The moment they saw the two ghosts appear, Xiao Bai and Ke Shufan's expressions shifted sharply. Without needing to warn each other—having already completed a mission together once before—the two turned without a word and sprinted toward the withered forest outside the cemetery!
Now that the story's task was finished, as long as they left the manor's domain within the story, they could trigger the teleportation and leave immediately!
Even while running, Xiao Bai didn't forget to confirm their bearings. Looking up, in the vast night, a massive building was faintly visible not far away—that was the manor they had all fled from at the start.
"Shufan! This way!"
Calling out to Ke Shufan, the two dashed away from the manor. Since they hadn't driven this time, they didn't follow the winding mountain road but cut straight through the dense forest. However, they hadn't run far when Xiao Bai glanced back and felt his heart sink.
The two white figures they had just shaken off had somehow reappeared lightly behind them—the ghosts were chasing them again!
And the ghosts' floating speed was far faster than their running pace!
"Xiao Bai... I can't... I really can't run anymore..."
Panting heavily, Ke Shufan's face twisted in pain. The rugged forest terrain made escape difficult; branches and sharp stones constantly scratched their hands and legs, and her twisted ankle throbbed with piercing agony. She simply couldn't run any further.
The two ghosts behind them flickered in and out of the night, silently closing the distance. They could have killed both participants instantly, yet they drifted lazily, toying with their prey like a game. This taunting, predatory killing method stirred not only fear in Xiao Bai's heart but also a trace of hatred.
"Shufan!"
Though his companion's face was pale and sweat beaded on her forehead from pain, Xiao Bai gritted his teeth. After confirming she had no strength left to escape, he hesitated for two seconds, then let go of Ke Shufan's hand.
"Xiao Bai?"
Ke Shufan froze for a moment, then seemed to understand, her face flooding with deep terror as tears welled up in her eyes.
Yes, at that moment, a thought flashed through Xiao Bai's mind.
In this situation, Ke Shufan... couldn't escape the ghosts' hunt.
If he stayed to protect her and died with her, it would be tragic and touching—fitting for some melodramatic movie scene—but utterly meaningless.
Though they were mission partners, Xiao Bai didn't believe he had to die here with her.
"Ke Shufan, I'm sorry..."
As he spoke, Xiao Bai slowly backed away step by step.
And after the ghosts killed Ke Shufan, there might be a brief window of time.
Using that moment, if he could just run out of the manor's coverage area, he could teleport away immediately.
In this story where the ghosts had no more restrictions, Xiao Bai realized this might be his last chance to survive.
Watching Xiao Bai retreat step by step, Ke Shufan's face gradually shifted from pain to despair.
But she didn't scream or curse him for abandoning her.
Because that, too, was meaningless!
In the radio station's story missions, participants had done far darker and crueler things to save their own lives!
Xiao Bai was just making the choice most beneficial to himself.
Though it hurt, though it was despairing, Ke Shufan didn't harbor deep resentment.
Even as she tried to convince herself, watching him turn and run into the forest, her heart was filled with nothing but despair and unbearable sorrow!
In the end, she was still discarded as a burden...
The two floating ghosts drew closer. Just moments ago, Ke Shufan and the fleeing Xiao Bai had both sensed Ye Xiaomei's death.
When they were teleported into the cemetery and encountered the ghosts disguised as the painter couple, Ye Xiaomei had likely faced the butler and gardener alone.
How绝望 and helpless she must have felt at the moment of her death.
After another teleport, the two ghosts were less than ten meters away!
Rotten faces, blood-drenched bodies, chilling aura, dense killing intent...
Ke Shufan was utterly hopeless!
But just as the ghosts were about to teleport and touch her, another white ghostly figure suddenly appeared before her, letting out a sharp, piercing shriek in her mind!
With that eerie ghostly howl, the two floating ghosts froze mid-air, then seemed to be shattered by an invisible fist.
That spirit...
That spirit that had suddenly flashed before her eyes...
Why did it feel... familiar?
Just as Ke Shufan was bewildered, a voice suddenly rang out from behind.
"Ke Shufan! Get up!"
The bushes in front parted, and Xiao Bai's figure emerged, grabbing her arm.
"See that? The exit is right ahead!"
"Hang on, you hear me? Because I'm definitely not saving you a second time!"
Xiao Bai's loud voice made her eardrums ring.
But more than that, his return shocked her.
Despite her shock, she didn't hesitate.
Though her ankle ached fiercely, Xiao Bai's return gave her immense courage and encouragement. Even as pain drained the color from her face, she struggled to her feet with the strength from his arm and kept running forward.
Though he had used a special item to repel the ghosts' attack again, a direct assault from the ghosts themselves was far more powerful than mere supernatural force. Even the powerful photo spirit couldn't devour both ghosts, only temporarily drive them back.
Once the ghosts regained their spiritual energy, they would soon reform and give chase.
Ahead, a faint red glow appeared in their vision.
The weak red light traced an eerie red circle in the air. Inside that circle lay the entire manor's land.
Seeing that red ring, Xiao Bai understood: inside it was the story's stage. Once they ran out, the radio station would likely deem them to have left the manor and trigger the teleport.
Now, the edge of that red circle was only a few dozen meters away!
In fact, they were lucky. The cemetery they'd been teleported to was already close to the manor's edge, and they hadn't run in the wrong direction, so they'd been heading the right way all along.
It was only after seeing that faintly glowing red circle that Xiao Bai made the decision to use his special item to drive back the spirits and save Ke Shufan!
They were just a hair's breadth from escaping this world!
Xiao Bai wasn't so much cold as he was a creature of absolute rationality!
As long as there was hope, he wouldn't give up easily. But if the situation truly reached that point, he wouldn't make the foolish choice to die with her.
The glowing edge of the red circle drew closer and closer.
Seeing that Ke Shufan truly couldn't move anymore, Xiao Bai gritted his teeth, slung her arm over his shoulder, and pressed on.
He, too, had little strength left, and he could sense the chilling aura slowly gathering behind them again...
The ghosts were reforming...
Faint white figures gradually reappeared in the air, the twisted spirits emerging once more!
Sweat poured down Xiao Bai's forehead, and his steps grew unsteady.
That red line, that red circle—still a little further...
But then, just ahead, not far away,
a light suddenly flickered.
The light of a lantern.
A wavering glimmer, heralding death.
A withered hand held a lantern. The butler and the gardener, their rotten faces, stood blocking the way!