Mu Wang was clearly still half asleep.
With only a few seconds left before entry, Jiang Yan had no way to teleport him out, so she simply pinched him awake and stuffed him back into her pocket.
“Don’t come out yet.”
Mu Wang tugged at the edge of her pocket to show he understood.
Mu Wang tagging along with Jiang Yan was a bit of a farce.
Earlier that morning, as Jiang Yan packed for Yanzhou, Mu Wang had looked up the place online. The reviews were glowing: scenic and perfect for tourism. Eagerly, he asked Jiang Yan if he could go river rafting in Yanzhou. Jiang Yan naturally didn’t object, gave a distracted yes, and kept packing.
When she was ready, Mu Wang was nowhere to be seen. Jiang Yan figured he’d popped out to buy travel gear. With strict deadlines from Jiang Yuqing for their meet-up, Jiang Yan simply donned her sun-protection clothes and left home.
As it turned out, Mu Wang hadn’t gone shopping at all. He planned to travel with her in peach blossom form and had simply continued sleeping in her pocket, sneaking in without a ticket.
Jiang Yan closed her eyes, a little helpless.
After a bone-chilling wave of cold, Jiang Yan opened her eyes to a chorus of cheerful laughter.
Lively, melodious music played on a loop. Before her stood an expansive, brightly colored, ornate gate; intricate carvings spread across every surface. One-meter-tall, charming cartoon statues stood on either side, bowing slightly as if in greeting.
At the ticket booth, two adorable cat mascots waved, their gestures mirrored down to the second, fox-masked men danced gracefully with ladies in raccoon masks, a little girl with bee wings toted a flower basket here and there, and popcorn had just finished popping; a sweet, fragrant scent filled the air.
Though she hadn’t seen the inside of the park, just from outward appearances, it was a world apart from the abandoned ruin outside.
Perhaps this was the park’s appearance before it was deserted, or perhaps it had been beautified by the ghost’s imagination.
Jiang Yan leaned toward the latter.
The others, less quick to adapt, still struggled with the shock of sudden relocation—only after a few heartbeats did they let out collective breaths.
Shen Huanhuan whispered in wonder, “It’s so strange, this feeling of switching worlds in an instant.”
Shen Xiaoxiao glanced around. “Yeah, and this place looks so… extravagant.”
The cat mascots at the ticket booth kept waving, yet their movements, upon careful inspection, were identical and mechanical, oscillating like a clock’s hand—after a while, it became unsettling, so everyone averted their gaze.
Seeing new guests, a boy in a suit ran over to them.
“Big sisters, would you like a balloon?”
He nearly floated off the ground, carried by a boisterous cluster of brightly-colored balloons.
“Careful,” Shen Huanhuan caught the boy as he charged at them like a cannonball.
Using her for balance, the little boy righted himself. “Thank you, big sister!”
“Do you want a balloon? My balloons are top quality—every kid loves them!”
On reflex, Shen Huanhuan looked at Jiang Yan, who picked up the conversation: “How much are your balloons?”
The boy held up three fingers. “Just three game tokens!”
Jiang Yan was momentarily taken aback.
Beside her, Shen Xiaoxiao swallowed hard.
Because what the boy held up weren’t his own fingers—but three neatly severed children’s fingers.
Each digit was pale and small, smooth and delicate as could be. Were it not for the context, these would have clearly belonged to a pampered child.
After a moment, Jiang Yan asked, “How do we get game tokens?”
With innocent sincerity, the boy replied, “Cut them off yourself.”
Jiang Yan was silent for a moment, then shook her head. “We’ll pass for now. If we need them, we’ll come find you.”
The boy didn’t press—he tucked the fingers away with a hint of regret. “All right, then.”
“You’ll have to come to me eventually.”
With that, he ran off singing.
The group watched the boy disappear. The newly arrived psychic, sweating heavily due to his size, wiped his forehead with a handkerchief every few steps. It was a struggle just to keep moving.
“We’re not up against anything friendly here.”
His handkerchief was soaked through; wringing it out, he fetched a pair of crescent-shaped turtle shells from his pocket and tossed them to the ground.
He studied the symbols, forehead shining once more. “Let’s hurry in—something will change in ten minutes.”
“If we linger out here, everyone’s going to get terrified… And if you’re wondering whose face will show it most, it’s definitely mine.”
He tossed the turtle shells again. “After we get inside…”
“Everyone will be so shocked they won’t move,” sweat pouring down his face, “and when it comes to staying frozen, I’m the worst of all.”
The man was named Zhao Kepu; his introduction made it clear he specialized in divination, but his method was unusual—he could sense everyone’s emotional state ten minutes into the future.
Hearing this, the others hesitated.
They’d all been on enough missions to know: what would it take to leave everyone so stunned?
After a few breaths of silence, Jiang Yan broke it.
“Let’s go.”
Shen Huanhuan added, “It’s 3:10 now,” pointing to the ticket counter notice. “Entry ends at 3:15.”
Without further delay, they approached the ticket counter.
The notice stated that today, being a Wednesday, was free admission. After snapping photos of each guest, the cat mascots distributed two tickets per person.
One ticket was palm-sized, the other half that.
Shen Huanhuan asked why there were two, but the mascots didn’t explain, only hustled them toward the gate.
The sounds of laughter and the occasional scream poured from within. Every voice was a child’s: pure, high-pitched, full of innocent exuberance.
Before anyone could react, the mascots pushed them through the gates.
A booming, cheerful announcement rang out:
“Congratulations to all the big and little friends—”
“No one’s childhood will ever be lonely again!”
*
Inside, the park bustled just as they’d guessed.
Countless streamers adorned the trees, balloons with smiling faces drifted everywhere, and staff in mascot suits rushed in all directions, pushing colorful carts topped with children grinning ear-to-ear, arms raised in glee.
Far more children were present than the reported number of missing persons. Kids played on every ride, while adults crowded behind barriers, watching their own with heartfelt smiles.
An elderly man with carts of rainbow candy and cotton candy wove through the crowds. The boy selling balloons earlier now sat listlessly on a stone bench, legs dangling. Vendors pushed snacks, asking each onlooker in turn.
This place was crawling with NPCs.
Jiang Yan took in her surroundings. The park’s attractions were split into four distinct zones, each marked by its own dominant color.
The first zone was Leisure and Entertainment.
This area held food shops, gift stores, and sightseeing attractions like the Ferris wheel; the theme was pink.
The second was the Games Zone.
Here stood the carousel, bumper “donkeys,” a giant blade game, and what seemed to be a 5D cinema. The color scheme was blue.
The third was the Haunted House.
A lavishly decorated building bore a “Haunted House” sign, but the interior was a mystery; its theme color was black.
The fourth was the Cartoon Experience area.
Two houses stood there, unclear what shows they represented, but the theme was red.
Once sure she’d missed nothing, Jiang Yan examined her tickets.
Each had six stamp spots—it looked like they’d be required to play six games.
But why two tickets each?
Lifting her head, Jiang Yan scanned the crowd. There were hardly any solitary adults; every grownup had a child escorting them. And the cat mascot’s earlier words…
Was she supposed to snatch a child?
Turning these questions over in her mind, Jiang Yan drifted toward the edge of the games area, when Yu Renwan suddenly called out to her.
“Jiang Jiang!”
Jiang Yan turned.
Yu Renwan produced three children’s fingers. “I picked these up from the balloon boy. Do you want to buy a balloon, Jiang Jiang?”
“Since he said every child likes balloons, maybe we could lure one over?” Yu Renwan shoved the fingers into Jiang Yan’s hands. “Here you go!”
Jiang Yan glanced at Yu Renwan.
So it wasn’t just her imagination—since her upgrade, Yu Renwan’s thinking was much more like hers, and her inhuman nature more pronounced. Carrying severed human remains no longer seemed to bother her at all.
After a moment, Jiang Yan declined: “You keep them. They’ll come in handy.”
Yu Renwan tucked the fingers away, a little disappointed. Just then, the twins and Zhao Kepu joined them.
The trio had just been gathering information on how to play the games.
Shen Huanhuan said, “The cotton candy grandpa told us not to rush. The park was created for children—so the kids will appear on their own.”
Shen Xiaoxiao chimed in, “Yes, and he said kids love presents most of all. But even if they approach us, we shouldn’t just take their affection—we might hurt their feelings.”
Children…
Jiang Yan glanced at the park’s main gate, expression unreadable.
Zhao Kepu checked his phone. “Almost time—two minutes left till ten minutes have passed. Get ready for a shock!”
Shen Xiaoxiao nodded solemnly, eyes vigilant.
Jiang Yan masked the curiosity in her gaze.
She already guessed what would happen next.
If children couldn’t be snatched or lured, they’d have to come on their own.
But what kind of children would shock everyone—
As the park gate swung open, Jiang Yan quickly tossed the peach blossom from her pocket aside.
She whispered, “It’s too complicated to hide you this time. Go transform behind a tree. Come out soon and say you were sent as an emergency replacement, using a special artifact to find us.”
Whether the excuse was convincing didn’t matter; as long as someone believed it—and the Bureau would help cover for her anyway.
No sooner had Jiang Yan spoken, a group of children appeared before their eyes.
A miniature Shen Huanhuan in a white dress stood before the rainbow gate, her expression preternaturally calm for a child, almost melting into the sunlight, her eyes fixed steadily on her grown-up self.
She pushed a wheelchair in which a six- or seven-year-old Shen Xiaoxiao sat, listless. Unlike Shen Huanhuan’s calm, her face was utterly blank. Even sitting beside her sister, she looked lost, clutching an exquisite bunny doll and saying nothing.
By contrast, Yu Renwan as a child was full of liveliness—her face smudged like a little cat, elbows and knees scraped and bruised. When she caught sight of the rich, well-dressed twins, she scoffed, then reached for the dainty palace-dressed girl to the side.
“I can catch fish and climb trees. Play with me, or I’ll pinch your cheeks!”
The six- or seven-year-old Jiang Yan wore her hair in two buns, with a string of bells dangling and chiming as she turned her head. Still soft with baby fat, she looked irresistibly squeezable.
She gave Yu Renwan a frosty look, not even bothering to reply, but Yu Renwan was never one to be intimidated. Up went her arm, ready to pounce.
Now, little Jiang Yan’s patience ran out. She pushed Yu Renwan’s hand aside. “My mother is the Empress—touch me again, and I’ll kill you. I can bury you in the entire underground palace.”
At this, Jiang Yan closed her eyes briefly.
Yu Renwan noticed nothing amiss. She clenched her fists. “Playing pretend since childhood—so typical of Jiang Jiang!”
“And even as a kid, you were so cool. Threatened to kill and bury me, and even thought through the logistics!”
Jiang Yan’s expression was complicated.
Looking up, she shifted her gaze, then scanned the two boys coming through the gate.
Zhao Kepu had been a chubby child, always fussing with a handkerchief.
Behind him came two more boys.
One was strikingly handsome, eyes shaped like peach petals, brash and flamboyant in a pink silk robe—sloppily belted, long hair swinging with every step.
The other had much shorter hair, dressed in somber black, standing quietly. Though he looked like the boy in pink, his face was gentler, his lashes long, eyes downcast, seeming slow-witted by comparison.
Jiang Yan stared at them both, something turning in her mind, then shook her head.
This field was certainly intriguing.
It not only revealed memories but even conjured up Mu Wang in his original form, from before he was struck down.