Suddenly, urgent footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a loud knocking.
“Bang bang bang!”
“Bang bang!”
The knocking grew increasingly violent, shaking not only the door but also causing the walls nearby to tremble slightly.
The sound of knocking intensified, drilling into the minds of the few people inside, making their ears hurt.
At the same time, they all shared a single thought.
They couldn't be found; they had to escape, and they needed to do it now!
The few people in the room exchanged glances; no discussion was necessary as they stood up and turned around in unison. There was also a back window in the house; with the front door blocked, they hurried to the back window and pushed it open.
Sang Yue stepped out and turned to the others, saying, “Let’s split up; it’ll be harder to catch all of us.”
Gu Zhan had no objections. Their group didn’t have strong ties.
If they acted together, someone would need to make decisions and others would need to follow. If the decision-maker made a mistake, the followers would surely complain.
After saying this, Sang Yue left, and a panicked Ma Xiaowen quickly followed her, with Gu Zhan trailing behind Ma Xiaowen as they left the room.
Outside was the back courtyard of the opera house, where the lights were dim, obscuring the way ahead. Before moving forward, Gu Zhan glanced back and noticed He Hui still standing by the window. The room behind her was brightly lit, yet a dark mist seeped in from the doorway, spreading out behind He Hui...
It was like the claws of a ghost, ready to swallow He Hui whole.
Gu Zhan barely had time to take in this sight before quickly turning away and fleeing into the darkness.
---
“Tick-tock.”
Thick liquid dripped down from above, carrying a heavy scent of rust, landing on Gu Zhan’s face, sticky and cold.
He wiped it away with his fingers, but they began to stick together, conjuring unsettling images as if flesh would be stripped away, leaving only a blood-soaked body.
With each step, he could feel the ground beneath him subtly deform.
It was too soft, softer than earth, resembling the skin of some living creature, supple and elastic.
As he walked further, the light around him grew dimmer. Even though he had just passed a garden lamp, the light was quickly consumed.
The surrounding darkness pressed in, like a living body, pulsating like a heartbeat.
Gu Zhan continued forward, the “thump-thump” sound followed him closely, and the darkness behind seemed to squeeze tighter, as if it could swallow him at any moment.
He could vaguely hear the soft laughter of a child, with someone speaking in a muddled tone, “Brother, why don’t you play with me…”
“Brother… wait for me…”
With each word that reached Gu Zhan’s ears, his body temperature dropped, and his mind felt like it was being stirred by an iron rod, becoming more painful and chaotic...
The voices grew closer, and Gu Zhan’s head throbbed more intensely…
No, I must escape!
He stumbled forward, and in the faint light, he could see two paths beneath him.
One led to the opera house's front hall, and the other led to the back courtyard.
Suddenly, Gu Zhan understood; if he went to the front hall, he would surely witness Xiao Xiu's performance. If he headed to the back courtyard… the drowning pool awaited.
Which path should he take?
The child’s voice grew nearer, seemingly urging him onward.
Gu Zhan hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose the path toward the pool.
In the livestream room, viewers erupted in a frenzy over his choice.
【Why go that way? Someone died there!】
【What do you understand? The more dangerous the place, the safer it is.】
【Safe my foot; I think he’s being targeted by a ghost. He’s doomed.】
Not long after Gu Zhan continued, he heard the sound of water.
But everything around him was dark, and he could see nothing.
With each step forward, Gu Zhan was left guessing.
What should he do?
His palms began to sweat. Should he keep moving forward or stop here?
Gu Zhan's hesitation didn’t last long; he continued to step forward.
At the moment he took a step, a sudden flame erupted behind him, the fire quickly engulfing him.
In the next second, he plunged into the pool.
The searing heat of the fire collided with the cold water in that instant.
Gu Zhan felt as if an explosion occurred within his body, violently tearing him apart.
But the explosion was fleeting; after a brief buzzing in his ears, everything fell silent.
The fire, the water, the child’s voice, the sound of splashing... all disappeared.
Gu Zhan opened his eyes, finding himself still standing outside Xiao Xiu's window, with the room behind him bright and calm.
Outside, the lights were also on, and servants moved about, everything seemed normal...
---
“Whoosh…”
“Hah…”
“I… I can’t run anymore…”
“No, get up quickly.”
In the darkness, someone was hurriedly escaping. As they ran, one person suddenly stopped, gasping for breath.
Her chest felt like it was about to explode, unable to move another step, and she collapsed onto the ground.
The person in front had already run a few meters ahead. Hearing her lack of movement, they turned back.
It was too dark to see anything, so they could only judge where the other person was by sound.
Sang Yue felt her way through the darkness and pulled He Hui up from the ground. He Hui was completely drained of energy, her body feeling like lead. Sang Yue, already at her physical limits, felt frustrated by He Hui’s weakness, almost wanting to leave her behind and escape on her own!
But for some reason, Sang Yue couldn’t bring herself to say those words.
She wasn’t particularly kind, nor did she often sacrifice her own interests for others.
Yet today, her intuition told her she couldn’t do that...
She couldn’t leave her companion behind.
So, Sang Yue gritted her teeth and persisted, saying to He Hui, “Just hold on a little longer; the sleepless night will end soon.”
“End?” He Hui looked up in confusion, her eyes filled with despair. “How could it possibly end… it’s still far from dawn…”
Sang Yue replied, “Of course, it will end. The sleepless night is just a gimmick; people in this era haven’t learned to stay up all night.”
She tilted her head, listening intently, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hear any sound from inside the opera house. Instead, strange rustling sounds came from the depths of the darkness.
It sounded like water, or maybe mud, creeping closer from the shadows.
“No, we can’t delay any longer… let’s go.”
Sang Yue grabbed He Hui and forcibly pulled her up from the ground.
The two supported each other and continued to flee...
They didn’t know how long they had been running; in the darkness, they couldn’t even tell which direction they were going. All they could hear were those strange water sounds drawing closer and closer...
From being surrounded only from behind to all sides, it seemed they had been surrounded by “monsters.”
Sang Yue felt dizzy, thinking that her sanity value must be gradually decreasing.
A thought surged in her mind: Could it be that they really couldn't survive? Were they going to perish here?
At that moment, a strong light suddenly fell from above, and she realized she seemed to have stood in the ballroom of the opera house again. He Hui was nowhere to be seen, and the crowd surged ahead. The owner of Ye Sheng Ge stood on the stage, waving to everyone.
“Thank you all for attending the sleepless night! Tonight's event was a great success. In three days, I will take the troupe and the little show to the Hei Ya Mansion to celebrate the old master's birthday. Those who haven't had enough can come along. Lord Hei Ya is an extremely generous person. As long as you have time, he will surely be willing to entertain you.”
With a “bang,” the owner of Ye Sheng Ge finished his lines, and the surroundings fell completely into darkness.
Sang Yue looked around in confusion and discovered three beams of light next to her, with three people standing under the beams.
Gu Zhan, Ma Xiaowen, and He Hui.
Then, the voice of the mage from the Hei Ya Mansion echoed: “Congratulations, you have successfully passed the first segment. Now, you are about to return to the Hei Ya Mansion.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the last bit of light vanished.
The surroundings suddenly plunged into darkness.
---
Gu Zhan woke up in bed, hearing the chirping of birds outside.
It seemed the rain had stopped, and the sun was shining, with clear weather.
But his muscles ached all over, as if he had just run a marathon or had a high fever… he felt completely drained…
Struggling to get out of bed, he realized he had returned to the Hei Ya Mansion, to his own bedroom.
The door was open, and from the corner of his bed, he could see a part of the courtyard outside.
Perhaps due to the recent rain, the lawn outside was exceptionally green, and he could see birds perched on the small trees in the flowerbed, chirping away.
If this weren’t a dungeon, the Hei Ya Mansion was indeed a nice place.
The interior was luxuriously decorated and comfortable, with ample outdoor space that was refreshing.
Gu Zhan rubbed his sore head and slowly got out of bed. When putting on his shoes, he accidentally stepped on the cuff of his pants and almost tripped.
Damn this clothing…
It was luxurious, but it was uncomfortable to wear.
Moreover, the pants seemed a bit long.
Gu Zhan steadied himself by holding onto the edge of the bed, just as he saw the butler smiling at the door.
He didn’t come in but stood elegantly outside, asking, “You’re up. Do you want to prepare breakfast?”
Gu Zhan squinted at him and suddenly felt that this butler possessed all the traits that the opposite sex would find appealing: handsome, tall, elegant, and with a hint of humor.
Perhaps the same could be said for the same sex.
Gu Zhan leaned against his forehead and said, “Go ahead and prepare it. Also, wake the others.”
He needed to confirm if Sang Yue and the others were still alive.
However, the butler did not leave; instead, he stepped forward and gently supported Gu Zhan.
With a warm and considerate tone, he inquired, “Sir, are you feeling unwell?”
Gu Zhan wasn’t lying; he really was gay.
As the butler supported him, his fingertips seemed to unintentionally brush against Gu Zhan’s palm, which could be interpreted as either accidental or intentional.
This dungeon seemed to understand Gu Zhan too well.
This feeling was subtle, and Gu Zhan found it hard to say whether it was good or bad. He glanced at the butler but still firmly held onto his hand—when beauty was at hand, one should enjoy it.
Gu Zhan used the butler’s strength to get up and let go decisively when he was steady.
“Call the others to get up. That’s the most important thing,” Gu Zhan said while walking outside. “I’m fine.”
The butler stood behind Gu Zhan and did not act immediately.
His fingertips lightly caressed Gu Zhan’s arm, and after a moment, he revealed a meaningful smile and said, “Okay, I will go wake them up.”
---
Ten minutes later, Gu Zhan met with Sang Yue and the others in the dining room.
Although Ma Xiaowen and He Hui were not in good condition, at least they hadn’t lost anyone else.
The dining table was filled with delicious dishes, but the group had no appetite.
Sang Yue propped her head up, frowning at the bowls and chopsticks in front of her, muttering softly, “I can’t figure out what this dungeon really means.”
After she finished speaking, the dining table fell silent.
Sang Yue sighed deeply; she knew Ma Xiaowen and He Hui were unreliable, but why was Gu Zhan not speaking either?
She looked up and saw Gu Zhan staring blankly at his rice bowl.
Sang Yue asked, “Gu Zhan, do you have any other thoughts?”
After a moment of silence, Gu Zhan slowly said, “Actually, the clues are already quite obvious.”
“What?” Sang Yue exclaimed, “What do you know?”
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