Chapter 204: The Lingering Shadows of the Music Room

“Indeed, we hadn’t noticed her before she went on stage, but once she started playing…” I recalled the situation, pondering how best to describe it.

“She looked as eerie and terrifying as a ghost, completely lost in playing that forbidden piece. She didn’t even seem human anymore,” Xiao Qing elaborated.

“Yes, exactly that feeling! Like a ghost, like a demon, not a living person at all,” I affirmed. In reality, this was the effect of the malevolent energy combined with the collective fear projected onto Lin Qianyue.

“As I suspected, she had a significant amount of residual negative energy within her. If I hadn’t channeled a surge of true qi to purify her body, she might not have been saved even in a hospital. Even if she had been revived in time, she would have suffered from chronic illness in the future,” Yi Zhiqiu stated.

“That’s entirely conceivable. A living person enduring the malevolent energy of a life-bound Gu worm, an object of dark sorcery, the ominous aura of the school, and the negative energy from collective fear… she would have been in mortal danger even without a severed hand. The fact that she didn’t even scream after her hand was severed suggests she had already lost consciousness when the negative energy permeated her body.”

I also speculated if this might be another one of Mo Qingyan’s objectives—perhaps to conceal any traces of her own manipulation. Feigning curiosity, I inquired, “What exactly happened to her then? Why did she turn so terrifying?”

“I suspect she was possessed by a ghost,” Yi Zhiqiu replied. “A vengeful spirit attached itself to her, using her body to play the forbidden melody, triggering the urban legend. The true culprit is that vengeful spirit. It seems we need to investigate if any music students met a tragic end at this school previously.”

As expected, Yi Zhiqiu had misjudged. The lingering traces of being infused with a massive amount of negative energy masked the fact that Lin Qianyue had been controlled by a Gu worm. This led Yi Zhiqiu to mistakenly believe she had been possessed by a ghost.

Of course, ghost possession could achieve a similar effect. While Xia Yubing’s parents didn’t seem capable of such a feat, many wild vengeful spirits possessed similar abilities. Over the past few days, several students visiting the Paranormal Investigations Department had cases of unclean spirits clinging to them.

Mo Qingyan had meticulously arranged small details, subtly steering Yi Zhiqiu’s suspicions elsewhere, making him overlook the more obvious possibilities of man-made elements like Gu worms and dark talismans.

“I can also help ask around. Hmm? Is it possible that a music student, whose hands were injured or even severed, committed suicide due to their career being ruined prematurely?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s highly probable,” Yi Zhiqiu nodded. “Vengeful spirits only remember their most painful experiences in life, harboring jealousy and hatred towards all living beings. They are relentlessly obsessed with making the living experience their suffering. If a vengeful spirit had such an experience, it’s very likely they would do something like this.”

He then led us on another circuit around the music room, but we found no traces whatsoever. This was to be expected; once an urban legend retreats, the place simply becomes an ordinary music room, leaving no evidence behind.

“It seems there’s nothing more to investigate here. We’ll have to wait until Lin Qianyue wakes up to ask if she remembers anything,” Yi Zhiqiu said, a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Then, after a moment of thought or hesitation, he turned to me and asked, “Xia Yubing, I have a question for you. Did you already know the method to escape the ‘Lovers’ Urban Legend’?”

‘Yes.’ My heart immediately pounded, and I grew tense. Indeed, I had been too obvious earlier, some of my words too direct.

I tried my best to conceal it, but my acting was still very amateurish in front of Yi Zhiqiu.

“How dare you even ask that?! If it weren’t for you, how would Sister Xia have suffered such treatment?! And been forced to do something so shameful in front of you!” Xiao Qing demanded, her anger clearly genuine.

Yi Zhiqiu immediately looked guilty and in the wrong. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I was indeed impulsive earlier, but I just wanted to confirm something. There was no malice.”

As expected, he wasn’t entirely certain, only harboring some suspicions. Xiao Qing’s interrogation overshadowed Yi Zhiqiu, granting me a moment to think calmly. I carefully replayed the words I had let slip in front of him. Denying it was probably futile; it would only make me appear more suspicious.

After a moment of consideration, I replied, “I’m not entirely sure. I only heard it from a girl who was once trapped. She escaped using a similar method, but because it was too shameful, she spoke vaguely about it. Most of what I said was my own conjecture.”

This explanation sounded more plausible. After all, such a topic was inherently embarrassing to discuss. Even a girl who had gone through such an experience would be too shy to speak plainly about it, so vagueness was quite normal.

Yi Zhiqiu also had no way to verify it. He couldn’t possibly go around asking girls if they had been trapped in an urban legend and escaped using *that* method, could he? His reputation would plummet, and he might even get slapped on the spot.

“Alright, I understand. Thank you for your cooperation. You two can go out now; I’ll take another look,” Yi Zhiqiu said. Xiao Qing and I walked out, but before leaving the music room, I left behind the Golden Bee Gu to secretly observe Yi Zhiqiu.

After we left, Yi Zhiqiu shook his head and muttered to himself, “It seems they might have done it, leaving no trace of contamination. And they wouldn’t have gone with me to look for the urban legend right before taking action. Even if they wanted to create an alibi, they should have been trapped in the urban legend with me. It truly seems like a coincidence.

“Sigh! First a perverted serial killer, then urban legends at school, and now this whole affair. It’s making me a bit paranoid. No, Yi Zhiqiu, you swore an oath before your master; how can you shrink back at such a small difficulty!”

Following that, Yi Zhiqiu continued to encourage himself. It seemed his pressure was indeed significant; the succession of cases was likely overwhelming him.

And my guess was correct: he did indeed harbor some suspicion towards me. After all, my timing was impeccable—leading him into the urban legend right before the incident, then escaping it and arriving at the crime scene just as it happened, all while showing signs that I knew the essence of the urban legend but deliberately concealed it.

“Brother Xiao, how was it? Did he suspect you?” Xiao Qing asked worriedly. She had been trying to cover for me, afraid that Yi Zhiqiu would discover my actions.

“No problem. He did have a little suspicion, but it was just conjecture. My name has basically been cleared now, and I don’t think he’ll suspect me again,” I whispered.

“That’s good! Let’s go find Senior Sister Mo; I still have some things I want to ask her,” Xiao Qing said, pulling me towards the Paranormal Investigations Department.

I kept the Golden Bee Gu trailing Yi Zhiqiu until I saw him start checking school archives for any deceased or missing music students. Only then did I feel reassured.

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