"Is the woman singing about the Faceless Clay Idol's past?"
At the back of the group, Gao Ming picked up on the meaning hidden in the song. "The clay idols belong to the Shadow World. They were once beings close to gods there. Why did they end up like this?"
The ghostly singing continued. Its mournful melody made everyone's skin crawl. The sound was like time slipping relentlessly away; nothing could stop it from affecting their bodies.
The female ghost's movements grew more sweeping as she flourished her flowing sleeves. Her dance was bizarre, like a butterfly ascending to immortality, or rosy clouds settling over a funeral sedan chair. Every movement exuded an eerie chill, yet somehow she was impossible to dislike.
They listened silently as the song reached its climax. The Ten-Lifetime Good Man had only one final lifetime to endure before receiving all his blessings, but this time, the Great Benefactor who had died inside the clay idol changed.
He no longer believed that goodness would be rewarded. Accumulating merit in the spirit world was nothing but a god's lie. He refused to let Fate manipulate him any longer. He intended to become a god himself, one who received offerings.
"Why don't we leave her alone? Let her sing here?" Seeing that the woman remained inside the classroom and showed no intention of coming out, Fan Li quietly closed the window and walked along the corridor outside.
"She seems to be performing some kind of ritual, something like summoning a soul." Holding Sister Zhang in her arms, Ouyang Susu sounded a little frustrated. "Sister Zhang learned about this sort of thing from her former employer. Unfortunately, she's lost her mind now."
"Don't disturb her. Let's go upstairs and take a look first." Fan Li and Li climbed the