IGSB – Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Entering the New World (Part 15)
Unable to go anywhere, Xia Zhiyi checked the time on the watch kindly provided by Zhou Yan. Liuliu’s watch had been given to Jing Ruyu so she could keep track of time outside.
By the moonlight, she could see it was now 1:10 AM. Jing Ruyu had been gone for an hour, and there was no telling at what point in the latter half of the night the Ghost King would appear.
The heavy uncertainty was particularly tense and suffocating, but it had one small benefit: she wasn't sleepy at all.
Xia Zhiyi returned to the bedside and sat down, keeping an eye on the soundly sleeping Xiao Ya while quietly waiting for news from Jing Ruyu with the watch in hand.
Three knocks on the back window was the signal for Jing Ruyu's return.
She couldn't help but wonder how Jing Ruyu was faring outside.
Would she encounter many ghosts? Would she be surrounded? Worse, what if she ran into the Ghost King, who had decided to come out early?!
The more she thought, the more terrifying it became; the more she imagined, the more gruesome and bloody the scenes grew.
At the thought of Jing Ruyu getting hurt or dying, her nose even began to sting, and her eyes, betraying her, started to turn red.
She feared death the most, always feeling like a child, unsure how to handle the unavoidable separations of this world.
Then, she slapped her face sharply to clear her head.
No, I can't think about these messy, unlucky things!
Jing Ruyu is blessed with good luck and is a survivor. She's smart and skilled, so she'll definitely be able to evade those monsters and return safely. Maybe she'll even bring back news about the Ferry Crossing!
Xia Zhiyi, think of something good, don't jinx her. Besides, you two have already broken up, her life and death have nothing to do with you! Think of something good!
She chanted this to herself in her mind.
The silent mantra worked well. She quickly suppressed the faint tears and refocused her attention on the sleeping Xiao Ya and the time.
Six minutes later, a rustling sound suddenly came from outside.
Xia Zhiyi immediately became alert, cautiously leaning forward to look at the door—a familiar, oppressive black shadow once again fell upon the door.
“Knock, knock.”
The door was knocked upon.
Then, a gentle female voice echoed eerily, “Xiao Ya, open the door. Mommy has cut up your favorite fruit for you.”
Xia Zhiyi immediately turned to look at Xiao Ya. Sure enough, she had already sat up groggily, thrown off the covers, and was rubbing her eyes as she got out of bed.
Xiao Ya, in a daze, slowly walked toward the door.
Mommy…
She hadn't seen her mommy in so, so long…
She had to open the door. She would open it right away.
But just then, someone grabbed her from behind, forcefully dragging her back.
“Xiao Ya, wake up! That's not your mother, that's a man-eating monster!
“What kind of mother wakes her child up in the middle of the night to eat fruit!”
Xiao Ya’s steps faltered. It was like a sudden realization, and she instantly became clear-headed.
That's right, her mother would never wake her up in the middle of the night for fruit, and her mother was certainly not a man-eating monster!
“Sister Zhiyi!”
Seeing the monster's shadow on the door for the first time, she hid behind Xia Zhiyi in fear, her mind replaying the cruelty of the previous night.
The Ghost King outside did not give up.
“Xiao Ya, open the door. Haven't you missed Mommy? Don't you miss me?
“Xiao Ya, be a good girl and open the door. Let Mommy have a good look at you.
“Xiao Ya…”
Xiao Ya huddled behind Xia Zhiyi, clutching her clothes tightly, not daring to open her eyes.
The sinister yet gentle words were like a tempting forbidden fruit, constantly stirring the most ardent longing buried deep within her.
She hadn't heard that voice since her mother passed away. She missed it dearly. More than anyone, she missed her mother and wished she could return to her side.
She even began to imagine that the Ghost King outside might really have taken on her mother's appearance, waiting for her to open the door.
But she couldn't open the door, she couldn't!
She simply covered her ears to block out the voice.
Even if it looked like her mother, it wasn't her mother. It was a ghost, a deceiving ghost. She absolutely could not open the door. Opening it would harm herself and others!
“Don't be afraid, Xiao Ya, don't be afraid,” Xia Zhiyi held her protectively, constantly comforting her. “It can't get in. It'll be over soon. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.”
Seeing her trembling so violently, Xia Zhiyi simply led her back to the bed and had her lie down.
“Tuck your hands and feet into the blanket. That way, the ghost won't come for us.”
“?”
Xiao Ya was slightly taken aback. “Really?”
“I don't know,” Xia Zhiyi said. “It's what everyone does after watching a scary movie. It provides some psychological comfort.”
Xiao Ya: “…”
You're really something else.
Suddenly, the door was pounded on violently. The Ghost King grew impatient and urged, “Open the door! Why are you so disobedient? How did you become like this?! Hurry up and open the door for Mommy!
“Open the door!!!”
The furious words drifted through the dark night, striking fear into their hearts. Xiao Ya was so scared she burrowed into Xia Zhiyi's arms, her fingers trembling.
While holding her, Xia Zhiyi stared intently at the door.
Even knowing the Ghost King couldn't get in, she couldn't ignore the fear and pressure it exuded. A single misstep could cost them their lives.
Xiao Ya thought of Jing Ruyu, from whom there was still no news, and couldn't help but worry, “Sister Zhiyi, why isn't Sister Ruyu back yet?
“She hasn't… something hasn't happened to her, has it?!”
Xia Zhiyi didn't want to disrupt their morale at this moment, so she said in a reassuring voice, “She won't.
“She will definitely be fine.”
She was comforting Xiao Ya, but also herself.
How could anything happen to Jing Ruyu?
She would be fine. She was so skilled, she would absolutely be fine. Absolutely.
I have to believe in her, I must believe in her!
The next second, another voice suddenly rang out, instantly capturing all their attention—
【Congratulations to the player for finding the Ferry Crossing. The opening day hint has been unlocked.】
【Hint: The Ferry Crossing will open on the day of the grand wedding.】
【Players, please pay attention to the time and do not miss it.】
Both of them froze.
Two seconds later, joy lit up their faces.
Xia Zhiyi was especially ecstatic.
Found it, the Ferry Crossing was found!
Finding the Ferry Crossing also meant she was okay. Now all they had to do was stall the Ghost King, wait for her to return, and make sure the Ghost King didn't run into her!
At this thought, Xia Zhiyi was suddenly filled with motivation. She was no longer as afraid of the Ghost King banging on the door.
If Jing Ruyu couldn't make it back in the next hour or so, she would have to use her own methods to hold back the Ghost King.
Jing Ruyu stood on the wall, the crisp sound of the river water sloshing in her ears. In the distance, she could see the Ferry Crossing, marked by a single, lonely lamp.
She hadn't expected it to be this simple.
As soon as she neared the backyard, she heard the sound of water. She didn't even choose to open the gate, instead changing course to climb the wall and peer over. To her surprise, she actually saw it.
The fog was gone, revealing a path leading straight from the backyard gate to the riverbank. The exit, the Ferry Crossing, was right there at the end of the path.
But while it was simple in one way, it was difficult in another.
Retracting her gaze, she crouched down to look below.
The backyard, dead silent during the day, was now filled with ghastly white skeletons. They walked crookedly on the uneven ground, their joints twisting with cracking sounds, as if they were guarding the gate, or perhaps waiting for reckless prey.
The scene was sinister and terrifying, a powerful visual shock.
Using the building behind her as cover, Jing Ruyu hid herself further.
If she had insisted on opening the door just now, it's questionable whether she would have even lived to hear the announcement.
Soon, she discovered that the skeletons' range of movement seemed to be confined to the backyard.
Several skeletons wandered to the edge of the moon gate, wanting to leave but seeming to forget how to walk, freezing in place, unable to move forward.
They raised their heads to look somewhere, their empty eye sockets exceptionally horrifying under the moonlight.
Then, they reluctantly turned back into the yard, their slow steps tinged with a strange unwillingness, and resumed their aimless wandering.
Jing Ruyu carefully moved around the building, looking in the direction they had been staring, and found her target with almost no effort.
It was the most conspicuous structure in the Gu Residence, the tallest building.
It was also the Ghost King's residence.
The Ghost King…
Jing Ruyu's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She turned and headed back the way she came.
She had to hurry back. Hopefully, there wouldn't be any accidents.
The thought had barely crossed her mind when, not far away, a 'person' suddenly appeared on the wall, crawling like a spider.
Its limbs, twisted to the extreme, clung tightly to the wall. Its head was turned upside down, and when it looked at her, a sinister smile abruptly split its pale face.
It was as excited as if it had seen food.
Jing Ruyu: “…”
Some things truly were unavoidable.
Xia Zhiyi checked the time on her watch.
An hour had passed, and Jing Ruyu still hadn't returned.
The Ghost King outside had already poked two new holes in the door and was once again peering sinisterly into the room.
Xia Zhiyi hid by the bed, with Xiao Ya wrapped in a blanket beside her, too scared to make a sound.
This was a visual blind spot; the Ghost King couldn't see them.
The Ghost King's tone had grown increasingly angry, as if it wanted to tear Xiao Ya to shreds.
Xiao Ya was finally experiencing what Xia Zhiyi had gone through on the first night—being relentlessly called out, a miserable and terrifying ordeal.
As someone who had been through it before, Xia Zhiyi once again comforted her, “It's fine. Let it shout all it wants. It can't get in anyway.”
Seeing that the Ghost King truly couldn't get in, Xiao Ya mustered a bit of courage and whispered, “Why isn't Sister Ruyu back yet?”
“Soon, I think…”
Xia Zhiyi said, though she wasn't sure herself. After all, this round trip was a life-threatening risk.
Another ten minutes passed. The back window remained silent, and even the Ghost King's shouting outside began to fade.
Jing Ruyu wasn't back, and the Ghost King was about to leave.
If they ran into each other outside, the consequences would be unimaginable…
The Ghost King outside was furious.
This was the second time she had been toyed with.
The first was Xia Zhiyi, the second was this Xiao Ya. When the day came, she would definitely catch these two, tear them to shreds, and eat them with her meal!
—She was starving!!!
Filled with resentment, she cursed under her breath a couple of times and turned to leave.
A single man was not enough to satisfy her hunger. She planned to catch another little ghost to eat on her way back. Besides killing people, these things were useless anyway.
It was a pity, though. She still preferred the taste of humans, especially those who had just stopped breathing.
Just as she was about to leave the courtyard, a loud shout suddenly erupted from the room: “Hey, you dog thing outside, come over here—!”
The Ghost King spun around abruptly.
Dog thing?!
She dared to curse me???
Xia Zhiyi and Xiao Ya watched as the twisted black shadow instantly fell upon the door, and the Ghost King's enraged voice followed, “What's the point of just shouting? If you have the guts, open the door!”
Hearing this, Xia Zhiyi replied with a resonant voice, “I don't have the guts!”
Ghost King: “?”
If you don't have the guts, why are you yelling so loudly???
She reconsidered, and her tone suddenly softened. “Xia Zhiyi, I know it's you. It doesn't matter, I'm not angry with you. As long as you hand over the person in your room, I won't touch you.
“I can also grant you one wish, including letting you clear the instance smoothly.”
It sounded incredibly tempting.
Xia Zhiyi glanced back at Xiao Ya, but her words were directed at the Ghost King outside. “Oh? I do have a wish, actually.”
“?”
Xiao Ya was instantly on the verge of tears, clutching her arm and begging her not to be thrown out.
The Ghost King was overjoyed and quickly asked, “What wish? Just say it, and I can make it come true.”
Xia Zhiyi: “Hmm… I want everyone to clear the instance.”
Ghost King: “In your dreams!”
Xia Zhiyi: “Hah, I knew you couldn't do it, you stinky ghost full of lies!”
Ghost King: “…”
Her fists clenched.
“Xia Zhiyi, you better not fall into my hands!”
“What's the point of just standing outside making threats? I'm right here. If you have the guts, open the door and come in! Come on!”
“You—Aaargh, you're making me so mad! I'm going to tear you apart!! I'm definitely going to tear you apart!!!”
“Eh, you can't reach me~”
“!!!”
Xiao Ya, who witnessed all of this: “…”
Help, is this a scene of elementary schoolers arguing?
Liuliu and Zhou Yan also heard this exchange and were momentarily speechless.
A true warrior dares to argue with the most terrifying Ghost King, albeit through a door.
Xia Zhiyi, what an awesome woman.
The two of them felt a solemn respect for her, and at the same time, they received the signal.
Xia Zhiyi was only being this bold because Jing Ruyu hadn't returned yet; she wanted to buy more time for her.
In that case, they had to do something too.
“Don't just look over there! Here, here, come over here!”
“There are people here too, don't you want to eat us!”
For a moment, the courtyard became exceptionally lively, with voices rising and falling one after another, as if they were teasing a dog.
Xia Zhiyi watched as the shadow on the door suddenly shrank; the Ghost King was heading towards Liuliu and Zhou Yan's room.
She suddenly felt a bit worried, worried for them and also for Jing Ruyu—if she didn't come back soon, the Ghost King might stop arguing with her!
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Just then, three light knocks sounded on the back window.
“Zhiyi, I'm back.”
Xia Zhiyi and Xiao Ya were instantly overjoyed and rushed to open the window.
Jing Ruyu was back. Other than a slightly torn jacket, she was uninjured.
Xia Zhiyi could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Jing Ruyu closed the window, turned around, and said with certainty, “Well done.”
When she had just returned, she saw the Ghost King's figure at a glance. Alarms blared in her mind, and she was about to turn and hide.
But at that critical moment, Xia Zhiyi suddenly called out to the Ghost King and actually managed to call it back. This gave her the chance to move to the corner of the wall right next to their room and wait for the right moment to return.
Seeing her back, Xia Zhiyi felt at ease. Remembering that Zhou Yan and the other were still stalling the Ghost King, she quickly sent a signal: “It's late, I'm not going to argue with you anymore. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, my ghost baby~”
Liuliu and Zhou Yan, who were crouching on the floor, instantly understood. After propping the door with a table, they turned around and went back to sleep.
“We're going to sleep too, goodnight!”
The noisy courtyard instantly fell silent, without even the sound of the wind.
The Ghost King, standing alone in the courtyard: “…”
Damn it.
Sooner or later, I'll slaughter this whole group! Slaughter them all!!
After all the commotion, everyone was tired.
Xia Zhiyi felt that Jing Ruyu must be exhausted from her trip out and back, so she told her to rest well and that they could talk in the morning.
Jing Ruyu, thinking they still had a full day tomorrow, agreed.
There were two beds, and Jing Ruyu's was given to Xiao Ya.
She, as before, hugged her pillow and quilt and slept in the same bed as Xia Zhiyi.
Neither of them said anything, acting as naturally as if it were a matter of course.
Xia Zhiyi didn't sleep, nor did she speak, secretly watching in Jing Ruyu's direction.
No matter what, it was good that she had returned safely. Being alive and well was something to be thankful for.
Just then, she heard the person beside her ask very softly and gently, “Were you scared?”
Because she was late coming back, forcing her to stall for time, to call out to the terrifying Ghost King, in a room this dark, was she scared?
She still remembered her reactions the past two nights; on the first night, she had even trembled in her arms from fear.
“I was,” Xia Zhiyi replied softly, “but it had to be done. As long as the Ferry Crossing was found, it's fine.”
As long as you came back safely, it's fine.
She silently added this in her heart.
Jing Ruyu smiled faintly. “You've worked hard. Go to sleep. Goodnight.”
“Mm, goodnight.”
The atmosphere was incredibly warm.
Xiao Ya silently pulled the blanket over her neck, not daring to speak.
For some reason, she suddenly felt like she was a third wheel??
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