Translator: CinderTL
Seeing Fatty's face turn pale, Jiang Cheng said, "Don't be too pessimistic. From our recent encounters, we've learned some things."
"The Ghost only has a limited amount of time each time it searches for someone," he explained. "The hourglass is the timer. I've roughly calculated that each search lasts about half an hour, no more than 40 minutes at most."
"Also, the higher the floor, the faster the sand flows through the hourglass. On this 4th Floor..." Jiang Cheng glanced at the hourglass and added after a moment, "I don't think it'll last more than 20 minutes."
"So our priority now is to distract the Ghost," Huai Yi said, understanding Jiang Cheng's meaning. "If we can survive the next 20 minutes, we'll be safe."
"Anyone want to volunteer to flip the hourglass?" Wang Qi asked, turning his head.
Seeing no one respond, Wang Qi stepped forward alone and inverted the hourglass. A chilling, eerie aura immediately enveloped the 4th Floor of the library.
Without hesitation, everyone turned and fled deeper into the library.
But this time, they didn't split up.
Jiang Cheng stopped at a spot surrounded by dense bookshelves, which didn't seem like a lending area but rather a place for storing books.
"Stop running," Jiang Cheng said, glancing around. "Let's stay here."
With that, he instructed everyone to scatter the flour Fatty was carrying around the area, especially at intersections and the junctions between bookshelves. If the Burnt Ghost came looking for them, these were the places it couldn't avoid.
Just as they were finishing their preparations, Jiang Cheng interrupted them. "That's enough. The Ghost will be here soon. Everyone find your hiding spots and spread out."
Jiang Cheng didn't participate in the preparations, instead calculating the time.
The moment he finished speaking, Gao Yan vanished, presumably having already found a hiding place. Wang Qi turned and headed in another direction. Huai Yi and Fatty also found their own spots, not too far apart from each other.
After confirming Fatty and Huai Yi's positions, Jiang Cheng was about to turn and head to his own chosen spot when he noticed Shen Mengyun standing behind him.
"Why aren't you hiding?" Jiang Cheng asked in a low voice.
"Mr. Jiang, I want to hide near you," Shen Mengyun replied. Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she quickly added, "I won't slow you down, Mr. Jiang. I mean no harm. If the Ghost finds us, don't worry about me. I can stay behind and buy you time."
"What the hell kind of nonsense is this?" Jiang Cheng thought to himself.
As the unease in his heart grew stronger, Jiang Cheng knew he couldn't delay any longer. The Ghost must be nearby.
He gestured for Shen Mengyun to be silent, then helped her hide under a table near his hiding spot.
He instructed her to stay put unless absolutely necessary. Because visibility was poor under the table, he told her to keep an eye on her phone for messages. He would notify her if anything happened.
"Mr. Jiang, please be careful," Shen Mengyun said, tugging at his arm.
"Don't worry," Jiang Cheng replied.
He turned and immediately retreated to his chosen hiding place: an unremarkable bookshelf tucked away in a corner, almost invisible. He concealed himself behind it.
He'd chosen this spot not just for its concealment but also for its good visibility. From his vantage point, he could monitor several key locations nearby. More importantly, he didn't have to worry about the Ghost attacking from behind.
However, this position was also a "dead ground" in military terms. Once the Ghost pinpointed his location, he would have little room to maneuver.
Time ticked by. Looking up, Jiang Cheng saw an hourglass perched on the edge of the bookshelf where he was hiding. The sand had already drained by a third.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a message from Wang Qi. The message was brief and to the point, containing only two words: "It's here."
Upon reading the message, Jiang Cheng immediately glanced to his left.
That area was more complex, filled with bookshelves stacked with historical texts, along with movable ladders, tables, and chairs. Wang Qi was hiding somewhere within that maze of shelves.
Bang!
The sudden noise shattered the silence, startling Jiang Cheng, who hadn't been prepared for it.
The sound came from Wang Qi's hiding spot.
It sounded like a small, hard object had been thrown out. The object then skidded across the floor for a moment.
Frowning slightly, Jiang Cheng realized what it was.
A phone.
Wang Qi had thrown his phone away.
The situation likely unfolded like this: Wang Qi sensed the Ghost nearby and threw his phone to create a distraction, buying himself time to escape.
But... how long had it been since the Ghost appeared?
Someone like Wang Qi had already been targeted by the Ghost, forced to abandon his phone to save his life.
Before he could fully process this, another message arrived.
But when Jiang Cheng saw the sender, he paused.
It was Wang Qi again.
"The Ghost is gone. I've figured out how to deal with it. Where are you? I'll come find you."
This wasn't Wang Qi's usual tone, and their friendship wasn't close enough for him to speak like this. Jiang Cheng didn't need to think twice to understand what was happening.
The Ghost had found Wang Qi's phone and was using his identity to lure him into a trap.
After a moment's consideration, Jiang Cheng replied, "It's not safe here either. Find a secure location, and I'll come to you."
"Just come here directly. I'm in the Historical Section, behind the third-to-last bookshelf." The message ended with a friendly warning: "Be careful on your way. The Ghost hasn't gone far."
"Go screw yourself," Jiang Cheng thought, but his reply on the phone was a sympathetic, "You too."
Putting away his phone, Jiang Cheng silently calculated the time.
If he stalled a little longer, the mission would almost be over.
But before thirty seconds had passed, another message arrived from the Ghost, using Wang Qi's phone: "Where are you? Why haven't I seen you yet?"
Even through the screen, Jiang Cheng could sense the Ghost's desperate longing for him.
"I'm almost there. Ran into a bit of trouble on the way. I think I saw a Ghost and I'm hiding. Just wait for me a moment," Jiang Cheng typed furiously.
But before he could figure out how to continue stalling the Ghost, less than ten seconds later, he received another message.
It was still from Wang Qi's phone.
This time, it was a multimedia message.
When he opened it, he found a photo.
The image was blurry, taken in what must have been dim lighting without a flash. As Jiang Cheng leaned closer to get a better look, his expression abruptly changed.
The photo showed several large, black bookshelves, towering and imposing. The one on the far right, set back against the wall, looked increasingly familiar. It was the very bookshelf he was currently hiding behind!
"Where are you?" Another text arrived, the familiar tone and sender: "Wang Qi." "I'm coming to find you."
(End of the Chapter)