The path was densely packed with the ghosts of children. Every one of them stared at the two intruders from different angles, their gazes filled with such venomous resentment that it felt as if they meant to tear the pair apart and devour them whole.
Shen Xi felt her scalp tingle. Though she had encountered ghost catchers before and even assisted in captures, she had never faced a situation like this. No matter where they went or what they did, those children kept their eyes fixed on them. Through experimentation, they discovered that half the children were fixated on Shang Yu, while the other half watched Shen Xi. Yet, for the moment, they merely watched, making no move to attack.
Shang Yu produced a strip of yellow paper, sketched a talisman upon it, and handed it to Shen Xi, gesturing for her to stay put. Before he could even step forward, the children suddenly began to sing. Their voices were unmistakably those of children, yet there was an ethereal quality to the sound; the melody was so bizarre and unsettling that it seemed to strike directly at their very souls. As the singing echoed, Shang Yu felt a sudden, irrational impulse to throw himself into the fray, like a moth to a flame. He managed to keep his composure, though he nearly stumbled into a void.
Chapter 287