HAGLTP Chapter 64

Inside the Autumn Twilight Inn.

The phone indeed couldn’t get through; the heavy rain had completely disrupted the already unstable signal in the mountains. Although the inn had a phone and internet line, they were not activated due to the trial operation.

They were trapped.

Realizing this, the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

A middle-aged woman named Zhen Xin was the first to confront the inn’s owner: “Mr. Guo, were you completely unaware of the safety issues with your inn before the trial operation?”

Guo and Jiang looked around and saw that several people, who had initially been polite, now showed signs of unease. Guo explained, “I believe everyone came to the Autumn Twilight Inn not for so-called safety.”

“Of course, no one wants to die, myself included.”

“Although the renovations were only done during the day, I specifically invited someone to stay here after the renovations were completed.”

“And the result?” Zhen Xin pressed.

Guo and Jiang chuckled bitterly: “That person ate well, slept well, and nothing happened during his three-day stay. His experience made me think that the rumors about the Autumn Twilight Inn were just urban legends created by people.”

“How could that be?”

“If he was fine, why did things go wrong for us?”

“What does Master Lu think?” Guo and Jiang turned to Xiao Lu. After several days of constant embellishment by Yueyue, Sherlock, and Yang Huasheng, Xiao Lu’s image as a master had already taken root in everyone’s minds.

Xiao Lu pondered for a moment: “He was fine; perhaps he was just bait.”

“Bait?” Guo and Jiang were somewhat confused.

Xiao Lu: “Everyone should know the stories about the Autumn Twilight Inn. In each story, the number of casualties is significant, at least a whole family wiped out.”

“Just like lions don’t go to great lengths to catch rabbits, the ghosts here didn’t touch him, perhaps knowing that if the first guest left safely, more people would come here.”

“Are those ghosts that smart? It doesn’t seem so,” Sherlock said, filled with doubt.

From the few encounters with the ghosts here, some were indeed brutal but seemed more like instinct-driven beasts rather than being particularly cunning.

Xiao Lu rubbed the white jade bodhi seeds between his fingers, the warm texture gliding over his fingertips, calming his mind.

“Don’t forget, we haven’t seen all the ghosts here; there might be a commanding presence among them.”

As soon as he said this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

They felt like naive prey, innocently biting the bait and stepping into the hunter’s trap.

“Of course, all of the above is just my speculation; there’s no need for everyone to start panicking now,” Xiao Lu said gently, with a hint of reassurance.

“I suggest everyone get some sleep first, rest well, and we can discuss it during the day.”

Everyone looked at him, the man in a white robe with an ethereal demeanor, standing there calmly, lightly playing with the white jade bodhi beads, his movements unhurried, as if nothing could rattle him.

Somehow, their restless and fearful hearts calmed down a little.

Gu Anzhou was the first to agree: “Yes, I also think it’s better for everyone to stay in their rooms for now and continue the discussion during the day.”

“I… I want to leave…” the beauty in Guo and Jiang’s arms whispered.

“Qiqi, I advise you not to,” the woman who had previously rolled her eyes at her spoke up, “When I was in the room, I saw that male internet celebrity. He looked very panicked and ran straight outside, seemingly heading for the parking lot.”

Qiqi’s voice was soft and delicate: “Xiao Qing, why didn’t you tell us this sooner?”

“Ah… I’m not saying you’re wrong, it’s just…” She raised her head, looking at Guo and Jiang with red eyes, like a little rabbit that had been wronged.

“I’m worried something will happen to Jiang.”

Tan Xiaoqing rolled her eyes, looking as if she had seen something dirty: “I’m really sorry; seeing a corpse was too shocking, and I didn’t think of it for a moment.”

“Then, Jiang, let’s go. If you drive, I won’t be scared at all,” Qiqi said to Guo and Jiang, forcing a brave yet fragile smile.

But Guo and Jiang didn’t have time to flirt with her; he furrowed his brows and pressed Tan Xiaoqing: “You saw him go out, and then what? What do you want to say?”

Tan Xiaoqing pointed outside: “We can see the parking lot from here, but have you seen the light from the car?”

Everyone’s gaze fell on the pitch-black window. The night was so dark that if there were a light, it should be very obvious.

However, as everyone exchanged glances, not a single person stepped forward to say they had seen a light.

Tan Xiaoqing: “He went out, the car didn’t start, and he hasn’t come back. What do you think happened to him?”

Everyone’s hearts had an ominous answer.

“I’m going to sleep first; you all do as you please,” Cui Yunjin smiled and said, then turned and entered Xiao Lu’s room.

“Add me to the list!” Yueyue took the opportunity to rush in as well.

“Me too!” Sherlock saw the timing was right and pulled Yang Huasheng into Xiao Lu’s room.

Suddenly, a gap appeared in the crowd.

Xiao Lu: “…”

Why is everyone going into his room? It seemed he hadn’t agreed to have so many people stay overnight.

The others, seeing this, lost the desire to leave and tried to huddle with familiar faces, squeezing into one room. If it weren’t for the male god’s somewhat scary expression, they would have wanted to squeeze in too.

Just as they were about to enter the room, Xiao Lu’s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a mirror in the hallway.

The angle of the mirror was just right to face his room. Was it like this when he checked in? Xiao Lu pondered for a moment and realized he hadn’t paid attention to it; at this moment, he couldn’t recall.

But a vague sense of unease lingered in his heart.

He strode forward, flipped the mirror to its back, and pressed it against the wall. Feeling a bit uneasy, he simply shattered the mirror.

If compensation was needed, let Teacher Cui pay for it.

Xiao Lu had no intention of being polite; it’s better to have a thick skin in life.

·

On the third day, the heavy rain still hadn’t stopped.

The mountains were even shrouded in thick fog, obscuring their vision, and they couldn’t even see the parking lot.

After a night passed, the sea dog still hadn’t returned, but no one dared to go out to see what had happened to him.

His photographer was still alive, but it seemed he had been scared out of his wits, locking himself in his room and speaking to people through the door.

Because the class leader’s diary mentioned that the principal always stayed on the top floor, Xiao Lu naturally had to go up there to look for clues.

The others who had spent the night in his room voluntarily offered to help.

Yueyue was filled with gratitude. The male god was so dedicated to helping her find material, and the progress was so fast; this money was well spent.

Sherlock and the others were both timid and curious; since they didn’t dare to stay alone, they might as well help the male god.

As for Cui Yunjin, she claimed it was to find inspiration, adding a bit of an unorthodox atmosphere to this serious clue-hunting journey.

Unfortunately, the group almost turned the entire top floor upside down but found no clues related to the principal or Yin Sen.

Xiao Lu didn’t feel too disappointed. After all, it was a matter from a hundred years ago; with such a long time, any changes were possible. Perhaps, like the principal’s office, it had become a place that only appeared at night and didn’t exist.

Night fell again.

Xiao Lu and Cui Yunjin went upstairs together.

This time, Xiao Lu refused the other three’s company. Yin Sen was the beginning of all strange rumors. He was even the mastermind behind everything; getting closer to him would only be more dangerous.

The Autumn Twilight Inn only had five floors, with the top being a high roof. But at this moment, a staircase with carved handrails appeared before the two, extending upward.

The nonexistent attic had appeared.

The two climbed the stairs to the attic together. The attic’s decor was in the same retro style as the Autumn Twilight Inn; perhaps saying retro wasn’t quite right, as this was a common style in that era.

The attic was not small; it could even be considered the sixth floor of the inn. Standing at the top of the stairs and looking ahead, they could only see tightly closed doors on both sides, blocking the prying eyes of outsiders.

The student ghosts that had lingered on the lower floors were gone, as if they feared the master of this territory.

The surroundings were quiet, only the continuous sound of rain could be heard.

The two advanced cautiously but unexpectedly encountered Guo and Jiang and his friends.

To still dare to go out at this hour, even coming here, was beyond the scope of ordinary paranormal enthusiasts. Even Yueyue, as a streamer, chose to stay in her room and play cards with Sherlock and the others when her safety was threatened.

Cui Yunjin said, “I’m here to find inspiration, and I brought Master Lu along for a walk.”

Guo and Jiang replied, “Our friends were curious, so we came to take a look.”

Cui Yunjin smiled politely: “Mr. Guo is quite bold.”

Guo and Jiang also smiled, their expressions plastic: “Teacher Cui is the same.”

Neither side mentioned their true purpose for coming, and they tacitly avoided exposing each other. After greeting, they each took different directions to proceed.

It seemed peaceful.

But both sides knew very well that they each had other motives. Xiao Lu was curious; if they were looking for clues about the sacrificial blade from Yin Sen, then what about these people?

Were they interested in the rumors, or had they learned something from other channels…

This was a part of the plot that had never been explained.

The two discovered a room; the door was not locked and opened with a gentle push.

The room looked grand yet exquisite, with Baroque-style furniture adorned with gilded decorations. Such craftsmanship would be valuable in any era.

Several tall bookshelves reached the ceiling, indicating the identity of this study.

The walls of the study were covered with oil paintings, primarily of people, ranging from old men and children to maids. In the center was a portrait of a young man, the painter’s delicate strokes clearer than photographs from that era, vividly depicting the handsome and charming face.

It was Yin Sen.

Just looking at his face, he appeared to be a young talent.

Cui Yunjin walked over: “Have you discovered something by staring at him?”

Xiao Lu: “Nothing much, just thought he was quite handsome.”

Cui Yunjin glanced at Yin Sen’s portrait, then lowered her gaze as if hiding some emotion.

After a moment, she spoke: “I found something unusual over by the desk; do you want to take a look?”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lu’s gaze indeed shifted from Yin Sen’s face, following Cui Yunjin toward the desk.

Cui Yunjin’s lips curled into a barely noticeable arc.

Suddenly, a faint sound of a door closing echoed.

The two halted their steps in unison, looking toward the door. Before entering the room, they had not been unprepared; they had used a notebook to prop the door open to prevent it from closing unexpectedly.

But now, the door had closed.

Xiao Lu’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse; a certain painting on the wall seemed to move—it was the maid’s portrait!

Upon closer inspection, he realized it was not a portrait at all; it was clearly a mirror!

“Hee hee hee… hee hee…”

The maid in the mirror laughed.

“The master’s study is off-limits to outsiders.”