After Uncle drank his porridge and headed to work, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and slept another hour. When he woke up, vibrant sound effects filled his ears, and the room glowed with the soft light of the TV screen, while the ceiling light remained off. He sat up and looked toward the window. Auntie was seated cross-legged in front of the TV, playing his PS5, sleeves rolled up to reveal two smooth, slender arms, her body swaying gently with each movement of the controller. Zhang Yuanqing yawned and got up, turning on the light, then moved to stand behind Auntie and watched her play. She was playing a horror game with a haunting atmosphere, eerie music, and a clumsy little character wielding a blood-streaked axe, advancing through levels and defeating enemies with vivid, splattered combat scenes. The TV light illuminated her clear, lake-like eyes, giving her round, oval face a bright, lively glow, tinged with excitement. "This game is great—it's perfect for the evening and really helps you unwind," Auntie said without turning around. Auntie has three main hobbies: shopping at malls, watching horror films, and playing horror games. It's depressing, you crazy woman... Zhang Yuan nodded insincerely, "It is quite interesting." Her aunt turned to him, gave him a withering look, "What do you still pretend for?" She turned back to her game and said, "Actually, this is a self-healing game. The ghosts and monsters in the scenes are imagined by a young boy. He's a psychiatric patient who struggles to stay strong against his inner demons, eventually breaking through and achieving light and hope—such a touching ending." As she spoke, Zhang Yuan had already poured herself a glass of water, sipping it while responding, "The concept is solid." Her aunt nodded a few times and continued, "Each boss has its own unique pattern. As long as you pay attention, even a young boy can defeat even the most terrifying demons. However, the intense visuals and music often trigger deep fear and cause people to lose their calm judgment." "Come on, try it yourself." Zhang Yuanqing didn’t feel like accompanying his aunt at the game. He’d been away from the Lingjing for nearly 20 hours, and another 10 to 15 hours would pass before Lingjing reopened—what awaited him might be death. Instead of lingering with regrets, he thought: what could he possibly do in these final hours of his life? Should he call his mother and scold her? Hold his aunt and cry? Finally, accompany his uncle in singing and rapping? To his surprise, he found himself with no particular regrets or dreams. As a college student from a relatively comfortable family, his life had never been burdened with many worries. Only those who’ve weathered life’s storms carry deep, unyielding regrets. “Come on, play with me!” his aunt cooed, twisting her waist. Watching her graceful back, Zhang Yuanqing’s expression softened. He settled beside her, taking over the controller from her hand. If his life were to end in just a few more hours, spending one more game session with her would be a pleasant enough way to go. Under her guidance, chewing on potato chips and talking nonstop, Zhang Yuanqing successfully completed the game. When he checked the time, it was already 11 p.m. "Good! Really talented," said Aunt Jiang, sucking gently on her slender fingers and patting her nephew's shoulder in praise, wiping a bit of saliva onto him. "Ugh, gross! I'm covered in mess," Zhang Yuanqing complained, looking disgusted. "Pooh! This is nectar and ambrosia—don't you know how lucky you are?" Aunt Jiang said, acting outrageously proud. "Nectar and ambrosia? How much per pound?" Zhang Yuanqing scoffed. "How much you want—I won't sell it, but I can offer you a few sips," Aunt Jiang pouted, determined to soak her nephew with her saliva. Zhang Yuanqing leaned back to avoid her. Click! The door handle turned, and Grandma stood at the doorway, frowning at the two of them. Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yubei immediately sat up straight, looking serious. "Have you even eaten your dinner?" Grandma asked. "Grandma scolded, 'Not sleeping at night but sleeping during the day, waking up only to play games—wanting to become a deity, yet born on earth, hoping to ascend to heaven?' Zhang Yuanqing set down the controller. 'Got it, got it. I'll eat right away.' Grandma coldly glanced at her daughter, who humbly retreated back to her room. ... The dinner remained warm, and Grandma heated the cold vegetables. Zhang Yuanqing stuffed himself with a hurried meal, then returned to his room, checked the inventory to confirm the spirit-sealing scroll was still there. He then reviewed his attribute panel carefully. Meanwhile, he prayed for good news from Li Dongze and reflected on the details of the mountain temple. During the game session with his younger sister, he gained fresh insights. If the spiritual realm is also a game, does it follow certain patterns? If such patterns exist, even if he's just a frail, unathletic boy, he might just manage to pass the game. As he pondered, a sharp bell rang, causing Zhang Yuanqing's heart to stop. He grabbed the phone from the bedside table; the caller ID showed an unfamiliar number. He selected to answer. "Hello, is this Zhang Yuanqing?" A warm, seductive voice came through the speaker, and Zhang Yuanqing was visibly delighted. He quickly asked, "Have you received the information about Shu Ling Tunnel?" Guan Ya nodded, "Shi Chang obtained more detailed materials on your request and has sent them to your email. I know you young people rarely check your email, so I called to let you know." Indeed, official channels know what's best—this decision was spot on... Zhang Yuanqing's mood instantly brightened. Though he resisted the urge to rush to his computer and check the email, he sincerely replied, "Thank you, Shi Chang, and thank you, Guan Ya. I'll treat you all to dinner once I complete my trial assignment." "Completed trial assignment," Guan Ya thought, sighing internally. After a moment of hesitation, her voice became unusually gentle, "Alright, I'll wait for you." She had reviewed the materials passed down from the Taomin Gate—after reading them, she felt only coldness and despair, which explained why Shizhang had been gloomy all day. In Li Dongze’s mind, this newly recruited Night-Wanderer would likely fail in the trial assignment. Upon completing the trial, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his ergonomic chair and immediately launched his laptop, logging into his email. Among the clutter of unread messages, he found the email sent by Guan Ya. He downloaded the attached document. As I speculate, this lady might be a deity of exceptional rank—no, perhaps even beyond the title of a night-wandering spirit. It remains uncertain whether such a magnificent and radiant lady truly existed in the Ming dynasty, or whether she is a creation of the spiritual realm. Then follows a detailed account of the Lady of San Dao Mountain, consistent with what Zhang Yuanqing observed in the temple. Further down: The task of surviving for three hours was relatively straightforward. Initially, after reviewing the notes, I encountered a restless spirit that continuously siphoned the vital yang energy from living beings until the target perished. The night-wandering deity naturally exerts a suppressive influence over spiritual entities; I required little effort to dispel it. Yet when I sought to absorb it, I encountered significant resistance. This may be the spiritual realm’s protective mechanism for restless spirits. All who have read the notes will be cursed, haunted by an unforgiving spirit that relentlessly pursues them. Any method used to dispel the spirit offers only temporary relief—each time the spirit is banished, one gains a safe period of about fifteen minutes. Notably, the entire layout of the Mountain God Temple consists of a central hall flanked by two adjacent courtyards. The candles within the central hall are an exceptionally powerful artifact, capable of warding off malevolent spirits and purifying the atmosphere. As long as one remains within the hall, they are safe. However, the candles gradually eliminate the audience's sense of fear; prolonged exposure to the candlelight renders one fearless. In such a perilous spiritual realm, the very absence of fear becomes a fatal flaw. Moreover, the candles cannot be moved or carried out of the temple. After spending thirty minutes in the central hall, I suddenly heard a cry for help emanating from one of the courtyards, accompanied by terrifying, inhuman shrieks—unlike the sounds of living beings. After some hesitation, I decided to explore the courtyard. The main hall truly is a safe haven—something I've personally verified, though I didn't expect the root of the issue to be the candles. I still thought it was the lovely mountain goddess... The rescue cries are coming from that massive banyan tree. I didn't hear the roars; indeed, the eastern courtyard is truly terrifying. Zhang Yuanqing felt a sudden chill, drawing in a deep breath and steadying himself. He took a deep breath, focused his attention, and read on. The information that followed was crucial—should he have known about the condition of the other courtyard earlier, he could have avoided the dangers during his exploration. The banyan tree is very dangerous—don't look back, don't look back... It seems to have developed awareness, yet why is it calling for help? As for the terrifying roars, I haven't found their source, because their appearance interrupted my exploration. It appears to be a pair of... red dancing slippers. 】 【It didn't attack me right away, but invited me to dance—driven by cautious curiosity, I agreed...】 【I simply couldn't remember its steps. They were so chaotic and disordered. For someone without any dance experience, this was an impossible task. No, even someone with dance experience would struggle to recall those steps. I failed, and the red ballet slippers launched a relentless pursuit against me.】 【I managed to escape back to the main hall safely, though two of my ribs were crushed beneath its feet. I now believe I've uncovered its true nature. It's an exceptionally terrifying piece of equipment—its pursuit ignores terrain and obstacles, relentless until its goal is achieved. My initial assessment suggests it's a rule-based artifact.】 】 【Incredible! A trial spirit realm should have rule-based items—now I finally understand why Qian Shou, despite carrying an item, perished in the Mountain God Temple. I understand why no one has ever cleared this realm. What a joke! Only Level 1 initial Night-Wanderer Gods or ordinary people can reach the She Ling Tunnel—how could they possibly succeed?】 【The reasons behind the decline of the Mountain God Temple remain unknown, as does the secret tied to the thousand-year rise and fall. I hope to successfully complete the second main storyline quest and bring back the truth for the organization.】 Records end here, with no further developments. Zhang Yuanqing knows that this Night-Wanderer God likely died during the second main storyline quest.