TEFSCBSS Chapter 17

Chapter 17: A Deeply Emotional Performance That Tortures Ancient Players

“Ugh… Yanran, you died so horribly!”

“It’s all that damned Xiao Hong’s fault. If, if only I had been brave enough to stand up and protect you back then, this wouldn’t have happened…”

“Fortunately, I avenged you. Now the evil wolf is dead, and next is Xiao Hong!”

“I will find a way to make her soul suffer, never to be reborn, and she will never disturb you again!”

Wang Bokao quickly covered his fragile little heart. The figure kneeling at the tombstone wasn’t Li Tiezhu, was it?

Everyone pieced together the plot from the clues they had shared earlier, and they clearly understood that Li Tiezhu was the one who had admired Yanran to the point of being a pathetic simp, but no one expected him to be so infatuated.

Although no one knew why Li Tiezhu, who was supposed to be waiting outside for interrogation, had suddenly come to the cemetery, many of them still thought they should arrest the suspect before he could escape.

The chief constable quickly stepped forward to grab Li Tiezhu’s shoulder.

“So, you killed the groom?”

“Stop!”

Suddenly, several people walked from the other side of the cemetery, interrupting the constable’s attempt to arrest.

“Boss Zhao? What are you doing here?” The newcomers were Su Li, Zhao Si, and three other players.

Wang Qingmu was confused. Although he didn’t know why Li Tiezhu had suddenly turned and confessed, he didn’t want anyone interfering with his carefully orchestrated plan, not even the owner of the script shop.

However, Su Li didn’t pay him any attention and only gave a glance to signal the four others to get ready.

A group of detectives stood bewildered, only to suddenly hear a ghostly wail. They thought someone else was crying, but as they looked around, they started to feel uneasy.

“This sound…”

“It seems to be coming from all directions!”

“Wow, it really is!”

“Three! Third one, protect me!” Wang Bokao was terrified, running to Han Yueyi’s side, clutching his sleeve tightly.

Han Yueyi: Seriously, this is ridiculous.

If he hadn’t known this was all part of Su Li’s immersive performance setup, having rehearsed with the others earlier, he’d probably give Wang Bokao a few good slaps for this.

As everyone remained unsure, Li Tiezhu, still kneeling, suddenly lifted his head and exclaimed, “Is that you, Yanran? You came?”

Yanran?

A female ghost?

The group exchanged uneasy glances, a chill running down their spines. They huddled closer.

“Ugh…” The faint, sorrowful crying continued, “Little Tiger… is it you who’s come to see me?”

Li Tiezhu nodded eagerly, looking around desperately, hoping to see the woman who haunted his dreams.

“Where are you, Yanran? Come out so we can meet, please?”

“Little Tiger, we are from different worlds. If I appear, you’ll be filled with the chill of death, and you’ll either fall ill or…”

“It doesn’t matter! I don’t care!” Li Tiezhu said with an expression of crazed love.

“Then, okay~~”

“Wait,” a voice of caution suddenly interrupted. Everyone turned to see Wuzhen, palms pressed together in prayer, reciting “Amitabha Buddha” before halting.

He paused for a moment, realizing he couldn’t recite Buddhist prayers as a Taoist now, and after a brief pause, he continued, “Humans belong in the human realm, and ghosts in the ghost realm. Humans and ghosts have separate paths, it is difficult to reunite. Young friend, it is better not to be stubborn.”

“Stubborn? If not for evil people making mistakes, how could the innocent end up like this?”

Li Tiezhu glared fiercely at Wuzhen and Han Yueyi, wishing he could rush over and kill them in revenge for his beloved Yanran.

Meanwhile, Liu Tuohu, appearing pained and full of longing, stood up, “Wuzhen, I know you mean well, but please, have mercy on an old father who has lost his daughter… My heart is broken~~”

Hearing Liu Tuohu’s trembling voice, Wuzhen felt his own heart shake.

“I understand both of you have your troubles, but there are still many innocent people present. If we allow the vengeful ghost to appear, wouldn’t that harm others unnecessarily?”

“A vengeful ghost, tainted with the blood and sins of the human world, will find it even harder to be reincarnated!”

“Please think carefully.”

After hearing this, Li Tiezhu’s expression softened a little. He thought for a long moment, then turned to Yanran’s tombstone and said, “Yanran, wait a little longer. Let me finish here and end everything, then I’ll come to be with you.”

With that, Li Tiezhu seemed to have completed a task, his posture slumping as he suddenly flushed red. He quickly moved behind the three other players and waited for Su Li’s next move.

Liu Tuohu, somehow in tears, dramatically extended his hand towards Yanran’s tombstone, as though someone was pulling him (though everyone was two meters away), crying, “My daughter~~~ wait for me~~~ I’ll uncover the truth and give you justice!”

As Liu Tuohu got more into character, about to improvise his next lines, Su Li quickly intervened.

“Cough, cough, alright, it seems you’ve all gathered enough evidence. How about we move outside to discuss and question further?”

Su Li led the group out, making their way through the narrow path they had entered.

Wang Bokao, walking closely behind Han Yueyi, suddenly felt like someone was watching him. He looked back in confusion…

“Ahhhhh—”

“The ghost’s here!!!!”

Everyone jumped, even Han Yueyi was startled by the loud shout echoing in his ears. He patted his chest, wishing for some kind of quick relief pill at that moment.

Nevertheless, they all turned around.

Above the previously empty cemetery, paper money began fluttering in the air again.

The dead trees that were supposed to be decorative swayed restlessly, and above the tombstone, green smoke swirled. A girl in a pale pink and white dress stood there, smiling softly at them.

If you ignored her deathly pale face, blackened lips, bloodshot eyes, and the bloodstains running down her cheeks, along with her disheveled hair and purple bruises… she was, well… still kind of beautiful?

At the sight of this, many faces turned pale. Wang Bokao clung to Han Yueyi’s back, refusing to let go.

Wang Qingmu, however, was quite bold. He fancied himself a scholar, full of righteousness, unafraid of ghosts or spirits. He carefully examined the scene.

The more he looked, the more puzzled he became. He couldn’t spot any signs of fakery, and the ghostly figure appeared intangible, nothing like a human. How was this even possible?

He glanced at Zhao Si, who seemed unshaken and admired him quietly.

Soon, the sound of a bronze bell echoed, and the female ghost’s figure vanished. The group slowly returned to the high platform outside the West Building.

Feeling the warm afternoon sun on their backs, many of them quietly exhaled.

“Damn, I can finally say I’ve seen a ghost! I’ll be telling the guys about my heroics today.”

The speaker was the chief constable, still shaking a bit in his legs, standing next to his older brother.

Su Li smiled as she stood in the center of the group, “Everyone, now you can freely discuss and ask these four players any questions you have in mind.”

“During this time, you can also return to the West Building’s first floor at any time to search for additional clues.”

“Half an hour from now, we’ll begin voting for the culprit!”