Luckily, the ghost girl had informed me that the talismans sold at the shop were subpar, with weak effects. Otherwise, the shopkeeper charging 200 yuan for a single talisman would have truly bankrupted me. Even so, I had spent over 200 yuan on a peachwood sword and a stack of talismans, leaving my heart aching. With just enough coins left for two steamed buns, I ate them while walking back to school, lugging my supplies.
It was class time, so the dorm was empty—finally, I could get to work without worry.
First, I soaked the glutinous rice in wine, which was straightforward enough. Then came the talisman drawing. Unfortunately, I'd bought a brush but forgotten cinnabar ink.
The ghost girl shot me a disdainful glance. "Using yang blood to draw talismans is several times more effective than cinnabar. Didn't you know that?"
I froze, suspecting she was just trying to mess with me again. But her serious expression silenced my doubts, so I resigned myself to the task. Using a nail clipper, I pricked my finger and began drawing.
Drawing talismans seemed easy but was maddeningly difficult in practice. The snake-like symbols demanded precision and a single, uninterrupted flow. After wasting two sheets of yellow paper and plenty of blood, I managed to draw six talismans: three Golden Light Talismans and three Sealing Talismans.
"Drawing talismans is the easy part," the ghost girl sneered, tossing me the peachwood sword. "Now it's time for sword practice and the Nine-Star Step—this will be the real challenge."
Sword practice required seamless coordination of movement and blade, while the Nine-Star Step demanded pinpoint accuracy in stepping along a nine-square grid. I stumbled through the training, nearly mistaking the peachwood sword for a machete and hacking randomly. After more than an hour of relentless drilling, I barely passed her standards.
"The main event is using the red string to fight the ghost," she said, her tone sharp as ever. She began teaching me hand seals and how to manipulate the string. "Left hand forms the seal, right hand controls the string. Loop it around the ghost fetus' neck, tire it out, and finally pierce its spiritual core with the sword!"
By the time we were done, I collapsed onto my bed, panting as if my body had fallen apart. "If just training is this exhausting, I might as well let the ghost fetus kill me during the actual fight," I muttered, second-guessing my resolve.
"Don't give up now," she said, surprisingly encouraging for once. "You've got a knack for this. Picking up the essentials in an afternoon is impressive—you've got at least a 10% chance of success tonight."
Her words gave me a small boost of confidence, though I couldn't help but think: Even if I chickened out, she wouldn't let her nest get destroyed, right? With her as backup, what was there to fear?
Footsteps echoed in the hallway as students returned from class. I quickly shoved everything into a plastic bag, threw on a raincoat to hide it, and slipped out of the dorm.
Outside, the rain hadn't stopped. The sky was so overcast that it was pitch black by 6 p.m., as dark as midnight. Anxiety about the looming confrontation filled my mind, so much so that I skipped dinner. Clutching the plastic bag, I hid in the shadows near the girls' dorm, waiting for Xiao Xiang to appear.
According to the ghost girl, both Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao had been marked by the ghost fetus. By midnight, they would be compelled to head toward its lair. All I had to do was follow them.
While waiting, the ghost girl taught me a few incantations. I had a decent memory and managed to learn them quickly. Studying and waiting, time seemed to crawl until midnight finally arrived.
At exactly 12 a.m., the campus streetlights went out, plunging the rain-soaked grounds into darkness. The sound of raindrops hitting the pavement seemed eerily amplified, adding to the sense of foreboding. The shadowy outlines of buildings resembled ancient tombstones, hiding countless secrets.
Then Xiao Xiang appeared.
From my hiding spot, I saw a slender figure step out of the girls' dorm, holding a phone whose faint glow illuminated her face. She moved westward, her head lowered as if in a trance. Moments later, another figure emerged from the boys' dorm—Zhu Wantao, also holding a phone and trailing behind Xiao Xiang.
"Follow them," the ghost girl urged in a whisper.
Hunched over like a thief, I stealthily followed, weaving around trees and buildings. In the rainy darkness, the faint phone lights glowed like ghostly flames, marking their movements clearly.
The two walked west, passing the library and the lab building, eventually heading toward the school's unfinished multifunctional building. It stood alone at the edge of campus, its skeletal frame looming like a beast crouched in the shadows. The uninstalled windows gaped like dark caverns, oozing dread.
"The ghost fetus is hiding there," the ghost girl said. "That building sits atop an old burial ground, making it a prime spot for cultivating its power. If Wu Long set up the Eight Coffin Ghost-Suppressing Array, the ghost energy will be suppressed, giving us the upper hand tonight."
"And if he didn't?" I swallowed nervously, sweat breaking out on my back.
"Then we're in big trouble. With abundant ghost energy, the ghost fetus will be stronger, and Feng Lan might assist it. You'll be outmatched."
Cursing Wu Long under my breath, I silently prayed he hadn't slacked off this time.
Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao entered the building, and their phone lights vanished. I gritted my teeth, ready to rush in and pull them out, but the ghost girl stopped me. "Don't rush. Wait for the ghost fetus to show itself."
Reluctantly, I slowed my pace, sneaking into the building. As soon as I stepped inside, an icy chill engulfed me, far colder than the rainy night outside. Every step echoed unnervingly in the pitch-black hallway, each sound like a hammer on my nerves.
A flash of lightning illuminated the building, revealing a staircase not far ahead. Xiao Xiang and Zhu Wantao's silhouettes disappeared around the landing. When the light faded, I cautiously moved forward.
Guided by the ghost girl's whispers, I made my way to the fourth floor. As I approached the top of the stairs, she suddenly hissed, "Stop! This is the life gate of the Eight Coffin Array. Combined with the Heaven Disc Six Yi Formation, it creates a Wind Concealment Ward. As long as we stay here, the ghost fetus won't sense us."