Chapter 23 They Are No Longer Your Companions
Exiting the Art Supplies Classroom, Luxianbei walked alongside Du Sixian towards the teaching building near the main entrance, where Du Sixian, seemingly in curious baby mode, continually posed various questions.
……
“Of course urban legends can have body temperature.”
Some not only have body temperature but are particularly high!
Luxianbei grew somewhat impatient with the questions. After silently grumbling, she interrupted Du Sixian before she could come up with a new question, “Alright, let’s leave it at that for now?”
“Ah? But you haven’t told me about the detailed classifications of those dozens of types of urban legends! No one has ever made videos on this kind of thing. If I use this as a theme to create a series of videos, it would definitely be a hit!” Du Sixian tilted her head, “What do you think?”
Luxianbei, “……” I think? I’m not sure if it would be a hit, but if you really did it, you would definitely be invited by the Siye Society for tea.
After pondering for a moment, Luxianbei sighed pretentiously and glanced at Du Sixian with a neutral expression, “Do you know why there are detailed classifications of urban legends, yet not many people know about them?”
“Do you think an ordinary person like you is suited to know so much? Sometimes, not telling you is actually to protect you, do you understand?”
“If you want to live longer, you shouldn’t pry around.”
Although there was a part of Luxianbei’s words meant to mislead Du Sixian, it was also her true feelings. Knowing too much was indeed not a good thing.
Just like herself, having seen too much, hadn’t she become what she was now?
Moreover……
The online world has always been a place full of rumors, where truth and fiction are hard to distinguish.
The Book of Siye states, “Once a certain number of people firmly believe in a type of urban legend, it may become real.”
What if the foolish netizens got to know about the classifications of urban legends?
Wouldn’t that be equivalent to providing them with a real template, allowing them to recreate it at will?
God knows what kind of terrifying urban legends would emerge then.
Even if they created an evil god, Luxianbei wouldn’t find it surprising.
Thinking about this, Luxianbei suddenly understood why the Siye Society possessed so many detailed materials about urban legends but had not made them public.
There was definitely a factor of “preventing foolish netizens from truly concocting urban legends.”
……
After Luxianbei finished speaking, she fell silent, expressionlessly gazing into the vague distance as if reminiscing about something.
Was it a terrifying enemy? Or the skeletons of her companions after a brutal battle?
She appeared young but seemed to have experienced more than Luxianbei had imagined.
Perhaps only after experiencing enough could one maintain such a calm demeanor?
Du Sixian thought, staring at Luxianbei’s face, trying to grasp something from her expression, but felt as if Luxianbei was an unfathomable abyss, impossible to see the end.
She was right, I really shouldn’t know too much right now.
It is said that there are some urban legends where simply uttering the names or having them flash in one’s mind could lead to madness, bringing misfortune.
Du Sixian thought and nodded towards Luxianbei, solemnly saying, “I’m sorry, it was presumptuous of me. Thank you for the reminder.”
“Mm.”
Hearing Du Sixian’s words, Luxianbei snapped out of her daze, nodding and thinking that it was good she was perceptive enough not to continue asking.
The things I know are only the little I’ve seen in The Book of Siye. What was it in the Zuo Zhuan?
“Though the whip is long, it cannot reach the horse’s belly.”
If she kept asking, I would have nothing to help her with and would have to fabricate something.
……
Following the sound of a heavy object falling in her memory, Luxianbei moved through the quiet abandoned campus, and after about three minutes, the two arrived in front of the teaching building near the main entrance.
The open space in front of the teaching building was empty, with a small pit on the ground created by a heavy object, where a few drops of fresh bl**d soaked into the cracks of the old tiles, but there were no injured or dead people to be seen.
A long trail of bl**d dragged for a distance, transforming into a crimson footprint before gradually disappearing.
Seeing this, Luxianbei frowned.
Since hearing the muffled sound and the woman’s scream earlier, she had been mentally reconstructing the scene, one of her guesses being that one of Du Sixian’s companions had fallen from the building.
From the current state of affairs, it did indeed seem that a similar incident had occurred.
But……
What was going on now? Where were the people?
Jumped down from upstairs, then got up and ran away?
If someone had fallen from such a height, and it created a pit in the ground, could that person even stand up?
Luxianbei imagined the scenario of a bloodied person standing up from the pool of bl**d, frantically fleeing the scene, and felt a chill in her heart.
Du Sixian noticed Luxianbei’s frown and thought to herself, “This doesn’t look good!”
It was the first time she had caught a subtle change in Luxianbei’s expression. Although it was just a frown, it likely meant that the situation was complicated!
Du Sixian pondered and quietly asked, “Is there something wrong?”
“Mm…” Luxianbei pondered for two seconds, “I sensed an air of evil flowing, but for now, I can’t make a hasty judgment.”
This meant that while I’m also feeling anxious, I don’t know what’s going on, so please don’t ask™! Understood?
Du Sixian nodded, a meaningful smile appearing, “I understand, I understand, we must maintain a cautious attitude until the truth surfaces, right?”
“Definitely looks like an old urban legend hunter!”
Luxianbei, “……”
You…
I’m impressed, enterprise-level understanding!
You don’t really think I’m some omnipotent person, do you? Luxianbei thought, but then noticed a strange detail.
Why, despite Du Sixian making such mental leaps, have I not regained even a tiny bit of spirit energy? She just handled two tasks and did it enough!
Could it be that she doesn’t regard me as an urban legend at all?
……
“Are we going to look for my companions now? Their current situation might be very dangerous. You certainly wouldn’t just stand by and do nothing, right?”
“Mm, let’s go take a look. If possible, I will definitely save them,” Luxianbei said nonchalantly.
“I knew it! You truly are a savior in times of peril! Once we go back, we will definitely thank you properly.”
Luxianbei, “……” You don’t need to thank me too much; you all are strange; just offer me some sacrifices.
Eh, strange? Why did the words “sacrifices” suddenly come to my mind?
Luxianbei remained silent, turning to walk into the teaching building, leaving Du Sixian with her back.
Why do I feel a sense of tragic grandeur in her departing figure, as if she’s a hero going to never return?
“Could it be that the urban legends hidden in this teaching building are too terrifying?” Du Sixian muttered to herself.
Luxianbei, “……”
Why do my eyes often brim with tears?
Is it because I’ve put on a facade, even if the path ahead is filled with glass shards, I have to walk through on my knees?
d*mn! I shouldn’t have pretended to be a hero just to freeload on the idea of saving people!
……
Entering the teaching building, a faint musty smell hit her. The dilapidated corridor looked unchanged, yet something about it felt different, though she couldn’t pin down what that was.
Perhaps it was because it was quieter than before, making it feel even more eerie?
Following the corridor upwards, Luxianbei held the Ming King statue in front, always alert for potential dangers that might emerge from around the corners, while Du Sixian followed half a step behind her.
There seemed to be something lurking in the shadows around them, observing them secretly.
In the tense and oppressive atmosphere, after about a minute of walking, they reached the third floor of the teaching building. Passing through a long corridor, they arrived at the classroom where they had played the Ouija board earlier.
At that moment, Luxianbei suddenly stopped.
“High Person, you…”
“Shh—!”
Luxianbei made a hush gesture towards Du Sixian and then said quietly, “Go look by the window to see what’s happening inside. If there’s anything unusual, I’ll get you out immediately.”
By the way, I’ll also follow suit… Luxianbei added in her mind.
Du Sixian nodded in response, following Luxianbei, and cautiously moved towards the classroom window along the wall.
They slowly approached the window, and through the dusty glass, a dim yellow candlelight flickered, silhouetting several figures inside the classroom. Laughter echoed continuously from within.
“Ha ha, Pharaoh, stop pretending. The cards you want are all here with me, three Aces and a pair of sevens, I only have one card left!”
“Don’t.”
“Explode…”
“What, Liangyue? What’s the matter with you, even your own people explode?”
……
Du Sixian saw Pharaoh, Liangyue, Brazilian Warrior God seated together playing Dou Di Zhu, while Yun Meng rested quietly at the side, seemingly in no danger, and couldn’t help but sigh with relief.
“Whoa—!”
She stepped forward, preparing to join her companions and persuade them to leave this haunted place. Just then, Luxianbei suddenly grabbed her wrist, stopping her from moving forward.
“High Person, what’s wrong? My companions…”
“Don’t speak.” Luxianbei interrupted, and then, forcing back the pain in her eyes, took a quick glance inside the classroom.
Before her, the figures of the four—Pharaoh and the others—seemed to dissipate like clouds in the wind, gradually fading away, and the candlelight in the classroom dimmed accordingly.
In the classroom that had plunged into darkness, four large suitcases lay quietly there, appearing to be stuffed with something, slightly bulging.
The zippers of the suitcases were pulled open a small section, the barely open gap resembling a large black mouth, and strange whisperings and laughter faintly emanated from within, alongside those whispers and giggles, the suitcases seemed to wriggle as if alive.
What sent chills down Luxianbei’s spine was that the design of those suitcases was exactly the same as the one belonging to the girl entangled by urban legends whom she had followed!
Seeing that Luxianbei had not spoken for a long time, Du Sixian, confused, asked, “High Person, my companions are fine. Isn’t this good news? Why do you…”
Still talking about companions? They have all turned into boxes now.
Luxianbei thought solemnly, saying, “They are no longer your companions. We are too late. If you believe me, we must leave this place immediately.”
Luxianbei could not tell how many urban legends were among Du Sixian’s former companions, but she could be sure that they had all become urban legends now!
We must leave, it’s essential!
Facing four with one, even if it could be won, it would likely not protect this girl. Luxianbei thought.
“What? What are you talking about? They are right inside! I saw them.”
Du Sixian said in confusion, turning to glance into the classroom, only to see her companions seemingly sensing her and Luxianbei’s conversation, all looking towards them.
Feeling a greater sting in her eyes, Luxianbei muttered, “I’ll explain later.” Just as she was about to forcibly pull Du Sixian away, a sound of zippers being pulled came from the classroom.
“Creak—!”
Those suitcases opened, and a hand dressed in a bl**d-soaked jersey reached out from inside…
