The World Below Surface

Lin Chu felt a pang of guilt. In the aftermath of the mission, she was consumed by urgency, leaving no room for reflection. However, as time passed, fragments of memories resurfaced, suggesting a possible connection between An Xing Yu's disappearance and her own actions.

During the ancestral ritual, she had been mesmerised by the flowing river of blood, almost sacrificing herself. In that chilling moment, a subconscious urge compelled her to offer up An Xing Yu instead.

Was it conceivable that An Xing Yu had been sacrificed and left in that otherworldly realm? The troubling thought loomed, but Lin Chu was afraid to delve deeper into it.

As she poured a glass of water for Chu Xiu, she noticed that his attention was not on the drink, but on the clutter of notes that adorned the walls.

"You're quite remarkable," he commented sincerely.

With a half-hearted smile, Lin Chu asked, "Why exactly have you come here?"

"To investigate An Xing Yu's disappearance," Chu Xiu replied, gesturing towards a report he held. "The casualties were high in your last mission. Everyone, except you, perished. While some deaths can be explained, why did An Xing Yu vanish? If you live, you come back. If you die, you come back.... Once word of this leaks out to other taskers, your days won't be peaceful."

Lin Chu acknowledged the truth in those words.

Those who survived numerous tasks weren't angels; having the ability to off NPCs meant they were capable of taking lives.

Lin Chu maintained her expression, her visage slightly pallid as if recalling an unpleasant memory, attempting to recollect but ultimately shaking her head in a blank manner, a bitter smile forced upon her lips. "I wish I knew. I want to know, too, what he encountered."

Despite Lin Chu's display of vulnerability, Chu Xiu's caution didn't wane. He always sensed deception from the other side, although clueless about the hidden truth.

"I know you don't buy it, but we all ended up scattered in the end. I barely survived; how could I muster energy to tend to others?"

The teacup emitted steam on the table, Lin Chu's sincerity ringing through in her tone.

Her act was seamless, leaving Chu Xiu clueless whether she lied or not. Yet, his instincts persisted, whispering that this girl wasn't as straightforward as she seemed.

"If that's the case, care to share your mission details? I couldn't find a trace of it on the website."

He hinted that Lin Chu returned and concealed the mission without posting it.

The opportunity existed; certain agents returned from their missions but opted to conceal their experiences for various reasons, refraining from documenting them.

"Don't worry," Lin Chu assured. "I'll organise it and send it later."

A flicker of sorrow crossed her features, recalling something deeply saddening. "My best friend died during that mission, and I just can't bring myself to go back there," she confided, a faint smile tinged with both genuine and feigned sorrow.

Chu Xiu, perceptive and not easily misled, presented a challenge for her. His manner, somewhat imposing yet not entirely unwelcoming, required Lin Chu's cautious and indirect approach in their unspoken clash.

Chu Xiu knew Lin Chu's best friend was likely Yu Xian Guang.

In the living room rested the other person's portrait, likely connected to her recent visit to the police station.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Chu Xiu composed himself. "But finding An Xingyu is important. I need a detailed account from you."

Closing her eyes wearily, Lin Chu settled on the couch before finally speaking up, "Alright, I'll gather my thoughts."

Chu Xiu earnestly jotted down notes.

Continuing her narrative, Lin Chu began to recount the eerie events of the mission. Her recollection, distorted by the mission's duration, seemed tangled, leaving certain details hazy and prompting moments of contemplation.

"... There were loads of ghosts. We dashed through the amusement park in a panic, clueless about where to go. In the pitch-black night, we stumbled upon a brightly lit wax museum. At first, we didn't realise it, but inside, all the wax figures depicted us dying in different ways..."

However, as Lin Chu slowly recounted the mission's events, her story diverged greatly from her actual experience. She had crafted a tale right then to deceive him.

Unaware of Lin Chu's deception, Chu Xiu listened intently. As she described her escape from the eerie amusement park, a hint of sorrow crossed her face when she found herself alone.

"So, you're asking me about An Xing Yu's whereabouts? I genuinely have no idea. I'm just as curious. Why did he vanish?" Lin Chu responded, her tone curious.

Taking a moment to ponder, Chu Xiu nodded and bid her farewell, expressing his apologies for the interruption. "Thank you very much."

Lin Chu walked him to the door, then from the balcony she watched his silhouette vanish down the street. Returning to the sofa, she rummaged through her belongings, retrieving a bug and a pinhole camera.

Wrapping the two small items in tissue, she clenched her hand tightly, crushing them without hesitation.

Meanwhile, a crackling electrical sound hummed near Chu Xiu's ear, indicating the discovery of his little toys.

*

*

The provincial museum buzzed with visitors, attracted by the allure of recently unearthed exhibits, especially fascinating history buffs. With the New Year prompting a return to hometowns, many parents happily brought their children, hoping to cultivate their appreciation for the past.

Wearing a mask, Lu Yan blended into the crowd and seamlessly passed through the security check.

Inside the dimly lit museum, photography was prohibited for most artefacts. He meticulously examined the excavated objects, silently absorbing their intricate details.

The displayed collection echoed the style of items he had encountered in the tomb—antique, distinctive bronze, jade, and porcelain pieces encased within softly illuminated glass walls.

Due to the limited excavation period, experts had not yet deciphered much information, resulting in sparse annotations. Lu Yan quickly skimmed through the limited details, concluding his examination in no time.

He turned on his heel, striding purposefully toward the bathroom.

Within the stall, Lu Yan retrieved a stack of white papers from his bag and swiftly sketched with a pencil, capturing the fresh image etched in his mind.

As he immersed himself in drawing, noises from outside the stall drew his attention. Footsteps suggested the arrival of the trio from the hotel the previous night—approximately three individuals.

With no one else visible in the restroom, the threesome began their conversation with unguarded frankness.

"We were supposed to infiltrate the archaeological team, right? So why are we here at the museum? We've combed through this place and found nothing. They must've hidden everything," grumbled Fei Hong Sheng.

"Do you think it's easy to just join the archaeological team? We don't know anyone there. We barge in and say, 'Oh, we're here to excavate artefacts.' Do you think they'd believe that?" added another deep voice.

"Stop bickering, you two are noisy when you're together. Let's figure out a solution instead. Those recent discoveries they unearthed, if not on display here at the museum, where else could they be?" Jing Tao interjected.

"This bloody mission, hunting down a jade pendant, who knows if it's tucked away in a museum or stashed by some bloke. We might end up in a tomb by the end of it all..." Fei Hong Sheng finally fell silent, but soon resumed grumbling about other things.

At the mere mention of the jade pendant, Lu Yan's attention sharpened.

What jade pendant? Could it be the one he had in mind?

Their ensuing conversation confirmed Lu Yan's suspicion; they were indeed seeking the Pisces jade pendant. The only two in existence were in Lu Yan's possession, and strangely, after world returned, the pendants hadn't vanished.

Lu Yan's emotions at that moment were hard to pin down. He had been probing for any conspiracy tied to the mission, some unseen force guiding it. But he couldn't discern any consistent thread. Yet now, his hunch had a lead.

Why, just as he acquired the jade pendant, did someone else receive a task to locate the Pisces jade pendant? Could something have silently observed him all this time?

Lu Yan couldn't grasp it, but he was damn sure he wouldn't allow this bunch to take away the Pisces jade pendant.

After a while, those fellows departed, and only then did Lu Yan emerge from the bathroom stall.

Passing by the mirror, he suddenly felt uneasy, causing his pupils to shrink in an instant.

As he exited, he noticed that despite leaving the cubicle door open, the compartment door began to close, one after the other, as seen in the mirror.

It was as if invisible hands were at work, closing the doors.

Bloody hell!

Lu Yan swiftly walked away.

Shortly after, a young boy, around seven or eight years old, entered the restroom.

He had been brought to the museum by his mother for a visit and was supposed to write an essay afterward. He couldn't understand what was so fascinating about a bunch of dusty old relics; in fact, he had accidentally knocked over a particularly beautiful bowl. As a result, his mother was arguing with the museum staff, and the boy, muttering to himself, decided to go to the toilet on his own.

Pushing the door open, he stepped into the cubicle.

Unbeknownst to him, the mirror showed the cubicle door remaining firmly shut, never budging.

He pushed through a door that led to who knows where.

After a moment, a pale hand unexpectedly appeared on the door handle, slowly opening the stall door.

In the reflection of the mirror, gore and flesh covered the walls, floor, and ceiling of the stall—a scene straight out of hell.

Outside the mirror's realm, a gentle breeze pushed open the tightly closed door, revealing a perfectly clean and completely empty space.

The whereabouts of the little boy remained a mystery to everyone.

*

*

Inside the museum, a young mother, fresh from an argument with the staff, rubbed her sore throat and muttered to herself, "That filthy brat's going to get a good spanking once we get home, making me cough up all that money."

Then it hit her: hadn't Little Treasure mentioned needing to use the bathroom? Where could he be?

Unaware of the consequences of her argument, a wave of customers began to leave. Soon, half of the museum's visitors had departed, leaving behind an eerie emptiness.

For unknown reasons, even the staff dwindled in numbers until only about twenty people remained within the museum's walls.

Lightning cut through the thick, cloudy sky, briefly illuminating the museum with brilliance as the storm raged on, accompanied by a deafening clap of thunder.

"Oh, what's happening? Why is it raining?"

"Oh no, I forgot my umbrella. It's so difficult to find a taxi around here..."

Just wait a moment, let the rain calm down before going back. The weather has been unpredictable lately. It was scorching hot just a few days ago, and now it's suddenly chilly..."

Another thunderclap, and half of the lights in the museum went out.

"Ah—" a girl's scream pierced through, followed by a chorus of commotion.

Did the lightning strike the power lines?

Gathered at the museum entrance, the crowd watched in horror as another bolt of lightning struck, creating a dazzling burst of light that brought down the distant utility pole in an instant.

"The wires are on fire!" they exclaimed.

At the same time, the museum's lights finally went out completely, plunging everything into darkness.

Even the pouring rain couldn't extinguish the sparking wires. The pole swayed and gradually toppled, crashing onto a row of vehicles in the parking lot. Car alarms blared one after another, causing a fresh wave of distress among the onlookers.

For some of them— their cars were there!

*

*

"Blimey, what's happening outside? It's incredibly loud and absolutely rude." The young mother made her way towards the bathroom, hearing the commotion near the entrance. Annoyed, she scowled. But before she could take a few steps, the overhead lights flickered twice, then disappeared.

Complete darkness.

And to make matters worse, there were dripping sounds, as if there had been a botched waterproofing job.

Enough already. Once she got out, she was definitely going to file a complaint against this museum. How on earth did they manage things? Leaking like this?

The young mother turned on her flashlight and cautiously moved forward.

"Little one? Sweetie, are you here?" She shuffled towards the door of the men's restroom.

Strange, why was there more water accumulating on the floor?

She shone her flashlight inside, still in complete darkness. A gust of wind blew in from the other window, causing the partition door to rattle, bringing in a handful of cold raindrops.

"Little Treasure? Are you there?" She raised her voice, "Is anyone in the men's restroom? Can I come in now?"

No response, only the increasing rush of cold wind.

She cautiously stepped through the door, being careful not to soak her boots in the pooled water on the floor. Stall after stall, she peered inside.

"Little Treasure? Little Treasure?"

To her dismay, even after reaching the last partition, she found no trace of her son.

"Little Treasure, stop playing hide and seek with Mama. Come out now, alright?" Failing to locate her son, an unsettling feeling washed over her, causing her to raise her voice once again.

The flashlight beamed around, and suddenly, her body tensed up abruptly, as if her blood froze in an instant.

She saw...

In the mirror, the pristine setting was gone. Outside the window, rain lashed against it like blood, with long, grey-white shadows drifting back and forth. And the water on the ground... undeniably blood!

She was completely drenched in bloodwater! The droplets that had fallen on her face, which she had casually wiped away, were now smeared into a bloody mess.

Blood handprints adorned every inch of the walls!

Ghosts... they were ghosts!

The museum was haunted!!

"Ah!!" The young woman let out a piercing scream, desperately attempting to flee. But just as she neared the closest stall, a ghastly pale hand shot out, forcefully pulling her entire being into the compartment.

The door slammed shut with a powerful gust of wind.

The wails suddenly stopped.

*

*

Naturally, the high-pitched screams caught the attention of the few people huddled at the entrance. They exchanged anxious glances.

"What's happening? Who's there?"

"Has something happened? Should we go take a look?"

Pushing and shoving, they urged each other forward, trying to gather their courage. Everyone switched on their flashlights, illuminating the area slightly.

"Just my luck, encountering something like this on New Year's. Good thing I have car insurance, or I'd be in big trouble."

"Doesn't this museum have a backup generator? Where are all the staff? Why can't we find anyone?"

"Exactly! Can't they turn on the lights? It's pitch black, and it's too scary."

They all huddled together, trying to boost each other's courage, making the atmosphere slightly less eerie. However, there was no denying that once the museum, known for its antique decor, fell into darkness, it became quite frightening.

Among them were the seven members of the task force, whose reactions were slightly more pronounced than the others.

The others didn't know, were they still unaware? There was definitely some ghostly activity happening in the museum. They had considered leaving quickly, but the team leader, Jing Tao, advised against a direct exit. There had been previous instances where those who left early ended up dead on the road.

"Risk is an opportunity, so why not take a chance? What if they find the Pisces jade pendant?"

The beams of seven or eight flashlights scanned the area. The red dots from the several cameras on the ceiling disappeared, appearing to be out of power and no longer functioning.

There were no staff members present.

"Hey, now that there are no staff or cameras, wouldn't it be easy for us to take a few relics without getting caught?" a man in the crowd cautiously proposed.

"Stealing is not right, mate," another man advised.

"Oh, come on, I was just joking, not being serious," chuckled the man who spoke earlier.

Nevertheless, his words unintentionally sparked thoughts in others.

Before long, another person casually mentioned, "I've heard that these glass cases usually trigger an alarm, but after the power outage, the alarms are disabled, right?"

"Even if they are, so what? These staff members seem to have disappeared into thin air."

"Yeah, and no one will notice anyways."

"The relics are highly valuable; maybe we shouldn't."

"Haven't you read the reports? There are many more inside the tomb, and this exhibition only showcases a small portion. Besides, what is the use of these relics anyway?"

More and more people were growing anxious, and eventually, those who opposed were silenced.

In that moment, their objective shifted. Instead of searching for the source of the screams, they began scavenging for things that were valuable and easy to carry.

Lu Yan trailed behind the crowd, releasing a deep sigh and casting a cold eye on these people, who led themselves to their own demise.

He wanted to leave, but he shared the same concerns as the rest of the group.

Heavy rain, lightning, and damaged power lines... Everything was preventing them from exiting the museum. If they were to hastily depart, they might encounter something even more horrifying.

He walked at the rear, vigilantly surveying the entire hall.

Surrounding the grand exhibition hall were several smaller ones. He strolled slowly towards a display stand, his entire body tense, ready to flee at any moment.

In one of the smaller exhibition rooms, a woman's scream erupted once again.

Lu Yan heard a sound. It was a familiar voice from yesterday, one of the people in that tasker group called Cao Yi.

Others instinctively ran in, entering the small exhibition hall.

"What's wrong? What happened?" They asked.

Lu Yan remained unmoving. He could hear a faint dripping sound.

It was like a tick-tock sound, dropping onto the glass display table beside him.

He wondered from where the sound of water was coming from?

Before he could ponder it, he heard Cao Yi's crying in distress.

"Really, I really saw a figure, a white one. Iit disappeared in an instant. I'm not blind." Cao Yi said, clearly frightened. Her makeup was a bit smudged. "I came in from the entrance into the toilets, saw several stalls, then I checked them one by one. Then, I felt something on my neck, like hair or something. I turned around and saw a white figure drifting into the wall..."

Beams of torchlight shone, making everyone's faces appear blurred in the darkness.

The atmosphere momentarily froze, and whether it was psychological or not, the temperature inside the museum seemed to drop a few degrees, growing increasingly chilly.

"You shouldn't spout nonsense; it's probably just your stress getting to you, causing you to misperceive," advised Jing Tao.

"I didn't misperceive! It's real, I really saw it. Why don't we hurry out? This museum is haunted..."

Even if they knew there were ghosts in this mission, they couldn't just blurt it out like that, right? This bunch of NPCs was such perfect cannon fodder. If they ran away, what would they do themselves?

Jing Tao wished he could grab the other person's neck and shake them to see if brain’s could be squeezed out. But in front of everyone, he couldn't do that. He could only glare at Cao Yi darkly, hoping to make her tone it down.

Yi Yun sighed, reached out to pat Jing Tao's shoulder, and gently shook her head at him.

Jing Tao understood her unspoken words, his forehead tightening as he shot her another glare.

Yi Yun flashed a smile that seemed a bit fake no matter how you looked at it. "After all, it's a museum, filled with relics just dug up from tombs. If they get a bit contaminated, there's a real chance, isn't there? It's better to believe there's something than to believe there's nothing."

Her words may have been accurate, but the guilty tone in her voice made them utterly unconvincing, regardless of how you looked at it.

"Don't pretend to be bleeding innocent. I remember all of you, working together, trying to push us out and keep everything for yourselves, right?" one of the blokes sneered, seeing through her scheme.

Yi Yun waved her hands frantically, "No, no, how could you think that? I..."

"Stop daydreaming! There's plenty in this museum for everyone! Your gang can't scare us off just because there are more of you. Cause a scene and I'll call the police right away. No one will come out of this looking good!"

Now Jing Tao understood what Yi Yun was trying to do and was impressed. He quickly added, "Okay, okay, you call the shots. We won't argue with you, alright? Let's agree not to involve the police, right? We'll quickly find things on our own."

"That's right," the man grumbled as he passed Cao Yi, who was still standing there dazed and muttered, "But I really did see it..."

Yi Yun's expression turned icy as she pulled her aside, gesturing for the others to gather around to avoid eavesdropping. She didn't hold back while scolding the woman, "If you want to get yourself killed, don't drag us down with you! Who knows what could come out of that ancient tomb? Right now, they're about to test if these artefacts are cursed. If you keep spouting nonsense and scaring off these NPCs, do you think we won't use you as the guinea pig?"

She explained it to her clearly, and finally, Cao Yi understood the situation, nodding vigorously.

She was a complete newbie, only on her second attempt. The first time, she breezed through with someone else's help and thought it was no big deal. She even wrote a horror novel based on her own experience, which boosted her reputation as a "talented female author." Later, one of her clients discovered it and invited her to a website. She didn't take it too seriously, thinking she had toughened up enough after watching many horror movies.

But this was her first-ever up-close encounter with a ghost, and she almost fainted on the spot.

In horror movies, no matter how scary and gruesome they may be, it's all fiction.

However, in this moment, she truly experienced what it felt like to be on the edge of life and death.

Right now, Yi Yun made her feel the same way the experienced person who had guided her before did, and she instantly found Yi Yun quite likeable, even if she spoke with disdain. As soon as Yi Yun finished speaking, Cao Yi hurriedly caught up, wanting to walk alongside her and tugging at her clothes.

"Don't keep following me," Yi Yun said, not interested in engaging with the other person.

Cao Yi caught a glimpse of her calm appearance, which provided some relief. She muttered under her breath."Y'know... I'm really scared."

"Ah, do whatever you want." Yi Yun turned around and surveyed the area once again.

However, her focus was not on the exhibits inside the museum; instead, she kept her gaze on the people around them.

She wanted to witness what would happen if someone tried to steal an artefact.

Before long, a man who had argued with them earlier grabbed a chair and forcefully slammed it against the glass display case.

Although the glass case was supposedly sturdy enough to withstand a bullet, it couldn't withstand the impact and shattered onto the floor. Two delicate glass cups were nearly destroyed inside.

The man reached out, took the two beautiful glass cups, and discreetly placed them into his backpack.

Nothing stirred.

Yi Yun kept her eyes fixed on him.

Unbeknownst to her, the hand behind her slowly turned icy. However, Yi Yun, still standing in the corner, remained unaware.

If she had glanced back, she'd have seen the girl who clutched her clothes, her eyes turning white, her hair steadily lengthening.

Droplets fell, one by one.

The gentle pitter-patter, as when the storm approached, so faint yet so distinctly audible to everyone's ears.

"This blasted museum, still leaking!" The man with the glass cups cursed. Wherever he went, the irksome drip persisted, getting on his last nerve.