Ding—
The elevator stopped at the 34th floor.
Yan Shouyi led the way, striding out.
After all, this was a "dungeon" he had cleared before; "familiarity" was an understatement.
Luo Ning was slightly wary, while Long Feicheng meekly followed behind the two.
Last time, Long Feicheng had stopped at the 16th floor, and everything above that was solely based on Yan Shouyi's account. He himself had not experienced it.
Therefore, Long Feicheng was still somewhat afraid of the female ghost that could hide in the mirror world.
Just as they stepped out of the elevator, Luo Ning sniffed again and said, "There's very little ghost energy left here. The mirror ghost you mentioned is likely beyond saving."
"Alas, let's look around. If we can't find her, we'll set up the formation and leave as quickly as possible."
Yan Shouyi sighed slightly.
Ping'an Building was not quite as he had imagined. This feeling of uncertainty and unfamiliarity made him uncomfortable.
According to Yan Shouyi's memory, the mirror ghost should appear in the mirror of the women's restroom.
So, he led the two towards the women's restroom.
Seeing Yan Shouyi walk into the women's restroom, Long Feicheng couldn't help but say, "I've been everywhere except the women's restroom. Today, I'll see what it looks like inside!"
Luo Ning rolled his eyes, "It's no different from your men's restroom, just without urinals."
Long Feicheng blinked, "If you say so, have you been into the men's restroom?"
"...Can't I see it on TV?"
Yan Shouyi interrupted, "Stop arguing, both of you, come in and take a look."
Long Feicheng's spirits lifted, "Is there something good?"
The three walked into the women's restroom and saw that the mirror, the passage connecting the mirror world to reality, had been completely shattered.
Yan Shouyi said with disappointment, "It seems the mirror ghost didn't escape either."
"Then let's go back as soon as possible," Luo Ning suggested.
"Alright."
Yan Shouyi didn't hesitate. Even if they couldn't find the mirror ghost, setting up the formation was still important.
Just as they turned to leave the restroom, Long Feicheng suddenly heard a movement from one of the stalls.
Without thinking too much, he walked over and pushed open the stall door.
However, what he saw inside made Long Feicheng scream, "Holy crap!"
"Oh no! Little Long is in some kind of trouble again!"
Yan Shouyi, who had already left the restroom, changed his expression and immediately ran back.
He saw Long Feicheng collapsed on the ground, staring fearfully at the restroom stall.
Yan Shouyi quickly ran forward and peeked into the stall.
Inside the stall hung a small mirror.
And through that mirror, he could see many pale-faced, fanged ghosts standing beside him and Long Feicheng!
Yan Shouyi instantly realized that the mirror world still existed, and that world contained many ghosts he hadn't seen before.
When Luo Ning arrived, he immediately asked, "Should I smash the mirror?"
"Don't!"
Yan Shouyi quickly stopped him and said, "Let me communicate with them!"
In the small mirror, ghosts lingered around them, but their appearance suggested they had no intention of attacking.
At first glance, the familiar mirror ghost was nowhere to be seen.
Yan Shouyi walked up to the mirror, tapped it gently, and then asked,
"Is the mirror ghost here? I am Yan Shouyi, a descendant of Lu Ban, we've met before."
The ghosts in the mirror exchanged murmurs, and then a small ghost scurried away. After a moment, the small ghost returned and said in a strange voice, "Let him in!"
Immediately, Yan Shouyi felt a pulling force drawing him into the mirror.
Before Long Feicheng and Luo Ning could react, Yan Shouyi appeared inside the mirror.
Entering the mirror world, Yan Shouyi was surrounded by all sorts of strangely shaped ghosts.
But he was not alarmed. He adapted to his body in the mirror world and shouted towards the outside of the mirror:
"Don't worry about me, wait here for a moment!"
Long Feicheng, worried, said, "Brother Yan, I'll guard outside. If anything happens, just give a signal by dropping a cup, and we'll come in to save you!"
Luo Ning sneered, "You? You're so scared of ghosts you can barely stand. Yan Shouyi doesn't need your help."
Long Feicheng retorted, "I just lost my footing for a moment!"
"Oh really? Then stand up and walk a few steps now?"
"I'm tired. Can't I sit on the ground and rest a bit??"
Inside the mirror, Yan Shouyi shook his head helplessly. He really couldn't count on Long Feicheng for help. Luo Ning was somewhat reliable, but not entirely.
He stood up and asked the ghosts, "Where is the mirror ghost? I need to talk to her!"
The ghosts stared at each other blankly; none of them spoke.
The nature of ghosts was complex; they might possess special abilities but also had deficiencies.
For instance, many ghosts here couldn't speak.
Or they were simply foolish.
It was that same small ghost who had acted as a messenger that called out, "The mirror ghost has a message. I'll take you to her!"
The small ghost walked with a bouncing gait, resembling not a child, but a small demon.
Yan Shouyi followed the small ghost to the outside of a room. The small ghost gestured for him to enter, and only then did he push the door open.
The room inside was dilapidated, with a few white candles lit. The mirror ghost lay beside the candles.
Looking at her appearance, she was on the verge of death, her soul about to dissipate!
Yan Shouyi frowned and asked, "What happened to you?"
The mirror ghost said weakly, "My time is short."
Yan Shouyi stepped forward to examine her but could only sigh. If Old Jin were here, there might be a way.
But as for himself, he couldn't help the mirror ghost.
Her soul was too severely injured. Even if he gave her a freshly killed living person to consume, it would be too late.
"What happened?"
The mirror ghost said weakly, "The old ghost on the top floor was celebrating its birthday and sent people to capture all the minor ghosts living here as sacrifices. I didn't know about this until minor ghosts from lower floors fled upstairs for refuge. In a moment of crisis, we put aside our past grievances. I opened the mirror world for everyone to take refuge, and I was injured by the old ghost's subordinates, which led to my current state."
What the mirror ghost said was roughly consistent with Luo Ning's conjecture.
Bai Shixi was indeed planning to use the ghosts in Ping'an Building as sacrifices to celebrate his birthday.
It turned out that Ping'an Building was not a haunted building from the beginning.
It was Bai Shixi's pigsty, except that it wasn't pigs being raised, but these ghosts.
Yan Shouyi asked again, "Why didn't Bai Shixi attack them earlier, but chose this year?"
The mirror ghost gritted her teeth, "I only heard... heard that Bai Shixi is about to become a Ghost King and needs a large amount of ghost soul essence!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Shouyi's expression changed.
Bai Shixi was also about to become a Ghost King?
If this fellow succeeded, the people he brought today, even if they could kill him, would suffer heavy losses!
This was not good news at all!
"You took in so many ghosts. Didn't Bai Shixi's plan fail?"
The mirror ghost shook her head, "I heard he also sent people to capture ghosts elsewhere. He should have a backup plan."
Yan Shouyi's heart sank.
If Bai Shixi was truly about to become a Ghost King, he had to notify everyone immediately and have them prepare early.
The mirror ghost said, "I am about to dissipate. Once the ghosts outside lose their protection, they might fall into madness again. You should leave as soon as possible!"
"Do they also hate Bai Shixi?" Yan Shouyi suddenly asked.
The mirror ghost said bitterly, "How could they not hate him?"
"If they hate him, I have a better plan!"
Before Yan Shouyi could reveal his plan, the mirror ghost suddenly died.
Her body instantly disintegrated, turning into clusters of essence, unable to even enter the cycle of reincarnation.
Looking at the scene before him, Yan Shouyi sighed slightly.
This mirror ghost had reformed in the past, but unfortunately, she dissipated before she could atone for her sins.
He mourned for a moment, then adjusted his mood and organized his thoughts.
Just as he was about to get up and leave, a loud bang suddenly came from outside!
Immediately after, the surrounding space began to shatter like glass!
Yan Shouyi's face changed drastically.
With the death of the mirror ghost, the mirror world was also about to collapse.
If he didn't escape the mirror world in time, he too might collapse along with the mirror world and turn into nothingness!