Could it be that Tao Tao… you’re also an evil spirit?
Tao Tao: “…”
Not only did she want to blame him, if it weren’t for the Ghost-Eating Vine watching closely nearby, Tao Tao would have even considered drawing her sword to strike him down.
But as if he could read her thoughts, just as she was about to reach for Tao Yao, Lin Quan said, “I wasn’t the one who pushed you into the corpse pool.”
Tao Tao raised an eyebrow. “I can tell the difference between a human hand and the touch of an evil spirit. If it wasn’t you, then was it those living corpses?”
“It was you yourself.”
Tao Tao glanced at Lin Quan and suddenly laughed. Her laughter was unrestrained, her glance cold and stern—two completely different emotions, yet when they appeared on the same person, it didn’t feel contradictory.
“Do you think I’m stupid?”
“What I saw by the corpse pool at that time was you walking up the steps and jumping in yourself, Tao Tao. You were trapped in an illusion created by the evil spirits.”
“Then why weren’t you affected?”
Lin Quan replied calmly, “The illusions of evil spirits require a trigger. At that time, there were no unusual sounds, smells, or objects in the room, so I suspect the trigger for the living corpse’s illusion might not have been in that room. Before you met me, did you have any contact with the living corpse?”
“No—” Tao Tao was about to deny it when she suddenly remembered she had collected the mucus left by the living corpse on the floor in the third-floor room and even smelled it.
Could its bodily fluids be the trigger for its illusions?
Lin Quan said, “Tao Tao, if I wanted you dead, I wouldn’t have saved you from the Ghost-Eating Vine’s mouth later.”
“Who asked you to save me?”
Lin Quan stared at her. “Why did you seek death?”
“None of your damn business.”
Xue Rong whispered from the side, “You two, could you stop arguing for now? The Ghost-Eating Vine is still here, and there are more and more of them.”
The Ghost-Eating Vine indeed possessed intelligence, having even learned to flank them. The reason the vines that followed them downstairs had stopped chasing was because they were waiting for the right moment.
The exit door was right ahead, no more than thirty meters away from them.
At that moment, the door was open, and the Ghost-Eating Vine outside was carefully extending its vines toward them.
In an instant, the entire corridor became a world of greenery. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all covered with the extending tendrils of the Ghost-Eating Vine.
“The Ghost-Eating Vine at the entrance has come in too. Ding Jie came down earlier than us. Could she…” Xue Rong didn’t dare to finish the thought.
Lin Quan said, “My Spiritual Power was almost depleted when I cast the unlocking spell earlier. Tao Tao’s stamina is also running low. Tao Yao can suppress the Ghost-Eating Vine, but after devouring the living corpse, its power is too strong. If we fight head-on, it’s hard to guarantee all three of us will make it out intact.”
Xue Rong asked, “Is there a clever way to deal with it?”
“We need to think.”
Tao Tao walked toward the door. “No need. I’ll draw its attention and clear the way. You two go.”
Xue Rong said, “It won’t work. We all carry the scent of evil spirits. It has countless tendrils and can attack all of us at once.”
Tao Tao glanced at the Ghost-Eating Vine. “It wouldn’t dare.”
The Ghost-Eating Vine possessed intelligence. After Tao Tao’s glance, the waving vines involuntarily retreated slightly, as if fearing something.
But the next moment, desire overcame fear, and they crept forward again.
As Tao Tao moved, the Ghost-Eating Vine followed. She walked slowly, and the entire floor was silent, with only the soft footsteps of the three and the rustling sound of the Ghost-Eating Vine dragging across the floor.
The quieter it was, the more deadly the fear became.
Xue Rong noticed that although the branches of the ghost-devouring vine were as dense as ants, ninety-nine out of a hundred were aimed at Tao Tao, with only one targeting her.
It seemed very interested in Tao Tao. Earlier, the living corpse on the fourth floor had immediately approached her as soon as she appeared. But why hadn’t the ghost-devouring vine attacked Tao Tao when they were running down just now?
Lin Quan kicked away a branch of the ghost-devouring vine that was eagerly trying to stretch toward them from one side.
Only then did Xue Rong remember that Tao Tao had been held in front of him the entire way down. In other words, for the ghost-devouring vine to reach Tao Tao, it would first have to get past his back.
But on the third floor, when Lin Quan appeared behind the ghost-devouring vine, it hadn’t attacked him. Even now, it showed no intention of devouring him.
What was going on? Could it be that the ghost-devouring vine couldn’t see Lin Quan?
Tao Tao stopped in her tracks and pulled out a sharp dagger. “Just like before, when I say run, you follow Lin Quan to the door. Don’t look back, no matter what happens.”
“What about you?”
“Worry about yourself first before worrying about me.”
Lin Quan frowned. Just as Tao Tao was about to cut her wrist with the knife, a sudden noise came from the room ahead.
Xue Rong gestured in terror with her mouth: “There’s someone else here.”
She instinctively ruled out Ding Jie. If it were Ding Jie, she would have shown herself after hearing their voices.
Moreover, what Xue Rong heard was definitely not the footsteps of just one person. Her nerves were stretched to the breaking point, unable to imagine what would happen if there were more living corpses here. If they were caught between evil spirits from both sides, would they even have a chance of survival?
Tao Tao put down the knife and walked to the room’s entrance, where she saw a group of people standing inside.
Xue Rong was stunned at first, then exclaimed in surprise, “Wu Liang?”
The group was none other than the six missing students. Wu Liang was equally surprised to see Xue Rong. “Rong Rong? I was just about to go upstairs to look for you. Thank goodness you’re okay.”
Hearing the familiar nickname, Xue Rong rushed over and hugged him, choking back tears. “Where did you all go? I thought you’d been eaten by evil spirits!”
“What evil spirits?” Wu Liang looked puzzled. “The two of us went out to look for tools, but somehow we fainted. When we woke up, we were in this room. He Wenjian, Wang Peng, and the others were the same—they suddenly passed out and were moved here. Who would do something so cruel?”
Feng Xiaojuan came over and patted Xue Rong’s head. “Rong Rong, it’s good that you’re okay.”
Xue Rong’s eyes reddened. “Everyone’s safe, that’s wonderful. Tao Tao, thank you.”
She looked at Tao Tao, but Tao Tao’s gaze was fixed on her newly reunited companions. “What about that girl?”
Only then did Xue Rong remember. “Oh right, where’s Ding Jie? She came down to the first floor earlier. Have you seen her?”
He Wenjian patted his head. “I almost forgot about Ding Jie. She’s in the room too, but she’s still unconscious. She was already there when we woke up.”
Tao Tao walked into the room. It was an anatomy classroom, and Ding Jie lay on a dissection table, still fast asleep.
Tao Tao checked her breathing—she was alive. She glanced casually at Wu Liang. “You seem to be in good spirits. What, not afraid of the ghost wall anymore?”
Wu Liang looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
Xue Rong said, “Don’t you remember? That strange thing we encountered on the third floor. We were trapped, so the two of you went to find tools to break the window, and then you never came back.”
Wu Liang touched Xue Rong’s forehead. “We went to find tools to help Wang Peng dismantle the specimen. We had to break windows and deal with ghost walls. What nonsense are you talking about? Are you so scared here that you’re hallucinating?”
The boy who had left with him chimed in, “Yeah, did you have a nightmare?”
Tao Tao observed them coldly.
Xue Rong was completely confused. “But I—”
Before she could finish, Feng Xiaojuan, standing by the door, suddenly pointed fearfully down the corridor. “Look! The grass is moving—”
In the short time they had been talking, the Ghost-Eating Vine had nearly reached the doorway.
“What do we do now?” Xue Rong looked at the classroom windows sealed by the crow-pointing Wood. “Can we jump out the window?”
Tao Tao replied, “There are security bars outside the first-floor windows. I don’t have the strength to break them, and besides, there are Ghost-Eating Vines outside too. It makes no difference.”
“Make a choice. With the energy Lin Quan and I have left, we can only take one person at most. Little doctor, you’re my employer, so I can save you.” She looked at Xue Rong. “I can’t help the others. Will you come with us or stay with your boyfriend?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the expressions of the others changed abruptly.
Feng Xiaojuan said stiffly, “We have a good relationship with Rong Rong…”
“Hurry up and decide,” Tao Tao urged, frowning. “There’s no time.”
Xue Rong pleaded, “Tao Tao, you said if I gave you half my spirit, you’d help me save him!”
Tao Tao took out the Spirit-Binding Pearl and tossed it back to her. “I can’t do it anymore. Here, take it back.”
Xue Rong bit her lip, hesitating as she looked at Wu Liang, whose face had turned ashen.
“Suit yourself.” Tao Tao could see Xue Rong couldn’t bear to leave her boyfriend and didn’t force the issue. She turned to leave.
Feng Xiaojuan quickly pushed Xue Rong toward her. “No! We can stay. Take Rong Rong with you.”
The Ghost-Eating Vine had reached the doorway. Having held back for so long, it seemed to sense that if it didn’t act now, they would take the initiative. As Tao Tao stepped out, it stretched out its vines and frantically lunged at her.
Tao Tao sheathed her dagger, no longer intending to cut her wrist and use her blood to lure the Ghost-Eating Vine so Xue Rong and the others could escape.
She swung her sword fiercely, slicing through the vines before her, but the green tendrils were as numerous as hairs on an ox. In the next moment, they surged forward again.
She whispered to Lin Quan, “Do you have any spell talismans on you?”
“No.”
“Have you learned the Demon-Breaking Seal?”
“A little.”
“Change of plan. I’ll use Tao Yao to clear the way. You use the Demon-Breaking Seal to restrict its movements. Let’s see if we can break through.”
Lin Quan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he said, “I think the Demon-Purifying Seal would be more suitable than the Demon-Breaking Seal. The Demon-Breaking Seal’s range is too small—it can barely cover the three of us. With the Demon-Purifying Seal, everyone here might have a chance to escape.”
“No, use the Demon-Breaking Seal.” Tao Tao leaned closer, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear. “None of the others here can leave.”
With that, she hoisted Xue Rong onto her shoulder, turned, and kicked off the wall for leverage. Grabbing a vine overhead, she tried to swing from mid-air to a desk in the corridor ahead, where there were no Ghost-Eating Vines.
But the moment she jumped, her body suddenly grew heavy. Xue Rong looked down and saw Wu Liang clutching Tao Tao’s ankle.
His eyes were filled with desperation. “Rong Rong, don’t leave me behind. Take me with you—”
Tao Tao, already weakened from having her blood drained by the Ghost-Eating Vine, lost her balance due to Wu Liang’s pull. Unable to control her center of gravity, she plummeted straight into the heart of the vines.
In haste, she flung Xue Rong back into the crowd and fell herself.
The Ghost-Eating Vine spread its branches like a giant green maw, the fine thorns on its vines serving as sharp teeth.
It seemed to have been waiting for this moment for a long time, just waiting for Tao Tao to fall so it could mercilessly tear her to pieces.
“No! Tao Tao—” Xue Rong tried to grab Tao Tao but was held back by Wu Liang.
Lin Quan stood in place, calmly watching the scene unfold.
Just as Tao Tao was about to be devoured by the frenzied Ghost-Eating Vine, a red sickle Mark suddenly flashed across her forehead. The Mark vanished after only a moment, followed immediately by an intense red light that erupted from her body, enveloping the Ghost-Eating Vine throughout the entire corridor.
A terrifying, sharp cry, as piercing as a dead infant’s wail in the night, exploded in everyone’s ears. The sound was a thousand times more shrill than what Xue Rong had heard before, nearly tearing their eardrums apart.
Everyone felt dizzy and disoriented, almost fainting.
In their dazed state, they saw the once-arrogant and rampant Ghost-Eating Vine now writhing and screaming in agony within that eerie red light.
It shrank back, trying to retreat with its vines, but found itself unable to move. Wherever the red light passed, the Ghost-Eating Vine withered inch by inch, turning into a pile of dry grass.
The red light circled the corridor once before returning to Tao Tao’s side. The intense glow gradually faded, finally settling gently back into her body.
…
Tao Tao stood up.
Most of the Ghost-Eating Vine’s tendrils had been destroyed by that strange red light, leaving only a few sparse, thin branches that fled in terror, burrowing out of the Anatomy Building.
The students nearby also snapped out of the dead infant’s wailing. Wu Liang, seeing the Ghost-Eating Vine withered and dead, was about to head toward the door when he was kicked hard in the chest.
The force was so great that it sent him flying five meters away. He crawled up from amidst the dusty clutter and met Tao Tao’s icy gaze.
His lips twitched, but after glancing at Tao Yao in Tao Tao’s hand, his eyes filled with apprehension, and he ultimately said nothing.
“Little doctor,” Tao Tao sneered, “your boyfriend here has ill intentions. You’d better be careful.”
Just moments ago, they were on the brink of life and death, and in the blink of an eye, the Ghost-Eating Vine had turned into withered grass. Before Xue Rong could even process what had happened, Tao Tao had already left, carrying Tao Yao on her shoulder.
Lin Quan followed behind her. Xue Rong grabbed his sleeve and said, “Could you please give this to Tao Tao?”
She handed over the Spirit-Binding Pearl containing half of her spiritual energy.
Lin Quan glanced at her but did not take it, so Xue Rong chased after them.
…
It was almost five o’clock now, and dawn was about to break on the horizon.
As soon as Tao Tao stepped outside, she saw the black cat. It was lying on a bench in the courtyard, its eyes fixed intently on Tao Tao as she approached.
Seeing Tao Tao emerge, it ran over again, rubbing against her ankles and begging for food.
Tao Tao lifted it by the scruff of its neck, narrowing her eyes dangerously. “Do you think my memory is so poor that I’d forget you stole my ham sausage just three hours ago?”
The black cat: “…”
Only then did it realize the impending danger, but it was already trapped in the clutches of the demon, unable to escape.
…
When Xue Rong caught up, Tao Tao hadn’t gone far. She was sitting on a bench, playing with the cat.
She had one foot propped up, holding the black cat’s two front paws like a bully, forcing it to stand on its hind legs and guiding its plump body to sway left and right as if doing calisthenics.
Li Sanjiu used to do morning exercises in the yard every day with a radio, and Tao Tao was all too familiar with those movements.
The black cat’s pupils narrowed into slits, its face a picture of utter despair.
“Tao Tao…” Xue Rong, panting from the run, bent over in front of her, catching her breath. “Why are you walking so fast? I still have something to tell you.”
Tao Tao manipulated the cat’s paws, stretching them upward as she guided it through a stretching exercise. “Go ahead.”
“Are you carrying some kind of Spiritual Artifact on you? Why did the ghost-eating vines wither as soon as that red light appeared?”
Tao Tao wasn’t sure what the red light was either. Her bag did contain several Spiritual Artifacts that Li Sanjiu had frequently used during his lifetime. It was possible that the artifacts were protecting their owner, but how could ordinary artifacts possess such immense power?
Though puzzled, her nature made her reluctant to dwell on it too much. She simply chalked it up to good luck.
Xue Rong said, “Thank you for saving us. If you hadn’t been here tonight, I really don’t know what we would have done. And Wu Liang… he’s not usually like that. He was probably just too scared earlier… I apologize on his behalf. Please take this.”
Tao Tao didn’t take the bead and continued guiding the cat through chest-expanding exercises.
“You don’t want it anymore?”
“I can’t take it.”
“Why?”
Tao Tao offered no explanation. “Place your hand on it, focus your mind, and the spirit will return to your body.”
In the distance, Wu Liang and Feng Xiaojuan were arguing, their voices heated but too far away to make out the details.
He Wenjian noticed Tao Tao watching them and quickly nudged Wu Liang. The two separated, and Feng Xiaojuan walked over.
She said to Xue Rong, “I was scolding Wu Liang. What he did earlier was just too much. In that situation, even getting one person out would’ve been a blessing. I really don’t know what he was thinking.”
Xue Rong frowned. “You were scolding him?”
Feng Xiaojuan had a gentle personality. Even after two years as roommates, Xue Rong had never seen her lose her temper, let alone argue with a boy. Besides, Feng Xiaojuan and Wu Liang weren’t close at all—they barely exchanged a few words on normal days.
For her to argue over something like this struck Xue Rong as odd. Even if someone had to scold Wu Liang, it shouldn’t have been her.
Feng Xiaojuan tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “I was just too anxious. I was really worried about you.”
By now, the black cat’s morning exercises were nearing their end. Tao Tao asked, “What’s the next part of the full-body workout?”
Xue Rong instinctively replied, “Jumping exercises.”
And so, the next second, she saw a plump, black mass soar into the sky.
Tao Tao tossed the cat up, caught it, tossed it again, caught it again… After several rounds, the black cat finally grew furious. It let out an eerie cry, twisted its body mid-air, and without a care, crashed to the ground before darting swiftly into the grass and fleeing.
Only then did Tao Tao lift her gaze, scrutinizing Feng Xiaojuan from head to toe.
Feng Xiaojuan’s long legs beneath her shorts were still beautiful, but this time, Tao Tao didn’t whistle like a rogue. Instead, she studied her with a scrutinizing gaze for a long while.
Finally, she asked, “Did you all know from the start that Lin Quan and I entered the Anatomy Building?”
Feng Xiaojuan was taken aback. “No, we didn’t…”
“But when you saw us on the first floor, none of you seemed surprised. Weren’t you curious why two strangers were standing beside Xue Rong, or when we had entered? Weren’t you afraid I might be dangerous, and that your friend might be in danger by staying with me?”
Feng Xiaojuan smiled. “We were too scared earlier to ask. That’s why I came over—I wanted to ask Rong Rong what happened after she got separated from us.”
“You want to know?” Tao Tao’s smile carried a hint of Evil Qi. “Hold out your hand, and I’ll tell you.”
Feng Xiaojuan didn’t understand what was going on but obediently extended her hand. Tao Tao rummaged through her bag and placed a peach wood sculpture on Feng Xiaojuan’s open palm.
The sculpture was small and round, carved with the head of a girl. The carver had vividly captured her cold and irritable demeanor—anyone who saw it would immediately recognize it as Tao Tao herself.
Feng Xiaojuan looked bewildered, while Tao Tao stared intently at her.
A full minute passed before Feng Xiaojuan finally spoke: “What are you trying to tell me?”
“Nothing,” Tao Tao frowned. “You’d better ask Xue Rong.”
She retrieved the sculpture, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked away.
Xue Rong hurried after her: “Wait, I still haven’t repaid the IOU I wrote you.”
Tao Tao replied, “No need. We’ll settle it another time.”
“Tao Tao,” Xue Rong grabbed her arm, “I have a few questions I need to ask you in person. Otherwise, I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
Tao Tao motioned for her to continue.
“Even though I’m certain what happened last night wasn’t an illusion, I still find it hard to believe. Do evil spirits really exist in this world?”
“Many.”
“You said before that demons that harm the world, Demons that devour living beings, ghosts lingering in the human realm, and Evil Spirits trapped in Purgatory—all of these are evil spirits. So, evil spirits are harmful to humans, right?”
“Yes.”
Xue Rong hesitated for a moment.
Tao Tao stared at her: “What exactly do you want to say?”
Xue Rong pursed her lips, mustered her courage, and said, “The Ghost-Eating Vine feeds on evil spirits. After we entered the building, we were tainted with the scent of evil spirits, so it attacked us. But before we entered, it was just an ordinary plant. No matter how much we touched it, it never attacked humans. I even plucked a few leaves to play with.”
Xue Rong glanced toward the Anatomy Building. In just a few hours, the once vibrant green plants had completely withered, resembling scorched autumn branches swaying in the cool morning breeze.
“When you broke the window to rescue me and Ding Jie, you came from outside. Logically, you shouldn’t have carried the scent of evil spirits, yet the Ghost-Eating Vine attacked you. Why?” Xue Rong’s eyes held a trace of fear. “Could it be that you, Tao Tao…”
She tentatively asked, “…are also an evil spirit?”