Chapter 53: You Call This a Haunted House?

Wang Hui was a little bewildered as he looked at the girl who had appeared before him. He took the documents she handed over and asked Xiao Zi, “Who is this girl?”

“She’s someone quite similar to you, my human subordinate, so to speak.”

But the girl—Ruan Qing—was even more confused than Wang Hui. Her eyes were wide with astonishment, yet she felt no sense of discord within herself.

“These are all copies; I’ve returned the originals,” Ruan Qing explained, though she had no idea why she said so.

Xiao Zi didn’t elaborate further, but instructed Wang Hui to relay, “Alright, that’s all for now. Go home. I’ll contact you when I need you again.”

Ruan Qing simply nodded and left, still mystified. She never understood what she had done or why she had done it. It merely felt like fulfilling her destiny, and she knew she could never speak of it to anyone.

Wang Hui watched Ruan Qing’s retreating figure in silence, unsure of what to say.

“Why are you staring at her? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for her?” Xiao Zi’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

“No, it’s just… this is so bizarre. We’ve only just arrived and you…” Wang Hui stammered, startled.

“Well, it’s fine if you like her. Once I rule the world, you’ll be king of humanity. Keeping a harem will be reasonable, and I’ll arrange for Si Li and Ruan Qing to join you,” Xiao Zi said, her tone playful.

“Come on, boss, are you serious? I… I never thought of that…” Wang Hui was so nervous his words stumbled.

Yes, a proper leader must know how to promise grand rewards, so that their followers remain loyal.

“Enough. For me to conquer the world—and for you to have your harem—think about how to spread fear here without drawing too much attention.”

“Yes, yes. For your world domination, I’ll definitely think it through,” Wang Hui replied, correcting himself mid-sentence.

A sudden gust of wind, as if predestined, swept a poster to Wang Hui’s feet.

Curious, Wang Hui picked it up and read: “Horror House—Half Price!”

Upon seeing the poster, Xiao Zi immediately had an idea.

“Wang Hui, let’s take a tour of this Horror House.”

Wang Hui was surprised. “What are you planning?”

“What do you think?”

He seemed to catch on, a realization dawning on his face. “Right, you’ve said you love human fear. In a place like this, you could absorb as much fear as you like.”

“Exactly.”

Opening the Morality Map, Wang Hui searched for the Horror House and found that all the reviews online were negative.

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People had ridiculed the Horror House, saying there was nothing scary about it at all.

Seeing this, Wang Hui was a little disappointed. “How are you supposed to absorb human terror here?”

“Hmph! No matter how unscary a place is, with me, it’ll become terrifying in an instant,” Xiao Zi retorted.

Wang Hui was left speechless and changed the subject. “Boss, what about the clown? You didn’t leave him in that dark tunnel, did you?”

The so-called dark tunnel was actually the world of shadows.

Xiao Zi had arrived in Tianjing City through her Shadow Spirit skill, which required traversing the shadow realm for quite some time.

That world was nothing but darkness, and it had truly frightened Wang Hui.

“I put the clown in my Forbidden Domain. It’s inconvenient to carry him around. There’s a game console in there, and he’s quite happy.”

“Forbidden Domain?”

“You’ll learn about it in time. Stop asking so many questions. Let’s head to our destination.”

They caught a cab and soon arrived at the so-called Horror House.

From the outside, it looked especially dilapidated, completely out of place amid the bustling city around it.

It seemed as though it hadn’t been maintained for years.

Upon seeing visitors, an elderly uncle hurried over. “Young man, here to play? We’re offering discounts now.”

Wang Hui nodded, pulled out a twenty yuan note and handed it to the man. “One round, please.”

The uncle eagerly took the money and led Wang Hui inside, as if afraid he’d change his mind.

Inside, it was dimly lit, with only a few old bulbs casting scattered light.

The uncle pointed to a shabby little car, the kind that rocks when you insert a coin. “Sit on that. I’ll go press the button.”

Wang Hui nodded and sat down. The car instantly lurched downward, as if it might fall apart at any moment.

“Sorry, it’s a bit old, but don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe,” the uncle assured him, then pressed the button.

With the button pressed, the ride began to move, creaking and groaning.

It moved slowly along the track ahead.

Along the way, images of monsters and ghosts would suddenly appear, then vanish just as quickly.

Occasionally, a turn would reveal cheap tomato sauce sprayed about.

Every so often, a bump would offer a glimpse of toy skulls bought for a pittance.

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The whole ride lasted less than ten minutes, and Wang Hui was dazed throughout.

“You call this a Horror House?”

The uncle scratched his head, embarrassed. “I’m old. I really don’t get what you young people like these days. It’s not very scary. Next time, bring your girlfriend along—it’ll be fun at least.”

Wang Hui’s face twitched. He forced a laugh. “Uh… is this place for rent?”

The old man was immediately puzzled, sizing up Wang Hui’s age. “If someone wants to rent it, of course I’d rent it out.”

“How much do you want for it? I’ve been thinking of renting a place like this lately.”

Seeing the uncle’s confused look, Wang Hui continued, “I’m a rich kid. Want to throw a party—money’s no object.”

Hearing this, the uncle grabbed Wang Hui’s hand. “Business isn’t great, but it’s a big space. If you bring classmates to party here, it’ll be no problem. I won’t charge too much—twelve hundred a month. How long do you want it?”

Without hesitation, Wang Hui pulled out his phone and transferred three months’ rent. “Three months. It’s mine for that time. I trust you, so no need for a contract. Just don’t let me down.”

The uncle patted his chest. “Rest assured. I was just about to head out of town, so the place is free. Use it as you like—even if you tear it down, I won’t complain.”

He was joking, of course; as a nearly bankrupt small-time boss, he wouldn’t dare cross a rich kid.

“Well, in that case, I’m relieved.”

“From your accent, you’re not local, are you?”

“No, I’m from Qianyou Town.”

“Qianyou Town?” The uncle was shocked. “I heard something leaked there, and the whole town’s been sealed off. Phones don’t even connect— is that true?”

Wang Hui seemed to realize something. “I’d already arrived in Tianjing City, so I’m not sure.”

He waved. “Goodbye, then.”

It seemed Qianyou Town had been completely sealed, in every possible way.

Wang Hui smiled and stepped into the Horror House, Xiao Zi already at his side.

“Take apart all this junk. I want to turn this place into a true park of terror—everyone who comes in will leave screaming!”

As for the old uncle, to avoid unnecessary trouble, he surely would not survive.