Chapter 98: Ghost Amusement Park
Li Zhi felt Chi Yi had improved significantly. In the past, she would have just screamed instead of even having the presence of mind to complain.
However, the first two rows only had four ghosts, plus the boneless ghost Li Zhi had thrown over, making five in total. Chi Yi and You Jingmeng could handle them without much trouble.
Meanwhile, Qi Yongyi was once again locked in battle with the little girl in the red dress from the previous round. This time, instead of pushing her away, he yanked her straight into the car.
The girl was completely caught off guard by this move. As she stumbled into the car, momentarily stunned, Qi Yongyi seized the chance to kick her down.
The cramped space for adults perfectly trapped the little girl beneath his foot, leaving his hands free to deal with other ghosts.
The pinned ghost girl let out a piercing shriek.
Li Zhi had just used the chair leg to beat back a ghost crawling up from the side when a slimy, stinking tongue suddenly licked her cheek.
Even with her strong mental fortitude, the revolting sensation made her stomach churn. Viewers outside the screen screamed louder than the players inside.
In the next moment, Li Zhi grabbed the tongue and yanked it forward with brutal force. The long-tongued ghost, caught off guard, was dragged several meters closer. Without hesitation, Li Zhi wrapped the tongue around its neck twice and pulled hard. The ghost’s eyes bulged as it choked on its own tongue, wailing as it plummeted from the roller coaster.
Li Zhi quickly wiped the sticky saliva off her hands on her clothes, her usually calm face twisted in disgust.
Viewers: "......"
[Not sure whether to pity the long-tongued ghost or Li Zhi’s poor hands.]
[Damn tongue ghost! I haven’t even licked Zhi-Zhi yet! How dare you! You deserve to die!]
[^ That’s a bit too unhinged, buddy.]
[Li Zhi is tainted! Li Zhi is tainted! AAAAAH!]
[I’ll forever bow to Li Zhi’s strength—whether physical, mental, or strategic. A true all-rounder!]
[What makes Li Zhi truly special is her unwavering respect for life. Among all the top players, she’s the only one who genuinely cares about her teammates.]
[As long as Li Zhi exists, I’ll keep believing there’s hope for our world!]
[...]
Li Zhi had always been physically strong. Back when she worked as an extra in the film industry, she’d even been a stunt double for female leads. After the [Ghost] livestreams began, she’d undergone specialized training. Previous instances simply hadn’t given her a chance to showcase her combat skills—this roller coaster was the first time viewers witnessed her raw power.
With Qi Yongyi, a military veteran, fighting alongside her in the fourth row, the two became an impenetrable barrier. Their chair legs swung so fast they left afterimages, holding back the ghosts from the rear rows.
As long as Chi Yi and You Jingmeng could handle the five ghosts in front, they’d make it safely to the station.
But the ghosts weren’t mindless brutes. Seeing they couldn’t break through Li Zhi’s defense, a female ghost in high heels and red nail polish clung to the side of the car like a magnet. Her slender body stretched like taffy—her feet still planted near the seventh and eighth rows while her upper body slithered toward the second row.
By the time Li Zhi noticed her, she was already pressed against the door beside You Jingmeng.
You Jingmeng was busy fighting the boneless ghost and didn’t see the red-nailed hand reaching for her safety bar.
"Xiao Meng! Left side!" Li Zhi’s sharp warning was torn apart by the wind, but the fragmented words reached You Jingmeng’s ears. She instinctively turned—just in time to see the ghost with garish red lips crouched on the door, grinning eerily at her.
The next second, her safety bar clicked open.
The roller coaster was tilting at a near-ninety-degree angle around a curve. Before You Jingmeng could react, still grappling with the boneless ghost, her body was flung out like a leaf.
"Xiao Meng!!!" Chi Yi lunged to grab her but was yanked back by her own safety bar, forced to watch helplessly as You Jingmeng vanished into the darkness below.
"Yi Yi! Pass me the long stick!"
Chi Yi had no time to mourn. At Li Zhi’s urgent command, she acted on instinct. The stick Li Zhi had tossed earlier was still within reach. Chi Yi grabbed it and hurled it backward.
Luckily, the stick was long enough. Li Zhi caught it midair, then switched from swinging to thrusting, jabbing brutally at the female ghost now slithering toward Chi Yi.
The ghost, inches from Chi Yi, was nearly skewered. Letting out a hoarse screech, she dodged while crawling vengefully up the stick toward Li Zhi.
Expressionless, Li Zhi waited until she was close enough before gripping her chin with one hand and her head with the other. With a sharp twist—
Crack.
The ghost’s face froze in disbelief. While ghosts couldn’t truly die, physical attacks could delay their actions. With her neck snapped, the ghost stiffened. Li Zhi tossed her off the roller coaster without a second glance.
Ahead, Chi Yi burst into tears, channeling her grief into her strikes. Her fighting spirit burned fiercer than ever.
You Jingmeng’s "death" ignited the remaining three players’ resolve. By the time the roller coaster finally slowed into the station, only five or six ghosts remained—the rest had been thrown off and hadn’t yet returned.
As the car stopped, all ghosts vanished. The safety bars lifted automatically. Chi Yi stumbled out and collapsed into Li Zhi’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
Li Zhi and Qi Yongyi’s expressions were equally grim.
After a long silence, Qi Yongyi spoke hoarsely, "We did our best."
They’d done all they could. Entering an instance meant preparing for death—whether their own or their teammates’.
Chi Yi understood this, but no matter how many times she experienced it, watching a comrade die before her eyes never got easier. The helplessness was unbearable.
Li Zhi scanned their surroundings, then paused. "Where’s Ou Wendong?"
Wasn’t he supposed to be waiting at the station? Given his personality, he wouldn’t have wandered off.
Just as they began searching, hurried footsteps echoed from the passage. The group turned to see Ou Wendong sprinting toward them, his face lighting up. "You’re finally back! Quick—Xiao Meng’s stuck in a tree! She can’t get down!"
"Xiao Meng?!" Chi Yi’s tear-streaked face brightened instantly. "She’s alive?!"
Ou Wendong nodded frantically. "Yeah! I saw her fall! She’s hanging from a tree!"
They rushed outside.
After a few steps, Li Zhi turned back to the smiling staff member nearby. "What about our third-round reward?"
The staff member’s smile twitched. Clearly, he’d planned to withhold the clue if they left in a hurry. How malicious.
Now that Li Zhi had called him out, he reluctantly handed over the black box.
Li Zhi pocketed it without opening it and caught up with the others.
Outside, under the eerie red glow, they spotted You Jingmeng dangling from a tree beneath the roller coaster tracks. She clung to something, suspended six or seven meters above the ground. Spotting them, she burst into relieved sobs. "Zhi-jie! Save me! I can’t hold on much longer!"
As they reached the tree’s base, they realized what she was gripping—
The boneless ghost.
Stretched like a noodle over a branch, the ghost’s hair was clutched in You Jingmeng’s left hand, its ankle in her right.
But a six-meter drop could mean anything from injury to death. You Jingmeng didn’t dare risk it. Ou Wendong had tried and failed to find a solution, forcing him to seek help.
Chi Yi quickly pulled out a prop. "I’ve got a dreamcatcher! Quick—hold it open!"
The four spread the dreamcatcher wide. Li Zhi tested the netting—soft, cotton-like material that wouldn’t cut skin. They positioned themselves beneath You Jingmeng, but before they could signal her to jump, she screamed and let go.
She couldn’t hold on any longer.
The dreamcatcher caught her perfectly. Li Zhi helped her up, and the moment You Jingmeng’s feet touched solid ground, she broke down crying.
She’d thought she was dead.
During those seconds of freefall, her mind had gone blank. Flailing wildly, she’d instinctively grabbed the only thing within reach—the boneless ghost she’d dragged down with her.
Damn ghost!!!
In that moment, rage had overtaken her. If she was going to die, she’d take this ghost with her! Even if it couldn’t die, a fall from this height would hurt. If her sacrifice could help her teammates even slightly, it’d be worth it.
Human and ghost plummeted together. Never in its existence had the boneless ghost imagined being victimized like this!
No matter how it struggled, You Jingmeng refused to let go, tightening her grip. With no bones to brace itself, the ghost had no choice but to stretch its body like dough to cushion the impact.
The moment it expanded, You Jingmeng felt her descent slow. She hadn’t expected her enemy to become her savior.
The irony wasn’t lost on either of them.
Fortunately, she’d fallen from a lower section of the track—a curved dip rather than the peak. Combined with the ghost’s "parachute" effect, the tree branches broke her fall enough to leave her dangling, still clutching the ghost.
Every inch of her body ached. She had multiple abrasions, and her arm was dislocated. But her will to live outweighed the pain.
She’d held on until rescue came.
The moment Li Zhi touched her, she knew the arm was dislocated. The human body was miraculous—despite her injuries, You Jingmeng hadn’t let go.
Suddenly, Li Zhi exclaimed urgently, "Xiao Meng, look at the ghost in the tree!"
Startled, You Jingmeng jerked her head up—
Crack.
Li Zhi popped her arm back into place.
You Jingmeng shrieked, then blinked in disbelief as she tentatively moved her arm. "It’s fixed?!"
Li Zhi smiled. "Mm."
The ghost "parachute" had long since fled.
Humans are terrifying! Not worth the trouble! Retreat! Retreat!
Li Zhi pulled out the hemostatic spray Li Jianxi had given her in the last instance. She wasn’t sure if it would work on bruises, but she spritzed it over You Jingmeng’s injuries anyway.
"It doesn’t hurt anymore!" You Jingmeng gasped.
Incredibly effective.
Once all her wounds were treated, You Jingmeng was back to her lively self, thanking Li Zhi profusely.
Li Zhi shook her head with a smile, tucking the spray away.
Her fingers brushed the sunflower pendant hidden under her clothes. She found herself looking forward to Li Jianxi’s appearance this time.
She’d summoned him upon entering the park, but they hadn’t crossed paths yet. The thought of him abandoning his current instance to rush here amused her.
"Zhi-Zhi." Chi Yi poked her. "What’s the clue this time?"
Snapping out of her thoughts, Li Zhi pulled out the unopened black box.
Everyone crowded around as she revealed the card inside. This time, it wasn’t text—but an image.
A bold, red double-happiness character: 囍.