Chapter 72 - 69: Yang Xiao’s Game

Chapter 72: Chapter 69: Yang Xiao’s Game

South Sea, Black Rose Manor.

The glass lamps on the dome were like countless crystal waves.

The entire hall was illuminated as bright as day.

Within the niches on either side, life-sized alabaster statues held silver candelabras.

Flickering candlelight and golden-white electric light intertwined, casting trembling spots of light upon the parquet marble floor.

The people standing in the grand hall, whether in terms of their demeanor, clothing, or appearance, were completely out of place amidst the luxury.

Some were hunched over, coughing incessantly; others sat in wheelchairs, their faces deathly pale.

They were all patients, patients afflicted with severe illnesses.

Today, they had all gathered here for a game that could save their lives.

Over the past while, everyone here had experienced some sort of strange encounter.

At first, many believed they were encountering ghosts or seeing Underworld Envoys before their deaths.

Some had even told their families about it.

But the people here, if they weren’t orphans like Li Xiao’an or Li Xiaole, were ’burdens’ that even dogs wouldn’t bother with.

Their families, bound to them by blood alone, didn’t take their words seriously at all, at most dismissing it as a ploy for attention or an attempt to scare them.

As the patients spent more time in contact with the ghost, they finally understood: the ghost who called himself the Happy Ghost was trying to save their lives!

As long as they completed his game, they could be reborn!

Suddenly!

Everyone’s shadows began to behave abnormally.

They looked down to see small shadow-snakes splitting off from their own shadows.

Those shadow-snakes slithered toward the stage at the front of the hall.

Some people cried out in alarm, carefully dodging the shadow-snakes, afraid of stepping on them.

But they were overthinking it. For those who couldn’t dodge in time, the shadow-snakes simply crawled over their bodies and continued slithering to the stage.

The shadow-snakes only had the appearance of snakes; fundamentally, they were still just shadows.

The streams of shadow converged on the stage into a circle, resembling the mouth of an abyss.

Gradually, a head emerged from the ’manhole cover’, followed by an upper body with arms outstretched, then ramrod-straight legs, and finally, shiny leather shoes reflecting the light.

It was as if he were being slowly lifted by a stage elevator, making an entrance like a star at a grand opening.

He wore exaggerated, absurd makeup, with lipstick smeared from the corners of his mouth to his earlobes, like a clown playing to the crowd.

Everyone stared at him, their eyes filled with tension.

This was the organizer who had invited them to the game—the Happy Ghost!

"BWAHAHAHA, AHAHAHA, I...

This is really my first time organizing such a big event!

I... I’m so nervous!"

Yang Xiao, as if suddenly recalling something hilarious, clutched his stomach and burst out laughing.

Utterly mad.

When Yang Xiao had finally had his fill of laughter, he pulled a microphone painted with a smiley face from behind his back and, with light dance steps, moved to the center of the stage.

In the center of the stage lay a thick, rolled-up red carpet.

He stepped onto the red carpet and shrieked in a shrill, grating voice:

"Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give our warmest round of applause to welcome the biggest sponsor of our game! Mr. Dusk!"

Mr. Dusk was Yang Xiao’s name for Jiang Chaosheng.

As for how this name came about, the story goes back to the night of the Yin Yang Master incident.

After he was dismembered by the Yin Yang Master that night, Jiang Chaosheng had saved him.

After being rescued, Yang Xiao showed no fear of his near-death experience, nor did he dwell on his physical pain. As unreliable as he seemed, he was more rational than any normal person.

Yang Xiao had attached a part of his shadow to the members of the Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team for surveillance.

A few days ago, when Li Mingyue was writing her report on the Anomaly, Yang Xiao’s little shadow figure had been perched on her shoulder, watching with great interest.

The only catch was that the little shadow figure couldn’t stray too far from Yang Xiao himself.

After the Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team went to their headquarters, the little figure could no longer remain attached to them.

However, this indirectly revealed a piece of information.

The members of the Shocking Court Wood Investigation Team had already left South Sea City.

This information seemed ordinary, but it hinted at something deeper.

The Cleaner Fish System cleanses anything that obstructs the Taboo Association.

In Yang Xiao’s mind, the Anomaly Administration Bureau was ’red-named’.

In other words, Yang Xiao would prioritize paying attention to the Investigators.

The moment the Investigators returned to the South Sea from out of town, Yang Xiao would know.

After speaking, Yang Xiao kicked the rolled-up red carpet over.

The carpet unfurled, stretching all the way to the main entrance.

Everyone’s gaze followed the red carpet to the main entrance.

They were desperate to know who Mr. Dusk was.

Because the Happy Ghost had said that Mr. Dusk was the one who would truly save them.

After a long wait, the entrance remained empty.

’He must be an even more powerful figure than the Happy Ghost!’

The crowd retracted their gazes and looked at the Happy Ghost on stage with confusion.

Yang Xiao clutched his stomach, roaring with laughter.

"Hahaha, I tricked you, didn’t I? HAHAHA!!!

Applaud! Why aren’t you applauding?"

The crowd looked on, baffled and confused.

The smile on Yang Xiao’s face vanished.

"Why aren’t you applauding?"

On stage, more than ten Ghost Hands suddenly shot out from behind Yang Xiao, clawing and grasping, like something out of Halloween to scare children.

However, no one present thought the Happy Ghost was just trying to scare them.

Because the Ghost Hands behind him weren’t special effects, but real, genuine Supernatural Power!

The patients were terrified, their deathly pale faces turning even more ashen.

Yang Xiao straightened up, microphone in hand, his gaze turning icy as he spoke in a low voice:

"First, I’ll state the two rules of the game.

First, you will always respect Mr. Dusk.

I previously announced Mr. Dusk’s arrival, and I told you to give him your applause.

But most of you just stood there motionless, like corpses."

The Ghost Hands behind Yang Xiao abruptly shot out, pointing into the crowd.

"You, you, and you... you did well. One extra point.

Especially you—yes, I’m talking about you, Li Xiaole. I remember your name.

Even though your body doesn’t obey you, you still gave Mr. Dusk a round of applause. Fantastic! Two extra points!"

Yang Xiao retracted the Ghost Hands.

"Next up is the second rule!

From now on, you will do whatever I tell you to do.

For example, right now, I think my laugh sounds wonderful, and I require your applause."

A sinister smile crept onto Yang Xiao’s lips.

"Those who violate the rules of the game will be punished with death.

Not an ordinary death, but a death so agonizing it will drive you mad."

Everyone’s eyes widened in terror, and they all began to applaud.

Even the patients who had lost their hair and strength to chemotherapy clapped with all their might.

Yang Xiao closed his eyes in enjoyment, elegantly conducting the applause with his finger as a baton, and then suddenly said:

"Smile!"

Everyone began to smile.

Some were smiling without smiling, while others stretched their mouths wide, trying hard to look happy.

Yang Xiao suddenly sensed something and made a sharp grasping motion with his hand.

"Stop!"

Everyone obediently stopped smiling and clapping.

It was an instant stop, the kind of stop you get when you pull the plug.

Yang Xiao gathered his strength and let out a piercing shriek:

"Mr. Dusk has arrived! Applause!"

Thunderous applause erupted.

There was movement at the entrance.

Jiang Chaosheng, dressed in a black suit with a black trench coat draped over his shoulders, stepped onto the red carpet.

Daji, clad in a white gauze gown and white robes, stood behind him, holding an umbrella.

According to folk custom, holding an umbrella indoors is bad luck. Not only does it ruin the feng shui, but you might also ’see a ghost’.

To Daji, however, this was part of an Emperor’s regalia.

Jiang Chaosheng listened to the thunderous applause, his brow furrowing slightly.

’Why are these people so enthusiastic?’

Abnormally so.

Jiang Chaosheng looked up at Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao was looking back at him with an expectant expression.

’Is he waiting for me to praise him for a job well done?’

Amidst this bizarre atmosphere, Jiang Chaosheng walked toward the stage, one step at a time.

Along the way, everyone watched him with eyes full of awe and fear.

’So this is Mr. Dusk?’

’His subordinate, the Happy Ghost, is already so fierce. How strong must he be himself?’

And look at the beauty behind him, so exquisite she was beyond description, gently holding his umbrella.

Only a terrifyingly powerful being such as this deserved to have such a woman as his servant.

’Welcomed by ghosts, shielded by a beauty—now that’s style!’

Yang Xiao gripped the microphone, screaming, roaring:

"This is the universally adored Mr. Dusk, my noble and unparalleled master! He will bestow upon you all eternal life!"

In an instant, everyone’s eyes filled with shock, elation, and disbelief.

’Eternal life?’

’Is it really eternal life?!’

Yang Xiao giggled and said:

"Of course, this eternal life is only temporary.

As long as you complete the game’s missions, you can trade your uninteresting freedom for this eternal reward!"