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"Whoo—" Beichuan Si let out a heavy sigh after finishing his bath.
The gray skill icon symbolizing the Spiritual Dagger Technique had already been illuminated. The system's input of experience allowed him to grasp the usage of the technique. However, it seemed it would take some time to fully master it.
Beichuan Si was not in a hurry. As usual, he turned on his computer, logged onto his homepage, and checked his email.
Dingdong—
That was the sound indicating a new email.
Beichuan Si focused his eyes. To his surprise, someone had sent him an email as early as seven o'clock.
"What is this?" Beichuan Si looked at the sender and recalled the email he had drafted the day before.
It seemed the sender was in a hurry, or else they wouldn't have responded so quickly.
Pondering for a moment, Beichuan Si decided to open the email.
"Dear Blogger, you finally responded. Considering you mentioned having some things to handle in your last message, I'll try to keep this brief."
The sender started a new line, showing an anxious yet organized approach.
"Do you know about the Sanmu Abandoned Doll Factory? It's a renowned urban legend spiritual site..."
Located in Tokyo's Nakano District, the Sanmu Abandoned Doll Factory was a well-known haunted spiritual site.
A legend circulated about the factory ravaged by fire. It said that anyone who left their signature in the deepest part of the doll workshop would forever live as good friends.
The person who replied, along with her friends and several students from a different school, had been there.
However, because it started raining midway that day, they couldn't explore the deepest parts of the Sanmu Abandoned Doll Factory and had to reluctantly return home.
The bizarre events began after they returned home.
The replier's friend started developing a fear of enclosed spaces and darkness.
Initially, it was just a matter of leaving the lights on; eventually, it escalated to sealing the windows with newspapers, staying buried under blankets, and ultimately refusing to go to school.
"Here's the original statement from Lisha, 'Countless dolls are watching me. Once darkness falls, they swarm by the windows, their pale limbs twisted, glaring at me with malevolent, crimson mock eyes. But I saw nothing when I stayed up with her all night. Sometimes, Lisha sleepwalks unconsciously. I followed her one night and found her walking alone to the doll factory... It seems Lisha's condition has influenced me; now, I occasionally see illusions and have started having nightmares myself. I can't tell anymore if Lisha has gone mad or if I have.'"
"So, dear Blogger, if you really have the ability, please help us. We can discuss the travel expenses, accommodation, and subsequent compensation. Lisha can't hold on much longer if this continues. My contact information and address are—"
There were some bits and pieces afterward, but they were irrelevant to Beichuan Si.
He looked at the contact address left by the sender in surprise, "Isn't this around Kyubei High School?"
Does that mean the sender was a Kyubei High School student?
Wasn't this quite a coincidence?
The way the sender eagerly left their address suggested that 'Lisha's' condition was indeed urgent.
While dispelling spirits or urban legends could benefit him, Beichuan Si found himself too bogged down with his affairs and lacked time to investigate the Sanmu Abandoned Doll Factory.
However, now that Ishikawa Kaoru had been apprehended, if 'Lisha's' condition wasn't overly complicated, he could resolve it.
With this in mind, Beichuan Si's eyes flickered, and he set about drafting an email reply.
The gist was that his current issues involved life and death, making it difficult to devote full attention to her situation. However, he could spare some time in the next two or three days. If 'Lisha's' condition wasn't too complicated, he wouldn't mind helping.
After writing the email, Beichuan Si rubbed his temples and exhaled.
He needed another two or three days to handle things before leaving; helping would merely be a side endeavor.
Issues at school, taking leave, and the curse on Magong Tong all required his personal involvement to examine.
Dealing with bullying and leave-taking was simple—beat the bullies into submission, which wouldn't take more than a day or two. Just fabricate a reason for the leave; it wasn't difficult.
But the curse on Magong Tong was the most complex.
Having finally acquired the mission, Beichuan Si didn't want to risk Magong Tong vanishing during his trip to Yashan City.
The girl was a good person; during a break, she had shown him around the school without asking for anything in return.
"Looks like I'll need to find an excuse to keep Magong Tong in tomorrow to examine the curse," Beichuan Si mused, rubbing his chin before getting into bed.
Time to start recharging for tomorrow.
...
The next day, Beichuan Si woke up following his usual biological clock, went out for a twenty-minute jog, then returned home to prepare a simple breakfast.
After preparing a three-person breakfast, Shinkai Mirai, having finished washing and dressing, finally emerged yawning from the washroom.
She greeted Beichuan Si upon seeing him:
"Good morning, Mr. Temple."
"Mm." Beichuan Si glanced at Shinkai Mirai, responding coolly, "Where's Hui Li?"
"Hui Li? She's probably still sleeping upstairs," Shinkai Mirai replied casually.
"Is that so?" Beichuan Si reached to untie his apron.
"Uh... What are you going to do?" Shinkai Mirai asked, unable to resist his intention.
"Wake her up." Beichuan Si passed by Shinkai Mirai, expressionless, heading upstairs.
Approximately three minutes later, Beichuan Huili's scream shattered the Beichuan household's tranquility.
"Mr. Temple? What are you doing? Wait! I get it! I'll get up right away! Wait! I really get it! Wahhh!"
Once the screams died down, Beichuan Si descended the stairs step by step.
Shinkai Mirai couldn't resist her curiosity, peeked at him, and gasped.
Beichuan Si carried the dejected Beichuan Huili by the collar of her pajamas as if lifting a rabbit with dangling feet.
"Go wash up." Beichuan Si set Beichuan Huili down, instructing plainly.
"...Okay." Beichuan Huili nodded pitifully, not daring to meet Shinkai Mirai's eyes, miserably heading into the washroom.
Beichuan Si's gaze turned to meet Shinkai Mirai's eyes.
Uh—
Shinkai Mirai was like a duck with its throat caught; words stuck in her throat.
She once envied Beichuan Huili, thinking Beichuan Si was indifferent to her. But now, it seemed, Beichuan Huili fared worse at home than she did.
"What's the matter?" Beichuan Si asked upon seeing her stare.
"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"
Shinkai Mirai shook her head hurriedly, indicating she had no questions at all.
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