Chapter 256: 238. Mission

238. Chapter 238: Mission

Everyone now stared at the yellow letter lying on the wooden counter.

The letter was ordinary, no different from the ones Li Yi and the others had received before—yet when it appeared, the messenger named Guo You clearly showed fear and resisted its presence.

As someone who had arrived at the Ghost Post Office earlier than Li Yi and the others, he knew more, and seemed to understand the danger of this letter.

"I haven't been here long, but the previous messengers said that if a letter appears in the room, it means one person is assigned to deliver it; if it appears on the counter, then more than one person must deliver it—every messenger on this floor." Guo You's eyes still held terror.

"The more people involved in delivering a letter, the more dangerous it becomes. Seven is the maximum number allowed on this floor—this means the danger level of this letter has reached the floor's limit."

Hearing this, everyone's hearts tightened.

So that's how it worked.

The more people involved in delivery, the more dangerous the mission.

We just arrived yesterday and immediately got the most dangerous letter—this couldn't be coincidence. It was deliberate.

"What happens if we refuse to deliver it?" Li Yi suddenly asked.

Guo You continued: "You'll be killed by ghosts. If you can survive the ghost's attack, you can refuse the delivery—but the ghost that comes for you will be far more dangerous than the one in the letter. It's a terrible trade: delivering doesn't guarantee an attack, but refusing guarantees one."

"Hah, this place is brutal. Refuse delivery and you die. Deliver it and you might die. To leave, you have to deliver fifteen letters—what's the difference between this and being sentenced to death?" Qin Bing sneered. "Are we doomed to spend our lives under the Ghost Post Office's control?"

"Before we can resist, we can't refuse delivery. To escape this place, only death works," Li Yi said. "And I feel these things weren't designed for ordinary people—they're meant for Spirit Handlers. The delivery missions are arranged from easy to hard, clearly to train powerful messengers."

"We just got unlucky—targeted the moment we arrived. If we hadn't made that earlier mistake, we could've learned slowly, maybe hidden safely for months. But now, we have no choice. We deliver the letters and wait—wait until the time comes, then leave."

Zhang Jing said: "But surviving until then won't be easy."

"I think deliveries aren't continuous—they must have intervals. Surviving three months is still possible, at least better than other messengers' odds," Li Yi said.

The others considered it and found it reasonable.

Deliver the letter, then wait. When three months pass, cross over immediately.

They refused to believe that leaving this world would still expose them to ghost attacks—if it did, they'd accept it.

"Why waste so much talk? If every messenger on this floor must deliver, then from now on, I'm taking custody of this letter." At that moment, an unfamiliar messenger hurried toward the counter, reaching for the yellow letter.

But Li Yi and the others wouldn't allow it. Though new and ignorant, they understood: whoever held the letter controlled the mission.

Instantly.

In the dim hall, pairs of glowing eyes locked onto the stranger, waves of killing intent surging forth.

If he touched the yellow letter, he'd face the gaze of four Evolved Ones—and as an ordinary person, one gaze would kill him.

Instantly.

The stranger froze, shuddering. He stared in shock at the newcomers from yesterday, his face turning pale.

Their eyes were glowing?

Though not an Evolved One and insensitive to spiritual energy, the killing intent made his blood run cold.

The hand he'd just extended froze mid-air—he dared not reach for the letter. One touch, and he'd likely die.

"I didn't mean anything by it—I just wanted to join the delivery early. If you won't let me hold the letter, then you hold it—it's the same." The stranger spoke reluctantly, and his timely compliance saved him from death.

"I'll take the letter," Li Yi said, stepping forward and picking up the yellow letter from the counter.

No one objected.

To them, whether Li Yi held it or they did made no difference—perhaps they even felt safer with him holding it. Among them, though Li Yi's realm was only Spiritual Insight, his power was the strongest.

The moment Li Yi took the letter.

A chilling wind swept through the first-floor hall. Ash swirled and settled on the counter, forming crooked characters: Deliver the letter to Wang Fei at the Zhongyang City Sports Center. Deadline: three days.

Everyone saw the words appear.

"From this message, the delivery doesn't seem hard—we have a precise location and recipient. Should be easy for us," Qin Bing said after glancing at it.

"I hope so. But time is limited—we should leave immediately. No delays on the way," Zhang Jing said.

Li Yi nodded: "Agreed. Let's go. First, check out that sports center."

After brief discussion, they decided to act.

But at that moment, Tao Yuan suddenly remembered something and asked: "If we deliver the letter, how do we get back to the Ghost Post Office?"

"No need to return. Once delivered, the mission ends. You can live freely outside until the next delivery—then a small path will naturally appear before you, signaling the next mission. Alternatively, you can burn black paper to forcibly summon the path and return to the Ghost Post Office anytime."

Guo You stepped forward and added: "I heard this from other messengers—it's likely true. The messenger who brought this letter has already gone to the second floor. If you get the chance, ask there."

"Black paper?" Li Yi and the others immediately recalled the black sheets they'd picked up in the hall last night.

So that's how the black paper was used—to forcibly summon the path.

"I doubt anyone wants to return here right after delivering a letter," said an unfamiliar messenger.

Guo You spoke again: "No. From what I know, black paper is for emergency escape. After delivery, dangerous ghosts may still linger nearby—so you burn the paper to flee immediately, giving the messenger a way out. Also, daytime inside the Ghost Post Office is absolutely safe. Though it looks eerie, it's secure."

"Like some kind of rule protection? Ghosts can't kill during daylight inside the Ghost Post Office? A safe zone?" Li Yi asked him.

"Something like that," Guo You said.

With this vital information, their understanding of the Ghost Post Office deepened. No more hesitation—they grabbed the letter and pushed open the door, stepping outside.

Outside the post office, darkness still surrounded them—but ahead, a narrow path appeared, winding and twisting, faintly connecting to a real city.

Li Yi, Qin Bing, Tao Yuan, and Zhang Jing didn't hesitate—they walked forward along the path.

With their first experience behind them, they'd accepted these strange phenomena.

Soon, light appeared ahead, along with a large bridge.

Space twisted again—just a few steps, and they'd left the Ghost Post Office, standing beneath the bridge's arch where they'd gathered last night.

"Back?" Li Yi looked around, feeling even more bewildered.

"A world without cultivation, with no spiritual energy at all—yet it possesses this reality-bending ability. Unthinkable. If Spirit Handlers here weren't so desperate, I'd want to master some of its power," Qin Bing muttered.

"The spiritual power here is indeed high and terrifying. An ordinary person who becomes a Spirit Handler can easily defeat us Evolved Ones—it's like flying straight to the top. But the cost is a short life. Power always has a price—nothing like our gradual cultivation," Zhang Jing said, glancing aside.

Tao Yuan said: "Let's drive to Zhongyang City. The distance is long, but it'll take only a few hours by car."

They agreed. Immediately, they got into the car Tao Yuan had acquired and sped off.

Along the way, everyone remained calm—they'd accepted everything that had happened.

Only when passing their previous cross-world point did they glance back, a strange sense of melancholy rising.

Would they still be able to return here and cross over in three months?

"Leaving aside the supernatural, this world is peaceful. In our world, no one would dare drive openly like this—supernatural beings would've spotted us long ago. Sometimes you can't ask for too much. Every world has its own dangers—we might be asking too much."

Tao Yuan, driving, laughed to ease the awkward silence.

"True, but this world is abnormal. Extreme power brings extreme fear. I wouldn't want to live here," Zhang Jing shook her head. "Even Commander Zhang Xun was killed. What chance do ordinary people have? I feel no safety here."

"We'll survive three months and leave. Then we'll report the danger of World 36—best to seal it permanently, never cross over again. I'm desperate to go home—this hand's waiting to grow back," Qin Bing said, looking at his severed arm as he lit a cigarette.

"By the way, what happens if the other unfamiliar messengers don't join this mission?" Tao Yuan asked.

Li Yi said: "We can't control them. Whether they join or not doesn't affect us. Delivery is for survival—and survival is ours to seize."