Forbidden Zone of Deception

Chapter 381 Power Outage
Aimi stared wide-eyed in surprise at Reiko, "Mrs. Asakawa...you, are you really Ms. Matsushima Nanako?"

Yamato Mitsuru seemed to have been prepared, saying, "Aimi, you're so out of touch that you didn't even recognize such a national star."

Then, with a smug look on his face, he got up, turned on the old television in the living room, and skillfully inserted a rented videotape into the projector.

Soon, the phenomenal Japanese drama, "The Witch's Condition," began playing on the television screen.

What appeared on the screen was the most controversial and famous scene in the drama: Hirose Michi, a female high school teacher played by Matsushima Nanako, confessed her feelings to her underage student Kurosawa Hikaru in the school auditorium in a public setting.

“Look, Aimi?” Yamato Mitsuru pointed to the close-up of Nanako’s dramatic face on the TV screen, then pointed to Reiko sitting across the table with an extremely unnatural expression. “It’s definitely Ms. Matsushima herself, isn’t it?”

Yamato Aimi looked at the female teacher bravely confessing her love on the screen, then at the gentle and refined "Mrs. Asakawa" in front of her, completely different from the character in the drama, and covered her mouth in surprise: "It's...it's really exactly the same! I rarely watch TV dramas...Asakawa...no, Ms. Matsushima! You really are that national star? So many of my classmates love the dramas you act in! They all say that the female lead you played in this drama is very brave and dares to break through the conventions..."

Lingzi felt her face burning with embarrassment, so much so that she wanted to disappear into the ground! This was exactly the part of the story she disliked the most!

In her view, a high school teacher openly falling in love with her student, confessing her feelings in front of the entire school, and taking pride in it instead of feeling ashamed, is the ultimate example of moral depravity and an ethical bottom line that should never be crossed! The fact that this scene was performed through her own face and voice made her feel extremely uncomfortable and morally uneasy.

She quickly waved her hand, clarifying urgently, "This, this is just a TV series! It's a story written by the screenwriter, it's acting! I personally absolutely, absolutely do not approve of such behavior! Please everyone must distinguish between drama and reality!"

“It’s okay,” Jiang Jin patted Lingzi’s shoulder and said, “We can tell the difference. You are you, and the character is the character. You are definitely not the person on the TV screen.”

Jiang Jin emphasized the word "absolutely," and Lingzi quickly understood his implied meaning, which warmed her heart.

Jiang Jin instructed Lingzi to play along and impersonate Nanako in order to keep Yamato Mitsuru in check and extract information about his further plans.

He needed to analyze Yamato Mitsuru's true intentions in inviting him to dinner—was it his own crazy idea, or was it driven by the will of the apartment's rules? He also needed to know how many people were aware of this crazy plan, and even... whether Yamato Mitsuru had already colluded with those hostile reincarnators who attacked them last night?

Yamato Mitsuru was clearly very satisfied with the effect of his "revelation." He turned off the TV, sat back at the dining table, and continued to describe his distorted blueprint: "Ms. Matsushima, you must understand that your very existence is the greatest publicity force! At that time, we won't need to say anything more. As long as the news that 'National Actress Nanako Matsushima has moved into the Mysterious Cursed Apartment' leaks out, it will be enough to make this apartment famous throughout the country in the shortest amount of time! It might even cause a sensation around the world!"

His eyes grew increasingly fervent: "Then the state apparatus will be alarmed! Police, research institutions, the media… all forces will flock here, attempting to investigate, even try to capture the ghost! Think about it, once state power intervenes, with modern technology and vast resources, perhaps the truth about the ghost can be uncovered very quickly! Even if the authorities can't solve it… since the ghost exists, what about the folk legends? Meiji Shrine, Ise Grand Shrine… are there truly capable individuals within that shrine who can exorcise demons? Perhaps, to quell public opinion or to study supernatural phenomena, the authorities will ask them for help! Wouldn't we… then be saved?"

His logic is a self-contained system, filled with the insane fantasy of using public attention and state power to break private curses. No wonder he was a journalist; his eloquence is truly impressive.

Halfway through dinner, Jiang Jin excused himself to go to the bathroom. He closed the door, but didn't actually relieve himself. Instead, he squatted down and whispered to the empty corner, "Deathstroke, did you sense anything?"

The death knell reported that the house gave it a very strong sense of unease, a deeper sense of "pollution" that no other resident's house (including the manager Ebisu's house) had ever given it, as if something had taken deep root here and become one with the house itself.

Jiang Jin's heart sank. Was Yamato Mitsuru still a human being tormented by the curse, desperately trying to save himself? Or... had he already been unknowingly corrupted and deeply eroded by the rules of the apartment, even becoming a part of those rules, a "corruption incarnation" with self-awareness?
He walked out of the bathroom, just as Reiko came over under the pretext of helping to clear the dishes. Taking advantage of Yamato Mitsuru and Aimi's inattention, she lowered her voice and said to Jiang Jin in a very fast voice, "Captain, we absolutely cannot let the existence of the Ghost Apartment be leaked to the public!"

Her concerns coincided with Jiang Jin's. Once this supernatural curse was exposed on a large scale, the chain reaction it triggered would be uncontrollable. It might attract more reincarnators doing the "New Tales of the Strange" side quests, it might attract the attention of special departments at the national level, and more likely, the influx of a large number of outsiders would completely disrupt the existing balance of rules in the apartment, causing unpredictable and catastrophic consequences.

“I know,” Jiang Jin nodded slightly, “but I must first find out what preparations Yamato Mitsuru has made in secret, and who else knows about it. Whether he is a person or something else now, or whether he is colluding with the reincarnators from last night, I must find out. Reiko, thank you for your hard work.”

Back at the dining table, Jiang Jin began to try and steer the conversation. He wore a perfectly measured expression of worry, typical of a husband concerned about his wife's career, and said, "Mr. Yamato, your plan... does sound very appealing. However, can my wife and I control the pace and specific execution of this matter? After all, once things become public, my wife... her secret marriage will likely be difficult to hide, which could be devastating to her career. We need time to weigh the options and prepare."

Yamato nodded understandingly, but the urgency in his eyes did not diminish: "I understand, Mr. Asakawa. The exposure of your secret marriage will indeed have a significant impact on Ms. Matsushima's career. However, please consider the benefits! Compared to escaping this eternal hell, the risk to your career is worth taking! Moreover, once you succeed, Ms. Matsushima will become a world-class celebrity! There are many famous actresses in the world, but you will be the first top actress in the world to stay in a real haunted house and personally experience paranormal events! This unique 'qualification' is enough to take your career to unprecedented heights!" He was still trying to tempt and persuade her with fame and fortune.

However, just as he was speaking eloquently...

"Snapped!"

Without warning, the entire 301 room was plunged into complete darkness!

power cut!
The scenario described in Article 4 of the apartment rules suddenly unfolded!
"Ah!" Ai let out a short scream.

"Don't panic!" Yamato's voice rang out immediately, trembling slightly but still relatively calm. "Follow the rules! I'll go get the flashlight!"

The sound of groping came from the darkness.

Jiang Jin reacted extremely quickly. The moment the lights went out, he grabbed Lingzi's hand tightly and pulled her closer to him.

"Hold on tight to me, don't let go!" Jiang Jin's voice was deep and calm, but carried an unquestionable tone of command.

Reiko felt the firm strength emanating from Jiang Jin's hand, which calmed her panic considerably, and she gripped his hand tightly in return.

The moment the lights went out, pitch-black darkness swallowed everything. Inside room 301, the air seemed to freeze, leaving only the suppressed breathing of a few people and the frantic pounding of their hearts, like drums pounding on their eardrums.

Everyone felt that chilling fear that came from the depths of their souls.

Aimi held her breath in fright, clutching tightly to her father's clothes. Yamato Mitsuru's fumbling movements were also visibly panicked. Although Reiko's hand was held tightly by Jiang Jin, the invisible malice permeating the darkness still sent chills down her spine.

Jiang Jin... had already taken out his katana, "Tsuki-yin".

"Mr. Asakawa...you...where did you get this samurai sword?" Aimi's trembling voice rang out in the darkness, filled with astonishment and confusion.

It is obviously highly unusual for a sports club coach to carry a real samurai sword.

Jiang Jin did not answer. His entire mind was focused on fighting the unknown in the darkness and sensing the information transmitted by Deathstroke through the soul link.

On a level imperceptible to ordinary people, the death knell is emitting a low, mournful wail that only Jiang Jin can "hear."

Then, it pointed in one direction—to the tightly closed door of Yamato Mitsuru's bedroom. In Deathstroke's perception, the most concentrated and distorted aura of pollution emanated from behind that door, as if something was gathering behind it, or... trying to penetrate it.

"Follow me, don't let go." Jiang Jin whispered to Lingzi, then took her hand and, relying on the hunter's keen senses and the guidance of Deathstroke, moved silently yet precisely to the bedroom door in the pitch-black darkness.

Instead of breaking down the door, he aimed his blade at the crack in the door, used his powerful hunting instincts to unleash the [Rusty Armor] skill, and then plunged his long samurai sword fiercely into the door panel!

After the blade sank into the wooden door, he suddenly felt a strange resistance in his wrist!
(End of this chapter)