HLnovel Chapter 103 Ghost Stories (Part 1)
Chapter 103 Ghost Stories (Part 1)
The next day, Ao Nanxi arrived on time, but she immediately noticed something was wrong—except for Chu Qiuchi, the others all looked listless and were clearly in poor condition.
"What's wrong with you guys?" She frowned at them, but a suppressed smile played on her lips. "Why do you all look like you've had your life force drained?"
Puyang Minghui waved her hand helplessly, then suddenly had a bright idea and began to complain, half-jokingly: "That's right! We were drained of our life force by some demon! Last night, Qiu Chi insisted on telling us some scary stories, which were absolutely terrifying! We didn't sleep well all night!"
After hearing this, Ao Nanxi looked at them suspiciously, her gaze lingering on Ji Moyu for a moment: "A horror story? That could scare all four of you at the same time? I don't believe it! Ji Moyu doesn't seem like someone who would be easily frightened!"
Chu Qiuchi was surprised by Puyang Minghui's quick thinking. He immediately seized the opportunity, a sly smile spreading across his face as he looked at Ao Nanxi: "Nanxi, if you're curious, I can tell you stories! I have tons of these kinds of stories here, all kinds, everything imaginable. You can hear whatever you want—evil spirits eating people, demon babies seeking revenge, ghost forests, ghost brides, I guarantee you'll immerse yourself in their 'pleasure' from last night! How about it? Want to give it a try?"
Ao Nanxi raised her eyebrows, crossed her arms, and looked at Chu Qiuchi with a playful expression: "Oh? That amazing? Sounds very appealing. But I don't want to end up like them, 'having my life force drained'. If you make it too scary and keep me up all night, you'll have to take responsibility!"
"Take responsibility? Of course!" Chu Qiuchi patted his chest confidently, then revealed a rather irritating smile. "I'll take full responsibility and add a little more substance to make you even more immersed, so you won't even dare to dream about it!"
Ao Nanxi clicked his tongue softly, a slight smile playing on his lips, his tone laced with amusement: "Judging from your tone, I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. But let me warn you in advance, if you don't scare me, I'll be laughing at you instead!"
"Won't scare you? Are you kidding me!" Chu Qiuchi retorted with an incredulous expression and exaggerated tone, "Products made by Chu Qiuchi are absolutely guaranteed in quality. Won't scare anyone? Ha, that's a pipe dream! Just don't end up crying from fright!"
Puyang Minghui watched the two bickering back and forth, inwardly groaning. After all, the so-called "horror story" from last night was just an excuse she made up to fool Aonanxi. Now that Aonanxi seemed determined to hear it, she probably had some suspicions and was just pressing the issue.
She looked up at Chu Qiuchi, her eyes pleading for help. However, Chu Qiuchi ignored her gaze, instead giving her a reassuring look, as if everything was under control. Puyang Minghui, watching her confident demeanor, couldn't help but think to herself: Good grief, you think you can do this? Don't mess it up later!
“Alright, since you’re so confident, then it’s a deal. Tonight, you have to tell me a scary story too!” Ao Nanxi raised an eyebrow at Chu Qiuchi, crossed her arms, and spoke with a provocative tone.
"No problem!" Chu Qiuchi readily agreed, a sly smile playing on his lips. "But Nanxi, remember to prepare a nightlight for yourself. After hearing this, you might not even have the courage to turn off the lights and go to sleep!"
“Bring it on!” Ao Nanxi retorted without backing down, his face showing an eager expression.
Puyang Minghui couldn't help but interject, "Um... are you sure you want to take this so seriously? Actually, these kinds of stories aren't that interesting, they're just... just like that..."
Ao Nanxi interrupted her directly: "Minghui, you don't need to find a way out for her. I want to see just how scary the horror story that terrified the four of you last night really is!"
Puyang Minghui sighed inwardly: It seems tonight is destined to be an eventful night. She glanced down at Chu Qiuchi, only to find that she remained calm and composed, showing no signs of tension and instead displaying a high level of fighting spirit.
Puyang Minghui couldn't help but wonder to herself: Could Qiu Chi really be planning to make one up on the spot? Just how confident is she?
With Ao Nanxi present, the others couldn't say anything openly and could only silently pray that Chu Qiuchi wouldn't mess things up tonight.
The matter was settled, and the group went to the training ground as planned. Both Ao Nanxi's doubts and Pu Yangminghui's worries were temporarily forgotten amidst the intense training. When training ended and they returned to their tents to cultivate, that underlying tension quietly resurfaced.
As night fell, the light inside the tent gradually softened from bright to gentle. Chu Qiuchi sat quietly by the bed, closing his eyes to rest while quickly recalling the plots of classic ghost movies he had watched as a child.
She knew perfectly well that Puyang Minghui's excuse had already been revealed, and unless this act was convincing, she wouldn't be able to dispel Ao Nanxi's suspicions. Anyway, she had watched plenty of horror movies since she was a child, so fooling Ao Nanxi shouldn't be a problem.
As night deepened and it became completely dark outside, the group sat together. Chu Qiuchi dimmed the lights in the tent, creating a hazy, mysterious atmosphere that added a sense of oppression. The others cooperated by each grabbing a cushion and hugging it, trying to appear tense and frightened.
Chu Qiuchi slowly sat down, his eyes narrowing slightly. He lowered his voice, speaking with a hint of mystery, "Today, I'm going to tell you the story of the 'Ghost Forest.' In the northern part of the empire, there is a forbidden area called the 'Ghost Forest.' It is said that countless rare treasures are buried there, including gold and rare magical materials. This news has attracted countless people, but... almost no one who has stepped into this forest has come out alive."
Her voice drifted on and on, like a cold wind sweeping through, instantly sombering the atmosphere in the tent. The dim light cast shadows on their faces, highlighting their unease.
A hint of interest flashed in Ao Nanxi's eyes. She leaned forward slightly, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Ghost Forest? Never heard of it. Does such a place really exist?"
"Hehe..." Chu Qiuchi chuckled softly, the sound seeming to be squeezed out of her throat, echoing eerily in the tent, carrying a slightly sinister tone, "Of course there is, how could there not be?" She dragged out the tone lightly, as if intentionally whetting everyone's appetite.
Puyang Minghui hugged the pillow in her arms, couldn't help but shrink her neck, and asked in a low voice, "And then... what happened?"
Chu Qiuchi's lips curled slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes, but his tone was so low it sent chills down one's spine: "There was a man named Su Yuan who heard the legend of the Ghost Forest. Filled with passion and greed, he resolutely stepped into that rarely visited forest. He firmly believed that he would be the only one to bring out the rare treasures alive. However, he had only walked a few hundred meters when he heard a strange sound beside him—"
She paused, her gaze sweeping across everyone's faces as if observing their reactions, then lowered her voice, drawing out the words, and slowly said, "At first, the sound was like the wind echoing through the woods, but as Su Yuan walked further and further away, the sound became clearer and clearer, like... someone whispering in his ear: 'Turn back... turn back...'"
When Chu Qiuchi finished speaking, he deliberately lowered his voice, making it almost a whisper, but every word seemed to carry a chill that ran from his ears to his back.
Puyang Minghui glanced at Ao Nanxi and saw that she had her hands folded on her knees, listening intently. Puyang Minghui secretly breathed a sigh of relief; Chu Qiuchi had indeed not disappointed her.
Su Yuan refused to believe it was a hallucination and continued deeper into the forest. However, the further he went, the colder it became, and the ground beneath his feet became increasingly soft, as if he were stepping on something soft. He looked down and was nearly scared out of his wits—the ground was covered with half-rotten corpses, all of which had their eyes wide open, staring straight at him!
Chu Qiuchi suddenly raised his voice and slammed his hand on the table, startling Puyang Minghui so much that she flinched, her tension instantly turning into genuine nervousness. Although Ao Nanxi tried her best to remain calm, she still subconsciously tensed her back, and cracks were clearly visible on her composed face.
Chu Qiuchi saw the effect, a slight smile playing on his lips, but his tone grew even lower and colder: "He hurriedly retreated, about to turn and run, when he noticed the corpses began to move—their eyes glowed with a cold green light, emitting a creaking sound, like some kind of eerie laughter. The corpses slowly rose, uttering low murmurs: 'Stay...stay...'"
Puyang Minghui shuddered, quickly shrinking back, and said in a trembling voice, "Qiu Chi... that's enough, stop talking..."
Chu Qiuchi gave a sinister laugh, his voice even deeper and carrying a chilling, penetrating power: "Su Yuan ran desperately, but the forest seemed endless. No matter how fast he ran, he could always hear those deep, dragging footsteps chasing after him. Finally, exhausted, he collapsed to the ground. Just when he thought he was going to die, a clear voice suddenly rang in his ears—'Found you.'"