In the live broadcast room
[??? I’ve even taken off my socks, and you’re telling me this thing is not a battery-operated toy? Is this Taoist here to make jokes?]
[Isn’t it better if it’s battery-powered? Better than an Electric motor.]
[Electric my foot, and I’m talking about the compass. What are you talking about?]
[I’m talking about the compass too.]
[This Taoist is probably here to perform.]
————————
The Taoist opened his bag and took out a mahogany sword.
In a place he couldn’t see, the compass than was turned off rotated several times and the pointer was once again fixed on the dark staircase.
“Although some of my props occasionally malfunction, I also have the most primitive ghost-catching weapon aside from the high-tech ghost-catching tools.”
“Now, here comes the question, how do you plan to catch ghosts?” The library was now pitch-dark. Bai Lixin walked to the light switch, and with a press of his finger, the lights above immediately illuminated the room.
In the previously dark library, light instantly prevailed.
The Taoist patted his bundle. “By performing a ritual, but before that, we need to find that ghost.”
“This library has a total of five floors, and it’s said that ghosts are generally seen on the third floor. Let’s go take a look on the third floor.”
The Taoist scanned around. His gaze fell on the elevator and he hesitated for a moment before looking at the staircase.
Ride the elevator or take the stairs?
Remembering the two times the compass pointed to the staircase, the Taoist eventually turned back to the elevator. “Let’s take the elevator up.”
Bai Lixin didn’t have any objection, and he went along with the Taoist’s decision.
The elevator button had only one option, the “up” arrow. At first, the Taoist didn’t think much of it since this was the ground floor, and there was no floor below it.
However, it wasn’t until they arrived on the third floor via the elevator and stepped out that the Taoist happened to glance at the wall beside the elevator. His footsteps suddenly halted.
The library had a total of five floors, and they were now on the third floor.
In theory, the elevator should have both “up” and “down” buttons for a middle floor like the third floor.
But now, there was only an “up” button on the wall, with no sign of a “down” button.
Not only did the Taoist notice this, Bai Lixin also realized it.
This elevator was very likely a one-way elevator.
Only up, no down.
Bai Lixin looked at the Taoist and saw that his expression had turned somewhat grim.
Bai Lixin: “What’s going on? Are you alright?”
The Taoist forced a smile at the corners of his lips. “I’m fine, I’m just surprised by this kind of elevator, that’s all. Let’s go.”
——————————–
In the live broadcast room
[Don’t just say it’s the first time the Taoist has seen this kind of elevator; it’s the first time I’ve seen it too.]
[Wait a minute, didn’t the compass point to the staircase twice? If the elevator only goes up and not down, when they come down later, will they have to take the stairs? Do you think they might encounter the “Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts”?]
[??? Fuck, brother, spare me. Are you trying to scare me so you can inherit my points?]
[High-energy warning ahead!]
[We have visuals now, I’m already tightly sealed up.]
—————————-
The room where the ghosts were frequently detected was a history-themed book room. It was filled with many books left behind from the past, many of which had already turned yellow with age.
Possibly due to the books’ old age, this room distinctly emitted a musty smell.
Not only did the room have this musty odor, even the library’s lights were old-fashioned kerosene lamps.
The decoration here was also in an old-fashioned style. Stepping into this room could even give one a vague feeling of crossing through time and space.
However, the room remained quiet inside, and there was no trace of ghosts, so it seemed to be just another rumor.
At seven in the evening, Bai Lixin received a notification for a message right on time.
Bai Lixin opened the group chat window and found that someone had started reporting their discoveries for the day.
Mohawk: [I seem to have made a small discovery today. I was delivering food to X University today and when I was giving the students their food, I overheard their conversation. It seemed like they were talking about a very good teacher at the school who developed an eye ailment. I only listened for a moment, but those students sounded quite regretful. They said the teacher was diagnosed a few months ago and took leave for treatment. At first, he still met with students, but later he secluded himself. There’s been no word from him for over a week now, and they don’t know if he’s alive or dead.]
Mohawk: [Didn’t you say the eyes of the deceased might have diseases? Doesn’t this fit?]
Man with the suit: [X University? I also tried to sell something to a retired teacher at X University today. He mentioned that there’s a strange library at X University. Isn’t X University appearing too frequently?]
Bangs: [Help, I’ve also come into contact with X University.]
[In our class, there’s a student whose parent is a teacher at X University. But I didn’t pay attention to this clue, nor did I chat with this parent. I’ll sound them out tomorrow.]
Man in the suit: [! We finally glimpsed the dawn on the fourth day. Who else has encountered X University?]
Xia Chi: [I’m in the supermarket now.]
Bai Lixin: [… I’m currently in the library of X University.]
Then he added: [As part of the system’s professional task.]
Man in the suit: [!!!]
Mohawk: [!!! Did you find anything?!]
Bai Lixin: [I just arrived, haven’t found anything yet. I’m more concerned about the teacher you mentioned with the eye ailment. Do you know his name?]
Mohawk: [I don’t know his name, but I know he was the school’s librarian. The reason the students liked him was that back in the day, whenever students wanted a book, they could just tell him directly. They didn’t need to struggle to find it, as that teacher would locate it and put it in a designated place for them. After this teacher was gone, the new librarian didn’t pamper them like he did, so they started to remember the old teacher.]
Bangs: [Haha, so it turns out they missed the old teacher because of this. Sometimes people are like that; they don’t appreciate their blessings until they lose them. But it’s not because of longing or affection, it’s just that they got used to a more comfortable environment.]
[In other words, they don’t actually miss that teacher, they miss the moment when someone else had prepared the book for them. If the replacement teacher did the same thing, do you think they’d still miss that teacher?]
[It’s just refined selfishness.]
Checked Shirt: [What a painful realization.]
Man in the suit: [Well, Bai Lixin, if you find anything, just let us know in the group. Let’s communicate with each other.]
Bai Lixin: [Okay.]
Mohawk: [That player with the baby face hasn’t messaged us today.]
Bangs: [… Sigh.]
The 7 o’clock group communication came to an end, and Bai Lixin closed the group chat window.
The game had already progressed halfway, and now the clues provided to the players were all gradually pointing towards X University.
From the current clues, X University indeed had the highest suspicion.
Outside the window, a light rain had started falling, the patter of raindrops tapped on the windows, and trickled down along the winding rain lines.
The two of them circled around the entire third floor but still found nothing.
“Let’s wait a while,” the Taoist took out a yellow square cloth from his bag and spread it over an empty table. As he spoke, he continued to rummage through his bag and took out a bag of millet, a bag of flour, a bottle of purified water, and even a bag of dark, blood-stained substance emitting a strong metallic smell.
Bai Lixin leaned over curiously. “Is this the way to summon spirits? What’s the use of this purified water?”
The Taoist replied, “This isn’t purified water; it’s rainwater I collected during rainfall, commonly known as ‘rootless water.’”
“It’s just after sunset, and the yang energy shouldn’t have dispersed yet. Let’s wait a bit. Around midnight, that ghost should appear.”
Bai Lixin asked, “What will happen if we catch the ghost?”
The Taoist efficiently took several wooden bowls from his backpack and poured the items he had taken out into each one. “According to tradition, its soul would be scattered.”
Bai Lixin said, “Isn’t that too severe? Especially if it hasn’t done anything wrong?”
The Taoist replied, “Our ancestors once said that there’s no good or evil distinction among ghosts, but any entity that manifests itself and disturbs the souls of the living is certainly not benevolent.”
“Our path follows a ruthless tao. We would rather mistakenly eliminate a hundred than let even one potentially dangerous presence that might disturb humans slip through.”
“Our techniques are domineering, and over time, they can cause backlash and retribution. Therefore, our ancient ancestors established a rule: by the age of thirty, we must retire from this path and focus on seclusion.”
Bai Lixin glanced at the Taoist’s face. “Are you still under thirty?”
“Ahem, ahem,” the Taoist cleared his throat. “Although I may look young, I’m already thirty-three this year. Sigh, I would like to retire too, but I can’t find any successors to inherit the mantle. What else can I do? I can only continue.”
Bai Lixin asked, “Aren’t you afraid of facing consequences?”
“Hehe,” the Taoist grinned slyly. “I’ve bent the rules a little. Originally, I should have let ghosts’ souls scatter. But my powers aren’t very strong, and most ghosts these days aren’t very formidable either so I usually spare them. This way, my backlash is minimized. There’s a saying… what is it? Oh yes, keep up with the times, learn to innovate. Isn’t that exactly what I’m doing?”
“Actually, most ghosts that linger in this world have their own karma, attachments, obsessions, or vendettas. I don’t kill ones like those.”
“But I do kill the ones inherently evil. Those that caused harm in their lifetime and still wish to harm even after death.”
“The more malevolent the ghost, the harder they are to deal with. It’s quite ironic, isn’t it? Good ghosts tend to be weak, while evil ghosts, who commit wrongdoings, often possess strong power. Just like the real world, some people go about their own affairs peacefully, never doing anything bad. Yet, when faced with injustice, they lack the ability to fight back. Meanwhile, some evildoers can be brutal.”
Bai Lixin remained silent.
As the Taoist spoke, he arranged the items on the table one by one.
Rainwater pattered against the glass, and the Taoist casually found a chair and sat down, engaging in aimless conversation with Bai Lixin. “Hey, Bai Lixin, how did you even come up with the idea of becoming a sleep tester for haunted houses? Isn’t that job tough?”
Bai Lixin replied, “… I didn’t want to either.”
The system didn’t give him a choice.
The Taoist sighed, “Actually, I’m just like you. I didn’t want to become a Taoist either, but I had no choice.”
“When I was very young, my parents passed away due to illness. The elders at home claimed I was an inauspicious child and handed me over to my master. If not for my master’s care over these years, I would probably be dead by now. I vowed then that in the future, I would honor my master and let him live his later years in peace.”
“Heh, there’s no such thing as being inauspicious. My master once told me my life was good, that my fate was tied to the Purple Star. He said I would surely achieve greatness.”
“My biological grandparents didn’t want to raise me, but a master who had no blood relation with me took me in and gave me careful guidance. This is a bond, it’s no weaker than blood ties, and is sometimes even stronger.”
“Do you have a bond like that, Bai Lixin?” The Taoist was quite straightforward, chatting away without a hint of awkwardness. He eventually tossed the question to Bai Lixin.
With one hand against his temple, Bai Lixin stared at his fingernails and softly replied, “Yes.”
“Really? What kind of bond do you have?” The Taoist continued probing, “Is it familial like mine? Or friendship? Love?”
Bai Lixin said, “… Actually, I can’t summarize our bond with a single term. He is my lover, but also a comrade who is like both a father and a brother to me. In many instances, it’s just us for each other. Although we’re often apart and our time together is short, even after a long time without meeting, we can still look at each other and smile with no hard feelings.”
The Taoist remained silent for several seconds, his eyes silently sweeping over to Bai Lixin. After a moment, he slowly said, “It sounds like a very good bond.”
Bai Lixin replied, “Yes, he’s the person I can completely entrust my back to.”
The Taoist said, “I envy that.”
The two didn’t leave the room the whole time, and chatted back and forth for a long while.
Unbeknownst to them, midnight quietly arrived.
Outside, a sudden “bang” rang out.
In the next moment, the dim kerosene lamp overhead emitted a series of “crackling” sounds.
In the live broadcast room
[??? I’ve even taken off my socks, and you’re telling me this thing is not a battery-operated toy? Is this Taoist here to make jokes?]
[Isn’t it better if it’s battery-powered? Better than an Electric motor.]
[Electric my foot, and I’m talking about the compass. What are you talking about?]
[I’m talking about the compass too.]
[This Taoist is probably here to perform.]
————————
The Taoist opened his bag and took out a mahogany sword.
In a place he couldn’t see, the compass than was turned off rotated several times and the pointer was once again fixed on the dark staircase.
“Although some of my props occasionally malfunction, I also have the most primitive ghost-catching weapon aside from the high-tech ghost-catching tools.”
“Now, here comes the question, how do you plan to catch ghosts?” The library was now pitch-dark. Bai Lixin walked to the light switch, and with a press of his finger, the lights above immediately illuminated the room.
In the previously dark library, light instantly prevailed.
The Taoist patted his bundle. “By performing a ritual, but before that, we need to find that ghost.”
“This library has a total of five floors, and it’s said that ghosts are generally seen on the third floor. Let’s go take a look on the third floor.”
The Taoist scanned around. His gaze fell on the elevator and he hesitated for a moment before looking at the staircase.
Ride the elevator or take the stairs?
Remembering the two times the compass pointed to the staircase, the Taoist eventually turned back to the elevator. “Let’s take the elevator up.”
Bai Lixin didn’t have any objection, and he went along with the Taoist’s decision.
The elevator button had only one option, the “up” arrow. At first, the Taoist didn’t think much of it since this was the ground floor, and there was no floor below it.
However, it wasn’t until they arrived on the third floor via the elevator and stepped out that the Taoist happened to glance at the wall beside the elevator. His footsteps suddenly halted.
The library had a total of five floors, and they were now on the third floor.
In theory, the elevator should have both “up” and “down” buttons for a middle floor like the third floor.
But now, there was only an “up” button on the wall, with no sign of a “down” button.
Not only did the Taoist notice this, Bai Lixin also realized it.
This elevator was very likely a one-way elevator.
Only up, no down.
Bai Lixin looked at the Taoist and saw that his expression had turned somewhat grim.
Bai Lixin: “What’s going on? Are you alright?”
The Taoist forced a smile at the corners of his lips. “I’m fine, I’m just surprised by this kind of elevator, that’s all. Let’s go.”
——————————–
In the live broadcast room
[Don’t just say it’s the first time the Taoist has seen this kind of elevator; it’s the first time I’ve seen it too.]
[Wait a minute, didn’t the compass point to the staircase twice? If the elevator only goes up and not down, when they come down later, will they have to take the stairs? Do you think they might encounter the “Night Parade of One Hundred Ghosts”?]
[??? Fuck, brother, spare me. Are you trying to scare me so you can inherit my points?]
[High-energy warning ahead!]
[We have visuals now, I’m already tightly sealed up.]
—————————-
The room where the ghosts were frequently detected was a history-themed book room. It was filled with many books left behind from the past, many of which had already turned yellow with age.
Possibly due to the books’ old age, this room distinctly emitted a musty smell.
Not only did the room have this musty odor, even the library’s lights were old-fashioned kerosene lamps.
The decoration here was also in an old-fashioned style. Stepping into this room could even give one a vague feeling of crossing through time and space.
However, the room remained quiet inside, and there was no trace of ghosts, so it seemed to be just another rumor.
At seven in the evening, Bai Lixin received a notification for a message right on time.
Bai Lixin opened the group chat window and found that someone had started reporting their discoveries for the day.
Mohawk: [I seem to have made a small discovery today. I was delivering food to X University today and when I was giving the students their food, I overheard their conversation. It seemed like they were talking about a very good teacher at the school who developed an eye ailment. I only listened for a moment, but those students sounded quite regretful. They said the teacher was diagnosed a few months ago and took leave for treatment. At first, he still met with students, but later he secluded himself. There’s been no word from him for over a week now, and they don’t know if he’s alive or dead.]
Mohawk: [Didn’t you say the eyes of the deceased might have diseases? Doesn’t this fit?]
Man with the suit: [X University? I also tried to sell something to a retired teacher at X University today. He mentioned that there’s a strange library at X University. Isn’t X University appearing too frequently?]
Bangs: [Help, I’ve also come into contact with X University.]
[In our class, there’s a student whose parent is a teacher at X University. But I didn’t pay attention to this clue, nor did I chat with this parent. I’ll sound them out tomorrow.]
Man in the suit: [! We finally glimpsed the dawn on the fourth day. Who else has encountered X University?]
Xia Chi: [I’m in the supermarket now.]
Bai Lixin: [… I’m currently in the library of X University.]
Then he added: [As part of the system’s professional task.]
Man in the suit: [!!!]
Mohawk: [!!! Did you find anything?!]
Bai Lixin: [I just arrived, haven’t found anything yet. I’m more concerned about the teacher you mentioned with the eye ailment. Do you know his name?]
Mohawk: [I don’t know his name, but I know he was the school’s librarian. The reason the students liked him was that back in the day, whenever students wanted a book, they could just tell him directly. They didn’t need to struggle to find it, as that teacher would locate it and put it in a designated place for them. After this teacher was gone, the new librarian didn’t pamper them like he did, so they started to remember the old teacher.]
Bangs: [Haha, so it turns out they missed the old teacher because of this. Sometimes people are like that; they don’t appreciate their blessings until they lose them. But it’s not because of longing or affection, it’s just that they got used to a more comfortable environment.]
[In other words, they don’t actually miss that teacher, they miss the moment when someone else had prepared the book for them. If the replacement teacher did the same thing, do you think they’d still miss that teacher?]
[It’s just refined selfishness.]
Checked Shirt: [What a painful realization.]
Man in the suit: [Well, Bai Lixin, if you find anything, just let us know in the group. Let’s communicate with each other.]
Bai Lixin: [Okay.]
Mohawk: [That player with the baby face hasn’t messaged us today.]
Bangs: [… Sigh.]
The 7 o’clock group communication came to an end, and Bai Lixin closed the group chat window.
The game had already progressed halfway, and now the clues provided to the players were all gradually pointing towards X University.
From the current clues, X University indeed had the highest suspicion.
Outside the window, a light rain had started falling, the patter of raindrops tapped on the windows, and trickled down along the winding rain lines.
The two of them circled around the entire third floor but still found nothing.
“Let’s wait a while,” the Taoist took out a yellow square cloth from his bag and spread it over an empty table. As he spoke, he continued to rummage through his bag and took out a bag of millet, a bag of flour, a bottle of purified water, and even a bag of dark, blood-stained substance emitting a strong metallic smell.
Bai Lixin leaned over curiously. “Is this the way to summon spirits? What’s the use of this purified water?”
The Taoist replied, “This isn’t purified water; it’s rainwater I collected during rainfall, commonly known as ‘rootless water.’”
“It’s just after sunset, and the yang energy shouldn’t have dispersed yet. Let’s wait a bit. Around midnight, that ghost should appear.”
Bai Lixin asked, “What will happen if we catch the ghost?”
The Taoist efficiently took several wooden bowls from his backpack and poured the items he had taken out into each one. “According to tradition, its soul would be scattered.”
Bai Lixin said, “Isn’t that too severe? Especially if it hasn’t done anything wrong?”
The Taoist replied, “Our ancestors once said that there’s no good or evil distinction among ghosts, but any entity that manifests itself and disturbs the souls of the living is certainly not benevolent.”
“Our path follows a ruthless tao. We would rather mistakenly eliminate a hundred than let even one potentially dangerous presence that might disturb humans slip through.”
“Our techniques are domineering, and over time, they can cause backlash and retribution. Therefore, our ancient ancestors established a rule: by the age of thirty, we must retire from this path and focus on seclusion.”
Bai Lixin glanced at the Taoist’s face. “Are you still under thirty?”
“Ahem, ahem,” the Taoist cleared his throat. “Although I may look young, I’m already thirty-three this year. Sigh, I would like to retire too, but I can’t find any successors to inherit the mantle. What else can I do? I can only continue.”
Bai Lixin asked, “Aren’t you afraid of facing consequences?”
“Hehe,” the Taoist grinned slyly. “I’ve bent the rules a little. Originally, I should have let ghosts’ souls scatter. But my powers aren’t very strong, and most ghosts these days aren’t very formidable either so I usually spare them. This way, my backlash is minimized. There’s a saying… what is it? Oh yes, keep up with the times, learn to innovate. Isn’t that exactly what I’m doing?”
“Actually, most ghosts that linger in this world have their own karma, attachments, obsessions, or vendettas. I don’t kill ones like those.”
“But I do kill the ones inherently evil. Those that caused harm in their lifetime and still wish to harm even after death.”
“The more malevolent the ghost, the harder they are to deal with. It’s quite ironic, isn’t it? Good ghosts tend to be weak, while evil ghosts, who commit wrongdoings, often possess strong power. Just like the real world, some people go about their own affairs peacefully, never doing anything bad. Yet, when faced with injustice, they lack the ability to fight back. Meanwhile, some evildoers can be brutal.”
Bai Lixin remained silent.
As the Taoist spoke, he arranged the items on the table one by one.
Rainwater pattered against the glass, and the Taoist casually found a chair and sat down, engaging in aimless conversation with Bai Lixin. “Hey, Bai Lixin, how did you even come up with the idea of becoming a sleep tester for haunted houses? Isn’t that job tough?”
Bai Lixin replied, “… I didn’t want to either.”
The system didn’t give him a choice.
The Taoist sighed, “Actually, I’m just like you. I didn’t want to become a Taoist either, but I had no choice.”
“When I was very young, my parents passed away due to illness. The elders at home claimed I was an inauspicious child and handed me over to my master. If not for my master’s care over these years, I would probably be dead by now. I vowed then that in the future, I would honor my master and let him live his later years in peace.”
“Heh, there’s no such thing as being inauspicious. My master once told me my life was good, that my fate was tied to the Purple Star. He said I would surely achieve greatness.”
“My biological grandparents didn’t want to raise me, but a master who had no blood relation with me took me in and gave me careful guidance. This is a bond, it’s no weaker than blood ties, and is sometimes even stronger.”
“Do you have a bond like that, Bai Lixin?” The Taoist was quite straightforward, chatting away without a hint of awkwardness. He eventually tossed the question to Bai Lixin.
With one hand against his temple, Bai Lixin stared at his fingernails and softly replied, “Yes.”
“Really? What kind of bond do you have?” The Taoist continued probing, “Is it familial like mine? Or friendship? Love?”
Bai Lixin said, “… Actually, I can’t summarize our bond with a single term. He is my lover, but also a comrade who is like both a father and a brother to me. In many instances, it’s just us for each other. Although we’re often apart and our time together is short, even after a long time without meeting, we can still look at each other and smile with no hard feelings.”
The Taoist remained silent for several seconds, his eyes silently sweeping over to Bai Lixin. After a moment, he slowly said, “It sounds like a very good bond.”
Bai Lixin replied, “Yes, he’s the person I can completely entrust my back to.”
The Taoist said, “I envy that.”
The two didn’t leave the room the whole time, and chatted back and forth for a long while.
Unbeknownst to them, midnight quietly arrived.
Outside, a sudden “bang” rang out.
In the next moment, the dim kerosene lamp overhead emitted a series of “crackling” sounds.
