“Chapter 106”

"Chapter 106"

"The young man, not understanding Shen Wang’s comment, looked puzzled, ‘Huh?’"

"Shen Wang withdrew his gaze from the sinister old house, not intending to explain, and directly asked, ‘What’s your situation?’"

"Caught off guard by Shen Wang’s abrupt change of topic, the young man quickly introduced himself, ‘My name is Ma Zhiwen…’"

"As he spoke, he frantically searched through his backpack, finally pulling out a thick black leather notebook and handing it to Shen Wang."

"Ma Zhiwen, a comic artist and a native of the imperial capital, recently found this old diary while cleaning out his ancestral home."

"The diary detailed a beautiful love story, which deeply moved him, inspiring him to adapt it into a comic."

"Initially thinking it was just a source of inspiration, he began having the same dream repeatedly from that day on."

"With a hint of fear, Ma Zhiwen shared, ‘In the dream, I became the male protagonist in the diary, dating and falling in love with a female protagonist whose face I couldn’t see…’"

"The decorations, room layouts, and clothing in the dream, all from the last century, turned the originally sunny setting spine-chilling."

"Distressed by these dreams, Ma Zhiwen was nearly driven to nervous breakdown."

"Driven by a desire to get to the root of it, he followed clues from the diary and his dreams, astonishingly finding this haunted house in reality!"

"‘I swear, even though I’m a born and bred resident of the imperial capital, I’ve never been here before,’ Ma Zhiwen glanced at the diary with fear in his eyes, ‘But this place… it’s exactly like in my dreams!’"

"Terrified at the realization that the things from his dreams existed in reality, Ma Zhiwen started to suspect he had encountered something malevolent."

"Shen Wang half-heartedly listened to Ma Zhiwen’s story while casually flipping through the diary."

"The diary was well-preserved; its black cover showed no signs of aging. Only upon opening it did the yellowed pages, faint ink smudges, and torn paper reveal the marks of time."

"From the handwriting, it was clearly a man’s writing."

"The diary detailed how the author stumbled into a gathering and met a strikingly beautiful lady. They hit it off instantly, with the diarist falling for her at first sight."

"After this page, several pages of the diary were torn out, leaving only intermittent records of the author’s courtship with the lady."

"They talked about everything under the sun, sneaking out for dates, walking in the park; he gave her a silver bracelet, she gave him a pocket watch in return…"

"But too many pages were torn out, leaving behind only these sweet memories, without any conclusion."

"Only the youthful emotions in the text, transcending through history, could reveal his heartfelt affection."

"Sighing, Ma Zhiwen commented, ‘Looks like a sweet love story, doesn’t it?’"

"A young man’s chance encounter with a lady of a reputable family, a sweet love story of mutual understanding and affection."

"‘But the place where this story unfolded, this haunted house, was actually a dance hall decades ago.’"

"A dance hall named Tulip, neither famous nor long-standing, disappeared into obscurity during the war."

"Shen Wang closed the diary and handed it back to Ma Zhiwen, ‘Understood.’"

"Ma Zhiwen, puzzled, asked, ‘Aren’t we going to go in and check it out?’"

"‘No rush,’ Shen Wang smiled, ‘We’re still waiting for someone else.’"

"Ma Zhiwen became even more bewildered, ‘Aren’t you… in competition with each other?’"

"Wasn’t he told by the staff that this was a competition, with several people competing simultaneously, and the one who arrives first gets to start the task?"

"Why is this guy so calm and composed?"

"‘Ever heard the saying, many hands make light work?’ Shen Wang smiled, handing Ma Zhiwen a talisman for safety, ‘Keep this with you.’"

"Ma Zhiwen, a bit dazed, oh-ed and instinctively accepted the talisman."

"Holding the talisman, Ma Zhiwen’s eyes suddenly lit up. Recently burdened with investigating the haunted house, he had been under immense stress, plagued by continuous dreams, resulting in poor sleep quality and a foggy mind, accompanied by an inexplicable chill."

"As soon as he touched the talisman, he felt a gentle warmth spreading from his palm throughout his body, warming his chilled limbs and clearing his muddled mind."

"A master indeed! Ma Zhiwen quickly treasured the talisman close to his heart, feeling as if his heart was soaked in warm water, finally relaxing his tense nerves."

"Initially skeptical of Shen Wang due to his youthful appearance and striking looks, Ma Zhiwen now had no doubts about his abilities."

"The pair didn’t have to wait long before the other competitors started arriving gradually."

"The first to appear in their sight were two men, one tall and one short. Surprised to see Shen Wang, they greeted, ‘Daoist Shen.’"

"Recognizing them, Shen Wang’s expression subtly changed, ‘Daoist Bai, Daoist… Ugly.’"

"Bai Fuchun greeted Shen Wang with a sweet smile, and though happy, he sighed, ‘With Daoist Shen here, our chances of winning seem slim.’"

"After the banquet incident, no one underestimated Shen Wang’s abilities, now having a clear understanding of his strength."

"Ugly Yin's eyes brightened, ‘Didn’t expect us to end up together.’"

"Shen Wang’s eyelid twitched, suspecting these two had some backdoor influence to stay together in the competition, like conjoined twins."

"While they were talking, the remaining two competitors quickly arrived."

"One was a member of the Metaphysical Association, always seen as Bo Yu’s underling, a man familiar to Shen Wang, who introduced himself as Wushu."

"The last person to arrive was a woman dressed peculiarly. Seeing Shen Wang, she smiled and introduced herself in a friendly manner, ‘Hello Daoist Shen, I’m Pang He, from the Immortal Maiden Sect.’"

"Shen Wang noticed her eyes were slightly narrow, more reminiscent of a beast's pupils than those of a human."

"In the metaphysical world, apart from the main large sects, there are various smaller paths and sects, like the Gu insects of Miaojiang and sects bonding with demon beasts, such as the Horse Immortals."

"These sects are collectively known as the Five Immortal Sects, categorized under one large group."

"Shen Wang discerned that this woman named Pang He was a disciple of the Five Immortal Sects, bonded with a fox spirit."

"Without saying much, Shen Wang let Ma Zhiwen introduce the situation to everyone, then signaled the group, ‘Shall we go in?’"

"None of the others objected, following Shen Wang in an orderly manner."

"Shen Wang: ‘…’"

"He had intended to wait for the others to take the lead, but unexpectedly ended up being the leader himself, a miscalculation."

"Pushing open the creaky, dilapidated door, they entered the mysterious haunted house amidst a grating ‘squeak.’"

"The once decrepit building instantly reverted to its appearance from decades ago, as if time had flowed backward, restored to its new and lavishly decorated state."

"The silent rooms gradually filled with life, with guests and dancers appearing out of thin air, and the unique music of the last century filled the air."

"Amidst the sharp, melodious singing of women, Shen Wang suddenly looked around; the competitors who had entered with him had vanished without a trace!"

"The surroundings were filled with guests moving back and forth, dancing under the ambiguous, dim lights."

"Shen Wang realized in a flash: no wonder even some powerful metaphysical experts couldn’t deal with this haunted house."

"The haunted house itself wasn’t harmful, but it was a massive illusion!"

"An illusion created by the resentful spirits of those who had died here."

"Since the haunted house posed no harm to the living, Shen Wang didn’t hurry to find the others, instead leisurely observing the lifelike dancers and guests around him."

"The stunningly beautiful dancers were either dressed in curve-revealing qipaos or in pretty Western dresses, smiling sweetly, their eyes seductive as they danced lightly to the music."

"When their eyes met Shen Wang’s, a bold dancer quickly threw him a flirtatious wink and puckered her red lips in a flying kiss gesture."

"Shen Wang calmly returned the glance, even offering a smile, seamlessly blending into the misty ambiance."

"Suddenly, a delicate voice sounded near Shen Wang’s ear, ‘Would you like to find a dance partner, sir?’"

"Turning around, Shen Wang met a pair of alluring eyes."

"The owner of the eyes wasn’t remarkably exquisite in features, a round ‘moon’ face preferred by the older generation, slightly chubby but with stunningly beautiful eyes that were both seductive and pure."

"Innocently charming yet enticing, a modest appearance yet a captivating aura."

"Seeing no response from Shen Wang, the woman chuckled lightly, her eyes relaxing, ‘You’re quite handsome, sir, overshadowing even me. My name is Azi, what’s yours?’"

"Azi? Shen Wang’s mind stirred, and he asked her, ‘Do you know Ma Xiuyuan?’"

"Covering her mouth, Azi giggled, ‘I don’t know him... Are you looking for someone, sir?’"

"Shen Wang, looking at her, couldn’t muster any other emotion but a sense of heaviness."

"Even the earlier novelty of watching a scene like a movie up close had faded."

"This Azi, despite her mature and experienced demeanor, was no more than eighteen years old."

"‘My name is Shen Wang,’ he sighed softly, addressing Azi, ‘I came here with a few friends but we got separated. Could you help me find them, Miss Azi?’"

"‘Three male friends, among them two - one tall, one short - probably together, and another man likely alone. There’s also a female friend…’"

"Azi glanced at Shen Wang curiously, then leaned closer, her breath as sweet as orchids, ‘Mr. Shen, maybe your friends are off having fun on their own. Why not join me instead… Let’s have some fun together…’"

"Shen Wang, considering her young age and that she was a girl, tried to hold back but couldn’t resist stepping back, ‘Miss Azi, the stench of death on you is too strong, it’s suffocating me.’"

"Azi's expression changed, forcing a stiff smile, ‘Sir, what kind of joke is this…’"

"Shen Wang sighed again and, as Azi leaned in once more, he took out a yellow talisman pinched between his fingers."

"Azi: ‘...are you even a man!’"

"Unwavering in the face of a considerate, young, and beautiful woman like her."