Chapter Twelve Another Room

  I took a deep breath and then got up from the dusty floor, patted my dusty butt, and walked into the bedroom with big strides.

  The closer I get, the calmer my heart becomes.

  I still remember what my master told me when I was a kid: "The more you fear ghosts, the more arrogant they become."

  No mistake, I'm the bane of ghosts. It's always been them who fear me, what do I have to be afraid of? So many years, even in the most dangerous scenes, I've made it through, no reason to capsize here.

  Taking a deep breath, I kicked open the bedroom door with one foot.

  Behind a door frame, inside, thick fog was rolling and entwining, as if wanting to break through the obstruction, yet also like being blocked by something invisible, only able to stir up wind and waves inside, but unable to spill out even a single drop.

  I was just about to go in, when out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of something shiny on the ground. Unconsciously, I went after it and found that it was the pocket watch that had originally been hanging from the coat rack. It must have fallen off when I bumped into the coat rack earlier.

  "This is..." I recalled for a moment and suddenly realized it.

  Why is the pocket watch hung on the coat rack at the door?

  This pocket watch is also a ritual object.

  They are divided into three types. One is the most common type, similar to the small wolf-tooth pendant that Jiang Zhen sent me half a year ago on Qingming Festival, which is used for self-defense and protection. The second type is the rarest, which is the one that Shen's aunt obtained abroad, and it helps to nourish one's vital energy. This locket watch is the third type, and it is also the most precious among all the magical instruments, capable of warding off evil spirits.

  It is said that there was once a Buddhist instrument, which when worn, would eliminate all evil things within a 30-mile radius.

  It's just a pity that time is heartless. Originally, with this watch, even at a certain distance, evil spirits couldn't invade. Now, as the spiritual power on the artifact gradually disappears, even this ghostly fog almost can't be blocked.

  I bent down and picked it up, pouring a portion of spiritual energy into it without hesitation.

  As expected, the watch's surface gleamed faintly, and the rust marks gradually faded away. The thick fog in front of me surprisingly receded a bit, like an ebbing tide.

  I couldn't afford to waste my energy like this, and I didn't put any more into it either. Holding the pocket watch, I re-entered the bedroom.

  The fog parted in front of me and gathered behind me. I took a few steps forward and couldn't tell which direction I was heading anymore.

  I only remember that on the left side of the entrance was a coat rack, and on the left side of the coat rack was that bed. Logically speaking, the problem should be with the oil painting, and the other half of the room should be behind the wall after the oil painting. But thinking back to the layout of this room, I feel that this half of the room should actually be behind the right-hand wall.

  I turned around and walked towards the right side.

  Suddenly a chill swept over me, I couldn't see it, but somehow I felt as if someone was laughing softly beside me, and a breath of air sprayed onto the back of my neck.

  At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine. But the next moment I suddenly reacted, there couldn't be a third person in this room, Qiūniáng was a ghost, she wouldn't have human breath.

  So this aura must be... Jiang Zhun!

  I turned around happily and shouted: "Jiang Zhun, is it you?"

  But when I turned around, I was stunned - where was anyone?

  The fog around me suddenly flowed out of the window like water as I turned around, and in the blink of an eye it retreated cleanly. The bedroom that was originally invisible again appeared clearly before my eyes. It felt as if a large stone that had been pressing down on my heart was suddenly lifted, and the fresh air rushing into my lungs made me feel uncomfortable for a while.

  But none of these were the problem, the problem was that there was no one in the bedroom.

  Was it all just an illusion?

  I clenched the pocket watch in my hand, silently recited a calming mantra, and immediately turned around to continue walking towards the wall on the right. After the fog dispersed, the appearance of the wall also became clear in my eyes. There were no decorations on the wall, only a row of rusty clothes hooks, below which was a low cabinet that was spotless but covered with dust.

  I walked forward and found a handprint in the dust as expected.

  It looks like a left-hand print, with five fingers pointing towards the wall and slightly tilted to the right. The area of the fish belly seems to be pressed more forcefully. I stretched out my hand for comparison, then lowered my head to look at the low cabinet below me.

  That's right, the entrance must be here in the low cabinet. Jiang Zhun went inside. Because going in requires squatting down, both feet first stretched in, to avoid uneven force, so he reached out to support the low cabinet, leaving a handprint like this.

  I looked up and saw that some of the rust on one of the hooks had flaked off, falling onto the low cabinet. I reached out and turned it around, and indeed it moved.

  Alas, watching too much TV has its benefits, as it seems that all the plots are set up in a similar way.

  A small door in the middle of the low cabinet opened, revealing a dark hole. A pungent musty smell wafted out, damp and rotten, with a hint of sweetness.

  I didn't hesitate for a moment and went in.

  To find Jiang Zhun, there is only one way now. Even if this is Qiū Niáng's clever plan and she has dug a pit for me with open eyes, I will still jump in foolishly.

  Of course, there's no pit below, and when you land, you'll hit the ground. The low cabinet is right above your head. The space is very narrow, about one person high, and Jiang Yun will need to bend down slightly to enter. It's very dark at the bottom, so I take out my phone and turn on the flashlight function.

  A faint beam of light shot out, instantly illuminating this small space. Before my eyes was a staircase leading up, only wide enough for one person to pass through, with each step very high. I estimated that there were about ten steps in total.

  Shouldn't it be going down? Isn't every escape room supposed to go down...

  I silently cursed myself for being careless, but still managed to make a joke about it. Anyway, I had to go up, so I turned on my flashlight and walked up the stairs.