As the eerie wind dissipated, the hall returned to stillness. Candles burned quietly, their flickering light casting dancing shadows across the room. The oppressive supernatural energy that had permeated the hall gradually dissipated.
Though Xie Lingxi and the others lacked the Nightwalker's supernatural intuition, they could sense through instinct that the hall had become safe again.
The Fire Fiend's gaze swept over them, his voice tinged with surprise and delight as he asked, "You're a Nightwalker? You're actually a Nightwalker!"
The fact that a mere reprimand had driven away the Vengeful Spirit made Wang Tai's profession self-evident.
"Is that so strange?" Zhang Yuanqing responded with a smile. "Jinshui Amusement Park has supernatural elements, so matching me with a Nightwalker is perfectly normal. Everyone, I can't guarantee the other attractions, but I can certainly protect you in the Haunted House—at least until we encounter the Ghost Bride."
The four teammates exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with relief.
They hadn't expected to have such a rare profession in their group.
In a Supernatural Dungeon teeming with ghosts and monsters, having a Nightwalker as their guardian was more reliable than most items. After all, Nightwalkers were specialists in this domain.
Suddenly, the team's gaze toward Zhang Yuanqing was filled with newfound reliance.
"We only have an hour," Zhang Yuanqing said, his eyes scanning the hall. "Let's not waste time. Check for clues." Thanks to his night vision, he quickly spotted the offering table behind the grand master's chair.
Zhang Yuanqing walked over to the table and picked up the red paper lying beneath the blue-and-white porcelain plate filled with peanuts and longans. He held it up in the candlelight to read:
[ Bridal Gifts: Weighing Scale, Gold Hairpin, Medicinal Wine, Wedding Quilt. ]
The others crowded around to look.
Xie Lingxi pinched her chin, her bright eyes darting around as she said, "These aren't actually bridal gifts, but since the paper says so, we should probably find these four items and treat them as such."
Finding these four items would mean possessing the bridal gifts—and thus becoming the groom.
"What happens if we don't find them?" Great Sage, Heaven's Equal asked.
"Death, of course," Fire Fiend replied. "After we find the bridal gifts, will the Ghost Bride choose one of us?"
"Why choose just one?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. "Why not all of us in the bridal chamber?"
Seeing his teammates' blank stares, Zhang Yuanqing shrugged. "Just a joke to lighten the mood. You guys have no sense of humor."
His teammates' expressions remained unchanged.
Xishi rolled her eyes. Xie Lingxi continued, "The mission's outline is becoming clearer. In an hour, the Ghost Bride will choose her groom. The criteria for selection is possessing the bridal gifts, so we need to find these four items within this mansion."
"But whether the chosen 'lucky' one gains a chance at survival or is doomed to die—that remains unknown."
The Fire Fiend sized up the young girl. "You really don't remember any of the guide content?"
Her analysis was remarkably coherent.
Xie Lingxi pouted, feigning hurt. "I really don't know."
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the team's numbers, a chill running down his spine.
Following the current clues, two outcomes were possible. First, finding all four betrothal gifts would be considered a team-wide success, after which they would simply await the Ghost Bride's favor.
Second, the four gifts might only guarantee survival for four individuals, leaving the rest to certain death.
The first scenario would be manageable, but if it were the second...
Zhang Yuanqing thought grimly:
"If it's the second scenario, the team will inevitably turn on each other by this stage of the instance. By then, the number of survivors might not even reach four. No wonder they didn't seal our items and skills—they're forcing us to slaughter each other. This S-rank instance truly is a gauntlet of death."
If that situation arose, how many team members would remain?
As the Captain, Zhang Yuanqing had a hidden quest requiring at least three survivors.
Moreover, the "groom selection" aspect served to manipulate minds, creating the illusion that only those chosen by the bride had a chance of survival. This cognitive bias reinforced the belief that the fortunate always receive preferential treatment.
Zhang Yuanqing was certain that anyone chosen by the Ghost Bride was doomed.
The reasoning was simple: first, that's how it worked in the old version; second, if only the chosen survived, the hidden quest would be pointless.
No matter how hard they tried, only one person would remain by the end.
What difference did it make whether they lost members along the way?
Of course, if the Ghost Bride turned out to be a fickle heartbreaker, that would change things.
While the Ghost Bride segment might only claim one life, the Haunted House segment posed far greater dangers. First, there was the risk of infighting within the team; second, the other Vengeful Spirits in the Haunted House acted as captains. This instance was truly brutal. If the final reward wasn't substantial, it would be absurd. Fortunately, I have the Demon Subduing Pestle, a divine artifact. Even facing the Ghost Bride directly wouldn't scare me. As he thought this, Zhang Yuanqing subconsciously glanced at his teammates, noticing their wary, calculating gazes—they had already begun to distrust each other.
No one was a fool.
Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat.
"Time is short. Let's find the betrothal gifts first. Everyone, stick close to me and don't split up. Ordinary Vengeful Spirits can't get near me."
In this situation, his words carried the most weight. The others still relied on his profession.
Immediately, the group skirted past the screen wall behind the main hall and entered the inner courtyard. Their eyes swept across the winding corridors, hung with red lanterns, their crimson candlelight casting eerie shadows of trees, flowerbeds, and artificial rockeries.
In the distance, arched doorways connected to other courtyards were faintly visible, and rows of single-ridged houses stood in orderly formation against the night sky.
The Ghost Bride really was the daughter of a wealthy family, Zhang Yuanqing mused inwardly. Judging by the scale of this estate, it must be at least a three-courtyard complex.
After surveying the layout, he turned to his companions and warned, "The yin energy here is extremely heavy. Stay close to me."
His words hung in the air, unfinished. He turned to find the space behind him utterly empty—not a single member of his team remained.
This is getting a bit terrifying, Zhang Yuanqing thought, taking a deep breath. Without pausing, he pressed onward.
He needed to find them quickly. None of his teammates were Nightwalkers, and though their skills and items weren't sealed, their means of dealing with Spectral Entities were limited. If they encountered a particularly tenacious Vengeful Spirit, they could die at any moment.
Crossing the garden, he spotted candlelight glowing faintly from a nearby house. The dim light filtered through the latticed windows, casting an eerie glow. All the other houses remained pitch-black.
Zhang Yuanqing cautiously entered the corridor, approaching the house. He focused his senses, detecting a chilling yin energy within, but no Vengeful Spirit lingered there.
He quietly slid open the latticed door, revealing the room's interior.
This appeared to be a woman's boudoir. A bed with lowered curtains stood to the east, a round table occupied the center, and a vanity table with a bronze mirror facing the doorway sat by the window.
A golden weighing rod lay silently before the vanity table.
Zhang Yuanqing stepped over the threshold, turned to close the door, and approached the vanity table. He picked up the golden rod, which was only half an arm's length and about as thick as his thumb.
This object was used to lift a bride's red veil, symbolizing "weighing the heart to find contentment."
"Not too difficult," Zhang Yuanqing thought. "Found it right away."
Just as he was about to leave the room, he heard a crackling sound. The Cat King Speaker in his pocket began to play:
"That day, she came to Jinshui Amusement Park..."
The unreliable device always seemed to blurt out its messages at the most inopportune moments. Hmm, what does it want to say? Considering it was part of the Amusement Park itself, perhaps it held some crucial information. Zhang Yuanqing's attention shifted to the Cat King Speaker, anticipating what it might reveal.
The Cat King Speaker didn't disappoint this time, continuing its broadcast:
"In the Haunted House, the spirit trembled, prostrating itself on the ground. The great being showed mercy to the weak Vengeful Spirit, instructing the Ghost Bride to find a young man named Primordial Heavenly Venerable!"
Zhang Yuanqing's mind went blank, as if struck by lightning, leaving him completely stunned.
Looking for me? Looking for me!
Who's looking for me? Why are they looking for me?
A wave of shock and confusion washed over him, but then he realized who it was.
The Goddess of Sandaoshan!
The official announcement from the Taiyi Sect mentioned a powerful boss causing the Spirit Realm's instability. The Jinshui Amusement Park's description said that after slumbering for ages, the being was astonished by the world's newfangled gadgets. These details all align with the Goddess of Sandaoshan.
I awakened her. She's looking for me because half of her Yang Soul is in the Demon Subduing Pestle. Can't that old hag just let me go? I'm still just a kid!
Zhang Yuanqing had always known that as he continued to level up, he would inevitably clash with the Goddess of Sandaoshan.
That was supposed to happen after he became a high-level Spirit Realm Walker, when he would use the Yang Soul within the Demon Subduing Pestle to make a deal with the Goddess.
He never imagined the Old Hag, with her far-reaching influence, could affect even low-level Spirit Realms.
"Damn it! I knew this mission couldn't be this simple. Now it seems that retrieving the Demon Subduing Pestle would expose my identity?"
The Goddess had sought him out precisely for the Demon Subduing Pestle.
"If this Spirit Realm has been influenced by the Goddess, the Old Hag will likely attack the moment I retrieve the Pestle. What would become of me then? It's uncertain whether the Spirit Realm's boss even has a Morality Value. What if it casually crushes me like an ant?"
After careful consideration, Zhang Yuanqing decided to conceal his identity and continue the mission without using the Demon Subduing Pestle.
Exposing himself could mean facing the terrifying Goddess of Sandaoshan directly, a situation fraught with too many uncertainties.
Continuing the mission, on the other hand, offered a chance to clear the Haunted House without incident. If he truly reached a desperate situation, retrieving the Demon Subduing Pestle wouldn't be too late.
Having weighed the pros and cons, he felt calmer. As he turned to leave, he suddenly saw the room door being pushed open in the bronze mirror.
Startled, he whirled around, only to find the door firmly shut, untouched.
What's going on? Zhang Yuanqing turned back, bewildered, his gaze returning to the bronze mirror. This time, his pupils constricted slightly.
A woman in a white dress appeared in the mirror, her hair disheveled. She stepped over the threshold and entered the room with an unnatural gait.
The room reflected in the mirror seemed different from the one he was in.
The white-dressed woman moved awkwardly to the vanity mirror and sat down.
At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing finally understood her strange posture: she was walking backward.
What followed would have terrified an ordinary person to death. The woman in the mirror raised her hand, detached her head, and cradled it in her arms.
Her skin was a ghastly blue-black, her long nails sharp and pitch-black.
As her dark hair fell away, the woman's face was revealed: a pair of chilling white eyes, a deathly pale complexion, and lips stained black. She stared fixedly into the mirror, as if gazing at Zhang Yuanqing from another world.
This female ghost has zero appeal, Zhang Yuanqing thought, quickly retreating toward the door.
But the disheveled hair in the mirror seemed to come alive, tendrils rising up and stabbing violently into the glass.
Ripples spread across the bronze mirror as strands of hair pierced through, wrapping around Zhang Yuanqing's wrists and torso, tightening relentlessly as if trying to drag him into the mirror.
"Hmph!"
A viscous black light surged in Zhang Yuanqing's eyes. He opened his mouth and inhaled deeply.
Soul Devouring!
This skill, which could suppress Vengeful Spirits, only slowed the hair's tightening. It couldn't devour the Female Ghost trapped within the mirror.
This Female Ghost was powerful, far beyond ordinary Vengeful Spirits. Zhang Yuanqing edged forward, his feet inching closer to the bronze mirror.
He frantically considered his options. The Demon Subduing Pestle should be a last resort. The Blade of Bloodlust was a physical weapon, useless against Spectral Entities. The Red Dancing Shoes' stomping attacks were also physical, ineffective against spirits.
After weighing his options, he decided: It's up to you, Little Goofball!
Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a wisp of yin energy, summoning Little Goofball.
"Aba!" The round, adorable Infant Spirit landed on the vanity table, stretching lazily. Then it saw the Female Ghost in the mirror.
In an instant, the Infant Spirit transformed into a hissing, bristling cat. With a speed no child its age should possess, it tumbled off the vanity table, scrambling behind Zhang Yuanqing and wailing in terror.
"Useless thing!" Zhang Yuanqing cursed. "Get over there!"
He transmitted the attack command to the Infant Spirit.
"Aba aba!"
Obedience was the nature of a Spectral Servant. The Infant Spirit arched its tiny eyebrows, let out two fierce cries, and clambered up Zhang Yuanqing's trouser leg, scaling his body until it reached his shoulder. With a final, desperate leap, its plump little body pierced through the bronze mirror and plastered itself onto the Female Ghost's face.
Zhang Yuanqing immediately calmed his emotions, transferred his consciousness into the Infant Spirit, and wrested control of the Female Ghost's senses.
The Female Ghost's sinister face went blank, as if her mind had suddenly vanished. Her deadly, wire-like hair lost its power and drooped limply.
Perfect!
Zhang Yuanqing immediately recalled Little Goofball, ordering it to perch on his head. He turned and fled.
The Infant Spirit's ability lasted only three seconds, but that was enough for him to escape the room.
Bursting through the door and leaping over the threshold, Zhang Yuanqing had just returned to the garden when he heard the door slam shut behind him. Glancing back, he saw the candlelight in the room had been extinguished, leaving it pitch-black.
A chilling wind swept through the inner courtyard, where numerous Vengeful Spirits lurked in the distance. They yearned for the Nightwalker's aura yet feared his oppressive power, daring not to approach.
I need to find them quickly. I can't let them all die.
Zhang Yuanqing swiftly left the garden, passed through an arched gate, and entered the adjacent courtyard. He soon spotted Xie Lingxi.
The young girl stood at the corner of the courtyard, leaning halfway into a water vat. Her hands gripped the rim as she struggled frantically, as if something inside the vat were pulling her down.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull herself free.
Gradually, her struggles grew weaker and weaker.
Zhang Yuanqing approached slowly, catching a whiff of alcohol. Peering into the vat, he saw a dark liquid swirling inside, and an Infant Spirit with its umbilical cord still attached. The cord was wrapped tightly around Xie Lingxi's neck, dragging her relentlessly underwater.
Zhang Yuanqing scooped up Little Goofball, ignoring its squirming, and tossed it into the vat.
Seeing a fellow spirit enter, the Infant Spirit immediately released its grip on Xie Lingxi's neck and bared its teeth at Little Goofball.
Zhang Yuanqing grabbed Xie Lingxi by the shoulders and yanked her out of the vat.
"Cough, cough..."
Xie Lingxi coughed violently, her face flushed crimson. Her wet bangs and sideburns clung to her forehead and cheeks.
After a dozen seconds, she finally caught her breath and recognized Zhang Yuanqing. Tears of relief streamed down her face.
"Brother Wang Tai, you came to save me! Waaah! I never want to go into another Spirit Realm related to the Nightwalker again! It was too, too terrifying!"
This was her first time entering an Instance with supernatural elements.
"How did you end up here?" Zhang Yuanqing's gaze remained fixed on the water vat.
Two Infant Spirits were locked in a fierce struggle within the wine, biting, clawing, and churning the dark liquid into rippling waves.
Xie Lingxi stood on tiptoe to peer into the vat. Remembering how much she had just drunk, she gagged dryly. "So disgusting! So disgusting!"
After venting her disgust, she finally answered Zhang Yuanqing's question:
"Brother Wang Tai, I followed you out of the main hall, but then a thick fog rolled in, and you all vanished. I started searching for you and somehow ended up here. I smelled the wine and traced the scent to this vat.
"I figured it was one of the betrothal gifts, so I lifted the wooden lid. But then a rope shot out and dragged me into the water!"
She stared at the umbilical cord-like Infant Spirits in the vat, recalling the liquid she had choked on. Her face paled to a ghastly white. "So disgusting! So disgusting!"
Zhang Yuanqing mentally calculated the time, then studied the girl. "You can hold your breath for quite a while."
Xie Lingxi shook her head, her voice soft and delicate. "I have an artifact that restores life force. Without it, I would have drowned in the vat long ago."
As she spoke, she raised her snow-white wrist, revealing a jade-green bracelet.
A bracelet that restores life force? Is this girl also a Wood Spirit? Her demeanor doesn't quite match, Zhang Yuanqing thought. He grunted in acknowledgment, paying little attention to the bracelet, and said:
"Come with me to find them. Let's hope we're not too late."
Xie Lingxi collected some of the liquid, while Zhang Yuanqing recalled Little Goofball, who had just experienced his first-ever fight with someone his own age. They followed the cobblestone path deeper into the estate.
"Oh, right, give me that card."
"Huh? What card?"
"Don't play dumb. The card you took from the parking lot. I saw you slip it into your back pocket."
"..."