Chapter Twenty-Four: A Midnight Visit to the School

I jolted awake, gasping for breath, but that surge of power seemed sealed within me—untouchable, invisible. I glanced up at the clock on the wall. “It’s after seven already…” There were still more than forty minutes before my rendezvous with Chen Chen. I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I lit a cigarette and sat at the edge of the bed, letting my mind wander.

I reached out to touch the Snowblade lying beside me, murmuring to myself, “Can you help me break free from the Ghost King? Sigh…” To my surprise, the staff flashed twice in response, as if answering my question, though I couldn’t decipher its meaning.

When it was a little past 7:40, I changed my clothes, put on a hat, and called Chen Chen as I headed downstairs.

“Hey, where are you?” I asked.

“I’m almost at the school. Come find me at the gate,” he replied.

“Alright,” I said, hanging up, and flagged down a night-shift taxi.

“Kid, going to class this late?” the driver, a chatty middle-aged man, struck up a conversation as soon as I got in.

“Oh, no, just heading nearby for a bit,” I replied casually.

“Let me tell you, I’ve heard it’s bad luck to go to school at night—not auspicious at all…”

Of course I knew going to school at night was ill-advised. The elders always said schools were filled with yin energy, and tonight we were even headed for the cemetery.

Before long, I arrived at the school gates. I looked around but saw no sign of Chen Chen, so I called him again.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“I’m in the bookstore next to the school. Come find me,” he said.

I looked up at the only Jia Hua Bookstore beside the school and replied, “I’ll be there in two minutes.”

By now, night had fully fallen. For some reason, there were even fewer cars than usual on the street, and only a handful of people wandered here and there.

I jogged to the bookstore and, upon entering, found Chen Chen sitting and fiddling with his phone.

“You’re early,” I said, patting his shoulder.

“This afternoon, I found a Taoist priest,” Chen Chen told me. “He said if we’re going to a cemetery, we must be out by dawn.”

His words left me puzzled. “Why do we have to be back before sunrise?” I asked.

“Well, the priest said if we’re not back before dawn, vengeful spirits will haunt us,” Chen Chen replied with a shiver.

“No time to waste. Let’s go now!” I grabbed Chen Chen and headed outside.

At the school gate, the two of us slipped over the wall with practiced ease. We used to sneak into internet cafes all the time, so even with my current lack of athleticism, I managed the climb without trouble.

Inside the school, it was even eerier than I had imagined. A breeze rustled the willow trees, making them sound like someone cackling quietly. The darkness surrounded us, and I half expected a ghost or monster to leap out at any moment.

Chen Chen, on the other hand, was much bolder. He got his bearings, beckoned me to follow, and we moved on. Dressed in black, we looked like a pair of assassins melting into the darkness.

Halfway through the schoolyard, Chen Chen suddenly remembered something and began rummaging in his pockets. After a moment, he pulled out two crumpled slips that looked like talismans, handing one to me.

“I heard these basic charms can be deadly to ghosts,” he said. “I went out of my way to buy a couple ages ago, and never thought I’d actually need them.”

I smoothed the talisman, noting its strange, indecipherable symbols—not quite like the ones in the movies. But I could sense it was wrapped in a faint spiritual energy. Clearly, the person who drew it was a master.

I tucked the talisman into my pocket and pressed on. From the gate to the back wall of the school, we encountered nothing unusual—just an unsettling atmosphere that made the place all the more unnerving.

Ah, these next couple of days are truly busy. Thank you all for your understanding. I’ll try to make up for it with an extra-long update next week.