Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Ashes, Part Four

After the school newspaper reporter went back, how they cursed Ming Yue for not opening their mouth in front of the two taels of gold chains, Ming Yue had no idea.

She didn’t want to know either.

“Be kind to others,” never take things too far.

This was the lesson she learned after ten years of working in the funeral industry with her older brother.

After all, it wasn’t a mortal enemy.

The new media department was also an undeserved disaster.

Rather than confronting them head-on, why not use gold to bind their sharpest tongues and see what they will say next?

Little Ming Yue wagged her tail, thinking slyly.

The campus was a peculiar environment.

Outside the campus, the waves were roaring, with the public angrily slapped by fake news back and forth; inside, no one knew.

Even if they did know, it was through a layer of protection, gently and slowly, like the soft breeze of early spring.

Ming Yue and the 18th-year students of the spiritual academy completed their midterm exams during this "early spring breeze of late winter," clinging to the older students for support.

The day before the holiday.

Late at night, the Economics department.

On the marble tablet in front sat a drowned ghost of an old uncle.

This old uncle, with just a few words, had the freshman group he was handling spun around in circles.

Look at the bloodshot eyes, the skin stretched like dough, pale and swollen, his eyes slanted with a creepy, ghostly grin.

The group that rushed to rescue was visibly shaken.

Xu Miaomiao said to the two younger ones behind:

“See? This is the consequence of not following the older students and acting rashly.”

Ming Yue, Bai Linlang: “……”Senior, weren't you also shivering just now?

Ming Yue tugged at Bai Shizhang’s sleeve and whispered, “Should we say something to the students?”

If they stayed silent, they would probably keep running in circles until they broke their legs.

Bai Linlang squinted, staring at the students running around in circles like hamsters. Among them, An Xueru’s face was particularly striking.

She firmly said, “If we don’t speak up, even a ghost running into a wall won’t be able to get out, what else can be done?”

“Still, it’s a low-level ghost running into the wall, something created by the senior's few words of ghostly talk. Not even a proper Yin-qi wall has formed.”

Ming Yue shook her head. “Shizhang, that’s not how you should put it.”

“I don’t think a ghost running into the wall formed by this ‘ghostly talk’ is any less advanced.”

“After all, if the vision change caused by a Yin-qi wall can be broken through by Yang-qi perception... then how do you break through ghostly talk? Should we just shout and scream?”

Guo Tianyang, who was listening ahead, silently approved in his heart. “Ming Yue’s right. You guys are going to suffer.”

Kekekekek.

A strange laugh echoed.

The drowned ghost hugged its knees, sitting on the stone tablet, laughing.

Its body was swollen, with all parts of it puffed up. The common posture of hugging its knees, which most people could easily do, seemed very strenuous for it.

The sound from its vocal cords was also odd, gurgling, like blood sausage tossed into a lake, making a bubble-like sound.

It stared at Ming Yue with blood-red eyes:

“Young girl, not bad, not underestimating the enemy.”

“It seems that after all these years in the Spirit Academy, you’re improving instead of regressing.”

Suddenly being singled out, Ming Yue: “……”

After the incident at the Medical Academy, Ming Yue had grown wild, evolving at a rapid pace.

At this moment, she was quick to act. She immediately performed a grand bow, her voice firm and clear, scaring Bai Linlang next to her, who jumped. “Greetings, senior! I am an 18th-grade Spirit Sealing Academy student!”“Very honored to meet you!”

The drowned ghost: “......”

The drowned ghost yawned, waving its swollen hand, the size of a fan: “It’s all good.”

It looked up at the sky, with the stars and the moon hanging above, “It’s almost eleven-thirty, right?”

“Didn’t the academy’s formation only borrow half a month? After midnight, it should be time, right?” The old uncle stretched lazily, his rotting flesh spilling out with the motion, dripping wet onto the floor, plop, plop, like water leaking.

Ming Yue: “......”

The Business Management Academy sent a crafty ghost; otherwise, they wouldn't have been tricked so easily by a few words.

Ming Yue carefully observed him, saying nothing.

The drowned ghost, growing impatient, said: “Don’t worry, I won’t turn into an evil spirit.”

“When I was alive, I was much more powerful than an evil spirit, but I’ve been quiet since I died.”

“Little girl, you should retract those eyes.”

Ming Yue stiffened her lips, unwilling to answer the question, refusing to reveal any of her side’s information.

But Guo Tianyang smiled and pulled Ming Yue behind him, politely saying, “The professor is right, it’s just that our Spirit Academy didn’t recognize the great mountain.”

“You’re well-informed.”

“This time, the formation was indeed borrowed for two weeks, and it will be gone soon. We truly apologize for taking up your precious time for a chat.”

His words were smooth.

He brought up the professor, and clearly stated that the formation would return soon.

No matter how powerful this old ghost was, in front of the formation, it had to kneel obediently.

The formation was sacred, guarding Jin University for over a century.

If this old ghost harbored any evil thoughts, it would instantly turn to ashes.

The drowned ghost: “……”

The drowned ghost smiled, “What an annoying little brat.”“Alright, stop holding back. The two-week limit is something I pried out of the mouths of the previous batch of little brats.”

Guo Tianyang flattered, “It’s said that the seniors from the Business Management Academy are highly intelligent, truly living up to their reputation.”

The drowned ghost took the opportunity and snorted coldly, “Of course.”

Then he waved his hand, and the three students who had been spinning in circles on the central platform suddenly froze, their expressions clearing up. Guo Tianyang scolded, “Why aren’t you coming over yet!”

Seeing his cautious behavior, the drowned ghost let out another creepy laugh.

Time in the real world was always short.

He looked up at the night sky through the skylight.

The air was cold, but he no longer had the chance to breathe.

“Tell me, was the formation borrowed again this time?” The drowned ghost asked softly.

I think I know who he is now.

Guo Tianyang coldly glared at the old ghost, then glanced at Ming Yue.

The lower grades might not know, but the higher grades had ears everywhere, understanding the ins and outs almost as well as the people involved.

Why did the ghost officer in the north of the city get killed?

Because of the explosion accident on Line 2 of the subway.

Who triggered the explosion?

It was a Yang-qi bomb named Ming Yue.

Ming Yue was silent for a moment, stepped forward, and at the same time pulled the quarrelsome An Xueru behind her to block her. “There was a case of corrupt officials in the transportation infrastructure in the northern part of Jinling City, which caused the death of several innocent victims.”

“The victims overstepped their boundaries in enforcing the law, and I stopped them.”

“The ghost officer was negligent and failed to detect the potential evil spirit in time, so—”

The drowned ghost: “……”

The drowned ghost stared at Ming Yue with an indescribable look, then suddenly smiled, “If all people were like you, there wouldn’t be any drowned ghosts like me.”“Get lost, you little brats.”

“Don’t disturb our peace if there’s nothing important.”

After speaking, he turned into a cloud of black smoke and vanished, leaving behind a group of confused students.

Guo Tianyang shouted, “What are you dazing around for! Get out of here!”

“Wasn’t the ghost running into the wall enough for you!”

Xu Miaomiao quickly led a few of the trouble-making first-year students forward.

Ming Yue was lost in thought, unwilling to leave. She asked Guo Tianyang, “Senior, do you know who that old ghost just now was?”

Guo Tianyang scoffed, “How do you figure?”

Ming Yue: “You called him professor.”

Guo Tianyang: “……”

Guo Tianyang: “Then why did you bow to him?”

Bai Linlang raised her hand beside them, “I know, that’s a very famous professor from the Business Management Academy.”

“He held key government positions and was also a professor at the academy—seems like he was in charge of customs?”

“He embezzled a lot of money, had an impressive career when he was alive, ruthless methods, and was highly regarded in academia.”

“But his subordinates were too corrupt, just like the Line 2 subway accident—” Bai Shizhang glanced at Ming Yue, who was in a daze, “—leading to innocent victims.”

“The professor wasn’t so lucky. He met a Yang-qi bomb, and in the middle of the night, the victim dragged him into the river to drown him.”

Guo Tianyang: “……”

Guo Tianyang: “Junior, how do you know so many details?”

Bai Linlang held up her phone, the screen showing a composite search term [Jin University] [Economics Department] [Drowned Professor]: “I just searched it up. It’s such a famous evil spirit murder case.”

Ming Yue: “……”

Ming Yue’s thought process was never on the same channel as others: “Shizhang, who did you say the Yang-qi bomb was?”Bai Linlang: “……”

Bai Linlang said irritably, “Me, alright?”

Ming Yue sorted through the logic, “Then this professor’s values are strange.”

“He still dares to call himself a victim; he should’ve been thrown into the oil pot.”

In the darkness, the silhouette of the Business Management Academy emitted a faint silver glow. Guo Tianyang thought to himself, this light resembled the luster of money: “Who knows, when you see too much money, maybe your logic is different from ours.”

“Alright, alright,” Guo Tianyang clapped his hands, “Let’s go, prepare to head back.”

“We’ve picked up the ones we needed to. Us seniors still have to help the professors reset the formation.”

Downstairs of the Spirit Sealing Academy.

The students gradually returned, chattering excitedly as they gathered together, their faces full of excitement, waiting for the formation’s return.

Over the past half month, every academy had been plagued with ghostly occurrences. Every student from each department, through these massive rumors, learned about the formation’s role—

Oh, it turns out that the calm and peaceful years were all thanks to the Spirit Academy’s formation.

Time to go and worship.

Burn the thickest incense.

Tonight, the formation was returning. Students from various departments, who had learned about it from the Spirit Academy students who had been patrolling over the past half month, ran over in their pajamas and slippers to watch the spectacle.

Some even had umbrellas.

The starry sky was clear, and the old ghosts were enjoying their last moments of freedom, flying erratically in the sky, occasionally casting shadows that blocked the moon.

Jin University’s Yin-qi had reached its peak.

Many living students started coughing, suffocated by the heavy Yin-qi.

The seniors went to handle the formation. The third-year students led the way, and the remaining 130 to 140 Spirit Academy students began to all make Qi-preserving talismans in unison.

Soon, yellow talisman papers were stuck all over the greenery.

The Yin-qi was being rapidly absorbed, like a heavy downpour meeting a drain, as if hundreds or even thousands of whirlpools were suddenly appearing on the ground.The students were amazed as they watched everything unfold.

“Holy crap! Is this for real?!”

“Haha, it’s real! I told you there’d be a show at the Spirit Academy tonight!”

“Damn, finally! I’ve had bad luck this past half month. The Medical Academy had such a huge stir, and I didn’t get to see anything. Finally, I get to see something tonight—”

“—You’re from the Horse Academy, right, bro?”

“Hehe, after tonight, I’ll still believe in science!”

“Mhm, tonight we’re all into metaphysics.”

“Believe in metaphysics, the Spirit Academy is awesome!”

“The Spirit Academy is awesome!”

The entire Spirit Sealing Academy bowed and stuck talismans. At first glance, it looked like a field full of raised butts.

Ming Yue and Bai Linlang were standing together, diligently sticking Qi-preserving talismans. Suddenly, Bai Linlang felt the raised buttocks next to them spring up with a “pop”: “Yang-qi!”

“I felt it! A huge wave of Yang-qi!”

“It’s coming from the sky, it’s coming from the sky! Shizhang, our academy formation has returned!”

Bai Linlang: “…”

Bai Shizhang had already given up on expressing any thoughts about Ming Yue’s radar-like sensitivity.

She sighed in exhaustion, “A wave is a wave, just remove the erhua sound!”

Before Ming Yue could respond, the third-year students began to stand up one after another, speaking with excitement: “It’s here, it’s here!”

“The formation is coming! I can feel it!”

“What immense Yang-qi!”

“Hurry, let me take a few breaths, I’ve been suffocated these past half month!”

Students from other departments watched in shock as the Spirit Academy students went wild, acting crazy on-site.

Before they could make any ignorant remarks, golden light appeared in the far-off dark sky, resembling a dense meteor shower. The earth trembled faintly.The starry rain slowly approached, transforming into a sea of stars. The brilliant colors of Yang-qi were more dazzling than gold, flying from the distant sky.

At the same time, the land beneath the Spirit Sealing Academy building seemed to tremble in response.

The scene was grand and magnificent, as Yang-qi rained down like a shower.

Students from all departments were stunned.

The senior students pulled the formation, like running a 3-kilometer long race, chanting incantations as they went.

The old professors leisurely followed behind with their hands clasped behind their backs.

The third-year Spirit Academy students began shouting, "Shixiong! Hurry up!"

"It's almost midnight!"

"Just one minute left!"

The senior students were both helpless and amused.

The formation officially took position, and the violent wind blew away the Qi-preserving talismans on the ground. Ming Yue pulled the surrounding students from other departments, who were trying to get closer, back. At the same time, she lit a Yin-qi talisman and threw it into the air, preventing the intense Yang-qi from distorting normal vision—

Twenty seconds.

The golden net slowly descended.

Ten seconds.

The overwhelming Yang-qi fell like hail from the sky, making people doubt if their heads would be smashed open, bald as the Mediterranean.

Five seconds.

The golden net hit the ground, and golden sand spread everywhere, like a thousand kilograms of fireflies flying up into the air, blinding people's eyes.

One second.

The golden light vanished.

The formation returned, and the world seemed to clear up. Everyone breathed in the night air, as fresh as if it had just been washed.

Students from all departments: “……”The students from all departments were a beat behind, their hair disheveled by the Yang-qi storm, and they began to cheer loudly.

The whole place erupted in applause, with the sound spreading like a torrent under the starry sky.

The Spirit Sealing Academy had thus cleansed the "taint" of the Medical Academy incident, becoming the ultimate, cool, and domineering presence in the hearts of the students.

Amid the cheers, Ming Yue lowered her head to check her watch.

It had just passed midnight. She smiled at Bai Linlang and said:

"It's the next day, Shizhang."

"The first semester is over."

"Happy winter break."

"I'm glad I met you in my first year of university."

Bai Linlang was stunned for a moment, a surge of warmth rising in her chest. She couldn't quite express her feelings but nodded and replied, "I feel the same way."

"I'm glad to have met you."