Chapter 146: Envying Zhao Mingyue
Putting down her phone, Bai Yu pulled back the curtains and stood at the window, hands behind her back, silently gazing at the nighttime scenery outside. Since they were in the suburbs, the view was quite nice.
The news released by Shen Shuyun was very important: it mentioned the ability to extract any piece of equipment from her life, no matter which one, as long as it was gear she possessed at the time. For him, the improvement would be significant; if he could extract her “Night Bright,” it would be fair to say her power could double.
“Night Bright” was her blade, accompanying her from the first mission to the last, having slain countless powerful enemies, and her own enhancements had raised its attributes to perfectly match her previous strength.
With her new identity, everything had to start from scratch, and she had lost all her gear, including Night Bright.
As someone who practiced swordsmanship, having a blade that matched her abilities was far more important than an arm. So when she condensed her long sword using bl**d Thread, it basically resembled Night Bright. Anyone familiar with her could probably guess her identity just by looking at her sword.
“Redemption task…”
She still had a redemption task to finish, located in Eternal Life Village, and her target was the Dragon Lady.
After all, everyone had their past, a memory they’d rather not revisit. For people like them, some things should really stay buried. If the Evil God within Zhao Mingyue used that ability on this group of lunatics, they’d be lucky to last long.
Bai Yu stood at the window for over two hours, watching the sunrise.
As a ghost, her powers peaked at night and waned a bit during the day—about a ten percent drop. She was increasingly disgusted by sunlight; gloomy days that would depress ordinary people were just right for her.
Behind her, on the double bed, Zhao Mingyue’s alarm clock rang right on time. With a soft grunt, she poked her arm out like a lotus, switched it off, and instead of quickly retreating under the covers like usual, she felt around for the other half of the pillow. After finding nothing, she groped under the blanket.
“Bai Yu!?” Zhao Mingyue exclaimed, sitting up abruptly and looking around, her gaze landing on Bai Yu by the window.
“Oh, so you’re here. I thought you ran back into the shadows again.” Zhao Mingyue ruffled her messy hair, yawning widely before reaching to pull her slipping strap back to cover the expanse of exposed skin.
“By the way, Bai Yu, weren’t you supposed to be sleeping here? Why are you out here?”
“Just woke up.” Bai Yu turned, answering casually.
Standing by the window, lit by the early sunlight, there was a feeling of something unreachable about her, so close yet so far, almost unreal.
Zhao Mingyue curled her legs, hugging her knees, “Bai Yu, please don’t stand there.”
“What?”
“Nothing, just… you’re a ghost, standing in sunlight. Doesn’t that feel a bit off? Like, uncomfortable?”
“Not really.”
“Alright then. I need to get up; I’ve got school today.” Zhao Mingyue shook her head, changing out of her pajamas and getting ready.
Today was Monday, and she had taken several days off. It was time to go back, but she figured it wouldn’t be long before the school gossip showed up again; she would definitely be the center of attention.
During breakfast, Zhao Mingyue skimmed through the news.
The city news mentioned that the murderer from their school was still at large. The charming host went on to remind parents to pick up their children after school and encourage them to walk in groups.
Then there was a report on a homicide: a family of three had been wiped out, and the police had no useful leads, so they offered rewards for anyone providing intel—between fifty to one hundred fifty thousand dollars.
Furthermore, there was a bus incident reported: a public bus disappeared and was found the next day with three unidentified bodies.
Then there was a tragic taxi accident in Tianyang County that Zhao Mingyue recognized, where two people died at the scene.
“Why do I feel like all these incidents are connected to people from the Ghost Domain?”
“What are these guys trying to do? If they want to summon evil spirits, don’t they have enough already that they need to create more?”
She hadn’t paid much attention to the news before but had only recently started following it. Everyone was saying the crime rate seemed to be rising, with odd events happening frequently, leaving even the police scratching their heads.
Scrolling through livestreams on her phone, she came across a very popular outdoor streamer; earlier in the morning, there were already fifty thousand viewers. The chat revealed that the streamer had apparently had a wild night, with many expressing how thrilling it had been and advising him to be careful not to provoke any ghosts.
As soon as that comment went up, someone else replied, “Seriously? There are no ghosts; it’s all props. What’s there to be scared of? Afraid of props coming to life?”
“Bai Yu, look! This seems to be a ghost-hunting streamer,” Zhao Mingyue nudged the phone towards Bai Yu.
“Alright, everyone, that’s today’s stream wrapped up. I’ll be heading to the nearby inn for some rest! We’ll see you in three days, right here in Tianchang City!”
“I have a little secret to share: there’s an abandoned amusement park in Tianchang City, built fifteen years ago. The owner was involved in human organ trafficking underground, along with other shady dealings.”
“So many people died here. Weird things started happening, like the carousel suddenly spinning at night with pale ghost children on it. Someone even said they saw a little kid running away with a lollipop and then disappeared in the blink of an eye. Subsequently, two bloodless figures appeared, asking if anyone had seen their children.”
“In such cases, never admit that you saw them. Always deny it! If you say you did, you’ll be dragged into the amusement park to help them search for their kids, only to realize you’ve ended up in an underground organ trafficking market!”
“And let’s not forget about the long-dead security guard showing up at the security booth, and that woman in white standing on the Ferris wheel. There are just too many!”
“Stay tuned! I’m Little Sun, and I’ll see you in three days.”
As the ghost-hunting streamer wrapped up, the screen went dark, displaying the message:
[The streamer has gone to rest. Come back next time.]
“Eh, it’s over.” Zhao Mingyue took her phone back. “Tianchang City? Isn’t that where we are?”
“Why are all the spooky happenings happening here?”
Zhao Mingyue thought briefly; there was a haunted hotel, a ghost school, and a hospital converted into a ghost den.
“Bai Yu, do you think this is credible?”
“Credible.” Bai Yu drummed her fingers on the table, reminded by the mention of the amusement park. She recalled what Shen Shuyun said yesterday—the Sky Fox was discovered there.
“I can’t believe it’s credible! What if ghosts really exist?”
“People would d*e.”
“That’s a bit blunt, isn’t it? Upon thinking it through, you’re probably right; those frequently walking near the river end up with wet shoes.” Zhao Mingyue muttered, grabbing her backpack and heading out the door.
“Let’s not hit the convenience store after class today; let’s check on Feng Er at the hospital first.”
“And then find the store manager to settle our payment.”
“Hmm… The store manager wouldn’t have gotten the payment yet, would he? After all, the client is dead. He wanted to give us cash before, but I didn’t take it. If he’s already paid the manager, there’s no way he’ll give us more.”
“No way we’ll waste a trip, right?”
“Seriously… I’m so envious of Lu Liangting. It really proves that old saying.”
“Some are born with a silver spoon, some are born a mule.”
—
In his bedroom, Lu Liangting sneezed, visibly worn out as he sat on the bed. His eyes were red and bloodshot, dark circles evident, and his complexion was pallid.
His body was quite strong; he could typically handle missing a night’s sleep without issue, still vibrant as ever.
The problem was that he had drunk a lot last night and had also been caught in the rain for a long time. Then he had run into Red Clothes, taking a hard fall. Add to that a late-night trip to the hospital for Feng Er, and he only got back at 2 AM, planning to wash up before hitting the hay.
Here comes the kicker.
The ghost in his phone, the one in red, was adamant about not letting him sleep. She insisted on seeing her daughter, despite them having agreed to wait until the next day.
This ghost was going wild, refusing to return to the phone.
While he was desperately trying to calm her down, just when he thought he had it under control…
Old Yang suddenly popped up, throwing some sarcasm into the mix.
“So this is your new help? A woman?”
Whether it was that comment that triggered her or if Old Yang was aggravating her for fun, the moment Su Lan had calmed down, she exploded, and within seconds, she was grappling with Old Yang, sending black mist sprawling and threads of bl**d flying everywhere. Neither was willing to back down.
Lu Liangting tried to intervene, but it was utterly useless—a battle between two vengeful spirits, be they new partners or old friends, they obeyed one rule only.
Old Yang continued to taunt while fighting.
Lu Liangting was at his wit’s end; he didn’t know what had gotten into Old Yang lately. He used to be so aloof—way cooler than Bai Yu. When Bai Yu asked him to do something, she at least called him “Lu Liangting.” Old Yang? Just a quick “Go.”
Talking to him became a hassle. Helping him depended entirely on his mood.
Since Su Lan, with her grudge-filled fog at least, wasn’t worth much in a conversation, he just kept quiet.
But looking at them now, it seemed like he wasn’t using his brain either, as he was still tossing sarcastic remarks.
Bang!
Old Yang was slammed against the wall, black resentment spilling everywhere.
Lu Liangting remained sitting on the bed, no longer having the energy to say anything.
“Ugh, I really envy Zhao Mingyue. I wonder how she and Bai Yu get along so well.”
Seeing such situations unfold always made Lu Liangting want to look up and lament.
Where did all his luck go, anyway?
“Daylight is here; let this end.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the ghosts ignored him. Old Yang, though slightly weaker, charged in again, full of spirit.
“I said, stop! I need to get to school!”
“Old Yang, you saved my life. I’ve always regarded you as a friend; I sent your enemy to prison, remember? I really don’t want to have this conversation with you, but…”
“If you keep fighting, next time I see Bai Yu, I’ll drag you out first.”
As those words hit the air, Old Yang immediately pulled away from Su Lan.
Su Lan reached out with her ghostly hands to attack again, but Lu Liangting spoke up once more.
“Aunt Su, you wouldn’t want to miss seeing your daughter today, would you?”
The ghost hesitated for a moment, and without needing Lu Liangting to say much more, she nodded and vanished back into the phone prop.
“You…” Old Yang stretched out his hand, his face twisted in a evil ghost expression, but one look at Lu Liangting’s calm yet threatening eyes dimmed his flames of rage. “Fine, okay.”
Slipping away into Lu Liangting’s shadow, Old Yang finally shut his mouth.
“Ugh!” With a heavy sigh, Lu Liangting got off the bed.
“Looks like I need Red Clothes. The best outcome would be having a three-way balanced dynamic; that way, they won’t fight each other.”
“Master, your lunch is ready.” Zhizi appeared timely at the bottom of the stairs, wearing a long skirt maid outfit, and revealing nothing under her skirt.
“Thanks, Zhizi.” A rare, sunny smile appeared on Lu Liangting’s face.
This smile momentarily caught Zhizi off guard, and she quickly looked down.
“Shall I help you change, Master?”
“Forget it.”
“No way! I need you to respect my profession. If you keep refusing, I’m going to get fired by the lady, and you wouldn’t want that, right? You know how picky the lady is about who takes care of your daily needs.”
As she spoke, Zhizi seemingly absentmindedly lifted her skirt slightly, just enough for Lu Liangting to catch sight of the black fishnet stockings she wore today.
“Wearing black stockings every day can get boring; changing it up could yield unexpected effects.”
“Zhizi, you…”
“What do you want to say, Master?” Zhizi climbed the stairs in her high heels. Her gaze appeared indifferent, but there was something irresistibly alluring about it.
“Fine, nothing.”
“Come this way, Master.”
She firmly ushered Lu Liangting into the changing room and slammed the door shut with a bang.
Downstairs, Rose was busy bringing breakfast to the table. Upon hearing the commotion upstairs, she peeked up, pushing her glasses back, her expression filled with helplessness.
Every time she bought clothes for Lu Liangting, Zhizi always knew his size down to a T, aware of any fluctuations, no matter how slight. It wasn’t just the outerwear; she even knew his underwear size.
Let’s just say there were reasons behind that.
Rose was worried.
Zhizi’s close contact with Lu Liangting had its advantages; at least the chances of completing her task had improved significantly.
What concerned her was… Zhizi might genuinely fall for Lu Liangting…
Zhizi was her sister, and she knew her all too well. Zhizi had survived this long primarily because of her interference. It had led Zhizi to stand out among the other participants, innocent and easily deceived, making her believe in things she shouldn’t and do things she shouldn’t.
As an older sister, even at this point, she instinctively wanted to assist Zhizi.
“Go for it, Zhizi. Whether you succeed or fail, the important thing is to find joy in it.”
She wanted Zhizi to always be happy, no matter the circumstances.
—
“Looks like I’ve been surrounded.” Zhao Mingyue stepped into the classroom, propping her face on one hand as she gazed out the window, trying her best to ignore the discussions about her.
Ever since she entered the school, those who recognized her immediately started whispering and pointing.
Of course, most of it was praise and amazement, with comments like how someone so seemingly delicate could kick an adult several meters away. Was she all muscle?!
Some referred to her as a muscular woman, while others jokingly compared her to the Protein Queen.
“It looks like I’ve finally made a name for myself.”
She remembered when she entered, the blonde punks who used to tease her turned and walked away as soon as they saw her.
In class, rather than their usual homeroom teacher, a young female teacher entered.
Dressed in trendy fashion, she was stunningly beautiful. As soon as she walked in, she placed her books on the teacher’s desk and turned to the blackboard to write three big letters.
“Chen Yunshi”
“Classmates, first things first. Let me introduce myself. My name is Chen Yunshi. I think many of you may have seen or know me.” The teacher flashed a radiant smile, captivating the male classmates.
“Today, I’m here in a completely new capacity to meet you all for the first time.”
“From this day onwards, I’ll be your new homeroom teacher.”
“That might seem sudden. Your former homeroom teacher, Miss Wang, has returned home for some personal reasons and will be back next year. In the meantime, I am your new homeroom teacher.”
The classroom fell silent for a moment, and then cheers and applause erupted, mainly from the excited male classmates.
“Okay, okay, calm down. This isn’t the time for celebration.”
“Hey, you there! Yes, you, sitting by the window in the third-to-last row.”
Called out unexpectedly, Zhao Mingyue blinked in confusion, standing up and asking, “Are you calling me, teacher?”
“Yes, you’re Zhao Mingyue, right?”
“Yup, that’s me.”
“Great to meet you! You’re quite the star at our school, having saved all of your fellow students and teachers. I can share a little secret with you: your bonus will be arriving in a couple of days—eight thousand dollars!”
With a long finger raised to indicate eight, the teacher’s smile revealed nothing alarming.
“It’s an honor to be your homeroom teacher, and I look forward to having a friendly rapport with you all.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she had a deep, meaningful smile.
“I’ll definitely leave a lasting impression on you.”
—
Sorry for being late again, crying!
Three updates, 13,000 words! Please give me your support!
