Chapter Four: Swords Drawn, Bows Bent

I even saw some boys pulling out knives and clubs from their desks and pockets. "Fine, fine, you win, I can't mess with you," Zheng Xicheng said. After discussing something briefly with his cronies, he waved his hand and they all left the classroom, but not before casting a vicious glare in my direction.

"You were pretty cool today," Li Zijian said to me, flashing his signature lecherous grin. "But you really made an enemy of Zheng Xicheng today. You'd better be careful from now on." I never would have thought that someone as carefree as Li Zijian could say something so cautious.

A while later, Cao Hao and Wang Yuxin walked out hand in hand. I didn't pay much attention at the time.

Just as I was dozing off at my desk, the classroom suddenly erupted in chaos again. I looked up to see Cao Hao standing on the podium, shouting, "Please, help her… they took her… I'm begging you…" Tears streamed down his face as he sobbed uncontrollably, and his distress jolted me fully awake.

I approached him and asked, "What happened? Take your time and explain." "I… I was just accompanying her to the bathroom, but they ambushed us with a group. I couldn't fight them off, so I ran back to get help." Now that I was closer, I could see his clothes were covered in shoe prints of all sizes, and his face was scratched and bruised.

Before I could say anything more, the Ghost King's message arrived first: "Congratulations to Zheng Xicheng for completing the game." My scalp tingled in dread. I was sure Cao Hao saw the message as well. With a shout, he dashed out of the classroom, and I hurried after him, terrified something terrible would happen.

He ran up to the third floor, his eyes fixed on the girls' restroom. Zheng Xicheng and his gang had Wang Yuxin trapped in a corner, her eyes swollen from crying. That had to be her.

"Dammit, I'll kill you!" Cao Hao shouted, charging at them like a madman, wielding an iron bar he must have picked up somewhere. But he was alone. Before he could even reach Zheng Xicheng, one of the cronies blocked his way.

I stood frozen, unsure whether I should go forward or retreat. If I rushed in after Cao Hao, I'd just be walking into a beating for nothing. But if I turned back, I'd lose all dignity. I cursed myself for coming in the first place.

"Wait a minute… So you like bullying our classmates, huh? Coward." "Did you really think our class had no one left?" "Bunch of losers, I've been sick of you for ages." I turned around in surprise, only to see a group of my classmates had arrived behind me, nearly all the boys from our class—except Li Zijian. I hadn't expected such unity at a time like this.

Meanwhile, Cao Hao was already on the ground, beaten so badly he couldn't move. If our classmates hadn't arrived in time, he might have been beaten to death right there.

Zheng Xicheng must have realized things were turning against him, because he suddenly pulled a military machete out of his backpack. The two groups confronted each other in the narrow hallway, tension crackling in the air, and I found myself awkwardly stuck in the middle.

Finally, that familiar bell saved me: "Everyone, return to your classrooms immediately. Anyone who disobeys dies." The Ghost King's message arrived just in time, putting a stop to the fight.

After everyone slowly dispersed, Cao Hao gradually regained consciousness.

He clung to Wang Yuxin, the two of them sobbing as if they were each other's only support. I didn't say much, just remarked, "The Ghost King told us to get back to class. You two should hurry up."

When I returned to the classroom, I found Li Zijian already snoring away. I thought to myself, "This guy is so carefree—nothing could ever faze him."

Only after Cao Hao and Wang Yuxin entered the classroom did another message from the Ghost King arrive: "You have Saturday and Sunday off. Rest well." It was followed by a smiling emoji that, in my eyes, looked utterly demonic.

"Can we stop playing these games? So many people have died already." "Yeah, people are dying every day…" But the Ghost King cut us off with a single line: "You took the money, you play the game."

...

That evening after school, I trudged home, exhausted and dispirited. My old tuberculosis was acting up again, and I could barely walk a few steps without having to stop and rest. For some reason, it felt even colder than usual tonight.

It was already 9 p.m. by the time I finally made it home. I was so tired I skipped dinner, tore off my clothes, and collapsed straight into bed.

In no time at all, I fell into the deepest, most turbulent sleep. I had no idea how long I slept.

The next morning, I opened my eyes slowly, only to realize I had slept all the way into the afternoon.