Spirit Reaper - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Room 419 — The Rumors of the Senior in Red are True…

Returning to the vicinity of the abandoned dormitory, Yu Wuyi was startled to find that the resentment surrounding the building was even thicker than it had been yesterday.

In just one day, how could this aura have intensified so suddenly?

She couldn’t delay any longer. Everything had to be settled today. If she let this thing fester, the consequences would be far worse than just a sky-high pile of resentment.

Yu Wuyi wasted no time, scouting the perimeter like a restless horse to find a way inside.

The area within ten meters of the dormitory was tightly enclosed by a sturdy iron fence. The top was even fitted with spikes and an electric grid. The tiny spark of an idea she had about climbing over was instantly and ruthlessly extinguished.

As darkness fell, the waist-high weeds severely restricted her vision and movement. Although the place was desolate and usually devoid of people, she didn’t dare make too much noise. After all, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Carefully switching on her phone’s flashlight, she crouched down to continue searching for a point of entry.

Against this iron mesh, she had one more trick up her sleeve.

Hard work paid off. After half an hour of searching, she actually found a vulnerable spot. Looking at a small gap in the mesh near the ground, Yu Wuyi impatiently pulled a pair of pre-prepared wire cutters from her bag.

With a swift snip, she soon cut a hole in the fence just large enough for a person to crawl through.

After scrambling through the gap somewhat disheveled, Yu Wuyi was finally able to approach the dormitory building itself.

The closer she got, the denser the resentment became, even starting to exert a subtle influence on her thoughts. A surge of immense sorrow welled up from deep within her, flooding her limbs. Her eyes began to sting with unshed tears for no reason, and her neck felt as if it were being squeezed by a giant iron pincer, making it hard to breathe.

Why… why am I so sad?

Suppressing the inexplicable emotion, Yu Wuyi ducked her head and walked toward the dormitory entrance. She hadn’t gone far when she collided violently with someone coming the other way in the darkness.

The distinct, charred smell of burnt silver foil drifted into her nostrils on the wind.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She couldn’t see the person’s face, but from the voice, she could tell it was a middle-aged man.

His footsteps were frantic. After a quick apology, he hurried away, giving Yu Wuyi no chance to speak. As he left, the burnt smell gradually faded until it vanished into the wind.

“What bad luck… running into someone even at a time like this.” Rubbing her dizzy head, Yu Wuyi chalked it up to misfortune. Just as she was about to leave, she felt her foot step on a round object.

She bent down to pick it up. After confirming the man had truly left, she turned her flashlight back on.

It was a silver pocket watch, reflecting a piercing glare under the light. It was clear the owner had taken great care of it; the only few scratches on the casing looked fresh.

This watch must belong to the man she just ran into.

Looking at the shattered glass of the watch face, Yu Wuyi clicked her tongue in pity. She was about to put it in her pocket when she accidentally triggered a hidden latch on the side.

With a crisp click, a slightly yellowed photograph of two people appeared before her eyes.

The photo showed a man and a woman. The girl on the left wore a red dress, leaning shyly against the man’s shoulder with a sweet smile. The man on the right looked equally happy.

A handsome couple—they truly looked perfect together.

Yu Wuyi had only seen the “photo-in-a-pocket-watch” trope in movies and dramas; she didn’t expect to encounter it in real life. She had to admit, it was quite romantic.

However, the man in the photo looked somewhat familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before. Yu Wuyi frowned, trying to grasp the thread of memory, but it remained just out of reach.

Whatever, business first. She would resolve the resentment in this building and then return the watch to its owner.

Pocketing the watch, Yu Wuyi took long strides toward the dormitory. The sound of her clothes brushing against the weeds, her footsteps, and the snapping of dry twigs masked a sound she failed to notice: an extra set of footsteps.

…

As she approached the tightly shut dormitory doors, the same burnt smell she had noticed on the man grew stronger. Yu Wuyi looked around and soon spotted a brazier hidden in the weeds, its embers not yet fully extinguished.

How irresponsible. The weather was dry; if the surrounding grass caught fire, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Yu Wuyi had no choice but to help clean up the mess. While doing so, she sifted through the unburnt items in the brazier. To her surprise, besides the usual silver foil and paper gold ingots used for offerings, there were handwritten letters.

Only a corner of the letter paper remained; the rest had long since turned to ash. The only legible words in the messy handwriting were “I’m sorry” and “It was all my fault.”

Hmph. Which scumbag came here to repent?

Yu Wuyi rolled her eyes, tossed the paper back, and walked into the building.

Pushing open the heavy doors, she was greeted by the scent of damp earth. The temperature plunged to the freezing point instantly. The door seemed to act as a barrier, separating two completely different worlds.

According to the forum posts, the “Senior in Red” had hung herself in Room 419. Her lingering resentment was so strong that it affected her roommates; only one of the three survived. The other two died in horrifying ways after a series of supernatural events. Rumor had it that L University spent a fortune in resources to suppress the incident and pacify the families.

With her heart in her throat, Yu Wuyi found the path strangely clear. She reached the fourth floor without incident. She had mentally prepared herself for what kind of terrifying ghosts she might face and how to fight them, but she hadn’t even seen a shadow yet.

Curiously, the resentment that had surrounded the building seemed to weaken once she was inside. She could barely sense it anymore.

“Creak—”

“Who’s there?!” The sharp, piercing sound of a metal door swinging made Yu Wuyi flinch. She swung her flashlight toward the source.

It was a room at the far end of the corridor. The door was half-open, swaying slightly as if inviting her to visit.

The long, narrow corridor seemed endless, covered in dense spiderwebs. A draft swept past her, making her shiver. Even walking slowly, every step kicked up a cloud of dust.

Carefully approaching the door, Yu Wuyi looked at the room number. When she saw the digits, her heart hammered against her ribs.

“419…”

This couldn’t be a coincidence. The Senior in Red was real; Yu Wuyi was certain of it.

“Bang—!” Another gust of wind—or so it seemed—and the door to 419 slammed shut right in her face, kicking up a cloud of dust.

That slam was clearly too heavy for a mere draft. The echo vibrated for over ten seconds before fading.

What’s this supposed to mean? First you make noise to lure me over, and now you shut me out? How rude.

Annoyed at being given the cold shoulder, Yu Wuyi took three sticks of incense from her bag and lit them. She placed them in a small burner in front of the door, knelt down, and began to ring her Spirit-Summoning Bell.

“Soul, return. Soul, return. If there are lingering ties to the past, speak them quickly.”

While chanting and ringing the bell, she kept a close eye on the incense. The three sticks began to burn at a frantic speed—a sure sign that a ghost was present.

“Since you’re here, don’t hide. Do you dare show yourself?”

“Clatter—” The moment the words left her mouth, all three sticks of incense went out simultaneously. Then, they snapped at the base and fell to the floor.

Incense extinguishing without wind is a “Cut Incense”—a sign of a ghost’s interference and a troubled house. Furthermore, when the embers travel down to the root and break the sticks, it is “Gouged Incense”—an omen of impending disaster, evil spirits at the door, and a sign of an obsessive, vengeful creditor.

So, you don’t want to talk nicely…

Yu Wuyi stood up and knocked four times on the door of 419. “If you don’t open the door, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

No response.

“Knock, knock, knock, knock—” Four more times.

Still nothing.

Gritting her teeth, Yu Wuyi walked to the neighboring Room 418, which was also locked, and delivered a sharp kick.

“Bang—!” As expected, the door was old and poorly maintained; it flew open easily.

Having tested her strength, she returned to 419. She raised her foot to kick, but at that exact moment, a sound came from behind the door.

“Thump—” “Thump—” “Thump—” “Thump—”

Exactly four times. Each knock was slow, heavy, and deliberate. Yu Wuyi could see the door vibrating with every impact.

“You won’t show yourself, yet you play these tricks? What is your intent?” She couldn’t take it anymore and kicked the door hard.

But just as her foot swung out, the previously locked door swung inward of its own accord. The kick hit nothing but air, nearly sending her face-planting into the room.

Feeling like she was being played, an angry Yu Wuyi threw a talisman into the open room: “Go!”

The talisman flew inward and stuck firmly to the edge of the bed closest to the door. Following a shrill scream, the talisman burst into flames, briefly illuminating the pitch-black room.

In those few seconds, Yu Wuyi finally saw the ghosts that refused to appear: three female spirits—one in red and two in white—surrounded by a dense, ghostly miasma.

The rumors were true.

I can’t move recklessly!

Realizing the danger, she turned to leave. But at that moment, footsteps sounded behind her. Before she could react, she felt a cold sensation against her throat.

Looking down, she saw a fruit knife glinting with a cold light, pressed firmly against her neck. A slight pull from the person behind her would be enough to slice through her skin.

“Since you’re here, don’t be in such a hurry to leave.”