Please Sit

With only ten minutes allotted for seating, and a further delay, someone couldn't help but remind them, "Let's hurry and take our seats, in case..."

Hua Subai tugged at Yu Xing's sleeve. "Don't wait any longer, let's go upstairs."

Some of the researchers who weren't planning to compete for the second floor had already taken their seats nearby, since it didn't matter where they sat on the first floor anyway.

Yu Xing looked around and pointed Zhang Yu and Mo in the right direction. "Go, sit at the same table as Xue Shouyun."

Xue Shouyun of the hourglass has a decent overall conduct; I've never heard of her harming others or using the weak as cannon fodder.

Having exchanged a few words with them on the bus, Yu Xing unilaterally assumed that they were acquainted.

Zhang Yu naturally had no objection. Even if Xue Shouyun didn't know him, he wouldn't refuse out of respect for Broken Mirror—he had already noticed that Xue Shouyun was initially with another member of Hourglass, but that member didn't come to the gathering.

He's probably dead.

It's unclear whether he died in the eerie Fang Mansion described by Yan Li, or disappeared silently in some unknown place.

In short, Xue Shouyun, now without companions, would certainly not mind having multiple forces as temporary allies.

Most importantly, Xue Shouyun is a fierce man with strong frontal combat abilities and can protect people.

He and Mo Yi dashed off and occupied the empty seats at Xue Shouyun's table. Xue Shouyun straightened her cheongsam, looked up, and gave him a questioning look.

"My captain told me to sit with you." Zhang Yu first acted obediently, then toned down his submissive demeanor. "Po Jing wants to cooperate with you."

Yu Xing Zhang Yu and Xue Shouyun were chatting quite well and that he hadn't been grabbed by the back of the neck and thrown aside, and that Lan Wu had also gone over after a while, Yu Xing looked away.

The list of people to go to the second floor has been basically finalized: Yan Li, Medusa, the "Witch Doctor" and "dark psychic" from the Mysterious Eye, Gu Xing, the "diplomat" from the Research Institute, the "rift" from the Fallen Path, "Silver Sparrow" and "vengeful corpse", the lone wolf "Hanged Man" and "Bugui", as well as Yu Xing and the Hua surname pendant that cannot be found.

Yu Xing didn't wait for them to finish discussing before going upstairs herself. Hua Subai followed closely behind, and the others, unaware of the truth, mistook her for the person who had broken the mirror, and no one stopped her.

The wooden staircase connecting the second floor is quite old; despite signs of maintenance, it still creaks and groans underfoot.

On one side of the staircase, there is a small, protruding round platform embedded in the wall, used to hold a kerosene lamp shaped like an octagonal pavilion.

The lights were dim, as if suppressed by something, casting a yellowish and dim glow that could barely illuminate the stepped tiers.

Just two seconds later, footsteps came from behind.

The tinkling of the little bell was faint and delicate. Yu Xing turned around and met a pair of dark eyes.

Witch Doctor.

The Mysterious Eye Guild loves collecting people and offerings for spirits and ghosts, and they always gather together to study some ominous-sounding knowledge. The Witch Doctor is a heavyweight among them, exuding an aura of being immersed in the occult.

No one knew her age, only that from the moment she entered the strategists' field of vision, she was dressed in Southeast Asian clothing, her hair was wrapped in a printed headscarf, her face was sallow with many fine lines, but her hands were as soft and white as a newborn's.

She had many small bells wrapped around her wrists and ankles, and their clear, ethereal sound had a cleansing power over the soul.

However, the Witch Doctor has a well-known habit—she often suddenly "sees" fate at a certain moment, and then can't help but gossip about it to the person involved, regardless of whether the person is happy or not.

"Xing..." The Witch Doctor suddenly spoke when she met Yu Xing's gaze. Her voice was hoarse, like scratching glass, supposedly because she had been punished for always arguing against fate. "Don't walk so fast."

Yu Xing raised an eyebrow.

He didn't think the Witch Doctor was the type to be overly friendly. If she took the initiative to talk to him, she must have some divine message to tell him; she just couldn't keep it to herself.

"Up there..." the Witch Doctor spoke slowly, closing her eyes as if sensing something.

"Have..."

Hmm.

Yu Xing: "..." What is it? Just say it!

The Witch Doctor snapped her eyes open, her gaze falling on Hua Subai. She stretched out her hand, her long, dark blue fingernails pointing at him. "Let him go first!"

"This person... has an aura of death about him; he's about to die."

"So, let him go first, don't waste his time..."

Yu Xing was stunned by the bizarre logic and content, and subconsciously glanced at Hua Subai.

Hua Subai had been walking a little faster than usual, and was now one step above him on the stairs. Hearing this, he looked at the Witch Doctor with a half-smile, "Then tell me, how much longer is it when someone is about to die?"

The Witch Doctor took a deep breath. "I can't say any more to you, otherwise, your deathly aura will infect me!"

The cryptic medium who arrived behind her quickly covered her mouth. The bespectacled man smiled apologetically and hurriedly apologized, "I'm so sorry, she... uh, she was talking nonsense again. Don't mind her."

"What's wrong?" Medusa and Yan Li were at a distance that was neither too close nor too far apart, while the other deducers who were about to go up to the second floor were blocked behind them.

"It's nothing, I was just about to go upstairs when the Witch Doctor teller suddenly said I was going to die." Hua Subai shrugged nonchalantly. "Anyway, I'm a little sad."

Everyone fell silent upon hearing this.

They all knew that although the Witch Doctor spoke strangely, she never lied, and her information was incredibly accurate.

For a moment, even the usually eloquent Medusa was at a loss for words.

Yu Xing, finally snapping out of his reverie, broke the silence. He twitched his brow slightly and patted Hua Subai on the shoulder. "The Witch Doctor told you to go up first, so go ahead. As she said, don't waste it."

"... Hey." Hua Subai chuckled, "Can't you show a little concern for me? I'm dying!"

It's not like I haven't died before; I can always be resurrected.

Yu Xing chuckled inwardly, remaining silent, only urging him to go up with her gaze.

Putting everything else aside, if we stay stuck here any longer, we're really running out of time.

Hua Subai gave a barely perceptible hum, her lowered eyelashes revealing her genuine displeasure.

He was already at the very front; whatever was on the second floor, he would be the first to be affected. Didn't Yu Xing know that?

They insist on helping outsiders to hurt his feelings.

I really want to twist the Witch Doctor's head off.

With a hint of frustration, Hua Subai's smile vanished. He turned and climbed the stairs, soon reaching the floor of the second floor of Never Forget Dwelling.

His view was blocked by a screen, the air was so cold it felt like it was about to freeze, and his breath created a thin mist as he looked around.

The private rooms are on the left, but according to Gao Yiling, they are not open to the public.

On the right, you can see a large open window – the bottom is blocked off with wood, but the top is completely empty, letting the cold wind blow freely.

A table was placed next to the empty window, offering a truly excellent view; one could probably peek out and be impersonated as Pan Jinlian.

The next two tables are blocked by a screen; you have to walk around them to see them.

Just then, Hua Subai vaguely heard someone talking.

He was not intimidated at all, and walked straight around the screen. Before he could even see who was speaking, he suddenly found himself face to face with a porcelain-white face.

The face had a smooth, round shape, with clearly defined black and white eyes and vibrant blush. It was actually a ceramic headpiece!

Hua Subai squinted and took a step back before he could get a full look at the person in front of him.

This thing... is dressed as a waiter, with a slender, human-like body, but instead of a head, it has a round ceramic head attached to its neck.

A high-pitched voice came from inside the hood. "Guests have arrived, please have a seat."

As it spoke, it bowed dramatically and pointed to the side.

Only then did Hua Subai finally see the other two tables behind it, and one of them was already occupied.

Two men dressed in red were facing away from the stairs, enjoying a hearty meal on a table laden with dishes.

A stream of red liquid flowed down the dining table, gradually forming a pool of blood on the floor.

Seemingly startled by the noise from the stairs, the figures in red all paused and stiffly turned their heads.

The lights on the second floor had somehow turned a ghostly blue, shining on the two ghastly faces like lightning streaking across the night sky.