ter the true fire of the Five ElementsBefore I could overthink it, the carriage had already burst through the other end of the gate.I saw familiar scenery, a majestic and exquisite palace complex, sur...I could see the threads of soul-binding silk following Mu Wanchen as he chased after the little ghost peeking in the window.

He probably didn't expect that there were so many little demons here, like a cluster of poisonous mushrooms. Dozens of gray heads popped out from the walls, a scene I'll remember for a long time.

Xuanyue didn't let out a low growl to warn me, indicating that although this door held secrets, it wasn't overwhelmingly dangerous.

And Mu Wanchen has already gone in, right The soul-sealing spider silk is here, he should have followed as well.

I rubbed my hands together, trying to push the massive painting.

This is a concealed activity door, just push open the painting hard enough to see the door hidden behind it.

The door was ajar, indicating someone had been in and out but hadn't bothered to close it properly.

I looked at Xuan Yue, who was even more curious than I was. It craned its neck to try and make out what was going on inside the darkness.

It seemed like the painting and the door were connected by a mechanism. I pushed on the painting, and the door swung open wider—just enough for me to squeeze through before the painting snapped back into place, and the door shut behind me.

“...Shall we go take a look Is Mu Wanchen here” I hesitated for a moment.

I definitely don't want to go in. All I want now is to find a crowded place to stay, even if everyone around me is a stranger, as long as it's "people".

But Mu Wanchen didn't know the current situation. He came alone, would he be misled by those strange little ghosts and fall into a trap

I pressed my back against the painting, switched the tray lid to my left hand, and reached into my small handbag—the talisman paper and needles were both there. If there really was a little ghost, I could resist it and then run away.

What's more, Xuan Yue is also here.

Since this little guy is a guiling raised by Mu Wanchen, he should be very powerful, right Those little ghosts are afraid of it.

"Xuan Yue, I'm counting on you... Are you sure Mu Wanchen is inside Are you sure Then I'll go in..." I nervously stared at Xuan Yue's fluffy face.

Its beady eyes twitched, its little nose sniffed, and its big tail pointed definitely towards the inside of the door.

Ok.

I sniffed my nose, it's not like I haven't seen a ghost before, let's go!

Just as I was gathering the courage to enter, a sudden sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway behind me. They were light but hurried, accompanied by a crackling electrical hum, frantic in tone.

My first reaction was, "Oh no."

What kind of foreign guests would come to this godforsaken place They must have known someone broke in, they're probably here to arrest me!

I charged into the small gate with Xuan Yue, the giant painting slowly returning to its place, and with it, the small gate closed.

The last glimmer of light was cut off by the doorframe and the enormous painting.

I stood in the endless darkness behind the door, hearing the voice of the walkie-talkie coming through the two layers of wood: "Someone has opened the lock on layer 0! Check quickly if the secret door is open! Remember, don't enter the secret door! You'll lose your head!"

"This is what you mean by 'Dark Gate', isn't it"ily supporting her in this life, she wouldn't have been able to become so famous in the circle. It's not too late to learn to bow your head now, and clinging to the Shen family can ensure her peace fo...