"Yu Jing, give me your clothes."
At such a terrifying moment, a clear and elegant voice came from the bathroom behind them. In an instant, Yu Jing snapped back to reality. The terrifying woman's face that had been pressed against the window had vanished without a trace.
Yu Jing's body was still slightly leaning backward, his palm supporting himself on the edge of the bed. His arms and calves trembled faintly, and his palms were drenched in sweat. Even when facing the mutated butcher in the research institute—altered by the bloodstained hand axe—Yu Jing had never experienced such vivid fear.
"O…okay," he stammered.
He shook his head to clear the lingering terror and quickly handed over the clothes, which had already been drained of moisture, to the bathroom.
Yu Xiaoxiao, clad in a short-sleeved shirt, stepped out of the bathroom enveloped in rising steam.
Her damp black hair framed a delicate, exquisite face, and her fair skin emitted a faint fragrance. She looked as pure and flawless as a fairy descending to the mortal world. Yu Jing stood there, stunned, unable to tear his eyes away from her.
Noticing the lingering fear in Yu Jing's gaze, Yu Xiaoxiao asked, "What happened out there just now?"
Yu Jing averted his eyes and replied, "It seems whatever is hiding here is specifically targeting me. Just like Commissioner Lu Chuan said, this inn has probably had its sights on me for a long time. No matter where I teleport in these mountains, the inn appears accordingly… There are still many questions to figure out. I'll take a shower first."
"Mm."
During the hot shower, Yu Jing encountered no further frightening incidents. The rain-soaked clothes had already been completely dried by Yu Jing's plant abilities. When he returned to the room, he found Yu Xiaoxiao sitting on her bed, the quilt covering her lower half.
Yu Jing had initially thought that someone like Yu Xiaoxiao—a young lady from a prominent family—would disdain such a shabby inn.
But from the very beginning, Yu Jing had never seen a trace of the typical 'rich girl' attitude in her mannerisms.
Yu Jing's damp hair and the way he had taken off his hood gave him a somewhat sunny appearance under the light. Yu Xiaoxiao, sitting on the bed, smiled adorably and charmingly at him.
However, just as Yu Jing sat on his own bed, the sound of metal scraping echoed from Yu Xiaoxiao's hands.
In her hands was a small dagger about three inches long. She was carefully sharpening its blade with her fingernails.
More unusually, the surface of the dagger was engraved with strange characters Yu Jing had never seen before, radiating an invisible murderous intent.
"How did your dagger get past security checks?" Yu Jing asked, both surprised and suspicious.
"Didn't Commissioner Lu Chuan say that parts of the body aren't subject to restrictions?" Yu Xiaoxiao replied matter-of-factly. "The human body generally has 206 bones. The bones around the hands and feet joints are absolutely vital and irreplaceable, but some bones aren't strictly necessary. For example, you don't actually need so many ribs protecting your heart."
Without hesitation, Yu Xiaoxiao lifted half of her short-sleeved shirt to reveal a surgical scar across her upper abdomen. Clearly, the dagger normally replaced one of her ribs, hidden within her body.
"Tonight's operation—I know, Yu Jing, you're still hiding some abilities related to your body. Let's work together to kill whatever's lurking in this inn, okay?"
...
On the second floor, the four-person squad formed by new recruits from the Physical Fitness Academy—including Jiang Peng—looked more solemn than ever. They had managed to dry their wet clothes and gathered in a tight circle to discuss the challenges ahead.
The team consisted of three men and one woman.
Jiang Peng was a slight, fragile-looking boy of roughly the same age, admitted to the Medical Academy. The only girl in the group was a disciple of the Arts Academy. The last member was a man in his thirties with deep, piercing eyes and a face covered in stubble.
There were three ways to gain admission to the Imperial Hua Academy of Abilities:
First, through cooperation with major corporations or great families who receive an annual recommendation slot, or via an official letter of recommendation from the Chanar Empire government. This path grants direct entry without any examination.
Second, ordinary families or companies with ties to the Imperial Hua Academy submit candidate information three months in advance to the Admissions Office. Qualified applicants receive acceptance letters directly.
Third—and the most common method—authorized institutions across all districts of the Chanar Empire, such as research institutes, military districts, and potential academies, conduct rigorous testing on civilians meeting physical criteria. Those who score high enough gain admission.
However, the third method often results in many deaths.
Yu Jing was admitted through this third route. Why Yu Xiaoxiao—who came from a powerful family—also had to participate in the testing remained unknown.
Among the four, Jiang Peng and the age-similar boy and girl came from ordinary middle-class families, their good physiques passing the academy's internal screening. The man in his thirties was the only survivor of the military district's tests—muscular, tough, and bearing eyes that seemed to have emerged from hell itself.
"No one here likely has experience fighting real ghosts," Jiang Peng said, looking at the group. "Compared to actual combat experience, this uncle here, who walked over the corpses of his comrades in the military district, should be the most seasoned. Uncle, what are your thoughts and suggestions?"
The man with deep dark circles under his eyes habitually reached into his pocket for a cigarette. Realizing all outside items had been confiscated, he sighed softly and furrowed his brows.
"When I first stepped into this inn, I knew it was several times more dangerous than any nightmare I faced in the military district. Based on my experience, we should focus on two approaches moving forward.
First, we need to find that old woman from earlier—she showed no sign of human scent but moved like a living person—and try to gather information from her. Of course, this is the most dangerous option.
Second, I have a feeling about that inconspicuous young man among the two upstairs. Although he's very good at hiding and avoids drawing attention, he seems to know something about the secrets of this inn. The four of us could try to cooperate with him to gain more information and ensure our safety."
"None of us here have any experience fighting real ghosts. That's my suggestion… Actually, there's another troubling point. There are eight hundred trainees in total at the Physical Training Academy. According to the commissioner, there are only a handful of ghosts in the deep mountain area surrounding Imperial Hua. On average, about one hundred people encounter one ghost."
"But now, counting the two upstairs, there are only six of us trapped in this area… Theoretically, our situation is extremely dangerous, with over a ninety percent chance we'll all die here."
The soldier who had witnessed mountains of corpses and rivers of blood in the army spoke grimly, causing the small squad to grow visibly tense.
"If that's the case, we should try to make contact with Yu Jing and the others. As for Miss Yu's temper, everyone just needs to be a bit patient…"
"Ssss—sssss!"
At that moment, the TV beside them suddenly switched on by itself, and the overhead light dimmed.
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