IWBL: Chapter 92

Xiao Li put the white shadow in the trunk and clapped as he got back into the car. He had just got into the car when Hao Ge in the driver’s seat turned close to 180 degrees to look at him with horror. “How did you let it get on the car?”

Xiao Li sat on the car seat. “Isn’t it supposed to get on the car?”

Hao Ge wasn’t willing to accept the reality of a ghost in the trunk of his car. “However, we can’t bring it. What if it climbs out the back and attacks us…”

Xiao Li asked lightly, “If you don’t let it come up then how will you break this endless road?”

There would be nonstop collisions and the final result was that the car ran out of gas and ended up on the side of the road. Then the ghost could only use them as meat.

Zou Hanyi said, “Sherlock is right. Since the instance gave us a car at the beginning, this ghost blocking the road is also in its consideration. We can only take it with us.”

The trunk was already the best choice, otherwise one of them would have to hold the ghost… at that time, they would likely be wiped out one by one. Before the clues came out, the ghost couldn’t kill anyone. Even so, having a ghost in the car was a psychological pressure that made the reincarnators feel quite uncomfortable.

Hao Ge also understood this. He adjusted the angle of the rearview mirror with his hand, making it convenient for him to keep an eye on the trunk as he stepped on the accelerator. The endless forest outside the window might look exactly the same to ordinary people but Xiao Li knew that they had come out of the previous road loop.

The off-road vehicle was driving smoothly but the reincarnators sitting in the back were ill at east. They didn’t dare to lean on the back seat out of fear the ghost in the trunk would act if they relaxed.

Everyone was upright. Anyone who saw them from outside the window would think they were sitting in the military position. Compared to them, it was like Xiao Li was going on a holiday. He leisurely leaned on the car seat.

Along the way, the white shadow in the trunk was surprisingly quiet and didn’t do anything. Of course, it was tied up like sushi and couldn’t move.

Zou Hanyi calmed herself down. She picked up the map in the driver’s seat and identified the direction on the map. Time passed minute by minute. After a few hours, a sign appeared on the side of the road that read: 3KM.

There was still a distance of 3km from the forbidden zone. Soon, the road came to an end and a huge desert city appeared in the eyes of the reincarnators. It was a desolate, silent desert city. The years hadn’t turned it to ruins. Rather, time solidified it forever in the moment when the inhabitants left.

Instead of driving in, Hao Ge parked the car in front of the desert city and asked the others for their opinion. “What do we do now?”

Hai Han muttered, “D-Drive in? I… I don’t want to get out of the car…”

Having a car gave the reincarnators a sense of security. Not only were they separated from the ghosts by a layer of windows, their speed was also very fast.

Zou Hanyi agreed. “I also feel like we should go in and wait until the second phase of the task is triggered.”

The others agreed and they continued to drive the car forward into the desert city. The moment the off-road vehicle entered the forbidden zone, all their task books shook. [The second phase: exploring the forbidden zone.]

Compared to the previous missions such as ‘surviving seven days’, this type of exploratory mission was wide-ranging, autonomous and contained great danger. Hai Han spoke first. “Exploration? What exploration? Do we just drive the car around?”

Zou Hanyi told him, “No, the scope of exploration would be too wide. There will certainly be some special tips after going in…”

Xiao Li put down the little yellow book and rolled down the window to see out more clearly.

The moon hung above the desert city and there was the sense of crossing thou of years.

The forbidden zone was once a complete city but due to radiation leakage from an explosion, the residents were evacuated in large numbers. It became a quarantine zone after that but it still had the proper appearance of a city.

For example, the libraries, supermarkets and… residential building. Just as the vehicle passed a residential building, a banging sound came from the truth. It was as if the white shadow was hitting the trunk with its head. The sound was infinitely amplified in the quiet night. Hai Han was frightened and his entire body left the seat as he jumped.

“What is going on here?” Hao Ge stepped on the brakes and asked nervously.

Xiao Li looked up at the residential building. It was very high and looked dilapidated from the outside. He opened the door, got off the car and went to open the trunk. The white shadow was folded up in a suit jacket and stopped hitting the bottom of the trunk, deformed face twisted. “I… it’s time… let me… get down!”

Xiao Li carried the ‘sushi bag’ and raised the white shadow, pointing to the residential building as he asked, “This is where you are going?”

The white shadow vaguely nodded. Xiao Li looked thoughtfully at it for a few seconds. Then he put it down, released the rope and let the white shadow out. The white shadow fell a bit but soon stood up straight. Its appalling face showed traces of a smile as it headed to the stairs of the residential building in front of it.

Hao Ge had originally watched Xiao Li’s movements through the wide open window. Then his gaze followed the white shadow and he immediately stared. On the ninth floor of the residential building… there was a light!

The lamp seemed to float in the air like a ghost fire. Hidden there were two ‘people’ standing in front of the window. Was this where the white shadow wanted to return to? The white shadow couldn’t be human. It had been run over by the off-road vehicle and was fine. The place it was returning to was obviously a ghost’s residence.

The hairs on Hao Ge’s head stood up and he subconsciously started the car. He just wanted to leave this place when Zou Hanyi in the passenger’s sleep stopped him. “Wait and see. The instance arranged for us to meet it the moment we entered so it certainly has a… clue.”

Despite her words, Zou Hanyi was also trembling.

Hao Ge’s hands firmly grasped the wheel as he looked up at the lit window again. Then he saw the shadows in front of the window were gone. The ‘shadow man’ came down the stairs and ushered in the white shadow.

This ghost seemed to have a relationship with the white shadow. Its hands and feet were very long and had two webbed claws. It was like a walking stick figure. Its voice was hoarse as it spoke to the white shadow, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing against each other. “You, came, back.”

The white shadow stated, “Yes, I’m coming back.”

The clawed ghost asked, “How, come, back?”

Hao Ge was screaming in his heart. Just then, the white shadow turned and pointed to the reincarnators. “They sent me back.”

The reincarnators looked white. Xiao Li standing next to the white shadow faced the clawed ghost. “No need for thanks.”

The white shadow who had marks from being run over. “…”

Who wanted to thank him?

The clawed ghosts looked at the others. “Come up, let’s, eat.”

Zou Hanyi was afraid that Xiao Li would agree in advance and she preemptively declined. “No, we… we have other things to do. Now that it has come back, we won’t bother you.”

The clawed ghost opened its mouth. “No, no leave, eat.”

Its attitude was tough and the pair of green beans-sized eyes showed unkindness.

The white shadow agreed. “Yes, you can’t go. Just stay at my place.”

On the road, the white shadow had the ability to distort space. If they rejected it now, these two ghosts might kill them. ‘Damn it,’ Hao Ge thought with a pale face. They had been trapped by a ghost the moment the entered. Was the so-called exploration task to explore this residential building? Did they have to directly explore the ghosts?

The reincarnators had to get off the off-road vehicle. Hao Ge opened his mouth to breathe in the outside air and followed the ghosts upstairs.

***

The building’s corridors were filled with the smell of decay. It was a mixture of a moldy smell and flying dust that made people want to reach out to cover their mouth and nose.

The walls of the corridor were peeling off and some rooms were in a semi-collapsed state. A bit of movement made dust fly all over the place. There were no lights on. It was dark and the stairs were quite narrow. Zou Hanyi almost fell a few times. She had a pocket flashlight, an essential item for reincarnators,but she didn’t dare to turn them on in front of the two ghosts.

The ninth floor was very high, at least for the reincarnators who regarded each floor as a test of courage. Finally, on the fourth floor, there was a reincarnator who couldn’t stand it anymore and turned uncontrollably, shouting as he ran down, “I won’t follow the ghost into its home! This is death!”

He ran very quickly and disappeared around the corner of the stairs. By the time he reached the second floor, he didn’t even choose to take the stairs and directly jumped down. The escaped reincarnator was supposed to fall outside the building but strangely, the place where he fell was very deep and there was a long tongue. This was a ghost’s mouth.

“Ahhh—”

The loud scream pierced the night sky and caused everyone else to feel cold. The clawed ghost touched its stomach and spoke with satisfaction. “Let’s go.”

It led the group on foot to the ninth floor. Xiao Li’s physical strength wasn’t good and he held the door to take a few breaths. Then he entered without waiting for the two ghosts to invite him in. The only place with the lights on wasn’t as dilapidated as the residential building. It was a normal setting with tables, chairs and rooms. Xiao Li sat on the recliner, unbuttoning the shirt that had been buttoned up to his throat.

The clawed ghost said, “You, wait, minute, we, prepare, food.”

Once it was finished, it went into the kitchen with the white shadow. The reincarnators had the tragic experience that just happened and were afraid to leave. After all, it seemed the two ghosts had no intention of killing them as long as they didn’t escape.

Hao Ge didn’t dare touch the house’s facilities. He stood near the door and pointed to the window. “I saw two people standing here but only one came down.”

In other words, there was another ghost in the house and it didn’t show up.

Zou Hanyi carefully looked at the decorations in the room while attempting to find some clues to the task.

Next to the recliner was a round table with several newspapers on it. Xiao Li flipped through them and today’s headlines contained a lot of news, such as: ‘First amusement part in the south of the city is about to be completed’ and ‘Bianco Road has been completed and will be open immediately. There is no toll station along the road’.

Xiao Li looked through it roughly and put the newspaper back in place. The two ghosts didn’t spend much time cooking in the kitchen before bringing it to the table.

The clawed ghosts told the reincarnators, “Come, eat, eat.”

Xiao Li moved first and came to the table. It looked like an ordinary table of food with a bowl of wintermelon soup, a plate of bones, stir fried vegetables, sweet and sour pork ribs and other dishes.

The two ghosts sat down at the table. The white shadow picked up the plate of vegetables and ate a big mouthful.

The clawed ghost demanded, “Eat, ah.”

Zou Hanyi barely maintained her etiquette on the surface. “I’m not hungry.”

Who knew what these things were? She wouldn’t eat the food brought by ghosts, even if it meant starving to death.

The clawed ghost said, “This, eat.”

It looked at the others again. Hao Ge held his chopsticks and moved something to his bowl, but he didn’t send it to his mouth.

Xiao Li asked, “Is there anything else to eat?”

The clawed ghost froze for a moment. “What, do, you, want, to, eat?”

Xiao Li pointed. “Sashimi is probably too hard for you but I don’t want to eat meat today. Do you have any packaged biscuits?”

Hao Ge, “…”

Sherlock, do you really dare to open your mouth and ask the ghost for food?

The clawed ghost hadn’t spoken yet when the white shadow threw the bones in front of Xiao Li. “There is only this.”

Xiao Li said, “Forget it, I have no interest in maggot stir-fried ribs.”

The white shadow didn’t speak and bowed its head to continue eating from the contents of the plate. The two ghosts ate quickly and the dishes on the table were swept away. Whether it was intentional or unintentional, the bowl of bone sticks placed to Xiao Li’s right side wasn’t touched by the ghost. After the short dinner time, the clawed ghost picked up the empty plates and returned to the kitchen where a deliberately low-voice discussion was heard from the kitchen.

“Our meat, is gone, what to do?”

“Outside… no… there are so much?”

These words entered the reincarnator’s eardrums. Hao Ge’s legs started to tremble and his voice shook as he asked, “What should we do?”

Zou Hanyi hadn’t spoken yet when Xiao Li opened his mouth. “Wait.”

“They are going to take us as reserve food!”

“We entered and are followed the instance arranged plot. There should be a way to live.” Xiao Li held the bowl of bones in his hand. “Just wait, there must be opportunities to escape the ghost.”

Hao Ge spoke unwillingly, “…Okay.”

*******

After the meal, the two ghosts arranged three rooms for the reincarnators. The clawed ghost told them with a scary smile on its face, “Have a good dream.”

The night gradually deepened. The reincarnators were tired from driving and were physically and mentally exhausted. However, they still refused to fall asleep because they were afraid their dreams would end coldly. Then over time, the reincarnators gradually and uncontrollably sank into their dreams.

In Xiao Li’s room, Tan Li hung herself from the window with her hair like a sunny doll. From the residential building to the entire forbidden zone, the night was completely silent. The two ghosts had long stopped moving.

It was only in the early hours of the morning that a door opened in the ghost house. It was a door that didn’t belong to any of the reincarnator’s rooms. A gap opened from the inside and from that gap, a head stretched out.

It wasn’t just a head. There was a long neck attached to it like a snake, but it could float in the air and peer into the room where several reincarnators lived. The body of the head remained in the room but the neck was very long and the head was fixed to a door. It was the door f the room Zou Hanyi was staying in.

Zou Hanyi was sleeping very shallowly and hung up an item at the door to block the sudden attack of ghosts. Almost immediately, the paper burned itself up and Zou Hanyi suddenly woke up. She hid in the quilt, covered her mouth and watched her door open bit by bit.

Zou Hanyi was a rather calm girl and had gambled when she heard Xiao Li’s words at dinner. Tonight’s ghost attack was only a test. A head emerged through the gap. It leaned in and watched for two minutes. Then seeing no movements, it retracted its head.

Zou Hanyi’s heart almost jumped out of her throat. She wanted to raise the quilt and look at the outside world but she held back. One hand tightly covered her mouth as she held her breath.

The door made a ‘click’ sound as it closed. The long-necked ghost left.

Zou Hanyi slowly released her hand and opened the quilt. She stared up at the ceiling and sighed with relief. Her back was soaked in cold sweat.

The long-necked ghost left the room and eyed the next target. It was the room that Xiao Li lived in. Once the door opened, Xiao Li was lying in bed and his eyes were closed. The long-necked ghost peered through the door. Its body was standing behind the door as its neck dripped in, the head floating in the air as it stared at Xiao Li.

The opening of the door didn’t wake him up but Xiao Li was extremely sensitive to eyes on him. He immediately opened his eyes and saw the long-necked ghost in the air. Before the long-necked ghost could react, its neck had been caught.

Xiao Li grabbed the neck of the long-necked ghost and it screamed like a chicken. “Wait, wait ahhhh!”

The long-necked ghost seemed to have not washed its neck in a long time as it was covered with a layer of dust. This made Xiao Li look around. Finally, he chose to wrap the long-necked ghost’s neck around the head of the bed, tying a knot. He also picked up the bowl of bones conveniently by the bedside and placed it into the ghost’s mouth so it couldn’t speak.

Xiao Li smiled. “If you call out then I’ll break your neck and you can’t be saved by anyone.”

The long-necked ghost, “???”

This script wasn’t right! Its body stood at the door and it wanted to enter to rescue its neck, but Xiao Li moved. He pulled out a scalpel and placed it against the other side’s neck. “If you move again, I’ll change your name to headless ghost.”

The body of the long-necked ghost suddenly stopped. Its mouth was stuffed with a large bone and there was no way to speak. It could only make humming sounds.

Xiao Li took out the bone. The ghost swallowed the meat on it and said, “You… what do you want to do? I just came in to check.”

The long-necked ghost tried to untie itself and even tried to shrink its head but the knot was tied so tightly that it couldn’t be untangled.

Xiao Li stated, “If you move again, I will tie a tight knot. If you are obedient, I will make it a goldfish knot.”

The long-necked ghost, “……”

What tight knot or goldfish knot? It didn’t want any knot!

Xiao Li continued to ask. “What is your relationship with the other two ghosts? What is this place?”

The long-necked ghost was very angry. It stared at Xiao Li and squeezed out a threatening sentence. “Entering the restricted area is equivalent to dying.”

Xiao Li tapped the scalpel against its neck. “Why?”

“It is because this is a no-go zone, a no-go zone for the living.” The long-necked ghost turned its head, eyes staring coldly at Xiao Li. “This is… a ghost’s paradise, the forbidden land of humanity.”

Xiao Li demanded, “Explain it.”

The long-necked ghost didn’t speak.

The scalpel was approaching again. This was the third tap and a gold light appeared around the scalpel. Once the gold light dispersed, a small ghost appeared, its left hand pulling a rack. This wasn’t the split mouthed woman but the IV ghost.

The IV ghost was a bit afraid of Xiao Li and pulled its rack to step back.

Xiao Li, “…”

He didn’t want to summon a patient to come but now that it was here, he could take advantage of it. Xiao Li examined the IV ghost and finally looked at the needle drip stand. “Come here.”

The long-necked ghost wondered, “What are you going to do?”

The little IV ghost hesitated before moving closer to the long-necked ghost.

“Tie you up.”

The long-necked ghost, “……”

The long-necked ghost, “???”

Before it could open its mouth and scream, Xiao Li once again stuffed a bone into its mouth. The needle in the hands of the IV ghost gradually approached. It was unknown what the IV ghost was thinking but his mood was excited and his smile was becoming a bit wild.

Xiao Li looked to the side and he didn’t know why but he was reminded of the scene where Princess Li Ziwei was given an acupuncture treatment in a dark room… (TL: From Chinese drama)

He couldn’t bear to sigh. “If you are willing to tell me then blink.”

The long-necked ghost struggled to cry out. F*k your mother.