22 Chapter 22 Lakeside Night Encounter_1

Li Jue told Chu Liang a story.

The protagonist of the story was Situ Yan, an ordinary girl. She wasn't considered beautiful, but her family was affluent, and she had a comfortable life.

It should have been enough for a happy and content life.

Unfortunately, two years ago, a huge fire broke out in Situ Yan's house. Though she survived the fire, half of her face was burned, leaving an ugly scar that could never be erased.

They were all classmates in the Gengzi Class at Nanshan Academy. After Situ Yan's disfigurement, everyone got scared of her appearance. Even though she covered her face with a veil... and hid the left side of her face behind her thick hair, it was impossible to completely hide it.

Some troublemakers started bullying her, trying to force her to leave Nanshan Academy.

Zhang Cong would call her an ugly freak every day... Wu Shaoan often pelted her with paper balls... Chen Da knew she was terrified of fire after the incident yet still often scared her with burning straw... Yan Xiaohu demanded five silver from her every month...

Situ Yan thought about giving up, she didn't want to go to the academy anymore. At this point, Li Jue encouraged her.

Indeed.

Everyone at the academy either bullied her or couldn't dare look at her. Only Li Jue genuinely cared for her. The usually taciturn Li Jue and Situ Yan, who turned introverted after her burns, seemed to empathize with each other.

He would motivate Situ Yan to come to the academy, help her catch up on her missed lessons, and stand up for her whenever those scoundrels bullied her...

Although he often became the bullying target as well.

They just knew each other casually before Situ Yan got burned, but after her disfigurement, they became good friends.

Li Jue thought that he could help Situ Yan get back on her feet this way.

But he didn't expect that one day, when they were studying by the lake, he unknowingly fell asleep... When he woke up, he found himself tied up by Situ Yan!

Situ Yan bound Li Jue's hands and took out a small knife; there was a terrifying gleam in her eyes.

She confessed that she had fallen for Li Jue. If she disfigured Li Jue's face as well, and made him a "monster," they could always be together.

Li Jue tried to dissuade her, but she seemed hysterical, totally ignoring him, and obsessed with turning him into an "ugly freak," a "monster"...

Thanks to Li Jue's desperate struggle, he finally broke free just before the knife got close. He pushed Situ Yan away, cursed her as a madwoman, and then ran away without looking back.

The next day, he heard the news that something happened to Situ Yan by the lake.

Li Jue was dumbfounded.

He didn't know whether he was right or wrong. He couldn't understand why his sincere treatment returned this response. He wondered if his curse was the last straw that broke her...

Seven days later, the bodies of Wu Shaoan and Zhang Cong were found in the lake.

Everyone in the academy speculated that it might be the vengeful spirit of Situ Yan seeking revenge. Li Jue thought so too.

It must be!

It must be her revenge. All those who bullied her would suffer the consequences.

But he didn't know... Would he be her revenge target too?

Li Jue was very scared.

...

When Chu Liang left the room, his feelings were complicated. It indeed was a heavy story, but Cultivators ultimately have their responsibilities.

Lin Bei was waiting outside. Seeing him come out, he asked, "How did it go?"

"Ever since Zhang Cong and Wu Shaoan died, Chen Da hasn't gone to the academy and has been hiding at home... Yan Xiaohu has been carrying on as usual, but he probably won't be able to go out in the next few days..."

"If Situ Yan turned into a Resentful Spirit, she would likely appear near the lake behind the academy..."

"I will go check there, and you stay here to watch Li Jue."

Chu Liang briefly explained to Lin Bei what Li Jue had told him, then prepared to investigate the lake behind the academy.

"Okay, you can leave him to me," Lin Bei said. "But be careful if you have to face the Resentful Spirit alone."

"Don't worry. Situ Yan wasn't a cultivator when she was alive, so even if she has turned into a Resentful Spirit, she won't be tough to handle," Chu Liang replied.

A blinding Sword Control Radiance shone as he chose a slower but more basic Wind Control Flight.

At this time, it should have been nighttime, and the city locked down. However, this made things easier for a cultivator. During the day, flying around could disturb the citizens, but at night, it was alright to fly directly with no concern.

By the time he reached the lake behind the academy, the night had grown darker, and there were no people around. The shadows of the trees tilted, the wind whistled, and it seemed as though many people were lurking and whispering in the dark.

It was indeed a perfect night for a ghost to cause trouble.

Chu Liang concealed himself within the bushes, not letting out any spiritual energy, afraid of alarming those waiting in ambush, he quietly awaited midnight.

But he did not have to wait long before hearing a rush of the wind.

Someone?

Chu Liang sent out his divine sense, capturing a faint trace not far away.

It seemed to be the figure of a woman.

Quite early.

Chu Liang carefully concealed his aura, swiftly moved forward, sword in hand.

By the time he arrived at the spot where the woman's figure had flickered, there was no trace of her.

Huh?

Even a ghost could not have disappeared without cause...

There was not a trace of a cold aura around.

While contemplating, just as his foot touched the ground, he heard a whoosh above his head.

Whoosh—

A streak of emerald green descended from the sky, somewhat like sword aura, but also somewhat like Gang Qi!

"Who goes there?" Chu Liang raised his sword to meet it.

Clang clang clang energy collided, the gust of wind stirred up, shredding all the fallen leaves within several meters!

Only then did he see clearly that the weapon attacking him was not a longsword, but a jade ruler. The quality of that jade ruler was undoubtedly far superior to his flying sword. In the collision, his cultivation was not much different from the enemy, but his flying sword trembled.

In just one hit.

The person wielding the jade ruler turned in mid-air and landed a few meters away.

Chu Liang did not pursue either, because this person's true Qi was pure and upright, obviously not a ghost.

It turned out to be a tall woman in dark-colored tight clothes, more highlighting her graceful figure, and her chest was extremely prominent. Her skin was as white and tender as jade, reflecting the moonlight.

"Teacher Song?"

"Chu Liang?"

Both uttered surprised exclamations.

It turned out that the one who had attacked him was none other than the woman teacher from the day, Song Qingyi.

But...

Durning the daytime, Song Qingyi's chest did not seem so large and in just over half a night, it had grown so much...that was indeed strange.

After a mutual gaze, both people blurted out in unison, "You're also a cultivator?"

There was a pause, and they both asked together, "What are you doing here?"

Song Qingyi's face turned red, and then she put on a stern face: "Don't copy me!"

Chu Liang could only smile slightly, raise his hand, and make a "please" gesture.

"I've been suspicious of you. Where did you come from, cultivator?" Song Qingyi asked.

"I'm a sect disciple from the Shu Mountain Sect, came to the Nanshan Academy...actually to protect a student at the Academy." Chu Liang answered truthfully, "What about Teacher Song?"

"I'm from Jiangnan Scholar's Academy..." Song Qingyi also said: "There's a strange case in the Nanshan Academy. Naturally, it's our Confucianism's responsibility to solve it. Worrying about startling snake, acting inconveniently... hence the identity of a teacher."

So that's it.

No wonder this teacher is so young.

Chu Liang said, "Actually, it's not appropriate for a disciple of Shu Mountain to intervene in this matter. However, I received a request and just learned some news. That's why I came to the Back Mountain Lake to have a look. Teacher Song, since you're here, you must already know about Situ Yan."

Song Qingyi nodded: "Yes, I've been on guard here these nights, but I haven't seen any movement...till today, seeing someone sneaky. That's why I struck against you, hoping you won't take offense..."

"No harm done." Chu Liang shook his head slightly, then said, "Since we both aim to solve this mystery, can we share information?"

He thought that Song Qingyi, as a member of the Academy, might know some inside information that even the student Li Jue didn't know.

Song Qingyi didn't object, nodded slightly, "What do you want to know?"

"I want to know..." Chu Liang curiously looked at Song Qingyi's chest, gestured with both hands, "Teacher Song, did you wear a chest binder before...how come...the difference between day and night is so great?"