Lu Fei cradled the little black dog as he began circling the ghostly dormitory.
The pup peeked its furry head out of the bag, its shiny black eyes gleaming with curiosity and excitement as it surveyed its surroundings.
The hair from the walls didn't seem like hair at all—it resembled plant roots.
Could it be that some plant had turned into a spirit?
The ghost dormitory was surrounded by many trees. Could one of their roots have invaded the building?
As Lu Fei walked, he scrutinized his surroundings.
Tianyuan and Kudeng, still recovering only a fraction of their spiritual power, didn't dare act alone and stuck close to him.
Tiger, irritated, shot them a glare.
"If you're scared, don't come along! Nobody will blame you. But sticking around like a couple of leeches is just annoying."
"Amitabha. Tiger, we're merely trying to contribute what little we can," Kudeng said with an unflappable smile.
"Are you really a monk? I've never seen a monk with skin this thick!" Tiger muttered in disbelief.
Kudeng quickened his pace to catch up with Lu Fei, grinning as he offered, "Shopkeeper Lu, what are you looking for? Just tell us, and we'll help you search to speed things up."
"Do you remember the hair that came out of the walls last night?" Lu Fei asked.
"Of course I remember." Kudeng nodded emphatically.
The sight was unforgettable, and it had only been a single night.
"I suspect it wasn't hair at all," Lu Fei explained his theory.
"A spirit plant? That's possible! There are ancient tales of plants controlling ghosts to cause mischief... With so many roots, it must be a large plant. It shouldn't be hard to find."
Agreeing with Lu Fei's theory, Kudeng joined the search.
The group circled the ghost dormitory.
"Shopkeeper Lu, look! There's a large banyan tree over there!" Kudeng exclaimed, his chubby finger pointing ahead.
The dense canopy of the tree was interwoven with hanging aerial roots dangling from its thick trunk.
"Don't those roots look like hair?"
"They do!"
The group exchanged wary glances, drawing their weapons as they cautiously approached the banyan tree.
Kudeng, now bereft of his prayer beads, wielded a wooden mallet usually used to strike a fish-shaped wooden drum.
The banyan tree was enormous, its trunk requiring two adults to encircle with their arms. Its lush branches spread wide, covering half of the ghost dormitory's roof.
The aerial roots hanging from the branches bore some resemblance to the hair-like roots from the previous night.
However, the roots that emerged from the walls seemed slightly different.
"I'll test it out. Stay alert," Lu Fei said, handing the black dog to Tiger and drawing a dagger.
The group immediately tensed, preparing for any reaction from the tree.
If they could destroy the strange roots during the day, dealing with the malevolent ghost in the dormitory at night would be much easier.
Lu Fei sliced through one of the roots with his dagger.
The severed root looked normal and showed no reaction.
"Nothing?"
He then struck the cut with his thunderstruck jujube stick, channeling spiritual power into the blow.
The banyan tree remained unresponsive, its leaves barely rustling.
"Doesn't seem like it's this tree," Lu Fei said, shaking his head.
The group sighed in relief but looked puzzled.
If not this tree, then what? What other plant could have such extensive roots?
"Keep searching!" Lu Fei commanded.
The group circled the dormitory twice, testing several other trees, but found nothing unusual.
"Shopkeeper Lu, could we be mistaken? Perhaps those were really just hair, not roots?" Kudeng scratched his shiny bald head.
"If we can't find anything, we'll have to fight it head-on tonight," Lu Fei said, narrowing his eyes as he scanned the area.
Kudeng and Tianyuan both felt a sinking dread.
In their current state, they were in no shape for a direct confrontation.
"If it comes to that, I'll call for reinforcements from my monastery," Kudeng offered, glancing at Tianyuan. "What about you, Daozhang?"
"I... I'll also seek help," Tianyuan stammered.
"Then we'd better hurry and prepare to assist Shopkeeper Lu tonight," Kudeng said, dragging Tianyuan along as they prepared to leave.
Lu Fei was considering heading back to regroup as well when the little black dog barked twice and wriggled in the bag.
"Need to go to the bathroom? Hold it; this isn't the place..." Lu Fei tried to settle the pup back into the bag.
But the dog was surprisingly agile, slipping out and sprinting toward the base of the dormitory wall.
"Hey, get back here!"
Startled, Lu Fei and Tiger chased after it.
The dog darted to a corner of the building and barked at Lu Fei before furiously digging at the ground with its small paws.
"You reckless little mutt! You know where this is, right? If you're so eager, hurry up already!" Tiger grumbled.
The dog ignored him, pawing at the soil and barking at Lu Fei as if urging him to act.
"Is there something here?" Lu Fei crouched down, patting the spot the dog had dug.
The dog wagged its tail energetically, barking in excitement.
Examining the wall, Lu Fei noticed a patch of climbing ivy growing from the ground, its vines spreading across the entire outer wall of the dormitory.
He tugged at the ivy, revealing dense, thin roots burrowing into the wall.
"Tiger, get some tools. Let's dig here."
"This pup is incredible! Its nose must be extraordinary—it's definitely a spirit dog!" Tiger exclaimed as he hurried to find Principal Qin.
Minutes later, Tiger returned with three shovels, followed by Principal Qin and the Duan grandfather-granddaughter duo.
Hearing of the discovery, they decided to join in.
"Masters, Daozhang, weren't you going to help? Get over here!" Tiger said, tossing two shovels to Kudeng and Tianyuan.
With Principal Qin watching, the two had no choice but to step up and start digging.
A few shovelfuls in, the smell of damp earth wafted out.
"Ah! Look, so much hair!" Duan Lingyue exclaimed, pointing at the soil they had turned up.
Within the damp dirt were countless fine black strands resembling hair.
Everyone felt their scalps prickle.
Upon closer inspection, it became apparent that these weren't hair but the roots of the ivy. The roots were numerous, long, and extended deep into the ground.
"Keep digging!"
Lu Fei stood guard nearby with his thunderstruck jujube stick in hand.
The group dug deeper, revealing more roots intertwined with the soil.
After several meters of digging, an exhausted Kudeng finally struck something unusual.
In the depths of the soil, the roots coiled tightly together, forming a massive cocoon.
Inside the cocoon, something seemed to be faintly writhing.