Lanpu - Chapitre 21
"Alright, alright! Your teacher has changed for the better, you should be happy for me. Don't worry, I've decided to turn over a new leaf and start anew." I leaned forward with my right elbow, head held high, striking a revolutionary pose like in a model opera.
"Ugh—" They bent over, making exaggerated gestures to show how disgusting it was.
"And you say that? I preferred the old teachers. It was so much better when they had nothing to do. Xiaoling used to do all the work in the class, but now you've done it all. What are you asking Xiaoling to do? Isn't this making Xiaoling, the best class monitor in the whole school, lose face?" Zhu'er said emphatically.
Xiao Hui and Jing'er nodded repeatedly.
"The worst part is, you've just become an ordinary person, sir. You're a great wizard, you defeated even the fiercest demons, how awesome is that! You should spend more time and energy studying witchcraft, and stop embarrassing yourself with those half-baked, clumsy tricks! You know how much Xiaoling, Zhu'er, and I hope you can perfect your witchcraft and do something great to save the world..." After studying with Zhu'er in class for a month, Lin Caixia's speech was no longer so awkward. The only problem was that she had been influenced by her, and like Zhu'er, she chattered on and on without end.
---janeadam
Reply [39]: "Hey, this is our new proposal. Please sign it. We've decided to make you our manager!"
"Nonsense!" I cursed, yawning as I ignored them and let them do as they pleased. I went back to my bedroom, lay on the bed, and read a book.
But in my heart I sighed sadly: First Fang Long and Xiao Feng, then Xiao Ling, Zhu Er, and Xiao Hui. How come children these days are so precocious? They always want to be associated with the market. When I was their age, I spent all my time learning from Lei Feng and spending my free time reading Qiong Yao and Jin Yong. I was nothing like Xiao Feng and Xiao Ling, who are so inexplicable!
But I also breathed a sigh of relief. I don't need to explain why my character has changed so much. Actually, I haven't changed much. I'm just a little more responsible. Whenever I have free time, I still sleep a lot.
I am also very fortunate that, long after Gan Tian Village, Xiao Yue sent me a book of witchcraft secrets. But I accidentally used it as a pillow under my bed. When I saw the dense ancient characters, the winding diagrams of human meridians, and the inexplicable scribbles, my head buzzed and I felt dizzy. I realized why novelists always accidentally eat some kind of magic pill or have someone transfer their skills to them, and become a top master in a day or a week, like my current situation.
When I heard that Xiaofeng had been practicing Qigong, meditation, and boxing since he was two years old, and that he had only achieved this much after ten years of practice, I got chills—at my age, how could I withstand that kind of ordeal?
Actually, I am very interested in witchcraft, especially flying with air and using psychic energy to resist the Earth's gravity. I tried it a few times at first, but I always wobbled. I couldn't solve the problem of balancing my body and controlling my direction in the air. So, I theoretically consulted Xiaofeng by phone.
Xiaofeng spoke eloquently and meticulously about the Ren and Du meridians, the eight regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians, acupoints, nerves, wind direction, qi emission, angles, and so on. His explanation was so detailed that I felt dizzy and lightheaded, and almost fell asleep.
When I opened my eyes, I found Xiaofeng with tears in her eyes, saying heartbrokenly:
"Every day at school they say that being a teacher is the hardest job, that they are the engineers of the soul, how rare they are! Now you know, the most painful and rarest thing in the world is being a student!"
It wasn't until later, after several practice sessions, that I truly mastered the techniques of launching and flying with my fist.
Therefore, it is said that it is easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature. I used to think that love could change everything, but now I think that's unrealistic. On the contrary, I discovered a truth in Xiaoyue: love can adapt to everything.
In Kuokou Town, Xiaoyue once told me that there were reasons why she accepted my laziness. First, she did not want her husband to become a full-time wizard like her. Second, she cast a "two hearts know" spell on me.
"So that's how it is. No wonder you always manage to show up just in time whenever I'm in a hurry to see you. But since we're 'mutually aware,' why can you sense my feelings while I can't sense yours?" I protested.
"Because you're lazy and unwilling to put in the hard work to study," she said casually, but it made me feel like she was a little fox.
As I was thinking, Xiaoling walked into my bedroom, looking gentle and lovely. She lowered her head and thought for a moment, then suddenly chuckled and said, "Why isn't Xiaofeng's sister with you?"
I was taken aback, gave a wry smile, and said nothing.
“Ever since I saw Miss Ghost, I’ve believed that ghosts truly exist, existing eternally in this life and the next. So, when I first saw you, Teacher, I felt a deep connection and was deeply moved. Now I understand, in my past life I must have been your sister or—your lover. Especially when you held me and flew away that time, I became even more certain. I want to tell you for all eternity that you are the only one in my heart!” Xiaoling blushed. “Everything I did was willingly. This is fate.”
"No way, class monitor, you have such bad taste. If you're going to have a teacher-student relationship, at least find someone taller!" Zhu'er and Xiao Hui shouted from behind the door.
I was furious and about to fly into a rage and start cursing when the phone rang.
It was my cousin Ying calling from home. She said she was back and had brought four classmates with her. She asked if I could take them on a trip to the countryside to enjoy nature and relax after studying.
They wanted to go to the county's famous forest park, and of course, I had to pay for the tickets and food.
The four delinquent students who were watching me closely to see if I was having a private conversation with my sweetheart immediately clapped and cheered.
The minority submits to the majority, and that's how the matter was settled.
In the afternoon, Xiaoying brought her classmates to my house. Xiaoling and Zhuer were all wearing their school uniforms as I had asked, which made them look youthful, energetic, and healthy.
Aying wore a small floral dress and a cute white lace-trimmed shirt. The pure white fabric was irregularly decorated with small pink and red dots, full of innocent and lovely charm. There were two small pockets on each side of her chest, which matched her petite figure and further highlighted her beauty and innocence.
"I never expected that you'd become such a different person after only a month apart, cousin." My cousin looked me up and down, her cheeks showing two small dimples that made her look exceptionally innocent and cute. "You're so handsome, otherwise you'd be a piece of rotten wood, and I wouldn't be able to light you no matter how I tried."
My cousin Aying is not actually related to me by blood. She was adopted by my aunt and is seven years younger than me.
I don't know why, but ever since she was three years old, she would always come to my house to play with me. She was also particularly mischievous and caused trouble, and I fought countless times for her. Before I went to university, her relatives called her my little shadow, which she was quite happy about. Later, when I left, she cried and chased after me to the station, clutching my clothes and refusing to let go.
I really like this little girl, even more than a blood relative. I flicked her nose and laughed, saying, "You've grown so tall, but you're still as mischievous as when you were little."
We rode our mountain bikes to a scenic area five miles outside the city. I carried Xiaoling, while my cousin Aying and two other boys carried Zhu'er and two of Aying's female classmates.
Actually, I really enjoy visiting scenic spots, not only because of their beautiful scenery, charming attractions, and refreshing environment, but also because nature has created such a blessed place. It is because the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers there, making the energy fluctuations exceptionally lively, and it is a good place to freely absorb it.
Everyone was in high spirits the whole way, enjoying the gentle breeze, bright sunshine, and delightful autumn scenery.
I observed that among the seven people in the group, only the boy in the black leather jacket that Aying brought remained silent and rarely smiled. He had striking features, thin lips, a straight and pointed nose, and an unusually pale face. Whenever he stared at me, I couldn't help but shiver, as if scenes of brutal warfare were flashing through my mind.
Aying introduced him somewhat vaguely, saying that this was a top student in their class named Ayin. Ayin nodded indifferently at us; a strange name, a strange person.
That day, everyone had a great time amidst the beautiful scenery, but afterwards I had a terrifying dream—
---janeadam
Reply [40]: Chapter Nineteen, The Yin Tower
The sky was just a little white, but now it's full of dark clouds.
Several video arcades were crammed into a few dark corners next to the station, displaying tempting movie titles and ending with the note: "One extra movie, not suitable for children."
Many migrant workers and poorly dressed travelers stood around, staring blankly and looking inside with pale, thin faces, while a thin layer of dampness lingered at their feet.
Then, a dark figure flashed through the crowd. As if worried that someone was watching, he glanced back for a moment. It was cold and damp, with a strong smell of blood.
"Someone's dead!" Shouts erupted from inside the video arcade. People rushing out and trying to squeeze in to see what was happening created a chaotic mess. The corpse was soaked in a pool of hot blood, and blood was flowing on the ground. Then, a ghost rose from the corpse, floating in the deep and mysterious void, rising and rising higher and higher.
The carotid artery in the corpse's neck was bleeding profusely, as if it had been cut with a knife. There were two small holes resembling teeth marks in the knife wound.
"Brother, what's wrong?" I opened my eyes in a cold sweat. The first thing I saw was Aying's panicked expression and sleepy eyes. She was holding my arm tightly with both hands.
I scratched my head with my paw and muttered to myself, "Another nightmare. This is really bad. I've had two of the same nightmares in a row."