Cooking in the Monster Sanctuary - Chapter 8 - Part 2

?Attachment 4: Personnel?

Lin Yu: Code 01

Qin Huai Shu: Code 07, Special Assignment Member, Nine-Tailed Fox

*

The Nine-Tailed Fox was one of the most famous mythical creatures in China, known for their expertise in illusionary arts and exquisite beauty. 

They were said to reside deep within the mountains and forests, possessing a cold and aloof temperament, and rarely interacting with humans. In other words, they had a reputation for being high and mighty.

So why did this guy, who stumbled over his words, turned red, and was trembling all over, look like this?

Out of curiosity, Lin Yu arrived at the gate of Qichuan No. 3 Middle School much earlier than the mission’s designated time. To her surprise, the other person arrived even earlier than her. When their eyes met, he blushed.

“Uh, hi, um, I’m Qin Huai Shu…”

He spoke while staring at his shoes, his bony fingers clutching his clothes tightly. His face turned distinctly red under the streetlight.

Lin Yu was momentarily taken aback and extended her right hand, saying, “Hello, I’m Lin Yu.”

Qin Huai Shu glanced at her timidly and, with a determined expression, extended his right hand, and quickly squeezing her fingertips.

Then, the blush on his face intensified, and a pair of furry ears suddenly sprouted from the top of his head, trembling slightly.

“I-I’m sorry! I’m a bit, a bit scared of people.” His voice became softer and, after a brief pause, he raised his volume again. “But don’t worry, I’ll definitely protect you!”

Lin Yu was left without words.

Perhaps she could write a light novel titled “My Nine-Tailed Fox Can’t Be This Timid.”

To be fair, Qin Huai Shu had excellent foundations.

His slender and tall figure resembled bamboo, and his phoenix-like eyes shimmered with grace. His fair complexion had a delicate rosy hue, adding a touch of charm to his originally ethereal appearance which made people feel quite fond of him.

—Provided you ignored his expression of nearly crying out of fear.

Lin Yu didn’t have the heart to hurt his self-esteem and decided to change the subject. “Your ears…”

“I-It’s okay! I’m not very skilled at transforming. When I get nervous, they tend to show, but they’ll go away in a while.” He made an effort to put on the confident demeanor of an adult male. However, his ears wobbled as his body swayed.

“That’s right.” She smiled slightly and pointed to the open school gate beside her. “Shall we go inside?”

Qin Huai Shu managed a smile that was even worse than crying. “Okay.”

July was in the midst of summer vacation, and the school campus was deserted. However, the school gate was oddly left open.

The usually well-lit campus was now plunged into darkness. The surrounding darkness felt like a lurking beast, swallowing everything in its path. It was eerily silent, with only the occasional faint chirping of cicadas, resembling the desperate cries of someone in agony.

The moonlight was obscured by thick clouds, so Lin Yu had to use a flashlight. Its pale light in this silence created an eerie atmosphere, making Qin Huai Shu’s back tingle.

He quietly moved closer to her.

“Why did you join the Special Task Force?” Lin Yu asked casually, as if it were a normal conversation. “This job is really tough and thankless.”

“Because someone I admire used to work here, even though I can’t compare to him at all…” He looked somewhat embarrassed but was less fearful now. “What about you?”

“I…” Lin Yu was about to respond when her expression suddenly changed, and she said in a low voice, “Don’t move.”

Although Qin Huai Shu didn’t know what was happening, he was so frightened that he froze in place like a puppet.

A sticky note had been attached to his back at some point. Lin Yu furrowed her brow and removed it, hearing Qin Huai Shu trembling like a fox beside her. “Did…did this come from me?”

She looked at him sympathetically but didn’t say anything.

With the surroundings shrouded in chaotic darkness, he hadn’t noticed anyone placing the note on his back. Perhaps that person was still lurking in some corner, watching them, and right behind him.

Qin Huai Shu shivered with goosebumps all over.

Lin Yu used the flashlight to illuminate the note. Neatly written in Chinese characters were the following words:

“If you want to find it, search for the Seven Mysteries of the campus. Remember to follow the order on the map and don’t make any mistakes.”

Below the text was a rough sketch of the school’s layout, with numbers and corresponding campus legends marked next to the respective buildings.

Qin Huai Shu looked confused and terrified by this. On the other hand, Lin Yu couldn’t suppress a smile in the darkness.

This kind of assignment made things interesting.

“Wait a minute, the only event related to the client should be the case of the boy who drowned ten years ago, right? What does that have to do with the Seven Mysteries?” 

She carefully tucked the sticky note into her pocket and contemplated, “Right now, we have no leads, so we’ll have to take it one step at a time. The first legend is the ‘Crying Girl in the Restroom.’ Are you ready?”

Qin Huai Shu was at a loss for words. How could he possibly be prepared for something like this!

The attachment provided by the containment facility had detailed information about the seven legends that were popular at Qichuan No. 3 Middle School ten years ago.

The legend of the “Crying Girl in the Restroom” was said to involve the spirit of a female student who died of a heart attack in one of the stalls. Her spirit would weep endlessly inside the restroom, especially at midnight.

The location of this legend was in a teaching building closest to the school gate. Compared to the open pathways outside, the narrow and dark atmosphere here sent shivers down one’s spine.

In the moonlight, rows of windows seemed to gaze malevolently at the pedestrians like countless sinister eyes. Qin Huai Shu dared not lift his head, adopting a submissive posture as he followed Lin Yu. 

The restroom was situated at the end of the corridor and appeared relatively clean due to pre-vacation cleaning. As they entered together, Lin Yu couldn’t resist a wicked chuckle. “Oh, I almost forgot, this is the ladies’ room.”

Qin Huai Shu’s cheeks turned crimson, and his three tails popped out behind him with a splutter.

She curiously glanced behind him. “Um, are your pants okay?”

Qin Huai Shu was so embarrassed he could almost cry, hanging his head and muttering, “Please, stop talking about it.”

Just as he was about to make another protest, they were startled by a distant, eerie cry. Another tail popped out from behind him in response.

The voice of the girl was deep, mournful, and in the midst of the sweltering summer, it sent an icy chill down their spines.

Lin Yu couldn’t help but take a step forward. “Don’t be afraid; I’ll protect you.”

She repeated the same words back to him.

What followed was a scene that Qin Huai Shu would never forget.

Surrounded by an eerie abyss of darkness and the incessant cries echoing in his ears, his petite partner walked forward calmly, as if taking a leisurely stroll. The beam of light in her hand cut through the darkness like a sword. Lin Yu didn’t knock on the door of the fifth stall but went straight to the fourth one. She then stood on top of the toilet seat, which was raised high.

The spirit of the crying girl continued to mourn endlessly, as if sensing something. She turned her head slightly.

On the partition, there was a person lying there, and Qin Huai Shu couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

A pair of pitch-black eyes, illuminated by the bright light, looked extremely eerie. The other person had been silently watching her for who knows how long. When the girl looked up, the stranger slowly parted their lips, revealing a satisfied smile.

The ghostly darkness, the confined stall, and the pale face under the light—these were all the elements of a typical horror movie.

Lin Yu let out a low chuckle and tilted her head slightly. She spoke each word deliberately to the stranger, “Found…you…here.”

In that instant, the girl’s piercing scream erupted, followed by Qin Huai Shu’s equally high-pitched wailing. It was a real ghostly howl, earth-shattering.

What are you doing?! This is way too scary! He hadn’t even been frightened by the legend, and now he’s dying at the hands of his own teammate! What the heck!!!