Translator: CinderTL
Without a doubt, the invisible "person" who had terrified the man to death was the true killer of Meng Yumian.
Unfortunately, with the man's death, the entire case would likely be buried.
"Meng Yumian was a beautiful girl who loved to dance," Yuan Xiaoyi recalled. "She was incredibly talented and had stunning eyes that sparkled like stars. She wandered the abandoned sports field late at night, searching for her missing eyes."
Jiang Cheng frowned. "Her eyes were gouged out, and one was never found?"
"No," Yuan Xiaoyi said softly, tucking her hands into her sleeves. "The police only found one of her eyes at the scene, clutched tightly in her hand. It looked like it had been taken from her and then wrestled back. But the other eye was never recovered."
Yuan Xiaoyi glanced up at Jiang Cheng, her lips twitching as if she wanted to say something. Finally, she stopped herself. Jiang Cheng nodded, understanding what she meant.
With the man's death, all leads had gone cold.
But hearing this, Jiang Cheng had a different thought. What if the "person" who had dragged the man away had initially wanted Meng Yumian's eyes?
"So, to find Xiaolin, we need to avoid Meng Yumian. If we encounter her, something terrible will happen," Jiang Cheng said, guiding Yuan Xiaoyi to reveal more details about the urban legend of the abandoned sports field.
"You're right, Senior. The urban legend of the abandoned sports field revolves around Meng Yumian, the Red-Clad Woman, and her missing eyes," Yuan Xiaoyi said earnestly, looking intently at Jiang Cheng. "The rumor is that she plays a rock-paper-scissors game with everyone she finds."
"She holds out both her clenched fists and asks people to guess which hand holds her eye."
"If they guess correctly, she lets them go and seeks her next victim. But if they guess wrong..." Yuan Xiaoyi's voice began to tremble. "...she gouges out their eyes."
"Xiaolin told me last night that to enter the abandoned sports field, we must follow her instructions exactly, without making a single mistake. Otherwise, we'll end up trapped here forever, just like her."
Jiang Cheng's focus sharpened. He knew that what Yuan Xiaoyi was about to say would likely reveal the rules.
Yuan Xiaoyi's eyes glazed over, as if lost in a distant memory. "First, there's the method for entering the abandoned sports field. Because of what happened there, the school has security guards patrolling the area. They don't come often, but encountering them would disrupt our plans. We must avoid them at all costs."
"Starting at midnight, the abandoned sports field transforms into another realm, like stepping into a different world."
"To enter this world, you must stand with your back to the northwest corner entrance of the abandoned sports field at exactly midnight, close your eyes, and walk backward through the gate."
"You'll know you've succeeded when you feel raindrops on your skin and hear the sound of rain."
Yuan Xiaoyi paused, then explained, "Because it's always raining on the sports field in that world."
Jiang Cheng fell into thoughtful silence. Meng Yumian, who had transformed into the Red-Clad Woman ghost, had died on a rainy night. This place seemed similar to the scene they had encountered in the Anatomy Room of the Medical Building, where time appeared frozen on that fateful day.
"Once we're inside, what do we need to do?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"You must first go to the equipment shed. I heard there's something there you'll need," Yuan Xiaoyi said quickly. "It's a wooden box, near the window, containing several eyes."
Jiang Cheng's expression darkened at the mention of "eyes." "Eyes?"
"No, Senior, don't misunderstand. They're not real eyes. I don't fully understand it myself, but Xiaolin said they're props needed for a game."
"Right, you must be careful. Once you get the eyes, leave the equipment room immediately, because Meng Yumian will appear soon after."
"You need to split up and hide. If she doesn't find you within the time limit, that's ideal. But if she does, you'll have to play that rock-paper-scissors game I mentioned."
Jiang Cheng vividly remembered the penalty for losing: having his eyes gouged out. "How long do we have?"
"One hour and thirteen minutes," Yuan Xiaoyi said firmly. "You must leave the abandoned sports field through the northwest gate before 1:13 AM."
"However, that's just to escape unscathed. To truly end this Urban Legend, you'd need to find Meng Yumian's actual lost eye during that time and fulfill her wish."
Jiang Cheng wasn't particularly interested in ending the Urban Legend. His priority was finding Xiaolin within the limited time and getting her out alive.
If they could resolve the Urban Legend along the way, all the better. But if the opportunity didn't arise, Jiang Cheng wouldn't force it, nor would he take unnecessary risks.
"Oh, and when you're hiding from Meng Yumian, there's something crucial you need to remember," Yuan Xiaoyi said, her expression and tone deadly serious, as if this warning outweighed everything else she'd told them. "If she spots you, never look directly at her face. Terrible things will happen."
"Understood," Jiang Cheng replied, reaching out to pat Yuan Xiaoyi's head gently. "Thank you, Xiaoyi."
"Senior, you must be extra careful," Yuan Xiaoyi whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I can feel Xiaolin's despair... that place must be truly terrifying."
"Don't worry," Jiang Cheng reassured her.
Having asked all his questions, Jiang Cheng slowly stood up. From his vantage point, he could still see Gao Yan's face twisted with worry, clearly desperate to learn what Jiang Cheng had uncovered.
"Xiaoyi, it's getting late. I need to prepare a few things. You stay safe too during this time."
After bidding Yuan Xiaoyi farewell, Jiang Cheng emerged from the grove. The others immediately gathered around him, treating him as their primary source of information.
Not finding him there, the group moved to a quiet spot to gather.
Jiang Cheng recounted the clues he had gathered. When they heard that the penalty for losing the game was having an eye gouged out, Liang Shan's face paled. He frantically reached for his right eye, as if confirming it was still there.
Fatty, noticing his distress, leaned in and whispered reassuringly, "Brother Wen, don't worry. Maybe the ghost needs the left eye. What do you think?"
Liang Shan's eyes immediately reddened.
After a moment of thought, Shen Mengyun spoke up. "If I understand correctly, if we hide well enough, Meng Yumian won't be able to find us."
Everyone understood her unspoken implication: if she couldn't find them, they wouldn't be forced to participate in that bizarre rock-paper-scissors game, and therefore wouldn't die.
"Easier said than done," Gao Yan muttered, glancing at her with a gloomy voice. "I surveyed the abandoned sports field on the way here. It's not particularly large, and there aren't many good hiding spots. Relying solely on evasion to escape the game seems unrealistic."
(End of the Chapter)
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