Thunderfire wreathed the old man's ghost, burning him until his entire body shook uncontrollably. The sizzling of scorched flesh continued, giving off a foul, bloody stench.
But even so, its body did not dissipate.
Jiang Nuo grabbed Tian Dong and jumped down, casually tossing him aside as the red cord wound around Si Yan's wrist.
"Be good, take them outside."
Si Yan could feel the warmth of the red cord. He knew it contained Jiang Nuo's spiritual power and could be used to lash ghosts and monsters.
"I..."
He glanced at the terrified group. Even the camera operators were shaking with fear.
"Do as you're told. Wait outside for me, and don't wander off."
Jiang Nuo cut Si Yan off, his tone turning a little colder.
"All right. I'll wait for you to come out."
Si Yan did not hesitate much before leading the others out.
He knew... Jiang Nuo did not like disobedience.
"You go outside too."
Jiang Nuo had much less patience for anyone else right now.
His camera operator hesitated for only a few seconds before running out after the others.
His life mattered more than his job!
The door shut tight, and every trace of frailty vanished from Si Yan's expression. His handsome face was still pale, but now aloof, his aristocratic air icy enough to keep others at a distance.
He stared intently at the door. The red cord around his wrist was his only source of warmth now.
He could not bear to use it.
Everyone saw the change in Si Yan.
This was how they remembered him.
Yang Xiaoxiao blinked silently. So the frail Si Yan was exclusive to Jiang Nuo.
Holy shit... I literally didn't dare send any comments just now... That was intense!
Aaaaaah, Jiang Nuo is so hot and so cool!! I'm a fan now! Who cares about his past! The Jiang Nuo of today is God Nuo!
Si Yan, you... I'm suddenly having trouble getting used to such an icy Si Jiaojiao!
Damn it, this is all Tian Dong's fault! He was told not to read the clue out loud! But he just had to!
Those sweet potato fans on the trending page are still trashing Jiang Nuo! God Nuo just saved your precious idol's life again! Get on your knees and thank him!
"Si Yan, your health isn't good. Don't stand here in the cold wind. Let's wait for him in the next room."
Lin Yu approached to offer comfort, his tone concerned.
"No need." His voice was downright icy.
Si Yan turned toward him, displeasure flashing through his sharp phoenix eyes.
"You certainly have a knack for setting people up."
If Lin Yu had not found that card and pretended to let Tian Dong see it "by chance," the old man's ghost would not have suddenly flown into a rage.
Jiang Nuo would not have had to leave him either.
Even a few minutes apart was still being apart.
Lin Yu's panic lasted only half a second before he hid it. He smiled bitterly. "What are you talking about, Si Yan... Forget it. I was only looking out for you."
Tian Dong suddenly bristled, furious.
The red cord had left a bloody welt on his face, and he was convinced Jiang Nuo had done it on purpose.
"This place is so creepy. Why don't we find somewhere safe?"
Even his tone was full of resentment.
Yang Xiaoxiao moved farther away from him. She kept feeling that there was a sort of... stench coming from him.
Si Yan looked over coldly and was about to speak when his gaze suddenly shifted to the corridor at the side.
He sensed carefully for a few seconds, then glanced at the tightly shut door before suddenly turning and heading down the corridor.
"Follow me."
Thinking Si Yan had agreed with him, Tian Dong gave a sneering snort. Just as he thought, no one wanted to be friends with Jiang Nuo!
When danger came, everyone still went their separate ways!
He hurried after them. His legs felt a little sore, but he paid it no mind, assuming he had bumped into something somewhere.
Meanwhile, inside the room.
With no cameras getting in his way, Jiang Nuo opened his eyes again. A piercing chill filled his left eye, which glimmered with the eerie light of a peculiar substance. His expression was cold, making him look inexplicably mysterious and bloodthirsty.
His lips curved. He no longer even needed talismans.
His fingertips moved slightly, forming a hand seal. His thin lips parted, his voice clear and cold.
"Kneel."
"Hrrgh!!"
His hideous form, scorched by thunderfire, still writhed grotesquely, but his soul felt cowed by terror, all the more so the instant his gaze met that left eye.
The old man's ghost knelt on the floor, his eyes gradually growing vacant.
Pus was still running down his face.
Jiang Nuo raised his hand and closed it around his throat from a distance, his fingers hooked like claws, his face expressionless.
"You have lives on your hands. You're not innocent."
He was different from that male ghost earlier.
"Hrrgh... hrrgh! I... only..."
He had only wanted what was best for this family! Who knew it would turn out like this!
Bloody tears flowed from the old ghost's clouded eyes. His scarlet gaze fixed on Jiang Nuo. "You have to... kill it!"
His rotting finger slowly pointed west, trembling with fear. If Jiang Nuo's power terrified his soul, then the power to the west made him afraid from the bottom of his heart.
"Have you go inside... kill it!"
Inside.
Jiang Nuo caught that word. "Inside where?"
"Cough, cough, cough!!!"
The old ghost's form slowly dissipated.
"You'll find out..."
It vanished inside the room.
Jiang Nuo lowered his hand and glanced at his palm. The lingering black energy condensed into a single character.
"Li."
The instant he read it aloud, the black energy dispersed and was swept out the window by the wind.
Jiang Nuo could sense that the old ghost's soul had not been annihilated. Instead, he had faded into the room, becoming part of it.
Elsewhere, Si Yan and the others passed through the corridor and reached a smaller room.
It looked like a child's room. There was a wooden rocking horse inside, but it was badly damaged, with half of one eye missing. Yet it was still rocking with a creak, its remaining half-eye staring fixedly at them.
The moment they stepped inside and saw all the furnishings, several guests and camera operators shuddered in unison.
This looked far too eerie.
Copper coins lay scattered everywhere, and dolls hung from the ceiling beams. None of the dolls had eyes or ears, but they were smeared with blood, looking as though they had been hacked at.
Cold wind blew through the broken window. The dolls swayed, dripping fresh blood, and the atmosphere grew even more deathly still.
A crude formation for suppressing child ghosts.
After looking it over, Si Yan's phoenix eyes flickered slightly. His gaze shifted behind the screen, where a ghostly figure drifted past.
"Oh my god! Look over here!"
Chu Xiu had crouched down to tie her shoelaces, only to spot a number of strange pictures drawn in a dark patch very low on the wall.
She quickly called the others over.
Si Yan crouched down to examine them.
Adults burned in a fire while child ghosts clapped and cheered below.
A madwoman danced, two child ghosts clinging to her legs, their faces hideous as they made her leap about wildly.
Two corpses lay flat, their chests empty where their hearts should have been, their bodies covered in blood. Each of two child ghosts held a heart, eating until blood covered their faces, their eyes frighteningly bright.
And more of the same.
Si Yan said, "It's the exact opposite of the show's storyline. What really happened was that the child ghosts killed the adults."
His voice was cold. Paired with all those drawings, it gave the listeners goosebumps.
Chu Xiu frowned toward the camera. Her public persona had always been blunt, and she was not afraid of offending the director.
"Why didn't you investigate properly before filming?"
She was not the only one criticizing them. The bullet comments were going wild with abuse too.
That damned production team! No wonder these ghosts are so full of resentment! They were clearly the victims, but somehow got turned into the perpetrators!
I can't even imagine how many times these guests would've died without Jiang Nuo here! Get out here and take your scolding, screenwriters!
Off camera, Chen Xianyu was drenched in cold sweat. No wonder... No wonder...
He had been wondering why things were still so eerie even after they lit the incense!
"Quick! Have the screenwriters post a clarification on Weibo! Say it was adapted from rumors online!"
"Bad news, Director Chen! They've disappeared again!"
The staff member constantly monitoring their locations suddenly stood up, his face full of panic.