"Senior Brother Wang, this is a misunderstanding!"
"Misunderstanding, my foot!"
With that, Wang Qian waved his hand, and the pile of soggy talisman papers on the ground seemed to be pulled up by invisible strings. He gave a flick of his hands, and the water droplets were shaken off. Surprisingly, the talisman papers became completely dry, not a trace of moisture left.
"Digestive Talisman, release!"
Wang Qian threw six talisman papers in quick succession, plastering them onto Lu Zhen's face and body. Lu Zhen let out a cry of pain and, gritting his teeth, tore off three talismans. However, his skin was peeled off along with them, leaving bloody streaks.
Nie Chuxia gasped softly, "All of these… are Jinsi paper? How extravagant!"
Lin Feng asked, "What's Jinsi paper?"
Nie Chuxia explained, "It's a top-tier talisman paper, as precious as gold. My grandfather once told me it's made from processed human skin and hair, mostly silver-white hair that looks silky, hence the name Jinsi paper. Once applied to the skin, it grows into it and is nearly impossible to remove."
Lin Feng shivered. Human skin and hair?
His body tingled with unease.
Lu Zhen, a sheltered flower who had never experienced real suffering, had no clue how to handle Jinsi paper. Tearing off three had already left him in excruciating pain, his face flushing dark red. He dared not remove the remaining three, and the Digestive Talisman began to take effect.
A foul stench burst forth from Lu Zhen's rear, sounding like a string of firecrackers. The crowd, initially captivated by the fight between Lu Zhen and the chubby Wang Qian, turned away in disgust. Some of the girls, who had been intrigued by Lu Zhen, were completely repelled. Their romantic fantasies crumbled as they watched him soil his pants.
Mortified, Lu Zhen wanted to retort and salvage his dignity, but waves of abdominal pain stopped him. Clutching his behind, he fled the scene in shame, trying to avoid the pointing and whispering onlookers.
Even after Lu Zhen's departure, the stench lingered. Wang Qian pinched his nose, smirking as he cheerfully lunged toward Lin Feng with open arms, talisman papers still in hand. Lin Feng shivered and dodged instinctively.
Nearby, the peach-eyed handsome man raised his leg and delivered a swift kick, sending Wang Qian tumbling into the water.
Midnight, 12:30 AM, White Lake Amusement Park
The entire park was pitch dark. Tonight, there were no security guards on patrol. In the vast park, dozens of young people had gathered—all participants of the Three Ghost Trials.
Lin Feng, Nie Chuxia, Wang Qian, and the peach-eyed man sat on a patch of grass, chatting.
Lin Feng finally learned that the peach-eyed man was one of the "Three Tigers of Fight Sect," surnamed Wan, and nicknamed "Flower Measure Ruler."
His original nickname had been "Flower Sword Fang," but after one romantic escapade, a talented woman had gifted him a poem:
"Amidst flowers, the ruler measures fragrance,
A ruler's fragrance probes the flower's scent.
The flower's scent lingers with love, but the ruler's love is fleeting;
The fragrance fades, the ruler vanishes, leaving hearts broken."
The seemingly poetic and tragic verse was said to have been written by a courtesan. She used "flower" as a metaphor for love and "ruler" for the measurement of love. However, the woman had committed suicide shortly afterward. From then on, the peach-eyed man changed his nickname.
Lin Feng, however, couldn't appreciate the poem. At first, it sounded like a romantic lament. Upon closer inspection, it was about fleeting lust. Thinking further, it was just a tale of a one-night stand and emotional detachment.
As the saying goes: "After the deed, part ways; seek new pleasure the next day." Lin Feng certainly didn't hear any sweet romance in it.
"Hey, Big Flower, are you really not joining us for the Three Ghost Trials later?" Wang Qian asked.
The peach-eyed man replied, "This trial is crucial for us in Fight Sect. Master insists that we complete it alone."
He then glanced at Nie Chuxia.
"Miss Chuxia, I recall there's a senior in the Seven Stars Palace who's quite formidable. Why didn't you team up with him?"
As a skilled member of Fight Sect and possibly a special forces operative, the peach-eyed man's assessment of someone as "formidable" carried weight.
Nie Chuxia replied bluntly, "That senior has a peculiar personality—silent and reserved. It's safer to stick with Lin Feng in a place like this."
Since following Lin Feng and witnessing the Dragon Locust Ghost Market, Nie Chuxia had grown to trust him. She didn't particularly care about the Three Ghost Trials.
Nie Chuxia, with her delicate beauty, exceptional temperament, and solid spiritual skills, usually upheld her image by balancing inner and outer refinement. However, when with Lin Feng, she could just focus on being pretty and fighting, without the burden of thinking too hard. Overthinking could harm a beauty's skin, after all. Her goal was to become a sweet but tough ghost hunter, so choosing the right companion was key.
Wang Qian and the peach-eyed man let out exaggerated exclamations, teasing her. Nie Chuxia blushed slightly but didn't bother to explain. Lin Feng, on the other hand, smoked nonchalantly, ignoring their jeers.
The four chatted idly for a while.
Suddenly, a voice echoed across the empty amusement park:
"Midnight, 12:30 AM. The Ghost Gate of White Lake has opened."
The Three Ghost Trials had begun!
The peach-eyed man got to his feet, dusting himself off. "Wang Qian, Lin Feng, Miss Chuxia, I'm off. I need to secure the top spot quickly; there are two lovely ladies waiting for me to teach them some spiritual techniques tonight."
Wang Qian scoffed, and Nie Chuxia wrinkled her nose in disgust.
Only Lin Feng enthusiastically waved him off, his expression practically shouting, Take me with you!
"You look so shameless!" Nie Chuxia scolded Lin Feng after the peach-eyed man left, spitting in mock disdain. "Hanging out with you really lowers my status!"
Lin Feng shot back, "What's shameless about me? I may not be well-read, but I respect masters. What's wrong with wanting to learn from a master? Plus, sparring with two ladies would be a great opportunity to hone my spiritual skills. Tell me, where's the shamelessness in that?"
"I'm impressed you can dress up such a sleazy desire with big words," Wang Qian said, giving Lin Feng a thumbs-up.
The broadcast repeated the announcement three times, then continued:
"This trial consists of 27 teams. Participants must proceed to the Ghostly Chamber area and enter their assigned rooms. Warning: This trial involves life-threatening dangers. Anyone wishing to withdraw must apply immediately!"
"Now announcing the team assignments."
"Team 1: Wu Peiyuan."
"Team 2: Liu Wenian, Qu Boyuan."
…
"Team 22: Lin Feng, Nie Chuxia, Wang Qian."
The Ghostly Maze Area.
Lin Feng opened Door 22. The room was small, with three old-fashioned medical beds inside. The white paint on them was peeling, and the tiled walls were stained with dark yellow grime.
Walking in, Lin Feng noticed that a few rows of talismans were stuck to the walls. They shimmered with light and spiritual energy. The floor was scattered with eerie medical instruments and discarded trays, some still stained with blood.
"This must've been a room for escape room games," Lin Feng muttered, examining the setting and props. The door leading to the next room was locked. Truth be told, it was eerily realistic.
"Senior Brother Wang, what are these talismans?" Nie Chuxia asked, pointing at the three rows of talismans on the wall, which seemed out of place in this hospital-like setting.
"These are Talisman Sect's 'Illusory Realm Talismans,' collected over twelve years. Once we stick on the 'Entrance Talisman,' we'll enter the illusory realm."
Wang Qian explained as he grabbed a talisman from the bamboo bed and stuck it to his forehead. Lin Feng saw his eyelids grow heavy as if drowsy. Wang Qian lay back on the bamboo bed and was sound asleep within moments.
Lin Feng exchanged glances with Nie Chuxia, who checked the room's door before saying, "What are you looking at? You put it on first!"
"Why me?" Lin Feng asked.
"I'm a girl. What if I fall asleep, and you do something to me? I've never shared a room with a guy before!"
Lin Feng pointed at the corner of the room. "There's a surveillance camera, alright?"
"That doesn't matter!"
Lin Feng sighed and had no choice but to stick the talisman on himself.
The moment the talisman touched his forehead, he felt an overwhelming drunkenness, as though something had been drained from him. Sleepiness washed over him.
Ding!
Notice: You have entered an unknown illusory realm. The space here is highly unstable. System is activating automatic assimilation functionality. The illusory realm has been augmented and transformed into a special mission map.
Special Mission: Ghostly Trial – "Human-Skin Campus"
Mission Brief: The original Ghostly Trial was excessively unstable and dangerously constructed. It has been compressed, using the third trial as the main map. The host must explore the campus and retrieve the scattered human skin fragments to escape the illusory realm.
Mission Tip: Tremble, for this may be your final stop. You have six hours.
Mission Reward: None.
Dazed, Lin Feng blinked as the glaring light from the talisman faded. When his vision cleared, he found himself sitting in a classroom.
Next to him were Nie Chuxia and Wang Qian, who had just woken up.
Wang Qian looked around in surprise. The room was vast and empty, scattered with desks and chairs. Graffiti adorned the walls in spray paint. Judging by the singular desks and the blackboards at both ends of the room, it was unmistakably a classroom.
"What… what's going on? Human-Skin Campus shouldn't be until the third trial!" Wang Qian exclaimed, but as he spoke, he felt a cold dampness on his neck. He looked up to see a severed head hanging from the ceiling fan, dripping blood from its neck.
"Ahh—!" Nie Chuxia screamed, covering her eyes.
It wasn't a ghost but a corpse. For some reason, some exorcists were unfazed by ghosts but terrified of corpses. The head's dead, glaring eyes and the undeniable intensity of the scene made it unbearable.
Wang Qian shuddered and stumbled backward in fear. Lin Feng, however, climbed onto a desk and retrieved the head.
"You've passed away. Rest in peace. Reincarnate swiftly and begin anew."
Lin Feng murmured a prayer, closed the head's wide-open eyes, and removed a card that emerged from its mouth.