Chapter 116: Senior’s Request
After listening to several girls discuss urban legends, Luxianbei was absent-minded throughout the class, always feeling like he had overlooked something important.
Thus, while pondering how to make his speech as brief as possible for the upcoming meeting with his counselor, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had missed something. The class passed by without him absorbing any information.
When the class bell rang, he snapped back to reality and sighed helplessly.
In fact, Luxianbei enjoyed studying. Although it wasn’t the major he desired, he strongly believed that the notion of not needing to study seriously in college was complete nonsense. Wasting four years just to get a diploma was truly useless; as long as one studied earnestly, there would always be benefits.
As his classmates left the classroom one after another, Luxianbei tidied up his untouched textbook, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and headed toward the Arts and Literature College office.
…
Not long after the first class of the morning ended, with some students and lecturers rushing to their next classes, the floor where the Arts and Literature College office was located was quite empty, with only the duty officer enjoying the first cup of strong tea in the morning.
Luxianbei arrived in the corridor, slightly nodded to the duty officer as a greeting, and proceeded toward the counselor’s office.
“Knock knock knock—knock knock knock—!”
Luxianbei lightly knocked on the door, waited a few seconds with no response, knocked a few more times, and then frowned.
“Strange. I thought they said they’d be available all day today and that I could come anytime? Why is no one here? It’s almost ten o’clock; could they still not be at work?” Luxianbei muttered under his breath.
Hearing the ongoing knocking, the duty officer came out of the duty room, following the sound to find Luxianbei standing in the corridor.
From a distance, the duty officer waved at Luxianbei, “Student, who are you looking for?”
Luxianbei furrowed his brow slightly and approached, saying, “Sir, I’m looking for Counselor Xue Hua. May I ask…”
Before Luxianbei could finish his sentence, the duty officer’s expression changed; his serious face crinkled with concern.
“Ah—!” The officer sighed deeply after glancing at Luxianbei. “Student, you’re from Counselor Xue’s class, aren’t you?”
“Uh, yes, I am,” Luxianbei nodded dully.
“Don’t waste your time here; she won’t be coming in today. If there’s something important, hurry over to the Academic Affairs Office and ask. In a bit, the Academic Affairs staff will be going for lunch.”
Luxianbei sensed something was off and pressed, “Sir, did something happen to the counselor?”
“Something happened to her…” The officer hesitated, his hands behind his back, and shook his head regretfully. “She encountered something dirty last night and went crazy! I heard she was sent to the hospital this morning.”
Something dirty? Does that mean the counselor encountered an urban legend? Luxianbei was taken aback and asked, “Then, sir, do you know which hospital Counselor Xue is at? I want to go check on her.”
If anything really happened, I should contact Jiang Li quickly, Luxianbei thought.
“…” The officer looked at Luxianbei, hesitated for a moment, then waved his hand. “She was sent to Yun Kang Psychiatric Hospital, but I advise you not to go. She can’t recognize anyone now, and if anyone gets close, she might attack!”
After hearing the officer’s words, Luxianbei remained silent for a moment, thanked him, and walked away thoughtfully.
…
On Cherry Blossom Avenue, the withered yellow leaves occasionally floated down, layering the ground with a thin sheet that crunched underfoot.
The autumn scenery at Huacheng University was quite beautiful, but Luxianbei had no mood to appreciate it.
Even though he had only interacted with his counselor a couple of times and they weren’t very familiar, it felt disheartening that a perfectly fine person went crazy just a day after they had planned to meet. It wasn’t immensely sad, but it still left a bad taste in his heart.
However, since she had already been taken to Yun Kang Psychiatric Hospital, it didn’t really concern him anymore.
While others might not know what Yun Kang Psychiatric Hospital was, he was well aware—it was a place where the Siye Society imprisoned uncontrollable spiritual ability users and certain special urban legends.
Previously, Jiang Li had often threatened to send him there for an experience.
Now, with the counselor taken to Yun Kang Psychiatric Hospital, if she really had encountered an urban legend, the Siye Society members there would certainly discern something. Luxianbei thought.
Pulling himself back from his thoughts about the counselor’s situation, Luxianbei began planning how to trick Jumeng into providing a detailed self-introduction to help him complete Professor Ma’s assigned paper.
Meanwhile, he could find time to craft a speech about the “Experience of Surviving Eighteen Stabs.”
Suddenly, as he lifted his head, his eyes burned with pain. His abundant experience with urban legends informed him that this reaction indicated the presence of an urban legend nearby.
If there was an urban legend around, it meant it wasn’t safe to linger here!
What is the core of helping Jumeng hunt urban legends? I have no idea!
Isn’t she just meat brought here under my deception… Urban Legend Encyclopedia?
This isn’t breaking a promise; it’s broad daylight. Even if someone wants to hunt urban legends, this isn’t the right time! Luxianbei thought.
Although his mind raced with the need to quickly leave, avoid getting drawn into an unordinary urban legend, he couldn’t help but glance in the direction that made his eyes burn.
At that moment, on Cherry Blossom Avenue, crowds of people passed by unnoticed, as the wind casually weaved through them. Luxianbei unconsciously took a longer look at the crowd.
Then…
He saw the girl by the roadside remove her head, as if bowing in a hat-removing gesture, then cupping her head with both hands, pulling back her long hair to reveal a smile that made one dare not approach.
She wore a dirty white dress, and seemed to be surrounded by swirling black mist. Her long black hair obscured her face, and the red umbrella in her hand stood out glaringly among the crowd.
This strangely unsettling girl stood by the roadside, while the pedestrians seemed entirely oblivious to her presence, continuing on with their business.
Luxianbei stared in shock for a few seconds before realizing it was the Decapitated Senior, only unsure why she had exchanged her original dark-colored umbrella for a striking bl**d red one.
Seeing that the urban legend causing his eye reactions was the Decapitated Senior, Luxianbei suddenly felt calm.
After all, the urban legend senior could be one of the friendliest urban legends he had encountered, aside from his home folks, who were total dimwits.
She had previously even helped rescue Professor Ma.
But…
What’s with exposing the trachea when greeting? Is it a principle like displaying one’s chest while apologizing?
Luxianbei thought, glancing at the Decapitated Senior again, and witnessed an unsuspecting student walk right through her, knocking her head off in a disturbing scene.
Hiss—!
I mean, girl, is it really okay to just stand there while others pass in and out of your body like that?
Luxianbei silently scolded, hurried over to the Decapitated Senior, and pulled her into the thicket by the roadside.
Half a minute later, he returned alone to pick up the head that was invisible to passersby, stretching out his stiff arms in a manner reminiscent of performance art, and ran back.
…
“Phew—phew—!”
Once in the thicket, Luxianbei sat on the grass, gasping for breath, and turned to look at the Decapitated Senior, who was holding her head and trying to place it back on her neck, with a gradually moody expression.
“What do you want from me?”
The Decapitated Senior pressed down her head firmly, ensuring it wouldn’t fall off again before responding, “Aren’t you scared of me?”
Though her head was perched steadily, her voice still had a strange tone that hinted it wasn’t quite right.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Luxianbei said without expression, truly feeling little concern inside.
Such things become habitual after a while; one just gets used to them.
“Previously in the boys’ shower room, you were scared away by me, right? I thought you would run away again this time!” the Decapitated Senior chimed in quietly.
Wait! Luxianbei suddenly snapped back to attention, squinting at the Decapitated Senior.
Could it be that she doesn’t know it’s me…? Ugh! Why does it feel so confusing?
But if she doesn’t know I’m the one who rescued Professor Ma, why would she seek me out?
Luxianbei pondered, then asked, “Let’s put aside the fear factor for now; first, tell me what you want.”
“Eh?” The Decapitated Senior exclaimed softly in surprise. This was the first time she had encountered a living person who showed no fear and proactively inquired about her intentions.
In an instant, the way she looked at Luxianbei changed subtly.
“What’s up? You can’t possibly be seeking me out for no reason, right?” Luxianbei said.
He certainly figured the Decapitated Senior wouldn’t approach him without a purpose.
“I…”
Used to scaring others and being in control, the Decapitated Senior was caught off guard by Luxianbei turning the tables and was unsure how to express herself. After a pause, she finally articulated her purpose.
“I found something terrifying at school, so I wanted to ask for your help.”
A terrifying thing? Luxianbei frowned slightly.
“Me? Even if I can see you, I’m just a rather special ordinary person; what could I possibly help you with?” Luxianbei said blankly.
“This, this…” The Decapitated Senior stammered, “I know you might not be of much help, but I do know you’re a student of Professor Ma and have a good relationship with him.”
“And then what?”
“And then, Professor Ma knows someone very powerful. But I’ve floated around the school for several circles today and haven’t seen Professor Ma.”
“When I saw you by the roadside just now, I thought of asking you to help me contact Professor Ma to bring her here; she must have a way to solve this problem.” The Decapitated Senior said firmly.
Actually, she’s not that powerful! Hehe! Luxianbei maintained a normal expression but chuckled to himself twice, then a question arose in his mind.
“I’m a bit curious; if there’s something strange at school, what does it have to do with you? Aren’t you also… um, you know?”
An urban legend wanting to eliminate other urban legends at school sounded odd, almost like multiple beasts competing for territory. Luxianbei thought.
“Because…” The Decapitated Senior smiled gently, saying, “I really like it here! I don’t want it to be destroyed.”
This place… wasn’t it where you were killed? Why do you like it? Luxianbei looked at the Decapitated Senior in confusion.
The cool autumn breeze brushed her long hair, and falling leaves gently brushed her face.
In her turbid eyes, at some point, a faint, bright light began to emerge, as if reminiscing about some beautiful past.
Does she really like it here? Luxianbei thought.
