Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Cheng reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out a photograph.
Of course, it wasn't the one Senior Sister had given him.
He had secretly taken it while she was distracted.
This photograph was special.
According to Senior Sister, it was taken at the scene where Yuan Xiaoyi had collapsed, and it was the last one taken among all the photos.
Yuan Xiaoyi had visited the warehouse many times, but during her final visit, not only was the mirror on the wall shattered, but the photo also captured the only instance of seven chairs gathered together.
However, what truly captivated Jiang Cheng was the chair lying on the ground near the shattered mirror.
If he remembered correctly, that chair should represent Yuan Xiaoyi's host personality.
But now, the chair lay on the ground, radiating a chilling aura through the photograph. It felt as if its soul had been drained.
Next to it stood an empty chair.
It was as if this empty chair had taken Yuan Xiaoyi's place.
A bold and spine-chilling speculation began to surface in Jiang Cheng's mind.
Was the Yuan Xiaoyi they interacted with every day—the fearful and timid girl—still the same person she once was? Or merely an empty shell, its soul stolen away?
And who might be hiding beneath that shell now? A completely unfamiliar face?
The words "Heart-Corroding Demon" suddenly flashed into Jiang Cheng's mind, striking a raw nerve. In that instant, everything seemed to fall into place.
Heart-Corroding Demon
The name didn't sound like a random choice. The words "Heart-Corroding" likely referred to the Ghost's unique ability, similar to how they had named the "Stalker Ghost" earlier.
The host personality of Yuan Xiaoyi had probably already been corroded away. The remaining derivative personalities had scattered into five different Urban Legends.
The Heart-Corroding Demon couldn't enter the Urban Legends alone to hunt them down. That's why it had been using them. Posing as Yuan Xiaoyi, it had fed them information, allowing it to tail them and eliminate the other personalities.
Jiang Cheng had also guessed the Heart-Corroding Demon's ultimate goal: to fully possess Yuan Xiaoyi's body. As long as the other personalities remained, they would always pose a threat to its complete control.
As he walked, lost in thought, Jiang Cheng looked up to find himself near the Small Woods.
This time was different from the previous two. He was fully aware of what awaited him.
The person waiting for him in the Small Woods wasn't the frail Yuan Xiaoyi, but the Heart-Corroding Demon who had killed an Exorcism Master and several Night Watchers in succession.
And its acting had even fooled him.
"They're all actors," Jiang Cheng sighed, carefully putting away the photo. He rubbed his face, quickly replaced his serious expression with a warm smile, and ran toward the Small Woods.
As he burst into the woods, he saw Yuan Xiaoyi standing alone.
It was the same spot as before. She was wearing her backpack, and their eyes lit up the moment they saw each other.
"Senior!"
"Xiaoyi!"
Before Yuan Xiaoyi could react, Jiang Cheng rushed forward, his eyes filled with concern. "Xiaoyi, it's all my fault for making you worry. I had class, so I had to skip it to see you."
"Senior, how is Xiaolin doing?" Yuan Xiaoyi asked, her voice laced with genuine anxiety, as if she truly cared about her friend.
Jiang Cheng's expression grew more nuanced. The warmth in his eyes from their first meeting slowly cooled. If you looked closely, you could see a flicker of self-reproach buried deep within his gaze. "I'm sorry, Xiaoyi. It's all my fault. I failed to save Xiaolin."
Jiang Cheng pressed his lips together tightly, then after a moment, continued, "When we found her, she already... she already..."
Hearing that Xiaolin had also met with disaster, Yuan Xiaoyi's body trembled. She stumbled as if about to faint, but Jiang Cheng reacted swiftly, catching her before she fell. "Xiaoyi, are you alright?"
"Senior, it's not your fault. It's all my fault," Yuan Xiaoyi's tears streamed down her face. "If I hadn't suggested they go to such a dangerous place, this wouldn't have happened."
The two of them clung to each other for a long time before finally helping each other sit down. Yuan Xiaoyi's head tilted slightly to the right, as if she were about to lean on Jiang Cheng's shoulder.
Jiang Cheng, feigning a manly, responsible demeanor, straightened his chest and repeatedly assured Yuan Xiaoyi that he would rescue the remaining girls.
"Xiaoyi," Jiang Cheng said softly, wrapping his arm around Yuan Xiaoyi's waist in an intimate gesture. "Did you sleep well last night? You've been like this for days, and I'm really worried your body won't hold up."
Yuan Xiaoyi looked at Jiang Cheng, her eyes still red, tear tracks faintly visible at the corners. "Senior, Xiaohui... Xiaohui came to me last night."
Xiaohui
The clue at the library had led to Xiaohui, but the trail had gone cold there. Jiang Cheng hadn't expected to hear her name again so soon.
His mind raced, but he kept his expression neutral, instead feigning confusion. "Xiaohui?"
Yuan Xiaoyi brushed a stray lock of hair from her temple, nodded slightly, and leaned in, whispering, "Yes, Senior, it was Xiaohui."
Her eyes glazed over, giving the impression she was lost in memory, but Jiang Cheng knew better. This girl was putting on an act.
Her lips moved, and she whispered, "It was much like before. I could only watch and listen, and I still don't know if it was a dream."
"Xiaohui said strange things. She seemed nervous and kept glancing over her shoulder, as if something was following her."
"She said she was in the school library, but then she told me it wasn't really the library," Yuan Xiaoyi said, her expression turning strange and her voice filled with confusion.
"She said it was more like an exhibition hall, displaying bizarre and unusual objects. There were terrifying things lurking in the darkness."
"She was hiding behind a bookshelf in the fourth-floor lending section, too afraid to move or make a sound."
"But..." Yuan Xiaoyi suddenly looked up, staring intently into Jiang Cheng's eyes, her voice urgent. "But Senior, do you know? There's no lending section on the fourth floor of the library! The entire floor is completely empty!"
"Xiaoyi, calm down. Take your time," Jiang Cheng said soothingly. He had been to the library himself and remembered the lending section was on the first floor.
"She said... she said there was a secret compartment, just big enough to hide a person. She discovered it by accident."
"But she can't hold out much longer. She said she can feel those things getting closer, that they're about to find her!"
While comforting Yuan Xiaoyi, Jiang Cheng radiated righteous light. "I'll go save her, but Xiaoyi, I need to know exactly what kind of Urban Legend is trapping Xiaohui. The more details you can give me, the better."
(End of the Chapter)
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