It was almost better to stay hidden in the dark because the ghost girl could give me early warnings. On my own, my reflexes were painfully slow. Thankfully, the candle in my hand somehow stayed lit and landed right in the designated spot when I fell. I quickly crouched to set it down and, following her instructions, lit a Golden Light Talisman.
The little monster had almost lunged onto my stomach by then, but the talisman's flames scared it off, making it leap to the ceiling.
"Move!" the ghost girl urged.
Scrambling on hands and knees, I rushed westward, placing another lit candle on the floor. Before the monster could pounce again, I burned another Golden Light Talisman to drive it back. Cold sweat streamed down my back.
The problem was—I was out of Golden Light Talismans! Worse yet, this creature seemed unnervingly clever. The remaining Sealing Talismans wouldn't work unless directly applied to its forehead, which was impossible.
The little monster perched on the ceiling again, its blood-red eyes fixed on me with a chilling intelligence, as if it knew my arsenal was running low. I seized the chance to sprint toward the final location in the south. But halfway there, the monster shot toward me like a shadow. I had no choice but to swing the peachwood sword and engage it head-on.
Without the talismans to aid me, and with my limited skills, the peachwood sword alone was no match for it. The creature swiped at my wrist, sending the sword flying over ten meters away. Pain jolted through my hand, leaving it numb. I inwardly cursed—what now, with my weapon gone?
Just as the monster lunged again, leaving me no room to escape, the ghost girl finally intervened! She forced my body forward into a dive, landing precisely at the southern candle's designated spot. I hurriedly lit the candle and set it in place.
Looking back, I saw the monster give up on attacking me and instead turn toward Zhu Wantao.
"Don't worry; the residual power of the glutinous rice wine and talismans will keep it away from them," the ghost girl assured.
True enough, as soon as the creature got close to Zhu Wantao, an invisible force repelled it. It screeched in pain and darted back to the ceiling, where it scurried about like a frantic monkey. Its ear-piercing cries made my scalp tingle.
"Now light this incense, place it between them, and prepare for the final showdown," the ghost girl instructed.
Gritting my teeth, I lit three sticks of incense and carefully ran to where Xiaoxiang and Zhu Wantao lay. I placed the incense on the ground, but the concrete floor made it hard to plant them firmly, almost snapping them in half.
At that moment, Zhu Wantao stirred awake. Weak and trembling, he grabbed the incense from me, clutching it to his chest. His voice, though frail, was full of desperation. "Brother, you've got to save me!"
Seeing his pitiful state, I didn't know whether to be angry or amused. Just this afternoon, he had mocked me in the classroom, but now he was groveling. Still, I nodded. "Don't worry, I'll save you both!"
"Look out!" the ghost girl suddenly shouted.
A bone-chilling wind surged behind me. Reflexively, I rolled to the side, but I wasn't fast enough. The creature's claws raked across my back, leaving a long gash. Pain exploded through me, nearly making me faint.
"You're comforting people now? Do you even realize how close you were to dying?" the ghost girl scolded.
I nodded, silently cursing my lapse in focus. Grabbing the fallen peachwood sword, I forced myself to stand despite the unbearable pain. My whole body felt like it had been disassembled and hastily put back together. My wrist was still numb, barely able to grip the sword.
Looking at the monster perched on the ceiling and then at Xiaoxiang, who lay unconscious, I clenched my teeth and resolved to push through.
"Listen carefully! Use the red rope to lasso its neck, fight it while creating an opening to use a Sealing Talisman. Seal its spiritual aperture!" the ghost girl instructed, her voice firm like a dose of adrenaline.
Taking a deep breath, I tied a slipknot in the red rope and charged toward the monster. As if ready for me, it lunged in return with ferocious speed.
At the last second, I dropped into a sliding motion, causing the creature to overshoot its mark. In the same motion, I swung the rope, the loop landing perfectly around its neck. The knot tightened instantly, and the creature let out a pained screech.
"Not bad! You might actually have a knack for this stuff! Now get up—invoke your Daoist steps, form your hand seals, and wield the sword!" the ghost girl cheered.
The creature, meanwhile, howled in agony, thrashing wildly as it tried to break free from the rope.
I scrambled to my feet, clutching the rope tightly between my fingers as I formed a Ghost-Binding Seal. The ghost girl had once explained the power of these seals, describing them as connections to divine energy. With no time to question the mystical theory, I channeled all my focus and followed her guidance.
Performing the Daoist steps, brandishing the peachwood sword, I tried to synchronize my movements. But achieving the "miraculous harmony of Daoist magic" that the ghost girl promised felt like a pipe dream.
The monster, though restrained by the rope, seemed more enraged than ever. Its eyes burned with fury, its twisted features growing more horrifying by the second.
With a guttural screech, it charged at me with an intensity that surpassed all its previous attacks. Its speed was blinding—before I could react, its head slammed into my chest.
"Boom!" The impact sent me flying, my body crashing into the air like a broken kite. Pain radiated from my chest, and I heard a sickening crack—probably a rib snapping.
The next moment, icy wind hit my back.
The window!
The force of the blow had sent me hurtling out the window!