The moment the manor gate creaked open, all three—Du Lingfei, Feng Yan, and Bai Xiaochun—immediately became alert. Bai Xiaochun, more tense than ever, slapped a handful of talismans onto his chest, causing a loud *crackling* sound as layers of protection activated over his body.
Inside the doorway stood a figure holding a lantern. His entire body seemed to blend into the surrounding darkness, his pale gaze fixed eerily on the trio.
"Three guests arriving at dusk… May I ask what business brings you to the Luochen Clan?"
In the lantern's dim, flickering light, the three barely made out a young man. His expression was calm, his face ghostly pale and devoid of color, dressed in a long cyan robe.
Seeing someone had appeared, both Feng Yan and Du Lingfei exhaled in relief. Though the eerie feeling hadn't disappeared entirely, it had lessened.
"Fellow Daoist, we are disciples of the Spirit Stream Sect. We've come with important matters to inquire about," Feng Yan said with a cupped fist.
Only now did Du Lingfei notice the multiple glowing shields layered on Bai Xiaochun's body. Her brows furrowed in irritation.
But Bai Xiaochun didn't notice her look. He didn't know why, but everything—the manor, and especially the young man—filled him with an intense sense of danger.
"So, fellow Daoists from the Spirit Stream Sect. Please, come in and we can speak further…" the young man said calmly. The lantern above his head swayed, casting shadows across his face that made his expression flicker eerily between light and dark. After speaking, he turned and walked deeper inside.
The manor gate remained wide open, as if silently inviting them in.
Feng Yan hesitated briefly, then stepped forward. Du Lingfei followed. Bai Xiaochun glanced around uneasily, gritted his teeth, and cautiously stepped in behind them.
As soon as they entered, the gate *slammed* shut behind them. The two lanterns swayed more violently now, and beneath them, the eyes of the two stone lions **moved**—slowly becoming blood-red.
Inside the courtyard was a path of green stone slabs, lined with decorative trees and artificial hills. Even though moonlight filtered in from above, everything seemed cloaked in mist. Only the young man's lantern offered the faintest glow, swinging with each step.
The four of them walked down the path in silence. A cold, oppressive quiet blanketed the air, isolating them from the outside world.
To the right, a few fruit trees stood. Crimson fruits dangled from their branches. There was no wind, yet suddenly, the trees began to sway on their own, leaves rustling with a *shhhh*.
Feng Yan and Du Lingfei immediately went on alert. Bai Xiaochun, bringing up the rear, glanced nervously at everything around them. Those swaying fruit trees especially unnerved him.
Slowly, a faint **smell of blood** drifted into his nose. It was very faint—but unmistakable.
Bai Xiaochun's heart dropped. Just as he was about to speak, something **shocking** happened.
The red fruits **dropped** from the branches one by one, thudding to the ground and **rolling** toward them. On the surface of each fruit, a **childlike smiling face** had appeared—as if someone had drawn it there on purpose. The faces **smiled** at them.
"Lalalala, hello there," the fruits chirped.
Tiny arms and legs sprouted from their bodies. One by one, they **grabbed hands** and began dancing around Bai Xiaochun and the others, giggling cheerfully.
"Auntie said we must be good. Don't cry, only smile. Ripe fruit is the most wonderful\~" The fruits twirled around them in circles, voices sweet and sing-song.
A sickly sweet fragrance wafted toward them, cloying to the point of nausea—it made one feel as if their internal organs might twist and vomit themselves out.
Some of the fruits even scurried over to the young man holding the lantern. He paid them no mind, crushing several underfoot with a squelch. But even smashed, the fruits **reformed**, climbing back up with their ever-smiling faces, continuing to sing their nonsensical lullabies.
"What the hell *are* these things?!" Feng Yan's eyes flashed. With a flick of his sleeve, a strong gust of wind blew through, sending many of the fruits flying. They hit the ground and burst, but moments later, they picked themselves up again and resumed their dance, still giggling.
Bai Xiaochun was covered in goosebumps. He activated **every single** protective layer he had.
Du Lingfei turned pale. Watching the child-faced fruits holding hands and singing made her stomach churn. She bit her lip, eyes narrowing in alarm. Just as she was about to begin casting a spell, something **changed**.
The fruits suddenly looked frightened.
"Auntie is coming!!" they shouted, then **scrambled** back to their trees, **leaping** up into their branches. The faces vanished, returning to ordinary fruit.
"That's a type of spirit fruit our ancestor brought back from the depths of the Falling Star Mountains. They like to sing. What did you think of their song?" the Luochen Clan youth asked calmly, not even turning back.
Feng Yan and Du Lingfei looked disgusted. They snorted and continued forward.
Bai Xiaochun, cold sweat down his back, was about to follow when something strange struck him—
There was an **extra set of footsteps**.
*Clack… Clack… Clack…*
Somehow, at some point, there were no longer **four** footsteps… but **five**!
Maybe it had been that way since they entered, but they'd been distracted by the singing fruits. Now that things were silent again, it was clear.
Bai Xiaochun strained to listen—and froze.
The **extra footsteps** were **right behind him**.
A cold breath brushed against his neck—someone was **standing** just behind him.
"D-did you guys hear that? There's… another set of footsteps!" Bai Xiaochun cried out, hair standing on end. Feng Yan's expression twisted—he heard it too.
Du Lingfei's pupils contracted sharply. Her breathing quickened.
The three **froze in place**—and the footsteps stopped too.
Terrified, Bai Xiaochun gritted his teeth and **whirled around**.
In that moment—
A **woman in red** was standing directly behind him!
Her red robes fluttered. Her face was ash gray, lips curved into a grotesque smile as she stared at Bai Xiaochun. Her lips moved silently, as though whispering something.
**"The fire isn't enough… help me."**
The sudden vision made Bai Xiaochun **scream** in terror. He leapt backward. But as he moved, the red-robed woman dissolved into a streak of red light—and vanished.
Bai Xiaochun's face turned deathly pale. He scanned the area, but nothing was there. Only his scream echoed, bouncing eerily off the courtyard walls.
Du Lingfei and Feng Yan were startled, scanning frantically. Though they didn't see anything, their hearts raced wildly.
Just then, a **woman's lullaby** began to drift through the air—a soft, dreamlike melody that carried over the silent manor.
It was as if someone was gently singing a baby to sleep.
"Little child, sleep tonight… fire flickers in the light… don't you scratch, and don't you cry…"
"Enough with this ghostly nonsense!" Feng Yan shouted. Nervous, he formed a hand seal and summoned a flying sword, which hovered protectively around him.
At that moment, the young man with the lantern finally turned to face them. Under the dim green light, his figure was blurred and indistinct.
"Why aren't you coming? Come on, come in," he said with a wide, strange smile.
"We're not going in. We're here investigating a missing disciple. Do you remember someone from our sect coming here five months ago?" Feng Yan demanded, voice sharp.
Du Lingfei had already drawn a magical artifact, her body tense and ready.
"No," the lantern-bearing youth said softly. His voice echoed, mingling with the woman's lullaby as if they were part of the same sound.
"Where are your clan members?" Du Lingfei asked suddenly.
"They went out. Are you done asking questions?" the youth replied, his grin widening—**unnaturally wide**—stretching almost to his ears.
"We're done. We'll be leaving now," Feng Yan said immediately. He began backing away. Du Lingfei did the same, while Bai Xiaochun had already backed up far earlier.
"If you won't come in… then just stay. Stay here… and keep us company…" the youth chuckled. As he spoke, his mouth **tore open**, splitting his face into a gaping maw that nearly divided his head in two!
His lantern turned **green**, casting an eerie light over the manor. At the same time, his body **rose into the air**, lunging straight at Feng Yan.
Feng Yan's face darkened. He cast a spell and sent his sword flying forward. It **pierced the youth's body**, but the youth didn't dodge—he let it go through him with a chilling smile, jaw hanging grotesquely, as he continued his assault.
Breathing heavily, Feng Yan stepped back rapidly. Gritting his teeth, he pulled out a **black pill** and hurled it to the ground.
**BOOM!**
A deafening explosion erupted as the pill struck the earth.
The youth was blown backward, his body torn with wounds, but he showed no sign of pain. Still smiling, he turned in midair like a kite and dove again.
Where the pill had exploded, strange **interwoven patterns** appeared—threads of **death energy** that began knitting together.
"There's a formation here—**a Yin Nether Array!!**" Feng Yan cried in horror.
At the same time, under Du Lingfei's feet, the green stone slabs began to **move**.
Eyes appeared.
Then hands—skeletal, withered like dried corpses. If one looked closely, they could see thin **threads** slithering beneath the surface of the skin, weaving in and out.
One bony hand **grabbed** Du Lingfei's leg.
"You're hurting us… it hurts…"
"Come, come… stay here with us forever…" came the whispers from beneath the stone. Their chilling voices echoed, shaking the soul.
Du Lingfei's face turned white. She cast a spell with a quick gesture. From her storage pouch flew a small flag, releasing two mist beasts that circled to protect her.
A flying sword also burst forth, slicing off the hand clinging to her leg. She leapt back quickly.
As for Bai Xiaochun, the **woman's lullaby** in his ears suddenly **grew louder**:
**"Don't you scratch, and don't you cry…"**