Verifying the Path to Life

Ji Li's previous plan was meticulously crafted, and on the surface, it truly seemed like Cao Yuan's best option given the current situation.

Yu Guo and Fang Shenyan both agreed with Ji Li's plan, but they had initially thought Ji Li was merely using Cao Yuan to test for a way out.

However, after hearing Ji Li's chilling words just now, their hearts tightened.

Yu Guo frowned and glanced at Ji Li, asking, "Do you have a backup plan?"

Ji Li stood with his back to the window, hands clasped behind him, his eyes narrowed as he spoke softly:

"Everything I said is the truth.

The Raincoat Man does indeed possess a special quality, and I suspect approaching him is a way to evade the Ghost's attacks.

But Cao Yuan's actions will provide us with two answers and one opportunity!"

Fang Shenyan habitually adjusted his glasses. At this moment, he was struggling to keep up with Ji Li's thinking.

"What answers, and what opportunity?"

"First, he will test for us whether we will die after leaving Room 701, the mission location, as stated in the email.

If he isn't immediately burned to death by the nameless fire, then we can leave Room 701 and search for the heavily injured Raincoat Man in the hallway.

Second, if the first point holds true, Cao Yuan will be incredibly close to a way out!

But if you were a Ghost, seeing a wounded, slow-moving living person just a step away from escape, what would you do?"

Ji Li's voice was soft, carried by the wind into Fang Shenyan's ears.

It made the corners of his eyebrows lift in surprise, and he muttered in disbelief:

"The Ghost will spare no expense to track him down and kill him in the shortest possible time!"

Ji Li's face was devoid of emotion, but his body had already begun to move forward.

"Exactly!

Cao Yuan will have no chance to find the way out at all!

His purpose, besides verifying the ambiguity of the mission location, is primarily to, because he is close to the path of escape, bear the Ghost's fierce assault for us!

At the last moment, whoever is closest to the path of escape will face the Ghost's strongest attack!"

Even Fang Shenyan couldn't help but shiver upon hearing Ji Li's plan, which was so deeply cruel, so utterly insidious, yet so foolproof and meticulously calculated.

"And we...

will seize the opportunity created by Cao Yuan's life to escape the Ghost's attack and rendezvous with the Raincoat Man!"

Ji Li led the way, only a few steps away from Cao Yuan, who stood frozen at the doorway, as if ready to sprint at any moment.

Fang Shenyan looked at Ji Li's slightly gaunt figure and sighed, shaking his head, "Ji Li... Shopkeeper, you're far more ruthless than I am..."

Hearing this, Ji Li turned his head with a knowing look and met Fang Shenyan's gaze:

"We are all the same kind of people."

Yu Guo clenched and unclenched his fists. In truth, from the moment Fang Shenyan made his move against Cao Yuan, he had a premonition of the young man's fate.

But he hadn't intervened at the time. Perhaps, deep down, his own mindset had gradually shifted.

To survive in hell, one had to abandon certain things.

It was wrong, but he had no choice!

Cao Yuan, facing the dark doorway, felt his legs begin to go weak.

Although he had mustered his courage earlier and understood that this action was crucial for his survival, requiring courage and a desperate resolve, when the moment truly arrived, Cao Yuan was still an ordinary person with poor psychological resilience.

His calves trembled uncontrollably, and his head felt dizzy. He reached out a hand towards the door but immediately pulled it back.

The instant he pushed the door open, he wasn't sure if that monstrous, terrifying Female Ghost was standing right in front of him!

"Stop hesitating! Are you waiting for it to come find you?"

Ji Li's cold words echoed in Cao Yuan's ears, making his nerves even more taut.

But as his hand touched the cold door panel, his heart couldn't help but clench, his face grew even paler, and his trembling became more pronounced.

Ji Li narrowed his eyes, worried that any further delay would provoke the Ghost into acting prematurely!

If Cao Yuan died inside Room 701, the entire plan would be ruined!

With this thought, he quickly strode to Cao Yuan's side, pried open the door lock, grabbed Cao Yuan's body, and forcefully shoved him towards the door!

"Bang!"

Before Cao Yuan could even react, he was violently slammed against the door by Ji Li's sudden "attack"!

His body out of control, when he opened his eyes again, he had already smashed through the door and tumbled into the seventh-floor hallway.

Cao Yuan let out a sharp scream and, ignoring the tightness in his chest, scrambled up from the ground.

Standing in the hallway, the moonlight filtering through the small window shone on his body. His overly tense nerves made him pat himself down from head to toe.

"No! I'm not dead!"

Cao Yuan couldn't help but laugh hysterically, his voice sharp. He had completely left Room 701's territory, but he hadn't died from the rule's punishment!

He twisted his head to look at Ji Li, Fang Shenyan, and Yu Guo, who were still standing in the room. His face was filled with surprise.

"Just as I thought, Brother Ji, your guess was correct!

I'm not dead, I didn't get burned to death for leaving the mission location!"

Cao Yuan's face was covered in excitement. In a mere instant, his emotions had swung wildly.

"The way out... the way out!"

After standing still for two seconds, he finally remembered that the most important task now was to find the Raincoat Man hidden in this building!

Everything Cao Yuan did was etched into the minds of the three inside the room.

Ji Li didn't say a word, just watched him quietly, but his gaze gradually shifted backward...

Cao Yuan's smile was still on his face, but then he suddenly smelled a fishy, extremely foul odor.

He suddenly felt an itch on the back of his neck. Suspiciously, he raised his hand and felt behind him.

As he touched it, he felt a thick mass of hair...

Cao Yuan's body instantly tensed, as if frozen by something. He stood there, completely stunned.

His head slowly turned backward, his eyes wide open...

"Ah!!!"

He finally saw what was behind him!

It was a terrifying sight, with a face so swollen it looked like a giant's. Thick black hair, like a clump of dirty cotton, completely covered the back of his head!

At such close range, Cao Yuan's features were contorted by terror!

There was nothing he could do but scream!

"Thump!"

The bones in his legs were instantly broken and crushed, but that was just the beginning. He then felt all the bones in his body rapidly shattering.

Though this process sounds slow, it actually happened in less than half a second!

And at this very moment, Ji Li, who had been waiting in the room, had his eyes suddenly burst with dazzling light!

He slammed his hand on the door panel and, using the acceleration, rushed out. In front of Room 702, there was a pool of blood that stretched all the way downstairs.

Finding the Raincoat Man's location was easy. Because his eyes had been injured by Yu Guo, they could find him in a very short time by following the bloodstains!

Ji Li quickly passed by Cao Yuan and the Ghost, not even glancing at the dying man.

Next was Fang Shenyan, and finally Yu Guo.

Yu Guo cast a final, somewhat pitying glance at Cao Yuan, who was not yet completely dead, and sighed inwardly before rushing downstairs.

The blood Cao Yuan was spitting had already stained his face red.

His dark pupils watched the three figures pass by him, one by one, without anyone offering help.

"Ji Li... Ji Li..."