79 - Palace of Illusion

Translated by rabbitrisu

‘Ghost Call’ was actually a very powerful ghost tool. Because the tool itself was a cell phone, it had some phone-related abilities, such as connecting to other cell phones or even silently making calls with other cell phones.

But the most powerful ability of the ghost tool was the ‘Palace of Illusion’ granted by Zhang Xiaoqing. As long as a person with a cell phone is near him, they can be dragged into the palace of illusion that Zhang Xiaoqing created. Of course, the premise was that those people would be gathered together, and also gathered near the location where Zhang Xiaoqing is.

That was why even though Su Zimo didn’t want to be amiable to Qi Yang, he still went to the restaurant with them and sat down to chat.

But now, Zhang Xiaoqing’s opened eyes indicated that the palace of illusion was constructed. The three pranksters and Qi Yang, who didn’t know why he was involved, were all trapped in the illusion created by Zhang Xiaoqing.

Su Zimo, who was also inside, looked at the empty restaurant and street, and felt that they may even be in an ’empty city.’ The feeling was amazing, as if… Zhang Xiaoqing created a new nightmare world using her own ability.

It’s just that for su Zimo, the illusion was as flimsy as paper, like if you hit the wall forcefully enough, you could escape the illusion.

It could be seen that Zhang Xiaoqing’s illusion of reality wasn’t as perfect as the one she created in the nightmare world. However, if Zhang Xiaoqing’s fantasy realms could become stronger, it may one day become more powerful than a three star ghost tool.

But Qi Yang and the others may not feel that.

“Am I dreaming?” Qi Yang and the others left the table step by step and brushed against the clean tabletops of the restaurant. It was as if the clanging noises they had heard before had never existed.

“Hua Xiaowan, I have a very bad premonition.” Wen Xiaoyu, who was very optimistic earlier, now turned pale, as if thinking of something she couldn’t accept.

“Maybe it’s an event? For example, for example, some big star is holding a concert nearby. Isn’t Su An An very hot recently? I heard that she’s from Jiangdu. Maybe they all went to see her!” Hua Xiaowan spoke, but even she didn’t believe it.

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The few people walked all the way to the door of the restaurant, ready to open it to face the empty street with no people.

But an accident unexpectedly happened again!

When Qi Yang, who was walking in front, pushed the glass door open, what appeared ahead of them wasn’t an empty street, but a hallway that looked to be long abandoned. The hallway was dark and shadowed. There was only a small amount of light that came from nowhere, which made it difficult for them to see the rows of high windows and dilapidated wooden doors on either side of the hall.

“What the hell!” Qi Yang couldn’t help cursing. He stepped back a bit to the restaurant and looked out of the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows, but what he saw was still a bright but empty street.

But they had obviously opened the door to the restaurant. Why was an indoor hallway appearing in front of them?

And it was a very strange hallway.

“Old teaching building…” The three people standing behind Qi Yang murmured in unison.

Su Zimo had also seen similar wooden doors in Zhang Xiaoqing’s illusion, so he could guess that the hallway that appeared in front of them belonged to the old school teaching building from the three’s high school. That was where they started playing with the pen fairy.

One space was nested within another space. That was also Zhang Xiaoqing’s skill.

Moreover, Su Zimo knew from the start that Zhang Xiaoqing’s ability couldn’t really create a big empty city. Even an entire street may be beyond Zhang Xiaoqing’s scope. Nesting various small spaces allowed her to avoid that limitation and create a more terrifying nightmare world.

“It’s her.. it’s her… she’s really back!” Lin Zhe’s originall weak voice became slightly stronger, and he finally started making noise in the inhuman fantasy realm. “You clearly said that the pen fairy was fake, but now there’s retribution, retribution! She’s come for us! She must have come for us! It’s all your fault! It’s all your fault!”

“What’s going on?” Qi Yang looked at the three strange people with a blank expression. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand?”

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“Okay, stop talking!” After Hua Xiaowan noticed Qi Yang’s suspicion, she bit her red lips and whispered to the two people near her. “Could you not say those things near my boyfriend.”

“Hua Xiaowan, I really admire you sometimes.” Wen Xiaoyu looked at Hua Xiaowan, dumbfounded. “Wasn’t the main reason for the accident at the time because you and Lin Zhe were in an exclusive relationship? Now you’re ignoring our current situation for your rich boyfriend?! Hua Xiaowan, open your eyes and take a look at the old school teaching building. You know very well what happened there four years ago. Even if you don’t say it now, your boyfriend will find out sooner or later!”

“Don’t speak nonsense! How would I know what happened here four years ago.” Hua Xiaowan continued holding Qi Yang’s arm and widened her eyes as she spoke nonsense.

“What are you talking about!” Qi Yang yelled confusedly. “What happened to Lin Zhe? Xiaowan, didn’t you say you’d never been in a relationship before? And how did you know this inexplicable hallway was in a teaching building? And what about a rich boyfriend? In your eyes, is my money my only advantage?”

“Why do you believe her nonsense?” Hua Xiaowan widened her eyes. “Didn’t I tell you I haven’t been in contact with these classmates for two or three years? Well, I’ll tell you why now. I don’t contact them because their spirits are abnormal and they like to speak nonsense all day long!”

“Alright, I believe you.” Qi Yang raised his eyebrows and glanced at Hua Xiaowan, then freed his fingers to point at the hallway ahead. “So how about you walk in there with me now?”

“Isn’t it okay to stay here?” Hua Xiaowan obviously preferred the bright dining area to the old teaching building hallway.

“And stay stuck here? Of course we have to find a way out.” Qi Yang half-squinted his eyes and stared at his girlfriend, who had always been beautiful and gentle. “Didn’t you say nothing happened there?”

Hua Xiaowan was frustrated because of Qi Yang’s gaze. She could only take a deep breath and pretend to be okay. “It really has nothing to do with me. If you want to go in, let’s go in. What else can we do? It’s only a big deal for Lin Zhe to go forward and drive away the ghost.”

With that said, Hua Xiaowan cautiously took Qi Yang’s hand again and gestured for them to enter the hallway.

“Lin Zhe is here?” Qi Yang didn’t forget the name Wen Xiaoyu had just said. Then his eyes fell on the degenerate person next to Wen Xiaoyu. He didn’t know the names of the few people, after all.

Hua Xiaowan once had a good time with that ugly monster?

Qi Yang glanced at Lin Zhe, who was somewhat shabbily dressed then at Su Zimo who calmly followed behind them, suddenly feeling angry. Originally he just wanted to play well and watch Su Zimo, but this turned out to be a good show for Su Zimo. It really made Qi Yang ashamed and angry.

As a bystander, Su Zimo only looked at the four people in front of him. Although he somewhat understood why Zhang Xiaowing brought Qi Yang into the illusion with them, the four people in front of him… they had no sense of urgency at all.

The one who was most afraid was Qi Yang. He was so scared that he looked nervous. Wen Xiaoyu kept condemning Hua Xiaowan’s behavior, Hua Xiaowan was trying to appease her rich boyfrend, and Qi Yang seemed to be wondering if his girlfriend was wearing a green hat for him. ¹

The few ordinary people weren’t even trainers. It seems that no one had paid attention to the illusion itself.

“So, why did we come to such a place?” Su Zimo couldn’t help but remind them.

“……”

The four of them looked at Su Zimo who had been ignored earlier.

“This… who is this?” Wen Xiaoyu was stunned.

“This is my boyfriend’s classmate.” Hua Xiaowan said briefly. Her expression didn’t seem to reveal anything.

“Maybe we should walk in.” Su Zimo patiently guided them. “Maybe after we enter, we can find the exit? Like from an escape room?”

“Don’t you think the current situation is weird?!” Maybe it was because Su Zimo’s tone when talking about the illusion was too plain, but Lin Zhe collapsed and said, “Is it still the time to cover it up? You’re all clear about it. This is Zhang Xiaoqing’s ghost! Zhang Xiaoqing’s ghost is back!”

This was the first time the name ‘Zhang Xiaoqing’ appeared in the pranksters’ mouths.

Even Hua Xiaowan, who had always been successful at pretending, showed her panic when she heard the name.

“Wu– Wu wu–“

Just as Lin Zhe’s voice fell, there was a teary whimper echoing from the deep abandoned hallway in front of them. The cry was obviously from a girl, and it seemed to be young. Her crying was so sad that it was like having a thorn stuck, very uncomfortable.

Su Zimo realized that Zhang Xiaoqing, who had been with him, had disappeared, possibly into the hallway.

However, Su Zimo had been holding Ghost Call the entire time.

“Let’s go. Let’s take a look.” Qi Yang directly pulled Hua Xiaowan’s hand, trying to lead her into the abandoned hallway.

“But Hua Xiaowan was afraid and grabbed the door frame of the restaurant, also the entrance to the old hallway. She didn’t explain or obey, but her whole body froze and didn’t move.

“I changed my mind. I don’t want to go in.”

Hua Xiaowan shook her head desperately, seeming to have figured out which was more important between her life and her boyfriend. She simply let go of Qi Yang’s arm, turned around, and was about to walk back into the restaurant.

But how could Zhang Xiaoqing just watch her escape?

In the blink of an eye for Su Zimo, the bright restaurant disappeared. Everyone was stuck in the dimly lit old hallway!

This was Zhang Xiaoqing’s fantasy world, after all. She had the final say.

“Aaaaahhhh!”

After several years of self-torture, Lin Zhe, who was already extremely fragile, curled up in a corner like a crazy person.

Wen Xiaoyu was also slightly unable to bear it. She tried to lean against the spider-web covered wall to support her body and remain standing. But before Wen Xiaoyu could react, the dilapidated wooden door closest to her creaked open, and the cries became closer and clearer through the door.

“I’ll take a look.” Qi Yang swallowed nervously, but his personality made him want to play a knight in front of his girlfriend and the terrified crowd. But he himself was a little scared, so he just leaned on the wall on the side and moved towards the classroom from as far as possible.

“Don’t go in there.” Hua Xiaowan grabbed Qi Yang’s clothes and shook her head tearfully. “Something bad will happen. Something really bad will happen.”

“What the hell happened? Why do you refuse to tell the truth!” Qi Yang looked a little heartbroken. “Hua Xiaowan, if you really love me, please tell me the truth, okay!”

“Qi Yang, I really don’t want to say!”

“She’s here. She’s really here.” Wen Xiaoyu also curled up like Lin Zhe.

All the people involved in the matter were on the verge of collapse. The scene became extremely chaotic. There were cries, whispers, interrogations, and rebuttals all within the small dilapidated hallway, so the sounds intertwined and it became extremely noisy.

But the sound of one cold voice made the whole world silent.

“Classmate, what are you doing here?”

Su Zimo, who just wanted to further the plot, had walked into the classroom at some point. After asking suspiciously, he poked his head out of the door and said to Qi Yang and the others, “You don’t need to worry. There’s a girl in the classroom who look’s quite ordinary. Maybe she’s crying so sadly because she’s trapped here.”

Really?

“So there are other people?” Qi Yang thought of his timid behavior just now, coughed slightly, and looked inside the door again.

Hua Xiaowan was stunned by Su Zimo’s extremely calm tone. When she reacted, Qi Yang had dragged her to the door of the classroom.

“Aaaaaahhhhh!”

The moment she saw the image inside the door, Hua Xiaowan’s shrill scream resounded throughout the entire illusion.

What student girl trapped in there? It was clearly Zhang Xiaoqing wearing a high school uniform and sitting in front of a piece of white paper, crying while holding a broken pencil and drawing wild circles on it!

When the pencil scribbled across the white paper, it was as if it had struck someone’s body, and there was terrible red liquid dripping along the edge of the broken table. Zhang Xiaoqing’s exposed skin was full of red liquid that no one dared to identify, just like Hua Xiaowan saw after she jumped off the rooftop that day…

This scene, how was it ordinary?!

Footnotes

<ol>To wear a green hat means a cheating on your partner</ol>