"Can we go in?"
The woman looked at the staff member, her gaze intent. "We can get to the exit fastest by going this way, right?"
"Please, help us."
The man looked at him pleadingly.
The staff member hesitated for a few seconds, then stepped aside.
"Thank you!"
The woman bowed slightly to the staff member, then hurried into the haunted house.
"Thank you."
The man smiled gratefully at the staff member and strode after the woman.
Xiao Xiao followed them in.
They hurried along.
With their minds occupied and a clear destination in mind, they paid no attention to their surroundings.
They walked straight ahead.
The staff members dressed as ghosts looked a little bewildered.
They wondered whether these people were so brave that they weren't reacting to any of the ghosts around them, or so timid that they were focused entirely on getting through as quickly as possible.
Xiao Xiao stopped.
Then he turned and walked a few steps in another direction.
Had he caught a scent?
Xiao Xiao crouched down and rubbed the ground with his fingers, applying a little pressure.
He brought his fingers to his nose and sniffed.
It was faint, but...
"Demonic aura."
Xiao Xiao murmured almost soundlessly.
"And... the smell of blood."
Xiao Xiao emerged from the haunted house.
Without needing to search, he spotted the child's parents, their spirits visibly flagging.
The situation was obvious.
He walked over. "You didn't find him?"
"Ah, Student Xiao."
The man looked up and recognized him. A bitter smile appeared on his face.
"We asked the people nearby, especially the people who run shops around here."
"We asked if they'd seen a five- or six-year-old child."
"But..."
The man shook his head. "Nobody saw him."
"We called the police."
The man didn't