Kuang Feifan’s eyes widened, fixed on the computer screen, his gaze filled with horror. The surveillance footage playing showed the camera was aimed directly at the hospital bed, perfectly capturing the scene where He Shaoqing, who had been lying motionless on his back, slowly sat up. The manner in which he sat up was bizarre, as if an invisible string were slowly pulling him upright until he was seated, causing the blanket to slide down to his lower body, revealing his hospital gown.

Kuang Feifan scrutinized He Shaoqing’s face on the screen. Because the resolution of the surveillance footage was not very high, coupled with inevitable losses during the restoration process, his expression couldn't be clearly discerned, but it was evident that his entire body was rigid, and his eyes appeared to remain tightly shut.

He Shaoqing sat for a moment, then twisted his body, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. Due to the suddenness of the turn, the ECG monitor attached to his chest abruptly tore loose.

He Shaoqing seemed unconcerned. He slowly slid off the bed onto the floor and stood straight. After standing for a while, he began to cock his head and move his neck, apparently stretching and exercising his body.

All these movements were precisely what a long-bedridden person might do upon suddenly regaining the ability to get up, attempting to restore physical function. Suddenly, he paused his movements and began feeling around his lower body with his hands.

Seeing this, Kuang Feifan couldn't help but raise a fist to cover his mouth, lest he cry out. He Shaoqing’s sudden action appeared somewhat unsettling, but moments later, Kuang Feifan realized why: He Shaoqing suddenly yanked, pulling out the catheter inserted in his lower body.

Kuang Feifan instinctively flinched. However, He Shaoqing in the video didn't seem bothered. After moving around for about three or four minutes, he was able to lift a leg and walk forward. It was at this point that his body stiffened, and his head suddenly snapped to the side, his face turning directly toward the camera, as if he had become aware of the surveillance.

Kuang Feifan couldn’t help but sit up straighter, narrowing his eyes to stare intently at the screen. He watched as He Shaoqing turned and began walking toward the camera, step by deliberate step. As he neared the lens, he tilted his head back, and his eyes, which had been tightly shut, suddenly flew open.

Kuang Feifan instinctively leaned back, only then realizing that, at some point, his own body had also become somewhat stiff. He was horrified to see that He Shaoqing’s eyes were completely black—no white sclera, no iris, no pupil, just an expanse of absolute blackness.

In that instant, Kuang Feifan felt a chill course through his entire body. His vision blurred, and his mind spun dizzily. Suddenly, he perceived his surroundings as utterly empty, as if suspended in dark, open space, sitting alone on a chair, with no up, down, left, or right to anchor him.

Kuang Feifan cried out in terror, momentarily lost. Just then, a melody, clear and pure as heavenly music, began to play, seeming to instantly cleave through the infinite darkness.

“Namo Tadyathā Om Mani Padme Hum…”

As the sound reached Kuang Feifan’s ears, his senses immediately returned, and the image of the room reappeared before his eyes.

Kuang Feifan realized that in just that brief moment, he was drenched in cold sweat. The music continued to play, and he finally understood it was his mobile phone ringing.

Could the phone ringtone have pulled him back from the darkness?

He recalled that this ringtone was the one Bai Ru had set for him when they broke up recently. She had said it was the sound of the Great Compassion Mantra in Sanskrit, good for calming the mind, but he never expected it to have such efficacy.

In reality, Kuang Feifan was unaware that it wasn't merely the Sanskrit ringtone of the Great Compassion Mantra; the chanting itself had stimulated the spiritual energy within the prayer beads around his wrist, which was what pulled him back from the dark hallucination.

However, at that moment, these details were secondary. Kuang Feifan swiftly retrieved his phone.

It was Bai Ru calling. As he answered, his gaze involuntarily dropped to the computer screen, only to realize the restored surveillance footage had reached its end. Looking at the screen turn black after playback stopped, he couldn't help but recall those eyes, entirely filled with blackness.

He quickly averted his gaze, but those eyes seemed to keep surfacing, making it impossible to look anywhere in the room without seeing them.

He rose from the chair and bolted out of the room, forcing himself to regulate his breathing until he could manage to speak calmly with Bai Ru.

Bai Ru was quite shocked when he recounted the experience. After thinking for a moment, she told Kuang Feifan that He Shaoqing was very likely possessed by a malevolent spirit, possibly the petty ghost from the haunted building.

Kuang Feifan found this hard to believe and asked, “Did that little ghost really escape?”

Bai Ru paused thoughtfully. “Not necessarily, perhaps only a part of it. And clearly, even this portion is quite powerful, because when I was treating his injuries, I didn't sense anything unusual.”

“Why would that be?”

“I suspect that perhaps a fragment of that ghost had been lurking inside you, waiting to control your body after you died. But I cleared out the corpse poison. It had to wait for an opportunity and decided to take direct control of the still-comatose He Shaoqing instead.”

Kuang Feifan let out a confused “Mm.”

Bai Ru explained, “Controlling a corpse is easier than controlling a living person. Besides, don’t forget what day it was yesterday.”

Kuang Feifan suddenly understood: “The sixteenth.”

Bai Ru didn't speak, merely sighing softly.

Kuang Feifan frowned and asked, “So where would He Shaoqing go now?”

Bai Ru gave a wry smile. “Hard to say. He might return to the small building, or he could be hiding in some corner of the city, or he might even come looking for you.”

“What?” Kuang Feifan started.

“If his resentment toward you is deep enough, it’s highly probable he’ll seek you out,” Bai Ru said, sounding worried.

Kuang Feifan raised a hand to cover his forehead, sighing in resignation. “Do I have to fight He Shaoqing?”

Bai Ru looked quite concerned. “Feifan, the He Shaoqing now is not the usual one. Possessed by a ghost, his movements and actions could surpass normal human limits. The only hope now is that He Shaoqing can offer some resistance on a subconscious level.”

“Huh?” Kuang Feifan didn’t quite follow.

“He Shaoqing is only in a coma; we hope he still retains some of his own consciousness, enough to repel the spirit attached to him,” Bai Ru tried to explain as plainly as possible.

Kuang Feifan massaged his throbbing head, unsure what to say. After a long pause, he could only murmur, “Let’s hope so.”

After another stretch of silence, Kuang Feifan suddenly remembered Bai Ru’s situation and couldn't help but ask, “By the way, how are things on your end?”

Bai Ru tried to keep her tone light. “Investigating the school murders. Nothing too major for now.”

Kuang Feifan knew her situation was also quite thorny and didn't want her to worry about him anymore. He said, “I’ll keep a closer eye on things here too. Don't worry too much about me; you need to be careful yourself.”

Bai Ru gave him a few more reminders, stressing that he absolutely must not go near the small building again. Then, with noticeable reluctance, they hung up.

Kuang Feifan ejected the master tape and completely shredded the restored footage on the computer before hurrying out of the appraisal center.

Outside the center’s doors, he called Xu Hui and told him about the surveillance footage. Upon hearing about the bizarre situation He Shaoqing exhibited in the recording, Xu Hui clicked his tongue in astonishment.

Kuang Feifan asked about the progress of Xu Hui’s investigation into the small building incident. Xu Hui admitted it wasn't easy, but there had been some headway, so they agreed to meet in person somewhere to exchange information.

Kuang Feifan agreed, but emphatically stated they absolutely could not meet on the rooftop again.

“Come to my place, it’s closer to the precinct,” Kuang Feifan suggested.

“Sounds good. Got any beer?” Xu Hui asked.

Kuang Feifan wondered if this guy had a drinking problem. After giving him his home address, Xu Hui promptly hung up.

Driving back home, as Kuang Feifan pushed open the door, he was suddenly overcome by a sense of profound relief. He shut the door behind him and immediately collapsed onto the bed. An irresistible wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he couldn't fight his consciousness any longer, slipping into sleep shortly thereafter.

He didn't know how long he slept, but when Kuang Feifan suddenly woke up, he felt sweat slicking his entire body. He opened his eyes and saw that the room was dimly lit.

Was it already night?

Kuang Feifan rubbed his eyes and looked out the window—indeed, night had fallen.

He raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow, noticing the air in the room felt noticeably humid.

About to rain?

Kuang Feifan climbed out of bed, stretched his limbs, and walked toward the window, intending to open it for some fresh air. He also needed to call Xu Hui; the man hadn't shown up yet.

Just as he neared the window, he suddenly felt a gust of cold wind brush against his face. Kuang Feifan shivered, staring intently at the tightly shut window.