Volume One: Phantom Mansion Chapter Fourteen: The Furious Zhao Linxuan

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Zhou Cheng's sudden stillness was witnessed firsthand by Cheng Fan. But the ordeal was far from over—something even more terrifying awaited.

The moment Zhou Cheng froze in place, his appearance began to shift. His body blurred abruptly and started to change shape at a speed visible to the naked eye, until finally transforming into a woman in a red dress with distorted facial features.

A female ghost—the very red-dress ghost known for killing anyone she encountered!

It turned out that the Zhou Cheng before him was not truly Zhou Cheng, but an illusion crafted by the red-dress ghost.

What did this mean?

Simply put, it meant that Cheng Fan had just narrowly escaped death. Had he not seen through the disguise and used his blood to immobilize the ghost in time, only two grim outcomes awaited him: either being ambushed by the ghost disguised as Zhou Cheng on the way upstairs, or being led into a deadly trap. In either case, death was inevitable.

Perhaps the ghost never expected Cheng Fan to see through her disguise. Even though she was immobilized by the blood and unable to move, she still managed to make a sound—an eerie, almost human-like phrase came out without her mouth opening:

“How… did… you… discover… it…”

The voice pierced the eardrums like a sound from the eighteenth layer of hell, chilling Cheng Fan to the bone.

Yet Cheng Fan said nothing. After recognizing the ghost, he turned and ran without hesitation.

This was certain and inevitable because he knew the ghost couldn’t remain frozen for long. As time passed, the blood’s restraining power would weaken, and staying put meant certain death.

He ran desperately, fully aware of the danger, sprinting up the stairs with all his might.

At this point, some might ask: how did Cheng Fan see through the ghost’s disguise? The ghost’s imitation was flawless—not only perfectly mimicking Zhou Cheng’s behavior but also his personality and speech mannerisms. It should have been nearly impossible to detect. So how did Cheng Fan notice the difference and use his blood to counter the ghost in time?

The answer?

It’s not complicated. The key lies in Cheng Fan’s keen attention to detail.

As mentioned earlier, because the ghost’s disguise was so perfect, Cheng Fan initially had no reason to doubt Zhou Cheng’s identity; he didn’t know Zhou Cheng was an illusion. However, during their conversation, Cheng Fan noticed something strange—something that involved Zhao Linxuan.

During their talk, Zhou Cheng had clearly said that after Cheng Fan left, he went upstairs alone to look for him. On the surface, this seemed reasonable, but Zhou Cheng overlooked a small detail: Zhao Linxuan never stayed alone.

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About an hour earlier, after narrowly escaping one round of pursuit by the ghost, both Cheng Fan and Zhao Linxuan had been forced to rest in the hallway. Zhao Linxuan was especially exhausted—so depleted that she couldn’t get up. No matter how much Cheng Fan urged her, she refused to continue until he threatened to leave her behind. At that, she suddenly changed expression as if shocked by electricity, sprang up, and insisted she would never abandon Cheng Fan.

Her intense reaction immediately caught Cheng Fan’s attention.

Zhao Linxuan’s words matched her actions, and afterward, no matter where Cheng Fan went, Zhao Linxuan stuck close by, clearly unwilling to be alone.

Later, through deduction and personal experience, Cheng Fan realized something was off about Zhao Linxuan. To distance himself, he used the unavoidable excuse of needing to use the restroom to break away from her sight. Of course, this was only part of it; Zhou Cheng’s presence by Zhao Linxuan’s side was also significant.

In other words, Zhao Linxuan always ensured she had someone with her; she never stayed alone, not even for a moment.

Given that, when Cheng Fan disappeared, leaving only Zhou Cheng beside Zhao Linxuan, would she allow Zhou Cheng to leave her side?

Obviously not.

And that was the biggest flaw in Zhou Cheng’s story during their conversation!

Zhou Cheng had claimed that he left Zhao Linxuan waiting in the hallway and went upstairs alone to find Cheng Fan.

Cheng Fan’s sharp senses caught this inconsistency. From that moment on, he sensed danger and realized something was wrong—this was not the real Zhou Cheng!

If not Zhou Cheng, then who?

The truth could only be the ghost!

From there, things became simple. Once he confirmed Zhou Cheng was a ghost’s disguise, Cheng Fan, relying on his strong mental fortitude, suppressed his fear and pretended ignorance. At the same time, he turned the tables: as he turned to run, he took out a blood bag and splashed it fiercely at the ghost.

That was also Cheng Fan’s last spare blood bag.

Returning to the present.

Thump, thump, thump!

Filled with intense fear, Cheng Fan ran like a madman, desperately sprinting through the hallway. Meanwhile...

“Heh, heh heh, heh heh heh!”

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Behind him came the ghost’s chilling laughter, echoing through the corridor.

Yes, the ghost was laughing—recklessly and mockingly—as if it didn’t care whether Cheng Fan could truly escape. Though still trapped, she made sound out of thin air, ridiculing Cheng Fan’s overconfidence with her laughter.

It was as if saying:

“Resist, struggle all you want. No matter how hard you fight, your fate is death!”

Listening to the laughter ringing in his ears, Cheng Fan’s face turned pale, and deep within, seeds of doubt began to sprout.

This ghost was too formidable—not only could she pass through walls and become intangible, but she also had the power to seal and alter reality. Now she had revealed the ability to disguise and transform. Facing such a powerful spirit, did he still have hope? Could he possibly survive and escape this building alive?

They say no lie lasts forever; once a lie is told, it will eventually be exposed.

While Cheng Fan ran desperately, at the same time, Zhao Linxuan stood before the empty restroom, losing her mind.

Her beautiful face twisted into a grimace; her delicate features became restless.

Suddenly, she spun around and grabbed Zhou Cheng’s shoulder, glaring fiercely as she demanded, “Where is Cheng Fan? Tell me where he went!”

“Ah, Miss Zhao, what’s wrong with you? What… do you mean by this?” Zhou Cheng, startled by her sudden emotional outburst and the change in her expression, widened his eyes and asked hurriedly.

Indeed, as time passed, Cheng Fan’s lie unraveled, discovered by both Zhou Cheng and Zhao Linxuan. The sequence was simple: after Cheng Fan used the restroom as an excuse to head upstairs, neither Zhou Cheng nor Zhao Linxuan noticed immediately. Both were exhausted and focused on resting, so it made sense. But as time dragged on, about ten minutes later, Zhao Linxuan’s suspicion grew.

What was going on? Why had Cheng Fan been in the restroom so long? Why hadn’t he come back yet?