Ghosts in Medical School Horror Files

Chapter 52

Hu Rongrong was surprised that Xia Chen actually nodded and said firmly, "Yes, I have seen the Horror Files, but only a few pages of them. Tang Ying gave them to me."

"Tang Ying, you know the legendary Tang Ying?" The two women screamed excitedly. Every time they talked about the Horror Files, Tang Ying was mentioned. Legend had it that only he had found the Horror Files, but that very night, he walked through an old building with blood streaming from his eyes, and then mysteriously disappeared. No one had ever seen him again, and his fate remained unknown. They never imagined Xia Chen would know such a legendary figure.

Hu Rongrong asked excitedly, "Where is Tang Ying now? Did he really get the Horror File? What's your relationship with Tang Ying?" Hu Rongrong took her gossip-loving nature to the extreme.

Xia Chen slowly said, "Tang Ying is my older sister."

Sister? Luo Shimin and Hu Rongrong's minds went blank for a moment, as if they had short-circuited. Sister? How could it be her sister?

Xia Chen continued, "Tang Ying, her name should be the 'Ying' of 'cherry blossom.' We were both orphans, growing up together in the orphanage. I don't know how she got into Yishi Academy, but after she died, I received a letter written on this kind of black paper. It only had a few words on it: 'Tang Ying...died!'"

Luo Shimin asked cautiously, "You said Tang Ying is dead? Wasn't she missing? How could she turn into a man?"

"She disguised herself as a boy to enter Yishi Academy. I once received a letter from her, written on this kind of black paper, with crooked handwriting, on which she wrote the time she was going to die. I completely took it as a joke. But. When that time came, she really... really... passed away."

"You mean..." Hu Rongrong didn't finish her sentence.

"I don't want to play anymore, let's go back." After what happened, no one was in the mood to continue playing.

"Shimin...I..." Xia Chen wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out.

"I'm just a little tired." This statement sounded somewhat insincere. Luo Shimin was genuinely angry, but her anger wasn't stemming from the diary entry at all. Having grown up amidst the bloodshed and turmoil of the martial world with her father, she possessed a courage that even a bull might not possess. What did this inexplicable threat amount to? The fact that Xia Chen, whom she cared about, had never mentioned Tang Ying to her infuriated her. Even if Xia Chen was exceptionally intelligent, he could never fathom what Luo Shimin was thinking; this once again proved it. Women are the most incomprehensible beings in the world.

After leaving Tenkoji Temple, they waited a short while before the bus arrived. The three boarded in silence. Xia Chen sat alone, golden sunlight streaming in through the window, falling on his diary. As he gently stroked the diary, time seemed to slow down and stretch on. No one noticed the eerie smile on the devil's face.

Bored on the road, Xia Chen opened his diary again and made a new discovery. In the lower right corner of one page, there was a line of small print that could be easily missed if you didn't look carefully. Xia Chen's eyes widened, and he almost cried as he read it. He finally saw that the page read: "The horror files are actually in... hands."

The most crucial name had been crossed out. Damn it, for the first time, Xia Chen felt an urge to curse. He carefully read through the diary. Predicting the future? Xia Chen didn't believe in that. That left only one possibility: this was a trap, a meticulously planned scheme, someone targeting the three of them.

Thinking of this, Xia Chen frowned.

For someone to devise such a plan, several conditions must be met. First, the person must be very familiar with the three of them. Second, this person must know about the Horror Files. Third, and most importantly, this person must have access to the Horror Files. So far, Xia Chen only knows that Tang Ying might have had access to the Horror Files. Regardless, he will absolutely not let anything happen to Luo Shimin. Having tasted the pain of losing a loved one, he will not let it happen again. It seems he must go to that place and see if that strange door truly exists.

The sun was setting when the bus stopped at the entrance of Yishi College. The dark gray, old walls looked very weathered in the setting sun.

003 The Shadow of the Library

Liao Chuan is a top student excelling in all subjects; her achievements are entirely due to her diligence and hard work. Among all the girls at Yishi College, she is always the first to leave the dormitory and the last to return. She has even developed a tacit understanding with the dormitory supervisor; every night, as soon as Liao Chuan returns, the supervisor locks the building. Sometimes, if she forgets the time while studying, the supervisor will wait for her at the dormitory entrance.

One night, Liao Chuan unknowingly stayed up past ten o'clock again.

bell……

The phone rang suddenly, sounding particularly abrupt and jarring in the quiet of the library, startling her so much she almost jumped up. Looking at the phone screen, she saw it was her female roommate calling.

"Liao Chuan, aren't you coming back yet? It's getting late."

Liao Chuan glanced at the time and saw that it was indeed very late; she was the only one left in the library. "I'll be right back, don't wait for me, you guys go to sleep." She hung up the phone and began packing her things.

The vast, empty library and the utterly silent environment instilled a nameless fear in Liao Chuan, a chill creeping over her. She quickly gathered her books, clutching them to her chest, and hurried towards the library entrance. She felt a sharp gaze sweep over her, and Liao Chuan abruptly stopped, mustering her courage to turn around. Behind her were only rows of bookshelves and countless tables and chairs. Beyond that were overlapping shadows, indistinct and unclear.

Nobody's here!

On a sudden inspiration, Liao Chuan shouted, "I see you! Come out!" Her voice echoed in the library, but no one came out.

"I guess I was too nervous. I've been studying too hard these past few days," Liao Chuan consoled himself.

She continued walking, the library lights illuminating everything around her so brightly that she couldn't explain what she was afraid of in such an environment. After a few steps, the feeling of being watched returned. She didn't dare look back, so she quickened her pace, wanting to leave as soon as possible. She heard the rustling of footsteps beside her, and her pace quickened, her heart pounding as if it would burst from her chest. Suddenly, she glanced down and saw her own shadow. She accelerated towards the library doors.

The lights at the library entrance were on, casting Liao Chuan's long shadow that occupied more than half of the corridor floor behind her. The entrance was empty; in the shadowy corners, something seemed to be hiding, watching, and stirring restlessly.

"Little girl, slow down. Be careful not to fall."

The sudden sound startled Liao Chuan, who screamed and shrank back into the corner, her clothes instantly soaked with cold sweat.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person."

Liao Chuan turned her head and saw a kind-faced old woman smiling at her. Liao Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and asked softly, "I've never seen you before. Who are you?"

“I’m your Uncle Li’s wife. He’s not feeling well today, so I’m here to relieve him. The old man specifically told me that there’s a young girl who’s been reading very intently and left very late, and her eyesight isn’t good. When I heard footsteps in the duty room, I guessed that you might have been so engrossed in your book that you forgot the time, and I came out to turn on the light for you so you wouldn’t be able to see the way clearly and fall.”

Liao Chuan stuck out his tongue sheepishly, "Thank you so much. How is Uncle Li's health?"

The old lady gently patted Liao Chuan's head. "When people get old, they get all sorts of ailments. But they're not really serious. You'll see him again tomorrow."

"That's good. It's getting late, I'll head back now. See you tomorrow." Liao Chuan waved to the old lady and skipped away.

"Slow down, don't fall." Only after Liao Chuan's figure disappeared from his sight did the old lady turn back and turn off the library's main switch, plunging the entire library into darkness. In a corner of the darkness, a person slightly curled the corners of their mouth, a sinister and cold smile on their face.

Liao Chuan walked back to her dormitory. Something felt off tonight, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The streetlights along the road had been turned off early, and the moonlight was beautiful, bathing the earth in a silvery glow, adding a touch of romance. But she had no mood to appreciate the scenery. The shadows of the trees in the moonlight, however, frightened her. The shadows of several branches seemed like ghostly hands, trying to drag her to hell. Not long after leaving the library, a chill ran down her spine. She considered turning back to ask the kind old lady to take her home, but didn't want to disturb her rest, so she gritted her teeth and continued on her way.

Liao Chuan walked quickly with his head down, suddenly feeling as if the surroundings had become quiet. The chirping of insects and birds, the usual noisy sounds, were all gone. When he looked up again, he had a strange feeling. The scenery and shadows around him hadn't changed, but he felt as if he wasn't actually in them, but watching a movie composed of his own body and shadows. Liao Chuan sensed something was wrong. He tried to call for help, but no sound came out; it felt like something was stuck in his throat. A chill ran from his feet to his head. Something bad was about to happen. Liao Chuan's eyelids began to twitch violently, and an ominous feeling welled up inside him.

Liao Chuan wanted to leave immediately, but for some reason, her body felt as heavy as lead. Even with all her strength, she couldn't move an inch forward, not even lift her foot. Cold sweat broke out; the loneliness and fear in her heart made her break out in a cold sweat. She could even feel her clothes on her back being soaked with sweat little by little, and her hands trembled uncontrollably.

"Someone save me!" Liao Chuan cried out in his heart.

A strange, foul odor wafted into Liao Chuan's nostrils. She had never smelled such a strong and pungent stench before. Two terrifying words popped into her mind: the stench of a corpse!

At the same time, a cloud of white mist rose from the end of the road, drifting towards her. Within the mist, a humanoid figure seemed to be moving slowly. Liao Chuan stared wide-eyed, trying to see clearly, but the mist was upon her in an instant. She opened her mouth wide, but no sound came out.

The overwhelming stench of decay brought tears to her eyes. As the white mist dissipated, she saw a scene that suffocated her: a handsome man smiling at her. His face was deathly pale, a bluish-gray, like a long-dead, desiccated corpse. His eyes were empty, just a hollow gray-white, the lividity on his face horrifying. His eyes bulged out, and his protruding tongue suggested he might have hanged himself. His appearance reminded Liao Chuan of the boy who hanged himself in the story of the shadow. Could the story be true? But in the story, wasn't the shadow a shadow that followed the girl?

What happened next made her pause in her thoughts. It had been staring at her without moving, but now it suddenly moved. Liao Chuan watched in horror as it slowly reached out its hand. Its arm was like a piece of dry bone, with black nails growing from its fingertips. The nails, like blades, scratched across Liao Chuan's fair skin, stinging her and making her feel cold all over, as if she had fallen into an icebox. Her hands and feet went numb.

"Do you love me?" It spoke in a voice that sounded like the whooshing of a broken bellows.

Liao Chuan didn't not want to answer it; it was that she simply couldn't answer its question. At the moment, all she could control was her own eyeballs.

"I know you love me. But why did you lie to me?" Liao Chuan was baffled by its words; she didn't understand what it meant at all.

"Come with me, and I'll treat you as well as before," it continued talking to itself. Liao Chuan's eyes darted around quickly. Whatever it was going to do, it couldn't be anything good. Coincidentally, she witnessed another puzzling scene. On the moonlit ground, behind it was a shadow more than two meters long. Weren't ghosts supposed to have no shadows? More importantly, its shadow was gone!

"How is that possible!" Liao Chuan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. The moon was right behind her, and every flower and blade of grass around her cast a shadow. How could a grown woman like her not have a shadow?

A cold voice came from the darkness, "You're still a virgin. You must taste amazing. I'll remember you. You've sacrificed your body for our great cause. That's an honor. So, offer up your brilliant mind."

As soon as he finished speaking, Liao Chuan was horrified to see that the creature before him had changed. A black substance instantly surged over its entire body, and its original form disappeared, replaced by a black humanoid object. "No! Someone, please save me..." Liao Chuan cried out helplessly in his heart, but no sound came out of his open mouth.

The black thing slowly extended a hand, moving little by little along her body to her head.

"I don't want to die..." A cold object easily pierced her skull. The excruciating pain almost made Liao Chuan faint. In that instant, she had a strange feeling that the dark figure in front of her was someone she had seen before. A cold aura spread through her body, and a strong sense of fatigue overwhelmed her. Her will was fading, and she slowly closed her eyes.

Finally, it's all coming to an end!

But for some, this is just the beginning.

"Don't move! What are you doing?" A sudden shout made the shadowy figure hesitate. A young man appeared in the road. This completely caught the shadowy figure off guard. As the man drew closer, the shadowy figure vanished in a flash.

The young man was Xia Chen. He was planning to sneak into the lab under cover of darkness to see if the strange door still existed. He hadn't gone far from his dormitory when he saw someone attacking a girl. Without thinking, he rushed over, but the shadowy figure was too fast, and with no streetlights, Xia Chen only saw a blur before losing sight of the shadow. He ran over and saw the girl lying on the ground, her head covered in blood. He touched her and found she was still breathing. Xia Chen immediately dialed an ambulance. After hanging up, he thought for a moment and then dialed Ye Cheng's number.

Two minutes passed, and the ambulance still hadn't arrived. Ye Cheng had gone ahead. Xia Chen knew the location of the police station; even if Ye Cheng flew a rocket, he couldn't possibly get there so quickly. Unless the kid was nearby.

"What's going on?" Ye Cheng asked as soon as he got out of the car, seeing the girl Xia Chen was holding in his arms.

Xia Chen briefly explained the situation, and Ye Cheng angrily cursed, "Damn it, you can't escape now. Li Xiao, get the brothers to block off the nearby intersections." After making the call, Li Xiao walked to the girl's side, bent down to examine the injury on her forehead, and said, "It's a bone injury. How strange. The skull is the hardest bone in the human body; even surgery requires a special chainsaw to cut it open. Xia Chen, didn't you hear any strange noises when you ran over?"

"No!" Xia Chen thought it over carefully, and he really didn't hear any sound.

Li Xiao muttered to himself, "That's strange. How did the girl get that head injury?"

Xia Chen and Ye Cheng exchanged a glance, both seeing the same question in each other's eyes. Neither wanted to ask first. Just then, the ambulance arrived. The three of them helped lift the girl into the ambulance, and the doctor told them that the girl was not in life-threatening danger. Xia Chen breathed a sigh of relief.

After the police car finished collecting evidence and left, only three people remained at the scene. Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Li Xiao obediently returned to his car.

The two took a deep breath and spoke at the same time.

"Tell me, what are you doing so late?"

The two were taken aback for a moment, then said at the same time, "You go first."

Ye Chengxian finally spoke the third sentence: "I am a policeman, and I order you to speak first."

Xia Chen said defiantly, "I won't tell you, what can you do to me? Arrest me?"

"You..." Ye Cheng was speechless. Spending so much time with Luo Shimin had more or less influenced Xia Chen. This was different from the Xia Chen Ye Cheng knew. Perhaps even Xia Chen himself hadn't noticed the change, but this change left Ye Cheng feeling somewhat helpless.

"Okay, let me start. I'm handling a case here, in the lab building not far away, which is why I was able to get here in such a short time."

"The laboratory building? What happened again?" Because the police had blocked the news and Xia Chen was not at school, he was unaware of the murder in the laboratory building.

Now that things were out in the open, Ye Cheng decided to stop hiding anything and told Xia Chen everything that had happened in the experimental building. The case in the experimental building was rather tricky, and it would be difficult for him to solve it in a short period of time on his own.

"The experimental building? I was originally going to the experimental building too." Xia Chen recounted their encounter at Tianguang Temple.

"The door to the lab building? I've spent the whole day in the lab building, searching it from top to bottom, but I haven't found any strange doors." Ye Cheng paused here. On the wall between the third and fourth floors of the lab, you could vaguely see the trace of a door, but it wasn't a door.

"Is there a problem?" Xia Chen noticed that Ye Cheng's reaction was a bit strange.

"It's nothing," Ye Cheng shook his head and said nonchalantly, "just a few strange marks."

Xia Chen believed that Ye Cheng wouldn't deliberately hide anything from him, so he didn't press the matter further.

"Hey, have you two finished chatting?" Li Xiao, who couldn't wait any longer, stuck his head out of the car and shouted, "It's time to go back. I still have a ton of experiments to do. You two brothers are very close, you have plenty of time to catch up."

The dormitory door was already closed, so Xia Chen couldn't go back. He had no choice but to follow Ye Cheng back to the police station. Ye Cheng, this old bachelor, was eating and sleeping at the police station to save money.

Xia Chen followed Ye Cheng into the police station. Normally, nobody likes coming to places like this, and Xia Chen was no exception. However, the biggest advantage of staying here was that he could get firsthand information. So, Xia Chen obediently followed Ye Cheng to the office.

Ye Cheng's sleeping arrangements were very simple; he would just put a few chairs together to make a bed. He would grab a police uniform and cover himself with it, which would serve as his blanket.

Xia Chen watched as Ye Cheng lay down to sleep, seemingly having completely forgotten about him.

Xia Chen thought for a moment, then decided not to be polite. So, he copied Ye Cheng and gathered a few chairs together. He looked around but couldn't find any extra police uniforms. Just as he was about to ask Ye Cheng, he found the guy already snoring loudly. He'd seen people fall asleep quickly before. But he'd never seen anyone fall asleep this quickly.

A mysterious case had just occurred, yet Ye Cheng was sleeping soundly as if nothing had happened. Xia Chen felt a mixture of disdain and envy; disdain for Ye Cheng's ability to sleep, and envy for his ability to actually fall asleep. Left with no other option, he turned off the light, groped his way to the makeshift bed, and collapsed onto it.

Night, an endless and desolate blackness surged in from all directions.

In the darkness, Xia Chen's wide eyes shone like starlight in the darkness. Xiao Rou was dead, and Liao Chuan had been inexplicably attacked. Were these all part of a series of incidents, or were they completely unrelated? These two questions swirled in Xia Chen's mind in the darkness. Suddenly, he heard a strange sound.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock."

The sound was slow and rhythmic.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock."

It sounded like water.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock."

The sound grew louder and clearer as it approached from afar. It sounded like a corpse walking in the darkness, its bodily fluids dripping down its body.

This is the police station's office, separated from the restrooms by three or four rooms. Even if the restroom faucet leaks, the sound will never reach here.