In a flash, a beam of yellow light erupted. The shadow biting into my shoulder shrieked and let go, while the ghosts around us recoiled, scattering in fear.
Clutching my burning left shoulder, I turned and saw Hugh Thompson gripping a cement trowel. It looked familiar—Mason Yu had stolen it from the museum last time.
Some of the ghosts, spooked, melted back into the darkness.
"Qingyuan, are you okay? You're bleeding everywhere!" Mandy Lou shouted, panic in her voice.
My shoulder throbbed, burning with pain. Hot blood streamed down—I'm bleeding badly.
"This is too despicable. What, afraid to face us head-on?"
"Despicable? Ha! I'm a ghost—what do I care about honor? Ever heard 'River water doesn't meddle with well water'? Guess you don't get it."
I raised my head, surveying the chaos. Mandy Lou was taken hostage. Justin Huang's body was ravaged—chunks of flesh bitten away. Yet somehow, he was still alive. It was unreal.
But Justin Huang was barely hanging on, his wounds grave. We couldn't afford to wait any longer.
"Is there any way to get that ghost out of Mandy Lou?"
"No chance," Hugh Thompson said, voice cold and decisive.
The yellow glow from Hugh Thompson's trowel faded. The ghosts that had withdrawn started closing in again.
"Qingyuan, forget me! Grab Mandy Lou and run. The ghost inside her isn't fully awake yet. There are two water ghosts, not just one. Remember that, Qingyuan!" Justin Huang cried.
As soon as Justin Huang finished, Hugh Thompson charged forward, brandishing the trowel at the ghosts. With one arm, he scooped up Mandy Lou and dashed toward me.
Suddenly, my mind flashed back—the ghost that attacked me that night was different. Its skin was ghostly white, its hand strangling my neck pale as paper. The one that spat water at me had a bluish face.
"Got her! Go, Qingyuan!"
Hugh Thompson roared, and I lunged forward, murderous energy surging out of me in waves.
"If you don't want to die, get moving!" My fury erupted, pouring out like a waterfall, transforming into stabbing spikes that tore into the ghost horde.
Any ghost struck by the spikes instantly turned to ash, scattering in the air.
"Pathetic. Looks like I have to handle this myself," the ghost sneered.
Just as I was about to reach Justin Huang, the ground erupted with bubbling water. I rolled to the left—just in time. With a splash, a jet of water shot past where I'd been.
The water splattered across the floor, sending up clouds of steam and an overpowering stench of rot.
A water ghost appeared before me, its swollen body glowing faint blue-green, skin slick and bloated.
"Attack!" I roared. Justin Huang sprang up behind the water ghost, swinging his massive fist straight for its head.
With a loud smack, water sprayed everywhere—the ghost vanished.
"Heh, punk, I knew you still had some fight left. Nearly got the best of you."
Justin Huang’s body was covered in bite marks, some so deep the bone showed through. But hearing his voice, I knew he still had fight left—his shout sounded just like always.
I glanced at Justin Huang’s left arm—the worst wound exposed three inches of bone, yet he looked unfazed.
"You alright?"
"Just a scratch, Qingyuan. Once, a ghost ate my entire thigh—didn’t even slow me down."
I swallowed, staring at Justin Huang’s thigh, oozing black blood.
I was about to speak when Justin Huang’s massive hand clamped down on my head, forcing me flat to the ground.
Hugh Thompson had already taken Mandy Lou outside. I could only hope the sunlight would slow the water ghost inside her. It was past six o’clock now.
Confused, I wondered what had just happened. Then I saw Justin Huang’s eyes—glowing white, as if he could see in this pitch-black space.
"Still can't find the ghost’s real body. Be careful, Qingyuan. That thing just now was compressed water—if it cut you, your hand would be gone."
I gasped.
"Qingyuan, get on my shoulders."
Without warning, Justin Huang hoisted me onto his shoulders like a child.
With a thunderous leap, Justin Huang sprang seven or eight meters high. My head spun with vertigo.
There was a loud crack below. My cheek burned—a fresh stream of blood. Something hard must've sliced me.
As soon as Justin Huang landed, he crouched low and sprang left with all his strength. I felt dizzy, like I was on a runaway train—Justin shot forward like an arrow.
"Hold on, Qingyuan—I'm jumping!"
Justin Huang leapt high again, soaring through the air.
In the darkness, the sound of rushing water echoed—like high-pressure hoses slamming into the ground. Justin Huang twisted and dodged, head darting side to side, scanning for danger.
"Let’s see how much fight you’ve got left!" the ghost laughed. The water hammered all around us. Justin Huang looked exhausted, his glowing eyes flickering, the skin beneath twitching uncontrollably.
I kept gathering my deathbane aura.
"Qingyuan, channel your deathbane aura into me—hurry!" Justin Huang shouted as he landed.
I cried out. Justin Huang suddenly dove to the ground, and my forehead slammed into a rock. My head spun, vision swimming.
"You still don’t know how, do you? No choice—brace yourself." Justin Huang sprang up and leapt aside with me in tow. My head buzzed, like I was trapped in a car spinning, flying, and crashing nonstop.
My stomach churned—I was close to throwing up.
"Die!" the ghost shrieked, voice full of malice.
"Qingyuan, now! Our front left!"
Justin Huang vaulted into the air. I didn’t hesitate—I plunged my deathbane sword into the front left.
A scream tore through the gloom, blue light flared—the water ghost. My sword pierced its chest, black smoke billowed. It gripped my sword, and as I prepared to strike again, a cold voice spoke behind me.
"You’d better not move."
It was Mandy Lou’s voice. I instantly dispersed my aura. With a splash, the water ghost dissolved and vanished. Justin Huang and I crashed to the ground.
A surge of water flooded around us. After I climbed off Justin Huang, it was waist-deep. Water roared from every direction—the level was rising fast.
Hugh Thompson was gone. Mandy Lou stared at us, cold and expressionless.
"Mandy, snap out of it! It’s me, Justin Huang! Don’t let that ghost win—wake up!"
"It’s no use, Justin. Think—how can we get the ghost out? If the water keeps rising, we’ll be helpless."
But Justin Huang kept calling out to Mandy Lou, his voice desperate.
A sudden change flickered across Mandy Lou’s blank face—surprise. She stood dazed in the water, then suddenly clutched her head in agony. Justin Huang kept shouting her name.
"That woman’s finished. Come out—help me deal with these two."
With a splash, Mandy Lou collapsed into the water. Justin Huang rushed toward her, frantic.
"Don’t be reckless!" I yelled. The light was dim, but I glimpsed Hugh Thompson’s silhouette not far away, illuminated by the faint blue glow of the water ghost that had just left Mandy Lou’s body.
"Both of you, shut your mouths—don’t open them, no matter what. They want to possess you."
Justin Huang froze, silent. The water rose over my head, up to Justin’s neck. He looked like he’d swallowed water. I flailed my arms, swimming toward him.
"Think you can possess me? Not so easy. If you try, you’ll never get out."
Justin Huang snapped, and with a scream, the ghost inside him wailed in pain.
"You don’t know, do you? Back when I was experimented on by the Immortality Society, I learned how to keep ghosts out. Try to possess me—you’re signing your own death warrant."
With a splash, the water ghost erupted from Justin Huang’s body, blue smoke billowing. Its limbs were gone, drifting on the water’s surface. Justin Huang kicked out hard—another splash, and the ghost split in two, its form fading away.
Something was stirring beneath the water—I could feel it. There was a hiss, and Justin Huang cried out in pain, his face twisted in agony.
Suddenly, an idea struck me. I opened my mouth wide and gulped down water. My head buzzed—I went limp, floating on the surface.
The water gradually receded. When it was gone, Hugh Thompson shone his flashlight, carrying Mandy Lou toward me. I stood motionless; Justin Huang knelt, one foot pierced clean through, black blood pouring from the wound.
"There’s a third ghost, isn’t there? What do you three want?" Hugh Thompson glared at me, voice cold.
Sure enough, I’d been possessed by the strongest water ghost.
"How did you figure it out?" I asked, fighting for control.
"An old friend just told me—Frank Niu, come out."
A flash of light—Frank Niu limped in from the exit.
"Instructor Hu, I told you—I’ve got urgent business. You all can handle this yourselves. I need to find my friend."
"Frank Niu, you little punk! Using Zhang Qingyuan and Justin Huang—got some nerve!"
Frank Niu walked over, smiling.
"Sorry, sorry, I really am—my apologies, brothers..." Frank Niu’s face darkened as he spoke.
"It took a lot of work, but I finally lured out the third ghost."