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Lin Mingchang rushed out of Yongtai Photography Studio, carrying Ruan Xiaoshuang on his back, with Shen Tong closely following behind, waving for a rickshaw.
"To Renji Hospital, quickly!"
Ruan Xiaoshuang's head leaned weakly against Shen Tong's shoulder, her condition worse than before. Her complexion was as pale as paper, cold sweat beading on her forehead as she murmured, "They're coming out... they're coming out..."
Shen Tong pressed her lips together tightly, clearly seeing the swirling blue energy enveloping Xiaoshuang, slowly increasing in intensity. Anxious and desperate, she could only gently massage a few acupoints on Xiaoshuang's body with her fingers. "Hang in there, Xiaoshuang. We'll be there soon."
Twenty minutes later, the rickshaw finally stopped in front of Renji Hospital. Lin Mingchang jumped down and carried Ruan Xiaoshuang inside, rushing to find a familiar old doctor.
"Uncle Wang, this is my friend. She came into contact with an unknown liquid and is now hallucinating, running a high fever, and is disoriented..."
The old doctor immediately stepped forward, prying open Ruan Xiaoshuang's eyelids to check her pupils before examining her breathing and pulse. Shen Tong took out the glass bottle containing the Cui Hun liquid from her bag and handed it to Doctor Wang, explaining, "This is what she came into contact with. I suspect it contains some kind of toxin that can induce hallucinations."
The old doctor took the glass bottle and called over two nurses. "Start an IV saline drip immediately and take her to the emergency room."
Lying on the stretcher, Xiaoshuang's hallucinations intensified; she was scratching at the air with her hands and mumbling incoherently, "Dark... dark... someone is watching... don't come closer..."
Lin Mingchang and Shen Tong were kept outside the emergency room door, silently leaning against the wall in the corridor. Shen Tong's fingers unconsciously tapped against the wall, unable to hide her worry. Although they had known each other for a short time, she genuinely liked this straightforward and brave girl.
"She will be fine," Lin Mingchang suddenly spoke up.
"Yeah."
The two waited until deep into the night. Around two in the morning, Ruan Xiaoshuang finally stabilized. Doctor Wang removed his mask, wiping sweat from his brow as he said, "She's out of danger now. The substance in the bottle you gave me is a very rare plant neurotoxin; we can't analyze its exact components at this time. This toxin causes persistent hallucinations; any external influence can trigger them continuously. Prolonged exposure can lead to cardiac paralysis and sudden death. In my thirty years of practice, I've only seen it recorded in ancient medical texts."
He handed the bottle back to Lin Mingchang. "Fortunately, this lady had only a small amount of exposure for a short time, and you brought her in promptly; otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable."
"Thank you, Uncle Wang. I will keep this bottle safe and have instructed others to handle it with extra caution," Lin Mingchang said as he secured the bottle and shook the old doctor's hand. "Uncle Wang, you've worked hard; please go rest now."
After the old doctor left, the two of them entered the special observation room where Ruan Xiaoshuang was temporarily placed, under the watchful eyes of two nurses. At that moment, Ruan Xiaoshuang was sound asleep, sedated.
Shen Tong and Lin Mingchang observed her steady breathing and normal temperature, which eased their worries. Although both were exhausted, their minds were unusually alert, and they felt no fatigue at all. They decided to sit by the bedside and quietly discuss the case.
Lin Mingchang took out a letter he had found earlier and handed it to Shen Tong. "Take a look at this; I found it in Qi Songtao's study during the day."
Shen Tong glanced over it, but her gaze froze on one particular term—"Gui Xu Society."
Lin Mingchang noticed the change in her expression. "What’s wrong? Have you heard of this Gui Xu Society?"
Shen Tong nodded and then shook her head. "I know about Gui Xu, but not the Gui Xu Society. I always felt I had seen that Triple Spiral Pattern somewhere before. Last night, while going through my grandmother's old notes, I finally found this symbol—it represents Gui Xu."
This led to a knowledge gap for Lin Mingchang, who looked at Shen Tong with confusion. "What does Gui Xu actually mean?"
"Gui Xu," Shen Tong said softly, "in ancient legends refers to a place where all waters converge, where everything in the world ultimately returns to nothingness. My grandmother's notes mention a bottomless abyss beyond the East Sea called 'Gui Xu,' which is a realm of yin and yang intermingling, a place where souls gather and disperse. According to legend, only beings that transcend the boundaries of life and death can perceive the power of Gui Xu, and certain ancient spells can harness its power to manipulate life and death."
Lin Mingchang's mind raced. "So you're saying that this Gui Xu Society likely borrowed the meaning and symbol of Gui Xu to engage in some kind of supernatural deception?"
"That’s possible," Shen Tong nodded. "Although I don’t know what kind of tricks they are playing, based on my grandmother's records, what they promote is likely an evil Shadow Light Technique—using shadows as mediums and light as guidance. They believe that through their secret arts and special filming techniques, they can capture people's souls for their dark purposes."
"Hmph!" Lin Mingchang scoffed derisively. "This so-called Shadow Light Technique is probably just a scam to deceive their followers—it's all about money!"
He pulled out a small booklet filled with his notes on the case. "Before I went to your house yesterday, I arranged for people to inquire at the homes of those six wealthy socialites. Through investigation, it turns out that these six suddenly deceased wealthy individuals had left behind secret wills before their deaths, donating part of their inheritance to a gallery. Given the substantial amounts involved in their estates, these donations didn’t raise any eyebrows among their families."
"But!" He paused for emphasis. "The total amount from these six donations is quite considerable, and all that money flowed into that gallery."
Shen Tong's eyes lit up as she stood up. "So Qi Songtao is a member of the Gui Xu Society! He used Yongtai Photography Studio as a cover, adding neurotoxins to the developing solution to induce hallucinations in these wealthy individuals during photo sessions. Then through some kind of suggestion during the photo-taking process, Qi Songtao guided them into making secret wills."
"Exactly!" Lin Mingchang nodded. "These individuals had been regularly exposed to photos taken by Qi Songtao; day after day, the toxins accumulated until they ultimately suffered cardiac arrest. It’s truly malicious..."
Shen Tong paced back and forth in front of the bed, muttering to herself in confusion. "If that's the case, then why did Qi Songtao die as well? And what about that gallery?"
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