Tianyuan, focused on restoring his dantian, suddenly felt a chilling sensation above his head.
Not good!
His heart sank.
Why now of all times?
His dantian was 90% restored, just one more step from completion. It was a critical moment.
Desperately, he blinked at Kudeng, pleading for help.
Speaking was impossible at this point—opening his mouth would disrupt his energy flow and undo his progress.
However, Kudeng shut his eyes and pretended not to see. Having started his restoration earlier, he was just moments away from success.
With Tianyuan taking the brunt, Kudeng could ensure his own safety.
"Damn it!" Tianyuan cursed silently, rage boiling inside him.
The strand of black hair, after testing the waters on his head, sent more strands slithering down. They wriggled like venomous snakes, poised to strike him dead at any moment.
Regret filled Tianyuan's heart.
If only he had been more cooperative with Lu Fei earlier—even a feigned apology might have ensured his survival.
"Am I really going to die here?"
His pupils trembled as he looked around the desolate dormitory, consumed by unwillingness.
"Boss, it's here! Should we act?" Tiger asked, his voice trembling with both excitement and anticipation as he spotted the mass of black hair.
"Wait a little longer," Lu Fei replied calmly.
For someone as skilled as Tianyuan, surely he must have some life-saving trick up his sleeve?
The black hair writhed and coiled around Tianyuan's neck.
Tianyuan's expression turned resolute, a look of desperate determination flashing across his face.
*Boom!*
Just as the black hair was about to invade his nose and mouth, a burst of golden light erupted from Tianyuan's body.
The light severed the black hair entirely.
"Now!"
Without hesitation, Lu Fei sprang into action. Channeling spiritual power into his thunderstruck jujube wood stick, he struck the severed black hair with precision.
Blue electric currents crackled fiercely along the strands of hair.
"Ahhh—"
A piercing scream echoed through the decrepit dormitory. The ghost revealed its true form: a girl with a face contorted in hatred and covered in deep knife wounds.
"Could she be the girl stabbed to death by her boyfriend?"
Lu Fei's mind raced. This ghost was likely the source of the hauntings in the dormitory. Her vitality surpassed that of the other long-haired ghosts.
Even after being struck by the golden light and Lu Fei's attack, she didn't perish but continued to struggle violently.
Cold, black hair sprouted endlessly from her head, lashing out at Lu Fei like writhing claws.
"Boss, watch out!" Tiger shouted, swinging his ghost-head knife to sever the oncoming strands of hair.
The ghost's battered body floated into the air, vanishing in an instant.
"Did it escape?"
Lu Fei frowned, scanning his surroundings warily.
Thin fog seeped in through the windows, making the already dim dormitory even more obscure.
When Lu Fei and Tiger re-entered, Tianyuan and Kudeng initially looked relieved, but their expressions quickly soured.
They realized immediately—they had been used by Lu Fei again.
Kudeng took a deep breath, steadying his emotions to avoid disrupting his energy flow.
Tianyuan, on the other hand, trembled with rage, his eyes burning with fury.
Lu Fei had deliberately waited until he was forced to use his life-saving talisman before stepping in.
The young man was devious, ruthless, and full of schemes!
Despite his anger, Tianyuan dared not voice his complaints.
Not only was he still unable to speak, but more importantly, he had exhausted all his trump cards.
Even Kudeng couldn't be trusted to back him up. If he angered Lu Fei again, he would truly be doomed.
Kudeng, having just restored his dantian, let out a long exhale of relief.
"Amitabha."
Without bothering to wipe the sweat from his brow, he clasped his hands and offered Lu Fei a solemn bow.
"Thank you, Shopkeeper Lu, for your assistance."
Tianyuan cursed Kudeng inwardly, enraged at the monk's opportunistic flattery.
Restoring their dantian didn't mean their spiritual power had recovered—it only preserved their foundation. If they hoped to make it out of the dormitory alive tonight, they would still need Lu Fei's help.
"No need to thank me, Master Kudeng. I wasn't here to save you," Lu Fei said with a faint smile, turning his attention back to searching for the long-haired ghost.
The ghost was severely injured, and Lu Fei was determined to seize the opportunity to eliminate it.
"Shopkeeper Lu jests. We're all here for the school's safety; naturally, we should work together," Kudeng replied, his face stiffening before forcing a laugh. He shamelessly followed after Lu Fei and Tiger.
"Well, Master, your face is so thick it's leading the way by two miles," Tiger said mockingly. Kudeng ignored the jab entirely.
A faint mist shrouded the dormitory as Lu Fei narrowed his eyes in vigilance.
Suddenly, a shadowy figure darted past outside.
"After it!"
Lu Fei sprang into action, with Tiger and Kudeng close behind.
Left alone in the dormitory, Tianyuan panicked.
Fortunately, he finished restoring his dantian just in time. Without pausing to catch his breath, he scrambled to his feet and chased after the others.
"Wait for me!"
Lu Fei moved quickly, pursuing the shadow as it fled toward the rooftop.
The ghost's long hair fluttered wildly as its speed increased.
How could a human keep up with a ghost?
"Tiger, the fang dagger!" Lu Fei shouted as the ghost started pulling away.
Tiger immediately pulled out the fang dagger and hurled it with all his might at the ghost's figure.
*Whoosh!*
The small dagger struck true, piercing the ghost and causing it to falter mid-flight.
"Quick!"
Lu Fei and Tiger surged forward, their weapons poised to strike.
Tiger's ghost-head knife was longer and reached the ghost first. Although it couldn't deliver a fatal blow, it managed to keep the ghost from escaping.
Lu Fei followed up with his thunderstruck jujube wood stick.
Infused with immense spiritual power, the stick struck the ghost squarely on its forehead.
*Boom!*
Blue lightning coursed through the ghost's body. Its snarling face twisted in agony as its black hair disintegrated into ashes.
The ghost's body trembled violently, cracks spreading across its pale form like a porcelain doll on the verge of shattering.
Yet, amidst its suffering, a look of relief appeared in its dark eyes.
The ghost closed its eyes.
Something felt off to Lu Fei.
This ghost had shown remarkable stealth before—why had it suddenly revealed itself now?
Just then, a chilling wind swept down from above.
A long strand of black hair descended from the staircase overhead.
"Watch out!"
Lu Fei and Tiger leaped back.
The hair coiled around the ghost like a tongue, dragging it upward and into the darkness.
In an instant, the ghost vanished.
Then, waves of black hair surged out from the shadows like a rising tide.
"What's happening?" Everyone's expressions shifted in alarm.
Lu Fei's heart sank.
The ghost hadn't been trying to escape—it had lured them into a trap!