Death

Ahead, Liu Xu led Xiao Yue down this secluded alley until they reached its end. After finding a crude little house, the two went straight inside.

Most of the houses in this alley were crude, and the people living here were largely impoverished.

Not long after Liu Xu and Xiao Yue entered, they came back out.

From Xu Bai's angle, Xiao Yue's expression had relaxed considerably.

"It's all right now, Xiao Yue. I've already cured your illness," Liu Xu said with a smile.

Xiao Yue's face once more blossomed into an innocent smile, and she nodded hard. "Thank you, Sister Liu."

"It's nothing. Big Sister will take you home," Liu Xu said, smiling all the while.

"Mm." Xiao Yue nodded obediently.

After chatting for a while longer, the two left the street.

Xu Bai did not follow them. He stared at that crude house, lost in thought.

They had gone in and come out once, and the problem was solved?

Something about this was strange, especially this house.

After thinking it over, he waited until he was sure the street was empty, then approached the house.

The door was locked with an ordinary padlock. If he pressed against it, he could push it open a crack.

Xu Bai did not use his hand. Instead, he drew the Ghost-Head Saber and used its hilt to force it open.

As the door was pushed open a crack, sunlight streamed into the room.

The furnishings inside were simple, but reasonably complete.

The instant Xu Bai saw what was inside, his eyes flew wide open.

In the dim sunlight, several shadows swayed. As the sunlight fell upon them, the shadows flickered in and out of sight.

They were three people, hanging from the beam.

—A middle-aged couple and Xiao Yue.

The three of them hung from the beam, ropes tied around their necks, their hands dangling at their sides.

Their six eyes bulged round, their tongues lolling from their mouths. They had long since lost all signs of life.

Large patches of Cadaveric Spots covered their skin, proving they had been dead for quite some time.

"Dead?" Xu Bai froze, thinking of the Xiao Yue he had encountered earlier.

But why could he still see her?

Was it a bizarre entity?

Hadn't they said bizarre entities had no reason, knowing only frenzied slaughter? Why had they still seemed like living people, still setting up a stall on the street?

Xu Bai could not figure it out. After all, he had not been in this circle for long.

Though he had already taken many lives in a short time, he was still a novice in truth, unclear about many things that existed only in theory.

Thus, faced with this scene now, he could not understand its cause.

But one thing... could be confirmed. Xiao Yue and her parents were dead.

Xu Bai looked at that face with its bulging eyes, then thought of Xiao Yue's usual obedient manner, and tightened his grip on the Ghost-Head Saber.

What did he feel? He could not put it into words.

Usually, Xiao Yue had been innocent and lively, retaining curiosity and purity toward everything around her.

But the Xiao Yue before him was utterly different. That face covered in Cadaveric Spots was terrifying.

Anyone who saw her like this would feel an immense disparity.

She was only a little girl of seven or eight, yet she had already reached the end of the road in life.

Xu Bai considered himself ruthless and merciless, yet even he felt deeply unsettled at the sight before him.

Since coming to this world, from Fierce Tiger Stronghold to Sheng County, he had gone through many battles. Every time, he had wiped out his enemies root and branch, and his hands were stained with no small amount of Fresh Blood.

Only at that little stall—eating its buns and drinking its porridge—had he felt truly happy during that time.

The deeper one stood in darkness, the more one yearned for the light.

"Who was it?" Xu Bai took a deep breath.

A family of three had committed suicide for no reason. That was extremely suspicious.

Everyone wanted to live. If nothing had happened, who would kill themselves?

Xu Bai stood where he was, thinking.

Just then, a series of footsteps reached his ears, interrupting his thoughts.

Xu Bai looked toward a house nearby, its door tightly shut.

True Yuan Power circulated within him. He leaped high into the air, landed on the roof, and concealed himself there.

A large group of people poured into the alley from outside, dressed in yamen uniforms.

Leading them were the county magistrate and Liu Xu. The Xiao Yue whom Liu Xu had led away earlier was nowhere to be seen.

"Miss Liu, is this the house?" County Magistrate Zhang asked.

Liu Xu nodded.

The Yamen Runners rushed inside and opened the door. Then they carried out three corpses on stretchers, covered with white cloth.

Before long, the Yamen Runners carried the bodies away, leaving only Liu Xu and County Magistrate Zhang in the alley.

"County Magistrate, I hope this matter will be handled impartially according to the law," Liu Xu said.

"Of course. I'll handle it in the best way," County Magistrate Zhang replied casually.

"The best way?" Liu Xu frowned. Even through her white veil, it was clear that she was displeased.

"Most people from academies seek official degrees. Once you obtain one, you'll understand everything," County Magistrate Zhang added.

In the Great Chu Kingdom, even women could sit for the examinations and obtain official degrees.

The Great Chu Emperor's stance was to select talent regardless of gender.

Most people who studied at academies did so to obtain official degrees. Only a very few remained at the academies.

"But..." Liu Xu wanted to speak further.

"I know Azure Cloud Academy values you highly. I also came from an academy, though not Azure Cloud Academy. You may write a letter to your teacher about this matter. He will tell you everything," County Magistrate Zhang interrupted, unwilling to say more.

Seeing his attitude, Liu Xu sighed.

She planned to return first and, as County Magistrate Zhang had said, write a letter to her teacher to see what exactly was going on.

"Leave for now. In any case, two days from now, I will announce this matter, including its causes and consequences, along with the corresponding punishment," County Magistrate Zhang added.

With matters put this way, Liu Xu kept thinking about County Magistrate Zhang's words.

The bodies had been carried away, and County Magistrate Zhang and Liu Xu also left the alley.

At that moment, Xu Bai jumped down from the roof. Looking at the now-empty room, his gaze darkened.

He had heard everything clearly from the roof just now.

From their conversation, it was obvious that there was more to Xiao Yue's death.

Setting aside why Xiao Yue had become that strange state, the hidden truth alone was worth investigating thoroughly.

"Two days..." Xu Bai stroked his chin.

He planned to wait another three days and see what exactly they would announce.

With that thought, Xu Bai did not linger in the alley and left directly.

Liu Residence.

After Liu Xu returned home, she was in a foul mood. She immediately went back to her chamber and removed her veil.

She sat in a chair, her fair hand propping up her chin, her elbow resting on the table. She seemed to be thinking of something, her eyes blank.

Only after a long while did she come back to herself. She took a sheet of paper from a drawer, dipped a writing brush in ink, and wrote a letter.

After finishing, she searched another cabinet and took out an iron cage. Inside the cage was a carrier pigeon.

This carrier pigeon belonged to Azure Cloud Academy. If there was anything necessary, she could use this method to contact the academy.

The letter was brief. Liu Xu folded it, tied it to the pigeon's leg, and walked outside.

"Flap, flap, flap..."

Accompanied by a burst of wingbeats, the carrier pigeon spread its wings and flew into the distance.

Liu Xu stared in the direction the pigeon had flown, her hands clenched tightly.

Only after quite some time did she loosen them and return to her room.

Looking at the curling smoke rising from the incense burner, she took a book from her sleeve and turned to a certain page.

A burst of white light flickered from the book, followed by three beams of light falling to the ground.