Got into... University!?

Yin Kuang got into university—he got into the nationally renowned Jingxia University!!

Even deep in the mountains, where communications were extremely poor, the news spread by word of mouth. In a remarkably short time, it crossed the mountain barriers and reached every corner of Liulong Village. From the elderly leaning on their canes to toddlers just learning to talk, everyone heard the wonderful news.

Our ancestors have blessed us! The Divine Dragon has answered our prayers! Liulong Village has actually produced a top scorer, a real, bona fide top scorer!!

At once, something called "joy" settled over Liulong Village, circling above it—just like the long-standing local legend: a mighty Divine Dragon circled above these mountains, watching over and protecting their people.

Before long, a bright-red EMS delivery bag, printed with the athletic figure of a hurdling champion, was placed in the hands of Liulong Village's top scorer, Yin Kuang.

Gongs and drums thundered all around. The village was in an uproar.

"Bang—bang-bang-bang—"

Two strings of firecrackers, each five thousand shots long, went off in the courtyard before Yin Kuang's home. Red paper fluttered through the air, and wisps of white smoke shrouded Yin Kuang's still-youthful face, frozen in astonishment. His thin body appeared and disappeared in the haze.

"You really are the Star of Literature descended to earth!"

Second Great-Uncle, the oldest and most senior member of the Yin Clan, stroked his sparse, grizzled goatee. His smile bloomed like a chrysanthemum. "That little fish boy, who was only this big back then, has made something of himself today!"

"Who can argue with that?"

"Exactly..."

No one was happier, more moved, or more excited than Yin Kuang's parents.

When Father Yin heard that his son had passed the high school entrance exams, he didn't even bother putting down the hoe he'd been eating with. He simply tossed it aside, grabbed Mother Yin, still covered in mud from the fields, and flew over Dragon Ridge Mountain on his way home. He had carried on like a madman, shouting and carrying on as if the world were ending, utterly unlike his usual stern self. Now he was even more exuberant. He had changed into clothes he wore only for the New Year and, for the first time ever, borrowed hair wax from their neighbor Yin Facai, slicking down his chicken-nest hair until it gleamed.

As Father Yin moved among his relatives and friends, he cheerfully fielded their congratulations. For a moment, he felt twenty years younger!

As for the star of the hour, Yin Kuang, the villagers—some thrilled and excited, others jealous and envious—had all but forgotten him. He stood there dumbly, holding the bright-red EMS package. There was no excitement or joy in his bright eyes, as if he weren't the top scorer who had gotten into one of the country's very best universities.

The hurdler's radiant smile and the bright-red, festive EMS packaging only made him more and more annoyed!

Everyone was caught up in the joy brought by the top score. They set off firecrackers with abandon: first outside Yin Kuang's home, then outside the village head's house, then in front of the ancestral shrine, and finally at the graves of Yin Kuang's late grandparents... The firecrackers crackled from noon until eight at night without a pause.

Then came the banquet.

Father Yin's proud, hearty laughter rang across Liulong Village, nestled in the basin surrounded by mountains, until late into the night.

After the guests had left and the banquet was over, Yin Kuang went to Mother Yin. "Mom..."

Yin Kuang seemed to summon all his courage, yet in the end he still couldn't look at Mother Yin's deeply lined face. She was only in her early forties, yet she already looked like an old woman. Her slightly hunched back was now bearing not only the weight of her drunken husband, but that of the whole family.

"I've made it! I've made it! A top scorer, hahaha!!" Father Yin shouted like a madman.

Mother Yin struggled to ease her drunken husband onto the bed and cover him with a blanket. Only then did she stroke Yin Kuang's cheek and say, "Son, good... good..."

She had barely said "good" twice before her yellowed eyes began to glisten. She had little education, and it seemed that beyond the word "good," she could find nothing else to say. As she spoke, Mother Yin wiped her face with her apron, as if she didn't want her son to see her crying.

"Actually..."

"Actually, I don't want to go to university!"

Yin Kuang desperately wanted to say those words. But when he saw the look of joy and near-tears on his mother's face, he could open his mouth, yet not a sound would come out.

He really didn't want to go to university. He truly didn't, not even to North Xia University, one of the country's very best. The reason was simple and painfully real: they had no money!

There were five people in the family. His parents worked the land, and all three siblings were in school. The expenses had already weighed his parents down so much that they could barely stand. Now university tuition would add even more weight to their shoulders—a very, very heavy burden.

Yin Kuang hated school. He wished he could destroy every school! To him, schools were "Old Zhou the Skinflint," peeling his family's skin away layer by layer! Every fee they paid—tuition and miscellaneous fees, uniforms, food, lodging—felt like the schools were draining his parents' blood and stripping off their skin! That was why he hated them!

But he was a filial son. Though he hated every school, he had to study hard—very hard, harder still—so his parents wouldn't be hurt or disappointed, and so every penny of their hard-earned money wouldn't go to waste. Only when he saw his parents smiling at the bright red "100" on his report card did he truly feel he had a clear conscience.

But this time, Yin Kuang had really had enough!

The enormous cost of university would crush this fragile family, leaving them no chance to catch their breath ever again!

He wanted to say, "I don't want to go to university. I'll get a job, and I'll pay for my younger sister's tuition."

But... when he actually faced his mother's deeply lined face, Yin Kuang just couldn't say it. He couldn't bear to imagine how she would react if he really did. Would she be angry? Cold? Disappointed? Heartbroken? Whatever it was, it wasn't something he wanted to see. Absolutely not!

"What's wrong, son?" Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Mother Yin thought he felt unwell and asked with concern.

"N-nothing." Yin Kuang's eyes darted about. "Mom, I want to spend the summer working in the county to earn my tuition."

Mother Yin hesitated, then said, "All right. Whatever you think is best. I'll support you." She knew Yin Kuang was a sensible child with ideas of his own. She also knew she had never gone to school and had little education, so naturally she would let her precious son decide.

"You're tired too. Go get some rest. I still need to look after your dad."

Yin Kuang left his parents' room. But he knew his mother wouldn't be able to rest that night. His drunken father might jump up and start ranting at any moment, so she had to watch over him all night.

Two days later, Yin Kuang stood on the summit of Dragon Tail Mountain.

As he looked out over Liulong Village, nestled on the slopes around the basin, Yin Kuang felt little emotion. This was simply a habitual gesture he made whenever he left the village. Then he clasped his hands together and faced Dragon Head Mountain, whose peak vaguely resembled a raised dragon's head. Silently, he prayed, "Liulong... Liulong... If the all-powerful Divine Dragon really exists, please protect my father, my mother, and my younger sister..."

A powerful gust of wind swept through the basin, circling between the mountains. Somewhere in the distance, a low growl seemed to rumble...

Two months later, Yin Kuang, tanned as black as charcoal, stood outside North Xia University in the Republic's capital. The campus gates resembled those of a grand mansion from ancient times: red brick and green tiles, with upturned eaves curling at the corners, as if proclaiming a sacred solemnity.

The majestic stone lions on either side looked so lifelike that at first glance they seemed merely imposing. But for some reason, the moment Yin Kuang looked at them, he genuinely felt that the two lions had come to life. Their solemn, majestic appearance turned terrifying and vicious; their manes quivered, each hair standing on end. They opened their gaping jaws and roared, then sprang at him...

Their mouths gaped wide, their tongues pale and their throats deep. Their teeth gleamed coldly, as if they were about to swallow him whole!

"Ah!!"

Yin Kuang let out a terrified scream and fell backward onto the ground. His entire body trembled, and he was drenched as if he'd just been hauled out of the water. He looked utterly wretched.

At that moment, top scorers from all over the country had gathered outside North Xia's gates. Many were still caught up in the excitement of getting into North Xia University. Even more stood tall and proud, ready to enter the nationally renowned institution.

But the sudden terrified scream startled everyone at the gate. Even the guards were alarmed, thinking something had happened, and hurried out to investigate.

When they saw Yin Kuang sitting beneath the stone lions, trembling and staring at them in terror, they couldn't help looking puzzled, disdainful, amused, or indifferent. Some even snickered and whispered, "Look, there's a country bumpkin over there..."

"What a coward. He's a grown man, and he's afraid of a couple of stone lions..."

"Honestly... how could North Xia admit someone like that? Making a fool of himself at the gate on the first day of school. How embarrassing..."

"Forget it. Let's be charitable. What's it got to do with us?"

"..."

As befit the guards at a top university, they were disciplined professionals. Gang Ge, who had just retired from a special forces unit in a military region, pushed through the crowd and helped Yin Kuang to his feet. "Hey, are you all right? Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?"

Knowing he'd made a huge fool of himself, Yin Kuang didn't want to stay at the gate any longer. He shook his head. "Thanks, I'm fine." Then, without daring to look at either the stone lions or his fellow students, he lowered his head and hurried toward North Xia's entrance.

"Wait!"

Just as he was about to step through North Xia's gate, someone came forward and blocked his path. "I'm not sure whether you're actually one of the students admitted to North Xia this year. Every year, plenty of people take advantage of the freshmen arriving to sneak into the school, then trick them in all sorts of ways. To protect the belongings students bring with them, we can't allow anyone with ulterior motives to slip onto campus. This is the Discipline Committee's job, so please cooperate. Show me your admission letter."

The young man spoke loudly enough for many people nearby to hear. Immediately, they began murmuring among themselves, looking at Yin Kuang strangely.

Yin Kuang felt his blood surge.

The tall, handsome young man in front of him might genuinely be trying to prevent people with ulterior motives from sneaking onto campus, and that could be why he wanted to check Yin Kuang's admission letter. But his haughty manner and the way he scrutinized Yin Kuang as if he were a criminal stung his pride.

Yin Kuang had never been someone people could push around. Children from mountain villages might be hardworking and honest, but they also possessed the wildness and defiance the mountains had given them. Yin Kuang never went looking for trouble, but he wasn't afraid of it either.

He glared at the tall, handsome young man, burying his deep-seated inferiority deep within himself. At the same time, his eyes swept over the young man's ID badge, and he memorized his name.

Gu Zeji.

Without stopping, he pulled an elegantly printed card, redolent of books and ink, out of his worn backpack and slapped it against the handsome young man's chest.

At Yin Kuang's attitude, Gu Zeji's brows drew tightly together. He opened the admission letter and examined every detail very carefully. He even called the admissions office to verify it. Only then did he return the letter to Yin Kuang. "Yin, welcome to North Xia University. I hope you enjoy studying and living here."

Yin Kuang took the admission letter back without looking at Gu Zeji's slightly narrowed eyes and walked past him.

Then he came to the gate, lifted his foot, and stepped over the threshold into North Xia...

But strangely, the foot that had already crossed the threshold suddenly caught on it for no apparent reason. Yin Kuang's thin body lost its balance and pitched forward!

The next moment, his vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness.

Yin Kuang had no idea how much time had passed when he slowly came to. The first thing he did after waking wasn't think about what had happened or why he had fainted for no reason. Instead, he hurriedly felt his chest. When he found the item tucked inside his clothes was still there, he let out a relieved breath. "Thank goodness. Thank goodness!"

It was the money he had earned through two months of backbreaking work, along with all his savings from recent years: fifteen thousand yuan in total. To Yin Kuang, the money was more than just his tuition and living expenses. In a sense, it was even more important than his life. It was proof that he could stand on his own, proof that he no longer had to rely on his family, that he could earn enough to support himself and even save up tuition for his two younger sisters.

The meaning that this money represented far outweighed its purchasing power.

Once he had confirmed his money was still there, Yin Kuang began to think about his situation. He slowly got to his feet and looked around.

One glance was all it took to make his eyes widen in shock and disbelief.

What did he see?!

He saw a lot of people. So many people.

Of course, the sheer number of people wasn't enough to leave him dumbfounded. The Republic was hardly short of people, and Yin Kuang had seen crowds larger than this. The strange thing was that all these people were sprawled on the ground, unconscious for some unknown reason. Some lay face down, others on their sides; some were straight, others curled up. A few were even lying on top of other people. The scene reminded him of a picture he'd seen online: a group of foreigners protesting some government policy by lying down in a public square instead of holding a demonstration or marching.

The scene before him looked just like that picture!

"What's going on!?"

Yin Kuang's normally quick mind was completely stalled.

He looked around at the surroundings. The sky wasn't blue. Instead, it was a strange dark red, with clumps of black clouds connected across it. Only through gaps in the clouds could he see the dark-red sky. The clouds were motionless. The entire sky was frozen, as if it were a painting in muted colors—a painting that was somehow real.

The oppressive atmosphere was almost unbearable. Yin Kuang felt more stifled than ever before, both physically and emotionally, as if he couldn't catch his breath.

Around him stood buildings of various shapes and sizes: some tall, some short, some cylindrical, some square. They were ordinary modern buildings, but their exteriors were painted uniformly dark red. In stark contrast stood the trees planted nearby. They weren't the vibrant green trees should have been, but a dark gray, as if they weren't trees at all, but clumps of shadow.

And the dark-gray trees bore faintly glowing blue fruit—or so he supposed they were fruit. Their eerie blue light blinked on and off like stars winking.

Strange. Uncanny. Sinister.

Yin Kuang felt as if he were in a nightmare. As far as he knew, a scene like this could exist only in a nightmare. He suddenly wanted to pinch himself and see if it hurt.

"Hey, man, where are we?"

While Yin Kuang stood there dazed, more people began waking up. Every one of them was just as bewildered as he was. Some screamed in fear, others cried or cursed. In an instant, the once-silent sports field grew noisy.

The one who had asked Yin Kuang had woken up just after him.

Yin Kuang looked at him. He was a young man around Yin Kuang's age, tall and handsome, and dressed head to toe in designer labels. His expression, though, seemed sincere—at least, he wasn't unpleasant—so Yin Kuang replied, "I don't know either. I woke up here. Could this... be the North Xia University I got into!?"

The handsome young man's eyes widened. "Here? North Xia!? No, this definitely isn't North Xia. I've been there, and it's completely different. Besides, do you think the nationally famous North Xia would look this sinister and terrifying?"

"Huh? What's burning me?" the young man suddenly cried. In a panic, he pulled a card out of his pocket. It was an admission letter.

Almost at the same time, Yin Kuang felt a burning sensation on his hand. He picked it up and saw that it was the North Xia admission letter he'd been holding all along. The bookish-looking letter had changed completely: its background was dark red, and strange patterns outlined in black covered it. If it weren't for the words "North Xia University" still printed on it, he would have thought someone had switched his admission letter.

"Look, there's writing on it!" a strange voice suddenly cried.

"There really is... writing! A ghost!!"

Yin Kuang shuddered and opened the admission letter. What he saw made his hair stand on end.

A flame had suddenly ignited on the letter. It flickered and began to crawl across the paper, burning a trail into it that spelled out—

Welcome to Horror High School!