The rules of Chapter 12 have surfaced.

The shadows in the southwest corner fell silent once more, but Sun Yifan's trembling with extreme fear was deeply imprinted in the hearts of every player.

A heavy, oppressive atmosphere permeated the classroom, with reverence for the rules and fear of "Teacher Li" reaching new heights.

Jun Xiangbei's gaze swept over everyone, quickly gathering the known information: "Rule confirmed: No looking up is allowed in class or at any other time. If this is violated, extreme physical punishment will be imposed."

His voice was steady, as if he were giving a tactical briefing, which effectively diluted some of the terrifying atmosphere.

Di Wenzhou wiped his face, his voice hoarse: "Another one... Just how many of these kinds of rules are there in this godforsaken place..."

Bai Muling tried her best to remain calm and asked, "Sun Yifan just mentioned... Tan Nianci? Who is that? She sounds like another victim."

Xin Yuan'er suddenly slapped his forehead: "That's right! He said the teacher hit Tan Nianci, that's why he was scared and looked up! Tan Nianci must have broken some rules too!"

He subconsciously looked at Zhuge Jin, his eyes filled with anticipation, as if asking, "Boss, please give me your next instructions."

Zhuge Jin's gaze, hidden beneath his white veil, swept lightly over Xin Yuan'er, quite pleased with his younger brother's cleverness and dependence.

He did not answer directly, but instead, as if guiding the discussion, threw the topic back to the crowd, his voice indifferent: "Observe their actions, examine their distance, and the rules will become clear."

His implication once again points to the daily behavioral patterns of those strange students.

Jun Xiangbei immediately understood, and all the observations he had made since entering the instance flashed through his mind: "All the ghost students, regardless of gender, always maintained a distance of at least one meter when talking, walking, or sitting."

"I have never seen any physical contact or any situation where we get too close."

"Men and women should keep their distance..." Yue Qingqing repeated softly, her face slightly pale, recalling her experience of being penalized for "harassing male classmates".

“This is very likely an important rule,” Bai Muling affirmed, “and the punishment will probably be…”

She didn't finish speaking, but everyone thought of Sun Yifan's shattered spine and Yan Ruxuan's head that had been taken away.

“So,” Jun Xiangbei concluded, his gaze sharpening, “we need to find this ‘Tan Nianci.’ She is likely a typical example of someone being punished for violating the ‘gender distancing’ rule.”

However, the question remains: Who is Tan Nianci? What are her characteristics?

Players' eyes instinctively turned to Zhuge Jin once again.

Zhuge Jin felt this natural dependence, especially Jun Xiangbei's focused gaze, which held a hint of inquiry and a subtle search for affirmation, and he felt satisfied.

He knew that the time was almost right.

This time, he didn't take out the tortoise shell and copper coins again. He simply turned his head slightly, the white veil seemingly sweeping across most of the classroom before finally settling on a certain direction. His voice was calm, yet carried an all-knowing quality:

"Though wounded, we remain steadfast in our watchful spirit. Though dead, we still protect; their deeds can be traced."

The pain is interconnected, and the act of protecting continues even after death. Though dead, the protection continues, leaving behind traces that can be traced.

This suggestion is more specific than before.

This suggests that Tan Nianci was not an isolated individual, but may have had some kind of "guardian" relationship, and that this relationship continued to manifest in some form after her death.

The players immediately followed his suggestion and carefully observed the ghostly students in the classroom.

Soon, they noticed something unusual.

A male ghost who appears to be quite tall always seems to subtly revolve around another female ghost.

The female ghost had a terrible, deep wound on her neck that almost severed half of her head. She always sat there silently, her hands seemingly unconsciously covering her neck.

The male ghost had a normal face and looked like an ordinary person.

However, he would often linger near her, and whenever other ghost students unintentionally got a little closer, he would subconsciously open his arms, making an extremely subtle yet clear gesture of blocking and protecting her.

This act of "protection" stands out conspicuously among the generally indifferent students who maintain a safe distance from each other.

"Is it them?" Xin Yuan'er asked excitedly in a low voice.

“It’s very likely that since there are rules governing both men and women, if there are female ghosts, then naturally there are also male ghosts who have suffered severe damage from the rules.” Jun Xiangbei’s eyes narrowed.

Target locked.

This time, Jun Xiangbei did not let Yue Qingqing take any more risks.

The continuous emotional shocks and point deductions had already put her in a poor state.

Jun Xiangbei decided to try it himself. As a senior player, he had a stronger ability to adapt and withstand pressure.

Furthermore, having a male communicate with the female ghost who is suspected of being harmed by the "male-female distance" rule might reduce some unpredictable stimulation.

Jun gestured to the others to keep their distance and remain vigilant, while he himself cautiously stopped in front of the female ghost with a fatal wound on her neck, maintaining a distance of more than a meter.

His gaze fell upon her, his voice steady and clear, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, so as not to be misunderstood:

"Tan Nianci?"

The female ghost's hand, which was pretending to cover her neck, suddenly trembled.

Tan Nianci slowly and stiffly raised her head, revealing the hideous wound on her neck.

Her eyes were empty and lifeless, yet it seemed as if endless pain was about to flow out.

She opened her mouth, making a hoarse, drafty sound in her throat, as if she wanted to say something, but was unable to speak due to severe damage to her vocal cords or trachea.

Just then, the male ghost that had been lingering nearby suddenly turned his head, warily "staring" at Jun Xiangbei, and then, as if breaking through some kind of rule, struggled desperately to get closer.

Just as he was struggling, his upper body suddenly fell to the ground, but the male ghost still managed to reach Tan Nianci with his hands, spreading his arms in a protective stance.

Everyone was startled. Jun Xiangbei suddenly remembered that among the photos he had seen in the archives, there was a male student with a name, a boy with bloodstains on his waist, named "Li Fei".

When Jun Xiangbei entered the classroom, he observed all the male ghosts, but did not find any obvious problems with their waists.

Seeing the ghost with half its body on the ground, Jun Xiangbei immediately realized that the key to communication might lie with this male ghost.

He turned to look at the male ghost and tried to call out another possible name:

"Li Fei?"

The male ghost's body jolted violently, and a fierce fluctuation flashed in his eyes, which were filled with pain and vigilance.

He stared intently at Jun Xiangbei, a hoarse, broken voice squeezing out from his throat, filled with grief, indignation, and despair: "You...how do you know...who you are?!"

Confirmed.

Jun Xiangbei remained calm and continued, "We want to know, what happened? Tan Nianci... and you..."

"What happened?" Li Fei's emotions suddenly became agitated.

"We didn't do anything wrong! We just stood close together during break and exchanged a few words. We just wanted to check on Xu Ziyi; she hasn't been back for a long time..."

His voice became even more broken with emotion: "Teacher Li... he suddenly appeared... and said we violated the boundaries of male-female interactions... were shameless, and damaged the school atmosphere..."

Tan Nianci made even more urgent and painful moans from the side, as if she was desperately denying and crying.

"I just wanted to explain something... I said we were just worried about our classmates..."

Li Fei's voice trembled with tears, a sob that a boy was struggling to hold back under extreme fear and grievance. "He got even angrier. He said I talked back to the teacher, which made my crime even more serious..."

“Then…then…” Li Fei’s body began to tremble violently, as if recalling the most terrifying scene in the world, “He took us…all of us away…to the reflection room…”

Li Fei's voice lowered, filled with endless fear, "He...he cut my waist and slit Nianci's throat. He said that way she could no longer 'explain' herself, no longer 'whisper' with boys..."

The fragmented narrative pieced together yet another heinous atrocity.

Two bloody rules have surfaced:

1. Male and female students must maintain a distance of at least one meter from each other. Any form of "closeness" may be judged as "violating the boundaries of interaction".

2. It is absolutely forbidden to talk back to teachers. Any explanation may be considered "talking back" and will result in more severe punishment.

A terrifying web of rules is slowly unfolding before the players, each line stained with blood and despair.

After saying all this, Li Fei seemed to have exhausted all his strength, and together with Tan Nianci, they turned back into the two silent ghosts, refusing to say another word.

Information retrieved successfully.

The players felt no joy, only a heavy sense of oppression and a deeper chill.

Zhuge Jin silently perceived all of this.

Another batch of rules has been discovered, and the guidance of the "prophet" has once again been perfectly verified.

The power of "trust" from readers and players is growing stronger.

After completing the communication and confirming the information, Jun Xiangbei immediately turned his attention to Zhuge Jin.

That gaze was incredibly complex.

When his calculations failed and he was lost and confused, it was this silver-haired man in white who, in a way he couldn't understand, effortlessly cleared away the fog and pointed out the right path.

A strong, unfamiliar longing began to grow deep within him.

This emotion came so intensely and unfamiliarly that it even caused a moment of stunned confusion to appear on his usually aloof face, though he himself was unaware of it.

Zhuge Jin accurately captured Jun Xiangbei's momentary lapse in concentration.

He knew that the moment of harvest was approaching.

The fish had not only taken the bait, but were already almost out of the water.

He slightly adjusted his posture, allowing his silver hair and white robe to create a more perfect profile in the dim light streaming in from the window.

Like a compassionate yet detached deity, silently observing human tragedies, yet already knowing all the answers.

The protagonist always has the overall situation under control.

The most important audience member, however, was completely immersed in the play.

Just then, footsteps suddenly rang out—

"Tap, tap, tap..."