Chapter 199: The Forbidden Melody’s Cruel Crescendo

“Uh, I’ve heard a little about it,” I mused aloud. “Like ‘Black Friday,’ for instance. They say many people committed suicide or developed mental illnesses after listening to it?” This wasn’t something recorded in the Department of Supernatural Occurrences’ archives, but rather a rumor I’d picked up previously.

“Indeed, all of that is true,” Ou Zhiqing confirmed. “The Ten Forbidden Melodies are merely the ten most infamous, with ‘Black Friday’ being the most notorious among them. However, any music capable of plunging people into madness, despair, or destructive tendencies is, in essence, a forbidden melody.”

“Xiao Qing,” I inquired, “do you suspect the sheet music Mo Qingyan provided is one of the Ten Forbidden Melodies?”

Ou Zhiqing shook her head. “It shouldn’t be. The Ten Forbidden Melodies are so infamous that their spiritual pollution far surpasses other forbidden songs. They are also strictly sealed away, making them incredibly difficult to acquire, even through special means.”

“If it truly were one of the Ten Forbidden Melodies, the students here would likely have already committed mass suicide or slaughtered each other. Even with our artifacts, we couldn’t guarantee our safety. This must simply be an ordinary forbidden melody.”

I had indeed come across similar news a few days prior. While searching online, I recalled seeing reports of a massacre at a Western concert, where few survivors remained. Moreover, many of those who seemed normal for a time later committed suicide.

“Even an ordinary forbidden melody is terrifying,” I said with a wry smile. Despite the protection of my artifacts, I felt an incessant surge of fear within me. The other students, meanwhile, were already trembling uncontrollably.

As the music stirred their deepest fears, waves of Yin energy began to rise from their bodies. This was the negative emotion born from sheer terror, precisely what demons and ghosts craved.

Just as Yi Zhiqiu had discovered earlier, only about one-tenth of the students in this class possessed spiritual light protecting them. Yet, for most, this protective light was too weak to withstand the spreading fear.

Furthermore, there were issues with artifacts not being suitable for the situation. Most people didn’t understand artifacts, choosing common ones for warding off evil or bringing good fortune. Artifacts capable of calming the mind were rare.

This meant that even students who brought artifacts couldn’t fully resist the spiritual pollution of this hellish music. Of course, those with artifacts fared slightly better; at least they hadn’t been scared into trembling yet.

The atmosphere in the classroom had grown incredibly strange. All the students sat perfectly still, silent as zombies, their gazes fixed intently on Lin Qianyue as she played the piano.

Even as shivers ran down their spines and goosebumps erupted, they couldn’t tear their eyes away. They seemed utterly entranced by the music.

Though terrifying, the melody possessed an eerie allure that seeped directly into their hearts, compelling them to look at the performer, even if they covered their ears.

Simultaneously, a massive amount of Yin energy, rising from the students, began to surge into Lin Qianyue, who was still playing the piano. The students felt an inexplicable dread, perceiving her not as a human but as a ghost.

This was a collective phenomenon of terror. When everyone around them felt scared, even the bravest individuals would succumb to the fear, as terror was contagious. Even boys with abundant Yang energy couldn’t suppress this pervasive Yin energy.

The source of their fear was the music. Most students didn’t understand forbidden melodies, so their terror was directed at Lin Qianyue, who was playing. Few targeted Lin Qianyue herself; most aimed their fear at the piece.

The formerly lovely and vibrant girl now, with Yin energy invading her body, had a face as pale as gold leaf, pallid lips, and disheveled hair, making her resemble a female ghost.

My brow furrowed deeply. Such a massive influx of Yin energy into a living person’s body would at least cause a severe illness. In extreme cases, it could even lead to death, which was why, to the students, she appeared as a specter.

Among the many students, one person’s aura was particularly striking: Jia Cheng. He had no spiritual light from protective artifacts around him. Instead, a cursed artifact on his person was continuously absorbing the surrounding Yin energy.

All the while, he watched Lin Qianyue play the piano with a smile, seemingly anticipating the completion of something.

“Hey, Xiao Qing, this situation is getting dire,” I said, a hint of unease in my voice. “What exactly does Senior Sister Mo intend to do? If all these students go mad or even commit suicide, it will cause a huge commotion. It might even attract the police, or perhaps even masters, to investigate.”

“Indeed,” Xiao Qing replied, her concern now focused on our escape. “If so many students descend into a state of mutual slaughter, even we might find it difficult to guarantee our safety.”

The Jade Gecko had already crawled onto her arm, greedily inhaling the Yin energy. Should anything go awry, the Jade Gecko would turn invisible and carry us away.

“Senior Sister Mo shouldn’t be planning something this grand, this impactful. Regardless, an entire grade of students falling into madness and death is a serious matter,” Xiao Qing speculated. “Perhaps she merely intends to use the Yin energy of all these people to cultivate the girl playing the piano into a living Corpse Ghoul?”

A Corpse Ghoul. A type of supernatural creature. Legend had it they were cursed, immortal, and insatiable, craving flesh and blood. They retained their consciousness and intelligence from life and could be manipulated by dark magic.

Did Mo Qingyan truly intend to cultivate a young girl, in the prime of her youth with a bright future ahead, into a Corpse Ghoul? It was certainly possible, but far too cruel. Although I wasn’t particularly close with Lin Qianyue, I had always had a very good impression of her—a bright and kind girl.

However, events unfolded differently than Xiao Qing and I had anticipated. Just as everyone was irrevocably lost in the music’s terror, a sudden change occurred. With a piercing *bang!*, the music abruptly ceased.

“Ah!” Many instantly awoke from the nightmare of the dark melody. Several even leaped up, drenched in cold sweat, feeling as if they had just walked through the underworld.

“Look! Look at the stage!” a boy cried out. The piano lid had slammed shut, crushing Lin Qianyue’s hands.

The girl had fallen into a coma, blood continuously gushing from her hands and splattering onto the piano. Her severed hands remained pressed on the keys, blood steadily flowing from the gaps in the lid.

“Agh!!!” The girls, already terrified by the music, shrieked in horror at this sight. Some scattered and fled, while others let out panicked screams.

The boys fared little better. Some ran alongside the girls, screaming, while others collapsed onto the floor, paralyzed by the abrupt scene, utterly bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

At this point, the pervasive fear reached its peak, suddenly erupting. A vast amount of Yin energy surged into the piano, then mixed with the spilled blood, even transforming into malevolent Sha Qi.

This, then, was Mo Qingyan’s plan. Through the performance of the forbidden melody before everyone and the gruesome sight of the girl’s severed hands, the Guai Tan — the urban legend — was complete.

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