See the Law of Deception

Chapter 146 The Substitute (20)

Just as I was thinking, another hand reached out.

Cold, deathly still, decaying, and sticky with an inescapable stickiness, it clung firmly to her back, like marking prey, or like having already found its prey and trying to devour her.

She felt a hungry longing from the countless hands that were pressed close to hers.

They were eager to kill her and get more of what belonged to humanity from her.

No.

You must not give those things to the ghost.

Qin Wan instinctively felt fear.

If all her "human" possessions were taken away by a ghost, what would she become?
An empty shell with nothing inside?
For some reason, she suddenly remembered the looks people gave her when she received a ghost call while walking down the street.

That indescribable discomfort, that look that makes you want to run away.

Empty, numb, soulless, yet looking at them with a secret fervor, hunger, excitement, and malice.

Just like these greedy hands clinging to her body right now.

Qin Wan felt a chill run down her spine, and she had to speak up: "I can't go on like this anymore. If I stay here any longer, I'll die."

She didn't deliberately try to talk to anyone; she simply expressed her predicament, more like an oral diary.

"I want to leave here, but I'm afraid leaving will be the wrong choice."

“Many hands stuck to my body, hands that didn’t belong to me. I felt like they were going to drag me into hell. If they succeeded, the consequences would be unimaginable.”

She wasn't sure if Zhou Ziming and Lu Jinzhao would believe these words came from the real "Qin Wan," but for now, she had no choice but to use this method to inform her companions of more information.

It's not about helping them, but about enabling them to save her if they have the means.

Another hand came up and this time covered her mouth.

She lost the ability to speak again.

The next second, she heard the ghost hidden in the darkness continue speaking in the exact same tone she had just heard: "I have to try, I don't want to die."

"I'm leaving now. Take care."

No.
In the darkness, Qin Wan tried to open her mouth, wanting to say: No, I didn't leave.

But she couldn't speak.

The teammates shouldn't fall for the trick and chase after the Stand, so what's the point of the Oni doing this?

Qin Wan did not use the pocket watch immediately, but chose to wait first.

The next moment, the phone screen, which had been unresponsive, suddenly returned to normal.

In the dim light, Lu Jinzhao and Zhou Ziming saw Qin Wan's back as a ghost clung to their side and clung to their shoulders, turning to leave.

Zhou Ziming wasn't going to say anything, but it was too obvious who the ghost was on Qin Wan's side. The ghost's neck was almost wrapped around Qin Wan like a scarf, looking strange and disgusting.

So Zhou Ziming quickly said, "Hey! There's light! Don't leave yet, let's think of another way!"

Being alone is not a good thing, especially since Qin Wan is currently suffering misfortune.

As soon as Zhou Ziming finished speaking, the figure who was about to leave did indeed listen to her words, stopped in his tracks, and turned around. It was Qin Wan, whose face was filled with fear and relief.

"Great! I was ready to go all out, but... what other choice did I have?"

"Can you help me get rid of this thing stuck to me?" Her voice trembled, as if she were barely maintaining her senses in extreme fear.

But no.

Qin Wan shook her head in the darkness. No, this isn't right.

There are more stand-ins now.

Moreover, without her noticing, the hands that were clinging to her body and grabbing her calves were moved from their original positions.

The ghost took her place, standing in place, pretending to be "possessed by a ghost." As the substitute spoke with Zhou Ziming, Qin Wan felt her mind suddenly go blank again.

She immediately realized that she could no longer wait and had to use the pocket watch right away.

The ticking sound appeared, and in her mind, the words Zhou Ziming had said seemed to be taken back. The hands that had covered half of her body were also retracting one by one, and in front of Zhou Ziming, she saw a scene that shocked him.

He thought Qin Wan and her double had changed their expressions for some reason, becoming gloomy and ferocious, as if they were fighting against something. But soon, they were defeated, retreating step by step and disappearing into the darkness.

This process lasted a full 18 seconds.

After it was over, the real Qin Wan slowly emerged from the darkness.

"Zhou Ziming, stop talking to us." She said helplessly.

18 seconds, 54 days of life, almost two months, and it's all gone!
"I'm sorry, I... I don't know what happened."

Zhou Ziming was somewhat at a loss. Since coming out, he felt as if something was missing from his mind. He wasn't particularly bright like an ordinary person, and now he seemed to have lost the sharpness and vigilance he had cultivated through his life-and-death experience.

"But where are the ghosts? Were both of you ghosts just now? Ghosts have this kind of trick?" he asked.

"It seems so." Qin Wan took a deep breath and looked at Lu Jinzhao, who had been silent since reminding them of something: "There is indeed more than one substitute. There were many hands that tied my hands just now. I don't know if they can all become our substitutes."

"Be careful. In the future, never speak to anyone you're not sure about. If you must speak, try to speak only to yourself."

She didn't know what Lu Jinzhao was thinking, what he was waiting for, or what he was observing.
All she knew was that Lu Jinzhao was definitely not giving up; she must be thinking things through.

She just doesn't know if her thinking will save her life.

In the worst-case scenario, if Lu Jinzhao has no way, or doesn't want to, save her, then she will have to spend a significant amount of her lifespan, several years, to successfully leave this platform alive.

The thought of this filled Qin Wan with resentment.

"This can't be! How many years do I have left to live?!"

A single mission would cost her several years of her lifespan; the price was too high for her to bear.

She felt another hand on her back in the darkness, and soon, everything that had just happened was about to repeat itself.

"Do you want to get out of here alive?" Suddenly, someone asked Qin Wan this question in her ear.

A chilling wind blew into Qin Wan's heart along with those words. She turned her head slightly to look behind her and saw Lu Jinzhao standing in her shadow.

This is fake.

Qin Wan thought to herself, but she just looked at the other person without saying a word.

"I have a way to get you out of here alive."

That's what the "stand-in" said.

"It's very simple. You just need to call my name and keep calling it. You are safe while you are calling my name."

Her voice wasn't quiet; not only Qin Wan, but also Zhou Ziming and Zhenlu Jinzhao who were standing next to her could hear it.

Its purpose is also obvious.

It was simply telling Qin Wan that if she sacrificed her teammates' lives, she could gain a chance to live a little longer.

Qin Wan simply lowered her eyes, remaining silent and making no interaction with it, clearly demonstrating her attitude.

She doesn't believe it, so she won't do that.

But the next second, she felt several handprints being frantically pressed onto her back!

It was as if her indifference had angered a ghost, who was punishing her with death.

She hurriedly looked up and saw the substitute Lu Jinzhao's calm expression, just like the real Lu Jinzhao.

Qin Wan suddenly felt a pang of panic.

She realized that even Lu Jinzhao, who was not perfect, was terrifying as an enemy.
Actually, even the ghost is a bit helpless because of what you, Little Deer, have done to it.

Then, pointing at the deer stand-in, he said: "Come on, you, yes, you, you go and figure out a way to deal with her."