Chapter 17: Haunted and Pursued!
“Ling Qiu!”
Song Ningxue shouted in exasperation, “Are you ever going to stop?”
Ling Qiu said nothing, casting a glance at the moon hanging in the night sky.
“This is the moment when the moonlight is at its strongest. Don’t waste any more time,” he said, gently patting Song Ningxue’s shoulder.
A stream of energy flowed into Song Ningxue’s body, but—wait?
Ling Qiu was momentarily stunned. He suddenly realized that the spiritual vein of the Ten Halls of Yama within Song Ningxue was in a deep slumber.
Could it be...?
A thought stirred in Ling Qiu’s mind, and he couldn’t help but give a self-deprecating smile. After all this, he had forgotten the most crucial detail—Song Ningxue, though she possessed the Ten Halls Exquisite Constitution and the ten spiritual veins, they had to be awakened first.
Because the spiritual veins were hidden within her heart, in order to awaken them, Song Ningxue had to fall in love with him—a love so intense it could not be denied. Only in that state, during their most intimate union, could the spiritual and physical become one, allowing Ling Qiu to absorb the power of the Ten Halls of Yama.
Understanding all this, Ling Qiu shook his head helplessly. “It seems the time isn’t right yet. Let’s go.”
He opened the door and left without looking back.
What? What’s going on? What did Ling Qiu mean by ‘not the right time’? Did he actually have a schedule for being a rogue?
“Ling Qiu! Where are you going?” Song Ningxue blurted out, her head hot with emotion.
Ling Qiu waved his hand lazily, “Love and romance are such trouble. I’m not in the mood these days. I’ll come and court you when I feel like it.”
“You—who cares about you courting me!” she snapped.
Ling Qiu tossed back without even looking, “Well, you can court me if you want.”
Song Ningxue felt she might explode. She was a woman of wit and eloquence, yet she kept losing ground to a mere high school student!
The phone rang suddenly.
She answered.
“Hello! Daughter, what’s going on? Young Master Zheng was just sent to the hospital! He’s still unconscious! Weren’t you dining together? What did he eat? Seafood allergy? How did he end up like this?”
Song Ningxue took a deep breath, calming herself as much as she could. After all, Ling Qiu was her student, and she had to handle this. “I understand, Dad. I’ll visit the hospital tomorrow.”
She floored the gas and caught up to Ling Qiu.
With a screech, she stopped the car, got out, and reached out. “Give me your phone.”
Ling Qiu laughed, “Director Song, aren’t you taking your authority too far? Confiscating phones outside school?”
“Just give it to me!” Song Ningxue urged.
Ling Qiu shrugged and handed her his phone.
She quickly entered her number, called herself, hung up, and returned the phone. “Now I have your number. Zheng Qian’s been taken to the hospital. I’ll try to smooth things over, but he may need you to apologize in person. Even if you insist you were saving him, the Zheng family isn’t easy to deal with. If you don’t show up, they’ll track you down, and you won’t be able to stay in Jiang’an City. Tomorrow I’ll go to the hospital, negotiate, then call you. Don’t worry, with me there, I won’t let you—hey? Ling Qiu! Are you even listening?”
Song Ningxue swore she’d never spoken so much to a man in one breath, but Ling Qiu had already turned away, as if he hadn’t heard a word.
“This little scoundrel! Doesn’t he know a good thing when he sees it!” she stamped her foot in anger.
...
Late at night.
Ling Qiu returned to his rented apartment.
He showered, stood before the mirror, and looked at his somewhat frail reflection. He gently stroked the Yama Ring in his hand, squinting thoughtfully.
He had found his first target, but sadly, to obtain Song Ningxue’s spiritual root, he would either have to make her fall in love with him and consummate their relationship, or wait for her natural death and extract her spiritual vein then.
“Forget it,” Ling Qiu smiled, shook his head, and went to bed.
As Dizang had said, opportunity lies within the mundane world. There was no need to overthink it. He would simply enjoy the vibrant life of the city and let everything take its course—wasn’t that rather amusing?
...
The next day.
Just before noon, the homeroom teacher called Shen Meng out of the classroom.
She didn’t return.
Ling Qiu sensed something was wrong.
After school, as he left the classroom, he overheard a conversation.
“Hey, did you hear? Shen Meng’s really unlucky this time!”
“Yeah... She and her mother always depended on each other, and their family was poor to begin with. Now this has happened...”
Ling Qiu frowned and approached. “What are you talking about?”
When the two girls saw him, their hearts raced. Ling Qiu’s domineering reputation had spread across campus. Not only the rebellious girls, but even the more reserved ones secretly admired him.
After all, what girl doesn’t like a cool, confident guy?
“Oh... We’re talking about Shen Meng’s mother falling from a building...”
“What? Fell from a building?”
Ling Qiu’s face changed instantly.
Something wasn’t right.
He had given Shen Meng a talisman for peace and safety. Her mother was destined to be plagued by evil spirits, but with his talisman, that disaster should have been averted!
Why then...?
Could it be that Shen Meng hadn’t given the talisman to her mother?
Or perhaps, before the accident, the talisman had already protected against another calamity and lost its efficacy?
“Which hospital is Shen Meng’s mother in?” Ling Qiu asked urgently.
“Oh... It’s Jiang’an City Third People’s Hospital, I think...”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Ling Qiu vanished like the wind before their eyes.
The two girls stared in amazement, “He really is like the wind...”
“Too bad... Clearly, his heart is set on Shen Meng...”
...
With all haste, Ling Qiu arrived at Jiang’an City Third People’s Hospital.
As soon as he reached the ground floor, his phone rang.
He strode into the inpatient ward, answering, “Who is it?”
Song Ningxue’s voice came through, “Ling Qiu, it’s your Director Song. I’ve spoken with Zheng Qian—he agreed not to pursue the matter if you apologize in person. School’s over, right? Come to Jiang’an City Third People’s Hospital now—”
Ling Qiu hung up impatiently before she finished.
Shortly after, he reached the first floor of the inpatient ward, where he saw—lying on a shabby bed in the corridor—Shen Meng’s mother.
At that moment, Shen Meng was curled helplessly beside the bed, her eyes swollen from crying, hands trembling as she held her mother’s wrinkled hand. Her thin body looked so fragile, it made anyone’s heart ache.