Vallée de l'étrange

Chapitre 1

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Legend of White Horse Village, by Su Jing

Happy days always pass quickly, while pain lingers. However, thankfully, although it's psychologically difficult, time still marches on, second by second.

It hasn't gone by too fast, but the new semester has started again.

Missing the opening ceremony of the new semester, Bai Fang, a female teacher, arrived at the teaching and research office to find her colleagues looking at her strangely. Bai Fang didn't mind; she knew that her quiet nature meant she had few confidants in the office. She sat down, opened her lesson plan, and went to the department head's desk to find this year's teaching assignment sheet, only to discover that she hadn't received any new teaching assignments. What happened? Returning to her desk, Wang Xia, sitting opposite her, couldn't help but say, "Bai, this year, the school has assigned you to the South Campus."

South Campus? Xiao Bai's heart sank. The image of Principal Zhang's rat-like face with its beard and rat-like eyes involuntarily flashed before her eyes again. Those eyes always peered down from the side of his glasses, making one feel uneasy and inevitably generating disgust. She should have known better than to contradict Zhang; now he was retaliating by arranging for her to work at the South Campus. However, although she felt terrible, she couldn't show it outwardly. She replied, "Oh, I understand. When will you be going?" Wang Xia said, "Well, you can contact Section Chief Qian at the South Campus for the specific arrangements."

Despite her displeasure, she had no choice but to obey. After all, she had no connections in this intricately networked company, and at the end of last semester, she had resolutely rejected the matchmaker, the chubby, dark-skinned man who had arranged her marriage to Principal Zhang's sister. Besides, in such a short time at the school, she had earned many opportunities through her own abilities; many people were practically eyeing her hand. Packing her things to return to the dormitory, she encountered several school leaders on the way, feeling resentful but unwilling to speak. Then, on flat ground, she tripped and fell, twisting her ankle so badly she could barely put weight on it. She hastily ate lunch at the cafeteria and noticed her ankle was starting to swell. She quickly called Zhu Xiaoxia to accompany her to the hospital. Xiaoxia was her only friend at the school—a cheerful, generous, lively, and beautiful girl who didn't scheme against others and didn't view the world through worldly lenses.

I went to the hospital for a checkup and X-rays. The results showed no fracture, but I had to rest in bed for a week. I limped to the office, wrote a sick leave note, and lay in bed, drowsily thinking about the events of the past six months, feeling utterly hopeless. In my hazy state, I heard a knock at the door. It was Wang Xia, along with the section chief and several other female colleagues who had come to visit. My heart warmed; it seemed there was still kindness in this world.

After the visitors left, she drifted back into a deep sleep. Suddenly, a faint, eerie scream reached her ears, followed by an even more sinister voice: "I...come...to...accompany...you..." She opened her eyes in a cold sweat and saw that it was already completely dark. Fear gripped her again. Bai Fang had been to the South Campus before. But in her memory, it was strangely eerie. The huge school didn't exude vitality; instead, it felt inexplicably decadent and lifeless. Many people worked there, but by 5 PM, they all rushed to board the school bus back to the main campus. After 5 PM, the campus was deserted. Bai Fang enjoyed reading books about the supernatural and instinctively felt that the campus must have been abandoned for reasons that couldn't be shared with outsiders. This inexplicable twisting of her ankle was probably a warning sign. At the time, however, she didn't notice, preoccupied with her own deep, bleeding wounds, reacting only to the outside world with instinct. She dismissed that chilling remark as a nightmare. Little did she know, the real nightmare was just beginning.

The South Campus was built on the foundation of a temple. Last time I visited the South Campus, I also saw the White Horse Temple, which is now surrounded by buildings within the school grounds. Because so many people went in, it didn't seem like much. However, the temple, hidden among a large grove of tall, dense trees, gave it a depressing and eerie feel.

11-19 11:09:00

A week passed quickly.

After all, I couldn't escape the fate of having to work at the South Campus. The morning shuttle bus departed at 7:00 AM; if I was late, I'd miss it. That place was too remote; there wasn't even a public bus. On the first morning, I was awakened by a sudden, inexplicable panic. I opened my eyes and saw it was already 6:40. I quickly brushed my teeth, washed my face, and rushed to the school gate. Luckily, the shuttle bus had just started moving and hadn't left yet. I boarded the bus, panting, but there were no seats. I smiled at the people sitting down as a greeting, only to find that everyone on the bus had blank expressions; no one responded to me. I didn't mind; after all, I was just a nobody, and I couldn't expect these people to be overly respectful to me.

After a bumpy half-hour ride, Bai Fang fell asleep again. Only after the car stopped did she realize they had arrived at the South Campus. Getting out, she looked around. It was still summer; summer in the south should be lush and green, but the grass on the lawns was all withered and yellow. In the distance, a few thin sheep grazed, and a cow brought in by a local was nibbling at the roots. She looked up at the White Horse Temple again; it was still nestled among the trees. The vermilion window frames had peeling paint. The main gate was locked, and beside it was a stone plaque: Former Site of the East China Field Army Command Post. On the wall were inscriptions by Zhang Aiping and other carvings. Unfortunately, Bai Fang wasn't interested in military matters; otherwise, she would have known that these were all inscriptions by generals who were renowned throughout the country.

Carrying my bag, I followed the others to the office. The old desks and chairs, the dirty sofa worn down from being sat on so many times, resembled seats on a dilapidated bus. The office had no lock, and there was no desk either. The section chief said, "Just use this desk. Jiang Hong used to use it. Now that she's gone, you can continue using it." Another inexplicable chill ran through me. Gone?

The whole building felt dilapidated, utterly run-down; even the dust in the corners was of indistinguishable color. "Let me introduce you," the section chief said. "This is Xiao Deng," a male teacher wearing black-rimmed glasses nodded. "This is Xiao Gu," a chubby female teacher greeted with a smile. "This is Xiao Bai." Bai Fang also nodded in greeting.

Going to and from get off work is the same as at the main campus, except I take the school bus instead. In fact, it feels much more relaxed and free compared to the strictly managed main campus. The biggest advantage is that I don't have to see that rat-faced guy anymore.

Bai Fang initially thought that working at the South Campus wasn't as terrible as others had described.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye. On Wednesday, Bai Fang boarded the bus as usual. The section chief said, "Bai, you'll stay on duty today."

On duty? Helpless, Bai Fang had no choice but to go back and sit in her office.

Where am I going to get something to eat here? Besides, staying in this gloomy campus, it's no wonder I'd get sick from fright. Anxious, I grabbed my money and belongings and headed out of the school gate to find a small restaurant.

I heard that this place was once prosperous, but with the relocation of the school, only some students who need to do internships or are in their final year of school are left behind. Usually, there are few people on campus, and the shops are almost deserted, with most of them closed down.

Bai Fang observed carefully and noticed that the streets here were shaped like a cross. At the intersection, there was a steamed bun vendor, open only in the morning. There were also two cooked meat vendors, open in the afternoon. At the westernmost end of the cross, there was a restaurant, but business was slow, and only a housewife was selling a few bowls of noodles to those who needed them. Next to the restaurant, there was a wide and beautifully constructed north-south road. Bai Fang bought three yuan worth of pig's head meat and ate a bowl of noodles before returning to her office. Luckily, there was a computer with internet access, and Bai Fang breathed a sigh of relief. She dialed up and logged into QQ... wait, why didn't she recognize any of her friends?

A message popped up automatically: "Bai Fang, this is Jiang Hong. Are you at the South Campus right now? Leave immediately!" Jiang Hong? Bai Fang didn't remember adding her as a friend, nor did she remember giving Jiang Hong her QQ number. She quickly replied, "Why are you leaving? Also, when did you leave, and where did you go?" There was no reply for a long time. Looking at the time, she realized the message had been sent at midnight last night.

It got dark quickly. With the computer around, time passed faster. Before I knew it, it was past nine o'clock. The weather suddenly turned unusually cold. Bai Fang wrapped her coat tighter, thinking, "This is the countryside after all; the temperature is much lower than in the city. I've never felt this cold at headquarters."

A sudden gust of wind blew outside, rustling the tree branches. Bai Fang was both anxious and frightened, and hurried back to her dormitory. She passed by the White Horse Temple again. Without daring to look up, Bai Fang went straight to her dormitory.

The trees lining the road made the only lamp still faithfully performing its duty sway violently. The road was pitch black; nothing could be seen. She stumbled and staggered to the building entrance, only to find the stairwell dark as well. She hurried inside, finally finding the light cord. Pulling it, she heard a loud bang that startled Bai Fang. Bai Fang shared a dormitory with a staff member surnamed Cao, but Cao was pregnant and had recently stopped staying there. Throwing the light cord aside, Bai Fang felt a chill run through her body, unsure where to go. Outside was pitch black, and inside was pitch black too. Finally, gritting her teeth, Bai Fang rushed into her room. Thankfully, the light here was working.

She dared not make any movement, crawled into bed fully clothed, and dared not close her eyes, turn off the light, or even close the door, for fear that she would not notice any movement outside.

11-19 13:57:00

The wind grew stronger, creating a sonic echo in the old building, a whooshing sound that seemed to come from another world. Bai Fang hugged the blanket, trembling uncontrollably. She looked out the window; it wasn't closed properly. She reached out to close it, then withdrew her hand. Who knew if she might touch something?

This dormitory room had just been assigned to us during the day, and it contained a lot of old furniture. Old Xu from the general affairs department helped carry a bed up, borrowed a quilt from the guesthouse, dusted it off, and left. Looking at all this old furniture, I didn't know what to do.

The wind slammed the door shut again. Heaven knows how strong the wind could be in the hallway. Despite her extreme fear, Bai Fang calmed down.

Bai Fang was different from others from birth. But because she was born on the plains in that era, she had never seen a single master, let alone a temple. Coupled with her quiet personality since childhood, even though she discovered that she had some special abilities, she never tried to mention it to anyone.

From the moment she was born, Bai Fang saw the tree outside the window. In that tree, she saw many tiny birds perched, chirping and chattering. It was a rainy morning. Later, the adults gossiped that this girl was unusual, but no one knew that Bai Fang had memories from birth, nor had anyone ever seen those tiny birds. However, as she grew up, she traveled and visited several temples, where people often stopped her to have her fortune told. The elders said Bai Fang had a blessed face, with eyebrows like two dragons playing with a pearl, and kind eyes like a Bodhisattva in a play. Unfortunately, she had a scar on her chin. When she was less than a year old, standing in a tub, Bai Fang suddenly stretched out her hand and lunged forward, falling to the ground and hitting her chin, inflicting a large wound that bled profusely. Her terrified great-grandfather quickly picked her up to stop the bleeding. But when Bai Fang wiped her chin with her little hand, the bleeding stopped and healed quickly, leaving only the scar. In those days, even my great-grandfather would have kept such thoughts to himself. However, as he grew older, these unusual traits seemed less noticeable. Only Bai Fang herself knew that she possessed the ability to make her wishes come true. But as the dust of time accumulated, by the time she started working, Bai Fang was no different from any other person.

After thinking for most of the night, Bai Fang finally couldn't hold on any longer. She slowly drifted off to sleep, but felt the mole between her eyebrows throbbing incessantly, as fast as a heartbeat. In her hazy state, she seemed to hear that scream again, and that eerie voice. She also heard some other noises, but couldn't make them out. The sounds seemed to linger in the distance, not approaching.

When she suddenly awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. The room had become unbearably hot again. Bai Fang threw off the blanket wrapped around her, wondering whether last night's events were a dream or reality.

He went to the water room to get water to rinse his teeth and wash his face, only to find that the faucet was rusted shut, with only a few drops dripping down like tears. In the sink, there was a bucket covered in rust, and it was already full. There was no water in the toilet either; he guessed Xiao Cao was using the bucket to flush it.

What a hellish place! Bai Fang thought angrily, but the thought of the word "ghost" suddenly brought her back to reality. She couldn't help but touch the mole between her eyebrows and muttered, "Amitabha."

When Bai Fang arrived at the office, Xiao Gu and Xiao Deng noticed her expression and asked in surprise, "Were you on duty here yesterday?" Bai Fang said yes. Xiao Gu asked again, "Was everything alright?" Bai Fang thought they were asking about school security and said, "Nothing happened." Xiao Gu looked at Bai Fang, hesitant to speak.

Bai Fang thought for a moment and asked, "Why was it so cold last night?"

"What?" Xiao Deng and Xiao Gu exchanged a glance and said, "Oh, maybe. This is the countryside, so it's a bit colder than the city."

It was more than just a little cold, Bai Fang thought to herself. But at least she'd made it through; better not to dwell on it. At noon, taking advantage of the daytime, Bai Fang went back to her dormitory to check on her other belongings.

Inside the old table's drawer was a mirror, now covered in rust so thick it was barely reflective. There was also a carved chair, leaning precariously, barely big enough to hold a few things, but no longer usable for sitting. Then, Bai Fang looked at the bedding; it was printed with the year 1986. Bai Fang exclaimed, "1986? That's so old! It's practically a museum piece!"

Looking at the light again, it turned out the starter was broken; when you pulled it, the light would make a sound but wouldn't turn on. The faucet was broken, so that was out of the question. There was a large mirror in Xiao Cao's room, also covered in rust; I didn't understand why she didn't throw it away. However, I heard that people don't stay here overnight; they only use it as a place for afternoon naps.

Time flies! In the midst of my busy schedule, I realized it was almost time for the bus to leave again. I rushed downstairs, sat properly on the school bus, and couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. Finally, I could go back to the main campus and leave this oppressive place. It felt so wonderful.

As the car slowly started moving, Bai Fang was surprised to find that everyone in the car remained silent, expressionless, and without a smile.

As soon as the school bus arrived at the main campus, Bai Fang jumped off and rushed towards the library. Because she had to take the school bus, the south campus closed 40 minutes earlier than the main campus, so if she hurried, she could still borrow the county gazetteer before closing time. However, before she reached the library building, Bai Fang saw that the librarian, Teacher Zhu, had already left. She couldn't help but sigh regretfully, then went to the teaching and research office to call Teacher Zhu. Teacher Zhu was still at get off work, and Bai Fang said, "Are you free tonight? I'd like to come over." The two rode their bicycles together back to Teacher Zhu's house.

Xiao Zhu participated in the school's housing fund project and bought an apartment for 40,000 yuan. It's a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, a bit small, but spacious and luxurious enough for a single person. She changed into slippers and sat on the floor to watch TV.

Bai Fang hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should tell Xiao Zhu about it. But then she thought, Xiao Zhu had started working at the school before her, so perhaps she knew a little more about the situation. So she asked, "Xiao Zhu, do you know anything about the stories in the South Campus?" Xiao Zhu was taken aback. What stories? He hadn't heard of them. Then he asked, "Did you see something interesting while working in the South Campus?" Bai Fang gave a wry smile. Interesting? I was almost scared out of my wits. She then recounted everything that had happened the previous night. Xiao Zhu said, "Are you having an allergic reaction? The South Campus hasn't had any students for years, so it's normal for it to feel deserted. It's not as scary as you say, is it? Besides, many teachers used to live there, and we never heard of anything going on." Bai Fang dropped the topic and asked, "Do you know where Jiang Hong is now?" "Jiang Hong? I heard she got into graduate school and left. But I haven't seen her since before the exam." "Yesterday, I received a message from Jiang Hong telling me to leave." "She knows your QQ number?" Bai Fang said, "It's not surprising that she knows. The problem is, you're the only one in our school who knows my QQ number."

Xiao Zhu also fell into thought. "This..." Bai Fang asked again, "Then, do you know what the South Campus used to be? Why is there such a stone tablet?" "Stone tablet? What stone tablet?" It seemed Xiao Zhu didn't know either. Bai Fang then described the stone tablet in front of the White Horse Temple. Xiao Zhu suddenly realized, "Oh, that's part of the glorious history of the White Horse Temple!" "Really?"

Xiao Zhu said, "During the Liberation War, the command post for the Crossing the Yangtze River Campaign was located in Baima Temple. Not long ago, a naval birthplace was also built in Baima. You haven't heard of it, have you?" Bai Fang nodded and said, "I know. There's even an inscription by the General Secretary himself. In those days, I often saw soldiers lining up to visit."

Asking Xiao Zhu yielded no results. However, they finally figured out why the White Horse Temple had always been locked and why there were so many inscriptions by generals.

That night, after watching TV until past 11 p.m., Bai Fang finally got her first good night's sleep since the start of the school year.

Bai Fang's good mood lasted until she boarded the school bus the next day. But the sight of those expressionless faces filled her with dread. Those eyes seemed to say, "Just wait, one day you'll be just like us."

After the car stopped, Bai Fang, making an excuse that she hadn't eaten breakfast and that it was still early, walked towards the edge of the village. Both streets were short; after walking east for a short while, she came to a river, its banks lined with reeds much taller than a person. Bai Fang asked a local and learned that the river was called the Juma River. Bai Fang was surprised, wondering why such a rustic place had such a refined name. Moreover, the river surrounding Baima Village was called the Juma River; was there any necessary connection? The river flowed from east to west, then south, almost completely encircling Baima Village, leaving only a small piece of land connecting it to the city. Seeing the endless river ahead, Bai Fang continued walking south along it. Suddenly, she noticed a small earthen temple built less than two meters from the river. It was only about half a person's height, with no door or windows. Calling it a temple was an understatement; it resembled more of a small mud hut built by children playing house. Yet, it still felt like a temple. Outside the temple, incense burners and candle wax littered the ground. A couplet was pasted on the temple gate: "A temple without monks, swept by the wind; ×××× stars light the lamp." Four characters were illegible. Bai Fang read it, sighed, "Such a boastful tone, and such a detached spirit." The characters on the couplet were crooked and uneven, like the handwriting of a primary school student.

Just as Bai Fang was about to turn back, she caught a glimpse of a man out of the corner of her eye. He was tall and thin, but his face was full of loyalty and humility. Wasn't that her student, Zhao Feng? Bai Fang quickly called out, "Zhao Feng!" Zhao Feng was startled and hurried over. "Teacher Bai, what are you doing here?" Bai Fang asked. "Is there something you need? If not, chat with me for a bit." Zhao Feng said, "I have something to do right now. How about I come to your office in an hour?" Bai Fang had no choice but to agree, saying, "Okay, then I'll go back first." On her way back, she passed by that street. But she noticed something strange again. In front of every house, there was a lot of incense ash on the ground. And this incense was different from the ones sold in the market. It was shaped like a tower, made of many small incense sticks tied together. The ash looked like it had been burned last night, but she hadn't noticed it when she passed by earlier because she was in a hurry. Why burn incense? And why burn this tower-shaped incense? Bai Fang's questions grew more and more numerous. She asked the restaurant owner, but the owner only smiled and didn't answer. Everyone she asked was the same.

Bai Fang returned to her office, utterly bewildered. She picked up a book but couldn't concentrate. Why? What secrets did Baima Village hold? That strange phenomenon happened the night before last, and yesterday they lit incense.

Lost in thought, Bai Fang heard a knock at the door. Looking up, she saw Zhao Feng. Bai Fang quickly offered him a seat. The other two people in the office weren't there. Bai Fang asked, "Do you know what secrets are hidden here?" Zhao Feng asked, "What secrets?" Bai Fang said, "I don't know either. How about this, tell me what's been going on among your classmates, any strange things that have happened, or any secrets you know about Baima Village."

Since some of the students are children of Baima villagers, it's possible that Bai Fang thinks the students might know more than the teachers.

As expected, Zhao Feng didn't disappoint Bai Fang. He said, "Teacher Bai, you know this is the command post for the Crossing the Yangtze River Campaign, right? Back then, during the battle, many wounded and dead soldiers were brought to Baimiao for treatment. Most of them couldn't be saved, and their bodies were buried over there." Zhao Feng pointed to a piece of land to the west. It was still desolate. Bai Fang glanced at it and then gestured for Zhao Feng to continue. Zhao Feng continued, "So, there are rumors that this school is somewhat haunted." Bai Fang asked, "Have you encountered anything?" Zhao Feng shook his head. "I often patrol the campus and haven't seen anything. Those are just rumors." Bai Fang asked again, "Then why do the villagers burn incense?" Zhao Feng said, "I'm not quite sure about that. I think they burn incense on the first and fifteenth of each month." Bai Fang said, "I understand, thank you."

Zhao Feng got up to leave. Bai Fang suddenly remembered something and asked, "Do you know where Teacher Jiang went?" Zhao Feng said, "I heard she went to graduate school?" "It's alright, you can go back now." Bai Fang waved her hand.

Bai Fang paced back and forth in the office several times, still completely clueless. Jiang Hong, yes, Jiang Hong, let's check that message again, see if she'll send it to me again. She dialed, logged into QQ, but there was no response. However, this time, all the friends she saw were people she recognized.

Nothing much happened that day, so Bai Fang asked her section chief for leave, saying she needed to go back to headquarters to find some materials. Then she rode a bicycle she had borrowed from a student to headquarters.

I didn't arrive until I was drenched in sweat. Ignoring Mr. Zhu's surprised look, I carried all the relevant county records, pictures, and documents from the library back to my dormitory.

Bai Fang's dormitory was a row of mobile homes, dark and damp inside. Fortunately, Bai Fang was a rather carefree girl and didn't have high demands for the little things in life. She just felt that the room was extremely gloomy, but because she firmly believed in her good luck, she was not afraid to live there.

She opened the county annals, along with related documents and pictures, and began to examine them carefully. As she read, Bai Fang took notes. By the time she finished reading the several thick books, it was almost dawn. From these books, she could only gain a general understanding of some history.

Legend has it that White Horse Village existed before Phoenix Mound. In ancient times, a white horse demon wreaked havoc, causing widespread suffering. People migrated elsewhere, but the demon's harm gradually expanded, eventually engulfing the entire prefecture and leaving it deserted. Heaven sent a phoenix to subdue the demon. The phoenix used its power to trap the white horse and instructed the people to dig a river around White Horse Village to imprison the demon, naming it the Juma River. It then used its magic to drive the demon underground and built a temple to suppress it. Because a phoenix had once landed here, the people chose an auspicious place to settle, and the population grew rapidly. This place, formerly known as Phoenix Mound, has a history of over two thousand years. Throughout history, there have been many wars, but the white horse demon never reappeared to cause harm. As the population increased, people gradually migrated back to White Horse Village. Later generations mostly forgot the legend, and even those who did only considered it a myth. During the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, this place was used as a command post due to its advantageous location. The first navy of the People's Republic of China was born here.

Bai Fang drifted into a hazy sleep, seemingly seeing the scene of the white horse spirit and the phoenix battling it out years ago. Just as she vaguely saw the outline of the white horse spirit, the alarm clock rang out with a sound loud enough to wake the entire school, and the sound of students doing their morning exercises could be heard from the playground.

After wiping her face, Bai Fang caught the school bus again.

In her drowsy state on the car, Bai Fang felt the mole between her eyebrows throbbing again.

This is a warning sign. The mole only twitches when something major is about to happen. But it's only been a few days, and it's already twitched twice. Could something truly serious be about to occur?

Upon arriving at the South Campus, Bai Fang could no longer hold on. She asked for leave, went to her dormitory, and collapsed into sleep. Bai Fang was a light sleeper. After falling asleep, she subconsciously focused her energy on her dantian (lower abdomen) and gradually felt her consciousness becoming blurred.

Then I went back to the dream I just had.

Where is this place? It's a desolate wasteland, a sandy, muddy landscape rarely visited by humans. There are a few dilapidated mud huts, but they are all empty; cobwebs have formed on the doors and even on the stoves. Just these few mud houses, and no one else around.

I went to several more places and found the same thing. Nobody was there, still nobody.

Did some major accident happen here? Why is there no one here?

We searched the surrounding area for hundreds of kilometers, but we really couldn't find a single person.

Could it be that I've traveled to prehistoric times, before humanity has evolved to its current level? Bai Fang laughed at herself again, finding it amusing to mix all sorts of things into her dreams.

Thinking of this, Bai Fang suddenly stopped being Bai Fang. Bai Fang looked at her face, and it was...it wasn't a human face! Then she looked at her hands, and when had they turned into wings? Only then did she understand why she could see hundreds of kilometers in just a few minutes.

As darkness fell, Bai Fang soared through the sky. There wasn't a single sign of human habitation, not a single light.

Suddenly, Bai Fang saw thick smoke rising from the ground. Then, the ground cracked open, and a person dressed in white walked out.

Bai Fang quickly landed, waved her hand, and transformed back into human form. She wore golden clothes and had the same face. She stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Excuse me, where is this place? Why is there no one here?"

The man in white laughed wildly twice. Bai Fang looked closely and realized that it was one of Ma Huacheng's men!

Bai Fang was startled, but then saw the white horse reach out to grab her, so she quickly pulled away and ran. She found a place to settle down and summoned the local earth god. He was an old man whose eyebrows and beard were indistinguishable, emaciated and on the verge of death from hunger. Bai Fang learned what had happened and discovered that the white horse spirit had caused harm, and all the villagers had moved away. This explained why all the huts were empty. The earth god's power was limited; he couldn't protect the villagers, and lacking offerings, he was too weak even to walk.

Bai Fang thought to herself, "I must rid the people of this scourge!"

Finding the white horse again, Bai Fang revealed her true form. The white horse was startled, exclaiming, "So it's you!" Before she could say anything, Bai Fang used her magic weapon to knock the white horse back to the ground. She then used half of her primordial spirit to suppress the white horse and went out to search for the people.

After finally finding several hiding villagers, Bai Fang said, "I have trapped Bai Ma. Now, all you need to do is this and that."

Before she could continue, a rapid knocking came from the door, startling Bai Fang awake from her dream, and the scene just now came to an abrupt end.

Who is it? I opened my eyes groggily, opened the door and saw that it was Zhao Feng.

"Teacher, something has happened at school."

"What's up?"

“One of our students, suddenly, suddenly…” Zhao Feng couldn’t continue. Bai Fang got anxious and asked, “Suddenly what?”

Zhao Feng said, "He seems to be dead!"

"What?!"

Faced with this situation, Bai Fang was also losing her composure. Someone dying at school was a very serious matter!

Rushing to the scene, Bai Fang saw that the student had been playing ball near the White Horse Temple. The ball had flown into the temple. The gate was locked, so he climbed a tree onto the wall to retrieve it. His classmate, who was watching him, hadn't noticed anything amiss until he heard a scream, fell from the tree, and then died. Bai Fang stared at the tree, her vision blurring, and what she saw was... the mane of a white horse! Her classmate cried out, "Teacher, teacher, what's wrong?" Bai Fang jolted awake, then could see nothing again.

Bai Fang said solemnly, "From now on, none of you should go near these trees, understand?"

The student asked, "Why?" And, "What should we do about this student?"

Bai Fang felt his pulse and found it was beating unusually slowly; if one weren't careful, it would be almost certain he was dead, and his body was gradually cooling down. However, Bai Fang had a gut feeling that he was still alive. After pondering for a while, she said, "Carry him back to the dormitory; he's still alive."