The countdown finished, and a blinding light flashed across Lin Feng's eyes, forcing him to shut them tightly. It felt as if a giant hand had lifted him, leaving his feet dangling momentarily. Then, as quickly as it started, he felt his feet touch solid ground again.
Lin Feng lowered his hand from his face.
"So… this is Green Willow Manor?"
In his mind, the Ghost Containment System's notifications appeared:
Alert:You have entered a special map: Green Willow Manor.[Follow-up Task]Escape from Green Willow Manor has officially begun.Task Rewards:Level +2, Merit +200, Amulet of Calamity x1, Skill Book: "Phantom Soul Spell."Note:This map is located in a spatial rift and has no communication with the outside world.Note:Ghost Officer Horse Face once visited this place to capture the ghost Ning Yan but got trapped here.Optional Special Task:Find Horse Face.Note:The special task to find Horse Face is a side mission. If you succeed in escaping without completing it, you will lose Horse Face's potential as an ally.
Lin Feng looked at the messages and let out a bitter chuckle.
"Why are these tasks in this ghost system all interconnected? And Green Willow Manor, it's another realm altogether… Are you kidding me?"
Lin Feng scanned his surroundings. He appeared to be in a courtyard—tall green-tile walls and the distinct style of a grand estate, with hints of Suzhou garden design. Surprisingly, there were modern appliances in the house, like an air conditioner, a rice cooker, and a TV.
Nie Chuxia was nowhere to be seen. Lin Feng wasn't sure if she had been transported here too; all he had with him was Mi Shihong's ghost.
It was daytime in Green Willow Manor. The intense light shone on Mi Shihong, who reflexively shielded his face but soon realized it didn't harm him at all.
Mi Shihong squinted, surprised by the surroundings. "Master Lin, weren't we at Yuetan Park? Where are we now?"
"Green Willow Manor."
"Green Willow Manor? What's that?"
"Just focus on being a ghost. Why ask so many questions?"
"Oh."
Lin Feng put Mi Shihong back into the urn and began exploring the surroundings.
The manor was extensive, maze-like, and coldly deserted. Courtyard after courtyard stretched endlessly, each nested within the last, leading nowhere. Every courtyard was a two-story wooden building, though the upstairs doors were bound shut by thick iron chains.
After passing through several courtyards, Lin Feng noted that they had been abandoned for years. The bamboo in the sky wells had withered to yellow, webs filled the rooms, dust piled high, and the old wooden floors creaked with every step.
In each main hall, oddly enough, a portrait was enshrined. But the people in these portraits had ghastly blue-green faces and rolled-back eyes.
These weren't portraits of people. They were death portraits.
The walls of the manor stood high around him, and despite the sunlight, Lin Feng felt an unnatural coldness—humid, southern chill that seemed to bypass clothing and cling to his skin like a magical assault.
In one small room, Lin Feng noticed an old electric line leading to a black-and-white TV.
In front of the TV was a dusty sofa, clearly untouched for ages.
When Lin Feng glanced at the TV, it was actually on but silent. The screen showed a family engaged in a wedding celebration, appearing lively yet eerily unsettling in its quietness.
"They're all… ghosts, aren't they?"
Lin Feng slumped on the sofa, observing. The ghostly wedding procession in the TV marched forward, their toes barely touching the ground, necks stretched long, eyes rolled back like hanging corpses. The celebratory musicians looked cheerful, yet their eye sockets were hollowed out, missing their eyes entirely.
Lin Feng yawned. Ghost movies like this no longer had the power to scare him.
"Damn it, I'm starving. Who knows how long I'll be trapped in this haunted place?"
Leaving the house, Lin Feng considered climbing the wall for a better view, but the walls were slick with moss, and there was nothing nearby to use as a stepping stool.
He slapped his forehead. "Oh, right, I almost forgot about Mi Shihong!"
Letting Mi Shihong out, Lin Feng instructed, "Old Mi, climb up the wall and look around. See if you can find an exit!"
"Master Lin, if I help you escape, you've got to let me go!"
What?! This guy, normally all bark and no bite, dared to negotiate now?
Lin Feng slapped him hard. "Let you go? You assisted in covering up murders, drug use, and gang activity. I'm the one helping to release your soul, and you should be grateful. Let you go? We're adults; let's not be naive."
Mi Shihong's face stung with frustration. Back when he was alive, guys like Lin Feng wouldn't have dared mess with him. He'd handled more thugs than a funeral procession sees mourners. Who'd have thought the tables would turn like this?
Grumbling, Mi Shihong clambered up the wall. But one look over the edge and his legs shook so hard he tumbled head-first back down.
Rubbing his head, dazed, Mi Shihong blurted out, "Master Lin! We're done for! It's a cemetery all around!"
"Cemetery, my ass!"
"It really is a cemetery!"
Mi Shihong shook as he grabbed Lin Feng's shirt. Lin Feng kicked him down, brushing his clothes off. "Explain it properly. What cemetery?"
Mi Shihong swallowed, gesturing a big circle with his hands.
"It's all a cemetery. The distant mountains are grave mounds, surrounded by towering willow trees. These houses, these courtyards, they're all… funeral offerings built for the dead." His teeth chattered.
It clicked for Lin Feng.
"So you're saying this manor is a funerary offering for the graves in this area? And we're stuck here?"
Mi Shihong nodded solemnly.
Damn.
Lin Feng felt a headache forming. No wonder no one else was around. Turns out the ghosts weren't due to wake up until nightfall, and by then, this place would be crawling with them.
Seeing Mi Shihong trembling with fear, Lin Feng sneered, "Look at you, scared stiff. Weren't you the kingpin of the northern suburbs when you were alive?"
Mi Shihong made a pitiful face. "That was when I was alive! I'm just a newbie here!"
"Master Lin, please stop rubbing it in. I was the worst, just a total scumbag. Now, can we just figure out how to get out of here? There's a distinct smell here, like something more powerful than an average ghost. It's giving me the creeps."
Mi Shihong shivered, nervously glancing around.
Lin Feng's expression turned grim. Even he would be nothing more than a sacrifice if a powerful ghost appeared.
"Which way did you spot any exit?"
"The whole area is filled with courtyards, no exit in sight. But the eastern courtyards seem fewer in number, and I could see an end that way."
Lin Feng decided to head east.
As the sun began to set and the last rays of light faded, Lin Feng estimated he had already passed through over 200 courtyards.
Walking aimlessly without end, especially in such an empty place, wore on his nerves. Surrounded by high walls and desolation, trapped in a seemingly endless maze, Lin Feng felt a gnawing sense of claustrophobia.
"Can't… walk… any… further."
Sweat drenched him as he leaned against the wall, dry-heaving. The monotony of walking through identical surroundings had left him nauseated.
After throwing up, his throat was parched. But with no source of water anywhere, he reluctantly opened the Ghost Shop and bought a bowl of talisman water, using up 30 merit points. He gulped it down, grimacing at the bitterness and near-choking sensation, almost making him gag.
Wiping his mouth, Lin Feng glanced around and noticed that the appliances in this courtyard looked relatively new, as if its resident had only recently passed.
Determined, Lin Feng decided to rest here and stop aimlessly wandering. Continuing like this would drive him mad.
This house had two floors, built in the traditional southern Chinese style, though the stairs to the second floor were bound with iron chains. The main hall had a young man's portrait on the altar. Lin Feng settled in a side room, sitting on the sofa and watching the TV.
The black-and-white silent film on TV showed a family welcoming the birth of a child. The couple held the ghostly baby, eyes rolled back, appearing delighted.
Lin Feng barely watched for a few minutes when he heard a clinking sound by the stairs. The iron chain rattled, and with a clank, the lock fell to the floor.
The floor creaked, and the sound drew closer until the sofa cushion beside Lin Feng sank as if someone had just sat down.
"Who are you… Why are you in my house…"
As the last rays of daylight vanished, several candles in the room flickered to life, and a slender young man appeared beside Lin Feng.
The young man faced the TV, while his neck twisted at a ninety-degree angle to look directly at Lin Feng.