Chapter 46 Square Dancing Activity Rules

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Bai Ming could not be bothered to pay Ding Zhijian any attention. His gaze had already fallen upon the warped, distorted poster on the bedroom wall.

The once-vivid image of an anime character was now visibly rotting and peeling away, turning into a yellowed, moldy sheet of old paper.

Dark-red bloodstains seeped across its surface. They writhed slowly as though alive, outlining crooked, twisted words.

【Rules for the Happiness Community Square-Dance Activities】

【To enrich the cultural lives of residents and promote harmony among neighbors, this community organizes daily square-dance activities. To ensure that the activities proceed safely and orderly, all participants must strictly observe the following rules.】

【Participant Regulations】

【1. This activity is open only to women over the age of fifty-five. Men and younger women must not approach. If anyone who does not meet these requirements is discovered among the dancers, report it to the leader immediately.】

【2. The activity takes place daily from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The location is the community……&￥#%】

Bai Ming’s pupils contracted abruptly.

Happiness Community?

But this was clearly Tangming Community.

The community where he lived was the one called Happiness Community.

And why were the rules incomplete?

Had they always been that way, or had the ghost failed to fully manifest because the rules of the real world were blocking it?

It seemed that the moment Bai Ming finished reading the rules, the room began to change.

The old-fashioned tape recorder suddenly emitted a harsh burst of static. Then its volume rose sharply, and it began playing a distorted version of “The Most Dazzling Ethnic Style.”

Mixed in with the music were inhuman moans and snickering whispers, as though countless mouths were murmuring beside his ears.

Bai Ming felt the world spin. His body began to tremble beyond his control.

His joints cracked sharply, and his feet involuntarily stepped forward in a bizarre dance.

“Brother Bai heard the summons too?” Ding Zhijian’s grin split all the way to his ears. Yellowish pus seeped from the corners of his mouth. “Welcome to the Happiness Community Square-Dance Team.”

The bedroom began to twist.

The ring of flesh formed by the three circles of dancers spun faster. The necks of the five old women in the innermost circle writhed like snakes.

Their heads bent so far backward that the backs of their skulls nearly touched their spines, exposing their deathly pale throats.

The women in the middle circle suddenly turned their heads in unison. As their skulls twisted, they fixed their hollow eye sockets upon Bai Ming.

The women in the outermost circle let down their hair. Countless writhing blood vessels hung from their scalps, waving through the air like living things.

Only then did Bai Ming see clearly that those “tracksuits” were not made of cloth at all. They were identical uniforms stitched from human skin. The so-called rose-red color was the color of blood.

The old women danced their grotesque dance, while Bai Ming’s body automatically mimicked their inhuman movements.

But how could a human body twist like that?

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Without hesitation, Bai Ming activated [Impossible] and became immune to Rule One.

He had not used it immediately because he had not been certain whether there were other undiscovered rules.

But now, he had no choice.

The moment he used [Impossible] against Rule One, the restraints vanished, and Bai Ming’s body regained its freedom.

He continued to pretend that he was under control, struggling with all his might. His knuckles turned white as he gripped [Long Staff Type One].

“Where did you come from? And who are you?”

“I am Ding Zhijian.” The other’s voice had grown shrill, as though several voices were speaking over one another. “Brother Bai, come dance with us… Dance forever…”

Bai Ming’s gaze passed over the twisted old women and caught sight of a pale, skeletal hand protruding from beneath the bed.

That was the real Ding Zhijian, wasn’t it?

I’m sorry. I came too late…

Regret filled Bai Ming’s heart, followed by a surge of fury. Ding Zhijian had worked with him for a long time to exterminate the “Good Citizens,” and had helped him apply for the award for righteous bravery. The two of them had forged a considerable bond.

Yet compared with his anger, Bai Ming’s thoughts were even calmer.

Still twisting through the grotesque dance, he advanced step by step toward the old women.

One step…

Two steps…

Three—

Wait. There was breathing!

I heard it. There’s still faint breathing beneath the bed!

Ding Zhijian wasn’t dead!

He was still alive!

Only his hand had been gnawed away…

No. Perhaps his condition was even more惨—

But as long as he was alive, everything still held hope. There was still a future!

Then—

Bai Ming swung [Long Staff Type One] and brought it crashing down with all his strength, the strike tearing through the air.

…

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beeeep—!

A piercing alarm suddenly rang out.

“Warning! Rule contamination has exceeded an index of one hundred!”

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The instruments inside the vehicle erupted in a dazzling scarlet glow.

“What do we do, Captain Li?”

The petite girl dressed in a Lolita-style outfit clenched the lace hem of her skirt. The color had drained completely from her porcelain-doll face.

Li Pingxia, captain of the First Squad of Dongcheng’s relevant authorities, said in a low voice, “Su Yeye, stay calm. As a new-generation S-rank player of Dongcheng, this behavior is unbecoming.”

Su Yeye’s pupils reflected the scenery rushing past outside the car window. “This is a ghost domain! Once it expands, the entire Tangming Community will fall in an instant!”

She bit down hard on her cherry-red lip. “Damn it! It’s all my fault! If I hadn’t gone to the wrong place at the beginning, the ghost domain never would have started expanding!”

Li Pingxia tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her knuckles taut. “Don’t take all the blame upon yourself. I’m the leader, and I gave the order. If anyone is at fault, it’s me. Besides, precisely because this is a ghost domain, we have to stop it.”

Su Yeye’s voice was filled with remorse. “Sister Li, can we really stop it? At this hour, by the time we arrive, there may already be a Vicious Ghost—or even a Ferocious Ghost.”

Li Pingxia accelerated. “Are you afraid?”

“No!” Resolute flames ignited in Su Yeye’s eyes. “I’ll make up for the mistake I made myself! Even if it means—”

“Don’t keep talking about dying.” Li Pingxia interrupted her. “Life is more precious than anything else. Besides…”

Besides, compared with other people, your life as an S-rank player is even more valuable.

Li Pingxia did not say those words aloud.

There was no need.

She had already decided that, even if it meant sacrificing herself, she would preserve Su Yeye’s life at the final moment.

With Su Yeye’s abilities, she was certain to go farther than a B-rank player like herself, whose life was already nearing its end.

She would also have more time in the future to grow stronger and protect this country.

Moreover, Su Yeye was so young—only eighteen—and so beautiful, at the flower of her youth.

It would be a terrible waste for her to die like that.

Li Pingxia was unwilling to admit that she judged people by their looks, but Su Yeye truly was the most remarkable person she had ever seen. One could not help but feel protective of her.

Pretending to listen to her earpiece, Li Pingxia continued, “Besides, I’ve already received word that the brigade commander will arrive soon.”

Su Yeye looked surprised. “But isn’t the brigade commander still inside the instance?”

“He just came out.” Under Li Pingxia’s control, the tires shrieked against the road as the car tore through a sharp turn. “We’ll go and temporarily halt the ghost domain’s expansion first. As long as we withstand the initial assault, the brigade commander will arrive immediately.”

“I’ll hold out until the very end!”

“No. Not ‘I.’ ‘We.’”

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