You made all the streamers on the internet kneel before you when you were asked to make a game.

The voice just fell.

A tremendous suction force suddenly emanated from the stage.

That power completely ignored the ghost bride's blood-red ribbon.

"Whoosh!"

The bound shadow ghost, along with the section of blood-red ribbon, was instantly sucked in and flew straight towards the stage.

The ghost bride let out a muffled groan, her face growing even paler.

The moment her power touched the area around the stage, it was neutralized by a higher, more ancient power of rules.

Because the Shadow Ghost, as the "fifth distinguished guest" who was named, had to take the stage.

"No...no..."

The shadow ghost let out a desperate shriek in mid-air, the black mist it had transformed into churning violently as it tried to break free from the suction force.

But all is in vain.

It was like iron filings attracted by a magnet, falling involuntarily onto the huge blue stone stage.

"Clatter".

The instant it landed.

Two paper effigy servants walked out from backstage with stiff steps.

Each of them held a blood-red martial arts costume embroidered with gold patterns.

One person was carrying a box of colorful inks.

They walked up to the shadow ghost, giving it no chance to react at all.

The blood-red costume unfolded automatically as if it were alive, completely enveloping the irregular black mist.

The black mist struggled wildly inside the costume, pushing it into bulges.

But another paper effigy, with its stiff fingers dipped in ink, had already begun to paint a mask on the "face" of the costume.

One stroke, one line.

Outline the eyebrows, eyes, nose, and mouth.

As the facial makeup was completed, the struggle within the costume gradually subsided.

In the end, the costume returned to its human form.

A "person" dressed in a blood-red theatrical costume and painted with the face of a martial arts performer stood quietly on the stage.

It became a new character in this play, "The Sacrifice to Yinshan".

Seeing this, Brother Long and his men felt a chill run down their spines.

This is hardly a treat for guests to watch a play.

This is clearly... forcibly arresting actors!

And those so-called "distinguished guests" are the selected "actors"!

As the shadow ghost took the stage, the gazes of the ghost audience members slowly shifted away from them and refocused on the stage.

The tense atmosphere in the theater strangely eased.

It was as if everything that had just happened was just a small interlude.

The show must go on.

"Cough... I'm fine."

After recovering, Professor Chen sat up again with the help of Lancet.

He glanced at the old driver lying motionless on the ground beside him.

"Quick, let's see the experienced driver."

Liu Yedao immediately squatted down, extended two fingers, and probed the veteran driver's carotid artery.

It still pulsates.

She then lifted the old driver's eyelids to take another look.

The pupils have returned to normal size, but the eyes are still somewhat unfocused.

The person is still alive.

He was possessed by the shadow ghost, which consumed a lot of his energy and spirit, and he temporarily fell into a coma.

Just then, the unconscious driver twitched his eyelids and slowly opened his eyes.

"Where...where am I?"

The old driver's voice was weak and hoarse.

"Old driver! You're awake!" Brother Long was both surprised and delighted.

"Don't move." Lancet calmly pressed down on the experienced driver. "You were just possessed by a ghost, and your body is still very weak."

Possessed by a ghost?

The experienced driver was stunned for a moment, and then a series of chaotic and terrifying memories flooded into his mind.

He remembered being tackled from behind, his body going out of control, and how he had personally grabbed Professor Chen by the neck...

His face instantly drained of all color.

"I...I..."

"Alright, enough with the 'I-I-I'. It's all over now." Brother Long patted him on the shoulder. "You were a victim too."

The experienced driver, panting heavily, looked around, still shaken.

His pupils contracted sharply when his gaze fell on the enormous stage.

"What...what is that?"

Everyone followed his gaze.

On the stage, several paper effigies are singing opera.

Among them was the blood-clad martial artist who had just been transformed from the shadow ghost.

Everything seemed to be the same as before.

"What's wrong?" Professor Chen asked.

"Lines..." the experienced driver's voice trembled, "I see... so many red lines..."

Red line?

Everyone looked at the stage again, but there was nothing there except for the eerie paper effigy and the pale green lights.

"Old driver, are you seeing things?" Brother Long asked, somewhat worried.

"No...no..."

The experienced driver shook his head in horror and pointed to the paper effigies of the actors on the stage.

"Each of them...each of them is connected to a red thread...the other end of the thread extends...extensions into the darkness behind the stage..."

"Like...like a marionette!"

His words sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Marionettes!

This metaphor is so vivid!

Just then, the experienced driver seemed to see something even more terrifying. He abruptly withdrew his gaze, covered his eyes tightly, and his body trembled violently.

"And...and you all..."

The old driver's voice was filled with despair.

"You also...have red threads on your bodies..."

"Each one is connected to the stage..."

"We... also have red lines on us?" Brother Long's heart skipped a beat.

He subconsciously looked down at his own body.

Empty.

There was nothing there.

Professor Chen and the Lancet also looked grave.

They believed the experienced driver wasn't lying.

After being possessed by the Shadow Ghost, the veteran driver's body was weakened.

But it seems that he also benefited from the misfortune, briefly gaining some kind of ability such as "the ability to see ghosts".

What he can see are things that ordinary living people like them cannot see.

"The red thread...connects to the stage..."

Professor Chen muttered to himself, a flash of understanding appearing in his eyes.

"I see……"

"These five rules are essentially a chain."

"The first rule is that we cannot linger after dark, forcing us to go inside."

"Secondly, no one should answer when we knock on the door, cutting off any possibility of communication between us and the 'villagers' outside."

"Thirdly, the presence of lights and people creates the illusion that we are 'safe indoors'."

"And the fourth rule, that we must watch a play because of the gongs and drums, forced us out of the house we thought was safe."

"From the moment we step into this audience and sit down, we have already signed some kind of invisible 'contract' with this 'stage'."

"The red line that experienced drivers see is the concrete manifestation of a contract!"

"We...have become part of this play too!"