At that moment, a girl in a white engagement dress hurriedly walked towards me. I immediately recognized her—Yu Zixin!
I hadn't interacted with her much, or perhaps it wasn't about limited interaction but that my eyes were always on Xiao Xiang, ignoring other beauties altogether. But now, seeing her up close, I was struck by her beauty. She could rival the elegant Xiao Ying in her current attire, truly deserving the title of campus belle. She was stunning!
But who would have guessed that beneath such a beautiful exterior hid a venomous heart, as malicious as a scorpion's sting? As Yu Zixin and the Old Coot approached simultaneously, I panicked—soon, we'd all meet at the doorway. Just then, Wu Long appeared, darting out from between the banquet tables and grabbing the Old Coot, engaging him in casual chatter. The Old Coot tried to push him away, but Wu Long wasn't easy to deal with. The two had clashed before, and the Old Coot couldn't shake him off easily.
While Wu Long held the Old Coot up, Yu Zixin reached me. When she saw it was me, her eyes widened in shock, and she asked, "Why is it you? Where's An Shengzhe?"
I sneered coldly and took the soda bottle out of my pocket, tearing off the paper seal and the talisman. "He asked me to bring you a message: once you see this bottle, everything will become clear." I extended the bottle towards her as I spoke. A puff of black smoke emerged from it, quickly manifesting into Feng Lan's terrifying form.
The moment Yu Zixin saw that horrifying ghostly face, she instantly recognized her. Screaming hysterically, she covered her head with her hands and collapsed to the ground. Her shriek drew the attention of the banquet guests, who all stood up to look. The two old masters from earlier rushed through the crowd, hurrying toward us.
Watching Yu Zixin's terror-stricken state, I suddenly felt a pang of pity. But as thoughts of Feng Lan, Li Dezhi, Liu Yan, and Miss Tyrant—all those lives lost—flooded my mind, my heart filled with disgust and hatred again. I whispered to Feng Lan, "Do it quickly. Finish her and head to the underworld!" Then I opened the side door and slipped out.
As I shut the door behind me, I heard a bloodcurdling scream from inside. I knew Yu Zixin had finally met the fate she deserved.
The hotel descended into chaos as guests scrambled to escape. Amid the commotion, I managed to slip out, but I didn't see Xiao Ying or Wu Long anywhere. I pulled out my phone to call Xiao Ying, but her phone was off. I tried Wu Long's number—same result. However, amid the crowd, I caught a glimpse of a black dress disappearing into a car, which sped off from the hotel entrance.
I froze for a moment. That was Wu Long's car. Why had they both turned off their phones and left together, abandoning me here? Suddenly, a sense of betrayal washed over me. Still, I needed to leave quickly and didn't have time to dwell on it. I turned into an alley and started heading toward Xiao Ying's place.
"You must have a lot of questions, don't you?" Xiao Ning's voice cut through my thoughts.
I nodded. Of course, I had countless questions. But only Xiao Ying could provide the answers once I got back.
"Xiao Ying isn't ordinary. She's highly skilled," Xiao Ning added, shocking me. Xiao Ying knows martial arts? I almost laughed out loud. Was this ghost reading too many martial arts novels before her death? A delicate girl like Xiao Ying being skilled in combat was beyond belief.
I retorted sarcastically, "Well then, I must be a drunken fist master. Want me to down a bottle of liquor and show you?"
"No, you don't know drunken fist. Your specialty is the iron head technique!" Xiao Ning replied darkly.
Her eerie tone sent shivers down my spine. I quickly responded, "Hey, don't mess with me. Did Feng Lan possess me just now? I don't even know what I said."
"Hmph, at least you're quick on the uptake," she replied.
"You're exaggerating. Xiao Ying is just a normal girl. How could she know martial arts?" I scratched my head in disbelief.
"Think back to the time in the grove when you threw yourself onto her. How did she react?" Xiao Ning questioned.
I paused, my heart skipping a beat. That's right—back then, I'd noticed something odd. I'd thought women were just naturally resilient…
Xiao Ning continued, "A regular girl wouldn't have survived your full weight. That's when I realized Xiao Ying was trained. And this time, when she got you those invitations, I suspected something was off. That's why I told you she'd definitely have a way to lure Yu Zixin to the Five Ghosts position…"
By now, I'd pieced many things together and interrupted her, "She must've known An Shengzhe wasn't at the hotel. That means he probably gave her the invitations, intending for her to help me deal with Feng Lan."
"Exactly, well deduced!" Xiao Ning's sinister laugh startled me.
Her creepy laugh sent chills down my spine, but I suddenly thought of Wu Long and said, "Then Wu Long must be involved too. He pretended to stay neutral, but at the last moment, he stopped the Old Coot. I think he and Xiao Ying coordinated this…"
By the time I finished, I couldn't believe what I was saying myself. But their joint departure was too suspicious.
"You're getting sharper, but only Xiao Ying and Wu Long can reveal the full truth," Xiao Ning remarked.
When I arrived at Xiao Ying's place, she hadn't returned yet. However, there was a note on the coffee table. I picked it up and recognized her handwriting immediately.
"Wang Lin, I'm sorry I hid the truth from you. But I did so with good intentions. Only someone like you, with a yang constitution, could either eliminate or pacify Feng Lan and survive. Now that everything is over, Feng Lan has had her revenge and moved on to the underworld. The school will return to normal. Wu Long and I are leaving the city. Perhaps we'll meet again if fate allows. I've paid three months of your rent, so you won't have to worry about accommodation. Goodbye!"
It was signed simply, "Xiao Ying."
I was fuming. Hiding the truth for my benefit? She'd played me like a fool! I ripped the note to shreds but paused when I saw two crumpled balls of paper in the wastebasket. I pulled them out, smoothing the first one open.
It was filled with dense writing:
"My emotions are a mess. I don't know whether I should tell you the truth. Wu Long is my cousin, and our Xiao family has run a security consulting company for generations. I enrolled in this university because Bai Yuxiang's parents hired me as her personal bodyguard. My cousin came to this city for my sake. Because of my pure yin fate, I easily attract spirits, so my cousin has always stayed close to me. Now you should understand why An Shengzhe couldn't win me over. I once beat him up!
But Bai Yuxiang couldn't resist An Shengzhe's advances and fell for him. Since I was a secret bodyguard, she didn't know the truth. I tried to warn her several times, but she wouldn't listen. When the incident in the grove happened, my cousin nearly died. I admit I was scared, which is why I stayed with you until dawn—I knew you could protect me.
My cousin had already foreseen that you'd have divine assistance and could end Feng Lan's plight. That's why I've always trusted and appreciated you. Even if you were a scoundrel, I'd still believe in you.
Tomorrow, you'll bring Feng Lan to resolve her final grievance, and she'll move on to reincarnation. I felt uneasy, so I insisted on attending the engagement banquet. An Shengzhe has already been convinced by my cousin and has come to understand the truth. He'll stay with Bai Yuxiang at school, and they'll leave the city together. As for us, it's better not to disclose where we're headed."
The other ball of paper was blank.