The Academy's Strange Case

Night. The moon was dark, and the wind was high.

Nanshan Academy stood outside Yanjiang City, built against Nanshan Mountain, hence its name. Behind the academy lay a small lake, clear, secluded, and tranquil. In summers past, young men and women often came here to roam at night. But lately, no one dared approach this area.

Because someone had died here not long ago.

Yet tonight, two scholars had come this way.

The moment they neared the lakeshore, a chilling wind bored through their clothes, making them shudder despite themselves.

"Brother Shaoan, why did you insist on asking me to come to a place like this... Isn't this... isn't this where Situ Yan killed herself...?"

As they drew close to the pitch-black lakeside, the frail scholar in the rear had his legs trembling so badly that he no longer dared take another step forward.

The scholar ahead was somewhat sturdier, and his silhouette alone looked quite tall. His voice was deep and mellow. "If we want to put this matter to rest once and for all, we can only come here."

The wind swept through the trees at the outskirts, making them rustle as though someone were passing behind them. The frail scholar spun around in fright. After turning twice and seeing no trace of anyone, he finally let out a breath.

He spoke again to the man ahead. "I don't even know what there is to settle! If you ask me, this has nothing to do with me at all. Back when you all bullied Situ Yan, I barely took part... At most, I called her ugly a couple of times... Now that she's dead, what else can happen?"

The frail scholar's mouth never stopped moving, rambling on and on as though he were trying to ease the fear in his heart this way.

"Yes, you didn't do much..." The tall scholar's voice turned sinister and cold.

"Oh, stop keeping me in suspense!" the frail scholar cried anxiously.

"Then..." The tall scholar turned his face slightly. In the moonlight, half his features were chillingly stern. "Do you still recognize me?"

"Wu Shaoan!" The frail scholar seemed startled by his tone and grew somewhat angry. "What exactly are you trying to do? If there's nothing else, I'm not staying in this damned place another moment! At worst, my whole family can move out of Yanjiang City tomorrow, and we'll be spared this constant fear."

"Zhang Cong, do you... truly not recognize me?" the tall scholar asked again. Suddenly, he turned around and revealed his entire face.

The right half of his face was still normal. But the left half had somehow become covered in dense scars, as though it had suffered horrific burns. Even his eye socket had twisted out of shape, making him terrifying to behold.

And... it looked somewhat like a woman's face!

"Ah!" At the sight, the frail scholar screamed and staggered back two steps. His legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Then, the skin on the tall scholar's unscarred half of the face began to peel away as well, like dry, cracked plaster falling off a wall in chunks, exposing beneath it a woman's pallid, bloodless face.

"Situ Yan... spare me... spare me..." The frail scholar crawled backward, muttering under his breath. Then he turned, scrambled to his feet, and ran toward the edge of the woods as though his life depended on it!

As he ran, he shouted, "Help! A ghost! There's a ghost!"

Only after fleeing out of the grove did he feel so winded he could barely breathe, and he finally slowed to a stop. Looking back at the shadowy forest, it seemed no one had chased after him...

"Urgh—"

Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his hands suddenly clamped around his own throat, and his pupils began to bulge. The left side of his face started to wither and peel away, revealing dense burn scars beneath...

"Spare me... I'm begging you, spare me..."

"I'm begging you... ah..."

"Nanshan Academy is haunted. Why did they ask us to come?"

On the bustling streets of Yanjiang City, Chu Liang asked Lin Bei.

Earlier, Lin Bei had hurriedly dragged him off to accept a mission and sign out of the mountain. Since Lin Bei had said the reward was extremely high, Chu Liang had not asked many questions. Only now did he begin to learn the details.

This place was not far from Shushan, and Shushan Sect disciples were more or less familiar with Yanjiang City. Whenever strange cases arose here, they were generally handled by Shushan Sect disciples.

But there were always a few exceptions.

For instance, if something happened at a temple, Buddhist cultivators would handle it. If something happened at an academy, Confucian cultivators should be the ones to handle it.

Unless there were special circumstances, cultivators of the three teachings would not cross into one another's territory. Doing so was both asking for trouble and provoking the others.

"Heh heh..." Lin Bei laughed. "Matters within the academy naturally fall to Confucian cultivators. We're only responsible for protecting one student."

As he spoke, he pointed ahead at a grand residence guarded by stone lions. Above its gates hung a high plaque bearing the words: "Li Residence."

"Master Li is a renowned wealthy household in Yanjiang City. His only son, Li Jue, studies at Nanshan Academy. Recently, though, the academy has been haunted, and two students have already died."

"He's worried something might happen to his son, so he asked Shushan Sect to send people to protect him for a while. Once this strange case is resolved, our mission will be complete."

"We're paid by the day."

Upon hearing that last sentence, Chu Liang felt at ease.

Master Li paid Shushan Sect in genuine gold and silver, while Shushan Sect paid them in Sword Coins. Chu Liang had happened to be saving money lately to buy a flying sword, so he needed a mission with such high pay.

It was like being handed a pillow just as he started nodding off.

"Oh, the two young heroes of Shushan Sect! You've finally arrived!" Master Li personally came out with his entire household, young and old, to welcome them. He had certainly given them ample face.

That was one of the benefits of being a cultivator. No matter how wealthy or powerful a mortal might be, they would still have to show you a measure of respect.

"There's no need for such ceremony. We're only juniors of Shushan." Lin Bei replied just as warmly. "My name is Lin Bei, and this is my fellow disciple, Chu Liang. I think you're a few years younger than my father, so I'll take the liberty of calling you Uncle Li. Your son and I can consider each other brothers."

As he spoke, he even turned back and called to Chu Liang, "Don't be so stiff. Treat this place like your own home."

Chu Liang smiled faintly.

With someone possessing such terrifying social skills around, he could save himself a great deal of trouble in dealing with people.

He noticed a silent youth standing behind Master Li with his head lowered. He wore casual clothes at home and looked about sixteen or seventeen. His features were fair, but dark rings circled his eyes, and he looked haggard.

He should have been Master Li's only son, Li Jue. He looked as though his heart was weighed down by countless worries.

The residence had two courtyards. By the time they reached the inner hall, Lin Bei already had his arm thrown around Master Li's shoulders.

"Uncle Li, don't worry. With me watching over my little brother, I guarantee he'll be safe and sound. Starting today, we'll keep our eyes on him every hour of the day and never leave his side. Ask around from one end of Shushan to the other about me, Lin Bei..."

"My dear nephew, actually, I have another presumptuous request..." Master Li smiled, his two drooping mustache ends twitching. "Though I asked you to protect my Li Jue, could you... keep others from finding out?"

"Keep others from finding out? What do you mean?" Lin Bei and Chu Liang were both puzzled.

"I mean... tomorrow, I'll arrange for you to enroll and attend classes at Nanshan Academy as well. Then you can keep an eye on Li Jue at all times, and return to my home after school. That will do. But during all this, don't let anyone see that you're specifically protecting him. Is that possible?" Master Li rubbed his hands as he pleaded.

"Of course we'll comply with Uncle Li's request, but may I ask... why?" Lin Bei asked.

"That's not easy to explain." Master Li smiled, yet kept his thoughts guarded as a locked vault.

They wanted someone to protect him... but did not want outsiders to discover it?

Chu Liang glanced at the silent Li Jue, then at Master Li rubbing his hands beside him.

What were they feeling guilty about?