Frightening Joke: Above the Mist
Chapter 324 Open the Door

Chapter 324: Chapter 324 Open the Door

The air seemed to have stagnated.

Bai Yanliang could clearly hear his own heartbeat.

His agile mind and strong logic had all lost their function at that moment.

The only scene in front of his eyes was that girl running towards him.

Every step she took was so firm, as if she was about to crash straight into his heart.

Time seemed to slow down as well.

Slow enough for Bai Yanliang to remember that night, she had the same stubborn expression, holding on tightly as he was about to fall off the building.

"Snap—"

Her hand once again grabbed Bai Yanliang.

Cold, sweaty hands.

She was very nervous, but she still came.

Bai Yanliang, in a brief daze, found himself being pulled by Qi Nian, rushing into the basement.

The fierce ghost did not, as he had anticipated, hesitate to enter the basement.

It silently exuded the deepest malice, a venomous and terrifying aura capable of making all living things tremble.

As it should be, it had broken free from its script and revealed its true form, so why wouldn’t it dare enter the basement?

Bai Yanliang glanced distractedly at Qi Nian.

Her breathing was rapid, her eyes were fixed on the road ahead, and her hand, full of sweat, tightly held onto Bai Yanliang.

"Qi..." Bai Yanliang attempted to free himself from her grip, only to be surprised to find he could not.

Her grip was firm, as if holding onto a world.

Bai Yanliang was taken aback, being involuntarily dragged down by Qi Nian.

Gradually, Bai Yanliang noticed that his hands were trembling.

And then... his whole body began to tremble slightly.

A strange and familiar emotion crept in, much like the call of Fog Gathering, yet entirely different.

No...

Qi Nian had also thought of a plan. She realized he was the protagonist; she knew the ghost’s target was him, so she pulled him into the basement.

She wanted to use that key, the one promised to the haunting ghost yet not delivered.

Bai Yanliang’s lips were dry and pale, his headache felt like it would split open. He knew he should stop Qi Nian from doing something foolish, but the fragments of his chaotic thoughts mixed with that strange fear surged in, leaving him unable to think.

At that moment, he realized clearly, he is human... he truly is human.

Emotions could interfere with his rationality, but why? Why at this moment would fear emerge as an emotion...

Bai Yanliang could not articulate what he was afraid of, perhaps he knew, but he dared not think.

"Bai..."

Qi Nian’s voice was barely audible under the sound of the fierce ghost scraping against the wall behind, yet it drilled clearly into Bai Yanliang’s ears.

He looked blankly at Qi Nian; before he could speak, he saw Qi Nian suddenly turn back, smiling as she said, "I’m so clumsy, just keeping up with your pace has taken all my effort..."

Bai Yanliang felt a sharp pain in his heart, and at that moment, a strong push came.

She let go.

Bai Yanliang grasped desperately, but caught only air.

He was pushed forcefully away, falling to the ground, the cuts on his arm reopening and bleeding profusely; shortly, both of his arms were drenched in blood.

Two breaths later, the intense pain on his arms flared up to his brain. He usually was not afraid of pain, but somehow, the pain at this moment was unusually intense.

A short distance away, under the feet of the three-meter-tall fierce ghost, stood a thin figure.

"As promised, I am here."

Under a mass of countless pupils upon her forehead, Qi Nian raised her head and spoke calmly.

At the same time, a key was tossed in front of the metal gate.

From the very first day in Fog Gathering, Qi Nian had wondered when she would die.

She never believed she could survive to the end because she knew well she was just an ordinary person, an ordinary person full of flaws.

Bearing an ordinary appearance, possessing an ordinary mind, having ordinary knowledge, living an ordinary life.

On first entering Fog Gathering, her fear was the largest among everyone.

Logically, no one was more "suited" to die than her.

Yet, she had survived until now.

To be honest, Qi Nian was very surprised.

She didn’t think this surprise would last continually.

As she said herself, just keeping pace with Bai Yanliang required her utmost effort...

The fierce ghost ahead exuded a terrifying aura, this purest form of evil gave Qi Nian goosebumps all over.

Not that she was afraid; in fact, Qi Nian did not feel particularly scared at the moment.

Even though the three-meter-tall fierce ghost before her had opened its fanged mouth, even though the metal door behind her was making a violent noise, her heart remained calm.

Her only concern was Bai Yanliang.

But Qi Nian believed Bai Yanliang could make the most rational choice.

He could certainly escape while the two ghosts were entangled, and with his mind, he would definitely find a real way out.

Qi Nian had utmost faith in this.

When did I... start liking him?

Qi Nian thought for a moment.

Was it his delicate appearance?

Or his calm and rational mind?

Or perhaps... his reassuring demeanor?

Qi Nian couldn’t find the answer.

At this moment, there was no time left for her to search for an answer.

One by one, eerie eyeballs emerged from her arms, those eyeballs, just like the giant ghost in front of her, looked at her with full malice.

Then, it extended a gigantic, twisted hand, grabbing Qi Nian’s waist in one grip.

The enormous grip instantly caused Qi Nian’s eyes to bulge forward, and with a "Wow," she spat out blood.

Qi Nian...

Qi Nian was about to die...

She was going to die...

The information conveyed by the scene was overwhelmingly clear, but Bai Yanliang could only watch helplessly as it all unfolded, completely powerless.

Right... the key!

The key Xu Zhifei gave him!

Even though he had no idea what the key was for, at this moment, he had only one thought, to save her!

He must save her!

However, just as Bai Yanliang’s hand reached into his pocket to take out the key, a strange sound was heard.

"Bang—"

A twisted ghost hand fell onto the ground, and Qi Nian, who had been gripped by the ghost hand, also fell onto the ground, her condition unknown.

Bai Yanliang quickly looked towards the being that tore off the fierce ghost’s hand, however... its appearance made Bai Yanliang’s pupils constrict.

The ghost that walked out from behind the metal door, it looked just like him...

Its face was stained with blood, wearing a simple T-shirt and casual pants, this outfit... stirred Bai Yanliang’s memory to a specific time.

It was during the New Moon Department Store, during the hide and seek task.

The haunting ghost Qi Nian saw... was him.

The fierce ghost, with a hand instantly torn off, twisted its face immediately, its bleeding pupils spilled down its forehead, filled with ferocity, cruelty, hatred, as it charged toward the "Bai Yanliang" that emerged from behind the metal door.