Lin Quan’s demeanor always made people feel as if bathed in a spring breeze, as though he had come willingly.
Early morning, at a tea house.
The delicate pastries had been nearly devoured by Tao Tao in a whirlwind of appetite. She picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth. “Go on,” she said.
She looked at Xue Rong. It had been a month since they last met, and the pretty girl looked much more haggard, her eyes dull and her expression dazed. While Tao Tao was eating, Xue Rong hadn’t touched a bite, constantly glancing around warily as if afraid someone might spot her. Ding Jie, who had come with her, was much the same—both of them acting quite strangely.
Xue Rong had heavy dark circles under her eyes, looking as though she hadn’t slept well in a long time. “I don’t know where to start…”
Ding Jie sighed. “Let me tell it. Xue Rong has been too shaken up lately. That despicable pair really has no shame.”
Ding Jie angrily recounted what had happened.
After leaving the Anatomy Building that day, Xue Rong and Ding Jie had planned to confess their mistake to their advisor and tell him what had happened in the building, but the others had stubbornly refused.
They believed everything Xue Rong described was just her hallucination. Since nothing major had happened and no one was hurt, they could easily downplay the whole incident. If the teacher were to give them a disciplinary record, it wouldn’t be worth it. Among them, He Wenjian and Wang Peng were preparing for graduate school recommendations, and a disciplinary record would definitely affect their futures. So, to protect her companions, Xue Rong had no choice but to drop the matter.
She thought that would be the end of it, but a few days later, Xue Rong noticed something off about Wu Liang.
He no longer waited for her to go to class or accompanied her for meals as he used to, nor did he check in on her or chat with her. Xue Rong went to wait outside his dormitory and finally found her boyfriend, whom she hadn’t seen in days. She asked why he hadn’t replied to her messages. Wu Liang stammered, saying his phone was broken. When she asked why he hadn’t fixed it, he said he was busy writing a paper and didn’t have time.
Though Xue Rong found it strange, she didn’t dwell on it, only reminding him to spend time with her once he finished.
The very next day, she and Ding Jie ran into Wu Liang in the cafeteria. He was with someone else.
—Feng Xiaojuan.
Though there were no inappropriate actions, the two of them were leisurely sitting together at a table, eating. This made Xue Rong furious.
Having grown up spoiled and accustomed to Wu Liang’s doting, she had a bit of a temper. She immediately went up to confront Wu Liang, demanding to know why he had no time for his girlfriend but could spare time to eat with someone else.
Wu Liang wore an expression of extreme impatience, while Feng Xiaojuan calmly tried to explain.
She said she was struggling with an assignment for one of her courses, and since Wu Liang was the top student in their class, she had specifically invited him to a meal to ask for his help.
Though Xue Rong was suspicious, Feng Xiaojuan immediately produced the assignment she wanted Wu Liang’s help with. Xue Rong couldn’t say much, especially since she shared a dorm with Feng Xiaojuan and saw her every day. Making a scene would only make things awkward. She thought that would be the end of it, but little did she know it was just the beginning.
Over the next few days, many classmates saw Feng Xiaojuan and Wu Liang together—sometimes studying in the library, sometimes strolling by the lake. Their relationship was clearly inappropriate. What was even more infuriating was that the two seemed to be avoiding Xue Rong. They were nowhere to be seen during the day, and they didn’t return to the dorm until after curfew at night, leaving her with no chance to confront them face-to-face.
So, she could only find Feng Xiaojuan’s boyfriend, He Wenjian. To her surprise, He Wenjian showed no concern at all, telling her that he had already broken up with Feng Xiaojuan long ago. Nowadays, relationships were free, and if Wu Liang truly felt Feng Xiaojuan was suitable, she should stop clinging to him.
That night, Wu Liang took the initiative to break up with her, and their two-year relationship ended just like that.
Tao Tao: “Boyfriend cheating? I can’t help with that.”
Xue Rong smiled bitterly: “If only it were that simple.”
Two days after the breakup, Xue Rong calmly thought it over. She felt that not only Wu Liang but even Feng Xiaojuan seemed off.
She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong, as they had little contact after leaving the Anatomy Building. But every time they spoke face-to-face, she felt their eyes, expressions, and choice of words were different from before—as if they were using the same shells, but the people inside had been replaced.
Xue Rong discussed this with Ding Jie, who shared the same feeling. So, the two of them decided to keep a close watch on the pair.
The more they observed, the more unsettling it became.
It wasn’t just Wu Liang and Feng Xiaojuan who seemed off. They realized that, aside from themselves, the other six people who had entered the Anatomy Building were behaving differently from before. He Wenjian, Wang Peng, and the other two boys lived in the same dormitory and were inseparable, but during public lectures, they always sat with Wu Liang and Feng Xiaojuan.
These six people also moved together in the library after class, and on weekends, they would collectively disappear without a trace.
Professor Yang, who taught their major courses, was Wu Liang’s favorite teacher. But the day Professor Yang entered the classroom, all six of them suddenly turned pale and, without a word, grabbed their bags and rushed out. Midway, Professor Yang even called out to Wu Liang, asking where he was going. Wu Liang’s expression when he looked at him was as if he had seen a ghost.
There were many other strange incidents like this.
Xue Rong asked He Wenjian’s classmates and learned that he used to be a very lively guy. But ever since returning from the Anatomy Building, aside from his roommates, he no longer interacted with other classmates. Wang Peng was the same—he was highly skilled in his major, but recently, he kept making mistakes in anatomy class, even holding the scalpel incorrectly, earning him multiple reprimands from the teacher.
“What truly terrified me was one particular incident.” Xue Rong’s face still paled at the memory. “That day, the public lecture teacher assigned a PPT assignment. The next day, when it was time to submit, only those six didn’t turn it in.”
Tao Tao asked: “They didn’t know how?”
Ding Jie said: “Impossible.”
Xue Rong pondered: “Even though Wang Peng couldn’t handle a scalpel anymore, Wu Liang’s professional knowledge was still intact. He answered questions in class perfectly fine, so it wasn’t a matter of not knowing how to do it. I asked some of their close friends, and they told me that after leaving the Anatomy Building, those six had stopped responding to messages on social media altogether.”
“I suspect they didn’t submit the assignment not because they didn’t know how to do it, but because they didn’t know how to use a computer—just like how Wu Liang lied to me, saying his phone was broken. But I think it was just because he couldn’t unlock the screen.” Xue Rong’s voice trembled. “Tao Tao, maybe… they aren’t my classmates at all. Could they have been possessed by something from that building?”
Ding Jie quickly said, “Yes, Tao Tao, think about it. The evil spirits in the Anatomy Building are from twenty years ago. It’s normal for them not to know how to use electronic devices now.”
Tao Tao: “Before I left that day, I tested Feng Xiaojuan with the peach wood seal. She showed no abnormalities.”
Xue Rong: “Could it be that the peach wood seal malfunctioned?”
“Impossible,” Tao Tao said. “The peach wood seal was carved by my junior brother. He is a Spirit Master with the Demon-breaking Light Attribute, and items he handles also carry demon-shattering properties. Plus, the old man cast a spell on it. As long as it’s an evil spirit, it will be suppressed and reveal its true form without exception, unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless it’s an extremely powerful evil spirit that can briefly withstand the power of the peach wood seal, but even then, it wouldn’t last more than a minute.”
Ding Jie: “So you mean they’re not problematic?”
“No, on the contrary, I think the problem is significant. There must be some method allowing them to evade the power of the peach wood seal, but I haven’t figured it out yet.” Tao Tao said, “Without evidence proving they’re possessed by evil spirits, we can’t act against them. That’s the rule of the Spiritualist Realm.”
“Why is there such a rule?”
“To avoid harming the innocent. Often, a Spirit Master’s abilities can harm not only evil spirits but also people. It’s better to let them go than to make a mistake.”
Ding Jie asked, “Then what should we do? I’m terrified whenever I see them now.”
“To deal with evil spirits, we must first understand exactly what they are. I’m already investigating and should have news soon. You two go back and wait for now. Don’t alert them.”
“Only Rongrong and I know about the Anatomy Building. What if they try to silence us?”
“As long as they’re not fools, they won’t do that.” Tao Tao said, “The ghost-devouring vines in the Anatomy Building have already withered. With such a significant change, won’t the school notice? It’s not like the year 2000 anymore—there are surveillance cameras everywhere. If the evil spirits lose control and harm people, they’ll eventually be traced back.”
“What about Wu Liang?” Xue Rong shed tears. “The evil spirit is attached to Wu Liang. Will he be okay?”
“I’m not sure.”
Xue Rong grabbed her hand: “Tao Tao, please. No one will know if you secretly break the rules. Can you help Wu Liang?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to.” Tao Tao withdrew her hand. “Without knowing its species and weaknesses, and since it isn’t afraid of Spiritual Artifacts, I have no way to act. I can’t just draw my sword and slash it, can I? Slashing it would mean slashing Wu Liang too. Would you agree to that?”
Xue Rong then looked at the man beside her: “Lin Quan…”
Tao Tao: “Pleading with him is useless. He listens to me.”
Ding Jie was still terrified. Tao Tao took out the peach wood seal from her bag and handed it over: “Take this for protection. Don’t use it unless absolutely necessary. Once they realize their identities have been exposed, they might become desperate. Go back and wait for my news. Oh, and remember to settle the bill before you leave.”
The two girls left. Tao Tao leaned back in her chair, utterly perplexed: “Why aren’t the evil spirits suppressed by the peach wood seal?”
Lin Quan said, “The world is vast, full of wonders.”
He had been called by Tao Tao. When it came to exorcism, Tao Tao wasn’t particularly skilled. Lin Quan was a One-Pillar Spiritual Master, and his experience was far more extensive than hers.
He had been watching an anime when the plot got stuck halfway through, and he ran out of data to buy more. To see how the story continued, he was forced to work for Tao Tao.
To say she was forced wouldn’t be entirely accurate either. Lin Quan’s demeanor always felt like a gentle spring breeze, making it seem more like she had willingly accompanied him.
Tao Tao glanced at him: “Do you know the reason? For instance, different types of evil spirits might react differently to Peach Town. Or perhaps high-level evil spirits have certain privileges in the evil realm? While other evil spirits struggle and plead beneath Peach Town, those blessed by the Evil God’s radiance can swagger right under the noses of Spirit Masters…”
Lin Quan replied calmly, “Perhaps.”
Tao Tao: “Then why aren’t you saying anything? Are you waiting for me to beg you?”
Lin Quan’s attention was drawn to a plate of food on the table: “What’s this?”
The dishes were ordered by Xue Rong, and Tao Tao had been eating without paying attention to which was which. She checked the menu: “Looks like shrimp dumplings. If you want some, go ahead.”
Until now, she had been the only one eating at the table, while Lin Quan hadn’t touched a thing.
Lin Quan remained still. Tao Tao picked up a shrimp dumpling and deliberately waved it near his lips: “Don’t tell me you want me to feed you?”
“Dream on,” she said, about to pop the dumpling into her own mouth when her wrist was caught by Lin Quan.
His gaze drifted from the shrimp dumpling to her fingertips, where every inch of her fair skin revealed the unique warmth and delicacy of a young woman. Just as Lin Quan’s eyes began to darken with intensity, Tao Tao somehow sensed his thoughts and spoke up at the perfect moment:
“Lin Quan, if you dare to kiss me, I promise you’ll regret ever being born into this world.”