Upon seeing this scene, even the seasoned Xi Zhongcang turned pale and his pupils dilated instantly.

The expected scene of blood splattering did not occur. The scythe seemed to hit an air wall, passing through Li Jinshao's body with slight resistance.

The next second, Li Jinshao's figure began to blur, and the surrounding scenery began to distort and deform.

Xi Zhongcang felt a sudden dizziness. When he could see his surroundings again, he found that the bespectacled young man had disappeared, leaving only him and Xi Xi standing in the empty living room.

The sickle clattered to the ground, and Xi Xi collapsed to the ground uncontrollably, then quickly picked it up and put it away.

Her stamina was so depleted that she couldn't help but gasp for breath.

"What exactly happened?" Upon seeing this, Xi Zhongcang quickly helped his daughter up, then poured hot tea from the thermos and fed it to Xi Xi.

"Dad...it was an illusion, didn't you notice?" Xi Xi choked back a sob and said slowly.

From the very beginning, Xi Xi harbored suspicions about this so-called Li Jinshao, a feeling that lingered in her mind and wouldn't go away. However, it wasn't until just now that she finally realized that her suspicions were not unfounded.

This fake Li Jinshao appears to be very knowledgeable about academic theories and speaks eloquently, but a little deeper thought will reveal his flaws.

Because, compared to the real Li Jinshao, this imposter is completely different in personality and wording.

Xi Xi first became suspicious when she asked Li Jinshao how long he had been there, and Li Jinshao gave the ambiguous answer of "several days".

It's important to know that the real Li Jinshao was an extremely meticulous geological researcher who preferred to speak with data.

However, Xi Xi didn't pay too much attention to it at the time. She knew in her heart that Li Jinshao was just like herself, the kind of person who spoke concisely and preferred to subtly extract information from others.

However, what happened next deepened Xi Xi's suspicions. Not only did "Li Jinshao" tell her about his situation in great detail, but he also asked her almost nothing, which was extremely unusual.

Based on Xi Xi's understanding of Li Jinshao, their relationship either involves both parties being on the same side, like grasshoppers on the same rope, or they engage in an exchange of information of equal value, each benefiting from it.

However, Li Jinshao's behavior completely disrupted this balance, forcing Xi Xi to re-evaluate this seemingly familiar person.

“Most importantly, I have never mentioned you to him.” Xi Xi’s gaze fell directly on her father.

This was the key to her breaking the deadlock.

At that moment, an indescribable sense of lingering fear welled up in her heart, as if an invisible hand had tightly gripped her heart.

Li Jinshao had never met Xi Zhongcang, and Xi Xi herself had never revealed any information about her father to him.

However, this fake Li Jinshao seemed to know Xi Zhongcang very well. Not only did he know that Xi Zhongcang was Xi Xi's father, but he could also accurately grasp Xi Zhongcang's daily interests and hobbies, and specifically choose topics that he liked to talk about.

This all seems so bizarre. It's so abnormal!

“But this is too real…” Xi Zhongcang’s expression also became serious. He frowned and fell into deep thought. He had been a soldier for so many years and was a thorough materialist. Since entering Dongli, his previous worldview had been completely shattered.

The bespectacled young man had seemed so real to him; his appearance and mannerisms were indistinguishable from a living, breathing person. Even Xi Zhongcang, who had received counter-surveillance training, couldn't tell the difference based solely on appearance!

"So... what is the origin of that phantom, and what is its purpose?" Xi Zhongcang's eyes were clouded as he began to ponder.

"I don't understand it either." Xi Xi also lowered her eyes, trying hard to recall the details of their conversation. "But I have a feeling that person wants us to stay on this ship?"

Xi Xi spent a sleepless night, her sleep coming in fits and starts. Reason told her she should evacuate quickly, but the weather was calm and it was pitch black outside, so there seemed to be no better option.

Feeling like she hadn't fully recovered her energy and was feeling sluggish all over, Xi Xi finally had to drink two bottles of refreshing sparkling water in one go as morning approached.

Seeing that no one was awake, she rested her head on the table for another short nap.

When she was startled awake for the last time, she immediately woke her father in the tent.

Cheng Xu and his father's bedroom door had been opened at some point! The room was empty.

"Oh no! I haven't had a chance to tell them about last night!" Dad Xi patted his head, somewhat annoyed that he had slept so soundly last night.

Just then, the bathroom door slowly opened, and the father and daughter breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Cheng's father emerge unharmed.

Cheng's father was supposed to stay and keep watch, since the room couldn't be left unattended while his companions rested. Cheng Xu had also gotten up not long ago, saying he was going out for a stroll.

Xi Xi and Xi Zhongcang quickly told Cheng's father everything that had happened the night before.

Cheng's father was stunned for a long time, then became nervous and opened the light screen to contact Cheng Xu.

As luck would have it, a knock on the door suddenly sounded at that moment. Everyone held their breath instantly. Cheng's father saw his son through the peephole, but still cautiously exchanged a secret signal with Cheng Xu before letting out a sigh of relief, pulling open the security chain, and opening the door.

Cheng Xu, carrying a steaming plate piled high with beef fried noodles in one hand and a plate of fresh fruit in the other, shouted to the crowd, "I brought you breakfast! It tastes pretty good! I ate a whole plate, no problem at all! I knew this place was..."

Before he could finish speaking, Cheng's father pushed him into the inner room to get his luggage, and two plates of food were casually placed on the table.

"We can't stay here any longer, we have to leave quickly!" Without having time to explain the reason to his son, Mr. Cheng could only pull him aside and urge him on.

"Why? This place is clearly..." Cheng Xu looked at Xi Xi with great confusion. Seeing that Xi Xi and her father also looked serious, he was startled and started packing his luggage without saying a word.

He trusted his team completely. At this moment, he couldn't care less about his own judgment, instantly abandoning his previous thoughts about staying here for several days, and quickly followed the team out of the room, attempting to escape.

As they hurried out of the suite and looked around again, the scene before them took them by surprise.

The once brand-new passenger ship has now become an extremely old and dilapidated vessel.

The paint on the walls has peeled off, revealing the mottled base color; the furniture is dilapidated, some even falling apart; the once vibrant murals have become blurred, as if eroded by the years.

Looking back, the food on the two plates on the table was no longer fresh; it was completely frozen, rotten, and emitted a pungent stench…