After Cousin finished his porridge and left for work, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room to catch up on sleep.
When he woke up, his ears were filled with dynamic sound effects. Opening his eyes, he saw the room illuminated by the flickering glow of the TV screen, the ceiling light off.
He sat up and looked toward the window. Aunt was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, playing his PS5. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing her delicate, pale arms, and her petite body swayed rhythmically as she manipulated the controller.
Zhang Yuanqing yawned, got up, turned on the light, and stood behind Aunt to watch her play.
She was playing a horror game with a hellish art style and eerie music. The protagonist was an ugly little figure wielding a blood-soaked axe, hacking and slashing his way through hordes of enemies, sending flesh and gore flying everywhere.
The TV's glow reflected in her autumn-clear eyes, her round, oval face radiant with a hint of excitement.
"This game is great," Aunt said without turning around. "Perfect for playing at night. Quite therapeutic, actually."
Aunt had three major hobbies: shopping, watching horror movies, and playing horror games.
Therapeutic? More like depressing, you twisted woman, Zhang Yuanqing thought, but he forced himself to agree, "Yeah, it's pretty interesting."
Aunt glanced back at him, rolling her eyes. "Why are you being so formal with me?"
She turned back to the game and continued playing, saying:
"Actually, it's a self-healing game. The monsters in the game are all figments of the little boy's imagination. He's mentally ill, and to avoid being consumed by his inner demons, he fights relentlessly, ultimately carving a bloody path to the light. The ending is incredibly moving."
As she spoke, Zhang Yuanqing had already poured himself a glass of water. He took a sip and replied, "The concept is good."
Aunt hummed in agreement and continued:
"Each boss embodies a specific pattern. By observing carefully, even a little boy can defeat terrifying demons. But the horrifying visuals and music often instill fear, clouding one's judgment.
"You should try playing it too."
Zhang Yuanqing wasn't in the mood to play games with his aunt. He had been out of the Spirit Realm for nearly twenty hours, and in another dozen or so, it would reopen. What awaited him there might be death.
He'd rather spend his remaining hours contemplating what to do with them, to avoid any regrets.
Should he call and yell at his mother? Cry in his aunt's arms? Have one last rap session with his uncle?
He suddenly realized he didn't have any particular regrets or burning desires. As a college student from a relatively well-off family, his life had been largely free of worries.
Only those who have weathered life's storms carry regrets they can't let go of.
"Oh, come play with me!" Aunt Jiang Yu'er wiggled her waist playfully, her voice dripping with coquettishness.
Watching her graceful silhouette, Zhang Yuanqing's gaze softened. He sat beside her and took the game controller from her hand.
If I only have a dozen hours left, playing one more game with her wouldn't be so bad.
Under Aunt Jiang Yu'er's noisy guidance—between bites of potato chips and constant chatter—Zhang Yuanqing cleared the game. Glancing at the clock, he realized it was already 11 p.m.
"Not bad, not bad! You've got talent," Aunt Jiang Yu'er praised, sucking on her delicate fingers before patting her nephew's shoulder, conveniently wiping her saliva on him.
"Gross! You're so disgusting," Zhang Yuanqing said, his face twisted in disgust.
"Pah! This is nectar of the gods! You don't know how lucky you are," Jiang Yu'er retorted shamelessly.
"Nectar of the gods? How much does a pound cost?" Zhang Yuanqing scoffed.
"It's priceless, but Auntie might give you a few sips," Jiang Yu'er pouted, leaning in as if to smear her saliva on him.
Zhang Yuanqing leaned back to dodge.
Click!
The doorknob turned, and Grandmother stood in the doorway, frowning at the pair.
Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu'er immediately straightened up, sitting primly as if nothing had happened.
"Are you going to eat or not?" Grandmother scolded. "Sleeping all night and playing games all day? You're trying to become an immortal while living on Earth? Born on the ground, yet wanting to ascend to the heavens?"
Zhang Yuanqing put down the game controller. "Okay, okay, I'll eat right away."
Grandmother shot a cold glance at her daughter, and Aunt slunk back to her room, tail between her legs.
Dinner had been kept warm, but Grandmother reheated the chilled dishes. Zhang Yuanqing wolfed down his meal and returned to his room, summoning his Inventory to confirm the Corpse Suppressing Talisman was still there.
He then reviewed his attribute panel.
As he prayed for good news from Li Dongze, he pondered every detail of the Mountain God Temple.
While playing games with Aunt earlier, a new insight had struck him.
If the Spirit Realm was essentially a game, might there be underlying rules? If he could uncover those rules, even a frail boy like himself might be able to clear the game successfully.
His train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a piercing ringtone, making his heart leap.
He grabbed his phone from the bedside table. The caller ID showed an unfamiliar number, and he answered.
"Hello, is this Zhang Yuanqing?"
A sultry voice came through the speaker. Zhang Yuanqing's face lit up with excitement. "Did you get the information about the She Ling Tunnel?" he asked eagerly.
Guan Ya hummed in confirmation.
"The Chief managed to get more detailed information for you. He asked me to send it to your email. I know you young people never check your email, so I'm calling to let you know."
As expected of the official organization. Joining them was the right choice. Zhang Yuanqing's mood instantly brightened. He resisted the urge to rush to his computer and check the email, sincerely saying, "Please thank Chief Li and Sister Guan Ya for me. Once I successfully complete the Trial Mission, I'll treat you both to dinner."
Successfully complete the Trial Mission, Guan Ya thought with a sigh. After hesitating, her voice turned uncharacteristically gentle. "Alright, we'll be waiting."
She had already reviewed the information sent by the Taiyi Sect. After reading it, she felt only coldness and despair. No wonder Chief Li had been so gloomy all day.
In Li Dongze's mind, this newly recruited Nightwalker was likely to perish in the Trial Mission.
After ending the call, Zhang Yuanqing pushed back from his ergonomic chair, eagerly booted up his laptop, and logged into his email.
Amidst the clutter of unread messages, he found the email from Guan Ya and downloaded the attached document.
[ She Ling Tunnel, Spirit Realm ID: 0079, Difficulty: S, Type: Solo (Death) ]
[ Main Quest One: Survive for three hours. ]
[ Main Quest Two: Explore Spirit Realm 0079. ]
Just like my Trial Mission! Zhang Yuanqing's spirits lifted. This was a good sign—the closer the description matched his own mission, the better.
[ The setting of Spirit Realm 0079 is not the She Ling Tunnel, but an ancient Ming Dynasty temple called Sandaoshan Goddess Temple. ]
[ Based on my deductions, this Goddess is likely a Nightwalker of extremely high status—no, perhaps she can no longer be called a Nightwalker. It's unclear whether such a legendary Goddess truly existed during the Ming Dynasty, or if the Spirit Realm fabricated her. ]
The document then detailed the Goddess of Sandaoshan's legends, which aligned perfectly with what Zhang Yuanqing had witnessed in the temple.
He continued reading:
[ The task of surviving for three hours is relatively simple. Initially, after reviewing the notes, I encountered a Vengeful Spirit that continuously drained the yang energy from living beings until their death. ]
[ The Nightwalker possesses a natural suppression over Spectral Entities. I expelled it with minimal effort, but when I attempted to devour it, I encountered immense resistance. This might be the Spirit Realm's protection of Vengeful Spirits. ]
[ All who read these notes will be cursed, relentlessly haunted by the Vengeful Spirit. Any method of exorcism is temporary, granting only about fifteen minutes of safety after each expulsion. ]
[ It's worth noting that the Mountain God Temple's layout consists of a Main Hall and two adjacent Rear Courtyards. The candles in the Main Hall are an exceptionally powerful Rule Item with the ability to suppress evil and purify. Sheltering within the Main Hall guarantees safety. The price, however, is that the candles erase fear from the heart. Prolonged exposure to their light renders one fearless, a fatal flaw in such a perilous Spirit Realm. Furthermore, the candles cannot be moved or taken out of the Spirit Realm. ]
[ After half an hour in the Main Hall, I suddenly heard cries for help emanating from the Rear Courtyard, interspersed with chilling, inhuman roars. After some hesitation, I decided to investigate. ]
The Main Hall was indeed a safe haven, as I personally verified. But I never imagined the source was the candles; I had assumed it was the beautiful Mountain Goddess.
The cries for help originated from the Great Banyan Tree. I didn't hear the roars myself, but the eastern courtyard was indeed terrifying. Zhang Yuanqing's heart tightened, and he secretly inhaled a sharp breath.
He took a deep breath, focused his mind, and continued reading. The following information was crucial; knowing the conditions of the other courtyard in advance would allow him to avoid danger during his exploration.
[ The Great Banyan Tree is extremely dangerous. Do not turn back. Do not turn back. ]
[ This banyan tree seems to have gained consciousness, but why is it calling for help? As for the terrifying roars, I couldn't pinpoint their source because their appearance interrupted my exploration. It was a pair of... Red Dancing Shoes. ]
[ Instead of attacking me immediately, they invited me to dance. Out of curiosity, I accepted their invitation. ]
[ I couldn't memorize the dance steps at all. They were too chaotic and complex. For someone with no dance experience like me, it was an impossible task. No, even someone with dance experience couldn't have memorized those steps. I failed, and the Red Dancing Shoes began hunting me down. ]
[ I managed to escape back to the Main Hall, but it broke two of my ribs. I believe I've uncovered its true nature: this is an incredibly terrifying Rule Item. Its pursuit ignores terrain and obstacles, relentless until it achieves its goal. My initial hypothesis is that it's a Rule Item. ]
[ Unbelievable! A Rule Item in a Trial Spirit Realm? Now I understand why Qian Shou, despite carrying an item, still died at the Mountain God Temple, and why no one has ever cleared this Spirit Realm. What a joke! Those who can enter the She Ling Tunnel are either early-stage Level 1 Nightwalkers or ordinary people—how could they possibly clear it? ]
[ For now, I don't know why the Mountain God Temple has fallen into decline, nor what the secret concerning a thousand years of prosperity and decline is. I hope I can successfully complete Main Quest Two and bring the truth back to the organization. ]
The record ended there, with no further entries.
Zhang Yuanqing knew that this Nightwalker had likely died during Main Quest Two.