The cold wind blew along the streets as the young man missed the feeling of outside. He had spent days in the detention cell before he was released by the police. His dashing features weren"t tainted by his gloom as he was definitely ruined now. His bright future had been dimmed in only one night, but he couldn"t bring himself to think about it. His best friend was killed by someone, and he was framed for it.Li Feng glared at the steps as he walked down to get to the limo waiting for him. Li Yunru was walking with him side-by-side, secretly delighted that she managed to gather enough evidence to make them cut Li Feng loose. However, he was still tainted by this incident. It was now verging to be national news, and he would be kicked out of the prestigious Li family if he got tangled in it again.
However, did Li Feng care? They could even cut ties with him for all he cares. His heart was never with those pretentious b.a.s.t.a.r.ds; it was with his grandfather"s humble roots. Then again, it didn"t mean that they had no prestige. The Mian family might be known for their shaman rituals, but they still had members who owned their own companies in such a well-developed city.
"Young Master Feng, Young Lady Yunru." The attendant opened the door for them, and the two stepped into the car. He then went in as well before it drove off. The small-time reporters took photos from conspicuous places, too, hoping they would be soon uncovering a great scoop involving the ever-immaculate Li family.
Inside the car, Li Feng and Li Yunru were joined by the attendant and a middle-aged man. He was wearing a dark-blue suit. He had a fedora and gray aviators on, casually flicking the doc.u.ment in his tablet. He didn"t look at the two as they got in and even when the car started rolling. However, his low and breathy voice echoed: "Feng"er, what happened? You look like you"re a baby left without milk."
Li Feng hung his head low, aware of his reddened eyes. "My best friend died, Grandfather. They thought I did it just because I was holding that knife." Li Feng had to stop himself from closing his eyes as the image had begun haunting him. Just that morning, he had a spat with Jiang Hou and was thinking of making up with a bottle or two during the weekend. Who would have thought that this would happen?
The man only glanced at him and then at Yunru who was clinging on Li Feng"s arm weakly. She wasn"t terrified; at most, she was drowning in happiness. He then continued checking his tablet, flicking the screen from time to time. "Wasn"t Ting University the same school with the group suicide case two years ago?"
"Yes, sir." The attendant answered in their stead, hearing no response from the two at the first three seconds the question was asked. "Recently, three students have died in the school as well." The attendant checked his phone for the details he gathered. "Our scouts had also mapped the place as a well of Yin energy, and it seemed that the ghosts residing in the dorms had grown violent lately. They used to be dormant and elusive, but now..."
"Feng"er, didn"t I give you those evil-warding bracelets before? Didn"t you give them to your friends?" The man seemed to get bored reading through his doc.u.ments, and so he looked at Li Feng. The man then gaped his mouth in an attempt to talk. "They... they accepted them... but they... never wore it. Jiang Hou did... but he took it off that day... because we fought." He then bit his lips. "d.a.m.n, I never realized protecting a woman from a strange mogui would cost me my best friend."
"A strange mogui? How so?" The man didn"t seem to blink upon looking at the youngsters in the car with him. Li Feng flickered his eyes to get rid of tears. He rubbed his nose so he could look into his grandfather"s eyes. "I never felt so much negativity in my entire life when I first saw him. My stomach would turn lightly when spirits manifest around me, but I get sudden convulsions when that child in nearby. Even the evil-warding bracelets that I made were too weak against him.
"Ah, he"s also feeding off on one of the students. He didn"t mind the child, though... and seemed to be protecting him, too." Li Feng sighed as he remembered how Liu Xiaodan would diss him even when he was trying to help out. He just wanted to protect everyone in the dorm from those so-called residents, but he failed to do so. Even his cla.s.smate Chen Gang pa.s.sed away because of a ghost. Heck, they mentioned Liu Xiaodan"s name, but he didn"t believe it. He even doubted if that man could punch properly.
"Do you want to visit him, Feng?" Li Yunru remembered that Liu Xiaodan was still in the hospital. It would be nice if they could sit down and talk about the happenings in the school. Li Feng only shook his head with a helpless dog laugh. "Are you crazy, Yunru? What do you think the police would say? Besides, the hospital is a Yin magnet. I"m pretty sure that child would be there."
"Ah, you"re right." Yunru pouted. She visited Chuan Nayi there and felt nothing. Visiting Liu Xiaodan was a different story; encountering that mogui would be disastrous. Maybe even her evil-warding bracelet would break if the child willed it.
"Yun"er, which hospital is this?" The man"s eyes glittered a little. A strange mogui had been haunting the dorms of Ting University, and one that even his favored grandson didn"t dare trifle with. He never had such an interesting case in years, but hopefully, it wouldn"t be as "interesting" as that ancient spirit that he once dealt with when he was in his youth. Making sure that spirit remained sealed was his reason for staying here in the city.
"...the City Hospital, grandfather." Li Yunru"s eyes glittered as well. She had never seen her grandfather in action for a long time. Would he be waltzing in the Yin-filled den of wandering spirits just to put an end on this strange child plaguing the school? "Oh, Grandfather, you would love this case! Ever since that mogui came home with that student, the entire school"s Yin concentration doubled in weeks. The dormant ghosts began moving and thirsting for both Yin and Yang energies... perhaps in fear of being crushed by this newcomer.
"He also had a count of confirmed kill. The first case, Huang Kun, was his. I"m not sure about the rest." Li Yunru slowed down upon receiving jabs from Li Feng. The old man then chuckled lowly. "Xiao Sheng, let"s head to the City Hospital."
"Grandfather, aren"t you supposed to head home and get ready first? I really have a very bad feeling about you confronting that child head-on." Li Feng was discreetly shaking; perhaps it was from the shock still. He was then eyed by the old man with a rea.s.suring laugh. "Worry not, Feng"er. This old one might have grown brittle, but it"s made of hard wood. If I couldn"t seal or vanish a ghost child, then how do I dare to display my collection?"
"Grandfather—!"
The old man then glared at his grandson. "Li Feng, what made you lose confidence in me? Have I ever disappointed you in what I do? Was it because my evil wards didn"t save your friend?" He then grunted. "I have been watching over this city and had sealed the strongest spirit that dared roam this land. Do you think I had become useless throughout the years and because there"s a new generation of shamans now?"
Li Feng gritted his teeth before bowing. "I mean no disrespect, Grandfather."
The elderly harrumphed in response; however, he had begun to reconsider as he believed in his grandson"s instincts. What kind of spirit was this child? What made his proud grandson cower in fear? It had only killed one man, and yet he was already stricken with terror.
"Ah, Master Tianyu!" The attendant suddenly gasped as he was checking the requests made to them. He then looked at his master again with bright eyes. "Master Tianyu, please see the requests made this morning! It"s Lady Qianqian! Lady Qianqian signed a request!"
"Qianqian did?" Mian Tianyu raised a thick brow and took his tablet again. He seemed to have forgotten about Li Feng and his worries upon the mention of this woman. The old man"s eyes glittered more upon seeing the request; however, his eyes grew dimmer upon seeing the contents. He then glanced at Li Feng who was confused. "Feng"er, this strange child you speak of... is he feeding on a student named... Liu Xiaodan?"
"How did you know, Grandfather?" The two almost spoke in the same tone. The old man grunted again before glaring at the request. He then looked at the driver"s direction. "Xiao Sheng, are we there yet?"
"We"ll be there in less than ten minutes, master." The driver responded, calculating the time to get there with such thin traffic in the streets. There had been an accident lately so he tried to moderate his speed especially he was driving a long car. Then again, using a limo to visit a public hospital? Wouldn"t they be swarmed by those news p.e.c.k.e.rs?
The old man only nodded in satisfaction before putting aside his tablet again. "Feng"er, I see that you refuse to enter the hospital to be in friendly terms with this Liu Xiaodan. How about coming there as my a.s.sistant?"
Li Feng paled in his seat; even Yunru mirrored his expression. The young man wanted to decline, but he was being asked to come as a shaman now. He could only shut his eyes closed. "Grandfather, can I ask a question? Who is this Lady Qianqian?"
"Hahah, you"ll find out when we get there!" Mian Tianyu laughed heartily. "Xiao Jun, accept that request and say that the great Mian Tianyu will handle it himself!" He then chuckled with a glint of determination in his eyes. "Both my little Qianqian and my little Feng"er complained about this ghost child plaguing Ting University. It"s time for me to prove that I am yet to be surpa.s.sed."
"Whaaa, I get to see Lady Qianqian for real..." Kang Jun giggled behind his phone before a thought came to him. His face then twitched. "Ah, I forgot about her scary husband..."