Frightening Joke: Above the Mist
Chapter 241: Patterns

Chapter 241: Chapter 241: Patterns

"So, what exactly are you trying to say?" Yu Wenxuan stared intently at Bai Yanliang, with the torrential rain behind him.

Bai Yanliang raised his head, resembling Yu Wenxuan from just a moment ago, and gazed into the rain-soaked night sky, as if piercing through the thick clouds to see the future.

"Someone dreamt about the future, and to prevent it from unfolding as in her dream, I need assistance." Bai Yanliang’s tone was flat, as if unaware of how startling his words were.

Yu Wenxuan’s pupils dilated, his rational mind telling him that Bai Yanliang was talking nonsense.

But for some reason, the thought of breaking the rules of Fog Gathering made Yu Wenxuan’s breathing quicken and his heart surge.

"If you’re not joking, let me hear your plan."

Bai Yanliang turned his head and saw Yu Wenxuan smiling broadly.

"As you wish."

It was as if Bai Yanliang had anticipated Yu Wenxuan’s agreement. He concisely shared the content of the dream with Yu Wenxuan and then calmly presented his plan.

The more Yu Wenxuan listened, the brighter his eyes became, captivated and thrilled as he listened on...

...

Jiang Li awoke with a start because the sky had already brightened!

But... why didn’t Bai Yanliang and the others wake her up for the night watch?

Jiang Li quickly stood up, patted her face to perk herself up, and wanted to apologize to the two of them.

However, to Jiang Li’s surprise, Bai Yanliang and Yu Wenxuan were both holding bowls, happily drinking porridge.

"You guys..."

Jiang Li’s eyes widened.

"The early bird catches the worm; you missed the breakfast offered by the villagers." Yu Wenxuan’s tone was as perpetually irritating as ever.

But Jiang Li didn’t have time to be angry. She looked incredulously at Bai Yanliang and Yu Wenxuan, who had already finished their porridge.

"But... weren’t they... ghosts? No, no, no... didn’t they catch some strange illness?" Jiang Li was rendered almost speechless by the scene.

Bai Yanliang put down the bowl and smiled, "So the best way is for us to try getting ill ourselves."

Such nonchalance in his words. The booklet recorded that people who hadn’t yet reached fifty had died from the illness.

The two of them together don’t even look fifty; if they really caught that eerie disease, wouldn’t they be done for? What are they thinking!

"Alright, let’s go!" Yu Wenxuan wiped his mouth, casually picked up Bai Yanliang’s bowl, and headed into the opposite house. Then Jiang Li heard sounds of polite conversation from inside.

Soon, Yu Wenxuan emerged, and a cloaked elderly person at the door shut it behind him.

"Well, let’s head out." Bai Yanliang got up and stretched. He had talked a lot with Yu Wenxuan last night and did gain some insights.

But Bai Yanliang also knew Yu Wenxuan was hiding many things from him. Still, it was fine; with shared interests and aligned positions, anyone could cooperate.

"Huh? Go? Where to?"

Jiang Li looked at the two, puzzled.

"Did you forget about the old lady yesterday who said she’d take us to see the village chief today?" Yu Wenxuan eyed Jiang Li, "Miss Jiang, your mind... is truly straightforward, but your looks are quite complicated..."

Jiang Li ignored him; oddly enough, she wasn’t feeling afraid of Yu Wenxuan anymore.

"But... Mr. Bai, what if she still looks like... neither human nor ghost..."

Jiang Li hesitated.

"It’s fine," Bai Yanliang smiled, thoughtfully glancing at the sun, "The sky is already bright."

Though she didn’t fully understand, if Bai Yanliang said it was fine, it probably was.

Jiang Li knew her place well; surviving each mission required a clear understanding of oneself.

Simply put... never do what’s beyond your capacity, whether in physical or mental terms.

But people are people, and it’s impossible to cover all bases, so Jiang Li often focused on details others might overlook.

"Hmm!" Jiang Li followed Bai Yanliang and Yu Wenxuan, "I thought of something last night; I need to go back to Mrs. Wu’s place..."

"Oh?" Bai Yanliang looked at her with interest.

"That funeral clothes..."

Jiang Li softly shared her suspicions, while Bai Yanliang and Yu Wenxuan listened, occasionally adding a comment or two.

None of the three noticed the pair of footprints that appeared behind them, following closely...

...

Soon, the three of them arrived at Mrs. Wu’s house at the village entrance.

The blood-red funeral clothes still hung under the eaves, seemingly unchanged.

But after hearing Jiang Li’s hypothesis, no one thought the funeral clothes were ordinary now.

Yu Wenxuan dashed over, jumped up from the wall, gracefully retrieved the clothes, and landed back down.

"If there’s something strange at the collar, we shouldn’t look directly at it," Bai Yanliang remarked.

Jiang Li furrowed her brows in a dilemma, "But... if we don’t look directly, how do we examine it?"

"Miss Jiang, a phone has more functions than just a flashlight," Yu Wenxuan said.

Meanwhile, he raised his hand, holding a phone.

Jiang Li felt her pocket. When did he take her phone again?

Why always use hers? Doesn’t this guy have his own?

Yu Wenxuan didn’t bother looking at Jiang Li’s expression and adeptly unlocked the password, activated the camera, and aimed it at the funeral clothes’ collar.

"Even if there’s a curse, filtered through electronic devices, its effect should weaken, right?" Jiang Li realized Yu Wenxuan’s logic.

But the thought of her phone being used to photograph the eerie blood-red funeral clothes still gave her the creeps.

Once this is over, she must get a new phone.

Jiang Li vowed to herself.

Soon, Yu Wenxuan finished taking the photos.

He re-hung the funeral clothes before opening the image on the screen.

The three looked at the phone screen, at the collar... there was only a circular symbol of "longevity," with no other visible abnormalities.

But... since Xu Zhifei was cursed through this funeral clothes, there must be something odd.

"Jiang Li, do you remember where Lu Guo saw that stranger before?"

Bai Yanliang asked.

Jiang Li was initially stunned, then looked around.

She recalled circling the village with Lu Guo yesterday. In about half an orbit, Lu Guo glanced toward the village and suddenly lost control, yelling and screaming.

The exact location... Jiang Li thought for a moment, then pointed.

"Inside there, deeper toward the other side of the village."

The depth of the village?

Yu Wenxuan stroked his chin and glanced at the phone screen again.

"What Lu Guo saw, was it the same thing that Miss Xu saw? Could that be the ghost this time?" Jiang Li instinctively lowered her voice.

"We don’t know if it’s the same thing, but there’s definitely a connection. Maybe it’s this collar pattern, or something else." Bai Yanliang briefly explained.

"Anyway, we’ll find out when we check the other end." Yu Wenxuan said.

Just then, the door to Mrs. Wu’s house swung open.

An aged, wrinkled face emerged.

"Where... are you going?"