Chapter 270: Seeing a Ghost

Su Shan was walking down the street with Lin Geng, Zhao Yisheng, and Han Yimo. They had originally planned to find some simple "Ren Ji" games but ended up stumbling upon a display screen by accident.

On the screen, there was just a single, isolated sentence.

"I heard the echo of the scapegoat."

Lin Geng felt that something wasn't quite right.

Although the screens from previous times also had isolated sentences, this one was different.

"Han Yimo…" Lin Geng turned back and said,

"You…"

"Hmm?" Han Yimo raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"You…" Lin Geng thought carefully about her wording before asking cautiously, "Aren't you 'afraid' in a place like this?"

Zhao Yisheng and Su Shan overheard their conversation and curiously looked over at them.

"Afraid?" Han Yimo pondered for a moment and said, "Well, yes… I was always very afraid before, but ever since Qi Xia appeared, my fear has gradually faded away."

"What…?" Lin Geng furrowed her brow slightly, "Are you saying that because you've witnessed Qi Xia's methods, you're no longer afraid of this place?"

"That's right." Han Yimo nodded, "Haven't you noticed? Qi Xia is the 'savior.' He'll lead us out of here."

Lin Geng looked at Han Yimo with a cold expression.

She knew this person had gone mad.

In the days before Qi Xia appeared, his mind had been tormented every day. Only by imagining this place as a novel world could he find some comfort.

But fortunately, he would soon be free.

Once he died before the "Hui Xiang," his lost rationality, spirit, and values would be restored.

In a way, this was also a form of redemption.

"Su Shan… where are we really going?" Zhao Yisheng asked the girl beside him.

"Just like Qi Xia said, let's go find some 'Ren Ji' games." Su Shan replied, "Based on the knowledge you've all shared with me, I feel that 'Ren Ji' games are a sure win."

"Oh…" Zhao Yisheng glanced at Su Shan with a sly look, "Good, good… I'll follow your lead."

The four of them had just confirmed their direction and were about to leave when they witnessed a very strange scene.

An elderly woman was leading a naked toddler, slowly walking along the roadside.

The old woman's steps were slow, her face covered in deep wrinkles like rugged gullies, and she wore very old-style clothing, as if from ancient times.

The little boy appeared to be three or four years old, dressed in a bright red belly band, with shiny gold bracelets on his hands and feet, and a tuft of hair styled on his forehead.

The four of them frowned as they saw this.

What was this…?

"Original inhabitants"?

Were there elderly women and children this young among the "Original inhabitants"?

Lin Geng found it very odd. She had been here for a long time and had never seen this kind of "participant."

Their ages didn't match the norms of the "Zhong Yan Zhi Di."

As the two approached, Lin Geng instinctively covered her mouth and nose with her hand.

It seemed like a strange smell had appeared.

"Oh yo…" The old woman saw the group and smiled kindly, her wrinkles becoming even deeper, as if carved into her face with a knife.

Lin Geng swallowed hard and unconsciously stepped back.

These two seemed a bit strange.

"Ma'am…" Although Su Shan felt curious, her understanding of this place was limited, so she struck up a conversation, "Do you need any help?"

"Little girl…" The old woman asked with a smile, "Have you heard it?"

"Heard…?"

"Yes, yes!" The old woman nodded vigorously, then released the child's hand and drew a circle in front of herself. She puckered her wrinkled lips and said,

"'Clang'! Such a loud sound! So big! It scared me to death!"

"You, you're talking about the 'bell sound'?"

"Oh yo… That's no ordinary 'bell sound'…" The old woman shook her head, "Didn't I make it clear? So loud! So shocking!"

"Su, Su Shan…" Lin Geng tugged at her clothes, "Don't talk to them anymore. Let's go."

Su Shan noticed that Lin Geng's voice was trembling.

Although she didn't understand what was going on, she nodded and turned to leave.

But as soon as the four turned around, the old woman was right in front of them again, this time even closer.

The rotten stench from the old woman's body now reached their noses.

She still puckered her wrinkled lips and said,

"Oh yo… What on earth is that thing? So loud! Right here! In this area!"

Only then did the group realize how extremely dangerous this old woman was.

With no way to retreat, Su Shan asked quietly,

"Ma'am… Are you looking for something?"

"Yes, yes!" The old woman nodded vigorously, "I'm looking for someone! Looking for a person!"

"Looking for someone…" Su Shan exchanged a meaningful glance with the others, then said to the old woman, "Ma'am… Why don't you tell me who you're looking for, and I'll help point you in the right direction?"

Lin Geng saw that Su Shan was already sweating.

"Direction?" The old woman looked at Su Shan in confusion, "It's this direction! Right here!"

Lin Geng stepped forward and said,

"You're saying the bell rang here, right?"

"Yes!" The old woman nodded happily, "I heard it on the bus! Who could it be?"

The four exchanged puzzled looks. This old woman was full of strangeness—what did she mean by "on the bus"? Did she come by bus?

And… she seemed to be looking for a "Hui Xiang" person. Could it be the "Ti Zui" from the screen?

Among them, only Lin Geng knew that "Ti Zui" was Chen Jun Nan.

Should she betray Chen Jun Nan directly?

Though he had the "Hui Xiang" and deserved to die…

But what exactly was this old woman?

At that moment, the child in the belly band walked over slowly and took the old woman's hand:

"They aren't talking. They seem silly."

"Silly?" The old woman looked at the four in confusion, "They don't seem silly…"

"Can I eat them? Is it okay?" the child asked with a grin.

This made the four of them feel a chill down their spines.

"Aren't you full from eating before we came down?" the old woman said puzzled, "We finally found someone to ask. Let's finish asking first, then eat."

"Ah…" The child showed a disappointed expression, "Can't eat them now…"

As they were at a standoff, they suddenly heard shouting from afar.

"Chen Jun Nan, you bastard, stop right there!"

They looked up to see a woman who looked like a shrew chasing after Chen Jun Nan.

Chen Jun Nan was running for his life, as if he'd seen a ghost.

But the next second, he spotted the old woman and the child from a distance, and his expression turned to one of pure terror.

Without a word, he changed direction and bolted away.

Qin Ding Dong was about to say something, but she also saw the old woman and the child. She shuddered and turned to follow Chen Jun Nan in flight.