Chapter 1 Yao, Shun, and Yu

Yao, Shun, and Yu was a man with low self-esteem, a fact he was well aware of. He was always on the move, never staying in one place for more than a week.

This wasn't just to avoid teammates from past missions or other disciples seeking revenge. Deep down, he still harbored a faint hope that one day, he might find a hidden location, a place where even that damned bus couldn't find him.

He was exhausted, so tired that opening his eyes each day felt like being reborn. Every peaceful day was an immense luxury for him.

Having witnessed too much betrayal, abandonment, and deceit, Yao, Shun, and Yu had grown completely indifferent to the concept of friendship. He had no friends because trusting someone's back during a mission was foolish. Those who did were mostly dead, feeding that ghostly bus.

To this day, Yao, Shun, and Yu couldn't understand why Wang Fugui, a man he'd only allied with temporarily, had extended a helping hand when he was in a seemingly inescapable situation.

Recently, a scene kept replaying in his mind: in the Hanging Ghost's illusion, Wang Fugui planted a vanity mirror in the ground and charged towards him.

Wang Fugui's movements were surprisingly agile, defying his physique, with a touch of the comical and bizarre. But none of that mattered to Yao, Shun, and Yu. In that moment, he saw hope—the hope of survival that had suddenly appeared after he had resigned himself to death.

Wang Fugui had given him that.

"What are you looking at?"

A sudden question broke Yao, Shun, and Yu's train of thought. Jiang Cheng stared at him, a hint of vigilance in his eyes. He hadn't fully recovered from the aftereffects of the ghost dream, and any odd behavior from those around him was magnified in his mind.

Yao, Shun, and Yu shifted his gaze, offering Jiang Cheng a reassuring look. "Nothing. I was just thinking… that Brother Fugui sleeps soundly. It's been tough on him lately."

"He always sleeps well, but what do you mean by 'tough'?" Jiang Cheng retorted. "He's slept all day today. He's had the best rest out of all of us."

Caught off guard by Jiang Cheng's response, Yao, Shun, and Yu didn't know how to answer. Fortunately, Li Bai jumped in, "Mr. Jiang, Yao, Shun, and Yu was just saying something. Don't mind him."

After a pause, Li Bai asked tentatively, "Mr. Jiang, Yao, Shun, and Yu and I discussed something today. We'd like to stay with you for a while. I was wondering if you'd agree."

Both Li Bai and Yao, Shun, and Yu understood that between Jiang Cheng and Wang Fugui, Jiang Cheng was the one who truly held the power. As long as Jiang Cheng nodded, Wang Fugui wouldn't object.

Jiang Cheng didn't hesitate and agreed readily, "Of course, that's no problem. Just one thing, you two need to cooperate with us. I need to understand your backgrounds, and Mr. Luo can take care of that."

"No problem. These are troubled times, and precautions are necessary," Yao, Shun, and Yu agreed quickly. After all, he was a lone wolf with a simple social life.

In comparison, Li Bai hesitated for a moment but eventually conceded, "Alright, but my network is quite complex. I can tell you everything I know, but sorting it out will be difficult."

"That's fine. Mr. Luo will figure it all out," Jiang Cheng said dismissively.

The topic wasn't pleasant, but it was necessary given the current situation. Jiang Cheng wouldn't overlook the verification of these two's identities just to maintain superficial harmony.

Most importantly, the two had no connection to the events in Mount Xixie, nor to the Crimson or the country's plans. So why were they caught up in this ghost dream and brought to this town?

They were just teammates from the last mission.

Following this line of thought, Jiang Cheng came up with two vague guesses. First, there was something wrong with one or both of them—either they had been invaded, or they had problems themselves. At least one of them might have a fabricated identity, a mole planted by the Night Watchmen.

Second, expanding on Li Bai's earlier speculation, the mission might not be over after all, but in a different way than everyone thought. There was some unknown connection between the Joyful Rest Pavilion that appeared in the ghost dream and the bus. This led to the possibility that those who had escaped the bus were being targeted by the Joyful Rest Pavilion again.

Suddenly, a faint vibration interrupted Jiang Cheng's thoughts. It was a phone.

Li Bai pulled out her phone, the screen flashing with light in rhythm with the vibrations.

Staring at the phone screen, a hint of confusion crossed Li Bai's face. It was an unfamiliar number. After a moment of hesitation, she answered.

After a few seconds, Li Bai's expression changed. She looked up, staring directly at Jiang Cheng, and slightly extended the phone towards him, her tone strange and puzzled. "Mr. Jiang, it's for you."

"For me?" Jiang Cheng was slightly taken aback.

"Yes, it's a woman."

A woman was looking for him, using Li Bai's phone. Clearly, this person knew he was currently with Li Bai and Yao, Shun, and Yu. A chill ran down Jiang Cheng's spine. It seemed he was being monitored.

Jiang Cheng walked over to Li Bai, cautiously taking the phone. As soon as he put it to his ear, he heard a familiar voice. "Xiao Cheng, it's me."

It was Lin Wan'er.

Though shocked, Jiang Cheng remained silent. But the other end seemed to have anticipated this, speaking directly, "Xiao Cheng, time is short. Just listen."

"I'm fine. You don't need to worry about my safety. But we can't meet for now. I've received reliable information that the recent supernatural event in Mount Xixie was orchestrated by the Night Watchmen. The ghost building in your memory is connected to the current chairman of the Night Watchmen. He used some unknown method to seize Door No. 3, intending to kill us all. But because the ghost dream was broken by you and Wu, the chairman, as the dream weaver, suffered a severe backlash and is now in poor health, healing himself. His method of healing is to devour a large number of Doors from high-level disciples. Many people have already gone missing."

"I've reviewed the last known movements of these missing disciples and found that their final gathering point was a small place called Linxian Village. It's not too far from your current location, so we suspect that the current chairman of the Night Watchmen is there, recovering."

"I know. Mr. Luo is gathering people. Once Wu wakes up, we plan to raid Linxian Village," Jiang Cheng spoke for the first time.

Unexpectedly, Lin Wan'er's breathing became rapid. "No, you absolutely must not go!"

"Why? Is it a trap?" Jiang Cheng became vigilant.

Silence fell on the other end of the line. Lin Wan'er hesitated, her voice becoming hoarse and weak. "It's not a trap, but this operation will be very dangerous. It's a suicide mission. Those of you who go will hardly come back alive."

"I just attended a highly confidential meeting. Someone mentioned this attack at the meeting. Because time is tight, there's no backup planned. That is to say, no one will come to rescue you, no matter what happens."

"Instead, someone at the meeting proposed another plan: to sacrifice you to tie down the Night Watchmen's high-end forces, then use the time you buy to evacuate nearby citizens and tourists as much as possible. If you succeed, that's naturally the best outcome. If… if you fail, or the attack is stalled, the situation becomes a stalemate, then to prevent the Night Watchmen from becoming desperate and letting themselves be completely eroded by the Doors within them, causing a series of terrifying supernatural events, we can only use high-yield thermal weapons to level the entire Linxian Village, at which point you will be annihilated along with the Night Watchmen."

"Currently, this is just a proposal. There aren't many supporters, but it represents a trend. As the situation becomes more tense, the likelihood of this proposal being passed will increase."

"Also, a corresponding plan has already been brought to the forefront. As soon as you make a move in Linxian Village, confirming the presence of the Night Watchmen's top leadership, especially the chairman, armed forces across the country will immediately take action, carrying out the planned strike against the Night Watchmen entrenched in various strongholds."

"Mr. Luo's dark army, along with the various large and small families on our side, will be responsible for coordinating and carrying out targeted elimination of the disciples who have infiltrated the major cities."

Glancing at the sleeping Fatty, Jiang Cheng took a deep breath. "Then what should I do?"

"Stay put. No matter what Luo Yunshan says, don't go. You will meet the chairman of the Night Watchmen again, but not in Linxian Village."

"This chairman is no ordinary person. Before he became chairman, no one in the Night Watchmen had ever heard of him. The old guys from the Candle Holders and the Judiciary Hall strongly supported his candidacy. But even so, he lacked qualifications, prestige, and had no chance of winning. But strangely, the other two candidates running with him died suddenly before the election, their deaths very bizarre. One committed suicide with a gun, the other was asleep when he was suddenly backlashed by the Door within him, causing considerable casualties."

"But it's certain that the Candle Holders or the Judiciary Hall weren't responsible, because they were all at the Night Watchmen headquarters that night, which many people can prove. Moreover, even with their strength, it would be difficult to take out the other two candidates, let alone disguise it like this."

"So it's likely he did it himself. Being able to eliminate these two in one night without leaving any substantial evidence, someone with such intelligence and strength wouldn't be so stupid. I think he must have anticipated that we might raid Linxian Village, so he must have other arrangements there. I don't want to see you take that risk."

"There's one more important thing. The reason why the Candle Holder has such a transcendent position in the Night Watchmen isn't entirely because of his strength. Another very important point is that he's the one responsible for communicating with the old chairman, that is, the ghost bus. It's said that the ghost bus travels in a void of mist, and there's also a dispelled mist in the Confessional. As long as you enter the mist, you can find the ghost bus and the old chairman with the help of the oil lamp in the Candle Holder's hand."

"I once found an excellent opportunity to order No. 5 to infiltrate, but the mission failed. He was lost in that mist, entering the old chairman's domain."

The Candle Holder could communicate with the old chairman, while the current chairman had no past experiences, almost appearing out of thin air. Combining these two things, Jiang Cheng sensed a dangerous aura.

Lin Wan'er on the other end took a deep breath, providing an answer. "I've thought about these things before, but now I'm almost certain that the current chairman is someone who came off that bus. He's probably not human."

Recalling the Joyful Rest Pavilion reflected on the lake's surface, Jiang Cheng still felt lingering fear. Although many disciples' abilities were also bizarre, there was always a limit. But this chairman's abilities were truly inconceivable, completely beyond what Jiang Cheng could accept. Perhaps… perhaps he, like himself, was from another world.

The moment this thought appeared, Jiang Cheng shuddered violently. He looked around blankly, as if a pair of cold eyes were hidden in some corner, watching him.

"Xiao Cheng, remember what I said. Do not go to Linxian Village! It's very dangerous!" Lin Wan'er emphasized again.

Calming down, a ripple suddenly arose in Jiang Cheng's heart. Listening to Lin Wan'er's tone, Jiang Cheng could fully imagine her face at that moment. "Telling me this kind of news, if it's traced back to you, will cause you big trouble."

"If I were afraid of trouble, I wouldn't have taken you home in the first place."

Hearing the nonchalant voice from the other end, Jiang Cheng frowned in dissatisfaction. "I was never taken home. You, you changed my memories. You fabricated everything, the you in my memories, everything."

There was a moment of silence on the other end, and Lin Wan'er sighed. "Have you ever thought that perhaps… not all of those memories are fabricated? It's very difficult to create a completely false memory, especially for you."

"Take care of yourself, Xiao Cheng."

Before Jiang Cheng could react, Lin Wan'er hung up. Jiang Cheng stood there blankly, holding the phone. Fatty was still asleep, not even changing his posture. Yao, Shun, and Yu and Li Bai, who had heard Jiang Cheng and Lin Wan'er's conversation, were as quiet as cicadas in winter, not daring to breathe loudly. Changing memories, big trouble if traced back—these things made it clear to them that they shouldn't be curious, or they would only get burned.

Not knowing how long he maintained this position, Jiang Cheng finally reacted, returning the phone to Li Bai. At the same time, he instructed Li Bai and Yao, Shun, and Yu that if Mr. Luo came to ask about it in the morning, they should not mention the call. Also, the raid was canceled. Until new news arrived, they would stay here and go nowhere.