They all look so delicious

"Corpse-Born Child?"

Jian Ran's lips curled into an unrestrained arc, and he sneered. "Are you fucking bluffing me?"

"It could be born after just over four months?"

"No worries about premature birth?"

Suddenly,

as though something had struck him, his expression changed, turning grave and cold,

"No!"

Jian Ran straightened and slowly paced over to Du Yunmeng.

"Liu Ying wasn't completely dead back then?!"

"She was kept as something half-human, half-ghost?!"

Du Yunmeng pressed her lips together, neither confirming nor denying it, seemingly tacitly acknowledging the matter.

He said nothing, but someone else continued for him. "Jian Ran, do you know what Liu Ying's parents did?"

"Weren't they farmers?" Jian Ran looked back, his sharp gaze landing on Shen Jiafei's face.

"They were farmers, that's true. But Liu Ying's birth mother was better at something else." Shen Jiafei's face darkened, his expression turning strange and murky.

Jian Ran tilted his head and thought for a moment. Connecting everything, he instantly arrived at a plausible answer. "She was a shaman?"

In the past, rural communities had been feudal and isolated. Because of their remote locations, inexplicable paranormal incidents often occurred.

And so,

the profession of shaman had arisen to help frightened villagers deal with such incidents.

Some had no real ability, putting on a show and swindling people.

Some relied on possession by minor spirits to manage a little.

Then there were the few who hid themselves deeply. Though they could not turn the world upside down, they were skilled in witchcraft that drove out evil and exorcised ghosts.

If that last kind of shaman had an upright heart, she could benefit an entire region.

If her heart was crooked, then...

At that thought, Jian Ran's expression grew even graver. "Don't tell me Liu Ying's mother refined her own daughter into something neither human nor ghost?"

"And then she even gave birth?"

Like Du Yunmeng, Shen Jiafei said nothing more, answering with silence.

Those around them listened in confusion, but could still piece together a little. They could not help feeling chilled all over, cold sweat breaking out on their foreheads.

Li Yuan swallowed and whispered to Qi Rui, "Cut this part. Don't broadcast it!"

Qi Rui was shaking too. "Assistant director, all the cameras are rolling. Won't cutting it just make it look like we're hiding something?!"

Li Yuan said, "...Fuck. You've got a point."

"Then how do we convince the fans this is just for the show and isn't really happening?"

Qi Rui wanted to cry. "Assistant director, I have no idea either."

While the two spoke, the livestream chat had long since filled with comments.

[Holy shit, Corpse-Born Children really exist? I thought they only existed in novels! Apparently those things are seriously sinister. They're ravenous from birth and eat anything...]

[What sin did I commit to end up with a girlfriend like this, forcing me to watch this variety show? Fuck, I won't dare sleep tonight!]

[It's the fifteenth day of the seventh month tonight. Whatever you do, don't go outside. Stay home and watch the livestream. I just want to know how terrifying this show can get!]

[Could a ghost crawl out of the screen?]

[Holy shit, can the person above stop talking?! I'm going to die of fright before I even watch it!]

[There really is a mole among the guests?! Why does this feel so exciting, like they drew character cards beforehand and have to play their roles to the end!]

[Speaking of moles, I noticed a detail. When they first met the old man at the foot of the mountain, he turned and ran as soon as he saw the guests. Back home, he even said he'd seen ghosts. Could it be...]

[Could there be a ghost among the guests?! Or maybe not a ghost, but that kind of thing?!]

[Come to think of it, the other three guests never went to the old man's house or met his wife. Why do I feel like some details have been hidden?]

The people in the Mountain Villa had not seen the comments. Otherwise, they would surely have praised them.

This batch of netizens really did have impressive analytical skills.

Quite impressive indeed...

Fine rain fell over the Taihang Mountains, and the institute-short for the Special Research Institute for Paranormal Phenomena-had set up camp on level ground.

Inside a camping tent, Lu Zhendong watched the livestream while drinking a latte. Suddenly, he frowned and asked the subordinate beside him, "Have you found that single-story house?"

The subordinate shook his head. "We made several rounds through town but didn't see it."

Lu Zhendong looked thoughtful. A moment later, he murmured to himself, "Could Jian Ran have failed to notice?"

Judging by his performance on the variety show, he should have seen through the oddity at a glance.

So why had he seemed to be in the dark, ultimately needing someone else to remind him?

Had the institute assessed him incorrectly?

Were his abilities actually not as great as they had imagined?!

Lu Zhendong pondered on his own and drank the last mouthful of his latte. Just then, the phone on the desk began vibrating. He lowered his eyes to look, his expression turning somewhat strange.

The subordinate beside him asked, "Director, aren't you answering?"

Lu Zhendong lifted his eyelids and cast him a cool glance.

The subordinate immediately shuddered, then hurriedly offered an apologetic smile. "Director, I understand. I'll give you some privacy!"

With that, he darted off and vanished.

The phone kept vibrating, stubborn and obsessive, as though saying-

If you don't answer, I'll keep calling. I'll vibrate you to death.

Left with no choice, Lu Zhendong sighed deeply, picked up the phone, and pressed answer. "Dad, I'm working. What do you want?"

"Work, work, work! What contribution has that lousy job of yours made to humanity?!"

The old man's stern voice came through the receiver. Lu Zhendong frowned irritably. "Dad, don't talk nonsense about things you don't understand."

"I'm talking nonsense? If your work really mattered, would people still die of unexplained causes? If it really mattered, shouldn't our family's curse have been lifted long ago?! If it really mattered, why don't you go into the Taihang Mountains?!"

Lu Zhendong said, "..." Every sentence struck a sore spot, leaving him speechless.

After a long silence, the person on the other end seemed to steady his emotions. "I don't care what job you want to do, but you must ensure that child surnamed Jian stays safe. Bring him back to the Lu Family in one piece!"

"Dad, you mean Jian Ran?" Lu Zhendong's face was full of helplessness. "He's a man. He can't lift our family's curse!"

"As long as he's the right person, why do you care whether he's a man or a woman?" the old man scoffed. "You're not even that old, yet you're so hidebound. I'm warning you, if that child loses so much as half a hair, I'll raze your institute to the ground."

"No one pleading for you will do any good!"

With that, the old man briskly hung up.

Speechless, Lu Zhendong threw his phone onto the desk and rolled his eyes hard. "Even if I want to protect him, I have to be able to get inside first!"

Under Jian Ran's direction, the three guests were locked in Li Zongsheng's room, with a heavy guard at the door-the production crew's odd-job workers. The rest went to the lobby to set up according to the list he had provided.

Ji Yuanming scattered glutinous rice, his temper flaring. "Yu Fengyi, do you really think this stuff works?!"

"Why do I feel like he's making fools of us?"

Yu Fengyi, whose entire worldview had already been overturned, was equally dejected. He truly could not understand what had possessed him to come here and suffer. "We'll find out tonight whether it works."

As he spoke, he paused and looked at Ji Yuanming. "Do you remember what the woman in the metal trunk shouted? I couldn't hear her clearly from outside."

At the question, Ji Yuanming visibly shuddered. "I don't want to remember!"

That woman had flailed around and said she'd come for me tonight!

Fuck.

Every time he remembered it, he felt scared shitless all over again...

Downstairs was busy,

and upstairs was no less occupied.

With his backside sticking out, Jian Ran continued drawing talismans on the Talisman Paper. This time, he was not using cinnabar. The vivid red pigment in the saucer was fresh blood he had squeezed from his bitten fingertip.

Lu Yanting watched for a while before he could not help asking, "Do you have to push yourself this hard?"

Jian Ran turned his head. "What do you think?"

"If I don't fight for all I'm worth, those paper figures outside will fight their way in."

Before he had finished speaking, he moved to squeeze out more blood, only for Lu Yanting to suddenly seize his wrist and stop him.

Jian Ran looked puzzled. "What are you doing?"

"You've already used up plenty." Lu Yanting's eyes burned as he said each word distinctly. "Use mine."

Jian Ran froze, an unusual feeling stirring in his heart. The warmth at his wrist passed through his skin and seared his chest.

He instantly felt his breathing quicken and awkwardly turned his head. "It's just a little blood. I'm not that delicate."

As he spoke, he tried to pull his hand back, but Lu Yanting moved faster. He raised his free arm to his mouth, bit through his fingertip, and immediately squeezed blood into the small saucer.

Jian Ran said, "..." Why does this guy seem like the sort who won't stop until he gets what he wants?

Is everyone in the Lu Family like this?

Can't afford to mess with them. Definitely can't.

Once the show's over, I'd better stay far away!

Though the time spent drawing talismans flew by, night rushed to envelop the Taihang Mountains as if its backside were on fire.

Outside the window, it gradually darkened until everything was pitch-black.

The white miasma dispersed, revealing clear moonlight that shone on the paper figures. The shimmering white light was like a searchlight from hell, making every lurking horror look even more terrifying.

They were still busy in the lobby when Li Yuan happened to look up and screamed, "Fuck, it's dark!"

He had barely finished shouting before someone else immediately added to the panic. "Fuck, the paper figures moved!"

Yu Fengyi, who had previously been assailed by the terrifying sight outside the window, instinctively looked over. As though the nightmare had returned, he collapsed to the floor, his entire body shaking uncontrollably.

Qi Rui turned his head and happened to meet the eyes of a paper figure dressed as a maid. Its deathly pale, rouge-painted face pressed tightly against the window, the fake smile on its lips especially horrifying.

"They all look so delicious."

The shrill voice came through the glass, hammering heavily against the hearts of everyone present.

Qi Rui nearly passed out, but an urgent cry for help still emerged from his throat.

"Quick-"

"Go get Jian Ran-"