Incidents mystérieux impliquant des étudiantes

Chapitre 23

…Even if it really is terminal cancer, don't show it on your face.

"Now, I really can't take you as my apprentice," he said regretfully.

But his words made Tang Chen's eyes widen. "...Uncle, didn't you say you didn't take on apprentices?"

"I didn't intend to become an apprentice," I quickly added. "I...I...I don't have that kind of aptitude."

“Originally it was not allowed, but now it really is not possible.” Uncle thought for a moment, “My sect… is incompatible with demons.”

Tang Chen might not understand, but Huang E and I immediately did. Actually, we both had this doubt in mind, but she didn't say anything and I didn't say anything either. We didn't expect that our visiting uncle would say it out loud.

"Thank you anyway, Uncle." I said awkwardly.

He didn't say anything, just gave me some small gifts, and then took his leave. I stood there dumbfounded, holding a small peach wood sword and a compass, completely baffled.

What followed was both funny and exasperating to me: my uncle started writing me long letters, which, when collected together, could truly be considered a masterpiece of folklore. He didn't teach me how to draw talismans to ward off evil spirits, but he explained many taboos and Taoist rituals to me. His writing was excellent, and his handwriting was beautiful, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

He said he couldn't accept me as his apprentice, but he started to guide me without really taking the instruction seriously, even though I absorbed it very poorly.

I'm really not that unlucky. I keep meeting these kind people, so I can't even complain about my life. Although I know my uncle is just extending his affection to me, I'm still grateful.

His painstaking efforts only made Shuo laugh. She said calmly, "He's a great man, but it's a pity he's a monk. If I were a few years younger, I might have managed to get him to break his vows... But I don't have that kind of strength now."

She spoke as if nothing had happened, but I blushed deeply.

I can say with certainty that Shuo is definitely not a monk who observes the precepts.

She was indeed a witch.

After my uncle left, when I was alone with Huang'e, she, who was usually so talkative, became frighteningly silent.

I couldn't help but say, "Can you please stop? It's not like growing a few scales will turn you into a monster."

Her silence was initially unsettling, but her irritable chatter severely damaged my hearing.

"You knew you'd turn into a monster? Huh?" she roared. "You should have known this day would come when you left the mark!"

“I didn’t mean to steal your food,” I said sullenly. “I’ve apologized so many times.”

"Who told you that?!" she roared. "I'm enough, do we need another one like you? Now you've even grown scales, who knows when you'll become a demon?! Why aren't you more careful? You always try to meddle in everything! What are we going to do now?!"

She kept ranting for ages, but I got bored and just picked up a book to read.

I didn't expect my actions to seriously anger her. She jumped over and tore the book to pieces.

"Books cost money," I said unhappily.

"You're practically turning into a monster, who cares about money anymore?!"

"I won't turn into a monster, okay?" I surrendered, raising both hands. "I know perfectly well that I'm a person, your host. Anyone who turns into a monster does so because they want to, and it's definitely not me." I touched my face. "This one just ate dragon energy and got 'infected' by you, nothing bad will happen. Why are you all making such a fuss..."

"You make it sound so easy!" she roared furiously, but as she continued, her voice grew weaker and weaker, and she actually fell asleep.

Could this be something wrong? I'm worried. She's sleeping a lot and eating little now, but she's very energetic when she's awake.

The monster didn't have a doctor, and I couldn't take it to a vet. Later, I asked the old man, but he kicked me out. "You have your own problems to deal with, why are you bothering the monster?! You should try to digest your demonic energy first!"

It was kind of Master Zhao who gave me some pointers. He said that Huang E had fought against the demons and then was stimulated by the Qi of the First Dragon, which greatly increased his cultivation level. He accidentally cultivated himself into a Golden-Winged Roc. However, because his foundation was unstable, he often needed to rest and recuperate, and he told me not to worry.

I went back, still confused. Huang'e was still curled up in bed. She opened one eye and said irritably, "Why are you asking that old geezer? You're itching for a beating if no one's yelling at you? You might as well stay home; it'll be easier for me to yell at you then!"

I'm worried about you.

She couldn't stay in bed any longer, so she got up and vomited.

…She treated Tang Chen and me completely differently.

"Please, don't be so disgusting!" she snapped angrily. "I'm like Hiei using 'Evil King Flame Killing Black Dragon Wave.' After using a powerful move, you need to recover your strength, don't you understand?"

“…What shadow what wave?” I was stunned.

"Hmph~ Don't tell me you haven't read Yu Yu Hakusho!" Aragaki was even angrier.

I haven't read many Taoist books; perhaps I've missed this one? Maybe I should write to my uncle and ask…

Huang E was so angry he almost jumped to the ceiling. "You must have traveled from the Neolithic Age! What kind of modern college student do you think you are... You don't even watch anime! What's wrong with you...?"

Anime? To be honest, I haven't really watched many. When I was little, my dad was strict and afraid that if I watched those supernatural and fantastical things, I would be more prone to lying. As I grew up, I preferred classic novels that were easy to read and read. Just buying those was a struggle, and if I didn't have the money, I could rent comics, not to mention watching TV.

My roommate used to love watching "Atashinchi," and I would watch it to some extent, but as for other things, I honestly... knew absolutely nothing.

"Where do you go to read anime and comics?" I asked sincerely.

"There's a TV in the common room!" she said, trembling with anger. "There are comics piled up everywhere in the dormitory, can't you go and pick one up to read?"

“That’s someone else’s book, I can’t do it myself…” I argued.

"Get out of here!" She rolled on the ground, yelling, "What did I do to deserve such a stupid host..."

I quickly fled the room, feeling utterly disheveled.

That means I really have no dignity as the host.

The days that followed were surprisingly peaceful.

After returning from the class trip, I was immediately faced with a major exam, followed by the school anniversary celebration and sports meet. People shouldn't be too leisurely; as the saying goes, "One is born in hardship and dies in comfort" (is that how it's said?). Only when you're extremely bored will you cause trouble. When you're so busy that you almost forget your own name and who you are, you won't do anything unnecessary.

There are beautiful women in books, but no Ouija boards or ghosts.

While the whole school was in an uproar, Tang Chen and I remained uninvolved and seemed particularly relaxed.

During the big exam, I barely passed thanks to Tang Chen's help in highlighting key points and cramming. As for the school anniversary celebration, it didn't really concern us.

I didn't participate in any club activities, so no one would ask me to go on stage and perform superpowers. Tang Chen did join the tennis club, but I only saw him play with the coach in the morning; I never saw him participate in the club activities in the evening.

"Pfft." He laughed, and said tactfully, "It's like I'm bullying someone by participating in club training... It's better not to go."

Later, he, who didn't participate in club activities, brought back a trophy, and that's when I realized what he meant by "bullying."

So, you can't judge a book by its cover. If you underestimate someone just because they look refined, you'll be utterly humiliated and left crying in despair.

During that time, we would all go home early for meals and studies, or make those little gadgets with Shuo. Tang Chen saw that I was finding it interesting, so he joined Shuo. Strangely enough, Shuo didn't stop him; he just taught him with a smile.

I had some doubts. Shuo said these little gadgets I made were "possessing demonic energy" and couldn't be sold, so wouldn't Tang Chen's monster attractor cause problems...?

Dreamcatchers were all the rage back then, and we made quite a few.

Dreamcatchers, also known as dream-weaving nets, originated from generations of Native American and Celtic cultures. People would make loops out of soft oak and willow branches, and then weave feathers, leaves, and hemp ropes into a net to capture creativity, dreams, and aspirations, allowing dreamers to capture their dreams and ideals, and protecting them from nightmares.

People usually hang it at the head of their bed, believing that it will bring good dreams.

Shuo smiled and put away what I made, but Tang Chen put a high price on it and prepared to sell it. I felt a little annoyed.

“It’s not that you did a bad job,” she said calmly. “Your work is too good; most people can’t handle it. Tang Chen’s work may be just as good… but he instinctively knows to ‘go easy on’ him.”

I didn't understand it at first, but after looking closely at Tang Chen's work, I realized he's incredibly skillful. Learning in the same way, his creations are exceptionally exquisite. Strangely, his dreamcatchers always seem to miss a stitch or two in the smallest, most delicate places.

Is this what they call giving an inch? I pondered. Later, I thought about trying to slip a stitch or two in, but then the net wouldn't be a net anymore. I have to admit that this is a talent.

But doing some crafts under the lamp actually made my relationship with Tang Chen even better.

"Every day I'm drowsy with thoughts of home." I stretched and mumbled a couple of lines.

He looked at me and smiled, singing, "These days I can't sit still, I can't sleep soundly, I want to climb but I'm not happy, I feel bored walking around... Every day I'm drowsy and sleepy."

I was yawning halfway through when I opened my mouth and looked at him. I had no idea he had such a good voice, singing Peking Opera so well!

"...You can sing opera?!" I was utterly astonished.

“I know a little bit.” He wanted to laugh but held it back. “My aunt studied under a famous master and learned opera for several years. I followed her for a while when I was a child… but my mother said that learning opera is not like a boy’s, so I neglected it.”

…Nothing could make me envious more than this. The so-called family tradition of learning. I'm like a seed in a desert, having to fight for even a drop of water called knowledge, constantly plagued by hardship. But others have countless relatives and elders to teach them.

Putting aside these feelings of sadness, I begged him to sing another verse. He hesitated, saying, "I studied female roles, but my voice has changed in recent years, so it doesn't sound good when I sing."

"It sounds so good! It sounds so good!" I begged him desperately, "Please, please sing another verse!"

Annoyed by my nagging, he sang a section of "Su San's Escort." "Su San left Hongtong County, arriving at the main street. Before she uttered a word, her heart was filled with sorrow… Gentlemen passing by, listen to my words…"

This is what it means to be both a singer and a performer. With just a few lines and gestures, he brought the unjustly accused Su San to life with vividness and deep emotion.

I clapped my hands enthusiastically, and he covered his mouth and laughed. "What are you doing? These are your childhood tricks, making people laugh at you."

Later, he taught me to sing a few lines, but unfortunately, I sang them terribly and off-key. However, the poems he taught me were somewhat passable. He also explained to me that there are many tunes for singing poems, such as the Yilan tune, etc.

That's how my relationship with Tang Chen is. Our classmates came to visit us a few times, but they were always completely baffled when they got back. They didn't see the gossip they wanted, and all they heard about were those old, archaic things that left them dizzy.

I always feel like I was born in the wrong era, and I guess Tang Chen feels the same way. He's very talented, and he picks up modern gadgets very easily. He has plenty to talk about with his classmates, but he just doesn't have that passion for it.

He must have been really happy to meet someone like me who only reads classical novels, with a little bit of poetry, songs, and plays mixed in.

Once, when Tang Chen and I were arguing about whether the "tongguan" in the poem "Tongguan Youwei" from the Book of Songs referred to a sewing box or a flute, Shuo couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey you guys, are you just chatting casually, or are you actually doing research and attending a lecture?"

"Let's chat!" Tang Chen and I said in unison, then burst into laughter and finished weaving the dreamcatcher in our hands.

She rested her chin on her hand and smiled beautifully at us.

I knew Shuo shouldn't laugh; every time she laughs like that, something's bound to happen.

The peaceful days didn't last long. After the school anniversary celebration, Xiaoting came to see me, looking very uneasy.

"Mo Niang, our new roommate is acting a bit strange." She looked troubled.

After I moved out of the dormitory, Xiaoting and her other roommates were reluctant to part ways and stayed in the dormitory. I heard that some students from other departments became their new roommates.

I glanced at her twice and replied tactfully, "I thought that since I've lived with everyone, I wouldn't find anyone strange."

"Hey, why do you say that?" Xiaoting nudged me. "You're just talking to yourself, it's nothing serious."

I turned around in surprise. I'd forgotten that these girls are as unpredictable as undersea cables. Even someone as odd as me thought it was alright, but what they found strange... might not be so simple.

I really didn't want to get involved, just wait and see how miserable my meddling would be... But Xiaoting was the first classmate to be kind to me. No matter how ridiculous the scripts they secretly wrote were, or how embarrassed I was, their gentle care for me like a young animal gave my university life a good start, allowing me to escape the bleakness and loneliness a little.

Therefore, there are all sorts of connections between people, some karmic, some karmic, and some karmic. Because of their unintentional frankness and gentleness, I am willing to take some risks to intervene.

"What kind of strange thing is it?" I asked.

“I can’t explain it,” she said with a distressed look. “She’s terrified of ghosts… You should take a look. We didn’t see a single ghost, but she scared us to death.”

Completely baffled, I arranged to go check it out with her after lunch. Although I had decided to meddle, for someone like me with a deficiency of yin, midday when yang energy is at its peak is better.

Ghosts are everywhere, of course; this was originally a cemetery. But it was midday, and the original inhabitants were all taking a nap. The few who came out to wander around were listless; they nodded haphazardly at me and then wandered off again.

The old man was afraid someone might die, and most of the indigenous people were well-behaved, at most adding a few harmless ghost stories. I don't know what's so scary about this... and how can you blame it on the fact that Xiaoting, who's usually very thick-skinned, would be frightened?

Walking into their dormitory... I understood. Even without Xiaoting telling me, I knew which bunk that girl belonged to.