Chapter 270: Under the Red Moon

We’re really done for now…

They promised we’d be back within two hours, but now it looks like we might not return until tomorrow morning!

Uncle, I think the Boss is going to sort you out again…

She’s been so cryptic lately and always pesters us to go scavenging whenever we get a chance. Imagine if we don’t get back by tomorrow morning and hold up the Convoy’s schedule – with her explosive temper, couldn’t she just end up castrating you? Just a heads‐up to everyone…

Damn it, stop yapping here – you’re freaking me out…

Uncle, you’re my uncle; isn’t my old man essentially your very own older brother…

…

Under the Red Moon, the stranded truck sat by the roadside, its quiet headlights casting a glow into the distance.

Inside the driver’s cabin, the uncle and nephew alternated between wiping sweat from their foreheads and rifling through the map, all while bickering.

You could see they had drawn line after line over small sections of the map.

One line, in particular, stood out.

It marked the path they’d taken off the main road – through a narrow byway and several villages.

Ordinarily, following that line should have led them back to their old campsite.

Yet, despite being certain they hadn’t strayed and after trying several times, they remained trapped in this wasteland.

It felt as though the roads themselves had suddenly become impossible to navigate.

Despite following the map precisely and having just retraced their steps, something was still off.

“This is kind of a problem…”

The middle-aged man studied the map for a while, sighed deeply, then cupped his nose.

The stench in the cabin was overpowering.

He hurriedly rolled down a window, letting in fresh air and a cool breeze that cleared his mind.

Yet, inside, his heart was icier than that very wind.

He sighed deeply and lowered his voice, “Damn, we’re really doomed. We’ve trod these roads over and over – by all rights one should lead out, yet every time we end up in front of this Crooked-Neck Tree. This is… too bizarre!”

“Uncle…”

The young man, his voice trembling slightly, asked, “In your old stories, did they ever say what the consequences of a Ghost Wall are?”

“Seems like they never did…”

In a hushed tone, the middle-aged man replied, “Either you end up taking a nap in a Grave Pit, or somehow you eventually find your way out…”

The young man quickly interjected, “You mean you actually get out?”

Shaking his head, the middle-aged man murmured, “Or maybe if you never get out, you simply don’t get to leave a story behind?”

“Huh…”

“That’s terrifying…”

“Bah, toughen up! There’s no room for fear right now…”

“Uncle, the more you say it, the scarier it gets…”

“You always speak so low, as if you’re afraid something might be eavesdropping…”

“…”

“Honestly, I do have my fears…”

Unable to hide it any longer, the middle-aged man leaned out the window and saw that the world was split into just two colors.

In the sky, a curved Red Moon hung silently, exuding an eerie vibe.

Below, an endless wasteland was shrouded in impenetrable darkness – enveloping everything, including them.

The sight filled them with a pervasive sense of dread.

And in that endless, inscrutable dark, it felt as if some unknown horror could charge at them at any moment.

“Uncle, I wouldn’t be afraid to crash here for the night – after all, the Boss will definitely come find us…”

The young man, his voice trembling, ventured, “But what if we run into something else…”

“Doo doo doo doo…”

At that moment, as the young man’s words sent a shiver down the middle-aged man’s spine, an abrupt sound shattered the silence of the wasteland. Their hearts leapt to their throats as they quickly peered out.

In the distance, a faint red glow emerged from thick, opaque darkness – a weak light beginning to shine.

Though distant and blurry, it was evident that the light was slowly inching its way toward them.

The engine’s hum was faint yet persistent, seemingly the only sound in the area.

Hearing the engine, the pair realized that the area was so unnaturally silent that not even the chirping of insects could be heard.

…

“Uncle, does that mean… someone’s coming?”

A spark of excitement flickered within the young man, though his voice emerged with an unexpected chill.

“It’s the middle of the night in the wasteland – could someone really be racing on a motorcycle?”

The middle-aged man shuddered momentarily before whispering, “Shut down the engine, grab your gun, be on guard.”

The young man instantly reacted, swiftly drawing his gun.

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man had already turned off the headlights, leaving the keys in the ignition as the engine continued to run slowly. Being veterans of the wasteland, they knew better than to kill the engine on a whim. Honestly, if it weren’t for the dizzying uncertainty of the route and the overwhelming dread, they would have driven off long ago.

In the wasteland, constant vigilance was essential.

…

The cabin fell into a deathly silence as both the middle-aged man and the young man clutched their guns, their eyes fixed intently on the approaching light.

Thump… thump…

It was the sound of their own heartbeats, echoing so clearly.

“Doo doo doo doo…”

Finally, amid their anxious, contradictory hopes – wanting the arrival yet dreading it – the motorcycle’s engine became unmistakably clear. The beam of light grew progressively brighter as it steadily approached.

They squinted, scrutinizing every detail.

Soon enough, they could just make out that it was nothing more than a silver motorcycle.

“Uncle, even the ghost under the Red Moon isn’t known for riding motorcycles, is he?”

The young man gulped and whispered,

“Shut up!”

The middle-aged man, his face set in a serious expression, murmured, “These days, what’s truly terrifying isn’t always the ghost…”

“Make sure to question him later, but don’t say anything foolish…”

“…”

The young man immediately nodded emphatically, giving his trembling hand a reassuring squeeze.

A few minutes later, a motorcycle leisurely rode past the truck, its rider a young man whose clothes looked unusually clean.

As he got closer, he noticed the truck and cautiously steered his bike toward the roadside.

At the same time, he cast a curious glance toward the driver’s cabin.

The middle-aged man exhaled slowly, readying himself to ask a few questions.

Under normal circumstances, he’d avoid engaging with strangers, but on this eerie night, he had no choice.

His heart tightened as he pondered the best way to question him…

“Good evening.”

Before the words could form, he saw the motorcycle pull up beside the truck. As it passed the cabin, the rider glanced in and cheerfully greeted, “Hello.”

Then, with his engine humming away, he rode off.

“Uh… what the…”

The two occupants watched the small motorcycle recede, gulping in confusion.

“So… was that person human, or a ghost?”

After a brief pause, the young man quickly asked, “Are ghosts always this polite nowadays?”

The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned and replied, “I couldn’t quite figure it out either…”

“Why didn’t you ask for directions?”

“I… didn’t even get a chance to speak before he just left…”

“…”

A wave of absurdity swept over the duo – a jumble of confusion, bewilderment, and regret – as they struggled to understand how he could greet them so casually and then just ride off without another word…

“Hold on, Uncle – we didn’t see him at all when we were going in circles earlier…”

The young man suddenly snapped to attention, asking, “Does this mean we can finally get out of here?”

The middle-aged man paused in surprise, then hurriedly switched on the cabin light and pulled out the map.

His rough fingers slid over the map as he mumbled, “He came from around here, so…”

Yet the more he traced the line, the more alarmed he grew, his voice trailing off.

Trembling, the young man added, “Uncle, it looks like there’s no road where he came from at all…”

The pair exchanged wide-eyed glances. What exactly comes from somewhere that has no road at all?

“Doo doo doo doo…”

Suddenly, as an icy fear nearly overwhelmed them, another motorcycle sound echoed from behind.

Both shuddered, hastily turning off the light and clutching their guns even tighter.

Glancing back, they saw headlights illuminate a small road in the distance, slowly approaching their location.

It was coming from the same direction, at the same angle as before.

“It can’t be…”

The young man mumbled uncertainly, “…right?”

The middle-aged man, equally perplexed, replied, “I don’t think so…”

As their anxiety mounted, they watched the light steadily draw nearer.

It turned out it was still just a motorcycle.

Its silver body and the neatly dressed rider were unmistakable.

What struck them most was an uncanny sense of familiarity – as if time had reversed.

Yet, as their eyes met, they realized it wasn’t time rewinding.

Thump… thump… thump…

This time, their hearts raced even faster.

Just as their hearts threatened to burst out of their chests, the motorcycle brushed past the cabin.

They clearly saw the rider’s face again – the very same one from before.

As he zipped past the cabin, the rider nodded and cheerfully said, “Hello.”

“…”

A wave of absurdity swept over the pair. Moments ago they’d planned to ask for directions; now they were rendered speechless, simply watching the motorcycle hum away into the distance.

The only thought racing through their minds was, “What on earth was that?”

Yet, just as the absurdity overwhelmed them, the motorcycle’s engine abruptly fell silent.

They spun around in alarm to see that the light ahead had halted and was slowly reversing direction.

It wasn’t long before the motorcycle rode back, its engine humming steadily, as the rider tilted his head and studied them with a puzzled look:

“Didn’t we meet before?”

Baimeng Appreciation Speech

Imagine Old Ghost lounging at home, petting his cat and sipping wine, when suddenly Baimeng strikes – how do you think he felt?

Previously, when the operations team mentioned Baimeng, I didn’t take it seriously – it felt too remote. Having never seen what Baimeng really looked like since I started writing, I brushed off even comments about Baimeng cross-dressing.

Honestly, forget about cross-dressing; it’s all so unpredictable anyway…

And then, out of nowhere, Baimeng struck!

I was supposed to post my thank-you message yesterday, but I dragged it out all day because I wasn’t sure what to say.

I felt like crying – seriously, belt it out if you want!

Alright, that was just the sentimental bit. Forget crying – when Baimeng happens, you’re supposed to laugh heartily under your covers!

From now on, whenever we go out for a meal, we can proudly declare, “We’ve reached Baimeng!”

And there’s the White Silver Alliance as well!

You two!

“Got it?”

…

Since hitting Baimeng, I’ve even taken to browsing for women’s clothes on Taobao.

Though, truth be told, promising that was like saying, “Even if I can’t reach the heavens, what’s the harm in plucking a star?”

Yet somehow, it does get me a little excited.

Ladies’ wear is in the works!

And as for bonus updates, don’t worry – those who know me understand that Old Ghost loves extra chapters!

Now, I’d like to thank all my alliance leaders one by one.

This is exactly what I love:

Thank you, 【mmbnb挪亚方舟】!

【无为飘泊】 – this is the crowdfunded White Silver Alliance, so thank you to every major player who helped out with the campaign. Love you guys!

Thank you, 【mustlin】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【辣椒炒着好吃】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【桐棠】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【墨染星夜】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【穷人学生党】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【脱笼之殇】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【叶十茂学】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【likw】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【王诗叶】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【书友20210213221543311】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【猛九岁】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【莫易小坑】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【Ehemann】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【网名就是要这么长】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【江湖逆旅人】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【雪鹰13243324】 – massive thanks!

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Thank you, 【我的存在代表】 – massive thanks!

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Thank you, 【天天大魔王】 – clearly a little beauty, but you’re not being honest about it…

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Thank you, 【从天而降的小乌拉】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【吃饱打格】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【一个分身】 – massive thanks!

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Thank you, 【鹅是老五】 – massive thanks!

Thank you, 【横扫天涯】 – massive thanks!

I can’t believe I managed to list them all so quickly; I’m still wanting more – it would’ve been great to add even a few more names…

Also, being from Shandong, Old Ghost knows that mere words of thanks just aren’t enough.

So…

I’m off to work on the next chapter; I’ll post it soon!

And by the way, the monthly votes have shot into the top three, which is electrifying – I’m even planning to ask for more votes to celebrate!