The Three Pure Ones' Secret: Expressing Spirit

Zhou Xing caught his breath for a moment, then looked at me in the darkness and asked, "That light didn't catch up with you, did it?"

I was a little unsure how to answer. I was afraid that if I told them the light had drifted into my body and that I was perfectly fine, it might scare them.

So I told a lie. Luckily it was very dark, and they couldn't see anything wrong with me: "No, but we almost caught up. Luckily you reacted quickly."

Zhou Xing said with a touch of smug pride, "Of course, how could I be like a dead turtle, just yelling and screaming when something happens?"

I actually had some reservations because Zhou Xing was really disloyal just now. If Wang Xiaoshuai hadn't caught up quickly, I reckon if we had been any slower, this guy would have definitely kicked us while we were down and just closed the lid without us even noticing. And this guy is quite good at pretending. He was probably quite frightened just now, but he can still be so calm now. That can only mean that he's not afraid, but he can control his fear and not show it, so he won't make us laugh at him.

I carefully examined my body, but after feeling it for a long time, apart from the sticky feeling from my clothes soaked with cold sweat, I felt no discomfort anywhere.

But how did that lotus lamp get inside my body? And the bone-chilling cold it felt when it touched me didn't seem like my imagination. Was I dreaming all of this? I was unsure, so I reached into my pocket and pinched my thigh, only to be immediately met with a piercing pain.

I saw that all of this was real, not a dream, but I still couldn't understand why all of this was happening.

Seeing that the surroundings were only dimly lit by the moonlight, Zhou Xing said to Wang Xiaoshuai, "Let's not delay any longer. Before that strange lamp appears, let's go find the classroom we just came from."

I was speechless. Damn it! Of course nothing happened; that thing had already gone inside my body. But whether it was a hallucination or something real, I couldn't tell anymore.

I didn't have time to think too much, so we walked towards the old classrooms one by one. We searched for a long time and wandered around for ages, but we still couldn't find the old classroom we had just come in from.

The group froze on the spot. Had they encountered a "ghost wall"? "Ghost wall" is a very broad term, often used to explain strange occurrences, such as getting lost and unable to find the way in or out. However, many times it's simply due to geographical factors or architectural design that misleads the eye or sense of direction. But what happened to us was very strange. We had already walked a huge circle after leaving the bushes, carefully checking every classroom, but we still couldn't find the one we came from.

Just as the group was in despair, I also felt a strange fear. The lamp had already frightened us quite a bit from the beginning, but it didn't seem to harm people. It disappeared after touching my body. Could there be other demons or monsters?

Thinking of this, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine. The lotus-shaped white lamp was indeed terrifying, but it wasn't a real ghost or monster. After we arrived here, that inexplicable strange lamp appeared. Why didn't any real demons or monsters appear? Could it be that the truly frightening thing had been toying with the three of us all along?

The more I thought about it, the more desperate I became. Could it be that something really wanted to kill us, and was toying with us before killing us? But I couldn't understand it. Were we going to be trapped and die in this place?

The three of them were at a loss. Wang Xiaoshuai was too tired to walk any further, so he said to us, "We can't walk anymore. Let's just give up and wait here until dawn."

Zhou Xing grew anxious and complained, "It's still daylight! We were fine when we came in, but now the way out has vanished. You're still hoping for daylight? I'm afraid the three of us will be dead before dawn!"

Wang Xiaoshuai, panting heavily, asked helplessly, "What should we do then?"

Zhou Xing seemed to have an idea: "If we really can't find it, it's okay. We can just set a fire here, and someone will come soon enough. There's another way: we can just find any classroom we came from, pry open the wooden bars of the window, and go out."

Obviously, the first method won't work. If we really set fire to it, I estimate we'll be in jail. Breaking through the fence is a reasonable solution. Anyway, this dilapidated classroom has been abandoned for so many years, and nobody cares if a window breaks.

So the three of them made up their minds and searched for a long time before finding the leg of a broken desk in the old classroom.

We didn't go to any other classrooms. Instead, we strained hard against the wooden window railing, and with a sharp crack, we pried it open. We were about to climb out, but Wang Xiaoshuai quickly called out, "Hey, brothers, it's easy for you to get out, but you have to think about me!"

We looked at him, and Zhou Xing teased him with a smile, "Who told you to get so fat? Call me Uncle Zhou, and I'll help you pry off another one!"

Wang Xiaoshuai jokingly retorted, "Uncle Zhou, you son of a bitch, I'll do it myself!"

He picked up a table leg, wedged it against the wooden fence, and with a sharp twist, pried one of the railings off with a snap. Then, not forgetting to mock Zhou Xing, he said, "Don't forget to wash my socks for a week when you get back, bro!"

Zhou Xing ignored him and climbed out the window. I followed him, and the three of us left the old classroom and came to a thicket overgrown with shrubs and thorns. Although we didn't know which way to go, we could smell a terrible stench coming from the garbage dump.

So we headed towards the source of the stench and soon arrived at the garbage dump. It seems we weren't just stuck in a maze; we had genuinely forgotten the classroom we came from.

We walked past the garbage heap and arrived at the corner of the teaching building's restroom. I suddenly felt that the surroundings didn't smell so bad anymore, as if I had been reborn from a disaster. I couldn't help but look back, feeling so relieved that everything was alright!

But turning around was a mistake; it scared me half to death. I saw a blurry woman in white standing in the direction of the old classroom in the direction of the garbage dump, looking at me. I stared at her in fear, then rubbed my eyes to try and see more clearly, but there was no one there except for the garbage dump that looked particularly messy in the moonlight.

I'm absolutely certain I didn't see wrong. There was definitely a figure on the road we just walked, but it vanished into thin air as if it had never existed.

I don't know what that figure was, but even though we got to the old classroom, we didn't do anything wrong. Even if there was a ghost, it shouldn't have bothered us for no reason. No, it should have bothered me. Wang Xiaoshuai and Zhou Xing next to me seemed to be completely unaffected.

I don't understand why all this happened, and nothing happened after we left, but I couldn't fall asleep that night no matter how much I tossed and turned.

I stayed up all night, not sleeping a wink, until the next morning when the sunrise painted half the clouds red. I looked wearily at the clouds dyed crimson by the rising sun, feeling completely dazed. I thought it was all over, but something I never expected still happened.

Actually, none of this should be blamed on us going to the old classroom, because what happened afterward seems to be related to my chronically weak constitution and poor physical condition. But it was precisely because of my physical condition that I met a spirited young man who seemed to be connected to my destiny. He was actually a highly accomplished person, but you can't call him a highly accomplished person; you can only say he was an amazing and miraculous person?

I thought my experience in the old classroom was magical enough, but before I could even come to my senses, I had an even more bizarre and magical dream.

I insisted on finishing all the classes. Because the college entrance examination was approaching, my originally lazy schedule became tense. I endured the sleepiness until the afternoon when school ended. I planned to have dinner and go back to the dormitory for a good sleep, but to my surprise, I developed a high fever and stayed in bed for more than ten days.

I don't know whether I had a high fever or not, but when I woke up, I felt like my whole body was falling apart.

I was very sleepy that night, but when I vaguely came to my senses, everything was blurry before my eyes. I was in a very strange place. Why do I say it was very strange? Because I had never been to this place before.

I was in a dark forest, though not really that dark, like the eve of sunset, where the sun had quietly set, leaving only a dim, yellow sky.

The woods were dark, and a winding gravel path appeared before me. I didn't know where the path led, but behind me was a jungle from which there was no turning back.

Through the winding, gravel path, I saw scattered lights flickering in the distance, seemingly a large cluster of buildings. But it was very far away, and there was no road behind me, so I could only move forward in that direction.

I don't know how long I walked, nor did I feel tired. There was nothing around me to tell the time. After walking for a long time, I finally arrived at the entrance of a large village, but the sky around me did not change at all.

There were many figures moving back and forth in the village. I looked into the distance, but everything was blurry, and I couldn't make out their faces. I was a little unconvinced, so I had no choice but to walk into the village. But when I got there, a strange fear spread through my body. Even though I was very close to them, I still couldn't see their faces. Their outlines were like those in a fog, but I could see their bodies clearly.

Seeing this incomprehensible and bizarre scene filled me with immense horror and fear. What should I do? Where should I go from here?

I am standing next to a large, crooked tree at the entrance of the village. The tree has lost its leaves at some point, leaving only bare branches. Next to the tree stands a huge stone tablet, but the words on it are very strange. I feel like I have seen it somewhere before, but I don't recognize them at all.

The people passing by, their faces obscured, ignored me, continuing on their way as if I were invisible. I stood there, dumbfounded, unsure of what to do. A long time passed, and apart from the occasional passing of faceless people, nothing else changed. I realized this couldn't go on; I needed to find out what kind of place this was.

I originally wanted to go up and ask those people whose faces I couldn't see, but just as I stepped forward to speak, I finally chickened out.

Perhaps I'm just naturally cowardly. Looking back, I've always relied on my parents for everything. At school, it was only when I first met Wang Xiaoshuai that he initiated a conversation, and we eventually became friends. No wonder He Qiaohe used to always call me a coward, saying I'd be like an idiot on my own. Maybe it's because I'm so familiar with her that I can still argue back a bit, but now I feel like I really am the coward she described.

Because I didn't dare to ask anyone, and no one paid any attention to me, I wandered aimlessly into the village. The houses in the village were very strange, all kinds of styles, but I'm not talking about style, but rather the era.

The surrounding buildings were very clean, with virtually no litter or even a fallen leaf. However, the houses were puzzlingly constructed, displaying styles from various eras; I even saw buildings from the Tang and Song dynasties. But I don't know much about architecture; I only know the styles are similar, and I naturally couldn't tell if they were truly from the Tang or Song periods.

I kept walking straight ahead. Although the village was big and there were many intersections, I didn't dare to turn into other intersections to wander around. I was afraid that if I turned, I would forget the way I came.

After walking for a very long time, it suddenly dawned on me that I had only just discovered a very strange place around me. The sky there seemed frozen in time; the clouds remained completely still. There was no wind blowing, and the temperature didn't change at all.

My mind went blank for a moment, filled with doubt. Was time frozen in this place? Did time not change? A sense of confusion washed over me, followed by a feeling of loss and sadness. Perhaps as people grow older, although they grow up, their hearts do not. When faced with things beyond their comprehension, they feel only cowardice and fear.

I wandered aimlessly, lost in sorrow and fear. I don't know how long I walked, but I came to a large city gate. I had no idea what lay inside. There was a large plaque on the gate, but unfortunately, I couldn't read the three large characters. I lowered my head, preparing to walk into the gate, but before I could even enter, I was stopped by two strange figures below.

At first, I was a little scared, thinking they would do something to me, like arresting me or something. But when I saw their faces, a glimmer of hope rose in my heart. Unlike the people I had seen before who were faceless and blurry, their appearances were very clear. Although they looked very ordinary and their clothes were mismatched, with shorts and suits, each of them was holding a long gun.

They stopped me, and I noticed they were carrying a long gun. What era is this? Even the security guards at the school gate are equipped with batons and riot shields. These two guys are carrying long guns. Is this a movie set?

But when I looked closely at the weapons in their hands, the tips of the spears gleamed with a cold light, and the blades looked very sharp, unlike props.