Translator: CinderTL
"After that incident, the school closed the fourth-floor lending desk and used old bookshelves and other materials to cordon off the area where the fire had occurred."
"But soon after, strange occurrences began to plague the library's fourth floor."
"First, students reported smelling a burnt odor while searching for materials."
"Then, some claimed to hear the sound of books being flipped through on a nearby bookshelf, but when they went to investigate, they found no one there."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng grew slightly impatient. So far, he had only heard vague, ambiguous information. What he needed now was concrete evidence. Otherwise, tonight's visit to the library could turn into a major disaster.
Yuan Xiaoyi seemed to realize she had been rambling, and said apologetically, "Senior, please don't mind my wordiness. What I'm trying to say is that someone saw him." Her voice suddenly changed as she spoke the final sentence.
Jiang Cheng looked up at Yuan Xiaoyi. "Someone saw him?"
"Yes, yes," Yuan Xiaoyi recalled. "This time, it was a newly arrived teacher. While searching for materials, she accidentally pulled a book from the shelf."
"You know the library bookshelves, right, Senior?" Yuan Xiaoyi explained, gesturing with her hands. "When you take a book down, it leaves a gap in the otherwise neat row."
"Through that gap, you can see behind the shelf."
"That female teacher... she saw someone. No, not someone. It was a very strange person."
These few sentences seemed illogical and contradictory, yet they perfectly fit the persona "Yuan Xiaoyi" had cultivated.
Combined with her uncanny acting skills, Jiang Cheng realized that only he could see through her. Anyone else would likely have been completely fooled.
"Xiaoyi," Jiang Cheng murmured softly, "Don't be afraid. I'm here."
"It was a very tall man, a man with golden hair," Yuan Xiaoyi emphasized. "The teacher was looking straight ahead and couldn't even see his shoulders."
"The man was facing away from her, separated only by the bookshelf. From his movements, he seemed to be searching for a book too."
"The man's attire was very strange. He wore a black robe with an odd texture. It didn't look like anything we'd wear. It was like something out of a foreign film."
The man searched for a while, apparently unable to find the book, and walked away. His movements were jerky and stiff, making his entire body appear uncoordinated.
The female teacher hid behind the bookshelf, holding her breath. She was certain no one like this belonged at the school.
In other words, the man was likely not human.
Through the gaps in the bookshelf, the teacher watched the man slowly walk away, disappearing into a place she had never seen before.
"It's the circulation desk," Yuan Xiaoyi whispered. "The burned-down circulation desk... it's back, right where it used to be."
The man entered through the Gate and then turned around, facing the teacher through the glass above the circulation desk. He sat down in the chair behind the counter.
Only then did the female teacher see the man's face for the first time.
It was a pitch-black face, covered in cracks.
His features were indistinguishable. His entire face had been burned by fire, resembling charred coal. The cracks crisscrossed his face, revealing the raw, reddish flesh beneath.
The man wore a black robe and a large, ostentatious silver cross hung around his neck.
The man wore a bronze cross on a chain around his neck, which glowed with an eerie light in the darkness.
It didn't feel like an ornament, but more like a weapon.
Fortunately, the man and the circulation desk soon vanished. Only then did the female teacher dare to move. After running down four floors, she realized that night had fallen outside.
Yuan Xiaoyi's story ended there, but the questions it raised lingered in Jiang Cheng's mind.
Through the black robe and the strange silver cross, Jiang Cheng confirmed the man's identity.
He was the former owner of the Folk Museum, which had once been the school library.
The foreign Exorcism Master from Curator Zhou's story.
If Yuan Xiaoyi's information was correct, then the man they were about to meet tonight in the library was none other than this figure.
"Did Xiaohui say how to find her?" Jiang Cheng asked. The library, like the abandoned sports field and the Medical Building, likely had its own set of taboos and rules.
Yuan Xiaoyi's eyes glazed over as if lost in memory. After a moment, she nodded hesitantly. "Xiaohui didn't give me many details. She just emphasized that we must pay close attention to the words on the library gate. That's where the clue lies."
"What time?"
"Midnight," Yuan Xiaoyi said. "Exactly at midnight, stand in front of the library's Gate. As for when it ends, Xiaohui didn't say."
Compared to the previous two clues, this one was pitifully sparse. Moreover, the Urban Legends surrounding the library filled Jiang Cheng with an ominous premonition.
Curator Zhou, the Senior Sister from the School Doctor's Office, and the Heart-Corroding Demon that had hijacked Yuan Xiaoyi's host personality—two humans and a ghost—each told Jiang Cheng a long and convoluted story.
To make matters worse, their accounts contradicted each other.
According to Curator Zhou, the Exorcism Master had died peacefully, as if falling asleep. But in Yuan Xiaoyi's story, the Exorcism Master was more likely killed in a great fire.
Before Jiang Cheng could delve deeper, his phone suddenly vibrated.
It was Fatty calling.
Jiang Cheng instinctively glanced outside the forest. Through the gaps in the leaves, he could see Fatty and the others. From their gestures, it seemed something unpleasant had occurred.
"Senior," Yuan Xiaoyi said, blinking. "Your friends seem to be arguing."
"Huu—" Jiang Cheng exhaled deeply, pursed his lips, and forced a bitter smile. "It must be about that again. Some of them are against helping you, saying it's too dangerous and not worth the risk."
Without giving Yuan Xiaoyi a chance to react, Jiang Cheng looked at her earnestly and continued, "Xiaoyi, take care of yourself while I'm gone. Don't make me worry."
"I... I know, Senior," Yuan Xiaoyi mumbled, her voice barely audible.
With that, Jiang Cheng turned and walked out of the woods.
As he emerged, he saw Fatty gesturing excitedly, Huai Yi standing beside him, and Gao Yan facing them. Shen Mengyun was caught between the two groups, speaking to both sides in an attempt to calm them down. It was clear she was trying to mediate and keep everyone from losing their temper.
Jiang Cheng didn't see Wang Qi anywhere. He wondered where he had gone.
"What's all the commotion about?" Jiang Cheng asked as he approached the group.
Fatty's expression brightened when he saw Jiang Cheng. Huai Yi quickly explained, "Brother Jiang, Gao Yan was trying to go in just now. He overheard you and Xiaoyi talking and insisted on forcing his way through even after Brother Fugui and I tried to stop him."
(End of the Chapter)
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