Translator: CinderTL
Chen Yi was getting closer and closer from behind, now only five meters away. Even the eyes hidden behind her wet, long hair could be clearly seen.
A pair of crimson eyes.
Paired with her bright red dress, it looked even more eerie.
What sent chills down the spine was that Chen Yi's legs weren't moving, as if some sinister force was controlling her.
She was following their car.
Moreover, the car had started to slow down. At this rate, in just a few seconds, Chen Yi's outstretched hand would be able to grab the car door.
There was no time left; a decision had to be made. Hua Luo glanced at the panicked Chu Jiu beside him, reached out, and slowly approached the door she was pressed against. In the moment he pulled it open, he pushed her out.
Just as Chu Jiu fell, light began to appear at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel.
Hua Luo seemed to ignite with new hope. He immediately moved to the driver's seat, pushed aside the cumbersome long dress, and stomped on the accelerator, heading straight for the light ahead.
The car roared with a wild growl.
But just as it was about to exit the tunnel, the car suddenly jolted, and the entire vehicle began to deform, as if it had crashed into an invisible wall.
Yet there was clearly nothing in front of it!
The tremendous inertia left no time for Hua Luo to think. He was thrown out of the car by the force, landing heavily on the ground before crashing into the rocky wall of the tunnel.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body feeling as if it had been shattered.
Leaning weakly against the rock wall, every breath brought up large amounts of bloody foam.
His lungs were pierced by broken ribs, and a metal rod had penetrated his body from an awkward angle. He could barely even lift his hand.
His vision was also filled with blood, everything he saw seemed to be tinted with a layer of crimson. He gasped heavily, still clutching a piece of paper tightly in his hand.
A dark red shadow stood in front of him, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his head.
The next second, a tremendous force twisted and broke his wrist.
Hua Luo gritted his teeth, not making a sound. He tried to reach out with his other hand to stop it, but that arm was severed at the elbow.
The piece of paper... was finally taken by the figure.
But the moment the paper was opened, the dark red figure suddenly froze. The paper... was completely blank, with nothing on it.
As if realizing something, the figure, filled with resentment, immediately turned to look back into the darkness. But in the next second, her leg was tightly grabbed.
"Chu Jiu!" Hua Luo shouted into the darkness with bloodshot eyes, "Run into the darkness, don't look back!!"
About a few dozen meters away, a small figure struggled to stand up, staggering as she ran deeper into the darkness, the piece of paper in her hand fluttering wildly in the wind.
30 meters.
20 meters.
10 meters.
5 meters... Chu Jiu ran with all her might, clutching the painting that represented hope. Only by showing this painting to Lin Chen could this mission be brought to an end.
Only then would their deaths not be in vain.
Her tears fell like a broken string. Just as Hua Luo had predicted, the Ghost's target wasn't concerned with who it killed; it wanted the painting that could end everything.
And the Ghost's range of control must have a limit. Only by luring the Ghost to himself could Chu Jiu have a chance to survive and deliver the information.
The result proved that he had gambled correctly.
Chu Jiu found the Gate they had entered through at a corner of the tunnel.
To be more precise, it was a massive picture frame.
From here, she could leave the world confined within the painting.
But just as she pushed open the Gate, a hand landed on her shoulder from behind, "Jiu Jiu."
Chu Jiu's eyes narrowed sharply.
It was Sister Chen Yi's voice, and it was filled with pain and longing, clearly not wanting Chu Jiu to abandon her.
"Jiu Jiu," Chen Yi continued, "I'm in so much pain! I've been left in this tunnel, it's so dark here. I've walked for so long but can't find a way out. I thought I was going to die here, but luckily, you came, you finally came."
"You'll save me, won't you?" Chen Yi's voice was full of hope, "Jiu Jiu, you've always been the best to me, you won't abandon me, will you?"
"Chu Jiu." Another hand landed on her other shoulder, this one covered in blood.
"Cough, cough, cough." It was Hua Luo's voice, and he seemed severely injured, "It hurts so much, but luckily Chen Yi saved me. Chu Jiu, quick... give me a hand, let's... cough, let's get out together."
"Hurry! It'll be too late if we don't move now."
Tears welled up in Chu Jiu's eyes as her body trembled. She slowly reached out her hands but didn't turn around. She grabbed their hands and slowly moved them off her shoulders.
After grabbing Chen Yi's hand, Chu Jiu clearly felt the other's hand pause for a moment.
"I'm sorry," Chu Jiu bit her lip, tears streaming down her face.
The next second, she forcefully pushed open the Gate in front of her.
The moment she stepped through the Gate and returned to the corridor, it was as if all her strength had left her. She fell to her knees with a thud.
"Hold on... we must hold on," Fatty adjusted the person on his back and continued downward.
The corridor was filled with thick smoke and scorching heat. Fatty was navigating purely by instinct.
What was more urgent was that halfway down, they encountered Li Zumei, who had injured her leg. Feeling that supporting her would slow them down, Fatty decided to carry her on his back.
The two had been walking in the corridor for a long time. Fatty mechanically repeated the motion of descending the stairs. Each time he thought they were almost there, but upon looking down, there were still more stairs.
Was this staircase leading to the 18th level of hell?
He cursed in his heart.
"It's... it's okay," he gasped for breath, comforting Li Zumei on his back, "We're almost there. I... I remember the way, we're almost there."
He was worried that Li Zumei would lose hope. Once a person loses hope, very bad things can happen.
But physical strength is limited after all. Fatty's large build was actually a disadvantage in such an environment, and Li Zumei's body seemed to be getting heavier and heavier.
Countless amounts of smoke filled his nostrils, and he began to suffocate. His body felt heavier and heavier.
Finally, he stumbled, and together with Li Zumei on his back, he tumbled down the stairs.
After rolling a few times, Fatty struggled to his feet. The first thing he did was to feel around for Li Zumei, who was no longer in sight.
Soon, he found a hand.
"Are you okay?" Fatty's voice was hoarse from the smoke.
"You... you go on," Li Zumei's voice was weak, clearly aware that she wouldn't make it out, "I can't go any further."
In the next second, Li Zumei felt a hand, scorched by the hot air, grab her arm and pull it insistently toward his shoulder.
"Get on!" Fatty's voice was hoarse. "No more talking, hold your breath, I'll get you out."
(End of the Chapter)
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