Volume One, Chapter Six: A Campus Strewn with Corpses

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After exchanging her special abilities for money, Chuguang felt much more at ease. The next morning, the first thing she did upon waking was to find her counselor and hand over the fifty thousand yuan fee.

The counselor looked it over and said, “There are still two months left until the semester ends. You should prepare accordingly and take some time to look into the precautions for the Eastern Territory. Things there are completely different from here; after all, nothing you see there should surprise you.”

“Understood.”

“By the way, how’s your health?” the counselor asked. “Your special constitution is certainly an advantage, but it’s also a ticking time bomb. Don’t let yourself collapse before the regional exams even start.”

“I’m doing my best to regulate it, teacher.”

The counselor nodded. Though she appeared to be a university counselor, in reality, she was a high school homeroom teacher, deeply concerned for her students about to face the regional exams.

“Take good care of yourself. Don’t overexert…”

Chuguang nodded and, after handing over the money, felt much more settled. The school had a good atmosphere, and incidents of bullying or abuse of power were rare. Since she had paid the fee, it likely meant there wouldn’t be any changes to the plan.

It was Saturday, and Chuguang had no classes. By rights, she should have been studying. But having spent the entire week either reading or drilling questions with barely any exercise, she decided to get some physical activity—delivering packages to earn a bit of pocket money.

She left her canvas bag in the cafeteria, then went to the courier station to pick up the parcels. The station was under a large banyan tree, housed in a neatly built square structure that also served as a post office.

The aunt at the courier station saw her and smiled, “Chuguang, I heard you have a special constitution?”

“What’s that about?”

“Well, I was thinking of letting my son try his luck too. Maybe he’ll get it and score an extra hundred points on the regional exam!”

Since two individuals with special constitutions emerged from Qingda, students had been excitedly spending money to be tested, but none had ever qualified. Curiosity about the rare special constitutions was high.

Chuguang maintained an awkward yet polite smile. Before the aunt could say more, someone nearby poured cold water on the conversation.

“What's special about that special constitution? It’s just a mediocre fighter, no different from us, and nowhere near a Spirit Master. Not even a single strand of their hair compares. Yet they strut around like they’re something special. If you didn’t know better, you’d think they were amazing.”

“I’ve never seen a Spirit Master act so arrogantly.”

Jealousy flickered in that person’s eyes.

“That makes sense, but having one is better than none.”

The other person hesitated, “You—”

Before he could continue, Chuguang had already passed by.

The courier aunt shrugged, “Exactly, better than none. You’re so bitter—everyone knows you’re just jealous.”

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No matter what they said afterward, Chuguang no longer heard it.

She picked up two small parcels and one large one, ready to leave, but after only a few steps, something felt off. An ominous chill swept over her unexpectedly, as if an unknown energy had invaded her body.

She shivered.

Having dealt with spirits and demons before, Chuguang recognized this as the energy of the undead, commonly known as Yin Qi. Instinctively, she scanned her surroundings but couldn’t pinpoint where the energy was emanating from.

Tentatively, she looked at the packages.

The middle package exuded a cold, sinister aura.

No surprise—it must be an item forged in the Underworld, a so-called “Nether Artifact.” These artifacts possessed peculiar energies, much like various magical treasures in cultivation novels, each with different effects. However, due to their harmful nature, they were never supposed to circulate on the market.

Chuguang had only seen such objects at a pawnshop.

After some hesitation, she decided to head back to the dormitory and deliver the middle parcel first.

It was to Female Dorm 321.

She knocked at the dorm door. “Hello, I have a package. Is Lin Chou here?”

“Yes.”

Lin Chou received the parcel and hurried back to her bed, pulling the curtain closed.

Chuguang recognized her—another girl with a special constitution, who always looked downcast and lacked confidence.

She couldn’t help but glance twice, and suddenly a sharp pain gripped her heart. Countless threads seemed to coil in the air, and a vague image flashed in her mind—a campus strewn with corpses, filled with desperate wails.

Her mind went blank. She was about to crouch down to catch her breath, but the pain only lasted a few dozen seconds.

Nothing else followed.

“What… what was that?”

After delivering the packages, it was noon.

Shui Ying invited her to lunch.

They got their food from Window One in the cafeteria.

As Chuguang ate, she noticed Shui Ying chewing over her book. “Reading while eating will upset your digestion and isn’t very efficient.”

Shui Ying nodded as she closed the book. “I know, but the regional exam is coming soon. You’re top of the grade, so you’re probably fine, but I’m in trouble. Ever since I heard about your bonus points, I figured plenty of people must have the special constitution, which made me nervous before even taking the test.”

“No way, I have to study every second I can.”

Chuguang nodded. “I’m also worried about my health. If I have an episode during the exam, it would be disastrous.”

That sudden, inexplicable pain had unsettled her.

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Before the exam, she needed to understand what triggered her symptoms—to eliminate any factors that could destabilize her performance.

During their meal, several people wearing black uniforms approached. The surrounding students watched curiously.

“Those are Special Management Bureau uniforms, right?”

“Yeah.”

“What are they doing at the school?”

Chuguang also observed them.

Soon, the officers casually picked a spot next to where they were sitting.

“This case closed pretty fast.”

“Yeah, if it weren’t for Captain Zhou insisting on the usual two- or three-day patrol, we’d be done today.”

“What’s Captain Zhou working on now?”

One man looked up. “Apparently, he’s investigating the origin of that bone-slicing knife. No matter how much they dig, they can’t find anything. According to the caught criminals, the knife was purchased. Such Nether Artifacts shouldn’t be on the market, so Captain Zhou plans to take down the trafficking dens.”

“To prevent ordinary citizens from constantly getting involved with illegal forces and causing supernatural incidents.”

“This time, they’re also cracking down on the petty gangs from last time. These incidents keep happening every year—so annoying.”

Their conversation shifted to other topics.

Petty gangs?

Chuguang’s expression changed slightly as she ate. She had scared off a group near the Underworld gate last time, and those people remembered her.

If the man they saw last time really investigated, it could implicate her.

Moreover, she had used a considerable amount of Underworld currency when frightening them.

If they found out, it would be trouble.

Chuguang silently blamed herself for being careless.

By five-thirty in the afternoon, she avoided the cafeteria and headed to a street vendor near the school gate.

“One small bowl of wontons, please.”

After the vendor packed it up, she asked, “Could you give me an extra plastic bag?”

“Sure.”

Soon, the bowl of wontons was in Chuguang’s hands. She slipped it into the transparent bag and placed it into her own bag.

Carrying it, she stepped into a narrow alley.