Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Ma Dehua's teeth began to chatter, and he said in horror, "Third Brother, that's...!"

Zhang San quickly covered his mouth.

"Don't speak!"

Zhang San's voice was extremely low, almost inaudible, "Don't move! Don't make a sound!"

The two of them huddled in the corner like two frightened mice, not daring to breathe.

The young man walked through the waiting room toward the ticket window, his shadow moving behind him.

Slowly, it passed by the unsuspecting passengers.

He passed by Shi Hao and Chu Feng.

He passed by Kuang Tianyou and Yang Jian.

He passed by Qi Xia, Lin Qiye, and Xu Fengnian.

Zhang San and Ma Dehua exchanged a glance, both seeing the same thing in each other's eyes: fear.

There was also a sliver of relief.

Thankfully, they hid here.

Thankfully, they weren't with those seven people.

Thankfully...

"Third Brother," Ma Dehua said in a low voice, "Should we... still leave?"

Zhang San remained silent for a long time.

Then, gritting his teeth, he said, word by word:

"Let's go. Why don't we go?"

His eyes gleamed with madness: "The evil spirit has gone in now, it's definitely after those seven people."

"They'll go first when the tickets are checked, and the evil spirits will definitely follow. We'll just wait for the next one."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "We'll leave after they've left, and the evil spirits have left too."

Ma Dehua swallowed and nodded.

The two continued to huddle in the corner.

Time passed slowly.

The loudspeaker came on:

"Ticket checking for train K123 to Guangzhou has begun. Passengers, please proceed to gate number one for ticket inspection and boarding."

The seven people stood up, picked up their luggage, and walked towards the ticket gate.

Their faces showed tension, anticipation, and a hint of relief at surviving a disaster.

Unbeknownst to them, a shadow was following them.

Upstairs, Zhang San and Ma Dehua stared intently at the ticket gate, watching as people passed through one by one and disappeared into the end of the passage.

then.

The ticket gates are closed.

The waiting room fell silent again.

Only the dim light shone on the empty bench, the clock on the wall, and the two shivering figures in the corner.

Ma Dehua let out a long sigh of relief and slumped against the wall:

"They're gone... finally gone..."

Zhang San also breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead:

"Let's wait another half hour and take the next train."

"Third Brother is right!"

The two shrank back into the corner, like two mice that had finally escaped a disaster, congratulating themselves on their "cleverness".

But they didn't notice.

A small shadow was reflected in the window of the waiting room, standing behind them and watching them quietly.

The moonlight shone in through the window, casting the shape of an axe.

Then, the shadow moved.

Slowly approach them.

Zhang San suddenly shivered.

He turned his head and looked out the window.

Outside the window, the moonlight was bright and clear, and there was no one around.

Only his own reflection stared at him in terror.

"What's wrong, Third Brother?" Ma Dehua asked.

"N-nothing..."

Zhang San shook his head, turned back, and said, "I'm probably too nervous..."

They remained huddled in the corner, waiting for the next train.

Waiting for that "escape" that will never come.

The moonlight shone quietly.

The light shines on the empty waiting room, on the clock on the wall, and on the two people who are still congratulating themselves on their "cleverness".

And also behind them.

Lin Tian's ghostly figure drew closer and closer, and the axe fell with a whistling sound. Sensing something was wrong, Zhang San suddenly rolled forward.

"Third Brother, watch out!"

Ma Dehua almost instinctively shouted, and at the same time grabbed Zhang San's hand and pulled him back forcefully.

Zhang San's body was pulled backward, but in that instant, the axe blade grazed his scalp.

"Pfft!!"

An arm was severed at the elbow and landed on the floor two meters away, splattering blood.

"Aaaaaah—!!!"

Zhang San screamed in agony, clutching his severed arm and rolling on the ground.

But he didn't stop. His survival instinct kept him conscious despite the excruciating pain. He rolled to the side, dodging the second axe blow.

At the same time, Ma Dehua rolled out, staring intently at the spot where he had just stood, where a ghostly figure was dragging a bloodstained axe.

"You are Lin... Lin Tian?"

Zhang San's eyes widened, ignoring the excruciating pain from his severed arm, he just stared intently at that face.

"How could it be you?"

Ma Dehua was also stunned.

Evil spirit... The evil spirit is actually Lin Tian?

A thought suddenly flashed through Zhang San's mind, and he remembered.

The night Lin Tian was brought back by Uncle Yi Zhonghai, Jia Dongxu died.

Then came Yan Jiecheng, Liu Guangtian, Liu Guangfu, Banggeng, Aunt Yi, Jia Zhangshi...

One by one, they all died.

At the time, everyone thought it was an evil spirit, the wronged soul of the Lin family returning to claim their lives.

But now that I think about it...

"you……"

Zhang San trembled with fear, unable to utter a complete sentence, "You're not human..."

Lin Tian tilted his head, looking at the two terrified people, and a naive smile appeared on his lips: "Little mice, you two are quite the players."

He paused, then lightly twirled the axe in his hand: "In this world, betraying your brothers is the only option."

These words were like a knife, precisely piercing the fragile "tacit understanding" between Zhang San and Ma Dehua.

Zhang San suddenly turned his head and glared fiercely at Ma Dehua, his eyes almost spitting fire.

Damn it, now that I think about it, I almost got screwed over by that cunning old man!

Just now, when Ma Dehua pulled him up, it seemed like he was saving him, but in reality, he was using him as a human shield.

If I hadn't reacted quickly, that axe blow would have chopped off my own head.

"Dehua, you fucking think you can treat your third brother like a nobody?"

Ma Dehua gave an awkward laugh and took a step back, but there was no trace of remorse in that laugh, only a kind of nonchalant "it doesn't matter if I've been exposed" attitude.

"Third Brother, I don't want to die either."

"I learned this from you; you taught me well."

Zhang San's expression changed.

"Shi Hao, Kuang Tianyou, and the other six were bait you used to lure away the evil spirits, and so was I."

You pulled me into a corner and said things like "the most dangerous place is the safest place," and "we'll leave after the evil spirits and those seven people are gone."

In reality, it was a precaution, pushing me out. There's a saying that goes, sometimes you don't need to run super fast; just being faster than those around you is enough.

Zhang San opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"hehe……"

Ma Dehua sneered, "Third Brother, stop pretending. If it were you, you would have chosen to push me out too."

He pointed to the severed arm on the ground:

"When I pulled you back from that axe swing, I was taking that step ahead of time. Neither of us should blame the other; we both learned from each other."

Zhang San's face flushed red and then turned pale.

Looking at Ma Dehua's "clear" face, I suddenly realized that I had underestimated this person.

Normally, Ma Dehua is a quiet, reserved person in the courtyard; you won't get a word out of him even if you beat him with a stick.

Anyone can boss him around, anyone can bully him.

Zhang San always thought that by taking him along, he was caring for him or giving him charity.

did not expect……

"You...you..."

Zhang San pointed at Ma Dehua, his finger trembling, "Dehua, you've been playing dumb the whole time?"