Chapter 17

"Hey, you're actually still alive?"

The tone and implication made it seem as if it was highly inappropriate for Zhao Zhu to still be alive, not having been killed by those female psychiatric nurses.

However, Zhao Zhu did not dare to show too much dissatisfaction at this moment. He had seen this person before, or rather, he had felt the presence of this person before, and it was just this afternoon!

That feeling of coldness spreading through his body, as if countless spirits were lurking around him.

This person's group ID should be "How Could I Be an Ordinary Person," and he had come to SZ City today to take revenge on Zhu Jianping.

Such a formidable character was likely one of the more powerful members in the group. In front of him, Zhao Zhu indeed had little capital to be defiant.

"Since you're still alive, good. Lead the way for me, and it will save me the trouble."

Li Fan spoke as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world, and at the same time, he extended his finger and lightly pointed at Zhao Zhu.

A crisp "swoosh" sound echoed, and Zhao Zhu suddenly felt a heavy weight on his back, forcing him to bend over. At the same time, a cold, damp sensation spread from his back to his brain.

Unfortunately, Zhao Zhu did not have a bull's tear that had been exchanged for a rune water nearby. If he had used it, he would have seen a small child with a completely blue body lying on his back. The child's pupils were white, and its body was a sickly green, but its cheeks were a strange, vivid red. This was likely a ghost infant, which Li Fan had refined to serve as a tool for his use.

Gradually, Zhao Zhu began to lose control of his steps. He started to turn and walk forward on his own, as if he had lost all control over his body. Li Fan followed closely behind, stepping exactly where Zhao Zhu had stepped.

"If you survive this scouting mission, and you hand over what you took from Zhu Jianping's house, I might spare your life." Li Fan's voice sounded behind Zhao Zhu.

"Spare my ass!"

Zhao Zhu cursed in his heart, but his body was already controlled by the evil presence on his back, and he could no longer control it. So, he could only obediently continue to lead the way.

Suddenly, Li Fan raised his hand, and Zhao Zhu, who was in front, stopped.

"Oh, so the node is here. This barrier is simple but very precise. If I hadn't sent a living person to scout first, I might have already walked into the barrier by the time I discovered it."

Li Fan took out a broken tile from his pocket and threw it forward. The tile landed on the ground without breaking, but instead spun around. Only then did Li Fan continue to walk forward, passing Zhao Zhu and walking ahead. Then, he disappeared right in front of Zhao Zhu!

Zhao Zhu was certain he hadn't blinked, but the person in front of him had vanished just a meter away, along with the spinning broken tile and the oppressive feeling on his back.

Leaning against the wall, Zhao Zhu panted heavily. The feeling of being controlled was just like being pinned down by a ghost, but even more bizarre and terrifying. With a ghost, you can't move when you want to, but his body had moved on its own.

Zhao Zhu wanted to leave this place. This was his only thought now. Moreover, the opportunity to escape seemed greater now, as Li Fan had likely cleared out everything that needed to be cleared.

Zhao Zhu clutched his chest with one hand and leaned against the wall with the other, starting to walk toward the stairwell. He then began to descend the stairs. When he reached the first floor, he leaned against a pillar and glanced at the entrance, where he saw the bodies of over a dozen female psychiatric nurses lying on the ground, their faces twisted in agony, and their bodies already showing signs of rigor mortis.

"Damn, such cruel methods."

Compared to the grotesque deaths of these people, Zhao Zhu thought it would have been more humane to just stab them a few times.

Since the female psychiatric nurses at the entrance were dead, Zhao Zhu no longer hesitated. He endured the pain in his chest, gathered his strength, and ran toward the entrance. As he ran out of the hospital, he lost his balance and fell, rolling several times. But he quickly got up and continued running, falling and getting up again, not knowing how many times he had done so. Finally, he reached the entrance, and this time, he didn't dare to go back to Zhu Jianping's room to retrieve anything, fearing he might end up back in the hospital again.

Xiong Zhiqi, who had been squatting outside the hospital gate, saw Zhao Zhu suddenly appear in his line of sight and immediately stood up. He then took out a string of talismans from his small backpack, which looked exactly like the ones Chen Hong had used before. Xiong Zhiqi's palm turned red, and the talismans in his hand ignited. He then threw them, and the burning talismans began to scatter, emitting a strange, fragrant smell.

Zhao Zhu pushed open the hospital gate and stumbled out, being caught by Xiong Zhiqi.

"It's good you're out. This time, you really got lucky. Such a high-level paranormal event is rare nowadays. By the way, did you see that dead fish face?"

Zhao Zhu nodded and said, "I saw him, but he disappeared in front of me."

"Forget it, we don't need to worry about him. Let's leave this place first. From the looks of it, you've been possessed by a ghost. We need to get something to dispel the evil and boost your yang energy, or you'll get seriously ill."

Xiong Zhiqi, who seemed more experienced, helped Zhao Zhu walk a bit further, then found an electric scooter in the roadside bushes, which was likely his