Hearing what the ghost girl said, I leapt up from my seat in shock and demanded why she hadn't told me earlier. She let out a sinister laugh and said she had noticed ghost fetus marks on Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao's backs earlier, visible through their clothing. The marks—gruesome ghostly faces—were left by the ghost fetus at dawn, dooming them to be tonight's targets. Then she added coldly, "Seeing them berate you like that, I couldn't be bothered. Might as well let them die."
"How could you say that?" I was furious. "I can handle their insults, but standing by and letting them die—how could you be so indifferent?"
"Hmph! I was standing up for you, and now you're blaming me?" The ghost girl seemed annoyed at my response. "Fine, I won't interfere!"
She sulked, refusing to talk to me. But thinking about Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao's lives at stake, I couldn't just let it go. As I stepped out of the classroom into the misty rain, my mind was in turmoil. If I warned them, they probably wouldn't believe me. But doing nothing would haunt my conscience.
Desperate, I tried reasoning with her again. "Didn't you say the ghost fetus can only kill one person a day? Why would it target two at once?"
"Can't hear you!" she huffed, clearly pretending not to listen.
This ghost girl had quite the temper, but I knew how to handle her: flattery always worked. "Yan Xiaoning is the kindest, smartest, most amazing ghost in the whole world!" I declared.
"Hmph… fine, I'll listen," she finally said, softening her tone.
She explained that the ghost fetus killed each victim to repair the parts of itself that had been damaged. Last night, it had suffered from the glutinous rice wine and the Four-Spirit Flame, as well as being suppressed by the Death Row Tomb Array, leaving it severely weakened. That's why it targeted Liu Yan, hollowing out her heart, eyes, and tongue—parts it urgently needed.
This time, however, it required more blood essence, so it marked both Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao as its prey.
"But why leave marks?" I asked, perplexed. "Why not just attack them directly?"
"The marks are drawn with the ghost fetus' blood as a spirit-linking symbol. They lock onto the targets, ensuring they can't escape no matter where they go," she explained patiently. "And once night falls, the marked victims will become dazed and willingly deliver themselves to it."
A chill ran down my spine as goosebumps prickled my skin.
"Is there a way to break the curse?" I asked urgently.
Her tone instantly turned icy. "Didn't I already tell you there's no way? Stop nagging like an old woman!"
Her sharp words almost made me explode with anger. What a day—first being berated by those people, now mocked by this ghost girl. But I swallowed my frustration, sensing she might be hiding something. Switching tactics, I flattered her again: "You must be incredible, knowing more than even Wu Long!"
"Hmph, I wasn't an exorcist when I was alive, but as a ghost, I've learned this stuff much faster!" My compliment worked—her mood lifted.
"Then teach me!" I said earnestly. "I can't keep relying on you every time I face a ghost."
"You want to learn how to deal with the ghost fetus?" she asked with a sly smile, seeing right through me.
Caught, I admitted, "Yes. If you teach me everything you know, maybe I can find a way."
"Teach you?" She suddenly grew cold again. "Do you know that mastering Maoshan techniques and spells takes over a month of rote memorization, let alone actual practice? Learning in a few hours is a fool's dream!"
"Why not give it a shot?" I pressed on. "Maybe I'll pick it up quickly."
"You?" she sneered. "To exorcise a ghost fetus, you'd need at least a year of training to have even a 50% chance of success. And you only have half a day!"
"Even a 10% chance is better than nothing!" I said firmly.
She fell silent for a moment before finally saying, "Fine. If you're so eager to risk your life, I'll tell you—the only way to deal with the ghost fetus is to fight it head-on!"
She explained that to fight the ghost fetus, I would need yellow paper, a peachwood sword, red string, incense, and glutinous rice. The red string could restrict the ghost fetus' movements, while the peachwood sword and talismans were essential for attacking and sealing it. The sealing talisman could temporarily paralyze the ghost fetus, but I'd have to attach it to its spiritual core—a nearly impossible feat.
"Go buy these items now," she ordered. "There's a shop nearby that sells exorcism supplies. They'll have peachwood swords and talismans, but they're expensive."
She wasn't kidding. When I got to the shop, a single peachwood sword cost 50 yuan, and each talisman was 5 yuan. By the time I'd bought everything, I'd spent over 200 yuan and felt like my wallet was bleeding.
When I returned to the dorm with a bag full of supplies, the ghost girl smirked and said, "Now comes the hard part. Fighting ghosts isn't as simple as waving a peachwood sword. You need to master a few basic hand seals and learn the Five-Ghost Steps."
Taking a deep breath, I listened intently to her step-by-step instructions, suppressing my fear. No matter how absurd it sounded, I was determined to try.