Chapter 32: The First Clash of Arts

Cultivation is both fate and nature—both indispensable. Especially for those who cultivate fate without nurturing their nature, they are easily beset by inner demons; they either become walking corpses, lost to madness, or their minds twist and fall into evil paths.

Li Xuan immersed his thoughts in the world of the Taoist scriptures.

He felt as if he were seated among a group of disciples, listening to the "ancients" on the elevated platform expound the Way. He was utterly captivated, so enraptured that when he reached a profound passage, he nearly leapt up, waving his arms and dancing like the Monkey King in the Slanting Moon Star Cave.

Cultivation, in many ways, is much like attending school.

At first, it is difficult—facing problems you cannot understand, unable to answer; or understanding the questions but failing to find the solutions.

But once you cross that threshold, the world opens up before you, your mind sharpens, and you fall in love with the feeling of learning—the thirst for knowledge burning fiercely within, impossible to suppress.

Half a month passed.

The school remained peaceful, with only one girl, named Lixi Si, somewhat unruly, frequently punished.

She would deliberately wear skirts that were too short or drink beer on campus despite the ban.

Li Xuan was aware of Lixi Si’s situation.

She was something of a rebellious spirit, often hanging out after school with her boyfriend Awen outside the school grounds...

Night, eleven o’clock.

Li Xuan’s phone rang; it was the student Liu Zhuobin’s number. As soon as he answered, a panicked voice came through.

“Teacher Li Xuan, Di Zhiheng and I are locked out of the dormitory building. The iron gate won’t open. We can’t get in. It’s already past eleven... What should we do, Teacher Li?”

Li Xuan fell silent for a moment.

He asked, “What happened? Why are you returning so late?”

Liu Zhuobin explained, “We usually listen to you, but after school this afternoon, a few girls insisted on dragging us to a small wooded area behind the mountain for a gathering—they said it was just to chat and have snacks, to make friends.

Seeing that there was still plenty of time, we agreed.

But the girls didn’t show up until eight o’clock. We waited a long time, sat down and chatted, got a bit carried away, and before we knew it, it was already half past ten.

The girls left first, telling us to clean up the trash.

We were just about to start when that girl, Lixi Si, shut and locked the dormitory gate. She said it was because Di Zhiheng had been ignoring her greetings.

Now, since we can’t get back inside, we’re trying to climb over the outer wall...”

Lixi Si!

Li Xuan’s fists clenched tightly.

The four boys had been a handful in the original film, but under his guidance, they had learned to be cautious, to abide by the rules, and even when attracted by the girls, they remembered the curfew to return before eleven.

Yet this rebellious girl, for some unknown reason, had done this.

Li Xuan checked the time; past eleven now. Returning to the dorm was pointless—he knew Ruan Shiyin would come to the dorm to demand retribution.

He recalled some simple anti-ghost methods recorded in the little scripture for ordinary people.

“You two, bite your middle fingers immediately, draw blood, and smear it on your foreheads. Then don’t look back—run straight to the school gate and leave the campus!”

Li Xuan said sternly, “During this time, you might hear voices trying to confuse you. No matter what you hear, do not turn around!”

Di Zhiheng’s voice came through the receiver, shaky: “Teacher, what happens if we turn around?”

Li Xuan replied, “Then I, as your teacher, will have to collect your bodies and send you off with two exquisite funeral wreaths.”

After speaking, he noticed the signal was full, but their voices were breaking up...

Something was after them.

With this thought, he quickly put on his coat, grabbed his gourd, and left his rented room.

...

Downstairs at the school dormitory, Liu Zhuobin stared at his phone screen flickering repeatedly, the receiver crackling with static. He patted the phone, but it didn’t help.

He looked at Di Zhiheng beside him and said, “Di Di, Teacher Li said we should run first.”

Without hesitation, Di Zhiheng bit his finger, letting blood ooze out, and smeared it on his forehead. Whether because of the blood or a psychological effect, he felt a warm current spread from his forehead throughout his body.

“Damn, you’re fierce,” Liu Zhuobin said. He was very afraid of pain, but seeing Di Zhiheng do it, he steeled himself, bit his finger, and dabbed his forehead.

Buzz...

Suddenly, the school loudspeaker emitted static, followed by a faintly eerie female voice.

“Liu Zhuobin, Di Zhiheng, come to the Academic Affairs Office immediately!!”

Liu Zhuobin’s face turned pale; his sobbing worsened. “Damn it, the campus horror stories are true—the former discipline director is coming for us!”

“Quit crying and run!” Di Zhiheng, who had been frightened once in the bathroom two weeks ago, had since improved his mental resilience. Though panicked, he retained much rationality.

He raised his hand and slapped Liu Zhuobin sharply.

Cruel but effective!

The Narang Mud Middle School was not large; two strong teenagers sprinting could reach the school gate from the dormitory in minutes.

Yet, they inexplicably felt the ground beneath them soft and yielding, as if running in a dream...

Di Zhiheng suddenly said, “Child’s urine! Quick, child’s urine, and Teacher Li’s talisman should break through this ghostly illusion!”

Before he could loosen his belt, the child’s urine was already present.

Because Liu Zhuobin saw a woman in a pale green cheongsam standing ahead, he wet himself in fright. The liquid trickled down his pants leg onto the ground...

Seeing Liu dawdle, Di Zhiheng grabbed the talisman from his pocket and shouted, “What are you scared of? Charge forward!”

Ruan Shiyin stood silently.

Her expression seemed calm, but her eyes gleamed with madness. A faint smile curved her lips as she pointed her right index finger at them coldly.

“You two have violated school rules...”

“To hell with that,” Di Zhiheng, emboldened, slapped the talisman onto her face!

Sizzle!

Ruan Shiyin felt as if her face had been seared by a hot iron, unbearable pain piercing through. She tore off the paper, realizing it was no ordinary talisman but an ordinary yellow paper stamped with the four characters: “Fengdu Bao Yin.”

An inexplicable terror arose deep within her soul.

Fortunately, the paper quickly turned to ash.

Liu Zhuobin and Di Zhiheng reached the school gate and were about to step outside when Ruan Shiyin seemed to teleport behind them, grabbing their necks with both hands and pulling them backward!

At that moment, the triangular talismans hanging around their necks flickered faintly!

Snap!

Ruan Shiyin realized she was clutching two crude paper effigies, each bearing the essence of Liu Zhuobin and Di Zhiheng!

She had never seen such objects before.

Throwing the paper dolls aside, she searched again for the boys, but strangely, no matter how she sensed, her intuition told her those two paper dolls were indeed them.

Liu Zhuobin and Di Zhiheng burst out of the school gate, panicked and directionless, instinctively running toward Lanzhou Ramen.

It was the place where Teacher Li had first arranged to meet them...

When people encounter danger, their subconscious binds certain places with reliable figures—for example, the police station with policemen.

Their strength seemed to drain away, and they collapsed to the ground, each with a dark handprint on the back of their necks.