The night grew darker, like ink soaking into every corner of the Zhang Mansion. To facilitate the investigation and deal with any emergencies, the disciples decided to stay here for the night.
This mansion was not very spacious, and there were only a limited number of clean side rooms available. In the end, two or three people had to share a room.
Shen Cuiyu was assigned to a side room with a gentle yellow - rank female disciple. Pei Yu, Zhong Shengwan, and Dongfang Xiao were placed in a larger side room on the other side.
The room was simply furnished but clean. Dongfang Xiao was already enthusiastically planning how to spend the long night. Pei Yu leaned leisurely against the window, his eyes peering through the cracks in the window paper, surveying the courtyard shrouded in darkness. Zhong Shengwan was drawing talismans, occasionally looking up to keep an eye on the movement outside. There was no trace of relaxation between his brows.
Perhaps due to the long journey during the day and the mental exhaustion from investigating the case, before long, the even breathing sounds of the disciples came from the side rooms in the courtyard one after another. They had all fallen into a deep sleep.
Dongfang Xiao let out a big yawn, and a few tears of sleepiness welled up in the corners of his eyes.
As he was making the bed, he exclaimed with a bit of novelty, "Come to think of it, this is the first time I've ever shared a room with friends."
After saying that, he instinctively reached out to blow out the oil lamp on the small table beside the bed.
"Don't blow out the lamp."
Zhong Shengwan's voice suddenly rang out. Although it was still cold, it was much quicker than usual.
Dongfang Xiao stopped in his tracks. Only then did he belatedly remember that Zhong Shengwan was afraid of ghosts. In this strange and eerie environment, it would be hard for him to sleep without the light.
He grinned, patted his chest, and said with a touch of bravado, "Hey, what are you afraid of! With me and Old Pei here! We'll protect you! If any blind - eyed thing dares to come, just watch me beat it to a pulp!"
Hearing this, Zhong Shengwan rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"You? Don't end up falling off the couch in fright."
Despite saying this, he honestly moved to the inner side of the couch, making enough room for Dongfang Xiao and Pei Yu.
He had to admit that in this gloomy environment, having these two friends by his side did make him feel a lot more at ease.
The night in late autumn was getting colder. The wind rustled outside the window. In the end, Dongfang Xiao "puffed" and blew out the lamp. The room suddenly plunged into darkness. Dongfang Xiao quickly got into his quilt, and the three of them stopped talking.
Perhaps they were really exhausted from the days of traveling, or perhaps they knew that their friends were right beside them. Before long, even Zhong Shengwan, who was usually the most vigilant, began to breathe deeply.
The entire Zhang Mansion seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. All was quiet except for the distant sound of the night watchman's wooden clapper, which made the night seem even deeper.
The first half of the night passed peacefully.
I don't know how much time had passed when Zhong Shengwan woke up suddenly without any warning. He opened his eyes and looked around. It was still pitch - black. Only the faint moonlight shone through the window paper, outlining the fuzzy contours of the surroundings.
For some reason, Zhong Shengwan suddenly felt an inexplicable fear. He subconsciously looked to his side. Pei Yu, who was sleeping on the outermost side of the couch, was breathing steadily. Dongfang Xiao was lying sprawled out, snoring softly from time to time. These faint sounds made Zhong Shengwan feel a little more at ease. He shrank further into the quilt, and drowsiness slowly came over him. He was about to fall asleep again.
Drip -
In the dead silence, an extremely faint sound suddenly came, like a drop of water hitting the ground.
Immediately afterwards, Zhong Shengwan felt a chill on his cheek, as if a drop of cold liquid had fallen on his face, bone - chillingly cold.
At the same time, a faint, fishy - sweet smell mixed with the smell of rust permeated the air in front of his nose.
Zhong Shengwan opened his eyes wide suddenly, his heart constricted. He almost instinctively reached out to touch his face. Strangely enough, his fingertips felt dry, and there was nothing there. It was as if the wetness and the smell just now were just an illusion upon waking from sleep...
However, the innate sensitivity of a celestial master made Zhong Shengwan quickly become alert. He propped himself up suspiciously and quickly scanned the ceiling beam with his sharp eyes. He saw only a thin layer of dust on the beam, and it was empty.
He then pricked up his ears and listened. The night outside the window was still. Even the wind had stopped. Only the steady breathing sounds of Dongfang Xiao and Pei Yu rose and fell beside him.
Zhong Shengwan frowned and slowly lay back down, but his heart was already filled with alarm bells. He closed his eyes but didn't dare to really fall asleep. All his senses were in a state of extreme alertness.
About a quarter of an hour later, just as his mind was slightly relaxing, a slight, itchy feeling like a hair brushing across his cheek came again!
This time, Zhong Shengwan didn't hesitate at all. He opened his eyes wide suddenly -
A pale, swollen, bloodless woman's face was almost touching his nose, magnified in front of his eyes!
Those eyes were empty and lifeless, the pupils were dilated, the white part of the eyes was much larger than normal, and the black pupils were small and dull, frozen with an inhuman stillness. This was clearly... the face of a dead person!
In an instant, extreme fear washed over him like a bucket of ice - cold water. Zhong Shengwan felt his blood freeze, his limbs go stiff, and even his breathing stopped!
He couldn't make a sound. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dongfang Xiao sleeping soundly. He cursed silently - He even said he would protect him? What a load of nonsense!
The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything. Zhong Shengwan almost instinctively drew out a talisman. At the same time, he curled up his legs and kicked Dongfang Xiao hard in the waist with all his strength!
"Ouch -?!"
Dongfang Xiao suddenly sat up in pain and shock, completely awake! Pei Yu beside him was also woken up by this commotion and turned to look.
However, at the same moment when the two opened their eyes, the hideous female ghost clinging to Zhong Shengwan slowly pulled the corner of her mouth, showing a stiff and strange smile at Zhong Shengwan. Then - like smoke blown away by the wind, it suddenly disappeared without a trace!
Zhong Shengwan was left lying there in a daze, covered in cold sweat!
Dongfang Xiao, who was suddenly woken up by the kick, looked confused. Yawning, he asked aggrievedly, "What are you doing in the middle of the night? You're ruining my good dream!"
The fear from just now hadn't completely dissipated. Hearing this, Zhong Shengwan was so angry that he almost fainted!
Pei Yu looked at Zhong Shengwan's pale face and knew that something must have happened just now. He got up and poured a cup of warm tea for him.
Zhong Shengwan took the tea and drank it in one gulp. Only then did he tell them about the terrifying scene just now.
Dongfang Xiao was greatly shocked after hearing this. "How could this be? Why didn't I feel any trace of yin energy?!"
Pei Yu also said, "I didn't hear any sound either. It's as if... that thing came specifically to scare you."
Hearing this, Zhong Shengwan's face turned extremely dark. He didn't understand where he had offended this evil spirit, and why it had singled him out from the crowd! And he just happened to be the most afraid of ghosts among them!