Dachang City,
Third High School.
“Hey, did you guys hear? The high school next door is haunted!”
“Ah, really? Don't try to scare me.”
During the break in evening self-study, Jiang Shan, who had been sleeping with his head on his desk, was startled awake by the exclamation of a female classmate.
“It’s true! My aunt said dozens of people have already died! That school has been sealed off for two days!”
“Ah, stop talking, you’re scaring me.”
“Scared? Then I’ll walk you home tonight; our houses are on the way anyway.”
Jiang Shan, who had been curious, instantly lost interest upon hearing the last sentence.
Telling ghost stories to walk a girl home—he hadn't used that trick since five years ago.
“What way are you on? Li Nan, your house is in North City, and Wang Yuanyuan’s house is in South City. Is it fun to make up a story to scare her?”
“Lu Tao, if you don't speak, no one will think you’re mute. Are you trying to show off?”
The small group, which had been chatting harmoniously, instantly started arguing.
Jiang Shan wasn't interested in watching them argue; he was more concerned with when class would end, so he looked down at his watch:
“20:50”
“Sigh, this school really doesn't treat students like people. All classes have intermittent extra lessons, and we have to stay until ten.”
“Even the brothers in America back in the day slept better than I do.”
After complaining, the bored Jiang Shan looked out the window.
A hazy, thick fog blocked his view. The lights on the school road flickered faintly in the mist. The grayish-black vapor seemed to swallow everything outside the window, making it impossible to see clearly.
“Is the PM2.5 off the charts?”
The scene outside made Jiang Shan feel somewhat oppressed, and coupled with the mention of "ghosts" by Li Nan earlier.
Jiang Shan couldn't help but recall what the strange person who came to the classroom for a "Safety Awareness Session" had said during evening self-study the day before yesterday:
One. Ghosts cannot be killed.
Two. Only ghosts can deal with ghosts.
Three. Discern the Ghost Rule.
He also said a lot of strange rhetoric about ghosts.
Even if what that person said sounded plausible, no one in this era believed in the existence of ghosts.
Although Jiang Shan always had a feeling of déjà vu in his mind, he just thought he had read similar rule-based horror stories in some novel he’d encountered before.
So, not only did the classmates in the class continue doing what they were doing, treating it as just a ghost story, but he was no exception:
“Nonsense, where are the ghosts in this world?”
“Even if there really were ghosts, all fear stems from insufficient firepower.”
That being said, the thought of that strange person’s eerie eyes still made Jiang Shan’s heart pound nervously.
He shook his head, wanting to push the talk about ghosts out of his mind.
It’s the 21st century; these rule-based horror stories might scare elementary schoolers, but he wouldn't believe them.
“Zzzzt…”
Suddenly, the lights in the classroom dimmed, and then instantly brightened again.
“!”
In that moment when the light dimmed.
Inadvertently, Jiang Shan saw a Human Face shadow outside the window in front of him, his eyes instantly widening, his whole body tensing up.
Looking closely, an extremely Rot face, pale and bleeding, was pressed tightly against the glass. Its dead, cold eyes, devoid of any human emotion, were staring intently at the person in front of his desk!
Jiang Shan felt his scalp tingle, and glancing sideways.
He discovered that outside the window right next to him, there was also a Human Face looking at him!
A chill surged up from the soles of his feet throughout his entire body. Extreme Fear made Jiang Shan’s heart pound uncontrollably; he gritted his teeth to keep himself from screaming out loud.
“What kind of Ghost Thing is this!”
Jiang Shan cursed inwardly. Terrified, his fingernails dug into his flesh. His face turned deathly pale as he abruptly stood up. Due to his body being stiffened by fear, he knocked over his desk and chair onto the floor.
“Clang!”
The sudden noise instantly silenced the noisy classroom, and all the students looked at him in unison.
“Jiang Shan, what’s wrong? Sit down quickly, the homeroom teacher will be back soon.” Chen Yue, Jiang Shan’s female deskmate, kindly reminded him.
But Jiang Shan acted as if he hadn't heard, his terrified gaze fixed outside the window.
“Hahahaha, Jiang Shan, did you see a ghost? Look how scared you are.”
“There’s nothing outside the window, is there?”
Startled, Lu Tao looked in the direction Jiang Shan was staring with an annoyed expression, but he saw nothing except the hazy fog.
“How could… possible…”
Before Jiang Shan could finish speaking, an angry voice came from the doorway:
“I was coming from the office, and I could hear our class being the loudest in the hallway!”
“Jiang Shan! Why are you standing? Can’t you see the whole class is studying? If you don’t want to study, don’t disturb the students who are!”
At this moment, the homeroom teacher walked in through the front door, and his expression showed he was very angry.
Seeing the teacher about to explode, Chen Yue tugged at Jiang Shan’s sleeve and pulled him back down to sit.
Sitting on the chair, Jiang Shan remained silent. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat, and his legs felt useless.
He swore he hadn't seen incorrectly; there was definitely a dead person's face outside the window!
But why did that Human Face suddenly disappear?
Did he really see it wrong?
Jiang Shan’s face was ashen; he kept taking deep breaths to maintain as much composure as possible.
“Bang!”
“Li Nan, look at this yourself. What kind of garbage did you write? Is this written by a ghost?!”
The sound of the book slamming onto the podium startled Jiang Shan. Following the sound, he looked up toward the platform.
The homeroom teacher continued angrily:
“If you can read this semester, then read it. If you can’t, then get out and go home.”
The whiteboard, which had already been projected, displayed Li Nan’s homework:
Twisted black lines and blood-like red lines formed bizarre characters.
The blood-red and pitch-black colors against the stark white manuscript paper looked as terrifying as brains.
An 800-word essay had been forcibly turned into an artistic piece with a horror theme.
Many students were stifling laughter, glancing sideways at the head-bowed Li Nan.
Jiang Shan also couldn't understand. Although Li Nan was poor at academics, he shouldn't be this stupid, openly giving up like this.
Being a scoundrel was the key to giving up.
Li Nan acting this way was no different from lighting a lamp in a latrine—courting death.
Jiang Shan glanced over, his brow tightly furrowed.
For some reason, the first time he saw those "Ghost Characters," he felt a strong sense of unease, and his heart couldn't help but feel creeped out.
Seeing Li Nan remain silent, the homeroom teacher’s anger intensified:
“Get out and stand outside until school ends! Hand in the essay by six tomorrow morning, or get out and go home to your mother!”
Hearing the homeroom teacher, Li Nan, with a dark face, silently gathered his books and walked out of the classroom.
……
21:30
“Scratch… scratch…”
A harsh sound suddenly came from outside the quiet classroom.
It was like dry chalk scraping against a rough blackboard, causing inherent disgust and irritation.
A student couldn't help but mutter quietly, “So noisy.”
Jiang Shan also heard the repulsive sound and couldn't help but frown.
“What is Li Nan up to now?”
The homeroom teacher, sitting at the podium, angrily said, “I don’t think he wants to attend this school anymore!”
The sound was coming from outside the classroom, and Li Nan was the only one outside.
Without a second thought, the homeroom teacher immediately stood up, opened the front door, and walked out with an annoyed expression.
His aggressive demeanor suggested Li Nan was about to face consequences.
A short while after the teacher went out, the scratching sound disappeared.
“Why is it so quiet?”
Jiang Shan strained his ears but couldn't hear any sound outside the classroom.
An eerie calm.
It would have been surprising if the homeroom teacher hadn't taken action, but how could he not have said a single word?
Jiang Shan realized something was wrong. He just stood up but froze in place because the harsh sound started again!
“Scratch.. scratch..”
“Scratch… scratch…”
The oppressive, noisy sound of writing maintained its original frequency, seemingly unaffected.
!
The sudden sound instantly filled Jiang Shan with coldness, and some students in the class also realized something was amiss.
A girl sitting in the front row, near the door, said tremblingly:
“Didn’t the homeroom teacher go out? Why is this sound still ringing…”
Brothers, if you like this book, please give this little brother a small collection. Your support is my motivation. I will do my best to write a good book for everyone, and I hope brothers can comment directly if you have any questions; I will read and correct them one by one.
Thank you all for your support and help!