Thriller Zone: From the Mental Hospital to the Ghostly World

After hearing Du Tingfeng's story, Chen Ji was speechless for a moment. After a long while, he finally spoke heavily:

"who's that person?"

"NPC, or a resident of the realm?"

Chen Ji felt a mix of emotions. He had long wondered why Du Tingfeng, who had only entered the domain a few times, was able to obtain such a powerful artifact.

But he also knew that everyone had their own destiny, so he had never asked Du Tingfeng before.

"I am not sure."

Du Tingfeng said softly.

All I know is that he was a dealer wearing a mask.

Chen Ji frowned deeply and said in a deep voice:

"You don't even know who he is, yet you so easily agreed to that bet?"

Du Tingfeng remained silent.

Chen Ji's expression was very serious, and all sorts of terrifying speculations had already flashed through his mind.

He pointed to Du Muyu in the ICU, his tone unconsciously becoming more forceful:

"Look at your sister, look at the state she's in now."

"Didn't you ever consider that the person who gave you leverage might be a ghost?!"

"You should know very well that nonsense is unreliable!"

The stray hairs beside his ears swayed gently as Du Tingfeng lowered his head. He pursed his lips before saying:

"I don't care if he's a human or a ghost."

"The value of the chips hasn't changed, which may be the reason why my sister's condition has worsened."

The numbers on his gold chips were still fluctuating, but they would never exceed 4000.

“…”

Chen Ji opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Du Tingfeng's reddened eyes, he couldn't say anything.

After a moment, he finally spoke, his voice heavy with suppressed emotion:

"Do you have any ideas on how to make this chip's value infinite?"

To Chen Ji's surprise, Du Tingfeng nodded.

He pulled his collar open diagonally, revealing a tiger's head composed of lines and six dots:

"The mark of evolution."

"How can you be sure?"

A hint of hesitation flashed in Chen Ji's eyes.

He clearly remembered that when he first stepped into the Domain River, Du Tingfeng knew nothing about this mark.

In the letter they read together, Chen Yuetan only mentioned it briefly, without going into details about how the strange creature would change.

"This is the only thing that is domain-related and can evolve. I believe in its potential."

Du Tingfeng said.

Chen remained silent for a long while before speaking:

"...You have no way of knowing whether the final change of the monster will be the result you want."

A strange smile flashed across Du Tingfeng's face; it looked like he was laughing, but the corners of his eyes were drooping.

"I don't need to be sure."

"I would gamble even if there was only a one percent chance."

"so....."

He tossed the chip into the air, watching the golden coin fall freely into his palm:

"I need your help."

"And there's Fei'er, and perhaps many more people."

"No matter which one of you is in the domain, I will go in once it is opened."

Chen Ji nodded:

"it is good."

He knew, and Du Tingfeng knew, that time was running out for Du Muyu, and Du Tingfeng had to activate the mark as soon as possible.

"Together we will."

Chen Ji added, briefly mentioning the domain from last time:

"We'd better try to go into the area together, as we're bound to run into people from the 'department store' later."

Chen Ji had already discussed the "department store" and Xu Sandao with Du Tingfeng yesterday.

"I'll listen to you." Du Tingfeng nodded; this was also his idea.

His ability to control the game is too strong, and he is also in a passive position in reality. Moreover, Tang Qin and others may have already guessed that he has a strange object that can control luck.

In the future, it will be easy for others to covet it.

The two had a brief discussion, and Chen Ji deliberately changed the subject, trying to distract Du Tingfeng.

He stayed with Du Tingfeng in the hospital corridor until the afternoon before leaving the hospital.

Du Tingfeng said he wanted to spend more time with his sister.

......

An hour later.

Chen Ji rubbed his eyes wearily and pushed open the gate to the villa courtyard.

He walked slowly, his mind still preoccupied with Du Tingfeng's experiences, his brows furrowing unconsciously.

The dealer wearing a mask....

What exactly is his/her identity?

Du Tingfeng said that when the dealer appeared, everyone who had entered the area with him was already dead.

That would rule out the possibility that the intruder is a resident.

That time was Du Tingfeng's second domain, and the participants were mostly newcomers.

In the previous few instances of this domain, it was almost impossible for strange objects to appear, so why would an NPC specifically deliver them?

Moreover, a betting scheme was specifically set up?

It was as if they knew Du Tingfeng would need this bargaining chip.

Chen Ji's heart was in turmoil. What he learned today made him realize...

Chen Ji isn't the only person with secrets or special characteristics.

For some reason, this lessened the loneliness that Chen Ji had been hiding in his heart.

Just as he was about to press the fingerprint lock, he suddenly swayed and tripped.

what?

Chen Ji's mind instantly shifted from deep thought to alertness, and he abruptly took two steps back!

The sensation of tripping him just now...

"Ouch!"

A pained scream with an accent suddenly came from the corner of the doorway.

Then, the small black shadow slowly got up.

It is a.....

Little boy?

And he was just a little boy from the countryside?

Chen Ji was taken aback, looking at the little child in front of him who was rubbing his eyes and wearing a floral sweater.

He was probably six or seven years old, with rosy cheeks, a red dot between his eyebrows, and very big eyes.

The child in the New Year pictures pasted up in the countryside during the Spring Festival looks very similar to the one in the pictures.

Chen Ji was taken aback and asked with some confusion:

"Little friend, did you come to the wrong door?"

The child looked bewildered, carrying a cloth bag on his back, and didn't seem very bright.

However, the area around Du Tingfeng's house has a high building density, and the nearest house is not very close.

Besides, there's an iron gate outside the villa's courtyard. How did this child manage to climb over it?

Does Chen Ji live here?

The little boy tilted his head and asked, somewhat confused.

"..."

Chen Ji's pupils dilated in shock, and he did not immediately answer the child's question.

An incredible conjecture popped into his mind!

Chen Yuetan's letter said...

Wusu will come to see you in a while.

Could this child be...?

".......Urumqi?"

Chen Ji murmured.

"it's me."

The child nodded.

Chen Ji's breathing quickened. Ever since receiving Chen Yuetan's letter, he and Du Tingfeng had made various guesses about "Wusu's" identity.

But he never expected this...

Urumqi.

It will be a seven or eight-year-old child!

Chen Yuetan once said, "Wusu saw you drifting on the Yu River."

Is this domain so inaccessible that even children would be dragged in?

A surge of anger rose in Chen Ji's heart. The tragic deaths of Yuan Yuan, Wang Xiaoming... these innocent people in the domain had been weighing on Chen Ji's mind for a long time.

But now, even such young children are being dragged into the ghostly world of this realm...

This child did nothing wrong, knew nothing, yet his life could be lost at any moment.

"who are you?"

Xiao Wusu's stunned words interrupted the surging emotions in Chen Ji's heart.

Chen Ji closed his eyes and took a moment to adjust his tone.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice very gentle:

"I am Chen Ji."

"Oh."

The little boy nodded and said politely:

"Cousin, can I go inside first?"