Gottes Code

Kapitel 6

They tried to find Hu Chengtian again, but there was still no news.

Looking at Phoenix with a surprised expression, he said, "I'm afraid things are not good! Liu Hong and Hu Chengtian are probably in grave danger!"

After returning from Bai Fang's dormitory, Liu Hong went to Baima Temple but didn't see Hu Chengtian or his group of brothers. The trees on campus were still lush and green, but Liu Hong felt only a sense of unease. She hid among the trees and drifted off into a daze. Born in Baima Temple, she had always found it eerie and frightening as a child. And her second uncle, whom she rarely saw during the day, was a source of great unease. Knowing his identity was one thing, but once she found out, she was terrified. From a young age, Baima Temple had taught her how to cause harm and commit evil. She had come to believe that seeing others suffer brought her joy, and that destruction was the only thing worthwhile. Having received such education since childhood, this sudden and strange event, forcing her to turn against the evil she had become accustomed to and even loved, was something she couldn't accept. However, she had often felt a vague sense of guilt at night after committing evil deeds—was this a sign that her conscience still remained? Lost in these conflicting thoughts, Liu Hong drifted off to sleep.

After taking the Five Elements Formation Diagram, Hu Chengtian didn't dare return to the White Horse Temple immediately. He first made a copy, deliberately making a few mistakes in the drawing, and then, under cover of darkness, returned the original diagram to Bai Fang. After leaving Bai Fang, he returned to the White Horse Temple.

The white horse was imprisoned under the temple. Although it could not come out to do evil, it could only come out for one hour each day, the hour before sunrise, when its yin power was at its peak. At other times, it would control Liu Hong and Hu Chengtian's gang to realize its ambitions.

Before we knew it, the darkest hour of the day had arrived.

Still dazed, Liu Hong felt a gust of wind rise, and she found herself inside the White Horse Temple. A whirlwind suddenly swept through the temple, making it seem as if the entire structure was about to be lifted from the ground. Liu Hong swayed precariously in the eye of the storm, like a fallen leaf. Finally, the wind subsided a bit, and Liu Hong didn't even need to open her eyes to know that although the room appeared empty, it was actually fraught with danger. If she wasn't careful, the White Horse might discover her weakness.

Actually, she didn't think that what Bai Fang did was right or what Bai Ma did was wrong. She just forced herself to think that way because of Hu Chengtian or Bai Fang.

Bai Ma asked her what she had been doing these past two days, and Liu Hong gave a pre-prepared story, most of which was true, except she omitted the part about being captured by Bai Fang. She thought she could get away with it, but Bai Ma gave a cold laugh and said, "Do you think I can't see through you?" His tone was sinister and terrifying. Although Liu Hong had had considerable contact with Bai Ma over the years, hearing such chilling words still sent a shiver down her spine.

Knowing she couldn't hide it any longer, Liu Hong truthfully recounted her experiences that day and expressed her doubts. Bai Ma laughed, "Very good, very good. It's good that you can express what you're thinking." Then he burst into laughter again.

These people, who consider themselves righteous, are always thinking about eliminating demons and monsters. But who are we bothering? We're just doing what we want to do! Don't they have any selfish desires? They say they're here to rid the people of evil, but they're just doing it for their own fame. They're all doing it for themselves, so why are they right and we're wrong?

And these humans, if they didn't have selfish desires and evil thoughts, how could they be controlled by me? If there is no demon in one's heart, no evil can invade; if one is full of righteousness, I cannot get close to them. Evil spirits are all self-inflicted, and one cannot blame others! The saying "suspicion breeds ghosts" is exactly this principle!

His tone shifted abruptly, becoming kind and gentle. "Child, don't be fooled by these self-important fools. When I achieve my goal, I will lead you across the world, and the feeling of enslaving all things will be beyond your wildest dreams! Go back and cultivate diligently."

In the blink of an eye, Liu Hong returned to the tree and began to meditate and cultivate.

At this moment, Hu Chengtian returned to the campus. Before he even approached the White Horse Temple, he felt a murderous aura rushing towards him. Hu Chengtian was so startled by this chilling aura that he took two steps back, inwardly realizing the danger. Although the White Horse Temple usually used this method to control them, the fierce murderous aura he felt today was unprecedented.

Hu Chengtian didn't want to go in, but where in this world could he escape to be safe? He had no choice but to grit his teeth and enter the temple.

As soon as he entered the temple, a gust of cold wind, carrying a sharp, piercing aura, swept over him. Before Hu Chengtian even had a chance to turn around, he found himself unable to move. Having spent many years in the military, braving gunfire and bullets, Hu Chengtian was not surprised. He asked, "What have I done to deserve such anger, brother?"

The white horse smiled sinisterly and said nothing. A stronger gust of wind swept towards him, and Hu Chengtian lost consciousness without even uttering a sound.

Bai Fang summoned Liu Hong and Hu Chengtian but received no response, realizing the situation was dire. She then focused intently on gathering any remaining information. Phoenix, Jin Hui, and the others, seeing Bai Fang's change in expression, were still confused. Bai Fang slowly recounted Liu Hong and Hu Chengtian's ordeal, and they all looked at each other with dismay. Phoenix said sadly, "I've lost all my power and can only protect myself. I wanted to use the Five Elements Formation to subdue it, but now this has happened! Is Heaven going to destroy me?"

Bai Fang was at a loss for what to do.

After a long pause, Atu barked a few more times, seemingly trying to attract attention, and then trotted off outside. Jin Hui hurriedly tried to call it back, but Phoenix said, "Don't stop it. It has all of Atu's magic power, but it can't speak. Maybe it has some ideas. Besides, as an animal, it might have even more sensitive senses than a human."

Having said that, he followed A-Tu first. Bai Fang followed closely behind. Jin Hui stood up and looked up at Bai Fang, just in time to see her turning back to smile at him. He thought to himself, "Could she have really discovered some secret of mine? How can a dignified man be looked down upon by a mere woman?" He tilted his head back, snorted, and followed. Jin Yan, still dazed and confused, didn't know the two were arguing. He asked Jin Hui, "What are you snorting about?" Upon hearing this, Bai Fang couldn't hold back any longer and burst into laughter. Phoenix pointed at Bai Fang's forehead and said, "You really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin! What kind of time is this to be laughing and joking?" Bai Fang stuck out her tongue and said, "Remaining calm amidst thousands of soldiers, that's the true nature of a good woman! Besides, frowning won't help. On the contrary, being relaxed allows for clever solutions." Hearing this, Phoenix also felt relieved and smiled, "Just as I thought! As long as you do your best, that's enough." Actually, it's understandable that Phoenix has been guarding this place for over two thousand years and is filled with anxiety.

As they spoke, Atu had already run to the riverbank, barking loudly at a certain spot. Bai Fang looked closely and saw it was the small earthen temple she had seen that day! Bai Fang turned to look at Phoenix. Phoenix laughed, "Now your magic power is ten times stronger than mine. Everything here should be your master."

Bai Fang suddenly lost her usual composure. She glanced at Jin Hui and saw that he was staring at her intently. Her face flushed slightly. She then looked at Jin Yan, who was focused on the small earthen temple, trying to figure out what was going on. A Tu was still barking at the small earthen temple, but his voice had become lower.

Bai Fang took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, placed her hands on her chest, and slowly regulated her breathing, soon entering a state of complete absorption. Once one with nature, it was easy to detect the fluctuations in the atmosphere. Looking back, she saw an extremely strong black mist near the White Horse Temple, and the entire White Horse Village was also shrouded in it, albeit a slightly lighter one. Within this black mist, several colorful rays of light faintly shone through. The strongest ray came from above her head, surging with power and reaching the heavens. A slightly weaker ray came from A Tu, and the weakest was from the Phoenix, its divine light dim, like a candle in the wind. Looking closer, she saw that Jin Yan's head also seemed to have light about to burst forth, but it was covered by something. Jin Hui, on the other hand, had a faint yellow light all over his body—the radiance of a healthy human. There seemed to be wisps of light on the ground as well, almost invisible unless one looked closely. Bai Fang focused her attention and followed the light, discovering that it originated from beneath the small earthen temple. As You Guang crept beneath the earthen temple, he discovered a faint light enveloping a human figure. Upon seeing the features, he was stunned – wasn't that Jiang Hong? This moment of surprise brought Bai Fang back to her senses, and she recounted what she had seen. Phoenix asked, "Did you see the arrangement around Jiang Hong?" "What arrangement?" Bai Fang countered. Phoenix smiled wryly, "It's not your fault; it's my fault for not explaining it clearly beforehand."

It turned out that after the white horse trapped Jiang Hong, it set up a protective barrier around her, firstly to control her and prevent her from escaping, and secondly to suppress the precious light emanating from her body to avoid attracting others. To prevent anyone from digging in the area, a small earthen temple was also built. The people naturally held this newly appeared temple in great awe, and had no other thoughts but to worship it. Fortunately, Atu, with its far more sensitive senses than humans, found Jiang Hong, but even with the strength of these few people, they were still unable to rescue her.

Jin Hui and Jin Yan were both eager to destroy the small earthen temple, but Phoenix shook her head to stop them. Destroying it would be pointless, and besides, keeping the temple would provide another marker when they came back to look for it. Bai Fang thought for a moment and said to Phoenix, "Let me go in and take another look."

Phoenix shook her head and said, "If you were to leave this mortal body, you could do whatever you want, but you are still in this body now. Doing so will deplete your vital energy and will not be conducive to our future plans. Let's go back for now."

Where should we go back to?

Phoenix laughed and said, "I was originally unable to leave the White Horse Temple, but now I am just a decoration to the White Horse. The White Horse is no longer afraid of me. Why don't we go to the city together? Maybe we can come up with a good solution together."

By then, cars were becoming scarce. After waiting for half a day, a car finally arrived, and the four of them got in together. Atu, meanwhile, nestled in Bai Fang's arms, seemingly asleep.

When Bai Fang stepped into the campus, most people were surprised. They had never heard of her having a twin sister before. However, since they weren't very familiar with each other, no one came up to ask. Some people stared at Jin Hui and Jin Yan with great curiosity, especially Bai Fang's former students, who whispered behind her back. Bai Fang heard them but didn't want to explain anything.

The group entered the room and sat down, momentarily at a loss for what to do. Phoenix, the most authoritative among them, was exhausted and lacked the strength to act. Jin Hui and Jin Yan remained clueless, and A Tu, unable to speak, was even more inept. Bai Fang felt dizzy and didn't know what to do. Although the outside air was still damp and sweltering, the dormitory was very cool. People said that this mobile home was also called "two-degree," meaning that in winter, the indoor temperature was two degrees lower than the outside temperature, and in summer, the indoor temperature was two degrees higher than the outside temperature. However, it seemed inaccurate now; regardless of winter or summer, it should always be two degrees lower than the outside temperature.

Bai Fang has a habit of frowning whenever she has something on her mind. When something like this happens, her eyebrows almost come together, and she sighs frequently. She doesn't really care about it herself, but her sighs make others feel uneasy.

Bai Fang stopped and flipped through the calendar. There were only three days left until the fifteenth of July. In such a short time, she had to find a way to rescue Jiang Hong and restore the magic power of these people. Liu Hong's whereabouts were still unknown. Bai Fang was at her wit's end.

Although I was annoyed, my stomach started growling uncontrollably. What could I do? People always have to eat.

The mention of food immediately energized them. Phoenix didn't need to eat, so she stayed in the dormitory to wait. The three of them went out for a hearty meal. It was still early, and cars drove by on the road, kicking up a lot of dust. Bai Fang said, "Why don't we go for a walk? I'm getting a headache thinking about this all the time." After saying that, she started walking. Jin Yan didn't want to go out, so he went back to the dormitory to keep watch. Jin Hui and A Tu followed behind Bai Fang all the way.

To the east of the school is a main road, and to the south of the road are vast fields. Because the city's development is still in its early stages, large fields can still be seen everywhere.

As they walked, Bai Fang suddenly felt utterly exhausted. She found a relatively clean spot and sat down. Jin Hui hesitated for a moment, then sat down next to her. A Tu was frolicking on the grass, and the rice paddies on either side were filled with the gentle murmur of flowing water. A light breeze blew by, not cool, but refreshingly pleasant. The clouds in the sky were white, and the sky was blue. Suddenly, Bai Fang felt her mind go completely blank, lost in thought. Seeing Bai Fang like this, Jin Hui quickly called out to her several times, but she didn't hear him. Worried, Jin Hui called again and even reached out to tug at her sleeve. Bai Fang snapped out of her reverie and looked at Jin Hui, bewildered. Jin Hui said, "I saw you were lost in thought and was afraid something might happen to you, so..." Bai Fang was deeply moved, thinking, "If only I could live such a carefree life, how wonderful that would be! Why do we have to create so much trouble?" For a moment, all thoughts of the white horse and the calamities vanished from her mind. Looking at the blue sky, Bai Fang squinted slightly and said, "Don't you think this kind of leisurely life is true happiness? Running around every day for those trivial matters, in the end, you don't even know what you've gained. It's really meaningless. People should try their best to enjoy the beauty of life itself, so they don't feel like they've wasted their lives." Jin Hui continued her train of thought, saying, "Yes, my pursuit in life is very simple: to find someone I love and live a peaceful life with them. I don't care about fame or fortune." Hearing this, Bai Fang glanced at Jin Hui with some surprise. In this world, people who don't pursue fame and fortune are extremely rare. Even if they do, they're afraid of being criticized for lacking ambition and drive.

As dusk approached, the sun set, and a rainbow appeared in the east. The mosquitoes began to multiply, becoming quite annoying. When the two got up to leave, they realized A-Tu was gone. It was so late; where could A-Tu have gone? Anxious, they searched everywhere. The southern fields were covered in lush grass; where could such a small dog possibly hide? Jin Hui looked at the sky, then at Bai Fang, and said, "Why don't we split up and search?" Bai Fang laughed, "What if we don't find A-Tu in this desolate place, and you get lost too?"

The two walked and searched for more than an hour, but still couldn't find any trace of Atu. They couldn't help but feel anxious. After walking for a while, they suddenly heard Atu's faint cry. Following the sound, they found that Atu had fallen down the slope and one of his legs was stuck in a crevice.

Although it was a crevice in the soil, it was quite narrow, and once you went in, you couldn't get out for a while.

The two men used their hands and feet to loosen a clod of soil and carry A-Tu out. Just as they were about to leave, Bai Fang caught a glimpse of light coming through a crack out of the corner of her eye. She went closer to take a look and nearly slipped and fell down the slope. Jin Hui, seeing Bai Fang's strange behavior, went over to take a look and was also shocked. It turned out that there were many white bones in the crack!

The two stepped back, exchanging bewildered glances. It was already late, so they picked up Atu and quickened their pace, heading back. Behind them, another flash of cold light appeared from the crevice, and a wisp of smoke drifted out gracefully. They were so focused on their journey that neither of them glanced back, a chill running down their spines. If they had looked back then, they could have avoided a lot of trouble later, but neither of them had thought of that at the time.

Having finally reached the dormitory, they knocked on the door. Jin Yan opened it, and a small dog darted out, barking loudly at Bai Fang—it was A Tu! The two were shocked. What was Bai Fang holding? Bai Fang's hand trembled, and the dog fell to the ground. A green light flashed in its eyes, and it vanished instantly! All three stared blankly at the spot on the floor where the dog had disappeared. Phoenix, seeing this, turned ashen-faced and said, "This demon... how did it appear at this time? Is humanity truly doomed?"

It turned out that Jin Yan, seeing that Bai Fang and the other two hadn't returned, went out to look for them. He found A Tu fighting with several wild dogs and had sustained minor injuries, so he quickly brought A Tu back. Phoenix said, "Don't rush, tell me what happened."

Bai Fang then slowly recounted what had happened, omitting some details. When she got to the crack, Phoenix sighed, "Just as I expected!"

"What's going on?" the three asked in unison.

Phoenix said, "Let's put this aside for now. After all, the matter of the white horse is urgent. Although this demon is powerful, it can only take the shape of a small dog for now, so it can't cause any harm for the time being. If we can successfully avert this calamity, then we can discuss it again!"

Seeing Phoenix's hesitant expression, the three couldn't help but think of the crisis right before them and felt deeply worried.

Time flew by, and when they came to their senses, it was already late at night. Jin Yan called home to say he wouldn't be going back tonight, and then found a guesthouse nearby to stay in. After settling the two of them in, Bai Fang also went to her dormitory to rest. Phoenix, seeing that the night was deep, also found a dry place to hide.

I had just closed my eyes and hadn't even drifted off to sleep when I heard a commotion outside. It sounded like something terrible had happened, so I quickly got up to check.

As soon as she stepped out the door, Bai Fang was stunned.

It turned out that the entire school office building was shining brightly, with a dazzling green light shooting straight into the sky. Many students had gathered around to watch the spectacle, and some students whose dormitory doors were locked were also peeking out of their windows to see this strange sight.

Bai Fang hurriedly inquired among the students about what had happened. After much effort, she finally found out that the student had been surfing the internet outside at night and had unknowingly missed the time. He had quietly sneaked into the school, trying to find a way back to his dormitory. However, when he passed by the office building, he found that the entire building was glowing. He was both surprised and frightened and screamed.

Many students who had been chatting in their dormitories peeked out at the sound and gasped in surprise. It was the middle of the night, and most teachers had already gone home. The few teachers on duty rushed out to maintain order. Bai Fang tried to persuade the students to return to their dorms and quiet them down, but with so many students, it wasn't immediately effective. Bai Fang could only manage a wry smile before turning back to look at the brightly lit office building. Gradually, the lights faded, and the students, still excitedly discussing their night's events, quieted down. Just as Bai Fang, exhausted, was about to return to her dormitory, she heard a meow, and a black cat darted out of the building!

Bai Fang broke out in a cold sweat. That day, the building emitted a green light, and a black cat darted past her. Today, the building was brightly lit, and that black cat was inside again! Was there any connection between the two? Her mind was in turmoil. The dim streetlights cast long, eerie shadows. Bai Fang shivered again and hurried back to her dormitory, becoming slightly out of breath.

Another day had passed, and Bai Fang's first thought upon waking was sorrow. How could these days always pass so quickly! She thought, she might as well just go back to sleep. What did the outside world have to do with her? What did the white horse have to do with her? What did the fate of humanity have to do with her? She neither wanted to be a hero remembered for eternity, nor would she become a villain infamous for all eternity. Was life and death really that important? Just another form of existence. Thinking this, Bai Fang was too weary to speak, unable to open her eyes, and buried her head under the covers, pretending to sleep. How annoying! Why did all these things have to happen to her!

A knock came at the door. Bai Fang thought it was Jin Hui and Jin Yan, so she got up and opened it. But it wasn't them; it was Wang Yiping, the teacher who had been on duty the night before. Bai Fang quickly asked, "What's wrong?" Teacher Wang, with a mournful face, said, "Do you remember what happened yesterday?" Bai Fang nodded and said she remembered. Teacher Wang said, "Several students died yesterday!"

What? It was like a bolt from the blue, leaving Bai Fang speechless.

"And did you watch the morning news this morning?" Wang Yiping asked again.

No, I don't even have a TV here, how am I supposed to watch anything?

This morning's news reported that around midnight last night, tens of thousands of people in more than 30 cities across the country witnessed a strange phenomenon: a strong green light rose from the ground and shot straight into the sky. Several hundred people were found dead in the early hours of the next day. Wang Yiping took out her newly bought newspaper and read it to Bai Fang.

Bai Fang's head was buzzing, and she couldn't hear what Wang Yiping was saying! After standing for a long time, she felt dizzy and almost fell over. Wang Yiping quickly helped Bai Fang up and helped her to a chair. Looking at Bai Fang's unusually pale face, she asked, "What's wrong?" Then she remembered that she had caused such a big accident while on duty, and she was afraid that she would be punished, or even dismissed from her job. She also became dazed.

The knocking came again. Jin Yan, newspaper in hand, rushed anxiously to find Bai Fang. What was going on? What happened last night? He rattled off a string of questions before noticing Bai Fang's unusual behavior. Jin Hui's concern was evident as he asked, "What's wrong?"

Bai Fang woke up and said, "It's nothing serious, just that I feel exhausted and helpless." She glanced at Jin Hui and felt a warmth in her heart when she met his concerned gaze. She smiled and said, "I'm fine." Then she said to Wang Yiping, "You should report this to the principal first. Although he may already know, as the teacher on duty, you should report it." She then said to Jin Hui and the others, "Let's go take a look at the scene."

It was a few students cleaning early in the morning who discovered the situation. This school has a tradition where all cleaning is done by students from different classes in rotation. A few students, carrying cleaning tools, walked into the hall chatting and laughing, while others were still sleepy. Just as they reached the entrance, one student noticed something was wrong. There seemed to be several people lying on the ground ahead. By the time they saw clearly, they were terrified. One of the bolder students said, "Let's go call the police! You go report to the teacher on duty!" When Bai Fang and her group arrived, a large crowd had already gathered. Police cars were outside with sirens blaring, preventing anyone from approaching. Bai Fang said, "I'm a teacher at this school. I'll go in to identify the students so we can notify their parents." The three of them went closer and saw that the people lying there were already dead, with two deep wounds on their throats. Strangely, there wasn't a trace of blood around them! Upon closer inspection, the wounds looked like they had been cut by a dull blade or bitten by sharp teeth! Bitten by sharp teeth? The thought sent a chill down Bai Fang's spine.

The police officer standing nearby asked impatiently, "Have you finished looking? If you're done, get out. Don't interfere with our investigation." Bai Fang, Jin Hui, and Jin Yan left, all three with somber expressions. Bai Fang had been forcing herself to observe the scene while suppressing her nausea and fear, but as soon as she came out, she couldn't stop feeling nauseous and wanted to vomit. She collapsed against a tree and vomited.

She hadn't eaten much that morning, and all she vomited was some sour liquid. Tears and snot streamed down her face from the vomit, making her look utterly pathetic. Just then, a large handkerchief was handed to her from behind. Bai Fang took it and wiped her face, but her eyes were still red and swollen from the vomit, and tears kept welling up. After catching her breath, she finally stopped. Turning around, she saw the two men standing behind her waiting for her. She wiped away her tears and stood up, but her whole body felt weak and sore. Seeing this, Jin Hui hesitated and asked, "Are you sick?" Bai Fang shook her head. Jin Hui said, "You should go to the hospital to get checked out." Jin Yan also insisted on taking Bai Fang to the hospital.

The doctor was startled to see Bai Fang like this and quickly took her temperature. It was 39.5 degrees Celsius! The doctor scolded, "Are you crazy? With such a high temperature, why are you running around like this? Go home and rest!" He then gave her an injection of Bupleurum chinense and told her to go home and sleep. Bai Fang felt weak all over and couldn't hold on any longer. She was sweating profusely and had fallen ill!

Seeing Bai Fang lying on the bed, completely weak, the two men were at a loss. Bai Fang forced a smile and said to them, "You two should go have breakfast first. You can't skip meals." Jin Hui wanted to stay and take care of Bai Fang, but Bai Fang said no, and then fell into a deep sleep, unconscious.

Bai Fang remained in a daze for a while, not knowing how much time had passed, before finally waking up. She felt incredibly thirsty, but when she opened her eyes, she only saw Jin Hui sitting by the bed, looking anxious. Before she could even finish a sentence, she fell asleep again. Her lips were dry from the fever, and her face was flushed. Hearing the word "water," Jin Hui knew Bai Fang wanted some, so he quickly looked for a cup. However, this simple dormitory didn't even have a place to boil water, and the kettle was empty. He had to go to the supermarket to buy a bottle of mineral water. When he returned, he saw Bai Fang had kicked the blankets off to the floor, still half-asleep. Jin Yan had gone out to eat and hadn't returned yet. Jin Hui wasn't hungry, but he was bored being alone, so he got up and walked around the room. Behind the room was a pile of rubble, emitting an extremely unpleasant smell. Seeing Bai Fang's sick state, he felt pity for her. It must be so hard for a young girl to live alone in such a place.

Bai Fang woke up again in a daze, drank some water, and went back to sleep. Jin Hui was anxious but helpless, so he sat down and picked up a book to read.

Jin Yan returned and offered to take Jin Hui's place, but Jin Hui declined, saying he was used to skipping breakfast. Bai Fang's nostrils flared, indicating her fever had worsened, and the two were at a loss for what to do.

Suddenly, I heard a voice say, "What kind of behavior is this, running away like this?"

The two were startled by the sudden sound. When they turned around, they saw that there was another person in the room, none other than Phoenix.

Phoenix said sternly to Bai Fang, "You bear a heavy responsibility. Don't think that running away will solve the problem. Get up!"

Bai Fang showed no reaction and continued to sleep.

Jin Hui and Jin Yan both looked at Phoenix with surprise, thinking to themselves, "It's a bit much to criticize someone who's sick like this."

Phoenix seemed to see through their thoughts and said, "Do you think I want this? But if we can't get her up now, the day when the white horse breaks the seal is getting closer and closer. How can we avert this great calamity?"

Then he said to Bai Fang, "You might as well give up your life and take it easy, since no one can escape it in the end. But have you thought about your parents, who raised you with such hardship? Are you going to ignore their lives? Your siblings, who grew up together with you, with such deep sibling bonds, are you going to just watch them die? And your students, how much they trust you, are you going to let them leave this world like this? Take these people in front of you, for example. Jin Yan is your classmate of many years, and although Jin Hui is someone you just met, he is very caring. Are you really going to give up everything here? Don't you love the blue skies and white clouds, the carefree life? Don't you enjoy the changing seasons? If you really want to give all of this up, then go back to your unconscious state. Anyway, no one can escape it, and no one will blame you."

Bai Fang's eyelids twitched, then twitched again, and she slowly opened her eyes. The figure before her was still blurry, but gradually she regained some strength, got out of bed, her steps were still a little unsteady, and her face was unusually flushed, but she kept standing. She washed her face with cold water in front of the mirror, gradually becoming more awake, but seeing her face in the mirror as red as a peach blossom, her eyes dark and moist, tears streamed down her face, and she sobbed silently. So tiring. Why did this have to happen to her? Like everyone else, not knowing what had happened, not knowing what would happen, that would undoubtedly be happiness. But thinking of her loving parents, brothers, friends, and students, she felt she couldn't just give up like this.

After washing my face, I felt much better, but my head was still a little dizzy. I touched my forehead again and it didn't seem so hot anymore. My face was still unusually red, and my whole body was hot, but I felt stronger and could stand up straight.

Not knowing what to do for a moment, he looked at Phoenix. Phoenix smiled and said, "What should we do first? Eat! You can't survive a day without food." She added with a smile, "Since you've been sick, Jin Hui has been so worried that he hasn't been able to eat anything either. Why don't you all go and get something to eat?"

Bai Fang, a southerner, loved plain rice porridge and couldn't stomach greasy food. Surprisingly, the more she ate the porridge with pickled vegetables, the more appetizing it became. She quickly finished two bowls, started sweating, and felt more energetic. Jin Hui, seeing Bai Fang like this, found it amusing and stopped to watch her eat. Bai Fang, unaware, only noticed Jin Hui's unwavering gaze after finishing three bowls of porridge. Her face flushed again, but luckily it was already red, so it wasn't noticeable. She scolded playfully, "Hurry up and eat!"

Jin Hui quickly finished the porridge, paid the bill, and went out with Bai Fang. Back on campus, it was still noisy and bustling, with a crowd gathered. Upon closer inspection, it turned out a news reporter was conducting an interview with a camera. As soon as a student saw Bai Fang, they exclaimed, "That was Teacher Bai last night!" Bai Fang quickly tried to leave, but the reporter approached, pulled out a business card, and said, "Teacher Bai, I heard you were there last night. I have some questions I'd like to ask you." Bai Fang initially wanted to avoid the conversation, but then thought better of it, put the card away, and said, "These things aren't convenient to discuss on television. How about we talk about it privately?"

The reporter took down Bai Fang's contact number and continued the interview. Back in her dormitory, Bai Fang first sorted out her chaotic thoughts, smoothed her hair from her forehead, and said, "We're facing many difficulties right now. A major incident happened last night. Let's analyze these things and see how best to resolve them."

Then take out a piece of paper and write down all the problems you are facing.

Firstly, regarding the White Horse, people know very little about him now. Phoenix had dealings with him more than two thousand years ago, but after so many years, the difference in their strength is now enormous.

Furthermore, he has been controlling Liu Hong and Hu Chengtian, and it's unclear how far this control has expanded. I wonder if yesterday's events were also related to him.

Secondly, there's the Phoenix's side. The Phoenix's magical power is nearly depleted, and the Five Elements beings are all oblivious, almost completely unaware of the impending danger. Moreover, Liu Hong's whereabouts are unknown, Jiang Hong hasn't been rescued, and the Five Elements Formation is useless. It seems that letting go is the only option now.

The group seemed to be listening but not really, as if deep in thought. When Bai Fang paused, they all looked at her. Bai Fang laughed, "Why are you all looking at me? There's nothing on my face."

Jin Yan laughed and said, "There are no flowers, but there's definitely a chance."

Bai Fang said, "This should be your forte, right?"

Jin Yan said, "I have some experience in fighting, but I have no experience in pretending to be a god or catching ghosts."

Bai Fang laughed, "Let's treat him like a human being and fight him." She added, "You're well-versed in Mao's Selected Works, so you should have more experience than us in how to defeat the weak with the strong. I've already analyzed the situation for you."

Jin Hui's eyes lit up, and he said, "We can defeat them one by one and overcome the strong with the weak!"

Jin Yan nodded. "Yes, Chairman Mao's sixteen-character policy is also very practical: 'When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy is tired, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue.'"

Bai Fang laughed, "That's exactly right. Bai Ma is still under control; he can only move for one hour a day. That's the only time he can cause trouble. The rest of the time, he uses Liu Hong and Hu Chengtian to achieve his goals. Now that Liu Hong and Hu Chengtian's whereabouts are unknown, his influence has been significantly reduced. We should take this opportunity to dismantle his collateral branches, leaving him helpless! As long as we avoid direct confrontation for that one hour, Bai Ma isn't that powerful! We'll wait for the right moment to subdue him in one fell swoop!"

Excitement gleamed in the eyes of all three simultaneously.