America: I came here to study, not to show mercy.

Chapter 166 Halloween 3
On an autumn night in the Princeton dormitory area, the lights flickered on and off on the bustling lawn, each flicker eliciting gasps of surprise.

Finally, in the darkness, a tall, handsome young man appeared wearing a pumpkin head. He casually drew a lightsaber from his sleeve, and the entire pumpkin head burst into flames. The flames then died down, revealing a Chinese-style Qilin mask that was burning fiercely on his face, which pushed the atmosphere of the entire show to its peak.

Sitting on the grass not far from the catwalk, several girls looked up and gazed at the scene. Even though they were somewhat prepared, they couldn't help but widen their eyes in surprise. They exchanged glances, smiled wryly, and shook their heads.

After saying goodbye to Daniel and the other two, Li Xiaoen walked back to where she had been. She easily spotted a few girls in the distance and walked over.

"How was my magic show up there?"

He placed the pumpkin head he was holding on the grass, chuckled, and nodded at the girls.

"It's alright, but there's still a long way to go before becoming a true magician."

Glancing over, Serafina said calmly.

"Even the world's most skilled magician couldn't do it as perfectly as I do."

Li Xiaoen waved his hand dismissively. Who would have thought that the most he had ever used his storage space was for performing magic tricks?

"Sean, why aren't you wearing the pumpkin head anymore?"

Victoria's attention was still on the pumpkin head. She held it in her arms and examined it carefully, seemingly still worried about the scene of it burning on stage. She looked up and asked.

"The fluorescent powder on it is almost exhausted."

Li Xiaoen explained helplessly, "This is fluorescent powder, which is an environmentally friendly material. It can only emit light after a light source is stored in it beforehand."

"Besides, it's not convenient to always have such a big pumpkin head on your head."

Li Xiaoen was both amused and exasperated when he said this.

It was already 10:30 p.m., and apart from a short break in between, he had been wearing this pumpkin head for several hours.

"..."

Victoria looked down and nodded helplessly.

"Sean, here's your heart back."

Just as Victoria was about to make a sound to amuse him, Serafina handed Sean Lee a paper plate with a bloody heart quietly placed on it, its pale blue veins clearly visible.

"Did you buy this cake?"

Li Xiaoen stared blankly, then looked up at Serafina, whose expression was casual.

"I was just curious, so I bought it, but I really can't eat it."

As she spoke, Serafina's gaze remained fixed elsewhere.

"With your personality, how could you not be able to eat?"

Li Xiaoen narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Brother, this isn't like you."

"What do you mean?"

Serafina's breath hitched when she heard this, and she turned around and glared at her.

While waiting for Li Xiaoen to come on stage, she had originally bought two to share with her companions, but no one wanted to eat them. She took a couple of bites and lost interest, so she left the last one for the young man.

"I can't eat anymore either."

Li Xiaoen shook his head helplessly. Seeing the girl staring at him blankly, he had no choice but to say, "I need to start controlling my diet and exercising recently, so I can't eat these things."

"Really? You're not kidding, are you?"

Fitness culture is very popular in the United States, and Serafina knew the importance of strictly controlling her diet when exercising, so she hesitated.

"it is true."

Seeing this, Victoria quickly chimed in, "When I make fruit tea, Sean even tells me to use less sugary fruit."

"Ok."

Reluctantly, she took it back. Serafina stared blankly at the cake in front of her, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

After a brief chat, the group sat down on the grass, chatting as they looked at the screen set up in the distance, which was showing the horror movie "Scream".

Whenever the screen shows a critique of horror movie tropes, it always elicits bursts of laughter.

A murder has occurred, and the entire town is under martial law. There's always a group of students who ignore warnings and hold parties. First, the most arrogant one made a bold statement while drinking and was the first to be stabbed. The others fled in panic...

The foolish big-breasted girl only knew how to run upstairs, seeing all sorts of things but not knowing how to use them for self-defense, and fled empty-handed until she was killed...

The arriving police were incompetent, stabbed to death by the killer as soon as they arrived. Everyone else was left to their own devices, except for the virgin who survived to the end. After going through countless hardships, she finally discovered that the killer was actually the lucky one from the previous movie...

Listening to the well-reasoned plot unfolding on the screen, Li Xiaoen's expression turned somewhat strange. He was about to chat with the girls when he noticed that they all had somber expressions, so he quickly wiped the smiles off his face.

"Those directors and screenwriters before them really deserve to die."

Serafina only let out a harsh curse after the movie ended and the host's joking conversation ceased.

"Any stereotype or content output can be profitable."

Knowing perfectly well what the girls were thinking, Li Xiaoen murmured an explanation, "Perhaps in the past, continuing this kind of stereotypical plot was beneficial to the film's box office and its popularity among the general public."

"Simply put, the general public is still extremely superficial!"

Victoria also gave a sharp rebuke, which surprised Sean Lee.

This was the first time he had ever seen such a gentle and quiet girl display this side of herself.

After the movie ended, the group sat on the grass for a while. Just as they stood up, they noticed a large group of people who had been sitting in front of the screen walking towards the school gate, and they were taken aback.

After asking a classmate who had quickly followed, Li Xiaoen learned that after the horror movie was shown, there was an organized activity for students to visit a similar small white house and a nearby cemetery.

"..."

Are they really this creative with Halloween in America?

Li Xiaoen found it amusing, but his arm was suddenly grabbed tightly by both hands. Looking to the side, he saw a pair of excited and expectant emerald green eyes.

“Sean, let’s go take a look together,” Victoria said, looking up.

"If you want to go, then go."

Li Xiaoen smiled helplessly and nodded. To be honest, unless the request was too troublesome or strange, he seemed unable to refuse the girl in front of him.

Based on past experience, the gentle and well-mannered Victoria is just as playful as he is.

After exchanging glances with the other girls and seeing the curious glint in everyone's eyes, Li Xiaoen's expression turned somewhat strange.

"Let's go, let's go and take a look too."

Even though they're all American locals, this is probably the first time these young ladies have ever been to a cemetery for Halloween.

It must be said that, since it was their first time at university, the academic atmosphere on campus, the convenience and comfort of living and entertainment, and the fact that there was little competition for necessities—without the social competition for survival—made it much easier for him, an international student, to get along with the local students, with far fewer barriers and conflicts.

Yawning, Li Xiaoen took out his phone to check and saw that the cemetery the crowd was heading to was only 500 meters away. Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Serafina's playful voice again.

She was still holding the "brain" cake from before, coaxing Mary to eat it.

Even Mary, a foodie, couldn't stomach the cake with its terrible appearance, and had to be coaxed into taking a bite. It was really tough on her.

Li Xiaoen found it amusing. The group finally arrived at the nearby cemetery with the procession, where bursts of laughter and shouts of alarm came from the front of the procession.

Fortunately, this is in America, where people don't have a serious concept of taboo regarding cemeteries. This can be seen from the open lawns and small tombstones, which resemble park designs.

The cemetery is surrounded by a residential area separated only by a low fence and a small road. Here, because of the beautiful and quiet environment, the house prices are actually higher than in other places.

"Sean..."

Curiously surveying the surrounding night view, his arm was grabbed by Victoria beside him again. The girl had her head down, and only her large, purplish-black magic hat could be seen.

"With so many people here, are you still scared?"

Li Xiaoen raised an eyebrow. "It was clearly her suggestion to come in the first place."

He sensed that Victoria was being a bit clingy today.

"When there are a lot of people, there can be situations where people are frightened."

Victoria's whisper came over, and she gestured to the corner ahead. Suddenly, a student dressed as a clown jumped out, startling a large group of people.

"I have always believed that this kind of sudden close-up scare is the cheapest form of fright and the most basic horror technique."

Li Xiaoen shook his head and chuckled, "No, it can't even be called a scary method. After all, as long as it suddenly appears in front of you and is accompanied by a scream, even Mickey Mouse can scare people."

"But isn't that also the most effective way to scare someone?"

Suffer finally spoke up, arms crossed, looking rather uninterested. "Many horror movies or organizers of horror events are quite fond of this kind of scary approach in order to achieve the desired effect."

"From your perspective, I think 'cost-effectiveness' is a more appropriate way to describe it."

Li Xiaoen nodded in agreement. The simplest way to achieve the desired effect was naturally more appealing to the organizers, whose primary goal was to make a profit.

Nothing has changed yet; the profits gained through this simple and crude method outweigh the losses from tourist boycotts. But when those profits diminish, no one can say for sure that the organizers will try every means to change things. That's just the reality of capital.

He had no doubt that if Sophie were to do it, she would do it without hesitation.

Thinking this, Li Xiaoen suddenly felt a toothache.

Seeing that Suffer did not respond, he looked at the girls on the left and right, and pointed to the roadside ahead, where a tree stump was hidden in the dim light.

“Look over there, doesn’t it look like a female ghost with disheveled hair and only half a body left?”

"Really? How is it similar?"

Serafina frowned and leaned over to take a closer look.

"Look."

Noticing all the girls' gazes, Li Xiaoen raised his chin and said seriously, "That tree stump, isn't that the long hair extending to both sides like a female ghost's hair, and in the middle..."

As he was speaking, Li Xiaoen suddenly stopped in his tracks, his body tensing up abruptly.

"what happened?"

Several girls turned to look over.

"what……"

With a startled cry, Li Xiaoen took a deep breath and turned to run away first.

After a moment of stunned silence, the girls quickly turned around and followed the young man before they could think any further.

"Ha ha……"

The more they ran, the more panicked they became. However, the young man in front of them stopped and blocked their way, laughed twice, and snapped his fingers.

"That's what I mean. Compared to Jump Scare, the atmosphere and guidance, while not exactly high-end, are still much better. How did you guys feel?"

With a chuckle, Li Xiaoen's smile gradually faded as he saw the girls in front of him lower their heads and look at him.

"I'm just explaining to you."

With a shrug, Li Xiaoen changed the subject, gesturing with his chin towards a group of students sitting in a circle not far ahead, "Want to play that game together?"

Upon hearing this, the women turned around and saw a group of people sitting together playing with terrifying tarot cards. Next to them was a tombstone severely eroded by wind and rain, and an eerie atmosphere was spreading.

"Your tarot card is the reversed Hermit. Your process of thinking and seeking inner truth will be hindered. Please listen to your inner voice, otherwise you will get lost."

A girl distributing tarot cards offered an explanation.

"Lost? Does that mean I'll get lost?" The boy opposite me laughed loudly.

"Including, but not limited to. 'Lost' also means sensory delusion or malfunction; you might lose some of your senses, or even consciousness..."

There are many similar games. Groups of people wander and laugh on the grass in the cemetery. Some busybodies even sit cross-legged and start to perform some strange spirit summoning rituals, attracting crowds of onlookers.

"Or we can switch to a different game, something more exciting to play alone."

Seeing the girls looking on curiously, Li Xiaoen smiled and continued, "Take Bloody Mary for example. Legend has it that you have to be in the bathroom late at night, with a candle lit in front of the mirror, slowly peeling an apple while constantly chanting 'Blood Mary, 'Blood Mary.' Then Bloody Mary's image will appear in the mirror, and she will drag you into the mirror..."

"Sean, stop talking..."

Before he could finish explaining, Mary's voice reached his ears, and Li Xiaoen was stunned for a moment before he realized what was happening.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault."

Li Xiaoen gave an awkward smile, "Seeing their game made me think of this subconsciously."

There's no way around it; the rate of duplicate names in the UK and the US is just too high. "Let's go take a look inside the little white house."

After this incident, the girls, who were still hesitant about the game, naturally refused to participate anymore. Li Xiaoen then led them to the small white house next to the cemetery, which was their real destination.

Perhaps it was originally intended as a murder scene attraction. The interior decoration and furniture arrangement of the small white house are exactly the same as the scenes in horror movies, but there is no trace of a murder scene. It looks ordinary and simple.

No wonder there are so few people in this room.

Li Xiaoen thought to himself, glancing at the two boys still arguing on the stairs.

The topic of contention was whether the female protagonist in the horror movie, holding a chair for defense, was helpless against the knife-wielding killer.

It's so boring, just like this little white house.

"Hey, I see some classmates heading that way, shall we go check it out together?"

Having left the house listlessly, Serafina suddenly made an excited suggestion.

"I hadn't heard of any other activities before I came."

Originally planning to go back to school, Li Xiaoen helplessly advised, "Maybe they went out to do something alone?"

"Let's see what they're playing; can't we play it too?"

Serafina didn't seem to mind and nodded repeatedly with a smile.

"..."

[Limited-time Insightful Eye is now open]

With a thought, everything within a 500-meter radius appeared in his mind. Unfortunately, even after the students who had walked far away disappeared beyond the detection range, he still couldn't see their destination.

Li Xiaoen could only turn her head to look at Victoria and the other girls.

"What do you think?"

"Hmm... how about we go take a look together?"

Thinking that going back would just mean a hasty end to Halloween night, Victoria bit her lip and looked at Sophie and Mary.

Sophie didn't care, but Mary had no choice but to nod in agreement after Serafina kept pushing her. So the group walked deeper into the darkness along the secluded path.

"You're both scared and want to play, aren't you?"

It was a narrow path where you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The only light came from the faint lamplight at the end and the glow of Serafina and Mary's cell phones ahead. Sean Lee looked at Victoria, who was clinging tightly to his arm, and muttered a complaint.

"With you all here, I feel confident even when I'm scared."

Victoria offered a straightforward explanation, leaving him speechless for a moment.

Unlike the girls who walked with bated breath as if facing a formidable enemy, he frequently opened and closed his Eye of Insight, taking in everything within a 500-meter radius, which undoubtedly gave him a strong sense of security.

Walking casually, Li Xiaoen noticed Su Feier walking on the other side. He reached out and grabbed her arm, but she tensed up instantly. Noticing it was the young man's hand, she instinctively squeezed it hard before shaking it off.

Li Xiaoen let out a helpless sigh. Just then, as the footsteps drew closer, the situation inside the manor ahead could be detected within a range of 500 meters, and he couldn't help but pause in surprise.

“What the f**k…”

Startled, Li Xiaoen didn't know what expression to make.

After going around in circles, he still encountered the underground striptease show that Michael had mentioned.

Serafina is so restless, is her mouth blessed?
As he was complaining to himself, a sudden sharp pain shot through his lower back, startling him into a cry.

"What's wrong, Sean?"

Noticing the young man's unusual behavior, Victoria looked up and asked.

"nothing."

With one hand behind his back, he grasped the hand that Suffer was holding, and Li Xiaoen shook his head and replied, "I remember now, I've heard about that place up ahead. They're having an underground strip show right now. Are you sure you want to go?"

"An underground...strip show?"

Several girls froze on the spot upon hearing this.

"I haven't seen it before. How about we go watch it together?"

After pondering for a while, Serafina tentatively looked at the group and said, "Anyway, it's legal at just 21, so it's not a very serious matter."

"Do whatever you want, I'm fine with anything."

Sean Lee shrugged. It was different now compared to when he was with Michael and the other two. He wasn't comfortable letting just a few girls go.

He underestimated Victoria's playful nature; after a brief discussion, the group resumed their steps.

Just as Serafina switched the phone's light back to the front, another hand clamped down on his waist.

Taking a deep breath, Li Xiaoen suppressed the long hiss that was about to escape her lips, reached back and grabbed Su Feier's hand, shaking it twice in a suggestive manner—her earlier subconscious exclamation wasn't meant to be an insult.

He had already given an explanation, and he didn't believe that someone as smart as Sophie wouldn't realize it.

Despite repeatedly trying different methods to signal, the hand gripping his waist remained firmly in place. Li Xiaoen had no choice but to accept reality and open his palm to cover the other person's body.

Don't hold his hand, you must pinch him, just to give Suffer a little sense of security on this dark road.

Sophie only withdrew her hand when they arrived at the manor under the lights. The group was blocked at the door by two men dressed as clowns, with two vicious dogs baring their teeth at their feet.

“Sorry, this is a private Halloween party. You can’t come in without an invitation.” One of the men raised his hand.

Noticing that several girls were looking over, Li Xiaoen had no choice but to step forward and whisper in the man's ear as he bent down that the success was to get them to let her in.

"Sean, you still know the secret code for the invitation?"

As they walked toward a large, obviously bustling house, several girls couldn't help but glance at Li Xiaoen. Their gazes varied, but most were undoubtedly filled with disdain.

"A friend mentioned it to me during a casual chat."

Li Xiaoen rolled her eyes and explained helplessly, "If you guys hadn't insisted on coming, I wouldn't have needed this."

As Li Xiaoen's Insightful Eye swept over the area, he frowned and led the girls through an entrance on one side to a relatively spacious corner.

The house was larger than I had imagined. In the center stood a T-shaped catwalk, but what was different was that extending into the center of the house was a small circular stage with steel pipes. At that moment, an actress dressed as a Silent Hill model was performing a hot dance while undressing.

Is this a Halloween-themed striptease?
Li Xiaoen raised an eyebrow in surprise. Unfortunately, perhaps because they had been stripped of their clothes, the actors' curves, which had been somewhat undulating, became loose and saggy. Some shots were even more unsightly, causing him to unconsciously frown.

Why are you looking at me like that?

Noticing the lingering gazes of several girls, Li Xiaoen rolled her eyes. "You were the ones who wanted to come here from the beginning."

"This isn't fun, let's go."

Victoria shook her head and suggested leaving, which everyone agreed with. So, the group that had just arrived turned around and left the house.

Before she could catch her breath, Serafina grabbed Sean Lee's arm again: "Sean, I see there are people going over there too, do you want to go take a look?"

"Aren't you done yet?"

Li Xiaoen muttered a complaint, looked in the direction the other person was pointing, said nothing, and walked over. He only stopped when two tall men in suits at the door were about to raise their hands to stop him.

Not far from the house, several girls caught up and finally saw the young man's gloomy face.

"Sean, what's wrong?"

Victoria tugged at Sean Lee's arm worriedly.

"nothing."

With a furrowed brow, Li Xiaoen shook his head and offered a word of comfort. Noticing a tall and a short figure emerging from the house, he looked up again—both were dressed in clothes and wearing masks, hurrying past and disappearing into the darkness. He clearly saw the information in their eyes.

[Portrait Lens Activated]

[Person: xxx]

[Age: 13 years old]

[Intelligence: 9 (10)]

[Stamina: 6 (10)]

【Charm: 11 (10)】

"..."

[Person: xxx]

[Age: 76 years old]

[Intelligence: 11 (10)]

[Stamina: 4 (10)]

【Charm: 6 (10)】

Li Xiaoen's face was ashen. He glanced at several pairs of figures, one tall and one short, walking out together toward another obviously luxurious villa.

[Age: 12 years old]

...

[Age: 68 years old]

...

[Age: 13 years old]

...

[Age: 79 years old]

...

Emotions, which seem illegal on the outside, are actually just a smokescreen to deceive people. What lies beneath is an even more disgusting and unbearable affair.

With his Eye of Insight, Li Xiaoen could clearly see the situation inside the luxury villa. Unable to bear looking directly at it, he quickly averted his attention and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Let's go back."

Just as he regained his composure, Suffer's voice reached his ears. Li Xiaoen couldn't help but exchange a glance with the girl and nod in agreement.

After a close call, the group quickly left the area under the scrutinizing gaze of two security personnel.

As he approached the manor entrance, seeing the two vicious dogs still staring at him menacingly, Li Xiaoen narrowed his eyes and took the initiative to walk over.

He only got two steps away when the growling of the two dogs suddenly stopped. He froze for a moment, then turned around and left with the girls.

"Sean, what happened to you there just now?"

Only when they were back on that dark path did Victoria grab his arm again and ask with concern.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly thought of some things."

Li Xiaoen shook his head and offered a word of comfort.

He then encountered a student dressed as a doctor from the Black Death, wearing a bird-beak mask. Seeing a raven perched quietly on the student's shoulder, he made a point of greeting him and teasing him.

By the time we successfully returned to school, it was nearly midnight. The hustle and bustle on the field gradually subsided, with only a few people still sitting there chatting.

After playing around for a while, everyone was a bit tired, so they agreed to meet again on Saturday and said goodbye.

Watching the girl's retreating figure as she went back into the house, Li Xiaoen hesitated for a moment before taking out his phone and sending a message to Su Feier.

I'll come to your room later, okay?

Looking up, Suffer glanced at his phone briefly before putting it back in his pocket; his phone remained unanswered.

Is this agreement or rejection?

Li Xiaoen felt uneasy, but reluctantly walked back to the dormitory.

Oh right, I need to call Michael and the others right away and tell them to come back immediately.

It wasn't until he got back to his dorm that Li Xiaoen remembered something and quickly called Daniel and the others.

No one answered, so I sent them each another message.

God bless you...

(End of this chapter)