I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

The air inside the car fell silent. After a long while, Chen Danshen finally managed a smile.

"...This is one of those ghost stories that every university has, right?"

"Anyway, Jiangcheng University isn't very quiet. My former seniors told me that too."

He Youwu felt that after going through a series of events, he went from being a staunch atheist to becoming somewhat paranoid.

Anyone who witnessed such a scene would probably feel frightened.

"I'm sorry, this problem probably occurred because you were carrying me."

Lu Ban said something and urged He Youwu to continue driving.

Strangely enough, after driving a few hundred meters further, He Youwu's phone suddenly made a sound.

"Turn left at the intersection ahead, be careful when changing lanes..."

He looked at the navigation; the straight "Yin-Yang Road" was gone, replaced by the familiar streets of Jiangcheng.

After turning a corner, you can see shops and a few pedestrians around again.

"Okay, it seems like I've made it out."

He Youwu's clothes were already soaked through before he dared to relax and slow down.

The police car attracted a lot of attention. They watched as the police car entered the residential area and Lu Ban got out of the car and walked downstairs, and they discussed it among themselves.

After seeing the two police officers off, Lu Ban entered his building, stepped into the elevator, and pressed the button for the thirteenth floor.

He glanced at his phone; there were already discussions on Weibo about whether criminals had appeared in his neighborhood.

Ding--

The elevator arrived, and Lu Ban stepped out.

"It's so dark."

He stomped his foot, but the motion-activated light didn't turn on. Lu Ban turned on his phone's flashlight and found that the stairwell was rather dilapidated and dirty, unlike the clean walkway in front of his own home.

He looked back at the floor and found it was the seventh floor.

"strangeness……"

Lu Ban could only press the upward elevator button and wait with his phone in hand.

The surroundings were relatively quiet, with only occasional sounds of talking, cars, and dogs barking coming from outside.

Lu Ban watched as the elevator descended from the thirteenth floor, gradually approaching the seventh floor.

Then, he caught a different sound.

crunch--

A soft sound of a door opening came from behind. Lu Ban turned his head and saw the door of the last house slowly opening under the green light of the emergency light.

He looked inside and saw what appeared to be a person sitting there.

Ding--

The elevator arrived, and Lu Ban turned around to see that it had stopped on the eighth floor.

The only way an elevator could behave this way is if someone went down from the thirteenth floor to the eighth floor.

The sound of the steel cable turning started again, and Lu Ban turned his gaze from the elevator floor display screen to the apartment whose door had just opened.

Then he saw an elderly man with a hunched back standing next to him.

The old man remained silent, staring blankly at Lu Ban.

Ding--

This time the elevator really did reach the seventh floor, the doors opened, and Lu Ban stepped inside.

He had assumed the elderly person would also take the elevator, but the person stood motionless at the elevator door.

Are you going downstairs?

Lu Ban asked a question while pressing the button for the thirteenth floor.

The old man simply shook his head and waved to Lu Ban.

The movements were like those of a marionette—dull, wooden, and awkward.

Lu Ban waited until the elevator doors were completely closed, and this time he noticed that they had indeed reached the thirteenth floor before he stepped out.

The familiar hallway, the familiar security door.

He returned home.

Chapter 119 The Funeral Hall

In the early morning, a ray of golden sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains and fell on Lu Ban's face.

Sweet singing filled the room; the melody of "Unforgettable Tonight" was endlessly captivating. Even the shadowy figure beside the bed seemed to be swaying its head, enjoying the music.

Lu Ban opened his eyes and saw an eye staring at him from beside his pillow.

The eyeball, with a large clump of hair attached to its end, noticed Lu Ban was awake and quickly shrank into the corner of the bed, disappearing from sight.

Yawning, Lu Ban didn't go back to sleep, but sat up.

After washing up, he went downstairs to buy breakfast. As he stepped into the elevator, he suddenly remembered what had happened last night.

"I wonder how that old man is doing."

He went downstairs and found several workers setting up a shed.

This is a mourning tent, usually with the entrance facing south. In some places, a large banquet is held, and people play mahjong all night for several nights. However, Jiangcheng is a highly urbanized city, and the mourning tent only occupies a few parking spaces.

Smelling a strong incense stick, Lu Ban curiously looked at the portrait in the mourning hall.

"..."

The portrait was of the old man I met last night.

"So, he already went last night?"

Lu Ban casually inquired and learned that the old man was over seventy years old and hadn't woken up after going to bed last night, so he was considered to be without illness or pain.

"Let me offer him some incense."

Lu Ban said to the family.

"you are?"

The elderly man's family members seemed to still be in shock, with deep circles under their eyes.

“I live on the thirteenth floor, and I’ve met your father twice.”

Lu Ban spoke the truth.

The family members didn't object, since they were all neighbors.

Lu Ban offered incense to the old man, and after paying his respects, he raised his head.

He saw that the old man was hanging upside down on the roof of the mourning tent, his limbs sprawled on the black tent, staring at Lu Ban.

"Did your father have a habit of hanging upside down on the wall?"

Lu Ban suddenly asked a question, which startled the woman from the family. She unconsciously looked up at the direction Lu Ban was pointing.

"Are you... are you kidding me?"

She was somewhat bewildered.

Are there any cabinets or boxes near your ceiling?

Lu Ban asked again.

"I don't know..."

The woman muttered something, then seemed to remember something.

"I do have a cabinet at home, but I haven't opened it in a long time."

"Why don't you open that cabinet and take a look when you have time? You might find something unexpected."

Lu Ban didn't explain much. He took one last look at the old man on the ceiling and walked out of the mourning hall.

Lu Ban watched the news while eating breakfast.

Lu Ban had no idea how many strange things existed in Jiangcheng.

He has been studying here for several years and has never had a similar experience before.

Since arriving in the Silent Land, Lu Ban has seen many things he had never seen before.

After doing some research, Lu Ban felt that Jiangcheng might really have some problems.

This area has always been a strategic location fought over by military strategists throughout history, with frequent wars and deaths far exceeding those in ordinary cities.

In addition, the grand scale of the Jiangcheng Grand Theatre, capable of attracting great beings from distant deep space, makes it hard not to make certain associations.

"There can't possibly be something buried underground in Jiangcheng."

After having breakfast, Lu Ban returned home and continued working.

His main task these past two days has been to organize the story outline for the entire film and finalize the ending.

Some students might ask, "Don't we already have the materials? Why do we need to organize an outline? Can't we just string the materials together and upload them?"

Actually not.

Editing, storyboarding, and plot development play a role in film that is no less important than the script and actors.

Some movies have mediocre initial cuts, but become phenomenal in the director's cut; some movies have gorgeous special effects and amazing plots, but become completely incomprehensible due to their flashy editing.

Lu Ban doesn't need such advanced skills. This movie is essentially a thriller adventure, and ending with a tragedy is enough to highlight the key elements.

In the evening, Lu Ban stretched, stood up from his computer, and prepared to go downstairs for dinner.

Just then, his phone rang.

Looking at the caller ID, it was Sergeant Feng Yu.

"Hey?"