Chapter 39.2 Red Embroidered Shoes 06
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“Him? Can we find him?”
“We can’t. His roommate said he hasn’t seen him for a day. Furthermore, I discovered that the principal has died. Found dead in his own office, hanging by the window.”
Qiu Shengmin suddenly remembered when she looked at a window of the administrative building yesterday afternoon and saw a face pressed against the glass. Instantly, a chilling sensation swept over her. Could that face have belonged to the principal?
“Moreover, I discovered that the vice principal and the other three directors were entangled by those things. When I went to find them, I found dried corpses stuck to their backs.”
Qiu Shengming had been a con artist for many years, skilled in reading people’s expressions and using persuasive words. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to convince the stubborn Director Jin. However, when the others heard about the connection to Teacher Bai Yan, their expressions changed, and they refused to discuss Bai Yan with Qiu Shengming. They reprimanded him and warned him to focus on his own work, forbidding any interference. Then they turned and closed the door.
As they turned, Qiu Shengming noticed that dried corpses were actually attached to their backs, both men and women, almost merging into their bodies. He saw the vice principal scratching his itchy back against the dried corpse stuck to him, only feeling the itch intensify. The skin of the dried corpse was scratched off, falling in pieces, until suddenly, the corpse’s eyes opened, meeting Qiu Shengming’s gaze.
Qiu Shengming hurriedly ran, shaking his head in disbelief. “This is undoubtedly karma for murder. Those burdened with debts of life would be entangled like this. Having a dried corpse attached to one’s back is no different from being haunted by a restless ghost. Their lives are destined to be short-lived. And those who carry the debts of others on their backs, they usually don’t deserve saving. They deserve their own demise.”
Chen Yang chuckled. “You know all this?”
“Occupational requirement,” Qiu Shengming shamelessly replied. “Even as con artists, we need to know these things. It helps to distinguish between genuine and fake encounters. We deceive people but don’t harm them. If we come across real supernatural events, we don’t get involved. It prevents us from risking our own lives and causing harm to others.”
Kou Xuanling: “Do you derive a sense of superiority from deceiving people?”
Qiu Shengming touched his nose. “Not exactly… It’s mainly because we don’t have many skills, and it’s a quick way to make money…” He couldn’t continue after that. Deception was just deception. There weren’t many excuses for it. The notion of “there is a way to steal” was merely their rationale for nurturing a sense of superiority.
However, after this incident, he dared not continue masquerading as celestial master to fool people. After all, it was a deceitful profession, not meant for a lifetime. The scariest part was encountering real supernatural events, not knowing how many close calls with death one would have. If he hadn’t met Chen Yang, his sister would have passed away in her sleep last night, never to wake up again.
Qiu Shengming was aware that he wasn’t a good person, but he didn’t want to harm others, especially not his only loved one.
“The male student who leaked information to us may have been prepared and is now untraceable,” said Chen Yang. “Let’s talk to Director Jin again, at least to learn more about Bai Yan.”
“No need to search, I’m here,” they heard a voice at the door. Director Jin and Teacher Liu were standing there. Director Jin’s face was filled with exhaustion as he asked, “May I come in?”
Chen Yang nodded, and Director Jin entered, taking a seat. He sighed, remained silent for a while, and carefully spoke, “This is not a glorious matter. Teacher Bai Yan was a good teacher, cheerful, optimistic, passionate about her profession, and caring toward all students. She treated everyone equally, regardless of their merits. I didn’t like her. My educational philosophy is that strict teachers produce outstanding students. She was too soft, too lenient with her students, too lax. In my opinion, that is unacceptable.”
Pausing for a moment, Director Jin sighed again, his face filled with sadness. “It wasn’t until she left that I discovered that the students I considered as elite were cold-blooded, lacking emotions, cruel, and selfish. That’s when I realized that I was wrong, and she was right. I valued grades but neglected their emotional needs, overlooked the importance of moral character over achievements.”
The group remained silent, attentively listening to Director Jin’s regrets and remorse. At this moment, Director Jin shed his rigid and serious image, appearing more like a defeated man, consumed by regret.
“Teacher Bai Yan didn’t engage in romantic relationships with students, nor did she embezzle funds. It was all slander! Students and teachers colluded with the school authorities to defame her. I chose to believe my students, my colleagues, and my superiors, and due to prejudice, I rejected her explanations. That’s what drove her to despair and suicide. If only I had listened to her explanation, understood her, perhaps she wouldn’t have taken her own life.”
Director Jin remained in a state of regret after realizing the truth. His stubbornness and prejudice caused him to overlook Teacher Bai Yan’s explanations. It wasn’t until students were trapped and people started dying in the school that he realized his own ignorance. However, the blame couldn’t be solely placed on Director Jin. He was overly focused on grades and stubbornly believed that as a teacher, he should wholeheartedly trust his students.
Trusting his students was not wrong, nor was having faith in his colleagues and superiors. The mistake lay in his inability to distinguish between good and evil intentions.
Chen Yang: “Why did the students slander Teacher Bai Yan? Why did your colleagues and superiors accuse her of embezzlement?”
“Because Teacher Bai Yan discovered that the principal and others were involved in money laundering. This school is jointly owned by several board members and used for illicit activities. The principal, directors, and teachers were all bribed. As for the students slandering Teacher Bai Yan, I believe they were manipulated by the board members and the principal. The ringleaders among the students happen to be the children of the principal and board members.”
“That’s not true,” Teacher Liu interjected. “The students slandered Teacher Bai Yan first, and Teacher Bai Yan discovered the money laundering activities later.”
Director Jin was surprised and thought about it. It made sense, as Teacher Liu had pointed out. “But why would the students slander Teacher Bai Yan? She cared deeply for her students.”
Teacher Liu: “You don’t know how selfish and heartless those students can be. Although I’ve only been here for a year, I understand their true nature better than you do. I came to Jinshui High School under Teacher Bai Yan’s guidance. She was a good person, I know that. But a few days later, rumors started circulating that she was seducing students and embezzling funds. I didn’t believe it, but everyone was saying it with solid evidence. No one listened to me, and every time I dared to speak, my colleagues shunned me, and the students threatened me. After Teacher Bai Yan’s suicide, I knew it was pointless to say anything more.
“I requested to be transferred to Class 4 and Class 5. Although the students in these two classes lacked discipline and often misbehaved, they were the real children, optimistic and kind-hearted. Teacher Bai Yan taught Classes 1 and 2 at that time. The rumor about her having a romantic relationship with a student was actually about Li Hui, who was dating the boy who later hanged himself on the basketball court. The boy cheated on her with another girl, and Li Hui resorted to bullying that girl on campus. When Teacher Bai Yan found out, she advised Li Hui and warned her to stop. Li Hui thought it was another girl who had reported her and turned the school violence against that girl. Guan Xinyu was the one who kept suggesting these actions.
“As the school violence escalated, Teacher Bai Yan grew increasingly angry. The school summoned Li Hui’s parents, and Li Hui was slapped and verbally abused in the office by her parents. They accused her of losing face among the students and losing her position as the student council president. Li Hui became furious and believed that Teacher Bai Yan had informed on her. Consequently, the school violence was redirected towards Teacher Bai Yan by students from both classes. While some students observed from the sidelines, mocking and enabling the situation, the students from Class 3 remained indifferent.
“The two girls who were previously victims of school violence suddenly became the perpetrators. Those who were once cared for turned into heartless wolves. Director Jin, after being a teacher for so many years, you should understand the horrors of school violence. All unimaginable acts of violence were inflicted upon an innocent female teacher. How terrifying it was! Teacher Bai Yan wanted to report it to the police, but the school stopped her, urging her to settle the matter with money. She refused, and then, by chance, she discovered the school’s money laundering scheme. In an instant, everyone turned against her, despite the presence of witnesses and evidence. No matter how innocent she was, she couldn’t escape.”
“Dying unjustly, transforming into a malevolent ghost. Sins lead to consequences, paying the price as it is. But if it involves the innocent, we cannot just stand by,” Kou Xuanling said, holding a peach wood sword. “But who set up the Ghost Portal Formation?”
Director Jin, puzzled, pondered for a moment and said, “Could it be Bai Feng?”
“Bai Feng?”
“The person who posted the order on your APP, also a student at Jinshui High School.”
Teacher Liu was quite surprised. “He is my student. He’s usually quiet and inconspicuous, and his health seems to be poor. He frequently falls ill and requests leave. The school doesn’t allow leave unless it’s a serious illness, so I often go to the school clinic to help him get sick leave.”
Bai Feng was the male student Chen Yang and Kou Xuanling encountered on their first day, the one who informed them about the situation at the school and guided them to uncover the truth. “His last name is Bai, is he related to Teacher Bai Yan?”
Unfortunately, Bai Feng went missing and couldn’t be found, leaving the final doubts unresolved. As Director Jin and Teacher Liu left, they earnestly pleaded with Chen Yang and the others to save the innocent students. Even if some people made mistakes, they weren’t directly responsible for Teacher Bai Yan’s death. If they wanted to atone, they were willing to offer their lives to Teacher Bai Yan since they had also been bystanders.
It was just that within the school, there were hundreds of young innocent lives hoping that Teacher Bai Yan would spare them.
The Qiu siblings had also left, leaving only Chen Yang and Kou Xuanling in the dormitory. Chen Yang carried all the spiritual talismans with him and kindly gave Kou Xuanling a Three Days of Auspicious Blessings Talisman as a token of their friendship. Kou Xuanling accepted it and said, “When I get back, I’ll study the talisman’s duration and let Mao Xiaoli draw a few more. From now on, even if we get lost, we won’t be afraid as long as we wear it.”
With that, he went to pay respects to his ancestral master.
Chen Yang smiled and glanced at the message Du Shuo sent on his phone screen. He didn’t know when he would arrive, but suddenly he missed him.
Kou Xuanling snapped his fingers. “Missing Director Du?”
Chen Yang nodded and suddenly looked up, a bewildered expression on his face. Kou Xuanling waved his hand and said, “Is that so? You guys kept it well hidden. He’s been in the head office for three years and never mentioned your marriage.”
“Brother Du has never been the type to talk about his personal life, and besides, I was still studying back then. It’s better to keep quiet about unnecessary things.”
Kou Xuanling nodded and didn’t inquire further. He wasn’t a gossiping person either, and once he knew the truth, he remained calm. After all, few people could compare to the position of the ancestral master in his heart. As he walked into the bathroom, he said, “Let’s quickly handle this task. It’s unfair to my ancestral master without offering incense and the five offerings. Next time we encounter such a remote mountainous school, I’ll bring my own incense, flower lamps, and the five offerings.”
Chen Yang stroked his chin and stared at the portrait of Kou Xuanling’s ancestral master, then asked aloud, “Kou Xuanling, can you ask your ancestral master to manifest?”
“I can’t.”
“Why?” He had intended for Kou Xuanling, who could summon his ancestral master, to go to the back mountain and smash the Ghost-Taming Stake.
“Without sufficient offerings, I can’t bear to summon my ancestral master.”
Chen Yang clicked his tongue twice, thinking that Kou Xuanling wouldn’t need to marry a wife in the future. He believed that as long as Kou Xuanling had his ancestral master by his side, he would be happy for a lifetime.
Sensing Chen Yang’s presence gradually fading, Du Shuo set aside his work in Fengdu and hurried to Jinshui High School. He stood at the foot of the mountain and looked up. An eerie atmosphere covered the mountain, with ghostly illusions surrounding it. There were no living creatures in the deep mountains, and animal corpses remained unrotted for a long time.
Du Shuo whispered, “Ghost Portal Formation?”
As soon as the words fell, he vanished instantly, only to reappear standing outside Room 404 in the teachers’ dormitory building. He knocked on the door twice and heard Chen Yang’s voice before pushing the door open. He saw Chen Yang with his back turned towards him.
Thinking it was the Qiu siblings, Chen Yang didn’t turn around. But as the familiar presence enveloped him, he couldn’t contain his excitement. He turned around and saw that it was indeed Du Shuo. He immediately jumped up and hugged Du Shuo around the waist, tilting his head back and exclaiming, “Brother Du! How did you come so quickly?”
“I couldn’t sense your presence, so I rushed over,” Du Shuo said, embracing Chen Yang and habitually pinching his neck before continuing, “I sense the Yin aura at the top of the mountain from down below. If a Ghost Portal Formation has been set up, there must be ominous energy and fierce ghosts. It took Yangyang two days to notice all this?”
Chen Yang nuzzled against Du Shuo’s embrace and replied, “I didn’t think that far ahead.”
“Hmm?” Du Shuo lowered his voice, furrowing his brows in displeasure. “You shouldn’t take it lightly. Have you forgotten what I’ve taught you?”
“But I have you,” Chen Yang held onto Du Shuo even tighter, displaying his utmost dependence.
Du Shuo couldn’t resist Chen Yang’s rare display of affection and sweet words. In that moment, his discontent vanished, and he felt helpless towards his little wife.
“Actually, I know I made a mistake. I hastily accepted the assignment without carefully examining the situation.”
“It’s not entirely your fault.” Du Shuo naturally understood the magnitude of the loophole in the app that classified a higher-tier assignment as a three-star rating in the blue section. “We’ll rectify it when we get back.”
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