Psycho. Ghosts? Whatever. - Chapter 29 - Can Ghosts Feel Fear Too?

“Teacher, you should give it a try too. It really works wonders.”

“…”

Wang Li remained silent, eventually just waving his hand to dismiss him.

“So, they found out after all…” Bai Yuan muttered to himself, though he didn’t seem particularly concerned.

Even if they had noticed, there wasn’t much they could do about it. Killing humans was a crime, but killing ghosts? That was practically a public service.

“Though calling that thing a Yin Ghost… it does seem fitting,” he mused.

Just as he was about to leave, a thought struck him. He turned back and said, “Teacher Wang, something happened in my neighborhood!”

Wang Li, being a bona fide professional, seemed like the perfect person to handle such a situation. Without delay, Bai Yuan explained everything that had occurred.

“It does sound like a supernatural incident,” Wang Li nodded thoughtfully. “You should head back to class. Leave the rest to us.”

“Teacher, aren’t you going to handle it yourself?”

“I have to wait for official instructions and arrangements,” Wang Li replied, shaking his head. “Dealing with supernatural events isn’t as simple as you think. There are procedures to follow.”

Bai Yuan nodded silently, not surprised by the response. He turned and left without further questions.

Supernatural incidents often carried a high mortality rate. Even someone as capable as Wang Li faced significant risks. Such matters couldn’t be approached recklessly. After all, there were far too few professionals in this field. Losing even one would be a major blow.

Bai Yuan soon returned to his classroom-Intelligence Class One.

At Ping’an City No. 5 High School, over 400 students had been admitted into the Intelligence Class program. The school divided them into eight classes, each with around fifty students. Along with the Ghost Spirit Class, the classrooms on the first floor of the teaching building were fully allocated.

By now, Intelligence Class One was already packed with students. Everyone wore expressions of excitement, chatting animatedly among themselves.

After all, both the Ghost Spirit Class and the Intelligence Class were brand-new programs, never before offered. They were the first-ever batch of students to enroll in such specialized courses.

Bai Yuan casually picked a seat in the back row, his own anticipation quietly building.

Before long, a well-built man entered the room. His sharp gaze swept across the classroom as he introduced himself.

“Good morning, everyone. I am your homeroom teacher for Intelligence Class One.”

“My name is Chen Qingli, and I’ll be teaching you everything you need to know about ghosts.”

The room erupted into applause, a warm welcome for their new teacher.

“Let’s skip the small talk and dive right into the lesson,” Chen Qingli said, grabbing a piece of chalk. He turned to the blackboard and wrote a single, bold character: “鬼”-Ghost.

The moment the character appeared, it seemed to carry an inexplicable weight, silencing the room. A subtle unease crept into the hearts of many students.

“What is a ghost?” Chen Qingli began. “As some of you may already know, they are murderous entities that have suddenly appeared in our world. They bear an uncanny resemblance to the ghosts of ancient folklore.”

“Terror, horror, and bloodshed-these are their hallmarks.”

“But,” he continued, “they are not without weaknesses.”

At this, the students leaned in, their curiosity piqued. Ghosts had weaknesses?

“Before I explain further, let me ask you all a question,” Chen Qingli said, his tone serious. “Do you think ghosts possess the so-called seven emotions and six desires of humans?”

The room fell into a brief silence, the students exchanging puzzled glances.

“They do.”

Sitting quietly in his seat, Bai Yuan had already given a firm answer.

Every time the Ghost Face devoured another ghost, he could distinctly sense the sheer terror radiating from the Evil Ghosts.

Chen Qingli’s expression shifted slightly as he glanced at Bai Yuan. Nodding, he said, “This student is correct. Ghosts do have emotions-shock, bewilderment, and even fear…”

The class collectively froze for a moment, a single question surfacing in their minds.

Can ghosts actually feel fear?

“However, unlike us humans, they are more like pseudo-lifeforms,” Chen Qingli continued, his tone measured and deliberate.

“Under normal circumstances, they have no emotional fluctuations. They’re nothing more than killing machines, operating like pre-programmed entities.”

He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing.

“But when certain events occur, they can experience emotional shifts, temporarily transforming into a more biological state.”

“And at that moment, they become incredibly fragile, their strength significantly diminished.”

“Hmm?” Bai Yuan blinked in surprise, caught off guard by this revelation. He hadn’t expected ghosts to have such a glaring weakness.

“You’ve all played video games, right? You know what it means to ‘break someone’s defense’?” Chen Qingli asked, his tone lightening slightly.

The students nodded in unison. As young people, they were naturally familiar with the term.

“Simply put, when ghosts experience emotional fluctuations, it’s like you’ve broken their defenses!”

Chen Qingli’s explanation was an eye-opener for the class, and they silently committed his words to memory.

For a moment, relief washed over them.

If they hadn’t joined the Intelligence Class, they would never have learned such a critical piece of information.

“However, different emotions have varying effects on their defenses. Based on our experiments, fear has the most severe impact. When a ghost feels fear, its strength plummets dramatically.”

Bai Yuan nodded in agreement. He had witnessed this firsthand.

When the Ghost Face began devouring another ghost, it often struggled at first. But as the ghost’s fear intensified, the process became increasingly smooth. This alone was proof enough-fear was a ghost’s greatest weakness.

“Teacher, what about other emotions, like excitement?” Bai Yuan suddenly asked, a thought sparking in his mind.

“If we encounter an Evil Ghost, could we beg for mercy to make it excited, then use that moment to launch a sneak attack?”

“??”

The entire class turned to stare at Bai Yuan, their expressions a mix of disbelief and amusement.

Seriously? What kind of genius comes up with something like that?

“Your idea… is certainly unique…” Chen Qingli replied, clearly taken aback by Bai Yuan’s unconventional thinking.

“Unfortunately, excitement is different from other emotions. It doesn’t weaken them; in fact, it can even enhance their strength.”

“Is that so…” Bai Yuan murmured to himself, a bit disappointed that his plan had been shot down.

“In summary, aside from excitement, most other emotions are negative states for ghosts. These emotions weaken them and reduce their power.”

The students diligently took notes, ensuring they wouldn’t forget a single detail.

“How you exploit this weakness will depend on your quick thinking and adaptability in the moment,” Chen Qingli said with a faint smile. Then, his tone grew serious again.

“Now that we’ve discussed a ghost’s weaknesses, let’s move on to the patterns behind how they kill.”

In an instant, the atmosphere in the room shifted. The students straightened in their seats, their attention laser-focused on Chen Qingli.

The previous topic was important, but this-this was the crux of survival.

Killing a ghost wasn’t their primary concern. What they truly wanted to know was how to escape death at the hands of one.

“Fear is a ghost’s greatest weakness,” Chen Qingli began, turning to write the word ‘Fear’ on the blackboard. “But it’s also what they crave the most.”

The students sat upright, their pens flying across their notebooks as they meticulously recorded every word, terrified of missing even the smallest detail.

“Generally speaking, a ghost won’t attack a person immediately. Instead, it will use its unique methods to evoke fear in its target. Once that fear reaches its peak, the ghost will strike decisively, ending the person’s life.”

“Our research suggests that the purpose of a ghost’s killing spree is to consume human fear. This might play a role in their evolution.”

Bai Yuan, while jotting down Chen Qingli’s words, caught onto another critical point.

“Ghosts can evolve?”

The thought sent a chill down his spine. The current wave of supernatural incidents was already spiraling out of control. If Evil Ghosts could evolve further, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Wouldn’t that be the perfect setup for an apocalyptic scenario?