Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 169 The Deadly String
The jeep sped along the rugged mountain road, the sound of its tires rolling over gravel carrying far through the silent wilderness.

Bai Yu sat in the passenger seat, the scenery outside the window rushing past. The familiar mountains, shrouded in the dim twilight, resembled lurking beasts. He clutched the blue crystal tightly in his hand; the crystal emitted a faint coolness that seeped into his very bones through his palm. This coolness kept him perfectly alert, but it also intensified the unease in his heart.

"Old Bai, have some water. Don't break yourself before we even get there," Mo Fei said in a low voice, keeping a steady grip on the steering wheel.

Mo Fei's voice was deep. After last night's fierce battle, he had become much more restrained, his former boisterousness replaced by a calm and stern aura. He knew how much pressure Bai Yu was under. That list, that name that had been missing for ten years—no one could remain calm in that situation.

"I'm fine." Bai Yu unscrewed the water bottle, took a sip, and kept her gaze fixed ahead. "How much longer?"

"We'll be there once we get around that mountain pass. Lan Ce just sent me the coordinates; the red fog from Qing Shi Town has already spread to the town entrance." Mo Fei stepped on the gas, and the jeep roared as it accelerated into the night.

In the back seat, Lan Ce was engrossed in a pile of instruments. His computer screen was flashing complex waveforms, regular pulses captured from the direction of Qing Shi Town.

“Bai Yu, the situation isn’t looking good.” Lan Ce pushed up his glasses, his tone as calm as a machine. “The red mist there isn’t just a simple energy spill; it’s a rewriting of the rules of ‘domainization.’ The physical constants of the entire ancient town are shifting. Simply put, it’s no longer part of the real world.”

Captain Anmu sat beside Lan Ce, resting with his eyes closed. He held the heavy sword that symbolized "Iron Wall Royal Authority" in his arms. Although he didn't speak, the aura he exuded was like an invisible wall, guarding the last psychological defense for the team.

As the car rounded the mountain pass, everyone held their breath.

Ahead, the once brightly lit town of Qing Shi was now completely shrouded in a thick, blood-red fog. The fog didn't dissipate; instead, it writhed slowly through the valley like a giant mass of entrails. The originally gray-white stone path stretched into the fog, its color turning an eerie dark purple.

"That's... opera music?" Mo Fei frowned and turned off the engine.

In the silent valley, as the engine noise faded, a faint singing voice drifted out from the depths of the mist. The voice was shrill and mournful, carrying a soul-piercing sorrow, echoing across the open wilderness.

"Red ribbon...tied to the depths of my heart...groom...do not look back..."

Bai Yu pushed open the car door and stepped onto this familiar land. A trickle of red liquid seeped from the cracks in the bluestone pavement beneath his feet. He narrowed his right eye, the power of Black Words flowing within its socket.

“Rule analysis: Domain overlap.” Bai Yu muttered to himself.

In his eyes, the red mist before him was no longer mist, but countless fine red threads. These threads intertwined, forming a huge, translucent cocoon. The entire ancient town was enveloped in this cocoon, and time seemed to slow down dramatically.

“Let’s go see this ‘old friend’.” Captain Anmu picked up his heavy sword and walked to the front of the group.

The group formed a battle formation and slowly stepped into the red mist.

As soon as he stepped into the mist, a strong, rotten floral scent wafted towards him. The fragrance wasn't unpleasant, but it had a powerful hallucinogenic effect. Lan Ce immediately activated the "Nightingale" high-frequency jammer on his back, and a faint buzzing sound rang out, forcibly dispelling the dizziness.

"Watch your step," Bai Yu reminded him.

The shops on both sides of the street were all closed, with faded couplets pasted on their doors. Strangely, the characters on these couplets were slowly moving, like writhing red worms.

Anmu, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped.

Under a streetlamp not far ahead, sat a gaunt old man. He was wearing a faded Zhongshan suit and holding a pipe, puffing away at the empty street.

"Old man, why aren't you home yet, it's so late?" An Mu asked in a deep voice.

The old man slowly turned his head. His eyes had no pupils, only two pale irises. He smiled at An Mu, revealing his missing teeth.

"We can't go back...we can't go back..." The old man chuckled, his voice like the friction of sand and gravel. "The play hasn't even started yet, so no one can go back."

"What play?" Bai Yu stepped forward, his right eye fixed on the old man.

The old man looked at Bai Yu, and a strange light suddenly flashed in his previously empty eyes. He trembled as he reached out and pointed in the direction of the center of the ancient town.

"Your play... he's been waiting for you... for ten years..."

After the old man finished speaking, his body began to rapidly wither. In less than three seconds, what was once a living person had turned into a skeleton draped in clothes, and finally crumbled into a pool of red powder scattered on the ground.

“Rule-based kill.” Lan Ce quickly recorded the data. “The trigger condition should be ‘end of dialogue.’ Bai Yu, the rules of this ancient town are very domineering; they are forcibly eliminating all variables that do not belong to the ‘drama’.”

"Mo Fei, hold the rear." An Mu's expression was solemn. "We're going straight to the old stage."

The group quickened their pace.

The closer you get to the center, the clearer the opera singing becomes. In the once empty streets, blurry shadows begin to appear. These shadows, dressed in old clothes, walk mechanically with their heads down. They don't communicate with each other, and don't even react when they collide, like a group of programmed puppets.

As Bai Yu passed by a shadow, she inadvertently glanced at the other person's face.

It was a completely flat piece of skin, without any facial features, except for a distorted smiling face drawn in red ink at the mouth position.

“These are the ‘audience’,” Bai Yu said in a low voice, “or rather, the lingering echoes of the townspeople swallowed up by the rules.”

Finally, the magnificent old stage appeared before everyone's eyes.

The stage was constructed entirely of black sandalwood, with several tattered red lanterns hanging from its eaves. The lanterns emitted a pale, eerie light, casting an unpredictable glow on the stage.

On the stage, a famous opera singer dressed in a bright red wedding gown stood with her back to the audience. Her graceful figure moved slowly to the mournful sound of the erhu. Her movements were extremely slow, and each flick of her sleeve brought forth a streak of red light.

“Bai Yu, that’s the ‘Red Bell’ mentioned in your father’s investigation records from back then.” Lan Ce pulled up a blurry photo on the computer. “Ten years ago, there was a large-scale disappearance incident here. At the time, it was classified as a shallow, concrete nightmare, but now it seems that it was just the tip of the iceberg.”

Bai Yu remained silent, feeling the blue crystal in his arms vibrating wildly. The vibration was extremely high, causing a dull ache in his chest.

He walked step by step toward the stage.

"Old Bai!" Mo Fei reached out to pull him, but An Mu stopped him.

“Let him go,” An Mu said in a low voice. “This is his karma. We’ll hold the flank.”

Mo Fei gritted his teeth, crossed his two high-frequency battle axes in front of his chest, and coldly scanned the faceless shadows that were gradually closing in.

Bai Yu stepped onto the stage steps.

With each step he took, a jumble of whispers echoed in his mind. It was the excited roar of Black Words, and the wails of countless desperate souls.

"Rule Explanation: Curtain Call".

The deep purple light in Bai Yu's right eye erupted completely. He saw through it all; this stage wasn't for performing at all, but a giant funnel. It was drawing life force from the entire ancient town, converging it into the dry well at the center of the stage.

The famous performer on the stage suddenly stopped moving.

She slowly turned around, her movements as stiff as a rusty machine.

When Bai Yu saw her face clearly, even with his composure, his pupils couldn't help but shrink.

The performer's face wasn't painted, but covered by a white mask. The mask was exactly the same style as the "cleaner" we'd seen in the secret room at headquarters.

“You’re finally back… Bai Yu.”

The famous singer spoke, and her voice surprisingly became the gentle man's voice from Bai Yu's memory.

"Dad?" Bai Yu's voice trembled slightly.

"No, he is not your father." Hei Yan's elegant yet cruel voice echoed in your mind. "My friend, this is just a clumsy illusion that is exploiting the cracks in your soul."

Bai Yu suddenly snapped out of his daze. He made a fist with his left hand, and the blue crystal appeared in his palm.

"Rule Reshaping: Authenticity".

A deep blue ripple spread out from Bai Yu's center.

The famous actress on stage let out a piercing scream, and the white mask on her face shattered instantly, revealing a dense mass of red roots beneath. These roots writhed wildly, trying to reassemble themselves into a human face.

"court death!"

Bai Yu suddenly opened the red umbrella in her hand, and countless dark lights transformed into sharp blades, shattering the roots into dust.

"Mo Fei, Lan Ce, make your move!"

At Bai Yu's command, Mo Fei, who had been waiting in ambush, let out a roar.

"High-frequency liberation, full power!"

Two battle axes unleashed a violent whirlwind, instantly shredding the faceless shadows that had surrounded them. Mo Fei didn't charge recklessly; instead, he leaned against a pillar of the stage, securing Bai Yu's only escape route.

Lan Ce then nailed several "rule anchors" into the bluestone slabs below the stage.

"Logic circuit locked! Bai Yu, I've bought you three minutes of rule-free time!" In the center of the stage, the once calm wooden floor suddenly cracked, revealing a bottomless dry well below.

Dark red smoke billowed from the bottom of the well, coalescing into a huge, blurry outline behind the starlet.

The oppressive aura emanating from that silhouette even surpassed that of the "Mountain God" from last night.

“The original Watcher…” An Mu looked at the silhouette, his expression more solemn than ever before, “Bai Yu, it’s after the Black Word within you!”

Although the famous dancer's face had been shattered by Bai Yu, her body continued to dance. The red ribbons in her hands seemed to come alive, weaving into a giant net in the air, attempting to trap Bai Yu within them.

"Black Words, lend me your power," Bai Yu whispered in her heart.

"As you wish, my artwork."

A tear of blood flowed from Bai Yu's right eye. At this moment, his aura became extremely strange, possessing both the majesty of a god and the madness of a demon.

He didn't dodge the red silk net, but rushed straight into it.

Analysis: Breakpoint.

Bai Yu extended his index finger and gently touched a knot in the red silk net.

"collapse."

The once indestructible red silk net, under this single finger, tore apart inch by inch like a fragile spider web.

Bai Yu rushed to the famous actress and grabbed her by the throat.

Where is my father?

The famous actress let out a chuckle, as the red roots slid down her neck, trying to burrow into Bai Yu's skin.

“He’s right there… at the bottom of the well… watching you… Bai Yu… he’s always been watching you…”

The diva's body suddenly began to swell, and countless beams of red light shot out from her pores.

"Oh no, she's going to self-destruct!" Lan Ce shouted.

"Royal Power - Absolute Defense!"

Captain Anmu slammed his greatsword into the ground. A golden domain instantly expanded, enveloping the entire stage.

"boom--!"

A deafening roar.

The diva's body transformed into countless red fragments. These fragments did not dissipate, but instead turned into tiny red butterflies, frantically colliding within the golden realm.

Bai Yu stood at the epicenter of the explosion, and thanks to Hei Yan's protection, he was unharmed.

He looked down at the dry well.

Deep at the bottom of the well, the blue crystal was emitting an unprecedentedly strong light.

Under the bright light, Bai Yu saw a photograph. It was a slightly yellowed photograph wrapped in red silk.

He reached out and grabbed at the air.

The photo fell into his hands.

In the photo, a young father stands in front of the stage, holding a five- or six-year-old boy in his arms. Behind them, in the shadows of the old stage, stands a person wearing a white mask, making a shushing gesture to the camera.

On the back of the photo, there was a line of hastily written text:

[Arabic: Never listen to the plays played in the well.]

Bai Yu's pupils suddenly contracted.

At that very moment, a clear and gentle operatic voice emanated directly from the blue crystal in his arms.

The voice was exactly the same as the tone his mother used to use when she was putting him to sleep.

"Sleep well... Ah Yu... dream of flowers... dream of home..."

"Old Bai! Wake up!" Mo Fei's roar was like a thunderclap, forcibly cutting off the sound.

Bai Yu suddenly looked up and found Mo Fei staring at him anxiously. The surrounding red mist didn't dissipate; instead, it became even thicker, and even began to seep into the golden domain.

"Bai Yu, your mental fluctuations almost dropped to zero just now!" Lan Ce was covered in sweat. "That thing at the bottom of the well was directly attacking your subconscious!"

Bai Yu wiped away the blood and tears from the corners of her eyes, her gaze turning cold once more.

He looked at the dry well, then at the photo in his hand.

"It wants me to go down," Bai Yu said in a low voice.

“Then go down.” Hei Yan chuckled softly in his mind. “I’m also very curious to see what this ‘artist’ who can imitate your father’s aura looks like.”

Anmu walked to the well and looked into the bottomless darkness.

"Bai Yu, are you sure? This might be a dead end."

"Even if it's a dead end, I have to make it through." Bai Yu put away the photos and held the red umbrella across his chest. "Captain, Mo Fei, Lan Ce. The road ahead may be even more difficult than I imagined."

"Enough with the nonsense." Mo Fei checked the power of his battle axe. "I've never seen a well monster survive three hits from my axe."

Lanze quietly installed a signal gain device at the wellhead.

“I will keep monitoring your vital signs. If I detect anything amiss, I will forcibly detonate the rule anchor points here and completely bury this well.”

Bai Yu nodded and was the first to leap into the dry well.

Mo Fei followed closely behind.

Before jumping, An Mu looked back at the empty old stage.

Under the cover of the red mist, the old man who had turned to dust sat down again under the street lamp, facing the well, and sighed softly.

"The show... has only just begun."

……

Beneath the dry well, there was not the mud and stones one might expect.

Bai Yu felt as if she had passed through a thick, cold liquid membrane.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in a huge underground labyrinth made of red silk and white bones.

Countless glass jars hung on the walls of the maze.

In each jar, a beating heart is soaked.

At the end of the maze, the gentle opera singing rang out again, accompanied by a series of crisp plucked strings.

"Zheng—"

The sound of the string caused Hei Yan inside Bai Yu's body to let out a painful groan.

"Rule Kill: Heartbreaking String".

Bai Yu gripped the red umbrella tightly, her gaze sharp as a knife.

He knew he was only one step away from the truth that had been missing for ten years.

(End of this chapter)