Chapter Six: Secrets

As I kept running, I realized this couldn't go on forever. Once my strength was gone, I wouldn't even have a chance to fight back. Had I run into a ghostly maze? But my instincts told me that wasn't the case, though I couldn't say what it was.

After weighing my options, I stopped and turned to face the child chasing me from behind.

At first glance, I nearly died of fright—there was no child at all. Instead, a weasel more than half a meter tall was staring at me with glowing green eyes, unblinking.

Such a huge weasel could devour me completely if it was hungry. For a moment, I was frozen, not knowing how to react.

As I watched the weasel inch closer, my nerves were taut with regret for my earlier impulsiveness. Suddenly, the weasel lunged at me, its sharp claws flashing menacingly in the dim corridor.

I summoned all my strength to dodge, but I was a moment too slow. Its claws ripped through my leather jacket, sending a searing pain through my body.

In a flash, the weasel attacked again, and this time I wasn't so lucky—it knocked me to the ground.

I struggled desperately against its razor-sharp teeth. If it succeeded, my head would surely be separated from my body.

When a person is faced with the threat of death, a boundless power emerges—perhaps that's the force of survival. Or maybe it was the mind technique of the Nine Palaces Nether Art surging within me. Suddenly, I flipped over, pinning the beast beneath me.

Seizing the moment, I hefted the creature and slammed it hard against the corridor wall. A terrible howl echoed forth.

But the beast quickly charged at me again. Now, its eyes had changed—the eerie green light was gone, replaced by a blood-red glow that filled its eyes entirely.

It looked ready to go berserk, just like me. My heart leapt into my throat—I couldn't afford to be careless.

The formula of the Nine Palaces Nether Art spun rapidly in my mind, and black mist gathered in my palms, quickly forming into a fist-sized black orb.

You might wonder how I could see the black orb in the darkness of the corridor. Truth is, I was curious myself at the time. Later, I realized my eyes were different from others—what the Sovereign had given me was not the Yin-Yang Eye, but that's a story for another time.

After the weasel went berserk, its speed tripled. Its grayish-yellow fur stood on end like slender golden needles—one prick, and you'd be flayed alive if not killed outright.

Faced with its savage assault, I couldn't hesitate any longer. I seized the opportunity and hurled the black orb at it.

"Damn," I cursed—it missed. The beast dodged far too quickly.

In the blink of an eye, I threw another black orb. This time, luck was with me—it struck the beast's front leg dead-on, and a flash of red light erupted. The weasel let out a piercing scream.

The shriek was so sharp it felt like needles stabbing my eardrums, the pain unbearable even with my ears covered.

Gritting my teeth against the agony, I summoned two more black orbs and flung them at the still-wailing weasel.

With two muffled thuds, the beast fell silent, lying motionless on the floor.

Though the creature was dead, the sight before me made my scalp tingle with fear.

I was standing on the very edge of the fourth-floor rooftop—one more step and I would have fallen to my death.

It was a close call. Thank goodness I'd stopped in time. I shuddered to think what might have happened otherwise.

Looking back, the beast I had just killed had vanished without a trace.

Had it all been a hallucination? The pain in my body told me otherwise.

Staring at my jacket soaked in blood, I limped downstairs.

But as I reached the third floor, the situation changed drastically. Countless bloody arms stretched out from the corridor walls, grabbing for me, desperate to drag me into the walls.

I fought back, teeth clenched, as my jacket was torn to shreds.

Just as I broke free from the grasping hands, something wrapped around my feet.

Looking down in panic, I saw countless black, monstrous snakes writhing across the corridor.

I had always been sensitive to snakes since childhood—just seeing one made my legs weak. With so many now, my head spun, and I nearly fainted.

In my panic, a woman in ancient dress appeared before me.

It was exactly what I feared—this beauty in ancient costume was none other than the female ghost I had seen at the hospital earlier.

She stared at me for a long while, a hint of confusion in her voice as she asked, "Aren't you supposed to be so powerful? You killed Huang San, yet you can't handle a few little snakes?"

From her words, I realized she and the weasel were in league.

I thought, could I tell her I had no resistance to snakes? Instead, I snorted coldly and said, "Cut the nonsense. Since I've fallen into your hands, do as you please—torture or kill me, it's up to you."

She smiled slightly. "You do have some character. You're the only person I've met who isn't afraid of death. I like that."

She glanced at the coral bracelet on her wrist. "By the way, perhaps you haven't realized—I wasn't with them. I'm on your side."

I scoffed. "You're on my side? No need to try to trick me."

She frowned. "Why can't you tell good from bad? I came all this way to save you, and you don't even appreciate it."

"Why would you save me? We only met once at the hospital," I retorted.

She seemed a little impatient, her tone annoyed. "Why so many questions? I save whoever I want—does that concern you?"

With a wave of her hand, a golden light swept through the corridor, illuminating everything.

All the bloody arms and black snakes vanished.

I hadn't expected this seemingly frail ghost to be so formidable. I was about to ask why she had saved me.

But she cut me off. "Get out of here, quickly. If he comes, I won't be able to save you either."

Full of questions, I left the building—climbing over the wall, of course.

By the time I returned to my rented room, it was already three o'clock. After tending to my wounds, I lay in bed, unable to sleep.

What secret was hidden in that corridor? And who was the "he" that the ghost woman mentioned?