Translator: CinderTL
"The security personnel cleaned up the mess and put everything back on the shelves," Shen Mengyun said thoughtfully. After a few seconds, she looked up and added, "It seems our initial guess was correct. The school isn't completely unaware of what's happening. The people who cleaned up the scene earlier must have been the security team. Otherwise, they wouldn't have reacted so nervously to the scattered items from the bag."
It was clear that the person on the other end of the security guard's phone call was a high-ranking school official.
"What about the person who broke the mirror and stopped the ritual?" Fatty pressed. "Was that them too?"
"Unlikely," Wang Qi said, squinting.
After a few more exchanges, Jiang Cheng's phone rang. It was Professor Wu, asking about Gao Yan's condition and whether he had encountered any trouble.
Jiang Cheng assured him that everything was under control thanks to the professor's arrangements and the senior sister's care. Gao Yan was fine and would be able to attend class later.
Professor Wu seemed busy, his surroundings noisy and chaotic, like a laboratory or similar place. Someone was speaking loudly nearby.
The professor told Jiang Cheng to come to his office if there was nothing else.
Seeing Jiang Cheng and the others about to leave, Gao Yan immediately sat up in bed. After what had just happened, he dared not stay alone.
Who knew if that ghost would come looking for him again?
Jiang Cheng turned to find Senior Sister. Initially, she had opposed the idea, arguing that Gao Yan should stay for further observation. But Jiang Cheng feigned concern about the security department causing trouble, emphasizing that he didn't want to involve her.
After considering it, Senior Sister relented, but warned him to prevent the patient from strenuous activity and to remember to come back later for his injection.
Jiang Cheng readily agreed, then casually pulled out his phone and got Senior Sister's number.
When Professor Wu saw Gao Yan with his head bandaged, he merely shook his head and said nothing more.
Professor Wu was busy preparing for an academic conference, so Jiang Cheng and the others continued helping him with miscellaneous tasks in the office.
Jiang Cheng even used the professor's computer to fill out a form to complete his identity verification for the school's records.
Midway through, the female teacher who had brought them earlier returned, urging Jiang Cheng and the others to attend class. Jiang Cheng made up an excuse to avoid it, but Wang Qi, Gao Yan, and Shen Mengyun's excuses were far less convincing. The teacher forcibly dragged them away, marching them straight to the classroom.
She even made them sit in the front row, leaving them no chance to escape.
Gao Yan vaguely heard the students in the back row whispering about the bandage on his head, remarking that the bandaging technique was quite artistic, likely done by the School of Medicine interns.
"Brother Jiang," Huai Yi said, setting down his work and lowering his voice, "can we trust what Gao Yan said?"
Jiang Cheng, who had been casually typing on his keyboard, paused at the question. After a moment, he nodded. "It's probably true. He nearly lost his life; he wouldn't dare lie to us."
Based on their previous experiences, Jiang Cheng had concluded that Gao Yan, the old fox, had finally realized he couldn't survive this mission alone.
"Doctor, what should we do now?" Fatty asked, holding a rag in his left hand and a basin of water at his feet.
He had scrubbed the glass on the gate until it gleamed like new. Passing teachers praised his diligence and asked which class he was in.
"Let's wait for them to finish class, then go to the library together," Huai Yi suggested, recalling Jiang Cheng's similar words to Gao Yan earlier.
Jiang Cheng shook his head. "We don't have time. By the time they're dismissed, it'll be nearly dark again."
Huai Yi and Fatty exchanged uneasy glances. Yesterday and the day before had been the same—they hadn't been given any time to explore the school.
As the mission progressed, the daylight hours gradually shortened.
"I'll go myself. Be careful," Jiang Cheng said, standing up. Although the slip of paper with the code wasn't in his hand, he had memorized it after a single glance.
He found a piece of paper and wrote down the code from memory, then copied it onto another slip and handed it to Huai Yi. "Keep this safe."
"Doctor, let me come with you," Fatty said, blocking the doorway. The library was one of the Urban Legends locations, and judging by its special status, the danger was obvious.
"Brother Jiang, take Brother Fugui with you. I'll stay here," Huai Yi said.
Jiang Cheng turned to look at him.
"Don't worry, I can handle things here," Huai Yi nodded.
Perhaps it was the urgency of the situation, or perhaps Huai Yi's earnest gaze gave Jiang Cheng confidence. Whatever the reason, Jiang Cheng agreed. "Be careful."
"Don't worry."
Without further hesitation, Jiang Cheng opened the door and, with Fatty in tow, headed straight for the library.
Just as Jiang Cheng had predicted, there was an unexpected detour along the way.
As they passed the last gate in the corridor, it suddenly swung open. A man resembling a professor emerged and demanded that Jiang Cheng and Fatty help him move materials. Without even glancing at him, the pair bolted away.
The professor, enraged and humiliated, chased after them for a considerable distance before giving up, realizing he couldn't even catch the Fatty.
"Doctor, that professor was terrifying! He chased us over 200 meters in just slippers!" Fatty kept glancing back nervously as they walked down a narrow path, still shaken by the ordeal.
Jiang Cheng's chest rose and fell slightly as he glanced at Fatty beside him. "Indeed," he replied.
The situation was now clear: this suddenly appearing professor was another condition restricting their progress, though it seemed to be one they could evade.
Yet, more than the professor, Jiang Cheng was focused on Fatty. It wasn't just Wang Qi's comment about Fatty being "likeable."
During their escape from the fourth floor to the first, followed by the 200-meter chase, Fatty's sausage-like legs had propelled him faster than Jiang Cheng himself.
This couldn't be explained away with a simple "he's agile."
"Doctor," Fatty said, suddenly feeling uneasy under Jiang Cheng's gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Nothing," Jiang Cheng replied, averting his eyes.
Fatty let out a relieved sigh, as if a weight had lifted from his chest. "Whew—"
"I think I just saw the face of the professor who's been chasing us behind you," Jiang Cheng said calmly, his eyes fixed ahead. "But don't worry too much. I might have just imagined it."
Fatty went pale at the news, begging the Doctor to examine him again. "If that professor really is clinging to my back or something, can you think of a way to get him off? You're full of tricks—you must have some ideas!"
Though it was broad daylight, most students seemed to be in class, leaving the campus unusually deserted.
Before long, they reached the library's entrance.
Compared to the other buildings on campus, the library appeared significantly older.
Its exterior walls were constructed from weathered red bricks, their aged texture immediately conveying a sense of history. Closer inspection revealed fine cracks in the shaded areas of the walls.
This matched Jiang Cheng's mental image of a library where supernatural events might occur perfectly.
(End of the Chapter)
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