After leaving the evidence room, Xia Zhi escorted the four back to the school along the same route.
On the way, Xia Zhi asked Yan Shouyi if he needed her to call for backup and set up a cordon that night, but Yan Shouyi refused.
Firstly, there was no legitimate reason to apprehend the Taoist priest that night, so they couldn't mobilize the police force. How could they tell those police officers that they were here to catch a wicked Taoist who stole souls?
Secondly, to deal with a Taoist priest, one could either shoot him dead for a permanent solution, or use the methods of those within the circle, which meant engaging in a magical duel.
As the saying goes, "To defeat magic, you must use magic!"
This was a confrontation between Yan Shouyi and the Taoist priest, and outsiders couldn't offer much help.
Therefore, even though Xia Zhi desperately wanted to help, she could only stand by. Yan Shouyi told Xia Zhi that her priority now was to extract more information from Principal Tang. Since the mysterious Taoist priest was related to the Huang Song case and the girls' dormitory case from eight years ago, Principal Tang might be involved in many other cases as well.
The net of heaven is vast and its meshes are wide, but nothing escapes. The wrongdoings that Principal Tang and his associates committed in the past would now have to be repaid, one by one.
As they were about to get out of the car, Xia Zhi thought for a moment before asking Yan Shouyi, "Yan Shouyi, you said I have three life-and-death tribulations. I've already overcome two. Can you tell me when the last one will be?"
Lin Zitong glanced at Yan Shouyi, her eyes seeming to say, "I didn't realize there were so many stories between you two."
However, Lin Zitong wouldn't be jealous because of Xia Zhi. In her eyes, she was already perfect, and she and Yan Shouyi had been childhood sweethearts. If anyone in this world had the right to be with Yan Shouyi, it was her.
Yan Shouyi thought for a moment and replied, "Some tribulations, once spoken of, cannot be avoided."
Xia Zhi was stunned. "Why?"
"The future is constantly changing. Some people have less variability. It's fine to offer occasional guidance, but your variability is too great. Therefore, if I tell you when a tribulation will arrive, the future might change, and the day I mention might not be your tribulation anymore."
Yan Shouyi's explanation was clear and specific, but he refused to say a single word more about Xia Zhi's third life-and-death tribulation.
Xia Zhi understood that Yan Shouyi meant well, so she nodded in understanding and didn't ask any further questions. She reminded Yan Shouyi to call her anytime if there were any unforeseen circumstances that night, and then drove away.
"Brother Yan, Officer Xia Zhi is such a good person. We really should help her!" Long Feicheng exclaimed.
"How do we help? By offering ourselves?" Lu Caiwei teased.
Long Feicheng chuckled, "Saving a life is better than building a seven-storied pagoda. Amitabha, this humble monk is willing to help."
"Cut the crap, look at you!" Lu Caiwei retorted with a laugh.
Lin Zitong tugged at Yan Shouyi's sleeve and asked, "What are your plans for tonight?"
"Tonight? Eat, sleep, and play games. Just like usual," Yan Shouyi replied evasively.
Lin Zitong was annoyed. "You just don't want me to be involved."
Yan Shouyi spread his hands helplessly, "What if there's danger? I'd have to worry about taking care of you too."
"Oh, I didn't realize you cared so much about me," Lin Zitong teased Yan Shouyi first, then continued, "I'm a member of the Lushan Sect. I understand Lushan Sect's techniques very well and can definitely help."
"The opponent is also from the Lushan Sect. He knows you better than you know yourself and knows your weaknesses. So, you should just focus on your studies tonight and don't get involved in unnecessary trouble!"
Yan Shouyi's attitude was resolute, showing no signs of yielding. Lin Zitong pouted in anger and turned her head away from him.
After a while, Lu Caiwei called out, "Zitong..."
Lin Zitong thought Lu Caiwei was interceding for Yan Shouyi and deliberately said, "Don't speak up for him. I'm already angry!"
"It's not that..."
"Caiwei, I know what you mean, but this time I absolutely won't indulge him! Hmph!"
"What I wanted to say was..."
Lu Caiwei sighed and said, "Yan Shouyi and the others have already left."
"What?!"
Lin Zitong quickly turned her head and saw the backs of Yan Shouyi and Long Feicheng disappearing around the distant corner.
"He actually dared to leave me behind alone!" Lin Zitong's face flushed with anger, her fists clenched.
Fortunately, she was wearing a mask, otherwise, it would have surely become gossip news at the art school.
Lu Caiwei stifled a laugh and said, "Zitong, I've noticed that among all the men in the world, Yan Shouyi is the only one who never indulges you. Oh my, being childhood sweethearts is truly different!"
"Shut up, I'm the one indulging him!"
"Alright, alright, you're beautiful, so whatever you say is right!" Lu Caiwei laughed heartily, then suddenly realized, "Hey, wait. You just said Yan Shouyi left you alone. What do I count for? Am I not a person! Explain yourself clearly!"
...
The sun set, and swallows returned to their nests.
After dark, Shanghang Art School gradually quieted down from its previous bustle.
It was the weekend, and the dormitories at Shanghang Art School were not inspected. Most students had gone out to play. The girls' dormitory, which was already sparsely populated, became even more empty. Only the free dormitories on the top floor, designated for impoverished students, still had lights on.
Deep into the night, on the third floor of the girls' dormitory, outside the room with the terrifying legend, a figure slowly appeared.
He stood outside the door, looking at the torn talismans on the door. He frowned first, then took out new talismans from his pocket and pasted them on the doorframe.
Afterward, he took out some incense, candles, and offerings and quietly placed them outside the dormitory door.
The incense and candles were lit, but they couldn't illuminate the surrounding darkness. Wisps of smoke slowly rose, but at the dormitory window, they curved and floated into the dormitory.
On the frosted glass, two faces vaguely appeared. The faces were open-mouthed, greedily sucking in the smoke from the incense and candles.
Ghosts cannot eat, but they can absorb "qi." Therefore, when people offer sacrifices to their ancestors, they always lay out a large number of offerings. The purpose is not to have the ancestors truly eat them, but to let them absorb the qi of these offerings.
Offerings that have had their qi absorbed by ghosts lose their essence and nourishment. Even if people eat them, they will not be of any help, and might even fall ill.
So, it is advised that unless it is absolutely necessary, one should try not to eat offerings.
The figure leaned against the wall, watching the two large and small faces in the window absorb all the qi from the offerings. He then packed up his belongings.
He waited for about ten more minutes before using a key to open the dormitory door and step inside.
As soon as he opened the door, he saw the female ghost and the ghost infant floating in mid-air.
"Have you still not met the person who has been supplying us?" the female ghost asked.
The figure shook his head. "I just arrived."
The female ghost fell silent, gently stroking the ghost infant in her arms.
The figure asked, "Where are the souls I asked for?"
The female ghost shook her head. "I haven't had any living people here this week, so I haven't been able to lure any souls."
"You're talking nonsense!"
The figure stepped forward, his voice turning angry. "Three days ago, a group of students had an accident here. Don't you think I know? Where are their souls? Did you secretly hide them for your bastard child to eat?!"
Upon hearing her child being called a bastard, the female ghost's face gradually turned ferocious.
"You can curse me, but you're not allowed to insult my child!"
Even if the child was the offspring of Dong Ye, it also had the female ghost's blood flowing through it. It was a piece of flesh that had fallen from her. The female ghost would never allow anyone to insult or harm her child!
The figure emerged from the darkness. In the moonlight, his middle-aged face could be seen.
He approached step by step, his expression extremely grim. "I need souls. You should know what the consequences are if I don't complete my task."
"I told you, I haven't lured any souls, and I'm not lying to you!" The female ghost clutched the ghost infant and slowly retreated.
"Impossible! Students clearly entered the dormitory... Or, you never intended to lure their souls?"
The female ghost gritted her teeth and said to the middle-aged man, "I don't want to do bad things for you anymore, unless you help me get revenge first!"
"You don't have the right to negotiate with me!"
The man roared, and a whisk appeared in his hand. With a sweep of the whisk, it struck the female ghost like a whip.
The female ghost cried out in pain and retreated in fright.
But the man took the opportunity to snatch the ghost infant from the female ghost's arms, raised his whisk, and threatened, "Do what I told you to do obediently, or I'll scatter your child's soul!"
The female ghost curled up in the corner of the dormitory, looking at the middle-aged man before her with hatred. Although she had always known he was no good, she could only pin her hopes of revenge on him as she was unable to leave the dormitory.
Therefore, she had endured humiliation time and time again, even abetting evil.
But now... the situation was different.
The female ghost suddenly began to laugh strangely, her ethereal and mournful laughter echoing in the girls' dormitory.
This bizarre scene made the middle-aged man feel a chill. To bolster his courage, he asked sternly, "What are you laughing at? What's so funny!"
"Hahaha! Hahahahahahaha!"
The female ghost not only was not intimidated by the man's threat but laughed even louder and more wildly.
The man, in a fit of rage, shouted, "Stop laughing! If you laugh again, I'll act!"
"Go ahead, then! Go ahead and act! Look down first, see what you've snatched?!" the female ghost laughed.
The man froze and quickly looked down. He saw that what he was holding in his arms was not a ghost infant at all, but a piece of wood carved into the shape of a child!
This piece of wood was carved lifelike. If one didn't look closely, it was impossible to distinguish it from a ghost infant. Even more bizarrely, the wooden block's face was alive. Its eyeballs were rolling, and its mouth opened and closed, as if it were speaking, or perhaps mocking the man!
"What is this!"
The man was startled and quickly dropped the wooden block in his hand.
Unexpectedly, when the wooden block hit the ground, it shattered into several small ghost infants. They crawled rapidly on the ground like spiders. Some even crawled onto the ceiling, hanging upside down with wide eyes, staring at the man and smiling eerily!
The man stumbled back in fear, unable to comprehend the situation.
But then, the wooden blocks simultaneously lunged at him, biting him as they opened their mouths, causing blood to spurt from the man's body in an instant!
"Get away from me!"
The man quickly swung his whisk and chanted incantations, repelling these wooden blocks.
Fortunately, the wooden blocks were not strong. After being repelled by the man, they fell to the ground and shattered into pieces again. This time, they could no longer move; they were just ordinary pieces of wood.
"What's going on? Who is helping you from the shadows! Come out! Stop playing these tricks!" the man shouted.
With the female ghost's cultivation alone, it was absolutely impossible to achieve this!
At this moment, two figures slowly walked out from the dormitory balcony.
It was Yan Shouyi and Long Feicheng!
Long Feicheng was holding the ghost infant, which was still cooing and snuggling in his arms!
"The person I met at the construction site that day, it's really you!"
Yan Shouyi said with a dark expression, "The Huang Song case is related to you, and the girls' dormitory case is also related to you. How many bad things have you done at Shanghang Art School over the years!"
The man also recognized Yan Shouyi, and a look of apprehension appeared in his eyes.
He had failed to eliminate Yan Shouyi the last time he unleashed the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade, using the Bai family's little ghost.
He hadn't expected to encounter Yan Shouyi again at the girls' dormitory, and moreover, to have his plans thwarted!
Why is this kid so troublesome? Is he my nemesis!
"Why do you have to interfere in everything? Can't you just be a security guard?" the man said as he retreated. "I haven't settled the score with you for the Bai family's affairs yet. As long as you pretend nothing happened and leave now, I can also take a step back and not report you for killing the Bai family's child, how about it?"
Yan Shouyi sneered and said, "You misunderstand one thing: negotiations are only effective when the gap in strength between both parties is not too large. And you – you don't have the qualifications to negotiate with me!"
"You... you little brat, how dare you be so arrogant and presumptuous!" the man said angrily. "I just didn't want to get entangled with you that day. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?!"
"You're not afraid? Then don't run!" Long Feicheng scoffed.
At this moment, the man had clearly retreated to the dormitory door. Judging by his movements and posture, he was ready to flee at any moment.
"Hmph, take this!"
The man roared and threw out a ball of pitch-black stuff.
Yan Shouyi slapped it aside with his palm. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was just an ordinary zombie.
And the man had already taken the opportunity to open the door, indeed intending to escape!
"Don't think you can leave!"
Long Feicheng lunged forward and grabbed the man's clothes. He originally intended to throw the man back with a shoulder throw, but unfortunately, Long Feicheng's physique was too weak, and he couldn't budge the man.
The man sneered, reached out, and pressed a few points on Long Feicheng's lower ribs. Long Feicheng immediately cried out in pain.
"He knows some acupuncture techniques. Once a pressure point is hit, the pain will be unbearable. Little Long, you need to be careful!" Yan Shouyi shouted.
Although Long Feicheng was in pain and cursing, he gritted his teeth and didn't let go.
The man panicked and struggled frantically.
*Swish!*
As they pulled and tugged, Long Feicheng accidentally tore the man's clothes, exposing his back.
Suddenly, Long Feicheng seemed to have discovered something. His eyes widened, and he said, "Brother Yan, look quickly! Look!"
On the man's back, there was a distinct burn scar!
Yan Shouyi suddenly remembered what the female ghost had said earlier: on the night she was murdered, she had burned a man's back with a curling iron.
That man was the Taoist priest before them!
This Taoist priest was one of the murderers from the time the female ghost was killed!!