Chapter 22: Grade A Yellow, Lotus Lake (11)

Perhaps it was the weight of Xu Yiliu’s words earlier, but everyone remained silent during lunch, burying their heads in their meals.

After lunch, Fang Xiaoyi brought them new information: "We asked the women who bathed Kong Yueming's body, and they said..."

"Kong Yueming's body was intact, but the only anomaly was that her lower body was entirely black, as if it had been stained with ink."

Chen Diandian and Ge Hua said nothing, sitting at the same table this time, huddled close together.

Xu Yiliu, well-versed in human nature, had consulted with Ji Xianxing before coming in and shared a curated version of events with the others: "We questioned the opera troupe today, but didn't get much out of them. However, we did confirm that the ancestral hall belongs to them. They don't want anyone entering, so we’ve decided to pry the door open after curfew."

Hearing this, Fang Xiaoyi asked worriedly, "Won't that be dangerous?"

"Certainly," Xu Yiliu replied with a dry smile. "But, Teacher Fang, as the saying goes, 'How can one catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger's den?'"

She added, "Are you coming with us?"

Chen Diandian immediately shook her head, fawning, "Sis, I'm counting on you all to carry me to the finish line."

Ge Hua was no longer as panicked as before, but she remained distracted, lost in her own thoughts.

"I..." Fang Xiaoyi hesitated for a moment.

Xu Yiliu expected a refusal, but to her surprise, Fang Xiaoyi gritted her teeth and said, "I'll go with you."

Everyone present was stunned.

Xu Yiliu asked tentatively, "Aren't you afraid of the danger?"

A normal person would act like Chen Diandian, expecting others to take the risks while they waited to clear the level—this couldn't be called cowardice. With Kong Yueming’s fate before them, everyone knew the mission could be fatal. If they were honest with themselves, how many were truly unafraid of death?

How many of the daring adventurers seen in movies existed in real life?

With someone else acting as a safety net, prioritizing one's own life was, in Xu Yiliu's view, the rational approach.

Fang Xiaoyi made up her mind and said softly, "Strength in numbers. Don't let my appearance fool you; I go to the gym often and have studied Muay Thai. You are all students; how could I let you face the danger alone?"

Xu Yiliu suspected she had ulterior motives and studied her for a long while, but Fang Xiaoyi’s gaze remained open and honest, filled only with firmness and gentleness. Nothing else could be discerned.

Ji Xianxing spoke up first: "Fine."

Xu Yiliu looked away, saying no more. If something happened, it would be Fang Xiaoyi's own choice.

"If it wasn't a pollutant, the water in Lotus Lake is crystal clear. There’s no reason Kong Yueming’s body should have been stained," Xu Yiliu said, referring to Fang Xiaoyi's earlier point.

Moreover, Kong Yueming's clothes were perfectly fine, showing no signs of staining. Only the existence of a pollutant made sense.

"Staining..." Fang Xiaoyi pondered, but found no clues. "Everyone, keep an eye on the embroiderers, or the inkstones and paper in your rooms. It’s best not to let them touch your skin."

In the afternoon, Xu Yiliu and Ji Xianxing took another trip to Lotus Lake, hiring a boatman to row them slowly across the water.

She tried to see something through the lake's surface, but could only see a pond full of lotus flowers and leaves.

Staining...

Xu Yiliu shifted her posture, placed her hand on her ankle, and pulled up her pant leg slightly.

Sure enough, she saw a smudge of black.

Ji Xianxing saw it too: "You and she both fell into the lake."

As she spoke, she pulled up her own pant leg. Her ankle was pristine, without a trace of ink.

Xu Yiliu understood.

She didn't know if Ruyi's legs were stained, but digging up her body would confirm it.

As the boat approached the shore, Ji Xianxing asked, "Have you made up your mind?"

Xu Yiliu replied honestly, "I don't have an excuse. Nothing is more taboo than digging up someone who has been laid to rest."

Besides, given the nature of this mission, a corpse was a sensitive subject, entirely different from a living person. Who knew what conditions digging it up might trigger?

"No need to dig," Ji Xianxing said, looking at her with a look that suggested she found her intelligence lacking. "It’s just because of falling into the lake."

Xu Yiliu pondered for a moment and chose to trust her: "Alright."

Ji Xianxing was surprised that she didn't argue. One of the reasons she disliked talking to people was that some were not only less intelligent than her but also stubborn, refusing to listen regardless of what was said.

What Xu Yiliu called "diminished intelligence" was, in Ji Xianxing's view, merely the result of having one's reaction speed forcibly affected; everything else was fine.

Ji Xianxing said, "Burials here require changing into burial clothes, even for servants. You paid enough money; even if they bought the cheapest clothes, they would have had the women change Ruyi into them. I asked—the body showed no abnormalities."

Xu Yiliu sighed helplessly, "So I was already caught in the trap from that moment on."

This effect that dulled her intellect was likely related to the color stained on her body. It seemed that only by cleaning away the relevant pollutants could the effect be erased.

Once ashore, the two decided to return to their rooms to get some rest for the night's events.

On her way back, Xu Yiliu ran into Fang Xiaoyi and the others. Fang was likely thinking of catching up on sleep as well. She managed to send Chen Diandian and Ge Hua away, only to turn and see Xu Yiliu.

"Teacher Fang, aren't you tired, looking after them all the time?" Xu Yiliu asked sincerely.

Fang Xiaoyi was undoubtedly not a fool. Being able to clear a B-rank mission and remain calm in all situations was enough to ensure her survival. Yet, she insisted on dragging those two along. Xu Yiliu didn't believe such selfless people existed.

Fang Xiaoyi smiled warmly: "They are good children, very obedient. I’m just spending a bit of breath."

Xu Yiliu pursed her lips and said, "Teacher Fang, you should look after yourself first."

Even though she didn't want to believe it, she sensed that Fang Xiaoyi was different from her, so she still offered a reminder. After speaking, she entered her room.

Fang Xiaoyi paused, smiled, and went into her own room.

Lying on the bed, Xu Yiliu looked at the empty space on her right. Kong Yueming had once lain there, saying she was afraid.

It had nothing to do with her.

Xu Yiliu thought to herself that she was not Fang Xiaoyi. Her heart was small; it could only hold herself.

Evening came.

She was a light sleeper, but she didn't dream because of the 'word spirit.' She woke up when she estimated the time was right.

Stepping outside, she ran straight into Fang Xiaoyi.

Fang Xiaoyi looked at her with concern: "I noticed you had dark circles under your eyes when you first arrived. Do you normally not sleep well?"

Xu Yiliu replied casually, "It's fine."

"If you're not used to sleeping in the dormitory, or if the relationships there are awkward, you can talk to your counselor," Fang Xiaoyi said. "If your counselor isn't helpful, come to me. I'll handle it..."

Xu Yiliu interrupted her stiffly: "I am sleeping well, thank you for your concern, Teacher Fang."

After saying that, she changed the subject to their plans for the night.

Fang Xiaoyi was stunned for a moment, then followed the discussion. But in her heart, she was thinking that if they made it out, she must check Xu Yiliu’s psychological evaluation report from her freshman year. That was something the school did for all freshmen in the middle of each semester.

Thinking this, Fang Xiaoyi completely forgot that Xu Yiliu was a new freshman.

After dinner, Chen Diandian and Ge Hua were very reluctant to let Fang Xiaoyi go, urging her repeatedly to take care. After all, among the group, only Fang was willing to look after them; no matter what, they didn't want anything to happen to her.

Xu Yiliu and Ji Xianxing watched them leave.

"Someone is still cleaning up here. Let's go back to our rooms for now and come out at least ten minutes after the curfew—about half a stick of incense's time," Fang Xiaoyi said. "If anything goes wrong, return to your rooms immediately by the same path. Don't worry about anyone else."

The two nodded. The arrangement was sound.

When the night watchman's bell signaling the curfew passed, and the incense was nearly half-burned, Xu Yiliu stepped out of her room.

Fang Xiaoyi followed behind.

Neither of them carried a lantern. Xu Yiliu walked according to her memory, and Fang Xiaoyi followed her.

Xu Yiliu confirmed that there was only the sound of breathing in front of the ancestral hall before she approached.

Ji Xianxing and Fang Xiaoyi stood on either side of her, tacitly keeping watch for movement in the surroundings.

She took a thin hairpin, inserted it into the keyhole, and fiddled with it for a few moments before the lock clicked open.

The doors of the ancestral hall were pushed open with a creak, and the scene inside, illuminated by candlelight, appeared before them.