Midnight Funeral Procession

At 11:45 PM on October 31st, Shanming City was still brightly lit, with many people's nightlife just beginning.

Inside the taxi, Ji Li's eyes were shrouded in gray as he stared silently at the fleeting scenery outside the window.

It wasn't until the cigarette butt in his hand burned down, scorching his finger, that he was pulled from his daze.

He was only a few minutes away from the location mentioned in the hotel's email, having set out precisely on time.

Having dealt with ghosts multiple times, he could be considered an expert.

Although the supernatural location was specified as Beggars' Alley, entering it prematurely under normal circumstances was strictly forbidden.

Doing so could very well provoke an early attack from the ghost, and at that point, the mission wouldn't have even begun, leaving him in a no-win death trap!

"I remember now!"

The two personalities that had remained silent throughout the journey broke the stillness.

The one speaking was the third personality that had recently emerged.

"My name isn't Ji Li... it should be Ji Li! I was hypnotizing a patient, how did I suddenly end up in your body?"

"Don't be ridiculous, third one. You're Ji Li, we're all Ji Li!"

"Impossible!"

Ji Li scratched his head, speechless. The second personality was violent and crude, with no additional memories.

This third personality hadn't spoken much since appearing yesterday, and now it seemed to possess something unique.

But he didn't have time to ponder this further, as the taxi slowly stopped at an deserted alley entrance.

The driver turned his head and grinned, "Brother, we're here at Beggars' Alley."

Ji Li flicked the ash from his clothes, took out cash from his pocket, handed it over without asking for change, and got out of the car with his tool bag.

"All of you, shut up. We'll worry about the future if we survive this."

The third personality fell silent, and the second personality also wisely quieted down.

Now, in the pitch-black alley at midnight, only Ji Li's footsteps could be heard.

The alley was deep, with only a single streetlamp in the center providing a meager amount of light. There were no houses on either side, only brick walls. It felt like walking ten meters before encountering a dilapidated, locked wooden door.

Ji Li had never heard of Beggars' Alley before. He had previously researched many records of alleys but found no supernatural rumors associated with it.

Seeing how sparsely populated it was made his heart grow colder.

This setting seemed inherently like a place where ghosts would appear.

Ji Li glanced at his watch. It was 11:58 PM, and only two minutes remained until the ghost's appearance.

Just as he set his backpack down, he heard a commotion behind him!

"Liu Zi, you've really had too much to drink today. Can you even find your way home?"

"Tch, I'm much more sober than you. I can still walk in a straight line!"

"You two, slow down, slow down!"

Ji Li frowned. He saw three staggering figures approaching from behind him – three drunkards...

With only two minutes left until the ghost appeared, the entire alley would become a place of sin. Outsiders interfering at this moment would surely introduce variables into the mission!

Ji Li's concern was not revealed. He didn't even move to stop the three, merely watching as they drew closer.

"Heh heh, they're really unlucky, but it's a good thing for us." The second personality chuckled sinisterly and suddenly spoke.

Whoosh...

Ji Li suddenly felt a chill on his neck as an inexplicable cold wind swept by. As if sensing something, he sharply turned his head.

What he saw before him was completely different from what he had seen moments before!

Under the dim streetlamp, yellow paper swirled in the air. A group of figures dressed in mourning clothes, carrying a coffin, were slowly advancing towards Ji Li and the others without a sound!

"Did I drink too much? A funeral procession in the middle of the night?" a stout man stammered, frozen in place.

"Liu Zi, this is a terrible omen! Let's turn back quickly!" the tall, thin man supporting him exclaimed, his face changing.

Except for Ji Li, all three drunkards retreated towards the entrance of the alley. He watched everything but did not intervene.

The mission had already begun; they wouldn't be able to leave this alley!

The funeral procession drew closer. Ji Li listened to the muffled footsteps of the people and focused his gaze on the coffin.

"In what form will the ghost appear this time!"

Not only the coffin, but the people in mourning clothes were also eerie. Their faces were as pale as paper, and their body proportions were unnervingly similar, as if they had all been cast from the same mold.

As the distance closed, Ji Li pressed his bag against the wall with one hand, holding his breath and watching as the leading figures walked past him without acknowledging him.

Ignored...

This only deepened Ji Li's sense of unease. The mission had been underway for less than five minutes, and he was still in the exploration phase.

He watched the people holding white banners at the front. Standing so close, he couldn't even hear them breathing.

"Could it be that they aren't human?"

Just then, the three drunkards who had left earlier ran back, their faces dripping with sweat. They stared, dumbfounded, at Ji Li, who had already blended in with the funeral procession.

"Is this... a ghost encounter? We can't find the exit at all!" the fat man, Liu Zi, shouted anxiously.

Plop!

The moment Liu Zi spoke, the entire funeral procession stopped dead. The pallbearers threw the coffin onto the ground, and everyone's gaze fixed directly on Liu Zi!

Ji Li frowned. Could the man's words have touched upon something...

Liu Zi yelped, nearly falling to the ground. The two tall, thin men and another man with dyed yellow hair quickly caught him.

"Don't say any more, don't say any more!" The taller, thinner man, with better composure, quickly bowed and apologized profusely.

After standing in place for a long time, the funeral procession picked up the coffin and continued forward. They ignored Ji Li, walking towards Liu Zi and the others.

"The funeral procession at midnight..."

The procession was halfway through, seemingly about to leave Beggars' Alley.

Liu Zi, sucking in his belly, leaned against the wall, shivering uncontrollably. He watched with a pounding heart as the figures, like wooden puppets in white, walked past, his heart in his throat.

Fortunately, they seemed to be ignoring him. He wiped his sweat and breathed a sigh of relief, looking at the pallbearers nearby. He'd be at ease once they passed.

He thought this, but his gaze still curiously fell on the pure black solid wood coffin, and then on the pallbearers.

Liu Zi inwardly muttered a strange thought, as if he had discovered something unreasonable. He scratched his head.

But then, a faint sound occurred!

His eyes, like mung beans, widened to their fullest. His vision was instantly swallowed, and then he plunged into a dark abyss.

His mouth opened to its widest, but his throat felt as if it were blocked. He managed to squeeze out a few words.

"I... how did I..."

Then, his unfinished words, along with his bulky body, vanished from where he stood.

When the tall, thin man and the yellow-haired man realized what had happened, their scalps tingled.

In an instant, Liu Zi had vanished without a trace right before their eyes. All that remained where he had been was a pile of yellow paper