The Mysterious Disappearance of Everyone

As his words fell, the five people in the room abruptly opened their eyes. They exchanged glances, then silently walked out the door.

A pretty maid was waiting outside. The group followed behind her and soon arrived at the Ancestral Hall they had passed by during the day.

Unlike the lively scene they had seen before, all the guests had now dispersed, leaving only leftover scraps scattered across the ground.

Several servants were cleaning with their heads lowered, their frantic movements making it seem as though something terrible would happen if they slowed for even a second.

At that moment, an inexplicable chill wind swept through. The paper money all over the floor was immediately thrown into the air, whirling as it scattered down in every direction.

Steward Deng, who had brought them here earlier that day, stood at the entrance to the Ancestral Hall like a statue. Even when several pieces of paper money drifted onto his shoulders, he did not move a single step.

Under the setting sun, half his face was hidden in shadow, while the other half reflected the dying glow of sunset.

No matter how one looked at it, this eerie scene felt deeply wrong.

But things had come this far, so they could only swallow hard and brace themselves as they walked over.

Once they approached, Steward Deng's lifeless eyes shifted slightly, and he looked at them expressionlessly.

"Who... are you..."

The moment he spoke, everyone froze where they stood.

Before they could react, Steward Deng suddenly shuddered all over. Then, as if he had abruptly come back to life, his entire demeanor changed.

He swept his gaze over Ling Yun and the others, then said with some dissatisfaction, "Why are you so late?"

Seeing how Steward Deng was like an entirely different person before and after, the group looked at one another. They decisively chose to keep silent, acting as though nothing had happened.

Although Steward Deng was somewhat puzzled by this, he did not think much of it. He pointed toward the Ancestral Hall behind him and said:

"You should all understand tonight's task."

"There is only one requirement: no matter what happens, you must not leave the main hall!"

"Otherwise, don't even dream of getting a single copper coin from me!"

The group nodded heavily before entering the Ancestral Hall one after another.

The instant they entered, a chill rushed straight at their faces.

Even Da Niu, whose body was the strongest among them, could not help shivering. He muttered, "Damn it, why is it so cold in here?"

No one paid him any attention. They stood where they were, warily examining everything around them.

The Ancestral Hall was not large. Paintings of nameless ghosts and monsters hung on the surrounding walls, likely things akin to Yama in this world.

At the very center sat a pitch-black coffin.

A small square table stood before the coffin, bearing several foods made from glutinous rice, as well as a bronze incense burner.

Three incense sticks were inserted diagonally into the burner. Wisps of pale smoke curled upward, releasing a strange and distinctive fragrance.

A funeral portrait hung nearby, depicting a kindly-looking old man.

Whoever this master artist had been, the entire portrait was lifelike, especially those eyes. They seemed almost alive, staring unblinkingly at the group.

Unfortunately, they were all rough martial men, destined to have no appreciation for such art.

Without needing any reminder, they all instinctively backed several steps away.

Behind the coffin stood another wooden table.

Chicken, duck, fish, and meat covered the table, but in such a setting, not one of them had any appetite to enjoy it.

The group went to the wooden table and sat down stiffly. After a moment of silence, Niu Er suddenly said, "What do you think about that Deng fellow just now..."

Before he could finish, Niu Da slapped the back of his head.

Seeing the angry look in his elder brother's eyes, Niu Er, who had still been somewhat unconvinced, immediately shrank his neck and did not dare say another word.

The other two also let out sighs of relief, giving Niu Da approving looks.

They only wanted to complete the task quietly. As for all that messy nonsense, they would simply pretend they had not seen it.

Afterward, they casually chatted a little more and decided the order for keeping watch through the night.

Ling Yun listened from the side without agreeing or objecting. No matter what the others did, he had no intention of sleeping that night.

Very soon, several hours passed.

Ling Yun, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly seemed to notice something and snapped his eyes open.

But when he clearly saw the situation around him, his pupils abruptly contracted.

Zhang Mu and the others, who had been sitting beside him, had somehow left at some unknown time. The entire Ancestral Hall now contained only him!

"When did this happen?" Ling Yun found it hard to believe.

He was certain that he had not fallen asleep, nor had he noticed any unusual sounds. Yet several living people had vanished into thin air right before his eyes!

Ling Yun stood up with an ugly expression and scanned the surroundings, but found nothing at all.

The silence around him was terrifying, as though he could hear his own heartbeat.

"Playing tricks with ghosts and gods!" Ling Yun stood there in silence for a moment, then suddenly lifted his head and sneered.

He then walked to the door. Looking at the darkness outside, he stepped into it without hesitation.

Waiting helplessly for death had never been his style. As for the task, he had never come here for that in the first place!

He slowly walked through the Zheng Family estate. Just as he had expected, not a single servant or guard could be seen anywhere.

He casually pushed open a door, only to find the room equally empty.

He reached out and touched the bedding. It was ice-cold, clearly showing that its owner had left a long time ago.

Ling Yun's expression remained unchanged. He refused to believe that everyone in the Deng Family had simply died out!

Just as he was about to open another door, a burst of hurried footsteps suddenly rang out from the darkness behind him.

Ling Yun's gaze sharpened. His right hand settled on the hilt of the saber at his waist as he abruptly turned around.

The footsteps drew closer and closer. Soon, a shadow darted out of the darkness.

By the dim starlight, Ling Yun made out the man's face. It was not some eerie creature as he had imagined, but Zhang Mu, who had mysteriously disappeared earlier!

Upon seeing Ling Yun, Zhang Mu was clearly startled as well and abruptly stopped.

The two stared at each other in the darkness for a moment before Zhang Mu cautiously called out, "Is that Junior Brother Ling?"

Ling Yun fell silent for a moment before finally nodding slowly.

Only then did Zhang Mu let out a breath of relief and quickly walked over.

Seeing his bedraggled state, Ling Yun frowned and asked, "What exactly happened? Why did all of you suddenly leave?"

"And where have all the Deng Family people gone?"

Zhang Mu could not help giving a bitter smile. "Ah, don't even mention it!"

"Everything had been fine at first, but then that kid Niu Er suddenly went mad for some reason and ran outside like a lunatic. Niu Da was worried about his younger brother, so he chased after him."

"When the two of them did not return for a long time, Wang Ziyuan and I feared something had happened, so we decided to go out and meet them. But as we walked, the two of us got separated as well."

"And then, I ran into you, Junior Brother."

"As for the Deng Family..."

At this point, Zhang Mu swallowed, cautiously glanced around, and a flicker of terror passed through his eyes.

"Junior Brother, listen to me. There is definitely something wrong with the Deng Family. Guess what I saw earlier..."

His voice grew softer and softer. As though trying to hear him more clearly, Ling Yun slowly moved closer to Zhang Mu.

Just then, an explosive shout rang out from not far away. "Junior Brother Ling, run! That isn't real!"

Under the moonlight, another Zhang Mu abruptly appeared!