"I thought this haunted house was supposed to be one of the amusement park's biggest attractions, but I guess that's all it is," Jang muttered, walking ahead of the others. She glanced around at the fake cobwebs, skeletal props, and eerie decorations but quickly lost interest. "These props are pretty lame."
Suddenly, a rapid series of footsteps echoed through the hallway, followed by a shadow darting toward them. Out of the dimly lit corridor emerged a Ching Dynasty zombie, dressed in traditional attire, its face pale with dark circles under its eyes.
"A zombie! It's coming right at us! Be careful!" Lingy Luo shouted, instinctively taking a step back.
Guo Defat squinted at the approaching figure and frowned. "Wait a minute… why is this zombie walking? Shouldn't it be hopping around like the ones in the old horror movies?"
Hearing this, Black Tiger, who was playing the role of the zombie, cursed inwardly. He had been so focused on getting close to Yango that he completely forgot to maintain his act. Quickly, he adjusted his movements and started hopping instead.
Jang tilted her head. "Oh! Now that's more like it. Pretty realistic!"
Black Tiger gritted his teeth. His chance had come. Hidden in his sleeve was a small hammer—his weapon of choice for this ambush. He was planning to strike Yango's knee, shattering it in one swift move. That way, Lin Coen would get his wish, and Black Tiger could make his escape before anyone figured out what had happened.
However, hopping severely limited his mobility. In his attempt to lunge forward, he misjudged his landing and stepped on an uneven stone on the ground. His balance wavered, and the next thing he knew, he was soaring through the air before crashing face-first into the dirt.
CRACK!
The pain was excruciating. His teeth smacked against a nearby rock, and he felt something come loose in his mouth.
"Ugh…!" Black Tiger groaned, his fingers brushing against his lips. One of his incisors had fallen out.
"Ha! Look at this zombie! It's so stupid!" Jang scoffed. "Seriously, what kind of prop falls flat on its face like that? So fake!"
Hearing himself being mocked, Black Tiger's anger flared. He no longer cared about keeping up the act. Clenching his fists, he scrambled to his feet and charged straight at Yango.
But Yango had already been expecting an attack. Without hesitation, he reached to the side, somehow finding an iron pipe among the scattered haunted house props. Just as Black Tiger got close, Yango swung the pipe with full force.
THWACK!
The metal rod connected directly with the top of Black Tiger's head. A burst of pain shot through his skull, and he felt warm liquid trickling down his forehead. His vision swam, and stars danced in front of his eyes.
Guo Defat, standing nearby, saw an opportunity. He strolled up to the staggering zombie and, without warning, stomped down hard on its foot.
"AARGH!" Black Tiger howled, hopping around in pain while clutching his throbbing foot.
"Hah! This zombie's way more entertaining than those Bullhead and Horseface guys earlier!" Guo Defat laughed.
Lingy Luo tilted her head, watching the scene unfold. "He really does react like a real person when he's attacked. How advanced is this animatronic?"
Encouraged by Lingy Luo's amusement, Guo Defat got even bolder. He let out an excited whoop and chased after the zombie, stomping at its feet repeatedly.
Black Tiger nearly exploded with frustration. How the hell did this go so wrong?! He tried to escape, but the previous injuries slowed him down considerably. He could only hobble along pathetically as Guo Defat continued tormenting him.
"Hey! Drive the zombie toward me and Lingy Luo! We wanna have some fun too!" Jang called out.
"On it!" Guo Defat grinned before giving the zombie a hard kick on the backside.
Black Tiger stumbled forward, directly into Jang's waiting grasp. With an excited yell, Jang jumped onto his stomach, using him like a trampoline.
"Come on, Lingy Luo! Try it too!" Jang urged, bouncing gleefully on top of him.
"O-Okay…" Lingy Luo hesitated, but seeing how much fun Jang was having, she gave in and hopped up as well.
Though neither of them weighed much individually, the combined force of their jumping sent sharp jolts of pain through Black Tiger's already battered body. He felt his insides twist and his ribs groan under the pressure. I'm going to die at this rate!
Summoning every last ounce of his strength, he suddenly lunged upward and grabbed Lingy Luo by the neck, hoping to use her as a hostage.
"Aah!" Lingy Luo gasped, eyes widening in terror. "Help!"
Yango reacted instantly. He swung the iron pipe again, bringing it crashing down onto the back of Black Tiger's skull.
A dull thud echoed through the corridor.
Black Tiger's grip on Lingy Luo loosened as his entire body trembled. A moment later, he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.
Jang stared at the fallen zombie with wide eyes. "Uh… that didn't look fake at all."
Lingy Luo rubbed her neck, her fingers brushing against a faint red mark. "Yeah… if Yango hadn't been here, I would've been in real danger."
"Maybe the props were malfunctioning?" Guo Defat suggested. "You guys were stomping on it so much that something probably went wrong with its programming."
Yango ignored the speculation and glanced toward the exit. "Whatever it was, we're done here. Let's get out."
The group wasted no time. Leaving the haunted house behind, they stepped out into the sunlight. The eerie atmosphere was instantly replaced by the cheerful sounds of the amusement park.
"Whew! That was fun!" Jang stretched her arms over her head. "I could use a drink, though."
"Hey, there's a tea house up ahead!" Guo Defat pointed excitedly. "Let's grab something to drink and rest for a bit."
Jang rolled her eyes. "You just wanna eat something, don't you?"
"I-I didn't say that!" Guo Defat protested, but his guilty expression gave him away.
With a round of laughter, the group made their way toward the tea house, leaving behind the haunted house—and the unfortunate Black Tiger, who remained sprawled on the ground, battered and unconscious.