Jiang Nuo took out a talisman and stuck it in the center of the table.
"Eat up, have some more."
But when the guests looked again, nausea immediately rose in their stomachs. Forget eating it-they no longer even had the courage to look.
These were no delicacies!
They were basins of raw meat, still dripping blood!
Si Yan looked for only a second before averting his gaze. Fighting the urge to vomit, he leaned toward Jiang Nuo's shoulder, his face even paler.
Yang Xiaoxiao covered her mouth and shuffled back, retching repeatedly.
She could still see the muscle tissue twitching in the plate of raw meat before her. It kept pushing her mental limits.
"Stop eating... Tian Dong!"
Lin Yu tried to dissuade the man sitting beside him, but before he could finish, Tian Dong grabbed another piece of meat and gnawed on it. Blood smeared his mouth, and scraps of meat covered his teeth.
Hearing someone call his name, Tian Dong turned in confusion.
The instant their eyes met, Lin Yu's eyes widened, and he nearly cried out.
The whites of Tian Dong's eyes were shrinking!
"Aren't you eating?"
Tian Dong chuckled twice, then unceremoniously grabbed the meat from Lin Yu's bowl and stuffed it into his mouth, wolfing it down.
What is he doing!! How can Tian Dong actually stomach that??
Holy shit, something's wrong! Sweet Potato fans, stop flaming people on Weibo and come see what's happened to your idol!
Um... is this a case of things reversing at the extreme? Tian Dong always used to claim he was a vegetarian.
But why do I feel like he... isn't human anymore? (Am I allowed to say that...?)
What is Jiang Nuo doing! Hurry up and save him! None of this shit would have happened without him!
Jiang Nuo, fuck your mother! If anything happens to Tian Dong, I'll hate you for the rest of my life! This is all your fault!
"What's wrong with him?" Unable to watch any longer, Lin Yu could only ask Jiang Nuo.
But looking around, aside from their little group, every guest was eating like this.
Some were even holding basins as they gnawed on the meat, like savages who hadn't eaten meat in several lifetimes.
The more they ate, the more invigorated they became. Their faces grew rosy and lustrous, and even their hair and nails were growing wildly.
"Living soul meat. A powerful tonic."
Jiang Nuo sounded rather wistful, tapping his fingertips against the table. "Only in an illusion within a Ghost Domain do these little ghosts and monsters get to eat it."
Then he turned, casting a casual glance at Tian Dong, and scrunched up his face as he thought for two seconds.
"Actually, I can't save him."
Chu Xiu went cold all over. "What do you mean... you can't save him?"
Had something terrible happened to Tian Dong?!
"Exactly what I said. But he'll be fine here for now."
Jiang Nuo gave a thoroughly optimistic smile.
Chu Xiu: "..."
All right, then.
After the meal, the guests showed no intention of leaving. Every last one of them stayed at the manor.
Only then did the cast realize that all these people were relatives of the Li family.
Under Jiang Nuo's blatant threats, Master Li arranged somewhere for them to stay as well.
Of all places, it was the room the cast had first entered.
The room with the hidden compartment.
The instant they left the courtyard, all light vanished.
The entire sky turned to night in a flash.
The gloomy aura could no longer be concealed, rampaging unchecked through the manor's courtyards.
The cast could only feel gusts of icy wind, chilling them to the bone.
Yang Xiaoxiao stared up at the sky, her mouth agape. A moment later, she patted her chest to reassure herself.
Jiang Nuo had said they were inside an illusion, so nothing that happened should be strange... right?
They followed the servant into the room. The door shut tightly behind them, and they even heard the sound of the bolt sliding into place.
Immediately on his guard, Lin Yu ran over and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.
"It's not time yet. We can't get out, so we might as well rest."
Jiang Nuo was completely relaxed. He even found a grand armchair to lie back in, swaying leisurely.
He looked as relaxed as if he really were visiting relatives.
This was already the second time he had said it wasn't time yet.
Lin Yu was growing agitated, but with the camera there, he didn't dare say much. He only asked, "What time are you waiting for, exactly? It's already dark."
"When little ghosts cry at midnight-that's the best time."
Jiang Nuo delivered this cryptic remark, then abruptly turned and stared into the corner.
"Don't you agree?"
"Heeheehee..."
Under the cast's astonished gazes, the little girl crawled out of the corner on all fours.
Her little dress seemed even more vividly colored, and the two rosy patches on her cheeks looked as though they had been stained with blood.
The dim light in the room made it hard to see clearly, but the little girl's smile was unmistakable. The corners of her mouth nearly split back past her ears, her teeth were white and sharp, and scraps of meat were faintly visible between her lips and teeth.
"Welcome to my room."
The little girl greeted everyone with a girlish giggle and headed straight toward Si Yan. The closer she got, the more ravenous her expression became, as though she couldn't wait to pounce and take a bite.
"A child can't get enough to eat. Without food, there's no silver. Give me a bite of meat..."
Her mouth twisted into a grotesque grin, and her sharp nails shot toward Si Yan.
The next second, a flash of light from Si Yan's wrist sent her flying.
Si Yan's disgusted expression briefly froze. He touched his bracelet, then instinctively pressed his lips together and looked toward Jiang Nuo.
"Oh dear, you little ghost. Naughty children get a beating, you know."
Smiling, Jiang Nuo glanced at the bewildered little ghost girl on the floor.
How dare she dream of eating my little lucky star? She's certainly got some nerve.
Mommy, Mommy, that scared me to death!!
Even horror movies aren't this intense! I nearly thought Si Yan was really going to croak!
God Nuo! Tear her apart!
"Roar!"
Enraged, the little ghost girl crouched on the floor and raised her upper body, her sinister face pointed straight at Si Yan. Refusing to give up, she lunged again.
Mist filled the gloomy room, further obscuring their already limited vision. They could no longer see one another clearly.
Only the camera gave off a faint, eerie glow.
Within a Ghost Domain, every change was controlled by the vengeful ghost.
In the mist, the fear in Si Yan's eyes vanished in an instant. He looked down at the little ghost charging toward him, his deep phoenix eyes gradually filling with killing intent.
He raised his right hand, which bore no bracelet. A dim glow of spiritual power spread across his palm, making the little ghost ravenous. Forgetting all about danger, she charged straight at him.
Then he turned his wrist, and his spiritual power transformed into a keen blade, radiating a bitter chill.
The little ghost was sent tumbling again, rolling over and over across the floor until her carefully styled hair came loose.
She blinked her eyes, which had no whites, in bewilderment.
She simply couldn't understand how this man, who looked the weakest, could be so powerful.
Just then, the mist cleared.
Si Yan immediately concealed the sharpness in his eyes. His phoenix eyes misted over as he covered his mouth and coughed weakly, his soft brows drawing together slightly. His refined, handsome face was so pale it made one's heart ache.
He looked pitifully toward Jiang Nuo, his slender fingertips covering his lips, his breathing rapid.
"Si Yan!"
Jiang Nuo glanced at the terrified little girl on the floor, then hurried over and took Si Yan's hand.