Chapter 79

Chapter 79

“Of course not.” Qiao Yu shook his head. “There’s one more crucial point. The timeline we’re in should be after the fire. The reason this place hasn’t collapsed is because we’re in the world inside the mirror.

“The fact that I dreamed myself back to eighteen overnight proves that we aren’t physical bodies right now. We’re… souls!”

At this point, Qiao Yu suddenly let out a soft laugh. “Actually, compared to escaping the Instance… getting rid of you seems a lot easier. All we have to do is destroy the Bronze Mirror in the Principal’s Office. Don’t you think so, Principal Lai?”

The moment he finished speaking, Qiao Yu’s phone rang.

When he saw the familiar string of numbers on the caller ID, he answered. “How’s it going?”

Painted-Skin Ghost said, “I’m here. Smash it now?”

Qiao Yu gave a faint hum of confirmation. Ignoring Lai Xinrong’s venomous curses in his ear, he quietly counted down for Painted-Skin Ghost. “Five, four, three, two, one.”

Clang-

The instant every falsehood was exposed, Lai Xinrong’s figure abruptly blurred. His shrill voice echoed across the entire campus. Every Ghost, including the Dorm Superintendent and Head Teacher Liu, melted rapidly like rubber left over a fire, then vanished…

[System scan in progress…]

[The accuracy rate of the storyline reviewed by the streamer this time is… 93%.]

[The Live Stream Room has determined that I’m Your Dad-review successful!]

Those words flooded the minds of the streamers hiding in the shadows, every one of them trapped in constant fear.

They covered their mouths in shock, their eyes brimming with surprise and joy.

It was over? The review was successful!

Qiao Yu was puzzled. Why only 93%?

Shang Yan seemed to see his confusion and said quietly, “You forgot the Phone Ghost.”

Qiao Yu smacked his forehead.

Right. That thing hadn’t dared call him lately, so he’d forgotten all about her.

“I guess she’s the vice principal. What about you?”

Shang Yan nodded in complete agreement. “I think so too. You’re really smart.”

Praised, Qiao Yu lifted his chin slightly, overjoyed.

In a corner no one noticed, Shang Yan threw away the job badge he had picked up earlier.

The plastic work badge was thin and light. It rolled a long way across the ground before it was accidentally picked up by a streamer.

He lifted it and glanced at it, then read in a low voice, “Dean of Students… Zhao… What the hell is this written as? I can’t even make it out!”

In a fit of irritation, the streamer flung the badge even farther away…

[Ding-Detected that an Aberration Source still exists within the Instance. Streamer escape failed.]

What?!

Aberration Source…

What was that?

Some streamers who had never heard of it looked bewildered, utterly confused.

But there were also a few experienced streamers who had heard rumors of it before. Their brows furrowed deeply at once, and they sank into panic.

“Where is the Aberration Source? If we don’t eliminate it quickly, we’ll be trapped in this Instance forever!”

With that explanation, everyone panicked, completely losing their composure.

“But how do we eliminate the Aberration Source? And where is it?”

No one knew.

Just then, Qiao Yu suddenly took out the secondhand phone he had bought earlier and rapped his knuckle against the screen. “Are you waiting for dinner to be served or what? Get out here.”

Everyone: ??

An astonishing scene unfolded. Qiao Yu’s phone screen flickered rapidly several times, as if it had short-circuited.

In the next second, a faint figure in a blue school uniform appeared beside him. The silhouette gradually solidified, becoming a very delicate-looking boy.

This ghost… was different from every Ghost in Yucai University.

Qiao Yu walked up to him, lowered his eyes, and tugged at the corner of his mouth. “No. 59?”

The delicate-looking boy shrank his neck slightly. His expression was harmless, and his clear eyes carried a hint of confusion. “You knew all along?”

Qiao Yu shrugged. “You might as well have taken a megaphone and screamed it into my ear.”

From the computer inexplicably unlocking itself to the password lock being cracked, whenever anything involved electronic decryption, this guy would jump out to help him.

Given No. 59’s hatred for this school, he must have wanted this Instance sealed as soon as possible. He had even risked being discovered to release the Starving Ghost locked in the secret room.

From the moment he interfered with the Instance, the Live Stream Room had discovered him. Existing in this Instance as an Aberration Source was no different from being infected with a virus.

And a virus… had to be eliminated.
But how were they supposed to destroy No. 59 Ghost? Qiao Yu had no idea.

Even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to do it.

“Luo Yunmeng, what are you waiting for?!”

After a moment of silence, a low growl suddenly came from the crowd. Luo Yunmeng looked toward the voice and saw a male streamer frowning at her, urgency written all over his eyes.

“What am I waiting for?”

“Aren’t you Master Guan’s final disciple? Why haven’t you delivered the Aberration Source yet?”

Luo Yunmeng looked at No. 59 standing before her, his soul utterly free of any impurities, and hesitation crossed her face. “But he’s never killed anyone…”

“Does he have to have killed someone before you can deliver him? He’s a ghost!” The man spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, desperate to get out of the Instance as soon as possible. “If you don’t deliver him, how are we supposed to leave?”

“Exactly. If we don’t get rid of this ghost, how do we leave the Instance?”

“Luo Yunmeng, you’re Master Guan’s disciple. Catching ghosts and driving out evil is your job. Why still haven’t you made a move?!”

One after another, the crowd chimed in, their words growing more and more intense. The pressure that had built up over their long time trapped inside the Instance finally found an outlet, and accusations crept into their voices.

Luo Yunmeng pressed her lips together and looked at the boy’s clean, bright smile. The hand gripping her whip began to tremble faintly.

A chorus of voices could melt metal. Annoyed by the streamers’ noisy clamoring, Qiao Yu clicked his tongue. “So what if he’s a ghost? Just because someone turns into a ghost, he deserves to have his soul scattered into nothing?”

The moment he finished speaking, the crowd fell silent for an instant. Then one born contrarian opened his mouth and fired back, “If you want to play saint, use your own life to do it. Don’t trade all of ours for your ridiculous kindness-hiss! Why are you hitting people?!”

Crash-

A silver-white chain shot toward him like a dancing spirit snake, smashing the concrete ground one step in front of him to pieces. Flying chunks of stone struck the streamer’s face, leaving a bloody cut.

He covered his face and snapped back, only then noticing the caved-in patch of ground before him.

Instinctively, he took a step back and stared in terror at that taciturn, stunningly handsome Streamer No. 54.

“You… you… you’re a Red Name Streamer?”

Shang Yan ignored him. With a light tug of the chain, the silver chain vanished in the blink of an eye.

That one move stunned quite a few streamers. As if by tacit agreement, everyone fell silent, looking furious but not daring to speak.

Qiao Yu, however, nearly laughed from anger off to the side. In his entire life, no one had ever praised him for being kind before.

How novel.

He tilted his head and nodded in agreement. “I also think I’m pretty kind.”

Shang Yan, Luo Yunmeng, No. 15, No. 16, No. 17, No. 19, No. 23-every single person who knew the truth had a huge question mark floating over their heads.

What nonsense are you spouting?!

“But let me make one thing clear first. You’re overthinking it. I don’t need your life to complete my kindness.” Disdain filled Qiao Yu’s eyes. “Your life isn’t worth that much.”

With that, he bent his elbow and nudged No. 59 Ghost in the arm, then lifted his chin forward. “Come with me.”

No. 59 Ghost had no idea what was going on, but he still obediently followed Qiao Yu.

Qiao Yu walked all the way to a door, took out a key, and turned it in the lock.

This Instance still had one chance left to open a door. What a coincidence, huh?

The door opened-not to the familiar classroom, but to an eight- or nine-year-old child.

“Big brother?”

The child was missing her front teeth, and her smile looked comical.

Qiao Yu did not go in. He merely answered with a sound of acknowledgment. “Yuanyuan, where’s your mom?”

“Mom’s not here.”

“Perfect. This is your long-lost biological older brother from a different father and a different mother. You two are finally reunited.”

Hou Yuanyuan looked at No. 59 Ghost, her face full of doubt about life itself. “Brother?”

“Yuanyuan is such a good kid. You don’t even mind strangers. I’m so touched.”

Qiao Yu made a show of wiping nonexistent tears from his eyes, then pushed the bewildered No. 59 Ghost through the door. “Throwing confetti. Goodbye. No need to thank me.”

Then, with a bang, he slammed the door shut and swiftly pulled out the key.

He moved so fast it was as if he were afraid No. 59 Ghost would get returned to sender.

Before everyone could recover from that absurdly outrageous maneuver, the Live Stream Room’s notification finally rang in their ears.

[Ding-Detected that the Instance Aberration Source has been removed by I’m Your Dad.]

[Because the Storyline Reconstruction has reached over 90%, the Instance Yucai Academy has been sealed by the Live Stream Room.]

[Instance closing… Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.]