Horror High School

Yin Kuang got into university, he got into the nationally renowned "Jingxia University"!! Even in the remote mountains where communication was extremely difficult, this news spread by word of mouth, overcoming the barriers of the mountains and reaching every corner of Liulong Village in a very short time. From elderly people with canes to toddlers, everyone knew this joyous news. This is truly a blessing from our ancestors! It's like a divine intervention! Our Liulong Village has actually produced a real top scholar! Suddenly, something called "joy" enveloped and hovered over Liulong Village—just as the long-standing legend had said: a powerful dragon hovered over the mountains, protecting and sheltering the people of the mountains. Before long, a bright red "EMS" package, full of vitality and featuring the image of a hurdling champion's agile figure on the front, was delivered to Yin Kuang, the top scholar from Liulong Village. The surrounding area was filled with the deafening sound of gongs and drums, creating a lively and chaotic atmosphere. "Slap—slap slap slap—" Two strings of 5,000-shot cannons exploded in the courtyard in front of Yin Kuang's house. Red rain filled the sky, and wisps of white smoke enveloped Yin Kuang's still-naive and bewildered expression. His thin body was faintly visible in the smoke. "He's truly a literary genius descended to earth!" The eldest and most senior member of the Yin family, the second uncle, stroked his sparse, graying goatee, his smile as bright as a blooming flower, "That little fish boy from back then has really made something of himself." "Who can argue with that?" "that is……" The happiest, most excited, and most thrilled people were none other than Yin Kuang's parents. Upon learning that his son had passed the high school entrance exam, Yin Fu abandoned even his hoe, throwing it aside. He grabbed his wife, whose face was covered in mud, from the edge of the field, and with a burst of speed, they crossed the Dragon Ridge Mountain and returned home. He cried and screamed wildly, completely unlike his usual strict fatherly self. Now, he was in high spirits, not only wearing clothes he only wore during the New Year, but also, for the first time ever, stealing hair wax from his neighbor Yin Facai and combing his messy hair until it shone. Mr. Yin, chatting and laughing with his relatives and friends, responded to everyone's congratulations with ease. In a daze, he suddenly felt twenty years younger! As for the top scorer, Yin Kuang, he was completely forgotten by the excited or jealous people. He stood there blankly, holding the bright red "EMS" package, his bright eyes showing no excitement or joy. It was as if the top scorer who had been admitted to one of the nation's top universities was not him at all. In his eyes, the hurdler's bright smile and the bright red, festive "EMS" packaging were just things he found utterly repulsive! Everyone was immersed in the joy brought by the top scorer in the college entrance examination. They set off firecrackers with abandon. After setting them off in front of Yin Kuang's house, they set them off at the village chief's house, then in front of the ancestral hall, and then in front of the graves of Yin Kuang's deceased grandparents... The crackling sound of firecrackers continued from noon until eight o'clock at night without stopping. Then came the banquet. Father Yin's triumphant laughter echoed throughout Liulong Village, which is situated around the basin, until late at night. After the banquet ended and the guests left, Yin Kuang went to his mother's side, "Mom..." Yin Kuang seemed to have mustered immense courage, but ultimately dared not look at his mother's wrinkled face. Though only in her early forties, Yin's mother already resembled an old woman; her slightly hunched back carried not only his drunken father, but also the entire family. "You've made it big! You've made it big! You're the top scholar! Hahaha!!" Father Yin shouted like a madman. With great effort, Yin's mother gently placed her drunken father on the bed, covered him with a blanket, and then stroked Yin Kuang's cheek, saying, "Son, good, good..." After only uttering two "good"s, Mrs. Yin's dim eyes welled up with tears. Lacking much education, she seemed unable to utter anything more than "good." As she spoke, she wiped her face with her apron, as if not wanting her son to see her crying. "actually……" "Actually, I don't want to go to university!" Yin Kuang really wanted to say those words. However, when he saw his mother's face, which was filled with relief and on the verge of tears, he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a sound. He really didn't want to go to university, not even one of the top universities in the country, Beixia University. The reason was simple and realistic: he didn't have the money! The family of five, with the parents farming and the three siblings in school, already struggled to make ends meet. Now, the university tuition adds another heavy burden to their shoulders. Yin Kuang loathed schools; he wished he could destroy every single one! In his eyes, schools were like "skin-rippers," skinning his family layer by layer! Every penny he paid—tuition, uniforms, food, lodging—was like blood being sucked from his parents, their skin being peeled off! That's why he hated schools! However, he was a filial son. Even though he hated every school, in order not to hurt or disappoint his parents, and for the sake of every penny of their hard-earned money, he had to study hard, very hard, and even harder. Only when he saw his parents' faces beaming with smiles because of the bright red "100" on his report card did he truly feel that he had done nothing wrong. But this time, Yan Kuang had really had enough! That enormous university fee would be enough to leave this fragile family with no chance to breathe! He wanted to say, "I don't want to go to university. I want to work so I can pay for my sister's tuition." But... when he actually faced his mother's wrinkled face, Yin Kuang couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't imagine how his mother would react if he did. Would she be angry, indifferent, disappointed, or heartbroken? None of these were things Yin Kuang wanted to see, absolutely not! "What's wrong, son?" Seeing that he wasn't speaking, Mrs. Yin thought he was feeling unwell and asked with concern. "N-nothing..." Yin Kuang's eyes flickered as he said, "Mom, I want to work in the county during the summer vacation to earn tuition fees." Mrs. Yin hesitated for a moment, then said, "Okay, whatever you say. Mom will do whatever you want." Mrs. Yin knew that Yin Kuang was a sensible child with his own ideas, and she also knew that she hadn't gone to school and wasn't very educated, so she naturally went along with her precious son. "You must be tired too, go and rest. Mom still has to take care of your dad." Yin Kuang left his parents' room. But he knew his mother wouldn't be able to rest tonight. His drunken father could jump up and cause a scene at any moment, and his mother would have to watch over him all night. Two days later, Yin Kuang stood on the summit of Longwei Mountain. Looking around at Liulong Village nestled on the hillsides surrounding the basin, Yin Kuangbi showed little emotion. It was merely a habitual gesture as he left the village. Then, he clasped his hands together, facing Dragon Head Mountain, which seemed to faintly resemble a raised dragon's head, and silently said, "Liulong... Liulong... If an omnipotent dragon truly exists, please bless my father, mother, and sister..." A gust of wind swept through, swirling across the basin, accompanied by a faint, low roar... Two months later, Yin Kuang, tanned black as charcoal by the sun, stood at the gate of "Beixia University" in the capital of the Republic. The campus, which resembled the gate of an ancient mansion, with its red bricks and green tiles, and upturned eaves, seemed to be telling a story of sacred solemnity. The imposing stone lions on either side were incredibly lifelike. At first glance, they seemed merely imposing in appearance, but for some reason, at first glance, Yin Kuang felt as if the two stone lions had truly come to life. Their originally solemn and majestic appearance had become terrifying and ferocious, their manes standing on end. They opened their blood-red mouths, roared, and pounced towards Yin Kuang… The gaping maw, with its pale tongue, deep throat, and gleaming, menacing teeth, seemed poised to devour him whole! ah!! Yin Kuang screamed in terror and fell to the ground, trembling all over. He looked as if he had been pulled out of the water, utterly disheveled. At this moment, top scorers from all over the country had gathered outside the gates of Beixia University. Many were still immersed in the excitement of being admitted to Beixia University. Many more, however, stood tall and proud, ready to enter this nationally renowned institution of higher learning. However, a sudden, terrified scream startled everyone at the school gate. Even the security guard was alerted, thinking something had happened, and rushed out to check. However, when they saw Yin Kuang slumped beneath the stone lion, trembling and staring at it in terror, they couldn't help but reveal expressions of doubt, disdain, mockery, or indifference. Some even whispered and chuckled, "Look, there's a country bumpkin over there..." "Coward! You're such a grown man, and you're even afraid of stone lions..." "Seriously... How could Beixia University admit someone like this? Making a fool of himself at the school gate on the very first day of school, how embarrassing..." "Forget it, watch your mouth. What does this have to do with us?" "..." As expected of a security guard at a prestigious university, and one who had just retired from a special forces unit of a certain military region, Gang pushed through the crowd, helped Yin Kuang up from the ground, and asked, "Hey, are you alright? Should we take you to the infirmary?" Knowing he had lost face badly, Yin Kuang didn't want to linger at the school gate any longer. He shook his head and said, "Thank you, I'm fine." Then, he didn't dare look at the stone lions on either side, nor at the other students, and rushed towards the entrance of the North Xia gate with his head down. "Wait a moment!" Just as Yin Kuang was about to step through the gates of Beixia, a person stepped forward and blocked his way, saying, "Young man, I doubt whether you are actually a student admitted to Beixia this year. After all, every year many people sneak into the school during the freshman enrollment period and then use various means to deceive inexperienced freshmen. Therefore, in order to ensure the safety of students' belongings, we will not allow people with ill intentions to take advantage of the situation to enter the campus. This is the work of our discipline team, please cooperate. So, please show me your admission notice." The boy's voice was quite loud, and many people around heard it. Immediately, the crowd began to murmur and look at Yin Kuang with strange eyes. Upon hearing this, Yin Kuang felt his blood rush to his head. The tall, handsome young man in front of him might indeed be checking Yin Kuang's admission notice to prevent unscrupulous individuals from sneaking into the campus, just as he claimed. However, his condescending attitude and the way he looked at Yin Kuang as if he were a criminal genuinely stung Yin Kuang's pride! Yin Kuang was never one to be bullied. Children from mountain villages may possess the diligence and simplicity of mountain people, but they also have the wildness and resilience instilled in them by the mountains. Therefore, Yin Kuang never caused trouble, yet he was never afraid of trouble either. He glared hatefully at the tall, handsome boy in front of him, hiding his deep inferiority complex deep inside. At the same time, his eyes swept over the handsome boy's name tag and he remembered his name. Ancient Zeji. His hand didn't stop; he pulled a beautifully framed card from his old backpack, exuding a strong scholarly atmosphere, and slapped it onto the handsome boy's chest. Gu Zeji frowned deeply at Yin Kuang's attitude. He opened the admission notice, carefully examined every detail, called the admissions office to verify, and finally returned the notice to Yin Kuang: "Welcome to Beixia University, student Yin. I hope you enjoy your studies and life here." Yin Kuang accepted the admission notice, ignoring Gu Zeji's slightly narrowed eyes, and walked past him. Then, arriving at the gate, he lifted his foot and stepped across the threshold of Northern Xia... However, strangely enough, the foot that had already crossed the threshold suddenly tripped on it for no apparent reason, and Yin Kuang's thin body immediately lost its balance and fell forward! The next moment, everything went black before Yin Kuang's eyes, and he completely lost consciousness. He didn't know how much time had passed before Yin Kuang slowly regained consciousness. The first thing he did upon waking wasn't to ponder what had happened or why he had inexplicably fainted, but rather to hurriedly touch his chest. Only when he felt the object he had placed inside his clothes was still there did he breathe a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness!" That was the money he had earned through two months of hard work, plus all his savings from recent years—a total of 15,000 yuan. For Yin Kuang, this money was more than just his tuition and living expenses; in some ways, it was even more important than his life—it was a testament to his independence, a testament that he no longer needed to rely on his family, that he could earn money to support himself, and even to pay for his two younger sisters' tuition. Therefore, the significance of this money is far greater than the purchasing power it represents. Having confirmed that his money was still there, Yin Kuang began to reflect on his current situation. At the same time, he slowly got up and looked around. It wouldn't have mattered if he hadn't looked, but what he saw immediately made Yin Kuang's eyes widen, his face filled with shock and disbelief. What did he see?! He saw many people, a great many people. Of course, the sheer number of people wasn't enough to leave him speechless, because the Republic had no shortage of people; he'd seen crowds far larger than the one before him. What was strange was that these people were all lying on the ground, unconscious for some unknown reason. They were either prone, lying down, upright, or hunched over; some were even lying on top of each other. The scene reminded him of a picture he'd seen online: a group of foreigners, instead of holding a demonstration to protest a policy of their government, simply went to a square and lay down to express their discontent. The scene before me is so different from the pictures I saw back then! "What's going on!?" Yin Kuang's usually quick-thinking mind suddenly went blank. Looking around, the sky wasn't a clear blue, but an eerie dark red, filled with clusters of interconnected black clouds. Only through gaps in the clouds could one glimpse the dark red sky. The clouds were still, the entire sky a static expanse, completely motionless, giving the impression of a cold-toned painting, a realistic one. Suppressed, extremely suppressed. Both physically and mentally, Yin Kuang felt an unprecedented sense of oppression, so much so that it was suffocating him. All around were buildings, some tall, some short, some cylindrical, some square. These were all ordinary modern buildings, but what was unusual was the color of their surfaces—a uniform dark red. In stark contrast to these dark red buildings were the trees planted around them, their color not the vibrant green that trees should have, but a dark gray. They seemed not to be trees, but rather clumps of black shadows. Furthermore, on those dark gray trees, there were strangely blue fruits—let's call them fruits for now. The blue light flickered, like twinkling stars. Weird, eerie, sinister! Yin Kuang felt as if he were having a nightmare. In his mind, the scene before him only appeared in nightmares. Yin Kuang suddenly wanted to pinch himself to see if it hurt. "Hey buddy, where am I?" While Yin Kuang was still in a daze, more people woke up one after another. They were all just as bewildered and helpless as Yin Kuang. Some screamed, cried, and cursed in fear. In an instant, the once quiet playground became bustling with activity. The person who asked Yin Kuang woke up after Yin Kuang. Yin Kuang looked at him; it was a boy about his age, equally handsome and tall, dressed in designer clothes, but his expression was more sincere, at least not unpleasant. So he replied, "I don't know either. I woke up here. Could it be... this is the 'Northern Xia University' I was admitted to!?" The handsome young man's eyes widened. "This place? Northern Xia!? No, this is definitely not Northern Xia. I've been there, and it's completely different from here. Besides, do you really think the nationally renowned Northern Xia would look like this, so gloomy and terrifying?" "Huh? What's so hot!" the boy suddenly exclaimed, frantically pulling a card from his pocket—it was an acceptance letter. Almost simultaneously, Yin Kuang felt a burn on his hand. When he picked it up, he saw that it was the North Xia University admission notice he had been holding. This notice, which had been full of scholarly air, had changed its appearance. It was dark red with strange black patterns. If it weren't for the words "North Xia University" on it, he would have thought that his notice had been switched. "Look, there are words on it!!" A strange voice suddenly rang out. "There really is...writing! It's a ghost!!" Yin Kuang was horrified. He opened the admission notice and was shocked to see a scene that sent chills down his spine. On the notification letter, a flame suddenly ignited, then the flickering flame began to dance across the paper, burning a scorching trail—it was— Welcome!