Well, a flaw is a flaw — Bai Youwei might not even find it!

At a time like this, it was all about who was faster and who seized the initiative first!

Fu Miaoxue steeled herself and kept moving forward, already impatient to see the results.

Ah la la la~

Clear the game, collect the rewards, conveniently harvest a big haul of puzzle pieces and items, then bring the puzzle pieces and items into the labyrinth — practically invincible, couldn’t be more wonderful~

She grinned happily, quickened her pace, and hooked her arm through Du Lai’s, her mood excellent.

—

In the latter half of the night, the long-awaited Corpse-Hauling Woman appeared again.

A disheveled old woman, pushing a weathered wooden cart, singing a wavering, lilting opera tune as she walked.

The creases on her face ran as deep as ravines. The skin of her limbs was dry and cracked like withered wood. She moved with her head lowered, her eyes downcast, impossibly slow — yet the ground she passed over bore not a single footprint. Only two deep wheel ruts remained.

Despite being mentally prepared, Fu Miaoxue felt a wave of fear wash over her at the sight of this figure again.

She remembered the Corpse-Hauling Woman’s laughter from the previous night — the way she had crawled like a spider. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, until she was trembling from head to toe.

Watching the figure slowly approach through the rain, Du Lai extended his hand toward Fu Miaoxue. “Give me the spirit tablet. I’ll go.”

“No — no!” Fu Miaoxue kept her eyes fixed on the slowly advancing silhouette in the rainy night. “If she gives chase, I have the advantage — I don’t fear yin energy…”

I’m only afraid of ghosts. That’s all.

Fu Miaoxue steeled herself once more. “I… I’ll lure her to the burial ground. You go ahead and wait to intercept.”

Du Lai frowned at her. “Are you sure you can do this alone?”

“What do you mean, am I sure?!” Fu Miaoxue was irritated, feeling that Du Lai was undermining the courage she had worked so hard to summon.

She said impatiently, “I’m a doll — she can’t eat me, and she can’t hurt me! What is there to worry about?!”

Without waiting for Du Lai to say another word, she grabbed the spirit tablet and bolted into the rain!

“Liu Yanruo!” Fu Miaoxue shouted at the old woman in the rain!

The old woman froze.

Her form halted abruptly in place, staring blankly at Fu Miaoxue.

Fu Miaoxue’s heart leapt with secret joy!

The spirit tablet actually worked!

She raised it higher and shouted even louder: “Liu Yanruo!”

This time, not only did the old woman fail to lunge forward to attack — she actually stumbled back half a step!

Fu Miaoxue was electrified with excitement. Clutching the spirit tablet, she shouted, “Liu Yanruo! Liu Yanruo! Liu Yanruo!”

With each shout, the old woman’s form shuddered and distorted — coalescing, then dispersing, then coalescing again.

Fu Miaoxue watched with tense anticipation.

She watched the smoky shape contract and tremble over and over until it finally condensed into a smaller mass — like a will-o’-the-wisp — which darted away and vanished entirely.

Just as Fu Miaoxue was puzzling over this, a rustling sound came from the cart.

…The reed mat — it moved.

Fu Miaoxue’s heart clenched, and she involuntarily took half a step back.

Then she looked at the spirit tablet in her hands.

She steeled herself, stepped forward again, and shouted once more at the remains beneath the reed mat: “Liu Yanruo!”

Whoosh!

The rotting corpse sat bolt upright!

Fu Miaoxue nearly screamed out loud in terror!

The female corpse creaked as it twisted its head around. Its eyes glowed an eerie green, staring directly at her —

In that instant, Fu Miaoxue’s throat seemed to go mute. She couldn’t produce a single word — she could only stare at the shifting, transformed corpse.

The female corpse raised both arms with rigid stiffness and without any warning lunged straight for Fu Miaoxue!

Fu Miaoxue could contain it no longer. She let out a hysterical shriek!

“AAAAAAH!!!”

She ran with every ounce of strength toward the old scholar’s house!

“Miaoxue!” Du Lai came chasing after her from behind! “Throw the spirit tablet to me!”

Fu Miaoxue was crying and screaming, yet her mind remained lucid. She shouted ahead through her tears, “I can’t give it to you! Your body can’t withstand her yin energy!”

She finally reached the courtyard gate and flung herself at the door!

THUD!

The impact sent Fu Miaoxue tumbling flat on her back!

She ignored the pain and scrambled up, staring in disbelief. “What — what’s going on?! Why is the gate bolted?!”

—