A saintess? She's just a bad woman.

Page 170

"Sorry, I'll order next time."

A power outage is a good opportunity to avoid being taken advantage of. Although the female ghost is very beautiful, you might regret it if you are taken advantage of by her without warning. After all, not everyone has the courage of the scholar from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.

She found the flashlight in the counter drawer and turned it on.

A beam of golden light pierced the darkness, illuminating a small area of ​​the book stacks. The electrical distribution box on the sixth floor was quite far away, passing through several other book stacks. Recently, there had been two power outages per week, so frequent it was like something out of a remote mountain settlement; perhaps there was a problem with the electrical system.

Outside the library, the corridor was dimly lit, and everything around was a blurry, indistinct mass. The backup power was not on, and the other administrator who was supposed to be on duty on the sixth floor tonight was nowhere to be seen.

"Isn't Xiao Liu here? He's usually here at this time."

I first went to the nearest break room, but didn't see Xiao Liu. Then I went to Xiao Liu's workstation, but no one was there either.

Santa Karina's most profound impression of Xiao Liu was his punctuality. He studied at the School of Fine Arts at Tianying University, and the two were alumni. They didn't usually interact, only occasionally bumping into each other during work hours. Xiao Liu was never late or left early for work; it was rare for her not to see him.

As I passed the tea room, a faint smell of blood wafted over. Shining a flashlight on it, I saw a pool of dark red, viscous liquid flowing out.

"problem occurs."

With her head buzzing, Santa Karina didn't care about protecting the scene and kicked open the tea room door.

A headless corpse lay sprawled on the ground, its head shoved into a water dispenser bucket, the water stained red with blood. The head's eyes were wide open, as if it had seen something utterly terrifying before it died.

"Blanching...who did this?"

Saint Karina was first shocked, then a chill and fear swept over her, her hand holding the flashlight began to tremble, the beam of light swayed, making the environment seem even more sinister and terrifying.

Upon closer inspection, the decapitated corpse looked very familiar; it was Xiao Liu, whom she had searched most of the sixth floor for but couldn't find.

It is currently unknown why the person who committed this crime harbored such deep hatred for a seemingly unassuming college student. The fact that a heinous murder occurred in the library means that the library must be closed for investigation.

The closure for investigation is linked to business suspension. The municipal library does not have a paid leave system, so taking a break means no income, resulting in the loss of several hundred yuan in wages for no reason.

It's just terrible.

"There's a ghost in the library, it must be the work of a ghost. The spout on the water dispenser is too small; an ordinary person couldn't possibly stick their head in without damaging the dispenser. I can sense the presence of another ghost; it's moving around the library. You'll see more dead people soon."

"I'll go find something that can be used as a weapon first."

Santa Karina couldn't bear to look at Xiao Liu's body any longer. He was perfectly healthy, just two days ago having lunch in the library's staff restaurant, chatting about his winter break plans, and now he was gone.

She didn't have time to lament Xiao Liu's young life; she turned and ran.

Staying on the sixth floor wasn't safe, so she had to find a way to leave first and call the police while she was at it. Regardless of whether the police could handle paranormal events, she had to call first. As she ran, she pulled out her phone and dialed 110.

After a busy tone, the call connected, and the other end emitted a neurotic laugh, like the ramblings of a madman, repeatedly saying the same thing.

"Dialing is unsuccessful, just wait to die..."

"Dialing is unsuccessful, just wait to die..."

"Dialing is unsuccessful, just wait to die..."

……

The phone's earpiece suddenly got hot, and a weak electric current struck my ear, causing a stinging pain.

The police operator certainly wouldn't answer like that. Santa Karina covered her ears, realizing the call hadn't gone through at all; her phone was displaying garbled text, the words and images on the screen blurred together as if they'd been censored. Cut off from the outside world, she had to find her own way.

When she thought of something suitable as a weapon, the first thing that came to mind was the fire axe in the hallway. Only after smashing the glass with a fire extinguisher and holding the heavy fire axe in her hand did she feel a little safer.

Ye Shiyu did not take the opportunity to grope her, but instead considerately followed behind her.

"Don't worry, I will do everything in my power to protect you. This ghost isn't very powerful. Find out its patterns of action, figure out its characteristics, and leave the rest to me. Only a ghost can kill a ghost; your mortal body is no match for them."

"It can only be this way."

Saint Karina was convinced she was cursed with trouble; wherever she went, trouble followed. She'd just been haunted by a ghost with a love letter, and then she encountered another ghost at the library where she worked.

She might really be drawn to ghosts.

The human and the ghost walked together, descending the stairs from the sixth floor.

Although the elevator's backup power supply was separate from the main library building, and the elevator buttons and car lights were still on, Santa Karina dared not take it. In typical horror movies, those who try to escape by elevator are usually killed by the ghosts hiding inside, dying a gruesome death; those who run up the stairs have a higher chance of survival.

As they passed the fifth floor, a short-haired girl in sportswear suddenly emerged from the shadows, grabbed her arm tightly, and looked terrified.

"I'm so glad to see people! The power went out suddenly just now, it scared me to death."

Has anything strange happened on the fifth floor?

"My friend who just got up with me is missing. I've looked everywhere for her, but I can't find her. Miss building manager, could you please help me get up?"

"We'll see. The library is dangerous right now, you'd better come with me."

Saint Karina didn't want to think too badly; usually, something must have happened to the girl in the sportswear. Horror movie tropes: being alone almost always means certain death; ghosts always attack lone people first.

She smashed another fire extinguisher box, letting the girl in the sportswear take the fire axe for self-defense.

A search of the fourth floor yielded no results for the missing girl, but two more bodies were discovered in a corner. One was hanging from the elevator shaft, and the other had drowned in a decorative fish tank.

The remaining survivors gathered in the lobby, making a total of 15 people including Saint Karina. Unable to see Ye Shiyu and unaware of what had happened in the library, they assumed a deranged serial killer was hiding among them, and were all terrified, their faces ashen.

The curator isn't here tonight, and nobody knows what to do.

"What should we do... We can't open the door and we can't contact the outside world. Xiao Sheng, can you think of a solution?"

Xiao Yang, the administrator of the third-floor book depository, was almost scared to tears.

There were also corpses in the lobby. The old man who came to borrow books every night was dead. His head was smashed by a decorative statue in the building. He died a particularly gruesome death, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

The survivors discussed amongst themselves or wandered aimlessly around the area, smashing the glass windows with hard objects in an attempt to find an exit.

"Listen to me first."

Saint Karina stood at the front of the crowd and took a deep breath.

"The serial killer in the library is a ghost. You heard right, a ghost. The paranormal section of the Tianying Forum has been particularly active lately, and the news has reported several 'perfect locked-room murders.' More than a dozen skinned and hanging corpses were found under the locust trees in Tianying Wetland Park. There are many more cases like this, but I won't list them all. Ghosts are reviving and gradually infiltrating the human world."

"Stop making up stories to scare people. What's wrong with your library? You can't even do a proper security job, and it costs over 400 yuan a year to get a library card? Damn it, give me my money back!"

A young man with slicked-back hair and glasses interrupted her. Several ghost-phobic individuals stood behind him, blaming the tragedy on inadequate library security.

A brainless person always has a few followers, but having followers doesn't mean they have ability. In times of crisis, people are often willing to rely on someone who seems calm, even if that person lacks real skills.

Ignoring the people shouting for refunds, she went to the library door. The glass door was now covered in scratches; the survivors had tried everything to break it, but all their efforts were in vain.

Only a ghost could trap someone here to death; a serial killer is at most an ordinary person who dares to kill.

"What should we do now?"

Saint Karina looked at Ye Shiyu beside her.

"I can only rely on you now."

"If I successfully deal with this ghost for you, shouldn't I get a reward when we get home? You know what I want."

The love letter ghost emphasized the word "reward" and licked his lips with the tip of his tongue.

"Harmony... alright, harmonizing with you is better than losing my life."

In order to survive and avoid becoming a gruesome corpse, Saint Karina had no choice but to abandon her principles.

Principles are worthless when it comes to survival.

The survivors in the building are divided into three factions. One faction is centered around the bespectacled man from earlier, while the other faction consists of loners who do not join any faction and try to solve problems on their own.

The last faction is centered around Saint Karina, whose members believe in ghosts and are willing to obey her orders.

In some ways, a librarian's uniform is more effective than flowery words; they need a calm and collected leader to guide them in finding a way out of the predicament.

But the fewest people were willing to talk to Saint Karina. Apart from the girl in the sportswear, librarian Xiao Yang, there was only a seemingly timid, middle-aged office worker.

The remaining ten people were unwilling to believe in ghosts or spirits, or were unwilling to entrust their lives to the seemingly fragile female college student.

Once the other two groups had gone far away, Saint Karina decided not to keep her trump card hidden any longer. She gripped her right wrist and made a pulling motion with a rope. After feeling around, she discovered that the "thread" symbolized the bond between her and Ye Shiyu.

According to the Black Book, as long as you touch it, the ghost that signed the contract will appear in physical form beside you at any time.

"Come out."

A crimson light burst forth from the void, illuminating the dimly lit library hall. A stunningly beautiful woman with fair skin, long legs, and straight black hair emerged from the crimson halo, her breathtaking beauty somewhat alleviating the eerie atmosphere.

The group looked at each other, unsure of where to begin.

Saint Karina showed them the red thread on her wrist, the other end of which was tied around Ye Shiyu's neck, making their unusual relationship obvious.

"She is a ghost who has made a contract with me. She obeys my orders and will not harm people indiscriminately. I know you have many questions, but there is no time to explain them all now. To make a long story short, I am a Ghost Tamer, that is, someone who controls ghosts and monsters. If you are afraid, it's not too late to quit and join someone else."

The pedestrians remained silent for a moment, ultimately lacking the courage to leave the small group. The librarian leading them had been calm and composed from the beginning, suggesting she possessed genuine skills. It wouldn't hurt to rely on her; someone who could control ghosts was certainly more reassuring than a young man who only knew how to shout slogans.

After some deliberation, they accepted the fact that their leader was a Ghost Tamer and followed closely behind Saint Karina. Saint Karina herself was also unsure, but she remained outwardly calm to keep the group in check.

Being a demon tamer feels pretty good; she's no longer a weak girl who can be manipulated and bullied at will.

"Now stick close to me, let's find out the pattern of this ghost's killings."

"Okay..." x3

The four-person team searched for clues in the library lobby. The building had been transformed into a massive, sealed room by the power of a ghost, giving them a feeling of being trapped like turtles in a jar.

The library doors will likely only open once all those trapped inside have been killed by the lurking ghost. The vengeful ghost kills without a specific reason, unless it has returned seeking revenge after a violent death.

Passing through the atrium on the second floor, Santa Karina noticed that many oil paintings were hanging on the walls.

She remembered that it wasn't there when she first started working. She had visited every corner of the library, so it was impossible for her not to remember such a prominent item as an oil painting.

"Xiao Yang, when were these oil paintings hung on these walls?"

"Last month. You happened to be off that day, and I did it with Xiao Zhang and Xiao Yan, who are in charge of the second floor. What happened?"

"These paintings are a bit strange."

Santa Karina's gaze swept over each painting on the wall. The paintings were mostly portraits, depicting mostly Western people, Western landscapes and architecture, with only a few paintings related to the East.

The painting style is easily recognizable; it is Impressionism, which emerged in the latter half of the 19th century, emphasizing the feeling and impression of light and shadow, and highlighting the momentary sensation.

This large oil painting stands out among the other works. Set in Kyushu during the Republican era, the scene is a classical Kyushu-style garden, where a young woman dressed in a light-colored jacket and skirt arrives at the center of the lake by boat and sets herself on fire.

Many servants stood in the distance along the corridors and docks, holding torches and looking anxious.

The painter's brilliance lies in his depiction of the characters' expressions. Each servant's expression is different, vividly portraying surprise, doubt, regret, and sadness.

The woman who set herself on fire in the small boat in the middle of the lake had a dignified appearance, more beautiful than delicate. Although she was not stunningly beautiful, she was still a beauty among beauties.

Judging from her clothing and appearance, the female protagonist is a young lady from a wealthy and powerful family.

The concubine wouldn't dress so innocently and charmingly; her clothing would be darker in color, and her hairstyle would be different. The female lead, on the other hand, wears an unmarried woman's hairstyle, indicating that she is still unmarried.

The contrast between light and shadow is striking. People on the shore are shrouded in large, dark shadows, while the female protagonist on the boat is bathed in golden firelight, appearing pure and holy. The world illuminated by the firelight is only a small part, and the darkness of the night is long and boundless, foreshadowing the inevitable tragic ending of the female protagonist.

The scenes in the oil painting have subtle changes; the torch flames sway in the wind, and the hair of the figures also moves.

"The painting is moving."

"I...I saw it, that woman was pouring oil on herself..."

Xiao Yang's voice trembled violently as she clung tightly to Saint Karina's arm. This action displeased Ye Shiyu, who glared coldly at the trembling girl, seemingly asserting her dominance.

"There is definitely something wrong with this painting."

She subtly moved between the two, separating Saint Karina and Xiao Yang. Xiao Yang dared not approach the ghost and consciously retreated, while the others stood a few meters away, vigilantly observing their surroundings.

Then, Ye Shiyu turned Saint Karina's face and kissed her eyes.

The seemingly inappropriate action brought a warm current into her eyes, and when she opened them again, Saint Karina found that she could see things she hadn't seen before.

Thick black mist seeped from the edges of the Republican-era oil painting, spreading into the surrounding space. Other oil paintings, though they also appeared to move, emitted very faint mist, or even none at all.

Some corridors and staircases also bore drag marks tinged with black mist, resembling the movement paths of a ghost. These marks did not remain indefinitely and disappeared after a period of time.

His gray-blue pupils turned bloodshot, and the blood vessels within them became increasingly visible. He felt dizzy and had a throbbing headache; his temples throbbed.

"My eyes... hurt so much."

"That's normal. Every time a demon tamer uses the [Demon Eye] for the first time, they will experience adverse reactions. After all, it is an ability borrowed from a demon, and there is always a price to pay."

"Then why did you lend it to me?"

"You need this ability. Trust me, you'll love it."

Ye Shiyu revealed a smile that resembled that of a devil.

Saint Karina opened the black book and asked, "Are there any side effects to using the Ghost Eye too much?"

The black book automatically flips through pages, revealing text.

Yes, overuse can cause blindness. Some demon tamers ignore the rules and consequences, overusing the power of the demons, causing their eyeballs to be eroded by the demons' power.