An absurd game was about to end. Su Bai exchanged nods with Lian Xiangyu, Shen Dong'er, and Feng Ling. His gaze lingered only briefly on Lian Xiangyu and Shen Dong'er. To them, he was probably just a fellow traveler who had accompanied them for a while in the Nightmare World. They would form no lasting bond; there was no need even to exchange contact information. As for Feng Ling, she had spent years stationed in the Nightmare World and had almost become one with it. It seemed they were destined to maintain their connection through chance reunions alone. There was no useful way to contact her, either. All he could say was that they would meet again if fate allowed.
When Su Bai opened his eyes again, he found himself back in the Mist Shop's Rest Room, familiar light spilling around him. Everything was as quiet as ever, as though the game had never happened. He took a deep breath. The moment he relaxed, long-suppressed exhaustion seemed to surge through his entire body, but he quickly regained his composure.
Su Bai pushed open one ajar door after another and stepped into the shop, turning his gaze toward the counter.
There, Xiao Wu, who had been "asleep" for who knew how long, sat quietly on the counter. The tiny Thread-Wrapped Doll that had remained "asleep" had taken the form of a little boy again, his calm, dark red eyes fixed motionlessly on Su Bai.
"So, what exactly are they after?" Su Bai stared at Xiao Wu, his voice low and clear. There was no need for preamble or pretense. He put the question to him directly.
He did not need to ask whether "Xiao Wu" was Wu Heng, whether Wu Heng was the Ghost Shaman, or how many different forms Wu