Chapter 150.2 The Horror Club
Wen Shi was surprised. Why were the salaries for their bodyguards, Xiao Hua and himself, so high?
Black-Clad Man overheard their conversation and called Wen Shi aside to explain, “Being the City Lord’s bodyguards grants you exemptions. Both the individuals and their relatives are not required to undergo industry assessments. However, you are just temporary bodyguards for the day.”
No matter how much money, it couldn’t save lives.
Wen Shi, however, felt it wasn’t that simple. The City Lord had spent a substantial amount hiring them, seemingly anticipating that this day would be very dangerous.
This one billion seemed more like life insurance.
Black-Clad Man cautiously asked the City Lord, “After such a major incident, do you think today’s schedule should be canceled?”
The City Lord, wearing a mask, coughed softly twice and replied, “Continue.”
However, he wasn’t entirely without concerns. He called the attendant over and said, “Later, engage in some peaceful activities, and during any downtime, capture some aerial footage.”
The staff members carrying cameras nodded in agreement.
The attendant led everyone to the southwest. “The park in that direction mainly has mild attractions like carousels.”
After the earlier excitement, everyone had lost their inclination to speak. They quietly followed the attendant, counting the colorful diamond-shaped tiles beneath their feet.
Wen Shi suddenly spoke, “In places where strange things often happen, there’s usually some source to trace, like being a former graveyard or having a major accident. What happened here before?”
Instead of discussing topics that would bore the City Lord, he was more interested in knowing what was peculiar about this piece of land.
The attendant hesitated for a moment, but seeing that the City Lord was walking ahead without any indication to stop, she began to explain, “The city used to suffer from frequent droughts and fires. There used to be a Science Museum here, but a fire broke out, resulting in the deaths of many children.”
Many people risked their lives to come to the Golden City, not only for high returns but also because of the excellent education and healthcare conditions. Many diseases that couldn’t be treated elsewhere had a chance of being cured in the Golden City. Once someone completed their professional assessment, they could bring up to three family members to join them.
The Golden City was well-equipped with public educational facilities and more.
Wen Shi pondered for a moment and suggested as they passed a vending machine, “How about you all take a rest here? I’ll go ahead to inspect the safety concerns in the nearby park.”
Riding a roller coaster might not be terrifying, but the second ride that couldn’t stop spinning had left some bodyguards still recovering. Eager to find a place to relieve themselves, they wholeheartedly agreed with Wen Shi’s suggestion.
The City Lord, not unyielding, nodded faintly and said, “Go ahead.”
Conveniently, there were benches up ahead where they could rest.
Xiao Hua had initially intended to accompany him, but Wen Shi shook his head, glancing in the direction of the City Lord, indicating for her to keep an eye on him. He then proceeded alone towards the southwest corner.
Rushing blindly into experiencing attractions all at once was too passive. This time, he had learned to prepare in advance and study the rules to increase his chances of survival.
In the southwest corner, there was a visitable structure resembling a magic castle. Even from a distance, one could see a corner of it. The continuously repeating music in the amusement park had become somewhat tiresome for Wen Shi.
As he approached the southwest park, the music gradually became indistinct due to the increasing distance.
Inside the amusement park, the attractions to experience were determined by the attendants. The roller coaster was close to the park’s entrance, where the music was the loudest, but the lyrics only contained rules for riding the Yunxiao Flying Coaster.
There must be a separate set of rules in the southwest park.
Earlier, the attendant had mentioned a carousel, so Wen Shi decided to take a look at it first.
The different park areas were connected by a long corridor.
Wen Shi walked straight into it.
Above his head, a grape trellis supported by preserved wood formed a canopy, with vines covering both sides. Hanging overhead were leaves, some real and some fake, while some vines draped over like serpents. Despite the lush greenery, the air carried a scent of burnt charcoal, reminiscent of Wen Shi’s time at the orphanage, though here it was even more pungent.
When the wind blew, the vines shook, and ashes rained down. Contact with the skin caused these ashes to spontaneously combust, leaving small burn marks.
To avoid startling anyone, Wen Shi’s【Burial Shroud】only covered him up to the neck. As he walked, he used his arms to sweep away the ashes in the air. Constantly, he received notification sounds from the system.
【The Burial Shroud shields you from 1 point of damage.】
【The Burial Shroud shields you from 3 points of damage.】
……
Safely passing through the nearly twenty-meter grapevine archway, Wen Shi officially entered the southwest park.
In just a moment as he looked up, he suddenly felt there was no need to study any rules. Up ahead, by the red thick pillar, next to the vending machine, atop the carousel… every few meters, a child could be seen. Their vacant eyes were set deep in their sockets, their faces pale and weary. Their clothing was in even worse condition, revealing skin with dark, burnt-like patterns underneath.
Right now, they were all staring fixedly at Wen Shi. After a few seconds, the first child moved, followed by the second, the third… These children seemed to exist on different layers, all converging around Wen Shi as if he were the center.
Wen Shi took a slight step back.
Softness brushed against his shoulder. At first, he thought it was a vine. When he looked up, he saw a child hanging upside down from the dense grapevine, gripping his shoulder with two skinny hands.
The ghost child’s lips curled up, emitting a childlike, hoarse voice.
“Mommy.” The unsettling aura threatened to seep into his muscles along his shoulder blades.
The ghost children who were approaching him also chimed in, cheerfully calling out, “Mommy, Mommy…”
“Such a lovely mommy, I want to eat you up.”
“No, let’s preserve her like a specimen, like the butterfly specimens in the Science Museum, always looking beautiful and young.”
They had an internal dispute as they vied for authority in deciding how to handle Wen Shi.
His previous visit to the orphanage had gone too smoothly. The woman guarding the place seemed to possess some sort of enchantment that made the children obedient and not particularly eager for Wen Shi’s attention. He almost forgot about his【Heavenly Male Scattering Flowers】record.
With his inherent maternal aura, the ghost children felt like calling him “Mom.”
Wen Shi’s mind briefly froze. His instinctive reaction was to hope that the Wandering Corpse’s future child wouldn’t call him that.
The ghost children used their twisted and charred legs for support, moving slowly and with exaggerated contorted postures. The chilliness almost pierced through Wen Shi’s bones. If it weren’t for the【Burial Shroud】, he suspected he would have been frozen into an ice lump.
Looking at these terrifying faces, Wen Shi thought about the City Lord’s upcoming itinerary. His eyes narrowed dangerously.
Brutal confrontation would cost him too much points. He had to strategize for what would come next.
The wax museum and cinema were not safe places. If he could bring this group of ghost children with him, he would undoubtedly be able to move around more smoothly. At least, ordinary spirits would likely choose to retreat when encountering so many ghost children.
However, it was easy to invoke the gods but difficult to send them away. Figuring out what to do with them afterward was an issue.
Send them back to the orphanage and add a few more childhood friends for Pei Hongxin?
“Let’s take it one step at a time.”
These were all issues to consider later on. Right now, these ghost children were after his life. Wen Shi had to find a way to persuade them.
“Mommy smells so good~~” The ghost child on the grapevine looped around Wen Shi’s vulnerable neck. “Stay with us forever.”
Wen Shi put on a gentle smile, showing no hint of disgust in his expression. He feigned sadness and asked in return, “Why isn’t it you who stays with Mommy forever?”
These ghost children were quite young when they were burned to death, so their intellect wasn’t particularly sharp. They were now trying hard to figure out the distinction between these two scenarios.
With a compassionate look, Wen Shi took the initiative to carry one of the children while extending his hand to another ahead. He used an enticing tone, “Come, play with Mommy.”
……
On the benches.
The City Lord had been resting with his eyes closed for a while. When his eyes were shut, he resembled a large corpse, his chest showing no discernible movement. His skin, set against the green tree shadows behind him, looked unnaturally pale.
Xiao Hua was observing the City Lord, but he suddenly opened his eyes. Their eyes met without warning.
Just as Xiao Hua was about to discreetly avert her gaze, the City Lord spoke, his tone carrying a chilling edge. “Make a call and check if he has finished the inspection over there.”
Xiao Hua walked aside, dialing the phone. There was a long delay before someone finally picked up with a casual “Hello.”
“How’s it going?” Xiao Hua cut to the chase, echoing the City Lord’s original question.
Wen Shi: “It’s fine. I’ve taken care of all the troubles.”
All the troubles?
Xiao Hua was about to ask for more details when suddenly, she felt a strong sense of malevolence.
She raised her head alertly, and in the next moment, through her protective goggles, she saw a bizarre scene.
Up ahead, a slender young man held a peculiar child in his left hand, carried another on his back, and was followed by a group of children emitting the scent of charred flesh. He was nearly engulfed by the swarm of ghost children, resembling a massive wreath at a funeral.
“Go ahead and enjoy yourselves.” Wen Shi flashed a smile and spoke to the group, “You can safely experience the attractions in the southwest area now.”
As natives in this story, the other bodyguards couldn’t see these ghost children. Someone curiously asked, “Why is he bending at the waist? And why does he have his arms spread out?”
What a weird way of walking. Is he imitating a soaring eagle?
Xiao Hua glared at the person and snapped, “Because he’s carrying a heavy burden.”
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