Horror Movie Set: This extra is too good at playing the tricks.

Chapter 74 The Script's Ugliness

The air in the underground passage was damp and sticky, with a muddy smell.

This road isn't exactly a proper passage; it's more like a huge wormhole that was randomly dug out of the ground.

The soil above offered no support, making you feel like you'd turn into a piece of meat in a roujiamo (Chinese hamburger) at any moment.

Lu Dan walked at the front, his shoes making only a very faint rustling sound as they stepped on the soft, loose soil.

He held the slingshot taut, ready to smash anything that jumped out at any moment.

In a script, this kind of scene is usually designed to create claustrophobia, rather than actually letting the player be buried alive by tons of dirt—that kind of death is too undramatic, and the audience doesn't like to see it.

The team maintained a subtle vigilance, with Chen Hua and Da Lu acting like two dutiful bodyguards, flanking Zhang Min from the front and back.

Ye Jianguo brought up the rear, his calm demeanor making him appear to be inspecting an air-raid shelter rather than exploring a den of ghosts.

After walking about a hundred meters, the terrain began to sink noticeably.

At the edge of darkness, a pale light faintly appeared like a ghost.

"Turn off the flashlight to save electricity."

Lu Dan lowered his voice, a glimmer of light dancing in his dark pupils.

The group did as instructed and continued to grope their way down, guided by a strange light source.

After turning a corner, the scene became even more eerie.

This is an earthen chamber that was dug out by humans. In the center, there is a solitary mound of earth, without any inscriptions or offerings.

Only a ring of white candles, each as thick as an arm, burned around the mound of earth. The melted wax, like layers of dye, stained the ground mottled and uneven.

The candle flame was still; even as the breathing of several people created air currents, the flame remained motionless, lifelessly illuminating the surrounding brownish-yellow earthen walls.

"Da Lu, go ahead and scout ahead, see where this rat hole leads?"

Lu Dan raised his chin, giving orders as if it were perfectly natural.

Just as Da Lu was about to open his mouth, Ye Jianguo patted him on the back, so he could only shrink his neck and grope his way into the depths of darkness.

The remaining people gathered around the earthen mound.

"Dig it."

Lu Dan put away his slingshot, squatted down first, and touched the cold soil with his fingertips.

"The village chief went to all that trouble to hide this thing; if there wasn't something really interesting inside, I'd feel sorry for him."

Ye Jianguo and Chen Hua exchanged a glance, then without saying a word, they started digging.

The soil was loose, as if it had just been filled in, and it had an indescribable smell.

About ten minutes later.

"Huff, huff—"

Da Lu came running back, panting heavily, his fat face bulging.

"Adan, the road ahead is open. The exit is at the temple halfway up the mountain, but the statue has fallen down and blocked half of the entrance. It took me a lot of effort to squeeze through and take a look."

The statue has fallen over?

Lu Dan paused in his movements.

Ye Jianguo, who was digging the soil with all his might, froze for a moment upon hearing this, and awkwardly touched the dust on the tip of his nose: "Ahem, the situation was urgent at the time, and in order to teach the bad guys a small lesson, I went a little too far."

"You call that a little bit?" Chen Hua rolled his eyes. "You practically blasted that statue to smithereens."

"Alright, stop joking around and get to work." Lu Dan interrupted them. "Da Lu, don't just stand there like an idiot, come and lend a hand."

Four people surrounded the mound, looking like a group of petty thieves stealing crops at night, making mud fly everywhere.

Zhang Min stood to the side, staring blankly at the stagnant candlelight. Her shadow was stretched long and projected onto the earthen wall, resembling a menacing monster.

"Got it!"

Chen Hua's fingers suddenly touched something soft and squishy.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickened her pace, forcefully pulling the lump of something out.

"Splash!"

The soil slid off, revealing the true face of the buried object: a hand, pale and stiff, with black mud stuffed under its fingernails.

Ye Jianguo's face was ashen. He reached out and carefully brushed away the dust covering the corpse's face, revealing a handsome but deathly pale face.

Eyes closed, lips slightly parted, seemingly still retaining the shock of her last moments before death—it was Zhang Min!

The chill was like countless icy little snakes, frantically climbing up everyone's spine.

If Zhang Min is buried in the ground, then who was the person who had been following them and even telling them stories for so long?

They slowly turned their heads, only to find themselves in an empty space behind them, with only a ring of white candles still burning quietly.

The spot where Zhang Min had been standing was completely empty; there were no footsteps, no screams, not even the sound of air moving.

A perfectly healthy person vanished into thin air right under the noses of four people.

"When did she disappear? I saw her when I came back just now!" Da Lu's voice was trembling with sobs, and his teeth were chattering.

"Boom!"

Before anyone could answer, the entire underground passage suddenly began to shake violently as if it were having an epileptic seizure. Large chunks of loose soil fell off the ceiling, and the previously still candle flames went out instantly.

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

Ye Jianguo roared and reached out to grab the corpse on the ground.

A huge rock crashed down, landing right next to him, and the dust it kicked up made it impossible for him to open his eyes.

In the chaos, the earth seemed to be torn apart, and Lu Dan felt his feet sink into the ground, and he slid backward.

In the chaos, Da Lu grabbed his arm tightly.

Lu Dan used Da Lu's strength to steady himself, only to find that they were completely separated from Ye Jianguo by the collapsed soil—the passage was broken.

The tremors lasted for more than ten seconds before gradually subsiding, and darkness once again took over.

"Team Leader Ye, Sister Chen Hua!"

Lu Dan shouted at the earthen wall that was completely blocking his way.

Through the thick layer of soil, Ye Jianguo's voice came: "We're fine. This road is still passable. It should lead to the village chief's house. How about your side?"

Lu Dan glanced back. Although the passage behind him was somewhat deformed, it was still passable.

"good."

Lu Dan replied, "It seems we'll have to split up."

"Okay, be careful. There's definitely something else going on, so be cautious."

Ye Jianguo's voice gradually faded into the distance, as if he was already retreating.

Lu Dan patted the dirt off his clothes, took out an ordinary candy from his pocket, and popped it into his mouth to replenish his energy.

"Let's go, Da Lu."

He tugged at the still trembling fat man, "Let's go take a look at the statue that Team Leader Ye 'accidentally' knocked down."

The two of them, one in front and one behind, groped their way towards the back of the mountain through the narrow passage.

The further you go in, the narrower the space becomes, and the oppressive feeling is like a pair of invisible hands that squeeze the air out of your lungs.

Da Lu followed behind Lu Dan, his steps somewhat unsteady.

"Adan..." After walking for a few minutes, Da Lu's voice came, trembling slightly.

"What's wrong?" Lu Dan didn't turn around, but quietly pulled back the slingshot in his hand.

"I..." Da Lu stopped in his tracks, his breathing becoming rapid and heavy. "I feel a bit heavy on my neck."

Lu Dan paused in his steps.

"It's like...like something rode on top of me."