Don't provoke mentally ill people in the infinite flow genre!

Jiang Yao stood there, staring at the ballerina ghost for a long time, before finally making a decision.

He suddenly bent down and picked up the female ghost in his arms.

"It's been so long since I performed that I've forgotten some of the dance steps." His tone was calm and gentle. "Could you please give me some pointers later?"

The female ghost nestled in his arms, her limbs limp and swaying back and forth like a broken wooden doll.

But it didn't get angry or resist; it just silently let him hold it.

Jiang Yao and Jiang Ling exchanged a glance. He nodded, then turned and carried the female ghost toward the theater stage.

The instant he stepped onto the stage, a spotlight suddenly shone and guided him to the center of the stage.

The lyrical melody of the harp and oboe rises, like the flowing water of a lake under the moonlight, which is the pas de deux part of the Swan Lake ballet.

Jiang Yao stood there for a long time. He didn't know ballet and didn't dare to dance randomly, so he could only wait quietly.

The ballerina ghost in his arms was as cold as ice, and his body was about to freeze, but he could not let go no matter what, because if he let go, all his efforts might be in vain.

...until the female ghost finally reacted.

The broken limbs suddenly made a "crackling" sound, like bones being reassembled. It stretched out its body, and the moment it landed in his arms, the blood on the white dress faded, and it transformed back into a beautifully made-up ballet dancer.

She smiled, took Jiang Yao's hand, and gracefully tiptoed to embrace him and dance.

Jiang Yao realized that he didn't need to be proficient in the dance steps. It seemed that some kind of force was guiding him to complete this meaningful duet.

Under the light and shadow, the swan seemed to be infused with vibrant life force. It twirled and leaped with abandon, completely unaware that it was gradually becoming transparent and would soon dissipate into the light.

The song ended.

"Thank you." The ballerina nodded slightly and gracefully bowed to Jiang Yao. "This is my first time performing on such a magnificent stage, and you are my best dance partner."

Then it turned around, took light steps, and left the stage until it completely disappeared behind the stage curtain.

Jiang Yao stood there stunned for a long time until Jiang Ling ran up to him and wrapped him in her coat.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked, then, seeing him lower his eyes in silence, she sighed softly. "Brother, we can't stop what's already happened, but at least you danced this dance with it, right?"

"……Um."

She hugged him comfortingly.

On the other side, A-Luo, who witnessed the whole thing, stared at the brother and sister hugging each other, her face expressionless, lost in thought.

"I have something to do," it said. "You two can go back after you've had your fill of hugging."

It came to help Yi Zanglan; it hadn't seen her all day and needed to go check on that girl.

* * * * * *

Outside the scene, viewers in the live stream also had their own feelings about what happened.

I don't know why, but watching this dance between humans and ghosts made me a little sad, even though I'm not usually such a sentimental person.

[It's not your fault. The main problem is that the ghosts in this round are all quite pitiful. They were just ordinary people who were inexplicably slaughtered, and after death, they were only left with deep-seated obsessions, wanting to fulfill their final wishes.]

I feel that they may not even have accepted the fact that they are dead.

[It's fine if you don't accept it; just consider it as being alive, and being reincarnated in a beautiful dream is a good thing.]

[Speaking of which, what's the difference between us and these wandering ghosts? Leaving the real world, supposedly to grant wishes, actually means we might die again in this game of misfortune at any time.]

"Friend, can we please stop talking about such heavy topics? I'm still alive, but hearing you say that makes me feel like I'm not far from death."

Hey, hold on, hold on! Yi Zanglan's back. Let's see if he's any good. Don't even mention dying!

……

Yi Zanglan brought back the captain's badge and nautical log. When she returned to her cabin, she saw Ouyang Yu, Zhang Nan, and the four ghost sisters sitting on the sofa, staring straight at her.

She looked around: "Where are the two siblings?"

"I'm behind you, I'll be right back," Aro said. "I was just about to come find you. Everything's settled here, how are things going with you guys?"

"I'll give it a try."

Yi Zanglan only replied with this sentence. She gestured for Yan Zhao and Tang Yunxi to wait where they were, and then turned and went into the inner room alone.

She pushed open the door and saw the ghost captain sitting on the edge of the bed, his body riddled with sharp metal crossbow bolts, and foul blood still dripping down his head and body.

Because of A Luo and the others' presence, the captain was temporarily restrained and did not immediately launch an attack on Yi Zanglan.

But its aura remained cold and sinister, and its eyes were still filled with resentment, hatred, despair, and fear.

What was it thinking as it endured endless torment on the verge of death?

Yi Zanglan stepped forward, paused for a moment, and then gripped the crossbow shaft with her hand.

With a flick of her wrist, she pulled the arrows out of its body, one after another.

Having already become a ghost, the captain shouldn't feel pain anymore, but his suffering seemed to increase exponentially with each arrow that was fired.

When the last arrow was pulled out, it suddenly stood up, its eyes bloodshot, and trembling, viciously grabbed her neck.

...However, the next second, it stiffly stopped moving.

Because Yi Zanglan pressed the badge awarded by the International Maritime Organization close to its chest.

Yi Zanglan pushed its hand away and pinned the badge to its clothes, right next to its heart.

She looked up, met its eyes, and spoke in a calm but firm tone.

"You are a very brave captain. When disaster struck, you did not flee for your own life, but chose to do your best to protect all the passengers on board. This is admirable."

"You must remember that you have done your best, but many things in this world will not necessarily go as planned just because you have tried your best."

"But in any case, it's not your fault."

She reached out and straightened the crooked brim of his hat.

"..."

The captain stared at the badge on his chest for a long time, and his cloudy eyes gradually cleared.

Ghosts have no breath, but at that moment, as if finally relieved, it let out a soft sigh.

It straightened up, gave Yi Zanglan a standard hand salute, and then left the guest room, heading straight towards the deck.

It was once a warrior of the sea, and now it should return to the bottom of the ocean.

[Artwork Cleanup Progress: 11/12]

Yi Zanglan looked down at the system interface, confirming that tonight's task was complete. There was only one painting left, and how to trigger it was the question they needed to consider next.

As soon as she stepped out of the room, the four ghosts of A Luo came up to her and looked her up and down.

"This bandage on my face is really unsightly. Do you have any nicer-looking bandages?"

"...As long as it can stop the bleeding, ladies, that's not the point."

"How is that not the point?" Aro retorted. "We came here to see you, and now you've lost your appeal. Is that polite of us?"

"?"

Even Yi Zanglan has moments when he's speechless.