Translator: CinderTL
The interior wasn't the complete darkness they had expected. Instead, it was shrouded in a gray mist, reminiscent of the atmosphere inside a bus.
Visibility was poor, only extending about three to four meters. Beyond that, shapes blurred into indistinct outlines.
More importantly, the moment they crossed the threshold, a bone-chilling aura enveloped them. This place was undeniably different from the outside world—stepping through that gate felt like entering another realm entirely.
Once inside, everyone instinctively turned to Jiang Cheng, who had obtained this information from Yuan Xiaoyi. Recalling her words, Jiang Cheng scanned their surroundings. There should be a guardhouse nearby, containing a visitor's log where they needed to register.
Using his phone's flashlight, Jiang Cheng spotted a long, narrow glass window about ten meters to his right, resembling his mental image of a guardhouse.
The group cautiously approached and halted before a weathered wooden door. The doorknob was worn smooth, the paint long gone.
A Lifeline Note was taped to the door, its crooked characters spelling "Guardhouse." Fatty Huai Yi felt a strange unease, as if the writer's hand had been unsteady, or perhaps they were a novice still learning to write.
Jiang Cheng reached out and slowly pressed down on the doorknob.
Click.
With a crisp sound, Jiang Cheng gently pushed open the guardhouse door.
Using the light from their phones, they observed the spartan interior: a single bed against the wall, a yellow desk facing the observation window, and behind it, a rocking chair with armrests polished smooth from wear.
The desk was cluttered with newspapers, teacups, and other miscellaneous items. The only semblance of entertainment was an old-fashioned radio with a red plastic casing.
After a quick search, they found the Visitor's Log hanging by a rope behind the door, a ballpoint pen clipped to its cover.
Time was pressing, so they didn't linger. One by one, they signed their names in the log before leaving the guardhouse and heading toward the stairs.
But just as they closed the guardhouse door, rounded the corner, and vanished down the corridor, a sudden click echoed in the now-empty room, as if a switch had been flipped.
Instantly, the red light on the radio flickered to life. Moments later, a wavering, old-fashioned melody began to drift from its speaker.
The empty rocking chair began to sway back and forth on its own, creaking as if someone were sitting in it.
Jiang Cheng and the others had already reached the second floor of the building. Corridors stretched out on either side. According to Yuan Xiaoyi's instructions, they needed to find a Visitor's Log on each floor, sign their names, and leave before 12:44 AM to successfully complete the Urban Legend challenge.
But the School of Medicine building had five floors. Searching room by room would take far too long.
As they hesitated, Wang Qi narrowed his eyes, staring down the corridor. "If we don't have enough time, we'll have to split up."
They all knew the dangers of splitting up. Years of watching horror movies had taught them that over half the characters who separated from the group ended up getting picked off by ghosts.
But they had no better option. One death was preferable to everyone dying, especially since they had all already signed the Visitor's Log.
Jiang Cheng suspected that if they failed to complete the task within the time limit, the log would likely become their Book of the Dead.
Besides, everyone clung to the hope that with so many people present, they wouldn't be the one to die.
Naturally, those who had been together were reluctant to split up. Jiang Cheng glanced at Wen Liangshan and whispered, "Be careful out there."
Wen Liangshan's legs began to tremble, his eyes wide with terror as he stared at Jiang Cheng. "W-what do you mean? Have you discovered something?"
"My friend here is an expert in the I Ching," Jiang Cheng said, gesturing to Fatty. "He cast a divination for you before we left tonight."
Hearing this, Fatty immediately narrowed his eyes in feigned concentration, twisting his fingers with his left hand to strike a sage-like pose. His thumb brushed against the tips of his other fingers for a few seconds before he suddenly glared at Wen Liangshan with a "you're doomed, just wait and see" look. "Your yintang is darkened, and there's a major omen of misfortune on your face."
"Don't scare me like that," Wen Liangshan protested, wavering between disbelief and unease.
"Believe it or not, it's up to you," Huai Yi chimed in nonchalantly. "You'll find out soon enough."
With this clumsy charade, they successfully recruited Wen Liangshan into their group.
Just looking at the young man, Fatty Huai Yi felt a surge of security, as if he had just purchased an insurance policy.
Jiang Cheng's quartet took the right side, while the others went left. They began searching the building floor by floor, following this division.
Once they found a visitor's log, they only needed one person to sign it. This was another of Yuan Xiaoyi's tips: apart from the security booth at the entrance, where everyone had to sign in, any other logs only required one signature to prove someone had been there.
The corridor was pitch black and utterly silent. Unconsciously, the group softened their footsteps, as if afraid of disturbing something slumbering within these walls.
Classrooms lined both sides of the hallway, their doors shut tight. They decided against checking each room individually; that would be too inefficient. According to Yuan Xiaoyi, the room containing the visitor's log would likely be distinctive.
Jiang Cheng suddenly stopped. He noticed a yellow-brown seal affixed to the nearest door. Shining his flashlight ahead, he confirmed that this was the only sealed room in the corridor.
Wen Liangshan stared at the seal, swallowing hard. "A seal... Why would this room be sealed? Who put it there? Could it be the police?"
"Could there have been a murder in here?"
Ignoring him, Jiang Cheng stepped forward and gently pushed the door open. It swung inward easily.
The seal on the door looked like it had been there for a long time, its adhesive dried and brittle. It fluttered to the floor at the slightest touch.
Wen Liangshan peered inside curiously. It wasn't a classroom, but an office with several desks and a water cooler in the corner.
"Go in," Jiang Cheng said to Wen Liangshan.
"Me?" Wen Liangshan's face clearly showed his reluctance.
Huai Yi sneered, his fist clenching so tightly that his knuckles cracked. "Trying to get a free ride? Want to reap the rewards without paying the price?"
Finally, Wen Liangshan steeled his resolve and stepped inside.
Once inside, they found the room was small but undeniably a teacher's office.
A photograph of a middle-aged man hung on the wall, accompanied by a brief biography. The name was blurred, but the title "Professor" was clearly visible.
Fatty, examining another desk, found a similar biography for a second professor. The layout suggested it was a shared office for two, belonging to these two professors.
Yet the broken seal on the door clearly indicated that something terrible had happened here.
(End of the Chapter)
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