The World Below Surface

A fiery inferno engulfed the campus, sending tongues of flame licking the night sky.

The bombs were useless against the ghosts. They only brought down the living, crushing them under the weight of the shattered dormitory. The ground trembled with each blast, making Lu Yan stumble and stagger as he tried to flee.

“Damn it, he’s at it again!” Jin Fu Gui cursed, wiping the sweat and dust from his face. “When will this madman stop? How many lives has he taken?”

Lu Yan: “Shut up and run! Where the hell is the gate?”

Jin Fu Gui, panic-stricken: “We can’t get out at night.”

**

Somewhere else, the hooded and masked man pressed another detonator.

**

“What does he want? What is his goal? Is he just a mindless killer?” Jiang Yu muttered, following the news reports. He marked another spot on the map with a small flag.

It was another location that had been bombed by the mysterious attacker.

Apart from residential buildings, the school was also affected. However, the area next to the school, which will be used for cultural festivals, remained undamaged.

“No, look closer.” Xi Men Yuan said, stroking his chin. “The bombings have become less frequent and less concentrated.”

“Maybe he’s running low on explosives?” Di Ying offered.

“That’s a plausible explanation.”

Jiang Yu’s head moved from side to side in a slow, weary gesture of denial. “He’s not running out of bombs. He can whip up a new batch in no time, even if he exhausts his current supply. And he doesn’t care where he plants them. He targets residential buildings, where anything can be a trigger. A gas leak, a faulty appliance, a loose wire. He just needs a spark, and boom.” He spat out the last word with a mix of anger and fear.

He paused, then added, "The only thing we know for sure is that he's slowed down his rampage. For some reason, he's holding back."

He barely finished the sentence when the building they were in trembled violently.

They heard a deafening roar and saw a cloud of dust and debris raining down.

"Shit! Run!" someone screamed.

Jiang Yu couldn’t believe it. He had never thought that the bomber would target them. He had always assumed that they were safe. He realised then that his previous theory was flawed.

**

Lu Yan had done this on purpose.

He had met his future self, who had warned him to go to the cultural festival. He had followed the advice and reduced the frequency of the explosions.

He had wanted to thin out the crowd by the end of the month, to increase his chances of survival.

But he still couldn't get rid of the red figure in his eyes.

Lu Yan let out a bitter sigh.

He was his own worst enemy. That much became clear when his future self spoke the bitter truth, revealing the hateful ghost that lurked behind his eyes, waiting for a chance to strike. The present him had no hope of escaping its wrath, and the future him would die if the ghost ever caught a glimpse of his eyes. There existed only one escape from this convoluted paradox: he had to sacrifice himself, the one in the middle, the one who possessed the key to their intertwined destinies.

He scanned the rooftop, his eyes darting from one corner to another, as he observed the chaotic scene that unfolded below. The panicked crowd scurried in every direction, desperately trying to save their lives while holding onto whatever precious belongings they could. Amongst them, there was a person clutching onto an illustrated book.

That one was Jiang Yu.

Lu Yan wasted no time. He sprinted down the stairs, tossing explosives behind him to scatter the mob.

Fire erupted, painting the night sky in orange and red. Sirens wailed in the distance.

The police were on their way.

He had caused chaos in this town, targeting the police station and hospital within a matter of days. He had become the most wanted criminal, despised and feared by every police officer in the area.

But he didn’t run. He slipped into the shadows, following Jiang Yu’s trail.

Jiang Yu lost his companions in the chaos and headed towards the main road, hoping to find a way out. Suddenly, he sensed a presence behind him and shouted, "Who's there?" as he turned around.

Before he could react, a blow to the head silenced him, causing him to crumple to the ground and fall unconscious.

He regained consciousness after what felt like an eternity.

Opening his eyes, he gasped in horror. The street before him was a desolate wasteland, strewn with debris and scattered body parts. He found himself lying amidst the gruesome aftermath, surrounded by severed limbs and blood-soaked corpses. The nauseating stench of decay and charred flesh invaded his senses.

Frantically, he looked around. Where was the book? The book was gone!

“Jiang, thank God you’re alive!” A group of his task members sprinted towards him from the distance, their faces pale and anxious. “The blast is over, but the cops are clueless. No sign of the bastard who did this.”

Jiang Yu nodded grimly. “I figured.”

He didn't need to be a genius to connect the dots; the previous explosions were all for the sake of that book.

Jiang Yu had calculated the time gap between the two incidents, one at the school and one at their temporary home. It was obvious that the culprit had gone after Jiang Bai first, only to come up empty-handed. Then he had doubled back and struck again.

Son of a bitch…

Jiang Yu clenched his teeth, his resolve hardening: he had to, he would, find this guy and make him pay.

“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Jiang Yu said, wiping the dust and blood off his face. He got to his feet, ignoring the throbbing pain in his head.

Qiu Zhi, who had been trailing behind him, looked concerned. “Shouldn’t you get that wound treated first?”

Jiang Yu shook his head. “No time for that. We have more important things to talk about.”

Their complimentary lodging, provided by the tour guide, was now reduced to rubble. The sudden attack had caught them off guard, and most of their cash had been left behind, now burned to ashes. They were left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the questions in their minds.

The task members who regrouped had to face the harsh reality of survival first.

Luckily, this town was a death trap, and vacancies were plentiful. They could find some odd jobs for the time being, and use the chance to blend in with the locals.

**

Jin Fu Gui’s voice was a shrill whine, punctuated by his ragged breaths. “It’s over, it’s over, what do we do now?” He clutched at Lu Yan’s arm, his eyes wide with panic. “They’ve all turned into ghosts, we can’t leave the school at night.”

Lu Yan shook him off. “If we can’t leave, then we have to find another place to hide for now.”

“Thank goodness you’re here. Hey, Mr. Jiang, truth be told, we’ve burdened you this time,” Jin Fu Gui said as they ran, “I should’ve stopped him earlier, that stinky kid…”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Lu Yan said, ducking a small stone that flew towards him out of nowhere, “Did the principal mention anything else to you?”

“No, nothing else. Should we hide in the classroom building?”

“It’s better not to. If we can stay in the open space, we should. According to you, it’ll be safe after dawn. Being in buildings like that makes it very easy to get surrounded, and if we’re forced to higher floors, it’s even harder to escape.”

“But…” Jin Fu Gui glanced back and was even more terrified, prompting him to run faster, “They’re catching up!”

Behind them, a group of boys and girls were slowly advancing.

Although their pace wasn’t fast, the gap between them was narrowing continuously.

“Wait for me, don’t leave me behind,” Jin Fu Gui pleaded as he saw the figure ahead speeding up, growing more frantic, “I’m telling you, if… if we can’t finish the show, we’ll all die.”

“What do you mean?” The figure ahead indeed slowed down, reaching back to grab him, pulling him forward.

“Do you know why the people in town asked me to perform? Because of the ‘Emperor’s Sacrifice’ Song. It’s a song that can bring people back to life, so they’re not afraid of death at all.”

“Resurrection?” Lu Yan scoffed.

“Trust me, aren't they full of life and vigour?” Jin Fu Gui said, gesturing to the shambling youths that followed him like a horde of zombies.

“They would be better off dead. It would be more merciful.”

Jin Fu Gui sighed. “Don’t be so harsh. I came here to find the source of this song. I have the incomplete version. I dare not sing them. They say that Once these two pieces of music are completed, it will lead us to the tomb of the deity. There, we will find the true secret of immortality.”

Lu Yan narrowed his eyes. “You just revealed your secret to me. Just like that?”

Jin Fu Gui shrugged. “What does it matter? The opera troupe is gone. I need new recruits. How about you? Do you want to join me?”

“No.”

They continued to walk, but the distance between them and the youths was shrinking. Lu Yan could feel their cold and rotten breath on his neck.

What to do?

What to do?!

He could easily outrun Jin Fu Gui. He could leave him to his fate. But he couldn’t do that. Jin Fu Gui had something he needed. A secret he had to pry from him. He had to keep him alive.

Jin Fu Gui was scared too.

He glanced back and saw his daughter, Jin Can Can, among the crowd. She had been a beautiful girl, with a voice like a nightingale. Now, she was a monster, with a mouth full of fangs.

Death was not an option for him; he had dedicated too much time and effort searching the world for those elusive melodies that could save his life.

“Listen, there may be a way out of this.” Jin Fu Gui played his last card. “The song that my son sang before they took him away was the Emperor’s Sacrificial Song. He was cut off before he could finish it.” As he spoke, he ran as fast as his burning lungs would allow. “There’s another song, the Eight Sacrificial Songs. I don’t know what they do, exactly, but they say you have to sing them together with the Emperor’s Song.”

“Have you ever tried it yourself?”

“Never,” Jin Fu Gui admitted, his voice heavy with regret. “My master taught me this secret. He was the only one who knew. I don’t know if he ever tested it himself. But he’s gone now, he’s gone forever…”

“You should try it then.” What did they have to lose?

Jin Fu Gui nodded, gathering his courage and his breath. He inhaled deeply and started to sing a haunting tune that Lu Yan recognized.

Behind them, the eyes of their young pursuers glazed over, and their feet dragged on the ground.

“It’s working!” Jin Fu Gui cried out in wonder.

But as soon as he paused, the eyes of the boys and girls flashed white again, sending a jolt of fear through Jin Fu Gui. He resumed his singing, hoping it was not too late.

Only Lu Yan observed the scene with curiosity.

As Jin Fu Gui sang, a faint green glow surrounded his body, but it vanished whenever he stopped.

The song had a power beyond his understanding. It was not just holding back the inevitable, but reversing it.

Jin Fu Gui sang with all his heart, unaware of the miracle he was performing. Lu Yan watched from a distance, not daring to interrupt. He strained his ears to catch every word, every note, hoping to imprint them in his memory.

But as he listened, a chill ran down his spine. Something was wrong.

**

Far away from the scene, Lu Yan abruptly stopped, his fingers digging into the book.

He had been here before. In a previous timeline, he had met these taskers and concealed his true identity with an alias. However, he had no reason to go to the school, nor had he experienced the red ghost in the eye. He had followed the taskers to the festive celebration, unaware of the impending disaster.

He had died there, longing for a second chance.

And he got it. He travelled back in time, altered his path, infiltrated the school, befriended the opera troupe, and unleashed chaos upon the town.

He should be happy. He had changed his fate, saved himself, and perhaps others.

So why did he feel an unsettling dread in his chest?

**

Jin Fu Gui’s voice filled the air, soothing and healing.

The transformation occurred among the people in front of him. Their monstrous appearances, with green, decaying flesh and luminescent fungal growths, faded away. They regained their human features, their natural colours, and their vitality was restored.

Huo Gang felt a rush of warmth spreading across his face, accompanied by a glimmer of light in his eyes. He reached out and touched his cheek, finding smooth skin instead of bone. Overwhelmed by the miracle, tears streamed down his face as he fell to his knees and wept bitterly.

Huang Li’s neck, stretched and scarred by the noose that had snuffed out his life, shrank back to its normal length as he crumpled to the ground like a discarded puppet.

One by one, the rest of them followed, their twisted and mutilated bodies slowly returning to the state they had been in before their gruesome deaths.

Jin Fu Gui had no choice but to keep singing, his voice hoarse and strained from the endless running. His mouth was dry, his throat was on fire, but he couldn’t stop.

Not until the sun rose.

And that was still more than two hours away.

Lu Yan felt a surge of panic and dread. He was losing control of his emotions, succumbing to the dark influence of the song. He knew it was a curse, a chant for the dead.

He moved away from Jin Fu Gui, his eyes fixed on the horizon, hoping for a glimpse of light.

Then he saw it.

A flash of red in the darkness, moving closer and closer.

It was a sight that chilled him to the bone, a sight that made his blood run cold. His skin prickled, his heart raced.

“Run! Now!” He didn’t waste any time, he grabbed Jin Fu Gui and dragged him along.

He recognized it; it was the red ghost that had haunted his eye. And now, it had come back.

Why was it after him? Was it because they had been once the same person, or was it because of the song?

Lu Yan didn’t know, he didn’t care, he just ran for his life.

Jin Fu Gui gasped, "Oh, oh, oh, the song's not over yet! Watch out for them…"

Glancing over his shoulder, he realised that the twisted ghosts had returned to their original forms, lying motionless on the cracked pavement.

Without wasting any more breath, he sprinted after Lu Yan.

**

In the ramshackle hut at the entrance of the town, Lu Yan sat hunched over the table, his fingers tracing the contours of the book before him.

He had scrubbed the blood off the walls and floor, but the air still reeked of iron, as if the wood had soaked up the gore.

He gazed at the picture book in his grasp, the product of his own handiwork. It was an exact replica of the one that the original Lu Yan had borrowed from the library and that Jiang Yu's gang had stolen. It was impossible to distinguish between the two books; they looked completely identical.

However, things had changed. The original Lu Yan had taken on the name Jiang Bai, and taskers watched him while they were now being watched by another version of his future selves. To make matters worse, the red ghost was hunting them down.

How could he possibly slip this picture book to the original Lu Yan without being noticed?

Lu Yan wracked his brain for a solution, but it eluded him.

**

In a parallel world, beyond his knowledge

"New task, enter a place called Spirit Vale Town within half an hour, and spend the Cultural Festival there. Remember, you must conceal your identity, hide your mission, blend in with the indigenous people of the town, and not reveal yourself to anyone. Whether to our own side or to the townsfolk, you must not expose your identity. There are already some taskers in the town, and you must not expose your identity to them either. After the Cultural Festival ends, you can return to your own world.

The method of entry is to silently recite the name of the town three times."

A young girl frowned at the message, feeling a surge of curiosity and apprehension. She had never received such a strange and urgent task before. What was the purpose of this mission? What was the secret of Spirit Vale Town? And why did she have to hide from everyone, even her fellow taskers?

She wondered if she should share this information with the online community of taskers, or keep it to herself. She bit her lip, undecided.

She shook her head. "That's not an option. The mission has made it clear that this is a secret. If I leaked it, wouldn't I be breaking the rules?"

She paused, then closed her eyes and whispered the name of the small town under her breath.

She was not alone. All over the country, others did the same, murmuring the name like a prayer.

**

Somewhere in the mortal realm, a desolate island rose from the sea. In the emptiness, a faint outline of buildings appeared, forming a small town.

A small town nestled among the mountains.

But the buildings were barely visible, like ghosts in the mist. They could easily be overlooked by a careless eye.

And on the island, there was no one to see them.

Soon, shadows of people emerged from the town, scattering in different directions. They avoided looking at each other.

**

"Look, the sun is coming up," Lu Yan said, raising his eyes to the horizon.

The sky was beginning to lighten, a pale and sickly hue that reminded them of dead fish.

They had been running all night, trapped in the endless maze of the school grounds. No matter how fast or how far they ran, the gate never came into view. It was as if the school had swallowed them whole, and refused to spit them out. But now, as the first rays of dawn pierced the gloom, they finally saw it. The gate. The way out.

"Come on," Lu Yan said, grabbing Jin Fu Gui's arm. "We have to hurry."

Jin Fu Gui nodded, wiping the sweat and dirt from his face. His throat was raw from running and singing. He could barely speak, let alone swallow. He felt like he had swallowed sandpaper.

Just a few more minutes, he thought. Then I can drink as much water as I want.

They sprinted towards the gate, hoping that nothing would stop them this time. They crossed the threshold, feeling a surge of relief. They had made it. They were free. But then, Lu Yan looked back.

Jin Fu Gui felt a chill run down his spine. He followed Lu Yan's gaze, and saw him. The man in red. He was standing at the gate, his eyes boring into theirs.

Then, he vanished. He turned into a puff of smoke, and dissipated in the air.

Who was he after?

Lu Yan didn't have time to think. He pulled Jin Fu Gui along, and ran for their lives.

They barely made it out alive, running for their lives until they reached a small shop. Jin Fu Gui grabbed three bottles of water from the shelf and gulped them down, ignoring the price tag and the shopkeeper's glare. Lu Yan was panting beside him, his face pale and sweaty, but his eyes alert.

"Tell me again, why did we have to finish the opera?" he demanded, his voice hoarse. "What was so important about it that you risked your life and mine? And where are you going to find a new troupe now that yours has died?"

Jin Fu Gui felt a pang of grief at the mention of his children. He had been in a state of shock ever since, unable to process the loss, the emptiness. He had hoped it was all a nightmare, that he would wake up and find them waiting for him, ready to rehearse the final act. But Lu Yan's words shattered his illusion, reminding him of the harsh reality.

He opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out.

"What's wrong with you?"

He tried again, but only a faint hiss escaped his lips. His throat felt like it was on fire, seared by some invisible force. He panicked, clutching his neck, trying to make himself heard.

"You’ve lost your voice?”

Jin Fu Gui nodded frantically, tears welling up in his eyes.

He suddenly remembered something and immediately let go of Lu Yan, rushing back to the shop. Frantically, he searched for a pen and paper, desperate to find any means of communication. Finally, he located them, quickly paid for them, and hurried back to Lu Yan, hoping that he still had a chance to explain.

He scribbled on paper.

【They're all dead. The whole troupe. And I've lost my voice. You're the only witness to the 'Emperor's Sacrifice'.】

【Can you sing?】

Jiang Bai's mute response sent a wave of terror through Jin Fu Gui's plump face. He stared at him with desperate eyes, his hands flailing and clawing in the air, as if he wanted to grab his throat and force the words out.

【Please, please, you must remember. You've heard it all, every note, every word.】

【We have to sing this play, or the town will tear us apart. To put it bluntly, the reason they are so unscrupulous towards death is because they believe in the cultural festival, the miracle that brings the dead back to life.】

【If you won't sing, then find me someone who will, and teach them. You don't have to face the crowd yourself.】

Lu Yan scanned the frantic words that filled the paper and nodded. "Alright. I understand."

He had a remarkable memory. He had stored every song in his mind, from the ones that Lan Zhi Yu had sung, to the ones that Jin Yuan Bao and Jin Fu Gui had performed later.

Jin Fu Gui let out a sigh of relief.

**

"Strange, how did the town get so crowded with strangers?"

The night had passed, and the taskers had intended to search for another place to stay. However, their guide had mysteriously disappeared. The devastating impact of the bombs had left numerous neighbourhoods in ruins, the hospital was overwhelmed with injured patients, and vacant houses had been transformed into makeshift wards.

Trapped in a dead end, they had no choice but to look for some temporary work to survive. But to their dismay, they discovered that the market was flooded with new faces, all vying for the same scarce opportunities.

There was something off about these strangers. They looked like taskers yet they stood out somehow. They resisted any attempts to pry into their backgrounds. They behaved as if they belonged here.

The situation was becoming increasingly complex and dangerous.

The townsfolk had initially treated the first group of taskers with suspicion and hostility. However, they warmly welcomed the second group with open arms. Since these individuals were expected to assimilate into the small town, they made a conscious effort to engage with the locals and quickly became an integral part of the community.

The second wave of taskers recognized each other, but they kept their secrets well. They feigned ignorance and curiosity, even probing the first group of taskers about their assignments.