Chapter 168: The Desolate Classroom and Winged Myriapods

“So that’s how it is. Yi Zhiqiu has already found the trigger method for the desolate classroom. That was certainly fast. It seems the desolate classroom’s haunting will need to be shut down for a while.” Mo Qingyan mused over the information I had provided.

“Senior Sister Mo, is the desolate classroom’s haunting truly meant to protect students?” I asked. Even with Yi Zhiqiu’s conclusion, I still found it hard to believe.

“How should I put this? It is indeed safe for us. If you ever get left behind in school again, or find yourself trapped in a ghostly realm at night with no way out, you can certainly hide in the desolate classroom for the night,” Mo Qingyan explained.

I had a hunch she hadn’t finished speaking, but I didn’t press the issue. She would explain when the time was right; questioning her now would be futile.

Instead, I simply asked, “At night, all classrooms are desolate. How do I know which one is the desolate classroom of the haunting?”

“It’s very simple. Before entering a classroom, try turning on the light. If the light comes on, it’s not the one—immediately turn off the light and leave. If the light doesn’t come on, then that’s it. Once inside, close all doors and windows, and you’ll be safe,” Mo Qingyan instructed.

“Alright. Though, I doubt I’ll ever need to use that classroom again,” I said with a dry chuckle. Just thinking about that female teacher was oppressive enough, and being locked inside a classroom with no escape, the fear of confinement would surely suffocate me.

Suddenly, a strange association came to mind. The desolate classroom was like a safe house within Jianlong Middle School, just as the old woman’s home was a safe house in Liubaiyuan. Did every eerie place have its own sanctuary?

“That’s hard to say. Perhaps before long, you too will be traversing Jianlong Middle School at night,” Mo Qingyan chuckled.

“Senior Sister Mo, please don’t scare me.” Her words sent a shiver down my spine, bringing back the lingering shadows of that ghost-ridden night.

“Alright, it’s too early to talk about all that. Let’s discuss the immediate matters at hand. I’ve brought you the blood-replenishing medicine as a reward for gathering intelligence from Yi Zhiqiu.” As Mo Qingyan spoke, she produced a small medicine bottle.

Inside the bottle were ten capsules, each a vibrant crimson like blood. What medicinal ingredients were encased within the translucent, blood-red gelatin remained a mystery. The bottle had no label, let alone a production date or dosage instructions—a completely unregulated product.

I no longer fully trusted the medicine Mo Qingyan gave me. Who knew what strange ingredients might be added? Yet, I could clearly see the surging blood energy sealed within the capsules.

“Use them sparingly. This stuff is incredibly precious and rare; even I can’t get this much myself. If it weren’t for your need to get close to Yi Zhiqiu to extract information and knowledge, the higher-ups wouldn’t have approved this much blood energy medicine for you.”

Mo Qingyan’s words about “the higher-ups” were quite intriguing. I had initially thought the Paranormal Events Department was just a hobby group for paranormal enthusiasts, at most having a formidable senior, Liang Tianxu, who left behind many useful things and could provide technical support at any time.

However, from Bai Yue’s attitude and remarks, I vaguely sensed it wasn’t that simple. The Paranormal Events Department clearly had deep connections, and Bai Yue herself was a descendant of a family specializing in蛊毒 (gu poison), joining in a personal capacity.

Now, Mo Qingyan had produced even more precious blood energy medicine, claiming it was “approved by the higher-ups.” It was hard not to wonder who exactly she was referring to.

“I’ve also brought some things to replenish blood energy, as a personal gift from me,” Bai Yue said. She had been quietly sitting by, listening, until now.

She took out a jar. The moment she opened it, my scalp tingled, and goosebumps erupted all over my body. Inside the jar were rows of black-and-red centipedes, each about two or three feet long, and astonishingly, they had wings.

I had never seen winged centipedes before. Upon closer inspection, these centipedes were dead and dried, about ten of them in total.

“Winged Myriapods? Aren’t these the base bodies your family uses to cultivate flying centipedes? Although they are mostly used as feed or for medicine, I recall that if sold externally, one would cost at least five or six thousand yuan,” Mo Qingyan said, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“This is my personal gift. My family has recently allocated more resources to me, so I can still get a few centipedes. Besides, Senior Sister Xia can afford them, can’t she?” Bai Yue asked, looking at me.

“Uh, yes… I guess?” I chuckled dryly as I accepted the jar of centipedes. If the capsules earlier were merely suspicious, these centipedes were downright horrifying. “How do I use this? Please don’t tell me I have to eat them?”

“Yes, you can eat them after peeling off the shell. Of course, you can also eat them unpeeled. One can replenish an adult’s blood energy. I used to enjoy them as snacks. If you’re not used to the taste, you can add some cumin and roast them before eating,” Bai Yue said matter-of-factly.

‘Is it really just a matter of taste?’ I wanted to say I didn’t need them, but I reluctantly accepted the things.

These things were worth five or six thousand each. They were good items. If Mo Qingyan was telling the truth, this one jar alone was worth fifty or sixty thousand.

Bai Yue even said she liked to eat them as snacks. This young mistress from the Miao疆 (Miao borderland) Gu Poison family was just as extreme as Xia Yubing.

“Alright, for the next issue, Yi Zhiqiu’s suspicions have fallen on the faculty, which is excellent. He won’t pay too much attention to us. Yubing, go gather more dirt and suspicious details about the faculty. Try to make Yi Zhiqiu shift his suspicions towards those adults,” Mo Qingyan instructed.

“No problem.” I readily agreed. This seemed simple enough. However, Bai Yue then asked, “Shouldn’t we remind Teacher Ma to be careful?”

Teacher Ma? Bai Yue mentioned another person. If I remembered correctly, there was only one teacher surnamed Ma at our school, but I didn’t know much about him.

Rarely had I seen an expression of disgust on Mo Qingyan’s face, but it was deeply hidden and fleeting. After a moment, she said, “I’ll tell him to rein it in a bit recently, to stop his illicit activities. But that guy probably won’t listen, will he?”

Teacher Ma was also involved with the Paranormal Events Department. It seemed I needed to inquire among my classmates for information about him.

“Yubing, if Yi Zhiqiu continues investigating the haunting, you can tell him about the tree demon in the woods that binds couples to earn his trust. That one is real,” Mo Qingyan added.

A tree demon that binds couples? What a strange rumor. Why would it specifically target couples? I nodded again. “Okay, I understand.”

“Let me think if there’s anything else. Also, try to find out Yi Zhiqiu’s movements these past few nights. See which nights he isn’t wandering around school. According to my records, he doesn’t stay at school every night,” Mo Qingyan continued. I noted down all these requests.

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