Chapter 49

It was yet another long flight of stairs. Climbing this section made breathing difficult. Even though they were wearing masks, the stench was still overpowering—a rotting, bloody odor that pierced straight through to the skull. Ye Zhixing continued to hold Shang Jingchen’s hand. She shone her flashlight and saw that the stair railings were a dark, bruised red. The color was wrong. She suspected the stench was emanating from the railings themselves. Shang Jingchen remembered Ye Zhixing’s earlier warning: he was not to touch anything. Ye Zhixing cleared the way ahead until they finally reached the third floor. Luyun was feeling faint, his chest tight and nauseous. It was highly uncomfortable, but he told himself he absolutely could not collapse. Having entered the practice years ago, this was the first time he had faced a situation this perilous. He realized now that his skills were truly lacking; once he got out of here, he vowed to study in earnest.