The authorities the black-robed man spoke of were overbearing and unreasonable people in power.
His mind raced, and he decided to hoodwink this fellow, who seemed quite innocent for the moment.
He smeared China’s authorities, then shifted tack and invited Fan Daoyi to join them.
Losing one talented person and gaining another outstanding one didn't seem so bad.
He said their own authorities would never do such a thing. Unity, friendship, and mutual assistance were the fine virtues they had always upheld.
Fan Daoyi gave no thought to what he said afterward. He had developed a keen interest in the Chinese authorities the black-robed man had described.
Such unreasonable, bandit-like behavior was deeply rooted in other people's minds. That sounded pretty good.
If he could get himself a title, fear points should come in steadily, shouldn't they?
"What do you think?" The black-robed man kept his guard up against Fan Daoyi.
He wanted to live, and even offered benefits so generous they were hard to refuse.
Besides, as long as he got out alive and told the Council Hall what had happened, they would have grounds to rebuke China’s authorities.
"Very good." Fan Daoyi narrowed his eyes slightly. "I wonder if I need someone to recommend me before I join."
The black-robed man hurriedly said, "Me! Me, I'll help you."
"Oh, that's wonderful."
A small portion of the shadow on the ground emerged and solidified in the air. Dozens of long, slender shadow needles took aim at the black-robed man.
"Thank you for your generosity, for being willing to give your life for my idea. After all, I don't much like forcing people to do things against their will."
"No, no, no! You don't have to kill me to join us!" the black-robed man cried, panicking.
He tried to leave, but the shadows held him fast. The ability he usually used to escape had trapped him here instead.
"What are you talking about?" Fan Daoyi's expression remained innocent. "Aren't China’s authorities the ones I want to join?"
A huge amount of fear was generated!
"Those benefits! Aren't you tempted by those benefits? China would never give you so much!" The black-robed man was still struggling at death's door.
The shadow needles pierced him all over, but did not take his life just yet.
"Oh, that doesn't matter. I'm not interested in what you offered." Fan Daoyi manipulated the shadow needles, bringing them together against the spot between the black-robed man's brows. "This next strike will take your life."
The black-robed man begged. He even wanted to kneel and apologize, but the shadows binding him wouldn't let him move at all. "I'll give you anything you want. Let... let me go."
Fan Daoyi smiled faintly. "You've already given me what I need. Many thanks."
The shadow needles pierced the spot between his brows, and the black-robed man died with his eyes open.
Fan Daoyi had deliberately spoken vaguely, letting the fellow before him misunderstand.
A little hope lifted him up, only for the completely opposite answer to shatter that tiny hope and cast him into the mud.
Hehe, that was fun~
He was a little scheming, too.
He turned and left, leaving the corpse, whose face had long since been destroyed, for them to discover on their own.
Fan Daoyi wondered whether, if an ordinary student found it first and spread the news far and wide, it would generate a large amount of fear.
He walked out of the alley and raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sun.
"Cough, cough..." He suddenly coughed several times, his face growing a little paler. "Was the fear I gained not enough to replenish the Origin Source I used up? Looks like I used up more in this world than I expected. I got a little carried away."
Rather than wait for someone to find the corpse, he spread the news himself.
He sent it anonymously to the school forum, then had Xuan Miao construct an alibi.
He would skip the afternoon classes and say his illness made it difficult for him to attend.
And so, he vanished in a flash and appeared in the infirmary.
The school doctor saw the fellow suddenly appear, and his heart stopped from fright at that moment, generating fear points.
Before he could voice his confusion, Xuan Miao altered his consciousness.
Fan Daoyi had been recuperating in the school infirmary throughout the lunch break.
The school doctor's expression soon showed a hint of exasperation. "Dao Yi, you should be resting now. Don't get out of bed whenever you please."
Fan Daoyi's arms trembled slightly as he gripped his cane, forcing himself to stand straight. "Sorry. I thought class was about to start, and I didn't want to miss it."
"No." The school doctor wouldn't let Fan Daoyi leave. "While you're here, you listen to me. If you die at school, we'll be held responsible."
Fan Daoyi forced a smile and obediently sat on the hospital bed. "Sir, how can you say that?"
"Lie down."
Fan Daoyi did as he was told. How harmless and well-behaved he looked at that moment.
[Pah, you barely had any Origin Source left, yet you squandered it like that and made me clean up your mess.]
The school doctor left, and Xuan Miao lay beside Fan Daoyi, scratching him with both paws.
"You haven't said a word about whose fault it is that I'm like this," Fan Daoyi replied weakly.
Xuan Miao stopped scratching and grew a little embarrassed.
[Ahaha, I won't disturb you. I'll be going now.]
It was quiet all around, perfect for resting.
Fan Daoyi drifted off to sleep, only to be woken by a series of noisy sounds.
Several more students had arrived in the infirmary and were sitting on chairs, chatting as they received IV drips.
Seeing them like that, Fan Daoyi felt around beside his pillow for his phone.
He opened the school forum and found that his anonymous account had been banned.
News of the black-robed man's corpse hadn't spread. The authorities had dealt with it swiftly.
The fear and chaos he had expected hadn't happened.
"The authorities aren't quite like that fellow described. From what he said, shouldn't these authorities want the matter to become as big as possible?"
"Teacher, I have something to report!" a familiar voice rang out in the infirmary.
He Piaojian led a teacher in and pointed straight at the students on IV drips. "There's nothing wrong with them. They're faking it. Faking it."
He handed over a voice recorder. "The evidence is all here."
The students on IV drips were dumbfounded. They stared fixedly at He Piaojian with wide eyes.
"Wait..."
They wanted to come up with an excuse, but the teacher was already listening to the recording.
He Piaojian had given them the idea for skipping class, but his voice had been erased from the recording, leaving only their own animated discussion.
Feigning illness and skipping class were the main topics.
He Piaojian wore a cheeky grin as the teacher took the students away.
After they left, the school infirmary fell quiet again.
He Piaojian walked farther inside, and the school doctor looked a little puzzled. "Student, are you sick?"
"Thanks, I'm a locksmith."
"Huh?" The school doctor couldn't make sense of it for a moment.
Then He Piaojian said with a radiant smile, "Are you worthy of a key?"
He refused to take even the slightest loss without paying it back.
As a result, the school doctor dragged He Piaojian out.
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm here to check on Dao Yi's condition!" He put away his mischievous manner and took out an official ID. "Please cooperate."
A trace of surprise flashed across the school doctor's face at the sight of the ID, but he quickly composed himself. "He's inside. The patient still needs quiet rest, so don't be too loud."
The authorities didn't want the matter to blow up, and they would handle students differently from faculty and staff.
When the authorities intervened, the faculty and staff would most likely choose to keep their mouths shut. But students were different; they loved to share things like the discovery of that corpse.
"Hello, Dao Yi." He Piaojian pulled up a chair and sat down beside him. Without preamble, he got straight to the point.
"You killed that man, didn't you?"