"I saw him come back, so I went back to sleep. Why did he die? Did he die... right next to me?"
The more Liu Kai thought about it, the more terrified he became. Had he really slept next to a corpse all night?
Or... was the thing that killed Jiang Mu actually in their dormitory yesterday?
While he was sleeping, was that thing perched right by his pillow, watching him...
Liu Kai broke into a cold sweat just from his own imagination.
Nan Yue felt somewhat helpless. "His place of death should be here."
She pointed to the floor. "There is standing water here. Jiang Mu is wet because he was soaked in the shallow water of the washbasin counter."
"But the soles of his shoes are completely soaked; he must have stayed here for a long time."
Furthermore, there was no point in killing someone in the dormitory only to transport the body here.
Liu Kai breathed a sigh of relief. "But... but why did he come back?"
Nan Yue wasn't sure either, but she was certain that something must have happened during the time Jiang Mu went out and returned.
And she was almost positive that Jiang Mu hadn't gone out just to use the restroom.
Like Liu Kai, Jiang Mu was a newcomer. It was impossible for him to have the courage to explore the school alone late at night, nor would he want to go to the restroom without calling a companion.
He clearly had a purpose for doing something.
However, it seemed things hadn't gone as Jiang Mu expected, which was why he had been so irritable upon his return.
But as a newcomer, what could have possibly driven him to go out in the middle of the night?
Nan Yue had a bad premonition. She felt... there might be a mole among them.
It wasn't necessarily a scavenger, but at least someone among the living had a problem, and it was very likely this person who had led Jiang Mu to his death.
Jiang Xi Cheng had clearly thought of this as well, but he said nothing.
By now, the children had been taken to the other side to wash up. Teacher Gao and several life teachers were maintaining order, ensuring the children didn't see this scene.
"You mentioned that the teachers are replaced frequently. Do you think they didn't just leave... but died?"
Nan Yue nodded. "It's a possibility."
She didn't continue the topic, instead asking, "How is your body feeling?"
Zhu Xi Ning laughed lightheartedly. "I'm fine now. It's just that what I saw this time wasn't accurate—thankfully! I was worried all night."
Zhu Xi Ning had been staying in a room alone with Zhou Zhou, fearing that what she had seen would come true. She hadn't rested well last night.
Nan Yue, however, didn't think what Zhu Xi Ning had seen was wrong. "There's still a long way to go. Be careful."
Who knew who would run into trouble during a Dormitory Inspection.
Zhu Xi Ning nodded in agreement.
The first class in the morning was dance class. After everyone ate, Zhu Xi Ning went to class.
Gu Xiang Kai came to find Nan Yue after finishing his business in the kitchen. The place he was assigned wasn't great; the kitchen was busy at all times, and break times were very short.
Now that he finally caught a chance to rest, he came to find Nan Yue.
"I suspect Jiang Mu was set up by Engineer Yang."
Gu Xiang Kai wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We only had contact with Engineer Yang yesterday. During the break, Jiang Mu and the others stayed with the main group, but we were separated while doing chores."
"And did you notice the expressions on those three today?"
Gu Xiang Kai frowned. "I keep getting the feeling they were happy to see Jiang Mu dead."
Nan Yue had seen it too. "But they were also very afraid."
Gu Xiang Kai bit on a toothpick, looking nonchalant. "Who knows what they're actually trying to do."
"The thing that killed him wasn't them. Although they're glad to see the new teachers die, they still fear ghosts and monsters."
Nan Yue looked at Gu Xiang Kai. "Don't you find their contradictory behavior familiar?"
Gu Xiang Kai sneered. "It's another damn sacrifice."
This eerie and contradictory mood was very similar to the people in Multi-fortune Town. Although they feared the child ghosts, they would be happy to see outsiders dying one by one.
"Could it be another case of killing children to gain power through sacrifice?"
Nan Yue wasn't sure yet. "But Director Wu and the others definitely know something. So many teachers have been replaced, yet the three of them have always stayed alive. That's no accident."
"Do you think the object of their sacrifice... could be that person in charge?"
Gu Xiang Kai looked a bit frustrated. "If that's the case, getting him to sign for us will be even harder."
Nan Yue was more optimistic. "This mission is like a puzzle; the main thing is to find out who the person in charge is. I think as long as we identify them and find our files, he'll have to sign if we make him."
In the mission world, rules were paramount, and even ghosts and monsters were no exception.
"How is Chi He?"
Gu Xiang Kai curled his lip. "That guy is a total drama king. He's obsessed with acting. Whenever he's in the dorm, he's just teasing Xu Yuan."
Nan Yue was still a bit uneasy. "Even though he might not personally kill anyone, if he finds the clues first..."
Gu Xiang Kai clenched his fist. "Then I'll beat the crap out of him."
Nan Yue: ...Young man, please calm down.
"One more thing. The way Jiang Mu died is far too similar to the sketches the students made yesterday. Could that be a hint?"
Nan Yue was very gratified; Gu Xiang Kai was using his brain more and more!
"Don't be careless. My textbook is also very strange."
Gu Xiang Kai thought about that bizarre textbook, and a chill rose in his heart.
"Brother Gu, we want to go take a shower... do you want to come along?"
While the two were chatting in the hall, Liu Kai and Gu Yun approached together, their eyes filled with a bit of entreaty.
It wasn't that they were being difficult, but the kitchen fumes were too much. They had to wear aprons, and after a whole day, they were covered in sweat and grease, which felt incredibly uncomfortable.
Gu Xiang Kai also felt uncomfortable. He feared nothing and didn't think there was anything wrong with taking a shower during a mission. Besides, for a man, a shower was just a quick rinse that took a few minutes.
"Sure, let's go."
The shower room wasn't located with the restroom. Instead, it was through a small door next to the hall. Normally, showers were organized once every two days, with different times for boys and girls.
But since classes were in session now, as teachers, they only needed one person to stay behind and keep watch to prevent anyone from entering.
"Then... I'll keep watch first."
Liu Kai said softly. He didn't dare be the first to go in. It was better to wait and have Gu Xiang Kai accompany him later.
Gu Xiang Kai didn't care much about these small schemes. He gave a brief response and went inside. The shower room was large, able to accommodate over ten people at once. Each compartment had a curtain hanging, but the curtains weren't high, only covering the torso while the head and feet remained visible.
Toiletries were provided inside. Gu Xiang Kai turned on the water to wash his hair and applied body wash. He looked nonchalant while showering, but in reality, every nerve was taut.
Beside him, Gu Yun didn't have such strong mental fortitude. Although he wasn't a newcomer anymore, this was his first time showering during a mission.
Especially since one of their companions had just died a few hours ago.
He could only rinse hurriedly. He wanted to use the body wash but was worried about the time, calling out to Gu Xiang Kai every now and then to make sure everything was fine while washing himself in a flustered mess.
Rate on N.U.
