After checking, the group didn’t find anything strange in the third-floor bathroom.

The library had five floors in total. The fourth floor was dedicated to electronic reading and multimedia, while the fifth floor served as the staff’s office area.

They headed up to the fourth floor and turned on the lights.

“What about the other ghosts?” Lin Jue asked. “I saw the teacher downstairs—I used a talisman to help her move on.”

Lin Zhushui paused in thought, stepped forward a few paces, and chose a relatively open space. Then, he took out the remaining items from the bag, one by one.

These were all objects they’d found inside the jars on the playground—belongings confirmed to have once belonged to the murdered students.

After placing the items on the ground, Lin Zhushui waved at Zhou Jiayu.

Zhou Jiayu stepped forward and walked to Lin Zhushui’s side. Suddenly, Lin Zhushui reached out and held Zhou Jiayu’s hand. Zhou Jiayu tensed up and was just about to ask something when he heard Lin Zhushui say softly, “I need a bit of your blood.”

Zhou Jiayu agreed, and then saw Lin Zhushui take out a very fine needle from who-knows-where and prick a small wound on his index finger.

A bead of blood welled up. Lin Zhushui dipped his fingertip into the blood and began drawing a talismanic array on the floor. Zhou Jiayu had seen him do this before, but Lin Zhushui’s fluid technique was still mesmerizing to watch. The formation looked complicated. Zhou Jiayu was initially worried that such a small amount of blood wouldn’t be enough, but Lin Zhushui completed the entire diagram effortlessly. The diluted blood appeared a pale orange, and as the final stroke was drawn, a sudden gust of wind blew in from outside the window. The windows banged loudly, and even the glass rattled as if something was trying to squeeze its way into the room from the depths of the night.

After the gust, strange noises began to echo through the quiet fourth floor of the library. The sounds seemed to be forced out from deep in someone’s throat. Zhou Jiayu felt like he had heard them before. Upon thinking more carefully, he realized they sounded about 70–80% like the creepy sound effects that played when female ghosts appeared in horror movies.

From the distant darkness, something began to slowly approach.

Zhou Jiayu was grateful this was real life and not a horror movie—at least there was no creepy background music. But just as he had that thought, something emerged from the shadows.

There were five vengeful spirits with grotesque expressions. Some were crawling, some standing, and some even clinging to the ceiling—but without exception, all were wearing the uniform of this school. There was no doubt: these were the students who had lost their lives.

Lin Zhushui sighed softly, a hint of compassion in his voice. He said, “It’s over. You may leave.” The moment his words fell, Zhou Jiayu heard the sound of a night watchman’s clapper echoing outside the window.

As soon as that sound rang out, Zhou Jiayu instantly remembered hearing it on that street when his soul had left his body—it was the same rhythm the underworld officers used to round up ghosts. What surprised him was that Lin Zhushui’s talismanic array could actually summon underworld officers directly.

The rhythm of the clapper was very distinctive. The five grotesque spirits seemed to be drawn to it and began to move toward the wall. But as their bodies neared it, something invisible blocked them from going any farther.

Lin Zhushui walked to the wall and now had five nails in his hand. Each was half the length of a palm, with a faint golden hue—oddly beautiful.

He gripped the nails and began driving them into the wall, one by one. Though the wall appeared solid, it yielded like tofu under his hand. All five nails went in smoothly. Then Lin Zhushui slapped the wall with force—

“ROAR!!” A piercing scream erupted through the library, sounding like a wounded beast. The ground began to shake violently, as if an earthquake had hit.

Zhou Jiayu was startled and saw that the wall where Lin Zhushui had driven in the nails was now oozing black-red blood.

Lin Zhushui said, “Go.”

The five vengeful spirits slowly phased through the wall and vanished beyond.

Zhou Jiayu turned and saw that the items Lin Zhushui had laid on the ground had turned to ash. It seemed these five fierce spirits had indeed been released from the library.

But if that was the case, what was that roar they had heard? And the tremors underfoot? As Zhou Jiayu pondered this, he suddenly noticed something odd about Li Jinjiang, who stood beside him. But Li Jinjiang was always afraid of supernatural things—his expression was never quite normal—so Zhou Jiayu didn’t think much of it and simply asked out of concern, “Are you okay, Li Jinjiang?”

Li Jinjiang opened his mouth and whispered something barely audible.

Zhou Jiayu asked, “What?” and stepped closer to hear. But just then, Li Jinjiang suddenly reached out and grabbed his arm tightly. Then he opened his mouth wide—

An endless stream of black hair poured out from inside, surging toward Zhou Jiayu. Caught off guard, Zhou Jiayu was instantly engulfed, wrapped into a bundle by the black strands.

It all happened in an instant. Zhou Jiayu didn’t even have time to cry for help before he felt his body being hoisted into the air, then abruptly dropped. The floor beneath him had collapsed—

“What the hell is this?” Zhou Jiayu forced himself to stay calm and called out to Ji Ba in his mind.

Ji Ba replied, “Something filthy…”

Zhou Jiayu: “…” Seriously, could he ever not say something useless?

“Alright, alright, I was joking.” Ji Ba still sounded utterly unfazed. “Don’t be scared. I’ve calculated your fate—you’ve got a long life ahead. You won’t die. You’ve got talismans on you, right? Just grab one and slap it on that thing if it tries anything funny.”

Zhou Jiayu: “…” Why did Ji Ba’s tone sound more and more like a gangster?

Being wrapped up in black hair wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience—especially with that slick texture, which brought up all kinds of disturbing associations.

Zhou Jiayu fell for about three or four seconds before something caught him, leaving him suspended in mid-air.

“Long time no see,” came a woman’s voice.

The hair covering Zhou Jiayu’s face fell away, and he saw a man and a woman. The man was tall, wearing a black hooded windbreaker and a mask that obscured his face. The woman was only slightly shorter, with light black hair cascading down her shoulders. She looked very pure—like the girl next door.

Zhou Jiayu felt like he had heard this voice before but couldn’t quite place it. Ji Ba had to remind him: “You forgot? Xu Jinghuo! The one who kept calling to harass you!”

Only then did Zhou Jiayu remember, and the first thing out of his mouth completely ticked Xu Jinghuo off: “You still haven’t changed back?”

Xu Jinghuo’s expression twisted visibly. He stepped up to Zhou Jiayu, grabbed his chin, and sneered, “Whether I change back or not, what’s it to you? Zhou Jiayu, did you ever think you’d end up in my hands one day?”

Zhou Jiayu answered honestly, “Nope.”

While speaking to Xu Jinghuo, Zhou Jiayu kept observing his surroundings out of the corner of his eye. He realized he was in an enclosed space, its walls seemingly made of the same hair that was wrapped around him. These strands of hair blocked out the outside world, making it impossible for him to tell where he was.

“Hmph, Lin Zhushui—so much for all the fuss,” Xu Jinghuo said with disdain. “He protected you for so long, and now we’ve still got you in our hands.”

Zhou Jiayu noticed he said “we” and not “I”. That confirmed the man behind him was Xu Jinghuo’s accomplice.

“What exactly are you trying to do?” Zhou Jiayu asked. “You’ve already killed so many people—”

“Shut up!” Xu Jinghuo snapped, suddenly flustered and furious. “What right do you have to speak? Say another word, and I’ll seal your consciousness and turn you into an idiot!”

Zhou Jiayu didn’t respond. Honestly, Xu Jinghuo wasn’t very intimidating—neither in appearance nor in voice. Zhou Jiayu even noticed that when Xu Jinghuo was threatening him while grabbing his chin, he had to tiptoe slightly to do so… Of course, these were things Zhou Jiayu would never dare say out loud, or Xu Jinghuo would surely fly into a rage.

Xu Jinghuo pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Zhou Jiayu thought he was calling his accomplice, but to his surprise, a moment later, Lin Zhushui’s voice came through the receiver.

“Hello.” Lin Zhushui’s tone was calm, as if Zhou Jiayu’s capture hadn’t caused him even the slightest ripple of emotion.

Xu Jinghuo said, “Lin Zhushui!”

Lin Zhushui said nothing.

Xu Jinghuo went on, “Zhou Jiayu’s in my hands. Change me back—right now—or I’ll kill him!”

Lin Zhushui’s voice was still cool, but carried an unmistakable hint of threat: “If I were you, I wouldn’t touch him.”

Xu Jinghuo sneered. “That depends on my mood.”

“Let me speak to him,” Lin Zhushui said.

Xu Jinghuo turned on speakerphone and held it up to Zhou Jiayu’s mouth.

Lin Zhushui asked, “Are you hurt?”

Zhou Jiayu said, “No, sir. I’m fine…” Other than being wrapped up like a cocoon, there wasn’t much wrong.

“Good,” Lin Zhushui replied. “Wait for me. I’ll come get you as soon as I finish up here.”

Zhou Jiayu said, “Okay.”

Xu Jinghuo flew into a rage. “Lin Zhushui, do you think Zhou Jiayu’s some kind of preschooler?! You’re coming to ‘pick him up’? He’s about to be killed by me—”

Lin Zhushui chuckled coldly. “Would you really do it?”

Xu Jinghuo’s pupils contracted.

“Think carefully, Xu Jinghuo,” Lin Zhushui said. Then, his tone softened clearly as he spoke to Zhou Jiayu: “Don’t be afraid. I’ll be there very soon.”

At that, Xu Jinghuo hurled the phone to the ground in fury.

The man behind him, who had remained silent the whole time, finally spoke. His voice was low and muffled: “Let’s go. We won’t be able to stop him.”

Xu Jinghuo snapped impatiently, “So we just came here for nothing?”

“Nothing?” the man said. “We never came here for Lin Zhushui in the first place. You’re the one who insisted on stirring up more trouble.” There was a note of displeasure in his voice.

“I stirred up trouble? What, am I supposed to stay like this for the rest of my life?” Xu Jinghuo shouted, clearly agitated.

Zhou Jiayu hadn’t expected to witness them bickering. He still didn’t know what Lin Zhushui had done to Xu Jinghuo, but whatever it was, it had apparently prevented him from reverting to his original form.

The man with the mask said, “Then what do you want to do?”

Xu Jinghuo turned to glare at Zhou Jiayu with malice, and sneered, “Even if I can’t kill you, I’ll make sure you suffer.” With that, he flicked out a worm as thick as a finger and forced it into Zhou Jiayu’s mouth, prying his jaw open.

Zhou Jiayu nearly gagged in disgust. After forcing him to swallow the worm, Xu Jinghuo let the black hair lower him to the ground.

Zhou Jiayu collapsed to the floor, retching violently. He looked up and saw Xu Jinghuo and the masked man heading for the exit. At some point, the man had brought out a wheelchair, and resting on it was something wrapped in cloth. From the shape and glimpses through the fabric, Zhou Jiayu could vaguely tell… it looked like a skeleton. But the proportions were strange—much larger than a human’s.

Zhou Jiayu’s body was stiff, unable to move. He could only lie there, watching helplessly as the two men walked away. As they left, the black hair around him gradually receded, revealing a rundown basement. There were several tables and chairs inside, and the two men had reached the exit, already opening the door. In the next second, they’d be gone.

Zhou Jiayu cried out in panic. He saw Xu Jinghuo place his hand on the doorknob and pull it back—

BOOM!

With a deafening roar, cyan flames surged in through the doorway and instantly engulfed Xu Jinghuo and the masked man, filling the entire basement.

Zhou Jiayu was stunned, his eyes wide with shock. His first thought was that he was going to be burned alive too—but when the fire neared him, he felt no pain at all. On the contrary, a warm and comforting sensation washed over him.

“Xu Jinghuo,” came Lin Zhushui’s voice from the door, “where do you think you’re going?”

Both Xu Jinghuo and the masked man collapsed to the floor, seemingly unable to control their bodies. Xu Jinghuo gritted his teeth and growled, “Lin Zhushui! How the hell did you get here so fast?!”

Lin Zhushui didn’t answer. He stood calmly amidst the flames like a phoenix reborn, walking slowly toward Xu Jinghuo. “Didn’t I already tell you not to touch Zhou Jiayu?”

Xu Jinghuo said nothing, but his face twisted in pain. The fire that had felt warm to Zhou Jiayu seemed to be pure agony for him.

He tried to speak, but just as the word “you” left his lips, Lin Zhushui kicked him hard in the shoulder, sending him staggering backward before stomping on his back.

Lin Zhushui’s tone remained calm, but the killing intent within it made Xu Jinghuo tremble uncontrollably. He heard Lin Zhushui say, “Tell me, Xu Jinghuo—what if I just killed both of you right here?”

As soon as those words fell, the masked man beside Xu Jinghuo began coughing violently, the sound growing louder, as if something were tightening around his throat.

Xu Jinghuo looked like he was about to pass out. He rasped, “Y-you can’t kill me…”

“Oh?” Lin Zhushui said coldly. “Why not?”

“If I die, Zhou Jiayu will… die too…”

At those words, Lin Zhushui suddenly laughed. The smile was as brilliant as spring flowers, but it made Xu Jinghuo’s heart freeze over bit by bit. Because Lin Zhushui said, “With your meager skill in curses, you dare try such tricks in front of me?”

Lin Zhushui had always been restrained in demeanor. Zhou Jiayu rarely saw him this proud—but even so, it didn’t come off as arrogant. Zhou Jiayu’s heart pounded wildly, and he even began to wonder whether this intense reaction of his was caused by the worm Xu Jinghuo had forced down his throat.

Xu Jinghuo’s face turned ashen. He had no more words. The overwhelming strength Lin Zhushui displayed shattered his confidence. In that moment, he finally realized—they were not on the same level at all.

“But,” Lin Zhushui said, “I can spare your life today.”

Xu Jinghuo’s eyes lit up.

Lin Zhushui continued, “Just tell me who’s behind you.”

The light in Xu Jinghuo’s eyes dimmed instantly, as if all desire to survive had vanished. His lips pressed tightly together, and resistance radiated from his entire body.

But the man lying on the ground beside him suddenly began to plead, “I—I’ll talk!”

Xu Jinghuo snapped, “Traitor—”

The man paid him no mind. “I’ll talk, just let me live!”

Lin Zhushui said, “Go on.”

The man said, “His name is…” His lips formed the first syllable, but the sound caught in his throat. A torrent of bright red blood gushed from his mouth.

“Ugh—” The man looked completely shocked, as if he hadn’t expected this at all. He vomited blood in great mouthfuls, and within moments, his breathing weakened.

Xu Jinghuo, lying beside him, sneered coldly at Lin Zhushui. “See that? That’s what happens to traitors.”

Lin Zhushui replied flatly, “I didn’t see anything.”

Xu Jinghuo: “…” He hadn’t expected Lin Zhushui to be picking at semantics at a time like this—he nearly passed out from anger.

Just then, footsteps sounded from outside the room. Lin Jue and Shen Yiqiong arrived, panting. When they saw Xu Jinghuo, surprise flashed across both their faces.

“These are the masterminds?” Lin Jue asked bluntly. “Why is one already dead?”

Lin Zhushui answered coolly, “Mm.”

Shen Yiqiong noticed Zhou Jiayu’s condition and said with concern, “Jiayu, are you okay?”

Zhou Jiayu thought, Do I look okay to you? But of course, he couldn’t say that aloud—he could only glare in silence.

Shen Yiqiong said, “Don’t be scared.” He hurried over, squatted down, and helped Zhou Jiayu up. After glancing around, he spotted a wheelchair by the door and said happily, “Hey, there’s a wheelchair! Hold on, I’ll bring it over.”

He ran over with loud, heavy footsteps. Seeing the white cloth covering something on the wheelchair, Shen Yiqiong didn’t think much of it and casually pulled the cloth aside—only to jump back in fright when he saw the skeletal remains beneath it. “There’s a skeleton here!” At first glance, he assumed it was human, but after a closer look, he was shocked to find the lower half of the body wasn’t legs—it resembled a fish’s tail.

“This…” Shen Yiqiong gasped, “This isn’t a human skeleton!”

Lying on the ground, Xu Jinghuo sneered, “Of course it isn’t human. You really are ignorant—” He looked smug, clearly ready to launch into a long-winded explanation.

But Shen Yiqiong just bowed to the skeleton and said, “Sorry to disturb you, senior,” then gently set the bones aside and happily pushed the wheelchair over to help Zhou Jiayu.

Xu Jinghuo looked like he was about to explode from rage. “You—you know what you just did?! Do you know how valuable that skeleton is?!”

The upper body of the skeleton resembled a human, but the lower half was a fish’s tail. It also had a spiral horn on its head—strongly resembling the legendary merfolk.

“I didn’t expect something like this to really exist in the world.” Lin Jue stood by, studying it. “Is this what you were after all along?” She paused, looking surprised. “Could the legend be true? That eating merfolk flesh can raise the dead and grant immortality?”

Xu Jinghuo fell silent, his expression clearly showing resistance to the topic.

Lin Zhushui slowly walked up to the skeleton.

Xu Jinghuo glared at him. “What are you doing? You’re not seriously thinking of—” Before he could finish his sentence, he watched in horror as blue flames burst from the skeleton, signifying extremely high temperatures. Though the skeleton held up at first, it was only a matter of time before it was reduced to ash.

“Stop!! Lin Zhushui!!” Xu Jinghuo screamed, struggling violently.

Though Lin Zhushui’s eyes were still closed, Xu Jinghuo had the overwhelming feeling of being coldly looked down upon. He yelled like a madman, “Lin Zhushui, that’s a merfolk’s skeleton! The cycle is already complete—we just needed a few more days—” They hadn’t actually needed Zhou Jiayu’s blood. He’d just used that as bait to lure them into a trap and wipe them out in one go. Who could have guessed Lin Zhushui’s power was so overwhelming, leaving him no chance to escape.

Xu Jinghuo had thought they were the ones being tricked—but now, looking back, they must have known he wasn’t Li Jinjiang from the beginning. They’d been acting the whole time, putting on a show just for him. And they were all such good actors—not a single slip.

Lin Zhushui said nothing. The merfolk’s bones began to carbonize. Meanwhile, Zhou Jiayu, still lying on the ground, once again heard that beast-like roar—it was much clearer this time, and he could tell it was coming from the skeleton itself.

Had they really managed to revive the merfolk, and were just one step away? Zhou Jiayu was shocked. But judging by everyone else’s expressions, no one else seemed to hear the roar.

Shen Yiqiong helped him into the wheelchair and pushed him to the doorway. “Zhou Jiayu, did he bully you? Want to get back at him?”

Zhou Jiayu couldn’t speak or move.

Shen Yiqiong said, “If yes, blink up and down.”

Zhou Jiayu blinked up and down.

Shen Yiqiong cracked his knuckles. “Okay, how about I push you right over him with the wheelchair? Let’s teach him a lesson!”

Zhou Jiayu: “…” Shen Yiqiong, you little gremlin, you’ve got ideas.

Xu Jinghuo watched helplessly as the merfolk he’d worked so hard for turned to ashes. Then he heard Shen Yiqiong’s words and was so furious that he began to tremble all over. His eyes rolled back—and he actually fainted on the spot.

Shen Yiqiong jumped. “I was just messing with him! Why’d he pass out?”

A trace of helplessness crossed Lin Zhushui’s expression. He beckoned to Shen Yiqiong, “Come here.”

Shen Yiqiong pushed Zhou Jiayu to stand before Lin Zhushui.

Lin Zhushui squatted down and said to Zhou Jiayu, “I’m going to force the parasite out of your body. It may hurt a little—bear with it.”

Zhou Jiayu blinked up and down to signal he was fine with it.

---

Author’s note:

Lin Zhushui: This’ll hurt. Endure it.

Zhou Jiayu (nodding enthusiastically)

Thirty minutes later
Zhou Jiayu, face flushed: Mm… ah… sir, your technique is incredible.

Lin Jue: How do even your exorcisms sound like foreplay???