Blood-Red Loft

With a fleeting glance, Luo Qishan noticed Yu Xing's gaze sweep over him, gave him a polite nod, and then looked away.

Yu Xing didn't take it seriously. There was no malice in the other person's eyes, and the slight curiosity about "why her junior sister was so proactive" probably disappeared when she saw Yu Xing's appearance.

Next up was the Zhao family's turn. The person who came on stage to give the presentation was an unfamiliar woman from the Zhao family named Zhao Xuan. She looked to be in her late twenties. She had a calm and composed demeanor and, it was said, had incorporated the Old Parts Recycling Station into the simulation, and performed quite well.

She listed several categories of currently well-known celebrity predictors, analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of each style, and also talked about the recent changes and trends of various guilds.

Intelligence is different from the feng shui that the Luo family talks about. It doesn't need to be traced back too far, because its timeliness is its most valuable attribute. Zhao Xuan started from October and only summarized the events of a month and a half. After sharing a lot of useful information, she also sincerely analyzed the possible movements of various forces in the next month.

Of course, the Three Great Families present were avoided. Although everyone knew the truth, letting them hear in person how the Zhao family analyzed and schemed against the other two families was such a stupid move that no one with a brain would do it.

Putting everything else aside, just in terms of intelligence capabilities, the Zhao family truly deserves to be called "number one in the industry." Zhao Xuan's performance was also very stable. Yu Xing secretly wrote down what he heard and a smile appeared on his lips.

He felt that the gossip he had heard tonight—no, the intelligence—was enough to cover all levels, providing a very good environment for someone like him who had just been promoted.

For some reason, perhaps knowing that the Zhao family were mostly from Tianjin, Yu Xing naturally thought of a Tianjin -accented phrase, "Thank you, family."

He also noticed that during this time, Zhao Yijiu listened quietly at Zhao Mou's signal. In fact, Zhao Yijiu was probably the person in the entire family furthest from this intelligence, while the other members knew more or less about it and had their own connections.

Only Zhao Yijiu, if Zhao Mou hadn't occasionally visited him in Mijin City and casually mentioned the situation to him, he probably would have known even less than Yu Xing.

After another twenty-minute break, it was finally Xu family's turn to take the stage.

Besides Xu Xiangfeng and Xu Lingling, the Xu family also sent an even more renowned member this time: Xu Shu.

His status in the Midnight Guild was second only to the guild leader and the three vice-leaders, making him an elite among elites. He was usually elusive, and even his own guild members rarely saw him.

Xu Shu has a very recognizable characteristic: he likes to materialize his Persona Mask and wear it at all times, and his persona is strange—it's incomplete.

While everyone else's masks were a single piece, each with different patterns formed by various offerings, his only covered the lower half of his face; it was entirely black and had a rusty metallic sheen.

The part that wasn't covered was his dark brown eyes, which were no different from those of an ordinary person. His eyebrows were partially obscured by a generous amount of black, wispy hair. Judging from just this half of his face, Xu Shu should have a very handsome appearance.

But his gaze was unfocused, and when he looked at someone, the person being looked at felt as if he wasn't looking at them, but at something behind them that didn't exist in this time and space.

It's hard to explain what characteristics are; in short, he's a master.

The biggest boss in the entire room.

Xu Shu's voice was a little hoarse, and his language was concise. He barely did any opening remarks and went straight to the point. "The types of ghosts in the absurd world haven't increased this year. The few newly discovered ones can be classified into the existing categories."

"Therefore, there are still ten types of ghosts. Given that there are many newcomers here who are attending this gathering for the first time," Xu Shu paused here. He wasn't a newcomer, but this was also his first time condescending to attend a gathering of the Three Great Families, and he didn't know who had persuaded him, "I will start from the basics."

While it's called the foundation, what the Xu family summarized is actually the most cutting-edge, comprehensive, and useful information about ghosts among those who perform deductions.

"Beneath the seemingly chaotic surface of this Absurd World, the ghosts it contains and creates still have traces. First, based on their origins, we divide them into three types."

"The first type is ghosts that have been passed down from various legends, inheriting their characteristics completely or with slight modifications. For example, Chinese zombies, belly ghosts, blood-covered ghosts, and painted skins; Chinese or Japanese flying head demons, also called wheel heads; Thai tree women and Kasi ghost; and European and American evil spirits, such as Bloody Mary. Although they are just legends, they have a high probability of appearing in the Absurd World."

"The second type often appears in mapping-type deductions. In Yugi where certain real-world events are distorted, people who died in reality are turned into ghosts in the deduction. The obsessions of these people before their death are used to set the tone for the deduction, including their resentment, unwillingness, jealousy, and pain."

"The third type is fictional ghosts that formed along with the creation and development of the Absurd World. They have their own set of rules and are unrelated to anyone. They could be a BOSS or an NPC, and this type has the highest probability of appearing."

Yu Xing perked up. Over the years, he had encountered many supernatural events and ghosts, but this was the first time he had systematically received knowledge about the classification of ghosts since becoming a deducer.

He had encountered all three types Xu Shu mentioned: Bloody Mary, Tang Li and Tang Yuan, Alice, and so on...

He looked at Xu Shu on the stage. Xu Shu was wearing a white shirt, jeans, and sneakers. If you ignored the bizarre and terrifying half-mask on his face, he would look like a harmless young man next door.

Xu Shu blinked, then suddenly looked at Yu Xing.

The empty gaze seemed fixed on the void behind Yu Xing, yet Yu Xing still felt an undeniable sense of being locked on.

He was a little confused and couldn't figure out why this person was staring at him while he was talking, so he just gave him a polite smile.

Xu Shu withdrew his gaze and continued, "The three types of ghosts mentioned above share commonalities when making specific classifications."

His eyes were always unfocused, and apart from Yu Xing herself, no one noticed his gaze just now; even Zhao Yijiu, who was sitting next to Yu Xing, didn't notice it.

"Vicious ghosts exist in both physical and non-physical forms. Generally, they harbor deep resentment, are based on hatred, and have an absolute desire to kill their enemies and any passersby who get involved..."

"Evil spirits, mostly physical ghosts, are generally transformed from corpses. They are ferocious, and their cognitive abilities gradually return as their strength increases..."

In a sense, Sheqing Ghost Yi Qing also falls into this category, and is one of the very few evil spirits that can transform into a non-physical form.

"The appearance of Water Ghost, hanging ghosts, vengeful ghosts, wild ghosts, house ghosts, and underworld ghosts is relatively simple. They only pose a threat in their respective areas. As long as you are careful in the deduction, you will not fall into an absolute dead end. They do not exist as the boss of the deduction. They will only appear in places where people are likely to let their guard down and kill unexpectedly."

"Curses are intangible entities, targeting individuals or a range. They have a source and usually their own set of rules, which inevitably have a way to resolve them. As long as you find the weakness in these rules, you can survive. But overall, they are very difficult to deal with..."

"Ghost stories, in essence, are intangible ghosts. They differentiate into various states depending on their specific content. It's important to note that determining whether a ghost story has a solution requires strictly adhering to its content. Time, behavior, and language can all be key factors that trigger an unsolvable dead end. If there's a solution, all that's left is to wait for death..."

Xu Shu spoke very seriously, seemingly unperturbed by explaining this to the newcomers, but he didn't seem particularly happy either. He calmly and casually crammed the knowledge into the minds of his listeners, just like a teacher giving a lecture.

By the time he went downstairs, Yu Xing had already processed all of this information.

To be fair, he really had to thank Zhao Mou for giving him a spot, which enabled him to reap such a great reward.

The exchange meeting came to an end, and the members of the Three Great Families left their seats one after another. Some went back to their rooms, while others went to visit the wine cellar, greenhouse and other places of Feng Gulan Ting.

Before Luo Jue came looking for her, Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu quietly slipped out.

Zhao Mou had other things to do, so he instructed Zhao Yijiu to take Yu Xing to play. However, Yu Xing wasn't very interested and just wanted to go back to her room to sleep.

"It's only ten o'clock." Zhao Yijiu seemed a little confused.

Yu Xing yawned. "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise."

Zhao Yijiu: "... But didn't you come here to gather information? Everyone's families will be separated tonight, isn't that a good opportunity?"

Yu Xing smiled, "That's why I need to 'go back and rest'."

After thinking for two seconds, Zhao Yijiu understood.

He was speechless for a moment, then somewhat admired Yu Xing's impeccable character, and could only say, "I hope you sleep well, and don't get caught sleepwalking in the middle of the night."

"Don't worry, I'm a professional sleepwalker. I'll definitely avoid being seen and won't scare any innocent people," Yu Xing promised, before swaying back to the vermilion building whose name she still didn't know.

That night, some people went to bed early and got up in the middle of the night to steal, while others played until late and returned home in high spirits after having a great time.

Few people got up early the next morning.

The purpose of these gatherings is for young people to socialize and relax. All the activities are scheduled to avoid the morning, leaving the morning as completely free time and giving those who like to sleep in plenty of time to get some rest.

Yu Xing tidied himself up and strolled to the Wind Language Pavilion, located on the north side of the manor, at two o'clock in the afternoon. He pulled his down jacket tighter, and his breath, warm from his mouth, suddenly filled the cold air, forming wisps of white mist that quickly dissipated.

The Wind Language Pavilion is one of the tallest buildings in the entire Feng Gulan Ting, with five stories. It resembles a small tower, with delicate wind chimes hanging along its edges, emitting melodious and ethereal sounds as the cold wind blows.

However, it was surrounded by a plum garden, and since it wasn't the season for plum blossoms to bloom, the scenery was somewhat desolate, and there weren't many people visiting.

He was holding a piece of paper in his hand; in fact, if it weren't for the contents of that paper, he wouldn't have come to such a remote place.

[2 PM, at the top of the Wind Language Pavilion]

The note's arrival was very suspicious. He searched around late last night and couldn't find it when he returned to his room, but when he woke up, the note was right next to his door, seemingly slipped under the door.

The note was brief, and with so many strangers at the gathering, Yu Xing naturally couldn't tell who had handed it to him. However, recalling yesterday's experience, he had a vague guess and found it interesting, so he avoided everyone and came to the meeting.

He folded the paper into the shape of a little frog, then unconsciously twirled and played with it between his fingertips. He narrowed his long, narrow eyes and glanced at the top floor through the wall. There were many closed double wooden windows there, with intricate patterns and paper pasted between the patterns. It was the kind of white, translucent paper that you could poke a hole in when you watched TV dramas, so you could easily put in sleeping gas.

I wonder if the person who invited him is watching him from behind the window right now?

Was his purpose in inviting him good or evil?

Yu Xing scoffed softly, pushed open the door of the Wind Language Pavilion, and climbed the stairs in the quiet.

Aside from the sound of wind chimes and the slight rustling of swaying branches, the only other sound was Yu Xing's shoes walking on the wooden floor.

Perhaps for the sake of atmosphere, the floor of the Wind Language Pavilion is not covered with carpet. Instead, it is designed to be more delicate and exquisite. It is not a grand and unrestrained beauty, but a unique Jiangnan style of agility and gentleness, which amplifies the ancient charm to the extreme.

If it were another time, Yu Xing felt he would have really liked the architect of this building—even though the architect is probably deceased now.

Now, the higher he climbed, the more the sense of gentleness faded, replaced by a feeling of emptiness and uneasy oppression. It was as if the things were still the same, yet something seemed to be attached to them.

"Ring ring..."

The wind never stopped, the bell never stopped, and the crisp sound grew increasingly eerie. Yu Xing kept walking, maintaining the original pace, and soon climbed the stairs between the fourth and fifth floors.

"Jingle..."

The bell suddenly became urgent, and a faint sound of crying could be heard mixed in with the wind, as if someone was shaking a wind chime desperately. A series of bell sounds that did not seem to come from nature rushed into Yu Xing's ears. At the same time, he squinted and listened carefully, and could also hear a subtle flowing sound.

"Tick-tock."

The liquid fell and splashed onto the steps in front of him.

Yu Xing looked up and a splash of bright red slowly appeared in her field of vision.

A stream of fresh blood flowed slowly down the steps, leaving a noticeable trail wherever it went.

The wooden roof above was now covered in blood, and blood was slowly seeping down, accumulating until it fell vertically and merged into the blood on the stairs, just like the drop that had just hit the floor.

Just a few more steps, and the blood will flow to Yu Xing's feet.

His gaze was calm. He didn't even stop, but walked up the stairs before the blood covered the entire staircase, letting the blood flow past him, and went upstairs cleanly.

The scene upstairs was even more shocking.

Bloody handprints appeared densely on the walls, windows, and pillars. Even the furnishings inside the room were not spared. The seemingly valuable tables and chairs were also surrounded by bloody handprints. In addition, there were cobwebs and dust tangled together.

The wind chimes have gone mad.

From Yu Xing's angle, a small section of the wind chimes could be seen, vibrating wildly, with an unknown black, dirty liquid flowing from their bells and solidifying into viscous lumps below.

The blood flowing down the stairs originated from an eight-immortal table. He followed the trail of blood, stood in front of the table, and stared intently at the half-dismembered body on it.

This is the mask Xu Shu wears on his face, but at this moment, it is not on anyone's face; it is simply lying flat, with a pool of blood flowing beneath it.

The rusty mask blends perfectly with the surrounding cobwebs and dust, and its solitary presence evokes an urge to reach out and pick it up.

Yu Xing reached out her hand.

Then—I placed the paper frog on the bloodless table next to the mask, pressed down on the frog's bottom, and with a little force, made it jump forward one step.

You slip me a cold, impersonal note, and I return a cute little jumping frog. Tsk, how kind of me!

His voice, tinged with a hint of teasing, rang out, and the wind chimes stopped abruptly.

Footsteps came from the stairs that Yu Xing had just passed.