Chapter 018 Chapter 18

After the selection, Ou Xu's soul almost left his body.

As soon as he was free again, he collapsed on his seat, his face full of despair.

He covered his face with his hands, screamed silently, and rolled on the ground.

His spirit body also appeared at some point.

It was a Valais Blacknose sheep with extremely fluffy fur. Its entire body was snow-white, except for its face, which was pitch black, and its facial features could not be seen clearly.

The four hooves are also black, and the color scheme looks a bit like a panda at first glance. It is a small one, and as fluffy as a panda.

The black-faced sheep seemed to be influenced by Ou Xu, and followed his example, lying on all fours and rolling on the ground.

Crying loudly.

Xia Meng burst out laughing beside her.

But the laughter at this time was too cruel to Ou Xu and his sheep.

After she finished laughing, she quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, I... I really can't help it."

Ou Xu turned his head and stared at her fiercely, as if he would die with her if she dared to laugh again.

Xia Meng laughed silently.

She said, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. After all, I'm counting on you to take me around the Black Tower and enjoy the good food."

These are the exact words that Ou Xu said.

When he was taking Xia Meng to visit the Guide Center before, he made a lot of promises, such as his classmates were spread across various departments of the Black Tower, and during his free time at work, he could take her to visit their homes, eat and drink for free, from the first floor to the ninety-ninth floor.

This was exactly what she wanted.

Since I'm going to work in Heita, it's always good to make more friends.

Xia Meng is an e-person who likes to make friends.

Moreover, she has always been very popular since she was a child, and basically gets along well wherever she goes.

Whether it is teachers, classmates, neighbors, or even the auntie who serves food in the cafeteria, they all like to take care of her.

So, of course she was happy to join in the fun of making new friends.

Ou Xu turned his head to look at her, hesitant to speak for a long time, and finally sighed and said: "I find that you are really optimistic."

Now the two of them were trapped in Huo Qingyu's mental picture, tossed around like headless flies.

I don’t even know if I can get out of here safely.

But what about her?

It seemed as if the current difficulties were nothing, and they could even imagine with hope what would happen after they got out.

I can actually still laugh.

Ou Xu felt that he was infected by her and was slightly cheered up.

Xia Meng smiled: "Isn't it?"

It was only her first day at work and she hadn't even received her salary yet.

Even if it's for her three hundred thousand, she has to fight for her life and get out!

Ou Xu sat up, turned his head and asked her, "What should we do now?"

Xia Meng didn't answer immediately.

She leaned back in her chair, tilted her head back, and looked up at the ceiling.

The theater was dimly lit and the ceiling was dark. No one knew what was hidden there. Perhaps the ghost everyone was talking about was standing there, looking down at them quietly and coldly.

She suddenly asked, "Who do you think Huo Qingyu is in this theater?"

Ou Xu said without thinking: "Is it that ghost?"

Most owners of spiritual images will choose to become the center of their own small world, like a big boss.

So far, based on their understanding of this place, the ghosts have absolute say here.

Not trying hard enough will anger the ghost.

Being good enough will earn you a reward from the ghost.

The plays performed each day are decided by the ghost.

Obviously, it is the ruler here.

Xia Mengxiang is indeed very similar to "The Phantom of the Opera".

If Huo Qingyu really created this place based on "The Phantom of the Opera", then if they want to get out, they have to adapt to the local customs and solve the problem according to the ideas of "The Phantom of the Opera".

Ou Xu asked blankly, "What's the idea behind 'The Phantom of the Opera'?"

Xia Meng: "You haven't seen it?"

Ou Xu said as a matter of course: "I haven't seen it! I'm a science student!"

Xia Meng: "...What's wrong with being a science student? I'm a science student too!"

Ou Xu wisely changed his words: "...I'm sorry, I'm ignorant."

Xia Meng recalled: "I've only seen the movie version of it, and it's been a while, so my impression of it is a bit vague. I just remember that in the movie, the ghost lived in an underground maze beneath the theater. Behind the dressing mirror in the heroine's bedroom, there was a mechanism that led directly to the underground maze."

Ou Xu: "Are you saying that the ghost came into my room last night through the mechanism on the dressing mirror?"

Xia Meng: "Not necessarily. He's already a ghost, maybe he can also pass through walls just like a spirit."

Ou Xu: "So what do you mean?"

Xia Meng: "I mean, we can find him through that agency."

If you want to leave this world, you must find the door.

To find the door, you must find Huo Qingyu.

At this time, the clock in the theater slowly struck six.

The theater manager came out and invited everyone to the restaurant for dinner.

"After dinner, the performers who will be on stage tonight will have to get ready. The show officially begins at 7:30 pm! Everyone, please don't be late!"

Ou Xu stood up subconsciously, turned around and saw that Xia Meng hadn't moved. He blinked in confusion: "What's wrong?"

Xia Meng: "I plan to go investigate now."

She asked him, "Do you want to come?"

Ou Xu was a little embarrassed.

If I really follow him, who knows what will happen?

He wasn't as brave as her, and was probably scared to death.

What if I hold her back?

But if he doesn't follow, what will happen if Xia Meng really encounters danger?

They came in together, so they should advance and retreat together no matter what.

So, Ou Xu gritted his teeth and nodded: "Okay, I'll go with you."

…

While everyone was heading to the restaurant, the two of them quietly left the main group and planned to take the initiative to attack.

Ou Xu took Xia Meng to his bedroom.

His bedroom was on the first floor, closest to the backstage of the theater.

His room was also a suite.

But unlike Xia Meng's room, this room was smaller and more cramped. Apart from the bed, wardrobe, dressing mirror and dressing table, there were only rows of dance dresses hanging on the shelves and a dozen or so flower baskets that were sent by someone unknown.

This place is more like an actor's dressing room than a bedroom.

There is a small space in front of the dressing mirror.

Ou Xu pointed here and said, "I was forcibly detained here last night."

Xia Meng walked to the place he pointed, looked around, and finally focused her attention on the dressing mirror in front of her.

It was a mirror of exquisite workmanship.

It was embedded in the wall, and the edge of the mirror was surrounded by delicate and intricate vine patterns.

She came forward to take a look around, then reached out and tentatively felt the pattern on the edge.

Finally, I found a small snap switch in a very hidden place.

Xia Meng pushed with her index finger, and the buckle opened with a "click".

The entire dressing mirror was gently bounced, and the mirror that was originally firmly embedded in the wall became loose.

Xia Meng reached out and pushed the mirror aside, and sure enough, she found the entrance to a tunnel behind the mirror.

She turned her head and looked at Ou Xu.

Seeing how dark the cave was, Ou Xu subconsciously wanted to take out his cell phone to turn on the flashlight, but when he felt nothing, he realized that his cell phone was not with him.

There was no other way, so he could only pick up the oil lamp on the dressing table for lighting.

The tunnel seems to be quite old.

As soon as I walked in, a smell of decay and dampness hit me in the face.

Xia Meng covered her nose, took the oil lamp from Ou Xu's hand, and walked inside.

Ou Xu really couldn't cope with this terrifying atmosphere. He grabbed Xia Meng's sleeve with one hand and followed her nervously.

They looked on high alert, as if some monster would fall from the sky in front of them in the next second.

Xia Meng endured it for a long time. If he hadn't pulled her sleeve so hard that she could hardly hold the oil lamp, she would have finally turned around and asked with a smile: "You're not that scared, are you? Just think of it as entering a haunted house, right?"

Ou Xu's eyes widened in horror: "Isn't a haunted house scary?"

Xia Meng was bewildered: "They are all fake, what's so scary about them?"

Ou Xu: "If you say so... I can't refute it."

They are indeed all fake.

But it’s so scary!!

Xia Meng: "Then Huo Qingyu is not a ghost."

After all, when she saw him yesterday, he looked like a completely normal person with stable emotions.

Ou Xu: "...Can a normal person force others to dance for an entire night?"

Xia Meng: "...That's right."

Xia Meng was convinced.

There's still something wrong with Huo Qingyu.

Xia Meng couldn't say anything for a moment.

After much thought, she could only conclude that she knew too little about Huo Qingyu, and the information available for reference was limited, making it impossible to analyze.

But overall, she felt that Huo Qingyu was still a normal person.

At least, compared to Jiang Qiongran, it is much more normal.

Since you are a normal person, there is no need to be too afraid.

It’s just forcing others to practice dancing. What’s the difference between that and teachers assigning homework?

In terms of the degree of devilishness, he is about even with Lao Wang.

Thinking of this, Xia Meng relaxed a lot.

She quickened her pace.

After they twisted and turned in the tunnel, the view finally opened up.

In the light of the oil lamp, there is a deep underground pool in front of me, the water surface is shimmering, and a small wooden boat is docked on the shore not far away.

It's exactly the same as the plot in the movie.

Xia Meng jumped onto the boat without much hesitation.

She turned around and pulled Ou Xu, then picked up the oar.

Ou Xu quickly took the oar: "Let me do it."

He is a little timid, but it is not good to let girls do such heavy work.

He also has to do something to save his image!

Xia Meng followed suit and sat at the bow of the boat with the lantern in hand.

The oars began to paddle on the water.

Amid the sound of splashing water, Xia Meng held the oil lamp in one hand, illuminating the direction of the boat.

Not long after, a faint light appeared ahead.

Ou Xu stepped on the gas and galloped.

Soon the small wooden boat reached the other side.

Xia Meng jumped off the boat and placed the oil lamp on the rocks on the shore.

The shore on this side seems like another world.

There is a different world hidden in the mist.

It is magnificent and splendid with gold and jade.

Everything here seems to have a dreamy atmosphere.

Xia Meng walked along the path until she reached the brightest spot, and found that this was also the most empty place.

Three huge glass mirrors are inlaid on the stone wall, placed in a fan shape.

In front of the mirror, many white candles were burning.

The candles are of different lengths and heights.

The light and shadow intertwined in front of the mirror to create a dazzling halo.

Xia Meng took a step forward and when her eyes swept across the mirror, she found two lines of small words under the mirror.

Under the flickering candlelight, Xia Meng couldn't see clearly.

So she leaned over and softly read the small words: "You were born for the stage..."

You were born for the stage.

Will also die for the stage.

Xia Meng was stunned. Before she had time to think about what this sentence meant, who wrote it, and who the "you" referred to, she saw a sudden flash of cold light in the mirror from the corner of her eye. Ou Xu, who was standing behind her, suddenly had a cold light in his hand and stabbed towards her quickly.

At the moment of life and death, Xia Meng's body reacted faster than her brain.

She subconsciously lunged forward and to the side, then rolled on the ground, performing a difficult move that she had never been able to do before.

She bumped into the mirror, turned her head and looked at Ou Xu in disbelief.

What's wrong with him?

Ou Xu once again showed that stiff expression with uncontrolled hands and feet.

His eyes widened in horror as he slowly walked towards her, one step at a time, holding a long, thin knife in his hand. It looked extremely sharp, as if he could stab her through with just a little effort.

It was obvious that Ou Xu was controlled by the ghost again.

The only difference is that before the ghost controlled him to dance, but this time it controlled him to kill people.

Xia Meng swallowed a little stiffly.

What should I do now?

Just run away?

Just leave Ou Xu here?

Or was she trying to "interrupt" Ou Xu just like Li Zhou had interrupted her before?

Xia Meng quickly weighed the feasibility of the latter's implementation.

She was not Li Zhou, her movements were not as fast as his, and she did not have the skill to defeat the enemy with one blow.

If "Ou Xu" kills me in return, I might even have my fingers cut off.

While she was thinking, Ou Xu took two steps closer.

At this time, the position of the two people was very unfavorable to Xia Meng.

Surrounded by fan-shaped mirrors, she was like a little mouse cornered by a cat. No matter whether she ran left or right, she could not escape his attack range.

what to do?

Run?

No, exposing your back without permission would be even more dangerous.

Xia Meng glanced around quickly out of the corner of her eye.

At this moment, there were only lit candles around her and a mirror behind her.

The mirror behind her was broken by the collision just now, and pieces of mirror fragments fell down and landed right next to her hand.

Xia Meng calmly grasped one of the fragments that was more convenient in shape.

Take a gamble.

If the person controlling Ou Xu is really Huo Qingyu, then she may not be able to defeat him as a dancer!

etc……

If a fight breaks out, the ones who will get hurt are her and Ou Xu.

The boss hasn't revealed his true identity yet, and they're already killing each other. How can this be acceptable?

Otherwise, try to persuade him first!

Maybe she got lucky by accident?

Maybe Huo Qingyu would put down his butcher knife and become a Buddha right away?

You should always have dreams. Maybe you will get lucky.

Without further ado, Xia Meng quickly spoke up: "Let's talk! Huo Qingyu!"

As soon as the three words Huo Qingyu came out, Ou Xu's movements indeed paused, as if he was reacting to the name.

Xia Meng knew that she and Ou Xu had guessed right.

The "ghost" controlling Ou Xu was indeed Huo Qingyu!

Can communicate!

That’s easy!

She immediately said, "Huo Qingyu, you should know that we were only pulled into this world by chance. We don't intend to stay, and we don't want to explore anything. Can you please take us away from here? I can promise you that Ou Xu and I will never mention anything involving your privacy to anyone else."

"Ou Xu" did not move, still holding the knife tightly in his hand.

The tip of the knife was still pointed at Xia Meng.

Obviously, he did not accept her conditions.

Xia Meng glanced at Daofeng secretly and sighed.

There is no way.

It seems that we can only play by the rules he sets.

What is the logic of this world?

It's a performance on stage.

It's all about the stage.

Just like the words written on the mirror, born for the stage, die for the stage.

So, nothing is more important here than the performance.

Xia Meng said cautiously, "The performance...is about to begin. Swan Lake can't be without a leading actress. And...you don't want to miss such a precious opportunity to perform on stage, right?"

"Ou Xu" froze again.

As if thinking about her words.

Xia Meng stared at him without blinking.

Until one moment, she saw Ou Xu suddenly blink, and the moment his eyes focused, he saw the knife in his hand.

He: “Wow!”

He subconsciously loosened his hand, and the knife fell to the ground with a "click".

Ou Xu looked around blankly, then looked at Xia Meng: "What happened?"

Xia Meng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She casually threw the shard of mirror she was holding away, and the shards landed on the pile of debris on the ground with a "crack".

She raised her hand to rub her back, which was sore from the collision, and said, "You are being controlled by the ghost again."

Ou Xu was surprised: "Are you sure? Why don't I have any impression of it this time?"

Yes, Xia Meng remembered that every time Ou Xu was controlled, he was conscious.

She asked, “Do you feel anything is different this time?”

Ou Xu frowned as he recalled, "It's not much different. If I had to say... I felt like I was being dragged into darkness. I felt a little breathless, and a little... sad."

Xia Meng grasped the key words: "Sad? You feel sad?"

Ou Xu nodded: "I don't know why, but I feel very sad, as if it will be difficult for me to be happy again in this life. It feels like everything is hopeless."

Xia Meng was stunned.

Ou Xu: "What's wrong?"

Xia Meng vaguely felt that she seemed to have grasped something.

It seemed as if the sources of all the strangeness in Huo Qingyu's mental picture could be traced.

But once she tried to delve into the details, she found that the details were like quicksand in the water, which she could not grasp or catch.

Faintly, the seven o'clock bell seemed to ring.

Xia Meng shook her head and said, forget it, don’t think about it for now.

She said, "Let's go back first so as not to delay your performance."

Hearing this, Ou Xu put on his mask of pain again: "Honestly, I'd rather not go back."

Xia Meng looked at him silently.

She said, "Honestly, if you don't go back, someone will die."

Ou Xu: “Ah?”

Xia Meng sighed.

Man, you have no idea what I went through just a few minutes ago.

The small wooden boat started rowing again.

Xia Meng sat at the bow of the boat, watching the underground stage disappear from sight from afar.

They returned the same way they had come.

When we arrived backstage, Mrs. Gillie was already frantic with anxiety.

"The show's about to start! Where have you been?"

Ou Xu choked and subconsciously looked at Xia Meng.

"The ghost in the theater was looking for him, so he was delayed." Xia Meng said without blinking.

When the title of "Ghost Lord" was mentioned, Mrs. Gilly really fell silent.

She stepped forward, pulled Ou Xu up and left: "Hurry! It's too late!"

Xia Meng stood there and watched the two of them leave.

The musicians in front of the stage have taken their positions and started warming up before the actual performance.

"call……"

Xia Meng slowly squatted down against the wall.

Unexpectedly, in this mental picture, one still has to fight hard.

At this time, Ergou showed up.

It seemed to sense Xia Meng's emotional ups and downs and spontaneously ran out to comfort her.

It straightened up and looked at her seriously.

Somehow, when Xia Meng looked at its big black eyes, her fluctuating mood actually calmed down slowly.

She couldn't help but reach out and touch its head, muttering to herself, "Tell me, Huo Qingyu is an ordinary person with a normal mental state, why is his mental image so abnormal? Every detail here... is so strange."

The spirit is probably the best listener.

It's always there.

But it doesn't seem to be a qualified listener. It finds it difficult to respond to her and can't keep up with her thoughts.

Thinking of this, Xia Meng suddenly missed Li Zhou a little.

Although the sentry spoke strangely and his thought process was also a bit strange, it seemed as if he had some serious illness.

But he seemed to be able to keep up with her thoughts every time and accurately help her find the biggest doubts.

If you are playing script-killing or werewolf, he would probably be a good partner.

Thinking of this, Xia Meng smiled first.

This mental picture is no different from a script-killing game.

If only he were here too.

Thinking of this, Xia Meng picked up Ergou and walked towards the box on the second floor.

Unfortunately, he was not there, so she had to solve the problem alone.

Of course, Ou Xu can only be considered half.

It would be better if he could just not use a knife on her.

Wait, if that’s the case, Li Zhou can’t come in at all!

It was barely enough for her to defeat Ou Xu, but if the ghost controlled Li Zhou, wouldn't it be easier to crush her to death than to crush an ant?

Then she and Ou Xu would really be helpless.

Thinking of this, Xia Meng smiled bitterly and said, "Forget it, he should just not come."

She carried Ergou upstairs.

Just before I pushed the door open and walked into the private room, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind me: "Who did you tell not to come?"

Xia Meng stopped.

Are you hallucinating?

She slowly turned her head and unexpectedly saw a figure leaning against the wall with arms folded in the dim corner.

She met Li Zhou's eyes.

she:"……"

she:"???"

Are you Cao Cao?

Even Cao Cao isn't as fast as you, right?