Chapter 112: The Unbreakable Trio, Part 5

These students were all graduates of Yaoming Middle School; some were currently in university, while others had already entered the workforce.

The girl surrounded by the crowd like a star was Bai Yuxi, the daughter of the wealthiest family in Hai City. The Bai family’s business empire was vast, spanning numerous industries, which led everyone to curry favor with her. Even those who were high-minded and unwilling to flatter her dared not offend her.

One day, on a whim, Bai Yuxi decided to host a class reunion. With her social standing, she naturally commanded a following, and almost everyone still in Hai City showed up. However, no one expected that as midnight approached, the drunken group would suddenly discover that the luxurious banquet hall had transformed into a grim, ghostly school. Their intoxication vanished, replaced by terror, and they realized they could not go back.

Shi Xianyu had a rough understanding of the situation, but she still had many questions. "Since everyone arrived here without knowing why, how do you know that finding the killer is the only way out?"

When she asked this, the expressions of the group shifted significantly. Bai Yuxi’s face, in particular, turned ghastly pale, and she looked as if she might burst into tears at any second. The man beside her embraced her, whispering gentle reassurances; they were clearly a couple.

"Let me explain," said a girl wearing a dark green cheongsam, her voice clear and steady. "Because Du Xiaoling was murdered here, we suspect our imprisonment is linked to her death."

Shi Xianyu asked, "Who is Du Xiaoling? Was she your classmate?"

The girl nodded and explained, "Yes. Bai Yuxi, Du Xiaoling, Wan Qianqian, and I were the closest four in school. Six months ago, on the school anniversary, we gathered in the auditorium to celebrate. Du Xiaoling was later found dead in the cafeteria, and the killer has never been found."

Shi Xianyu asked, "How did she die?"

Young Master Wang, standing nearby, grew impatient at the detail of her questioning. "Aren't you a Taoist priest? Find a way to get us out of here! Why are you investigating a case at a time like this?"

Before Shi Xianyu could respond, Zhou Bushan spoke up, "Young Master Wang, please be patient. The reason we are trapped is undoubtedly tied to the malevolent spirit suppressing this place. To break through this suppression, we must either destroy the spirit or resolve its lingering resentment so it releases us. Investigating the case is a viable method."

Wang Aiguo retorted anxiously, "That case was half a year ago, and even the police ruled it an accident! How could we possibly figure it out now?"

Shi Xianyu said, "If we don't uncover the truth, the only other option is to destroy the spirit suppressing us. But... according to your account, that spirit was your former classmate, and she likely suffered a great injustice. Are you certain you want to annihilate her?"

Wang Aiguo fell silent. The others looked conflicted as well. Everyone wanted to leave, but no one wanted to be seen as someone willing to harm their former classmate.

Wang Aiguo muttered, "I know Du Xiaoling died unjustly, but I’m innocent too... What if I die here if we don't get out? I’m my father’s only heir..."

Once he started, others chimed in:

"Exactly! Aren't we innocent, too? We were dragged into this hellhole for no reason."

"There are over a dozen of us here. Are we all supposed to be buried with Du Xiaoling?"

"Her death has nothing to do with me! I didn't speak more than ten words to her throughout all of high school! Why should I be held responsible for her death?!"

"Didn't she accidentally fall from the roof? How did that involve us?"

The voices grew louder, shifting from fearful silence to a cacophony of finger-pointing and blame-shifting. Shi Xianyu felt a headache coming on. Just as she was about to call for calm, the girl in the dark green cheongsam spoke up, "There is no need for this. When we were in school, Xiaoling helped us a lot. Since she needs our help now, it is only human nature that we do our part."

A girl in the crowd grumbled, "Stop acting so righteous. If we’re talking about suspects, you’re the most suspicious one, aren't you? What does any of this have to do with us?"

Wang Aiguo immediately added, "That's right! And what about that—that Spirit Board! The last word it gave was 'green tea.' Doesn't 'green tea' refer to you? Xia Yu?!"

The girl in the dark green cheongsam turned pale, bit her lip, and fell silent. Even though she tried to keep the peace, the others continued to accuse her:

"If there’s anyone in our school who's a 'green tea bitch,' it’s definitely Xia Yu!"

"...I remember it was Xia Yu who first called Du Xiaoling a green tea, saying she acted mature and sensible in front of people but was a scheming, despicable person behind their backs. Their relationship was terrible during that time!"

"Why would Du Xiaoling run up to the roof for no reason? Even if it were suicide, it's too sudden. Maybe Xia Yu did something to her."

With so many people talking at once, Shi Xianyu felt dizzy. Zhou Bushan was equally confused; having spent his life practicing in the mountains, he was unfamiliar with modern slang. He asked them, "What does 'green tea' mean?"

"It means a 'green tea bitch'—someone who acts one way to your face and another behind your back, hypocritical," Wang Aiguo explained. "On the first day we arrived, we played the Spirit Board game, and the clue it gave us was 'green tea'."

Zhou Bushan was stunned. "Why would you play a Spirit Board game here?"

The man beside Bai Yuxi said, "It was my suggestion." He stepped forward, pointed to the round table in the center of the cafeteria, and explained, "On our first day, we found this table in the cafeteria. It was clearly a tool for the Spirit Board game. Since we couldn't find a way out, we guessed that playing might provide a clue."

Zhou Bushan immediately walked over to examine the table. Shi Xianyu followed, looking on with curiosity.

The table looked similar to what she had seen in her prayers—covered in deep carvings and writing, all words like "green tea," "white lotus," "scumbag," and "slut." The words overlapped and intertwined in a dense, chaotic mess that made one feel deeply uncomfortable after looking at it for too long.

As she watched, she couldn't help but feel puzzled. Why had she initially mistaken these people for students? It seemed that when she was viewing the prayers in the Immortal Palace, she had seen someone wearing a middle school uniform among the players, so she had subconsciously categorized them all as students.

But looking at them now...

Shi Xianyu looked around. Because they were attending a reunion hosted by the Bai family heiress, everyone was dressed in glamorous, expensive clothing. No one was wearing a uniform. So what had she seen?

"This table is shrouded in immense resentment. Using it for occult rituals is a terrible idea..." Zhou Bushan ran his hand over the surface, looking at the group with deep concern. "Did anything happen after you played the game?"

The group turned pale with terror.

"Out... outside... there was knocking on the door, and the sound of a girl screaming... outside the window, on the roof, it was everywhere... that sound..."

*Tap... tap...*

Whether it was an illusion or not, Shi Xianyu heard the faint, rhythmic sound of footsteps echoing from the stairs outside the cafeteria door.