TEG 9
Chapter 9: Inside and Out
Zhou Xiangyue didn’t dare put the copper coin back in his pouch; he kept it tightly clenched in his hand.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, and just before the little ghost could approach, he suddenly turned and dove back into the layers of costumes.
【?? His eyes lit up just now. I thought he had a good idea. And this is it?】
【Maybe he’s trying to run away before the little ghost realizes anything. Does he really think he can get away like this? I'm dying of laughter】
【Sure, run if you want. That headless little ghost is the best at trapping people in loops】
【Am I the only one wondering when this little ghost got a brother? Isn’t everyone in this troupe an orphan?】
“Gege…” The little ghost followed the undulating trail through the costumes.
Dark red blood dripped to the floor, one drop after another, making a splattering sound.
The little ghost looked to be only two or three years old. He walked barefoot, wobbling slightly with each step. Despite his unsteady steps, in the blink of an eye he was already behind the red-robed youth.
At the moment, the youth was crouched in a corner, seemingly terrified, his shoulders tightly tensed.
“Gege?”
The little ghost clutched the copper coin in his hand. His all-white eyes now showed a faint trace of suspicion, and his voice turned sharper.
【This is it! A beautiful, desperate little darling hiding in fear, only to be found at the last moment and killed!】
【My favorite trope. More, more】
【Here we go: three, two, one—turn and kill—】
Zhou Xiangyue turned his head, holding a pair of tiger-head embroidered shoes he had just barely reached. Earlier, the troupe master had likely been so frightened by them that he kicked them into a corner. Retrieving them was no easy task.
He knelt up straight, now at the same height as the little ghost.
Then, he reached out and grabbed the little ghost, slipping one shoe on as he spoke: “It’s the middle of winter, and your shoes have run off. You really don’t make things easy. Isn’t it cold walking barefoot on the ground?”
One shoe on, immediately followed by the other.
He was swift and forceful, giving the little ghost no chance to interrupt.
The little ghost was caught off guard, swaying back and forth as he was tugged.
Then with a loud clunk, his round head fell to the floor.
The little boy’s head rolled half a circle, revealing blood-soaked eyes, a bloody nose, and a mouth full of blood. Blood smeared the floor.
His face looked utterly bewildered.
“……”
For a moment, the room fell into a strange and eerie silence.
After a while, Zhou Xiangyue touched his nose and said, “Uh… seems I wrongly accused you.”
If your head can fall off, then losing your shoes isn’t a big deal…
The head stayed on the ground for a while, and a big bump visibly swelled on the boy’s temple, looking like a little horn.
“…Sorry.”
Zhou Xiangyue apologized sincerely, hurried over to pick up the head, and pressed it back onto the boy’s neck with an apologetic expression. He even gave it a few firm taps—like patting a watermelon.
Then he realized something wasn’t quite right.
At the moment, the little boy’s face was facing him, but when he looked down… the heels of the tiger-head shoes were also facing him.
“…Sorry, I put it on backwards.”
He quickly pulled the little boy’s head off again, rotated it 180 degrees, and reattached it.
Thoughtfully, he massaged the neck back and forth, checking repeatedly to make sure it was firmly in place, lest it fall off again once he let go.
The poor thing was probably dizzy.
The head was now facing the right way. The large bump on the boy’s temple was bright red, as if accusing him of violence against a child.
Zhou Xiangyue tried to make up for it, gently rubbing the swelling on the little boy’s temple and softly blowing on it as he did so: “Blow on it and it won’t hurt anymore.”
【……】
【…………】
【??????】
【I genuinely don’t know what to say right now】
【I had to switch perspectives several times to confirm that this is still the same nightmare realm where three people have already died】
【While others are wailing like ghosts, this scene is strangely heartwarming—what the hell】
【Little ghost, what’s going on with you? If you’ve been kidnapped, blink once】
The little ghost lifted his head, staring at Zhou Xiangyue without blinking.
His pupil-less eyes were stark white, with two streams of blood tears hanging below—extremely unsettling.
After two more rubs, Zhou Xiangyue figured it was probably enough and moved his hand away.
But unexpectedly, a small hand suddenly grabbed his.
It was cold and slippery, like a plaster mold that had been frozen in an ice cellar for ages. An indescribable chill accompanied by an unbreakable force gripped him tightly.
Zhou Xiangyue shivered instinctively, but kept his face completely calm.
He looked at the little ghost with a face full of warmth and concern, meeting his gaze: “What’s wrong?”
The little ghost’s pale eyes stared at him unblinkingly. Blood trickled down his plaster-like cheeks, dripping to the ground.
Then, very slowly, he raised his hand and pressed Zhou Xiangyue’s hand back onto the bump on his temple.
Zhou Xiangyue: “…”
Got it. So this is a prideful little tsundere who can’t talk.
So he resumed rubbing and blowing, and while he was at it, used his sleeve to wipe the crisscrossing trails of blood and tears from the little ghost’s face. His sleeves were red anyway—blood didn’t show, very convenient.
He rubbed for quite a while before the little boy finally released his hand, though those stark white eyes never stopped watching him. Wherever he went, the eyes followed.
No “gege,” no movement.
Zhou Xiangyue looked around. The haunted courtyard was quiet both inside and out.
It seemed like there wouldn’t be any immediate danger.
He then checked his remaining life span.
Identity: Broken God Statue
Life Countdown: 06:47
06:46
06:45
“……” Zhou Xiangyue fell into deep thought.
So being called “gege” was all for nothing?
Could it be that deceiving an NPC doesn’t grant you a valid identity, and that the recognition must come from another dream realm guest?
If that’s true, then he can’t blend in with NPCs. He’ll have to find others—can’t go solo anymore.
But what about this little ghost?
Another possibility was… maybe the little ghost never truly thought of him as his brother.
That wouldn’t be good.
Zhou Xiangyue instinctively glanced at the little ghost.
The little ghost’s pale eyes stared right back at him, unnervingly still.
When he saw Zhou looking at him, the little ghost’s white eyes moved slowly and reached out a hand: “Gege, Zaosheng will take you to fulfill a vow.”
Thank heavens—the little ghost finally said his own name.
It looked like he really had accepted Zhou as his brother—so Zhou’s first guess was probably right: he needs to deceive other dream guests to extend the validity of his identity.
Zhou Xiangyue began pondering the meaning of “fulfill a vow,” and took the little ghost’s hand: “Alright.”
Fulfill a vow. That sounded like going to a shrine.
Zhou Xiangyue immediately thought of what the troupe master had repeatedly told them about “dream prayers”—if the little ghost was taking him to fulfill a vow, then it must be to the same deity, right?
That’d be perfect. He had planned to go there to look for clues anyway.
Moreover…
Zhou Xiangyue considered that the other guests likely had their own ways of finding clues, and would eventually go there too.
Since being the little ghost’s brother didn’t extend his life, he’d have to make good use of those valuable life-extension blood packets.
