Chapter 122: Be Careful When Playing Ghost.

Chapter 122: Be Careful When Playing Ghost.

Chi Shen rubbed his chin with one hand, and with the other, he flipped the paper back and forth, scrutinizing it as if trying to coax a flower to bloom from it. But no matter how he looked, it was just an ordinary piece of paper.

Gui Lian stared at the note for a moment, then had an epiphany: “Water! Quick, Shen, drink some water! We must have soaked for over half an hour!”

Their room indeed had water, bottled mineral water provided by the hotel. Gui Lian darted his gaze around the room before diving headfirst into one of the bottles.

The lady ghost in red, perhaps fearing he might drown, anxiously watched and attempted to pull him out. Gui Lian tried to jam himself at the bottle's opening, resulting in a tug-of-war over the mineral water bottle between the two ghosts.

Chi Shen examined the paper once again but found nothing. He handed it to Ji Xingchen.

Ji Xingchen took a brief look, adjusted his glasses, and said, “This might be a trap.”

Gui Lian, who was still engaged in his tug-of-war, suddenly let go. With a "pop" sound, he was yanked out. His ashen eyes widened in shock, "A trap?!"

"We don't know who wrote this note."

Ji Xingchen held the paper up, "Nor do we know their intentions. If they aim to deceive us into making the wrong decisions, this warning is undoubtedly false. It might even lead us into harm."

Gui Lian was confused, "What?"

Bai Wan was similarly perplexed, "So the information on the paper might be misleading?"

Chi Shen bluntly interjected, "Whoever wrote this might be a ghost."

Gui Lian shuddered. Glancing between the bottle and Chi Shen, he said, "A ghost? Then we shouldn't trust what's written on this paper!"

The lady ghost in red shot Gui Lian a disdainful look, showcasing her freshly exposed bones, silently communicating: Aren't we all ghosts here?

"You might be a ghost, but if you wrote it, you'd tell the truth," Ji Xingchen commented.

After some contemplation, Gui Lian folded his face in a nod, "Ghosts can be good or bad. I'm a good ghost; I wouldn't write anything harmful... but most typical ghosts would consume humans!"

The lady ghost in red glared at Gui Lian with a "Who are you calling abnormal?" expression, causing him to press his entire face onto the table, avoiding any eye contact with her.

"The content of this paper seems to guide us on how to have a safe vacation at Dongshan Hot Springs," Ji Xingchen picked up the note, "but it might also mislead us into danger. For example, soaking in the hot springs might be harmless, but drinking water afterwards could be perilous."

Ghostface immediately choked, coughing up the water he had just swallowed, tears filling his eyes, "You should've said that earlier!"

Bai Wan interjected, "So how do we verify if the content is trying to help or harm us?"

"Someone will validate it for us," Ji Xingchen, adjusting his glasses once more, looked towards Chi Shen, a flash of white light reflecting off the lenses.

Chi Shen glanced at Ji Xingchen, then to everyone else, conceding, "I'm immune to the effects of this hot spring. I only find it comforting with no discomfort."

Ji Xingchen lowered his gaze to the note, "I wasn’t referring to you."

Ghostface, listening to their conversation, had question marks slowly appear above his head; he was totally lost!

The red-clothed female ghost cheerfully munched on snacks. Finally having a body, she relished the meal. The previous speculations didn't concern a little ghost like her!

After a lengthy discussion, there was a knock on the door. Perhaps fearing Chi Shen and the others might think a ghost was outside, Zhong Jingzhu's voice rang out, "It's us. May we come in?"

"On it!" The snack-filled red-clothed female ghost gleefully approached the door, her skeletal spine bending as she leapt to the door handle, flinging the door open with gusto.

Outside, Zhong Yi and Zhong Jingzhu were met with the ghastly face of the red-clothed female ghost, who looked back with a goofy grin, her eyes shining as if seeing two delicious treats.

The Zhong siblings were already on edge. Though familiar with Chi Shen's ghostly companions, they were unacquainted with the specters. Facing the horrific image of the red-clothed female ghost was startling, prompting a reflex — they reached into their coats for something!

Seeing Zhong Yi pulling out a talisman, the red-clothed female ghost’s wide eyes widened further. Dropping her snack and quickly picking it up, she dashed behind Chi Shen.

Zhong Jingzhu, more experienced, quickly composed himself, playfully asking, "Having a tea party without us?"

As his gaze swept the room, his smile momentarily froze.

It had been ages since he'd seen so many manifesting spirits, perhaps not since... the last time!

Chi Shen waved him in, "Come sit. Let's eat and chat."

Zhong Jingzhu swiftly adjusted his demeanor. Veterans typically fared better than the young in assessing situations. After a brief hesitation at the door, he stepped inside, clearing his throat, "We found something in our gift."

"So did we," Ji Xingchen pointed at the table where two pieces of paper lay, one from their gift and the other from Bai Wan's.

Zhong Yi and Zhong Jingzhu approached, bypassing the snacks, and took a seat, presenting their note.

The group compared the three notes, quickly concluding they bore identical content. Judging by the handwriting, they were penned by the same person, all handwritten.

While the humans deliberated, the spirits leisurely snacked on the side. The red-clothed female ghost kept peeking from behind Chi Shen, curiously observing the Zhong siblings and occasionally commenting on tasty treats.

Chi Shen attentively listened to their analysis, which essentially reiterated Ji Xing Chen's previous observations. However, this time, Ji Xing Chen didn’t mention "someone will help us verify"; instead, he said they needed to observe further.

The previously relaxed atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. After observing for a while, Chi Shen reached for a packet of spicy snacks and handed it over, saying, "I noticed you've been eyeing this for a while. Eat and continue talking."

Caught off guard, Zhong Jing Zhu was momentarily startled, while Zhong Yi's ears turned red. Gratefully, he took the snack, stuttering, "Thank you."

Chi Shen chuckled and offered Zhong Jing Zhu a bottle of water. However, Zhong Jing Zhu declined, as he preferred consuming only what he brought when outside.

Zhong Jing Zhu and Zhong Yi shared that they didn’t find anything in their room. They also inquired if Chi Shen had come across any clues left by the elder Mr. Zhong and Officer Li. As expected, Chi Shen replied in the negative.

After all, he hadn't searched for them.

But he did offer a perspective to Zhong Jing Zhu: "Considering you both are from the Zhong family, if they left any clues, they'd likely use your family's methods. Why not follow that lead?"

Zhong Jing Zhu pondered briefly and nodded.

Zhong Yi seemed to want to add something, but after glancing at the snack in his hand, he remained silent.

He had intended to mention that when the police investigated earlier, members of the Zhong family had searched for clues using their unique methods but found nothing. Their current search was driven more by a faint hope.

Perhaps they hoped the souls of those who disappeared here could return and offer some clues.

Most likely, they'd find nothing, and the only thing they could rely on was the notebook the elder Mr. Zhong had brought.

Before leaving Chi Shen's room, Zhong Yi advised, "Stay vigilant, avoid being alone, ignore any knocking sounds, and it's best not to go out at night."

"Understood," Chi Shen replied with a smile, sending them off and sneaking another packet of spicy snacks into Zhong Yi's hand.

The atmosphere turned tense again as the Zhong brothers returned to their room.

After some contemplation, Zhong Yi opened the elder Mr. Zhong's notebook once more.

The content on the second page of the notebook was sparse, with just a few lines:

"We received a peculiar warning. Although it was worded like tourist guidelines, we treated it as an alert. This note came with the hotel's gift yesterday but was only discovered today.

I've documented the instructions and decided to follow them accordingly.

But in just one night, Ah Shan vanished. I suspect Xiao Li is behind it because he was absent when Ah Shan disappeared. Yet, he acted as if everything was normal. I shared my suspicions with Old Hu, but he advised me not to overthink. I must find Ah Shan and gather evidence that Xiao Li is no longer human."

Old Hu cannot be trusted; he might not even be human anymore.

We did no wrong.

No.

We made a mistake.

The warning was delivered yesterday.

"Do not trust the warning."

When Zhong Yi first saw this page, he asked his grandfather about the meaning of these sentences. However, Grandfather Zhong just shook his head, saying, "I can't recall."

Facing Zhong Yi's puzzled expression, Grandfather Zhong explained, "I haven't lost my memory of that night at the hotel. In fact, I remember it vividly. Nothing happened then, but I had these thoughts. To this day, I can't determine if my thoughts were right or wrong, so I don't want to mislead you."

Back then, Zhong Yi couldn't comprehend his grandfather's words, but now he does.

After seeing Ji Xing Chen in the room by the pond, doubts began to surface in his mind.

Ji Xing Chen seemed so normal, behaving exactly like a living person. He could eat, his complexion was calm, and he conversed smoothly. He could even help analyze situations. If they didn't know Ji Xing Chen was a ghost, they'd believe he was alive.

Upon entering this hot spring hotel and witnessing these transformations, one can't help but wonder if someone were to die here, those accompanying them might never realize it. One might not even realize they're dead.

With that, Zhong Yi had an even more terrifying speculation.

— Are those working here truly human?

After all the commotion, it had gotten late. The two decided to snack on some compressed biscuits and take turns resting.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Zhong Yi had been writing notes, documenting the day's events, while Zhong Jing Zhu had already laid down.

He stood up from his seat, preparing to answer the door. Hand on the doorknob, he paused, realizing the knocking wasn't coming from the hallway door but from the direction of the hot springs.

Zhong Yi instantly looked back at Zhong Jing Zhu, who appeared to be asleep, seemingly unaware of the knocking.

Should he answer the door?

Outside, the wind blew, rustling the trees. Perhaps sensing the hesitation inside, the knocks grew louder and more persistent, echoing in one's ears and making the heart race.

Zhong Yi could feel his heart racing faster with each knock, as if it might burst out of his chest. He immediately clutched his heart and rushed to Zhong Jing Zhu's bed, shaking him awake. "Someone's knocking!"

Zhong Jing Zhu instantly woke up, rolling over in bed. He glanced toward the door and asked, "You heard it?"

"It stopped." Zhong Yi continued staring at the door leading to the hot springs.

"Let's check it out together." Zhong Jing Zhu quickly threw on a garment and, alongside Zhong Yi, swung the door open.

Outside, there was nothing, no one or ghost in sight, and no lingering sinister aura.

However, both instinctively looked towards the side of the hot spring pool.

Indeed, there were wet footprints next to the pool, accompanied by a chilling message written in blood: "Don't stay inside. Run!"

Both whipped their heads around to survey the interior of the room.

On the other hand, Chi Shen didn't hear the knocking.

Because he had left the room.

Ji Xing Chen, trailing beside him, calmly stated, "No barbecue."

"I mean, for a hot spring resort, how can there be no late-night barbecue? I bet the receptionist just didn't want to tell me," Chi Shen muttered, clearly disheartened by the night's offerings.

He was hungry.

And he didn't fancy instant noodles or biscuits. He craved something warm. Venturing out in the middle of the night, the hotel seemed deserted. After searching the dining area to no avail, he finally approached the front desk, inquiring where he might find some food.

The night receptionist, different from the one during the day, stared at Chi Shen for a long while before looking down, seemingly ignoring him.

Chi Shen inquired twice more, but the receptionist continued her silent treatment. Left with no choice, he decided to venture out in search of barbecue.

In Chi Shen's mind, a barbecue party in the middle of the night at a resort-like this seemed like a common and appealing event. It should've been a staple here.

Yet, after scouring the premises, they found neither barbecue nor another soul in sight.

Seeing Chi Shen's dejected look, Ji Xing Chen pondered momentarily before suggesting, "You could file a complaint."

"Never mind." Although Ji Xing Chen's remark was ambiguous, Chi Shen caught his drift, "We're all trying to make a living. I don't want to make it tough for someone else. Let's find the kitchen, and you... you can help me cook."

As they set out for food, Bai Wan and the lady in red encountered some issues of their own.

After leaving Chi Shen's room, the lady in red took a dip in the hot springs. When Bai Wan saw her again, she barely recognized her.

The ghostly figure had regrown her body!

Not only had her body regenerated, but her apparent age seemed younger. Now she looked about the same age as Bai Wan, roughly sixteen or seventeen. Her once-ghastly eyes appeared less terrifying, now merely giving the impression that she was glaring. Flesh had returned to her previously skeletal form, though her limbs were still bony.

The lady in red walked upright into the room, her bones clicking with every touch against the floor tiles.

Bai Wan observed the change for a moment, taken aback. She quickly restrained the lady in red, who was eager to show off her renewed form, asking her to wait. Then, she knocked on the door across the corridor.

In a situation like this, she knew she needed Chi Shen's assistance.

But no one answered from Chi Shen's room. Pondering briefly, Bai Wan decided to knock on the door to the room where the Zhong siblings stayed.

If she couldn’t find Chi Shen, consulting two reliable individuals was the next best thing. Considering all their arrangements had been handled by Zhong Yi, she felt it was suitable to approach him.

After knocking twice, she realized the door was ajar. Curiously tilting her head, she ventured inside.

The room was brightly lit but devoid of occupants.

The door opposite the entrance, leading to the hot springs, stood open. A chilly breeze wafted in.

Bai Wan hesitated for a moment at the threshold before stepping through.

"Click."

Without her intervention, the door closed behind her.

Footsteps echoed hurriedly outside. Bai Wan spun around, her fingers sparking a dim blue flame. She flung the door open.

The corridor was as empty as when she had entered, only now a mist hovered, lending a hazy quality to the scene.

Bai Wan looked downward.

Under the bright hallway lights, the carpet glistened damply, its hues shifting between dark and light patches.

These weren't mere condensation droplets from the mist but rather distinct wet marks.

She quickly recognized them: footprints.

The flame in her hand flickered slightly. After a moment's contemplation, Bai Wan called out, "Hello?"

"Hello."

A voice responded.

It was a man's voice. Bai Wan turned, directing her gaze to the end of the corridor, where the sound originated.

There was no one in sight.

A sudden chill washed over Bai Wan.

It was a sensation she hadn't felt in a long time.

The unexpected coldness momentarily stunned her. She'd only ever felt this kind of cold when she was dying, watching her own blood drain away.

The flame she held abruptly extinguished, and she heard the haunting scream of the lady in red: "Help, save me! Ah—"