Ding…ding ding…ding…
The music box rang out with a clear, crisp sound.
The puppets inside began to dance.
Although the dance steps were monotonous, the music was quite pleasant; it sounded like a piano piece, somewhat familiar.
Zuo Si rested his chin on his hands, staring at the music box, listening quietly, his mind slowly calming down.
The candlelight flickered, casting a peaceful glow on his face.
Zuo Si was unconsciously drawn into the music, humming along.
Completely unaware, several dark figures had appeared around the classroom, standing in a corner watching him.
They were slowly approaching, as if afraid of attracting his attention.
Gradually, the four dark figures reached the table, leaned down, and like Zuo Si, rested their chins on their hands, staring blankly at the music box.
The candlelight shone on their faces, illuminating their pale features.
The puppet inside the music box continued its graceful dance, a smile still playing on its lips, seemingly unaffected by anything around it.
Only then did Zuo Si notice the four ghosts. They were four students, boys and girls, around twelve or thirteen years old.
He wondered how they had died at such a tender age.
Zuo Si mustered his courage and approached one of the boys, calmly asking, “What’s your name?”
The boy didn’t respond, still staring blankly at the music box.
“Could you tell me your name?”
Zuo Si pressed again, but the boy still didn’t answer.
He wasn’t worried; this was only the beginning. He would find a way.
The music from the music box echoed in the classroom. In the distance, two more shadowy figures were approaching.
Upon closer inspection, Zuo Si recognized them—the same ones who had hidden him under the desk on the first floor.
Now, like the other students, they listlessly approached the desk, staring motionless at the music box.
“Thank goodness for this music box, otherwise I would never have been able to gather these children together.”
Just as Zuo Si uttered this sigh, he saw two more dark figures approaching.
One was thin.
The other was burly.
The yin energy surrounding them was noticeably more concentrated than that of the other students.
Their arrival affected the other ghost students, who all moved aside, making way for them.
Zuo Si wanted to wait and see if any other souls arrived.
But then, the burly student reached out and grabbed the music box, as if to claim it for himself.
Zuo Si wouldn’t allow it and quickly took the music box back.
Inadvertently, he closed the lid of the music box, and all the students’ eyes turned to him.
Those staring eyes didn’t blink.
The atmosphere was terrifyingly gloomy.
Zuo Si’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he immediately opened the music box again.
The music started, and all the students’ eyes turned to the music box again.
Only the burly student remained staring at Zuo Si.
And he was approaching step by step.
Zuo Si had a bad feeling. He didn’t put the music box back on the table; instead, he kept backing away with it in his hand.
Ha~
The burly student exhaled a chilling breath, as if threatening.
Zuo Si’s eyes darted around, and he threatened, “If you come any closer, I’ll smash this thing!”
But his words had no effect. The burly student continued to approach, his face twitching uncontrollably.
Just as Zuo Si was at a loss for what to do, a gust of cold wind suddenly swept into the room.
The candle went out instantly, plunging the room into darkness.
The temperature dropped even further than before, and another student appeared in the center of the classroom.
His appearance made all the students in the room tremble, including the previously arrogant burly student. Clearly, this newcomer was stronger than all the other students—much stronger!
Except for the music box, all sound vanished.
Zuo Si carefully observed the new student. He was of average build and appearance, but his aura of malevolence and yin energy was incredibly strong.
“Could this be the most ferocious ghost in this school? It looks like an evil spirit.” Zuo Si, holding the music box, walked step by step towards the door. “I can’t delay any longer. The evil spirit here should have already discovered me. If I don’t quickly call Ge Hong and Meng Miaoxue in, I might be in danger.”
For some reason, although all the students in the room were watching Zuo Si, none of them moved.
Zuo Si nervously stepped out of the classroom. As soon as he left, he sped up and rushed towards the stairwell.
He ran downstairs as fast as he could.
His running echoed in the stairwell.
Nothing was chasing him.
After running for a while, he was covered in sweat. Why hadn’t he reached the first floor yet?!
Was he trapped in a ghost wall again?
Why did these ghosts always like to use this trick? He glanced at his surroundings; he was on the third floor.
Seeing no danger, Zuo Si wound up the music box again.
“This damn thing is trying to mess with me. Since it’s not attacking now, I’ll just keep doing the mission! I’ll take it one step at a time!”
Zuo Si looked for a usable table, but he didn’t want to use the one in the solitary confinement room.
That table was probably a nightmare for many students; it was best not to use it.
He searched the entire third floor and finally found a usable table. He lit a candle and opened the music box.
The beautiful music started playing again.
This time, Zuo Si’s mind wasn’t on the music at all.
He stared around, waiting for the students to arrive.
One…
Two…
Three…
The students appeared one after another, in the exact same order as before.
Until the sixth student, Zuo Si knew he couldn’t wait any longer. If those three guys came, he probably wouldn’t have a chance to get the students’ names.
“Classmates, can you tell me your names?”
No one answered him. Left with no other option, Zuo Si turned off the music box.
The blank stares turned to him.
“Tell me your names, and after we become friends, you can listen to any of the music in this box,” Zuo Si said, setting a condition that worked.
The six students gathered around the table made a grasping motion, and their school badges fell to the ground in front of them.
However, when Zuo Si reached out to grab them, the students pulled their hands back.
“Looks like these are their possessions. You can look, but you can’t touch them…”
Zuo Si slowly stepped back, and the students revealed their school badges again.
By the candlelight, the names on them were barely visible:
Wang Jianye, Feng Shaobin, Wan Shangjia, Mei Xiaofang, Zhen Decan, Cui Yuanyuan.
These poor children, in the prime of their lives, died unexpectedly.
Zuo Si opened the music box again. Having promised to let them listen, he couldn’t go back on his word.
“There are still three students whose names I haven’t asked. Judging from their expressions, it’ll be difficult to get them out.”
“But I’ve already asked six, so the task should be considered complete, just a little less complete.”
“Three optional tasks have been completed, and the test of courage task has also been done.”
“What’s left is to eliminate the evil spirit and play games with the children.”
“With the music box, playing games with the children won’t be difficult, but eliminating the evil spirit will be very difficult without Ge Hong and Meng Miaoxue’s help.”
Zuo Si frowned. He was worried about his situation, afraid that the evil spirit would kill him before he could even call Ge Hong and Meng Miaoxue in.