The guests were frightened by Tian Dong's appearance too.
His cameraman hurried several steps back, only daring to keep filming once he was a safe distance away.
There was no other reason: Tian Dong simply no longer looked like a normal person.
His complexion was dull, the skin beneath his eyes black. Black stripes spread upward from his neck, and his eyes were slowly turning grayish white.
Yang Xiaoxiao's gaze wavered. For some reason, she felt he looked a little like a corpse.
But in front of the camera, she didn't dare say it.
"Jiang... what's wrong with him?"
Yang Xiaoxiao asked quietly.
Even the stench that had vanished after they entered the Ghost Domain's illusion had returned, making everyone want to vomit.
Yet Tian Dong seemed unaware of it, his only thought to get out as quickly as possible.
This place had suddenly begun making him very uncomfortable again.
"Ah, how pitiful."
Jiang Nuo released the person he was holding and stepped closer. Under Tian Dong's wary gaze, he pulled aside the clothing over his shoulder.
It was precisely where Master Li had scratched him before they entered the Ghost Domain.
As his clothing was lifted, everyone gasped in unison.
They had never seen such a bizarre wound.
The scratches had turned black and were oozing pus, giving off a strong stench. Black threads appeared beneath his skin, spreading downward from the wound.
Even the exposed flesh had taken on a deathly white color.
Tian Dong slowly turned his head. At the sight of the wound, he seemed to understand something and let out a hollow sigh. Even his speech slowed, his grayish-white eyes shifting to fix on Jiang Nuo.
"It hurts so much..."
"Hurting won't help. I don't have any glutinous rice here."
Jiang Nuo spread his hands, merely producing a talisman and sticking it to Tian Dong's shoulder, preserving at least his last trace of life.
"Hurry and get an ambulance."
His fate was sealed. He had better not die in front of him.
No sooner had he spoken than an ambulance siren sounded outside the manor.
Presumably, the production team had arranged it as a precaution this time.
The livestream came to an end.
Although it was already late, Si Yan still had plenty of work afterward. He had to hurry back to Hengdian.
His RV was already waiting outside the manor.
He looked reluctantly at Jiang Nuo, who seemed to understand something and reached out to pat his head. "Good luck with work."
How miserable. He didn't even have time to rest. Being a top star came with plenty of troubles too.
Si Yan: ...
#Jiang Nuo dominates horror variety shows
The topic was pushed onto the trending list again.
Jiang Nuo gained hundreds of thousands of followers in a single day, and this time, they were all genuine fans.
The previously neglected Sticky Rice fan community finally became active, and fan edits of the livestream promoting him began spreading across the internet.
Whether it was real or fake no longer mattered. Fans of strength and fans of good looks had never bothered arguing about such things with haters.
Myrrh Witch: God Nuo's ghost-killing moves were amazing! Who was it who said he moved like a wooden plank, aaah!
Little Crisp: What an insanely awesome man! Jiang Nuo, the ghost slayer!
The public feed was celebrating when a new topic suddenly shot to the top of the trending list, with a clearly visible candle symbol beside it.
Anyone who had spent time following the entertainment industry knew that this symbol generally appeared when someone had died.
Only after clicking on it did they discover that it was actually an obituary posted by Tian Dong's studio.
Tian Dong had died!
Although it said he had died after resuscitation efforts failed, everyone who had watched the show knew that, judging by his appearance in the livestream, he hadn't looked as though he had long to live.
His fans could see that too.
But how could they accept it?
This was all the variety show's fault!!
The topic was flooded with abuse, and director Chen Xianyu was tagged and cursed countless times.
Why did they have to choose such a dangerous place?
Why hadn't they taken proper safety precautions beforehand?
Why did the person who died have to be Tian Dong?
Some even began hurling abuse at Jiang Nuo.
Tian Tian Sweet Sweet: @Jiang Nuo God Nuo, huh? You could save all those other guests, so why couldn't you save Tian Dong?? You deliberately left him to die, didn't you! Just because he took a few little ad deals from you?? Are you fucking insane?!
Dong Dong Dong Qiang: @Jiang Nuo Have you no shame? This is intentional homicide, isn't it! Why are you still alive when Tian Dong is dead??? Why weren't you the one who died! Don't give us that crap about a ghost killing him! You know perfectly well whether it was a human or a ghost! Don't fool yourselves along with the audience with your little act!
Has Tian Tian Become Famous Today: @Imperial Capital Public Security There are reasonable grounds to suspect that the variety show "Weird and Strange Adventure" intentionally caused someone's death, along with its guest Jiang Nuo. All that feudal superstition and mystical nonsense-there's definitely something wrong with them! That last paper talisman might even have been something sinister that hastened Tian Dong's death!
The abuse continued for a long time.
The production team felt they were in the wrong too and didn't dare come online to respond.
But why should Jiang Nuo, who had been dragged into this for no reason, have to endure the abuse?
The newly converted Sticky Rice Balls couldn't take it anymore.
The two sides began trading insults, joined by fans of Yang Xiaoxiao and Ink Wash who couldn't stand watching and came to help.
At that moment, a Weibo post replying to a comment was pushed to prominence.
Xuan Xuan Is Also Xuan: Uh... although the talisman Jiang Nuo stuck on Tian Dong at the end was a little unusual, it was indeed a Qi-Suppressing Talisman beneficial to the human body. It keeps true yang from dispersing so the person won't die immediately. Also, judging by the livestream, Tian Dong was already a wandering corpse when he came out of the Ghost Domain. Even the founding master couldn't have saved him. He absolutely should not have eaten that meat. Once you've eaten a meal from the underworld, of course you become one of its people.
Tian Dong's fans: ???
What a joke. There really were people spouting this mystical nonsense!
What wandering corpse? Tian Dong could still talk then!
This had to be a paid troll hired by Jiang Nuo!
They immediately began cursing.
But as they cursed, they began to notice something was off.
There was something strange about this person's profile.
A member of the Hua Country Daoist Mysticism Association?
What even was that? It was verified too?
Then, before their very eyes, a blue-verified account appeared.
The Hua Country Daoist Mysticism Association reposted it and even tagged Jiang Nuo, its wording quite polite.
Hua Country Daoist Mysticism Association: @Jiang Nuo May we ask which lineage you studied under, accomplished young friend? Might we have an exchange?
Wait a minute.
Who are you??
They clicked on its profile. Well, now. Officially certified by the state.
Even its followers and followed accounts were familiar official Hua Country organizations.
Good grief. How had they not known Hua Country had an association like this?? Weren't they supposed to advocate science?!
Now it wasn't just Tian Dong's fans who were bewildered. Jiang Nuo's fans were too.
Huh? In all their time following celebrities, they had never encountered anything like this.
Their idol had barely been cursed before a state organization showed up to back him!
It was unbelievably satisfying!
Tian Dong's fans: ...
Weibo was in an uproar, but Jiang Nuo knew nothing about it.
After getting into the car to head back, he had sensed the talisman being peeled off. Tian Dong had probably reached the end of his allotted life.
Ah, what a pity.
Jiang Nuo mourned him for half a second, then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
"Today was so dangerous! But how did I never notice you were this capable before? You didn't really stumble upon some fortuitous encounter, did you?"
"But this is good too. At least no one will be able to bully you anymore. You used to have it so rough... Jiang Nuo?"
Cui Ming glanced in the rearview mirror, only to discover that he was already sound asleep.
This little brat.
He quietly switched off the music and slowed the car.