I Became Famous after Being Forced to Debut in a Supernatural Journey Chapter 48 Part 2

Chapter 48: Rainstorm Wild Temple 10 Part 2

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And what was opened by An Nanyuan was precisely a screenshot of Anthony’s split-screen.

—In the cracked mirror with a missing piece, there was startlingly a withered, pitch-black hand, extending from behind Anthony towards the unsuspecting Anthony.

Even though the old, stained mirror was covered in mist, making the image unclear, Yan Shixun could still discern from the picture that something was off about this hand.

Different from a regular person’s hand, this hand was excessively long and thin, not the kind of bony hand that a slim person might have, but rather it seemed as if it had no flesh left, the skin tightly clinging to and shriveling around the bone, with each joint clearly visible.

Moreover, unlike a normal person’s dark skin, the darkness of this hand exceeded the range of a regular person.

It was charred black.

Seeing this screenshot, Yan Shixun fell silent for a moment, his heart sinking.

If the owner of that hand was like what could be seen in the screenshot, it could be inferred that it could blend seamlessly into the darkness without being noticed even in the screenshot. In the darkness at the edge of the screenshot, it was elusive. If the audience who uploaded the screenshot hadn’t adjusted the brightness and contrast afterward, it would have been difficult for others to notice it.

So, when Rourou said, “Only a pair of eyeballs,” was it because the person was completely burnt, blending with the darkness, and that’s why she could see the only pair of unburnt eyeballs?

Yan Shixun recalled the words of the client from a previous exorcist job near Wild Wolf Peak.

‘Master Yan, you may not know how scared I am of these ghosts. I’ve never turned off the lights at night for over a decade. My house has to be brightly lit all the time.’

At that time, the middle-aged client, who was quite wealthy, smiled bitterly at Yan Shixun. ‘When I tell others about it, they think I’m making up stories. But I believe that if it’s you, Master Yan, you’ll understand that it’s true.’

‘When I was young, I saw charred corpses in the village at night. Those people used to be my childhood playmates. However, in a bizarre incident, they were burned into charred corpses. They didn’t die; they appeared in the village every night, standing quietly at the door of the villagers’ houses. They waited for someone to come out to the toilet and would reach out to grab them, or they would guard the fields, waiting for someone to come out to work and then drag them away.’

‘I used to not believe in ghosts and gods, even the Mountain God worshiped in the village felt like superstitious beliefs of the elderly. That was until one day when I went out half-asleep to the toilet. I had just walked a few steps out of the yard when I felt a cold, icy hand on my shoulder. I was so cold that it woke me up. But when I turned around to look, there was nothing there. When I reached out to touch it, I felt a hard object… that touch, I’ll never forget it. It was like touching charred wood, rough and filled with ashes. Later, I saw the charred corpses at the scene of the accident, exactly the same. I can’t be mistaken.’

‘That thing tried to drag me away, and I screamed like crazy, calling out the names of my childhood friends who had died, hoping that it, out of the childhood bond we shared, would spare me. Just when I was almost in despair, the sky suddenly lit up, and there was a pleasant breeze coming from the mountains behind my house. That thing stopped suddenly, and then it opened its mouth as if trying to say something. That voice… it was the voice of my childhood friend.’

‘He told me that he regretted it, that he had made a mistake. But he had no way to come back anymore. So he asked me to leave quickly, to move away from the village and never return. He cried and said that he shouldn’t have cut down the trees.’

The middle-aged client patted the plan book beside him with a heavy expression and said to Yan Shixun, ‘So I ran away, left home to work, and now that I have money, I’m starting to plant trees. I keep thinking, how did that sunshine that saved my life come about? It was in the middle of the night. And my childhood friend was truly in agony; perhaps if I plant some trees, he can find some relief.’

At that time, Yan Shixun had listened to the middle-aged client’s story, and although he knew it wasn’t a lie, he hadn’t paid much attention to it. After all, there were countless ghosts and deities in the world, each with their own karma and circumstances.

If he were to sympathize with that client’s childhood friend and intervene, how could he know that the childhood friend, who had been burned into a charred corpse but was still “alive,” didn’t deserve the punishment for his misdeeds?

He wouldn’t casually form karmic bonds with others, let alone meddle in someone else’s karmic cycle.

However, now, the narration of the actress Rourou and the screenshot of Anthony’s split screen made Yan Shixun look at this hand that was radically different from a normal person’s. It suddenly reminded him of the story he had heard before.

Furthermore, this is in the vicinity of the Wild Wolf Peak, which matches the hometown of the client.

Yan Shixun lowered his gaze slightly and looked at the enlarged screenshot on the tablet.

This hand did indeed look like a charred hand.

If it were those charred corpses…

But this was the Mountain God Temple, the realm of the benevolent deity’s divine power, spread throughout the mountains and hills. How could there be such sinister evil activities here?

The contradictions in the situation furrowed Yan Shixun’s brow, causing his thoughts to momentarily stall.

Both the program’s comment section and Yan Shixun’s split-screen barrage were now in chaos due to the actress Rourou’s words and Anthony’s screenshot.

Many veteran viewers had a vague sense of something amiss, and their imaginations ran wild, nearly scaring themselves. The barrage of comments was flying.

[Damn it! The power’s out at home! I’m using candles! And you show me this? I can’t even leave my house right now. I’m sitting here trembling with my candle, feeling like there’s something hiding in those dark corners.]

[Help, help, help! AHHHHH!!!! Why did you show me this screenshot so late at night? I’m going to die.]

[I’ve been afraid to close my eyes while washing my hair since I was a child. I couldn’t stand the pain of shampoo getting in my eyes, and my mom scolded me for being timid. But I truly believed that if I closed my eyes, something would be standing behind me, trying to kill me. Now look at this! I’m not timid; it’s because this thing really happens!]

[Me too… My childhood nightmare has come true… Sobs, I feel like I might never recover in this lifetime.]

[Sorry, everyone. Just a minute ago, I was a staunch believer in scripted variety reality shows. I thought all the plots were scripted, and all those things you mentioned earlier, like malevolent spirits and blood people, were special effects props, beautifully made. Because I am a movie special effects prop artist, I thought it was normal to create such things. Until just now, I put that hand from the screenshot into Photoshop to adjust the color, hoping to find evidence that it was a prop… Now I just want to slap myself from a few minutes ago and tell myself not to be so curious! It turns out this damn thing isn’t a prop. It really looks like the charred corpse props I made before, charred by fire.]

[Someone please save the previous special effects prop artist. We have someone in our family who practices this, and he’s an outer disciple of Haiyun Temple—a famous Taoist temple in Binhai City. I sent him the program screenshot, and he told me it’s real. Several Taoists from Haiyun Temple have been alerted.]

[??? What’s going on? The Taoist said charred corpses are real? What’s real? The family member from Haiyun Temple, come back and explain clearly, or I won’t be able to sleep tonight!]

[Enough said, please help, save this child! I just rolled out of bed and turned on the lights, locked the door. I always feel like there’s a hand reaching out for me in the darkness, and I dare not close my eyes.]

[Me too. But with your approach, setting Brother Yan’s screenshot as my screensaver, it’s a bit better. At least I dare to open my eyes now! (Proudly hands on hips, .jpg)]

As the discussions in the comments and barrage were heading more and more toward the supernatural, a notification suddenly appeared at the top of the main screen of the livestream.

“Please note that the live stream content should be positive and uplifting. Otherwise, it will be handled according to the rules.”

Yan Shixun, holding the tour guide tablet, saw that the program’s backstage also received a warning from the video platform: “Please guide the audience to have a good discussion, refrain from promoting superstitious content and harmful information for teenagers, or else the program’s livestream privileges will be revoked.”

Yan Shixun: “!”

He suddenly remembered that there was indeed such a restriction on the program’s livestream content – it couldn’t promote superstition. If tomorrow, when he reunites with Zhang Wubing, that little fool discovers that he hasn’t been keeping an eye on things for one night, and the program gets banned…

Tsk.

Yan Shixun looked displeased, but in order to save Zhang Wubing’s program, he put on a grumpy expression and addressed the audience before the livestream, saying, “What are you all discussing? What century are we in? Are you from a few hundred years ago? Act like modern people and believe in science.”

When he’s not in a good mood, the sharp eyebrows and downturned corners of his lips make him look exceptionally cynical and disdainful.

“You’ve got quite the imagination. You should be a writer, not a prop artist. Charred corpses? Look closely, it’s just darkness.”

“Living in the countryside, having a few small animals come into your house is normal, right? Behind the bathroom is a mountain, and it’s perfectly normal for a squirrel or something else to sneak in. Making a big deal out of nothing. The incandescent light isn’t bright enough, so in the darkness, you’ve mistaken it for something like a charred corpse. Are you polite to the little squirrels?”

Even though Yan Shixun had already reached his own conclusion and knew that this claw should be the hand of a charred corpse, he confidently spoke these words during the live broadcast, without any hint of guilt, as if what he was saying was the truth.

“We’re a legitimate travel program. Can’t you refrain from discussing superstitious topics? Don’t you know how to maintain a healthy atmosphere?”

Perhaps this confidence and composure were infectious, as the viewers who had been frantically typing in the chat just a moment ago gradually calmed down, their eyes still filled with tears from fright. They shakily typed questions to Yan Shixun.

[Brother Yan, are you telling the truth?]

[Doesn’t matter! What Brother Yan said is true, otherwise, this child won’t be able to sleep for the past few days, sob.]

[Is it the claw of an animal…?]

Although there were still some people who seemed skeptical, the direction of the comments and barrage had finally shifted, and they were no longer discussing ghostly or charred corpses.

The warning from the program’s backstage had also disappeared.

Yan Shixun finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhang Wubing’s program had been saved. He felt tired and annoyed. He really didn’t want to continue staying in the program, so why didn’t he manage to successfully eliminate himself in the last round?

Well, this time he would try harder. He was sure he could do it.

Yan Shixun tossed the tablet he held to An Nanyuan, feeling annoyed at the thought that An Nanyuan had contributed to him not being eliminated earlier in the show. He didn’t even want to look at An Nanyuan’s face.

An Nanyuann fumbled in the air a few times before finally catching the tablet. Then, as he raised his head, he was surprised to see Yan Shixun’s back as he walked towards the bathroom. “Brother Yan? Where are you going?”

“To take a shower.”

Yan Shixun snorted and didn’t say anything else in front of the live camera. “Do you think it’s like having a hot water heater at home, with hot water available anytime? Didn’t that Taoist just say that the water was just boiled? If you guys dilly-dally like this, the water will cool down. How can you shower in cold water?”

Two people had encountered something in the bathroom, and the other guests were a bit hesitant to go to the bathroom now.

They decided to endure it and not take a shower for now; it was better than encountering something eerie.

As for the young master Song Ci, who had come specifically to see ghosts, he was quite interested in this matter. He raised his hand and said he wanted to shower with Yan Shixun; maybe he could see a ghost.

However, when he said this, not only did An Nanyuan and Bai Shuang look at him with incredulous eyes, even the assistant director gave him a cold and gloomy stare, all in silence.

“Yan, Shixun, didn’t expect that even though you don’t like sharing a room with strangers, you’re willing to take a shower with one.”

Although the assistant’s inquiry was directed at Yan Shixun, Song Ci distinctly felt that his gaze had been on him the entire time, as if he had done something terribly wrong. 

Even though Song Ci was accustomed to the dignity of his high-ranking family elders, the look from this man made him feel as if a heavy mountain was pressing down on him. He instinctively took two steps back and swallowed the words he had intended to say.

“What’s going on in your mind? Why does everything you say sound so wrong when it comes out of your mouth?”

Yan Shixun noticed Song Ci’s reaction and naturally understood that the assistant had scared the third-generation young master. 

While he had no intention of ingratiating himself with the young master, he saw no reason for him to be frightened since he hadn’t done anything wrong.

In an instant, he cast a disapproving look at the assistant.

The assistant withdrew his gaze from Song Ci, refocusing on Yan Shixun with a smile. “Well, you go ahead then. I’ll make sure you’re the only one taking a shower.”

Yan Shixun: What’s wrong with this guy? What’s a grown man afraid of when taking a shower?

Although Yan Shixun had said he was going to take a shower, everyone, including An Nanyuan, Bai Shuang, and the assistant, knew that he was actually going to check the situation in the bathroom himself.

Yan Shixun was well aware that he wanted to personally investigate, especially since it was likely that the entity was seeking the vitality of the living. He wanted to confirm whether it was indeed a charred corpse.

If it was a charred corpse, why was it still moving, and what force compelled it to do so? 

How could it appear in a place protected by a mountain god?

With these questions in mind, Yan Shixun casually retrieved a towel from his backpack and headed toward the bathroom.

The bathroom was located at the farthest end of the temple, quite a distance from the resting area and the main hall where the guests were. It was the most remote part of the temple, with the back facing a bare mountain.

Yan Shixun circled around the bathroom, even closing his eyes and waiting for a while with all his senses retracted, but he didn’t notice anything unusual.

Could it be that one of the reasons for the apparition was someone taking a shower? Was it the light or the sound of water?

Puzzled, Yan Shixun stepped into the bathroom and decided to follow the same procedure as the two guests who had encountered the entity.

However, as he skillfully unbuttoned his black shirt, revealing his sturdy chest to the chilly air, he suddenly felt a sharp gaze on him, as if someone were watching him from outside.

He immediately let go of the shirt he was holding and quickly walked to the door, forcefully pulling it open to look outside. 

However, there was no one there.

Yan Shixun glanced around but didn’t feel that it had been his imagination.

Was he too impatient? Did it leave because he came out too early?

With these thoughts in mind, he closed the door again and returned inside.

His black shirt was discarded to the side, and so were his pants, which had been splashed with mud in the afternoon. 

However, it wasn’t until Yan Shixun turned the shower handle, and the hot water cascaded onto his skin, flowing along the firm and smooth muscle lines, that his skin, which had been chilled by the wind, began to blush from the warmth. The water running down from his hair formed tiny pools at his collarbone.

He didn’t sense the gaze he had felt earlier.

Meanwhile, outside the room in the darkness, a tall figure slowly stepped out from behind the corner of the building.

“Your perception is quite keen, Yan, Shixun.”

The person chuckled.

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