Famine

Chapter 33

“Darling, maybe we’ll have a chance in the next life.” Huang’e winked at me.

I shoved her, and I couldn't even utter a curse.

(After finishing work)

Part Seven: Resolving Grievances

Final exams are here.

This time of year is probably when the rate of ghost stories is at its lowest in the whole school. All the students are on high alert, and even if they see something strange, they don't feel anything. If they don't feel anything, there are no ghost stories.

Although the original inhabitants complained about being bored, I was definitely much more relaxed—at least in terms of part-time work. After all, I'm still a student, and I'm also caught up in this final exam plague, even reading while patrolling the campus.

I'd heard that Chen Bo was a sleeping immortal, but I never imagined that sleeping was actually a method of cultivation. At least this place, where he slept so soundly, became quite bright, almost bright enough to be used as a portable lamp.

Although I was slightly panicked by the textbook content that I could hardly understand, I was still grateful for the final exams. Otherwise, the "supernatural girl taking on apprentices" trope would keep being brought up, and some classmates would even try to imitate it.

Arlene is truly my nemesis; I only hope that God will have mercy and I never run into her again… But fate always seems to like playing tricks on me, and I'm really pessimistic about that. However, she's probably terrified, so I haven't heard from her at all, which is a great comfort to me.

I patrolled the campus, and it was mostly peaceful. I only warned a few indigenous people who were playing football on the road... Playing football is fine, but kicking yourself in the head is never a good idea. I know they were just bored, but if humans saw them, it could be fatal for someone with cardiovascular disease.

"Annoying new cops..." they grumbled as they dispersed. "...Where did this sick cat come from? It's so dirty..." As they scurried away, I saw a skinny, unsteady "big cat" approach. It lay on the ground, nodding and weeping.

It took me a while to recognize it; it was Yu Zheng's original spirit lioness. But why had it become so haggard and disheveled?!

I had just reached out when Huang'e stopped me. "Don't touch her! She's filthy, oh my god..." She shuddered. "Such disgusting miasma..."

The lioness, so thin her ribs were practically protruding, let out a painful roar that filled the air with both fear and sorrow. Then, she vanished without a trace.

"This kind of thing isn't our business." Huang E showed a look of disgust. "Misfortune and fortune have no fixed gate; people bring them upon themselves. You hunt geese all year, and finally a goose pecks your eye! She treated us so cruelly, and she actually has the nerve to ask for help..."

"Can you please stop being so knowledgeable all of a sudden?" I said, getting annoyed.

But Huang E makes a good point. What good has Miss Lioness done me? Why should I risk my life for her? If she were at our school, I might reluctantly get involved... but our school doesn't have any "fierce" people.

Huang'e dares to provoke any ghost, but he dares not provoke a "Li" (a type of malevolent spirit). After being blessed with incense, its harm becomes even more intense. Those "Li" with deep-seated hatred, who have even undergone certain rituals and risked their lives, are a headache even for the City God. The male owner of the haunted house had weakened the City God's talisman over time; if it were a fresh encounter, Huang'e wouldn't even dare touch him.

Judging from the lioness's original spirit, it's probably fresh and fierce. Not to mention me, even Huang E is afraid of it.

But Yu Zheng is so powerful, how could anyone dare to come to his door and cause trouble?

Although I was determined to ignore it, I could hardly sleep that night, tossing and turning all night until I finally managed to doze off at dawn.

The day before the final exam, I had no idea what I had scribbled on the paper. I became increasingly agitated, so I called my uncle, but no one answered.

"What's wrong? You seem distracted?" Tang Chen looked at me with concern. "It's okay if you don't do well on the exam. You'll just have to take summer courses. If you need to take summer courses, I'll stay with you during the summer vacation."

I gripped his arm, hesitant to speak. After a moment of struggle, I finally managed to ask, "...Do you still love Yuzheng?"

His face turned deathly pale, and a deep sorrow slowly welled up inside him. "...As long as she's happy and content."

I'm an idiot, I must be an idiot. I can't eat or sleep because of someone I don't even know, I can't even concentrate on my exams. "...Can I borrow your phone? Mine's dead."

Tang Chen is an organized person; even the information on his phone is neatly organized. It didn't take much effort for me to secretly copy down Yu Zheng's phone number and address.

"Are you out of your mind?" Huang E shouted at me. "This is none of your business!"

"Huang'e, it's okay if you don't have me." I wiped a tear from my cheek. "It was really quite dangerous; I don't even know if I can get out unscathed... You should stay with Tang Chen. Don't do anything bad... I see you're doing just fine without drinking anyone's blood, why commit such a sin? Focus on your cultivation; maybe you can even attain enlightenment in the future. If you don't want to stay with Tang Chen, you can stay with the old man. The old man has a kind heart..."

"Shut up! Don't make it sound like you're giving your last wishes! I have a share of your body too!" She burst into tears. "I can't live without you! I still have to wait for you to be born! I don't want any marriage!"

I finally understand why she said I was "heartless"—it was actually a good thing, and now I think so too. This silly bird, why is it crying?

I have no special talents, except for a slightly strong sixth sense. A terrifying, dark abyss looms ahead, and I'm truly terrified. But if I don't go and see for myself, I can't do anything—I can't sleep, I can't eat, and I can't even concentrate on my exams.

"Just taking a look, what's the rush?" I parked my motorcycle and walked into the cafe. "But you're still staying here..."

"No, no, no, no!" she cried out in a fit of anger. "I said no, and that means no!"

What should I do? I can tell her to "come back," but I can't tell her to "leave." As soon as I entered the coffee shop, Shuo placed three packets of moonstone and a string of black threads on the counter.

Resting her chin on her hand, she said, "I've already interfered far too much. Go upstairs and pack your things."

These people are really amazing...

I packed up everything my uncle had given me, including his letter. Then I went downstairs and silently accepted Shuo's sponsorship.

"Come back alive, my last student." Shuo gently touched my forehead with his own.

“…I will try my best.” I curtsied to her. “Thank you, teacher.”

Before parting, Shuo said casually that the reason the person involved was in such a sorry state was because when he tried to bully someone's spirit last time, he was bullied instead, which caused his talent and defenses to collapse.

This added another layer of irritation to my heart.

I should have known that her blatant defense of her territory couldn't have been directed at just me. I don't know who she was targeting, or to what extent. But I suddenly became very angry, angry at those guys who have some fighting skills but don't follow the rules or boundaries.

This kind of ability, which is useless in the present world, should be guarded tightly. Spreading rumors or acting recklessly is wrong.

But I'm also angry with myself. I shouldn't have been so violent invading Yu Zheng's mind, leaving her defenseless. I shouldn't have... let anger overwhelm me, and acted so recklessly.

"Otherwise what?" Huang E strongly disagreed. "Watch her force you to your death? Are you an idiot?"

"Yes, I'm an idiot." I coughed twice in frustration.

Although this job doesn't cause any major illnesses, the transition from spring to summer, coupled with my weak constitution, means I still inevitably catch minor ailments, even though I should have adapted by now. I picked up the herbal tea from the thermos and took a couple of sips, knowing that its comforting effect outweighed its medicinal value.

I began to regret it; I should have swallowed a few poisonous spiders alive.

"We have to swallow the spider demons; there aren't enough poisonous spiders left," Huang E said defiantly.

…Then let’s forget about it.

I called again from Hsinchu Station, but my uncle still didn't answer. I guessed he wasn't home... old-fashioned people like him don't usually carry cell phones.

I have to bite the bullet and give it a shot.

I arrived at noon, the time when the yang energy is at its peak. I took a taxi, gave the driver my address, and he took me to a villa area on the outskirts of the city.

They were all small, detached villas with front and back yards and garages. The ground floor of each building was about ten square meters, and they had three floors. The cost of renting such a villa was astonishing. When I saw the sign "Xia Yu" in front of the door, I gave a wry smile.

I knew that the Tang and Xia families were quite wealthy, but Tang Chen lived a simple life, and you couldn't tell at all. I didn't expect Yu Zheng to live in his own property, a detached villa at that.

The flowers and plants around the house were withered. I rang the doorbell, but no one answered. Sullenly, I dialed my cell phone; someone answered, but I immediately hung up.

“Huang’e, go open the gate,” I said.

"I don't want to!" she snapped. "We've seen it all, can't we leave now?"

"That's why I couldn't leave," I said, feeling a bit frustrated. "I don't want to spend the rest of my life suffering from insomnia."

Reluctantly, the desolation transformed into mist, entered through the railing, opened the iron gate, then transformed back into mist and slipped into the keyhole to open the main gate.

“We should have kept this up for robbing a bank,” Huang E complained.

"This is a one-time exception, don't do it again." I said irritably, "What kind of bank do you want to rob? You don't even need the money."

"At least we gained something, and it's much safer now!"

That's hard for me to refute.

The scene inside the gate was worrying. The first floor, which should have been filled with modern simplicity and cleanliness, was instead a mess, as if it had been ravaged by a typhoon. A kitchen knife, which should have been in the kitchen, was stuck in the sofa.

Swallowing hard, I went up the smooth wooden staircase to the second floor. There was a small reception corner on the second floor, with chairs overturned. There was only one door, half-open.

I tried to open the door, but it was blocked. Through the crack in the door, I could see Yu Zheng lying on the floor.

“Huang’e, move her aside so I can open the door.” I turned my head.

She stubbornly turned her head away, "I don't want to touch her! She's disgusting!"

You don't even know what disgusting means, kid.

Holding her face, I said with the utmost sincerity, "Please, Huang'a..."

She let out a loud retch, scurried through the crack in the door as if fleeing for her life, roughly kicked Yu Zheng away, and lay on the floor vomiting incessantly.

This method is incredibly effective against her, far superior to Uncle Shi's talisman.

I nervously checked Yu Zheng's breathing, thankfully it was still relatively stable. I wanted to help her up, but although she was as light as a feather from hunger as any girl these days, it was still quite a struggle for me.

She slightly opened her eyes, initially filled with gratitude for being rescued, but when she saw it was me, she weakly pushed me away, saying, "No, I don't need your pity!"

I grabbed her tightly, feeling an urge to use violence. "...If you don't want to lose your queenly dignity, you'd better cooperate and let me help you to bed. It would be unsightly if I dragged you there."

She glared at me hatefully for a moment before softening and struggling to get me to help her to bed. I drew back the curtains and opened the window. Only then did the sickly atmosphere dissipate a little; otherwise, I really couldn't have endured it.

"...Don't open the window." She shielded her eyes from the sunlight with her hand.

“It’s alright for now,” I sighed. Her room was indeed large and spacious, but utterly messy. Considering her personality, she wouldn’t leave it like this… My worries deepened, and I bent down to tidy up.

"It's no use taking it; let him go." She turned her head away. "How did you even get in?"

We both knew that she wasn't referring to tangible things like doors or locks.

“Because I’m a witch, just like you.” I sighed and gave her some herbal tea from the thermos.

She drank greedily for a few sips, and the deathly look on her face finally dissipated. "I'm not a witch!" she roared.

"Don't tell me you know nothing!" I replied irritably. "Maybe you weren't clear at first, but you should have started to realize it gradually."

"It was just a dream..." she said, covering her face.

I rubbed my temples, feeling quite tired. "When did this start?"

"...He only became powerful after the Seven Seventh."

What? What did you say?

"Whose seventh-day memorial?" I jumped up and shook her violently. "Whose seventh-day memorial?! Whose life did you take?"

"I didn't! I've never really hurt anyone!" she shouted. "It's her son's fault. He's always spying on the girls' dormitory, and he even went in once... I just wanted to scare him away! How could he have known he'd slip and fall down the stairs..."

Speechless, what should I say?

Tang Chen always said that Yu Zheng was a girl with a strong sense of justice. She might be willful, but she wasn't a bad person. She didn't use this ability for her own benefit, but rather to save a classmate who was almost violated. She didn't even hurt the pervert; she just released her original spirit to scare him away.

It's not that the dead are always right. If I were her, I might have done the same.

But maternal love is a tyrannical and blind thing. All she thought about was the innocent death of her child, and she had to take revenge.

"...It's been a long time, hasn't it?" I asked.

"It's been almost a month." She didn't look at me; her stubborn eyes were filled with tears.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I was about to explode. "You could have told your parents, or you could have told your uncle!"

"It's so embarrassing! They warned me long ago not to do anything rash..." She covered her face and cried, "And...and I used to be able to handle it myself..."