Chapter 229: The Haunted Construction Site on Huaishu Road 27

Chapter 229: The Haunted Construction Site on Huaishu Road 27

The female ghost was clearly stunned by Qin Fei's words. Her pupils dilated, the black irises gradually covering the entire whites of her eyes, reflecting the face of the young man in front of her.

His face was delicate and beautiful, with features so exquisite they were beyond description.

His gaze was sharp yet exceptionally clear, making every word he spoke sound genuinely sincere. Even as he was lecturing her, it made her reluctant to interrupt him.

The red-clothed female ghost who had wreaked havoc in Sinar Mas Department Store for over a year, whether during her life when she ran a shop with her husband or after her death, rarely encountered anyone speaking to her in such a tone.

"Do you want to save your husband very much? I guess you also want revenge," Qin Fei's words pierced through the female ghost's heart like bullets.

"I know that you are restricted within this building, all thanks to the old man on the third floor."

Qin Fei spoke slowly, his lips curling into a clearer smile, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

"But, are you really willing? Willing to be suppressed by him? If not for him, your power would be several times stronger than it is now."

"You want us to help you, and then what?"

"Are we just going to wait? Wait until nightfall when your power takes over, and only then can you recall those forgotten details?"

Most of what Qin Fei said was conjecture, but he was almost certain it was close to the truth.

"Is this your effort? Letting time pass idly is how you strive to save your loved one? Ask yourself, have you truly done everything you could?"

Qin Fei's questioning grew increasingly cold.

In the room, only his voice could be heard, making every word he uttered stand out even more, emphasizing every emotion in his tone.

One person and one ghost stood surrounded by the others.

Neither Qin Fei nor the female ghost looked around, unaware that the expressions on the other players' faces had twisted into knots!

Cui Wenxuan was pale, drenched in sweat, and his body twitched uncontrollably.

He wanted to move forward, but an unknown force held him back, trapping him in an invisible cage of air, unable to move an inch.

Cui Wenxuan's teeth chattered, and the force also restrained his mouth and throat, leaving him unable to utter a single word, only screaming frantically in his mind.

Madness! Xiao Qin has gone mad!!

Why was he talking to the ghost like that?

This female ghost was already unpredictable; the consequences of provoking her were clear.

Cui Wenxuan recalled the two players who died in the dormitory last night and the horrific deaths he witnessed on the fourth floor. His heart pounded like a drum!

He began to wonder if, with his mirror artifact, along with Yiwu and Qi Xiu, the strongest fighters in the room, and Mi Yang and the others, they could pull Qin Fei back from the brink of death without causing major casualties.

It seemed unlikely.

Worse still, this plan couldn't be executed because Cui Wenxuan couldn't move at all.

From the reactions of the other players, they were similarly immobilized.

All the players, including Cui Wenxuan, assumed that this predicament was due to the female ghost's rage.

No one noticed that, at the back of the crowd, a tall man with deep sea-blue eyes calmly watched the young man in the center. He stepped back to a corner, found a chair, and sat down, observing everything quietly like an outsider.

Qin Fei did not end the conversation just because the female ghost remained silent. Instead, he took a step forward, pressing closer to her.

"Do you have an answer to my question?"

The female ghost lifted her gaze. As she moved, her facial skin trembled, and blood-red tears streamed down her pale face, leaving two glaring streaks.

This scene would terrify any ordinary person, but Qin Fei showed no reaction.

"I..."

The female ghost hesitated.

Qin Fei's heartfelt words had a profound impact on her soul.

Unlike urban office workers who could discern manipulative tactics, the female ghost lacked such skills.

The young man in front of her spoke sternly but with a gentle demeanor, creating a stark contrast that made every word he said resonate deeply, striking her soul while also soothing her emotions.

The female ghost stood frozen.

She couldn't explain why, but she felt that every word he said made perfect sense.

And he seemed genuinely concerned about her.

Unlike others who merely paid lip service.

Those polite promises—did they think she couldn't tell? They were just empty words!

But this person was different; he truly wanted to help her.

Only someone who had seriously considered how to find her husband and avenge her could pose such pointed questions!

"...What do you want me to do?" The female ghost's voice was rough and hoarse, as if someone was choking her.

But this harsh voice sounded like music to the players' ears at that moment.

The situation seemed to be developing in an unexpected direction.

The female ghost actually started to speak to them politely.

Just moments ago, those who were on the verge of witnessing the horrifying scene of Qin Fei's head rolling on the ground, their nerves taut with fear, now collectively relaxed.

The force that had been restraining them, preventing their progress, suddenly loosened.

Cui Wenxuan regained control of his body, but he no longer rushed forward. The stark contrast in the female ghost's attitude already spoke volumes.

Only a few minutes had passed, yet the situation had completely reversed.

Xiao Qin's approach was correct.

Cui Wenxuan breathed rapidly, unable to see the female ghost's good will meter rise by 10 percentage points. He could only discern from her demeanor and tone that her emotions seemed to have calmed down.

She no longer harbored outright hostility towards the players but gradually chose to trust and accept them.

The female ghost stared intently into Qin Fei's eyes, her bleeding sockets filled with urgency.

"You're right; I haven't done enough, but... what can I do? I don't know."

Her face twisted momentarily.

She wanted to free her suppressed husband and get rid of the old man in the building.

But the old man was no ordinary person. In the past year, the female ghost had faced him many times, never truly harming him, instead being increasingly suppressed by him.

"Do you know, right? You're so smart; you must have a way!"

Cui Wenxuan was dumbfounded.

He noticed the change in the female ghost's attitude but didn't expect it to be so thorough.

How did Xiao Qin's insults turn into praise like "you're so smart"?

How did she come to this conclusion?

Cui Wenxuan looked at Qi Xiu with a puzzled expression, receiving a similarly perplexed look in return.

In the center of the room, Qin Fei waved his hand, signaling the players around him to disperse.

The crowd parted, creating a path for Qin Fei to walk through, his steps steady as he made his way to a corner and pulled out a chair to sit down.

Someone pushed a steaming cup of freshly brewed tea towards him from the table beside him.

Qin Fei turned his head and gave the source of the tea an approving glance.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became somewhat strange.

The tension and imminent danger vanished, and Qin Fei, sitting on a broken chair in the dormitory, exuded an air of authority.

He slowly lifted the teacup and took a sip, with the female ghost drifting behind him without uttering a single word of urgency.

Cui Wenxuan: "..."

Qi Xiu & other players & live stream viewers: "..."

After resting for a while and savoring the tea, Qin Fei finally spoke.

"Do you remember, this morning, when Yiwu overheard something the Yin-Yang master and the players from the Northwest teams said on the third floor?" Qin Fei said slowly.

No one responded.

There were more than just a few sentences that Yiwu had overheard that morning, and after recounting everything to the other players, no one could guess which specific statement Qin Fei referred to.

"By this year's Mid-Autumn Festival, the first anniversary of the couple's death, their ghostly powers will reach their peak. At that time, everyone involved in the department store haunting will not escape their revenge."

His gentle voice echoed in the air, matching Yiwu's original words exactly.

Qin Fei turned his head and looked at the closed door of Dormitory No. 1.

Footsteps could be heard outside; the players from the Northwest teams were still busy.

Every moment of rain was a golden opportunity for them to gain an advantage, and they needed to act quickly, preferably before the final danger arrived, to suppress the female ghost in the twilight before darkness fell.

Qin Fei rested his chin on his hand and looked at the female ghost. "For you, today might be an ordinary day, no different from any other day in the past year."

His low voice was almost a whisper, but the female ghost heard every word clearly.

"But for that Yin-Yang master, it is not."

Although the couple's plans were thwarted by the traitor, making it impossible to kill all the involved living people on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, it doesn't mean their ghostly powers haven't grown stronger over time.

Qin Fei fixed his gaze on the female ghost. "That Yin-Yang master is strong, isn't he? You are a red-clothed ghost, full of resentment, and killing is effortless for you, but you haven't fared well against him."

"But you overlooked one fact: the Yin-Yang master is no longer the formidable opponent he once was."

"Why did the Yin-Yang master ask the players from the Northwest teams to repair the formations on the fourth and fifth floors?" Qin Fei asked, seemingly speaking to himself.

The female ghost listened carefully, her ghostly eyes growing brighter.

"In fact, he is afraid too," Qin Fei stated confidently.

For the Yin-Yang master, repairing the formations would be an easy task. He could have done it himself without involving the dozen or so players, simply walking upstairs and finishing the job in no time.

He spent so much effort explaining everything to the players who found their way to the third floor, aiming to gain their trust and help.

But this "help" was not merely about saving a negligible amount of time during the formation setup.

"He’s doing this to leave himself an escape route."

The Taoist master’s attempts to test the players had already shown signs when they first entered the building yesterday.

When Qin Fei and his group went upstairs, the Taoist master generously helped them. The information about the shop run by the Taoist master was also provided by the foreman and supervisor NPCs.

These connections were tightly interwoven. Without a doubt, the players’ involvement with the Taoist master was not coincidental but the result of meticulous planning.

He was worried that the players would die too quickly and in too great numbers.

Because if that happened, there would be no one left to divert the female ghost’s attention and firepower on the following days.

"In the memory illusion we saw, all matters concerning this building have been handled by the Taoist master throughout the year. However, in the two days since we entered the building, his presence has been surprisingly low," Qin Fei squinted his eyes.

It was intentional.

The female ghost was getting stronger, yet the Taoist master was choosing to retreat when faced with difficulty.

He had set everything up, but he wasn’t entirely confident he could eliminate the female ghost. He was a cautious person, prioritizing his own safety.

"You might as well try approaching him again."

Qin Fei smiled, his clear and elegant face purer than an angel’s, yet his tone was like that of a demon full of evil temptation: "Perhaps you’ll get an unexpected outcome."

The female ghost stood there, dazed.

The picture Qin Fei painted was indeed too beautiful. The Taoist master was her mortal enemy, and if she could take him down, rescuing her husband would become much easier.

Despite the intense emotional turmoil, the female ghost retained a sliver of rationality and didn’t let Qin Fei lead her around.

"What about you? What about your group?" the female ghost asked.

Qin Fei slightly lowered his gaze, his expression pure and kind: "In this building, besides the Taoist master, there are many others. We certainly have our roles to play."

"You go and hold off the Taoist master; we’ll deal with his minions, disrupt the formation, and release your power. Let’s cooperate," Qin Fei announced with a smile.

"You don’t need to kill the Taoist master," Qin Fei said. "Just delay him until nightfall, preventing him from meeting those outside. Can you do that?"

The female ghost’s expression improved; this request wasn’t too difficult for her.

"Once night falls and you figure out how to rescue your husband, tell us as soon as possible." Qin Fei didn’t give the female ghost much time to think, finalizing their cooperation.

Perhaps because Qin Fei had appeared very reliable during their conversation, the female ghost’s favorability towards him had risen to 15%.

With the plan set, the red-clothed ghost turned and left, leaving the room silent for a moment.

Lu Cheng watched the female ghost’s departing back with concern: "Will this really work?"

What if something unexpected happens?

"Don’t panic."

Among the various expressions, Qin Fei, holding a white porcelain teacup, seemed like an outlier.

"If the female ghost wins, that’s great."

"But even if she loses, we won’t suffer any losses," Qin Fei’s smile deepened. "Don’t forget what our mission is."

He deliberately incited the female ghost to confront the Taoist master alone.

The players’ mission was to survive until Mid-Autumn Night within the ghost story.

If the female ghost wins, the players receive substantial rewards.

And if the female ghost loses and is killed by the Taoist master, turning to ashes, the players can still leave the ghost story unscathed.

—After all, it’s the female ghost who wants to kill, not the Taoist master.

"In this ghost story, the players who choose to join the female ghost’s side are truly the chosen ones."

Qin Fei whispered softly.