Das Leben der Landbevölkerung in der Stadt während der Song-Dynastie

Kapitel 19

After parting ways with Chang Xiao, Ling'er went straight back to her dormitory and found Shi Ba there as well. None of her roommates had returned yet; those cowards must have known about the teacher's murder and gone home to stay.

"Eighteen, what are you doing?" Ling'er glared at him as he sat at her desk.

"Master, I'm a freshman now!" Eighteen excitedly shook Ling'er's sleeve, his tall frame making her dizzy. "I know, I know! But you don't need to call me master anymore, just call me Ling'er." She couldn't bear to dampen Eighteen's enthusiasm. No wonder, having never read a book in his life, he was able to get into university, all thanks to the three treasures his ancestors had lost.

"Alright, go wake Hu Yi up. I'll show you around the school so you can get familiar with the environment."

Ling'er and Hu Yishiba walking together frequently attracted envious glances, making Ling'er feel a chill run down her spine. Some female classmates even struck up conversations with Hu Yishiba and gave him their phone numbers. Hu Yishiba didn't even look at them, probably still unable to shake off his failed first love. Sigh! A man in his sixties, how did he manage to make a thousand-year-old fox demon suffer so much!

"Ling'er~~ Ling'er~~" A boy ran over. It turned out to be Ouyang Xing, the president of the drama club.

"Ling'er, why didn't you come to the drama club this afternoon? There are so many new juniors and seniors here..." Suddenly, he stopped his gaze on Hu Yi and Shiba. Then he looked at Ling'er with a questioning look.

"Oh, let me introduce you. This is my cousin Hu Yi and Shiba. This is Ouyang Xing, the president of the drama club."

Ouyang Xing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Hello, cousins!"

"Who's your cousin? I'm your grandpa!!" Hu Yi finally found a scapegoat! He glared fiercely at Ouyang Xing, whose face was covered in bruises.

"A-Yi! How could you talk like that?" Ling'er scolded lightly. Then she turned to Ouyang Xing and smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, Ouyang, my cousin has a bad temper, please don't take it to heart."

"How could that be? It's alright, it's alright!"

"I have something to do, so I'll go to the club to register tomorrow, okay?" Ling'er said.

“Okay…” Ouyang Xing stared blankly at Ling’er.

Ling'er turned and left, followed by Hu Yi, who was still angry about getting the better deal, and Shi Ba, who was completely clueless about what had happened.

"Look~ that guy is so handsome! But the one next to him... why does he look like a wanted criminal?" a girl said, pointing at Hu Yi and Shiba.

"What wanted criminal?"

"Didn't you know a woman's body was found near the school? She was raped and murdered, and her face was disfigured..."

"Wah..." Shiba finally couldn't listen anymore and burst into tears.

That night, Ling'er picked up her phone and dialed Chang Xiao's number, but the phone was off. She felt a pang of sadness, as if something had been lost. Where had he gone? Why didn't he tell me he left? Ling'er lay on her bed, phone in hand, lost in thought, remembering Chang Xiao's warm smile…

The next day, Ling'er had no classes in the morning. Remembering that she had agreed with Ouyang Xing to go to the drama club today, she quickly washed up and went out.

"Ling'er, you've finally arrived!" Ouyang Xing exclaimed dramatically.

"Yes." Ling'er frowned helplessly. At this moment, many members of the drama club arrived, and Ling'er greeted them all.

"Senior, you've gotten even more beautiful since I last saw you over the holiday!" It was Shan Shan, a sophomore.

“Little girl, you’re so good with words,” Ling’er said.

"Does the senior have a boyfriend?" another girl asked.

"You're so pretty, you must have a boyfriend~" Shanshan said with a grin.

Ling'er was about to deny it when Chang Xiao's image suddenly appeared in her mind, causing her to feel confused. "Is he really my boyfriend?" she wondered, and unconsciously smiled. Just then, Ling'er's phone rang. It was Wolf King. "Ling'er, where are you?"

"I'm at the drama club, what's up?" Ling'er was a little disappointed. Why wasn't it him calling?

"Xiao asked me to tell you that he's in Thailand right now and won't be back for a while. She told you not to worry."

"Why did he go to Thailand? Is something wrong?"

"It's not entirely clear yet, but don't worry, with Xiao's abilities, she'll be absolutely safe." The Wolf King's confident voice reassured her slightly.

"Okay, if you can get in touch with him, have him call me."

"Senior, is he your boyfriend?" Shanshan asked.

"No, it's a friend." Ling'er pinched her nose.

"Did your boyfriend go to Thailand? Why didn't he take you with him?" Shanshan pressed on.

"I don't know what he went to Thailand for, maybe it was for tourism."

"I see." Shanshan sighed.

Ouyang Xing assigned the roles. Ling'er would play a strong woman struggling with love and money, and Ouyang Xing would play her husband. Shanshan would play her secretary. After the roles were assigned, there was nothing else to do. After the meeting, Ouyang Xing came over and said, "Ling'er, do you have time this afternoon? I was thinking..."

"I'm sorry, I already promised my cousins I'd take them around this afternoon!" Ling'er made up an excuse.

"Oh, okay? Then let's do it another day." With that, he walked away dejectedly.

As Ling'er walked through the campus, seeing couples everywhere, she couldn't help but think of Chang Xiao again.

"Senior, senior~~"

Ling'er turned around and saw that it was Shan Shan.

"What's wrong, Shanshan?" Ling'er asked.

"I want to ask you something, senior." Shanshan's face was a little red from running. "Senior, what do you think of Senior Ouyang?"

"That's great." Ling'er was a little confused about what she meant.

"So, do you like Senior Ouyang?"

"No, we're just ordinary friends," Ling'er said.

"Oh, I see. Then I want to tell my senior that I like him. Is that okay, senior?" Shanshan's pretty face turned red.

"Oh, I see. Of course, that's great!" Ling'er suddenly realized.

"Senior, do you have a boyfriend?"

"It can't really be counted. I don't even know if he likes me or not," Ling'er said, a little embarrassed.

"Then you have to introduce me to him when I see him next time, okay? I'm off!" She said, running towards the tennis court. Ouyang Xing must have been there at that moment.

Ling'er arrived at the school's artificial lake, its clear waters reflecting the surrounding scenery like a mirror. Immersed in this enchanting beauty, she gradually forgot her worries and put aside the school's murder case. After all, she wasn't a hunter anymore; she didn't need to concern herself with things that weren't her business. Suddenly, she felt an evil spirit pounce on her. Ling'er hurriedly chanted a spell to defend herself. Normally, evil spirits would run away from her, but today it attacked her in broad daylight? Besides, this evil spirit wasn't very powerful. Ling'er shouted, "Demon, I'll beat you to a pulp!" But it was daytime, and there were many couples by the lake. She didn't want others to discover her identity, nor did she want everyone to know that there were really ghosts in the school. So she didn't dare to act rashly. While they were locked in a stalemate, the evil spirit actually left. Ling'er was puzzled. What did it mean? Why did it only attack her once and then run away? Completely baffled, she was about to go to Hu Yi and Shiba to analyze the situation when her phone rang. Hu Yi's voice came through: "Master! Are you alright?"

Ling'er knew that Hu Yi had sensed everything, so she said, "I'm fine, but I don't know where that evil spirit came from."

"Anyway, it's nothing good. You wait there, Shiba and I are coming to find you. We'll talk when we meet." Hu Yi hurriedly hung up the phone.

Ling'er cautiously looked around, but found nothing. Soon after, Hu Yi and Shiba arrived.

"Is this the place?" Hu Yi asked.

"Yes. He only attacked me once and then ran away." Ling'er glanced at Shi Ba, who had obviously just woken up; the drool at the corner of his mouth and the sleep in his eyes were proof of that.

"Where's the monster? I'll sit on it and kill it! Humph!" Eighteen said, yawning.

Hu Yi flicked his clothes and said, "You don't need to sit on him to death! As long as the monster sees your face, it'll be terrified." He then took out a mirror and looked at himself. "Sigh! What a stark contrast! Thank God he was placed next to me to highlight my handsomeness!"

"Pshaw, what's so great about it? Anyway, I'm prettier than Green Grass." Eighteen was really bringing up a sore spot!

"You!" Hu Yi's handsome face turned deathly pale with anger! This green grass was a lifelong source of pain for him!

"Enough! Did you come here just to watch me argue?" Ling'er said, one hand on her hip and the other pointing at the two of them.

Seeing that Ling'er was truly angry, the two lowered their heads and remained silent.

"Fine, I'll go talk to the Wolf King. You two should go back." With that, he turned and left, leaving the two stunned by the lake. Ling'er didn't know why she was so angry. Didn't she used to love watching Hu Yi and Shiba bicker?

When they arrived at the Wolf King's place, they found he wasn't there either. Ling'er began to miss Chang Xiao. Although she hadn't known him for long, it felt like they had known each other for thousands of years. When he wasn't there, she felt like she had lost her support, like she had been abandoned all alone in an empty city.

Back in her dorm, Ling'er found someone had already returned; they must have gone out for dinner again. She checked her watch; it was already 5 PM. But she wasn't hungry at all, so she lay down on her bed and closed her eyes to rest. She decided to go to the artificial lake after dark to see if anything had happened.

It was already past ten o'clock, and her roommates still hadn't returned. So Ling'er changed into the Huashui Holy Spirit Robe, took the Dance Feather Double Rings, and went out.

A strong malevolent aura emanated from near the artificial lake. Ling'er silently recited the Heart-Cleansing Mantra. Suddenly, she felt something rushing towards her. By the bright moonlight, Ling'er saw a cloud of black mist surging towards her, but it stopped less than a foot away. The small jade pendant that Chang Xiao had given her on her chest emitted a bright light!

Ling'er, holding her twin rings, shouted, "Why shouldn't this demon wreak havoc here?"

A hoarse male voice rang out: "I didn't expect you to have such a treasure protecting you. I underestimated your strength!"

"What a joke! Who do you think you are?" Ling'er knew that she was only able to gain the upper hand because of that little jade pendant.

"Hahaha! What an arrogant girl! But you will all die! Everyone I curse will die! Don't worry, I'll make you the last one! I want you to watch them slowly die! Hahaha!" The hoarse laughter sent chills down Ling'er's spine. Just as she was about to launch her attack, the black mist vanished without a trace.

Ling'er knew she was no match for that person, so she dejectedly returned to her dormitory. As soon as she opened the door, a dark figure stood before her! Startled, Ling'er was about to attack when she realized it was her roommate, Zhang Fan.

"Xiao Fan, why are you standing at the door? You scared me!" Ling'er said, patting her chest. Luckily, she didn't attack.

Zhang Fan didn't answer, but stared intently at Ling'er, his eyes unblinking. Seeing the situation was wrong, Ling'er took a step back! Zhang Fan's face glowed a ghastly green, and something seemed to be surging beneath his skin: "Ling'er, you're finally back!" a sinister voice rang out.

"Who exactly are you?" Ling'er knew that Zhang Fan was no longer Zhang Fan, but had been controlled by other beings!

Zhang Fan didn't answer. Her eyes rolled back, revealing bloodshot whites! The throbbing beneath her skin intensified. She suddenly stretched out her hands, startling Ling'er. Just as she was about to defend herself, she found Zhang Fan's hands gripping her face tightly. Before she could even react, eight bloody scratches appeared on her face. Ling'er was horrified by the sight and tried to stop her self-harm, but Zhang Fan's strength was astonishing, easily throwing Ling'er away. At this moment, her roommates Yan Xiaoyu and Wang Jie woke up from the commotion. Seeing Zhang Fan's crazed state, they were terrified and quickly pinned her to the ground. Blood streamed down her face, and the flow increased rapidly. Everyone panicked. Looking at Zhang Fan's狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face, Yan Xiaoyu and Wang Jie burst into tears. Ling'er quickly dialed 120 for an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

When Hu Yi and Shiba arrived at the hospital, it was already past 2 a.m. Ling'er was still in the ward. Yan Xiaoyu and Wang Jie had gone to inform Zhang Fan's family. Zhang Fan had just been given a sedative, and Ling'er had recited an exorcism incantation for her; she was already asleep, though her face was wrapped in gauze, showing a faint red glow. Looking at Ling'er's haggard appearance, Hu Yi asked, "Master, how could this happen?" Ling'er patted her drowsy head and said, "If I'm not mistaken, it must be that man from the artificial lake last night. And he's the sorcerer who killed that teacher!"

"What? This is the work of a sorcerer?" Hu Yi exclaimed in surprise.

Ling'er nodded. "But why did he do that?" Shi Ba rarely asked such a constructive question.

"I don't know! I'll go check it out. I think the dead Teacher Zhang must have something in common with Zhang Fan. Once we find their common ground, it will be easier to find the sorcerer!" Ling'er held Zhang Fan's hand and channeled her spiritual energy into her body as she spoke.

"You two stay outside and watch over her. Remember, you two! No arguing!" She knew these two would argue whenever they met, and fearing it would interfere with important matters, she repeatedly reminded them. "I need to investigate the relationship between Teacher Zhang and Zhang Fan."

"I disagree!" Hu Yi and Shiba blurted out, a rare moment of agreement!

"What do you disagree with?"

"You need to rest!" they said in unison. Good heavens! A miracle has finally occurred!

"I'm fine, don't worry!" Ling'er suddenly felt a warmth in her heart; the two of them truly cared for her.

"No way! Otherwise I'll keep arguing with this stupid bear!" Hu Yidao said.

"No way! Otherwise I'll keep arguing with this silly fox!" Eighteen's voice almost overlapped with his. Then the two of them rolled their eyes at each other.

"Okay, okay, I'll go back and rest, alright?" Although she had been threatened, she was still incredibly touched, and Ling'er nodded with a smile. With their combined abilities, protecting Zhang Fan shouldn't be a problem, right?

It was already three o'clock when Ling'er arrived at the dormitory. Lying on the bed, she stroked the blade of the Blue Tear sword. It was icy cold. Where was Chang Xiao now? What was he doing? If he were here, that sorcerer would definitely not dare to be so arrogant! Drowsiness washed over her, she yawned, and finally fell asleep.

"Why can't you ever keep your promises?" the woman complained tearfully.

"I really had no choice!" The man's eyes followed the woman with heartache, afraid that she might do something rash.

The woman took a step back; if she took another step, she feared she would perish. "You really believe in fate?" How could the man she loved do this? Did he no longer love her?

"It's all fate! How can we go against the will of heaven?" the man sighed.

"Are you really determined to leave?"

"sorry……"

"Don't say sorry! I just wanted to know if you wouldn't stay no matter what..."