Chapter 124: March 7th: How Do You Prove You’re Star?
After each piece of music ended, Meng Huaifeng would pause for a while, with some people leaving and others joining.
The party ended, and Gui Naifen received so many tips her hands went soft.
“Hehe, Little Guizi, this is the first time I’ve received so many tips. Come on, let’s split them on the spot—half for you all, divide them among yourselves.” Gui Naifen squinted her money-grubbing eyes and divided most of the Xun Di and credits to Meng Huaifeng.
Meng Huaifeng then evenly divided these tips among March 7th and A Xing.
Joke, he was now a big UP main with billions of fans, receiving tips and traffic fees nonstop every day, already achieving financial freedom—how could he care about this petty cash?
Better to give it to March 7th and A Xing as pocket money.
It was already very late, and the group set off for Suiyuan.
When they arrived at Suiyuan, it was just over ten minutes until midnight.
No one was in sight at the midnight Suiyuan; the beacons by the roadside emitted a faint blue-green light, adding a touch of eerie desolation, making even the air feel chilly.
“Why are Suiyuan’s lights this color? Too creepy, right?” March 7th grabbed Meng Huaifeng’s arm and whispered, afraid that speaking too loudly would trigger something terrifying.
“Suiyuan is a famous supernatural holy land on the Xianzhou. Maybe some supernatural enthusiasts swapped the lights here. Not all the lights are this color—look ahead, that’s normal white light.” Meng Huaifeng pointed to a distant rockery.
“Are there really ghosts here?” A Xing asked curiously.
“If the recent ghost rumors are true, there might be.” Gui Naifen said.
“Is there anything special here?”
“Good question. For this spirit exploration, I came fully prepared. Let me find the video script…” Gui Naifen pulled out her mobile phone.
“Sui Sui immortal fox, with a long fluffy tail, Suiyuan was originally a garden grotto-heaven crafted by a fox person artisan for his kin to rest, wander, compose poetry, and hold banquets… The following five hundred words omitted.” Gui Naifen impatiently put down her mobile phone.
“It’s said that during the Abundance people’s war thirty years ago, the fox clan’s elite pilots suffered heavy casualties. People spontaneously went to the fox burial mounds in Suiyuan to mourn the deceased, making Suiyuan deserted with few joyful voices. Over time, ghost fires flickered on and off in Suiyuan, with mournful sobs echoing from nowhere, and news of Suiyuan being haunted spread like wildfire among Luofu Xianzhou residents.”
“Legends from so long ago probably have nothing to do with the recent weird incidents around Luofu.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“They have nothing to do, but those incidents appear without any pattern, so I can only try my luck here.” Gui Naifen scratched her head, then took out a phone stand: “Alright, I’m starting the live broadcast.”
March 7th let go of Meng Huaifeng’s hand, inwardly cheering herself up: Don’t be scared, there are no ghosts in this world, at most just Suiyang, and with the live broadcast starting soon and so many viewers watching, she couldn’t lose face for the Nameless.
“Family, Little Guizi is now at the scariest supernatural holy land on Luofu, Suiyuan. Please like, follow, and share to give Little Guizi some courage!” Gui Naifen held up the camera and filmed around.
“Boom!”
A bolt of lightning flashed, followed by rumbling thunder.
Except for Meng Huaifeng and A Xing, the other three girls all jumped in fright, screamed, and looked around, with March 7th grabbing Meng Huaifeng’s arm tightly again.
“Shangshang, you said you’d protect me, but your courage is this small?” Gui Naifen teased Sushang, who had even drawn her Xuanyuan Sword.
“Cloud Cavalry swordsmanship can’t slay formless things!” Sushang said, trembling.
“Hey, look over there, that green light.” March 7th suddenly pointed to the left rear.
“What’s wrong with that light?” Meng Huaifeng asked puzzled.
“I remember that green light was over there shortly after we entered Suiyuan. Why, after walking so long, is that green light still over there?” March 7th said shakily.
“Did you see wrong? That’s another lamp, just in the same direction?” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Is it?” March 7th said uncertainly.
“Let’s walk a bit further.” Gui Naifen aimed the live broadcast at that green light.
The group continued forward.
“It… it seems like it’s really following us all along!” Gui Naifen said, her face somewhat pale.
“We didn’t really encounter a ghost, did we?” March 7th gripped tighter.
“Let’s run away quick.” Sushang said.
“What are you afraid of? Let me deal with it.” A Xing took out her baseball bat and strode toward the green light.
Meng Huaifeng said speechlessly: “Aren’t we here for spirit exploration? If we really encounter one, shouldn’t we be happy? Why run?”
“Y… yeah, seems like it.” Gui Naifen said with a dry laugh.
“I didn’t want to come, Little Guizi dragged me here.” Sushang said aggrievedly.
“And you, March, you even fought Huanlong, and you’re afraid of a little ghost?” Meng Huaifeng said.
“That’s different. Huanlong could be seen and touched, and most importantly, she appeared in the daytime. This is the middle of the night! Plus, isn’t it normal for a beautiful girl to fear ghosts? Here’s your chance to protect a beautiful girl—don’t you want to?” March 7th said righteously from behind Meng Huaifeng.
“I do, but what if the ghost suddenly rushes out from behind?” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Ah!”
March 7th shuddered, as if something really appeared behind her, feeling chills down her spine, screamed, and ran in front of Meng Huaifeng.
March 7th clung to Meng Huaifeng’s shoulders and looked back—nothing was there. She breathed a sigh of relief and punched Meng Huaifeng’s chest hard a few times with her small fists.
“You nearly scared me to death!”
“No more messing around. Let’s catch up quick—A Xing is already far ahead. In horror movies, the biggest taboo is getting separated.” Meng Huaifeng grabbed March 7th’s hand.
The three girls mustered their courage and followed Meng Huaifeng to chase A Xing, not daring to go ahead but also fearing a ghost suddenly appearing behind, dithering back and forth, extremely conflicted.
Plenty of horror films had plots where the person at the end silently vanished or got replaced.
That green light clearly looked close, but after chasing for a long time, the distance didn’t change—it still seemed that far from everyone.
“This is really ghostly!” Gui Naifen confirmed.
“I just don’t believe it.” A Xing’s stubborn temper flared up, and she sped toward the green light.
However, the faster A Xing went, the faster the green light retreated, always keeping about the same distance!
“A Xing, come back! This must be the ghost luring you to get separated—don’t fall for it, you’re done if you’re alone!” March 7th shouted worriedly.
But it was no use—A Xing had already chased the green light and vanished in the blink of an eye.
“Let’s speed up too.” Meng Huaifeng said.
The four had just chased a short while when A Xing suddenly popped out from around a corner.
“A Xing, how’d it go? Didn’t catch up?” Meng Huaifeng asked.
“No, is that thing really Suiyang?” A Xing pouted, looking unconvinced.
“Maybe it’s not.” Meng Huaifeng pinched his chin, frowning slightly.
“Wait!” March 7th suddenly drew her sword and pointed it at the approaching A Xing: “Don’t come closer!”
“March, what’s wrong with you? I’m A Xing.” A Xing widened her eyes, incredulous that March 7th would do this to her, looking aggrieved.
“Who knows if you’re really A Xing? Maybe you’re a ghost in disguise?” March 7th said.
“Huh? I am A Xing—how could I be a ghost in disguise?” A Xing said speechlessly.
“Prove to me you’re A Xing.” March 7th said warily.
Prove that I am myself?
What profound philosophical question is this?
A Xing fell into thought.
“What’s this? Can’t prove it? You must be a ghost in disguise.” March 7th looked as if she’d seen through it, frost already condensing on her longsword.
“Wait! Wait!” A Xing hurriedly stopped her, flame spear in left hand, baseball bat in right: “Look, these are my weapons. Does this prove it?”
“No, ghosts can create illusions. Maybe you conjured these.” March 7th shook her head.
“I still remember at the space station, the elevator wasn’t broken, but you said it was and forgot the access card! That proves it, right?” A Xing said annoyed, spilling the beans.
March 7th blushed but still shook her head: “No, ghosts can probe others’ memories—maybe you read A Xing’s memory.”
“If this won’t do and that won’t do, and you say ghosts can do all that, then tell me how I prove I’m myself?” A Xing was almost laughing in frustration.
Hmm, March 7th’s brain overloaded, unable to think of a way.
“I have a way!” Gui Naifen said excitedly: “Should’ve said Little Guizi came prepared—black dog blood, rooster blood, boy’s urine, glutinous rice, cinnabar. Just splash these on her, and she’ll show her true form!”
“Little Guizi, you’re so reliable! You say you’re A Xing—dare you let me splash these on you?” March 7th praised, taking a bucket of pale yellow liquid, hand on hip, smugly saying to A Xing.
A Xing looked repulsed and disgusted: “I don’t want that.”
“She’s scared! She’s a ghost in disguise!” Sushang shouted.
“Hey, don’t spout nonsense—what does this have to do with being scared? Would you want these splashed on you?” A Xing hurriedly defended.
March 7th’s expression stiffened—right, she wasn’t a ghost but wouldn’t want this splashed on her either.
“Then what do we do?” March 7th looked to Meng Huaifeng for help.
“Just have A Xing throw the baseball bat over.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Right, throw the baseball bat over.” March 7th pointed at A Xing.
A Xing breathed a sigh of relief—finally, she could prove she was herself. Too hard!
A Xing immediately threw the baseball bat to March 7th.
March 7th swung the baseball bat a couple times, muttering: “Seems real.”
“What do you mean ‘seems’? It is real!” A Xing huffed over and snatched back her precious baseball bat.
“Sorry, A Xing, forgive me? That’s just how it is in horror movies?” March 7th stuck out her tongue, hugging A Xing’s arm and begging.
“Hmph, don’t think I’ll forgive you so easily. If you disappear and reappear, I’ll make you prove you’re March too.” A Xing grumbled.
“Hey, I’ll absolutely never separate from the group!” March 7th vowed confidently.
“That ghost is still following us—can’t shake it off, can’t catch up. What do we do? Withdraw first?” Sushang looked at the distant green light and chickened out.
Gui Naifen glanced at the skyrocketing live broadcast viewers, steeled herself, and said decisively: “No way! If we bail like this half-heartedly, how can Little Guizi survive in the live broadcast world?”
“That might not be a ghost, but phosphorus fire, also commonly known as ghost fire.” Meng Huaifeng speculated.
“Phosphorus fire? What’s that?” March 7th asked puzzled.
“Ghost fire? Isn’t that a ghost?” Sushang was scared.
Meng Huaifeng looked again at Gui Naifen and A Xing—their pretty big eyes full of confusion and bewilderment.
Meng Huaifeng suddenly felt a sense of intellectual superiority.
“Phosphorus fire is the flame from phosphine burning, usually white with blue-green. Human and animal corpses decompose to produce phosphine, which self-ignites. So in places with many wild graves, occasional flickering blue-green sparks appear, hence called ghost fire. I haven’t seen it in reality, but that green light looks similar.” Meng Huaifeng explained.
“Don’t get it.” Li Datou Li Sushang scratched her head, her eyes full of pure stupidity.
“Is that so? Then why does it move on its own?” March 7th was half-believing.
“Because it’s very light, wind blows it along. The wind we stir up while moving carries it, so it keeps following behind us.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Oh, so that’s it—scared me to death. Huai Feng, you know so much.” March 7th gently patted her chest.
“Of course.” Meng Huaifeng chuckled lightly—praise from a girl always makes one smug.
“Damn, why don’t I know this?” A Xing said annoyed—another chance to show off missed.
“Read more books, and you’ll know more.” Meng Huaifeng patted A Xing’s shoulder, acting like an elder.
“After all that, turns out it’s not a ghost.” Gui Naifen sighed in relief but was also a bit disappointed: “Though, knowing it’s from corpse decomposition is still kinda creepy.”
“Whoosh~ whoosh~”
A light wind suddenly blew through Suiyuan.
The distant ghost fire indeed drifted farther with the wind.
But the wind direction suddenly changed, with a strong gust howling.
The originally distant ghost fire teleported right in front of everyone, and because it was scattered by the wind, it ‘poofed’ and grew huge!
“Wah!”
Gui Naifen and Sushang hugged in fright, March 7th buried her head in Meng Huaifeng’s chest, their screams carrying far in the silent garden.
“Don’t be scared, don’t be scared. I said it’s not a ghost—it’s phosphorus fire, explainable by science.” Meng Huaifeng lightly patted March 7th’s back to comfort her.
The enlarged ghost fire hit A Xing’s back and shattered into small clusters, seeming ready to extinguish anytime.
A Xing couldn’t help rolling her eyes.
The three calmed girls curiously wanted to poke the small ghost fires, but squatting down stirred wind from their clothes that carried them away, impossible to touch.
Sushang grew anxious, but the more anxious, the bigger her movements, the stronger the wind, and the small clusters of ghost fires scattered and flew off.
“If Huai Feng hadn’t explained what this is, we’d really think it was a ghost.” March 7th sighed.
“Let’s go, continue the spirit exploration.” Meng Huaifeng said.
“Little Guizi, maybe we should head back.” Sushang couldn’t help suggesting again.
“What are you afraid of? Aren’t the Train’s Nameless here? You’re Cloud Cavalry.” Gui Naifen encouraged.
Sushang followed with a bitter face.
Bold A Xing led the way ahead, Meng Huaifeng brought up the rear.
Under A Xing’s lead, the path grew more remote, lights fewer.
“A Xing, where are you taking us?” March 7th looked at the pitch-black bamboo grove around, asking somewhat scared.
“Of course to find ghosts—the more remote, the higher the probability of ghosts, right?” A Xing said without turning back, seeming to operate something in her hand.
“Not necessarily—maybe ghosts like open areas? Let’s change direction.” March 7th suggested.
“We’re almost there.” A Xing said eerily.
“Where to?” March 7th swallowed, feeling something off.
“To my home, of course.”
A Xing suddenly turned, her face a ghastly green, with blood trails at her eyes and mouth—utterly terrifying!
“Ah! Ghost!”
Amid the three girls’ screams, March 7th instinctively hurled an ice spike at A Xing.
Gui Naifen threw a special firecracker laced with cinnabar.
“Taixu Illusory Form, Phoenix Manifest!”
Sushang swung her sword, and a chubby white fat chicken dropped from the sky, landing butt-first on A Xing’s horrific eerie face!
