Chapter 128: On the left is a human; on the right is a ghost. Can you tell the difference?

Chapter 128: On the left is a human; on the right is a ghost. Can you tell the difference?

He followed the footprints to the hotel building. Along the way, he spotted his uncle searching for him, but he evaded him.

Guilt welled up in him, but he couldn't risk endangering his uncle.

The footprints led to the lower levels of the hotel. He glanced at the front desk, thinking they might stop him from entering restricted areas.

But no one at the desk noticed him. He hesitated at the door before pushing it open and heading down.

The footprints continued without pause or hesitation. In the light streaming from the hallway, each wet mark was distinctly visible.

Further down, he spotted a slightly ajar door, swaying as if someone had just entered.

Zhong Yi stepped inside. It appeared to be a storage room, cluttered with boxes of local products: half were Osmanthus wine and half were oranges. There were also various other items like stacks of new towels and new brooms and mops.

Several coats hung on the wall, suggesting that hotel staff used this space as a makeshift changing room.

Furthermore, atop a box, he found a piece of white paper still bearing wet ink. He glanced at it, then forced himself to remain calm.

It was a half-written warning note.

Before his arrival, someone had been here writing this warning. And after he stepped in, that person left.

Or did they?

Was the author of the warning truly human?

There's only one door to this room. He had entered and found the unfinished note but saw no one. Had they truly left?

A cold shiver raced up Zhong Yi's spine.

With a soft thud, the door shut. He swiftly turned around. The door wasn't locked. But when he opened it, a new set of footprints appeared in the corridor.

These prints headed in the opposite direction from the previous set. Someone, or something, had left.

A chill enveloped Zhong Yi. In this place, where spirits could assume human form, was this entity a ghost, a person, or something even more unfathomable?

Just as he was about to follow, he was tripped up by some clutter near the door. As he nearly fell, he reached out to steady himself on a pile of towels. The towels tumbled down, burying him beneath.

"Who's in there?"

He heard a voice outside and immediately lay flat on the ground, slowing his breath, concealed within the pile of towels, ears straining for any sound.

He heard the door being pulled open and soft footsteps— the soft padding of rubber-soled shoes. He deduced it must be a janitor.

"I've said it before, not to stack them this high..."

An elderly voice grumbled as the door clicked shut again, followed by the sound of it being locked.

Then, those footsteps gradually faded, slowly ascending the staircase.

Once the footsteps were distant, he exhaled in relief and slowly emerged from the scattered towels. He paused, realizing one of his feet had not been covered by the towels, it should've been visible from the doorway.

Nevertheless, he quickly got up and began inspecting the door.

He had to get used to this— it was normal for the staff not to see him.

The door was locked from the outside. He paused to think, attempting to phase his hand through the door. As expected, this notion proved futile; he remained inside, unable to pass through.

Reflecting on it, after Ji Xingchen and Bai Wan transitioned from spirits to human forms, they seemed just like ordinary people, without the ability to pass through walls. Perhaps this was to be expected, given the unique nature of this place.

Realizing he couldn’t open the door, he didn’t waste further effort. Instead, he began searching the room for an alternative exit, hoping to utilize the abundant tools within.

——

Outside, Zhong Jingzhu inquired at the front desk before proceeding to the hot spring area.

Ji Xingchen and Chi Shen had already tried several hot spring pools and were currently lounging in a deep, high-temperature one. They looked up as a concerned Zhong Jingzhu approached.

Without changing into swimwear, Zhong Jingzhu anxiously asked, “Have you seen Zhong Yi?”

“No,” Ji Xingchen replied, “We haven’t seen him since he left our room this morning.”

The lady in red, now appearing human, surfaced from a neighboring pool where she was with Bai Wan and chimed in, “Haven’t seen him!”

“Are you looking for a man in a black trench coat, like yours?” Two heads popped out of an adjacent pool. One of the boys, wiping water from his face, asked.

Zhong Jingzhu hesitated, “Who are you?”

“Just visitors. Are all of you in black trench coats always this peculiar?” the other boy inquired.

“If you’re searching for someone in a black trench coat, we spotted him near the pool below the massage rooms,” the first boy mentioned.

“Thank you.” Zhong Jingzhu, preparing to depart, paused and looked back, “Why did you return here?”

“We’re aware of the dangers. Don’t be so superstitious, mister. Go find your friend.” The boy responded, waving his hand dismissively.

Chi Shen glanced at the two boys, then smiled, “Uncle Zhong, you should rest and avoid catching a cold. I’ll look for Zhong Yi.”

“No, I must bring him back,” Zhong Jingzhu insisted.

“Let’s all search together,” Bai Wan suggested.

Chi Shen nodded, “Sounds good.”

The lady in red, although now in human form, emerged from the pool with her long hair plastered over her face like wet seaweed. In an eerie tone, she echoed, “Let’s all search, let’s all search!”

The two guys nearby immediately stepped back, looking at them as if they had seen a ghost.

In no time, the place was deserted. The two guys remarked, "That woman earlier seemed ghostly, didn't she?"

"Both women did, actually!"

"I genuinely thought I had encountered a ghost."

A pallid face, blowing bubbles, drifted by them from the nearby pool. Beneath the water floated a long robe. Hearing their comments, it let out a deep sigh, shrinking like a jellyfish before slipping into a nearby drain.

"Did I just hear a sigh...?"

"Did you?"