Chapter 41 Cat Killing 01
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Chen Yang and a few others exited the academic building and spotted Du Shuo standing by the entrance. Chen Yang approached him and asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Du Shuo held Chen Yang’s hand, their fingers naturally intertwining.
Chen Yan: “Did you see Bai Feng?”
“He’s a voodoo insect master from the South.”
Chen Yang nodded, a mix of surprise and expectation. It made sense that someone who could set up a Ghost Portal Formation would be a fellow practitioner. Considering the numerous buried bodies in the vacant lot in the back hill, it was likely that someone was controlling them to emerge during daylight. Using the bodies to nourish the voodoo insects and manipulating them with voodoo insects would provide a reasonable explanation.
The nearby celestial masters and ghost officials had diligently apprehended all the lonely spirits and wild ghosts in the deep mountains. Amidst the City Lord’s busy schedule, he noticed the presence of the Great Emperor. He hurriedly approached to pay his respects, and his eyes popped out in shock at the sight of the Great Emperor holding hands with a young man from the mortal realm. Coincidentally, a nearby Three Caverns Celestial Master had developed a friendly relationship with the City Lord through frequent interactions.
This celestial master patted the City Lord on the shoulder. Seeing the eyes fall to the ground, he was so frightened that he jumped up and exclaimed, “Old friend, it’s no use trying to trick me.” Everyone in the Celestial Master Community knew that he lived a modest life and was so destitute that he couldn’t even afford to support disciples. Quickly, he picked up the City Lord’s fallen eyes and put them back into his empty eye sockets.
The City Lord vigorously rubbed his eyes, and the dislodged eyes returned to their rightful places. “Chang Zile, do you find the person ahead familiar?”
Chang Zile carefully observed and replied, “I don’t recognize him.”
Just as the City Lord was about to reveal Du Shuo’s identity as the Great Emperor , the Great Emperor suddenly turned his head in their direction, his gaze chilling. Instantly, the City Lord closed his mouth, internally pondering why the Great Emperor had come to the mortal realm. As for the intimate hand-holding with the young man from the mortal realm, he had heard that a young practitioner of the Ghost Dao had connections in both Fengdu and the Underworld. It was rumored that he had someone backing him up. Initially, he thought it was a senior from Fengdu looking after a junior, but now it appeared that the senior was the Great Emperor himself… Wait, then why would the Great Emperor be holding hands with a junior from the mortal realm?
The City Lord delved into deep contemplation, wondering if this was the way the seniors expressed care for their juniors.
Chang Zile invited the City Lord to approach and greet Chen Yang and his companions. Startled, the City Lord waved his hands and shook his head, attempting to escape. Perplexed, Chang Zile assumed he was being bothered by numerous lonely spirits and wild ghosts. So he personally went over to greet them, “Hello, fellow practitioners. My surname is Chang, and I am the head of the Chang family, holding the position of sect master.”
Chen Yang and the others introduced themselves. Chang Zile admired the young man’s exceptional talents. Intrigued by the incident at Jinshui High School, he engaged in conversation with them. Fortunately, Chang Zile had a gentle and sincere attitude, spoke with discretion, and held the position of one of the Daoist Association’s vice presidents.
Upon hearing that the incident at Jinshui High School had been classified under the blue category on the three-star list of the Daoist Association, he furrowed his brow and said, “It’s indeed a negligence on the part of the ranking disciples. However, the Daoist Association is lacking in talent. Every gifted celestial master is either busy with cultivation or taking on assignments to earn money. The ones actually conducting evaluations are only a few disciples from certain sects. While these disciples may not perceive the danger accurately, they report back to the sect and send higher-ranking celestial masters for assessment. But they can only assess from the periphery, and there’s a chance of being misled. There have been cases where ranking disciples made evaluation mistakes, and over time, it does become a significant problem. Since the incident in the abandoned village in Nanyue, where we lost a celestial master, a proposal regarding the training for star-level evaluations has been submitted to the Daoist Association. I believe this issue will be addressed soon.”
Chang Zile: “The case at Jinshui High School should actually fall under the green category on the three-star list. When you report to the Daoist Association, you can request compensation based on the requirements. Also, since you belong to the Dafu Branch, you can seek compensation from the head office. With me vouching for you, your application won’t easily be rejected.”
Chen Yang’s eyes lit up as he glanced at Du Shuo. With a barely noticeable nod from Du Shuo, Chen Yang’s heart soared with joy. He reached into his pocket and found a used Three Days of Auspicious Blessings Talisman.
Director Jin and Teacher Liu stepped out from the group and addressed them, “Tonight, more than ten people have died, and it still needs to be reported to the police for handling. We would like to stay behind and deal with the school matters.”
Although they had resolved the issue with Teacher Bai Yan and the lonely spirits and wild ghosts in the school, Jinshui High School still faced many problems. Cases involving murder and money laundering needed to be reported to the police. Moreover, now that Jinshui High School could establish contact with the outside world, they had to inform the students’ parents. Unfortunately, with such a major incident, especially involving the deaths of the the principal, the vice principal, the directors, and teachers, those parents would probably realize the situation and hesitate to send their children to a remote mountain area where there had been no contact for two consecutive months.
Chen Yang nodded, and Director Jin and Teacher Liu stayed at the entrance of the teaching building, waiting for the police. When the police arrived, they explained the sequence of events and informed the parents. However, they concealed the supernatural aspects and only mentioned that it was a man-made incident and that the signal tower had been damaged, resulting in a lack of communication with the outside world. In reality, Teacher Li had lied, and most of the students in the school were unaware of the deadly game. Only a few participated. The numbers on the cards were randomized and did not indicate the order of the participants.
Teacher Li lied in front of Chen Yang and the others, hoping to drag more people down with him. He feared that if Chen Yang and others knew the truth, they might not save them, believing that those involved deserved their fate. In reality, others wanted to help, but they tragically died due to their own selfishness. It was a karmic retribution.
So when most of the students were picked up by their parents from the school, they felt bewildered. It wasn’t until the news of the murders at Jinshui High School flooded the television, internet, and other media platforms that they broke into a cold sweat. They realized that the threat of death had been lurking around them, ready to strike when they least expected it. No wonder the students and teachers who were once visible suddenly disappeared overnight, and the school’s explanation was that they had taken leave and gone home!
The school’s disregard for the students’ lives was infuriating. When it was revealed that the school leaders, and some teachers who had been involved in neglecting lives had died, netizens applauded and believed that they got what they deserved. As the investigation deepened, the truth behind Teacher Bai Yan’s injustice was also exposed, providing justice for her. The school’s money laundering, bribery involving school leaders, incidents of school violence and heartless selfishness among students were all exposed, causing a huge uproar.
Online discussions about schools, education, teachers, the pressure of education, school violence, and other hot topics surged. Simultaneously, the board members involved in money laundering received investigations from the government and fell from grace, sparking discussions about corruption and anti-corruption efforts. Let’s put these aside for now.
Du Shuo had always been good at interacting with older individuals, not in a way of pandering to their seniors, but rather as if they were peers or even older than the older individuals themselves. Their interests, hobbies, and perspectives often aligned. Sometimes, the older individuals’ perspectives were even more open-minded than Du Shuo’s. At this moment, Du Shuo and Chang Zile were engaged in an in-depth discussion about how to improve the APP, the Daoist Association, the Dafu Office, and the development of the Celestial Master Community.
Chen Yang yawned and quietly asked Kou Xuanling, “Celestial Master Chang is the Vice President of the Daoist Association. Do you know him?”
“I’ve heard of him,” Kou Xuanling enlightened him. “In the northern regions, there are the chumaxian [something about ‘riding for immortals’], and among them are the four prominent families: Hu, Huang, Ma, and Chang. Chang Zile, the head of the Chang family’s Daoist Temple, is quite famous among the chumaxian community. He is considered a top-notch celestial master and also one of the vice presidents of the Daoist Association who cares the least about business. With him vouching for us, we’re quite fortunate.”
“Xiaoli’s Three Days of Auspicious Blessings Talisman, the new generation’s golden koi,” Chen Yang exclaimed, then continued, “By the way, Bai Feng is a voodoo insect master from the South. Although he sought revenge for his elder sister, he indeed caused the deaths of many. I believe he will face the consequences and it won’t turn out well for him.”
The plight of the Bai siblings evoked a deep sense of sympathy. They were originally kind and optimistic. Despite being a voodoo insect master, Bai Feng never used his abilities to harm others. Despite keeping numerous voodoo insect corpses in the vacant lot in the back hill, he never vented his anger on the innocent, indicating his inherently good nature. Unfortunately, Bai Yan met an unjust death, and Bai Feng was trapped in an endless cycle of suffering. Bai Yan loved her profession and her students, and it was said that she helped many students. However, she encountered something inhuman and did not receive the rewards she deserved.
Chen Yang sighed, “After we return, we can hold a memorial service for them. I hope it could assist them in finding peace in the afterlife.”
“I share the same sentiment,” Kou Xuanling said.
At that moment, Du Shuo turned around and extended his hand at the entrance of the teachers’ dormitory building. “Yangyang, come here quickly.” Chen Yang rushed over, and their hands intertwined, fingers tightly interlocked. Suddenly, he remembered that Chang Zile was also present and quickly glanced in his direction.
Chang Zile had a natural smile on his face as he cheerfully said, “Rest early, I’ll head back first.”
He seemed indifferent, as if it was routine for him.
The celestial masters in the Celestial Master Community accepted their relationship with composure, without casting strange or puzzled looks. Especially figures like Ma Shanfeng and Chang Zile, who were older, displayed a more natural and kind attitude towards their relationship. In reality, the celestial masters frequently dealt with ghosts and deities, constantly walking on the edge of danger, accustomed to facing life and death. Their unwavering Daoist hearts enabled them to accept anything that came their way.
Chen Yang suddenly remembered something and called out to Chang Zile, introducing Qiu Shengmin to him, “She possesses the Third Eye and has grasped Yin manipulation on her own. She would be suitable to become a part of chumaxian. Celestial Master Chang, are you interested in taking her as your disciple?”
Upon hearing this, Chang Zile turned his eyes toward Qiu Shengmin. Qiu Shengmin had been quietly following in the crowd, deliberately diminishing her presence, so Chang Zile hadn’t really noticed her. But now, prompted by Chen Yang’s mention, he looked at Qiu Shengmin, sizing her up before revealing a satisfied expression. He then asked, “You have innate Yin-Yang Eyes? When did you start seeing those things?”
Nervously, Qiu Shengmin replied, “Since I was young.” She paused for a moment before continuing, “I could see them as far back as I can remember, but I’m not sure when it started exactly. But before I turned five, when my parents were still alive, my grandmother said I cried incessantly. They brought in a gentleman who claimed that I cried because I saw those things.”
Chang Zile nodded. “Are you willing to become a chumaxian and be my disciple?”
“Absolutely!” Qiu Shengmin had innate Yin-Yang Eyes, which naturally suited her to become a chumaxian. She had talent and interest in this field. If it weren’t for the lack of a reputable teacher, she wouldn’t have resorted to scams all these years. When she first heard Chen Yang’s introduction, she couldn’t believe it, but then she became anxious. Now, seeing that Chang Zile was willing to take her as his disciple, she felt excited and elated.
However, in the next moment, her excitement froze, and her face showed a dilemma. She spoke softly, revealing her years of exploiting her identity as a celestial master. She was sincere, and didn’t want to deceive Chang Zile. She understood that celestial masters valued lineage and character.
“I see…” Chang Zile pondered deeply for a moment and said, “Within the next ten years, you must donate sixty percent of the money you earn from helping people. Do you agree to that?”
Qiu Shengmin suddenly looked up, meeting Chang Zile’s kind gaze. She nodded earnestly, “I agree!”
“Very well.” Chang Zile provided Qiu Shengmin with the address of the Chang family’s Daoist temple and asked her to pack her belongings and find a suitable time to come and become his disciple. He then expressed gratitude to Chen Yang, thanking him for introducing a talented disciple.
Chen Yang smiled and said, “I just thought that instead of sending you to prison or allowing you to continue with your scams, it would be better for you to learn genuine skills. It’s a better choice to save lives and donate a portion of your earnings.”
Qiu Shengmin sincerely expressed her gratitude.
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Thanks for the translations! Did the second half of chapter 40 perhaps get skipped? Or does the story just flash forward?
missing chapter?