Translator: CinderTL
Jiang Cheng finally intervened to defuse the situation. "Alright, let's go," he said, turning and heading toward the gate.
They had encountered two campus security guards on patrol earlier, and running into them again would only invite more trouble. They already had enough problems to deal with.
Back in their dorm, Fatty and Huai Yi immediately sat up straight, their eyes fixed on Jiang Cheng. Fatty licked his lips and said, "We're ready, Doctor. You can begin."
"Brother Jiang," Huai Yi asked first, "what did Wang Qi mean when he said Xiaolin didn't want to end the Urban Legend herself?"
Judging by Jiang Cheng's later remarks, he seemed to agree with Wang Qi's view, which Huai Yi had initially dismissed as nonsense.
Jiang Cheng sat down and pondered for a moment before asking his first question: "How do you think Xiaolin died?"
Fatty raised his hand. "It definitely wasn't suicide. I remember you mentioning water stains—the kind they found at the scene when... you know, when that other girl died."
Jiang Cheng nodded, understanding Fatty was referring to the water stains discovered on the doorknob of the Medical Building when Xiaoting's body was found.
"So you're saying that thing that's been stalking us is responsible for this?" Huai Yi stroked his chin, his gaze towards Jiang Cheng gradually shifting.
Once could be a coincidence, but twice? To dismiss it as mere chance again would be self-deception.
"Brother Jiang, you're right. On the way to the sports field today, I kept feeling like someone was watching us, right behind us," Huai Yi recalled.
"I sensed it too, but I couldn't pinpoint its exact location," Jiang Cheng said, his voice heavy. "But it's definitely that thing. It's been tailing us, just like before."
The entity that leaves watery traces had first appeared outside their dormitory gate, then at the Activity Center, followed by the Medical Building yesterday. Tonight, it had dogged them all the way to the abandoned sports field.
Only a ghost could accomplish such a feat.
What had puzzled them previously was the stalking ghost's motive.
But now, they had a new theory.
Jiang Cheng shifted his posture, leaning forward as if to ease his discomfort. "I was wondering, what's its purpose in following us?"
"It had plenty of opportunities to attack us, but it never did," Jiang Cheng said.
"The Medical Building and the abandoned sports field were perfect moments for it to strike. If it had chosen to attack then, we would have had little chance of survival."
Fatty blinked, confused. "Doctor, didn't you say it attacked us at the Activity Center?"
"Yes, the only time this stalking ghost directly attacked us was at the Activity Center, but even then, it merely used a Ghost Wall to trap us," Jiang Cheng replied, his eyes darkening and his voice dropping to a low murmur. "But I can sense it didn't intend to kill us. It was just constantly pressuring us, trying to force us to abandon something."
"Something that belonged to the missing girls," Jiang Cheng emphasized.
"It's like it's trying to hide something," Fatty mused aloud, voicing his thoughts. "Like a criminal destroying evidence."
"This ghost, which has been tailing us without showing much hostility, might not be harmless after all," Huai Yi said, as if grasping a crucial point. "Perhaps it's the most terrifying entity in this entire mission."
Huai Yi's insight seemed significant, yet it was based solely on intuition, lacking concrete proof.
After a moment, Jiang Cheng spoke, but his tone sent a chill down Fatty and Huai Yi's spines. "If everything goes according to plan, I think this ghost will continue to follow us, then track down the other girls from the Urban Legends and kill them one by one."
"Then the mission will fail, won't it?" Fatty blurted out, panic rising in his voice.
Huai Yi remained noticeably calmer, likely due to his past experiences. After a pause, he said, "Brother Jiang, are you suggesting this stalking ghost is using us?"
Jiang Cheng nodded. "That's what I suspect."
Huai Yi continued his analysis, following this line of thought: "It wants to kill those girls but can't handle the ghosts in the Urban Legends alone. So it's using us to draw the attention of the Urban Legends ghosts while it sneaks off to find and kill the missing girls itself."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng looked up at Huai Yi, a strange emotion flickering in his eyes. "Do you still believe those girls simply disappeared?"
Huai Yi froze, his pupils constricting slightly. After a moment, he suddenly exclaimed, "No, they didn't disappear. They... they did this on purpose! They're hiding in the Urban Legends to escape this stalking ghost's pursuit!"
"They were just trying to protect themselves!" Huai Yi exclaimed, his voice trembling with emotion.
"That explains why Xiaolin has Meng Yumian's missing right eye," Jiang Cheng said, "yet she chose to remain in the Urban Legends world instead of using it to end the nightmare."
After listening for a while, Fatty began to grasp the situation. "Wait a minute! Remember? Xiaoting's body was also found in the Anatomy Room on the fifth floor—Ghost Face Granny's room!"
"That's the most dangerous place in the entire Medical Building!" Fatty continued, his words tumbling out faster as his thoughts connected. "If she was just trying to hide from the ghosts here, she would never have chosen to hide there!"
Suddenly, he vividly recalled the look Xiaoting had given him when she was still alive. Now, he realized it wasn't just a plea for help; it was also a desperate plea for them to mind their own business, born of resignation and despair.
Fatty's train of thought abruptly halted, his emotions spiraling out of control. "Doctor!" he turned sharply to Jiang Cheng, his eyes pleading for confirmation. "So... did we get them killed?"
"If we hadn't interfered, that stalking ghost wouldn't have been able to kill them, right?"
"Brother Fugui, don't say that," Huai Yi said, scratching his head and searching for comforting words. Crimson seemed rather stubborn, and Huai Yi worried he might spiral into despair.
"It wasn't our fault," Jiang Cheng said calmly. "All our information came from Yuan Xiaoyi. The mission's timing, location, and rules were all based on her instructions."
When Jiang Cheng mentioned Yuan Xiaoyi, a peculiar tone crept into his voice, one that Fatty and Huai Yi both noticed. It wasn't just resentment; there was something deeper.
Huai Yi frowned, testing the waters. "Brother Jiang, do you suspect Yuan Xiaoyi?"
Before he could finish, Jiang Cheng waved him off. "It's too early to jump to conclusions. I still need to verify a few things."
"Hmm?" Fatty, who was sitting on the bed, suddenly seemed to remember something.
Jiang Cheng turned to him. "What is it?"
"Doctor, do you remember when Wang Qi said something to Yuan Xiaoyi earlier? She got really scared, and nothing could calm her down," Fatty said earnestly.
Huai Yi's eyes lit up, and he blurted out, "If you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from ghosts knocking at your door."
(End of the Chapter)
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