SABA Chapter 14

Chapter 14: “Always believe in the light~” …

Chapter 14: “Always believe in the light~” …

After seeing the corpse embedded in the secret passage and the torture chamber full of bloodstains, the painting “The Slaves of the Auction” appeared even more oppressive. In the painting, a naked female slave, stripped of her clothes, stood on the auction platform. Below, merchants eagerly bid, scrutinizing them like goods. The female slaves, unable to resist their fate, could only raise their arms to cover their eyes, believing that if they couldn’t see, they could pretend to still have dignity.

Several people circled the painting, examining the frame from all sides several times, including trying to pry it open with force.

“There’s nothing here,” Luo Xingwen said, a little dejected.

Jiang Tiao rubbed his chin, observing Luo Xingwen and Bei Caijie’s reactions subtly. “There are so many people in the painting, who do you think they hate the most?”

Bei Caijie smiled, her lively, intelligent big eyes twinkling. “It must be the merchants who bought them and then abused them to death, right? Didn’t the wall in the secret passage say ‘I hate it so much’?”

“Is that so?” Jiang Tiao also smiled, then, in the blink of an eye before anyone could react, he jumped up and fiercely punched the old man hidden in the back of the painting.

He leaned on his cane, standing behind the auction stage, his long beard white and neat, looking down at everything happening in the auction hall.

“But I think they should hate the founders of the system even more.”

Bei Caijie’s expression changed.

The mechanism was triggered, and the old man’s head in the painting was hidden, as if it had been knocked off.

[The directing team is truly talented. Do they have to create such a comical mechanism at such a tense moment?]

[Visual representation – his head was knocked off with a single punch.]

In the silent castle, a voice rang out again: “The resentful ghosts, they were also victims under the slave system. The cruelty of the merchants is indeed hateful, but the wicked slave system is the true culprit that killed them. The restoration of the power generation device gives the castle hope. Walk towards the light and lead them to a new, bright human world.”

The previously silent villa was filled with rustling sounds. All the female ghosts hiding in the dark emerged, swarming from all directions, their faces ferocious, their fangs bared, as if ready to tear the intruders apart.

“Run!” Jiang Tiao grabbed Qi Yingyi and Luo Xingwen and dashed towards the corner staircase.

Luo Xingwen glanced at Bei Caijie, who hadn’t had time to react and was left behind, and paused for a moment, but quickly snapped back to reality.

“Ahhh ahhh ahhh!” The sight of a hundred ghosts appearing at night was too terrifying. If there were a pole in front of him, Qi Yingyi would have climbed to the very top to escape this scene. “Didn’t you say we had to lead them to a new bright world? But they don’t seem to really want to go!”

The escape room puzzle had turned into a zombie escape. Everyone’s adrenaline levels soared.

Jiang Tiao: “People who stay in the dark for a long time will fear the light. Think about it from their perspective. If you’re sleeping soundly and someone suddenly wants to turn on the lights, wouldn’t you react the same way?”

Damn it, that makes so much sense! But – Qi Yingyi’s lungs were about to explode from running. “So what?”

“So you have to believe that they yearn for the light!”

Qi Yingyi collapsed, panting. “I can’t do this anymore. Why don’t you just let me fall into the darkness?”

“Generator No. 1 has been destroyed, Generator No. 1 has been destroyed!”

The voice sounded again. Jiang Tiao and Luo Xingwen froze, exchanged a look, and immediately grabbed Qi Yingyi, who was about to collapse.

Jiang Tiao: “No, we live together and die together. We are companions. You must go out with us!”

Qi Yingyi’s eyes welled up with tears. Being given hope in despair gave him new strength. Not abandoning, not giving up – Jiang Tiao was truly a good person!

[Hahahaha.]

[Hahaha, what the heck, yearning for the light, what the heck, let me fall into the darkness. Wake up! You are just filming a variety show!!]

The generator was within reach, but it seemed to require a considerable amount of time to crank it to open the villa’s main door.

Jiang Tiao handed the exhausted Qi Yingyi to Luo Xingwen: “You two go and crank the generator. Once the door opens, leave together first.”

Luo Xingwen was stunned. “Then what about you?”

Jiang Tiao: “Don’t worry, the generator can only be used once. Once the door opens, it won’t close!”

The generator was in a dead corner, and the female ghosts were about to swarm over. Jiang Tiao stood in front of them and suddenly raised his right hand: “Balala energy, Wuka la ka, magical girl transform!”

[Pfft—]

[Hahahaha.]

[So embarrassing.]

[This must be what Jiang Tiao and Qi Yingyi swapped!]

[No wonder Jiang Tiao looked pale after watching it.]

[The directing team is truly talented.]

[Jiang cutie, looking serious but his ears are red.]

Jiang Tiao took a long stride, leaped over the railing, and shouted across the hall, “In the name of the magical girl, I command all of you, come chase me!”

[Prop Name: Balala Magical Girl. Usage: Shout the transformation spell, and you can command all ghosts within ten meters to chase you, bravely creating an opportunity for your companions!]

The bullet comments erupted in laughter.

[No, I’m about to laugh my guts out.]

[Ah, what am I seeing.]

[Legs! His legs are so long!]

[Waist! His waist is so slender!]

[How can he be both cute and handsome?]

[I want a cub like him too!]

[Enfeoffment, enfeoffment! I declare that from now on, he is my 108th crush!]

Qi Yingyi did not expect Jiang Tiao to choose to draw all the female ghosts away alone. He was deeply moved and cranked the generator even more desperately.

Luo Xingwen had a vague guess of what Jiang Tiao was about to do, but he never expected it to be Jiang Tiao who would do it.

The gate finally opened, and the sunlight that streamed in dispelled the darkness. Although it had only been a few hours, seeing the daylight again brought tears to his eyes.

Jiang Tiao had already run far away. The pursuing female ghosts were few and far between, attempting to intercept them. Fortunately, with the props Jiang Tiao gave them, Qi Yingyi and Luo Xingwen were able to escape successfully.

The first thing Qi Yingyi did after stepping out of the castle was to relay the message to Jiang Tiao. He shouted towards the dark, gloomy castle, “Jiang Tiao! We’re out! Waiting for you!”

Jiang Tiao, who was hiding in the study’s fireplace and secretly rummaging for something, nearly had his soul scared out of him by the shout. Luo Xingwen’s guess was correct; he had returned to find something.

He took out a bundle of hair wrapped in black burlap from behind a hollow brick in the fireplace. On top of it was a blood-stained piece of paper: We failed. Everyone died. They were all imprisoned in this sunless castle.

Jiang Tiao sighed, put away the bundle, and crept towards the exit in the dark.

At the bright exit, Bei Caijie and Li Ming, leading a group of female ghosts, blocked the way.

Bei Caijie looked at the bundle in Jiang Tiao’s hand, a little surprised. “So you were looking for this. I was wondering why you couldn’t be found anywhere in the villa.”

Jiang Tiao smiled with exceptional swagger. “So you decided to wait for the rabbit by the roadside?”

Bei Caijie put her hands on her hips, her two pigtails swinging. “Yes, surrender! You can’t possibly take on so many of us by yourself!”

Jiang Tiao blinked. “Do you believe in the light?”

“Huh?” Bei Caijie was stunned for a moment, then suddenly shouted, “Catch him! Don’t let him use the props!”

Jiang Tiao leaped on the spot, striking a pose like Ultraman transforming. “Ultraman Zero, grant me the power of bonds!”

Blinding light effects emanated from Jiang Tiao. During the intro effect, everyone had to close their eyes and remain still.

Jiang Tiao swaggered past the crowd at full speed. Before leaving the castle, he waved his hand cheekily, “Always believe in the light~”

So close! Bei Caijie stamped her feet in frustration!

Jiang Tiao opened the black burlap bundle in his hand. The residual sunlight shone on it, and the hair inside turned into smoke and dissipated like dry ice. They scattered under the azure sky, as if the souls imprisoned for many years had finally been liberated.

The sold female slaves lived their lives in hardship and without control. They were bought by the castle owner, thinking they would have a few peaceful years. But who knew that the seemingly gentlemanly castle owner was actually a beast in human clothing. His heart was twisted and dark; he took pleasure in tormenting the female slaves. They witnessed their sisters die one by one at his hands and resolved to resist, but ultimately failed.

Their bodies were buried under the castle by the castle owner. They longed to live freely and honorably under the blue sky, so the castle owner condemned them to remain buried in darkness for eternity.

The youngest and last person had cut a lock of hair from everyone. Before she died, she secretly hid it here, hoping someone would carry the hair containing their souls out of the darkness.

[Damn, why do I feel like crying a little.]

[Wuwuwu, yes, I’m laughing and crying so hard that my mom thinks I have epilepsy.]

[Jiang Tiao specifically went back to bring out their souls, right?]

[Wuwuwu, when I saw the painting earlier, I felt a hint of sadness in his eyes.]

[The setting for this episode is truly amazing, terrifying, touching, and funny.]

[Wuwuwu, it was so scary earlier, and the ending is like this. Director, you owe me my tears.]

[Women saving themselves in despair, sigh, I hope their souls can truly find freedom.]

[Sigh, truly fortunate that we live in contemporary times.]

[Wishing our motherland prosperity and strength.]

[Wishing our motherland strength and eternal peace.]

……

[So, who is the MVP for this episode?]

[It’s either Jiang Tiao or Bei Caijie, but in the end, good triumphs, so it should be Jiang Tiao.]

The MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the episode was still awarded to Jiang Tiao. After the show, during the post-interview, Bei Caijie walked beside Jiang Tiao curiously. “How did you know I was the ghost?”

Bei Caijie blinked, leaning in mischievously. “Was it because I didn’t vote for you?”

Jiang Tiao blinked back, mimicking Bei Caijie’s action. “Guess?”

Bei Caijie straightened up. “I guess that might only be a small reason.”

Jiang Tiao smiled. “He Xinran was caught, and you were too eager to help!”

Jiang Tiao said it simply, but Bei Caijie understood. Her relationship with He Xinran was ordinary. She was too anxious at the time because she wanted to use her prop, which is why Jiang Tiao confirmed her identity.

Jiang Tiao: “But I’m also a little curious, how did you get He Xinran out?”

Bei Caijie: “If you have props, we must have props too. However, our props are a bit more troublesome to use; they have to touch someone for more than a minute to trigger.”

“But I initially wanted to use it on you,” Bei Caijie spread her hands. “Unfortunately, you never gave me the chance.”

Jiang Tiao: “No wonder.”

He wondered why Bei Caijie always wanted to help him in the secret passage.

Bei Caijie looked at Jiang Tiao with a smile. Just as Jiang Tiao was becoming unbearable and about to say something, Bei Caijie suddenly said, “I just realized you’re quite handsome.”

Jiang Tiao was speechless with a mixture of laughter and tears.

Bei Caijie skipped into the post-interview room with a giggle. “You’re really different from the rumors.”

She paused and then waved goodbye. “It was nice meeting you. Let’s collaborate again next time~”

……

In the lounge, Assistant Xiao Li immediately handed his phone to Luo Xingwen as soon as he saw him enter. He had followed Luo Xingwen for several years and knew his temperament very well. He had kept his phone on him for the past two days, appearing to be waiting for someone’s news. The extreme escape room recording lasted for five to six hours, during which phones were prohibited, and contact with the outside world was impossible. He saw Luo Xingwen wanting to be the first to go up for Jiang Tiao on the live broadcast and knew that this young master was probably impatient and wanted to be eliminated quickly to end the recording.

Luo Xingwen opened his WeChat and scrolled through it from top to bottom. The news he had been expecting all day did not arrive. He sat on the chair, propping his forehead with his hand, feeling a bit foolish.

“Ding—”

Luo Xingwen fumbled to unlock his phone again, only to find that it was still not the person he was waiting for.

Chu Xu: [Heard you filmed a show with Jiang Tiao today?]

Luo Xingwen was in low spirits and didn’t want to reply, but recalling Jiang Tiao’s many actions that changed his perception today, he decided to say a few good words for Jiang Tiao.

Luo Xingwen: [Yes, I think he’s become much more normal after hitting his head. Maybe you could try to understand him again.]

Chu Xu, waiting for filming on set: [?]

After a moment, Xiao Li, standing nearby, hesitantly handed over his phone. On it was a message Chu Xu had sent to Luo Xingwen on his own phone.

Chu Xu: [Did Jiang Tiao hack your phone?]

Luo Xingwen rolled his eyes, too lazy to bother.

……