This was the very definition of finding love around the corner.
Both sides froze for several seconds.
Tara's eyes widened, and she kicked off the ground before turning and running. Art the Clown began chasing her with a smile on his face.
Art was pleased with Tara's reaction. Rather than rushing to catch her, he felt the thrill of a cat toying with a mouse.
The building was very quiet.
Listening to the sounds behind her drawing closer from time to time, Tara's fear kept growing without end.
Just as her nerves were stretched to the limit, something caught her foot, and she fell hard to the ground.
In the brightly lit corridor, she struggled to get back to her feet.
A shadow blanketed her entire body.
Tara trembled as she looked up in terror, her breath catching... Thank God, it wasn't that damned clown.
She saw hope of survival.
"Help! There's a killer clown inside! Call the police, quickly! He's right behind me!"
Li Dan looked at the terrified Tara and slowly crouched down.
"Oh? Where is it now?"
Tara was stunned. She seemed to recognize Li Dan as the man she had run into at the Chinese restaurant and out on the street—the one who had told her to go home early.
A horrifying thought suddenly came to her.
"You... you're not working with that clown, are you?"
The more Tara thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Even the way she looked at Li Dan turned fearful.
Li Dan was speechless.
What kind of insane logic was that?
"If I were working with the clown, you'd already be dead, ma'am. And do I really look that much like a murderer?"
Tara gave him a few looks. He was actually pretty handsome, and she let out a breath as her taut nerves relaxed slightly.
"No. Sorry, handsome, I'm just terrified. We should call the police—it'll be safer. Did you see my friend outside?"
Li Dan pulled out a handgun.
"There wasn't anyone outside. Maybe the clown already took her. Just lead me to it."
Seeing the gun reassured Tara considerably. In her mind, no matter how dangerous a killer was, one bullet should be enough to deal with him.
On top of that, Dawn was missing. After hesitating for a moment, she agreed to Li Dan's request and led him to find the clown.
Along the way, the two exchanged names.
Only then did Li Dan learn that Tara and Dawn were college students who had come here for a party because Halloween was approaching.
Who could have expected them to run into a freak like that clown?
After this experience, Tara probably would never want to come back here for the rest of her life.
They followed the corridor.
Hiding behind Li Dan, Tara returned to where she had encountered the clown earlier and pointed toward the doorway.
"This is where I ran into the clown just now."
Li Dan walked over immediately. It wasn't because he was exceptionally brave—he could enter Evil Spirit Wendigo's second form at any time.
He couldn't handle the Midnight Person, but surely he wouldn't be evenly matched against a weakling like Soul Severing Clown.
"Be careful," Tara could not help reminding him, afraid that Li Dan would be killed by the clown the moment he went over.
Li Dan ignored her and pushed open the door. The clown was not inside, but the janitor's corpse was lying there.
Tara carefully approached and spotted the body too. She recognized it as the janitor from outside. His intestines had spilled all over the floor, and she nearly threw up.
She asked sadly, "Do you think Dawn has already been killed by the clown?"
"That's possible. But since her body isn't here, she should still be alive."
Li Dan remembered that this clown did not seem to be an ordinary monster. It liked killing people, but it liked tormenting them even more.
Perhaps because Li Dan was beside her and had a gun, Tara said firmly, "I have to save Dawn."
"Let's search around nearby. Maybe we'll find your friend."
Li Dan somewhat missed the days when he had so many underlings in the underground cave.
Back then, there was no need for this much trouble. With one command, his underlings would conduct a thorough search.
Tara nodded. Rarely, she did not suggest splitting up. She was simply too afraid.
The two began searching through the building.
Honestly, this place was huge and desolate. It was the perfect place for murder and robbery.
Li Dan searched leisurely, as though he were strolling around his own home.
Tara looked left and right, constantly on edge. She always felt that the clown would suddenly jump out from some corner.
The two took the elevator to the top floor.
The funny thing was that as soon as they arrived, Li Dan saw Art the Clown secretly up to no good on the other side of the floor across from them.
Dawn was tied upside down to a cross, duct tape sealing her mouth. It was impossible to tell whether she was alive or dead.
Art the Clown's senses were sharp. He looked up and stared directly at Li Dan and Tara on the upper floor.
Li Dan waved at Art the Clown.
"Hello!"
Art the Clown grinned widely, then raised his left hand and waved back in response to Li Dan's greeting.
Then he rushed out of his floor at incredible speed, sprinting toward Li Dan and Tara.
He was even faster than an ordinary Wendigo crawling on all fours.
If Tara had been alone and seen that ghastly thing charging at her at that speed, she would have been scared to death. She would definitely have found somewhere to hide and played a thrilling game of hide-and-seek.
Even with two of them, she was still panicking a little.
"Li Dan, what should we do? Should we find somewhere to hide first?"
She really did not want to face the clown head-on.
"This spot is good. We have a wide field of view. Hiding would be even less safe, and it's already here."
Li Dan's gaze settled on the end of the hallway.
Art the Clown stood there, "friendly" waving at the two of them.
Watt?
"How is that possible?" Tara could not believe it. This was the twelfth floor. Even if the clown had taken the elevator, he could not have gotten here this fast, right?
No matter how foolish she was, she now realized something was wrong.
"You freak, we've already called the police! Let my friend go!"
The moment Art the Clown heard that, his expression changed. He stared silently at Tara as a hammer somehow appeared in his hand.
Tara's voice gradually grew quieter.
Because Art the Clown charged toward them in a crazed posture.
Li Dan was still trying to talk. He wanted to know whether this thing could speak. "Hey, hey, hey, calm down. Let's sit down and talk."
Art turned a deaf ear. With only a few steps between them, Li Dan suddenly drew his gun from his waist.
The aggressive Art the Clown immediately raised both hands and looked at Li Dan with a somewhat ingratiating expression.
Only about five steps separated the three of them.
So it really was afraid of guns?
Li Dan asked, "Can we talk properly now?"
Art the Clown nodded, his smiling face still believing itself to be "funny."
Tara let out a breath. The clown was probably just a murderer. If he really were a monster, how could he possibly be afraid of a gun?
Li Dan turned to Tara.
"Go save your friend first. I'll keep an eye on things here."
"Thank you. When I get back, I'll treat you to—ah!"
Before Tara could finish speaking, she screamed while staring behind Li Dan. She could already imagine the iconic scene of brains splattering everywhere.
But Li Dan turned at an unbelievable speed, grabbed Art the Clown's hand, and gently took the hammer away.
The smile on Art the Clown's face froze. It was not that he had not resisted—Li Dan was simply monstrously strong and forcibly snatched the hammer away.
Art's smile became sincere, as if he were saying, "See? So hasty. I was just joking with you."
Li Dan smiled as he took the hammer, then cocked his gun and fired a shot into Art the Clown's pants pocket.
Bang!
"*"
Art the Clown clutched his crotch with both hands, collapsed to the floor, and let out a strange cry.
He did not even curse after getting shot in the balls. Li Dan could now be certain that Art the Clown really could not speak.
Without turning around, he said,
"Stop standing there. Go save your friend. I need to have a proper private chat with Mr. Clown."
Tara snapped back to her senses, said "Oh, oh" twice, and hurried away after looking at the fallen clown. When she reached the stairwell, she heard two more gunshots.
She glanced back and saw only Li Dan's back blocking the view of the wailing clown.
Judging by the sounds, the two of them seemed to be having a pleasant conversation?
Before you continue