The little episode between Chen Lusi and Xia Panqiu only amused Wu You.
It didn't seem to improve their relationship much.
Xia Panqiu didn't say much afterward and just started working directly.
However, rather than working, it was more like aimlessly wandering around…
The four of them split into two teams.
Under the guise of gathering information, they began asking locals if there were any famous ghost stories in the area.
On Chen Lusi's side.
Most of the locals didn't really take kindly to Chen Lusi and Wu You, after all, two grown men striking up hard-to-hold conversations without buying anything.
Who wants to waste time like that?
But... Wu You truly had the gift of gab.
Even if the other party was initially guarded, they quickly lost themselves amidst Wu You's "buddy," "handsome," and "try this" chatter, and started rambling.
Chen Lusi initially planned to help with the local dialect.
After all, his hometown wasn't far from Wucha Town, so the language was the same.
Later, he realized it wasn't necessary at all.
So he simply stopped talking, just followed Wu You, listening to his chatter.
An entire afternoon.
Wu You chatted from one end of the street to the other.
Chen Lusi heard multiple versions of ghost stories and was quite amazed.
"...So, what do you think? Regretting teaming up with this old chap, aren't you?"
The orange-yellow setting sun bathed both of them in its glow.
Wu You walked out of the shop, lighting a cigarette, and asked with a smile.
"No, it was quite interesting."
Chen Lusi shook his head, "There's nothing to regret."
When they first divided into teams.
Wu You, that troublemaker, even wanted him to team up with Xia Panqiu.
"Alright then."
Wu You, a bit disappointed, kept the cigarette in his mouth and continued asking, "What kind of ghostly encounter do you think we'll have? You've been listening for so long, you must have some thoughts, right?"
"Hmm..."
Chen Lusi thought for a moment, then replied, "Maybe the Rock Thrower. We heard three versions of that on the way."
"I think so too... but then again, it's unpredictable," Wu You said with a smile.
The Rock Thrower.
This seems to be a well-known ghost story locally.
The story isn't complex.
It is said that.
On the road from Wucha Town's market to a nearby village called Shiluan Village, there's a bridge.
In the past, a homeless man lived under the bridge. He came out at night and would always appear on the bridge at midnight, doing something unknown.
Later, the homeless man died.
Died on the bridge, in a terrible state.
They say he literally stuffed himself to death eating stones.
After he died, everyone said he came to the bridge at midnight to play games with ghosts. Every time he lost, he had to eat stones, and eventually, he stuffed himself to death.
Even after his death, he supposedly continued playing games with ghosts. If you see him on the arch bridge at midnight, you must not say, "I want to play," or else you'll be dragged into the game too...
But most people scoff at this.
Until one day, three local students secretly went to an internet cafe late at night.
As the three students passed the bridge at midnight... they happened to see the homeless man.
In the moonlight, the homeless man, disheveled and dirty, was squatting by the railing, tossing stones and mumbling repeatedly: "Fun, fun, fun."
This eerie scene.
Frightened the three students, but not wanting to lose face in front of each other, they tried to cover their fear by talking loudly.
As they talked, the three students discussed what they planned to play during their all-nighter.
Then, having sat quietly, the homeless man abruptly looked up when he heard the words, "I want to play," then suddenly went mad, screaming and charging at the three students, throwing stones at them while shouting, "Don't play! Don't play! Don't play!"
The three students, never having encountered such a spectacle, were petrified and bolted, forgetting all about maintaining their composure.
Too scared to even use the internet, they all ran back to one of the students' homes and hid under the covers.
After going through stages of tension, angry cursing, and mutual teasing.
The three were exhausted and planned to go to sleep.
But just as one of the students was drifting off, he suddenly heard faintly again, "Fun, fun, fun..."
He jolted awake with a start.
Then he realized he wasn't in bed.
But in a deep, dark forest, with only darkness all around.
He, along with his two friends, was sitting around on a grave, tossing stones in their hands.
With the moonlight, he could clearly see his two friends, eyes white, staring intently at him.
As they looked, they continued saying, "Fun, fun, fun, fun..."
Then.
The man was scared to death.
Yeah.
A classic gibberish-type ghost story.
Chen Lusi even suspected it was a made-up story by parents to stop kids from going online at night.
"You think it's made up, don't you?"
Seeing Chen Lusi's expression, Wu You asked with a smile.
"Yeah." Chen Lusi nodded.
"Most ghost folklore is fabricated... but don't underestimate the power of widely spread tales, especially in underdeveloped areas."
Wu You stretched and said, "And when such ghost stories get activated, they can be quite bothersome."
"Understood."
Having little to add, Chen Lusi could only agree.
"But don't worry, I'll protect you, trust me."
Wu You's serious demeanor didn't last long. Soon, he was sitting on the steps, continuing his chatter: "I've been through a lot, seen all kinds of situations. These spooky stories are nothing."
"Sounds good to me."
Chen Lusi was chatting idly with Wu You.
About ten minutes later.
Xia Panqiu and Li Tian appeared in view.
Wu You and Xia Panqiu exchanged a few words, and finally, the two reached a consensus to deal with the 'Rock Thrower' first.
They would stake out on the bridge at midnight.
The four of them casually grabbed a meal, then found an inn and booked three rooms.
But when it was time to stake out, Wu You and Xia Panqiu didn't take the other two along.
The reason Wu You gave was that this time it was just to get familiar with the process, and they didn't need to take any risks.
Chen Lusi and Li Tian didn't have any reason to oppose that, so they stayed in the room.
Half past eleven.
They watched the two of them go out.
Li Tian let out a sigh of relief, relaxed, and looked at Chen Lusi, actively striking up a conversation, "So, how are you feeling? Under pressure?"
"It's okay... How about you?" Chen Lusi wasn't quite good at dealing with these situations, but since the other had spoken up, it wasn't good not to respond.
"Pretty awesome... By the way, how much spirit have you absorbed? Have you passed the adaptation period?"
Li Tian said excitedly, "I tried the technique the day before yesterday, it was really cool!"
"Uh..."
Chen Lusi felt a bit awkward.
What spirit absorption.
He figured it wouldn't be of much use during these days, just focused on playing games.
But seeing Chen Lusi's expression, Li Tian seemed to have misunderstood.
He scratched his head, said sheepishly, "I forgot you haven't learned it yet, sorry "
"It's fine."
"Actually, you could discuss it with Xia Panqiu."
"Yeah, I'll see how it goes."
"Then I'll take a shower first."
"Okay."
The two exchanged a few simple words.
However, their personalities were indeed quite different. Neither Li Tian nor Chen Lusi were like Wu You, who could chat with anyone, so their conversation ended quickly.
Li Tian went to the bathroom for a shower.
Meanwhile, Chen Lusi sat on the bed, thought for a moment, and felt that it couldn't go on like this. He had already started this job, and might end up in a fight in the future...
Thinking of this.
He put down his phone, closed his eyes, and recalling the heavy rain from that day, initiated his ability to sense the spirit.
The next moment, countless tiny light spots, like dust, appeared.
Chen Lusi opened his eyes, repeated the trick, and extended his hand.
The faint light around him was drawn in, starting to gather in his palm.
Until all the faint light in the room and even around the inn disappeared completely.
Tens of thousands of lights converged at one point.
After swallowing the condensed 'Spirit Pearl' in one go.
Chen Lusi lay down directly, enduring the discomfort of the bloated feeling in his stomach while waiting for the spirit to once again fill the room.
Ten minutes later.
Li Tian came out.
He wiped his damp hair, glanced at Chen Lusi lying on the bed, hesitated for a moment but didn't speak.
Because he felt his companion seemed a bit like a slacker...
Li Tian looked away, shook his head, dropped the towel, then sat cross-legged on the bed, also started meditating to initiate his ability to sense the spirit.
He also prepared to 'cultivate'.
But after initiating his spirit sensing ability, the anticipated scene of faint light filling his vision didn't appear.
"Hmm?"
Li Tian opened his eyes, letting out a puzzled sound.
Where's the spirit?
Chen Lusi heard it but didn't respond.
He lay there for quite a while, until the bloated feeling lessened, then sat up, walked to the bathroom, and started a refreshing shower.
During this.
Chen Lusi calculated the time, felt it should have been enough, and raised his hand again.
Outside.
Li Tian sat on the bed, repeatedly undergoing the process of closing his eyes to meditate and opening them in confusion.
But the floating spirit never appeared...
He almost thought there was something wrong with his body.
Messed around for a while.
Another meditation attempt.
Finally, the familiar blue faint light appeared.
Li Tian let out a big sigh of relief.
But as soon as he closed his eyes, ready to absorb the spirit floating in the air.
The weak lights before his eyes suddenly moved quickly and disappeared.
"?????"
Li Tian opened his eyes wide in shock, glanced around the room with a face full of disbelief.
What the hell!
Where's my spirit?
Is this place haunted!!?
In the bathroom.
Chen Lusi stood under the showerhead, pinched his fingers together, hesitated for a moment, and still forced himself to swallow the 'Spirit Pearl' formed by the light dots.
Just after swallowing it.
The feeling of nausea surged up.
He gagged a few times, supporting himself on the wall, with only one thought.
Swallowing like this, it just doesn't feel right... but he couldn't quite pinpoint what was wrong.