Prince Teng's face darkened as he picked up the used condom he had just thrown away, realizing it wasn’t an illusion—it was indeed his usual spiked variant. His expression grew even more grim.

  "Enough arguing!" he roared. "My cousin once said ordinary people can’t escape a ghost’s maze. The only way out is to awaken spiritual insight. Check yourselves—see if anyone’s about to ignite their spiritual power!"

  With that, he desperately focused his mind, praying for his own spiritual awakening. He didn’t know if being hunted by the ghost earlier counted as a life-or-death experience, but at this point, prayer was his only option.

  Fang Xiu ignored the others’ actions and began feeling his way along the right wall. He never relied on others to awaken spiritual insight and become Spirit Masters.

  Among this group, he was the most likely candidate.

  After all, he was the only one who had truly faced death and come into direct contact with the supernatural.

  If he hadn’t awakened, then the others stood no chance. So instead of praying, he focused on searching for clues.

  He recalled the asylum’s layout, certain the escape route lay to the right.

  Earlier, while navigating the stairwell, the exit had been on the right. Though he wasn’t sure which building this was, the layout was likely the same.

  If the ghost’s maze was an illusion, then closing his eyes and following the right wall down the stairs might lead him to a door.

  Fang Xiu shut his eyes, trailing his fingers along the wall as he descended. His strange behavior quickly drew attention.

  With everyone else standing frozen, his solitary movement stood out starkly.

  Prince Teng watched Fang Xiu’s actions, deep in thought. By now, he’d noticed Fang Xiu’s unusual calmness—no panic, not even when facing the ghost.

  He flashed back to earlier: when the female doctor appeared, he had been the first to react and flee. But what had Fang Xiu done?

  Fang Xiu hadn’t run. Instead, he pressed himself against the wall to avoid being trampled.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Despite being closest to the ghost, he hadn’t bolted. In the end, only Fang Xiu, Zhao Hao, and Li Feifei remained in that hallway.

  Now, Li Feifei was missing—undoubtedly dead.

  But Fang Xiu and Zhao Hao had stayed in that corridor for at least a full minute. What had they been doing?

  Why hadn’t the ghost killed them? Why hadn’t they run?

  Two men alone with a female ghost for a whole minute—had they been harassing her?

  Prince Teng dismissed the absurd thought. Though he didn’t know what they’d done during that time, one thing was certain:

  The ghost only killed one person at a time—men every three minutes, women every two. During those intervals, it was completely safe, even if you stood right beside the ghost. Fang Xiu and Zhao Hao’s survival proved that.

  By now, Fang Xiu had already descended the stairs, putting distance between himself and the group.

  Prince Teng, seeing Fang Xiu’s actions, seemed to realize something and mimicked him, closing his eyes and feeling his way down the wall. The others watched, intrigued.

  ---

  Under Fang Xiu’s fingertips, the wall had been rough and solid—until the fifteenth step.

  Then, the texture changed.

  Smooth. Cold. Like metal.

  Fang Xiu’s eyes snapped open. Before him was a bare stretch of wall, but without hesitation, he pressed both hands against it, searching for a doorknob.

  Prince Teng, copying his movements, soon noticed the same shift in texture and gasped.

  "It’s a door!"

  With a click, Fang Xiu twisted the handle he’d just found—and the door swung open.

  A steel door materialized within the wall, revealing a dimly lit corridor beyond.

  Whoosh!

  Prince Teng lunged through first, wild with desperation.

  Fang Xiu said nothing, stepping inside calmly.

  The others, spotting the exit, stampeded after them.

  The group sprinted down the hallway, though Fang Xiu—the second to enter—soon fell to second-to-last place.

  Not because he was slow, but because there was no need.

  Against the female doctor, you didn’t need to outrun her—you just had to outrun the slowest person. Plus, this position made it easier to grope her thigh a few more times during her "meals," hopefully hastening his spiritual awakening.

  Besides, being at the front wasn’t always an advantage.

  Fang Xiu knew this asylum housed more than just the female doctor. Though most supernatural entities were locked in their rooms, some doors were already open.

  As they ran, Prince Teng—leading the charge—suddenly skidded to a halt. The others stopped behind him.

  A fork in the path lay ahead: left and right, both corridors dark and endless, visibility barely a meter. No one could see what lay beyond.

  No one dared move. Choosing wrong could mean a dead end—and being cornered by the female doctor.

  Then, the group turned their eyes to Fang Xiu, who had just caught up from the rear.

  Since he’d found the way out of the ghost’s maze earlier, they assumed he’d know the right path now.

  Unfortunately, Fang Xiu didn’t know either.

  He hadn’t explored the entire asylum earlier—he’d drifted through its walls like a ghost, aware of the general layout but not every detail.

  These two paths were unfamiliar.

  "Fang Xiu, which way?" Prince Teng demanded.

  Seeing their hopeful stares, Fang Xiu almost laughed. When fleeing, they’d shoved him aside, yet now turned to him for answers.

  Weren’t they just using him as a tool?

  But Fang Xiu didn’t care—he was using them too. Against the female doctor, they were all helpless. The only way to buy time was with lives.

  Without a word, Fang Xiu strode toward the right path.

  Even if he didn’t know the correct route, hesitation wasted time—and every second here was paid for in blood.

  The others, seeing his choice, immediately followed.

  Then—

  Click. Click.

  The sound of twisting joints echoed behind them.

  They turned.

  The spider-like female doctor hung upside-down from the ceiling, her pale eyes fixed on the group. Her white coat stood out starkly in the dim corridor.

  "Ahhh!"

  "Run!"

  "Get out of the way!"

  The group erupted into chaos, sprinting for their lives.

  But humans couldn’t outrun the female doctor. Two legs were no match for four.

  In an instant, her ghostly figure appeared above them, long black hair dangling as it lashed toward the last person in line.