episode_0067

Faintly, the melody of an opera singer’s voice could be heard, along with intermittent bursts of cheerful, melodious laughter.

The voices were ever-shifting, impossible to pin down to any single timbre.

Chirping, clamoring—overwhelmingly noisy, yet not chaotic.

At any given moment, only one voice rose, engaged in a call-and-response performance. There was no orchestral accompaniment, only the pure, masterful art of a cappella singing.

Yet Su Qingya paid it no mind. She tore through the filmy veil of space and plunged inside without hesitation.

Xiao Ge reached out to stop her, but in the blink of an eye, Su Qingya had already vanished—too fast for anyone to react.

Unable to wait for Leng Xiao’s arrival, he gripped his Emotion Weapon and followed her in.

At this moment, Su Qingya had no idea where she was.

Walls surrounded her on all sides—walls of deep crimson. Silk fabrics stretched like wallpaper, yet under the dim light, they resembled blood seeping from the very structure itself.

Just moments ago, she had seen the opera stage from the outside, but the instant she stepped inside, she found herself transported somewhere else entirely.

A corridor stretched ahead. A corridor stretched behind.

There seemed to be no difference between the two.

She could only move toward the source of the singing, the intermittent opera melodies acting like a guiding beacon in the darkness.

But no matter how much she pursued the sound, she never drew any closer.

The voice that had seemed so distant long ago remained just as distant now.

The encroaching black mist grew heavier—darkness seeping from her own body.

[Fear Level: 91%]

Scarlet words etched themselves onto Su Qingya’s arm.

When she tried to touch them, they scattered like smoke.

She didn’t dwell on it.

Her mind was drowning in sheer panic, no longer capable of rational thought.

A cacophony of thoughts crowded her brain.

Where is Niannian?

Why did I end up here after using my ability?

Is Niannian here too?

Is the direction of the singing where Niannian is?

Is Niannian in danger? She was just attacked last night—how could I leave her alone outside now?

What if… Niannian is killed? What then?

What if someone murders Niannian? Will I never see her again?

Her body will rot with time, becoming unrecognizable. My memories of her will fade, bit by bit.

Even if I try to remember, even if I force myself to hold on, all I’ll feel in the end is unbearable loneliness.

No! I can’t let that happen!

[Fear Level: 92%]

Su Qingya clutched her hair, her face twisting into something monstrous.

The black miasma grew thicker.

She raised her chainsaw and swung it at the wall in the direction of the singing.

To her shock, the seemingly solid surface tore open under the blade.

Realizing it worked, she began methodically shredding the sturdy barrier.

I can hear it! I’m getting closer!

What’s happening over there?

I have to see for myself!

Just as Su Qingya felt the opera singer’s voice so close it could have been whispering in her ear—

The wall before her abruptly transformed into a scarlet stage curtain.

She slashed through the obstructive fabric with her chainsaw.

At last, she saw the original opera stage.

And this time, it was not without an audience.

Su Qingya spotted Xiao Ge standing in the front row of the seating area.

His gaze was fixed on the lone performer on stage, his expression unreadable.

The figure on stage kept shifting—one moment a tall, upright man, the next a hunched old man, then a kindly old woman, and then a youthful maiden.

The only constant was their laughter, all in the same eerie tone.

Suddenly, Su Qingya froze.

Staring at the surreal scene before her, she had no idea what to do.

[Fear Level: 93%]

Her thoughts raced as she watched the performer.

Is that Niannian?

For some reason, she felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Su Qingya remembered.

Xu Nian had once performed a snippet of opera for her—just a brief, impromptu act.

Back then, Su Qingya had wanted her to do a full performance, but Xu Nian had refused, saying her knowledge was too superficial.

Yet Su Qingya had recognized the bashful look on the girl’s face.

Xu Nian wasn’t incapable—she was just too embarrassed.

Su Qingya tried to climb onto the stage.

Xiao Ge noticed the movement behind him and turned, only to see Su Qingya shrouded in black mist.

In an instant, he threw a punch, the full force of a four-star Anger Emotion User crashing toward her.

But he held back.

He could tell Su Qingya was in a frenzied state. Unlike Leng Xiao, he couldn’t use his abilities to forcibly snap her out of it—so he resorted to brute force, the way of an Anger Emotion User.

Then, abruptly, he caught a flicker of clarity and confusion in her eyes.

His enraged fist veered at the last second, slamming into a nearby seat instead. The entire chair shattered under the impact.

“You’re still conscious?”

“Conscious?”

Su Qingya murmured dazedly, as if in a stupor, unable to hold a coherent conversation.

“Not fully, it seems.”

Xiao Ge sighed.

This had been covered in Chen Qiu’s lectures.

Once someone entered a frenzied state, their emotions took control. Rational thought became impossible.

They could only act on instinct, driven by raw feeling.

Without another word to Xiao Ge, Su Qingya tried to climb onto the stage.

“Don’t go up there!”

Xiao Ge rushed to stop her, but the dense black mist surrounding her repelled him like a physical force.

Left with no choice, he gathered his anger again, preparing to overpower her with sheer violence.

But in the next instant—Su Qingya was already on the stage.

Like a ghost, her movement defied comprehension.

One blink, and she stood beside the performer.

“Xu Nian? Is that you?”

Su Qingya’s voice trembled as she asked.

The figure before her paid no attention, continuing as if no one else existed.

She seemed lost in her own world, determined to finish her performance no matter the chaos around her.

Finally, she struck a pose—the curtain call.

As she turned, her ever-shifting form solidified into Xu Nian’s appearance, her gaze locking onto the terrified Su Qingya.

Recognizing Xu Nian, Su Qingya’s fear lessened slightly.

[Fear Level: 72%]

But then—

Xu Nian drew a dagger from her sleeve.

She didn’t attack Su Qingya.

Instead, she pressed the blade to her own throat.

She laughed.

Laughed joyfully.

As she spun, blood sprayed like scattered petals.

Arcing through the air.

“Hahaha~”

Her laughter grew hoarse, until finally, like a withered flower, she collapsed onto the crimson stage.

The stage had always been red.

Now, the blood staining it only made the fabric more vivid.

Su Qingya’s pupils dilated.

[Fear Level: 98%]