Ningmeng Busuan guessed the Doctor had found a way to survive, so the ghost wanted to avoid him. But she soon realized the ghost's evasion was excessive. The ghost hadn't just dropped Wenqin Tan Jiu; its running posture had become much more conventional. It no longer used its frightening short-range teleportation. Instead, it sprinted like an exam candidate, swinging its arms and dashing madly down the road.

Yes, it definitely looked like it was fleeing.

The ghost was running along the path they were photographing, so Ningmeng Busuan could clearly see its movements. It was moving fast, already halfway through the second photo's frame. They couldn't see Gu Mian in the photos; they could only look ahead, hoping to catch a glimpse of his back. But they saw nothing. Gu Mian had long since sped away on his bicycle.

When they took the third photo, the ghost had blocked the lens, so the image was initially pitch black. Now that the ghost had moved, they could see the scene in the third photo. By then, the ghost had already dashed into the third photo.

Wenqin Tan Jiu, having narrowly escaped death, watched the ghost's frantic escape and furrowed his brow. "Is there something off about this ghost?" His face still bore abrasions from being dragged by the ghost moments before, but he paid them no mind, his attention entirely on the photos.

"I think so too…" Ningmeng Busuan said hesitantly. "This ghost didn't seem to run this hard when it was chasing us, did it? Even if the Doctor found a way to survive, a method to counter the ghost, it wouldn't run like this, would it? It's as if it'll die if it doesn't run fast enough."

They had never seen a ghost flee so shamelessly. It was quite an eye-opener. The ghost's frantic escape somewhat mirrored their own earlier desperation.

"Players can't kill ghosts, and neither can a way to survive," Wenqin Tan Jiu said, his expression growing more puzzled as he watched the ghost race into the middle of the third photo. "Why do I get the feeling this ghost seems a little scared?"

Ningmeng Busuan nodded. "I feel it too…"

Hao Laoshi, who had been sitting nearby, stood up and approached them. "It's more than a little scared. It looks terrified to me."

Both Ningmeng Busuan and Wenqin Tan Jiu looked at the approaching Hao Laoshi.

Ningmeng Busuan remembered Hao Laoshi's strange behavior earlier. She frowned and asked, "As soon as you saw the Doctor, you pointed out the ghost's direction to him, as if you knew he'd found a way to counter it."

Hao Laoshi knew there was no such "method to counter ghosts." The ghost was fleeing purely because of Gu Mian. But he couldn't expose Gu Mian's identity, so he said nervously, "I saw him approaching so aggressively, I could tell at a glance he knew the solution to this instance."

Ningmeng Busuan was skeptical of Hao Laoshi's explanation. She turned to the player named Meiren Chu beside her. Meiren Chu came with the Doctor on a bicycle; he must know what way to survive the Doctor found.

Ningmeng Busuan asked, "What's the way to survive you found that scares the ghost so much?"

Of course, Chu Changge couldn't say they had no way to counter the ghost, and that the ghost was scared because Gu Mian had a chainsaw in his guitar case. He pushed up his glasses and remained silent.

Hao Laoshi warily edged away from Chu Changge, afraid the man might suddenly snap and start throwing him around.

Seeing Chu Changge's silence, Ningmeng Busuan didn't press further. Anyway, they've found a way to survive now; they can leave this instance safely.

Wenqin Tan Jiu, standing nearby, was still worried. "This ghost is too abnormal. It's very cunning. I think it might be pretending to be weak, trying to lull us into letting our guard down before killing us."

That was a possibility. These ghosts always liked to toy with players, appearing suddenly to kill them just when they thought they were safe.

"You're right. This ghost is indeed a bit abnormal," Ningmeng Busuan said, her eyes fixed on the ghost in the third photo. "The ghosts I've seen don't flee like this. It's indeed possible it's toying with us. I think we should stay prepared to run."

She sighed. Is the ghost playing games with them? Making them think they've found a way to survive, only to ambush and kill them? She thought of Yu Ji and Su Lian, who had died before her eyes, and then of Jin Ye Bai's horrific corpse. Ningmeng Busuan knew this ghost was strong and cunning. She began to worry about the Doctor's safety. The photos only showed the ghost's form; they didn't know where the Doctor was.

Just then, Wenqin Tan Jiu, looking at the photo, suddenly exclaimed, "Look, it stopped!"

Ningmeng Busuan immediately looked down at the photo. The ghost, which had been sprinting, was indeed still. It had curled itself into a ball, squatting beside the roadside shrubs.

"An ambush! It's an ambush!" Wenqin Tan Jiu shouted. "It wants to ambush the Doctor!"

Hao Laoshi also looked at the ghost huddled by the greenery. He felt Wenqin Tan Jiu was overthinking it. The ghost might just be trying to hide. After all, ghosts are invisible. If it stayed quiet and hidden in a corner, Gu Mian would have a hard time finding it.

Ningmeng Busuan was also worried. "So, it was all an act before...?"

Meanwhile, Gu Mian, still cycling, also noticed the silence ahead. Have the ghost's footsteps disappeared? Did it float away?

Gu Mian stopped his bicycle and looked down at the Big Data Search in his hand. The screen was still crowded with arrows, but this time, none were moving significantly, making it impossible to determine which one was the ghost in this instance.

I should have known better than to search for such a broad term as 'ghost,' Gu Mian thought, dismounting. He had initially wanted to search for "Photo ghost," but considering it might not be named that, and a wrong search couldn't be quickly redone, he had opted for the safer term "ghost." He hadn't expected so many arrows to appear.

Since there are no arrows indicating large movements, it hasn't floated or flown away. It must be hiding nearby, Gu Mian pondered. But he couldn't see the ghost. The brother figure provided by the Goddess should be able to pinpoint the ghost's location, but the disc needed to summon him was currently with Chu Changge, so Gu Mian couldn't call upon him.

But that's okay. If the ghost doesn't move, I can. When I move, these arrows will also move. The arrow closest to me must be the one that moves the most, Gu Mian thought, then took several steps forward.

He noticed that as he moved, an arrow on the left side of the screen shifted significantly. He stepped back to his original spot, and the arrow returned to its previous position. Gu Mian moved back and forth a few more times to confirm: the arrow on the left was indeed the closest one to him.

He turned in that direction and pulled out a camera. It was Fatty's special item. It could photograph invisible ghosts, but it could only be used once a day.

Gu Mian held the camera, a sinister smile spreading across his face as he aimed it in that direction and pressed the shutter.