348: Chapter 146: What Good Can Crouching by the Fence Bring?
348: Chapter 146: What Good Can Crouching by the Fence Bring?
The first two underground levels of the Special Service Bureau seemed like a normal structure, but by the time they reached the third level, it felt like they had entered another world.
Li Mumu even began to wonder if they had unintentionally bored through to an underground cavern.
The entire third underground level was immensely vast, feeling as though it could easily accommodate an entire building from above ground.
Moreover, there were no electric lights, only a few kerosene lamps hung on the walls providing barely noticeable, dim lighting.
Low-pitched roars and indistinct whispers occasionally emanated from the darkness.
Li Mumu looked at the sign under the lamp light that read “Containment Department” with a speechless expression.
Mens’ mouths, deceitful ghosts, they talked about a special care facility, but isn’t this just treating me like a containment object?
Do they have D-class personnel coming to bring me food every day?
Can I request those soft and chubby little lolis, biting into one would make them cry for a long time, as my teething snacks?
I want to reserve the one that will be born in eight or nine months!
“303, this is your room.”
Qiao Hongyi carried a kerosene lamp to a pitch-dark hole, took out a key, opened the iron door, and motioned to Li Mumu.
Li Mumu hesitated.
What kind of damn room is this, it’s just a burrow!
Never mind a window, there’s not even a toilet inside!
But it seems like demons and evil spirits don’t need to use the restrooms…
A normal person would definitely not want to live in such a ghastly place, even a few hours would drive one mad.
I’d rather go back to the Thousand-Year Dynasty World and live freely and happily!
But there was no choice, Qiao Hongyi was standing right there, and she couldn’t defeat him.
Li Mumu reluctantly entered cave number 303, and behind her, with a loud clang that startled her, she jerked around to see Qiao Hongyi had already locked the iron door.
It’s over, my life is completely finished now.
Three months?
Will he even remember who I am after three months?
Li Mumu’s face was full of grievance, tears swirling in her eyes.
Then she saw Qiao Hongyi throw the key inside.
???
Li Mumu was full of question marks.
“This door is meant to protect you, don’t go out unless necessary, and bear the consequences if something goes wrong,” Qiao Hongyi said expressionlessly in a low voice.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, there are many monsters living here, and I arranged for you to be near the exit for your own good.
The stretch up to Room 310 is the safest, but further inside, a small fry like you wouldn’t even suffice to fill the gaps between their teeth.”
Ah?
Turns out the snack was myself!
Li Mumu was shocked.
Earlier, when she followed Qiao Hongyi in, she hadn’t felt anything, just that the place was very oppressive, making it difficult to breathe.
Once Qiao Hongyi left, the oppressive feeling instantly expanded, like a thousand-pound weight heavily pressing on her.
This wasn’t an illusion!
There really were monsters deep in the cave, they were merely lying there motionless, their mere presence, or perhaps their corruption, almost solidifying the air in the cave.
How terrifying.
This intangible yet real pressure made it hard for Li Mumu to even breathe, and only retreating deeper into the cave provided some relief.
Qiao Hongyi hadn’t lied to her.
That iron door couldn’t really stop the demons and evil spirits, its purpose was to isolate the pollution inside and outside of the cave, to block the invisible pressure outside for Li Mumu.
Otherwise, confining a group of demons and evil spirits together, contaminating each other, would turn it into a hotpot, potentially cultivating some super great evil spirits.
“It’s useless, just lie down and sleep, and wait for dawn to go back to the Thousand-Year Dynasty World.
I don’t want to spend a minute more in this ghastly place.”
Although the idea was good, damn, this cave didn’t even have a bed, just a bare rocky foundation, almost no advantages other than the space.
How could her delicate body endure…”
Li Mumu thought, releasing the Red String from under her skirt.
At least there was one somewhat humane aspect of this place, unlike in TV dramas where they use two large iron hooks to lock up her Pipa Bone, preventing her from releasing Mana.
The Red String could still be used, which was the only reassurance here.
With no bed, Li Mumu used the Red String to weave herself a fluffy, soft sleeping bag.
After Wendy’s reminder, she had soaked her Red String in Ether Substance, greatly enhancing its elasticity and versatility, allowing it to morph freely like the Blood River Map.
However, just as she was about to crawl into the sleeping bag for a nap, someone suddenly started knocking hard on the door.
Li Mumu got startled, quickly ran over, and saw a short-haired young girl of about her age standing outside.
She was dressed in black mourning clothes.
Mourning clothes are different from shrouds; shrouds are for the dead, while Ghost Envoys wear mourning clothes, which don’t have the word ‘longevity’ on them.
Their style is somewhat similar to that of a Government Official of the past, complete with soap boots, leggings, waist belt…
This was a piece of niche knowledge that Zuo Yan had passed on to Li Mumu, the mourning clothes for the Underworld’s Ghost Envoys were like an official uniform.
She also had a set but hardly wore it when she came out.
Girls love beauty, and female ghosts are no different.
The short-haired girl was dressed like a Ghost Envoy, her wrists adorned with manacles, dragging long iron chains, her complexion pale and ashy, staring at Li Mumu with an unfriendly expression.
“What are you doing?”
There are living beings here…
no, wait, living ghosts, and they can visit each other?
Li Mumu’s mood brightened, and she honestly replied, “I was getting ready to sleep!”
“You’re not allowed to play with the string here!
Put the string away!”
“What?”
So it’s a bully coming to find fault.
As Li Mumu’s expression turned from sunny to cloudy, the young girl frowned and explained, “Are you new here?
Hasn’t anyone told you about the taboos here?”
There are taboos here?
Li Mumu eagerly asked for advice, “I was just brought in, I don’t know anything, can you teach me, sister?”
“The taboo is not to mess around with strings, it will attract the monsters inside…”
The short-haired girl raised her hand and pointed towards the depths of the corridor, her brows furrowing tighter, “It’s too late, it’s already awoken.
Hurry, put away the string, hide in the farthest part, don’t talk, don’t move around.”
After saying these words, she turned and left.
From the side came a loud clang, and from the sound, Li Mumu judged that she must have entered room 302.
Just then, a faint rustling sound came from the dark corridor.
Heeding advice ensures a full life, Li Mumu, always a good listener, quickly ran back to the cave, packed up the sleeping bag, curled up into a ball, closed her eyes, and played dead.
Before long, she heard a hair-raising scraping noise outside.
It was like cat’s claws on a blackboard, or some kind of sharp object scraping against the outside iron gate.
It seemed as if some immense creature was slowly moving its body from the depths of the corridor, protruding its head out.
Its sharp gaze swept across the iron doors, and finally, seeing nothing, it reluctantly retreated.
Feeling the pressure disappear, Li Mumu quickly got up, opened the door, and ran to look inside the doorway of 302.
She hadn’t noticed when she followed Qiao Hongyi in, but now she saw clearly that inside the cave of 302, there was a huge bright yellow coffin.
In front of the coffin, there was a ritual table with an incense burner, a name tablet, and a black and white photo.
The person in the photo was the short-haired girl who had just warned her.
On the tablet, there was a line of regular script — “Memorial Tablet for the Eldest Daughter of the Xia Clan, Yubing.”