Only I Cultivate
Chapter 41: Ace Of Spades

Chapter 41: Ace Of Spades

The gas let out an eerie laugh, a sound that could send chills down anyone’s spine—even if they didn’t have ears.

"That’s right. There’s no reason to leave. Stay here with me... forever."

Just as Feng Fan’s grip on Luo Li started to loosen, Straw Hat hummed, snapping him out of the gas’s spell.

Feng Fan’s arms tensed, and his eyes shot open. "Fuck off!"

Black flames erupted from his body, engulfing him as he dashed straight through the gas, forcing his way right through its twisted form. The flames made the gas’ face contort in agony, its haunting smile warping into a grimace. It screeched in pain, giving Feng Fan just enough time to escape.

With Luo Li still cradled in his arms, Feng Fan bolted through the same door they had entered. His knees buckled as he hit the ground outside, panting heavily. When he looked back, his eyes widened—the abandoned hospital was gone, replaced by the modern enterprise building from before.

"What in the seven heavens was that?" he muttered, trying to process what had just happened.

"Feng Fan! Luo Li! Are you guys okay?"

Feng Fan snapped his head toward the voice and saw Wu Yunru running over, drenched in sweat. He must have dashed from the other neighborhood the moment Feng Fan sent the alert about the Prostitute Killer.

"What the hell happened?" Wu Yunru pressed. "Your location disappeared for almost three minutes. That shouldn’t be possible unless you entered a ghost zone."

His eyes fell on Luo Li, who was curled up in Feng Fan’s embrace, still crying softly. Wu Yunru’s face twisted in shock.

"Luo Li?!"

"Alright, shut up," Feng Fan grunted as he pushed himself back to his feet. "I’ll explain later. Let’s get out of here."

One thing was clear—they wouldn’t be catching the Prostitute Killer tonight. Feng Fan couldn’t shake the feeling that this was just the beginning of something much bigger.

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"I’ve finished my investigation on the building you found two days ago," Liang Mingxia said, her expression serious as she looked at her three teammates. "It’s registered under a company called Poker, but something’s really off. According to the records, the building should have dozens of employees. But when I asked the police to check it out, they didn’t find anyone... It was completely deserted."

"Deserted?" Feng Fan asked, surprised. "How long has it been operating?"

"For a couple of years," Liang Mingxia replied. "Also, I couldn’t trace the owner of the company. It’s like it only exists on paper. I’ve never seen anything like this."

"That’s not even the weirdest part..." Luo Li chimed in. "That place was clearly a ghost zone. How could normal people go inside, see nothing strange, and then just walk out alive?"

"It wasn’t a ghost zone anymore," Liang Mingxia explained. "The hospital you mentioned only seemed to exist for a brief period before disappearing. I still don’t understand the conditions for its appearance."

"Shouldn’t we report this to the higher-ups?" Wu Yunru said. "This mission seems way above our level. Even Luo Li was knocked out cold by the first ghost you guys found inside that ghost zone."

Luo Li’s expression darkened. What happened back there was the most embarrassing thing she had ever experienced. She shot Wu Yunru a threatening glare.

"You better not tell anyone what you saw, or else..."

Wu Yunru instantly straightened his back, raised his chin, and placed his hand on his forehead in a salute. "Yes, team leader!"

He didn’t dare to take chances with his life.

"Hmph." Luo Li turned away, pretending to ignore him, but couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Feng Fan, who was smiling wryly at Wu Yunru’s reaction. Her cheeks flushed as memories of the abandoned hospital flashed through her mind.

’How am I supposed to face him from now on...’ Luo Li’s mind raced.

Luckily, since that day, Feng Fan had never mentioned anything about what happened inside the abandoned hospital. Feng Fan had a soft spot for his parents, and seeing Luo Li cry and beg for forgiveness from her own mother left a deep sadness in his heart.

He didn’t want to poke at her open wound, so he chose to drop the subject altogether.

"I’ll report to Director Mao and see what he thinks," Luo Li said, her usual coldness returning to her expression. "It’s possible this operation will be redirected to the capital. Unless the Luo family decides to intervene directly, we won’t have enough manpower to handle it."

She spoke about the Luo family as if she wasn’t a part of it. But the truth was, she wasn’t just any member—she was the daughter of the current head.

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Inside a dark room, a man wearing a Queen of Spades mask and a woman wearing a King of Spades mask knelt before another woman, whose face was hidden behind an Ace of Spades mask.

"My Lady," King of Spades began, keeping his head bowed. He didn’t dare to look directly at the woman before him. "People from SIF have encountered the escapee ghost. One of them was... your target—the one who managed to escape that night."

"The escapee ghost led them into the hospital," Queen of Spades continued. "Should we dispose of them?"

Ace of Spades remained motionless, showing no reaction to the news. It was as if the events didn’t concern her at all.

"No need," she replied, her sweet voice echoing in the dark room—an unsettling contrast to her ominous presence. "Let SIF investigate as much as they want. Green Vice City’s SIF doesn’t have Hunters strong enough to break through the hospital’s ghosts, and I doubt anyone from the capital will bother to come and handle this. They’re already overwhelmed."

She paused for a moment before continuing. "As for killing the Luo girl... let her go. We shouldn’t get directly involved with the Luo family. Eliminating one of them without using ghosts might raise suspicions we can’t afford right now."

King and Queen of Spades nodded silently before leaving the room, their footsteps fading into the darkness.