Ah Xu froze on the spot, his breath catching in his throat. His flashlight trembled in his hand, the beam flickering against the walls.
The ghostly figure suddenly let out a scream, a sound filled with fury and anguish that rattled through the basement.
The air itself seemed to vibrate, heavy with rage.
Then, a cold, distorted voice echoed through the room — not from any one direction, but from everywhere at once.
"After tonight," it hissed,
"I will become one of the most powerful beings on this continent.
I have waited for centuries… feeding on human fear, drinking their blood, growing stronger with every soul I claimed.
Finally, I am strong enough to seize my own fate — and no one will stop me."
Ah Xu's entire body went rigid.
The words reverberated through his skull, almost as if the voice was speaking directly into his mind.
He stumbled backward, heart pounding, his rational thoughts slipping away beneath the weight of terror.
"What… what are you?" Ah Xu stammered, his voice barely above a whisper as a chill ran down his spine.
The ghostly figure drifted closer, its presence suffocating.
Its hollow eyes locked onto him, burning with a hatred that felt centuries old.
"I'm sad for you, human," the entity said, its voice echoing like whispers from the grave.
"You are the hundredth fool to wander into this mansion — the final offering I needed."
Ah Xu's flashlight flickered violently as the air grew colder.
The figure leaned closer, its translucent face twisting into something grotesque.
"For years, I've been sealed in this wretched place," it continued, voice rising with fury.
"Feeding on the fear and blood of those who dared enter… waiting for the day I could break the seal that bound me.
And now—"
It smiled, a dreadful, jagged grin spreading across its face.
"—your life force will be the key that sets me free."
Ah Xu's breath caught in his throat.
His body refused to move, trapped between disbelief and terror.
Meanwhile, in the foyer, Xiao Ling suddenly felt a heavy weight settle in her chest — an instinctive sense that something was wrong.
"Ah Xu! Is everything okay?"
she called out, her voice echoing through the empty halls.
"I'm almost done setting up the livestream program!
Ah Xu, where are you now?"
Her words bounced off the walls and faded into silence.
No reply came.
The corridor that led to the basement seemed to swallow every sound she made, the darkness stretching endlessly.
Unease turned to panic.
She called out again, louder this time.
"Ah Xu! Can you hear me?"
Still nothing.
Not knowing to her, a dark barrier shimmered invisibly at the entrance to the basement — a wall of malevolent energy woven by the ghostly figure.
No sound, no light, not even a whisper could pass through.
Inside, Ah Xu was trapped. And outside, Xiao Ling's voice never reached him.
In the basement, Ah Xu's voice trembled as he stumbled backward.
"What are you?! What do you want from me? Don't come near me!"
The ghostly figure let out a low, chilling laugh, its face twisting into a sinister grin.
"What am I?" it hissed.
"Once… I was a being of immense power. But those damned emperors — they feared what I could become.
So they sealed me within this mansion centuries ago."
Its voice grew sharper, echoing through the cold air.
"For generations, I remained trapped.
Yet over time, the seal began to weaken.
One of the Feng family members — foolish, careless — dropped an ancient artifact, one that held the seal together.
The moment it shattered, the chains that bound me loosened."
The ghost moved closer, its translucent form pulsing faintly with light.
"I wasn't free, not completely.
But I found a way to act — by controlling one of the Fengs themselves.
Through him, I spread the rumor that treasure was buried in the mansion's backyard… and through him, I slaughtered and feed on to those who came to me.
Ah Xu's heart pounded.
The air grew thick with the metallic scent of blood that seemed to seep from the very walls.
The spirit's voice deepened, vibrating with fury.
"I enjoyed it — the fear, the screams, the taste of despair.
But before I could escape, the Feng family's patriarch discovered the truth.
That old man sacrificed his life to seal me again, forging an artifact with his very soul to trap me here once more."
The ghost's expression twisted with hatred.
"I was so close to freedom that night! But human nature never fails to amaze me… greed, curiosity, arrogance — they always bring more victims to my door.
Each one gives me strength. Each fool feeds my power."
Its laughter filled the basement, echoing off the stone walls.
"And now, you… the final sheep to wander into the wolf's den… your blood will be the last I need to break this curse and set myself free."
The ghostly figure drifted closer, its grin widening with cruel delight.
Ah Xu's heartbeat thundered in his chest. Regret tore through him — regret for his arrogance, for mocking the dare, for dragging Xiao Ling into this nightmare.
If only I hadn't tried to act brave…
Forcing his trembling legs to move, Ah Xu turned and ran, desperate to find anything — anything — he could use to defend himself.
He grabbed at broken furniture, shattered wood, and rusted metal, throwing them wildly at the ghostly form.
The spirit laughed — a deep, echoing sound that chilled the air.
"Foolish human. Do you truly think mere objects can harm a being like me?"
It glided forward unhindered, every step making the temperature drop lower.
Ah Xu stumbled backward until his shoulder slammed into something hard on the wall.
The impact triggered a faint click, and a small panel creaked open.
From within, an old, dust-covered book fell to the floor with a dull thud.
Breathing heavily, Ah Xu glanced at the cover.
The faded title sent a flicker of hope through him:
"A Guide to Destroying Spirits and Demons."
He bent to pick it up — but before he could open it, the ghostly figure's arm shot forward.
Its hand pierced straight through his chest.
Ah Xu gasped, blood spilling from his lips as he fell to his knees, the world spinning around him.
He clutched the book desperately, unwilling to die — not yet, not while Xiao Ling was still waiting upstairs.
With the last of his strength, he flipped open the cover.
His vision blurred, but he could just make out the first line of text before everything dimmed.
Then, without warning, the book began to glow — a soft, blinding light that pulsed with energy.
The ghost froze, its expression twisting in confusion and rage as the light engulfed Ah Xu's body.
The book disintegrated into golden dust and merged into him, the light seeping through his wounds as his body lifted slightly off the ground.