Chapter 77.3: The Spirit by the Lake

“Hush, hush!” Tan Wenbin waved frantically at Li Zhuiyuan, signaling him to stop scaring it away.

Li Zhuiyuan opened his book and said, “It’s a living person.”

“Huh? Oh… yeah, I know that.”

Tan Wenbin stood up, brushing his hair with one hand and slapping his thigh with the other—a classic case of using awkwardness to defuse awkwardness.

“Knock, knock…”

“Binbin, you there?”

It was the voice of Aunt Ren, the dorm manager.

Tan Wenbin opened the door. Aunt Ren was standing there holding a ceramic bowl.

A pair of chopsticks rested across the top of the bowl, which was filled with sweet rice dumplings. Red characters were printed on the bowl’s outer wall: Model Worker.

“Aunt Ren.”

“I made some sweet dumplings and brought you a bowl. Don’t forget to return the bowl and chopsticks tomorrow.”

“Got it. Thanks, Auntie.”

Aunt Ren poked her head into the room and smiled at Li Zhuiyuan, who was sitting at the desk. “Our top scholar should have some too.”

Li Zhuiyuan turned slightly and returned a shy smile.

Tan Wenbin said, “Auntie, you’re all dressed up tonight—even wearing heels.”

“It’s my birthday today.”

“Aiyo! Why didn’t you tell me yesterday? I would’ve gotten you a cake.”

“You sweet-talking rascal.”

“Happy birthday, Auntie.”

“Alright, alright. Just don’t forget to return the bowl.”

Aunt Ren walked off in her high heels.

Tan Wenbin shut the door.

“Little Yuan, I didn’t say anything to Auntie about you. She manages the dorms and already knows the students in this room aren’t ordinary. She figured out who you were a while ago. Was just surprised the newspapers didn’t run a photo of this year’s top scorer.”

Li Zhuiyuan hadn’t cooperated with publicity efforts, and Wu Xinhang hadn’t forced the issue. As long as the province’s top scorer came from their school, that was enough.

“Yeah, even if people mention it, it doesn’t matter. Once you enter university, high school scores are meaningless.”

“Little Yuan, want one?”

“I’ve brushed my teeth. Not eating.”

“Then I’ll eat.” Tan Wenbin picked up the chopsticks and had just lifted a dumpling when he heard the window suddenly creak open. A woman’s face popped in abruptly, startling him so badly he threw the bowl and shouted, “Holy crap!”

Yin Meng climbed through the window.

Tan Wenbin complained, “Hey, why didn’t you use the door?”

“I’m a girl.”

Tan Wenbin raised two fingers and mimed walking: “There’s only the dorm manager Auntie. You could’ve crouched under her window and slipped past.”

“Climbing over is more convenient.”

Li Zhuiyuan looked at Yin Meng and asked, “Something happened at Runsheng’s place?”

“I saw the missing shadow in the dance room above the shop.”

Tan Wenbin bent down to clean the spilled dumplings. “That’s it? Maybe Little Yuan was right—now that we’re all together, the unclean things just naturally drift our way.”

Yin Meng added, “Runsheng said Little Black got scared.”

“Shit!” Tan Wenbin straightened up immediately.

That black dog had been raised on tonics since it was a pup and was a pure-blooded Black Dog. This breed, when faced with unclean things, usually becomes even fiercer and more excited.

So, for it to be scared—the thing must be formidable. Definitely not your average unclean thing.

After leaving Nantong, the group had just wanted to dabble in Dead Sinkers for thrills. But only under normal circumstances—not with monsters of this caliber.

Li Zhuiyuan opened a drawer and grabbed his whip. “Runsheng is trapped?”

“No, he stayed at the shop and told me to notify you.”

“Why’d you split up?”

“Because Aunt Sun came back midway, so Runsheng stayed to keep her company.”

At that moment, Yin Meng saw a flash of cold indifference in Li Zhuiyuan’s eyes.

Just one look made her back go cold.

It wasn’t hatred or anger—it was higher than both.

The boy instinctively rejected such foolish choices.

But soon, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze was calm.

“Got it.”

The three of them dashed out of the dorm building. On the way, they passed the dorm manager’s office—it was dark and the window was shut.

In the rain, they reached the shop’s entrance. Li Zhuiyuan stopped and raised his hand.

Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng also halted immediately.

The rain was still falling. Droplets trickled steadily from the doorframe.

The problem was, the door was inside the building, shielded by a terrace above. Rain shouldn’t have reached it, let alone formed a curtain like this.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up—no signs of water lines.

Unless the internal walls of the building had cracked and water seeped in along a perfectly aligned path above the frame… But how could things be that coincidental?

Which meant the water dripping from the door wasn’t from the rain outside.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “It’s inside.”

Since Little Yuan didn’t charge in, Tan Wenbin didn’t dare either. Instead, he shouted into the building:

“Runsheng! Runsheng!”

Li Zhuiyuan replied, “There’s miasma. He can’t hear us.”

“Oh…” Tan Wenbin shrank back.

With miasma present, barging in meant falling into its trap—either getting lost or passing out. Either way, it would cost them precious time.

Li Zhuiyuan narrowed his eyes, whip in one hand, and snapped his fingers with the other.

Snap!

In his Walk-the-Shade state, the dripping water on the doorframe turned thick and black. As it hit the ground, it began slithering sideways and upwards—like something alive.

Li Zhuiyuan raised the whip and lashed at the black trail on the ground.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Three strikes. The process was broken.

To Tan Wenbin and Yin Meng, it looked like Little Yuan just whipped the ground a few times—and the watery curtain on the door stopped by itself.

Li Zhuiyuan shouted, “Yin Meng, go!”

Without hesitation, Yin Meng was first through the door, followed by Li Zhuiyuan, then Tan Wenbin.

They’d never actually practiced team coordination, but in danger, they all knew who had to be protected at the center.

Normally, Runsheng would lead the charge—but he was inside.

The shop looked normal, just dimly lit.

By the counter, Aunt Sun was slumped over—unconscious.

Li Zhuiyuan gave her back a long look.

Runsheng wasn’t on the first floor.

Then from upstairs—bang! bang! bang!—three heavy thuds.

“Upstairs!”

Following their entry order, they rushed up. Just as they hit the landing, the walls and stairs began to ripple, like they’d turned to liquid, the shaking growing worse.

Yin Meng crouched low to keep her balance.

Tan Wenbin fell flat, disoriented and unable to steady himself.

Li Zhuiyuan looked up. It was trying to stop them from reaching the upper floor.

Which meant Runsheng was still fighting it.

“Follow me!”

He raised his whip and lashed at empty air. As the crack echoed, he shut his eyes, ears twitching slightly.

To Yin Meng and Tan Wenbin, it looked like Little Yuan was heading back down the stairs.

They lowered their gaze and tracked his footsteps.

Yin Meng jumped. Tan Wenbin crawled. Either way, they had to follow the “memory footprints.”

Eventually, Tan Wenbin made it out. The disorientation lifted. He stood up—and saw Runsheng impaled into the wall by a steel rod.

Yin Meng had seen it first. Her eyes reddened, but she didn’t move. She stood protectively in front of Little Yuan.

Tan Wenbin raised his Yellow River Spade and moved to guard Little Yuan’s back, eyes scanning the ceiling and walls.

“There!”

Yin Meng and Tan Wenbin spotted it at the same time—a section of the ceiling where black liquid was dripping, stinking of blood and rot.

Looking up, they saw a dark shadow clinging there—clearly wounded in its fight with Runsheng.

Buzz!

The shadow began to squirm, vanishing from its spot. But the black ooze kept dripping—just from a new location. It was closing in.

Buzz!Buzz!Buzz!

With each flicker, the black blood crept closer.

Yin Meng and Tan Wenbin raised their weapons, aiming at its approach.

Li Zhuiyuan kept his eyes shut.

The black liquid was right in front of them now.

Yin Meng and Tan Wenbin lifted their Yellow River Spades.

Li Zhuiyuan shouted, “Opposite direction!”

Both of them spun instantly and struck the opposite side.

Bam!Bam!

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