The Death Qi enshrouding Li Ergou was extremely sinister and dense.
As if sensing the evil energy, even the Black Sword within Chen Ning’s sea of consciousness let out a violent tremor.
The Noble Scholar's Sword was not just a single blade, but a pair: one black and one white.
The Black Sword slays the evil of demons and ghosts; the White Sword guards the essence of the virtuous.
One is for Slaying Evil; the other is for Guarding Good.
For the Black Sword to react this way was proof that a demon or monster was indeed preying on these children!
Yet, not a single child in the private school seemed to notice anything unusual about Li Ergou.
No wonder rumors of children mysteriously disappearing had been frequent in the village lately; the methods used by this monster were extremely subtle, making it impossible for ordinary people to detect.
Chen Ning decided to wait and see, continuing the lesson as if he hadn't noticed a thing.
...
At dusk, as Chen Ning announced the end of the class, the children stood up one after another to thank him, cheering as they rushed out of the classroom.
In the entire private school, only Li Ergou remained, sitting stiffly in his seat without any reaction.
It wasn't until the sky grew a few shades darker that Li Ergou seemed to receive some kind of summons. He stood up with sluggish movements, like a soulless husk, and swayed as he walked outside.
From the moment the lesson began, he had maintained that vacant expression, and the Death Qi on him had only grown denser over time.
It appeared his mind was under some form of control.
Chen Ning did not stop Li Ergou. Instead, he quietly followed him as the boy circled behind the private school, turned onto a mountain path, and eventually arrived near a small thatched hut by a wooden bridge.
“So that’s how it is.”
Chen Ning’s gaze gradually turned cold.
The person living in this thatched hut was none other than the village’s only teacher—Mu Jing.
No wonder no one could discover why the village children were disappearing. The true culprit was the very teacher the villagers had always trusted!
A cold wind blew, and the door to the hut slowly creaked open.
A thick scent of blood immediately wafted from within, mixed with the nauseating stench of rotting corpses.
Upon closer inspection, a trail of blood could be seen extending from the threshold into the pitch-black interior of the hut.
As Li Ergou approached the hut, a wizened, wrinkled old face finally emerged from the darkness.
“Ergou, you’re finally here. I’m almost starving to death.
Human flesh... I want to eat human flesh!”
The afterglow of the setting sun made the blood dripping from the corners of Mu Jing’s mouth appear even more crimson and terrifying.
In his hand, which was so withered it looked like a dry branch, he was actually clutching a human leg that had been mostly devoured!
“Ergou, come here quickly. Teacher is so hungry he can’t hold on much longer.”
Saliva dripped from the corner of Mu Jing’s mouth, his eyes filled with greed for food.
Just then, his gaze landed on the figure following behind Li Ergou.
“Chen Ning? You... why are you here?!”
Mu Jing’s expression instantly froze.
“I should be the one asking you that,” Chen Ning said, coldly staring at this husk that was now half-human and half-ghost.
Mu Jing had lived in the village for over forty years. As the village’s only old teacher, he was deeply respected by the villagers and children alike.
To think that as he approached seventy, he had turned into this.
Sensing Chen Ning’s gaze, Mu Jing felt as if needles were pricking his back. His expression suddenly became twisted and manic.
“What’s with that look? I had no choice!
Do you know how old I am? Seventy! Seventy!
Since I first started studying, I’ve had my heart set on earning a degree and becoming a high-ranking official in the court.
But after becoming a Xiucai at thirty, I never made any further progress in my official career. I’ve even been stuck teaching in this impoverished mountain valley for forty whole years!
My body is failing day by day; I can barely even hold a brush steady anymore. If this continues, I’ll never fulfill my wish, not even on the day I die.
But... human flesh. I discovered that as long as I eat human flesh, I can become younger. I’ve already eaten three children. If I keep eating like this, I’ll eventually get my young body back!”
Mu Jing’s eyes bulged with madness, completely unaware that one of his eyes had turned entirely blood-red and his whole body was shrouded in pitch-black Demonic Qi.
His obsession was too deep; he had clearly fallen into a state of demonic possession.
“As a fellow scholar, you should understand me, right?”
Mu Jing held up the half-eaten human leg, seemingly inviting Chen Ning to join him.
“Unfortunately, I cannot.”
Chen Ning shook his head without hesitation.
Upon hearing those words, Mu Jing’s face contorted instantly, becoming utterly hideous and bizarre.
“Yes, that’s right... how could a genius like you, who became a Xiucai in his teens and has a limitless future, ever understand me?
I see. In that case, you can just die!”
Blood began to seep from Mu Jing’s Seven Orifices as he charged at Chen Ning like a madman.
His body had demonized, and he moved like a phantom, his speed so fast it was nearly impossible to track with the naked eye.
If it were an ordinary person, their throat would have been torn open before they could even see his movements.
However, through the transformation brought by his Noble Qi, Chen Ning’s physical capabilities were several times greater than before. The Purple Qi swirling around him acted like an invisible gale, preventing any low-level ghost or phantom from getting close.
A tumor on Mu Jing’s face split and grew into a massive head, which lunged toward Chen Ning, snapping its jaws frantically.
But the head struck what felt like a thick wall. With a thunderous boom, it shattered amidst a piercing shriek.
Mu Jing wailed in agony, half of his face becoming a mangled mess of flesh and blood.
He pointed at Chen Ning, his face suddenly filled with terror. “You’re no scholar!”
“Of course I am. It’s just that reading books alone can’t save the common people, so I learned a bit of martial arts on the side.”
Chen Ning reached out and gripped the air, and the black energy in his palm instantly solidified into the Noble Scholar's Sword.
The Black Sword slays evil; the Noble Qi purges the wicked.
Just the sight of the black Noble Scholar's Sword in Chen Ning’s hand, swirling with Purple Qi, made Mu Jing feel as if he were in an abyss, his entire body trembling uncontrollably.
“What kind of sword is that?!
Don’t kill me! I still want to fulfill my wish and go to the capital to earn my degree!”
“A degree? Regrettably, someone like you is no longer fit to be a scholar.”
Puff.
A sword shadow flashed by, and in the next moment, the Black Sword had pierced Mu Jing’s chest.
Mu Jing’s arms slumped, and his body began to crumble like dry earth, but his blood-red eyes, once filled with violence, gradually regained their clarity.
“What kind of atrocities have I committed these past few days?!”
Tears shimmered in Mu Jing’s eyes, and the old man could no longer stop them from flowing.
“Thank you... thank you, Brother Chen, for this strike. Otherwise, this old man wouldn’t have known how many more irredeemable sins he would have committed!”
As his trembling voice faded, Mu Jing’s body quickly disintegrated amidst his self-reproach and regret, turning into a pile of ash.
【Slain one Wraith. Congratulations to the host for obtaining 6 points of Noble Qi.】
【The rank of the Noble Scholar's Sword has been upgraded to Yellow Grade, Mid Rank.】
【Purple Qi Protection (10/40)】
【Congratulations to the host, the mastery of ‘Purple Qi Protection’ has increased to Initial Glimpse.】
“A Wraith?”
It seemed Mu Jing had likely died of illness half a month ago, but his refusal to let go of his obsession made him believe he was still alive.
He had even completely lost his sanity, surviving by devouring the flesh and blood of his own students.
In the end, having his soul dissipate was nothing more than his own doing.
...
That night, just as Chen Ning arrived home, Qing Yan came rushing out of the house and threw herself into his arms, full of worry.
“Young Master, you’re finally back! Did the teaching go smoothly today?”
“It was quite good. The village children are all very obedient.”
Hearing this, Qing Yan breathed a slight sigh of relief.
“That’s good. I heard from the neighbors today that ghosts have been appearing near the private school lately. You came back so late, Young Master, I was worried sick.”
“Neighbors? But we live at the southernmost end of the village. What neighbors are there?” Chen Ning suddenly asked.
“Eh?”
Qing Yan froze instantly, her eyes darting around in panic.
“No... actually, actually, I was just wandering around out of boredom and heard it from Auntie Wang.”
Chen Ning couldn't help but smile helplessly.
If he wasn't mistaken, the “neighbors” Qing Yan had accidentally let slip likely referred to the local cats and dogs.
No wonder he often heard villagers complaining that Qing Yan was always acting strange and liked to talk to their pets.
She even let it slip in conversation; to think he had actually been kept in the dark by this silly girl for two years.
If Qing Yan ever became disobedient again, he would have to expose her to her face and take the opportunity to give her fox tail a good feel!
Rate on N.U.
