Global Ghost Stories: I'm Investigating Ghosts in My Nightmare!

Chapter 123 Fog-shrouded Ridge City
Disinfectant doesn't smell good, but in the Nightmare Investigation Bureau's top-level medical room, that smell signifies absolute safety.

When Bai Yu opened his eyes, sunlight streamed through the specially designed anti-radiation glass onto the bedsheets. He tried to move his fingers, but the sensation at his fingertips was somewhat dull—a lingering effect of his nervous system working under intense strain.

"woke up?"

An elegant yet slightly mocking voice echoed in my mind.

Bai Yu knew without looking that Hei Yan was sitting on the throne deep within his consciousness, flipping through that thick, nameless ancient book.

"How long have I been asleep?" Bai Yu asked silently in her heart, her voice slightly hoarse.

“Three days and three nights.” Hei Yan closed the book, his figure gradually becoming clearer in Bai Yu’s mind. “I have to say, your reckless fighting style has indeed left this body riddled with holes. If I hadn’t used my primal power to forcibly glue you back together, you would have become a pile of meaningless protein fragments by now.”

Bai Yu chuckled self-deprecatingly, offering no rebuttal. He knew that although Hei Yan had a sharp tongue, during that desperate escape, without Hei Yan's final, reckless sacrifice, he would never have been able to break through the spatial turbulence with Lu Yueqi.

“However, there are always rewards behind risks.” Hei Yan lightly tapped his finger in the void, and a fragment as dazzling as a ruby, yet with a faint dark golden light, floated in the center of Bai Yu’s vision. “Look at this, this is the spoils we ‘bite’ off that premature false god.”

Bai Yu stared at the fragment, feeling an indescribable sense of oppression. Even though it was just a fragment, the power of the rules it contained far exceeded any nightmare he had ever encountered before.

"Is this... divinity?"

“That’s one way to understand it.” Hei Yan’s tone was tinged with greed. “Although it’s just a tiny bit, it contains a portion of the power of ‘cause and effect’ and ‘joy.’ I have already analyzed it and integrated it into the crack in your soul. Now, your recovery speed will increase threefold, and your perception of rule-based nightmares will also have a qualitative leap.”

Bai Yu closed his eyes and indeed felt a warm current flowing slowly through his body. His previously fragmented spiritual space was repairing itself at a visible speed. This feeling of becoming stronger was very clear, but he didn't feel much joy because he knew that Lu Yueqi's situation was probably more complicated.

"What about her?"

“Next door,” Hei Yan replied calmly. “That girl is more resilient than you think. Although she was used as a vessel, the failed descent of the false god actually cleansed her soul. Her current state is peculiar, like a supercapacitor that hasn’t been energized yet, with amazing potential.”

As they were talking, the door to the medical room was gently pushed open.

Mo Fei, his burly figure, squeezed in first, carrying a large basket of fresh fruit. He moved quietly, careful not to disturb the patient. Following closely behind was Lan Ce, still wearing his black-rimmed glasses, holding a tablet computer, his brow furrowed, seemingly analyzing some data.

"Old Bai! You're finally awake!" Mo Fei lowered his voice, but his powerful voice still made the air in the room vibrate. "If you hadn't woken up, I would have considered dragging you out of my dreams."

"Sit down." Bai Yu propped himself up and sat up, and Lan Ce helped him adjust the angle of the hospital bed.

"His physical indicators are recovering very quickly, exceeding the medical team's expectations." Lan Ce glanced at the waveform on the screen, his tone calm but with a hint of relief. "Captain An Mu has been waiting outside for a long time. He originally wanted to stay by his side, but he had to attend some meetings at the bureau regarding the follow-up to Xilezhuang."

"Captain, you've worked hard." Bai Yu looked out the window. "How's Lu Yueqi?"

“She’s recovering well; she just ate half an hour ago,” Lan Ce replied. “However, her mental state still needs to be observed. After all, the psychological trauma from something like that isn’t so easy to heal.”

The door opened again, and An Mu walked in with steady steps. The fatigue on his face could not hide his authoritative aura, but his eyes softened considerably when he saw that Bai Yu was awake.

"Captain." Bai Yu nodded slightly.

"Lie still." An Mu pressed down on Bai Yu's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "The incident at Xilezhuang has been classified as an 'attempted descent of a primordial concept-level nightmare.' Team One has made a great contribution this time, and the director personally approved the bonus. But what I value more is your lives."

An Mu looked around at his team members, his tone becoming unquestionable: "Given Bai Yu's health condition and Lu Yueqi's future arrangements, I have applied to my superiors for paid leave. Starting tomorrow, the entire team, including Lu Yueqi, will be on mandatory two-week leave."

"A vacation?" Mo Fei's eyes lit up. "Where to? The beach? Or horseback riding on the grasslands?"

“Let’s go to the mountain city in the southwest, Fog Ridge City.” An Mu tossed out a stack of paper documents. “The climate there is suitable for health preservation, and Lan Ce has checked that the fluctuation of the rule field there is one of the most stable in the country. We need an absolutely quiet environment to allow Bai Yu to completely stabilize his soul and to allow Lu Yueqi to adapt to her new life.”

Bai Yu remained silent for a moment, then nodded. He knew that the captain was indirectly protecting them. Having experienced the false god incident, their group was now probably more dazzling than gold in the eyes of certain beings.

The next morning, a specially modified van drove out of the investigation bureau's gate.

Mo Fei was driving, and his enormous frame looked somewhat comical squeezed into the driver's seat. Lan Ce sat in the passenger seat, engrossed in reading a thick book, "A Study of Southwest Folk Customs." An Mu sat in the middle row, resting with his eyes closed, while Bai Yu and Lu Yueqi sat in the back.

Lu Yueqi wore a beige sweatshirt and her signature ghost hat today. Her face was still a little pale, and a hint of confusion occasionally flashed in her eyes, but when she saw Bai Yu, that confusion would turn into a deep dependence.

"Brother Bai, thank you," Lu Yueqi said softly, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

"I told you I would bring you out." Bai Yu looked at the scenery rushing past the window and said gently, "Don't run around like that anymore. The outside world is much more dangerous than the stories in your live stream."

Lu Yueqi nodded heavily. Suddenly, she rolled up her sleeve, revealing her slender wrist. There, the once menacing red mark had faded into a faint red dot, looking like an ordinary cinnabar mole.

Will it... grow back?

Bai Yu stared at the red dot, while Hei Yan whispered in his mind, "That's a remnant of divinity, currently in a dormant state. As long as it doesn't come into contact with a specific medium, it's just an ornament."

"It won't happen again," Bai Yu said softly, "We're here for you."

The van traveled south, passing through bustling cities and rolling hills, finally entering the heart of the mountains.

As the altitude increases, the roadside vegetation becomes increasingly lush, and the air is filled with the moist fragrance of earth. Fog Ridge City, as its name suggests, is an ancient city that is perpetually shrouded in thick fog on the mountainside.

As the car passed through the last tunnel, the scenery suddenly opened up before us.

Countless quaint stilted houses were built against the mountainside, layer upon layer, resembling a giant wooden dragon coiled among the peaks. The cobblestone streets appeared and disappeared in the thick fog, and the occasional clear sound of bells filled the city with a tranquil and mysterious atmosphere.

"Wow, this place is so beautiful!" Lu Yueqi exclaimed, leaning against the car window.

"It's beautiful, but the fog is too thick." Mo Fei complained while skillfully turning the steering wheel. "Lan Ce, are you sure the navigation here works? I feel like I'm driving in the clouds."

"Don't worry, I'm using military-grade inertial navigation," Lan Ce said without turning his head. "Our destination is the 'Guiyun Inn' in the north of the city. It's a private villa that Captain An arranged through connections. The environment is quiet and peaceful, and there won't be any tourists to disturb us."

The car bumped along the bluestone road, passed through several archways, and finally stopped in front of a quiet courtyard.

The courtyard gate was made of heavy mahogany, covered with moss. Pushing it open, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted through the air. The courtyard was filled with lush bamboo, and a man-made stream meandered through the corridor, its melodious babbling melody filling the air.

"Distinguished guests, you have come from afar, you must be tired."

A slightly aged voice came from the inner room.

The man who came out was an elderly man wearing a traditional Chinese jacket. His skin was dark and covered with wrinkles from years of hard work, but his eyes were exceptionally bright, revealing a kind of shrewdness unique to people from the mountains.

"I'm the housekeeper here, just call me Grandpa." The old man bowed slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone, finally lingering on Bai Yu and Lu Yueqi for a second longer, a subtle, unusual glint in his eyes.

"Grandpa, is the room ready?" Anmu stepped forward to inquire.

"It's all ready. As you instructed, they're all top-floor suites with the best views." The old man stepped aside to lead the way. "However, the mountains have been foggy these past few days, so don't wander around at night. Especially the woods south of the city, where they're preparing for a festival, and it might be inconvenient for outsiders to go in."

"A festival?" Lan Ce pushed up his glasses. "Is it that recent 'Returning Soul Festival'?"

The old man nodded, his tone becoming somewhat serious: "Yes, this is a thousand-year-old custom in our Fog Ridge City. Sending away those souls who can't return home is to protect the peace of this region. Since you're here for a vacation, just enjoy the show and don't delve too deeply into it."

After everyone had settled their luggage, it was nearly dusk.

The twilight in Fog Ridge City is not as colorful as on the plains, but rather a deep, somber blue. The fog grows even thicker at this time, to the point that one can hardly see anyone on the other side.

In the guesthouse's restaurant, the old man prepared a sumptuous feast of local dishes: sour fish soup, stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured pork, and stir-fried wild vegetables. Although the presentation was simple, the taste was superb.

"Old Bai, eat more to replenish your blood." Mo Fei served Bai Yu a large bowl of fish soup, while he himself ate a large piece of cured meat with his mouth full of oil.

"Have you noticed that the atmosphere in this city is a bit strange?" Lan Ce said in a low voice while chewing slowly. "I just checked the local records. The 'Returning Soul Festival' was originally held during the Ghost Festival, but this year it has been moved up a whole month."

"Perhaps it's because of the leap month?" Lu Yueqi asked curiously.

“No.” Lance shook his head. “The locals explain it as ‘the mountain god is displeased and needs to be appeased in advance.’ Such targeted changes in rituals usually indicate a shift in the local supernatural balance.”

“Lan Ce, we’re here for a vacation.” An Mu put down his chopsticks, his expression serious. “Unless there’s a Nightmare contamination of level one or higher, we’re not allowed to interfere in local affairs. That’s the rule, and it’s also for Bai Yu and Lu Yueqi’s sake.” Lan Ce shrugged and said no more.

After the meal, Bai Yu went to the rooftop terrace of the inn alone.

The view from here is truly excellent, offering a panoramic view of most of Fog Ridge City. At this moment, the lights of countless homes twinkle in the thick fog, like stars fallen to earth.

"What are you thinking about?"

Lu Yueqi had also arrived on the terrace at some point. She was wearing a thick shawl and stood next to Bai Yu.

"I was thinking, how wonderful it would be if this world really only had these lights," Bai Yu said softly.

Lu Yueqi was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Brother Bai, why did you join the Investigation Bureau? With your abilities, you could have had a very easy life."

Bai Yu gazed at the distant mountains, his eyes growing profound: "Because some people must stand in the shadows so that more people can live in the sunlight. I have lost many things, so I don't want to see others lose them too."

Looking at Bai Yu's profile, Lu Yueqi saw an almost sacred determination beneath her pale skin.

"Can I become as strong as you someday?" she asked softly, her voice filled with longing.

“Being powerful isn’t necessarily a good thing.” Bai Yu turned to look at her earnestly. “If possible, I hope you never use the power within you. It’s a curse that will slowly devour your emotions until you become a cold monster.”

"But if becoming stronger can protect you..." Lu Yueqi's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

Bai Yu was stunned for a moment, a strange ripple stirring in her heart.

Just then, Hei Yan's voice suddenly exploded in his mind: "Bai Yu, look at the three o'clock direction!"

Bai Yu's eyes sharpened, and he instantly entered battle mode.

In the distance, deep within the dense, impenetrable mist of the valley, a row of red lanterns slowly emerged.

The lanterns weren't hanging on the trees, but suspended in mid-air, moving slowly toward Fog Ridge City, accompanied by a dull, monotonous drumbeat.

The lanterns emitted a sickly, pale red light, which, refracted by the mist, resembled countless bleeding eyes.

"What...is that?" Lu Yueqi also saw that scene, and her body trembled involuntarily.

"Returning soul." Bai Yu uttered two words in a low voice.

In Hei Yan's perception, there was absolutely no sign of life beneath that row of lanterns. Instead, there was an extremely dense aura of death and a distorted fluctuation of rules.

“This is no simple festival.” Hei Yan’s voice became excited. “Bai Yu, it seems your vacation is going to be ruined. Those red lanterns don’t contain any spirits, but rather ‘fuse’.”

"fuse?"

"The fuse that ignited fear throughout Fog Ridge."

Bai Yu stared intently at the row of red lanterns until they completely disappeared into the deeper fog.

He knew that Captain Anmu's wish was likely to be in vain. This seemingly peaceful mountain town was now like a powder keg filled with gunpowder, and those red lanterns were the sparks that were slowly approaching.

"Let's go back." Bai Yu took Lu Yueqi's hand and turned to walk down the terrace.

"Brother Bai, should we go tell Captain An?"

"No need, he definitely already knows."

Sure enough, when Bai Yu pushed open the door to the second-floor hall, An Mu, Mo Fei, and Lan Ce were already sitting around the table, on which was placed a small rule fluctuation monitoring device that Lan Ce had just deployed.

"You saw it?" An Mu looked up at Bai Yu, a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

“I saw it.” Bai Yu sat down in an empty seat. “It’s a large-scale operation, not like an individual’s activity.”

"Lan Ce, analysis results." An Mu pointed to the instrument.

“The fluctuation frequency is extremely low, but the coverage area is extremely wide.” Lan Ce pointed to the circles of red ripples on the screen. “These red lanterns are using some kind of resonance to gather the negative energy of the entire mountain towards the city center. If this is the so-called ‘Returning Soul Ritual,’ then what they are bringing back is probably a big guy.”

"I told you, a vacation in this awful weather is never going to end well," Mo Fei said gruffly, checking the battle axe in his arms. "Captain, should we do something about it or not?"

An Mu remained silent for a long time before finally looking at Bai Yu.

"Your suggestion?"

Bai Yu closed his eyes, feeling the throbbing sensation emanating from the divine fragment within his body.

“There’s no way to avoid it.” Bai Yu opened her eyes, her tone calm. “The aura of those red lanterns resonated with the fragments within my body. This means that the entity behind them has some kind of shared origin with that false god of Xilezhuang.”

"In other words, it's coming for us."

The atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted to freezing point.

“In that case,” An Mu stood up, his eyes sharpening again. “Lan Ce, block all signals around the inn and establish a temporary isolation zone. Mo Fei, go to the backyard to inspect the fortifications. Bai Yu, take Lu Yueqi to the safest basement to stand by.”

“No,” Bai Yu refused. “Lu Yueqi is going to the basement; I’ll stay upstairs. My senses can help you locate her.”

An Mu stared at Bai Yu for a few seconds, and finally nodded.

"Be careful. Remember, we are tourists now. Remain silent until the other side launches a substantial attack."

The night is getting deeper and deeper.

The occasional footsteps that used to echo on the streets of Fog Ridge City have completely disappeared.

Every household kept their doors and windows tightly shut, and even the lights were turned off. The entire city fell into an eerie silence, with only the monotonous drumbeats growing louder and louder as they approached from afar.

dong... dong... dong...

Each drumbeat felt like a direct blow to the heart.

Bai Yu stood by the window, looking at the thick, ink-like fog outside.

"Hei Yan, what do you think that is?"

“An ancient ritual.” Hei Yan appeared in his mind’s eye, toying with a wisp of black smoke in his hand. “They are ‘fishing’.”

"fishing?"

“Use the fear of the entire city as bait to lure out that 'old dream' sleeping beneath the mountain.” Hei Yan’s smile turned somewhat cruel. “Bai Yu, be prepared. When the fog dissipates, what you see may no longer be Fog Ridge City, but rather… a sacrificial site from thousands of years ago.”

Just then, there was a sudden, urgent knocking on the inn's door.

Button, button, button!
The force was so great that the door bolt creaked.

"Who is it?" Mo Fei shouted sharply from the doorway.

"Help...open the door...help me..."

(End of this chapter)