The soil beneath my feet was still soft and damp.

As I walked through it, I always felt the withered grass in front of me swaying, as if something was lurking deep in the grass.

We dared not be careless. The most dangerous tasks of clearing the way and covering the rear were taken care of by Lao Chen and me, while Li Huai and Luo Tianhe were placed in a relatively safe place.

Not long after walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the scenery ahead began to change.

The once densely packed graves gradually became sparse.

You'll see one after walking for a while.

"We're almost at the edge of the cemetery; the path is behind the woods ahead."

Old Chen pointed to the woods ahead, but his tone was not relaxed as he was about to leave the graveyard; instead, it was even more solemn.

From a distance, the tree branches looked twisted and strange, like ghostly claws.

Moreover, although the tree trunks were bare, the ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves.

Logically speaking, the leaves should still be on the trees at this time of year, so why are there so many fallen leaves?

Looking at the eerie woods ahead, Li Huai couldn't help but think of the woods surrounding Building Fourteen; this one seemed even more impressive.

He swallowed hard, and asked in a trembling voice:

"Old Chen, something's not right in that woods. I think I saw some shadows swaying in the trees in the distance. They can't be swinging, can they?"

I looked up and indeed spotted a blurry dark figure.

Old Chen also looked in the direction Li Huai pointed, pursed his lips, and said:

"It is said that many villagers used to hang themselves here, but the hanged ghost should be the most harmless thing in this forest. I heard that this forest is very eerie."

At this point, he looked at me intently again and asked:

Are you sure you want to walk across?

Are hanged ghosts the most harmless creatures in this forest?

I wasn't afraid at first, but hearing him say that made me feel a little uneasy.

But I triggered a passive ability, and couldn't help but say with a stiff expression:

"Since we're already here,"

After hearing what I said, the three of them stopped worrying about it.

That's right, since we're already here, we can't just turn back the way we came. At worst, we can retreat as appropriate if we encounter danger.

We mustered all our strength and stepped into the dead forest. As soon as we entered, a chilling aura enveloped us.

Luo Tianhe and Li Huai couldn't help but hug their arms and shiver. They weren't wearing shirts and were freezing like little kids.

"Damn it, Luo Tianhe, you suffer for yourself, and you even burned my clothes."

Li Huai was on the verge of tears; he was so cold that goosebumps had formed all over his body.

Luo Tianhe rolled his eyes and said irritably:

"When we were fighting the water ghost, everyone contributed their skills and strength. What's a little clothing? I can't just do nothing!"

"If you're going to do it, then do it. I'm not stopping you. Why are you taking off my clothes?"

"Hehe, I'm doing this for your own good. You don't want to just play the coward and make no contribution at all, do you?"

Luo Tianhe acted as if he was doing this for Li Huai's own good, which made Li Huai even angrier.

"Alright, alright. If it weren't for Luo Tianhe's fire, I wouldn't have been able to eliminate that water ghost so quickly. Li Huai, you deserve credit for that."

I patted Li Huai on the shoulder and comforted him.

Li Huai suddenly gritted his teeth and looked at Luo Tianhe.

"When we get back, I'm going to party at your bar for three days and three nights straight. And if I fancy any of the DJ girls, you're not allowed to take them from me!"

"Hey, hey, hey, you just have a tattered piece of clothing, is it really worth that much?"

Luo Tianhe scoffed.

"What do you mean by tattered clothes? I bought those for a lot of money, and I've worn them for many years. I've been inseparable from them for so long, I've grown attached to them!"

Li Huai looked like he was about to cry, which made Luo Tianhe and me feel disgusted.

"Alright, alright, I'm really scared of you. If we can go back, I'll grant your wish. At a time like this, you still have the mood to think about that kind of thing. You're quite something."

Luo Tianhe was too lazy to argue with him anymore and casually agreed.

Seeing that Li Huai had obtained Luo Tianhe's promise, he immediately chuckled, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"You bastard, you'll die on a woman's scalp sooner or later."

"Hehe, Brother Yan, that's what you don't understand. To die under a peony is to die a romantic death."

Just as Li Huai finished speaking, we suddenly heard a very faint sound, like a woman crying, drifting from the depths of the forest.

Immediately, all three people's eyes were focused on Li Huai.

Luo Tianhe gave Li Huai a push.

"Aren't you a lecherous devil? Here, this female ghost is yours. Judging from her soft and delicate voice, she should be a beauty."

"Get out, get lost! Who's the lecherous devil!"

Li Huai cursed viciously, his voice trembling slightly.

Why did this female ghost have to come at this time of year? Did she hear what I said?

As Li Huai thought to himself, he became even more frightened.

"Speak of the devil, and he appears! He's definitely here specifically for you!"

I was afraid the fire wasn't burning bright enough, so I added fuel to the fire.

Li Huai's face turned pale instantly, and he wished he could sew his mouth shut.

Joking aside, we were all extra vigilant at that moment, stopping in our tracks and looking in the direction from which the sound came.

The teacher put her index finger to her lips, signaling us to be quiet. Then, she turned to listen for a moment, her brow furrowed, and said in a low voice:

"It doesn't sound like a bound spirit, nor like the water ghost from before. This crying is rather strange."

Indeed, although the voice was mournful, it did not have the same venomous feeling as the previous water ghost.

It sounds harmless.

"Never mind him, let's take a detour."

I said in a low voice, "Right now, I think it's better to avoid trouble than to cause it. I'll try to avoid things as much as possible."

Old Chen nodded, agreeing with my suggestion.

He studied the area for a while, then adjusted his direction, trying to bypass the area from the side where the crying was coming from.

However, after we had only taken a few steps, the crying sound appeared in front of us again, seemingly even closer.

Undeterred, we changed direction again, but the crying seemed to haunt us like a ghost.

After repeating this several times, it remained the same, and we gradually lost patience.

"Damn it, this female ghost probably has her eye on Li Huai. Let's push him out to be her groom!"

Luo Tianhe cursed in frustration.

"Get lost, Luo Tianhe! Why don't you go and be his groom? You're way more handsome than me, and you have a better physique too. Maybe that female ghost has her eye on you!"

When Li Huai heard Luo Tianhe talking about him, he couldn't help but retort.

"Hehe, I don't have the same kind of ambition as Master Li, who would rather die under a peony than be a ghost. I won't offer myself up. You can take this task."

Luo Tianhe retorted, which immediately rendered Li Huai speechless, his lips trembling as he pointed at him.