Chapter 174: Dead End
In the grass, a cloth doll ran ahead without looking back.
Its body was very small; any random stalk of grass nearby was much taller than it.
But this cloth doll seemed able to sense the surrounding environment, so it didn’t need to look at the road at all. It could bypass dead trees in advance and safely cross pits.
It seemed like sensing this wasn’t enough, as the cloth doll kept making seductive maneuvers, dizzying the ghost rope behind it.
Given this situation, even if the ghost rope was exhausted to death, it couldn’t catch the substitute doll.
However, the premise of not catching it was that the doll could keep moving.
Unfortunately, the doll couldn’t do that, because its body was gradually breaking apart with the movement.
The body, sewn from old ragged cloth, wasn’t of great quality. After a period of running, those crooked thread ends were snapping one by one.
Not just on the face, but cracks also appeared on the body and limbs, leaking out filling material similar to white paper but not quite like it.
At first, these wounds didn’t affect the substitute doll’s actions, but gradually, the cloth doll’s movements became somewhat unnatural, not as flexible as before.
Crossing another pit.
The doll landed with a cool front flip, but its feet slipped, and it failed to stand steady, sprawling directly on the ground.
The ghost rope behind seized the chance and rushed over. The doll, pretending to be dead, suddenly rolled away, escaping the attack range.
This alone wasn’t enough; the cloth doll clapped mockingly nearby, as if ridiculing the ghost rope’s weak ability, unable to catch it at all.
It barely drilled out from the incoming rope loop, made a ghost face, and resumed its escape.
But its movements looked limping, seemingly from a serious injury from that recent fall.
Moreover, the other wounds on its body were slowly widening. Clearly, it wouldn’t be long before the cloth doll died from excessive damage.
However, Wang Tao didn’t know this little thing was about to sacrifice its life to save him. After glancing twice to confirm safety, he didn’t dare look more and just wanted to leave this eerie place quickly.
He’d almost died just at the entrance; wasn’t the house inside even more dangerous?
Wang Tao admitted his courage was greater than average, but being bold didn’t mean he wanted to court death.
When that rope had him suspended, he had no ability to resist at all. His mind was blank; aside from feeling the increasingly intense suffocation, he couldn’t do anything.
That helplessness, he absolutely didn’t want to experience it a second time.
At that moment, a phone call came in.
With his mood somewhat calmed, Wang Tao realized his mobile phone hadn’t been lost, and the live broadcast on his iPhone seemed uninterrupted.
Answering Gou Za Zong’s call, an extremely excited voice came from the other end, “One million popularity, one million popularity! We’re about to get rich!”
This was a height their team had never reached before, even matching big streamers on Mou Ya—something they hadn’t dared dream of previously.
However, Wang Tao felt no joy at all; instead, he felt some disgust.
I’m fucking about to die, and you’re talking to me about popularity now? What’s the use?
After a moment of silence without responding, Gou Zong seemed to sense Wang Tao’s attitude and changed his tone, warning seriously: “I don’t care if there’s really ghosts there; this is a golden opportunity to make big money. We’ve just started the live broadcast and already broken one million popularity. Do I need to say more about continuing?”
“Don’t forget the contract we signed. Even if there are really ghosts here, you have to grit your teeth and go on for me!”
Getting angrier the more he listened, Wang Tao’s fury surged, and he couldn’t hold back anymore, immediately cursing: “Contract, contract, fuck your mom’s contract! Worst case, I’ll compensate the money. Whoever doesn’t value their life can come do the live broadcast themselves!”
After saying that, he didn’t want to deal with this idiot anymore, hung up, blocked him in one go, then turned off the phone and put the sub-machine back in his bag.
After getting out this time, he definitely had to change jobs. When he used to adventure alone, he never had to put up with this bullshit.
Luckily, that broken rope was still wandering blindly in the grass, showing no sign of chasing out.
He didn’t dare delay, quickly walking to the main entrance to leave from there.
“Hmph—”
Holding the door bolt with both hands, Wang Tao exerted all his strength but couldn’t budge it at all.
This black wooden door bolt was far heavier than it looked. Wang Tao, who exercised regularly, had considerable strength—not matching professional fitness enthusiasts, but definitely enough to lift a piece of wood.
And from how immovable it was, it probably weighed several thousand pounds to achieve this effect.
But given the size of this door bolt, no matter the material, it couldn’t possibly be that heavy, right?
“Is this door bolt welded shut? Did the people in this house never need to go in and out before?”
After several attempts with no result, Wang Tao couldn’t see any clues.
Then he could only climb over the wall again.
Turning to glance at the wall, the height difference inside and out wasn’t much. Though there was no space for a run-up here, it wasn’t too hard for Wang Tao to climb over.
Casually securing the iPhone to the mount on his body, Wang Tao took two steps to the side, took a breath, and leaped up.
Kicking the nearby dead tree for leverage, he successfully grabbed the top of the wall.
With both arms straining, he finally climbed onto the wall.
The street outside was still peaceful and serene, in stark contrast to the gloomy haunted house behind him.
This time, Wang Tao didn’t dare be careless; the street was paved with stone bricks, and a careless fall might break his legs.
After turning around, Wang Tao squatted down, carefully gripping the wall top, then lowered his body downward.
Releasing his hands, he steadily landed on the ground.
But that soft feeling made Wang Tao’s heart chill, and the cold temperature around him gave him a bad premonition.
No way…
Incredulously turning his head, there was no antique street behind him—just a stretch of ancient garden.
Ghost wall? Or some other reason?
It must be my eyes playing tricks…
Wang Tao reassured himself, turned his head to ignore that conspicuous footprint as much as possible, and leaped up again.
Outside the wall was still the antique street, with scattered tourists even visible in the distance.
But when Wang Tao tried to call out to them, they seemed unable to hear his voice, showing no response at all.
Glancing back at the haunted house, he learned from last time and didn’t turn around, just leaped down facing away from the old house.
Better to get injured than be trapped to death inside that haunted house.
Everything seemed normal.
Until the moment his feet touched down, Wang Tao’s vision suddenly blurred.
We’re done for…
Looking at the lush grass in front of him, that was his only thought.
