An eerie silence fell over the campus.
The students who knew there was a killer in the school but still hadn’t left, hoping to see some excitement, collectively stared blankly at Zhao Mingyue standing in the center. They were all dumbfounded.
Moments ago, they were still wondering if Zhao Mingyue would meet a tragic end. After all, the killer’s combat skills were as powerful and outrageous as the lead in a martial arts film. An ordinary person wouldn’t last a single move against her before dropping dead.
And how could a delicate, cute girl like Zhao Mingyue possibly be a match for her?
Yet, the bloody scene they imagined didn’t happen. Zhao Mingyue wasn’t beheaded, nor was her heart ripped out. Instead, she had even cut off one of the killer’s hands.
If that red-haired woman was the lead in a martial arts film, then what did that make Zhao Mingyue? The final boss?
Skills even greater than the lead’s?!
Several male students who had a crush on Zhao Mingyue but didn’t dare to step up as heroes swallowed nervously. The feelings they hid deep in their hearts, feelings they never dared to express, were now even more suppressed.
They were afraid of angering Zhao Mingyue and getting a backhand punch that would leave them unable to get up.
It seemed that beneath Zhao Mingyue’s pure and sweet appearance, there was a beast-like heart. After all, they had truly never seen an elbow strike that could send someone flying three or four meters away.
But speaking of which, Zhao Mingyue’s movements were too fast and too smooth. During that backflip just now, her skirt hadn’t fallen down due to gravity!
Gravity was being a bit uncooperative!
Zhao Mingyue ignored the whispers around her. She looked down at the severed hand on the ground, feeling extremely oppressed in her heart.
It wasn’t because the severed hand was disgusting or terrifying, but because of the red-haired killer herself. She had never imagined a day would come when someone would openly commit murder at school, and after killing classmates and a teacher, the killer would then target her.
“That thing inside my body… is it a ghost?” Zhao Mingyue adjusted her mood and asked inwardly.
“No, this thing is far more powerful than a ghost.”
Bai Yu’s voice came through, and her grave tone was noticeable. “It should be a type of evil god, or perhaps one level stronger than an evil god. If I’m not mistaken, it’s the deity worshiped in your village.”
“I couldn’t sense its presence inside you before. I only discovered it after entering your body just now. This thing is currently in a deep, dormant state.”
“If left unchecked, this thing will eventually awaken one day.”
“When that happens, it might seize your consciousness, or even devour your soul.”
Bai Yu had encountered many such evil entities dormant in bodies. Hosts like this usually faced only two outcomes: one, conquer the thing inside and grow stronger; two, be devoured and replaced, with both consciousness and soul taken over by the entity within.
In the latter scenario, the better case was that the original host was suppressed but unable to resist, leaving at least a sliver of hope for a counterattack. The worst case was that the original host ceased to exist entirely, becoming nourishment for that thing.
Among the many hosts she had seen, the entities inside varied widely. There were evil gods, the consciousnesses of powerful beings, remnant souls, and even certain types of energy.
But regardless of the type, ninety percent, or even ninety-five percent, of cases ended with the demise of the original host.
Cases where the original host succeeded were far too rare—only one out of more than ten succeeded.
And that one who succeeded was a monster, a super ruthless person who could directly suppress an entire race with a single spear.
At the time, she had wondered if that evil god had something wrong with its brain. Of all people to pick, why choose that God of Slaughter?
“So… will I face that danger too?” Zhao Mingyue asked hesitantly.
“Yes.” Bai Yu continued to explain. “Because this thing is inside your body. It’s the same for every host like you. So, even if it’s discovered early on, there’s nothing that can be done. There are only three solutions.”
“Kill you, have you grow strong enough to expel it yourself, or find the source and solve the problem at its root.”
“Don’t overthink it. Leave it to me. Just prepare yourself mentally.”
The main purpose of telling Zhao Mingyue all of this was so she could be psychologically prepared. Bai Yu believed she could adjust her mental state. Zhao Mingyue had never been the type to give up on herself.
And what Zhao Mingyue had to do was very simple: maintain an optimistic mindset. Leave the rest to her.
“I understand.”
Zhao Mingyue responded sweetly. Regarding this matter, she didn’t actually have many complicated thoughts. As for mental preparation, she had been ready for a long time. And now, she chose to trust Bai Yu.
She had now come to terms with it. Rather than fearing that thing and being terrified of it, she might as well trust Bai Yu. After all, she didn’t even know the strength of the former, but with Bai Yu, it was different; she knew her very well.
While she was distracted, several male teachers came running over with riot shields.
“Miss, are you… are you alright?”
“I’m fine, perfectly fine. At least I’m not injured.” Zhao Mingyue carried her backpack, her smile somewhat awkward.
She was indeed fine, but only for that moment. Once this incident spread throughout the school, she would have trouble.
A Thesis on How a High School Girl Repelled an Armed Assailant Barehanded at the Front Gate and Cut Off Her Palm.
Her image was probably going to undergo a complete one-hundred-and-eighty-degree transformation after today.
And then, maybe, perhaps, she would be commended by the whole school, or possibly receive a demerit.
In any case, a trip to the police station today was definitely unavoidable.
So tiring, truly so tiring.
As the teachers kept a distance of at least two meters while bombarding her with concerned questions, not letting her leave, Zhao Mingyue spoke helplessly in her heart, “Little Sister Yu, did you know that red-haired assailant from earlier? Was she an old friend of yours?”
That person’s skills were simply beyond reality. The only ones she could think of were those “old friends” of Bai Yu’s.
“Yes.”
“Your old friends are really something… so, are all those girls around Lu Liangting like this too?!”
“Of course, they are. At least their temperaments are similar. Their strength might vary.”
“Hiss… that sounds even more terrifying.”
If their strength was comparable but their temperaments were completely different, that would actually be okay. The problem was, the similarity wasn’t in strength but in temperament?!
If they were all like this, how did Lu Liangting even survive?
It was surprising he hadn’t been cut into pieces.
So many such “gentle and kind” girls fighting over him.
Wouldn’t the final outcome just be: “I want the left hand, you want the head, she wants the right leg, and the heart, well, that goes to me”? Only that way could they “fairly” distribute him, and it would perfectly fit those girls’ character traits.
In less than five minutes, the police arrived.
The police station wasn’t too far from here. They arrived within eight minutes of receiving the call.
“What a mess. I probably can’t go to class today. Looks like I’ll be sitting in the police station,” Zhao Mingyue said, a deep sense of powerlessness washing over her as she saw the two officers approaching her. “Does what I did count as self-defense? I mean, I cut off someone’s hand. I won’t go to jail, will I?”
“No, if nothing goes wrong, you might even get some money.”
“Ge-Get money?!”
“As a little hero who stopped a criminal and saved the entire school’s teachers and students, of course, you can get some money.” Bai Yu comforted Zhao Mingyue. To Zhao Mingyue, money was the number one priority, especially free bonus money.
As expected, upon hearing Bai Yu’s words, Zhao Mingyue’s gloomy expression immediately cleared. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Really, really?”
“…”
“Hello, classmate. I’m an officer from the Tianchang City Jinjiang District Police Station. Here are my credentials. We might need to take up some of your time, but don’t be afraid. I will speak with your head teacher,” the young officer said, stepping forward and showing his ID.
Looking at the youthful Zhao Mingyue with her seemingly delicate frame, the two officers exchanged glances, somewhat in disbelief.
Just now, they had heard the school teacher describe the situation, which included how this female student had repelled the criminal with rather violent means.
That criminal was no ordinary person; she definitely had some serious skills. She had cleanly killed the school security guards with single, lethal strikes, each blow targeting vital points. That female student had acted similarly, with almost all her injuries in vital areas, making rescue nearly impossible.
And such a well-trained, armed assailant was actually fought off by an unarmed young girl.
“Don’t worry. What you did is absolutely considered heroic. We’re not here to arrest you. We’re just bringing you in to understand the situation and protect you. That criminal might very well come back,” the other officer comforted her, gesturing for a nearby policewoman to come over.
And so, Zhao Mingyue was taken away, right in front of the entire school’s teachers and students on the playground. There were no handcuffs; she went directly into a police car.
Inside the police car, Zhao Mingyue sat in the back seat, holding her face in her hands.
The policewoman in the front passenger seat turned around and spoke with a smile, “Don’t be afraid. By the way, miss, do you have a number for your family? I can help you contact them.”
“A family member’s number? I’m sorry, I don’t.”
“You don’t?”
“No. My parents died a few years ago, and my older sister is missing. Hmm… my current guardian should be my Eldest Uncle, but I haven’t seen him in three years, and I don’t know his contact information.” Zhao Mingyue answered truthfully.
“I see… I’m very sorry, miss. What’s your name?”
“My name is Zhao Mingyue.”
“Okay, Mingyue. Once we get there, don’t be afraid. We’ll ask you some questions. Just tell us what you know. When we’re finished, I will escort you home. After all, with this criminal’s personality, she absolutely will come back for revenge,” the policewoman said warmly.
“My name is Li Xin. You can save my number. During this time, if anything happens, call the police immediately. And when you’re home alone, be absolutely sure to lock your doors and windows. Before opening the door for anyone, confirm their identity first.”
“Okay.” Being cared for by a stranger warmed Zhao Mingyue’s heart.
After arriving at the police station, she did indeed answer some questions, mostly about the situation at the time. Zhao Mingyue recounted the events with a bit of embellishment, and just like that, her task was done.
“Bai Yu, do you think that criminal will really come back for revenge?”
“Yes.”
“Ah, then what should we…”
“Just be careful. As long as I’m here, everything will be fine.”
“Okay.”
It was already eleven in the morning by the time she got home. Zhao Mingyue flopped onto the sofa, opened her phone, and found several new messages. These were from her classmates, asking if she was okay. Among them was Lu Liangting.
She scrolled through them one by one, replying one by one. Suddenly, Zhao Mingyue frowned.
“Bai Yu, look.”
She handed the phone to Bai Yu. The content was a message from an unknown person. A photo of her front door, with a line of text: When you open the door, do you prefer using your left hand or your right hand?
“Playing spooky tricks,” Bai Yu said, closing the phone.
“Was it that red-haired woman?” Zhao Mingyue glanced at the front door to the living room.
“Not sure.”
Taking back her phone, Zhao Mingyue continued scrolling. Not only did she see messages from classmates, but also from some relatives. It was as if, in the span of a single morning, the whole world knew that Zhao Mingyue had barehandedly fought off a criminal.
Just then, an unknown number even called her.
“Should I answer it?”
“Answer it.” Bai Yu stood up.
Zhao Mingyue nodded and lightly tapped the screen with her finger.
“Bzz, bzz bzz…” The other end of the line was making a very harsh, grating, intermittent sound for some reason, which was extremely annoying.
“Hello, hello.” Zhao Mingyue lowered the volume and tried speaking.
The buzzing sound continued. The moment she finished her last word, the buzzing suddenly stopped. After a second or so of silence, a deep, hoarse voice of a middle-aged man came from the other end.
“Mingyue.”
Just two simple words, but his tone was drawn out very long. Without any emotional fluctuation, it even sounded lifeless.
“You can come back now. Everyone is waiting for you.”
His speech was very slow, and combined with that lifeless, deep hoarseness, it sounded like the person on the other end was a dead man. An unsettling emotion inadvertently grew and spread.
“Are… are you my Eldest Uncle?” Zhao Mingyue recognized something in the voice; it sounded very much like her Eldest Uncle, whom she hadn’t seen for a long time.
The moment she said this, the person on the other end seemed triggered, changing from lifeless to furious.
“Your grandmother’s 80th birthday is the day after tomorrow. You must come back!”
“Bzz, bzz bzz.”
After that, the other end returned to the buzzing noise. Three seconds later, the call was hung up by the other party.
This phone call had “creepy” written all over it. Zhao Mingyue stared at her phone, completely bewildered.
She looked at Bai Yu, then back at her phone.
“The day after tomorrow… should we go?” Zhao Mingyue was apprehensive. She knew Bai Yu had wanted to investigate for a long time.
“Yes.”
