Chapter 198: Hurry and Get In

Ever since that late-night interview, I hadn't returned to No-Lights Road. For some unknown reason, whenever the thought of exploring it arose, a wave of inexplicable fear would wash over me.

Logically, after surviving six live broadcasts, my courage and mind should have been tempered like steel. Yet, like a mouse facing a cat, the mere memory of that night left me deeply unsettled. The terror instilled in me by the Underworld Live Show had taken deep root during that very first interview.

That eerie horror stemmed from the unknown, leaving me without any thought of resistance. Their power was far beyond my comprehension—this was not something that could be solved with Daoist arts or a handful of talismans.

"Gao Jian, why did you suddenly turn so pale?" Blind Liu noticed my reaction and set down his glass. "Did hearing all these secrets put too much pressure on you?"

I shook my head, keeping my thoughts to myself. The Underworld Live Show was my greatest secret, and I had to keep it firmly buried inside me.

"Then what's wrong? Your cheeks are deathly pale and dark clouds are gathering on your forehead. I rarely see you with an expression like that." The old blind man sounded somewhat worried.

I downed the rest of my drink and stared at the empty glass. "When wine runs out, you can brew more. But when a person disappears, they're gone forever. Old Liu, we need to think long and hard about the Dragon-Capturing Technique. For now, tell me if there was anything else on that paper worth exchanging for."

Blind Liu paused, caught off guard by my sudden change of subject. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Aside from legendary items like the Dragon-Capturing Technique and the Golden Silkworm Gu, there were a few practical things on that paper. For instance, the One-Day Fortune Lot. This kind of wish-granting and luck-boosting item is perfect for someone like you, whose luck is so bad you draw an ominous omen every time your fortune is read."

"Old Liu, you don't need to be so specific. Just tell me what to exchange for..."

"Although the Purple Pouch Book of Geomancy is an Upper Vehicle classic of feng shui, the contents are so profound that even ordinary feng shui masters can't understand them. You shouldn't even think about it."

"The same goes for the Astral Alternative Practice Method — Ghost Picture Scroll. These are priceless, one-of-a-kind manuscripts. While mastering them would indeed allow you to summon the wind and rain or foresee good and ill fortune, their contents are obscure and difficult to comprehend. Your foundation is unstable; reading them would only disrupt your Dao heart."

"As for the rest, they all seem worth exchanging for. The Fate Ghost Monument can suppress remnant souls. By erecting this monument beside the Lacquered Wooden Coffin, you won't have to worry about the Fate Ghost causing trouble or plotting against you."

"You have just started practicing Daoist arts. Drawing talismans is one of the five essential Daoist arts and requires diligent practice. If you lack a talisman brush or ink, you can exchange for those as well. I still have some blank Talisman Paper left at my place; if you need it, I can bring you some."

"The last item is the United Heart Jade. This twin jade pendant has miraculous effects. Not only can it soothe the mind and preserve youth, but if separated and worn by two people, it allows them to form a perfect bond, sharing a tacit understanding and a mutual psychic connection. If there is someone in your heart you care about, you might as well exchange for this jade. It might bring unexpected wonders."

...

It was past ten at night by the time I saw Blind Liu off. I tried to practice the Profound Truth Mental Method, but my mind was too restless; I was completely unable to settle into meditation.

'To think that Jiangcheng is actually a massive grave, pinning down a flood dragon beneath the city.' The secret I had learned from Blind Liu lingered in my mind, refusing to dissipate.

I sat beside the Lacquered Wooden Coffin, feeling the chilly night breeze drift in through the window. "I'm afraid a storm is brewing."

With no desire to sleep, I threw on my jacket, closed the window, and headed downstairs.

"The sixth live broadcast only just ended, and a new one will start in another two or three days. I don't know when this nightmare will finally end." I grabbed my charging phone, stuffed it into my pocket, and led Bai Qi out of the small shop.

"Blind fear won't solve anything. There's no time like the present. Today, I'll return to No-Lights Road and probe the depths of the Underworld Live Show." I never knew how to accurately describe the Underworld Live Show. It cared nothing for right and wrong, nor good and evil. It acted with unfathomable mystery, placing enigmatic traps at every turn that left people completely lost. Sometimes it felt like a reclusive old monster, and other times like a deranged clown, treating human lives as a game and using the entire city as its stage. I couldn't predict what it would do next, just as I couldn't predict when or how my own life would draw its final curtain.

After locking the shop door, Bai Qi and I prepared to take a taxi to the Old Town District. We walked quite a distance down Ting Tang Road before finally spotting a cab.

The car was parked by the side of the road with its hood popped open. The driver was holding a flashlight, shining the beam inside the engine compartment.

"Sir, are you taking passengers? To the Old Town District." I rounded the front of the car and saw the driver, immediately finding him familiar. "You're the Balding Uncle who drove me to the Anxin Hotel during my first live broadcast!"

At my shout, the driver recognized me as well. "Damn! Streamer, we really cross paths a lot! You've been doing well lately, right? Your uncle here has watched all your recent streams, and your acting is totally badass! If I hadn't met you in person, I would've almost believed it was all real!"

"Hold on, you saw my later streams too?" My heart skipped a beat, and a sudden wave of dread washed over me. "Don't joke around!"

"Who's joking? Ever since I dropped you off alone at the Anxin Hotel that day, I felt really guilty about it. Then I saw the news—holy crap! They found five or six bodies in that hotel all at once! I knew right then that you were no ordinary guy. After that, whenever I got bored driving the night shift, I searched for your videos online. And guess what? Hard work pays off, I actually found them!" The Balding Uncle's face was flushed with excitement, completely oblivious to what watching the Underworld Live Show live broadcast actually meant.

"Which broadcast did you watch?" I handed him a cigarette, suppressing my unease as I patiently asked.

"The episode where the Route 14 Bus was full of dead people! You're a sneaky kid, you know that? The actors you hired were so professional, I watched from beginning to end and couldn't figure out who the ghost was." The Balding Uncle grew more animated as he spoke, lighting the cigarette but completely forgetting to smoke it. "You have no idea! My cab was parked right along Route 14 at the time. After watching your stream, I was so spooked I didn't dare pick up a single fare all night. I was terrified some weird thing would climb into the back seat."

He pointed to the talisman hanging inside the car. "Take a look at this. I even made a special trip to a temple to get a Peace Talisman. It was consecrated by a master—sixty-eight yuan a pop! When I get some free time, I'll go get one for you too. It works like a charm!"

I glanced at the strokes on the Talisman Paper. It held absolutely no Daoist essence and looked more like a child's scribbles. "Forget the talisman. Did you watch my later broadcasts? Have you noticed anything strange physically? Any weird sensations?"

"Watched 'em all, didn't miss a single episode! The psychiatric hospital murder game, the dream stream, and that medical college one you did last night—holy shit! I've even memorized your opening line: 'Welcome to the Super Thriller Live Broadcast Room!'" The Balding Uncle mimicked me vividly, completely caught up in his own amusement. Just like before, he was entirely oblivious to the mood and didn't know how to read the room.

I shook my head. Thinking about the fates of Officer Huang and Huang Boyuan's youngest son, I genuinely didn't dare to ride in his cab anymore.

"Keep this talisman safe. It should be far more effective than the one you bought. And from now on, it's best if you stop watching my streams." I pulled out a Mind-Calming and Disaster-Avoiding Talisman I had gotten from Lu Jin and handed it to the Balding Uncle, then turned to walk away.

"Where are you going? Didn't you need a ride? Let me give you a lift." The Balding Uncle was overly enthusiastic, forcefully grabbing my hand. "Other streamers are terrified of losing viewers, yet here you are actively pushing them away! Kid, you can't let fame get to your head, you hear?"

He casually stuffed the talisman I gave him into his shirt pocket. Looking at his nonchalant attitude, it was clear he didn't put much faith in my Talisman Paper. The pocket was shallow, leaving more than half of the talisman exposed.

"Hey, tuck that talisman away properly. It might save your life someday."

"I know, I know. Come on, let's go. This ride is on the house—just consider it a tip for your stream." The Balding Uncle shoved me into the cab and then slammed the hood shut.

I offered a bitter smile, finding it hard to refuse him. The uncle was an honest guy, good-natured at heart. "To the Old Town District. The same place you dropped me off the first time."

"No problem. Sit tight."

It took the Balding Uncle a long time to get the engine started. I could faintly hear a strange noise coming from under the hood and felt a bit puzzled. "When I was walking over earlier, I saw you checking something with the hood open. Is there a problem with the engine?"

"Not exactly. This cab has been acting up a lot lately. The engine is a minor issue; the real problem is that the brakes inexplicably fail sometimes. But whenever I take it to the company for an inspection, they can't find anything wrong."