Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Cheng had already considered this, to be precise, the moment he learned Gao Yan was still alive.
Based on previous events, it was clear this Ghost would never allow anyone to take the notebook.
The Ghost's motive was easy to guess: it didn't want them piecing together the truth through these clues.
Now, another question loomed before them:
The identity of the Stalker Ghost.
Who exactly was it?
Why was it so relentlessly hunting the "missing" girls, refusing to let them go even when they hid within the Urban Legends?
For now, the Ghost didn't seem to want to harm them directly, as it still needed them to find the girls hidden in the other Urban Legends.
But one thing Jiang Cheng was certain of: if they allowed the Stalker Ghost to continue killing, their mission would inevitably fail.
"You guys think..." Fatty lowered his voice, his tone strange. "That old woman's granddaughter is really hiding inside the Urban Legends?"
Wang Qi glanced at him, then his gaze turned intrigued. "Why do you say that?"
Seeing the Doctor didn't object, Fatty's courage gradually grew. He organized his thoughts and continued, "It just feels weird. The old woman on the bus told us to find her granddaughter, said she went missing at Jiangtan University, and asked us to bring her back."
"Since we're supposed to bring her back, I think her granddaughter must be human—a real person who actually existed, someone we can interact with and touch."
"But the Xiaolin and Xiaoting we found later don't seem to fit the description."
Fatty stroked his chin, looking at the group. "I have a feeling that even if Xiaoting and Xiaolin survive, we won't be able to bring them out of the Urban Legends."
"They're different from us—I mean, they're different from everyone else in this world too. They're more like..."
Fatty trailed off, his expression suggesting he was searching for the right word.
"Like a phantom," Jiang Cheng suggested.
Fatty's eyes lit up. "Exactly! Exactly! A phantom—the kind you can see but can't touch." He couldn't help but marvel at how well the Doctor understood him.
Gao Yan slowly straightened up, stretching his injured body. The pain made his lips twitch occasionally, but his attention seemed entirely focused on Fatty's words. "What you're saying makes sense, but if none of the missing girls are the person we're looking for, then where is she?"
With the limited and fragmented information they had, it was impossible to effectively piece together the clues. Faced with such a question, they were clearly powerless to answer.
The group's discussion on the matter came to an end there.
Though it wasn't entirely fruitless, as it at least provided a new avenue of thought.
"What a pity," Huai Yi said, gazing out the window. "If we could get our hands on that notebook, we might find the answers we're looking for."
Shen Mengyun shook her head. "It's not that simple. We tried opening the notebook before, but the contents were completely illegible, as if they'd been soaked in water."
Hearing their conversation, Gao Yan, who was propped up in bed, spoke up, his expression shifting. His voice deepened as he said, "Though I didn't bring the notebook, I did find this."
He reached inside his shirt, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out a small slip of paper from a hidden pocket.
The slip was no larger than a third of a cigarette pack. A line of numbers and letters, connected by hyphens, was written on it in pen, resembling some kind of code.
"This fell out of the notebook," Gao Yan said mysteriously.
Fatty leaned in, careful not to touch the paper directly. He craned his neck from the bedside, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What is this thing?"
Shen Mengyun studied the code for a long time before hesitantly saying, "It looks like a library book code, but I'm not entirely sure."
Huai Yi, as if struck by a sudden realization, quickly said, "So, we can use this code to find the corresponding book in the library?"
"That should be the case," Shen Mengyun nodded.
The situation was becoming clearer: the contents of the notebook were likely connected to a specific book in the library.
"Library," Fatty immediately recalled an urban legend associated with the library.
"Do you guys remember? The notebook had a signature," Shen Mengyun said, her eyes flashing with excitement as she turned around.
"It was Xiaohui," Wang Qi suddenly spoke up. "Her corresponding urban legend is set in the library."
It all clicked into place.
The clues were converging, pointing to Xiaohui, one of the five missing girls.
"It seems we need to visit the library and find this book," Jiang Cheng said, his gaze fixed on Gao Yan. He didn't trust the old man one bit.
He was determined to bring Gao Yan to the library, even if he had to carry him there. Misery loves company.
Gao Yan seemed to understand Jiang Cheng's unspoken message. He sighed helplessly, "My injuries are nothing. If you're going, I'll accompany you anytime."
Jiang Cheng let out a long sigh, took Gao Yan's un-IV'd hand, and said with emotion, "Mr. Gao, what are you saying? If that's the case, then it's settled."
"Oh, right," Shen Mengyun interjected, turning to Gao Yan. "Do you remember that bag of stuff? We left in such a hurry that we didn't have time to pack it. Did the School Security Department notice it?"
At the mention of the bag, Gao Yan's face paled, and his voice dropped to a whisper, as if sharing a secret. "This school isn't as simple as it seems. The people in the School Security Department are suspicious too." He stared at the gate, as if afraid someone might be eavesdropping.
"When the ghost was chasing me, I really did lose consciousness. But by the time they found me, I was already half-awake," Gao Yan's breathing grew ragged. "I didn't know what was going on or who they were, so I pretended to remain unconscious, keeping my head down. They didn't notice."
"I vaguely remember them propping me up against the wall, my back against it. Then several people in security uniforms gathered around, arguing fiercely."
"And they were standing right next to that bag of stuff!" Gao Yan emphasized.
"There was one who seemed to be the leader. Midway through, he received a phone call. After answering, he apologized profusely and then launched into a long explanation—though I couldn't make out the specifics."
"I had just woken up then, and my head was still foggy. But after he hung up, I saw him immediately order the others to gather the things scattered on the floor, repack them into the bag, and then climb onto a chair to put the bag back on the shelf."
"Only after all that did they carry me to the infirmary," Gao Yan said, his expression odd as he looked around at the group.
(End of the Chapter)
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