Chapter 24: The One Who Killed Me, Jumeng
1:03 PM.
On the dirty old street next to the Tangcheng Four Seasons Hotel, the door of Tony Yang’s budget barbershop was pushed open by a young boy.
The boy swaggered into the barbershop, lifting a young girl who was engrossed in her mobile game onto the chair with both hands, then glanced at the only barber in the shop, who looked drowsy and expressionless, and pointed at the girl’s dark green long hair.
“Tony, could you please dye her hair black and give it a straightening treatment?”
“Huh? Uh…” The barber woke up, stared blankly at the boy for a few seconds, and frowned, “I’m not Tony, my name is Zhao Tiezhu.”
Jumeng put down her phone, pouted, “Gee! If you’re not Tony, why on earth are you running a budget barbershop named Tony Yang’s?”
Luxianbei patted her on the shoulder, “Kids shouldn’t talk so much nonsense. There are no wives in wife cakes, so it’s only normal if there’s no Tony in Tony Yang’s budget barbershop.”
“Alright, Teacher Tiezhu, get her sorted out!”
Jumeng, “…”
————
Two and a half hours later.
On the street in front of the Tangcheng Clothing Wholesale Market.
Jumeng was sitting on Luxianbei’s shoulder, her small hands tugging at the golden waves of her hair, her face full of disgust.
“Luxianbei, you’re so stingy! Can’t you take me to a more proper barbershop? This hair dye stinks like horse pee!”
“Isn’t horse pee good? Just think of it as fertilizer; it might help restore your strength!”
“Pfft! I warn you, if I get leukemia, I will blame you for the rest of my life, and you have to support me!” Jumeng said angrily, tugging Luxianbei’s hair hard with both hands.
“I’ve never heard of a tree getting leukemia; stop talking nonsense!” Luxianbei glared at her impatiently, “Going to a proper barbershop costs money, you know! My money didn’t come from the wind.”
While speaking, he lifted Jumeng from his shoulder and set her on the ground, pointing to a nearby children’s clothing wholesale store, “Go on, pick a nice outfit; your makeover plan is now complete.”
After leaving Chunfeng Residence, Luxianbei took advantage of Professor Ma being called away for a meeting by the research project team to sneak out of the hotel with Jumeng, aiming to completely transform her appearance.
Jumeng agreed with Luxianbei’s plan; she was good at fighting and killing, but Luxianbei was the master at surviving and dodging trouble. To smoothly get through her weak period, it was safer to listen to Luxianbei.
According to Luxianbei, in order to collect cultural relics underground and help restore her strength under the watchful eyes of evil forces, not only did she have to hide her Spirit Energy Fluctuation, but transforming Jumeng’s appearance was also very necessary.
Although her body had shrunk significantly after sustaining serious injuries, her looks were still too conspicuous.
That head of jade-like dark green waves, a small face like warm jade, and a pair of peach blossom eyes sparkling with water-like charm made her exceedingly eye-catching. Coupled with a meticulously crafted qipao, her aura was ethereal and graceful, yet held a childlike charm.
People often described such a young girl as a “demon,” although she certainly was an ancient one.
Walking down the street with such a girl, several groups like Taobao child models and Douyin cute child operators had approached them. The watchful eyes of evil forces weren’t blind; they couldn’t possibly not notice Jumeng’s whereabouts.
If not for Luxianbei having a relatively handsome face that could barely pass as her “deformed” brother, he might have been suspected of child trafficking and reported to the police by concerned passersby.
In this situation, not to mention seeking artifacts related to urban legends, even simply going out without disturbance was extremely difficult.
If an unforeseen reckless character from the underworld showed up, it could easily lead to a chaotic situation.
Luxianbei would never allow such things to happen!
Thus, Luxianbei willingly sacrificed his first-ever precious experience of shopping with a girl.
…
Luxianbei stood by the roadside, absent-mindedly chewing on a spicy strip, and when he snapped back to reality he found Jumeng was sitting plumply on the ground, her arms crossed defiantly, giving him a silent glare.
“What’s wrong with you? Didn’t we agree to this makeover plan? You even agreed to it yourself!”
Jumeng glanced at the children’s clothing store displaying a sign reading “bl**d-Sucking Kids’ Clothes, 39 Yuan/KG, No Negotiation!” then looked back at Luxianbei, turned her head away, and huffed.
“Hmph! I can’t wear those low-quality, toxic clothes! My delicate skin can’t handle it. No way, I won’t wear that! You need to buy me something else!”
When had Jumeng ever endured such grievances?
She used to wear clothes made of golden silk mixed with peacock feathers and white heron down, and now that she had fallen on hard times, she deserved at least a set from Uniqlo’s pure cotton series!
“Don’t think I don’t know how much the Siye Society pays you. You definitely have money! If you don’t buy for me, I’ll shout about your indecency and tell the police over there that you’re a p*dophile and child trafficker!”
Seeing the childish yet rogue expression on Jumeng’s face made Luxianbei rub his slightly throbbing forehead.
“What kind of nonsense are you talking? Didn’t I tell you to act more like a child? Is this how a child talks?”
As he spoke, Luxianbei suddenly felt a tightness in his thigh and looked down to see Jumeng had unexpectedly hugged his leg, gazing up at him with teary eyes and sweetly saying, “Brother, I really don’t want to wear that kind of clothes; I’ll get so many rashes.”
“Please buy me a pretty dress; I haven’t worn a new dress in ages.”
“I’ll promise not to upset you again and will do my homework well; I won’t tell Mom about the money you spend on skirts to play games.”
This was indeed starting to sound somewhat reasonable, but…
What sudden wind had blown over her?
Why was she suddenly acting like this? Was there a plot behind it?
Luxianbei was filled with confusion when whispers from passersby suddenly reached his ears.
“Tsk, how’s this brother behaving? His sister is so understanding; what’s wrong with buying her a dress?”
“Hey, didn’t you hear? That little brat is spending his sister’s money on some pay-to-win game!”
“Pfft, is that not what humans do?! If it were my sister…”
……
“…” Luxianbei silently looked at Jumeng, and although she now appeared pitiful, upon closer inspection, the twinkles of her eyes, her pouted lips, and frowns were filled with cunning.
It turned out, the cuteness of children lies in their innocence, but when a child knows how to use their appearance as a weapon, they can become terrifying.
A girl with a loli appearance and a cunning mature heart can find a hundred ways to get you to fulfill her every wish.
Luxianbei had not yet stepped into the threshold of comprehending this subtleness, but Jumeng had already mastered it.
“Okay, I’ll buy it for you; whatever you want, I’ll buy you!” Luxianbei gritted his teeth and said, picking up Jumeng and, amidst the pointing and whispering of bystanders, rushed toward the shopping mall across the road.
Jumeng leaned on his shoulder, a sly smile creeping up on her face. As Luxianbei hadn’t taken a few steps, she shouted, “After buying the skirt, are you taking me to eat Hot Pot too? Yay! Yay!”
Luxianbei, “…”
“Huh? After eating Hot Pot, are we going to the aquarium? Brother, you’re being too kind today! I can hardly recognize you; I’m so happy!” Jumeng said sweetly, “Will you always be this good to me in the future?”
“d*mn it! Don’t push your luck!” Luxianbei couldn’t help but curse, “Can’t you behave like a deity for once? With this ghostly facade, aren’t you scared your followers will see you?”
Jumeng twirled a lock of her silky black hair around her finger and nonchalantly pouted, “Relax, I dyed this into black, and I’ve concealed the Spirit Energy Fluctuation quite well. Even if Yuan Ye came, he wouldn’t recognize me at first sight.”
“Besides, you’ve alerted me; if you see me like this and if this news spreads in the future, I’ll be utterly embarrassed. Although killing is a bit cruel, I can’t do that, but…”
“To prevent things everyone doesn’t want to see happening, how about I plant something in your body? At that time, if I direct you east and you dare go west, I’ll make you wish you were dead. What do you think?”
“Are you Tian Shan Tong Lao? Want to place a d*ath curse on me for the slightest disagreement?” Luxianbei angrily cursed.
“Do you believe I would willingly bind you up right now, tie a pretty bow on you, and deliver you to the underworld? End your sinful life?”
“Who knows, maybe the lord of the underworld would take a liking to me and even give me a reward!”
“…”
Jumeng pondered for a few seconds, gently squeezed Luxianbei’s shoulder, and cheerfully said, “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry! Whatever the matter is, let’s discuss it well!”
“Then you go buy the clothes priced at thirty-nine per kilogram right now.” Luxianbei said expressionlessly.
Jumeng reached into Luxianbei’s shirt pocket and pulled out a spicy strip, munching on it with a serious face, “Kid, this means there’s no room for negotiation, right?”
“You think you have a choice?”
“Pfft, stingy! You won’t get a wife acting like this! Hmph!” Jumeng pouted, made a face at Luxianbei, then lowered her head into silence.
After a while, like a sleepy little cat basking in the warm sun, she lazily leaned on Luxianbei’s shoulder and murmured, “If it really comes to it, we can skip the aquarium, can we just eat Hot Pot? I’ve always heard young people from Peach Source say it’s delicious, but I’ve never had the chance to try it.”
When she was in Peach Source, even though she seemed to be idle and playing games, she was always on guard to listen to her followers and subjects’ prayers and rarely had the chance to leave.
Only games, anime, and comics offered her a form of entertainment.
In fact, staying in Huacheng for nearly a month had already been the longest time Jumeng had been away from Peach Source since her full awakening.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luxianbei glanced at Jumeng on his shoulder and saw her young face with jade-like eyes deep with emotion. However, upon closer inspection, he found an unresolved sadness hidden deep within her gaze, making it feel as though she was right beside him while also feeling far away.
Was she playing the sympathy card?
But that tone seemed to carry some authenticity…
Forget it, it didn’t matter, at most he would just be scammed out of a few hundred yuan.
Luxianbei thought, and casually asked, “You haven’t been to the aquarium either?”
“No…”
“Weren’t you saying you went to catch… uh, seafood urban legends? Why do you even need to visit the aquarium?”
“That’s different!” Jumeng pouted.
“Do you want to go?”
Upon hearing this, a hint of light sparked in Jumeng’s eyes, but then she subdued her excitement and shook her head.
“Although I really haven’t been, I don’t actually want to go that much! I just said it casually.”
“Oh…” Luxianbei replied, pondered for a few seconds, and said lightly, “Then I’ll take you when I have time in the future? There’s only a little over four days left, which isn’t enough.”
Suddenly, a smile spread across Jumeng’s face like she had been reborn, her eyes filled with excitement, “Really?”
“When a word is spoken…”
“Even the Long March No. 12 can’t chase it back!”
Luxianbei, “…” Tsk, how eager are you to go? Can’t you just be honest about it?
————
In the evening.
As the sun gradually sank below the horizon, the light and shadows in Tangcheng University turned hazy.
Inside the College of Arts and Literature building.
After the police finished investigating the “Cultural Relics and Museology · 1” laboratory in the morning, they quickly dispersed the onlookers, including students, teachers, and project team members. The floor where the laboratory was located and the adjoining floors were sealed off, and for almost the entire day, no one had set foot in the area.
“Whoosh—!”
Just as the sky completely darkened, a sound of wind suddenly echoed outside the College of Arts and Literature building. Accompanying the sound of the wind was a figure quickly climbing up the wall of the building. Then the figure blurred and directly passed through the glass, entering the “Cultural Relics and Museology · 1” laboratory.
Once the figure stabilized, the glass of the window reflected her silhouette.
It was a girl wearing a complete black tracksuit; her golden hair was tied high, and a white silk scarf printed with “Tao Fa Zi Ran” concealed her face, leaving only her deep-set eyes exposed.
Upon entering the laboratory, she glanced around, her gaze locking onto a body slumped over the long table, its head entirely hidden behind the computer screen. She sighed silently, then quietly took out a pair of white gloves from her jacket pocket and put them on carefully.
“Really, waiting here for a day without anyone coming to handle the body; the members of Tangcheng Siye Society can’t be reached either. They haven’t already been killed, have they?”
“The one who controlled that puppet last night was likely the black forces that attacked the reinforcements. Using the resonance of the Mourning Gray Owl Badge as bait, how shameless!”
“Fortunately, I had enough treasure given by my master when I left home, or I would have fallen into their trap.”
“There’s no way around it now. Tangcheng is clearly in chaos. Before new reinforcements arrive, I’ll have to rely on me, Fu Xinyi, to save humanity from this deep water and fire!”
Fu Xinyi mumbled as she approached the body, circling around it twice before stopping in the northeast direction. She reached into her side bag and pulled out four segments of cream-colored whale oil candles, a yellow paper covered in bizarre talismans drawn in cinnabar, an antique copper bell, and a porcelain bowl.
She placed the whale oil candles in the corners of the room and lit them, then used the porcelain bowl to fetch a bowl of clean water from the laboratory’s restroom and set it in the center of the room. Returning to the body, Fu Xinyi used two slender fingers to hold the yellow paper and gently shook it, reciting a mantra.
“Restless wandering souls, where do you linger? The three souls have come down, and the seven spirits arrive… Open the gates of heaven, open the gates of earth, the young boy for a thousand miles comes to guide the soul, hurry as per the law!”
After softly reciting the spell, the yellow paper in Fu Xinyi’s fingers “whooshed!” into a burst of azure flames, hovering before her as it burned. Seeing this, she focused her gaze and quickly picked up the copper bell from the table, give it a gentle shake, then set it back down and closed her eyes.
“Drip—drip—drip—!”
It sounded like droplets falling into a bowl full of clear water, creating rhythmic soft sounds. Fu Xinyi’s eyes were tightly shut, fully expanding her spiritual awareness, intently feeling the rippling water in the bowl stirred by the Spirit Energy Fluctuation.
“Whoosh—!”
Suddenly, the clear water in the bowl surged vigorously, producing a clear sound of splashing. Feeling the Spirit Energy Fluctuation drawing near, Fu Xinyi abruptly opened her eyes and looked toward the direction of Li Ziqi’s body, calling out in a soft yet commanding voice, “Li Ziqi, I command you to return swiftly!”
“Ding—ling—!”
After her call, a faint light flickered in her eyes, and the copper bell on the table shook violently, making a soft sound without anyone touching it.
Then…
The candlelight suddenly extinguished, plunging the laboratory into darkness.
Through her spiritual awareness, Fu Xinyi sensed something was approaching, a dark, vague entity stealthily advancing in the dark, gazing at her with an unusually chilling stare.
The darkness lasted less than a second before the candlelight gradually returned, revealing a strange, terrifying face, bloody and flesh-torn as if clawed, that appeared before her eyes like an illusion.
Staring into those lifeless, hollow eyes that seemed soulless, Fu Xinyi felt a chill run down her spine.
However, the fundamental qualities of a genius preparatory agent of the Siye Society allowed her to suppress her fear, clear her throat, and ask, “Ahem, Li Ziqi, may I ask who killed you? If there’s a score to settle, let’s hear it quickly!”
As her words fell, the body before Fu Xinyi trembled, its split lips muttering numbly, “The one who killed me is Jumeng, the master of the eight-hundred-mile Peach Source…”
