Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 12: Detailed Information on the Sheling Tunnel

After his cousin finished his porridge and left for work, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room for a nap. When he woke up, he heard energetic sound effects. Opening his eyes, he saw the glow of the TV screen flickering in the room; the ceiling light was off. He sat up and looked toward the window. His aunt was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, playing on his PS5. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing two fair, delicate forearms, and her slender body swayed from side to side as she moved the controller. Zhang Yuanqing yawned, got up to turn on the light, and walked behind his aunt to watch her play. She was playing a horror game with a gloomy visual style and eerie music. The protagonist was an ugly little figure wielding a blood-soaked axe, cutting through enemies left and right and leaving a trail of blood and gore in his wake. The glow from the TV reflected in her clear, water-like eyes, and her round, oval face radiated a bright, excited glow. “This game’s pretty good—perfect for playing at night. It’s actually quite therapeutic,” my aunt said without turning around. His aunt has three main hobbies: shopping at malls, watching horror movies, and playing horror games. “It’s depressing, isn’t it? You’re such a twisted woman...” Zhang Yuanqing agreed insincerely, “It is pretty interesting.” His aunt turned her head and shot him a withering glance. “Why are you beating around the bush with me?” She turned back to continue playing the game and said “Actually, this is a therapeutic game. The ghosts and monsters in the game are all figments of a little boy’s imagination. He’s a mental patient, and to keep from being consumed by his inner demons, he fights hard. In the end, he breaks through the blood-soaked path and finally sees the light. The ending is very moving.” As she spoke, Zhang Yuanqing had already poured himself a glass of water. He sipped it as he replied, “It’s a good concept.” Her aunt hummed in agreement a couple of times, then continued “Every boss follows a specific pattern. As long as you pay close attention, even a little boy can defeat a terrifying demon. But the scary visuals and music often instill fear in people, causing them to lose their cool and make poor judgments. “Why don’t you give it a try?” Zhang Yuanqing wasn’t in the mood to play games with his aunt. It had been nearly 20 hours since he’d left the Spirit Realm, and in just over a dozen hours, it would open again—and what awaited him might well be death. He’d be better off thinking about what to do with the last dozen or so hours of his life, so he wouldn’t have any regrets. Call his mom and give her a piece of his mind? Bury his face in his aunt’s lap and have a good cry? Or maybe join his uncle for one last rap and dance session? He suddenly realized he didn’t actually have anything he particularly regretted, nor did he have any long-cherished dreams. As a college student from a relatively well-off family, his life had never been burdened with many worries. Only those who’ve weathered life’s storms carry so many regrets they can’t let go of. “Oh, come on, join in the fun!” His aunt wiggled her hips playfully and coaxed him. Gazing at her lovely silhouette, Zhang Yuanqing’s gaze softened as he sat down beside his aunt and took the controller from her hand. If he only had a dozen or so hours left to live, spending them playing one more game with her wouldn’t be so bad. With his aunt munching on potato chips and chattering away with instructions, Zhang Yuanqing beat the game. When he checked the time, he realized it was already 11 p. m. “Not bad, not bad. You’ve got real talent.” His aunt sucked on her pale, delicate finger, patted her nephew on the shoulder in praise, and in the process, wiped her saliva on him. “That’s gross—so dirty,” Zhang Yuanqing said with a look of disgust. “Pfft, this is nectar and ambrosia. Don’t take your blessings for granted,” Jiang Yuerr said shamelessly. “Nectar and ambrosia? How much per jin?” Zhang Yuanqing snorted derisively. “I wouldn’t sell it for any price, but Auntie can give you a few sips.” Jiang Yuerr puckered her lips, looking as if she were about to drip saliva all over Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing leaned back to dodge. Click! The doorknob turned, and Grandma stood in the doorway, frowning at the two of them. Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yuerr immediately sat up straight and composed themselves. “Are you going to eat your dinner or not?” Grandma scolded. “You don’t sleep at night but sleep during the day, and as soon as you wake up, you’re playing video games. You were born human but want to become an immortal—born on earth but wanting to ascend to heaven?” Zhang Yuanqing put down his controller. “I know, I know. I’ll eat right away.” Grandma shot her daughter a cold, sidelong glance, and her younger sister slunk back to her bedroom, tail between her legs. Dinner had been kept warm all along, so Grandma reheated the cold dishes. Zhang Yuanqing wolfed down a quick meal, returned to his room, and summoned his inventory to confirm that the Corpse-Sealing Talisman was still there. Then he took a close look at his stats panel. Then, while praying for good news from Li Dongze, he began reflecting on every detail from the Mountain God’s Temple. While playing the game with his aunt earlier, he’d gained a new insight. Since the Spirit Realm was also a game, might there be certain patterns to it? If he could uncover those patterns, even as a little boy who couldn’t lift a finger, he might just be able to successfully clear the game. As his mind wandered, a piercing ringtone sounded, making Zhang Yuanqing’s heart skip a beat. He grabbed the phone from his bedside table; the caller ID showed an unknown number, so he answered it. “Hello, is this Zhang Yuanqing?” A sultry voice came through the speaker, and Zhang Yuanqing’s face lit up with surprise as he hurriedly asked “Did you get the information on the Sheling Tunnel?” Guan Ya gave a soft “Mm-hmm” “The squad leader got you some more detailed information; he asked me to send it to your email. I know you young people never check your email, so I’m calling to let you know.” Just as I expected from the organization—joining them was definitely the right choice... Zhang Yuanqing’s mood instantly brightened. Resisting the urge to rush to his computer to check his email, he said sincerely “Please thank Section Chief Li for me, and thank you, Sister Guan Ya. Once I successfully complete the trial mission, I’ll treat you both to a meal.” Successfully complete the trial... Guan Ya sighed inwardly. After hesitating as if she had something to say but held back, her voice took on a rare softness “All right, I’ll be waiting for you.” She had already reviewed the materials sent by the Taiyi Sect, and after reading them, she felt nothing but a chill in her heart and despair. No wonder the Squad Leader had been in such a gloomy mood all day. In Li Dongze’s mind, this newly recruited Night Wanderer would likely fail the trial mission. After finishing the mission, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his ergonomic chair, eagerly booted up his laptop, and logged into his email. Amid the jumble of unread emails, he found the message sent by Guan Ya. He downloaded the attached document. [Sheling Tunnel, Spirit Realm No. 0079, Difficulty Level: S, Type: Solo (Death-Type)] [Main Quest 1: Survive for three hours. ] [Main Quest 2: Explore Spirit Realm No. 0079. ] Just like my trial mission... Zhang Yuanqing perked up—this was a good sign; the closer the description matched his mission, the better. [The setting of Spirit Realm No. 0079 is not the Sheling Tunnel, but an ancient Ming Dynasty temple called the San Dao Shan Goddess Temple. [Based on my speculation, this Lady must be a Night Wanderer of the highest rank—no, perhaps she can no longer be called a Night Wanderer. It is currently unclear whether such a peerlessly beautiful Lady actually existed during the Ming Dynasty; it’s also possible that she is a fictional creation of the Spirit Realm. ] This is followed by a lengthy account of the Lady of San Dao Mountain’s deeds, which matches what Zhang Yuanqing witnessed inside the temple. Reading on [The task of surviving for three hours was relatively simple. At first, after reviewing my notes, I encountered a vengeful spirit that kept harassing me. Its nature was to continuously drain the yang energy from living beings until its target died. [The Night Wanderer possesses an innate ability to suppress spirit entities, so I banished it without much effort. However, when I attempted to devour it, I encountered a massive obstacle. This may be the Spirit Realm’s protection of the vengeful spirit. [Anyone who has read the notes will be cursed and relentlessly hounded by the vengeful spirit. Any method of exorcism is only temporary; banishing the spirit once grants roughly 15 minutes of safety. [It’s worth noting that the Mountain God Temple consists of a main hall and two adjacent rear courtyards. The candles in the main hall are extremely powerful artifacts with the ability to ward off evil and purify. As long as you take refuge in the main hall, you’ll be safe. The cost is that the candles dispel fear from the heart; prolonged exposure to their light renders one fearless—and in such a perilous spirit realm, fearlessness is fatal. Furthermore, the candles cannot be moved or taken out of the spirit realm. [After spending half an hour in the main hall, I suddenly heard cries for help coming from the backyard, interspersed with spine-chilling screams—screams that didn’t sound like they came from a living creature. After some hesitation, I decided to head to the backyard to investigate. ] The main hall is indeed a safe haven—I’ve verified this firsthand—but I never expected the source to be a candle. I’d thought it was that beautiful Mountain Goddess... The cries for help were coming from inside that huge banyan tree. I didn’t hear the growls, but that eastern courtyard was indeed terrifying... Zhang Yuanqing’s heart sank, and he silently drew in a sharp breath. He took a deep breath and focused intently on reading on; the information that followed was crucial. If he could learn about the situation in the other courtyard in advance, he could avoid danger while exploring it. [The big banyan tree is very dangerous. Don’t look back, don’t look back... ] [This banyan tree seems to have developed a consciousness, but why is it calling for help? As for the terrifying roar, I didn’t find its source—its appearance interrupted my exploration. It was a pair of... red dancing shoes. ] [It didn’t attack me right away; instead, it invited me to dance. Out of curiosity, I accepted its invi....... ] [I simply couldn’t remember the dance steps—they were too chaotic and jumbled. For someone with no dance experience like me, this was an impossible task. No, even someone with dance experience couldn’t possibly remember those steps. I failed, and the red dancing shoes began hunting me down. ] [I managed to escape back to the main hall, but it had crushed two of my ribs. I think I’ve figured out its true nature—it’s an extremely terrifying artifact. Its pursuit ignores terrain and obstacles, and it won’t stop until it achieves its goal. My preliminary conclusion is that it’s a “rule-based” artifact. ] [Unbelievable—a “Rule-based” artifact actually exists in a Trial Spirit Realm. I finally understand why Qian Shou, despite carrying an artifact, still died in the Mountain God Temple. I now know why no one has ever cleared this Spirit Realm. This is ridiculous—those who can enter the Sheling Tunnel are either early-level Night Wanderers or ordinary people. How could they possibly clear it? ] [For now, I don’t know the reason behind the Mountain God Temple’s decline, nor do I know what the secret concerning a thousand years of rise and fall is. I hope to successfully complete the second main quest and bring the truth back to the organization. ] The information ends here; there is no follow-up. Zhang Yuanqing knew that this Night Wanderer had most likely perished during the second main quest.