"Because I was afraid that during class... like this... it might seem somewhat improper... so..." Song Qingyi stammered out an explanation, then suddenly frowned. "Why am I telling you this? If you have nothing related to the strange case to say, hurry back!"
"Sorry, I was just a little curious." Chu Liang smiled, then began asking about the real matter. "You must have examined those two students' bodies. Are you sure it was the work of a Vengeful Spirit?"
"They died miserably, and there was a heavy aura of yin energy. It can be confirmed that they were killed by a ghost." Song Qingyi replied. "But... I always felt it wasn't a Vengeful Spirit, but some higher-ranking ghost..."
Vengeful Spirits possessed little intelligence and did not think very clearly. They usually only appeared repeatedly in the same location. Though their obsessions ran deep, they were incapable of anything complicated.
Luring two students from their homes to the lakeside and killing them did not seem like something a Vengeful Spirit could do.
Unless it had happened by sheer coincidence.
"But Situ Yan was merely an ordinary girl with no cultivation..." Chu Liang said.
The strength of an ordinary person's soul was limited. No matter how deep their resentment after death, they could at most become a somewhat stronger Vengeful Spirit.
If anyone could transform into a fierce ghost with no upper limit to their strength, then wouldn't dying be an instant ascent to the heavens?
A higher-ranking ghost either had to continue growing through opportunities and cultivation after becoming a ghost, or it had possessed cultivation and a powerful soul while alive. That was certain.
And the recently deceased Situ Yan clearly met neither condition.
"So it may have been another ghost committing the murders." Song Qingyi said. "Or perhaps... some demonic cultivator is behind this."
Chu Liang nodded in agreement.
Some demonic path cultivators specialized in refining living souls steeped in resentment, turning them into tools or weapons for their cultivation. Their methods were cruel and went against the harmony of humanity.
The Nether King Sect, currently riding high on the winds of the demonic path, possessed many techniques that cultivated through yin souls.
Chu Liang also revealed some of what Li Jue had told him to Song Qingyi. He did not mention Li Jue and Situ Yan's story, only the names of several classmates whom Situ Yan might seek revenge against.
"Chen Da, Yan Xiaohu..." Song Qingyi nodded. "Tomorrow, I'll go take a look at those two."
After their exchange, Chu Liang left the back mountain.
He returned to the Li residence in Yan Suburb City.
"So Instructor Song is from the Hall of Gentlemen." Lin Bei was somewhat surprised upon learning this.
Among the Confucian sects of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, there were only two. One was the Ascending Dragon Academy, which was backed by the imperial court and used the entire Yu Dynasty as its foundation to cultivate talent. The other was the relatively independent Hall of Gentlemen.
The Hall of Gentlemen in Jiangnan had initially been founded by several great Confucian scholars. In those days, several great scholars of the age often discussed learning and debated the Dao atop Jiangnan's Misty Rain Tower, exchanging knowledge in a scene praised far and wide. Later, any great scholar who gained their recognition could join, and it became a sanctuary for the exchange of ideas.
Then someone proposed simply naming the place the Hall of Gentlemen. Any Confucian gentleman whose character, learning, and cultivation had all earned recognition could inscribe their name in the Hall of Gentlemen, spreading it to future generations and leaving a fragrance that endured through the ages.
From then on, the Hall of Gentlemen became a hall of honor for the Confucian faith. Countless Confucian students regarded having their names inscribed there as the goal of their lives. Gradually, the Hall of Gentlemen in Jiangnan developed its own lineage and became one of the Ten Lands sects.
"With Confucian people handling the academy's affairs, we probably don't need to worry too much," Chu Liang said.
"Confucians are great." Lin Bei seemed to think of something, and a strange smile appeared on his face. "I like Confucians far too much."
"Chen Da is dead?"
The following afternoon, Song Qingyi suddenly came to find Chu Liang and Lin Bei, bringing bad news.
It turned out that after finishing her morning lessons, she had gone to visit the student Chen Da's home in the capacity of an instructor. There, she found the Chen household shrouded in gloomy clouds.
"This matter is quite strange." Instructor Song's expression was grave.
Chu Liang and Lin Bei both turned serious as they listened to her account.
"According to the Chen family, ever since Zhang Cong and Wu Shaoan died, Chen Da had kept himself locked in his room and did not dare go out. Only when his parents brought him food could anyone see him."
"Last night, when Chen Da's father was bringing food to his son, he happened to see Chen Da's mother entering with a tray in hand. Father Chen found it strange. Mother Chen had clearly asked him to deliver the meal, so why had she come herself?"
"But when he returned to his room, Mother Chen was lying on the bed."
"Father Chen immediately sensed that something was wrong. When he rushed back to Chen Da's room, he discovered Chen Da lying on the floor, blackened all over, as though he had been burned to death in a raging fire."
"Yet there was not the slightest scent of smoke in the room, nor any trace of burning. Chen Da had not made any cry for help either... Within mere moments, he had been burned to death out of thin air."
"I examined him. The yin energy was dense; it was the work of a ghost."
Song Qingyi recounted everything in full without concealing anything. To her, the sooner the matter was resolved, the better. Naturally, it was good to have someone help.
"That... Mother Chen whom Father Chen saw entering Chen Da's room was a ghost in disguise." Chu Liang pondered for a moment, then said, "There aren't many ghosts capable of freely taking on another person's appearance."
Illusions that took human form were not difficult; many evil entities could use them. But freely transforming into the appearance of just anyone was far more difficult.
Apart from possessing the great divine ability to shift through a thousand forms and ten thousand transformations, it required certain unique racial talents, such as the fox clan among demons, or among ghosts...
"A Painted-Skin Ghost!" Lin Bei cried out as well.
"Correct. Only a Painted-Skin Ghost can freely transform into others. Those two students before were likely lured to the lakeside by a Painted-Skin Ghost as well," Song Qingyi said.
But how could the recently deceased Situ Yan have become a Painted-Skin Ghost with such powerful abilities?
If the ghost committing the murders was not Situ Yan, why were all its victims people she had wished to avenge herself upon?
Painted-Skin Ghosts were ever-changing and their tracks unpredictable, a hundred times harder to deal with than Vengeful Spirits.
Song Qingyi's knitted brows showed plainly that she had a terrible headache over this.
"Instructor Song, don't worry. We Shushan disciples have always regarded vanquishing demons and defending the Dao as our duty. We won't allow evil entities to commit murder unchecked. We will certainly help you with all our strength!" Lin Bei patted his chest and promised.
Then, upon returning to the Li residence, he stared at Chu Liang.
"Think of something, handsome." He said urgently. "I asked you to come on this mission with me precisely because I valued your intelligence and talent."
"You were the one who promised Instructor Song. Why are you looking for me?" Chu Liang laughed. "Isn't our mission simply to keep an eye on Li Jue?"
"Don't you want to see Instructor Song's sweet smile?" Lin Bei paused, then said.
"I only want to fight evil entities," Chu Liang replied mercilessly.
Of course, he would not refuse to contribute. A Painted-Skin Ghost posed immense harm if allowed to remain in the world and had to be eliminated as soon as possible.
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Setting aside this Painted-Skin Ghost's identity, its actions are following the trail of Situ Yan's revenge. In that case, as long as we guard its targets, we'll catch it eventually."
With that, he rose. "Keep an eye on Li Jue. I'll go find Yan Xiaohu."
"Why are you going out again? You went out last night and happened to run into Instructor Song. Today, I want to go out!" Lin Bei stood up.
Chu Liang said, "I have a way to identify a Painted-Skin Ghost. Do you?"
"..." Lin Bei slowly sat back down. "Bring me a late-night snack when you come back."
Chu Liang made his way to Yan Xiaohu's home, claiming to be a good friend who had come to visit his injuries. But the Yan family's servant told him that the young master had already gone out to have fun.
He had been beaten so badly only yesterday. Chu Liang had thought he had skipped school to recover at home, but he had already run off to play.
It seemed that fellow had a fairly sturdy constitution too.
So Chu Liang asked another question. "May I ask where Yan Xiaohu went to have fun?"
The servant answered with a smile, "You must not know our young master very well. Of course he went to the Color Moon Tower."
Before you continue