Translator: CinderTL
"Alright, who's going to the Feng Family Mansion, and who's going to Crippled Liu's place?" Linghu Yong asked quickly.
"We'll go to the Feng Family Mansion," Luo He said, his voice as calm as ever. He looked at Jiang Cheng. "You two go to Crippled Liu's place to investigate. After you've gathered your information..."
Before he could finish, Jiang Cheng interrupted. "This time, the groups will be different from before." He turned to Zhao Xingguo and Linghu Yong. "You're too few in number. Even combined, the two teams only have four people. If something unexpected happens, you might be in danger."
"How about we split the six of us into two teams, and then each team can choose a location?" Jiang Cheng looked at them with a sincere expression, as if he were genuinely concerned for their safety. "Alright, that's settled. You choose."
Luo He and Zhao Xingguo weren't fools. They could see that Jiang Cheng was worried about them keeping the clues for themselves, so he was sending people to keep an eye on both sides.
But given the circumstances, neither Luo He nor Zhao Xingguo said anything. Only Fu Fu stared at Jiang Cheng for a long time with a strange expression before finally remaining silent.
Jiang Cheng continued to plan their next phase of action, completely ignoring Fu Fu's gaze as if he hadn't noticed it at all.
They agreed to rise at 2 AM sharp, without lighting any lamps, and gather in the living room in the dark.
Jiang Cheng, Fatty, Lin Wan'er, Zhao Xingguo, and Linghu Yong would form one team to investigate Crippled Liu's residence. The remaining members would form another team to investigate the Feng family's residence—specifically, the luxurious Western-style mansion.
After reviewing the plan for the early morning operation, everyone returned to their rooms to rest. Whether they could actually sleep was entirely up to them.
Zhao Xingguo and Linghu Yong, for instance, couldn't sleep. They sat on the sofa, gazing at Pan Du, who lay in bed, his body already indistinguishable from a corpse. A wave of melancholy washed over them.
This bizarre world was never a place for reason. One wrong step, and you might not even know how you died.
"Captain," Linghu Yong said, turning to look at Zhao Xingguo's profile. "Do you think Pan Du can still be saved?"
Zhao Xingguo took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "I don't know."
Linghu Yong's face clouded with sadness.
Suddenly, he felt a weight on his shoulder, as if a hand had landed there. He looked up to meet Zhao Xingguo's gaze.
"But only we can save Pan Du," Zhao Xingguo said, squeezing Linghu Yong's shoulder. "You should be able to feel it too—they don't want him to wake up."
"They suspect that the Pan Du who wakes up might not be the real Pan Du at all. He might even be a Ghost," Linghu Yong understood clearly.
He wasn't surprised. If this had happened to someone from another team, he would have thought the same thing.
Perhaps due to his experiences, Zhao Xingguo had an excellent memory. He vividly recalled what the Japanese woman named Yangzi had said not long ago.
After mentioning the Shinto shrine and the eerie Wishing Straw Man, Yangzi had made a strange remark: "The gods aren't always benevolent. If your performance in your dream doesn't please them, they'll trap you there forever. Worse still, they might even wear your clothes, dress up to look exactly like you, and then appear in your place to deceive others."
Now, thinking back, Na Ruhu's recent appearance bore a striking resemblance to this description.
Realizing this, Zhao Xingguo's expression shifted from mere anxiety to a deeper worry as he looked at the living dead Pan Du.
If he really wakes up, could it truly be Pan Du?
In the other room, the atmosphere was equally tense, but this anxiety was entirely one-sided, fueled by Fatty's own desires.
Lin Wan'er lay in bed while Jiang Cheng sat beside her with his eyes closed, resting.
"Doctor," Fatty asked, puzzled, "why did we give the Feng Family Mansion to them and go investigate Crippled Liu?"
In Fatty's view, since they had already confirmed Crippled Liu's suspicious nature, they should have shifted the risk to Luo He and his group.
Moreover, the supernatural events at the Feng Family Mansion were targeting the Feng family themselves, making the mansion the top priority.
Who knew? They might even uncover a connection between the Feng family and the May Train Incident within the mansion.
"It's not about letting or not letting," Jiang Cheng said casually. "We have people on both sides. If they find any clues at the Feng Family Mansion, we'll know too."
That made sense, but without seeing it firsthand, Fatty couldn't shake his unease.
Moreover, the Doctor seemed to be paying Crippled Liu an excessive amount of attention. Fatty suspected the Doctor had discovered something.
But no matter how he probed, the Doctor remained tight-lipped.
The hours stretched on, each one feeling like half a century.
After nightfall, Feng Manor fell eerily silent, as if dead. Only the occasional gust of wind reminded them that they were still alive.
At the appointed time, the doors of the four rooms opened almost simultaneously, and figures emerged, groping through the darkness.
They gently pushed their doors ajar, using the faint light to make out their surroundings.
"Time is of the essence. Let's move quickly," Zhao Xingguo's voice carried a hint of resolve.
The two teams split at the gate, slowly advancing toward their designated targets.
Luo He's group had a relatively smooth journey, as the Western-style mansion where the Feng family resided was prominently located. More importantly, the mansion was still lit at night, as if guiding them.
Hiding behind a tree, Huai Yi gazed at the mansion in the distance and swallowed nervously. "I don't know, but something feels off to me. Do you guys feel it too?"
He didn't need to say it; anyone could sense the abnormality.
A few lamps illuminated the entrance of the Feng Family Mansion, barely enough to light the area in front of the gate. But strangely, the mansion itself was pitch black.
While this could be explained by the late hour and the Feng family members having gone to sleep, the vast Western-style mansion stood completely dark, not a single light left on inside. From afar, it resembled a gigantic, upright coffin.
Staring at it for too long evoked an indescribable sense of abnormality.
"Stop waiting. Dawn will break soon," Pi Ruan said.
"Mr. Luo, before Mr. Jiang left, he specifically instructed me to seek your guidance in any situation, given your extensive experience here," Chen Qiang said, lowering his voice.
Luo He turned his gaze away from the mansion and glanced at Chen Qiang with interest. "If Mr. Jiang were here, what would he do?"
"Are you two finished yet? Why don't you keep exchanging pleasantries while I go inside first?" Fu Fu said, her face alight with eagerness.
She carried a massive black bag, seemingly made from some kind of animal hide, stuffed to the brim.
"Stay close to me and don't scatter. No matter what happens, keep your mouths shut," Luo He said in a low voice. "I have a feeling that if we disturb whoever is inside, something truly terrifying will occur."
(End of the Chapter)
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