Chapter Eighty-Four: Yunran Ran of Jiuzhou Academy

The night before the examination, Zitan instructed Lian and Chongli to sneak out through the academy’s back gate. Jade happened to pass by at that moment. Seeing Yun Ranyan and Chongli holding hands as they slipped out, a mocking smile curled on her lips. Truly, the daughter of Wanqing—so young and already learning the ways of love, crossing the boundaries of master and disciple, just as in days gone by.

Perhaps everyone considered Yunshu Wanqing and her story a celebrated tale within the Nine Provinces Academy, but who knew that the two had once been shunned by all as a master and disciple? Who realized that Wanqing’s position as elder existed merely to keep Yunshu at the academy?

Jade had worked diligently at the Nine Provinces Academy, only for Wanqing and her daughter to easily claim the elder’s seat. How could Jade ever accept such an outcome?

Dry branches and fallen leaves crackled beneath Jade’s feet, her shadow stretching longer and longer under the dense moonlight at the academy’s back gate...

The next day, a major event shook Nine Provinces Academy: Elder Yun Ranyan and her only disciple, Chongli, had eloped the previous night!

When Zitan heard the news, he was nothing but shocked—if he hadn’t known the truth, he might have believed it himself! He quickly sent a message to Lian.

Just as they reached the base of the mountain, before them lay a vast cornfield. Lian rubbed her small stomach—she was hungry.

With a plaintive gaze, she looked at the handsome Chongli, who was carrying their bundle. Understanding her need, Chongli broke off two ears of corn and left a bag of silver coins at the roots of the stalks.

Flames enveloped the corn, and upon close inspection, water also coated the outside.

Chongli supported the flames with his palm, using his other hand to ensure the corn heated evenly. Boiled corn was indeed a marvelous invention!

Lian naturally took the corn from him, as if they had performed this act countless times before.

Amid the rising steam, she blew on it and took large bites. Corn was best when piping hot. It wasn’t the sweet fruit corn, so it was a bit glutinous and not especially sweet, but it would suffice.

“Ranyan, the academy is spreading rumors about you and Chongli eloping. Should you clarify?” Zitan’s habitual address slipped out as he messaged her.

Upon hearing this, Lian sputtered out a mouthful of corn bits—fortunately, Chongli was off to the side.

“Is the corn not cooked?” Chongli, uncertain of his culinary skills, recalled his first attempt at grilling fish years ago when neglecting to clean the innards had left the fish bitter. Yet surely boiling corn couldn’t go wrong.

Lian coughed twice. “No, I just choked a bit—corn is delicious!”

The news was so sensational that her mind hadn’t fully processed it. Eloping? They’d come up with such an idea?

[Master, I meant to warn you last night—Jade watched you two leaving the academy…]

Originally, the little rascal had intended to alert her, but got distracted playing with Little Mirage Spirit. Only now did it come to mind.

Lian thought for a moment and replied to Zitan: “Don’t worry about it, let them spread whatever they like—the more outrageous, the better.”

Recently, she had made so many advances, and yet Chongli still wouldn’t speak truthfully to her. If he wouldn’t, then she’d let others do the talking.

After all, all the storybooks say that love needs many helpers to reach its fulfillment. Since neither she nor Chongli could take the first step, why not let those who love a spectacle handle it?

Besides, Jade seemed to spend her days with nothing better to do—what else could she want, sneaking out to the academy’s back gate in the middle of the night?

Lian certainly couldn’t be called elegant in her eating; she clutched the corn with both hands and gnawed away.

Seeing Lian relish her food, Chongli broke off half for himself and took a refined bite—just three or four kernels. It didn’t seem particularly tasty, but as Lian enjoyed it so thoroughly, he decided to keep her company.

[Oh ho, someone’s coming up ahead.] The rascal piped up.

Lian always considered her little rascal like a lively navigator, one of those all-knowing guides—very useful!

She finished the last two kernels on her cob, burped contentedly, and stood up just as two men approached. Their faces were pale, dark circles heavy under their eyes, and worry etched deeply into their expressions. Clearly, they had recently encountered some trouble.

“Brother, looks like there’s someone up ahead!” The man carrying a bundle called to his companion.

The other man, upon seeing Lian and Chongli, looked as if he’d spotted saviors. “Are you two from the Nine Provinces Academy?”

Lian arched her right eyebrow. “You two seem troubled by something.”

The two men exchanged glances and whispered, “It must be her.” Then said aloud, “Would you be willing to visit our town?”

It was along their route, so a visit wouldn’t hurt. She met Chongli’s eyes—“Sure.”

[Master, look at their faces and foreheads. That complexion screams they’ve seen ghosts—they want you to fight with some vengeful spirit!]

Lian wasn’t a Daoist and had little knowledge of such things. “Rascal, you have the makings of a charlatan.”

[Charlatan? No, no, no, what I say is never nonsense. These two are definitely haunted—look at their palms, there’s a trace of ghostly aura lingering.]

She had only glanced at the two men before. Now, channeling spiritual energy to her eyes, she saw exactly what the rascal described: wisps of dark energy curled around their palms.

[Now you believe me!] The rascal puffed up, his tigerish appearance almost comical.

“But I can’t see ghosts, nor do I know how to catch them. Is the ghost powerful?” Ghost-catching fell squarely into Lian’s blind spot.

The rascal was silent for a long time. Lian had to send a message to Chongli—“Chongli, do you know how to catch ghosts?”

Chongli was surprised for a moment, then remembered Lian’s little spirit, so knowledge of such things would not be difficult. “They carry heavy yin energy—likely a vengeful ghost with some cultivation. Ordinarily, such spirits should be managed by the Underworld. Why would one be roaming to harm people?”

He couldn’t make sense of it, nor could Lian.

According to the laws of heaven and earth, only ghosts with a pass from the Underworld could enter the mortal realm for revenge or complaint. Occasionally, lone souls appeared and were dealt with by Daoists. So why would these two seek out spiritual cultivators instead of Daoists?

Still, they had just agreed to help, and there shouldn’t be much danger—at worst, the resentment would be strong. But Lian had “Purification of the World”—once she used that, nothing would cling to her!

Ah, “Purification of the World”!?

Lian narrowed her lively eyes. “How did you know we were from the Nine Provinces Academy?”

There were other academies nearby, and neither she nor Chongli wore academy uniforms. How had these men guessed their origin so readily?

Strange—very strange.

The bundled man couldn’t hold back, ignoring his brother’s attempts to stop him. “Yesterday morning, a woman with her face veiled told us that at this hour today, a man and woman from Nine Provinces Academy would descend the mountain and could solve our family’s troubles.”

He dropped to his knees with a thud. “Please, I beg you to save us! We poor folk cannot endure much more!”

As he spoke, his brother also knelt, hands pressed together, bowing repeatedly.

Lian and Chongli helped them to their feet. They hadn’t yet learned the full story—ghosts or otherwise—even if they couldn’t see them, spiritual cultivators could sense shifts in the energy.

If all else failed, they could invoke the Headmaster’s Order and ask Zitan to find an expert Daoist. With his age, he surely knew many capable people.