chapter 35

Is it because there’s something in the tunnel?

Jiang Li looked toward the tunnel entrance.

On top of the train, bright lights illuminated the compartment.

Outside, the tunnel was pitch black.

Through the reflective train window, Jiang Li could only see the interior of the compartment mirrored back at her.

She stared out the window for a long time.

She waited, half-expecting something terrifying to suddenly appear at the window.

But ten minutes passed, and nothing happened.

Jiang Li thought she might be overthinking things, so she withdrew her gaze.

Across from her, Xia Xiaoqiang finished writing her will, folded it up, and put it in her backpack.

Then she took out a pile of cosmetics, planning to put on some makeup and tidy herself up, preparing for death.

But Xia Xiaoqiang rummaged through her bag for a long time, growing more and more anxious.

As the remaining time ticked away, Xia Xiaoqiang’s emotions became increasingly unstable.

Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment.

“Sister Jiang, have you seen the mirror in my backpack? I can’t find it anywhere.”

Xia Xiaoqiang’s eyes were red as she tried to hold back her tears, her vision blurred as she looked at Jiang Li.

“I haven’t seen it. I didn’t touch… didn’t touch your backpack,” Jiang Li paused for a second. “…didn’t touch it.”

Suddenly, Jiang Li remembered that while they were asleep, someone had gone through their things.

Could it be that those people had also taken Xia Xiaoqiang’s mirror at that time?

But why would they do that…

“I just wanted to put on some makeup before I die, but the mirror that was right there is now nowhere to be found…”

Xia Xiaoqiang was already upset about dying, and now even her death wasn’t going smoothly.

Her emotions collapsed, and she could no longer control her tears, which streamed down her face in big drops.

Seeing Xia Xiaoqiang cry, Jiang Li suggested, “I remember there’s one in the toilet. You can use the mirror there…”

As soon as Jiang Li finished speaking, an image flashed through her mind.

Wait-

The toilet she just visited… no longer had a mirror!

That’s why today’s toilet felt like it was missing something compared to midnight last night.

She only now realized that what was missing was the mirror on the side wall!

But why was it only the mirror that was missing…

Jiang Li looked up at the reflective train window across from her, and thought of the strange behavior of those ghouls sleeping with their heads covered.

A bold guess formed in her mind…

Across from her, Xia Xiaoqiang wiped away her tears, let out an “oh,” and picked up a comb from the bed. “Then I’ll go to the toilet.”

Just as Xia Xiaoqiang put on her shoes and was about to leave, Jiang Li grabbed her.

“Wait, don’t go to the toilet. I remember my little sister has a habit-she always carries a small mirror with her. Right? Jiang Lianlian.”

Jiang Li raised her voice and called out to Jiang Lianlian.

The first rule of the Game Rules:

[It will impersonate your family members.]

The one playing a role now wasn’t Jiang Li, but that ghoul!

It had to pretend to be Jiang Li’s little sister, so the initiative was actually in Jiang Li’s hands.

Even if Jiang Li made up a “little sister’s habit” on the spot, that ghoul would have to play along.

“Jiang Lianlian, you usually keep your mirror in your right jacket pocket, right? Take it out and lend it to me.”

Jiang Li gave a direct order.

If nothing went wrong, the fake Jiang Lianlian wouldn’t be able to fulfill her request at all.

First, the habit of carrying a mirror was completely made up.

Second, Jiang Li suspected that these ghouls didn’t dare look into a mirror at all.

That’s probably why, earlier, that group of people knocked out the passengers and searched their bags one by one.

Most likely, at that time, they not only handed out a kitchen knife to everyone, but also took away anything that could be harmful to them!
If Jiang Li was right, the mirror in Xia Xiaoqiang’s schoolbag had been lost in this way.

Having figured this out, Jiang Li pressed “Jiang Lianlian” further.

“Jiang Lianlian, give me the mirror. You always listen to your sister-what’s gotten into you today?”

She pinned another label of “listening to your sister” onto the ghoul.

The ghoul couldn’t contradict her, so it had to keep up the act.

“…Sis, I-I think I forgot to bring the mirror today.”

“Jiang Lianlian” turned over on the middle bunk, her voice full of grievance.

Jiang Li had no intention of letting it go.

She stood up, walked to “Jiang Lianlian’s” bedside, lifted the blanket, and started rummaging through her clothes pockets.

Jiang Li’s roughness truly annoyed “Jiang Lianlian”.

“Jiang Lianlian” scrambled off the bed in a fury, stomping down the ladder.

“Sis, look, I really forgot to bring it today.”

“Jiang Lianlian” stood in front of Jiang Li with a long face.

She pulled out her empty pockets on both sides to show Jiang Li.

Jiang Li held onto “Jiang Lianlian’s” arm, looking puzzled. “How could that be? You always bring it.”

Jiang Li turned “Jiang Lianlian” around. “Do you have pockets on the back of your pants?”

“No, Sis, just the two pockets on the front of my jacket,” Jiang Lianlian replied, her tone annoyed.

Just then-

Jiang Li seized the moment, grabbed the ghoul’s shoulders, and shoved it hard toward the window!

Caught off guard, the ghoul found itself staring directly into its own reflection-

“Aaaahhhhh!!!!…”

A blood-curdling scream echoed through the carriage.

The ghoul seemed to see something terrifying in the glass.

It quickly covered its face, frantically trying to dodge aside.

But it was too late. Its skin began to peel away, revealing a hideous, grotesque face beneath.

Jiang Li grabbed the rustproof kitchen knife from the table, strode forward, and slashed at the ghoul’s neck!

It was almost a one-hit kill.

The now unrecognizable ghoul’s neck snapped instantly, and it collapsed to the floor in agony.

In just two seconds, the ghoul’s body began to shrink.

Finally, in a cloud of black mist, it turned into a shriveled black corpse, lying lifeless in the aisle.

Xia Xiaoqiang witnessed the whole thing, her heart pounding wildly in terror.

She had only come to ask Jiang Li about the mirror, never expecting it would lead to such a bloody incident.

“Sister Jiang, you… you killed your sister…”

Xia Xiaoqiang’s voice trembled, her eyes wide with fear.

She stared at Jiang Li in disbelief.

But Jiang Li just smiled calmly. “Don’t worry, I didn’t kill my sister. I killed the aberration’s true form.”

Game Rules, Rule Two:

[If the impersonated relative is injured, the real relative will suffer the same injury.]

But the one stabbed to death now was not the aberration disguised as a relative, but the aberration that had already revealed its true form.

Xia Xiaoqiang thought it over, recalling the ghoul’s reaction upon seeing its own reflection in the window, and instantly understood Jiang Li’s meaning.

So that kind of thing-when exposed to a mirror, it reveals its true form!

That means, as long as she kills the aberration’s true body, her father won’t die…

Xia Xiaoqiang exchanged a glance with Jiang Li, and together they looked toward the middle bunk’s “Xia Guofeng”.

At this moment, “Xia Guofeng” had heard their loud plotting and was scared out of its wits.

It curled up under the covers, head buried, butt sticking out, trembling uncontrollably…