Chapter 43: Portable Safe Zone

Okay, though he’d already thought Bai Zhi was odd after reading her diary, after actually interacting with her, Ning Zhe realized she was far odder than he’d imagined.

“So far as we know, besides the reality we’re in, there exist strange worlds that cling to rules—like He Family Village. Gu Yunqing and I entered them by accident through ‘doors,’ but Bai Zhi is different.”

Ning Zhe quickly organized the information he had: “Bai Zhi frequently encounters different strange worlds in her dreams and becomes trapped within them. She gains knowledge of each world’s rules, taboos, and precautions as if foreseeing the future.”

As she herself said, Bai Zhi is a “Creepypasta Player.”

This bizarre reality made Ning Zhe feel as if she were the true protagonist.

And even more unbelievable: at this point, Bai Zhi still believed she was dreaming, outright treating Ning Zhe and Feng Yu as NPCs in her dream, refusing to take any initiative.

“Her mind is truly disturbed,” Ning Zhe thought. This girl had serious issues.

“Ning Zhe, what should we do next?” Feng Yushu asked cautiously.

“We need to turn off the lights,” Bai Zhi spoke up before Ning Zhe could answer. “Darkness equals safety. Since we can’t leave the estate, our first priority is to expand the safe zone and minimize the chance of being found by the ghost.”

Logically, that made sense—but…

“But ghosts fear light,” Ning Zhe said calmly. “Light is the necessary condition for ghosts to find people—but conversely, if ghosts fear light, doesn’t that mean light is also the necessary condition for humans to defeat them?”

“That’s just your guess,” Bai Zhi whispered.

“I see you really believe you’re dreaming,” Ning Zhe sighed helplessly.

Unlike Ning Zhe, who was gambling everything, Bai Zhi wasn’t in a hurry. She still thought she was dreaming—where she didn’t need to risk her life to uncover the ghost’s rules. All she had to do was wait in the dark safe zone until sunrise, and she’d wake up naturally.

If this truly were a dream, her approach was correct—the safest way to survive.

But Ning Zhe didn’t think so. He believed the situation here was like He Family Village: unless he quickly cracked the rules and killed the ghost, he’d be trapped here forever.

“I won’t try to convince you. Good luck,” Ning Zhe rose from the bed and walked toward the door. “I’m leaving.”

Stepping outside, Ning Zhe looked up—the sky was pitch black, like a giant porcelain bowl inverted over the entire Bishuiwan Estate. He took a step forward, then heard soft footsteps behind him.

He turned—Feng Yushu had followed him out.

“Ning Zhe, I… I’ll go with you.”

Looking at her serious expression, Ning Zhe frowned. “You just found your daughter. Why aren’t you staying with Bai Zhi?”

“She’s safe here… at least for now. Ning Zhe, you’ve helped me so much—I want to do something for you too.” Feng Yushu clasped her hands over her chest, visibly nervous. “When we first arrived yesterday, I overheard a few electricians chatting over tea. They said the estate’s main power grid has three sections, each controlled by its own circuit breaker.”

“The outdoor grid—powering streetlights, fountains, surveillance systems, and security alarms—is controlled by breakers located outside. I don’t know exactly where.”

“The indoor grid—supplying power to appliances and lighting throughout the castle—is controlled by a breaker hidden in a small secret room in a corner of the first floor.”

“The backup grid is powered by a diesel generator in the estate’s basement. It should be off now, but for safety, we should destroy it.”

Feng Yushu delivered all this information in a rapid but clear voice: “I know where the surveillance room is. I’m heading there now. Can we stay in touch by phone?” “Fine,” Ning Zhe agreed.

Ning Zhe pulled out his phone and dialed Feng Yushu’s number. Like in He Family Village, internal communication worked here—but calls outside were impossible.

“Huh?” Feng Yushu stared at the caller ID, confusion and surprise spreading across her face. “Zhang Yangxu?”

“It’s me,” Ning Zhe said simply. He shook the black phone—originally Zhang Yangxu’s—then bent down, picked up Feng Yushu’s fallen iPad, and hurled it forward.

Whirr—

Another crystal chandelier went dark.

“If only I had a gun,” Ning Zhe thought as he searched for the corridor light switch.

Zhang Yangxu was a VIP member at multiple overseas shooting clubs. Every time he traveled abroad, he’d make time for the range. His shooting skills were excellent—and so were Ning Zhe’s.

It was a shame he didn’t have a gun now.

After smashing the second chandelier, Feng Yushu used her key to open her room door. Her bedroom was right next to Bai Zhi’s.

Ning Zhe waited at the doorway. She changed into athletic shoes, stepped out, and handed him a purple sun umbrella with golden embroidery.

“If darkness is safe, then let’s carry a little darkness with us,” Feng Yushu said.

Ning Zhe opened the umbrella and cautiously stepped beneath a still-lit crystal chandelier. He waited, focused, for several minutes—no sign of any ghost approaching.

“It works,” Ning Zhe nodded to Feng Yushu.

“That’s great…” Feng Yushu smiled brightly, opened her own umbrella, and walked beside him down the brightly lit corridor.

Though holding the umbrella had proven effective, Ning Zhe still turned off or smashed every light along their path, just to be safe.

The castle’s second-floor lights went out one by one as they passed. At the staircase, Ning Zhe and Feng Yushu parted ways.

Feng Yushu would search for the surveillance room. Ning Zhe would shut down the indoor grid’s circuit breaker.

After surviving both He Family Village and Bishuiwan, Feng Yushu’s mental resilience had improved somewhat. At least now, when she had support, she no longer panicked easily or collapsed emotionally as often. She could move alone in this strange world with growing confidence.

The tall boy, holding a deep purple sun umbrella edged with golden lace, strolled calmly through the hall littered with corpses.

He also shattered the chandelier hanging above the hall.

As he walked, Ning Zhe pondered: “Ghosts need light to find and kill people—but they themselves dislike, even fear, light.”

What is the connection between these two facts? (End of chapter)