59

 In the end, Xiang Ran walked to the front of the coffin and smelled a decaying odor. He reached out to push aside the spring-loaded dummy. The dirt on the coffin was gently blown away, revealing an old diary underneath the dust. The cover was filled with the marks of time, yet mysterious symbols could still be discerned.

At this moment, only the simulated sound of wind rustled in the graveyard, and everyone’s mood calmed down a bit. Xiang Ran flipped through the diary.

"What does it say?" Wang Hao asked as he walked over.

"Feng Zhiming’s diary describes in detail how a celebration for his son’s birthday suddenly turned chaotic one deep night. A shadow swept through, taking away his son and throwing the entire party into turmoil."

"He mentioned a lost item, something that seemed related to the shadow, but he didn’t clarify what it was."

Xiang Ran frowned as he looked at the written words.

"So the shadow is the real big boss behind this?" Qi Dong took the diary and flipped through a couple of pages.

The diary didn’t provide any clearer clues or follow-up descriptions about the shadow, so Xiang Ran gave up on analyzing the diary and instead turned to study the coffin again.

He walked around the coffin but didn’t find anything unusual. Then he stared at the dummy inside the coffin, pondering.

"You... you’re not focusing on this dummy, are you?" Liu Shuyao asked, her voice hesitant. She knew the body was fake, but in such an environment, psychological suggestion was tough to withstand.

"Step back, there’s dirt on it."

Xiang Ran motioned for her to stand behind him, worried that something else might pop up.

Liu Shuyao obediently stood behind her boyfriend, peeking through the gaps of his arms and waist.

“Plop~”

Since it was a dummy, Xiang Ran didn’t hold back. He grabbed the body from the coffin and tossed it aside.

"What the hell!"

"Ran, you’re really something!"

Fatty nodded in approval as he watched Xiang Ran’s decisive action.

When the body hit the ground, it stirred up some dust. Xiang Ran approached the coffin and noticed that beneath where the dummy had been sitting, there was indeed a series of symbols and numbers inscribed.

Xiang Ran continued speculating.

"I think this might be a code or represent some kind of communication method; it should be related to the lost item."

"Look for the map; it might have the location."

Wang Hao said this, and everyone finally remembered the existence of the map. Their eyes turned to Fatty, who had desperately protected the map in the basement.

"Ha!"

"Now you see how wise my actions were, right?"

"You all came to play an escape room and didn’t even know to protect the clues? What were you all here for?"

"Still have to rely on me!"

Wang Hao nodded without speaking, watching as Fatty fished around in his pockets.

"Where’s the map?"

"I put it in my coat pocket just now?" Fatty pulled out both pockets of his jacket, but they were empty.

"Did it fall earlier?"

Zhao Ying reminded them, and everyone began searching the dim graveyard for the map again.

Eventually, they found a piece of paper lying under a tree.

Following the map’s guidance, they decided to return to the basement.

This time, Xiang Ran noticed that there was a section at the bottom of the skeleton that seemed movable. He gently pushed it, and it made a dull sound.

Then, a secret door slowly opened, revealing a more hidden room.

This room was small. Qi Dong learned from his lesson and immediately scanned the area upon entering, fearing that something might appear again. Wang Hao stood at the door, observing left and right.

The girls held hands and stood in the middle.

Fatty positioned himself firmly behind a wooden sculpture, blocking the way.

"There are words here," Liu Shuyao pointed at the uneven wall.

The weak light from the candles flickered, barely revealing what was written.

"…Only by uncovering the secrets of the tombstone in the shadows can one find the truth. In the darkness, activate the ancient mechanism to unleash mysterious powers…"

"This must be it."

Xiang Ran stood there, staring at the mysterious wooden sculpture. It was about a meter tall and intricately carved.

The sculpture depicted an ancient wizard, draped in an old robe and holding a staff woven from vines. The wizard's expression was solemn and wise, as if watching the movements of those who approached.

The entire surface of the sculpture was covered with mysterious runes that emitted a faint glow, seemingly containing some ancient magic. Between the runes were intricate mechanisms forming a complex and precise pattern.

Some of the mechanisms were small gears, while others were miniature swinging devices, all interconnected, creating a miniature mysterious world.

Xiang Ran took the map and diary and began studying, carefully manipulating each mechanism.

Liu Shuyao leaned against her boyfriend, exuding a sense of reliance and vulnerability.

As the mechanism quietly activated, a wall in the room slowly moved aside, revealing a small treasure chest. When opened, the chest sparkled faintly, revealing an ancient pendant.

The pendant was engraved with the same symbols as those in the diary, as if connecting to past secrets.

"This should be the lost item of Feng Zhiming."

Liu Shuyao was a bit excited; they were getting closer to the truth.

"Did you find it?"

Xiang Ran shook the object in his hand.

"Awesome! Awesome!"

"Let’s go! I don’t want to stay here for another minute!"

Fatty hurriedly wanted to leave.

Several girls nodded in agreement, occasionally glancing around as if something was following them.

Finally, Xiang Ran placed the pendant into the slot on the tombstone.

The text on the tombstone began to slowly appear.

It recorded an ancient sacrificial ceremony secretly held under the guise of Feng Zhiming’s son’s birthday party, aimed at achieving some purpose. This ceremony involved mysterious runes and divine powers, but the specific objective wasn’t detailed.

The appearance of the shadow seemed related to this ceremony, possibly a manifestation of some mysterious force.

The pendant was confirmed as the lost item, playing a crucial role in the ceremony. Feng Zhiming likely lost control of the pendant during the ceremony, leading to the shadow's emergence and the disappearance of his son.

The lights in the escape room gradually brightened, and the surrounding environment transformed back to the initial party scene. Mr. Feng's voice echoed once more:

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone!"

"Life and death are among the deepest mysteries of life. And you, with the key of wisdom, have opened the door to freedom. This graveyard will forever remember your names, just as you will forever remember my lost past."

"This ‘Dinner of the Dead’ has ended, but the puzzles of life never cease; the power of ancient rituals awaits you in the next stage."

"What the hell!"

"What kind of nonsense is this?"

"What does it mean to remember our names? Is this still a series?"

"Let’s go, let’s go!"

"So creepy."

Fatty grumbled.

No one expected to be startled at the end. Liu Shuyao saw the hall's door slowly open and pulled Xiang Ran to run without looking back.

Hmph╭(╯^╰)╮

What a ridiculous escape room!

She would never come back!

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