Chapter 253

In this dark world, it seemed as if only this winding, twisting path existed; the four of them marched forward along it, constantly observing their surroundings, yet nothing could be discerned—no matter that they were Evolved Ones.

Moreover, as they advanced, the path behind them vanished rapidly.

All these unknown phenomena indicated that those on this path could only press forward—no retreat, no lingering.

It was like a road of no return.

"This place is eerie," Li Yi frowned, staring at the aging building drawing nearer. "Just a moment ago, that structure looked miles away—at least several kilometers distant—but after stepping onto this path, we hadn't taken more than a few steps before it appeared right before us. Distance seems distorted."

"Look—the building has a sign. It says 'Ghost Post Office'? Those are traditional characters," Qin Bing pointed ahead.

As they drew closer, all of them clearly saw the faded sign hanging above the building: the three large characters "Ghost Post Office" made their expressions shift slightly.

As Cross-Borderers who had been in this world for only three days, they had already felt the weight of its ghosts.

"So it was inevitable we'd get dragged into one of this world's supernatural events?" Zhang Jing let out a bitter laugh. "Our earlier decision was flawed—we shouldn't have contacted the ghosts without understanding anything. Now we've lost our captain and a teammate, and we're being watched by whoever runs this Da Zhuang City."

"I don't know why we were brought here, but it's clear they don't intend for us to leave alive."

The others fell silent.

Could anyone survive and walk out of this Ghost Post Office?

But they had no choice.

The four of them had been scattered across three locations; the appearance of a single letter forced them onto this path. If they hadn't followed it, they'd likely already be dead.

"If they wanted to kill us, they wouldn't have gone through all this trouble," Qin Bing lit a cigarette, calming himself. "I think this Ghost Post Office holds immense danger—but I also believe there's still a chance to survive."

"We're past the point of hesitation now. Staying out means death. Going in might still give us a chance," Li Yi said. "No matter the place, if there's even a sliver of hope, we shouldn't abandon it. But before we proceed, I want to remind you all."

"The ghosts in this world are deadly—they can't be killed. All we can do is avoid their pursuit. Best not to draw their attention at all. Our former captain, Zhang Xun, died because of his outdated mindset—he kept thinking we could fight. We must shed the Evolved Ones' arrogance. When we face enemies, we no longer fight—we run."

The others nodded, understanding Li Yi's meaning.

Personal strength meant little here. Until they mastered supernatural forces at their level, even Evolved Ones could only flee from powerful ghosts.

"I'll add one thing: we're down to four now. We must unite and survive these three months so we can cross back. No matter what grudges exist between us, everything gets settled after we return—no infighting."

"Naturally," Li Yi replied calmly. "Even under those circumstances, I set aside my hatred and rescued Xu Qiu, who I despised. Now, facing this, I understand unity better than ever."

The others now felt more at ease with Li Yi.

True character shows in hardship.

During their escape, it was Li Yi who urged them to save Xu Qiu and Zhang Jing—without him, neither would have had a chance to live.

"Since everyone agrees, our alliance is settled. Let's move forward into the Ghost Post Office—we can't run from it anyway." Qin Bing tossed his cigarette. The ember flew out, but before it hit the ground, it was swallowed by the surrounding darkness and vanished.

Seeing this, their resolve hardened: this was an irrevocable, inescapable path of no return.

Soon.

The four reached the end of the path and stood before the building bearing the "Ghost Post Office" sign.

Before them loomed a heavy, ancient door. A chilling breath seeped from within, and faint, eerie sounds echoed—proof this decaying structure was not empty. Something dwelled inside—perhaps a person, perhaps a Ghost Handler, perhaps a powerful ghost pacing its halls.

Facing this, each hesitated. An instinctive revulsion made them reluctant to open the door.

Then, colorful neon lights flickered around them, halting the encroaching darkness.

But lingering at the entrance was no solution. If some mysterious force had brought them here, it wouldn't let them stand safely at the threshold. The longer they waited, the more likely another danger would arise.

Realizing this,

Li Yi did not retreat. He stepped forward and pushed open the heavy door.

The door was unlocked—heavy in appearance, but easily opened.

As a chill swept over them, they entered a vast, ancient hall. The floor was tiled, uneven and rotting in places, untouched for years. Along the walls hung oil paintings—each a portrait, male and female, all different.

"Our night vision seems restored here," Li Yi's eyes gleamed with faint surprise.

On the path, they'd seen nothing through the darkness—but here, they could see. That was good news.

If their Evolved senses were impaired outside, then that darkness wasn't mere absence of light—it was interference from some supernatural force.

"Let's go inside," Qin Bing said, already resolved. He stepped forward.

His footsteps crunched on the floor.

The sound was quiet, yet echoed through the empty hall.

The four entered the Ghost Post Office's main hall. They looked around: empty wooden counters, yellowed glass lamps overhead. Nothing seemed unusual—only decay and age, like relics of a bygone era that inexplicably still endured.

"What's this?" Li Yi suddenly stopped, looking down.

A sheet of paper lay on the floor.

He picked it up—it was a black envelope.

Not just beneath his feet—others lay scattered around them.

"These papers seem special," Li Yi whispered.

The icy sensation from the paper told him: some supernatural force clung to it.

"Really?" The others picked up one or two and examined them.

Indeed, they were unusual.

"Let's collect a few. Might be useful," Li Yi said again.

The others didn't refuse, picking up one or two each, then stopped deliberately gathering.

As they passed through the hall, they faced a courtyard shaped like the character " Hui," surrounded by rooms—seven in total. Each door bore a number: 11, 12, 13… Clearly, the numbering wasn't hard to decipher.

The first digit "1" indicated the floor; the second, the room number.

But Li Yi looked left and right—there was no staircase. It seemed this was the only floor.

Qin Bing approached one room, pressed his ear to the door, and heard movement—breathing. His expression shifted. He turned to the others: "Someone's inside."

What?

The others froze.

Someone lived in this ghost place?

¤￠o

"Are you sure it's a person?" Li Yi asked immediately.

Qin Bing said: "Breathing is rapid, tense. This rhythm? Definitely an ordinary human."

The advantage of being an Evolved One showed now.

Through a closed door, they could hear breathing—and even judge the person's strength from it.

"Either another unlucky soul dragged here, or someone who's always been here? We know nothing about this place. Best to find someone and ask," Li Yi said, then walked over and forced the door open.

The door was locked—but opened easily.

As it swung open, the occupant's breathing grew heavier. In the dark room, a pair of terrified eyes met theirs.

"Don't panic—we're not ghosts. We're lost travelers," Li Yi said, recognizing their fear.

At his words, the person inside visibly calmed, exhaling deeply.

"You're insane! Coming to the Ghost Post Office at night? Don't you know the lights go out at six? After that, all messengers must stay in their rooms—never go out, or the ghosts wandering the post office will kill you," the person blurted.

At this,

Li Yi and the others exchanged glances.

There were rules like this?

Lights out at six? Ghosts roam at night, killing anyone outside?

Stay in your room, and you're safe?

"How do you know this?" Li Yi stepped inside.

The man panicked: "Save your questions—get out! Don't come into my room! Only one person per room. If two are inside, the ghosts outside will attack—and no one survives."

Only one person per room?

Another rule?

Their hearts tightened.

They hadn't realized how strict the taboos were here. As newcomers, ignorant of everything, they'd been blind—had this man not spoken, they wouldn't have known how they'd die.

"He's not lying. Find rooms. Survive tonight," Li Yi said at once.

The others looked around and agreed: better to believe than ignore.

This man, terrified as he was, still chose to stay alone in the dark room. That proved it was real—if it were false, he wouldn't risk it.

Immediately,

The four quickly left the room and began searching for other empty ones.

There were seven rooms total.

Excluding the one already occupied, six remained—plenty for their four.