It's all nonsense."
Just when the atmosphere in the car became extremely tense, Teacher Xu sneered and threw the still rustling remains of the mobile phone out of the car.
Then he turned his head and looked at the other three people in the carriage with an indifferent expression.
"I've told you countless times, this stuff is designed to target people's hearts. Don't believe a single word of this nonsense, and it's best not to even listen to it."
Teacher Xu said calmly.
Then he made a few hand gestures in the driver's seat, as if he was calculating something.
After a few minutes, the wrinkles between the man's brows smoothed out a little.
"Tsk, isn't that right? The Martyrs' Cemetery should be right next to it."
Teacher Xu's voice also sounded a little more relaxed than before.
"But, but, teacher, how are we going to get there?"
After hearing what Teacher Xu said, Qiao Yang relaxed for a few seconds, then stared at the increasingly obvious "human figures" outside the car window and asked in panic.
Teacher Xu lowered his head and waved at him. The man found a paper cup from the glove compartment and poured some goji berry water into it. Then, he dipped his finger in the water and drew a few lines on the top of the paper cup.
As soon as he pressed the car window, Teacher Xu reached out of the window and poured the cup of water around the car.
"Woo…"
"Woo…"
In an instant, the shadows that had originally gathered together retreated a lot, and some faint and strange hoarse cries were faintly heard in the fog.
The ringing of the car bell suddenly stopped.
Faintly, there seemed to be wind blowing.
The night fog, which was originally so thick that it was suffocating, also faded a lot in the wind.
"Look!"
Li Xiu shouted in surprise.
Just as Teacher Xu said, they were not actually walking around in circles - the Martyrs' Cemetery was actually not far away from them.
Li Xiu immediately spotted the black gates of the Martyrs' Cemetery on a white background. Through a thin layer of mist, he could even make out the dimly lit security booth on the side and the security guard inside, absentmindedly playing with his phone.
"Hey! Here—"
Qiao Yang also became excited and kept yelling at the cemetery security guards.
However, although they were only less than ten meters apart, they in the car window and the security guard in the security booth seemed to be in two different worlds. No matter how the people in the car called out to attract the other party's attention, the other party remained deaf and all his attention was on the mobile phone in his palm.
"hateful!"
Qiao Yang was so angry that he jumped up and down. Looking at his expression, he almost wanted to get out of the car and rush into the Martyrs' Cemetery.
But at this moment, the disturbing thick fog began to envelop them again, hiding the reassuring cemetery gate once again in the depths of the swirling and slightly reddish fog.
"jingle--"
The "human figure" that had just dispersed a few minutes ago reappeared in everyone's sight, swaying.
The copper bells at the four corners of the carriage rang again.
Teacher Xu's expression changed slightly.
Without any hesitation, he grabbed the handful of copper coins that were originally hanging on the rearview mirror.
"Teacher?" Seeing his actions, Qiao Yang widened his eyes in shock.
He seemed to know something that Li Xiu and the others didn't know, and he suddenly started shouting anxiously.
"Wait, teacher, you're going to—"
"It's okay."
Teacher Xu clenched his fists, put them against his lips and coughed twice. Before Qiao Yang could finish speaking, he quickly waved his hand at him to signal him not to continue.
"If we don't risk it all, how can we break the current situation?"
The man said in a deep voice.
Then he untied the copper coins from the hairy red strings, divided them into four parts one by one, and placed them in front of the windshield.
"Teacher Xu, what is this for?"
Li Xiu has always been good at observing people's expressions. Based on the few words exchanged between Teacher Xu and Qiao Yang just now, he keenly smelled a hint of something strange.
At this time he couldn't help but ask.
Teacher Xu smiled, his expression solemn yet very gentle.
"Nothing much, just some life-saving measures. Even though it hurts my vitality, I still have to use them. Sigh, tonight is really hard..."
He said with a wry smile to the frightened young boy in the back seat, then he gestured to Li Xiu, Fang Qianan, and Qiao Yang to stretch out their hands.
Everyone was given a handful of copper coins.
It was hard to tell how old the copper coins were, but the moment Li Xiu got hold of them, he felt they were something special. They were clearly just a handful of copper coins, but they were warm, even burning.
Moreover, each of those copper coins was very heavy and hurt people's hands.
"Ahem, listen to me. We've fallen into a maze of ghosts, and things are getting tricky. Because this time, there really is something in the fog."
When the older man saw that everyone had received copper coins, he explained word by word.
"Now, as long as we keep our eyes open and see anything outside, we will definitely be trapped in this damn place."
Teacher Xu said this, glancing at the thick fog outside the car window.
"Right now, I can only resort to a half-hearted solution... I'll get out of the car and explore the way. If I can get out, I'll clap my hands from a safe place. So, if you hear the clapping, don't hesitate, get out of the car immediately."
"Get off?"
"get off?"
"…"
Hearing that they were about to leave the train, not only the unlucky high school students like Li Xiu and Fang Qianan, but even Qiao Yang's eyes flickered with fear. Teacher Xu saw this, and his tone inevitably took on a solemn tone.
"Yes, after you get off the bus, just follow the sound of my clapping and you should be able to get out. However, there is one thing I must tell you carefully - as soon as you get off the bus, you must close your eyes."
Teacher Xu said with unprecedented seriousness
"Once you leave the carriage, there will be nothing protecting you. If you open your eyes, it won't be a ghost covering your eyes, but you will be taken directly to another world. If that happens, you will be trapped in this hellish place and will never be able to get out."
Although Mr. Xu tried his best to speak calmly and calmly, anyone could hear the solemnity and tension in his tone.
"Walk with our eyes closed? What if those things in the fog catch us?"
Fang Qianan spoke in horror.
Li Xiu glanced at Fang Qianan and felt as if she saw a cat with its fur standing on end.
The school bully who is afraid of ghosts looks like a cat in stress when he asks questions in fear.
"Teacher Xu, didn't you also say that? Outside our car, everything... everything is full of ghosts."
Fang Qianan's voice was shaking.
Li Xiu lowered his eyes and endured for a moment, but in the end he couldn't help it. He reached out and gently grabbed Fang Qianan's wrist.
He even suspected that Fang Qianan was about to be scared to tears.
"Fang Qianan, please listen to what Teacher Xu has to say." Li Xiu said.
Facing Fang Qianan's questioning, Teacher Xu remained calm. He pointed to the handful of copper coins in everyone's hands.
"So I gave you this, didn't I? Don't be afraid. If something really pulls you, just give it a copper coin and quickly follow the direction I gave you."
"Once you get out of this damn place, you'll naturally know when to open your eyes."
"But before that, let me say it again. You must not open your eyes while you are trying to find the way."
After saying that, Teacher Xu patted Qiao Yang again.
"...Qiao Yang, if you don't hear the clapping, then the rest of the story will depend on you."
"D-Depend on me? But, I, I don't know what to do... Ugh... Teacher..."
Qiao Yang's eyes were already filled with tears.
Obviously, the "exploration" that Teacher Xu mentioned lightly was probably not as simple as the man said.
"You've learned from me, after all," Teacher Xu said. "Actually, I should have been the one protecting you, but this is a special situation. Li and Fang are still students, so we can only rely on you now. Xiao Qiao, you still have to hold on."
Teacher Xu spoke softly to Qiao Yang.
Qiao Yang hugged Teacher Xu's hand.
Such a grown-up person, when he cried, his face was covered with snot and tears.
"Let me do it, teacher. How about I go? Just in case... just in case this road doesn't work, you can still think of other ways."
Qiao Yang said hurriedly.
"What a joke."
Teacher Xu's expression turned stern, and he gave Qiao Yang a slap on the face.
"Don't cry so much, it makes me feel like I'm really going to die. Qiao Yang, do you really not trust your teacher? Besides, what kind of teacher would squat behind and wait for students to step into a minefield--"
After Teacher Xu finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Li Xiu.
His eyes were deep, and a complex expression was inadvertently revealed, making the already nervous boy even more nervous.
"Teacher Xu..."
"Li Xiu."
Teacher Xu concealed the deep thought in his eyes. He suddenly stood up and reached out to rub Li Xiu's head.
Then Teacher Xu shook his wrist, and Li Xiu felt that there was something more in his hand.
It was a seemingly ordinary candle.
Li Xiu opened her eyes wide and looked at the candle in her hand, her heart skipping a beat.
Of course, he couldn't treat such a candle as an "ordinary" candle. He remembered clearly that he was trapped by Master Hong... It was Fang Qianan and his grandmother who lit the "candle" and brought him back to the present world.
"Wait, Teacher Xu, this is——"
"Okay, don't say it."
Teacher Xu lowered his voice and signaled Li Xiu to be quiet.
"You're the youngest, and your situation is the most unique. Furthermore, that Red Lady has been keeping an eye on you... Sigh, your situation really doesn't reassure me."
The man said quietly.
"But don't be afraid, Li Xiu. Your grandmother has only learned the basics, but she's been able to keep that thing alive until now without causing any problems. She must have used some special techniques."
Hearing this, Qiao Yang couldn't help but look at Li Xiu.
Ah, yes.
Qiao Yang also remembered that Li Xiu had a special physique.
"...Look at all the evil spirits that Lord Hong brought before. We have no way to deal with them, but you are the only one who can hurt them." Teacher Xu turned sideways and whispered word by word in Li Xiu's ear.