99. The Nearly Identical Girl

Inside the police chief’s office, the walls began to crumble and crack, while the once neatly arranged desk and chairs suddenly crashed to the floor with a loud bang, reduced to splinters and dust. Other items, such as papers, had long since decayed. The wires embedded within the walls stubbornly resisted decay but ultimately succumbed, snapping and rotting away; faint flickers of electricity appeared before quickly dying out.

Dust lay thick across the floor, covering even the tops of shoes. In this instant, at least several centuries had passed within the police chief’s office.

Yet Chen Sheng remained completely unharmed. Even the clothing on his body was exactly as it had been before the gallows awoke.

At this moment, a fierce gleam flashed in “Xu Qingqian’s” eyes as “he” drew the torture instrument under “his” control.

It was a triangular battle flag, commonly seen on traditional Chinese opera stages.

In ancient times, warfare emphasized psychological tactics, often exaggerating the size of one’s forces to demoralize the enemy. The flag was key in this deception.

Because the number of people carrying a single flag was significant.

Thus, on the opera stage, planting a flag behind a performer symbolized an entire army.

Although this instrument belonged to the realm of operatic props, it seemed incongruous with the persona “Xu Qingqian” displayed. Clearly, it was not an instrument upgraded by “Xu Qingqian’s” presence but rather one that existed long before “him.”

The triangular flag fluttered, and in an instant, a warrior clad in embroidered battle armor stepped forth. Yet before the warrior could act, the passage of time caused it to instantly dissolve.

Along with this, “Xu Qingqian” was injured. Though the painted makeup on “his” face remained, its former brilliance faded into dullness. “His” features instantly aged; the once smooth skin wrinkled, and the once-straight posture bent, transforming “him” into the image of a hunched old man.

“Cough, cough!” “Xu Qingqian” coughed twice, clearly in great pain, blood flowing from all seven orifices.

The blood was a vivid red, as in a living person, and still warm.

Because of the extreme cold in the room, the blood froze shortly after releasing a faint steam.

Chen Sheng glanced at this curiously and asked, “Aren’t you a ghost?”

A ghost bleeding when injured?

“I reincarnated in the mortal world through ghostly arts, achieving a ghostly fetus and demonic body. Though mishaps occurred—I lost my memory after reincarnation and even died once—I ultimately retained this flesh and blood body,” Xu Qingqian said calmly, surprisingly composed.

Chen Sheng now understood why “Xu Qingqian” earlier claimed to be both himself and not himself.

***

Chen Sheng’s face showed surprise. “You’re answering my questions?”

Normally, NPCs in this healing game would have gone into a rage by now. Why was this one so calm, conversing peacefully?

Although Chen Sheng didn’t understand what had just happened—how Xu Qingqian suddenly turned into a decrepit old man—it was obvious this was due to his “starter equipment.”

Hadn’t he seen the surrounding environment, showing centuries had passed?

The gallows were undeniably linked to time—this Chen Sheng had long concluded.

“Of course, it’s because I can move while you cannot,” Xu Qingqian sneered. He already sensed a terrifying aura approaching.

It was a dreadful ghost technique, vaguely familiar as “Stepping Shadows to Return to the Mountain, Chasing the Moon to Return to Heaven.”

He deliberately spoke more to buy time.

Then, Xu Qingqian’s figure instantly turned transparent, vanishing like a disappearing magician.

“This newbie dungeon isn’t over yet?” Chen Sheng felt annoyed. He hated endless tasks—things that could be neatly divided into two parts instead dragging on with sequels and expansions.

He took Xu Qingqian’s actions and sudden disappearance as part of the “game plot.”

“But it’s true this place isn’t suitable to linger,” Chen Sheng glanced around the now-ruined room. Calling it the police chief’s office would be hard for anyone to believe.

He then headed out.

However, due to the earlier screams of Uncle Yan Shidong, officers downstairs had heard some noise and were rushing up.

This meant Yan Shidong’s body had been discovered.

Listening carefully and noting someone wasn’t far behind, Chen Sheng flipped and jumped from the balcony. His form blurred, and in an instant, he landed outside the police headquarters.

He glanced back once, then calmly walked away.

He wasn’t worried about being suspected.

***

Because the moment Yan Shidong’s body inside the police chief’s office began to distort time unnaturally, it had disintegrated into a pile of bone fragments mixed with dust on the floor.

Since Chen Sheng was outside at that time, he had no opportunity to commit the crime.

As for why the guard at the police headquarters gate didn’t see him leave—that was simply the guard’s laziness.

Having prepared his alibi, Chen Sheng went to find the severed-head girl.

He needed to complete the mission to get promoted to intermediate officer.

He sensed that this healing game must have special professions—like an exorcist police chief! Such a class would fit perfectly with the game’s world.

So, once his rank was high enough, he might trigger that hidden Easter egg.

Why did he think so?

Because most games had such arrangements.

If players lacked a profession aligned with the game’s setting, how could they enjoy playing?

Just as Chen Sheng’s footsteps faded, a familiar figure appeared where he had just stood. Her delicate face furrowed slightly in confusion.

Blinking, she murmured uncertainly, “Did Old Chen just fight someone?”

Though she sensed the trace of a torture instrument’s revival, she didn’t know which one.

Having used the ghost technique “Stepping Shadows to Return to the Mountain, Chasing the Moon to Return to Heaven” to cross the shadowy void and arrive at Upper Sanjiang City, her strength was now depleted.

Presently, aside from ghost arts that required no energy, like the “Four Poems of the Living,” she could no longer wield any powerful ghost techniques.

She was now nearly indistinguishable from an ordinary girl.

Well, almost.

At most, she carried “just a tiny bit” more ghostly aura than other girls.