"Just a moment ago, Teacher Zi Gui was still here. She was standing right behind me. It was dark in the passage, so I reminded her to watch her step." Bai Xi looked tense, her lips pale as she stared fixedly at the door leading down.
"You saw her. Are you sure she stayed behind you the whole time?" Xia Meng asked doubtfully.
"Well... not exactly. But I heard her answer me. She said, 'Mm.' It was pretty dark in the passage, and I was focused on what was ahead and around me. I didn't pay attention to what was behind." Bai Xi's answer made sense.
"Who was behind Teacher Zi Gui in the passage?" Xia Meng looked at everyone. She needed to figure out exactly where things had gone wrong. A grown person couldn't just vanish without a trace.
At that, Su Xiaoxiao's calm voice rang out. "I was."
For some reason, after hearing his sister speak, Su An, who was always inseparable from her, suddenly looked terrified. He even reached out as if to cover his sister's mouth, his eyes darting toward one direction.
Jiang Cheng frowned, quickly catching the detail. He followed Su An's gaze and confirmed that he was looking at the wooden platform built not far away.
Flags of various colors had been planted all around the platform. Their intricate, chaotic patterns were dizzying to look at. Overall, it resembled a stage built by an old-time traveling opera troupe, though it was even stranger.
Su An's sudden movement sent a chill down Jiang Cheng's spine. It was as if there were things standing on the stage at that very moment, watching them in silence, though they couldn't see them.
Jiang Cheng imagined the scene for a moment, then immediately looked away.
He didn't want those