That night, I played the role of a detective, uncovering the true mastermind behind Feng Lan's death. Honestly, even I was surprised. Despite being clever, I seemed excessively so in this instance—managing to deduce the answer from a phone conversation within minutes. At first, I thought it was a fleeting moment of brilliance, but later realized it might have been the result of practicing the spirit communication technique. Perhaps it made my mind sharper, tied as it was to "spirits."
Haha, sounds melodramatic, doesn't it? But that's what the dead girl said, so let's just roll with it.
When I pointed out Zhang Shaoyu as the true mastermind, he collapsed on the spot, convulsing as if he had epilepsy. Luckily, Wulong quickly performed acupuncture, helping him regain composure. He didn't deny it. Since Yu Zixin had turned the tables on him, leaving him cornered, there was no point in hiding anything anymore.
When he revealed his motive for causing Feng Lan's death, we were all left speechless—and disgusted.
Zhang Shaoyu turned out to be a perverted maniac with a fetish for stealing women's underwear, particularly from attractive women. He had stolen lingerie from Yu Zixin, Xiao Xiang, and Xiao Ying, as well as from Feng Lan. Unfortunately for him, Feng Lan caught him red-handed stealing one of her stockings. Furious, she threatened to expose his perversion to the entire school and even promised to have An Shengzhe beat him up.
Terrified, Zhang Shaoyu panicked. To protect his reputation and avoid a beating, he concocted a sinister plan to make Feng Lan disappear forever. He drafted a breakup letter and sought out Yu Zixin that night to scheme. The two quickly agreed on the plan, and the letter reached Feng Lan the following morning. Devastated, she was too preoccupied to bother exposing Zhang Shaoyu's twisted behavior.
Zhang Shaoyu had previously purchased a type of hallucinogen online—a drug often used in scams to make victims lose their senses and comply with whatever the perpetrator wanted. Using this drug, he had stolen plenty of women's underwear and even some valuables. He gave this drug to Yu Zixin, who made Feng Lan inhale it. Dazed and confused, Feng Lan was persuaded by Yu Zixin to hang herself in the woods.
That night, after her body had been removed, the school's janitor, Grandpa Zhang, approached Zhang Shaoyu, warning him that Feng Lan had died wearing a red dress and would become a vengeful ghost. Scared out of his wits—not just by Feng Lan's ghost but also by the possibility of being exposed—Zhang Shaoyu groveled and offered Grandpa Zhang a bribe. Greedy for money, the old man agreed not only to keep quiet but also to deal with Feng Lan's spirit.
Only then did Zhang Shaoyu discover that Grandpa Zhang was actually a hidden spiritualist living on campus. That same night, the three of them—Zhang Shaoyu, Yu Zixin, and Grandpa Zhang—sneaked into the morgue undetected and retrieved Feng Lan's corpse, burying it in the woods on campus.
Later, as Zhu Wantao mentioned, Yu Zixin failed to win over An Shengzhe and confided in Zhang Shaoyu, lamenting her rejection. Zhang Shaoyu, not one to let go easily, decided to eliminate any obstacles, including An Shengzhe's other admirers, to clear a path for Yu Zixin. His reasoning? If Yu Zixin managed to secure An Shengzhe's favor, they'd have no trouble landing good jobs after graduation.
Throughout this time, Zhang Shaoyu operated behind the scenes, serving as the liaison between Grandpa Zhang and Yu Zixin. Today, he hadn't originally planned to join us as we left campus, but since Zhu Wantao failed to hold off Wulong, he followed us to sabotage our plans. Yet, to his shock, Yu Zixin had teamed up with Grandpa Zhang and completely abandoned him, turning him into a scapegoat who would eventually be silenced.
After hearing this, Liu Bin couldn't contain his anger and began punching and kicking Zhang Shaoyu. Unlike Zhu Wantao, Zhang Shaoyu didn't resist, sitting there motionlessly and taking the beating.
Even Xiao Ying, usually composed, was incensed this time. Not only had this pervert stolen her underwear, but he was also the mastermind behind these murders. Instead of stopping Liu Bin, she shot me a disdainful look. "Are you even a man?"
I was taken aback. "Of course, I've been a man for 23 years, 100% authentic! What, you want me to prove it?"
"Then why aren't you hitting him?"
Sweating, I realized she was annoyed at my inaction. I could only offer a wry smile. A murder sparked by a single stocking had snowballed into this catastrophe. The malicious depths of the human heart truly left me speechless. How could people's values and morals differ so vastly?
With that, I closed my eyes and chanted an incantation to re-enter the spiritual realm to inform Feng Lan of the truth. However, as soon as I arrived, I saw the ghostly girl disheveled, covered in blood, and looking utterly miserable. Startled, I blurted, "Didn't you just kill Gui Qi? What happened?"
"Let me in! That old bastard is chasing me!" Feng Lan's green eyes gleamed with urgency.
My heart skipped a beat. I realized that killing Gui Qi had provoked Grandpa Zhang's wrath, and now he was after her. Inwardly, I thought, Everyone wants you dead anyway; why not just move on?
"Who could hurt you? Aren't you a Fushou Ghost?" I feigned ignorance, stalling for time.
"I killed one of his ghost generals, and now he's sent a ghost marshal to team up against me. I'm injured! Let me in, or I'll be killed!" Feng Lan's voice trembled with desperation.
Feigning reluctance, I said, "I'd let you in, but Wulong and the others are against it. They're afraid you'll kill us."
"I've learned the truth and resolved my grudge. Now, I only want to kill Yu Zixin and her accomplice. I swear I won't harm anyone else!" Feng Lan declared firmly.
I sighed. "Alright, I'll discuss it with Wulong. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what traps he's set outside."
"Be quick…"
Exiting the spiritual realm, I pulled Wulong aside and relayed Feng Lan's predicament. His eyes widened. "A ghost marshal? That's a high-ranking ghost. Looks like they've declared open war. Even if Feng Lan spares us, the ghost marshal will kill us all!"
Well, that's comforting. I sarcastically thought, What is a ghost marshal, anyway? Does it mean he's handsome, or just a commander? Then, an idea struck me. "Why not let Feng Lan in and have her help us against the ghost marshal?"
Wulong nodded thoughtfully. "That's our only option. If we save her life, she might repay the favor and fight Gui Qi for us."
I quickly re-entered the spiritual realm and delivered Wulong's message. By now, Feng Lan looked even worse—her face bruised, her mouth bloodied, and her red dress torn to shreds, revealing patches of pale, ghostly skin. I told her to enter through the Gate of Jing and then exited the spiritual realm.
The moment I opened my eyes, a gust of cold wind swept through the room. The temperature dropped sharply, and everyone shivered in unison. Feng Lan must have arrived!
Wulong, holding his peachwood sword, stepped forward and warned, "You're injured. If you dare harbor any murderous intent, I'll ensure your soul is annihilated!"
The eerie chill unnerved everyone. Xiao Ying, her voice trembling, asked, "Is Feng Lan… here?"
A cold, raspy voice responded before I could: "Hehehe… I'm here!"