On the fourth day, Jiang Xiuxiu woke up early.
She always had good sleep quality, and after quickly dealing with the ghost yesterday, she was hardly
affected for the rest of the night.
However, it was clear that the others did not have such a good state of mind.
Of the remaining four players, two were eliminated overnight, leaving only one male player, Shu Xin, and
Jiang Xiuxiu.
At breakfast, Shu Xin saw Jiang Xiuxiu, who had claimed she would "commit suicide to exit the game," sitting
there unscathed. She scoffed, turned around, and left without eating.
The male player, on the other hand, was still friendly towards Jiang Xiuxiu and smiled at her.
"Aren't you angry?" he asked.
He gestured towards Shu Xin's back, making his meaning clear.
Jiang Xiuxiu shook her head. "No, I'm not angry."
Of course, she felt a bit frustrated, but it was in the past. She was more interested in getting back at
those who had wronged her.
Moreover, if her suspicions were correct, Shu Xin might not live much longer.
Everyone only had one chance to enter the game. For someone as confident and determined to clear the game as
Shu Xin, this would be a heavy blow.
Jiang Xiuxiu had considered warning Shu Xin, seeing as they were teammates. But Shu Xin's blatant disregard
for her made her decide against it.
In the end, this game was a solo endeavor. No one was obligated to help anyone else. If Shu Xin couldn't see
through the situation, no one could save her.
After breakfast, Jiang Xiuxiu headed to the teachers' office to inquire about Teacher Wang's situation.
Yesterday, out of fear of the blood jade's malevolence and her reluctance to agree to cooperate with the
boss, Jiang Xiuxiu didn't take the blood jade from Teacher Wang.
She guessed that once Teacher Wang woke up, he would be influenced by the blood jade to do other things.
As expected, when she mentioned "Teacher Wang," all the NPCs in the office turned pale.
"Him? Who would have thought Teacher Wang could do such a thing?"
"That was his wife and child. His daughter was only two or three years old, and he could do that?"
"I wonder what happened. Could it really be related to that girl from before?"
Amidst the NPCs' anxious chatter, Jiang Xiuxiu quickly pieced together what had happened the previous day.
Just as she had suspected, after waking up, Teacher Wang took an axe and killed his wife and daughter at
home. Finally, in his agony, he ended his own life with the axe.
It was almost identical to the massacre that occurred on August 13.
"Who reported it?" Jiang Xiuxiu suddenly asked, having thought of something.
"The principal, I think," a teacher responded. "After seeing Teacher Wang's leave request, he felt something
was wrong and went to check on him. The police were here investigating him earlier."
Teacher Wang's wife was the daughter of Cihe Academy's principal, so it made sense for him to visit his
daughter.
Thanking them, Jiang Xiuxiu quickly left.
Recalling the location of the principal's office, she hurried over.
The principal's office was on the first floor of the office building, not far from the teachers' office.
Due to the summer heat, the principal had left the door open to let in some fresh air.
Seizing the opportunity, Jiang Xiuxiu quietly approached and peeked through the door.
The principal sat motionless in his chair in front of the desk.
He looked utterly exhausted, with drooping eyelids, dark circles under his eyes, disheveled hair, and
wrinkled clothes—clearly devastated.
But soon, Jiang Xiuxiu's heart sank.
At that moment, the principal was staring intently at something in his hand.
It was about palm-sized, with a strange shape and a dark red color.
It was the blood jade she had seen in Teacher Wang's hand.
Now, it had passed from Teacher Wang to the principal, beginning to influence its new owner.
Watching this scene, Jiang Xiuxiu realized the main storyline of the game was finally being revealed.
The scandal between Teacher Wang and Li Xiaoxiao was merely a prelude to the blood jade's existence, or
perhaps a cover.
From the moment Teacher Wang unearthed the blood jade, it had started passing from hand to hand, bringing
endless death, like a curse.
Jiang Xiuxiu thought to herself.
She lacked the power to stop the blood jade and feared its influence. In this situation, there was nothing
she could do.
Having confirmed the blood jade's current possessor, she turned to leave.
But as she turned, she was startled to find someone standing behind her.
It was Xu Bai.
The handsome young man in a clean white shirt stood under a large banyan tree outside the office.
Sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, casting dappled light on him.
He stood a bit away from her, as if he had been waiting for a while.
When he saw Jiang Xiuxiu looking at him, he turned slightly and smiled at her. "I heard you had a falling
out with your teammate last night."
Instead of directly asking if she had considered cooperating, he brought up this topic.
Jiang Xiuxiu knew he had two reasons for doing so.
First, Xu Bai was hinting that he had been keeping an eye on her.
Secondly, Xu Bai believed it was unnecessary to ask Jiang Xiuxiu again because, being cornered and isolated,
she would have no choice but to agree.
And he was right.
“There was a slight misunderstanding between us,” Jiang Xiuxiu said.
After speaking, she walked towards Xu Bai.
When she reached his side, she slightly lifted her head and deliberately sized him up.
A few seconds later, she suddenly asked, "Is it true that you can't touch the blood jade?"
Xu Bai narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"Just a conversation," Jiang Xiuxiu said calmly. "Since we're going to cooperate, we should understand each
other, shouldn't we?"
"Talk?" Xu Bai laughed.
He reached out and grabbed Jiang Xiuxiu's face forcefully.
His fingers were exceptionally cold, and the piercing chill seeped into her skin.
His smile remained innocent, but his dark eyes gleamed with a terrifying coldness.
"I don't want any surprises," he whispered, "and I don't like people thinking they're clever. Understand?"
He was very close to her, scrutinizing her face for any signs of deception.
He was warning her.
In an instant, Jiang Xiuxiu understood.
She felt sweat in her palms but maintained a slight smile. "Don't worry, I'm always honest."
Xu Bai studied her suspiciously for a while. Seeing her calm demeanor and recalling her usual behavior, his
doubts slowly dissipated. "I hope you're telling the truth."
"Of course," Jiang Xiuxiu said, unflustered. "Your strength far surpasses Shu Xin's. The tragedy of Teacher
Wang's family pained me deeply. If I don't cooperate with you, why would I harm you?"
Jiang Xiuxiu's words were quite convincing.
Her explanation dispelled Xu Bai's lingering doubts.
"What you said just now is true."
Xu Bai released his grip on her face and said slowly, "I really can't touch the blood jade. Its malevolent
energy is too strong; I can't get close."
He admitted it.
Jiang Xiuxiu wasn't surprised.
Given Xu Bai's abilities, even if he could only appear for five minutes a day, he wouldn't need anyone
else's help to handle the blood jade if he could touch it.
"What do you need me to do?" Jiang Xiuxiu asked.
"I need you to get the jade for me," Xu Bai said, "and then wait for me at the school gate by midnight."
He seemed to think of something and added, "You won't be affected if you don't touch the jade."
He didn't specify the consequences of failing, but Jiang Xiuxiu understood them clearly.
When you bargain with a tiger, you must be prepared to be bitten if something goes wrong.
However, even a salted fish can sometimes make a surprising move.
"Don't worry, I'll be there by midnight," Jiang Xiuxiu replied, giving Xu Bai a meaningful smile.
After parting with Xu Bai, Jiang Xiuxiu spent the rest of the time waiting for an opportunity to get the
blood jade.
It seemed the jade had a peculiar attraction to its owner. Both the principal and Teacher Wang held onto it
tightly, making it difficult for her to steal it.
This meant she had to wait for the jade to change hands again.
She waited most of the day.
Despite Xu Bai's capricious, brutal nature and his frequent intimidation, he did keep his word. He promised
to protect her at the academy, so no ghosts bothered her the whole day, making her almost forget she was in
a survival game.
By dinner, Jiang Xiuxiu realized only she and the male player remained in the dining hall.
Shu Xin had not appeared, presumably eliminated.
Jiang Xiuxiu sighed inwardly, mourning her lost 15,000 yuan.
Shu Xin's downfall seemed inevitable from the moment she dismissed the devil as nonsense that morning.
Jiang Xiuxiu didn't dwell on it. After eating, she headed straight to the teachers' office.
There, she got the latest news from a teacher still on duty.
"The principal committed suicide in his office," they discussed. "It seems his daughter's death hit him too
hard."
"Do you think there's something supernatural about this?" someone speculated. "The police found that girl
Li's body at the school, possibly killed by Teacher Wang. Could it be vengeful spirits?"
"It does seem like it. All the dead are connected to Teacher Wang..."
"What about us? Could we be next?"
"We all know what really happened between Li Xiaoxiao and Teacher Wang."
Rumors of Li Xiaoxiao's vengeful ghost spread quickly, causing widespread fear among the knowledgeable
teachers.
Unseen by Jiang Xiuxiu, everything was unfolding perfectly according to the events of over twenty years ago.
"Who found his body?" Jiang Xiuxiu asked nonchalantly after listening for a few minutes.
"The director," a teacher replied. "He said he was going to report to the principal just before."
The director.
Having identified the person, Jiang Xiuxiu didn't hesitate. She got up and headed out.