[Your attempt to eradicate evil for the people has failed again lol. Where’s the livestream? http://www.]
[I was at the scene. Brother Cockroach vomited a ton of blood. I heard it’s nothing serious and he’ll be back to class tomorrow.]
[Did you guys notice? Our female warriors make a lot of noise but do little. Sister Cockroach and Brother Cockroach are both fine. Who was it that said we will see it in the news~~~?]
[Who asked her to make a big deal out of this 3D stuff? But maybe the Cockroach family just has strong vitality. ]
……
In the dimly lit room, chat bubbles popped up on the screen like boiling water, quickly emerging from the bottom. Faced with the sarcastic remarks of the group, Luo Chunlei unexpectedly remained calm and didn’t reply. Until—
[I get it, so we’re just going to let this matter end like this? Can’t keep the promise? If you can’t fulfill what you’ve promised, as a female warrior, you should at least say a few words.]
Luo Chunlei: [When did I say it’s going to end? Do you really think exterminating the Cockroaches can be done in a day? ]
Yin Ren’s gaze shifted from the phone, and he looked out at the night sky through the window.
While the school infirmary was empty, he secretly infused some Evil Force into Zhong Chengshuo’s body. Zhong Chengshuo’s physical injuries were obviously not as severe as losing his head, and he quickly returned to his original state. In Yellow Millet’s illusion, the young Zhong Chengshuo was lying peacefully on the bed, dutifully devouring energy bars—it was “Zhang San’s” condition, and he wasn’t supposed to eat today.
Yin Ren broke off a small piece of Shian’s specially made energy bar, which was full of chocolate and sugar. He quite liked it, and as Zhong Chengshuo ate more, his face became increasingly wrinkled.
“Are you sure you won’t return to the base tonight?” Zhong Chengshuo swallowed the last bite of food and asked quietly.
“I’ve discussed it with Lu Xiaohe. Starting today, I must…”
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking echoed, and Yin Ren frowned, quickly moving to the corner of the room. Zhong Chengshuo immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, conscientiously furrowing his brows.
Knock, knock, knock. The knocking sound continued persistently, as if determined not to stop until it woke someone up. After a while, Zhong Chengshuo finally answered with a hoarse voice, “Come in.”
Luo Chunlei turned on the lights with a “snap”. She was dressed formally, holding a small bouquet of flowers, and her eyes were swollen from crying. Making sure only Zhong Chengshuo was in the room, she gently closed the door and locked it with a click.
Zhong Chengshuo “struggled” to sit up, weakly leaning against the head of the bed. “What’s the matter?”
Luo Chunlei didn’t answer immediately. She casually picked up the vase from the medical office desk, inserted the newly bought flowers into it, and placed it on Zhong Chengshuo’s bedside table. After completing all of this, she plucked two petals from the prettiest flower, squeezed them in her hand, and kneaded them.
The bouquet was delicate and expensive, with a slightly mature aesthetic that resembled her mother’s taste.
“Are you happy now?” Luo Chunlei pulled over a chair and sat down angrily.
“What are you talking about?” Zhong Chengshuo skillfully pretended to be ignorant.
“My parents know about your situation and insist that I improve our relationship. They are keeping a close eye on me now, and even the teachers are paying extra attention to me. I can’t do anything.”
Luo Chunlei crossed her legs and spoke with the air of reciting a prepared script.
“I’m just unlucky; my good intentions resulted in bad outcomes. You’re generous; have a little mercy on me—”
“Are you implying that you had nothing to do with tampering with the soda?”
Luo Chunlei snorted. “Of course not. I’ve only just come back. Where would I even get poison? Let me tell you, it’s probably the culprit who harmed Zhang Hejun. They found out that both of us were investigating, so it was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.”
Zhong Chengshuo: “……” If he were a hot-headed teenager, he might have been led astray by this girl.
However, in reality, no one would go through such trouble to harm a child. The victim hadn’t even died yet, and they were already coming up with excuses. It didn’t make much sense.
At this moment, all he could do was silently observe Luo Chunlei’s performance.
“Don’t you understand? I just gave you the lead on Wu Cheng, and now this happens.” Luo Chunlei wiped her eyes, and her voice was filled with vivid resentment. “It’s the violent gang in our school. They want to harm us!”
She even included herself in this fantasy story. According to the usual plot, the boy and girl should shake hands and work together to find the culprit.
Unfortunately, Zhong Chengshuo was skilled at treating atmosphere as irrelevant.
“That’s just your speculation.” Zhong Chengshuo adjusted his glasses. “I will investigate on my own.”
Luo Chunlei clenched her fists, almost crushing the flower petals in her hands.
Zhong Chengshuo coughed at the right time. “Or maybe you have more clues for me? According to your logic, telling me about Wu Cheng had serious consequences. Classmate Luo, you better take care of yourself.”
“I can see that you don’t really want to find the culprit! Everyone is going crazy now, and we are being targeted. They will never let us off the hook… Tomorrow morning at 6:30, I’ll be waiting for you at the water pavilion near the back mountain. I’ve hidden the evidence there,” Luo Chunlei said resentfully.
“If you don’t come, I won’t leave.”
Zhong Chengshuo looked at her expressionlessly.
“And I know you’ll come for sure!” She finally left these words and ran away, seeming pitiful and aggrieved.
Zhong Chengshuo immediately looked at Yin Ren, but Yin Ren shook his head and remained by the bedside. Only a strand of hair followed her as she rushed down the stairs. The resentment and anger on her face vanished, leaving only a radiant smile.
The corridor was empty. She secretly took out a compact mirror with a hint of satisfaction on her face. “I’ve set it up just as you said.”
“Since they can deceive Wu Cheng with their superpowers, I can’t poison him either. So what should I do… I’m willing to gamble. As long as I can personally take action, it’ll be fine.”
“Hmm, I understand. There won’t be any problems. What? Look at the ceiling?”
Luo Chunlei’s expression stiffened, and she suddenly looked up. In the darkness, she saw a dark red eye. It seemed like it wanted to retract, but the girl caught sight of it.
One ghostly eye and two human eyes silently confronted each other in the darkness.
Luo Chunlei didn’t scream or shout; instead, excitement filled her eyes. “What the hell. I thought it was a person.”
After saying that, she continued to gaze with interest at the ghostly eye, and that carefree joy once again adorned her features. Once she confirmed that the eye had disappeared into the shadows, Luo Chunlei hummed a tune and walked into the corridor, heading towards the school gate.
Even with streetlights, the school gate remained dim. The holly bushes were pruned into round shapes and were concealed by the darkness, resembling heads scattered in the flower beds. Luo Chunlei couldn’t help but reach out her hand, dip it into the lamplight, and draw smiling faces on those “heads”.
“Luo Chunlei, stop.”
At the moment when Luo Chunlei was about to leave the campus, a familiar voice came from behind her.
In the shadows, a semi-transparent “Zhang Hejun” wore a wry smile. Half of her body was submerged in the holly bushes. She lowered her head, and her hair covered most of her face. But the voice undoubtedly belonged to Zhang Hejun herself.
“You shouldn’t have touched those things, let alone listened to their commands. It’s not too late to stop now.”
Luo Chunlei halted her humming. She squinted her eyes and looked at the girl she had almost killed. After a few seconds, she rolled her eyes and let out a contemptuous sigh.
“Oh, are you a ghost?” Luo Chunlei clapped her hands, showing no trace of guilt on her face. “Let me think, let me think. You’re almost dead, and your soul left your body?”
The apparition in front of her fell silent.
“As classmates, I’m sincerely warning you. Don’t go to the back mountain.” After a pause, “Zhang Hejun” sighed gently. “I do dislike you, but you might also be influenced by the ghost in the mirror. I… I don’t think you should die because of something like this.”
Under the dim streetlight, the shadows on Luo Chunlei’s face deepened, giving her a peculiar and aged appearance.
“Haha, you’re hilarious. This is my genuine superpower—my dad knocked on my head, so I can see you guys. Where does this ghost influence come from?”
Luo Chunlei laughed, and the shadows on her face deepened even more.
“Oh, but someone is now a ghost themselves and can see ghosts, right? Comparatively speaking, I’m not that special~ Little Roach, if you’re not dead yet, remember to die quickly!”
“Zhang Hejun” shook her head, and her figure finally dissipated.
At the same time, Yin Ren in the school infirmary opened his eyes.
“You don’t plan to save her forcibly,” Zhong Chengshuo stated.
“If Fu Xingchuan were here, he would probably follow the rules.” Yin Ren sat on the edge of the bed, leaning against Zhong Chengshuo’s stomach. “But there are some paths you can only choose for yourself—I am an evil, remember?”
“I remember. What about Lu Xiaohe…”
“She won’t make any mistakes.”
Yin Ren stretched lazily on his lover’s stomach.
“I trust her.”
……
“Two members’ equipment from Unit 9 went offline. Lu Xiaohe from Unit 9 didn’t submit a report, and it was only discovered during the headquarters inspection.”
Xiang Jiang slammed the report on Li Nian’s desk.
“They were just investigating a minor corruption source, and Unit 9 ended up like this? The rear commander knew but didn’t report it?”
Li Nian unscrewed the thermos, took a few sips, and said with no discernible emotion, “I didn’t realize you cared so much.”
“Ge Tingting and Huang Jin are both black seals, theoretically under my command. I am responsible for their situation.” Xiang Jiang’s face grew stern. “This is the first mission of Unit 9 as a B-level investigation team, so naturally, I have to keep an eye on them. It’s almost the end of the year. Do you want the accident rate to increase again?”
Li Nian averted his gaze while his tone remained unchanged. “If Lu Xiaohe didn’t report, then Unit 9 may have their own plans. That’s just their style. The regulations allow a tacit approval period of twenty-four hours, so let’s stick to that.”
Xiang Jiang: “…It’s not just a simple disappearance of the signal! The magical markings on their phones were all deactivated. Even evil spirits couldn’t erase them so cleanly.”
Behind him, Xiang Hai exhaled with a bloody ghostly aura.
“What? The magical markings were deactivated?”
Li Nian stopped his tea-drinking motion, and his brow furrowed slightly.
He quickly scrolled the mouse and pulled up today’s report from Unit 9, quickly reading it. Xiang Jiang crossed his arms as his gaze followed the movement of Li Nian’s mouse, occasionally turning towards Professor Li’s face.
“Indeed, something seems off. Lu Xiaohe’s report to me is a mess.”
Several minutes passed, and Li Nian finished reading the report carefully.
“Alright, I’ll contact Lu Xiaohe and ask Fu Xingchuan to go to the school.”
“Fu Xingchuan? Theoretically, I’m your partner. Why can’t I go?” Xiang Jiang sneered. “Ge Tingting and Huang Jin are just involved employees, not important at all. If Fu Xingchuan goes, who knows what conclusions he might draw… He’s more skilled than anyone when it comes to sacrificing minor characters for the greater good.”
“He’s like half your teacher, so watch your tone.”
Li Nian’s expression turned cold.
“Consultant Fu is powerful and convenient to mobilize, so that’s why he should go. If you, as the minister, are still so concerned, you can come along. Just remember to submit a report, and I’ll sign it.”
They stared at each other across the office desk for a long time.
Li Nian maintained his poker face as usual, while Xiang Jiang’s usually lifeless features showed a hint of anger, making him appear more alive.
“I’ll provide a detailed investigation request tonight,” Xiang Jiang said, each word deliberate. “After that, I’ll take full command and responsibility for the Haigu Secondary School area. Is that okay, Minister Li?”
“It’s in line with procedures,” Li Nian answered softly.
Xiang Jiang snorted and immediately began filling out the report. Li Nian glanced at him and connected to Lu Xiaohe’s communication channel.
“Where are Ge Tingting and Huang Jin?” Li Nian got straight to the point.
Lu Xiaohe replied, “They went out and are not here.” Her voice sounded cold, with a drawn-out tone at the end.
“Their communication is completely cut off, and the magical markings malfunctioned. It’s the highest level of danger—disappearance… Lu Xiaohe, did you confirm according to the regulations and on time this afternoon?”
“My mother also had the highest level of disappearance.” Lu Xiaohe’s tone was flat. “It hasn’t been twelve hours since those two disappeared.”
“Lu Xiaohe.” There was a hint of warning in Li Nian’s tone.
“Well, they went out and are not here. It’s after work hours now. If there’s something, contact me tomorrow.”
After saying that, she abruptly ended the call.
“…It seems I have to go with you.”
Li Nian tightened his grip on the thermos slowly.
“The situation there seems off. Let’s set up protection in the area and ensure safety before making contact.”
Xiang Jiang raised an eyebrow in response.
“Do you need a specially deployed task force? If not, I’ll arrange it myself.”
Midway through writing the application, Xiang Jiang suddenly asked.
“No, you arrange it.”
……
Early the next morning.
Beeping electronic notifications sounded. Lu Xiaohe had stayed up all night making her eyes sore and dry. She poured the remaining energy drink into her throat.
The devices of Huang Jin and Ge Tingting once again showed a location signal; this time at the water pavilion near the back mountain. Lu Xiaohe wiped her face and looked at the two strange talismans attached to the monitor.
Two peculiar talismans silently adhered to a powered-off monitor. Their vermilion marks were bright, like blood.
Lu Xiaohe weakly smiled, reaching for the communication button. Her movements were shaky, and she accidentally knocked over the stack of beverage cans, which scattered and rolled around with a clattering noise.
“What’s wrong?” Yin Ren’s voice came through, accompanied by chewing sounds.
“The devices of Huang Jin and Ge Tingting suddenly lost their response, and they didn’t come back last night. Their location just appeared near the back mountain. There might be something going on.”
Lu Xiaohe glanced at the label “Shian Public Channel” and cleared her throat as she spoke in an icy tone.
“They didn’t come back? Why didn’t you tell us yesterday?” Yin Ren stopped chewing, and his voice instantly became louder.
“I thought you had arranged it. Are you sure you want to discuss this now?”
“Never mind, how far is the water pavilion near the back mountain from here?” Yin Ren’s voice suddenly turned serious, mixed with just the right amount of urgency. “That girl caused trouble again last night and said she would go to the back mountain in the morning—”
“It’s right at the water pavilion near the back mountain.”
“…We’ll get prepared on our end and go there. You should quickly report the situation.”
“Understood,” Lu Xiaohe responded indifferently.
Finally, she ended the communication, wiped the sweat off her forehead, and looked at the two talismans.
Beside those two talismans stood a movable blackboard, covered in densely written words:
[1. When in contact with others, there will be sudden intense emotional fluctuations within five minutes, lasting for more than 30 minutes. √
2. Emotional fluctuations lead to a large number of negative thoughts about current work. √
3. Negative thoughts specifically involve strong hatred and suspicion towards team members and colleagues. √
All of the above are applicable, and it is highly suspected of being affected by psychic interference. It is best to act according to the affected style and immediately contact the most hated companion privately and explain the situation. Remember, companions around you are always more trustworthy than strangers.]
[Companions around you are always more trustworthy than strangers.]
These words were repeated over and over, filling every corner of the whiteboard. The handwriting started becoming incredibly messy, resembling a child’s practice, but then those sentences became neater and bolder, indicating that the writer had exerted more force. The subsequent ink faded, and the writing turned into a suspicious reddish-brown blood color.
“This is the first time I’ve been affected… It feels like hell.”
Lu Xiaohe extended her bandaged right index finger, tore open a packet of bread, and took a fierce bite. She glanced at the task assigned to Shian on the public channel, then opened a can of energy drink.
“A fragile mental state really isn’t suitable for staying up all night.”
She swallowed the soft bread and couldn’t help but close her eyes. The image from yesterday at noon seemed to still be before her eyes—
After communication from the hospital was cut off, Lu Xiaohe’s heart sank into an abyss. She quickly skimmed through the janitor’s information and closed the page, but the intense hatred toward Yin Ren was like a potent poison, constantly corroding her nerves.
Pain and worry filled her mind. She didn’t want to do anything, didn’t want…to be affected.
Her current state absolutely couldn’t be affected.
Lu Xiaohe gritted her teeth and struggled to stand up, picking up the pen next to the whiteboard.
She almost squeezed out all of her rationality before she could summarize the current situation. During the writing process, the surging rejection seemed to grip her brain, forcing her to abandon writing and immerse herself in the worry for her loved ones.
[Companions around you are always more trustworthy than strangers.]
But Zhang Hejun’s description of the characteristics was so accurate…
[Companions around you are always more trustworthy than strangers.]
However, Yin Ren’s attention wasn’t currently focused on exploring the Other Side, which was also a fact. The promise to save her mother was merely a verbal agreement…
[Companions around you are always more trustworthy than…]
She wrote it countless times until the ink of the marker ran out. Lu Xiaohe tightly grasped the pen, gasping for breath. Sweat covered her whole body, making her look as if she had just crawled out of water.
She bit her fingertip hard, using the pain to forcefully write the last word.
[Trust.]
The entire whiteboard was filled with words. Lu Xiaohe pressed the communication device with trembling hands. Just as she was about to speak, she saw the mark of “Shian Public Channel” and swallowed the unspoken words.
“Yin Ren, come to the base. Your signature is needed for the incident involving the puppet being poisoned.” Lu Xiaohe suppressed the trembling in her voice and spoke with a flat tone.
On the screen, she opened the janitor’s information again and forced herself to read it repeatedly.
“A signature?”
Not long after, Yin Ren swiftly returned to the base. He deliberately displayed his figure, hovering in the air without any proper form.
“I’m here. Where are the documents? I need to sign them quickly and go…”
Before he could finish speaking, the young Yin Ren’s red eyes suddenly turned, locking onto Lu Xiaohe.
“It’s rare to see killing intent in you.” Lord Ghost King floated in front of Lu Xiaohe. His previously relaxed tone vanished.
Before Lu Xiaohe could reply, Yin Ren directly pressed his hand against her forehead. Seeing the real person suddenly appear in front of her, hatred surged within her, and Lu Xiaohe instinctively wanted to dodge. However, under the strength of that hand, her feet felt as heavy as a thousand kilograms, and she became like a stone sculpture, unable to even move her fingers.
Yin Ren muttered an obscure and unintelligible spell in a low voice, and a warm white light gradually lit up around them, as gentle as the morning sun.
In the next moment, Lu Xiaohe felt as if she had stepped from a stuffy and foul-smelling room to the outdoors. A cool breeze blew, and the hatred and pain instantly dissipated. Her drowsy mind became much clearer in an instant.
Those poisonous emotions seemed to be separated by a thick barrier. They could still touch her heart, but they could no longer interfere with her thoughts.
“…A thousand years ago, your current state would be the standard ‘losing control’ state, the kind that can be fatal.”
After the spell was completed, Yin Ren didn’t show a relieved expression. He leaned closer to Lu Xiaohe’s face, gently sniffing the air around her. His voice became more serious.
“But there are no traces of magic nearby. The technique was too clean. Lu Xiaohe, tell me everything about who you just interacted with, what they said, and what they did. Don’t leave out a single word.”
Lu Xiaohe took a long sigh and opened the refrigerator, taking out two bottles of chilled drinks and casually tossing one to Yin Ren.
“Coincidentally, I was planning to do that.”
Lu Xiaohe pressed the cold drink against her temple, still feeling a lingering fear.
“Oh, right. Remember to contact Ge Tingting and Huang Jin later. I don’t dare to use the public channel, in case it alerts the enemy…”
“I saw them just now. They were heading towards the cafeteria. Don’t worry, I guarantee that I can stop them before they leave the cafeteria.”
Yin Ren stood in front of her, instantly transforming back into an adult appearance. His long black hair flowed like water, and his oversized school uniform transformed into a dark red robe. The once Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi had a solemn expression on his face as he moved his hands intentionally or unintentionally, as if performing finger gestures.
“Now you can speak. Remember, don’t leave out any details.”
……
Another round of beeping sounded, interrupting Lu Xiaohe’s hasty recollection. She leaned back in her chair—
The marker representing Yin Ren had moved to the water pavilion near the back mountain, in close proximity to the markers representing Ge Tingting and Huang Jin. Although she couldn’t be detected, that girl named Luo Chunlei was most likely also at the scene.
“It’s time.”
Lu Xiaohe clenched her fists tightly and then slowly released them. She took a deep breath and sent out the drones. They would patrol around the back mountains and capture any changes, then present their data in front of her.
“Make sure to win, all four of you.”
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