The moment Li Zhi laid eyes on the girl, she almost immediately recognized her as Xiang Min.
Even after being dead for so long, her body remained lifelike, her complexion still rosy. She sat cross-legged, with her right hand raised in front of her chest, palm outward in a gesture reminiscent of a Guanyin hand, though eerily twisted.
At the moment she opened the cabinet, the mental attack from the three-corpses worm reached its peak. But under the formidable resistance of Li Zhi’s strong mental power and the restorative effect of her sunflower pendant, she managed to gain the upper hand.
No wonder they couldn’t find Xiang Min anywhere.
It turned out that her body had become the breeding ground for the three-corpses worm, and the resentment from her suicide had likely nourished it.
The mother parasite must be inside Xiang Min’s body. But how could she destroy it?
—”You can’t destroy the three-corpses god. How could a human destroy a god?”
The principal’s enticing voice still echoed in her mind.
Li Zhi turned to survey the office.
Heavy, light-blocking curtains, tightly sealed electric doors, small windows in the corridor that didn’t let in any light, the dark and damp administrative building, and the worms inside Zhou Jianzhang and the others, which only became aggressive at night, and those terrifying games of infection that could only be played after sundown.
In a flash of inspiration, Li Zhi realized the key to breaking this situation.
It was afraid of light!
She quickly moved to the window and with a swish, pulled open the heavy curtains.
Sunlight streamed in, brightening the office considerably. However, the space embedded in the wall where Xiang Min’s body lay remained hidden in the shadows. Moving her body into the sunlight would require physical contact, which would risk infection by the mother parasite within her.
Li Zhi frowned, then dragged the principal’s black leather chair to the door and pressed the switch for the electric doors.
The double doors slowly opened, and the sounds of fighting from the corridor became clearer. Li Zhi placed the chair at the doorway and kicked down an attacker trying to ambush Pink-Hair, shouting, “Tan Manyu! Go to the first floor and bring up that mirror from the hallway!”
The mental attacks from the three-corpses worm were relentless, and she had to stay here to prevent those under its influence from breaking in. Tan Manyu, with her special status, was the most reliable when it came to skill and execution.
Sure enough, without asking a single question, Tan Manyu immediately turned and sprinted downstairs.
Outside the administrative building, the students infected with the three-corpses worm were surrounding the building like zombies. Fortunately, their attacks posed little threat to Tan Manyu. After knocking down the students encircling her, she swiftly took the mirror from the wall and hurried back.
In front of the principal’s office, Li Zhi twisted Zhou Jianzhang’s arm as he rushed at her again.
Both his arms hung limply at his sides as if broken, but he seemed to feel no pain. Once again, he lunged at her, chanting something incoherently. Li Zhi grabbed him by the throat and slammed him to the ground, hearing his crazed voice exclaiming, “Offer everything to the [Ghost] god!!!”
The battle-crazed Lian Qinglin swung his axe at Zhou Jianzhang, and a swarm of worms spilled out from the gash in his body.
Li Zhi stood up, took the mirror from Tan Manyu, and walked back to the window. Bright sunlight reflected off the mirror, directly illuminating the space embedded in the wall.
White smoke began to rise from Xiang Min’s corpse as it self-ignited. Li Zhi heard a sharp screech, the pitch growing higher and higher until it exceeded the range of human hearing. It felt as though everything around them had plunged into a vacuum, and no sound could be heard at all.
For a moment, confusion flickered across everyone’s faces.
The sunflower pendant in Li Zhi’s hand grew slightly hot, then cracked with a sharp sound. She bit down hard on her tongue, the pain helping her hold onto the mirror. As the sunlight continued to pour onto Xiang Min’s body, it finally burst into flames. Flesh quickly burned away to ash, leaving only a cross-legged skeleton sitting in the cabinet.
Between the skeleton, a black worm fell out. It was the size of a thumb, wriggling as it tried to crawl toward the shadows. But wherever it crawled, the sunlight followed. Its pace grew slower and slower until it finally froze in place. The sunlight seared a hole into the worm’s body, and that hole slowly burned and expanded until the worm was reduced to a pile of black ash.
Outside in the hallway, Tan Manyu and the others finally fully regained consciousness.
Those with worms inside their bodies all collapsed to the ground, their fates unknown.
With a loud crash, the mirror in Li Zhi’s hand fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.
Tan Manyu, quick to react, rushed in to catch Li Zhi’s swaying body. The intensity of the mental battle had been too much, leaving Li Zhi’s mind heavy, as if filled with lead. Before losing consciousness, she could only manage to tell Tan Manyu, “Take me to the infirmary.”
When Li Zhi woke again, night had already fallen.
She lay in a bed at the infirmary, wrapped in a soft blanket.
Li Jianxi sat in a chair beside the bed. When he saw her awaken, the serious expression on his face softened, and he asked in a low voice, “How are you feeling?”
Li Zhi smiled. “Much better.”
Li Jianxi said, “I cleaned the blood from your ears and nose. Your mental energy has been damaged, so you’ll need time to recover.”
He extended his hand, revealing the sunflower pendant resting quietly in his palm, now more radiant than before. “Keep this with you. It can help restore your mental strength.”
Li Zhi remembered hearing the sound of the pendant shattering during her battle with the three-corpses worm.
Yet now it appeared perfectly restored, without a single crack.
She took the pendant and slowly sat up on the bed. “Li Jianxi, thank you.”
He smiled.
Li Zhi rarely saw him smile. That genuine, pure smile made him come to life in a way she had never seen before.
At that moment, Li Zhi became acutely aware that he was different from the other NPCs in this game instance.
He was hiding something.
But there was no rush. She had plenty of time to slowly uncover his secret.
She had been asleep for a long time. The moon was high in the sky, and the campus had finally returned to its usual peaceful state. It was almost midnight, and once she completed the mirror game in the dorm, the instance would be cleared.
Li Zhi put on her shoes and hopped off the bed. “I’m leaving.”
Li Jianxi nodded. “See you next time.”
She could sense a hint of anticipation in his voice when he said that.
Li Zhi smiled. “See you next time.”
Lian Qinglin and the others were waiting outside. Despite the brutal battle earlier, no one seemed tired. The group headed towards the dormitory, with Li Zhi choosing Room 404, Xiang Min’s old dorm room, to complete the final game.
Candle, mirror, stool—everything was ready, and the clock struck midnight.
Li Zhi sat in front of the mirror and lit the candle. The dirty mirror reflected her figure, illuminated by the flickering flame.
The others stood behind her, holding a comb, and began to brush her hair.
One stroke, two strokes, three strokes…
Between the bones, a black worm fell out. It was about the size of a thumb, squirming as it tried to crawl towards the shadows. But wherever it crawled, the sunlight followed, and its pace grew slower and slower until it finally froze. The sunlight burned a hole into its body, and that hole slowly spread, eventually turning the worm into a pile of black ash.
Outside in the corridor, Tan Manyu and the others finally regained full clarity.
All those who had worms inside their bodies had collapsed, their fate uncertain.
The mirror in Li Zhi’s hand crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces.
Tan Manyu rushed in just in time to catch Li Zhi’s swaying body. The intensity of the mental struggle had been overwhelming. Her head felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. Before she lost consciousness, she managed to say to Tan Manyu, “Take me to the infirmary.”
When she woke again, it was already dark.
Li Zhi found herself lying on a bed in the infirmary, covered with a soft blanket.
Sitting beside the bed was Li Jianxi. Seeing that she had awoken, his focused expression softened, and he asked quietly, “How are you feeling?”
Li Zhi smiled. “Much better.”
Li Jianxi said, “I’ve cleaned the blood from your ears and nose. Your mental energy is damaged, so you’ll need to rest well.” He reached out his hand, revealing the sunflower pendant lying in his palm. It was even more radiant than before. “Keep this with you; it will help restore your mental strength.”
Li Zhi recalled hearing the pendant shatter during the battle against the three-corpses worm.
But now, it was restored to its original state, with no trace of any cracks.
Taking it from him, Li Zhi slowly sat up on the bed and said, “Thank you, Li Jianxi.”
He smiled.
Li Zhi rarely saw him smile. It was a genuine, pure smile that made him seem more alive than ever.
At that moment, Li Zhi realized more clearly than ever that he was different from the other NPCs in the instance.
There must be a secret behind him.
But there was no rush. She had plenty of time to slowly uncover that secret.
She had slept deeply for quite some time, and now the campus had returned to its usual peaceful state under the midnight sky. The time was approaching midnight, and once the dormitory mirror game was completed, this instance could be cleared.
Li Zhi slipped on her shoes and jumped off the bed. “I have to go.”
Li Jianxi nodded. “See you next time.”
In his voice, she could detect a faint hint of anticipation.
Li Zhi smiled, “See you next time.”
Lian Qinglin and the others were waiting outside. Despite the brutal battle earlier in the day, no one showed any signs of fatigue. The group headed toward the dormitory, and Li Zhi chose Xiang Min’s former room, 404, to perform the final game.
Candles, a mirror, a chair—everything was ready. The time had come: midnight.
Li Zhi sat in front of the mirror and lit the candle. The dirty mirror reflected her figure, illuminated by the flickering flame.
The others stood behind her, holding a comb, and began to comb her hair.
Once, twice, three times…
By the seventh stroke, the tarnished surface of the mirror suddenly rippled slightly, like the surface of water, and the view of the balcony disappeared. In its place appeared a classroom filled with laughter.
It was break time, and students dressed in blue and white uniforms were playing around in the classroom. On the platform stood a slender girl with a ponytail, wiping the blackboard. The teacher from the previous class had written too high up for her to reach, and she was stretching and jumping, trying her best to erase the words at the top.
Each jump made her ponytail bounce cheerfully.
Someone chuckled beside her, and the girl turned her head to see a tall, handsome boy standing nearby with his arms crossed. He raised his eyebrows and asked, “Need some help?”
She lowered her eyes, shyly shaking her head.
The boy snorted, took the eraser from her hand without asking, and wiped the top of the board in two or three strokes. Chalk dust floated in the air, and he waved it away with a grimace, tossing the eraser onto the desk before walking off.
The girl stared at his back for a while, then whispered softly, “Thank you.”
The boy grinned, flashing a row of white teeth, but didn’t turn around. He simply waved his hand energetically as he walked away.
Lian Qinglin exclaimed from behind, “That’s Xiang Min and Xie Cong!”
At midnight, in front of a dormitory mirror, light a candle and comb your hair seven times, and you’ll see what you most want to see.
What Li Zhi wanted to see was the story of Xiang Min at this school.
The scene in the mirror continued.
Everything she had heard from other students or read in diaries couldn’t compare to the vividness of this moment.
Xie Cong had taken the smelly trash can from her hands, grumbling all the while. Even Xiang Min didn’t realize how triumphant his smile had been as he turned to take out the trash.
She had no idea that the apple she received on Christmas had been carefully selected by him, the biggest, roundest, and reddest from a whole pile.
She washed the bright red apple carefully, took a small bite, and smiled quietly with her eyes bent.
He also didn’t know that the neatly written class notes in his desk drawer were left by her, with a heart full of cautious hope.
He had flipped through the unfamiliar notebook with his usual air of carelessness, but when he saw the familiar handwriting, his eyebrow arched. He looked up at the thin figure sitting upright in front of him. Her ponytail swayed gently at the back of her head, just like his current mood.
As the final exams approached, Xiang Min received notice to go to the principal’s office to fill out a financial aid application for the next semester.
As usual, she entered the administrative building. The door to the principal’s office was slightly ajar, and just as she was about to knock, she saw through the crack in the door that the kind and friendly principal wore a sinister smile as he placed a worm from his ruler into a student’s ear.
The student was someone she recognized—a troublemaker from the class next door.
Realizing what was happening, Xiang Min quickly covered her mouth in horror and fled.
She didn’t know that after she left, the principal had glanced contentedly at the doorway. The troublemaker left, and the principal closed the door. He then turned to the cabinet and reverently said, “Master, I have chosen a new host for you. Are you satisfied? She comes from the mountains. Even if she dies, no one will care. She is well-behaved and a good student, perfect as your new host.”
The cabinet seemed to respond, and the principal smiled. “Don’t worry, a self-conscious and weak-willed student like her won’t hold out for long. You’ll have her soon.”
From the moment he chose this impoverished girl from the mountains, he had been preparing for this day.
Xiang Min didn’t last long.
She hurriedly stopped Xie Cong and confided in him about the terrible secret. But Xie Cong only smiled and patted her ponytail. “Is that so? Then I definitely need to check it out. If the principal is performing some cult ritual, I’ll be the first to report him.”
Xie Cong went—and returned as a monster.
He wore a polite smile on his face, and whenever she called out to him, he would gently ask, “Is there something you need, Xiang Min?”
She would never see the boy with bright, lively eyes again.
Xiang Min looked at the polite, gentle boy in front of her, and tears of despair flowed down her face.
Noticing something was off, the class teacher called her into the office and gently asked what had happened. Teacher Liu was the person Xiang Min trusted and respected the most, but she was terrified. She was just a poor student from a mountain village, supported by the school’s funding. She had no power, no options, so she told the teacher everything, hoping for her help.
After listening, Teacher Liu’s face darkened, and she harshly scolded, “You’re not focusing on your studies, and now you’re making up stories like this?! The school has provided you with a good learning environment, covering your living and tuition expenses, and this is how you repay it? By slandering the principal? I don’t think you need to continue attending school!”
Xiang Min left the office, devastated.
From that day on, everything changed.
The once-kind Teacher Liu started to make things difficult for her. In class, she was frequently called on to answer questions, and if she couldn’t, she was mocked and ridiculed. The teacher even resorted to verbal and physical punishment, further crushing what little confidence she had left.
It became a campaign of bullying and isolation led by the teacher. Her classmates, encouraged by the teacher, became even crueler, including the boy who had once helped her.
It’s all too easy to push a student with no way out to the brink of collapse.
On that bright, sunny afternoon, after enduring yet another round of bullying, Xiang Min glanced in the direction of Xie Cong’s seat, then turned and climbed onto the windowsill in utter despair.
Amidst the mocking laughter, Xie Cong turned his head toward the frail figure swaying on the windowsill. Pain and conflict flashed in his eyes as he abruptly stood up and took two steps toward the window. But soon, his eyes darted around quickly, and he sat back down, dazed.
The next moment, the girl smiled and leapt from the school building. The San Shi Worm finally acquired a clean and fresh host.
The candle in front of the mirror suddenly went out.
The seven people on the balcony heard the mechanical voice of the system:
— “Congratulations, players, you’ve earned sixty points. You’ve passed the ‘Yucai High School’ scenario and will now enter the popularity scoring phase. Thank you for watching, and please look forward to the next episode. Goodbye.”