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Chapter 184: 184

The female teacher who appeared looked around her 50s. She wore a grey suit and had a slight hunchback. It was too late for Han Fei to go into hiding now. Before Han Fei realized it, the teacher had already appeared by Han Fei’s side.

“Cough, cough…” With her hands on her chest, when she passed Han Fei, she started to cough heavily. It was only at such close distance that Han Fei noticed what was wrong with the woman. The aged teacher had her eyes and lips sewn shut with golden threads and blobs of black blood were stuffed into her ears. She could sense Han Fei’s presence but she did not do anything towards him. She just kept on coughing and stayed a great distance away from Han Fei like the latter was some kind of cursed object.

‘Lee Jingmei?’ This teacher was Lee Xun’s big sister and also the most experienced teacher at Yi Ming Private Academy. ‘She did not intend to either harm or help me, it is like she can’t even see me.’ Lee Jingmei’s information appeared in Han Fei’s mind. This teacher was pulled from a public school by the headmaster with a tempting salary. She was already at a retiring age. ‘Her eyes and lips are sewn tight with golden threads. Is that a sign that she was forced to keep her senses sealed because she has taken some form of bribery?’

Everything in the manager mission was based off of Jin Sheng’s memory. The boy’s impression of the world was very different from normal, it was grotesque but highly symbolic. Lee Jingmei should know part of the truth but she chose not to side with Ma Manjiang nor did she possess the courage to help Jin Sheng either. She represented the greater silence at this school. They detached themselves from the tragedy unfurling before them until they were caught in the fire. The female teacher shuffled past Han Fei. After she left, Han Fei continued his climb to the 4th floor. The temperature in the corridor suddenly dropped, this appeared to be a horrible place in Jin Sheng’s memory.

‘Is there no one around?’ Compared to the ‘busy’ education block, the office block was strangely deserted. Any sound would be heavily amplified. Based on his memory, Han Fei found his way to the teacher’s lounge. He tried the office door and realized it was locked. Then he knocked on the door lightly. The resounding knocks travelled far down the corridor. Almost the next second, a hurried footstep came from the stairwell. It sounded like a huge beast was crawling on all fours towards him.

‘That has to be Ma Manjiang! Why is he here so soon? Did Lee Jingmei tell on me?’ With no time to waste, Han Fei hurried away from the door and down the corridor. He planned to leave through the other staircase. However, when Han Fei reached the end of the corridor, he stopped. This was because he heard footsteps coming from this side of the staircase as well. The other party had purposely made their movement light but Han Fei still picked up on it.

‘Damn, I’m cornered!’ Han Fei once again tasted Ma Manjiang’s cunningness. After knowing Han Fei’s location, Ma Manjiang pretended like he was coming right after Han Fei but actually he had first mobilized the other monsters to cut off Han Fei’s escape route. ‘A normal Ma Manjiang shouldn’t be this clever, this is all that butterfly’s doing!’ The footsteps approached. Han Fei was about to be cornered. Feeling helpless, the man staggered blindly backwards and knocked into a solid door. He turned and realized he was before the headmaster’s office. This office was situated at the far end of the corridor. Han Fei tried the door and to his surprise, it was not locked. Once the door eased open slightly, the sound of conversation drifted out from inside. Instead of facing Ma Manjiang, Han Fei would rather take a chance with the unknown headmaster. He opened the door further and flitted into the headmaster’s office.

A scent of decay lingered in the air. Han Fei took a good look around and his eyes twitched. Seated behind the desk was an old man who was sickeningly obese. His body was stuck inside the chair and his rotting fat drooped over the table and chair. The old man was truly a monstrous sight to behold. ‘This is the headmaster? Why would he appear in this state in Jin Sheng’s memory?’ The old man was unable to move. Just keeping his eyelids open appeared to drain the old man deeply.

In front of this glob of a man stood a young female teacher who was primly dressed. A bloody necklace hung around her neck but strangely enough, despite the blood, the necklace gave off a sweet smell. The female teacher was surrounded in a sweet-smelling haze. Her young face was pretty with a smile.

‘I’ve found her at last!’ This female teacher was Jin Sheng’s class teacher!

“Teacher!” Han Fei ran over and shouted. The female teacher who was conversing with the headmaster was startled. She turned and saw Han Fei. “Young man, how can I help you?” The warm words smoothed Han Fei’s heart. This was the first time someone had talked to him since he started this manager mission. Inside this school surrounded by grey despair, after being chased after by monsters and ghosts, finally he found someone who was willing to listen to him.

The footsteps from outside were approaching, Han Fei knew he did not have much time left. Since the monstrous headmaster was also in the room, Han Fei had to be careful with the information he had. He chose to walk up to the female teacher and whisper into her ear instead, “Ma Manjiang is lying to you. The animal has raped his own student! Everything you know about him is a disguise! If you don’t believe me, you can go and check the video footage in the security room.” Han Fei told the teacher the folder where he had hidden the footage.

The female teacher frowned. She seemed to consider Han Fei’s words when suddenly her expression blanked as the sweet smell in the room thickened.

“Young man, that is not a funny joke.” A second later, she recovered. The female teacher leaned back and lectured sternly. Han Fei noticed that the bloody necklace started to leak out some kind of syrupy liquid, it was this thing that gave off the heady perfume. “Teacher Ma is the most well-loved teacher at this school. He is my senior and my example.”

Han Fei had guessed by now that the necklace was a present from Ma Manjiang. This necklace represented Ma Manjiang’s sweet nothings and empty promises. Because of this thing, whenever the female teacher tried to think independently, she would be distracted by that smell.

“Teacher, the necklace around your neck is casted from grave wax. You need to open your eyes!” Han Fei knew time was running out. He reached out to grab at the necklace but his hand could not phase through the invisible wall of sweetness.

The female teacher still had blind faith in Ma Manjiang. Han Fei thought back to the events that transpired to the female teacher in real life. She only started her own investigation after Ol’ Lee’s death. In other words, she only believed Jin Sheng when she saw the bloodshed and death for herself.

Changing tack, Han Fei took out the shard to slice open his palm. The bloody hand finally phased through the wall. Han Fei closed his fist around the necklace and pulled!

The moment the perfume disappeared, the teacher gasped when she saw the ghastly blood stains around her necklace. “Teacher, please remember what I said!” Han Fei shoved the necklace into his pocket so that Ma Manjiang would not have the chance to use it again.

By then, the footsteps already reached the office door. The headmaster’s office door was shoved open. The monster Ma Manjiang who had the honest face pasted to his chest appeared at the door.

After losing the necklace, the female teacher’s gaze that landed on Ma Manjiang filled with previously missing fear. To be fair, she already had her suspicion about Ma Manjiang beforehand but she had been fooled by this master manipulator.

“Cough, cough…” The hacking came. Lee Jingmei shuffled into view. A few more golden threads appeared in her eyes.

“I knew it was you. As a teacher, how could you betray your own student?!” At this school, other than other victims, no one could be trusted. Han Fei had survived for this long already, he was not going to give up now. He took several steps back and he caught the sight of a chair from the corner of his eyes. When Ma Manjiang entered the room, Han Fei turned to grab at the chair. He threw it at the office window. Using the chair as leverage, Han Fei jumped onto the window’s edge. With his eyes kept on the air-conditioning unit on the 3rd floor, Han Fei took a deep breath and then jumped!