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墨書 Inktalez
I ignored Yun Yi's voice urging me to wait and swiftly dashed into the academy.
Inside, the scene was vastly different from what I had glimpsed through the crowd during the day.
Perhaps due to the lack of people, the strange mountains and exotic plants that had flourished in daylight were now shrouded in a layer of grayish cobwebs.
The murky air hung heavily in the courtyard, yet I felt an oddly comforting sensation creeping in.
I shook my head vigorously, my thoughts racing.
The Evil Demon’s enchanting techniques were truly formidable; I had nearly lost myself within them.
Suddenly, a woman's scream pierced through the depths of the courtyard, and dark particles swirled ominously in the air above.
Damn it! The Evil Demon had really made its move!
I kicked open the door at the back, revealing a small lake formed by a cascading waterfall.
There, lying on a stone in the center of the lake, was the woman.
Her face was marred with blood, and beside her stood the Academy Matron, who had already revealed her true fox form.
The crimson tail swayed behind her, a stark contrast to the elegant beauty I had seen during the day.
The sound of the door crashing open startled her; I found myself locking eyes with her blood-stained gaze.
A flicker of surprise crossed her features, but she did not cease her actions.
This was not right!
I swung my arm back instinctively, but it was still a moment too late.
Someone was behind me, delivering a fierce blow to my neck, and I ultimately couldn't withstand it and lost consciousness.
In my dazed state, I fixated on the woman in front of me.
I was so close—just a little bit more, and I could have saved her.
Just a little bit.
This feeling of helplessness and pain was oddly familiar to me.
It seemed like I had experienced such moments of near-misses and despair before.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't recall any specifics.
It felt as though I had fallen into a black vortex, completely losing consciousness.
When I finally awoke, I sprang up from the bed.
My sudden movement startled Yun Yi, who had been dozing beside me, causing him to tumble to the floor.
"Ouch! Xiao Liuzi! What are you doing?"
He rubbed his backside as he slowly got up, looking at me as if I were a fool.
I didn't engage in our usual banter; instead, I pressed my lips together and voiced my confusion.
"Where did you find me yesterday? What about that woman? And the Evil Demon?"
I looked around and realized I had somehow returned to the inn.
Yun Yi furrowed his brow, pointing at me with a trembling finger, and began to scold, "I haven't even started on you, Xiao Liuzi! I told you to wait for me, but you just barged in. You even fainted in San Niang's courtyard, and it was San Niang who brought you out! What a bother for her!"
"San Niang?" I repeated.
"Who is San Niang?" I asked, feeling completely lost.
Yun Yi continued, "Well, it seems you've forgotten everything. The owner of the academy is San Niang. Didn't you see the plaque that says San Niang Academy? You just went in without knowing anything!"
I stared intently at Yun Yi's face for a long moment.
But there was no sign of deceit on his expression.
Just then, a series of firecrackers exploded outside, their booming sound interrupting the strange atmosphere between Yun Yi and me.
I distinctly remembered being ambushed and knocked unconscious. Could there be others at San Niang Academy?
Doubt filled my mind as the commotion outside continued unabated.
"It's so noisy!" I couldn't contain my frustration any longer and directly climbed out of the window.
Yun Yi exclaimed again, "Disciple, you’ve abandoned your master once more!"
But at that moment, I had no intention of responding, for as soon as I landed, a small figure pounced on me, causing me to tumble to the ground.
With no trace of hostility, I slowly retracted the power I had just gathered in my sleeves.
A familiar child's voice reached my ears.
"Thank you, Scholar! You were amazing! After I spoke with you yesterday, my sister came back!"
He looked at me with eyes full of gratitude, but I was filled with confusion.
However, as I turned to see the girl approaching us, realization dawned on me.
She was the woman who had been abducted by the Evil Demon last night!
So she was Liu Ya's sister. But how did she return?
"You... do you remember what happened last night? How did you come back?"
I hesitated for a moment before voicing my doubts.
But the girl merely shook her head and softly replied, "I don’t remember anything. I only recall picking Hawthorn in the mountains, and somehow I ended up back home."
Before I could ask for more details, Aunt came running over, breathless and calling out to others to set off firecrackers.
She nervously called out "Xiao Qi," then quickly hid the girl behind her.
It was as if she were guarding against a hungry wolf, and then she turned to fiercely scold Liu Ya beside her.
"I've told you, you little brat, to listen! Your sister's return is all thanks to Grand Immortal Chen. What nonsense about scholars and such! If you keep misidentifying people, I swear I'll beat you to death!"
Liu Ya shrank back behind Xiao Qi, while the Aunt continued her relentless scolding.
She even raised her hand high.
Just as I was about to seize her hand, someone was quicker than me, firmly gripping her wrist in their palm.
That person's face was strikingly familiar.
No one else seemed to notice, but I could sense the demon energy she was desperately trying to conceal.
Evil Demon San Niang had actually made a move in broad daylight.
So brazenly.
At the moment the Aunt's hand was locked down, her previously furious expression turned to one of disgust upon seeing San Niang.
"Let go of me, you vixen!"
The Aunt struggled a bit more before San Niang finally released her.
I was startled; I thought San Niang's identity had been exposed. But when I saw the people around pointing and whispering about her, I realized that what they referred to as "fox spirit" and "vixen" were merely insults.
But San Niang showed no signs of anger; after all, she was a Fox Demon.
She didn't even bother to spare a glance for that Aunt, instead turning her attention to caressing Xiao Qi's face.
I clenched my sleeves tightly, ready to step in and rescue Xiao Qi at any moment if she decided to act out.
However, she only touched him for a while before leaving.
Even the Aunt hadn't reacted yet, and there was no trace of fear in Xiao Qi's clear eyes.
It seemed there was even a hint of something else in his gaze. I rubbed my eyes, but nothing changed.
Perhaps I still hadn't fully woken up.
Yun Yi arrived late, and upon hearing the flattery and noise from behind, I knew he must have ingratiated himself with the influential figures in this city again.
Before I could turn around, the Aunt, who had just been shouting angrily, suddenly beamed with joy and rushed over.
" Immortal Chen, let me tell you, there is indeed demonic energy here! For the safety of Lin'an City, we..."
There was no need for more words; I knew Yun Yi was about to pull another fast one.
But this time, the Aunt was abruptly interrupted as she rushed forward to bow deeply before Immortal Chen, thanking him profusely for whatever talismans had protected them and finally brought Xiao Qi back.
I looked up and down at this Immortal Chen; indeed, he appeared to embody the demeanor of an ethereal immortal.
The dust on his hands seemed to be untouched by the world.
He quickly walked over to Xiao Qi, his eyes filled with affection.
"Good child, you have suffered."
However, when he reached out to touch Xiao Qi's head, I saw him freeze.
His hand hovered above Xiao Qi's head, and then his expression grew serious as he began to calculate with his fingers.
Beside him, Aunt became anxious.
"What’s wrong, Grand Immortal Chen? Is something the matter with Xiao Qi?"
As she spoke, she sank down to her knees.
The long-haired man seemed unfazed by this and slowly took out a piece of talisman paper from his robe.
"Just let her take this; it can dispel illness and disasters."
The black characters on the talisman paper filled me with a sense of revulsion for some reason.
By the time I realized what was happening, I had already snatched the talisman from Aunt's hands.
"And this young lady is...?"
Immortal Chen's attention shifted to me in an instant. I didn't miss the fleeting glint of malice in his eyes; it was a look I was all too familiar with.
In the days before I was found by Yun Yi, I was hunted day after day.
Those Taoists, under the pretense of slaying demons and eliminating evil, were merely coveting Willow Tree's heart that I possessed.
After all, to them, it was a treasure.
However, after encountering Yun Yi, the eccentric scholar, I no longer lived in constant fear of being pursued.
It seemed that this young scholar possessed a magical artifact capable of concealing the demon aura surrounding me.
This was one of the reasons why I chose to follow Yun Yi.
But at this moment, that artifact appeared to have malfunctioned.
Even as Yun Yi jested and claimed that I was his disciple, pulling me away, I could still clearly feel the gaze of Immortal Chen upon me.
A nauseating stare.
Indeed, a Taoist who could see through the true form of San Niang, the Fox Demon, would not be an easy opponent.
Tonight was destined to be anything but peaceful.
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