Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Five: The Writing Spirit

After some discussion, Dadi and his group decided to go directly to our school's infamous haunted building to hunt for ghosts. There were seven of them in total—four men and three women: Liu Yi, her roommates Zhang Juan and Li Fengyu, and my roommates Dadi, Liu Dong, Jiang Chao, and Li Fengyu’s boyfriend, Zhou Lei.

Before heading to the haunted building, Zhou Lei and the others were quite anxious. While they held a strong curiosity about ghosts, the thought of actually encountering one was terrifying. They worried that if they truly summoned a spirit, and Dadi couldn't handle it, they might all end up dead. However, after Dadi patted his chest and repeatedly promised that everything would be fine, they finally calmed down.

Thus, these seven reckless fools actually went to the old laboratory building.

The *Maoshan Secret Records* do contain techniques for soul-summoning, intended to help people reach out to deceased relatives. But Dadi had only been practicing for a few days; he didn't know the first thing about such advanced rituals. Furthermore, once they entered the lab building, the chilling, ghostly wind gradually sobered him up. As his head cleared, he realized he had blown his boast way out of proportion. But it was too late to back out now—Dadi was a man who valued his pride above all else. He couldn't lose face, so despite his racing heart, he had to bite the bullet.

Dadi was a strange character—sometimes you’d call him a fool, and he’d show a flash of wit, but other times, when you thought he was clever, he’d be impossibly stupid. Knowing he couldn't perform any real Maoshan rituals, he figured that a sloppy attempt would not only fail to summon a ghost but also invite mockery. So, he came up with a ridiculous idea: play "Pen Fairy."

Since the game was so famous, Dadi believed it would surely summon a spirit. Besides, Liu Yi and the others were obsessed with horror movies and were very familiar with the rules, often playing the silly game in their dorms. Of course, in the dorm, where the "Yang" energy was strong, they had never succeeded. But in a haunted building thick with "Yin" energy, the situation was entirely different.

They started the game in one of the classrooms. The consequences were as expected: they successfully summoned a vengeful spirit.

When the spirit appeared, everyone panicked. The game has strict taboos—one of which is that it must never be interrupted before the spirit is sent back. Midway through the game, Zhang Juan was the first to lose her nerve. Dadi and Jiang Chao were the ones actually holding the pen, but after feeling the terrifying shift in the atmosphere, Zhang Juan let out a shrill scream. Jiang Chao panicked, his hand jerked, and the pen he was holding with Dadi snapped in two.

Then, the horror began.

The vengeful spirit appeared and began attacking the group without restraint. Dadi tried to subdue it but was knocked down in a single blow. The group scattered in a frenzy. Liu Yi fled with Jiang Chao, but by the time they reached the ground floor, Jiang Chao had suddenly vanished.

Not only was Jiang Chao gone, but once Liu Yi regained her senses, she realized everyone else had disappeared, too.

Before they had left, Liu Yi had heard the drunken Dadi claim that I, Wu Dao, was a true master of Taoist arts, capable of dealing with any demon or spirit within three rounds. They had wanted to call me, but I was busy dealing with the Corpse Matriarch alongside Bai Ruoshuang, so I never received the call. In her desperation, Liu Yi thought of me and dialed my number.

After listening to her account, my brow furrowed deeply. I was overcome with a mix of frustration and anger—I could have killed those idiots. They say nothing good comes from drunken impulses, and they were right. These people were just bored and looking for trouble; couldn't they just let a person rest?

Looking at Liu Yi’s terrified, helpless expression, I didn't feel like being gentle. I almost wanted to slap her and ask, "Are your brains filled with water? Why are you so obsessed with seeing ghosts? Now that things have blown up, how do you expect to clean up this mess?"

Liu Yi was on the verge of tears, repeatedly asking what she should do. I stood up and asked which classroom they had played in. She quickly replied that it was the last room on the fourth floor, near the corridor.

I started heading upstairs without a word. Liu Yi hurriedly followed. I glared back at her and said, "What time do you think it is? Why are you still following me? Get out of this building immediately! Do you want to die here?"

Liu Yi turned pale. Ignoring my protest, she grabbed my arm, looking pathetic. "Wu Dao, I’m terrified to be alone. Please, let me stay with you, or at least escort me out."

I was speechless. "If I don't know what state Dadi and the others are in, and I take you out first, by the time I return, it might be too late."

I sighed in resignation. "Fine, stay close to me, but no matter what you see, don't panic and don't scream. Just hide behind me."

Liu Yi nodded frantically. I bit my left middle finger, drew a "Palm Thunder" talisman on my right palm, and headed to the fourth floor. My heart was pounding; I prayed that I wouldn't run into a truly powerful vengeful spirit, or I might lose my life here as well. Having just used the *Yellow Springs Technique* to fight the Corpse Matriarch, I was exhausted. I couldn't channel that power again; at most, my current Taoist arts could handle common malicious spirits. Anything stronger, and I’d be in trouble.

I tried to console myself, hoping it was just a wandering ghost. After all, it takes a long time for a spirit to become a "vengeful" one. Even the Taoist nun and the Corpse Matriarch I faced earlier—as powerful as they were—were only at that level. This building had only been "haunted" for a decade; it was unlikely a spirit here had reached that strength.

Calmed by this reasoning, I reached the fourth floor with Liu Yi. In the pitch-black corridor, a faint candlelight flickered at the far end. Shadows danced on the walls—clearly coming from inside the classroom.

I looked at Liu Yi. "Besides you, did anyone else manage to escape?"

She shook her head, saying Jiang Chao had run out with her, but he had vanished along the way. I nodded, realizing he must have been dragged back. I didn't say another word and crept toward the classroom. Not knowing what I was dealing with, I didn't rush in. Instead, I carefully peeked through the window.

The classroom, lit by a few white candles, was truly terrifying. I saw the situation clearly: of the seven, only Liu Yi had escaped. The others were all inside, acting very strangely. They weren't running in panic or huddled together in fear. Instead, they had split into two groups to continue their spirit-summoning games. Zhou Lei and Li Fengyu were playing "Pen Fairy," while Dadi, Jiang Chao, Liu Dong, and Zhang Juan were in the four corners of the room, their eyes covered with black cloth, playing the "Four Corners Game."