Chapter 151: Let’s Release Him After the Party Ends
Just past eight in the morning, a hint of fish belly white appeared on the horizon. When the first ray of dawn fell beside the bed, Lu Yibei jumped up as if startled awake by a nightmare.
He sat on the bed, dazedly staring at the gradually brightening light outside the window. After a long time, he let out a sigh, rubbed his messy hair, and sluggishly got out of bed.
After the urban legend transformation, it was a must to bask in the morning sun the next day to return to normal, a “set-up” that was truly tormenting, forcing the bed-loving boy into this state.
After changing his clothes and completing his morning routine downstairs, with the red and white windbreaker draped over his shoulders, Lu Yibei glanced at Jumeng.
Last night, Jumeng had excessively squandered her points and remained hype until almost dawn before collapsing. At this moment, she lay boldly on the sofa, her pink lips glistening with a few droplets, mumbling in her sleep about this being a guaranteed mythical item or something similar.
Lu Yibei, “…”
He wasn’t sure if robots dreamt of electric sheep, but he had seen mythical beings from urban legends dream about acquiring mythical equipment.
However…
Just go ahead and dream, Stinky Sister!
After silently mocking her in his heart, Lu Yibei gently placed Jumeng’s dangling hands and feet back onto the sofa and tucked her blanket in.
Before leaving, he found a gathering of urban legends in a dark corner near the apartment bathroom and pulled the barely conscious Mafun aside.
“Milady Witch, it’s not that I want to oppose you, but… could you have them try the medicine this time?” Mafun followed Lu Yibei to the side, and before he could speak, he interjected.
“I’m really sorry about last night!” Lu Yibei massaged his forehead, “However, I’m here today for something else.”
“Then… do you want to try the talisman?” Mafun inquired weakly.
Lu Yibei, “…” What image do you guys have of me? A devil? Is there nothing else I can do besides looking for you as test subjects?
After a few thoughts of complaint, he shook his head lightly and said, “Listen to me, this time I’m going out to handle something rather troublesome, and I might not be back for a while.”
“If… I’m saying if I’m not back in a week, tell Jumeng that I can’t come back and let her figure out how to heal herself. She should return to Peach Source as soon as possible. Do you understand?”
Even though he hadn’t entered the Bamboo Slips Illusion yet, flying the flag beforehand felt slightly inauspicious.
However, this journey might be fraught with danger. If something went awry and he couldn’t return, wouldn’t that make Jumeng wait in vain?
That would be utterly irresponsible! Lu Yibei thought.
“…” After listening to Lu Yibei’s words, Mafun carefully pondered the implications, and his mood grew heavy.
Although the Milady Witch didn’t say it outright, her meaning was clear; she might not come back.
But what troublesome thing couldn’t the Milady Witch resolve? With the spirit energy fluctuations she exhibited, she could probably face any higher-level urban legend and come out unscathed, right?
Could it be… she was planning to organize a Hundred Demons Walk, confronting the Siye Society head-on, turning the entire Huacheng and perhaps even a wider area into her territory? Or something of equally dangerous nature?
Thinking of this, Mafun shivered and said seriously, “Milady Witch, don’t worry! Although I can’t help with other matters, I will definitely handle this one!”
“Alright! Then I’m leaving!” Lu Yibei lightly patted Mafun, leaned against the wall with his guitar case, and headed towards the apartment’s main door.
Mafun watched Lu Yibei leave, the dawn’s faint light outlining a pale golden silhouette around him. For a moment, that somewhat slender back exuded an inexplicable tragic aura, completely losing the usual air of casual laziness mixed with a bit of dejection and anxiety.
“Milady Witch!” He finally lost control, calling out with a crying tone.
Upon hearing the call from behind, Lu Yibei’s body trembled, breaking into a cold sweat. He hurriedly glanced at Jumeng and turned to Mafun, making a silencing gesture.
“Shh—shh—! What’s going on? Why are you shouting? What if she hears you?”
Mafun, “…”
That’s right, now this is our Milady Witch.
…
Leaving the community, Lu Yibei didn’t go straight to school but headed to the half-finished building near University City.
Not-so-reliable divination coins, Ming King statues, modified poker handguns, a family heirloom kitchen kn*fe, eighty-two initial scenic spring wind talismans, two types of spell formulas, a laptop—well, that doesn’t count, as it’s needed to write the speech later.
After spreading everything out on the ground and taking stock, Lu Yibei slightly nodded.
If excluding the uncontrollable monstrous power within him, these were all the resources he had at his disposal.
There were quite a few items, but it still felt somewhat inadequate.
If only Jumeng had taught him alchemy last night, he could have hand-rolled bl**d bottles instead of telling him to get lost; that would have been perfect, Lu Yibei thought.
…
At eleven in the morning.
Finally, under the relentless bombardment of short messages, Lu Yibei submitted his speech draft to the celebration preparation office.
Though it was called the celebration preparation office, the people handling the various matters related to the celebration were mostly from the student council, and the location was just a part of the student council office repurposed for this task.
In the corridor outside the preparation office.
Dozens of students were busily moving around, preparing props, confirming attendance lists, and coordinating with the camera crews from the television station, adjusting lighting and camera angles.
Everyone seemed to have something to do, exuding the youthful vitality unique to eighteen or nineteen-year-olds.
Thus, Lu Yibei, who felt like a useless salted fish among this lively crowd, stood out awkwardly.
Where did they get so much passion? So envious! Compared to them, he felt like a dead dog halfway buried in the ground. Unable to find the speech preparation group office, Lu Yibei stood in the corridor, staring blankly at the students passing by.
“Classmate, your phone has been ringing; aren’t you going to check it?”
“Oh, thanks…” As Lu Yibei was about to say “thank you,” he turned and saw the girl who had reminded him, slightly taken aback.
The girl who reminded him was Lin Yiqi, dressed in a flowing white gown, with that haunting ghost baby perched on her shoulder.
At that moment, the ghost baby, with unformed eyes covered by pink membranes, was within less than half a meter from Lu Yibei. It leaned forward, its collapsed nose having two gaping holes that gently twitched, as if it had caught an unusual scent from Lu Yibei.
Staring at the ghost baby, Lu Yibei felt a chill run down his scalp, and just as he hesitated on how to handle this situation, Lin Yiqi’s voice rang in his ears again.
“Classmate, what’s wrong? You don’t look too well; do you feel unwell? Do you need me to take you to the medical point?”
On hearing that, Lu Yibei snapped back to reality and shook his head lightly, “I’m fine, just can’t find the speech preparation group office. A bit anxious.”
“Speech preparation group, huh?” Lin Yiqi smiled sweetly, raised her long arm, and pointed ahead softly, “It’s just over there, Room 407.”
“Okay, thanks.” Lu Yibei nodded expressionlessly, then turned towards the office with the metal sign reading 407.
Having not walked far outside, Lu Yibei couldn’t help but stop and look back at Lin Yiqi.
From a distance, she was surrounded by a group of girls, talking and laughing, her graceful figure and stunning features giving off a distinct air that set her apart from the others.
He wondered what those girls would think if they knew she had dismembered a living person, hiding the body parts in a venting doll, and was currently carrying a grotesque ghost baby on her shoulder.
Just as such thoughts crossed Lu Yibei’s mind, he quickly shook his head to dispel them.
Those girls wouldn’t know; they were unlikely to be targeted by urban legends and could hardly come into contact with such terrifying things. They were all lucky, ordinary people.
As Lu Yibei contemplated, he collected his thoughts, took a few steps forward, and lightly knocked on the door of “407.”
“Knock knock knock—!”
“Who is it?” came a slightly androgynous voice from behind the door.
“Lu Yibei.”
“Who? Lu what?”
“Eighteen Knives.” Lu Yibei said flatly.
“Oh, it’s you! Everyone else has submitted their drafts; we’re just waiting for you. Why are you so slow? You’re killing us! Hurry up and come in!” The voice behind the door complained.
“Oh…” Lu Yibei expressionlessly acknowledged and pushed the door open to enter.
The moment the door closed and Lu Yibei’s figure vanished behind it.
In the corridor, Lin Yiqi suddenly bid farewell to the girls around her, walked to a corner, and cast a serious look towards the direction of Room 407.
“Baby, what did you just say? You mentioned that the person had faint spiritual energy fluctuations?” Lin Yiqi whispered in a tone only she could hear, speaking to the ghost baby on her shoulder.
After confirming from the ghost baby’s response, Lin Yiqi recalled Lu Yibei’s reaction when he had seen her just now. “He can’t have already discovered your presence, right?”
“Can’t confirm if the spiritual energy fluctuations come from his coat or himself? This…”
Lin Yiqi bit her lip, appearing thoughtful.
Since over a year ago, when she had been targeted by the Siye Society, she had been living very low-key, quietly leaving a good impression on others and improving her interpersonal relationships.
All for the sake of waiting for a moment where she could re-enter the center of the social scene in a more understated way.
Yet now, a suspicious spiritual ability user had appeared out of nowhere.
If that turns out to be the case…
“Baby, do you remember what that uncle looked like? Later, find a place where no one will notice and trap him. Release him only after the party ends, alright?”
“Mm, just trap him and scare him; don’t let him notice your presence, and there’s no need to harm him.”
After Lin Yiqi finished speaking, the ghost baby on her shoulder tilted its small pink head, and after a moment, nodded lightly.
