“Are you alright?” Yu Xiao frowned, her face filled with concern.

    “For now,” Zhao Lan replied between coughs. “And what about you? Are the Avengers after you? Have they arrived yet?”

    Yu Xiao hesitated, finding it strange. She had been in the instance for almost twenty minutes, and besides the brief encounter with Qu Lian, nothing had happened.

    “I haven’t seen them yet. I think I’m safe for now.” She was about to ask Zhao Lan for more details when a string of curses erupted from the other end of the line.

    “Sorry,” Zhao Lan said, her voice strained. “Sounds like trouble. I need to go deal with this. Try reaching out to the others. I’ll call you back when I’m free.”

    “Okay.” Yu Xiao hung up and immediately dialled Zhou Xiao Zhen’s number.

    The phone rang and rang. Yu Xiao frowned. Something wasn’t right. Could Precious already be in danger? It had only been a few minutes since they entered the scenario.

    She tried again, her anxiety growing with each unanswered ring. Finally, the call connected.

    “Smiley,” Zhou Xiao Zhen’s voice was breathless and panicked.

    “Precious, where are you? What’s going on?”

    “I don’t know! The attending doctor—I think his name was something like Lotus—he said I was poisoned, and then he left, and then these people showed up with ropes, claiming I was guilty of something… cough, cough… I can’t talk, I have to go, they’re chasing me! I’ll call you back!”

    The call abruptly ended.

    So, everyone was poisoned, but their experiences within the scenario were vastly different.

    Yu Xiao scrolled through her contacts, her finger hovering over Tang Xing Yin’s name. She took a deep breath and pressed the call button.

    Once again, silence. Was no one having a normal experience in this scenario?

    Finally, just as she was about to give up, his voice, calm and steady, answered. “Hello.”

    At least someone’s situation wasn’t too bad. “Where are you?”

    “I seem to be in a Taoist temple,” Tang Xing Yin replied after a moment.

    “A Taoist temple?” Yu Xiao echoed, surprised. “They have those here? What’s your situation like? Any danger?” S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    “Everything’s fine. Calm, even. What about you? Where are you?”

    “Some kind of manor house. The Yu family residence, apparently.” Yu Xiao paused, clutching her chest as another coughing fit seized her. “The attending doctor found you too, then? Told you about the poison?”

    “He did. He’s actually here right now, as a matter of fact.”

    Yu Xiao froze. “Wait. Qu Lian is with you?”

    “That’s right.”

    She chewed on that for a moment. “So, he’s going around to each of us individually. How many people did he contact before you?”

    Silence. Yu Xiao could hear the faint murmur of a conversation, then Tang Xing Yin’s voice, sharper than before. “Tell me. How many people did you speak to before me?”

    A sharp crack echoed across the line.

    “…Five,” a shaky voice replied.

    “What was that?” Yu Xiao asked, a note of alarm creeping into her voice. “What just broke?”

    “Qu Lian’s neck,” Tang Xing Yin said mildly.

    “…” Yu Xiao stared at her phone, speechless. “You… him?”

    “No, he’s still alive. Well, still moving, at least.” A pause. “Stay put. I’ll come and find you.”

    Yu Xiao hung up, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow. That was…unexpected. She quickly dialled Yu Qing Lang’s number.

    “Where are you? Are you alright?” Yu Xiao didn’t waste time on pleasantries. “Have the attending doctors shown up yet?”

    “Not a peep,” came the reply. “What about you?”

    “I’m fine, for now. But something’s not right…” Yu Qing Lang’s voice was laced with suspicion. “I’ve been here for ages, and none of the attending doctors have even looked at me funny. Although, I do feel a bit rough. This pain in my chest…and I can’t stop coughing.”

    Yu Xiao understood immediately. Tang Xing Yin had intercepted Qu Lian before she could reach Yu Qing Lang. “You can relax. The attending doctor won’t be bothering you for a while.”

    “What do you mean? Are they attacking you?”

    “Not exactly.” Yu Xiao explained about the poison and the seven-day time limit.

    “Right, got it.” Yu Qing Lang didn’t sound surprised in the slightest. “Send me your location. I’ll come to you.”

    Once she’d spoken to everyone, Yu Xiao decided to stay put. The others could find her. She had a poisoning mystery to solve.

    And she really did feel awful. She could barely walk without leaning on the wall, and each cough sent a fresh wave of pain through her chest. She stumbled along for what felt like hours until she finally encountered another person: an elderly man sweeping the courtyard.

    “Excuse me, Grandpa!” she called out, waving a hand weakly.

    The man looked up, his eyes widening as they landed on her. He yelped, dropping his broom and scrambling away as if he’d seen a ghost.

    Yu Xiao stared after him, speechless. Was she really that unpleasant? Did everyone react to her as if she were some kind of monster?

    Gritting her teeth, she continued on, eventually coming to a room where several people were gathered around the door, hammering furiously at something.

    “What are you doing?” she asked.

    The workers turned to look at her, their faces a mixture of horror and disgust. If anything, they looked even more terrified than the old man.

    “The young mistress! She’s out!” one of the workers shrieked, scrambling back from the doorway.

    “Quick! Board it up!”

    Panic swept through the group. They grabbed planks of wood and hastily nailed them across the door. With a final thud, Yu Xiao was trapped inside, the sounds of hammering replaced by the ominous drumming of rain and wind.

    “What is happening? Why are you boarding up the door?” She pounded on the wood, her voice echoing in the sudden silence.

    “Forgive us, Young Mistress!” a voice called back, its words muffled by the wood. “It’s the Master’s orders! You’ve been cursed by the heavens! Anyone who comes near you will be struck down by misfortune! He’s only trying to protect everyone!”

    The young maid from earlier appeared, her eyes red-rimmed and her face stained with tears. “Miss,” she sobbed, “the Master knows about the poison.”

    Yu Xiao furrowed her brow. This made no sense. If she had been poisoned, shouldn’t they be rushing to help her, not locking her away?

    “If I am poisoned, shouldn’t I be receiving treatment, not being confined?”

    The maid’s eyes widened, as if Yu Xiao had said something completely absurd. “But Miss, don’t you remember? People in town have been falling ill for weeks! No one knows why, and no one can cure them! Master Zhang, the Taoist priest, says it is the wrath of the gods, punishing the guilty! The Master fears that you will bring misfortune upon the entire household! It is for the best, Miss, truly!”

    Yu Xiao leaned against the wall, her mind spinning. So, this was not just a case of familial poisoning? This illness…it was affecting the entire town?

    She glanced at the boarded-up door, then at the high courtyard walls surrounding her.

    “Nightmare,” she murmured, “can you fly?”

    “I can transform into a bird, if that’s what you mean,” came the muffled reply from her backpack.

    “And could you…take me with you?”

    “…I could probably manage a larger bird,” Nightmare conceded.

    The Yu family manor stood on a hill, overlooking the town. Its grand facade was a stark contrast to the shuttered windows and deserted streets below. For weeks, a strange illness had plagued the townspeople, and fear, like a suffocating fog, had settled over the once-bustling marketplace. Even the wealthy Yu family, accustomed to a life of privilege and comfort, had retreated behind closed doors.

    One morning, a solitary figure walked along the dusty road leading towards the manor. He was young, dressed in simple robes of a Taoist priest, radiating a calm serenity despite the unease that permeated the town.

    The young Taoist, who was barely in his twenties, made a striking impression. His long, dark hair was casually pulled back into a bun, with a few strands escaping to frame his delicate face. Although his skin was pale, his lips even paler, his eyes had a dark and intense gaze that contradicted his youthful appearance. Framed by brows that slanted upwards at the edges, his eyes held a depth that was captivating.

    His tall and slender figure was accentuated by the loose black robes he wore, which billowed around him like smoke as he moved.

    Pausing at the entrance of the Yu family manor, he lingered his gaze on the ornate plaque hanging above the imposing doors. He contemplated pounding on the wood, but something held him back. Instead, he raised his fist to gently knock.

    A sudden gust of wind swept through the courtyard, blowing his hair across his face. He squinted and shielded his eyes as he looked up.

    A massive, pitch-black bird circled overhead, flapping its wings with powerful strokes. Upon its back sat a figure that suspiciously resembled a human. Rather than flying far, it chose to circle the manor as if awaiting something.

    The Taoist priest observed it for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a sigh, he reached into his sleeve and retrieved a mobile phone.

    “I really want to live for another five hundred years…” A faint, tinny melody echoed from the bird as the call connected.

    “Hello?” a woman’s voice answered. “Where are you? Have you found the Yu residence?”

    “Look down.”

    Yu Xiao, gripping onto the transformed Nightmare’s back, tilted her head. Below, a lone figure stood in the deserted street.

    “Divine Eagle! “

    The bird swooped down, gracefully landing on the cobblestones. In a flash of light, it transformed into a handsome young man with artfully tousled hair and a crisp white shirt.

    Yu Xiao descended to the ground, her eyes fixated on the Taoist. Could this possibly be Wide Sea and Sky? She had pictured him countless times over the weeks. Initially, she had imagined an elderly man, but Teng Jing Zhi had mentioned that Wide Sea and Sky had only been fourteen when he entered the hospital. So, she had then envisioned a teenage boy, all limbs and nervous energy.

    The reality, however, surpassed her expectations.

    He was observing her just as intently. “Wide Sea and Sky?” she cautiously asked.

    “Mm-hmm.”

    “But how…?” Yu Xiao gestured at him, her eyes taking in his appearance from head to toe. “You look like a real Taoist priest!”

    “My current identity is that of a Taoist priest residing in a Taoist temple,” he replied, his expression as serious as ever.

    “Wow,” she said, a touch of jealousy in her voice. “Your hair even changes to match your role? Misty and Precious are going to be so envious.”

    He didn’t bother explaining that it was actually his real hair. Years spent in the Horror Hospital, with no access to barbers and very little personal grooming, had resulted in its current state.

    “What happened with Qu Lian?” she asked, changing the subject. “Did he escape?”

    “He did,” he said. “He was incredibly determined to get away. I couldn’t stop him.”

    Yu Xiao winced internally. The attending doctor had been that scared of Tang Xing Yin?

    “Come on, let’s find the others.” She fell into step beside him, Nightmare trailing behind silently. “Did you manage to learn anything useful? I’ve come across an interesting clue. It seems this poison is affecting the whole town. There’s a rumour going around that it’s divine retribution, a punishment for their sins.”

    Tang Xing Yin, walking on Yu Xiao’s other side, glanced at Nightmare. “And what is he?”

    Nightmare met his gaze, narrowing his eyes.

    “That’s Nightmare,” Yu Xiao said quickly. “Do you know him?”

    “I believe I’ve heard his name before,” Tang Xing Yin replied.

    “He’s incredibly powerful,” Yu Xiao said, puffing up with pride. “He can control people’s dreams. You know how you always have nightmares? He can change them for you. Give you a nice, peaceful sleep.”

    The effect was immediate. Tang Xing Yin stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on Nightmare. “Could you… lend him to me? Just for a few days?”

    “…” Yu Xiao looked from Tang Xing Yin’s unusually eager expression to Nightmare, who had abandoned his glare in favour of a pathetic, pleading look. This wasn’t going to be easy.

    “This is…” Yu Xiao trailed off, scratching her head. “It’s not that simple. I’m not his master.”

    Tang Xing Yin wouldn’t be deterred. “It’s just for a few days,” he insisted.

    “That’s not really how it works.” Yu Xiao felt a blush creep up her neck. “He needs to agree too…”

    Before she could finish, Tang Xing Yin grabbed her arm and pulled her aside. In a flash, their positions were reversed, Tang Xing Yin now walking between Yu Xiao and Nightmare.

    He fixed his gaze on him. “What will it take to convince you?”

    A beat of silence stretched between them. Then, Nightmare took two deliberate steps back, coming to stand on Yu Xiao’s other side. Yu Xiao found herself back in the middle, sandwiched between them.

    “He can’t speak?” Tang Xing Yin sounded surprised.

    “Oh, he can.” Yu Xiao rushed to clarify. “He can speak perfectly well.”

    Tang Xing Yin frowned, tapping a finger against his chin. “Then his mind must be… addled? He doesn’t understand what I’m saying?”

    “Well…” Yu Xiao could practically feel the heat radiating off Nightmare, a silent promise of impending eruption. She quickly took his hand, hoping to placate him. “His mind is just fine. He’s simply not fond of strangers. Let’s find our friend first, then we can discuss Nightmare’s… situation.”

    Disappointment flickered across Tang Xing Yin’s face, but he held his tongue.

    Yu Xiao pulled out her phone and dialled. “Misty, where are you?”

    Zhao Lan’s voice was breathless, panicked. “I’m… by the river. I don’t know exactly where.”

    “Why are you out of breath?” Yu Xiao frowned, a knot of worry forming in her stomach. “What’s going on?”

    “Someone’s chasing me!” The wind whipped through the phone speaker. “This creep cornered me with a rope – thought he was going to tie me up or something, so I, well, I might have overreacted slightly. Like, beating him up badly. Suddenly I’ve got a mob on my tail, screaming about me being a criminal. I think my current identity might be a wanted one.”

    Yu Xiao grimaced. The town’s obsession with the poisoned legend was proving to be a real problem. Anyone exhibiting poisoned symptoms was instantly branded a sinner, marked for punishment.

    “Misty, just keep running along the river,” Yu Xiao instructed, keeping her voice calm. “We’ll find you. Just stay near the riverbank.”

    Before Yu Xiao could even lower her phone, Tang Xing Yin’s hand clamped down on her shoulder, spinning her around. “The river’s this way,” he said, pointing towards the left fork in the road.

    “How do you know?” she asked, scrambling to follow him.

    “There’s a Taoist temple by the river,” he replied, a crease forming between his brows. “Someone chased me there earlier.”

    Clearly, the entire town shared the same prejudice against the poisoned – capture or contain, as if their very presence was infectious.

    Yu Xiao wasn’t particularly worried about the others; the second hospital escapees seemed fearless enough, having attacked their own doctor. No, it was Misty and Precious who were most vulnerable. They needed to be found first.

    The streets were unnervingly deserted as they hurried through the town. An unsettling silence hung in the air.

    Finally, the sound of rushing water reached their ears. Yu Xiao picked up the pace, her thoughts flying ahead to Misty. But as they rounded a bend, the riverbank came into view, and her heart plummeted.

    The riverbank wasn’t deserted at all. It was swarming with people.

    Confused, Yu Xiao scanned the bustling crowd. Why was everyone gathered here, when the rest of the town seemed deserted?

    She tapped the shoulder of a middle-aged woman at the edge of the throng. “Excuse me,” she asked, “what’s going on here? It seems rather lively.”

    The woman scowled, rounding on her. “Lively? What’s lively about it? A criminal jumped in the river.”

    Yu Xiao’s blood ran cold. She pushed forward, straining to see. And there, bobbing in the water, was a figure she knew all too well. It couldn’t be… could it?