Chapter 93

Chapter 93

After a brief commotion, the students Chen Yun would assist were finalized—Zhang Cai Xia, Jin Xi, Sun Ling Xi, and a boy, Pei Qing Rong.

On Xie Yin Xue's side, only Liu Bu Hua was chosen, even Bu Jiu Zhao wasn't considered.

This came as a surprise to Chen Yun, as she had assumed that Xie Yin Xue would protect Bu Jiu Zhao just as he did Liu Bu Hua.

Bu Jiu Zhao probably hadn't anticipated this outcome. So, when he saw Xie Yin Xue pulling Liu Bu Hua aside by the collar, he strode forward, pushing through the crowd to confront Xie Yin Xue, frowning, "Aren't you taking me with you?"

In response, Xie Yin Xue merely leaned forward slightly, locking eyes with Bu Jiu Zhao, and spoke earnestly, "You've grown into a seasoned participant; it's time for you to guide yourself."

“……”

The word "seasoned" deepened the gloom on Bu Jiu Zhao's already troubled face.

Observing this exchange, bystanders couldn't help but feel that if they had been chosen by Xie Yin Xue, they might've been flayed alive by Bu Jiu Zhao.

But school rules advocate unity and amity among students, at least prohibiting overt physical confrontations. Therefore, most were relieved that Xie Yin Xue wasn't taking Bu Jiu Zhao for the lesson—it meant one more chance at survival for the rest.

The three remaining spots with Xie Yin Xue were ultimately decided by a draw, won by Ji Shan Shan, Wei Xiao, and Liu Yi.

The moment the draw results were announced, Yun Mei Zhen bit her lip, turning to He Wei, "He Wei! You have to help me later! If I die, you won't see a penny of that two million!"

"Damn you!" No matter how greedy He Wei was, his life was paramount. He retorted sharply, "Dream on, you wretched woman!"

Their bickering snapped the dazed Liu Yi back to reality. Overwhelmed with elation, he seemed almost delirious as he exclaimed, much like a successful candidate in an examination, "I got it! I actually got it!"

Contrasting Liu Yi's uncontrollable joy was Jiang Mo's palpable despair. She stared at her drawn piece of paper, wishing it bore a black circle like Liu Yi's, signifying selection.

"Why..."

Clutching the small paper piece, Jiang Mo's shoulders trembled with overwhelming resentment and frustration.

But in the next instant, as if struck by a sudden realization, she darted back to Xie Yin Xue, clutching the hem of his clothes, imploring, "Did Liu Yi strike a deal with you for protection? I'm willing to make a deal with you too! What price must I pay for you to save me?"

Almost forgetting, she remembered Xie Yin Xue was a ferryman—an NPC devoid of human emotions. What good would pleading do?

To truly secure Xie Yin Xue's protection, a price had to be paid, a deal made.

Even if dealing with the ferryman might result in steeper challenges ahead, possibly leading to death, Jiang Mo had no other options. She yearned to see her parents once more. Gripping Xie Yin Xue's garment, she repeated, "Did Liu Yi strike a deal with you? I'll make a deal with you too! What must I sacrifice for your aid?"

"I can't save you; I'm not the ferryman."

The young man's concise reply left Jiang Mo releasing her grip, murmuring in disbelief, "How can you not be?"

Though Jiang Mo wasn't the only one in shock upon hearing this, everyone realized that if Xie Yin Xue claimed so, then he surely wasn't the ferryman.

For whether one is a genuine ferryman or an imposter, they would never outright admit to the legitimacy of their status. Instead, they'd only reveal their price when one points out their identity and requests a trade.

If you accept the price, the deal is sealed; if not, the deal falls apart.

It's highly unusual, like with Xie Yin Xue, for someone to flatly deny being a ferryman NPC and refuse to trade.

"You're not the ferryman..."

Jiang Mo staggered back a few steps, pointing at Liu Yi as she demanded of Xie Yin Xue, "Didn't you hear his inner thoughts last night? If you're a human, like me, why would you save someone as selfish as Liu Yi?"

"He almost got Bu Jiu Zhao killed! Isn't Bu Jiu Zhao your friend?"

Jiang Mo was baffled.

She widened her eyes, craning her neck to read Xie Yin Xue's facial expression and mood, trying to fathom the depths of a man's cruelty to save even those who harm his friends.

Yet she couldn't discern much; she felt so diminutive before him. Like the other teachers, Xie Yin Xue seemed unassailably superior.

Though everyone was a participant, those fortunate enough to draw a teacher's identity card had the arbitrary power to decide the fates of those transformed into student participants.

Xie Yin Xue, who had heard her inner thoughts the night before, was well aware that she had misunderstood his identity. Yet, he remained silent until she humbly begged, only then to coldly state, "I can't save you."

Watching her grovel must've delighted Xie Yin Xue, she assumed.

Suddenly, Jiang Mo no longer wished to struggle.

She had been timid before, but in just a few days, the challenges had warped her into something selfish and petty, her heart corroded nightly by sinister thoughts. She was becoming someone she neither recognized nor liked.

Perhaps Liu Yi was right; she inherently lacked capability, only knowing how to desperately plead for her life. She loathed this pathetic version of herself and wondered: was living like this, bereft of dignity and humanity, morphing into a primal, survival-driven beast, truly the outcome she wanted?

Jiang Mo's shoulders drooped, her gaze settling on a tile on the bathroom floor.

Yet, a face suddenly appeared before her, a man who bent down to her eye level, looking directly into her eyes—it was Xie Yin Xue.

"Apart from Liu Bu Hua, I didn't intentionally aim to save anyone, nor did I intentionally neglect anyone. The criteria to judge or decide one's right to survive isn't in my hands. I protected Liu Yi today simply because he drew the lot, and protecting you all is my duty."

The young man's face was stoic, with a hint of sadness in his brow as he calmly stated his impartiality and detachment, "So, I'm not saving him; I'm merely fulfilling my task."

Jiang Mo grasped his meaning, "…So, anyone who draws the lot, regardless of who they are, can be chosen?"

Xie Yinxue nodded, "Yes."

He pulled a faint smile at the corner of his lips, an illusion of melancholy beneath it: "It's precisely because I'm human that I can't save everyone."

Indeed, Xie Yinxue couldn't save her, nor could he decide who to save, simply because he was just a person—how ironic.

Jiang Mo blinked, tears streaming down, washing away all her bitterness and resentment. She managed a smile, even more pained than Xie Yinxue's, "... I'm sorry, I didn’t mean to say those harsh words... Perhaps I’ve gone mad, I hope you don’t mind."

"Although I'm not the ferryman, I know who he is, and I can reveal his identity to you."

"But remember, each teacher has one extra red flower to give. Even if you can’t finish your assignment today, there's still a chance for you."

The young man gently grasped her hand, a touch devoid of flirtation, intimacy, or any other implication. It was merely human to human encouragement, offering a glimmer of warmth in the cold despair.

Jiang Mo felt the warmth emanating from Xie Yinxue's palm and heard his soft words, "So, don't give up now."

"But I can't hold on any longer..."

Jiang Mo was overwhelmed with sorrow. She missed her parents, but they weren't here. She clung to Xie Yinxue, the only one offering warmth, and sobbed into his shoulder, "I'm worthless... I'm so scared of ghosts. I just want to go home..."

Xie Yinxue wiped her tears with his sleeve, "Hang on for a few more days. On the last day, I'll tell you the identity of the ferryman, giving you a chance to return, alright?"

"...Alright," Jiang Mo said, tears in her eyes. She walked to the corner, her back to everyone, "You all continue with the lesson and homework, I won't participate."

She seemed genuinely terrified of ghosts, so much so that she couldn't even bear to watch the others in class.

How much the words of Xie Yinxue and Jiang Mo's shift impacted the others remained uncertain. But now, He Wei, wanting to minimize the number of times he opened the restroom door despite his fear, had to be the one to demonstrate.

Taking a deep breath, He Wei steeled himself and walked towards the corner of the restroom.

Passing the silent stalls, he inevitably caught glimpses of the gaps underneath them. Then, a realization hit He Wei: there seemed to be a design flaw in this restroom. "Anyone walking by could see directly inside. Wouldn't a person inside be completely exposed?"

But then again, this wasn't a real restroom, and there were no gender divisions. Why was he overthinking it?

Chuckling at himself, He Wei approached the end of the restroom. As he pondered which stall to open, he was startled to see pairs of bare feet appearing beneath the stalls—footwear absent.

Those naked feet stood in front of the toilets, with some toes even poking out from beneath the doors, as if someone inside was pressed against the door, lying in wait for him to open it.

"Shit!"

Startled, He Wei stuttered to the others, "D-did you guys see that?!"

Wu Yuehan asked him, "What did you see?"

"… Human feet." He Wei swallowed hard, terror and fear evident in his widened eyes.

But even as everyone leaned over cautiously to look, they couldn't see the feet under the restroom stalls that He Wei mentioned.

Wei Xiao then told him, "We saw nothing."

Regret instantly filled He Wei upon hearing that.

He started to think that perhaps he shouldn't have volunteered for the demonstration. He should've brought other student participants with him and let them open the doors. That way, if something went wrong, he could've made a quick escape.

But there's no turning back now. Despite his regrets, He Wei had to brace himself and proceed. He aimed for the outermost stall door, thinking that even if there were a ghost inside, he'd only need to take a large step to flee.

The bystanders, noticing He Wei getting closer to them, could guess his intentions and wondered: would his tactic actually work?

Soon enough, He Wei's predicament provided the answer: No, it wouldn’t.

The moment He Wei touched the handle of the leftmost stall door and gently pulled it ajar, dozens of pale, bony hands with blackened fingernails shot out like lightning. Before He Wei could even scream, the hands ensnared him, covering his mouth and nose, and he vanished before everyone's eyes.

All that remained was a strange scraping noise, reminiscent of fingernails scratching a wooden door.

"Just like that... He Wei is…" Zhang Caixia asked the group, still in shock, "dead?"

While she despised He Wei, she never imagined he'd perish so effortlessly.

Jin Xi sighed, "... It seems so."

While He Wei's death shocked everyone, only Yun Meizhen truly mourned for him, her eyes red, muttering to herself, "He's gone... What will I do?"

Ji Shanshan consoled her, "You never gave up on your assignments before, so missing one today shouldn't be an issue, right?"

Hearing those words, Yun Meizhen felt the same resentment that Jiang Mo had earlier. Ji Shanshan had already used her chance to be saved by Chen Yun and was now fortuitously protected by Xie Yinxue's note, a situation that would make anyone envious.

Unable to control her emotions, Yun Meizhen snapped, "Easy for you to say since you're safe."

"I..." Ji Shanshan choked on her words, not expecting to be caught up in the drama. She decided to stay silent.

Yun Meizhen stomped her foot, declaring with frustration, "I'm not doing this assignment either!"

She then ran to a wall not far from Jiang Mo and kept to herself, ignoring everyone else.

But with He Wei's demise and his demonstration completed, the remaining participants could begin their lesson.

Without indulging in pleasantries, Chen Yun directly asked Xie Yinxue, "Mr. Xie, who among us should go first?"

Xie Yinxue responded, "I'll start. Then you, followed by me again. We'll alternate, allowing you some time to rest in between."

Chen Yun nodded, "Alright."

"Bu Hua, come with me." Xie Yinxue then led Liu Bu Hua deeper into the restroom.

As they walked, they too saw no peculiar feet beneath the stalls. Yet, upon turning around, they were confronted with the scene He Wei described: countless eerie human feet beneath each stall.

"Godfather," said Liu Bu Hua, her expression complex, "Which one should we choose?"

Xie Yinxue replied, "Your choice."

"This one then."

Liu Bu Hua pointed to the third stall from the right, "The feet in this stall look slightly more appealing than the others. Look, they even have red nail polish on."

The crowd: "..."

To Xie Yinxue, such eccentricities from Liu Bu Hua were hardly surprising anymore.

He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Liu Bu Hua, instructing, "I'll open the door. Stand to my left."

This position ensured that if any ghost inside attempted to harm them upon opening the door, Xie Yinxue could instantly scoop up Liu Bu Hua and make a swift escape.

Liu Bu Hua, hearing Xie Yinxue's instructions, obediently replied, "Okay," and did as told.

Unlike He Wei's cautious approach, Xie Yinxue yanked the door open swiftly. Intending to grab Liu Bu Hua and flee without looking back, he was met with an unexpected sight: the stall, once showing a pair of human feet, was now empty.

Liu Bu Hua expressed her bewilderment, "Empty?"

"Never mind that, let's move," urged Xie Yinxue.

As Xie Yinxue reached to pull Liu Bu Hua along, he found her already sprinting ahead, outpacing even him.

Ultimately, the duo safely returned to their starting point, encountering no dangers along the way, and, unlike He Wei, they were not dragged into any stalls by any apparitions.

"That's it?" Liu Bu Hua scratched her head, visibly puzzled. "Is the danger random? We didn't encounter anything."

Wei Xiao was equally intrigued, "Is this round just a matter of luck?"

"Or, perhaps, the stalls closer to the entrance are more dangerous," Pei Qingrong hypothesized after a moment of reflection, "and the further ones are safer?"

After all, most people, like He Wei, would instinctively opt for the stalls closer to the group, thinking it would allow for a quicker escape if danger arose. Little would they realize that the seemingly most treacherous places might be the safest.

"I think you might be onto something," Zhang Caixia said, giving Pei Qingrong a friendly pat on the shoulder for affirmation, "You should go with Chen Yun first."

Pei Qingrong chuckled and waved off the suggestion, "No, no, ladies first. Please, go ahead."

Zhang Caixia, seasoned and shrewd, quickly realized Pei Qingrong wanted either her or Jin Xi to go with Chen Yun to test the theory. She returned his feigned smile with one of her own, insisting, "Oh, you were the one who thought of it first. You should go."

But Pei Qingrong wasn't buying it. Sharing insights didn't mean he wanted to be on the front line. He continued to decline, "No, really, you first..."

"Enough from both of you!" Jin Xi, having lost her patience with their back-and-forth, stepped up to Chen Yun and said, "Chen Yun, let's do this together."

Chen Yun nodded, "Alright."

Reaching the innermost part of the restroom, they took their positions, mirroring Xie Yinxue and Liu Bu Hua's earlier stance, and chose the second-to-last stall on the left.

For all her decisive words, Jin Xi couldn't help but hold her breath in apprehension as she opened the door.

Thankfully, the stall was empty—seemingly confirming Pei Qingrong's theory. The feet they'd seen beneath the stall vanished the moment they approached the door.

Still, they didn't linger. Chen Yun, to be extra cautious, even lifted Jin Xi and ran back to the starting point.

Zhang Caixia, seeing them return safely, felt relieved yet remained slightly skeptical, "Is it really that simple?"

"The pencil spirit game wasn't too hard yesterday. Maybe today is the same," Jin Xi mused, then addressed Yun Meizhen and Jiang Mo, who had given up on the task, "You both could give it a try. Don't give up."