed in white, with white hair, a face like a demon, and hands with nails as sharp as daggers.”

Lu Yibei, “…”

Has Uncle Zhang Shan picked up other hauntings besides me?

He can’t possibly be talking about me, can he? No way, no way?

Though it’s a bit embarrassing to admit, I think I’m quite cute after my haunting transformation!

Lu Yibei mused, pressing further, “And then?”

“And then…” Uncle Zhang Shan said, “Do you know where the female ghost asked me to take her? Shihekou High School!”

Lu Yibei, “…” Alright, confirmed, he’s talking about me!

“Do you know what Shihekou High School is? It’s…” Uncle Zhang Shan continued, but his words were cut short as his pupils shrank, and he slammed on the brakes.

“Screech-!”

The brake pads and tires screeched, producing a sound that made one’s teeth ache, accompanied by a puff of white smoke.

Caught off guard by the sudden stop, Lu Yibei bumped his head against the seat in front. Once he regained his senses and looked out the window, he understood why Uncle Zhang Shan had abruptly stopped.

Ahead lay an unfinished residential area, a building with only its shell completed, standing in the shadows like a giant corpse.

Such projects, abandoned due to a surge in hauntings, are not uncommon when the night stretches long. Lu Yibei often dealt with nightly haunting transformations in similar unfinished buildings within University Town.

The building’s perimeter fence was rusted and neglected, and the construction materials and various equipment piled up on the site were gradually turning into large, unmanageable waste.

On the building’s exterior walls, various phrases were spray-painted in red, seemingly left by disgruntled workers venting their frustrations after failed attempts to claim their wages.

“Give me back my hard-earned money!”

“Heartless developer, utterly immoral!”

“Kill, kill, kill! Die, die, die!”

The peeling, menacing graffiti, paired with the bright red paint, was strikingly eye-catching.

Lu Yibei glanced at the Paper Owl hidden in his pocket, noticing its light had dimmed, indicating the haunting it was tracking was within 500 meters.

His eyes, beginning to heat up slightly, further reminded him that the haunting might be even closer, lurking in the shadows.

Meanwhile, Uncle Zhang Shan, looking at the scene outside, calmed himself and weakly said, “Guy, I’m afraid I can only take you this far. Beyond here…”

Seeing Uncle Zhang Shan hesitate, Lu Yibei frowned, asking, “What do you mean? Is there a haunting legend here too?”

Although Jiang Li’s haunting directory contained detailed records of Hua City’s hauntings, the directory was updated three months ago and might not be as current as the information taxi drivers have.

Moreover, Lu Yibei had only skimmed through it once or twice and couldn’t recall every detail, so there might be some hauntings he missed.

“…”

What do you mean by “too”? Have you been to many places with hauntings?

Uncle Zhang Shan’s heart skipped a beat, sweat forming on his forehead.

Turns out, those carrying guitar cases aren’t good people!

Though this place hasn’t been associated with any haunting legends yet, he knew it had been abandoned for a year or two, and someone had reportedly died nearby during the New Year. In short, it’s not a good place!

“Guy, can you tell me what you’re really here for? I’m a bit uneasy.”

“Don’t worry, Uncle, I won’t harm you. I’m not a bad person,” Lu Yibei said calmly.

But I suspect you’re not human! Uncle Zhang Shan thought, but dared not say aloud.

Seeing Uncle Zhang Shan fall silent, Lu Yibei shook his head, pulled out his phone, and paid the fare using Uncle Zhang Shan’s favorite and most trusted method-scanning the QR code-then opened the car door and stepped out.

Uncle Zhang Shan sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel tightly, watching Lu Yibei walk several meters away. Driven by intense curiosity, he leaned out of the car window, shouting at his back, “Hey, guy, what are you really here for? Tell me!”

If you don’t tell me, I’ll definitely lose sleep tonight… Uncle Zhang Shan thought.

Hearing the call from behind, Lu Yibei frowned, silently unzipped the guitar case, and pulled out the Pure Lotus Sword, slightly tilting his face, catching Uncle Zhang Shan in his peripheral vision.

“I go forth to slay the demons!”

The line spoken by the Ancestors, used now for dramatic effect, isn’t too much, right? Lu Yibei thought.

In the distance, before the giant skeletal building, the young man stood with his sword.

A cold, handsome profile, eyes filled with melancholy, hair tousled by the wind, with the ancient Broken Sword in hand, his silhouette seemed to be the only thing left in view as he walked away.

Uncle Zhang Shan watched Lu Yibei’s retreating figure, his nostrils flaring, eyes gradually burning with intensity.

Why does this young man suddenly seem a bit handsome?

Perhaps… I could include him in my story?

Yes, a beautiful, fierce female ghost and a cold, handsome guy, hmm, perfect match, absolutely perfect!

In that moment, Zhang Shan felt his haunting story, with the addition of romance, had been elevated!

So…

Time to go!

Better hurry back and start writing!

Uncle Zhang Shan thought, skillfully turning the car around, shifting gears, and speeding away.