Translator: CinderTL
"Are you alright?" A voice spoke beside Jiang Cheng, carrying a faint fragrance. Lin Wan'er looked at him and asked.
Strangely, upon hearing Lin Wan'er's voice, the chaotic thoughts swirling in Jiang Cheng's mind instantly subsided, and even the throbbing pain in his head eased considerably.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and replied reassuringly, "Much better."
"Don't overthink things. Everything will work out," Lin Wan'er said with conviction. "Get some rest. We have a busy day ahead tomorrow."
Zhao Xingguo's death had bought them a temporary reprieve.
They had rented another room across the hall, which, though small, offered a good view. They needed to remain vigilant against the Feng Family's hired assassins.
Lin Wan'er led Jiang Cheng and Fatty to the new room.
Huai Yi had initially intended to follow, but Lin Wan'er made no move to include him. Moreover, he had just argued with Fu Fu and leaving now would make it seem like he was afraid of her.
Thinking this, Huai Yi, who had already stood up, defiantly sat back down.
Though Fu Fu seemed strange, they weren't alone here.
Pi Ruan was present too. If a fight broke out, he would have an ally.
Thinking this, Huai Yi's confidence surged. "Brother Pi Ruan," he said, generously patting the seat beside him. He seized the opportunity to glance sideways at Fu Fu, deliberately speaking loudly: "Come, let's sit together, just us!"
"Alright, alright," Pi Ruan said, grabbing his clothes and moving to sit beside Huai Yi. Together, they glared at Fu Fu with shared animosity.
But after a while, Huai Yi rubbed his arms, suddenly feeling a chill. "Why do I feel even less secure?" he swallowed hard, a strange thought suddenly popping into his mind.
It felt as though it wasn't Fu Fu who was isolated, but him.
The atmosphere in the other room was relatively more relaxed. This room was quite clean, with two simple wooden plank beds covered with two quilts that looked reasonably clean.
"We can't let our guard down today," Jiang Cheng said in a low voice. "Something's very strange about Feng Manor. I suspect the portrait is also problematic."
"Most importantly, the straw effigy that killed Zhao Xingguo is missing."
After hearing Jiang Cheng's words, Fatty swallowed nervously, his small eyes darting around the room. "Doctor, you're not saying the effigy came back with you, are you?"
After a moment of thought, Jiang Cheng shook his head. "I don't know. My mind is a mess right now, and there are still too many clues I can't make sense of."
"But one thing is certain: Crippled Liu is connected to the Ghost," Jiang Cheng recalled. "As we were leaving, we heard a strange shuffling sound near the ancestral hall. It was Crippled Liu."
"But the situation was bizarre. We could only hear his footsteps, but we couldn't pinpoint his location. We didn't dare pursue him too deeply, so we retreated."
This conclusion didn't surprise the others. Crippled Liu had too many suspicious points, and all the information gathered pointed to this strange fellow.
Among the three, Lin Wan'er remained the most relaxed. This had nothing to do with the situation; anyone who knew her would understand that this woman always wore a lazy expression. Jiang Cheng and Fatty had grown accustomed to it.
Lin Wan'er stroked her chin and said, "Before Luo He was taken, he shared his theory. The Ghost's method of killing is through deception, dragging people into dreams. He speculated that an externally induced coma might prevent the Ghost from pulling someone into its dream world."
As if by reflex, the words "externally induced" sent a chill down Fatty's spine. He immediately turned to Lin Wan'er, his expression one of terror.
Even stranger, his neck had unconsciously tilted to one side and couldn't be straightened.
Jiang Cheng remained much calmer. After a moment of thought, he nodded. "We can try. And since the Ghost just killed someone, it's relatively safe for now."
"But we need to leave someone on Night Watch." He emphasized, reminding them that the dangers weren't solely from the Ghost.
Lin Wan'er nodded. "I'll take Night Watch."
The next second, before Fatty could react, Jiang Cheng swayed and collapsed onto the bed.
Lin Wan'er withdrew her hand and turned to Fatty, who was trembling.
"Boss Lin, please wait!" Fatty's face was a picture of refusal. "I have something to say."
Lin Wan'er smoothed a stray lock of hair from her temple, then removed her hairpin. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down like ink. She bit down on the hairpin, her hands swiftly coiled her hair into a neat bun at the back of her head.
When she looked up again, her entire demeanor had transformed. The seductive charm had vanished, replaced by a sharp, piercing aura. Her autumn-water eyes were cold and devoid of emotion.
Fatty stared at the woman before him, feeling a strange sense of unfamiliarity.
Even... danger.
Before he could speak, a flash of white light filled the room. Fatty collapsed to the floor with a thud, losing consciousness.
Lin Wan'er casually dragged the unconscious Fatty to the bed and dropped him. Then, she turned and approached Jiang Cheng's bedside, gazing down at him from above.
The flickering candlelight danced erratically in the dim room, casting her profile in alternating shadows and light.
If Fatty weren't present, the scene between the man and woman might have even seemed somewhat suggestive.
Reaching out, Lin Wan'er slowly unbuttoned her trench coat and retrieved a tiny object from the area just beneath her chest. It resembled an earbud and gleamed with a metallic sheen.
She casually hooked the device over her ear. After touching it, a small red light flickered on, then turned blue.
The languid aura vanished. Lin Wan'er now resembled a cold-blooded assassin, her chilling demeanor radiating outward and even seeming to dim the candlelight.
A crackling static filled the earbud. Lin Wan'er stared at Jiang Cheng's tightly closed eyes and spoke, "Begin recording."
"Operation codename: Abyss."
"Objective: Enter memories to locate the lost Abyss Gate."
Execution Count: 77th
Executor: Lin Yuan, head of the Night Watcher's Abyss Plan.
Special Note: The target's memories have recently shown signs of recovery. After each exploration, seal the memories promptly and reinforce the memory lock.
Adjust the interval between explorations from one full month to three weeks.
Special Note 2: Crimson No. 3 Luo He, No. 4 Wei Jinting, and No. 8 Fu Fu have been confirmed to have infiltrated this mission.
In addition, other Crimson members will be stationed near Grey Stone Town to provide support.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Wan'er extended her left hand and placed it on Jiang Cheng's forehead. A strange aura surged forth, like an icy blue river flowing into his mind.
"That's all for now," Lin Wan'er closed her eyes. "Recording complete."
In the next instant, Lin Wan'er's figure materialized within the long river. Her trench coat billowed, revealing a plain qipao that echoed the river's hues, as if she had stepped into the pages of history.
(End of the Chapter)
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