As a figure appeared within the beam of the flashlight, both Bai Ru and Gu Yi flinched. Bai Ru, with her sharp eyes, immediately recognized the figure ahead as Principal Hao, who had been missing for a long time. Gu Yi, however, saw with his Clairvoyance that the person in front was carrying a grimacing imp on his back.
“It’s Principal Hao,” Bai Ru whispered.
“There’s a ghost on his back,” Gu Yi said, almost simultaneously.
Principal Hao now looked withered and utterly inhuman. His legs seemed to drag along the ground as he moved, his face as white as if plastered with plain paper. His features were contorted, suggesting he was in extreme agony, his lips trembling slightly as if murmuring to himself.
Gu Yi’s hearing was extraordinarily acute. Though Principal Hao’s voice was faint, Gu Yi caught every word, his expression immediately solemn. He murmured softly, “He’s actually still alive?”
Bai Ru started and asked, “How?”
Gu Yi whispered, “He keeps repeating one phrase: ‘Save me…’”
Bai Ru’s face changed, and she started to move forward.
Gu Yi immediately extended his arm to stop her, whispering, “Don’t act rashly. There’s something wrong here.”
Bai Ru frowned. She knew Gu Yi had his reasons, but the person ahead was an elder; she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she knew she could help but didn't.
Gu Yi naturally understood Bai Ru’s temperament and explained, “The imp on his back has its grip around his neck, and I suspect there’s foul play involved.”
Bai Ru halted, asking helplessly, “So what do we do now?”
Gu Yi cautiously scanned their surroundings. Apart from the slow shuffle of Principal Hao’s steps, no other sound reached them. He knew that if they couldn't save Principal Hao, Bai Ru might not necessarily be angry with him, but she would certainly feel miserable, so he sighed softly and said, “We’d best wait for him to approach.”
Bai Ru looked quite disappointed. “That’s your plan?”
Gu Yi gave a wry smile. “If either of us moves now, we risk that imp cutting Principal Hao’s throat first. Do you think that’s acceptable?”
Bai Ru could only concede, “No.”
Gu Yi continued, “Besides, I don’t think Principal Hao appeared at this moment just to grant us an audience.”
Bai Ru’s expression flickered uncertainly, laced with worry. “Could this just be a tactic to stall us?”
Gu Yi froze for a moment, his face darkening. “Don’t say that—if that’s true, it seems to have worked. Do you have an idea?”
Bai Ru’s gaze dimmed, and she murmured, “Are you saying that because you want me to make the decision?”
Gu Yi appeared slightly awkward but finally nodded. “Yes. If we rush over now, there’s a fifty percent chance of saving Principal Hao.”
Bai Ru remained silent for a long time before finally resolving herself. “Let’s do it. Otherwise, we’ll just waste time here; this isn’t a solution.”
Gu Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said, “I sense Principal Hao’s Yang energy is almost depleted. The ‘Three Inches’ between him and the imp on his back might be hard to locate now. We should switch positions—I’ll go in front to draw attention, and you flank from the side to strike the imp’s arm, aiming to stop it before it can deliver a fatal blow to Principal Hao’s neck.”
Bai Ru took a deep breath. She understood what Gu Yi meant by the ‘Three Inches,’ also known as the Yang Gap. Generally, possession by an evil spirit doesn't mean the spirit physically enters the body; it usually attaches to the person’s back or chest, more often the back. There are many old stories, especially in rural areas, about children seeing an older man constantly carrying someone on his back—that is often an evil spirit attached, perhaps lacking the strength at the time to fully control the host’s body.
As for the Yang Gap, it exists because a person always possesses some level of Yang energy. Thus, spirits that fear Yang energy cannot cling directly to the body but must maintain a distance of about three inches from the host’s body. This distance is called the Three Inches or the Yang Gap.
Masters with Clairvoyance usually begin resolving possession by using their sight to pinpoint the Three Inches between the spirit and the host, then using their ghost-catching artifacts to strike that exact spot, severing the connection between the evil spirit and the person. Whether the ghost is sealed or destroyed depends on the situation.
Since Gu Yi now said Principal Hao’s Yang energy was almost undetectable, it was indeed troublesome. Bai Ru could see ghosts, but if a ghost deliberately concealed its form, she could only see a shadow—a result of her acquired Heavenly Eye. However, she possessed the Demon Subduing Rod, which is why Gu Yi wanted her to act; the Rod is the bane of all evil spirits.
With the plan finalized, the two immediately moved. Gu Yi strode forward, walking directly toward Principal Hao, while Bai Ru followed behind, ready to slip to the side to strike at any moment.
Unexpectedly, after only about ten paces, a sharp, piercing voice suddenly cut through the emptiness of the sewer: “Halt. Take one more step and you will regret it.”
Both Bai Ru and Gu Yi were startled. This voice definitely did not come from Principal Hao. Gu Yi searched intently, but the echoing acoustics of the sewer made it momentarily impossible to pinpoint the sound’s origin.
The pair stopped, waiting to hear what else the voice had to say.
At that moment, Principal Hao, standing opposite them, also stopped. He stood there askew, even his continuous mumbling ceased, and he stared straight ahead with a blank expression.
Now, Bai Ru could no longer see the desperate look he had when he intercepted her on the Yin-Yang Road that night. She believed the evil spirit possessing him had driven his body to its absolute limit.
Gu Yi sighed softly. He could sense that Principal Hao’s condition was dire, frankly reaching the point of the lamp running dry. Even if rescued, he might not live much longer.
Seeing Principal Hao’s state, Bai Ru knew just how terrible things were, but she couldn't just watch him die at the hands of the spirit on his back.
An unnatural silence descended upon the sewer. After a while, Gu Yi suddenly spoke in a languid tone, “Who are you, and what do you want?”
After another pause, the voice sounded again: “Get out of here. Don’t come back.”
Gu Yi adjusted his dark glasses, a faint smile touching the corner of his mouth. “Who are you?”
The voice replied, “Don’t ask. Leave, and I’ll release this old man.”
Gu Yi’s expression became intensely serious. He didn't believe the speaker was an ordinary person; few would willingly reside in a sewer. And if the speaker wasn't human but a ghost, then they faced a rather troublesome opponent—one that clearly possessed its own intelligence, not merely a vengeful spirit driven by obsession.
Bai Ru realized this too. The words spoken were coherent, and the intent was clear: if they left the sewer, their safety would be assured. Was this because the speaker knew it couldn't defeat them, or was it another scheme?
Both found themselves in a difficult position. Clearly, if they ignored the voice, Principal Hao was doomed, as Gu Yi could see the imp’s claw-like hand already dug into the flesh of Principal Hao’s neck, positioned precisely near the carotid artery—a slight squeeze could sever it.
If they complied and retreated, not only would they return empty-handed, but they might also fail to save Principal Hao. If word got out, they would lose face and substance completely.
Standing behind him, Bai Ru tapped lightly on his back three times with her fingers. Gu Yi instantly understood her unspoken message; such subtle gestures were only clear between the two of them.
Gu Yi clasped his hands behind his back, puffed out his chest, and said with a degree of arrogance, “It’s not impossible for us to retreat, but how do we know you’ll release our friend? I clearly see my friend’s neck being choked tightly. That hardly shows good faith, does it?”
The voice paused, then suddenly said, “Step back a little, and I’ll show you some sincerity.”
Gu Yi and Bai Ru slowly retreated a few steps. They watched as the imp behind Principal Hao slowly loosened the hand clutching his neck, the spirit’s body pulling slightly away from the host.
The voice rang out, “See? Once you leave, I will send this old man out.”
The moment the words fell, Bai Ru’s voice suddenly broke in, “They say ghosts are full of lies. How can we trust you?”
The other party clearly faltered, then the already high-pitched voice suddenly escalated several degrees, sounding quite frantic. “What? Who said I’m a ghost? I’m not a ghost…”
As his voice grew shriller, the imp that had moved away from Principal Hao immediately slumped back onto his shoulders.
Gu Yi quickly said, “Relax, relax. We don’t know what you are, we were just saying.” As he spoke, he listened closely and faintly detected heavy, ragged breathing—the sound of someone truly angry. Could the source of the shrill voice actually be human?
After a long moment, the voice suddenly broke into a cold laugh. “It’s only because you don’t know what I am that you keep your lives. You should be chanting Buddha’s name once you’re out.”
Gu Yi let out a heavy “Hmph.” Without any warning, Bai Ru, positioned behind him, abruptly shoved his back. Using that momentum, Gu Yi lunged forward, the hand he kept behind him emerging with the Demon Subduing Rod gripped in his right hand, thrusting it forward straight toward Principal Hao’s head.
This sudden action was truly unexpected. The evil spirit clinging to Principal Hao’s back seemed unprepared and made no move until the voice shrieked, “No…” Then, the spirit swung its hand toward Principal Hao’s neck.