The decrepit dormitory loomed cold and menacing under the dark sky.
The fog had dispersed, but the building's chilling, oppressive aura remained as strong as ever.
"What exactly are those strands of hair?"
Lu Fei replayed the horrifying scene of black hair growing out of the walls. His mind was a jumble of thoughts, unable to make sense of it all.
After battling in the ghostly dormitory all night, he was utterly drained.
Tianyuan and Kudeng were in even worse shape.
One had lost his life-saving talisman, and the other his artifact. Both were covered in injuries, their clothing torn to shreds.
No one had the energy to delve into the dormitory's mysteries at the moment. Rest and recovery came first.
On the other side of the bridge, Principal Qin had been waiting anxiously for hours. When he saw the group returning, he rushed to greet them.
"Thank you all for your hard work. What's the situation inside the old building?"
"Amitabha. Principal Qin, it's our lack of skill that prevented us from completely resolving the issue tonight," Kudeng sighed and gave a slight bow.
"There were many ghosts, including a particularly powerful malevolent ghost. We weren't fully prepared," Tianyuan added, coughing lightly, as if to save face.
"What? Many ghosts?" Principal Qin's face turned pale.
Duan Tiankui quickly summarized the events and showered praise on Lu Fei. He reassured, "Don't worry, Principal Qin. We'll find a solution after some rest. From the moment I met Lu Fei, I knew this young man was destined for greatness!"
Lu Fei noticed that Duan Tiankui's attitude toward him had subtly changed.
While the old man had always been friendly, there had been a hint of distance and formality. Now, it seemed he regarded Lu Fei with pride.
By then, it was past midnight.
Principal Qin busied himself arranging accommodations for everyone.
"Principal, there's no need to trouble yourself. My home is in Jiang City, so I'll just head back to rest. Don't worry, I'll see this through to the end!"
Lu Fei and Tiger headed back to the antique street, while Duan Tiankui took his granddaughter home.
Tianyuan and Kudeng accepted the principal's offer of a hotel room.
As they were parting ways, Kudeng suddenly called out to Lu Fei.
"Shopkeeper Lu, please wait a moment."
"What is it?" Lu Fei turned back, puzzled.
"Shopkeeper Lu, I owe you my life tonight. Thank you!" Kudeng clasped his hands together and bowed deeply.
"Master, you're too kind. We were working together for the school's safety—it was only natural to help each other."
Whether Kudeng was sincere or merely putting on a show, Lu Fei accepted it without complaint.
Tianyuan, on the other hand, remained silent, seemingly too proud to speak.
Lu Fei didn't mind. His thoughts were already on his little dog as he hurried back to the Evil Pawnshop.
"I've been away for a day and a night. Who knows how that little guy is doing?"
Opening the shop's door, Lu Fei rushed inside, only to freeze in shock along with Tiger.
"Boss, did we get robbed?" Tiger exclaimed.
The courtyard was a mess.
Garbage and debris littered the ground, and even the dirt in the corners had been dug up.
A small black dog emerged from somewhere, barking loudly at the two of them as if accusing them of abandonment.
"It's not a thief—it's the dog."
Lu Fei walked over, picked up the trembling puppy, and gently patted its head, feeling a pang of guilt.
"I'm sorry for leaving you alone for so long."
"There, there. It won't happen again."
The puppy calmed down under Lu Fei's soothing touch, curling up in his arms and letting out soft whimpers.
"This little thing caused all this?" Tiger was astonished. "It's got some destructive power!"
"Just wait—when it grows up, it'll be a fierce guard dog," Lu Fei said with a chuckle.
Exhausted, the two men didn't bother cleaning up. After a quick wash, they collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
The next day, they slept until noon before heading out for a hearty meal, finally feeling rejuvenated.
With their strength restored, Lu Fei began reflecting on the events in the ghost dormitory.
At the last moment, the malevolent ghost had let them go.
Why?
Was it because she was Guo Haitao's girlfriend? Otherwise, why would she react so strongly to the ring box?
But if she truly cared for Haitao, why would she have caused his death?
Lu Fei couldn't figure it out.
Still, that wasn't the priority. The focus was on eliminating the ghost to avenge Haitao.
The ghost's ability to channel yin energy through the hair made her nearly invincible. As long as the hair existed, she couldn't be killed.
Therefore, to defeat her, they needed to deal with the hair first.
However, the hair didn't grow from her head but rather emerged from the walls of the dormitory. This suggested that the ghost and the hair were not one and the same.
Could there be another entity hiding in the dormitory?
If so, that entity might be the key to the ghostly building.
At that moment, Tiger finished tidying the courtyard and looked at Lu Fei.
"Boss, those hairs in the dormitory were too eerie. Are we really going back?"
The memory of last night's terror still sent shivers down his spine.
This job was the most dangerous they'd ever taken.
"Be confident—drop the 'really.'" Lu Fei's tone was calm.
Having taken on the task, there was no question of giving up halfway.
"What are those things, and how do we deal with them?" Tiger muttered, furrowing his brow.
"Stop overthinking. Let's head over now."
Lu Fei grabbed a bag and gently placed the puppy inside.
"Now?" Tiger glanced at the puppy in surprise. "You're taking it with us?"
"Yes. I promised." Lu Fei cradled the bag and walked out.
Tiger locked the shop and hung up the closed sign.
The two took a taxi to Jiang University.
"Lu, are you sure you're up for this? Shouldn't you rest for a couple more days?" Principal Qin asked, concerned.
Though he had heard of Lu Fei's capabilities from Duan Tiankui, he couldn't help worrying about his student.
"I'm fine, Principal. Daytime is safer for exploring the dormitory. We need to act quickly before more people are harmed." Lu Fei spoke with conviction.
"You're truly admirable, Lu." Principal Qin's eyes gleamed with respect.
Tianyuan and Kudeng exchanged glances and stepped forward.
"Shopkeeper Lu, if you'll have us, we'd like to help."
After last night's debacle, they couldn't back down now without losing face in the martial world.
More importantly, they couldn't take the payment without resolving the issue.
"Thank you both!"
Principal Qin was touched and promptly led the group to the old campus.
"Principal, you should wait here. We'll handle it ourselves."
"Be careful!"
With Principal Qin's repeated reminders, Lu Fei and the others crossed the small bridge, returning to the haunted dormitory.
Even in daylight, the dilapidated and gloomy building exuded a chilling aura.
Lu Fei knew he had to uncover the secret of the black hair before nightfall.