"Grandma, don't scare me like that. I'm naturally a scaredy-cat—I'd have nightmares for four or five days just from watching someone kill a chicken."
The bitterness on my face wasn't entirely fake; after all, the room where someone died three months ago was right across from me.
"Just don't come out, then it should be fine... probably."
The short, stout old lady turned and left. I stood alone in the hallway as a cold wind swept through, chilling me from head to toe.
Under the flickering light, I glanced again at Room 206 across the hall. The chipped wooden door looked rough and weathered, but aside from the number plate, it was no different from the others.
"We're already this far—what's there to be afraid of?"
I pulled out the cigarette Uncle Baldy had given me, lit it, and pushed open the door to Room 203.
The room was much bigger than I expected: an en-suite bathroom, a double bed, and an old-fashioned wardrobe against the wall.
Though simple, the furnishings were complete. At 35 yuan a night, this room was a real bargain.
Checking my phone, it was already 11 PM without me realizing it. I stubbed out my cigarette and turned on the camera, placing it on the windowsill.
"Never thought my streaming debut would be from a 35-yuan-a-night motel room."
The equipment worked fine. I plugged in the mobile encoder and tapped the Netherworld Live Show icon on the big phone.
"Acquiring video..."
"Connecting to comments..."
"Data stable. Start livestream?"
Prepared mentally, I didn't hesitate and tapped "Yes." The phone screen went black, then switched to the live feed.
A roughly 6-foot tall, well-built young man holding a phone stood by the bed.
"So this is what it feels like to see yourself on TV," I murmured, a little wistful.
The stream had started, but my chatroom was empty.
"I'm no expert at live streaming. I'm good at solving murder cases or tracking affairs, but live broadcasting? I'm a total newbie."
How to attract more viewers? I thought of the popular female streamers, then glanced down at my collar: "Too bad I don't have a chest to show off—no capital to sell."
"Teletubby Murdered has joined the stream."
"Someone's here! Welcome, baby, to the Super Thrilling stream! Here you'll find the most real challenges and the scariest stories!"
But then I froze—I had no idea what to do next. Just sit here waiting for ghosts to knock at midnight?
"Wait, I thought I clicked on 'Extreme Seduction,' why is this some dude streaming?" The new viewer, Teletubby Murdered, looked just as confused on the other end. "Streamer, what's this even about? No announcements or anything?"
"I guess I'm a paranormal explorer streamer, but that's not really important. The real reason I'm streaming tonight is to find an answer."
"What answer?"
"Whether ghosts really exist in this world."
Tieling Bro: "Heh, I love watching you spout serious nonsense like this."
Senior Sister Loves Me: "I'm looking too, greasy corpse sister."
Within a few comments, the stream's viewers jumped to eleven. Seems like the Netherworld Live Show's channels could push decent traffic.
But without exception, all my viewers were accidental clickers. Some were watching explicit videos when suddenly an ad popped up, and they grabbed tissues to air-drop into my stream.
Poor kids—hope I didn't give them any lasting trauma.
Others wandered in unintentionally too, but they all shared one thing: they were watching alone.
"Streamer, the room you're in looks familiar. I think I saw it in the news?"
User "Officer Huang, Class 3-2" suddenly sent a colorful comment: "Hey, I'm from Jiangcheng. Could that be the Peaceful Inn where you're staying?"
"Finally, a normal viewer."
I pulled out the newspaper I'd been saving. "Yes, this is the Peaceful Inn."
"Maybe some viewers don't know what this place is, so take a look at this paper. Three months ago, a strange death happened here. The police never figured out why and just ruled it an accidental sudden death."
"But there was a photo circulating online of the deceased man. His pupils were dilated, jaw dropped wide open at a 90-degree angle. Anyone with basic knowledge knows he must have seen something terrifying right before dying!"
"What did he see? Don't you want to know?"
The chat suddenly went silent. Maybe everyone was trying to decide if what I said was true.
"This room is 203. The murder happened in the room right opposite."
The ash fell—I didn't notice when my cigarette burned out—so I lit another and stared at myself on the screen.
"Tonight, I'm going to take you through the truth behind this. Yes, risking my life to witness horror—that's what the Super Thrilling stream is all about."
Feeling good about my speech, but the viewers didn't seem convinced.
Tieling Bro: "Get lost, loser. The cops can't figure it out, who do you think you are!"
Don't roast me, I'm fragile: "Screenshot taken. Can't wait to see the streamer piss himself."
Peace Insurance Manager: "Streamer, what you need is insurance. Our company just launched a family package. One policy protects the whole family."
Officer Huang, Class 3-2: "The Peaceful Inn is definitely creepy. You might really run into something. Be careful, streamer!"
The comments were a mixed bag, which eased my own fear and pressure a bit. According to the Netherworld Live Show's rules, I didn't have to interact at all—just survive the night.
But you never know—if I'm about to die, maybe asking for help in chat is my only shot.
"Okay, calm down, everyone. Let's check the surroundings first. I don't know feng shui, but I did spend two years in police academy, so death scene investigation is kind of my thing."
Room 203 wasn't where the death happened, but the live show specifically made me stream here, so there had to be something hidden.
"Windows and doors intact, floor clean, furniture old but tidy—practically spotless."
I crouched with my cigarette stub, "No blood or suspicious objects under the bed. The wardrobe's a bit damp. The TV across the bed is just decoration. Wait…"
I pushed the old box TV forward and found a mirror taped to the wall behind it.
Not very big—about 30 inches, just enough for the TV to hide it.
"Streamer, a mirror facing the bed is bad feng shui. You're probably not staying here for the living."
A user named Liu Banxian from Qingcheng Mountain brought the chat back to life.
Tieling Bro: "Stop bullshitting. I have a wall of mirrors in my bedroom and I'm living just fine."
Teletubby Murdered: "Isn't Qingcheng Mountain where Lady Bai lives? Liu Banxian, Fa Hai is calling you home for dinner."
Liu Banxian from Qingcheng Mountain: "Believe it or not, feng shui says mirrors are to ward off evil, and should face the direction the evil comes from. If it faces a person, that's a 'mirror evil'—like a mouth sucking your energy daily, causing mild dizziness or even family ruin."
Handsome & Skilled Girl: "Looks like a fake upstairs. Which real cultivator types that fast?"
Liu Banxian: "I've trained my two-finger typing since I was a kid. Bring it on!"
I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache from the flood of comments. If I hadn't gone through that terrifying interview on No-Light Road, I'd probably be a total atheist too.
"Could supernatural forces really exist?"
I picked up the camera. "Liu Banxian, calm down. I'm staying in a bad place. Can you check if anything will happen if I stay here overnight?"
Liu Banxian: "You know it's a haunted house and still want to stay? Take my advice, bro, pack up and leave now, or your luck will take a hit."
Tieling Bro tipped 99 spirit coins to the Super Thrilling stream.
Tieling Bro: "Ignore that smartass. I'll tip you 99 coins every hour if you stay the night."
"Gifts already?"
The Netherworld Live Show's low-level gifts come in spirit coins, ingots, and gold bars. The details were in the contract, but I never bothered reading it carefully.