Chapter 004: The Ritual Altar That Lasted Less Than Two Minutes

Creak...

Accompanied by a hair-raising sound of a door opening, the eerie laughter came to an abrupt halt.

“Stay still and keep quiet!”

After warning Principal Liu, I slipped the straw doll into my pocket and took out a small segment of hemp rope from my backpack, soaked in menstrual blood and dyed a deep red.

Grandfather once said he had suffered countless hardships for this single piece of rope.

All I could think was, his suffering was worthwhile.

Because this rope could bind ghosts.

I wound each end tightly around my hands, gripping it firmly. Fixing my gaze on the innermost room with the wide-open door, I began to approach step by step.

Just four paces from the doorway, I stopped.

My right leg suddenly grew heavy, as though something had wrapped itself around it.

Looking down, I saw it was the dead child with a blue face and black body who had earlier perched on Principal Liu’s shoulder.

It clung desperately to my leg, sniffing furiously for something.

It seemed the straw doll in my pocket, stained with Principal Liu’s blood from his tongue, had drawn it in.

I held my breath, rooted to the spot, keeping my eyes locked on the dead child, my lower body unmoving.

I tightened my grip on the hemp rope, inching closer to the child.

Just a bit more—so close!

At the very instant I was about to loop the rope around its neck, the dead child suddenly looked up, and our eyes met.

It grinned hideously, reached into its socket, and dug out its hollow, lifeless eyeball.

Lifting it in its palm, it raised it to my face.

“Ah... ah...”

It couldn’t speak, merely uttered guttural cries, as if inviting me to eat its eye.

If I ate that thing, wouldn’t I be sick for a whole year?

Without a word, I bent down and swiftly looped the hemp rope around the dead child’s neck.

Pulling both ends tight, I hoisted the child off the ground. It struggled in vain, unable to escape, unleashing a shrill, ear-splitting scream!

The cries of ghosts and wolves must sound just like this.

Its voice rattled my eardrums painfully.

If I kept listening, my ears would be ruined.

Spotting a hook on the wall, I quickly hung the rope there.

Freeing my hands, I immediately took two yellow talismans from my pocket, crumpled them into balls, and stuffed them in my ears.

Just as I turned to shield Principal Liu’s ears, a loud bang sounded.

No!

The altar was broken—the straw doll would lose its power!

Turning my head, I saw the incense burner above Principal Liu’s head had shattered; the talisman pasted to the back of his head was scorched black.

He had collapsed, blood oozing dark red from his ears.

“Principal Liu!”

I rushed to his side, crouched down to help him up. He suddenly widened his eyes, rolling them upward with all his might!

Principal Liu was possessed!

With the straw doll powerless, and his body’s cement concealed by ashes, he was utterly exposed to the hungry ghost, helpless as a lamb before a wolf.

It was Li Xuan’s restless spirit!

I quickly let go, and Principal Liu didn’t fall. Instead, he stood up rigidly.

Rising, I quickly retreated to the side of the dead child, gripping the hemp rope once more.

“Li Xuan!”

Whether she could still understand, the name had followed her all her life.

“You... are calling me?”

Ghosts can speak, though their tone is not human—like singing through tears. To understand them, you need keen hearing.

Hearing Li Xuan’s voice from Principal Liu’s mouth, I felt a wave of relief.

We could communicate.

“Li Xuan, don’t act rashly. Let’s talk things over. We were classmates—I won’t hurt you.”

Possessed, Principal Liu’s head and arms drooped, his toes raised unnaturally. The sight was deeply unsettling.

Principal Liu tilted his head at an odd angle, fixing his white eyes on me. Goosebumps prickled over my skin.

“Jiang Huai...”

“Yes, it’s me. Old friend, step out of Principal Liu’s body—we can talk calmly.”

“Step out...”

Communication was possible, but that didn’t mean it would be effective.

Unless absolutely necessary, I didn’t want to hurt her.

“Where... Where am I...”

Hearing these words, a sense of wrongness struck me.

Before I could ponder, the dead child I’d bound began to shriek again.

All the jars and bottles in Principal Liu’s home shattered under the sound.

The talisman in my ears was no defense—the screams pierced through, rupturing my eardrums, soaking the talismans in blood.

In agony, I released my grip, clutching my ears. The loosened rope freed the ghost child, who instantly leapt into Principal Liu’s arms.

“Jie jie...”

The dead child hopped from Principal Liu’s arms to his head, and its gouged-out eyes regrew before my eyes.

“Li Xuan!”

This time, my call received no response from Li Xuan. Instead, the dead child shook its fist at me.

As if warning me not to interfere, or else it would show no mercy.

Seeing me unmoving, the dead child patted Principal Liu’s head, and Principal Liu obediently turned, opened the door, and walked out.

I was too late to stop him. Removing the blood-soaked talismans from my ears, I grabbed my backpack and chased after them with the rope.

The rain outside was even heavier than when I’d arrived.

Possessed by Li Xuan, Principal Liu moved swiftly through the downpour. I gave chase, and thankfully the rain kept any bystanders from noticing our strangeness.

As I pursued, I lamented my mother hadn’t given me more legs.

Fortunately, Principal Liu abruptly stopped. By the time I caught up, I was gasping for breath.

No time to rest—I rushed forward, looping the hemp rope around Principal Liu’s neck, hoping to force Li Xuan out.

But Principal Liu turned his face toward me expressionlessly.

He reached out and seized my throat!

How could this be? The rope should have worked!

I released the rope, trying to pry his hands off, but he was too strong—I couldn’t budge him!

The dead child perched on his head patted him, as if issuing commands.

Principal Liu lifted me and hurled me through the air.

He himself jumped over an iron gate, landing stiffly, his knees unbending.

Getting up and surveying my surroundings, I realized with surprise—we were at the school!

Picking up the rope, I cursed my luck.

The dark red hue had faded halfway—the rope was useless. If Grandpa saw this, he’d beat me for sure.

Never mind, the priority was to solve the problem.

I vaulted the school gate and rushed toward where Principal Liu had vanished.

“Li Xuan! Li Xuan!”

But the only reply was the endless rain—no other sound.

I could only search every corner.

At the entrance to the public restroom, I found Principal Liu still possessed by Li Xuan.

He knelt in the mud, digging a deep pit with his hands, then plunged his head into it, burying himself furiously.

Was he trying to bury himself alive?

“Damn!”

I was about to charge over when a black shadow descended from above. My vision blurred, as if someone punched me in the face.

With a thunderous crash, I hit the ground. Regaining my sight, I saw the dead child sitting on my chest, glaring fiercely at me.