Chapter 12: Summoning Spirits (10)
Wrong.
The ritual was complete, yet the ghost was not sent away.
In the dimly lit corridor, Lu Jinchao quietly followed behind Lin Shuyue.
Her walking was still somewhat stiff, likely because her body hadn’t fully recovered. But to Lu Jinchao, it seemed as if the ghost on her back was pressing down so heavily she could not move naturally.
Cold sweat broke out on Lu Jinchao’s forehead. She didn’t know whether she should warn Lin Shuyue at this moment.
Yet, what she wanted to know had become very clear.
“What about the others?” Lin Shuyue asked as she walked ahead in the narrow corridor.
“They’re all carrying out their tasks,” Lu Jinchao replied, lowering her head and subtly putting some distance between herself and Lin Shuyue.
“I see. Besides you, is there anyone else who has completed their task and can move freely?”
Free movement...
Lu Jinchao blinked, her vision still unsteady. One eye showed no sign of regaining sight, and she dared not turn to look behind her.
Could this be called free movement?
She didn’t tell Lin Shuyue about her predicament, instead answering selectively, “Maybe Cen Duo, but I feel something’s off about her.”
Lu Jinchao had no intention of deceiving Lin Shuyue with false information, but she withheld her suspicion.
What had initially been a vague instinct of unease, after layering the information, had turned into a terrifying possibility.
Now, with the information from Lin Shuyue, Lu Jinchao’s speculation about this platform mission was nearly complete.
In her view, the core of this mission was not the Ghost-Seeking Ritual.
Or rather, the ritual was important, but completing the ritual was not.
As soon as the ritual began, ghosts would appear.
Whether the ritual succeeded or failed was meaningless.
Because the true purpose of this platform mission was to summon ghosts.
The ghost behind Lin Shuyue had not left even though she had “completed the ritual” and supposedly sent away the cup spirit.
At that moment, Lu Jinchao was certain.
Once a ghost was summoned, it could no longer be expelled.
So now, behind them, there was definitely another ghost.
Currently, there were two living people and two ghosts walking together.
---
“Is the train arriving in just over an hour?” Lu Jinchao suddenly asked.
“...Yes, why do you ask all of a sudden?” Lin Shuyue’s train of thought was slightly interrupted. She was still pondering the unease Lu Jinchao mentioned and considering whether to check on Cen Duo.
“Will the train stop where we came from?”
“Yes. We can get there a little earlier. The train won’t wait long, so boarding as soon as it arrives is safest.”
Lin Shuyue’s tone eased considerably. In her eyes, she had paid a great price for safety; now, all that remained was to board the train.
But then Lu Jinchao asked another question.
“Can ghosts board the train?”
Lin Shuyue’s steps faltered.
She turned, her voice filled with suspicion and caution: “Xiao Lu, why do you ask that?”
Lu Jinchao couldn’t see her expression but explained, “I’m worried there might be ghosts on the train. It’s not safe.”
“Oh, that. Don’t worry,” Lin Shuyue seemed to relax.
“As long as you don’t have a ticket, whether human or ghost, you can’t see the train or board it. Sometimes even when time’s up, we face ghostly pursuits, but once on the train, you’re absolutely safe.”
“If the ticket holder dies, the ticket disappears. Ghosts cannot steal a person’s ticket.”
“So, ghosts can never board the train.”
...Is that so?
But why does it feel like the ghosts in this platform want to sneak onto the train with them?
Otherwise, why do the ghosts, who aren’t bound by the ghost-seeking rules, hesitate to kill them?
The only special thing about this group is their identity as train passengers.
Letting them live only gains the ghosts the time and location of the train’s arrival.
When Lu Jinchao saw the ghost on Lin Shuyue’s back hadn’t left, she understood this clearly.
This mission isn’t about “seeing ghosts” but “summoning ghosts,” because the danger isn’t the ghost-seeking task itself, but that they summon ghosts without understanding their purpose!
If one doesn’t notice, they might truly believe everyone has completed their task.
When the train arrives and everyone gathers, there will be at least nine ghosts waiting alongside them.
Will they quietly wait for the train doors to open and then let them safely board?
Impossible.
---
The only thing Lu Jinchao could think of was that these ghosts would kill them the moment the train doors opened, then take their place, trying to board the train themselves.
She didn’t know if this was really possible but knew the most dangerous moment in this mission had been revealed.
That moment was the train’s arrival, when they prepared to board.
“Are you really sure ghosts can’t get on the train?” Lu Jinchao asked repeatedly.
Lin Shuyue looked puzzled. “What are you worried about?”
“Don’t worry. Once before, a teammate was possessed by a ghost without any of us noticing, but she was refused entry by the train.”
“That’s how we can be 100% sure ghosts can’t board.”
Is that so...
Could she have misunderstood?
Lu Jinchao frowned slightly but couldn’t think of any reason why the ghosts wouldn’t kill them now.
“I’m worried about Cen Duo.”
“I’ll check on her. If she really has a problem and can’t get on the train, we just need to avoid her and stagger our boarding times.”
Lin Shuyue seemed prepared. After speaking, she suddenly realized something, paused for a few seconds, then asked delicately:
“But Xiao Lu, why do you keep looking down and never look at me?”
Since she turned to face her, Lu Jinchao had kept her head lowered during their conversation.
Thinking of Lu Jinchao’s current abilities, Lin Shuyue’s complexion gradually changed.
Lu Jinchao quieted after hearing the question.
In the midnight street, only the two of them remained. Lu Jinchao still looked down, her expression unseen, but her voice was heard:
“Because, Sister Lin, that ghost is still on your back.”
...What?!
Lin Shuyue’s mind went blank. Her limbs turned icy cold, and an overwhelming terror swept through her, leaving her unable to immediately respond to Lu Jinchao’s words.
It felt like an illusion, but once Lu Jinchao made it clear, Lin Shuyue finally sensed something was terribly wrong.
Her shoulders ached as if bearing a heavy burden for a long time.
Her back felt cold—not from the night chill, but because something cold, like dead flesh, was pressed against her skin.
From her neck, an almost imperceptible chill would occasionally rise, accompanied by a stench of decay.
Lin Shuyue dared not imagine what it was. She only felt as if all the blood in her body congealed with that cold, sinister breath.