Kuai Feifan and He Shaoqing’s expressions shifted simultaneously. They exchanged a glance, but before they could utter a word, accompanied by bursts of laughter, countless dark green orbs of light erupted from the walls lining both sides of the corridor, instantly bathing their surroundings in a sickly green hue. “Hee-hee-hee, hehehe,” shrill, grating laughter echoed through the hallway, soon interspersed with intermittent, piercing screams and soul-stealing wails of misery.

A chilling sweat broke out over their entire bodies. They watched as the laughter, screams, and howls grew closer and closer, and in the blink of an eye, the sounds seemed to be emanating directly from the bathroom they had just occupied.

“Damn it, let’s get out of here, quick,” Kuai Feifan yanked He Shaoqing’s arm.

The two bolted out of the room, aiming for the corner turn to the left down the corridor, but they instantly froze. There was nothing to the left—no turn, no window, only an endless expanse of blackness.

“What… what is this?” He Shaoqing had to crane his neck to shout over the overwhelming noise.

Kuai Feifan glanced around, then whipped his head back toward the rear, barking, “Go. Upstairs.”

He didn’t need the command; He Shaoqing had already realized the path ahead was impossible. The boundless darkness was visibly closing in on them, devouring the space at an observable rate.

Fortunately, they had regained some strength. They rallied their spirits and sprinted toward the staircase leading to the next floor, taking two steps for every one.

Reaching the stairwell, Kuai Feifan instinctively sidestepped. He Shaoqing understood the unspoken cue: the staircase wasn't wide enough for them to ascend side-by-side. He Shaoqing was bulkier, so he had to go first to smash the door open, clearing the way for them to climb up safely.

Kuai Feifan’s reasoning for heading up was practical: he suspected the stairs led to the small building’s attic. If there was a skylight up there, they might be able to escape onto the roof. He didn't know if reaching the roof meant freedom or where it led, but staying put meant being consumed by the encroaching dark. It was another gamble he had to take.

He Shaoqing rushed to the door at the top of the stairs. First, he patted his neck, then his face paled dramatically as he began frantically patting and rummaging through his clothes. Kuai Feifan blinked in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s gone, the protective amulet around my neck,” He Shaoqing said anxiously.

Kuai Feifan instantly understood. “So, you have a protective charm too.”

“Yeah, my grandmother left it for me—a jade Buddha,” He Shaoqing was sweating profusely with anxiety.

Kuai Feifan didn’t dare hesitate. He raised the hand clutching his own pendant and commanded, “Forget it for now. I’ll hit it, you ram it. Fast.”

He Shaoqing knew they couldn’t delay. He glanced at Kuai Feifan. “Okay, I’ll count: One, two, three…”

“One, two, three…”

“Lin Bing…”

CRASH. SMASH.

Whether due to the amulet’s power or sheer force, the door burst open, and the two tumbled inside.

He Shaoqing rolled across the floor, scrambling back up to a half-crouch, adopting a fighting stance aimed at the doorway. Kuai Feifan got up and turned, intending to slam the door shut, but as his hand reached the door—one of its hinges already broken by their impact—he suddenly stilled.

Noticing his frozen posture, He Shaoqing asked breathlessly, “What are you doing? Close it or not? It doesn't seem very effective anyway.”

Kuai Feifan raised a hand to cut him off, staring intensely out the doorway for a moment before turning to survey their surroundings in the attic.

The attic wasn't small; a single partition wall separated it into an outer and inner room. The sloping roof descended from the doorway inward. Although the walls were equally dilapidated and mottled, he immediately noticed the attic was remarkably clean. There were no cobwebs in the corners, and the dust on the walls and floor was only a thin layer, as if cleaned regularly.

What was stranger still, Kuai Feifan turned to He Shaoqing. “Have you noticed? Since we came in here, those cries from downstairs seem to have faded.”

He Shaoqing shook his head, listened intently, and nodded with a puzzled expression. “Yeah, they’re getting fainter… Wait, listen! They’re gone.”

As they spoke, the sounds from the corridor below had indeed gradually vanished, and silence returned to the surroundings.

He Shaoqing slowly stood up, walked to the door, and asked Kuai Feifan, “Looks like this place we’re in now isn’t safe either.”

“Find an exit,” Kuai Feifan said, casually closing the door in a symbolic gesture.

Their first focus was the attic skylight. A single look was enough to make them abandon the idea. Through the glass, they saw not only the familiar white full moon but also iron bars as thick as a thumb bolted across the exterior.

He Shaoqing sighed in frustration. “Looks like another bloody dead end.”

Kuai Feifan crouched down for a better look, feeling a similar sense of gloom. Neither of them had ever dealt with genuine hauntings, and they had no idea how to proceed. Even with the protection of the “Mani Stone” pendant, he didn’t know how long that protection would last, or if it would last at all.

He Shaoqing slowly stretched his body. Although the current situation was grim, neither of them was the type to give up just because they were in peril; they were the sort who fought until the absolute last moment.

As he stretched, He Shaoqing patted his pocket and sighed. “I knew I forgot something. I forgot to buy cigarettes after leaving the bar.”

Kuai Feifan grinned wryly. “Good, use this chance to quit.”

He Shaoqing rolled his eyes. “I’m not as abnormal as you. Just decide to quit, and that’s it.”

Kuai Feifan shrugged, wisely choosing to drop the subject. He slowly paced into the inner room. The attic was bare, utterly devoid of furniture, completely transparent. He Shaoqing couldn't tell what Kuai Feifan was looking for. He walked to the doorway, listened intently to the outside, and raised his voice. “Hey, Young Master Kuai, what are you looking at? The sounds outside seem to have all disappeared. Should we go down and check again? At least I need to find my grandmother’s amulet.”

Kuai Feifan finally remembered. While pacing in the inner room, he casually asked, “You think your grandmother’s amulet protected you?”

Seeing that Kuai Feifan had no intention of going downstairs, He Shaoqing resignedly shook his head, walked to the inner doorway, leaned against the wall, and said, “Yeah. You know, I’m different from you. You at least maintain a skeptical attitude even when facing ghosts or gods. I used to never believe in this stuff. If it weren't left by my grandma, I wouldn't bother wearing it. Who knew it would actually save me? Otherwise, that red-clothed female ghost probably would have toyed with me to death.”

Kuai Feifan gave a wry smile. “It wasn't that I doubted it before; it was mostly because Xiaoru always told me those weird stories. Partly I was humoring her, and partly I was curious about things that couldn’t be explained. But deep down, I probably didn't believe it, or I wouldn’t have…”

He trailed off into silence. He Shaoqing let out a couple of chuckles. As longtime close friends, he didn’t offer any comforting words; instead, he teased him. “You believe it now, don’t you? Serves you right. ‘Incompatible personalities and a peaceful breakup’—now you regret it, huh? Go apologize tomorrow, say some nice things, and hurry up and win her back. Come to think of it, I heard she hasn’t found anyone else yet.”

Kuai Feifan gave a dry laugh and stayed silent. They intentionally or unintentionally ignored the reality of their situation, as if they would be leaving this small building soon. Kuai Feifan paced all the way to the wall of the inner room, a thought striking him. Watching him pace with his hands clasped behind his back, He Shaoqing said with a mixture of exasperation and amusement, “What are you doing, wandering aimlessly? I’m saying, shouldn't we go downstairs? This place seems safe now, but you can only hide for a while, not forever. Staying here with no way out is just waiting to die.”

Kuai Feifan nodded, then shook his head, turning to ask He Shaoqing, “Don't you find it strange? Ever since we entered the attic, there’s been absolute silence outside. The environment around us seems very quiet and normal.”

He Shaoqing scratched the tip of his nose, pursing his lips. “Who knows what scheme that female ghost is cooking up now? Oh, right, there was also a small, somewhat demonic child, very ghost-like, who bothered me for a while and almost got me killed. But then it suddenly ran off. No idea where it went.”

Kuai Feifan pondered for a moment, then understood. It seemed he was the primary target of the red-clothed female ghost and the Big Head Monster Infant. Those two had always appeared near him, which inadvertently lessened the pressure on He Shaoqing.

He grinned mischievously at He Shaoqing. “So, you still passed out in the bathtub?”

“Uh…” He Shaoqing completely ignored the teasing tone and admitted helplessly, “No choice. I got slapped by that little brat while trying to escape, and I really couldn't take it anymore before passing out. I thought I was done for.”

As he spoke, he pulled open his shirt, revealing a small, pale blue handprint indentation near his armpit. He continued, “That thing is genuinely potent. That slap was both icy cold and painful. Getting hit like that makes you wish for death.”

Kuai Feifan recalled the slap he received; it hadn't seemed as dramatic as He Shaoqing described, but it was certainly enough to make him suffer. At this point, He Shaoqing was running low on patience and urged him, “What’s the plan? Are we going or not?”

Kuai Feifan raised his hand to signal patience, looking around. “Something strikes me as odd. When we were in the outer room, I checked; the inner and outer areas should be equal in size. But I just measured it with my steps, and it turns out the inner room is smaller, by about a full circumference.”

He Shaoqing blinked, then spread his hands helplessly. “What do you mean? Explain it clearly.”

Kuai Feifan thought for a moment. “I don’t know either, it’s just a feeling. Nothing has happened since we entered the attic; it’s like those two ghosts downstairs are afraid to come up here.”

“No way…” He Shaoqing sounded unconvinced.

Kuai Feifan managed a weak smile. “It’s just a feeling, too. This attic environment is truly different from downstairs. Don't you think it’s a bit too clean?”