Midnight Paranormal Handbook

Chapter 11

"It's easy to guess. She probably already knew about our Taoist identities when we were in the botanical garden."

Shen Fengxi gave an "Oh". Ma Ming didn't notice his junior brother's strange expression and continued to express his guess: "It's quite obvious now. Gu Fuchen, this corpse demon, probably planned to keep her own corpse servants in the school, so she corrupted the girls in dormitory 416. It's very likely that she lured the girls in dormitory 416 to play with Ouija boards or money spirits, and then interfered, causing them to fall into a curse so that she could make her move at will."

"But the girls in dormitory 416 were obviously playing with the Ouija board before Gu Fuchen arrived," Shen Fengxi tried to argue.

"That's just the date she transferred schools; it doesn't mean she wasn't here before," Ma Ming retorted coldly. "She also told Director Wu that something big would happen in three days, which happens to be the time when the school's yin energy reaches its peak. What she's up to is self-evident."

"What about the botanical garden? How do you explain that she couldn't even defeat a regular corpse demon, and I had to go and save her?"

Ma Ming shrugged: "Who knows if it's true or not! Even I can play dumb to fool others. You saw her behavior in dormitory 416 with your own eyes. Besides, the attack on you in the dormitory happened after her visit."

A night breeze blew by, and the leaves in this secluded corner rustled, making it even more eerie. The gloomy atmosphere in the air above the campus was almost visible to the naked eye.

Shen Fengxi was speechless, feeling that this matter was illogical no matter how he tried to explain it. He impatiently changed the subject: "So what should we do next?"

"I suspect this corpse demon's goal is to set up some kind of magic array while the Yin energy at Haidong Middle School is at its peak, absorbing all that energy to transform into an even more terrifying creature. Do you know why she targeted the girls in room 416?"

"Why"

"Because this kind of Yin-absorbing formation requires human corpses as sacrifices! Those poor girls were sacrificed." Ma Ming said, word by word, then shook his head. "Tsk tsk, think about it, the Yin energy accumulated in the whole school is enough for three thousand years of cultivation. If it eats us up, even if our whole sect goes out to fight, we will be beaten like stray dogs."

"Understood. We just need to consume the Yin energy before it does and become an even more powerful monster." Shen Fengxi's suggestion was concise and clear.

Ma Ming paused for a moment, then pretended not to hear and continued, "Although Gu Fuchen hasn't started absorbing Yin yet, he's still very powerful. If we act rashly, we have no chance of winning, and it's easy to implicate innocent people..."

"Then we can just kill the innocent guys beforehand," Shen Fengxi said casually.

Ma Ming tossed him a bronze-green soul-suppressing bell engraved with seal script, and continued rummaging through the box: "I've calculated it. Three days from now, when it activates its magic array, that will be its weakest moment. Only then will we have a chance to win. That's the day of the final battle."

"So what do we do for the next three days?"

"Of course we're preparing for a major undertaking!"

Ma Ming took out an object from the box, which seemed out of place compared to the other ancient magical artifacts. It was a three-barreled machine gun with a futuristic style, its barrel gleaming with a metallic sheen in the thin moonlight.

"This has been specially modified. It can be equipped with talismans, magic beads, and golden needles. It fires twelve shots per second, and the barrel is automatically consecrated and talisman-applied. Any demons or monsters will have to retreat in its wake."

Ma Ming skillfully pulled back the bolt, producing a crisp "click." His eyes held a look that was somewhere between worry and excitement, much like a little boy who had just received a toy gun.

Shen Fengxi curled his lips.

He expressed disdain for this senior brother who relied too much on props.

His eyes suddenly sharpened. After a moment's thought, he leaned closer to the box and asked, "Hey, do you have a Qiankun Mirror?"

Yes, what do you need this for?

"Stop talking nonsense and give it to me!"

The Qiankun Mirror wasn't a mirror in the true sense; its surface was actually a piece of frosted glass. Shen Fengxi took the Qiankun Mirror, showed his little fingernail, and began to scrape back and forth on the glass.

"squeak--"

Fingernails traced patterns on the mirror's surface, producing a sharp, unbearable sound from the point of contact. Amplified by the mirror itself, this terrifying sound reverberated throughout the night sky. Ma Ming's hair stood on end, and he hurriedly tried to stop his junior brother, who seemed to have gone mad. Before he could even speak, he heard three thuds—"thud, thud, thud"—and three figures leaped out of the nearby bushes, collapsing onto the grass.

It was Wu Bing, Chu Yunnan, and Fatty Dong Hua—the three idiots. They were huddled together, each covering their ears, looking utterly pathetic. Shen Fengxi's move was incredibly ruthless; he could have simply called them out, but he chose the most terrifying method.

"You have to use fool's methods on fools." Shen Fengxi tossed the Qiankun Mirror back into the box and ignored them.

"You..." Ma Ming stared at the three lawless bastards, too angry to speak, "Didn't I tell you to go back to sleep?"

Wu Bing struggled to lift his head, his ears still ringing. The other two were still dazed. He said, feeling wronged, "We were going to sleep, but Teacher Zhao was checking the night shift, and Dong Hua overheard his conversation with you and said something big must have happened. So the three of us sneaked out and followed you."

Ma Ming pressed his fingers to his temples, looking utterly helpless. In a sense, these three were more troublesome than the corpse demons, like maggots clinging to bones, impossible to get rid of. He wondered where they got their curiosity and drive from.

Seeing that neither of them spoke, Wu Bing mustered his courage and said, "We heard your conversation just now. The school is facing a major crisis, right? You're short-staffed, aren't you?"

Ma Ming remained noncommittal.

Wu Bing patted his chest: "We are all students of this school, and the safety of the school is our responsibility!"

Chu Yunnan and Dong Hua had recovered by this time. Hearing Wu Bing's call to action, they nodded repeatedly, their faces showing more anticipation than enthusiasm. Young people are always full of passion, and when faced with something like this, they weren't about to let it slip by easily. While shouting slogans, their eyes kept glancing at the box behind Ma Ming, which resembled Doraemon's pocket, filled with greedy curiosity. For these Taoist enthusiasts, the things inside that box were more attractive than video games.

Ma Ming glanced at them, pulled Shen Fengxi aside, and quietly asked him, "What do you think?"

Shen Fengxi said expressionlessly, "Suit yourself. I have no problem with a few more cannon fodder being sent to their deaths."

Ma Ming scratched his head, sighed, and turned his gaze back to the three of them.

The three heads looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for the teacher to announce the list of those who could stay behind to do chores instead of the weekend.

Ma Ming carefully chose his words: "Alright, we are indeed short-handed, since you've all come all this way..."

Before he could finish speaking, the three of them jumped up and cheered. Ma Ming stopped them in time and suddenly gave the order: "Line up!" The three of them quickly lined up and stood straight. Ma Ming paced back and forth a couple of times, then solemnly raised a finger: "Don't think this is a joke. This is a matter of life and death. You don't understand Taoist arts, so you'd better think it through."

"We will certainly dedicate ourselves to the cause until our dying breath," Chu Yunnan quoted a nonsensical saying. Dong Hua regretted his words upon hearing Ma Ming's, but Wu Bing and Chu Yunnan were both extremely excited, so he dared not refuse.

"Don't be silly!" Ma Ming shouted, his expression suddenly turning stern, which frightened the three of them into immobility. "You're not allowed to even think about risking your lives. If there's any danger, you're all out of here. Do you understand?"

The three men nodded in agreement. Ma Ming hung his silver chain on his hand, raised it above his head, and said to them, "Now raise your right fist and swear an oath to the ancestors of the Taoist sect."

Under the night sky, in a corner of the playground, three teenagers solemnly raised their right fists and chanted in unison, following Ma Ming: "Today, under the Yin-Yang Fish Silver Chain, I solemnly swear: I am determined to follow the Daoist Master's teachings, cultivate Daoist arts, study diligently, perform rituals properly, remain pure and tranquil, embrace simplicity and uncaring, be content with little, and know when to stop to avoid danger. I will never use Daoist arts to seek personal gain, and will prioritize the peace and tranquility of the world. Amitabha!"

“Very good.” Ma Ming glanced at the time. “Then for the next three days, you will come to me every day, and I will give you some special training.”

All three of them showed excited expressions and immediately knelt down, calling him "Master".

Ma Ming quickly stopped them: "Let me state this first, there is no master-disciple relationship between us. I am only temporarily teaching you some basic techniques."

Chu Yunnan, being the most meticulous, winked and said, "But you teach us physical education, so calling you 'Master' is no different from calling you 'Teacher Ma.'"

Wu Bing and Dong Hua chuckled to themselves upon hearing this, and each kowtowed. Ma Ming had no choice but to let his three "disciples" happily become his disciples.

"When shall we begin?" Wu Bing asked, already eager to get started.

"Tomorrow, and tonight, you all better go home and get some sleep. How many times have I told you this?"

So the three of them bowed respectfully to Ma Ming, then ran to Shen Fengxi and bowed again, saying, "Good night, Uncle-Master."

Shen Fengxi flew into a rage and slammed his fist on a nearby tree trunk: “Damn it! I’m not that old! You guys are the uncles!”

Wu Bing replied seriously: "There is a distinction between elders and juniors, and the order of seniority must not be confused."

“If you dare call me that in front of others, I will kill you.” Shen Fengxi’s tone was not joking at all.

After seeing the three of them off, Ma Ming pinched his nose and said to Shen Fengxi, "This battle is no small matter. I hope you will do something for me."

"Do it yourself."

"That's a good thing."

Shen Fengxi shrugged, but his expression subtly changed after he heard Ma Ming finish speaking.

The next three days passed peacefully.

An unusual calm.

Every day after class, Ma Ming would call the three guys to the small hill behind the playground for a lesson in Taoist arts. There wasn't time for basic Taoist theory; Ma Ming taught them only the most direct and practical techniques, focusing solely on application, not understanding—very targeted. These things seemed interesting, but were actually quite tedious. The three of them had to memorize difficult and obscure incantations, learn strange and complex talismans, practice various hand seals and formations, and finally, they also had to buy food, newspapers, and clean Ma Ming's room—Ma Ming said that a person's level of Taoist skill depended on their respect for their teacher. The three were skeptical of this statement, but none dared to ask further questions.

Of the three, Wu Bing is more like Shen Fengxi, with a high level of comprehension and a quick grasp of spells and magic. Chu Yunnan is closer to Ma Ming's style, with a meticulous mind and a knack for using props and magical artifacts, and he also has unexpected ideas from time to time. As for Dong Hua... he has the most in common with his fellow disciples Ma and Shen, which is that he can escape. He is bad at everything else, but he is very good at escape spells.

In his spare time, Ma Ming would tell them his ghost-catching stories from the past, such as how he once helped a girl solve the strange case of a female ghost on QQ during his college years. He would tell these stories with great enthusiasm and spittle flying everywhere, leaving his three apprentices dumbfounded and filled with admiration.

As for Shen Fengxi, he seemed to have vanished in the past few days. Ma Ming asked the school for leave on his behalf, which earned him a glare from Teacher Zhao. However, this was understandable; this transfer student had only been here a few days, yet he had already taken two sick days and argued with teachers four times.

When Teacher Zhao received the leave slip signed by Ma Ming, she angrily banged on her desk: "I've been a teacher at this school for over twenty years, and I've never seen such a mischievous student." Ma Ming could only smile in response.

The three girls in room 416 continued their lives as usual, attending classes and returning to their dorms as normal, and no one noticed anything amiss. Whether they slept under the beds after returning to their dorms was unknown. Ma Ming's advice was to leave them undisturbed for the time being.

The gloom on the roof of the administration building continues to increase daily, growing ever stronger. Many teachers working in the building complain that it's too cold inside, with some even suspecting the school has secretly installed central air conditioning. Director Wu has been somewhat absent-minded lately; in fact, his expression could be considered a countdown timer for the final battle, growing stiffer as the time draws closer.

As for Gu Fuchen, she also took leave, and with Director Wu's guarantee, Teacher Zhao dared not say anything. She completely disappeared from the school for the past three days; no one knew where she went. But at least one thing was certain: she currently showed no intention of causing trouble for the two Taoist priests. Whether this was a bad omen or a very bad one was unknown.

In short, these were three peaceful days, perfectly typical of campus life. Both sides seemed to be secretly preparing in the shadows, occasionally glancing at each other with suspicious eyes. Only the thick, eerie atmosphere above the administration building was a true reflection of the underlying tension beneath this tranquility—a state of high tension, ready to erupt at any moment.

On the night of the third day...

Even without Ma Ming's intervention, the trio of fools could sense the approaching final battle, as the gloomy atmosphere in the administration building had reached its peak, like the slight trembling silence before a volcanic eruption.

11:30, outside the administration building.

Ma Ming led his three disciples to the fountain in front of the building. Wu Bing had changed into a blue tracksuit, with a long sword at his waist, and was also wearing Adidas sneakers. When Chu Yunnan asked him why he was dressed like that, he replied, "For easier escape." Chu Yunnan was wearing a camouflage uniform, which he had specially bought for military training. He was bulging with straps on his left and frames on his right, making him look fully armed. As for the fat Dong Hua, his attire was the most eye-catching. He wore a Taoist robe with yin-yang symbols and the Bagua pattern, which, combined with his bulky body, made him look like the Tiger Power Immortal from "Journey to the West."

Dong Hua himself was also very unwilling, but everyone else insisted that he looked the best in it, so he had no choice but to reluctantly accept it. The group walked quickly ahead, while he struggled to hold up the hem of the robe, jogging behind, occasionally tripping over something and panting heavily.

Ma Ming was still dressed in his usual attire, a six-barreled machine gun slung boldly over his shoulder, and his gentle eyes behind his glasses shone with a unique light. With him standing in front of them, the three men felt much more at ease.

Upon arriving at the administration building, Ma Ming waved for them to stop. At that moment, the administration building resembled a giant black hole in the universe; its pitch-black windows and doors seemed to suck everything in its path, and just staring at it was enough to make one's nerves snap.

“It’s not too late for you to back out now,” Ma Ming said, standing with his hands behind his back.

Chu Yunnan and Wu Bing squeezed Dong Hua from the left and right, and answered in unison: "We will fight to the end." Dong Hua was about to open his mouth when his Taoist hat tilted, and he quickly reached out to fix it.

"Okay, alright. The situation might get very bad later, so you must do exactly as I instructed beforehand, understand?"

"clear!"

Ma Ming said nothing more, only gazing indifferently at the broken weather vane at the top of the building. The three fools, not understanding his intentions and not wanting to urge him, could only whisper among themselves.

"Hey, Dong Hua, I saw you give Huang Xiaoli a pencil case this afternoon."

"Hmm...her birthday is coming up soon...ah, how did you guys know?"

"Next time you sneak off on a date at the botanical garden, don't forget to choose a time when we don't have biology class."

"I said, what exactly was your intention in giving her the pencil case?"

"Well, I was thinking, if we don't make it out today, it'll be a parting gift..."

"Smack!"

"Idiot, don't say such unlucky things!"

"At least don't use the plural form. 'I can't get out,' not 'we can't get out!'"

The three were chatting happily when suddenly they felt a chilling aura approaching them, even the air around them seemed to tremble. Having received three days of training in Taoist arts from a master, they immediately sensed a tremendous force drawing near. Startled, they jumped up. Chu Yunnan drew three talismans, Wu Bing drew his peach wood sword, and Dong Hua hurriedly pulled out a small, gleaming golden chime, striking a pose that looked quite convincing.

When their gazes fell in the direction from which the power was coming, they were all dumbfounded.

In that direction, a boy of similar age slowly approached. The boy was not tall, nor did he move quickly, but his every move carried a powerful aura. With each step he took, a small gust of wind would rise, causing the surrounding air to distort and be drawn in, forming a faintly visible vortex behind him, as if he were carrying a giant sun. The silver chain on his wrist shone exceptionally brightly, like a cluster of brilliant stars in the sky, radiating a thousand rays of light, half-concealing the boy's face in the starlight, making him appear to merge with the light.

"Junior brother, you're not late." Ma Ming turned around and said to the boy.

Shen Fengxi's lips curled slightly, and he smiled like a Buddha.

"When it comes to beating someone up, you can't be late."