Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 5

Li Jinyu and Ji Yun sat down to eat. The girls only took two ounces of rice, a pittance like cat food, and delicately fed themselves with small spoons, chatting and laughing as they ate. It seemed like they wouldn't finish the meal in less than half an hour. Ji Yun occasionally looked up and saw an older couple at the opposite table, intimately sharing a bowl of food, feeding each other bites. Ji Yun was almost stunned.

She quickly nudged Li Jinyu's foot, and Li Jinyu grunted in response, asking, "What's wrong?" Ji Yun secretly pointed across the street, and everyone turned to look, stunned by the two of them's oblivious intimacy. Xu Ye said enviously, "They're so brave, so happy!" Li Jinyu tapped her on the head and said rudely in a low voice, "Come on! The cafeteria is a public place; doing this kind of thing is very indecent!" Xu Ye was somewhat unconvinced, but couldn't find a reason to refute her.

After breaking up with the girl, Zhou Wen and Ge Hui hurriedly washed their lunch bowls and went back to their dormitory to take a nap. Liu Zifeng and Cai Wenyuan had already finished eating and were leaning against their beds, chatting idly. When Liu Zifeng saw Zhou Wen come in, he asked him, "Hey, Zhou Wen, you're a local, are there any fun places to visit in G City?" Zhou Wen replied, "Yes, there are plenty. G City's classical gardens are famous all over the world."

Liu Zifeng thought for a moment and said, "The park is too small and not fun. Is there anywhere we can go boating?" Zhou Wen took off his shoes, lay down on the bed, and said, "Let's go to Donghu Park then. It's next to the zoo, and there's also an amusement park where we can bowl." Liu Zifeng said, "I've invited the girls from dormitory 304 out this Saturday. Let's go boating at Donghu Park. Do you have any park tickets?" Zhou Wen said, "I think I have a few left at home. I'll go back and look for them on Friday. Hey, why did you think of inviting girls out?"

Liu Zifeng yawned and said, "It's normal for male and female students in college to organize joint dormitory activities, go out together, and strengthen friendships. Don't get the wrong idea!" Cai Wenyuan finally couldn't hold back and laughed loudly, saying, "Strengthening friendships? If you want to pursue a girlfriend, just say so! Why put such a big hat on you!"

Liu Zifeng chuckled a few times and said, "I don't have such thoughts. Who would think as dirty as you! But Huo Lili doesn't want to go. It seems she has a boyfriend and is busy dating on Saturdays and Sundays, so she doesn't have time." Ge Hui said, "Then let's ask Xu Ye to go. She's Li Jinyu's good friend." Liu Zifeng thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll call and ask later. But it's not good to just ask her alone. Let's just ask her whole dorm to go together."

Zhou Wen asked, "Who else is in Xu Ye's dorm?" Liu Zifeng counted on his fingers and said, "There's Shi Sihong, Li Lan, and Xu Mengyao. If they all go, there will be 11 people in total. By the way, Ge Hui, Xu Mengyao is from your hometown. Did you know each other before?" Ge Hui said, "Of course we know each other! We're practically inseparable. We're in the same class. She's the class monitor, and I'm the vice-monitor." Liu Zifeng smiled knowingly and said, "Then we absolutely have to drag her along!"

Zhou Wen closed his eyes and thought for a long time, but he still couldn't remember what Li Lan and Xu Mengyao looked like. He patted his head and cursed himself inwardly: "You're really a mess. It's been a month and you still don't recognize the girls in your own class. No wonder you can't make any friends!"

Section 7 Donghu Garden

The next day's classes were filled with restlessness; everyone was looking forward to going boating at Donghu Park on Saturday. Zhao Peng from the next dormitory heard about it and was incredibly envious, pestering Liu Zifeng to go with him. Liu Zifeng couldn't resist and reluctantly agreed. On Friday afternoon after school, Zhou Wen rode his bicycle home and rummaged through drawers looking for park tickets. His aunt was a minor official at the neighborhood office, and she gave their family quite a few park tickets every year. Zhou Wen found a large stack; he counted over a dozen, which should be enough.

The next day, a cold front moved south, and the temperature dropped several degrees. Zhou Wen changed into a long-sleeved shirt and trousers, rode his bike to the north gate of S University, bought an egg pancake for breakfast, and ate it as he walked inside. Liu Zifeng and the others were already waiting impatiently at the entrance of Cafeteria No. 2, pushing their bicycles. A cool breeze blew by, and Cai Wenyuan couldn't help but complain, "What are those girls dawdling about? They said 8 o'clock, and it's already been ten minutes past!"

Liu Zifeng said, "They're probably putting on makeup; it's their privilege." Before she finished speaking, Zhao Peng pointed behind them excitedly and said, "They're here! They're here!" Everyone turned around and saw Ji Yun, Li Jinyu, Xu Ye, and a group of girls dressed up and walking towards them, laughing and joking about something.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [28]: Liu Zifeng went up to greet them and asked with a smile, "Do you have enough bicycles? Do you need us to give you a ride?" Shi Sihong said, "No need, we can manage on our own!" Liu Zifeng joked, "Are you good at this? Don't let someone crash into a telephone pole while you're carrying them!" Shi Sihong immediately retorted, "Our riding skills are top-notch. Do you think you're the one who keeps bumping into telephone poles even when you're riding an empty bike!"

They chatted and laughed for a while, then left through the North Gate and rode towards Donghu Park. The girls rode quickly ahead, with the boys following closely behind, unconsciously splitting into two groups. Only Liu Zifeng and Shi Sihong rode side by side, talking. Zhou Wen watched Li Jinyu's retreating figure and softly asked himself, "If she doesn't go, will I still go?"

Donghu Park is located at the easternmost part of the old city of G, right next to the moat. The park contains a body of water of over 300 acres, named Donghu (East Lake). During the Qing Dynasty, it was a training ground for the local navy, and it is said that a secret waterway leads directly to T Lake. When Liu Zifeng and his group arrived at Donghu Park, it was almost 8:30. The park entrance was deserted, with only about ten bicycles parked at the storage area. Shi Sihong couldn't help but mutter, "So quiet, what's there to do!"

Liu Zifeng pulled Zhou Wen to the ticket booth. Looking up, he saw that the tickets were 20 yuan per person. He stuck out his tongue and said, "So expensive!" Zhou Wen counted the garden tickets without looking up and said, "This is the price for foreign guests. It's relatively cheap. The ticket for Yinyi Garden is 50 yuan!" Liu Zifeng thought to himself, "I didn't realize how expensive things are in G City when I was at school!" He was a little envious of Zhou Wen for having so many garden tickets, saving more than 200 yuan at once.

As everyone walked along the cobblestone path into the park, they were surrounded by lush green trees and blooming flowers. In the sunlight, several pink butterflies could be seen fluttering about. G City is at a relatively low altitude, so autumn comes very late, and there was no sign of desolation. Everyone's mood gradually relaxed, and they chatted and laughed, no longer as reserved as they had been at the beginning.

Liu Zifeng rushed to the boat rental area, left his student ID and a 200 yuan deposit, and rented two six-seater boats. Shi Sihong suggested that the boys and girls each row a separate boat, but Liu Zifeng firmly disagreed. He said that rowing was too strenuous, and it was too dangerous for seven girls to squeeze into one boat. If something happened, there would be no one to help each other, so it would be safer to separate.

Shi Sihong couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she had to agree. Her eyes darted around, and she took it upon herself to make arrangements: "Li Jinyu, Dai Shuzhen, Xu Ye, Xu Mengyao, you guys row one boat with Zhou Wen and Ge Hui. Liu Zifeng, we'll row another one!" Liu Zifeng frowned. He had originally wanted to separate Li Jinyu and Zhou Wen, but it wasn't convenient to openly object, so he could only smile and say, "Is it enough for just the two of them to row?"

Shi Sihong interjected, "How is that not enough? There are four other girls too, they can take turns helping out! Don't look down on us, women hold up half the sky! The gold medalists at the Olympics are all our female compatriots, you men are nowhere to be seen!" She chattered on and on, making Ji Yun and the others laugh. Liu Zifeng shook his head, thinking, "What a formidable woman, whoever marries her is in for a rough time!"

Xu Ye glanced at Li Jinyu, then at Zhou Wen, then at Xu Mengyao, then at Ge Hui. All four faces looked somewhat embarrassed, but they tried their best to appear nonchalant. She couldn't help but smile mischievously and said, "I think this is a good idea! Let's have a race to see who can paddle to the other side of the bridge first. Zhou and Ge, it all depends on you two guys!"

Shi Sihong said excitedly, "Let's have a competition! Liu Zifeng, hurry up and get on the boat, what are you standing there for?" Liu Zifeng could only smile wryly, and called Cai Wenyuan, Zhao Peng, Ji Yun, Li Lan and the others onto the boat. They used wooden oars to paddle along the riverbank and drifted leisurely towards the center of the lake. Zhou Wen and the others followed closely behind. Xu Ye and Dai Shuzhen were practically playing in the water with their oars, splashing around aimlessly. The boat spun around in circles because of them, which scared Xu Mengyao so much that she clung tightly to the gunwale, her face turning pale.

Li Jinyu said, both amused and exasperated, "Miss, if you can't row, don't show off! Look, our boat is just spinning in the water!" Xu Ye smiled sheepishly and said, "I'm just learning! Hey, what are you two boys laughing about? Hurry up and row harder!" Zhou Wen and Ge Hui exchanged a smile, then together they rowed the oars into the water, and the boat swayed forward on the emerald green lake.

Xu Ye nodded and said, "As expected of a boy, he's definitely stronger than us." Ge Hui took the opportunity to teach her, "The key to rowing a boat is good coordination. If you pull together, the boat will naturally move forward." Xu Ye thought what he said made a lot of sense, so she said to Dai Shuzhen, "Let's row together, listen to me, one two one, one two one!" Li Jinyu pursed her lips and smiled secretly. She thought Xu Ye was as innocent as a child, sometimes so innocent that it made people laugh and cry, but that was also what made her so adorable.

Taking a break, Xu Ye turned back to Zhou Wen and Ge Hui and shouted, "You two need to work hard! Don't slack off! We have to catch up with them!" Encouraged by her, the two rowed with all their might, the oars creating whirlpool after whirlpool in the lake. The small boat pushed through the waves, and they were getting closer and closer to Liu Zifeng and the others. Li Jinyu and Xu Mengyao, having nothing to do, leisurely enjoyed the scenery of East Lake. They both spontaneously recalled the folk song they had sung in their childhood, "Let Us Row Our Boats," and their hearts were filled with comfort and joy.

Ripples like fish scales spread across the emerald lake, shimmering in the sunlight. In the distance, layers upon layers of blooming flowers and green trees are submerged in the dazzling morning light, like a bride in a wedding dress, almost too beautiful to look at directly. Tourists on the bridge wave white handkerchiefs to the boats below, cheering them on loudly. Willow branches sway gently in the breeze along the shore, casting countless ripples of longing across the lake.

The two boats drew closer and closer, but Liu Zifeng and his companions ultimately prevailed, stopping steadily under the bridge. Xu Ye threw down her oar, panting heavily, and leaned against Li Jinyu, saying coquettishly, "I really can't go on anymore, you row from here!" Li Jinyu laughed and said, "Giving up after such a short distance? Watch me!" She picked up the oar, about to row into the lake, when suddenly her face changed drastically, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight!

Vampire Fierce Chapter Two Who's in My Body Section Eight Drowned Ghost---Magpie Bridge Fairy Reply [29]: At almost the same moment, Zhou Wen also saw the monster in the lake. It was a ferocious drowned ghost with a pale face and messy hair like octopus tentacles, slowly approaching them. Li Jinyu's voice changed, and she screamed, "Row quickly!" Dai Shuzhen and Ge Hui thought she wanted to catch up with Liu Zifeng's boat, so they rowed hard together. The boat glided quickly on the lake and swept past the drowned ghost.

Zhou Wen grabbed the oar and swung it down at the drowned ghost's head, splashing water everywhere. Li Jinyu blurted out in a panic, "Be careful, it might drag you into the water!" Before she finished speaking, the drowned ghost suddenly leaped up, grabbed the oar in Zhou Wen's hand, and screamed as it climbed upwards step by step.

Zhou Wen was startled and was about to throw the oar into the water when the drowned ghost suddenly melted half of its face like a snowman warming itself by a fire, revealing its stark white bones. It was in so much pain that it opened its mouth wide but couldn't make a sound. Its hand slipped and it fell back into the lush green lake.

The others on the boat were completely oblivious to what was happening. Xu Mengyao asked Li Jinyu curiously, "What did you say? Who tried to drag Zhou Wen into the water?" Li Jinyu forced a smile and mumbled, "Nothing, I just told Zhou Wen to be careful not to fall in." Xu Ye teased her, "All you ever talk about is Zhou Wen! I've been rowing until my arms are sore, and you haven't said a word of concern!"

Li Jinyu had no intention of arguing with her. She watched the drowned ghost slowly sink to the bottom of the lake before finally letting out a slight sigh of relief. She thought, "Ghosts are most afraid of yang energy. Logically, they should only appear in dark places. How can that drowned ghost move freely in the sunlight? Could it be… could it be that what my brother was worried about has finally happened?" She glanced at Zhou Wen again. "This is the second one. Last time, that evil ghost with the surname 'Death' on Qionglong Mountain did the same thing; it evaporated into a wisp of smoke as soon as it got close. Is Zhou Wen human or a vampire?"

As the boat reached the bridge arch, Zhou Wen raised the oar and tapped it a few times on the top of the arch, slowly stabilizing the boat and bringing it to a stop next to Liu Zifeng and the others. Sunlight shone on the rippling water, reflecting back onto Li Jinyu's slightly melancholic face, leaving Zhou Wen stunned and Liu Zifeng heartbroken. Shi Sihong, panting, laughed loudly, "You lost, you should treat us!" Ji Yun, Cai Wenyuan, and the others egged on, urging Ge Hui and Zhou Wen to go ashore and buy cold drinks.

Just then, screams suddenly came from a pedal boat to the west: "Help! Help! Someone has fallen into the lake!" Li Jinyu's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned around. She vaguely saw a young man struggling in the water, a dark shadow tightly binding his hands and feet, pulling him towards the bottom of the lake. Liu Zifeng shouted, "Go quickly and save him! He doesn't seem to be able to swim!" Shi Sihong and the others were anxious to save him, so they grabbed the oars and paddled frantically. The boat slowly started moving, and it seemed that even if they arrived in time, it would be too late.

Li Jinyu was startled and hurriedly stopped them, saying, "Slow down, wait for us!" Zhou Wen glanced at her and whispered, "Did you see that? It's that ghost from just now!" They rowed hard, closely following behind Liu Zifeng and the others, and soon they were about ten steps away from the wrecked tourist boat.

Cai Wenyuan and Zhao Peng had been pushing themselves too hard, and now they were agitated, their arms aching, and their paddling speed gradually slowed down. Zhou Wen and his boat, however, rowed faster and faster, finally overtaking them. Li Jinyu approached the pedal boat and looked up to see a fashionable woman sitting on the side of the boat, her face streaked with tears, snot, and makeup, crying uncontrollably. She had one hand in the lake water and was hoarsely calling out, "Jianmin, Jianmin, come up here! Don't scare me!"

Seeing her crying so bitterly, Li Jinyu felt a pang of sadness and was about to offer some words of comfort when a dark, ghostly claw suddenly emerged from the lake, grabbed the fashionable woman's hand, and dragged her into the water. Li Jinyu was furious. That damned drowning ghost! It wasn't enough that it harmed one person; it had to harm another! She put her index finger to her lips, about to bite it to draw a talisman, but suddenly stopped, inwardly cursing herself for her recklessness, ignoring Xu Ye and Liu Zifeng who were right beside her.

Zhou Wen reacted swiftly. He leaned out halfway, grabbed the drowning woman's other hand, and pulled her up to the surface. The woman's face was deathly pale, and she screamed tremblingly, "There...there's a ghost! There's a ghost...under the water!" The drowned ghost, who had just been tricked by Zhou Wen, dared not fight him again. It quickly released its grip, turned and dived back into the lake, letting Zhou Wen rescue the woman and put her in the boat.

Xu Mengyao comforted her, saying, "It's alright now, let's get to the shore right away!" The woman trembled all over and said, "There's a ghost! Jianmin is a swimming champion, how could he... drown! Just now... just now someone clearly pulled me into the water..." These words made everyone a little uneasy. They looked at each other and silently rowed the boat to the shore.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [30]: Xu Mengyao and Dai Shuzhen helped the poor woman ashore and comforted her in a low voice. Liu Zifeng said, "Let's go to the boat rental office to report the case first." Ji Yun, Li Lan and the other girls were timid and just wanted to leave this eerie East Lake as soon as possible, so they nodded in agreement. Ge Hui frowned and said, "What about these two boats? Someone has to row them back." Hearing his words, everyone hesitated and no one wanted to go back to the lake.

Li Jinyu had an idea and said, "How about this, we tie the two boats together stern to stern, and Zhou Wen and I will row back to the boat rental shop." Liu Zifeng glanced at everyone and, seeing that no one else volunteered, said, "Then let's do it this way. I'll go with you to return the boats." Li Jinyu shook her head and said, "How can three people row a boat? You should stay on shore and keep an eye on things. Zhou Wen and I are enough!"

Liu Zifeng said a few more words, but unable to persuade Li Jinyu otherwise, he had no choice but to let the two of them return the boats, while he and the rest of the group walked to the boat rental shop. Zhou Wen and Li Jinyu got into the boats and started rowing, the two boats slowly leaving the shore and drifting towards the center of the lake. Zhou Wen asked, "Do you want to get rid of that drowned ghost?" Li Jinyu nodded and said, "Keeping it here will definitely cause a lot of trouble!"

Zhou Wen recalled the situation and found it very strange. He asked, "Why did that drowned ghost melt as soon as it got close to me?" Li Jinyu bit her lip and said, "I'm not quite sure either. Maybe it's because you inherited some of the vampire's magic power, and your yang energy is very strong, which is why you were able to restrain that drowned ghost." Zhou Wen sighed. He didn't know what had happened to his body, or who was hiding inside him.

Li Jinyu, facing forward and deliberately ignoring Zhou Wen, casually said, "Can you come out at midnight tonight? I'll use a silent perception technique on you to see what happened!" Zhou Wen was taken aback, then overjoyed, saying, "You agreed? That's great!" Li Jinyu's face flushed slightly, and she warned him, "Whatever you see, forget it immediately, understand?"

Zhou Wen snapped out of his reverie and smiled, agreeing, "Of course! I never like to pry into other people's privacy! Hmm, where is it?" Li Jinyu said, "There's a demolition site past the Stone Pagoda Bridge. It's there. Don't be late. The Silent Consciousness Technique only works its best at midnight." Zhou Wen said, "No problem. I used to stay up all night playing video games." Li Jinyu chuckled and said, "You really are something..." The two rowed the boat to the spot where the young man had drowned. Li Jinyu looked around to make sure no one was watching, then bit her fingertip and drew a blue talisman on the oar. Zhou Wen asked her curiously, "You have to bite your finger to draw talismans every time you cast a spell. Doesn't it hurt? Be careful you don't get anemia!" Li Jinyu glared at him and said, "I usually use cinnabar. Where am I going to find any now? If you don't understand, don't interrupt!"

Zhou Wen dared not speak, fearing he might interfere with her spellcasting. Li Jinyu chanted a few incantations in a low voice, and the emerald green lake water churned and boiled as if boiling. Soon, a grotesque drowned ghost floated ashore, half its face white and bony, screaming in agony. Li Jinyu pressed the Azure Nether Talisman drawn on the oar towards it, and a flash of azure light appeared, and the drowned ghost vanished without a trace.

Li Jinyu closed her eyes wearily and murmured, "It's all over... Let's row the boat back!" Zhou Wen nodded, rowed hard, and headed towards the boat rental shop. All of this was observed by Peng Shuguang, the second-in-command of the Criminal Investigation Brigade. He had just come to Donghu Park with his son that day and unexpectedly witnessed this scene. He nodded to himself and decided to find out who the two students-looking man and woman were.

Section 9 Peng Shuguang

What was supposed to be a fun boating trip ended badly because of this incident. Liu Zifeng and his friends lost their enthusiasm and, after returning the boat, prepared to head straight back to school. A manager from Donghu Park named Zhang Keqiang stopped them, saying he had already called the police and that officers would be there soon and might need to question them about what happened, since they were, after all, eyewitnesses. Having no other option, they had to stay at the boat rental area and wait patiently.

A while later, a commotion arose outside. It turned out that the body of the drowning young man had been pulled from the water. His face was ashen, his eyes had been gouged out by something, leaving only two bloody, mangled holes, his stomach was swollen, and there were several black marks clearly visible on his arms. The surviving woman screamed "Wah!" at just one glance, and Xu Mengyao and Li Lan quickly covered their mouths and ran into the house, almost vomiting on the spot.

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [31]: Peng Shuguang asked his wife to take their son to the amusement park, and rushed to the boat rental place. When he saw this scene, he immediately reprimanded the management staff of Donghu Park for being irresponsible. Why didn't they cover the body with a canvas? It's ridiculous! Zhang Keqiang was a little unconvinced and asked him who he was without any politeness. Peng Shuguang showed his work ID and said: "I am Peng Shuguang, the deputy director of the Criminal Investigation Brigade. This is not a simple drowning incident. This is a vicious murder case! I order you to close the park immediately and protect the scene!"

Zhang Keqiang immediately deflated and obediently followed Peng Shuguang's instructions. He found a dirty tarpaulin to cover the body, organized people to disperse the tourists, and temporarily closed the entire Donghu Park. The deceased's girlfriend was still screaming and crying, wanting to go with her boyfriend. Peng Shuguang saw that she was somewhat mentally unstable, so he called 120 to the ambulance station and asked them to send an ambulance to take her to the hospital for treatment.

Peng Shuguang thought for a moment, then made another call to the Criminal Investigation Brigade, asking the on-duty personnel to notify the criminal police and forensic doctors to drop everything and rush to Donghu Park immediately, as a major case had occurred. He turned to Liu Zifeng and the others and said in a friendly tone, "I'm really sorry, you are the only eyewitnesses, so I'll have to take up a little of your time. Please describe the scene in as much detail as possible."

Peng Shuguang spoke very politely, and Liu Zifeng and the others realized the seriousness of the matter, so they had no choice but to obediently follow his instructions. After a while, the local police arrived at the scene, examined the body, and after speaking with Peng Shuguang, decided to transfer the murder case to the criminal investigation team for handling, and they would provide as much necessary assistance as possible.

At this time, forensic doctors and criminal police officers arrived at Donghu Park one after another. Peng Shuguang temporarily used the boat rental shop to conduct the case, calling Liu Zifeng and the others in in several groups and politely inquiring about the situation at the time. Zhou Wen and Li Jinyu were the last to go in. Inside, only Peng Shuguang and two neatly uniformed criminal police officers were taking notes.

Peng Shuguang spoke frankly to Li Jinyu, "I saw you drawing talismans and performing rituals on the shore just now. Are you a Taoist priest from the Celestial Masters sect?" Li Jinyu was startled and stammered, unable to speak. Peng Shuguang reassured her, "Don't worry, we won't record anything you say. After all, nobody in this day and age believes in the existence of demons and monsters. However, I do have a Taoist friend who told me that there are indeed some harmful demons in G City. I've always been skeptical, but I never expected to actually encounter one today!"

Li Jinyu hesitated for a moment and said, "I'm not from the Celestial Masters sect, I'm from the Maoshan sect. The one who killed that young man today was a drowned ghost, and I've already performed a ritual to get rid of it." Peng Shuguang said "Oh," and asked, "It's said that ghosts only appear at night, so how come this drowned ghost came out to harm people during the day?"

Li Jinyu explained, "It doesn't necessarily only appear at night. Ghosts are formed from yin energy, and they usually avoid sunlight and the yang energy of living people. It's really strange that this drowned ghost can move freely under the sun." Peng Shuguang tapped his forehead in thought, and after a while asked her, "Do you know the Taoist priest Moyan in the Sanqing Hall of Wanshou Palace?"

Li Jinyu's heart pounded, but she forced herself to remain calm and said, "Yes, we know each other. We met once at S University." Peng Shuguang noticed her nervousness and sighed, "Moyan is my friend. He was asked by me to investigate a murder case at your school, but he died mysteriously that very night in the Sanqing Hall. It's truly heartbreaking. Before he died, he told me that those bizarre cases were all the work of a vampire. You're also a Taoist practitioner; have you ever heard of such a blood-sucking monster?"

Fearing that Zhou Wen would be implicated, Li Jinyu immediately replied, "The matter of the vampire has been resolved. I killed it with magic a few days ago!" Peng Shuguang nodded calmly and said, "That's good. You've rid the people of G City of a scourge. Hmm, is this Zhou student also a Taoist priest from Maoshan?"

Zhou Wen smiled and said, "I'm not from the Maoshan sect. I just happened to see Li Jinyu performing magic to exorcise demons, and I wanted to learn a few tricks from her, firstly to protect myself, and secondly to rid the people of evil. But this Master Li isn't very willing to teach me. Director Peng, why don't you try to persuade her? More people mean more strength!" Peng Shuguang smiled slightly, thinking, "The woman is quite honest, but the man is a little sly. However, they're not entirely telling the truth; they must be hiding something from us!"

Li Jinyu glared at Zhou Wen but didn't refute him. She bid farewell to Peng Shuguang, saying, "We've told you everything we know. If there's nothing else, we'd like to take our leave." Peng Shuguang stood up and said, "Thank you for your trouble. Please keep in touch if anything comes up. I'd also like to ask you to rid G City of some more demons!" Li Jinyu readily agreed, "Of course! The purpose of our Maoshan Taoist magic is to rid the people of harm. As long as it's within my power, I will definitely do it!"

Zhou Wen and Li Jinyu went to the boat rental area, exchanged a few perfunctory words with Liu Zifeng and the others, and no one wanted to linger in a place where someone had died. They fled Donghu Garden as if they were escaping, and rode their bicycles directly back to school.

The two detectives with Peng Shuguang were his trusted confidants, whom he had personally promoted. One was named Qian Dajun, and the other Deng Yong. Peng Shuguang never hid anything from them. As soon as Zhou and Li left the boat rental shop, Qian Dajun said to Peng Shuguang, "Those two must be hiding something from us. Why doesn't Director Peng investigate further?"

Peng Shuguang pondered for a moment, smiled but did not answer, and asked him instead, "Do you believe that there are really demons and monsters in this world?" Qian Dajun smiled and shook his head. Peng Shuguang then asked Deng Yong, "What about you?" Deng Yong hesitated for a moment and said, "My father was poor when he was a child. He once worked as a Taoist priest at Shangqing Palace on Laoshan Mountain for three months. He said that he had seen ghosts with his own eyes."

Peng Shuguang sighed and said, "I didn't want to believe it at first, but the facts forced me to. Li Jinyu's magic is very strong. She easily got rid of the drowned ghost in the lake. We will need her in the future, and I don't want to ruin our relationship."

By this time, the forensic doctor had finished the autopsy and came in to report, "The lungs of the body were filled with water, so there's no doubt that he died of suffocation. As for the wounds on the eyes and arms, they were likely caused by some strange fish from the lake. East Lake connects to T Lake, so perhaps it swam over from there." Peng Shuguang glanced at Qian Dajun and Deng Yong, waved his hand, and said, "That's all for now. Submit the detailed autopsy report as soon as possible. Let's go to the hospital to see the deceased's girlfriend now!"

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [32]: Section 10 The Art of Silent Consciousness

That evening, Zhou Wen played games at an internet cafe near S University until 11:30 p.m. before heading to the agreed-upon place. After crossing the Shita Bridge and turning left, he reached the ruins left by the demolition. In the distance, Zhou Wen saw Li Jinyu standing gracefully in the center of the ruins, a candle burning at her feet, its dim light flickering in the night wind.

Zhou Wen walked heavily to her side, greeted her, and asked, "What should I do?" Li Jinyu asked him to sit cross-legged, took out an inkstone and cinnabar from a plastic bag beside her, mixed them with purified water, dipped her index finger in a little, and drew a silent talisman between Zhou Wen's eyebrows. Zhou Wen felt a cool sensation on his forehead and couldn't help but say, "Can this stuff be wiped off? If it seeps into my skin, I'll be too embarrassed to show my face!"

Li Jinyu glared at him and said, "Don't talk!" The two were face to face so close that Zhou Wen could feel her fragrant breath on his face. His heart skipped a beat. He saw Li Jinyu's snow-white skin under her collar and the bra straps that were faintly visible under her clothes. His face turned bright red.

Li Jinyu examined the talisman between Zhou Wen's eyebrows and said with satisfaction, "Alright, sit still." Zhou Wen said with a pained expression, "My legs are numb!" Li Jinyu patted his hair and joked, "Good boy, it'll be fine in a bit, just bear with it!" She sat cross-legged next to Zhou Wen, reached out her right hand to hold his left hand tightly, calmed her mind, closed her eyes, and began to recite a complex incantation.

Zhou Wen felt the numbness in his feet spread throughout his body, and the talisman between his brows grew increasingly hot. He opened his mouth to shout, but no sound came out. Suddenly, a loud "boom" rang in his mind, and the Silent Consciousness Talisman emitted a dazzling white light. Li Jinyu's eyes lit up, and her mind merged with Zhou Wen's in an instant.

Memories of Zhou Wen's short 19 years of life flashed before Li Jinyu's eyes like a movie. She had no time to examine them closely, focusing instead on finding fragments related to the vampire. Not suitable for children, 18+, restricted… Li Jinyu felt both ashamed and angry, silently cursing Zhou Wen: "What's this guy thinking? Men are all the same! Huh, what's this?"

...

It was a free-spirited vampire king, living a carefree life between heaven and earth. When thirsty, it drank the blood of demons; when hungry, it ate their flesh. It roamed freely across the Five Sacred Mountains and Three Sacred Mountains, without a care in the world. Leading figures from both the Daoist and demonic factions wanted to subdue it and make it their mount, but the vampire was incredibly proud. How could it allow anyone to ride on its back and flaunt their power! Whether skilled sorcerers or powerful and cunning demons, they were all utterly defeated and drained of their life force, reduced to dried corpses.

Countless years have passed, and Zhang Ruiwu, the spiritual leader of Taoism and the nineteenth Celestial Master of the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain in Jiangxi, made a grand vow to seal all demons and monsters on the land of China beneath the Yellow Springs, never to rise again. He summoned twenty-eight Taoist priests of profound magical power from various schools of Taoism, and using their blood and lives as a catalyst, he performed a ritual to establish the Twenty-Eight Constellations to subdue demons and monsters. The Taoist Canon records it thus: "At that time, ghosts cried and gods howled, and blood rained down from the sky for seven days and nights without ceasing."

If it cannot be free, it would rather die! The vampire could not bear the loss of its freedom. At the last moment, it resolutely used the Disintegration Technique on itself. Its body turned to ashes in an instant, and its spirit condensed into a semi-transparent vengeful spirit, thus escaping its destined calamity.

The Twenty-Eight Constellations Demon-Subduing Seal sealed away all the powerful demons and monsters. The remaining ones that escaped were mostly weak tree spirits and ghosts. Some were left to fend for themselves, some were exorcised by sorcerers, and some were struck dead by lightning. They gradually faded from human memory and became part of superstition.

Having lost its body, the vampire king also lost the magical power it had cultivated for thousands of years. It could only hide deep in the mountains, toiling away, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. The once domineering vampire king, who looked down upon demons and laughed at the winds of change, had fallen to the state of a tree demon ghost, but it had no regrets!

Everything started anew. Seasons changed, time flowed like a river, and a full thousand years passed in the blink of an eye. It finally regained its former magical power. However, as a lowly vengeful spirit, it could only unleash less than one-thousandth of its vampire's power. It desperately needed a new body—a human body.

It ventured into the human world and found it completely transformed. Thatched cottages had been replaced by skyscrapers, and simple folk customs had been replaced by worldliness and sophistication. Everything was different. But some things remained unchanged. Most human emotions were still as sung in the Book of Songs thousands of years ago: "To admire the young and hold hands until old age, my heart is filled with sorrow." This brought it a sliver of solace.

It wandered the bustling streets of G City, the crowded traffic passing through its empty body, just like the past thousand years, leaving no trace. It began to doubt: would having a human body truly bring more happiness than it did now? Until that night, when it saw Zhou Zitong supporting the heavily pregnant Lu Ping as they strolled in the park, their faces radiating happiness and peace—it finally knew what it wanted! It wanted to experience human life, a life different from that of a demon.

Lu Ping's womb was carrying identical twins, Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu. Before Zhou Wu's consciousness could fully develop, the vampire seized his body, temporarily losing all its magical powers in the process. A thousand years later, it finally regained its own body! It eagerly awaited its first cry upon leaving its mother's womb, thus beginning a brand new life.

Everything proceeded smoothly until, in Lu Ping's fifth month of pregnancy, Zhou Wu was suddenly horrified to discover that his brother, Zhou Wen, was forcefully stealing all of the mother's nutrients and beginning to devour his still-developing body. He was furious, trembling, and pleading, but none of this could stop Zhou Wen's invasion. He was like meat on a chopping board, left to be slaughtered by the powerful!

---Magpie Bridge Fairy

Reply [33]: Zhou Wen drained all the essence and blood from his twin brother's body, but Zhou Wu did not die. He hated his brother and vowed to use every vicious means to torture Zhou Wen after he was born, making him wish he were dead! But he did not have such an opportunity. Just before delivery, Han Mei, the director of the obstetrics and gynecology department of the Fourth Hospital, diagnosed one of the twins as having developmental delays and hydrocephalus, which required immediate treatment.

Fetal hydrocephalus often leads to obstructed delivery, endangering the mother's safety, and most of the fetuses cannot survive. Even those who are lucky enough to survive are mentally disabled. Therefore, the principle of treatment is to ensure the safety of the mother. Moreover, Lu Ping's uterus contains a fully developed Zhou Wen!

After obtaining the tacit consent of Zhou Zitong and Lu Ping, Han Mei performed a craniotomy on Zhou Wu.

The instant the skull-piercing instrument pierced his skull, Zhou Wu transformed into a complete vengeful spirit. He lost all his memories and wandered the streets and alleys of G City like a walking corpse. He hated, but didn't know what he hated! The demons and monsters that survived the great calamity a thousand years ago dared not provoke this lowest-ranking vengeful spirit. They could sense the unfathomable magical power and soaring resentment within him; he exuded the aura of death.

Nineteen years passed in the blink of an eye. At midnight, Zhou Wu aimlessly drifted into the Hongyun Building, the tallest building in G City. He took the elevator to the revolving Western restaurant on the top floor and sat down in front of the large, clear glass window, looking up at the moon. The cool moonlight shone on him, and a tear rolled down his cheek. He felt lonely. At that moment, under the moonlight of the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar, Zhou Wu regained all his memories as a vampire.

...

The silent symbol between Zhou Wen's brows grew fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely. Li Jinyu slowly opened her eyes and found herself covered in tears.

Chapter Eleven: The Self Deep Within the Soul

This was Li Jinyu's first time using the Silent Consciousness Technique. She only lasted for less than fifteen minutes before exhausting her magical power. Her eyelids were heavy, and she was utterly exhausted, wanting nothing more than to collapse and sleep for three days and three nights. Zhou Wen looked at her with some concern, his eyes filled with worry. Li Jinyu suddenly remembered something, a blush spreading across her face. She asked fiercely, "Tell me honestly, what did you see?"

Zhou Wen grinned mischievously and said, "It's nothing, I've forgotten everything!" Li Jinyu glared at him, remembering how her shameful secrets were now exposed to this man, and she was so ashamed she wanted to disappear into a hole. She forced herself to stand up and threatened, "If you don't tell me the truth, you'll never know anything about Zhou Wu!"