At this moment, Xie Yao was no longer herself.
Lu Fei's entire body tensed.
They stood frozen in a rigid standoff for two seconds before Xie Yao's body suddenly moved.Instead of lunging toward him, she ran out on tiptoe.
"Miss Xie!"
Lu Fei quickly gave chase.
But in the dim master bedroom, her figure was nowhere to be seen.
She ran so fast, yet there was no sound of footsteps.
Cold sweat covered Lu Fei's forehead.
Under the control of a malevolent entity, people could do horrifying, incomprehensible things, either harming others or themselves.
"If she's not in the master bedroom, then she must have run downstairs!"
Lu Fei rushed out of the master bedroom and looked down from the corridor.
The spacious, open living room below was lit only by the faint sparkle of the large crystal chandelier above.The entire first floor was swallowed in darkness.
It was like a stagnant pool, with no sign of Xie Yao anywhere.
He pulled out his phone and, using its flashlight, hurried down the stairs.
After only a few steps, he felt a firm grip around his ankle.
He stumbled forward, almost falling headlong down the stairs.Fortunately, his reflexes were fast enough to grab the handrail just in time.
Rolling up his pant leg, he saw a dark bruise around his ankle, where his skin had turned numb and unfeeling.
Lu Fei scattered a handful of incense ash around him.
In the faint light, it seemed as though something had faded away.
Then, clutching the railing, he descended the stairs carefully, step by step, finally reaching the first floor.
Thick, double-layered curtains blocked all light, making the entire floor feel sealed, gloomy, and still.
Lu Fei surveyed his surroundings cautiously, sensing a cold gaze watching him from the darkness.
As he searched, a sudden sound came from behind him.
He turned quickly and caught a glimpse of Xie Yao's figure flitting past the corner of the staircase.He hurried over and found a door he hadn't noticed before.
The door was slightly ajar, its surface swaying gently as a cold aura seeped out.
Raising his phone, Lu Fei saw, by the dim glow, a staircase leading downward, where Xie Yao's pale figure vanished at the bottom.
"It's the basement."
A dreadful premonition washed over him.
This descent went smoothly, leading him to a spacious basement area—a dedicated gym room.
"Miss Xie!"
Turning a corner, he finally saw Xie Yao.
At the far end of the gym was a large wall mirror.
Xie Yao stood in front of it, facing her reflection, with disheveled hair and muttering something over and over.
Her strange appearance sent chills down his spine.
"What is she saying?"
Without hesitation, Lu Fei focused on his immediate priority—taking the boning knife from her hand.
He approached her cautiously and, once close enough, grabbed her wrist.
Xie Yao spun around suddenly, grabbing his wrist in return.Her bloodshot eyes stared intensely at him from within her tangled hair.
The next moment, Lu Fei's eyes widened in shock as, in the mirror, hideous black shadows emerged behind her.
The shadows in the mirror began to move, and twisted black hands clutched Xie Yao's head, slowly pulling her shadow out from her body.
"Her soul!They're trying to pull her soul out!"
Lu Fei's eyes opened wide.
In that instant, he realized what the necklace was.
A Soul-Sucking Chain!
It could drain a person's soul, crafted through a cruel process where each bone bead housed a vengeful spirit.
The black shadows were the souls absorbed by the necklace.
This was an exceptionally rare object—who could Xie Yao have offended?
A flash of insight struck him.
Seizing an opportunity, he maneuvered behind Xie Yao and drove his peachwood dagger into the shadow in the mirror.
Crack!
The dagger and mirror shattered simultaneously, splintering into a web of cracks as the black shadows twisted and disappeared.One by one, the bone beads scattered onto the ground.
Xie Yao collapsed weakly, unconscious, and the boning knife clattered to the floor beside her.
But the bone necklace was not finished; its gray beads rolled toward them both.
The artifact was too fierce, and the peachwood dagger lost its power after just one use.
Lu Fei quickly lifted Xie Yao onto his back, running up the stairs as fast as he could until he reached the entrance.
But the door was shut.
Lu Fei distinctly remembered leaving it open when he entered.He twisted the handle forcefully, but it wouldn't budge.
The door was locked from the outside!
Lu Fei was horrified.
Who had locked the door?