Translator: CinderTL
"Doctor," Fatty said, turning to him, "what are you planning to do?"
Although the Burnt Ghost's performance on the first floor had been unremarkable, showing no particular abilities, no one could say for sure if anything would change now that they were on the second floor.
Moreover, Fatty couldn't shake the feeling that the warning written on the wooden board held a deeper meaning. It had said that upon reaching the second floor, they would receive the first treasure offered to the Lord. They were already on the second floor, but instead of a treasure, they had encountered a Ghost.
"Brother Fugui," Huai Yi pulled him aside, "Brother Jiang is so strong, he'll be fine. Staying here won't help; it'll only distract him."
Jiang Cheng took out his phone and quickly sent separate messages to Fatty and Huai Yi. Then he looked up and asked, "Can you receive them?"
Huai Yi checked his phone and nodded. "Yes."
Fatty confirmed the same.
Fatty knew Huai Yi was right. After reminding the Doctor to be careful, he and Huai Yi ran into the depths of the library.
During this time, Jiang Cheng had already surveyed the area. It was smaller than the first floor, but there were still plenty of places to hide. Only two locations met his requirements.
The first was a semi-enclosed, circular structure on the left, resembling a shopping mall information desk.
The second was on the right, behind a pillar and several large bookshelves. The bookshelves were taller than a person, packed with books that would easily conceal him.
He had no idea how this thing ended up in the library.
The only other hiding spot was to his right, behind a few large bookshelves hidden behind a pillar.
The bookshelves were taller than a man, packed with books that would easily conceal him.
More importantly, there were several rooms behind the bookshelves, two of whose Gates were open. From his vantage point, he couldn't see inside.
After a quick analysis, Jiang Cheng decided to hide near the bookshelves.
The information desk offered a clear view, but if he were spotted and trapped there, he'd have no room to maneuver.
The bookshelves, on the other hand, offered much better options.
Moving as quickly and quietly as possible, he managed to conceal himself behind the second bookshelf just before the footsteps drew near.
He crouched slightly, pulling out two books from the shelf. Through the gap, he could just make out the direction the footsteps were coming from.
Now, he had to hold his breath and wait for the Burnt Ghost to appear.
5 seconds.
10 seconds.
30 seconds.
The footsteps grew louder, and Jiang Cheng could already smell the indescribable stench of burning flesh. Still, he hadn't seen the Burnt Ghost.
What was going on?
He was certain the lifeless footsteps were no more than five meters away, and he could even pinpoint the creature's approximate location based on the sound.
It was near the pillar in front of the first bookshelf.
But why...
Jiang Cheng stared intently at the spot where the footsteps had vanished. Their absence didn't mean the Burnt Ghost had left; the thick, almost tangible stench of burnt flesh still lingered.
Recalling what had happened on the first floor, Jiang Cheng was certain the Burnt Ghost was searching for him. It had sensed someone nearby.
Just as it had sensed Huai Yi not long ago.
The next moment, Jiang Cheng's brow furrowed sharply, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back. He heard a faint scraping sound.
He saw that right in front of his bookshelf, on the first bookshelf just three meters away, several books in the middle suddenly shifted.
Then, without warning, they "thumped" to the floor as if pulled out by an unseen force.
Jiang Cheng immediately crouched down, holding his breath.
But in that moment, a terrifying realization struck him.
The Burnt Ghost was standing right in front of the first bookshelf, pulling out books to peer through the gaps and check if anyone was hiding behind it.
So close...
If he had chosen to hide behind the first bookshelf, he would have been discovered by now.
And the consequences of being found by a Ghost were always the same.
Even more terrifying was that this Ghost... Jiang Cheng's gaze faltered.
It was invisible.
Completely invisible to the naked eye!
He could only roughly gauge its location by its footsteps, the sounds it made, and the lingering stench of burnt flesh.
The Ghost remained motionless, and Jiang Cheng dared not move either. They stood locked in this tense standoff for over ten seconds. Finally, Jiang Cheng heard footsteps behind the first bookshelf.
The footsteps gradually faded, step by step, disappearing in the direction Fatty and the others had gone.
Without hesitation, Jiang Cheng immediately relayed this information to Fatty and Huai Yi.
Next, he informed Shen Mengyun and Wang Qi.
When it came to Gao Yan, Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment before sending him the message.
The message was concise and clear: "Be careful. The Ghost is invisible, but you can still track it by its footsteps and scent."
Though the encounter had been perilous, the outcome was favorable.
At the same time, Jiang Cheng couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
If Huai Yi and Fatty had both been hiding here, caught off guard, the consequences...
He hadn't chosen to seek out the others, fearing he might stumble upon the Burnt Ghost, especially now that it was invisible.
Standing still made it difficult to pinpoint its location.
With a bit of bad luck, he might have walked right into the Ghost's face without even realizing it.
With time on his hands, Jiang Cheng began to ponder the prophecy and the words written on the wooden plank on the second-floor staircase. It felt like both a warning and a hint.
Everyone who reached the second floor would receive the first treasure to be presented to the Lord.
In the fable, the first treasure's function seemed to be to make the detestable slave vanish forever from the Lord's sight.
Vanishing Forever Treasure
These seemingly unrelated words suddenly seemed imbued with a soul, and Jiang Cheng's attention focused on the final lines of the prophecy.
After the three men presented their treasures to the Lord, the Lord's Son was overjoyed and kept them by his side as guards, to serve and protect the Lord forevermore.
Why was the Lord's Son overjoyed when it was the Lord who received the treasures? What about the Lord himself?
And the next sentence abruptly mentioned keeping the three men as guards to serve and protect the Lord forevermore.
The word "forever" felt unsettling to Jiang Cheng, giving him the eerie sensation of being chosen for human sacrifice.
Most importantly, what exactly were these three treasures?
In Jiang Cheng's view, these three treasures were likely metaphors—in other words, they didn't exist in reality.
Following this line of reasoning, the Lord must have already met his demise after receiving the "treasures."
This would explain why the Lord's Son took over later.
Gradually, this allegorical tale unfolded before Jiang Cheng in a new form.
The allegory used irony throughout. The first treasure presented to the cruel Lord was actually his own eyes, gouged out.
Without eyes, the Lord could no longer see the slaves.
The second treasure was his ears, severed.
Without ears, the Lord could no longer hear the slaves cursing him.
The third treasure was his nose, cut off.
Without a nose, the Lord could no longer smell the slaves' stench.
Therefore, the phrase on the wooden board—"Through this place, all who pass will receive the Lord's first treasure"—truly meant that everyone who passed through would lose their eyes!
Jiang Cheng frowned. No, that wasn't right. It meant they would no longer be able to see the Ghost!
(End of the Chapter)
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