The World Below Surface

The shock was palpable when the trio came back.

“Lin Chu, what the hell happened to Fang Tu?” Ling Tong blurted out soon as he saw them.

Everyone’s attention snapped to Lin Chu and Jiang Bai, who looked like they had just escaped from hell. Lin Chu cringed and shook her head, “It wasn’t me, I swear. It was the bastard who blew up the place.”

Jiang Bai and Qiu Zhi backed her up. Qiu Zhi gently lowered the corpse he had been hauling on his shoulder and said solemnly, “She’s telling the truth. I was there. I saw everything. You can’t keep blaming her for everything.” He proceeded to tell them the harrowing story of what had transpired.

“Who the fuck is this guy?”

They all knew Qiu Zhi was a good man, a simple man. He wouldn’t lie for anyone. His words eased some of the tension and suspicion that had been building up around Lin Chu and Jiang Bai.

Except for Jiang Yu. His eyes were like daggers, piercing through Lin Chu’s soul.

Yi Zhen Zhen had dreamed of Lu Yan’s twisted face before she died.

Yan Hao Yue had gone to the police station to identify her body, pointing fingers at Lin Chu, before she met her own end.

And now, Fang Tu was gone too.

He had to have seen something, right?

Something that linked Lin Chu to the mysterious bomber.

Qiu Zhi’s testimony only made Jiang Yu more curious and more wary of her. He wanted to know more: why would the bomber spare Lin Chu? Why would he help her?

Lin Chu hid behind Qiu Zhi and muttered, “Thank you. I appreciate it. But it’s no use. I know they all think I’m guilty.”

She didn’t have to say it. Qiu Zhi knew. He knew why they all doubted her.

He would have doubted her too, if he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes.

**

On the other side of town, Lu Yan slumped against a wall, trying to catch his breath.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight, not with the ghost haunting his eyes.

He understood now. The ghost that haunted him was his own dying self from the future, a twisted copy made by the jade pendant of Pisces. That future self had travelled back to this time, but he had not come alone. He had brought the ghost with him.

And the ghost, the "replica" spawned by the pendant, had an instinctive urge to seek out its original self.

His future self had revealed this to him, so he had no doubt about his intentions. Why else would he avoid showing himself to his present self? Because he feared the eye that could see him. The eye that would trigger the ghost's relentless pursuit.

Lu Yan, the original one, had not slept for days.

So... that's why he needed to deliberately appear in front of his past self and let his eyes see him.

He, marred by burn scars, closed his eyes - and all he saw was blood.

As he expected...

Now, it was his turn to be sleepless.

He could not afford to encounter his future self again, because the ghost that followed him wanted nothing more than to find the "original self", the one from his own time.

If that happened, his future self would surely die!

He switched his medication, got up, and left.

**

Lu Yan was exhausted inside the small building. His ragged appearance was not entirely fake. He knew he would never sleep if he did not get rid of the fierce ghost in his eye.

Pretending to rest, he went back to his room and tried to close his eyes.

The blood-red figure that haunted his vision... was gone?

How? What had changed today?

The surprise was too much, banishing his sleepiness. Lu Yan racked his brain, and could only think of one reason: he had met his future self today.

So, the ghost had moved to the other one?

Well, he was not going to complain. The temporary relief made him relax considerably, and he drifted off on the bed.

After he fell asleep, a shadow crept into his room.

He gazed at the sleeping figure on the bed, a mirror image of himself save for the jagged scar that marred his left cheek. He gave another quick spray of the potion over the young man’s nose and mouth, making sure he would not stir from his slumber as he rummaged through the room.

But the flyer was nowhere to be found.

A surge of panic rose in his chest. Where could it have gone?

He heard the heavy footsteps approaching the door and swiftly slipped into the wardrobe, closing it behind him.

The door opened with a creak, and Xi Men Yuan entered, followed by Lin Chu and a few other taskers.

“Did you drug him?” Xi Men Yuan demanded.

Lin Chu nodded nervously. “Yes, I did. I watched him drink it.”

“Good girl. You’ve done well,” Xi Men Yuan said, patting her shoulder. He walked over to the bed and looked down at the unconscious man.

Lu Yan, concealed in the wardrobe, clenched his axe behind his back.

He knew better than to peek through the gap. Xi Men Yuan was too alert for that. He listened carefully, trying to guess what they were doing.

Xi Men Yuan had come for a simple reason: he had seen the surveillance footage of him leaving the library. He must have found something there, something that could expose this place secrets.

“What’s this?” Xi Men Yuan said, picking up a book from the bedside table.

It was an art book, bearing the library’s seal on the cover. He flipped through the pages, but they seemed to be nothing but sketches and paintings.

Lin Chu felt a jolt of fear in her heart.

She recognized some of the drawings. She had seen them before, on her last mission, in the Village of the Heavenly Immortals, in the hidden tomb, and… in the mural at the village chief’s house.

Could it be that all these missions were linked?

Who was the mysterious figure buried in the ancient tomb?

“This book is suspicious. He must have taken it from the library for a reason,” Xi Men Yuan said, tucking the book under his arm and going outside.

“Search the room. See if you can find any other clues. Especially his identification,” Tan Xu instructed. “We need something to confirm his identity.”

Lu Yan was not worried. He had taken care of that. He had burned all his papers, leaving no trace of who he was. They would find nothing, no matter how hard they searched.

The room was a hive of activity, as a group of people scoured every inch of it for clues. On the bed, Lu Yan lay motionless, his eyes closed and his breathing shallow. He had been deprived of sleep for days, and now he was under the influence of a double dose of sleeping drugs.

Other Lu Yan felt the vibrations of footsteps on the floor, getting closer to the wardrobe where he was hiding. He pressed his back against the wooden wall, his muscles coiled and his heart pounding.

One step.

Two steps.

He heard two voices, talking near the wardrobe.

“Do you think there’s anything in there?”

“We should check it anyway. You never know what Jiang Bai might have hidden. He’s a suspicious bastard.”

Lu Yan heard the sound of a hand grabbing the door handle. He clenched his fists and prepared to launch himself out of the wardrobe.

Suddenly, a loud gasp came from the other side of the room.

“Lin Chu, what are you doing again?” the male voice snapped.

"It's nothing, I just wasn't paying attention, bumped into something, sorry."

Lu Yan saw his chance. He pushed the wardrobe door open with all his strength, sending the man flying across the room. He crashed into the opposite wall with a thud and slid to the floor, unconscious.

Lu Yan emerged from the wardrobe, his face covered with scars.

“What’s happening?” a voice shouted from outside the room.

Lu Yan didn’t wait to find out. He ran to the window and jumped out, landing on the street below. He saw two figures following him, Tan Xu and Qiu Zhi.

Xi Men Yuan came back and scanned the scene. He saw the man on the floor, the wardrobe door open, and the window broken.

“What’s going on?” he asked, bending down to check the man’s pulse.

Guan Zhi Hua’s eyes fluttered open, and he stared at the window with a vacant expression. He raised a trembling finger and croaked, “Mr. Ximen, that’s him! The fugitive you’re looking for, he was hiding in the wardrobe. I swear, I saw his face, it’s him!”

(管志华 could be interpreted as “a magnificent ambition under control” or “a splendid will for China”.)

"Is that so?" Xi Men Yuan murmured softly. He ignored the man’s claim and asked him something else, “What about Lin Chu? Did you see him talking to her?”

“Lin Chu?” Guan Zhi Hua repeated, his brow furrowing. “No, I don’t think so. They didn’t seem to have any connection.”

Lin Chu sobbed, “I told you, I don’t know him, I have nothing to do with him…”

“Silence,” Xi Men Yuan snapped, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t think you’re safe just because Fang Tu is not here. We can still make you talk.”

Lin Chu clamped her mouth shut, her eyes wide with terror.

They searched the room thoroughly, but they only found a book. Nothing else. Xi Men Yuan felt a surge of frustration.

The mission was getting harder and harder, as if the truth was slipping away from them. The town was in chaos, with explosions rocking the streets. The residents had lost their sense of humanity, and they were hostile to any outsiders. And when they asked them about the missing people, they refused to answer.

How long would it take them to find the missing?

Xi Men Yuan walked back to the bed, where the sleeping man lay. He looked peaceful, his thin body and pale face giving him a fragile appearance. He could have been an ordinary painter.

But wait!

Where were his painting tools? Why was there not even a scrap of paper in his room?

How did he paint?

Xi Men Yuan’s gaze darkened as he stared at Lu Yan, the suspicion growing in his mind. Lin Chu noticed his expression, but she didn’t care. She stood by the wall, her face wet with tears.

She had a feeling that he was not really asleep, that he was just playing a game with them. So she kept quiet.

Xi Men Yua studied the prone figure for a long moment, weighing his options. Then he spoke, his voice low and firm.

"When Tan Xu and Qiu Zhi get back, take him to where the festival is supposed to be."

The festival...

That damn flyer haunted them, refusing to burn or tear or fade. They had planned to join the festivities in the square, but fate had other ideas.

It was almost as if... someone or something didn't want them to see what was going on there.

Xi Men Yuan felt a surge of anxiety, mixed with a dash of recklessness. He knew he was taking a risk. But... they had lost almost half of their group, and they were still clueless. If they didn't change their strategy soon, they might all end up dead before they could find Lu Yan and the other missing one!

Soon enough, Tan Xu and Qiu Zhi came back.

Tan Xu's face was a mask of stoicism, while Qiu Zhi's was a storm of anger: "He got away, the bastard. He ran like a rabbit, knew every nook and cranny of this place."

"I see." He kept his words brief, and gave them a new order.

He knew Qiu Zhi would never agree to kill someone outright. But this was different. This was just moving the unconscious Jiang Bai to another location, a location he had expressed interest in. Qiu Zhi nodded and hoisted Jiang Bai over his shoulder.

Lin Chu sensed something was off as she watched them.

Was he really knocked out or just playing possum?

No way, right?

She made a feeble plea, "Can I come along?"

But her eyes weren't on Jiang Bai, but on Qiu Zhi with a look of gratitude, and she also grabbed his sleeve.

It seemed that because Qiu Zhi had defended her, she didn't want to part with him.

He gave her a puzzled look and shrugged his consent.

As they were about to leave, they ran into another bunch of people.

As Jiang Yu walked into the courtyard with Di Ying and Ling Tong by his side, he gasped at the sight of Qiu Zhi hauling Jiang Bai’s limp body over his shoulder.

“Where are you going with him, Xi Men Yuan?” Di Ying demanded, her voice sharp with suspicion.

Xi Men Yuan shot her a disdainful look. “Stop poking your nose into everything. You won’t find any answers here. We need to take a risk and see what happens.”

Jiang Yu blocked their path, his eyes wide with alarm. “A risk? Are you insane? You could get us all killed!”

They glared at each other, tension crackling in the air.

The sun was sinking low in the sky, bathing the courtyard in a faint yellow light. “Jiang Bai” lay still and silent, unaware of the chaos he had caused.

But the chaos was not over yet.

A flash of metal caught their attention. A small knife was hurtling down from the roof, aimed straight at Xi Men Yuan’s heart.

“— Look out!”

Xi Men Yuan froze, too late to dodge. But Tan Xu sprang into action, shoving him out of harm’s way. The knife hit the ground with a loud thud, embedding itself deep into the crevice between the tiles.

“Who?”

They all whipped their heads up, searching for the source of the attack. There, on the second floor, they saw a figure leaning out of the window, half-hidden by the shadows. That figure… that figure was the one behind the explosions!

He had been hiding in this building all along! He had heard everything they had said.

Suddenly, “Jiang Bai” was no longer the prime suspect.

Lu Yan, the real culprit, swung an axe over his shoulder and scrambled back onto the roof, hoping to make a getaway.

**

The town’s cultural festival took place at the sports square, not far from a school.

The school had not escaped the blasts that had rocked the town. It had been shut down temporarily, forcing the students to study from home.

The principal had decided to rent out the vacant dormitories, and a bunch of strangers had moved in, bringing their luggage with them.

They were a ragtag bunch of actors, hired by the town for a special occasion. Death had been busy in the town lately, and every home had a funeral to mourn. Their business boomed as they sang for the departed souls. But they had made a promise to perform at the cultural festival, so the leader of the troupe chose to camp near the festival grounds.

Huang Li (黄鹂: “a yellow oriole” or “a cheerful songbird”), who always donned the dresses and wigs of female roles, felt a chill in his bones as he entered the school’s courtyard. "Why does this school give me the creeps?"

He had every reason to be creeped out.

The sun was sinking low, casting long shadows over the school. No lights were on, and a murder of crows cawed and flapped over the playground, just beyond the school gate. The school looked old and neglected, with moss and cobwebs creeping over the walls and windows.

A loud caw from a crow startled him.

Huo Gang (霍刚: “a strong descendant of Huo” or “a resolute leader”), who played the brave and heroic male roles, tried to calm him down. "Maybe it's because it's the holidays and there's no one here? The students must have gone back to their families."

Fan Min (范泯: “a vanishing legacy of Fan” or “a fading memory”), who specialised in making people laugh with his antics, smirked and winked. "Or maybe it's because schools are often haunted, you know? They say they're built on top of graveyards, and only the students' positive energy can keep the ghosts at bay..."

"Shut up!" Huang Li snapped, his eyes wide with fear. "Or I'll sock you one!"

Fan Min, clutching his luggage, dodged his fist. "Hey! Easy there!"

Huang Li lunged at him, but Huo Gang held him back. "Enough, you two. We need to rest and save our voices for tomorrow."

The leader of the troupe flicked his cigarette away, his face grim. "Get to the dorms, and stay there. Don't wander around at night."

His words silenced the others, who quickly grabbed their luggage and headed for the building.

The dormitory was on the opposite side of the school gate. The school was spacious, with well-kept gardens, lush shrubs, and towering trees. Even though it was still winter, the greenery was vibrant.

The cold wind whistled, stirring up dust and dead leaves.

Little green sparks flashed here and there, floating and dancing.

Jin Can Can (金灿灿: “a golden brightness” or “a metal of glory and splendour”), the only girl in the troupe, gasped. "Wow! Fireflies!"

She looked at her father. "Dad, can I catch one?"

The leader stomped on his cigarette butt, snorting. "Catch what bugs? No, get to the dorms!"

His name was Jin Fu Gui (金富贵: golden wealth and nobility” or “a metal of fortune and honour”), and he used to play the male warrior roles. He had a son and a daughter. His son, Jin Yuan Bao (金元宝" “a golden ingot” or “a metal of value and luck”), hated school and loved games. His daughter, Jin Can Can, had grown up around the stage; she wasn't passionate, but she could carry a tune.

Jin Can Cans expression turned sour as she gazed at the dormitory building looming ahead of them. She bit her tongue and vented her frustration by kicking pebbles along the way.

"Don't worry, Can Can, later I'll catch two fireflies for you and put them in the lanterns," her brother, Jin Yuan Bao, whispered in her ear.

His words worked like magic. Jin Can Can's face lit up with a smile.

The dormitory building was a towering relic of the past, its facade stained and cracked by years of neglect. It was hard to tell what colour it had been originally, white or beige or something else. Dust and cobwebs clung to the iron railing of the gate, giving it a haunted look.

Jin Can Can shuddered as she stepped closer to the gate. She hated this place. It looked like a haunted house from a horror movie. "This place is so old and gross. When was the last time they fixed anything here?" she complained, wrinkling her nose.

As she stepped closer, a rat scurried out from under a bush and ran across her feet, making her scream and jump back, clutching Huo Gang's arm.

Jin Yuan Bao snorted and put his phone away, ready to help with the luggage. "Scaredy-cat," he teased her.

"You're the scaredy-cat! You'd wet your pants if a rat touched you!" she retorted, glaring at him.

Huo Gang looked around, puzzled. "Didn't they say all the students have gone home? Why are there still lights on in the dormitory building?"

He was right. There were several windows that glowed with a faint light, suggesting that someone was still inside.

Jin Fu Gui, their father, cleared his throat and said, "The school said some students stay in the dorms instead of going home, it's quite lively, adds to the atmosphere." He glanced at a notice on the wall and continued, "The first to third floors are for boys' dorms, and the fourth to sixth floors are for girls. You guys will be staying in rooms 305, 306, and 307, don't wander upstairs, got it?"

"Got it," the group of young man nodded in unison.

"What about me, Dad?" Jin Can Can asked.

"You'll be in room 402, there are two other girls staying there, you won't be alone."

"Okay," Jin Can Can felt a little relieved, but she was still nervous about living in this spooky dormitory building.

Just then, two boys came down from upstairs, one of them carrying a basketball. They stopped in their tracks when they saw the newcomers at the entrance.

"Who are you guys?"

Jin Fu Gui smiled awkwardly and said, "Young students, we are from the Fu Gui Opera Troupe, permitted by the school to stay temporarily..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence, as the boy with the basketball cut him off. "Oh, I see, I see. The teacher told us about you. Nice to meet you. My grandmother is a big fan of operas. She might ask you to sing for her..."

The other boy, who wore glasses, nudged him, "Qiang Zi, stop talking and help them with their luggage, will you?"

"Sure, sure."

As the two young lads amiably helped them lug their bags up the shabby building, they chatted and pointed out various features and trivia along the way. Their genuine friendliness and helpfulness made everyone temporarily forget about the dismal surroundings.

At that moment, another group of people arrived at the school gate.

One of them was a tall man with a limp body slung over his shoulder.

Jiang Yu had made sure to give “Jiang Bai” a hefty dose of sedative before they left. He didn’t want him to regain consciousness and make a run for it.

Qiu Zhi had refused to have anything to do with the stolen drugs, so he had sent Tan Xu to the hospital to get them instead.

Lin Chu was a bundle of nerves. She feared that this time, Lu Yan had gone too far and gotten himself into real trouble. She had insisted on coming with them, despite their protests. As she stood at the gate with the others, she felt a cold draft of air that made her shiver.

“Come on, let’s go.”

There were no hotels near the gymnasium, only this school. They had heard that a drama troupe had taken up residence here, and that some students still lingered on the campus.

Maybe he would be safe here, for now.

They made their way to the dormitory building.

**

In another world before the mission started.

An Ru lay on the bed, gasping for breath. He felt like he had been run over by a truck.

But the pain in his body was nothing compared to the turmoil in his mind.

He had spent the last few months hunting down Lin Chu, convinced that she was the one who had killed his son, An Xing Yu. He had vowed to make her pay, no matter the cost. But now, he had learned that his son’s death was not a simple murder, but a supernatural phenomenon. A ghost had taken his life, and possibly his soul.

How could he cope with this revelation? It shattered his sense of reality and filled him with guilt.

Did he still have a reason to seek revenge?

How could he seek revenge? Who could he seek revenge on?

An Xing Yu… his poor, innocent son, where was he now?

How could he bring him back home?

He buried his face in his hands and sobbed. “My… my son…”

His hair had turned white from the stress and grief. The nurses who came to check on him felt pity for him. They changed his medicine and left him alone, closing the door softly behind them.

A wave of agony and disorientation crashed over him, making him feel like his skull was in a vise. He barely registered a faint sound.

A voice was hissing in his ear.

“What is the task… the task?”

An Ru screwed his eyes shut, struggling to make sense of the words.

“This Saturday, go… go to the city centre aquarium, and then…”

He was not alone in hearing the voice. All over the globe, countless others received the same cryptic message

They were all newcomers.

They had no clue that the tasks they were given were meant for another world, or that there were others like them, bound by this secret ordeal. They were also unaware of a website where they could share information, seek help, or scheme against each other.

With no guidance from the veterans, many newcomers wrote off the voice as a delusion and paid it no heed.

But it was irrelevant. This time, the task required a large number of participants. Even if some of them questioned the voice and the dream, it was irrelevant.

Chu Xiu had no clue that his careless move, following Lin Chu's advice, would expose the existence of a group of naive newcomers who were given tasks that could be completed in this world alone.

Without An Ru, this group of taskers might have never stumbled upon the website, or they might have died before they could, and their fate would be lost.

An Ru had no idea of the chaos he would unleash. He only wondered if this was the sort of task his son had faced before.

What had he endured?

An Ru yanked the syringe from his arm and stormed out of the room.

He found an internet cafe, entered the URL that Chu Xiu had given him, and followed the instructions to create an account. Then he spilled everything he knew.

The sun was on the verge of rising. Lin Chu, Jiang Yu, Di Ying, Xi Men Yuan, and the rest from this world were gathering at the assigned spot, ready to embark on their journey to another world.

They didn't bother to check the website, so they missed a vital piece of information that could have helped them unravel the mystery of the world.

With a cautious gaze, Chu Xiu surveyed the designated mission zone, maintaining a safe distance from it. He had no intention of going in.

He believed that this assignment was a death trap, since the mission was to eliminate Lu Yan. He doubted that anyone could pull off such a feat.

That was why he respected Lin Chu's courage, even if it bordered on madness, for volunteering for this suicide task in pursuit of a greater goal.

Out of habit, he took out his phone and unlocked it, tapping on the icon of the tasker website he frequented.

And then he saw it.

His eyes widened in disbelief…

**

With a final sweep of her hand, Jin Can Can brushed off the last specks of dust from her clothes and smiled brightly. “All done!” she announced. “Let’s go eat. I bet my dad cooked something yummy.”

“Sounds good to me.” Her new roommate nodded.

They grabbed their lunchboxes and slipped on their slippers.

As soon as they were gone, the restroom door that they had left slightly ajar slammed shut with a loud bang.

There was no breeze. No draft. Nothing that could explain the sudden movement.

The girls didn't hear it, nor did they look back. They were too busy following their noses to the source of the delicious smell that wafted from the ground floor.

“Dad! What did you make?” Jin Can Can called out as she ran towards the kitchen.

Jin Yuan Bao handed her a bowl without looking up from his game. “We’re having spicy hotpot tonight. I want fish tofu; save me some, you pig.”

“Humph! I’ll eat it all!” Jin Yuan Bao retorted. The two siblings had similar tastes, so they always competed for their favourite food.

Jin Fu Gui had plugged in an extension cord to power the induction cooker. The pot was simmering with a rich and spicy broth, filled with various ingredients. There were no serving chopsticks, so they had to fish out what they wanted on their own.

Jin Can Can reached for a handful of fish tofu and dumped it into her bowl. Jin Yuan Bao tried to grab some too, but she slapped his hand away. They started a tug-of-war over the pot, giggling and teasing each other. They moved closer to the door, unaware of the tall man who was about to enter.

“Oh, sorry.” Jin Can Can apologised quickly, checking her bowl. The fish tofu was still there. She looked up at the man and asked, “Are you…”

She stopped mid-sentence. Her eyes fell on the man on his back. He was pale and limp, his eyes closed. He looked like he was dead.

Qiu Zhi had Jiang Bai slung over his shoulder, barely avoiding the collision. He gave the group a brief glance and said, "You're staying at the school, right? So are we. I'm Qiu Zhi."

Tan Xu trailed behind him, carrying Jiang Bai’s backpack. "It's just the two of us, no one else." He pointed at the unconscious man on Qiu Zhi's back. "He's Jiang Bai, also staying at the school. We could use some help."

Qiu Zhi found an empty seat and laid Jiang Bai down gently. He was still out cold, and if Qiu Zhi hadn't checked his pulse and breathing, he would have thought he was dead.

Tan Xu put Jiang Bai’s backpack next to him and nodded to the others. “Thank you for your help.”

And so, this group of strangers found themselves in charge of an unconscious man.