Deteg the malice emanating from Mr. Yan, Qin Nuo remained calm and casually said, "Mr. Yan, which of your students do you think I resemble?"

  As he spoke, Qin Nuo's gaze didn't waver; instead, he stared directly at Mr. Yan.

  Those eyes, gradually filled with bloodshot veins, exuded an untrolble ferocity.

  After a few seds of staring into those terrifying eyes, Mr. Yaed his gaze and chuckled warmly, "Perhaps it's just my paranoia ag up. My students are all well-behaved and sensible kids, none of them have such a frightening look in their eyes as you do, teacher."

  "Is that so."

  Qin Nuo held up the head in his hand and asked, "Mr. Yan, do you still want this?"

  "A naughty student, I'll leave it to you to haeacher."

  Bang!!

  As soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Nuo's fingers suddeed force, crushing the head in his hand like a rotten watermelon, blood and brain matter spttering everywhere.

  Feeling the warmth and sticky sensation in his hand, the old Qin Nuo, no matter how strong his endurance, would have been uo resist retg.

  But now, these disgustiions inexplicably excited Qin Nuo, his heart pounding wildly.

  Mr. Yan watched this se, squinted and smiled, said nothing, and turo disappear into the bck fog.

  Qin Nuo shook off the filth from his hand, muttering to himself, "To deal with these squinty-eyed monsters, you have to be more ruthless than them. Be ruthless enough, and even if there are doubts, they'll be dispelled."

  "Am I being more and more like a psychopath?"

  Looking at the disgusting se on the ground, Qin Nuo couldn't uand why, but he suddenly had the urge to crush the head for pleasure.

  He tio check the children's wat his wrist; there were only ten minutes left before the game ended.

  Qin Nuo hurriedly disappeared into the bck fog again.

  ...

  Who knows how much time passed, but when the a bell of the clock tower tolled, the bck fog that shrouded Bck Crow Ghost School eerily retreated quickly.

  Ihan five mihe vast campus became suddenly clear.

  The school's broadcast echoed within the school, announg the end of this cat-and-mouse game show.

  Qin Nuo opehe information pao check the pyer rankings.

  The pyer named "Shi Yu" ranked first with 36 dies.

  Qin Nuo was sed with 35 dies.

  Still lost.

  Just one dy short.

  Qin Nuo shook his head, feeling helpless.

  This meant that he also missed out on a crucial mai clue.

  His hand grasped the Wraith Mask and removed it.

  Pain surged from his face, as if the mask had grown into his flesh, the tearing pain was unmistakably clear.

  When the mask was removed, the restless ive emotions within him rapidly disappeared, and the bloodshot veins c his eyes vanished quickly, like a man full of desire, exhausted and ued after a battle, utterly drained.

  Qin Nuo leaned weakly against the railing, the Wraith Mask rolling on the ground.

  "Why do I feel so tired? Does this mask e a lot of physical energy?"

  After resting for a while, he put away the Wraith Mask and stood up. Suddenly, he heard heavy footsteps approag, and turo see a gigantister approag.

  The massive figure's steps caused the entire corridor floor to tremble slightly.

  The monster resembled the image of Fraein from the movies, with stitches all over its body, each part of the body reassembled.

  Qin Nuhis monster.

  The shadoassed through the corridor.

  The ohat injured Li Qianqian.

  "The game is over, and you still want to snatch the dies from me?" Qin Nuo looked at him calmly, showing no fear.

  "Phantom."

  The other party's first words revealed Qin Nuo's game ID, which didn't surprise him, as it wasn't a secret.

  "Shi Yu is my game ID."

  "I'm not here with any malice."

  As he spoke, Shi Yu took out a music box and pced it on the ground.

  Qin Nuo g the music box; it was wooden, looked quite old, and had a few cartoon stickers on it.

  "What is this?"

  Shi Yu said, "A mai clue."

  "My only mai clue."

  Qin Nuo's face showed surprise; he didn't expect the other party to share a clue with him.

  What kind of move was this?

  Seeing the fusion in Qin Nuo's eyes, Shi Yu expined, "I've heard of your name, MVP of two secutive instances, a 16.0 rating, making others look up to you."

  "I'm very fortuo have matched with someone like you in this instance. I've always admired intelligent people. A mai clue that isn't much use to me is worth sharing to make a rare friend."

  As he spoke, Shi Yu was covered in a yer of ghost aura, and the inal monster body disappeared, transf into a student the same age as Li Xiaoming.

  On one of his ring fingers, he wore a ring that shimmered with a strange light.

  Evidently, this ring was the ghost creature that allowed him to transform into a mo will.

  Qin Nuo looked at Shi Yu and shook his head indifferently, "I'm a loner, not fond of making friends."

  "No problem, sider it a gift of a mai clue. I have thoughts about the maioo, but after iigation, I found my abilities limited."

  "Rather than keeping the clue to myself, sharing it might let me withe Phantom Master refreshing his instance score record once more," Shi Yu said with a smile.

  "The music box is yours, let's chat agaihere's a ce. After all, this school isn't big; we'll run into each other."

  With that, Shi Yu waved and turo leave.

  Qin Nuo picked up the music box, exami, and pondered.

  "The more someone shows friendliness, the less you should trust them. Too ing," the Blood-Eyed Ghost reminded.

  "Of course I know, this guy exploit the loopholes in the game rules, definitely not stupid."

  "Givihe mai clue, seemingly ued, might be trying to use my abilities to advahe mai, and in the end, he could be the mantis stalking the cicada."

  Just wanting to make a friend? Only a fool would believe that!

  "However, if this music box is indeed a mai clue, what does it represent? The personal belonging of that mysterious principal?"

  "Judging by the appearance of the music box, it's impossible to accurately determis ender."

  "But clearly, this is a child's item."

  "Does it mean that the mysterious principal once pyed the role of a child, or is actually a child?"

  A simple music box led Qin Nuo to endless specution, but none could capture an accurate clue.

  A single clue alone was ultimately powerless.

  He o gather more clues and ect them to possibly point to someone.

  This was the insight he gained from previous instances.

  Qin Nuo first put away the music box, then hurried back to his .

  In the , there were a few more empty seats.

  Currently, in Css 6-3, besides Qin Nuo, there was only one pyer left. This cat-and-mouse game had eliminated quite a few pyers.

  Who would have thought that on Children's Day, instead of experieng the joy of the holiday, pyers faced a more nightmarish day.

  The subsequent Children's Day program was much more normal, allowing the remaining pyers to breathe a sigh of relief.

  As five o'clock approached, the school bell rang, and the students grabbed their backpacks, cheering as they ran out of the .

  In the , Qin Nuo picked up his backpad returo his cozy home.

  "Mom, I'm back."

  As he entered, Qin Nuo habitually took off his vas shoes, put on slippers, and tossed his backpato the sofa.

  His mother came out of the kit with a spatu, overjoyed to see her son, and asked, "You're back! How was Children's Day at school today?"

  "It was great. The schoanized a game program, and the teachers pyed with us. It was so much fun," Qin Nuo said with a grin, showing his white teeth.

  It was fun, but a bit exhausting.

  "That's good."

  His mother, holding the spatu, smiled mysteriously, "Today is Children's Day. you guess ecial day tomorrow is?"

  Another holiday?

  Qin Nuo thought to himself, here we go again, I'm already numb.

  "How could you fet su important day, son?" His mother seemed puzzled.

  Qin Nuo's heart tightened, and after a moment, he hesitantly said, "My birthday?"

  "That's right. Tomorrow, I'll go out and order a big cake for you. It's a holiday, so stay home and wait for me to e back, okay?" His mother asked with a smile.

  As Mo Fang finished speaking, Qin Nuo noticed his father in the er gng at his mother, but quickly returning his gaze to the neer.

  Qin Nuo smiled, "Got it."

  His mother wao say something more, but Qin Nuo reminded her, "Mom, the food i is about to burn."

  His mother excimed and hurried back to the kit.

  Qin Nuo took his backpad returo his room.

  When he came out to get a drink of water, Li Xiaodong and Li Xiaodie had also returned.

  Li Xiaodong gred fiercely at Qin Nuo and asked darkly, "Where are they?"

  Qin Nuo knew who he was referring to and replied indifferently, "'t you find them yourself?"

  "ime, don't bring those weaklings. It's b; I took care of them in two or three moves."

  Li Xiaodong's face twisted with rage, and he was about to poun Qin Nuo, but Li Xiaodie held him back, her sewn mouth only able to make muffled sounds.

  Hearing the otion, their mother was about to e out, but their father in the er suddenly spoke.

  "You two, go back to your rooms!"

  The Li siblings dared not disobey their father auro their room.

  Their mother cast a cold g her husband, picked up the kit knife, used it as a mirror to tidy her bangs, auro the kit.

  "This brother seems determio kill me. Should I strike first to be safe?" Qin Nuo thought to himself. Although he was a good brother proteg his sister, he was just a game NPd Qin Nuo wouldn't hesitate.

  Ba his room, Qin Nuo took out his homework and effitly pleted it in a short time.

  After putting the pleted homework ba his book, Qin Nuo took out the music box again.

  Looking at the winding key, he wondered if the clue wasn't on the music box but in the music.

  He turhe key, and the crisp, pleasant music, like lively notes, danced in his ears, refreshing his spirit.

  After listening for a while, Qin Nuo couldn't dis anything, but he heard his mother calling from outside, "Son, the water is ready, time for your bath!"

  Qin Nuo responded, put away the music box, and searched his wardrobe for clothes, only to uedly find a small ste box in a dark er.

  "This little rascal Li Xiaoming sure has a lot of personal items."

  Qin Nuo muttered, taking out the ste box and pg it oable to open it.

  Inside were all sorts of things, mostly discarded toys.

  There didn't seem to be anything useful, and just as Qin Nuo was about to put it away, he caught a glimpse of something.

  Wheook it out from the bottom, Qin Nuo's expression was one of astonishment.

  Because it was a music box, identical to the mai clue's music box!

  The signs of wear.

  The pt of the stickers.

  All exactly the same!

  Qin Nuo was bewildered. Why did Li Xiaoming have this music box?

  Could it be that Li Xiaoming had a retionship with the mysterious principal that he didn't know about?

  The fact that Li Xiaomihe music box suggested it might be a gift.

  Those who gave gifts to Li Xiaoming were mostly girls who had a crush on him.

  Huang Xia? Li Qianqian?

  Or some irls?

  Qin Nuo's expression involuntarily turned serious; this was aremely important clue.

  If his guess was correct, then the scope of the principal would be greatly narrowed, fog on people like Huang Xia.

  At this moment, his mother called out again from outside.

  Qin Nuo had no choice but to grab his clothes ao the bathroom for a bath.

  After bathing aing, the atmosphere in the living room returo its usual ess.

  His mother ed up the dishes, washing them i while humming a tune, seemingly in a good mood because tomorrow was her son's birthday.

  Qin Nuo sat at the dining table, eating the fruit on his pte.

  His father in the er suddenly spoke, "Yes, tomorrow is your birthday."

  "Thinking back then, thinking about now, it's all my own doing. I should have shot you, this damn bastard, against the wall back then!"

  His father's voice was filled with self-mockery and directed at Qin Nuo with malice.

  Qin Nuo raised an eyebrow.

  This firmed that Li Xiaoming was indeed his biological son.

  Li Xiaoming's father had an affair, which wasn't Mo Fang's fault, but why did he harbor such malice toward his biological son?

  They say even a tiger does its cubs, yet this biological father seemed eager tle him on the spot.

  Despite his fusion, Qin Nuo maintained a cold expression and didn't respond.

  After finishing the fruit on his pte, his mother came out to clear the dishes, lovingly smiling at Qin Nuo, "Go back to your room, check your homework, py for a while, and then go to bed early. Tomorrow is your birthday, so wake up early."

  Qin Nuo nodded obediently, jumped off the table, auro his room.

  In his room, Qin Nuo pced the two music boxes oable and wound them simultaneously.

  The notes from the music box gears were identical.

  Qin Nuo stroked his , p, and wound the key again to listen once more.

  Just then, his mother came in with a gss of milk and said, "Here, son, drink your milk, brush your teeth, and go to bed."

  Her gaze fell on the music boxes, and she asked, "Where did these two music boxes e from?"

  Qin Nuo made an excuse, "Oh, they're birthday gifts from my cssmates."

  "Really? My son is so popur at school, but why do these music boxes look so old?"

  His mother picked up one of the music boxes, raising her eyebrows, and said, "And this song, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before?"

  Qin Nuo's expression ged, and he couldn't help but ask, "Mom, where have you heard it?"

  JOSOLUNA