"Because I was worried that...like this... wouldn't look very serious... during class...so I..." Song Qingyi mumbled in an explanation, then suddenly furrowed her brow. "Why am I even explaining this to you? If you have nothing to say regarding a suspicious case, then hurry up and go back!"
"Sorry, just a little curious", Chu Liang chuckled, then continued with the important questions: "You should have examined the bodies of those two students, is it really the work of a resentful spirit?"
"The deaths were cruel, and there's a heavy aura of gloom. It's confirmed to be the work of ghosts," Song Qingyi replied. "However... I always feel like it's not a resentful spirit, but some higher-order ghost..."
Resentful spirits do not possess high levels of intelligence, hence their thoughts aren't usually clear. They just frequently appear at the same location. Their obsessions may be deep, but they don't carry out complex actions.
The act of luring two students from their homes to a lake to kill them isn't something a resentful spirit would do.
Unless it's a coincidence.
"But Situ Yan is just an ordinary girl without any cultivation...," said Chu Liang.
A normal person without cultivation has a very limited strength of soul. Even if they harbour a deep resentment after death, they will only become stronger resentful spirits at most.
If anyone could transform into a fierce ghost beyond an upper limit, wouldn't they just take off after death?
Higher-order ghosts either continue to strengthen by opportunity and cultivation after becoming ghosts, or they possess powerful cultivation and soul strength before death. This is for certain.
However, Situ Yan, who had just become a ghost, obviously did not meet these two conditions.
"So, it may be other ghosts who committed the murders," said Song Qingyi. "It is also possible that...a demonic cultivator is causing trouble."
Chu Liang nodded in agreement.
Some demonic cultivators specifically refine the souls of the deeply resentful, turning them into tools or weapons for their cultivation. Their methods are cruel and inhumane.
For instance, the currently flourishing Underworld King Sect has many methods of practicing cultivation by using resentful souls.
Chu Liang then revealed a bit of what Li Jue had told him to Song Qingyi. He did not mention the story between Li Jue and Situ Yan, only stating a few names from the class who might be susceptible to Situ Yan's vengeance.
"Chen Da, Yan Xiaohu..." Song Qingyi affirmed. "I will go and see them tomorrow."
After the exchange, Chu Liang left the back mountain.
And returned to Li Mansion in Yanjiao City.
"Turns out Teacher Song is from Scholar's Academy," Lin Bei commented with a tinge of surprise after he heard the news.
The Confucianism Sect has only two branches in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands. One is the Ascending Dragon Academy backed by the imperial court, which cultivates talents from the entire Yu Dynasty. The other is the quite independent Scholar's Academy.
The Scholar's Academy in Jiangnan was initially established by several great Confucian scholars who often gathered at the Misty Rain Pavilion to share ideas and exchange knowledge. They later allowed other great Confucian scholars deemed worthy by them to join, turning it into a paradise for intellectual exchange.
Eventually, someone proposed to officially name this place as 'Scholar's Academy'. Any Confucian cultivator whose character, learning, and cultivation had been recognized could make their name known in the Scholar's Academy, gaining fame for generations to come.
Since then, the Scholar's Academy has become an honor hall for Confucianism. Countless Confucian students aspire to have their names inscribed there. Gradually, the Scholar's Academy in Jiangnan developed its own tradition and became one of the Ten Earth Sects.
"The matter at the academy is taken care of by the Confucianism Sect, so we probably shouldn't worry too much," said Chu Liang.
"I like Confucianism," Lin Bei smirked oddly as if reminded of something. "I really do like it a lot."
...
"Chen Da is dead?"
The next afternoon, Song Qingyi suddenly found Chu Liang and Lin Bei, bringing them bad news.
After she finished teaching her morning class, she went to student Chen Da's house under the guise of paying a visit as a teacher. And there, she was met with the gloomy atmosphere of the Chen family's mourning.
"This is quite strange." Teacher Song's face was serious.
Listening to her recount the events, Chu Liang and Lin Bei also became serious.
"According to the Chen family, ever since Zhang Cong and Wu Shaoan died, Chen Da had been locking himself in his room and dared not go out. Only when his parents sent him meals were they able to see him."
"Last night, while Chen Da's father was bringing his son food, he happened to see Chen Da's mother walking in with a tray in her hand. Chen Da's father found it strange. It was the mother who had asked him to bring the food, but why was she going in now with a tray too?"
"But when he returned to his room, he found Chen Da's mother lying in bed."
"Immediately, Chen Da's father felt something was wrong. He ran to Chen Da's room and found that Chen Da was lying on the ground, his body charred black as if he had been burnt to death by a big fire."
"But there was no smell of smoke in the room. There were no signs of fire either, nor had Chen Da cried out for help. He... had been burnt to death in an instant, seemingly out of thin air."
"I have checked. The room is filled with a thick malicious aura... it's the work of a ghost."
Song Qingyi recounted the details of the incident without hiding anything. As far as she was concerned, the sooner this matter was resolved, the better. Knwing someone could help was good."
"Based on the father's story, the 'mother' he saw going into Chen Da's room was an illusion created by the ghost," Chu Liang murmured in thought. "There are only a few ghosts that can take on the appearance of others at will."
Illusions are not difficult to create. Many mischievous spirits can perform such tricks. However, taking on the appearance of anyone at will is difficult."
"Apart from those who possess the Great Divine Power of Transformation, only those with certain unique racial talents can do this. For instance, the Fox Clan among the monsters, or the …"
"Masked Ghost!" Lin Bei also exclaimed.
"Exactly! Only a Masked Ghost could take on anyone's appearance at will. The two students who died earlier were probably lured to the lake by this Masked Ghost," Song Qingyi added.
But how could Situ Yan, who died not so long ago, have turned into a powerful Masked Ghost?
If the killer wasn't Situ Yan's ghost, then why were all the victims people she wanted to take revenge on?
A Masked Ghost is unpredictable and elusive, making them a hundred times more difficult to deal with than regular spirits.
Judging from Song Qingyi's furrowed brows, she was obviously having a headache over this."
"Don't worry, Teacher Song," Lin Bei assured her as he pounded his chest. "We followers of Shu Mountain always uphold our duty of exorcising demons and defending the righteous path. We will do our best to help you with this."
Then, when they were back at the Li Mansion, Lin Bei turned his focus on Chu Liang.
"Come up with a plan, handsome," he pleaded eagerly. "I brought you along because I valued your intelligence."
"Why are you coming to me after giving your guarantee to Teacher Song?" Chu Liang laughed. "Isn't our job to watch over Li Jue?"
"Don't you want to see Teacher Song's sweet smile?" Lin Bei snapped.
"All I want to do is to deal with the demons," Chu Liang answered without mercy.
But of course, he wouldn't ignore this matter. After all, a Masked Ghost poses a great threat to the world and must be eliminated as soon as possible.
After some thought, he suggested, "Regardless of the identity of the Masked Ghost, it seems to be acting in accordance with Situ Yan's path of revenge. Given this, as long as we keep a close watch on its targets, we should eventually be able to catch it."
With that, he stood up and said, "You keep an eye on Li Jue. I'll go and find Yan Xiaohu."
"Why is it always you going out? You were the one who went out last night and ended up running into Teacher Song. I want to go out today!" Lin Bei protested as he got up.
Chu Liang retorted, "At least I have a way to identify the Masked Ghost. Do you?"
"..." Lin Bei quietly sat down again. "Bring me back some late-night snacks."
Chu Liang headed straight for Yan Xiaohu's house, claiming to be a friend who wanted to check on Yan Xiaohu's wounds. To his surprise, he was told by the servants that their young master had already gone out to play.
Yan Xiaohu had just been severely beaten the day before, so Chu Liang had assumed that he was skipping school to recover at home. But it turned out he had already run off to play somewhere.
His physical strength must be fairly good then, Chu Liang thought.
Chu Liang then asked, "Could you tell me where Yan Xiaohu has gone to play?"
One of the servants replied with a smile, "If you knew my young master well, you would know that he must have gone to the Colorful Moon Building."